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Cryptic Signatures That ‘Prove Shakespeare Was a Secret Catholic’
The Times (UK) ^ | 12/22/09 | Richard Owen

Posted on 12/22/2009 6:50:24 AM PST by marshmallow

Three mysterious signatures on pages of parchment bound in leather and kept under lock and key may prove the theory that William Shakespeare was a secret Catholic who spent his “lost years” in Italy.

An exhibition at the Venerable English College, the seminary in Rome for English Catholic priests, has revealed cryptic names in its guest books for visiting pilgrims, suggesting that the playwright sought refuge there.

“Arthurus Stratfordus Wigomniensis” signed the book in 1585, while “Gulielmus Clerkue Stratfordiensis” arrived in 1589.

According to Father Andrew Headon, vice-rector of the college and organiser of the exhibition, the names can be deciphered as “[King] Arthur’s [compatriot] from Stratford [in the diocese] of Worcester” and “William the Clerk from Stratford”.

A third entry in 1587, “Shfordus Cestriensis”, may stand for “Sh[akespeare from Strat]ford [in the diocese] of Chester”, he said.

The entries fall within the playwright’s “missing years” between 1585, when he left Stratford abruptly, and 1592, when he began his career as playwright in London.

“There are several years which are unaccounted for in Shakespeare’s life,” Father Headon said, adding that it was very likely that the playwright had visited Rome and was a covert Catholic.

The “Shakespeare” entries are being kept in the college’s archive for security reasons but have been reproduced for the exhibition, which illustrates the history of the college from its origins as a medieval pilgrims’ hospice to a refuge for persecuted Catholics during the Reformation.

Set in the college’s extensive 14th-century crypt, the exhibition conveys the clandestine atmosphere of underground Catholicism, with its spies and priests’ bolt holes. It traces the secret journeys made by Catholics to Rome and by Jesuit priests from Rome to England “to defend their faith despite the risk of being caught, tortured and martyred”.


(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Catholic; History
KEYWORDS: catholic; christianity; englishliterature; epa; globalwarminghoax; literature; popefrancis; romancatholicism; shakespeare; williamshakespeare
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1 posted on 12/22/2009 6:50:24 AM PST by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

Someone recently observed in “First Things” that all Crackpots have a theory about Shakespeare. I think this is true, based on my observation of my own family’s frightfully numerous Crackpots.

I have no theory about Shakespeare, which demonstrates (whew!) that I am not a Crackpot.


2 posted on 12/22/2009 7:08:09 AM PST by Tax-chick (Anoreth, Warrior Goddess of the Coast! She's violent and sarcastic - what's not to love?)
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To: Tax-chick
I have this thoery about a gigantic crow flying around the neighborhood today ~ he's hungry!

This thing has a 3 ft wingspan.

Now, returing to Shakespeare, his daughter and Marlowe's son were early Jamestown VA settlers.

There, work with that one remembering that Shakespeare, like others of his age, believed the New World was inhabited by fantastic beings ~ so maybe he was in King Powhatan's Court!

3 posted on 12/22/2009 7:15:08 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: marshmallow

So, is it the cryptic signature of the “real” Shakespeare, or one of the guys suspecting of actually writing the plays (pretending to be Shakespeare), or what?


4 posted on 12/22/2009 7:29:02 AM PST by Sans-Culotte ( Pray for Obama- Psalm 109:8)
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To: marshmallow

So it looks like Willie the Shake might have been a pioneer in the modern Exodus from Anglicanism.


5 posted on 12/22/2009 7:39:19 AM PST by newheart ("It will keep the government out of your health care decisions..." Barack Obama, July 23, 2009)
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To: muawiyah

Why, that explains *everything*! (Except the crow ... is it trash day on your street?)


6 posted on 12/22/2009 7:41:44 AM PST by Tax-chick (Anoreth, Warrior Goddess of the Coast! She's violent and sarcastic - what's not to love?)
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To: Tax-chick
Actually not as crackpot as you might think. The theory is not new and there have been a few books that detail the theory. Here is a good book on the subject:

Shadowplay

7 posted on 12/22/2009 7:43:24 AM PST by HapaxLegamenon
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To: HapaxLegamenon

My observation that every Crackpot has a theory was not a comment about the merits of the theory itself.


8 posted on 12/22/2009 7:46:44 AM PST by Tax-chick (Anoreth, Warrior Goddess of the Coast! She's violent and sarcastic - what's not to love?)
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To: Tax-chick
Someone recently observed in “First Things” that all Crackpots have a theory about Shakespeare.

Oh, the irony!

9 posted on 12/22/2009 7:47:20 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (Macbeth is ripe for shaking, and the powers above put on their instruments.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

“First Things” contributors aren’t *all* crackpots!


10 posted on 12/22/2009 7:50:52 AM PST by Tax-chick (Anoreth, Warrior Goddess of the Coast! She's violent and sarcastic - what's not to love?)
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To: marshmallow

I’ve long felt he was Catholic just from reading his works.


11 posted on 12/22/2009 8:03:34 AM PST by onedoug
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To: marshmallow

I’ve always thought that there was a sliver of truth in the theory that Shakespeare was a Catholic. His plays and writings all have a virtue to them. How about “A Christmas Carol” for instance?


12 posted on 12/22/2009 8:22:14 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

My favorite version of “A Christmas Carol” has Edward Woodward playing the Ghost of Christmas Present.


13 posted on 12/22/2009 8:49:11 AM PST by Tax-chick (Anoreth, Warrior Goddess of the Coast! She's violent and sarcastic - what's not to love?)
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To: onedoug

The 16th Earl of Oxford Edward De Vere was a Catholic, and is most likely the person who wrote all of Shakespear.


14 posted on 12/22/2009 8:52:13 AM PST by castlegreyskull
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To: castlegreyskull

correction: 17th Earl of Oxford.


15 posted on 12/22/2009 8:52:58 AM PST by castlegreyskull
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To: marshmallow

I’ve read long before of textual analysis suggesting he was a crypto-Catholic who tried to help keep the Catholic faith alive in England. You’ll recall “Hamlet,” for instance, describes the Prince’s anguish that the Queen (England?) has forsaken her true, murdered husband (Christ?) for the King that murdered Him (Henry?). If so, however, it contains also a warning against zealotry such as that which Guy Fawkes would have, for the avenger ends up killed. If that sounds far fetched to Protestants, know that nations (and the Church itself) were often modelled as brides of Christ. Also, note that Hamlet itself centers around using a play to point out the guilt of the murderous King.


16 posted on 12/22/2009 9:18:22 AM PST by dangus (Nah, I'm not really Jim Thompson, but I play him on FR.)
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To: marshmallow

Sheesh... everyone knows Shakespere was black.


17 posted on 12/22/2009 9:19:28 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim (Live jubtabulously!)
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To: netmilsmom; thefrankbaum; markomalley; Tax-chick; GregB; saradippity; Berlin_Freeper; Litany; ...
Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list


18 posted on 12/22/2009 9:22:12 AM PST by NYer ("One Who Prays Is Not Afraid; One Who Prays Is Never Alone" - Benedict XVI)
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To: castlegreyskull

Nonsense.


19 posted on 12/22/2009 9:25:53 AM PST by onedoug
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To: HapaxLegamenon

I read “Shadowplay” and I thought her theory was credible.

People forget that there was terrible persecution and bias against Catholics then in England.


20 posted on 12/22/2009 9:27:52 AM PST by Melian ("Here's the moral of the story: Catholic witness has a cost." ~Archbishop Charles Chaput)
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