The Washington herald., 1907-12-10
MILTON BIBLEFORGED
Noted Book Discovered by
Expert to Be Spurious.
AUTOGRAPH CALLED FORGERY
BibIiODhiIe, with Powerful Magnify
ing Glass, Finds Woven Paper, IN
vented in 1850, in BOok-NaEIc Let
ters "JOhn Milton, February "a,
1854" Appear iE YeIIov,ed Ink.

New York. Dec. 9.-BibHophiles. book
worms. and all other followers of the
salnted Caxton VIII pause in their MUNICH
ing Of the leaves Of literature TO harken
TO the words Of Alfred J. Barton. expert
on ancient books. who says that the Mil
ton Bible, containing what was thought
to be one Of the nine genuine autographs
of the great Puritan poet extant. is spu-
rious, and the autograph a forgery.
The old Bible. with the magic letters
John Milton, February "A. 1854 in yell
lowed ink on the binding inside OF the
cover. first came 10 light IN the posses
sion Of Alexander Howell. Of London.
seven years ago, and was pronounced
genuine by DR. W. Adds Wright. vice
master Of Trinity College. Cambridge.
and editor Of the Cambridge Shakespeare.
and by other English scholars.
The Bible was put up at auction a
Few days ago at the book sale conducted
by the Anderson Auction Company in
this city. The auctioneers acted as agents
for William II. Buckler. of Baltimore
secretary Of the American Legation AZ
Madrid. Mr.. Barton. acting as agent for
George II. Richmond. dealer in Old books
and autographs. bought IN the book at
SIPS, under stipulation that II investiesl-
tion into It's authenticity should not sat
isfy him IT could be returned.
Sets About TO Investigate.
Mr.. Barton. who prides himself on be-
ing the Sherlock Holmes of Bibliopbilv
set himself at once 10 go over the char
acter of the Milton Bible with a magnf-
flying glass and plenty OF skepticism.
Many autographs were scrawled over
TIE fly leaves and on the margins Of the
ancient Bible. Besides the Milton auto
graph on the inside binding Of the cover.
there was one reading Elizabeth Mil
ton,' just above the illuminated frontis-
piece 10 the New Testament. and on the
two back fly leaves appeared the names
Elizabeth Minshull'' written twice in
chirography that differed in some par-
ticulars, and William Minshull." On one
of the fly leaves in the back Of the hook
appeared also the name Wv Mathews"
with the date 1725.
There were other names Of an ancient
Mathews family scattered through the
book.
Made of Woven Paper,
The body Of the Bible and the first
blank leaves on either side OF the first
and last pages are all of very old-fasb-
ioned nand laid paper. Mr.. Barton held
the paper up to the light so that his lis
teners could see the marks of the wire
gauze upon which the pulp had been laid
down by hand and pressed. But the nv
ieavesSin front and back. and the inside
Innings Of the covers, were made Of woven
paper.
This woven paper was first invented IN
100. explained the searcher. into the bluo
blood of real rarities. II that was the
case, how could It have been that ..yv
Mathews" indited his name twenty-five
years before the new processed paper was
discovered.
Mr.. Barton took the Bible down 10 the
Office of David n. Carvalho. the hand
writing expert at 90 Broadway. and mad
hin examine the signatures on the Nv
leaves Of the book. The expert gave II ss
his opinion that all of the autOgrapbs
scattered about on the woven paper dv-
leaves were fcrgeries.
II Mr.. Barton's contentious are sustain
ed by other experts the book which was
bought for S1,225 cannot sell for $500 al
though it is without doubt a genuine
'Breeches Bible