Third Time’s a Charm: W. Blount Reads Sidney’s Arcadia

Excellent–thank you! As an Oxfordian researcher at the Folger for the past 23 years, I’m naturally curious as to why you’re looking for witnesses of Oxford’s poem.

In addition, I’m fascinated that you cite Fred Schurink. Schurink published an article titled “An unnoticed early reference to Shakespeare” in Notes and Queries in March 2006. There, he identifies a new reference to “Shake-speare” in the 1628 edition of Thomas Vicars’s Manuductio ad Artem Rhetoricam. Vicars used a Latin phrase referring to “that well-known poet who takes his name from ‘shaking’ and ‘spear'” to a list of English poets. The sole poet not identified by his given name.

Finally, I’m pleased you cite the anonymous 1589 Arte of English Poesie. Some scholars attribute the book to George Puttenham. But Steve May did extensive research in Puttenham’s archives, and found no conclusive evidence for this attribution. There is much evidence that the real Shake-speare was its author. For example, the author’s quirky Englishing of the classical terms of rhetoric.

Please tell us more about your interest in Oxford’s poem! Thank you.