Literary ForgeriesGeneral Books, 2013 - 70 sivua This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIII. THE MARIE-ANTOINETTE FORGERIES. The comparative success of Lucas' forgeries raises some uncomfortable reflections about autographs in general. The taste in France for collecting them began about 1814, and it has been calculated that between 1822 and 1835 some 12,000 were sold at public sales. But from 1836 to 1840 the commerce in autographs so far increased that as many as 11, ooo were sold; between 1841 and 1845 as many as 15,000; between 1846 and 1859 as many as 32,000. And this was before Lucas had appeared on the scene. Whence came this enormous supply? Direct theft from public libraries undoubtedly would account for many, but the greater part were the offspring of forgery. The demand gave rise to the supply. And as many of these letters would pass from owner to owner, and throw new and false light on historical characters, it is not pleasing to think to what a serious extent history may have come to be falsified by such means. Had Lucas' inventions succeeded in obtaining currency, they would have revolutionised history from Thales to his own time; but what of the inventions by others that did pass current, and were not detected? It would be impossible to follow all these forged letters into the chinks they have served to fill in history. There are probably few historical personages whose characters and actions have not been falsely coloured by information drawn from these poisoned wells. But as there is no character which forgery more completely made its prey than the unfortunate Queen Marie-Antoinette, it may suffice from her case alone to draw some conclusions as to the romances which have arisen in the same way round the names and memories of others who at the same time or earlier played their destined parts on the... |