Chapter Fopling Flutter to Forgers and Forgeries of F by Brewer's Readers Handbook

account of the king’s trial. (See an article on the subject in the Nineteenth Century, February, 1891, p. 327.)

(19) English Mercurie (The), (1588). Once considered to be the oldest English newspaper; but in 1839 Thomas Watts, of the British Museum, published a pamphlet demonstrating it to be an impudent forgery, as the paper on which it is printed bears the Hanoverian arms with the initials G. R. (George Rex).

See an article on the subject in the Nineteenth Century, February, 1891, p. 334.

(20) Ignatian Controversy (The). The question is whether the works attributed to Ignatius, bishop of Antioch and martyr (115), are genuine and authentic or not. Daille, Semler, Hermann, Ernesti, Neander, and several other great scholars tell us “that much is spurious, and the rest has been greatly tampered with.”

It is a very sad thing, but undoubtedly true, that no history or church literature which passed through the hands of the monk can be relied on.

(21) Ilive (Jacob), in 1751, published the Book of Jasher, which the Monthly Review, in December the same year, proved to be a forgery.

The Book of Jasher is twice referred to in the Old Testament: in Josh. x. 13 and in 2 Sam. i. 18.

(22) Ireland (S. W. H.) published, in folio, 1796, Miscellaneous Papers and Instruments, under the hand and seal of William Shakespeare, including the tragedy of King Lear and a small fragment of Hamlet, from the original, £4 4s. He actually produced MSS. which he had forged, and which he pretended were originals. (Strange as it may seem, Dr. Parr, Dr. Valpy, James Boswell, Herbert Croft, and the poet- laureate Pye Smith, signed a document, certifying their opinion that these forgeries were genuine. Where their ears could have been is a mystery, as Mrs. Siddons detected the forgery immediately.)

On April 2, 1796, the play of Vortigern and Rowena, “from the pen of Shakespeare,” was announced for representation. It drew a most crowded house; but the fraud was detected by Malone, and Ireland made a public declaration of his impositions, from beginning to end.

(23) Isiac Table (The). A flat rectangular bronze plate, about four feet eight inches long, containing three rows of figures of Egyptian emblems and deities. It was sold by a soldier to a locksmith, who sold it to cardinal Bembo in 1527. It is now at Turin; but it is a general opinion that the table is spurious.

(24) Jasher (Book of). (See under Ilive.)

(25) Lauder (William) published, in 1751, false quotations from Masenius a Jesuit of Cologne, Taubmann a German, Staphorstius a learned Dutchman, and others, to “prove Milton a gross plagiarist.” Dr. Douglas demonstrated that the citations were incorrect, and that often several lines had been foisted in to make the parallels. Lauder confessed the fact afterwards (1754).

The title of his book is an Essay on Milton’s Use and Imitation of the Moderns.

(26) Letter of St. Peter to Pepin, forged by pope Stephen III. rendered desperate by the siege of Rome by Astolph the Lombard king. (See Milman, Latin Christianity, vol. iii. book iv. chap. xi. pp. 21–23.)

(27) Letters of Ganganelli (pope Clement XIV.), though spurious, are very interesting. They are generally attributed to Caraccioli, but Caraccioli died protesting that he was only the translator of them.

Ganganelli was born 1705, became pope in 1769, and died 1774.

(28) Letters of Phalaris (The). Phalaris was tyrant of Agregentum, in Sicily, especially noted for his judgment on Perillos, inventor of the “brazen bull.” Certain letters ascribed to him were published at Oxford in