BARD'S HANDWRITING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23233, 30 December 1938, Page 10

BARD'S HANDWRITING

DISCOVERY IN OLD BOOK FORM OF AN EPITAPH [from a special correspondent] LONDON, Dec. 10 Only five copies of Shakespeare's signature are known to exist. Now it is thought that a sixth had been found. A manuscript has been discovered which experts believe was written by Shakespeare. It consists of fragments of scrawling handwriting found buried away between the musty leaves of a copy of Michael Drayton's "Barrons Wars," published in 1603. On the flyleaf is an epitaph believed to be in the hand of the Bard of Avon. A number of distinguished students of ancient manuscripts have examined the writing and state that there is the closest resemblance to the known handwriting of Shakespeare. This book of Drayton's left England in the early 17th century, remained hidden in Italy for three centuries, and has now conn; back to the country where it was written. The present owner is Mr. Alan Keen, of Eilgware, Middlesex. "I bought it three years ago from a North London dealer for £6." he said this week. It did not occur to me at. first that the writing on one of the pages might be anything out of the ordinary. Then I began to study it carefully. Something in it recalled what 1 had already seen from the signatures of Shakespeare. Eventually I submitted the manuscripts to certain experts for ink tests, and finally felt that L could put the whole matter before world experts in handwriting. 1 was delighted when 1 found that two of them agreed. "The writing in my book is in the form of an epitaph to Michael Drayton. According to the authorities, however, the writing is not by Drayton himself. It is not like his work nor is it his style."