Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 4
1. Chatterton (Thomas), published in 1777 a volume of poems, which he asserted to be from the pen of Thomas Rowley, a monk of the fifteenth century. The forgery was exposed by Mason and Gray.
2. Ireland (Samuel William Henry), published, in 1796, a series of papers which he affirmed to be by Shakespeare, together with the tragedy of Lear and a part of Hamlet. Dr. Parr, Dr. Valpy, James Roswell, Herbert Croft, and Pye, the poet-laureate, signed a document certifying their convictions that the collection was genuine; but Ireland subsequently confessed the forgery. He also wrote a play entitled Vortigern and Rowena, which he asserted was by Shakespeare; but Malone exposed the imposition.
3. Lauder (William), published, in 1751, false quotations from Masenius, a Jesuit of Cologne, Taubman, a German, Staphorstius, a learned Dutchman, and others, to "prove Milton a gross plagiarist." Dr. Douglas demonstrated that the citations were incorrect, and that often several lines had been foisted in to make the parallels. Lauder confessed the fact afterwards (1754).
4. Psalmanazar (George), who pretended to be a Japanese, published, in 1705, an Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa, an Island belonging to the Empire of Japan. He was an Englishman, born in London, name unknown (died 1763).
5. Smith (Joseph), professed that his Book of Mormon, published in 1830, was a direct revelation to him by the angel Mormon; but it was really the work of a Rev. Solomon Spalding. Smith was murdered in Carthage jail in 1844.
6. Surtees (Robert), sent Sir Walter Scott several ballads, which were inserted in good faith in the Border Minstrelsy, but were in fact forgeries. For example, a ballad on A Feud between the Ridleys and the Featherstones, said to be taken down from the mouth of an old woman on Alston Moor (1806); Lord Ewrie, said to be taken down from the mouth of Rosa Smith of Bishop Middleham, aet. 91 (1807); and Barthram's Dirge (1809).
7. The Koran was said by Mahomet to be revealed to him by the angel Gabriel, but it was in reality the work of a Persian Jew, a Jacobite and a Nestorian. The detached parts of the Koran were collected into a volume by Abu Bekr in 634. Mahomet died in 632.
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