The Shakespeare :N"ewsIetter Vo l. 38 :No. 2 "What Ilews/i'o/JI 040rd? Do thesejusts and triumphs hold?" Richard 11 5.2 Spling 2002 A Portrait of Edward de Vere, Philip Sidney, Southampton? and the Battle of Agincourt, wo London newspapers, the "(9 (9 (9 in brawl ridiculous" T Observer and the Daily Mail, and The New York Time s have recently featured articles claiming that a newly By Ramon Jimenez found portrait depicts Henry This is the final part of Jimenez's three­ Oxfordian scholars have seen Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, part series on Shakespeare's Hemy IV-V satirizations of Sidney in Love's the dedicatee of Shakespeare's poems, trilogy. The paper was presented at the Labour's Lost, The Merry Wives of Venus and Adonis and Lucrece, and Sixth Annual Edward de Vere Studies Windsor, and Twelfth Night. Now, a almost universally agreed as the "Fair Conference. previously unnoticed connection Youth" of Shakespeare's Sonnets. The between Sidney'S An Apology fo r reason the picture has made such a he relationship between Sir Philip Poetl)" and several of Shakespeare's splash in the media is that for all T Sidney and William Shakespeare, history plays has revealed a startling appearances, it is a portrait of a woman pseUdonym of Edward de Vere, 17th and historic exchange between - or so it was thought until recently, Earl of Oxford, has long been a subject Elizabeth's two most brilliant courtier­ thus reawakening "speculation over the of literary interest. Although neither poets. possible bisexuality of Shakespeare," referred to the other in In an article in the says theNY Time s. But is this attribution his letters, their Summer , 2001, justified? contemporaries record Shakespeare Oxford The wood panel portrait is owned by that between 1569, Newsletter, I summarized Alec Cobbe, a designer and art restorer, when the fifteen-year­ the overwhelming and has been in his family for over 300 old Sidney was briefly evidence that Edward de years. Cobbe took an interest in the a rival of De Vere's for Vere was the author of the painting a few years ago while the hand of Anne anonymous play The cataloging the family treasures at the Cecil, and Sidney'S Famous Victories of manor of Hatchlands Park, Surrey, for death in 1586, they Henry the Fift h, and that an exhibition. On the back of it was a came into contact on it was probably his first label with a faded inscription, later several occasions. In play, certainly his first determined to be the handwriting of their notorious "tennis history play, written Archbishop Cobbe of Dublin (1686- court quarrel" in 1579, before 1577, and 1765), an ancestor to the current Mr. Oxford was said to probably in 1574. This Cobbe. The label identified the sitter as have called Sidney a SirPhilipSidll ey crude and short prose "Lady Norton, daughter of the Bishop "puppy," but a clear effort of about fifteen- of Winton." picture of their relationship before that hundred lines, which bears the subtitle By happenstance, the painting was incident, or during Sidney's last years, Containing the Honourable Battell of seen by Alastair Laing, an art advisor has not emerged. Their literary Ag in-collrt, clearly represents the to the National Trust. Laing came to the connections are more apparent, and author's first attempt to dramatize the conclusion that the label was incorrect, scholars have found numerous action and events of the subsequent Prince and that the painting featured a young passages in Sidney's writings that they Hal plays, Henry IV, Parts I and 2 and male sitter, not a female. The figure is think are echoed, imitated, or reworded Hem)' V. The characters, plot, language, seen with a beautiful face, rouged in the Shakespeare canon. Beginning and sequence of events in the cheeks, lipstick, a large decorative with John T. Looney in 1920, several Shakespearean trilogy are obviously and (cant 'd all p. 10) (coll t 'd all p. 12) page 2 Spring 2002 Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter Shakespeare Oxford Oxford Document Bought Newsletter Published quarterly by the by Film Composer Shakespeare Oxford Society 1555 Connecticut Ave. N.W. By Katherine Chiljan Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20036 s reported in the Winter 2002 poster" - a broadside, dated circa 1600 ISSN 1525-6863 A Newsletter, the SOS did get a letter - advertising the trial of the Earl of passed on to the new owner of the letter Essex with a list of the accusations Editor: Robert Brazil th Editorial Director: Katherine Chiljan patent signed by the 17 Earl of Oxford, against him. which was auctioned last year at Born in New Zealand, Revell now Editorial Board: Katherine Chiljan, Ram6n Jimenez, Sotheby's. Graeme Revell contacted us lives in the Los Angeles area and is a Gerit Quealy, Jack Shuttleworth, recently and agreed to an interview, film composer. He's written over sixty Richard Whalen and we're happy to report that he indeed film scores including, The Hand that Phone: 202-207-0281 is an Oxfordian, "obsessed" with the Rocks the Cradle, The Saint, Dead topic since about 1995, when he read an Calm (for which he won the equivalent email: [email protected] abridged version of Charlton Ogburn's of the Australian Academy Award), All contents copyright © 2002 The Mysterious William Shakespeare. and most recently Collateral Damage, Shakespeare Oxford Society "I've read most of the material that's High Crimes and Human Nature. The newsletter welcomes articles, essays, commentary. around," said Revell, "and basically "I came out of performance art and book reviews, letters and news items. Contributions should be reasonably concise and, when appropriate, have become completely convinced in rock and roll so my skills are fairly validated by peer review. The views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the the subject. I think this story resonates contemporary, so I get to work on films the society as a literary and educational organization. because of the idea of somebody who like Tomb Raider, not so highbrow as I was more or less cheated out of might like." intellectual property is, I think, a very Revell is convinced that a feature contemporary story." He has since kept film of the Oxford story could turn Board of Trustees abreast of the issue by reading the SOS history around, "almost the same way Shakespeare Oxford Society website. "Somebody asked me recently, that the Queen used Edward de Vere , Are you convinced this is a true story?' the English theater as propaganda. You Lifetime HO/lOrmJ' Trustees and I said it's exactly like the O.J. can write a thousand books on the Dr. Gordon Cyr Simpson trial: the evidence for one guy subject, but if you make one film the Charles Boyle is about a quarter inch long, and for the whole debate would turn on a dime." 2001-2002 other guy, it goes around the universe. He would love to write the score for the BOARD OF TRUSTEES Which one do you believe?" Edward de Vere story. "I would like to Graeme Revell is a rare book collector start from the older material. Some of President who recently bought at auction four the music from that period has the most Aaron Tatum Shakespeare quartos that were owned gorgeous melodies - Byrd, Dowland by the late Sir John Gielgud: The ... I'd like to update those and First Vice-President . Dr. Jack Shuttleworth Merchant of Venice, King Lear, and orchestrate them in a slightly more two editions of Romeo and Juliet. He contemporary way." Perhaps soon Mr. Second Vice-President believes that detailed research could Revell may have his chance, as at least Dr. Frank Davis show some differences in the quartos three Oxford films are in development. Recording Secretary that might be very illuminating for the When asked how he felt about Wayne Shore Oxford case. About six months ago, owning a piece of De Vere, Revell Revell bid unsuccessfully for a replied: "I suppose it's similar to Treasurer transcript (in manuscript) of the Essex reading one of the first editions I own Joe C. Peel trial: "I think that was a very key event - a feeling of awe and privilege to be with Oxford being up on the bench at holding in my hands a memento of such Katherine Chiljan Barboura Flues the time, and I really wanted to find out genius and dedication. It's very John Hamill what was in there." The document sold inspirational and challenging to my Michael Forster Pisapia for about $20,000. Besides Revell's new meager art. More particularly, in the Gerit Quealy acquisition of the 1592 Oxford case of the De Vere document, it's a James Sherwood document, the only other Elizabethan challenge to all of us to keep working to Susan Sybersma manuscript he owns is a "wanted reveal the truth." Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter Spring 2002 page 3 Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Argues for Oxford's Authorship of Shakespeare Supreme Court Justice John Paul or Bottom, on the other. Is it merely Queen Elizabeth's principal adviser. Stevens is a strong advocate for the the secondary meaning derived from Nine years later Cecil became Lord Earl of Oxford as the true Shakespeare . knowledge about those characters Burghley and De Vere married his Ju stice Stevens took office in 1975 that produces the different reaction daughter, Anne. The ceremony was and in the past quarter century has to the sound of their names, or do the performed in Westminster Abbey and earned respect as a brilliant justice sounds themselves have attended by the Queen.