In St.Omer [25 miles southwest of Calais] the librarian Remy Cordonnier discovered an unknown First Folio edition of the Shakespeare's plays,
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Surviving concealed Marlowe /alias Shakespeare at an advanced age (1641/42) was forced to live for years in Flandern at the English Jesuites Colleges, (Gent, Antwerpen, Louvain, Saint Omer) under his incognito name Tobias Matthew.
Lately, the press was informed (->1, ->2, ->3), that in the northern French town St.Omer [25 miles southwest of Calais] the librarian Remy Cordonnier discovered within the collection of 50.000 historical books and manuscripts a First Folio edition of the Shakespeare's plays, the title page and 30 pages of "The Two Gentleman of Verona" were missing. -
Shakespeare and First Folio-Expert Prof.Eric Rasmussen (->s.Blog Nr. 197), (-> Video below) University of Nevada, identified the book as the 233th surviving copy of the "First Folio" Version (1623), originally 750(?) copies were printed.-
What does that mean in the context of St.Omer? - The author of the non-fiction book "The true Shakespeare: Christopher Marlowe" concluded that surviving concealed Marlowe /alias Shakespeare at an advanced age (1641/42) lived in Flandern at the English Jesuites Colleges, (Gent, Antwerpen, Louvain?, Saint Omer?) under his incognito name Tobias Matthew and wrote his late literary works under pseudonyms such
J.Q (John Quarles) and R.P.(?) -
John Quarles »Fons Lachrymarum; or a Fountain of Tears...« (1648), with specific references to the authors collections of pseudonyms, was dedicated to King Charles (»..to prostitute at Your Highnesses feet the first fruits of an Orchard, which I planted in Flaunders, during the time of my banishment and now have brought them into England to be press'd for growing in a straunge Country...«).
You may regard John Quarles »Divine Meditations« (1648) "Fons Lachrymarum" as a final "accounting" of his life nearing its end richly allusive ( beginning* (Faksim.) and end**)
*He that will true examples learn to give /
First let him learn to dye,
and then to live:/.
Prefer the surest first;
for you and I /
Uncertain art to live,
but sure to dy
**That Son of God, in whom true joys recide;
/Who lives by dying, and by living dy'd.
/Who lives by dying, and by living dy'd.
He died Oct.13, 1655 at the age of 91 „At the House of the Tertians of Society of Jesus” in Ghent. He was buried in the vault of the Jesuite College in Ghent with his engraving: »Hic jacet D. Tobias Matthaei.« [The Church was demolished 1798)].
The "->General Biographical Dictionary" (Vol.21, 1815 page 466/67) gives us some details about "Tobie Mathew's" late stay in Flandern and about his mighty personality ...
»…he affected the reputation of a man of universal genius, and certainly possessed many accomplishments.…he was a poet, a painter, and a man of gallantry. Lord Orford informs us that he made a portrait of the Infanta [on the occasion of Matthew's travel with Prince Charles und Georges Villiers (Lord Buckingham) to Madrid (1622)] and the famous character of Lucy Percy, countess of Carlisle…His excellent constitution required but few hours sleep,
In the last lines (page 100) of the last morbid poem ->The Ghost-Song« in Choice Drollery (1656) the non identifiable poet R.P. expressed
and I shall smile, though underground.
You that delight in Trulls and Minions,
Come buy my four ropes of St.Omers Onions. -
