Chapter II

THE SHAKESPEAEE QUAETOS
Report on the Quartos has necessarily had to be confined to those plays which have been printed in facsimile. There is such uniformity in the use of the sigil that probably the authorship of several other plays may be cleared up partially or completely by this means.
King John, 1591 (Part 1)
Page 3. Verse to " Gentlemen Readers " has itahc letters 310 Deduct roman letters in same . . . . . . 23
287 King John, 1591 (Part 2)
Page 3. Verse to " Gentlemen Readers," itahc letters in last ten lines . . . . . . . . . . 310
Add printer's mark, A 2 . . . . . . . . 3
321 Deduct roman letters . . . . . . . . 34
287 Venus and Adonis, 1593
All itahc letters in the Dedication . . . . . . 571
Deduct: All the letters on title-page . . . . 170
All roman letters on the next . . 114 284
287 On the last page, including the heading and " Finis,"
total roman words . . . . . _ _ _ 203
Add the roman letters of printer's name and address . . 84
287
REVELATIONS OF ROSICRUCIAN ARCANA
Lucrece, 1594
Total all words of " Argument " . . . . . . 388
Deduct roman words of Dedication . . . . . . 101
287
Contention, 1594 (Part 1)
Title-page, omitting words in largest type, there are roman letters .. ., .. .. ..287
Last Scene:
Words in roman type . . . . . . . . 266
In printer's name, etc. . . . . . . . . 21
287
Taming of a Shrew, 1594
The first nine lines of the play contain:
Roman letters . . . . . . . . . . 299
And itahc letters (which deduct) . . . . . . 12
Actor's names not included.
287
Last page contains roman letters . . . . . . 315
Deduct all the italic letters . . . . . . . . 28
287
The Tragedie, 1595
First page contains twelve lines of the play, comprising roman letters . . . . . . . . . . 323
And italic letters (which deduct) . . . . . . 36
287
The last two pages contain roman and italic letters, in- cluding heading on right-hand, but not " Exeunt Onmes " 287
This solution is rather forced, and therefore doubtful. It is likely we have missed the correct solution.
Romeo and Juliet, 1597
.Last three pages have italic letters . . . . . . 292
Deduct the five letters in " Finis " . . . . . . 5
287
10 SECRET SHAKESPEAREAN SEALS
On the last page is the following line : " Prin. : These Letters do make good the Fryers wordes."
The Friar's speeches on the last three pages contain words to the number of . . . . . . . . 291
Deduct the four letters in " Prin." . . . . . . 4
287
Richard II., 1597 (Anon.) Second page has:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 294
Italic words (deduct) . . . . . . . . 7
287 Last Scene contains:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 411
Itahc words (deduct) . . . . . . . . 129
282 Add the five letters in " Finis " . . . . . . 5
287
Richard III., 1597 {Anon.)
First page of play and part of second to " Enter Clarence " contains:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 300
Deduct italic words . . . . . . . . 13
287 Last Scene from " God and your armes " to end of play:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 302
Deduct italic words >. . . . . . . 15
287 Love's Labour Lost, 1598 First page of play contains:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 227
Italic letters . . . . . . . . -. . 60
287 " Thendevur " taken as one word, " shalbe " as two. On page 7 the long letter from Don Adriano de Armado printed in italic type consists of 287 words. The symbols & and the large are not
REVELATIONS OF ROSICRUCIAN ARCANA 11
counted. Thus the first Quarto, bearing the name of Shakespeare as author, has the 287 Impresa in exceptional prominence.
Last Scene in the play from "Enter Braggart" contains:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 301
Deduct the italic words , . . . . . . 14
287 Henry IV., 1598 (Part 1)
First page of play. First 9 lines, letters . . . . 287
Last Scene of play on two pages contains:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 334
Deduct italic letters . . . . . . . . 47
287
Henry V. Famous Victories, 1598
We do not find the 287 sigil at beginning or end of this play, but on page 9 the word " Counter " appears twice.
The words on page 9 number in black type . . . . 290
Deduct three in modern type . . . . 3
287 Romeo and Juliet (Undated)
This has the seal in two places.
The Passionate Pilgrime, 1599 No seals found.
Much Adoe About Nothing, 1600 First page of play :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 181
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 106
287 Last page but one :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 335
Deduct italic letters . . . . . . . . 60
275 Add the 12 large itahc letters in " About Nothing " (heading) . . . . . . . . . . 12
287
12 SECRET SHAKESPEAREAN SEALS
Merchant of Venice, 1600 Second page :
Roman words . . . . . . • ■ • • 28.:>
Italic words . . . . . . • ■ • • ■*
287 Last two pages :
Roman words . . . . . . . . • • 367
Deduct italic letters . . . . . . . . 79
288 Deduct for " Finis " . . . . . . . . 1
287
Merchant of Venice, 1600 (Second Edition)
Title-page :
Roman letters . . . . . . . . . . 271
Add the 16 of date . . . . . . . . . . 16
287 First page of play:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 223
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 64
287 Last page but one. Roman and italic words . . 287
Titus and Andronicus, 1600 First page of play:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 146
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 141
287 Last page but one. Roman and italic words . . . . 287
Henry IV., 1600 (Part 2) Title-page :
Roman letters . . . . . . . . , igi
Less italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 58
133
Add rom^an words on first page of play . . . . 154
287
REVELATIONS OF ROSICRUCIAN ARCANA 13
Last page but one :
Roman and italic words . . . . . . . . 291
Deduct four italic words of heading . . . . . . 4
287 Henry V., 1600
This play seems to be sealed like the others, but we aver nothing as
certain.
Second page of play. Roman words . . . . . . 256
Words of continuation of King's speech on next page . . 31
287 Last two pages:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 151
Italic letters .. .. .. .. ..139
290 Deduct the letters in the Latin word for " thus " — viz., sic 3
287
Note. — The person or persons who set these problems for discovery
probably assumed that the discoverers would gradually become aware of
the subtle variety with which the puzzles were schemed, and be prepared to
find them out.
Richard III., 1602
First page of play. Roman words . . . . . . 239
Roman words on title-page, omitting those of large type in the first two lines . . . . . . . . 48
287 Last page. Roman and itahc words . . . . . . 287
Merry Wives of Windsor, 1602
Title-page. Roman words . . . . . . . . 93
First page and the four lines overleaf completing the Scene. Roman and italic words . . . . . . 194
287 Page 50. Italic letters .. .. .. ..287
Last page :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 214
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 73
287
14 SECRET SHAKESPEAREAN SEALS
Hamlet, 1603
Title-page. 47 roman, less 3 italic words . . 44
First page of play. Roman words . . 104
Second page of play. Roman words . . 227
331
Less .. .. .. .. 44
287
Last two pages:
Roman words . . . . . . . . • • 350
Less italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 63
287 Hamlet, 1604
First Scene. Roman and italic words . . . - 287
Last Scene:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 330
Deduct italic letters . . . . . . . . 49
281 Add letters in FINIS and G . . . . . . . . 6
287
The printer's mark should have been "0." The use of "G" was probably to attract the attention of the " Teller."
King Lear, 1608
Title-page. Roman and italic words . . . . 99
First page. 191 roman, less 3 italic words . . . . 188
287 Nothing found on last pages.
King Lear, 1608 (Second Edition)
Title-page. Omitting word in large capitals there are words 75 Add the figures in the date, which is undefined, 16+0+8 24
99
First page of play. 191 roman, less 3 italic words . . 188
287 Last page. 290 roman, less 3 italic words . . . . 287
EEVELATIONS OF ROSICRUCIAN ARCANA 15
Henry V., 1608 Second page of play and five lines of third, contain words 287 Last Scene:
Roman words and italic letters . . . . . . 284
Add letters in " sic " .. .. .. .. 3
287 Richwd II., 1608 First page, last two lines. Roman words . . . . 13
Second page. Roman words . . . . . . 297
310 Deduct italic letters on last two lines of first page and italic letters and for large I on second page . . 23
Total 287
Last Scene :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 404
Less italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 117
287
Pericles, 1609 In neither of the two editions have we found the 287 seal.
Troylus and Cressida, 1609
There are two title-pages.
The letter " to the Reader " on page 2 contains:
Italic words to the number of . . . . . . 375
And deducting 24 italic words in brackets . . . . 24
Gives . . . . . . 351
The roman words contain in letters . . . . . , 64
287
The last two Scenes but one comprise, of roman and itahc words, stopping at " ended " . . . . . . 287
The Whole Contention (Part 1), (No date)
On the title-page the total of roman letters is . . 166
The first page of the play, commencing with and including " Sufiolke," contains roman and italic words to the total of . . . . . . '. . . . 121
287
16 SECRET SHAKESPEAREAN SEALS
The last Scene comprises italic and roman words, number- ing together . . . . . . . . . . 287
On the last two lines but two is the sentence, " Saint Albones shall be eternized in all age to come."
The Whole Contention (Part 2)
At the top of the last page but one are the words, " Counting ' my selfe.' " " My seU'e " refers to Gloster.
Gloster's speech contains roman words . . . . 292
And 5 italic words, which being deducted . . . . 5
Leaves . . . . . . 287
Richard III., 1622
We find no indication of 287 on the first page.
At the top of the last page are the words, " But tell me." Richard is the spokesman. A count .of Richard's words in the last Scene gives:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 230
Itahc letters . . . . . . . . . . 57
287 Note. — The capital letters in italic type to roman words are not counted in arriving at the total.
Othello, 1622
The fines " to the Reader," contain:
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 365
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 11
376 Deduct the number of italic words . . . . . . 89
287
The second page of the play has the word '' Counter " in the 8th fine. The page contains:
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 251
Add the Roman words on the title-page . . . . 36
287
REVELATIONS OF EOSICRUCIAN ARCANA 17
Othello, 1630 Title-page contains :
Roman words . . . . . . . . . . 32
Italic words . . . . . . . . . . 19
Roman letters . . . . . . . . . . 150
Italic letters . . . . . . . . . . 86
287 Richard II., 1634 No evidence of the 287 seal in this edition.