(348) Foster stunningly recanted on his Shakespeare discovery . That was not necessary!

A bizarre "monkey business"

 between Donald Foster and Gilles Monsarrat 

1995 Donald Foster, a professor of English at Vassar College, using stylometric computer analyis, made the case for  William Shakespeare being the author of the 578-line poem called '

'A Funeral Elegy.'(by W.S.)'.

(for details  click Youtube Video!)

- 

The elegy had been dated by the death of its subject, William Peter, on Jan. 25, 1612. Since the Earl of Oxford died in 1604,  assigning this elegy to Shakespeare (W.S.) was a strong argument for the Stratford  case and against the Oxford case.

In a stunning development  2002 (-->New York Times, june 20, 2002)  Professor Donald Foster  recanted on his Shakespeare discovery and admitted he was wrong and that - because of linguistic evidence - John Ford, another poet and dramatist was the more likely author of the Poem.  

An  analysis by Gilles Monsarrat showed Fosters attribution to be premature and that the true author must have been John Ford....
Professor Abrams said on Shaksper, ''.... the linguistic evidence for Ford is   stronger than for Shakespeare.''

_______________

Already at a first glance of Ford's works (s.Faksimile titles 1-3, to the left)  one could have recognized excessive similarities with the autobiographical fate of the true W.S: William Shakespeare [ Marlowe]

▷ 1. Christes [Christophers] Bloody Sweat, or the Sonne of God in his Agonie«.

(»For whiles incompast in a fleshly frame, a cloude of darke mortality I liv’d:«,»I liv’d the subject both of scorne and shame, banisht from mirth, of comfortes all depriv’d«, »And ever as I liv’d, I died alive.«.….»division in my heart, disgrace  upon my name, plaintes in my breast« »uncertaine, where to lead me to my bed« »poore forsaken ever day in daunger«... »of all abhor’d, even to mine owne a stranger« »no men my friend, in any friend no trust.«)

 - Similar authentic biographical revelations arising from another  Essay of Ford of the same year (1613):

▷»2. The Golden Meane«
(If a ...wise man after disfavour of his prince, neglect of his Countrey, forfeiture of his estates, banishments from his friends, imprisonment of his Person, or any other esteemed extremes be threatened with the losse of his head or execution in any manner...)...did fitly faine death [s.Faksimile] to be the childe of the night, and Sleepe to bee the Sister of death 
    

Excerpt p117 John Ford  The Golden Meane

▷ 3. A Line of Life« (1620)

(Two Waies had been proposed before him; the one leading to the Tribunall [Star Chamber] of Authoritie, the other to his grave.)

All 3 Essays (seen as  Ford's workes) may be  regarded as highly specific metaphors or allegories on Marlowe's fate.- 

 And the same is true for  »A Funerall Elegy« »W.S.«.  a complete methaphor and absolute blueprint for the fate of Marlowe. 

The bizarre "monkey business" between Donald Foster and Gilles Monsarrat would have been completely unnecessary, of course, if the
                   Marlowe-Shakespeare authorship thesis 
had been taken seriously!  W.S. and J.F. the initials of concealed Marlowe.-

For details see Video!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Online text: