The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-02
Shakespeare'S Name x
~ - Bound Into a Book.

ending Shakespeare Bacon controversy has again brought
under discus sion the original documentary evidence which
might affect any OF the side or the other
and the fact this evidence is but scanty and fragen
tary at gives each individual the greater
value Accordingly the factnot generally known-tbat
OF important bits OF what is taken for Shake
sreares handwriting IS owned in America comes to have
interest just for all who interested 50
Shakespeare's life and work.
# The precious scraw-for it IS little than that to
the modern eyewas OF almost romantic discovery IT was
Of the short strips OF parchment and paper which
were part Of the hinge Of the binding OF copy OF 81
Thomas Norths translation OF Pluarchs Lives printed in
roc 4, identified when the original binding OF the
volume was strengthened Ell years the
press That poets signature and the single line Of script
below i,ogeher making the longest specimen OF writing
ia existence which called Shakespeare with appear
ance OF crediblity-shoud thus be part OF the book from
which he the plot and OF the very phrases Of at
of his famous plays is set down merely
coincdence, but it is certainly very striking
Books bound in the seventeenth century differently
from the modern way What called the lining leaves
which nowadays pasted to the inside OF the boards that
form the cover, then lett loose, apparently like fly
Leaf Certainly il they adhered TO the boards they
time became detached from them for as they
day they Under them is usually exposed fold of
parchment about inches wide running the whole length
or the hinge and leaves OF paper of about the
size, all Of them part Of the binding These little
folds strips Of paper are frequently leaves IRON some
older book, discarded sheets from Offices. IN Shake
peares time the general character of the latter often ind
that they the binder refuse from the Office
Of the London scriveners.
1t such strip Of paper this, in the binding
rs has been said OF copy Of Norhs Putarch that the
american signature Shakespeare found The book
wac OF which Mr. Samuel Gasking. English
from London sold to the Boston public library IN the
fall OF 1850. The volume first folio Of Ben
Jorson and Mr.. Gaskng, who said he prooreadcr
looking employment told the library that he had picked
both in London second hand boosshop lie was willing
part with them for reasonable sum and as the library
happened have neither they bought something less
than the usual price for such books and added the col
lection of Ezabethan literature especially early editions OF
Shakespeare and books illustrating Shakespeare which then
ranked by the far the finest the United States
Incidentally Mr. Gaskng called the librarians attention
THE 9th
then exposed opposite the quaint od-iashioued title
page and said that he thought they might be Shakcpcarc
but apparently he set no higher value on the book on that
iceount
The late Judge Mellen Chamberlain then the head
81 the Boston public library. and after Mr. Gasking had
gone he examined the Pluarch and the Shakespeare writing
carefully He himself collector OF autographs and had
experts knowledge of them. Indeed the collection Of
and manuscripts which he aerward prcted
the library and a part of which including complete set
of The autographs the sgners OF the Declaration OF indie
pendence-now hangs on the walls of one OF the reading
rooms is OF the remarkable and valuable in this
country His conclusions about the Shaespearcan
trove therefore have the authority Of expert behind
them and they strongly the effect that both the
and the curious line below made by the pen Of the
great poet and playwright
Win Shakespeare
hundred and twenty poundes
Is eha. so faint crauped Elizabethan characters spell
The browns Rcolored ink is still bright and clear f,r the
had chance affect it. As expert Judge Cham
berlin examined ink and paper and scrutuizd every letter
|
Shakespeares name appears was organaly part OF the
book originally put the market but the question
when the writing was put upon it was open to discussion
Another similar strip OF paper in the back OF the volume
he discovered also inscribed the words coming
20 the hinge OF the which they faced that
hardly possible that they should have been written after the
book bound beside which, it did likely they
would have been hidden in such ouoi-the-way place
they had been They and the name Of Em Shakespeare
hundred and twenty poundes though the ink
bohJudge Chamberlain stated-undoubtedy ink
and handwriting OF the Seventeenth century poba-
bly, been concealed until the lining sheet OF the became
achedcertainy the lining pasted down.
So that it probable that time when there was no
ndcement forge them they had been written where they
were found
IA curious piece of evidence moreover was furnished by
hole which shows in the parchment strip the
title page well as in the paper bearing Shakepeares
bred and twenty pounde Beyond that it penetraes $40
pages OF the Judge Chamberlain remarked that this
circumstance established nothing unless could be dscov
cred when the worked but clear that writing
done before that time otherwise pen have
caught the edges Of the hole and made irregular line
which 1t plainly did not do Other experts whom Judge
chamberlain consulted quite agreed with him the weight
efevidence declaring their belief that the signature was
I the autograph OF some who called himself William
Shakspeare is say that mans name writ
ten by himself and imitation by another man
and saying that it bore strong resemblance TO The known
gepune signatures OF the Shakespeare the differences
being accounted for, perhaps. by the time vle N
have written il he did write tfor he could have been
much older than 49, and might have been much younger
ne other writing referred to as being on the
tained in the binding bit Of Latin Judge Cham
berlain did pretend explain the o4 claer.
ow such papers he said, partly legal and partly literary
came together is unknown IT. has been suggested they
were from scrveners Office why should Shakespeare
be found among them would hardly to say that
Is because has been conjecured from his familiarity
witt technical law and phrases he time
rlawsers clerk Nor does in which entry APP
pcarsthat OF underwriting policy OF insurancear-
rant the conclusion that the paper part OF
stfnent signed by Shakespeare which found its way
lawyers Office 1t is known that he used any OF his
capita in that though such conjecture receives color
iron the familiarity with ships and which his
draas show But these papers together and apparently
have been for nearly three centuries is strange
that OF them should be the hand OF any OF his
and the words hundred and twenty poundes.
Jh he only generally accepted specimens Of Shakespeare