The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28
GREAT LITERARY FORGERIES.

GREAT LITERARY FORGERIES.
CunnInshams Fsr,y scotch BaIlMds-A
Frcnchman's Forged Letters.
Il could cheat a whole general assembly
OF antiquarians with my original manner OF
writing and forging ballads" The man
who made this proud boast-AlLan Cunning
ham--was a youthful stonemason OF Scot
land. earning IS shillings a week. That
he was no idle braggart is evident, says the
London Tit-Bits. from the fact that in his
twenty-fifth year he perpetrated one OF
the greatest Literary frauds Of the nineteenth
century.
Cunningham, in spite Of his humble role
in life, could write poetry the beauty and
pathos Of which would bring tears to the
eyes OF the reader. Apparently, however,
he possessed a observation-disclosures OF
many rogues OF literary genius-to make
experts look foolish, and when a Mr.. Cromek.
who in 1909 was travelling in Scotland with
a view to making a collection Of genuine
Scottish songs asked Cunningham to assist
him the stonemason conceived the idea OF
writing ballads and passing them OF on
Cromek as old Scottish productions.
These were included in a volume and,
utthoueh UT Va NV ~ set',eeo WIZ
fraud and it was established beyond doubt
that Cunningham wrote the ballads him
self. they acquired an immediate reputation
and the genius Of the writer led people to
overlook the deception.
Nor was Cunningham the only forger Of
Scottish ballads. Robert Surtees, the cele-
brated antiquary and historian. for some
curious reason not only palmed of on Sir
yN.Ia~- Goo4A aa n,X,.,,. Ah-aa h,l H. Ia x,t~alxt
Of his own composition but actually suffered
them to occupy a place in the "Minstrelsy
of the Scottish Border" with a fictitious
account of their origin, and left the novelist
deceived to the end Of his days.
Mention Of the deception OF Sir Walter
Scott reminds one that the famous novelist
was the victim on several occasions OF
literary forgers who used his name TO
boom their own work. George W. Haering,
who under the pseudonym of Willibald
Alexis came to be one Of Germany's first
novelists Of the early part of the nineteenth
century. published his first book. -Wallad-
NOR" and announced it as a free translation
Sir Walter Scott. He afterward endeav-
ored to excuse himself on the ground that
people had been stupid enough not to see
in @Walladmor" a ~satirical attack on the
craze then prevalent for SCOTS works.
In France several mimetic attempts pm
Scott ave been made. notably Altar
Cameron QSs2) and @Ayme Verd" us42).
which were both published in Paris as being
SCOTS, and l. Pythie des Highlands"
introduced to the world as the work Of the
famous novelist in 1874 by Charles j. David.
son of the famous French painter.
But perhaps the most Interesting OF all
the attempts to trade OF SCOTS name was
that connected with the name of E.. de Saint
Maurice Cabany, director-general Of the
Society OF Archivistes OF France, who in 1855
startled the literary world with a newly
discovered novel by Scott, entitled More
dun; a Tale OF the 1910"
In j.. A. Farmers book entitled
Literary Forgeries" il is explained how,
the description Of places, this novel could
not have been written by Scott, but the
authorship remains a mystery.
The prince Of literary forgers, as regards
quantity, also halls from France. This
was Vrain- Denis Lucas, the son of a peasant,
who after providing certain classes OF
people with more or less spurious pedigrees
perpetrated one OF the most colossal literary
OF the nineteenth century by sue
palming on 27,32O forged letters OF
and eminent men to NJ. Chasles. a
man OF worldwide reputation as q geom-
and astronomer. who paid Lucas
nearly Go, 600 for the collection.
Luoas's false letters included some
from h Apostles. from Plato. Pliny,
Lazarus and Mary Magdalene. And yet
nj. Chasles did not consider il extraordinary
these worthless wrote on paper and in
the French language! Ultimately his eyes
were opened. and Lucas was arrested and
sentenced to two years imprisonment.
The well known story OF "Psalmanazar.
the Famous Formosan," shows how easily
the public can be imposed upon In regard
to literature. This remarkable individual
made his appearance in London early in
the eighteenth century, claimed to be a
native OF Formosa and wrote in Latin his
very singular Description OF Formosa."
The book. which was a pure ~concoctioD. did
not deceive anybody, but for many years
it's author remained an object Of faith n
to a considerable section OF his
c~ountrymen." He repented,
however. OF his fraud. and his life ended
with the esteem Of many. while DIR. Johnson
spoke Of him as-the best man he ever knew"
who Psalmanazar really was remains
to his day a literary secret.
Even more audacious. perhaps, was the
Of an Irish clergyman named
a resident OF Bath. who. coward the
end OF the eighteenth century. claimed to
have written "A Man Of F~eeiing"-a work
by Henry Mackenzie. often included In the
to sustain his claim, actually transcribed. the
whole work. making the usual blots. rasures
and additions. to give the manuscript
a plausible appearance Of originality.
enough. although the publishers
Eccles's claim. the people Of
Path evidently believed in him. for when he
died a certain writer. commenting upon the
tnrfess grave OF Eccles. suggested that a
stone bearing the incription Beneath
this stone The Man OF Feeling lies" should
be subscribed for.