mbe ~bakegpeare (!f)xforb Newsletter A Publication of the Shakespeare Oxford Society "Dedicated to Researching and Honoring the True Bard" Vol. 42: No.3 "Oh let their bodies follow, my dear liege/ with blood, and sword and fire, to win YOllr right ... Henry V liii Fall 2006 R.I.P.: Bulbeck Oxford's Childhood Part II: bites the dust The first four years with Smith by Christopher Paul by Stephanie Hopkins Hughes Readers of the Shakespeare OJ.jord Newsletter will have noticed a facelift on In Part I, (Winter, 2006), we examined and wealthy families. The historian George the cover of the last edition involving a new what is known about Oxford's early where­ Lipscomb, writing in 1847, described the font and new emblem in placeoftheBulbeck abouts, coming to the conclusion that: house as crest depicting a lion brandishing a broken 1) at age four-and-a-half, because of the a commodious rather than an spear/[penJ (Figure I). The Bulbeck crest tense political situation folIowing the start elegant mansion, standing on had been part of the newsletter's masthead of Mary Tudor's Catholic regime, he was low ground near the course of the sent, primarily through the efforts of Wil­ since the Winter 1996 issue when it ironi- Thames and a small branch of the liam Cecil, to live and study with Cecil's CoIn .... The grounds, interspersed own former Cambridge tutor, Sir Thomas with lofty trees, are charmingly Smith, England's premiere scholar of Greek disposed with every attention to and Civil Law; and that 2) Edward lived in its natural beauties [such as] the the Smith household for the better part of richly enameled meadows and high eight years, I leaving only when the death of cultivated plain, . .. while Windsor the sixteenth Earl enabled Cecil to take the Castle bursts, in all its majesty, on twelve-year-old into his own household for the distant view" (599). the final pro- cess of polish­ ing his social skills and in­ troducing him to the Court. Figure 1: Bllibeck crest depicting a lion brandishing a broken spear/[pen}. Get thee to a calIy replaced the previous logo, a circular nunnery 2 stamp containing the motto vera nihil verills. With the latest revision, the society has Although the old build­ (cont'd on p. 17) ings are gone, the landscape • I. N SID E • surrounding President's Letter/Editorial Greeting 2 Smith's estate Much Ado About Oxford 3 of Ankerwycke Fig. J: JBill-century engraving on the bank of the Thames. Letters to the Editor 18 is probably not COllrtesy of Cambridge University Libra/y. Did Shakespeare Read much different That Smith's house was built close to frOIU the 17th Earl of Oxford's today from when de Vere was a boy. It has the river can be seen from this eighteenth­ Personal Library? Part Two 25 remained free of modern construction prob­ century engraving of one wing of Smith's SOS & SF Joint Conference 29 ably because this area, so close to Windsor manor (Fig. I). Shown is alI that was left of Notes from the Field 30 and Windsor Park, has been privately owned it by then. The north bank on which it stood Review: More Shakespeare Names 31 over the centuries by a succession of gentry (cont'd on p. 5) page 2 Fall 2006 Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter Shakespeare Oxford President's Page Newsletter Published quarterly by the by Matthew Cossolotto discussion group we created a few months Shakespeare Oxford Society ago. Sadly, not very many SOS members P.O . Box 1854 They say time flies when you're having have joined the group. We'll continue to Silver Spring, MD 20902 fun. If that's even partly true, this past year spread the word and I hope more members Tel: (301) 946-8333 as your president has been a real blast! I will sign up. The address is: SOS4Ever@ Fax: (301) 946-1313 can't believe nearly one year has elapsed yahoogroups.com. As I said in my last Email: [email protected] since the Board of Directors elected me to President's Page letter, this new Yahoo! ISSN 1525-6863 serve as president. group is specifically designed to give SOS www.shakespeare-oxford.com In my first President's Page message, I members an opportunity to share ideas and outlined a long list of ideas and initiatives suggestions about the Society itself - or Editors: just communicate more regularly with fel­ Lew Tate that I thought were key to revitalizing the Society. Looking back and taking stock of low SOS members. I hope you ' ll join. With Editorial Board: what has actually been achieved during an extensive list of members participating, Dr. Frank Davis my term in office is a somewhat sobering the SOS Yahoo! discussion group will en­ Susan Sybersma exercise. I think we made a brave start in able us to circulate news items and other Ramon Jimenez several areas, but many things remain to be timely information to a large number of Brian Bechtold done. One yearjust isn't enough time to get SOS members. Dr. James Brooks everything done. Regarding the SOS library, we have Joe Peel contracted with a librarian to organize our James Sherwood We have managed, with the hard work extensive collection of books and create an Dr. Richard Smiley and dedication of Trustee Richard Smiley, to revamp and upgrade the SOS website. electronic database so we will have an ac­ Layout and Printing We've given the site a new look and some curate record of the collection and a way to St. Martin de Pones Lay Dominicans enhanced features. But it's still a work in locate specific books. This project is about New Hope, Kentucky progress. All contents copyright © 2006 I'm pleased that the Board of Trustees (cont'd on p. 31) Shakespeare Oxford Society adopted a new mission statement for the The Newsletter welcomes research artic les, book society and a new descriptive tagline-both reviews, letters and news items. Contributions of which are now prominently displayed on GREETINGS should be reasonably concise and, when appro- priate, validated by peer review. Assignment of the updated website. Saying clearly that we Greetings. This is a great time for copyright is required for publication. The views are "dedicated to researching and honoring Shakespeare scholars, (that includes Oxford of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the true bard" sums it all up pretty well. scholars). This newsletter has wonderful and the Shakespeare Oxford Society as a literary and And our mission statement is much educational organization . exciting work inching us closer and closer clearer and, I think, more compelling: to the Tru th. The Ann Arbor Conference is going to inform us, energize us, and send us . Founded in 1957, th e Shakespeare Oxford Society is a non-profit, edu­ home to continue carrying the word. There Board of Trustees cational orgallization dedicated to the SOS will join with the Shakespeare Fel­ Shakespeare Oxford Society exploring the Shakespeare author­ lowship for a double dose of Oxford study, Lifetime HOllorary Trustees ship question and researching the and one hopes we'll raise a glass or two to 01'. Gordon Cyr and Chal'les Boyle evidence that Edward de Vere, the our common cause. 2006 17th Earl ofOxford ( 1550-1604) I offer thanks to the writers of the SOS President: Matthew Cossolotto is the true author ofthe poems and Newsletter and a request that you keep it plays of "William Shakespeare. " First Vice President: Dr. C. Wayne Shore coming. Keep in mind that reports on events or experiences, responses to articles, or Second Vice President: John Hamill Last year I set forth a goal of increasing personal essays are welcome as well as the Treasurer: Virginia Hyde email communication among members. world class research that we are privileged Some progress has been made but we still J ames Sherwood to absorb. Dr. Frank Davis need to update our email address database. Also, I add my thanks to Matthew Cos­ Michael Pisapia I've sent out a few email messages to mem­ sol otto for a year of creative and energetic Randall Sherman bers but we really haven 't instituted a regular Dr. Richard Smiley leadership for the SOS. email update program. We'll continue to Elliot Stone Please enjoy this newsletter. work on this. Susan Sybersma Lew Tate, ed. Dr. Richard Joyrich One path to achieving more rapid email tate3211 @bellsouth.net communication is through the Yahoo! Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter Fall 2006 page 3 Much Ado About Oxford Richard Desper, Ph.D. Part 1. Relating Much Ado About Nothing to Indeed, this is a point upon which Oxfordians and many ortho­ dox scholars are at odds. The gentleman from Stratford-upon-Avon the Life of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford leaves us little in the way of biographical material to associate with It shal\ be our task here to show that Edward de Vere, 17 th Earl of those works attributed to him. In particular, their author would seem Oxford, whom many hold to be the true author of the Shakespeare to be devoid of any reason to identify himself with the values of canon, put himself, his feelings, and those persons closest to him individuals in the upper crust of Elizabethan / Jacobean society. A in his life, along with their deepest feelings, into the play which number of Oxfordians have posed this as an argument supporting has come down under the title Much Ado About Nothing. This Oxford as the identity of the author "Shakespeare." They see the should come to no surprise to us.