Chapter VII

SHAKBSPEAEE PLAYS FOLIO, 1623
The numerical sigils.33, 66, 100, and 111 are very plentiful in the Folio. We repeat again that our list being mostly confined to vestibules and ends of plays can by no means be considered exhaustive.
Even in those places they seem to be available in several instances hj alternative methods to guard against their being overlooked by searchers. The ingenuity displayed in tie composition of some of them is remarkable.
In the first place we noticed that a full column of a Folio page contained 66 lines, and, of course, a half column 33.
We cannot say if this was exceptional at the period. We only note it, with the remark that one or two books in Folio, of about that date, available to our inspection have fewer lines in a column.
Tempest
Last page. Deduct the 5 letters in " Finis " from the 71 italic words = 66.
The last pages of all these various plays are interesting from the ingenioTis use as counting material of such words as " Finis," " Exit," " Exeunt," " Exit Omnes," etc.
Two Gentlemen of Verona Last page :
In names of Actors, itahc words . . . . . . 61
Add roman letters in " Finis " . . . . . . 5
66 Merry Wives Last page. Last three lines :
Roman letters . . , . . . . . . . 71
Deduct letters in " Finis " , . . . . . . . 5
66
44
REVELATIONS OF EOSICRUCIAN ARCANA 45
Measure for Measure
Last page. In the names of the Actors there are 62 itaHc words, and the figure 2 appears twice. Total 66.
Gomedie of Errors
Last speech contains :
Roman words . . . . ■ . ■ • . . 23
Add italic letters . . . . • • • • . . 10
33 Much Adoe About Nothing
Last two lines have :
Roman letters . . . . . . ■ • . . 75
Deduct italic letters . . . . . . . . 9
66 Love's Labour Lost
Last three lines. Roman letters, 66.
Midsummer Night's Dreame
Last Speech of play :
Roman words . . . . . . ■ • . . . 87
Deduct italic letters . . . . . . . . 20
67 Deduct word " Finis " . . . . • • . . 1
66 Merchant of Venice Last two lines. Roman and itahc letters, 66.
As You Like It
Last line of each column together have :
Roman letters to total of . . . . • • . . 70
Deduct letters of italic word " Exit " .. .. ..4
66 Twelfe Night Last three lines contain 66 itahc letters, reckoning " &c " as two.
46 SECRET SHAKESPEAREAN SEALS
The Winter's Tale Last two lines in the names of the Actors contain 66 italic letters.
History of King John
Last page contains 66 italic letters, in the names of the Actors in the
play- Last Speech contains :
79 roman words and 10 italic letters . . . . . . 89
Add page number . . . . . . . . . . 22
Richard II.
Henry IV. (Part 2) Last Scene :
111
Last Speech has :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 121
Deduct italic letters . . . . . . , . 11
110
Add for " Finis " .. .. .. .. .. 1
111
Last two lines, 66 roman letters,
Henry IV. (Part 1) Last Speech contains :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 83
Itahc letters . . . . . . . . . . 25
Roman words in brackets . . . . . . . . 3
111
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 83
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 31
114
Deduct roman words in brackets . . . . . . 3
111
Epilogue :
Real page number . . . . . . . . . . 99
Unbracketed roman letters . . . . . . . . 33
66
REVELATIONS OF ROSICRUCIAN ARCANA 47
Henry V. Chorus at the end contains 111 reman words.
Henry VI. (Part 1) Last Speech :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 49
ItaUc letters . . . . . . . . . . 17
66
Henry VI. (Part 2) Last hne has 33 roman letters.
Henry VI. (Part 3)
Last page. Top of left column the paragraph has the direction, " Counting
ny selfe."
Therefore counting the paragraph gives :
Roman words . . . . . . , . . . 144
Deduct the word in brackets . . . . . . 1
143
The difference between the real page (204) and the wrong paged number (172) is . . . . . . . . 32
111
Last lines:
Roman letters . . . . . . . . . . 69
Less italic words (2) and " Finis " (1) . . . . 3
66 Richard III.
Last hne has 33 roman letters.
Henry VIII. Last two hnes in the Epilogue contain 66 italic letters.
Troylus and Gressida Last two lines contain :
Roman letters . . . . • • • • . . 72
Deduct itahc letters . . • • • • • • 6
66
48 SECRET SHAKESPEAREAN SEALS
Coriolanus Last Scene contains :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 180
Deduct roman words in brackets . . , . . . 9
171 Deduct the 61 italic letters . . . . . . . . 61
110
Add for the word " Finis " .. .. .. .. 1
111
Titus Andronicus
Last two lines of left-hand column each contains 33 roman letters Total 66.
Romeo and Juliet
The last two lines contain:
Roman and italic letters . . . . . . . . 64
The printer's mark being put close to add as letters . . 2
66
Timon of Athens
After the end of the play begin with " Finis," and count all words on the next page devoted to the names of the Actors. Total 66.
The letters in the last two Hnes of the left column of Actors' names (30), added to the letters in the last two hnes of the right column (36), total 66.
Julius CcBsar Last two lines of the play contain 61 roman letters. Add the 5 roman letters in " Finis " = 66
Last Speech contains :
Macbeth
Roman words . . . . . . . . _ _ 129
Italic letters .... 1 Q
110
Add for " Finis " . . . . . . . . . . i.
Ill
REVELATIONS OF ROSICRUCIAN ARCANA
45)
Hamlet
The correct number of the last page is
The last Speech contains roman and italic words
. 174 . 63
111
King Lear
The last line of each column on the last page have, together, 66 roman etters.
Othello
The last two lines of the play contain 72 roman letters. Deduct the 6 talic letters — leaves 66.
Names of the Actors at the end. The last two lines in each of the two jolumns together contain 66 letters.
-^j^^^jf'
Anthony and Cleopatra Last Speech contains:
Roman words
Deduct the italic letters
Deduct the 5 in " Finis "
Last line of play :
Cymbeline
Roman letters
Deduct 5 roman words bracketed
98
27
71 5
66
.38 5
33
The roman letters of the last line of each column on the last page otal 73. Deduct the 6 itahcs in " Exeunt "—leaves 67. Then deduct 1 for he word " Finis " — leaves 66.
The total letters in the heading and footnote, which are
in the same description of type, is . . Deduct " Finis " . .
Deduct the total of the numerals in 1623
79 1
78 12
66
50 SECRET SHAKESPEAEEAN SEALS
Adding as single figures the actual or wrong page nunaber, 993 = 21 the figures in the correct page nunober, 291 = 12^ — makes a total of 33.
The last Speech contains:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 69
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 18
Roman letters bracketed . . . . . . . . 24
111
Deduct from the wrong page number . . . . . . 993
The correct page number of the Folio . . . . 893
100 You obtain the total figures in the name " Francis Bacon." Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I., when he saw Lord Chancellor Ba
after his removal from office, driving in his coach with about a hun(
gentlemen attendants on horseback, remarked, " That man scorns to go
with a snuff."
The man, or men, responsible for the 1623 Folio scorned to end it witl
a blaze of typographical fireworks on the last page.