A Forger Forges Forth
John Payne Collier was born in 1789. His father, after a checkered, as they say, career finally settled into journalism and prospered. The Collier home was visited by the likes of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Lamb and Hazlitt when he was a boy. Collier followed his father into journalism and was employed by the Times before he was twenty. As a young writer he knew Keats. He showed literary promise, and took a strong interest in Elizabethan and Jacobean literature. In 1820 he published The Poetical Decameron, or, Ten Conversations on English Poets and Poetry, Particularly of the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I, which contains the earliest discovery of Shakespeare's source for Twelfth Night, Barnaby Riche's Farewell to Military Profession (see p. 134 in The Poetical Decameron, ff). Thus encouraged, he pursued a career in scholarship.
In 1831 he published
It was very well received, "superseding Malone." In it he reports his find of the Manningham Diary, which contains a reference to a performance of Twelfth Night in 1602 and also the story of Shakespeare besting Burbage in amorous conquest, William the Conqueror preceding Richard III (see vol. I, p. 332 of The History).
These genuine discoveries and the quality and usefulness of The History would have made his reputation, but he amplified his discoveries by, for the first time, adding inventions of his own: ""...he incorporates a long ballad--otherwise unknown--supossedly 'copied from a contemporary MS.' on the Cockpit riot of 1617..." (Schoenbaum, 247; for the forged ballad, see p. 402 of vol. 1 of The History). He also adds an invented 1596 petition to the Privy Council wherein the Lord Chamberlain's men ask permission to continue their renovation of the Blackfriar's Theatre. Shakespeare's name appears fifth among the principal actors (see vol. I, p. 297-98 of The History). A remarkable, though sadly also non-existent, discovery.
Shortly after the publication Collier was made literary adviser to the Duke of Devonshire and asked to look after his dramatic library (Devonshire loved old plays). In return for this light work, he received a 100 pound per annum pension. Through the consequent aristocratic connections he met Lord Francis Egerton, soon the Earl of Ellsmere. "Egerton generously gave Collier 'instant and unrestrained access' to the Ellesmere papers at Bridgewater House, 'with permission to make use of any literary or historical information' he found therein. Here were reposited the papers of Lord Ellesmere, Elizabeth's Keeper of the Great Seal and James's Lord Chancellor" (Schoenbaum, 248).
Shortly thereafter he published New Facts Regarding the Life of Shakespeare. In a Letter to Thomas Amyot, Esq., F.R.S., Treasurer of the Society of Antiquaries, from J. Payne Collier, F.S.A based upon documents "...he happened upon one day just after being left alone in the room by Lord Egerton" (Schoenbaum 248-49). In it he demonstrates Shakespeare as a shareholder in the Blackfriar's theatre by 1589 (thus propping up the earlier forgery printed in The History relative to the non-existent 1596 petition to the Privy Council (see p. 10-11 in New Facts)). [The King's Men did not, in fact, begin to play at the Blackfriar's until 1609.] Collier is also, remarkably, able to "give a precise evaluation of Shakespeare's holdings in 1608" (see p. 22-25 in New Facts), where Collier also gives Shakespeare's share in the company as equal to Richard Burbage's, and estimates his yearly income as 300 pounds. All complete fabrications.
The jewel, as it were, of New Facts is, however, even more breathtaking. It is a previously unknown letter signed H. S.--obviously Henry Southampton (dedicatee of Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece)--wherein H. S. encourages Ellesmere to protect the actors at the Blackfriars where they were under attack in 1608 from the Corporation of London. The letter--handed to Lord Ellesmere by Burbage or Shakespeare who waited on him suit in hand--commends the two actors and says "The other hath to name William Shakespeare, and they are both of one countie, and indeed almost of one towne: both are right famous in their qualityes" (the letter is published beginning on p. 32 of New Facts). There you have it, Burbage and Shakespeare near neighbors. How, when one thinks about it, could it have been otherwise.
As if this were not enough, Collier also in the New Facts "...produces the draft of a patent of privy seal which does 'appoint and authorize the said Robert Daiborne, William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Field and Deward Kirkham from time to time to provide and bring upp a convenient nomber of Children, and them to instruct and exercise in the qualtihy of playing Tragedies Comedies &c. by the name of the Children of the revells to the Queene, within the Black fryers in our Citie of London or els where within our realme of Englan'" (Schoenbaum, 250 - p. 41 in New Facts). Finally, Collier forges a letter, purportedly from Samuel Daniel, who writes to thank the Lord Keeper "for being appointed in 1603 to supervise the productions of the Queen's Revels children." In his letter, Daniel refers to an unnamed, disappointed candidate, clearly Shakespeare (p. 47 in New Facts). So many revelations in such a little book. Astonishing.
Tomorrow we will take up the further forgeries of J. Payne Collier, The Memoirs of Edward Alleyn, his monumental edition of Shakespeare's Works, The Perkins Folio, his soaring reputation, and an evaluation of his work. The day after (most likely) we will deal with his exposure, including a look at one of the first uses of scientific forensics in literary detection.
This post (and the forthcoming ones on Collier) is (and will be) based on the much more complete description of Colliers forgeries by Dr. Samuel Schoenbaum as published in his invaluable Shakespeare's Lives, Oxford, 1991, part IV, chapters 10-11, which cannot, sadly, be purchased new from Amazon any longer, but can be had used in very good condition for a very nominal price. Those building a Shakespeare library ought not to miss this masterpiece on the history of biography. I would also like to draw attention to the remarkable resources now available through Google Book Search. I have referenced them liberally above. When I first read Schoenbaum's book, the works by Collier and others he cited were near rare books, and could only be had through the trials and expense of interlibrary loan. Now, they are simply clicks away and freely available. I have my criticisms of Google Book Search, but it holds enormous promise and even now true riches, even though they are--ironically--difficult to find.
This is the blog for the Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet web site.
Comments