“COURTE-DEARE-VERSE”: William Covell (Polimanteia,1595)

“And now I will vnclaspe a Secret booke . . . “  (Henry IV, I. iii. 511 – 517)

Fig. 1

   Interesting is the word “LO” (behold, look, see) in Column 7, Row 5.  The cluster with the letter-string ” VERE” appears to be deliberately supported by the “E.C.O.” (Edwardus Comes Oxoniensis) in Row 3.  What is likely a serendipitous coincidence is the bottom-to-top letter-string of “Tom N” connected to  “E.C.O.”  We know that Thomas Nashe (the name, at least) is reputed to have been one of Edward de Vere’s psuedonyms.  Curiously, the identity of the “secret book” may hint at the Knights Templar organization.  De Vere was also reputed to have been a Knights Templar.  Reinforcing this (again, likely a coincidence) is that, beginning with the “E” in “E.C.O.”, counting to the “N” in Column 9, Row 3, then proceeding to the “T” in Column 9, Row 6, then diagonally to the left and up to the origin point of the “E” in “E.C.O”, we have an equilateral triangle, with four letters on each side (4 x 4 x 4).

   The area of an equilateral triangle is:       Therefore:   A = 1.73/4 (16)  =  (.4325) (16)  =    6.92.

Relevant to this discussion and de Vere’s constant word and number play in his writing is:

                                                     Σ 6.92  =  17.

Coincidence or intelligent design?  And, in keeping with Alexander Waugh’s discovery (see below) of the anagram of “courte-deare-verse“ in the William Covell Epistle of 1595, resulting in a perfect transposition of “”Our de Vere, a secret”  relates to hidden messages. The perfect anagram of “HIDDEN MESSAGES” is: “HE’S MADE DESIGNS”; in this case an equilateral triangle that solidly reinforces the plaintext in Henry IV, Part I above.  The design, of course is the equilateral triangle. What is being said, then, is:  (1)  “VERE“ in the letter-string clearly identifies Edward de Vere and “a secret booke”; (2) the equilateral triangle and possible if not probable membership in the Knights Templar is hinted at, as equilateral triangles were important to the Knights Templar; (3) the probable choice of the triangle letter-count of each side being “4”, and it’s calculated area, sums 17.  Edward de Vere was the 17th earle of Oxford; (4)  the sum of the three sides is 12, and the total letter count of “EDWARD DE VERE” is 12; (5)  12 is the sum of the 3 sides of the equilateral triangle; (6) Interesting also is that each of the three angles of an equilateral triangle is 30 degrees:  the equilateral triangle in Fig. 1 is in Array 30. 

   Is the above reflected in William Covell’s 1595 Epistle in Polimanteia?

[ A more complete discussion of Waugh’s discovery can be found on page 5 of the Fall 2013 Shakespeare Matters, a publication of the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship. ]

William Covell’s Epistle in Polimanteia (without marginal notes):

Fig. 2

Here is what I found:

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

   Again, note the critical cluster feature on the right side of the array:  “TEST TEXT“, reading “test Ox‘s (Oxford’s) text”.  Re-read the discussion below Fig. 1 above.  What applies in the plaintext of Henry IV, Part I, applies to the William Covell Epistle.  Beginning with the “T” (commonly shared, “echoed“, if you will,  by both “TEST” and “TEXT“, going across to the second “T“ in “TEXT“, then down diagonally to the left to the second “T“ in “TEST“, is an equilateral triangle, with four letters on each of the traingle sides.  The area of the equilateral triangle has the same calculation dimensions and results as the Henry IV plaintext, including, therefore, the  ∑  6.92  =  17   figure.

The first publication of the name “William Shakespeare” was in 1593.  Two years later is the publication of the Covell epistle, and three years later is the publication of Henry IV, Part I (Quarto 1, 1598).

Fig. 11      

   

   It appears both the anagram and the letter-string arrays support, in their own way, the Edward de Vere-is-Shakespeare contention.  

XII.VIII.MMXIII