..he lost the Fame, which he had gain'd before (line 4)
Newly digitized First Folio with 2 handwritten Poems, a) "To the Reader" of Ben Jonson and b ) of an unkown writer (s.above))
On the occasion of Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary a Website “Shakespeare Documented" recently has been launched offering a great collection of primary-source materials documenting the life and work of William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
There you find a newly digitised First Folio (s.Faksimile). The opposite page to the Title page
(-->the famous Droeshout engraving) is missing. Normally it exhibits Ben Jonsons Poem “To the Reader”,
instead you find a handwritten copy of Ben Jonson first folio poem together with a handwritten poem directly above it, of which the headline has torn out. (s.above)
Ros Barber has pointed out on her web-site that one will not be able to understand or interprete the poem unless one considers the Marlowe/alias Shakespeare authorship thesis.
The meaning of the poem is deliberately veiled. The most revealing lines 4-6 tell us that the shepheard [Marlowe] lost his fame which he had gained before, he was permanently forced to surrender and strove in vain – and emphasised in italics(!) he had excelled himself (sounds a bit like had „exiled himself“).
