humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:35:21 -0800 (PST), Tom Reedy
wrote:

>The Shakespeare-Oxford Society (http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/) is
>apparently so full of morons they can't even find a member literate
>enough to edit their own "journal," The Oxfordian. Instead, they've
>chosen Dr. Michael Egan to do the job and take Stephanie Hughes' place
>(can anyone *really* replace Stephanie Hughes?).
>
>Egan, who I suppose would be termed a quasi-Oxfordian by Crowley, was
>lionized by Oxfordians on the Fellowship boards last year for his not-
>very-original theory that Thomas of Woodstock was written by
>Shakespeare. (See http://www.shakespearefellowship.org/Reviews/jimenez.woodstock.htm).
>He is Scholar in Residence at Brigham Young University, Hawaii.
>
>Question: is this an upward academic move for someone from Brigham
>Young University? If Egan is *not* an Oxfordian, can they still claim
>to be a peer-reviewed journal?
>
>Enquiring minds want to know!
>
>TR

Intriguing how someone on the academic ladder climbs to eminence and
position as Scholar in Residence at Brigham Young University, Hawaii.

Wanting to know how/why may involve mysterious steps of enquiry, such
as how his name may be linked to Oxford and to Shakespeare, himself.
As so often is the case, when cogitating on such questions in the HLAS
Tavern, peculiar muses sometimes are helpful during a search of the
Internet. Hold your collective hat, the ride may be somewhat
loosey-goosey on the high-tech broomsticks Tavern muses allow.

First, circling above Hawaii while stirring the pot, we can note that
the name "Hawaii" came after "The Sandwich Islands," derived from the
Earl of Sandwich in the mid-18th C., and Wiki says lord Sandwich was
the 4th earl, John Montagu. It may or may not be relevant to note
that he was famous in his time for a certain prosecution of
performances by some London players of the Beggars' Opera, precursor
of Three Penny Opera, now evolved to Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife.

(Curious reasons for him doing that or why he gave his name to the
islands before Egan did. The muse tells me Shakespeare's reasoning
may be involved in showing a relationship by affinities, as when he
might say, "It likes me not," meaning he doesn't like it. The Fates
are in charge of affinities, of course.)

Following the Sandwich trail back to Elizabethan London is a quick
trip, but for entertaining sidelights consider a few crumbs the HLAS
muses offer leading to contemplation of the name, Montagu, or
Montague. There is a connection to Shakespeare about what's in his
name.

1. Travel and Leisure: "Montague House, in Capetown S. Africa, is a
marvelously incongruous Afro-Elizabethan fantasy, with suites named
after Shakespeare's plays and a garden filled with grapefruit trees
and frangipani."

If the Shakespeare-Oxford Society and Dr. Michael Egan had known of
this, we might be hearing from them there, and I sincerely suggest
they consider another consortium meeting.

2. There is a famous 18th C. author some at the HLAS Tavern would
admire, Elizabeth Montagu, called "Shakespear's poor little Critick",
who wrote for "bluestockings" on the genius of S compared with the
Greek and French, 1769. Her slant in defending Stratman was that
"Shakespeare's plays were to be acted in a paltry tavern, to an
unlettered audience just emerging from barbarity." I hasten to add
by way of compensation, which seems to be another muse ingredient,
that in the 19th C. Montagu W. Douglas was the author of The Earl of
Oxford as Shakespeare, 1931. Like Dr. Michael Egan, his name could
possibly be explored further to find the "truth" about Shakespeare.

As we descend toward London and into the past on this Internet-
provided broomstick, the muses are busier sorting out identities, with
the Montague surname allowing some chance of relating to Shakespeare's
likely awareness and usage, in R & J and KHVI,3.

1. An article on Life in Elizabethan England mentions "Dinner at
Cowdray House, 1595; in which "The writer points out that although
this is late reign, the house is stubbornly Catholic, and the new
young Viscount Montague is interested in preserving the stately habits
of his grandfather's household, to which he is heir (Edited from Sir
S. D. Scott, Bart., in Sussex Archæological Collections, 1926). This
is evidently the same Anthony Viscount Montague, 1595, who wrote up
the famous Book of Rules and Orders of 1595 everyone accepted as
authority.

Could the above possibly relate to a public perception that the
dispute between Montague and Capulet is a metaphor of Catholic and
Protestant conflict, and the play bears on the way to resolve it? All
I know is what the HLAS muses guide me to on the Internet. According
to Joel Griffith, in his 2002 interpretation of "Montague," both
Capulet and Montague are shaken and humbled by the tragic loss of
their children. This shows that though they were guilty of keeping
the feud alive, they both place their children before their anger.
They both chose to remember love rather than hate. The two men of war
have finally come to put war to rest and espouse peace."

2. An intriguing note that pops up about Elizabethan Montague is by
Richard Smith, in his 1954, An Elizabethan Recusant House, comprising
the Life of the Lady Magdalen, Viscountess Montague (1538-1608).

Probably, Lady Montague was a well-known member of the peerage, making
a Catholic statement of what sort I don't know. Don't know how she's
related to "young Viscount Montague" in 1595. Some of what is known
about the Montague peerage that's interesting is in Joel Griffith's
"Montague," 2002. He traces the name to:

"Vicount Thomas Browne, Lineage: Thomas BROWNE (Sir Sheriff), Born:
1402 Died: 1460, Beechworth Castle, Surrey. Notes: Treasurer of the
Household to Henry VI";

in Elizabethan Peerage, at http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Peerage1.htm.
In Shakespeare's time there was Anthony Browne, (1º V. Montague),
Born: 1527/1528, Acceded: 2 Sep 1554, Died: 19 Oct 1592.


I now have two kickers for my conclusion that prove how ingeniusly the
HLAS Tavern muses can mix and match in the names game.

1. In the case of Mary Browne, 1552-1607, father Anthony BROWNE (1º
V. Montague) [see above] Married 1: Henry WRIOTHESLEY (2º E.
Southampton) 19 Feb 1565/6, London, Middlesex, England, it appears we
have a connection between Montague to Shakespeare and Wriothesley.

2. The Oxford connection I find in KHVI, 3, where Montague, brother of
York, and Oxford are sorted out. Warwick says,

Thou, brother Montague, in Buckingham,
Northampton and in Leicestershire, shalt find
Men well inclined to hear what thou command'st:
And thou, brave Oxford, wondrous well beloved,
In Oxfordshire shalt muster up thy friends.
My sovereign, with the loving citizens,
Like to his island girt in with the ocean,
Or modest Dian circled with her nymphs,
Shall rest in London till we come to him.

Pretty neat the way Shakespeare's affinities with the
Shakespeare-Oxford Conference and Dr. Egan in Hawaii make him mention
the "island girt in with the ocean," what? He seems to confirm the
connection fatally when, in V,iv, he has Queen Margaret

. . . .
Say Warwick was our anchor; what of that?
And Montague our topmost; what of him?
Our slaughter'd friends the tackles; what of these?
Why, is not Oxford here another anchor?

If my scholarship trip is loopy, going from Hawaii, to Earl of
Sandwich, to Vicount Montagu, to Shakespeare, Wriothesley and Oxford,
by way of Capetown, I blame it on the Internet muses networking with
HLAS Tavern muses. But I enjoyed the trip and relinquish back the
broom to stand in a corner by the fireplace, while I stand myself a
pint, thinking about Hawaii this time of year. bookburn