A disclosure (by contextual evidence) of the contemporary Shakespeare authorship riddle.-
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John Cotgrave‘s text passages in his section „Of Burialls and Mourning“ of his book „The English Treasury of Wit and Language“ (1655) originate from Act V of the play, „The Wittie Faire One“ of James Shirley (1633). It was brought out at Drury Lane in 1628 but not printed until 1633.
There can be little doubt that in this Act V[later sc.3?], 5 years after the First Folio (1623) the concealed destiny of „living“ Christopher Marlowe (The true Shakespeare) was disclosed. –
The whole act V is about Mr. Fowler [alias the poet] a wild young gentleman, attending his own buriall as a living man and about the cause and event of his living death . – The author James Shirley must have belonged to the multitude of Marlowe‘s pseudonyms.(blog564)
I am afraid that it will not be possible to understand the deeper meaning of the subsequent lines unless you are familiar with some details of the historical background and facts of the Marlowe (Shakespeare) authorship. (Peter Farey )
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The blog is summatized in this Youtube Video.
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You may also read this original section of Act V .- Added numbers in brackets refer to the subsequent explanatory interpretation attached .
From the Comedy „The Wittie Faire one“ (Act V) James Shirley 1633
[– Click here]
Fowler: This is the room I sickned in, and by report dyed in (1), uhm I have heard of spirits walking with aeriall bodies, and ha(ve) been wondered at by others(2), but I must only wonder at my selfe, for if they be not mad, I’me come to my owne buriall(3), certaine these clothes are substantiall, I owe my Taylor for’em to this houre, if the divell be not my Taylor, and has furnish‘d me with another suit very like it (4)----This no magicall noyse, essential gold and silver? (5). What doe I with it if I be dead? (6) Here are no reckonings to be payd with it, no Taverne bils (7), no midnight Revels, (…) I might hope to get out of this new pittiful Purgatory, or at least know which way I came in to‘ t(8) --- what a divell doe they meane to do with me --- not too many teares Lady, you will but spoyle your eyes , and draw upon ‘em the misery of spectacles, doe not you know me neyther? (9)
Penelope: Oh Master Fowler(10)
Fowler: Ha, out wa’t, nay and the woman but acknowledge me alive, there’s some hope a me.(11)
Penelope: I loved thee living with a holy flame to purge the errours of thy wanton youth (12)
Fowler: I’me dead again(13)
Penelope: This made thy soule sue out so hasty a Divorce(14) and flee to aery dwellings, hath left us thy cold pale figure, (15) which wee have commission but to chamber up in melancholly dust, (16) where thy own wormes like the false servants (17) of some great man shall devoure thee first. (18) -
Fowler: I am wormes meate,
Penelope: We must all dye
Fowler: Woo’d some of you would do’t quickly, that I might ha(ve) company
Penelope But wert thou and that by miracle thy soule should with thy body have second marriage(19) I beleeve thou woo’dst study to keepe it a chast Temple, holy thoughts like Fumes of sacred incense houering about this heart, (20) then thou wou‘dst learne to be above thy frailties, (21) and resist the flatteries of smooth-fac’d lust
Fowler: This is my Funeral sermon (22)
Penelope The burden of which sinne, my feares perswade me, both hastned and accompanied thy death (23) (…) we must hope the best , he was an inconstant young man, frequenting of some companies, had corrupted his nature, and a little debauched him.(24)
Fowler: In all this sermon I have heard litte commendations of our deare brother departed(25), rich men do not go to the pithole without Complement of Christian burial, it seems if I had lived to have made a Will,(26) and bequeathed so much legacy as would purchase some Preacher a neat Cassocke,[soutane] (27) I should have dyed in as good estate and assurance for my soule as the best Gentleman i‘th Parish(28), had my Monument in a conspicious place of the Church(29), where I should have beene cut in a form of prayer, as if I had been call’d away at my devotion(30), and so for hast to be in heaven, went thither with my bookes and spectacles.(31) ----- doe’e here, Lady and Gentlemen, is it your pleasure to see me, though not know me (32) ? And to enforme a walking business when this so much lamented brother [WILLIAM SHAKSPERE] of yours departed out of this world, (33) in his life I had some relations to him,(34) what disease dyed he of pray? Who is his heire yet at Common Law, for he was warme in the possession of Lands (34) , thanke his kind father [JOHN SHAKSPERE], who having been in consumption sixteene yeeres (35), one day above all the rest having nothing else to do, dyed(36)
Interpretation of Act V Numbers refer to specific passages of Act V.- .
Bold italic words do occur in the play.
(1) Marlowe was stabbed to death, in a room sickned in (SOED „sickened“= felt faint with horror) and by report dyed, [first printed source 1597. Ref Thomas Beard Blog 362)
(2) There were early rumors of Marlowe‘s disappearance (e.g. He dyed of the plague, Ref Gabriel Harvey 1593)… heard of spirits walking with aeriall bodies….. have been wondered by others
(3) In order to save Marlowe’s life, his death had to be faked and he had to write under new identities or pennames [such as Shakespeare], thus he was able [1616] to come to my own faked buriall in Stratford
[but I must only wonder at my selfe, for if I am not mad, I’me come to my owne buriall]
(4) He received new identities (certaine of these clothes were substantial ) which he owed his Taylor up to this houre (1633), his Taylor was a divell (W.Cecil ) who furnished him with another suit [identity] very like it
(5)There were no miracles, no magicall noyse, all that happened was real
(6) He reflects his whilom faked situation of a murder, and what to do with the situation of being officially dead .
(7) He confesses that in reality there was no brawl [in Deptford] over no reckonings to be payd ! No Taverne bill , no midnight Revels (s. „midnight revels“ in Midsummer Night's Dream – Act 5, Scene 1)
(8) He reflects which way he came in his life catastrophy; for a long time he hoped to get out again of his pittifil purgatory ..
(9) Fowler (alias Shakespeare/Marlowe) prefers the trick of singularity and put his thoughts in a dialogue with his own Muse(s) or Vertue(s) (here Penelope, the metaphor of his faithfulness), (Remember: »Put thyself in the trick of singularity. She thus advise thee that [she] sighs for thee! [ Shakespeare: Twelfth Night or What you will (II/5)]. Fowler/Marlowe] argues with his superego (Penelope) Not too many teares Lady . you will spoyle your eyes … and draw upon ‘em the misery of spectacles, doe not you know me neyther
(10) Master Marlowe , he had his master degree
(11) Penelope ( His own virtue / his High-selfe) acknowledges him alive he sees some hope for himself
(12) But his High-selfe Penelope warns that he, who lived with a holy flame, had to purge his errours of his wanton youth
(13)This brings him back to reality : he is dead (again)
(14)He realizes that his soul too hasty sued out a Divorce between body and soul, it was premature to change his identity)
(15) and that rumours (airy dwellings) spread and reported about his dead cold pale figure
(16) Others who had been commissioned by the crown (W.Cecil) to arrange Marlowe’s sad melancholic passing in a chamber ( to chamber up in Melancholly dust)
(17) where false servants [secret agents Pooley, Skeres, Frizer, ]
(18) of some great men (W.Cecil, T. Walsingham), which had at first, to devour himself, his (arranged) death
(19) His higher self, his inner voice (Penelope) let him believe that - by the miracle of living again - his soul having a second marriage [identity]with his body-
(20) that he will be chastened and holy thoughts like Fumes of sacred incense hovered about his heart
(21)and that he got the chance to learn to be above the frailties and to resist the flatteries of smooth-fac’d lust
(22)he speaks quasi his own funeral sermon in which
(23)he excuses himself , that his feares of death perswaded him , that it was due to the fact that he was an inconstant young man and
(24) that he had frequented of some [false] companies, corrupted his nature [writing pernicious libels], which debauched him a little
(25) In all this own sermon of his own funeral, but in reality of his borrowed identity of SHAKSPERE his dear brother who departed
(26) he realizes that he will not, [compared to Shakspere as a rich men], do get a burial (they do not go to the pithole without a christian complement
(27) it seems to him as if he had lived to make (write) the will [for Shakspere] and bequeathed so much legacy
(28) as if he should have died in as good estate and assurance for his soule as the best Gentleman [Shakspere] in the Parish, remember William Shakspere , gent ’s will
(29) He received a memorial place with his Monument in a conspicious place of the [Trinity] Church of STRATFORD
(30) The Stratford bust shows the upper half of the body where he should have beene cut in a form of prayer, as if he had been call’d away at his devotion,
(31) but the real poet did not die , he [Marlowe] so far did not haste to be in heaven, but went thither with his bookes and spectacles [plays]
(32) the audience ladies and gentlemen could see him and read him , his books and spectacles but not knowing him
(33) people informed the world about the death of the walking business man[SHAKSPERE] who departed out of this world
(34) In his [Shakspere’s] life he [Marlowe as Shakespeare]said: I had some relations to him
(35)he [Marlowe} sarcastically asks himself who will be the heire yet according to the Common Law
At the end of his life Shakspere was a rich man For he was warme (rich) in the possession of Lands refering to Shaksperes real estate properties
(36) He [Shakspere] has been in consumption sixteene years, one day april 23.1616 above all the rest, he had nothing else to do and died.- pointing sarcastically to the fact, that SHAKSPER was without any imagination…
