Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-17
LOST OSCAR WILDE
MANUSCR|PTF0UND
The Portrait OF Mr.. w. H."
Refers to Dedication of
Shakespeare's Sonnets
ElAB0RATES OLD THEORY

New York. June 1.-THE "lost
manuscript" Of Oscar wilde was found
q year ago and will be issued in book
form In three weeks. according to an
announcement BY Mitchell KenncrIcy.
the publisher. The maudscriDt contains
2S 900 words. II II entitled The Tor.
trait OF Mr.. W. H." and acts forth
elaborately the theories Of Wilde ms to
the identity Of the man to whom
Shakespeare dedicated 12G of his SON
nets.
wilde treated the subject IN semi
fctional form in Rlackwcod's MnCs1lnr
In July. 1880. The forthcoming book
is an elaboration Of that magazine ar
tiele, which was written as early rs
1893, because in that year MeSsrs. EIkin
Matthews and John Lane. publishers
announced 'in rapid preparation the
following volume
"wilde Oscar. The incomnarahle
and ingenious history Of Mr.. w. H.. ne
ing the true secret OF Shakespeare
Sonnets. now for tho first time hero
fully sct forth. with initial letters and
cover design by Charles Ricketts,,
This was two years before Wilde. was
arrested. For some reason the volume
was not printed IN those two years;
probsbly because IL might have added
considerably to the notoricty OF the
author.
After wilde's IMPRISONMENT the man
uscript disappeared. When his effects
were sold, tho l25th item was paint
ing Of Shakespeare 'W. II. This
was faxed. according to Stuart Mason.
author Of n volume on Wilde. 10 pro
vide n frontispiccc for the intended vol
rme. This painting was sold for one
euinca and disappeared. =,
Concerning the manuscri3t. Mr. hpn'
nerley's announcement SAYS:
"On the dav Of Oscar Wilde : arrest
Anril =. 1896, his books wern with =.
Srswn from the publishers shelves end
catalogues. and the manusrrint ot h'
Portrait Of Mr.. W. H is said 10 hnv"
been returned to Wilde's house. Titn
street, Chelsea. since. which date n"
trace Of il has bocn discovered.
at can now be said that since Oscar
Wilde completed this manuscript Tor the
printer Il had not been seen by ilvlng
person until it was found in July, l''2O,
and sent to Mitchell KPnnerIey. who
recognized it as indisputab!y. the IoSt
manuscript in Wilde's own handwrit'
ing" ,,.,.,o,.s or.;.,o
js that the wv. H described in the
dedication to the sonnetS as 'the onll"
heEettcT OF lHPst lIlnhahS
one Will Hughes, Hews or Hewcs. a
Young actor In Shakespcare's "onnan%
Tor whom the dramatist created the
roles Of Viola. ImOgcn. Ju let. RoSaiind, J.,
Portia and peSdcmona. Women did NOT
appear on the stage in Shakespeare :
day.
The sonnets in most Of the seventeen d
and eighteenth centuries were though;
TO have been all addressed 10 n woman.
in spite Of the dedication to Mr.. w
H" and other internal evidence.
Nearly all of the late critics have
agreed that "the onlic bpgettNr Of the
sonnets was man. The initials by
different commentators have been htt"d
10 William Hathaway. q brother. in law
Of Shakespeare: a nephew OF Shakes
peare, named William Hart. later dis
covered not TO have been born unt!I
nfter the sonnets were written; Henry
Wrioths'ey. Ear Of Southampton: AMI
William Herbert. later Earl Of Penn
broke. Barnstorff. German critic.
formed the hypothesis that Shakespeare
wrote the sonnets ont Of Dur" ee!t-ad- e
miration and that Mr.. W. H.. meant
"Mr. William Himself. 1t is most
orthodox at the present day 10 consider
Pembroke the object Of the sonncts.