Preface: “With the Breath thou Giv’st and Tak’st”.
“The Phoenix and the Turtle” by William Shakespeare – his most famous metaphysical poem from 1601 has a ‘Sacred 3’ structure (composed of three sections) and introduces an allegory of Elizabethan politics in the first five stanzas (known as the ‘Injunction’) which represent a parliament of birds:
The Phoenix & the Turtle-dove, the Owl, the Eagle, the Swan and the Crow, are six birds allegorising individuals – two of which the (Phoenix & the Crow) rather strangely represent a single person: Queen Elizabeth I – who firstly is found in ‘the prime of life’ (as a fabulous-young-Phoenix) and finally at “fever’s end” (her demise). The poem also has a mythical ‘middle-eight’ – stanzas known today as the ‘Anthem’, whereas the last section composed of (five verses) entitled ‘Threnos’ begins significantly – alluding to three individuals using the following words:
“Beauty, Truth & Rarity”.
Importantly, my work explains in detail why the host work for Shakespeare’s poem “Love’s Martyr” was written using the pseudonym “Robert Chester” and why the nascent origins of this pen-name relate to a notorious Shakespearean story known as “The Gads Hill Robbery” which took place just outside the city of ‘Rochester’ in Kent, while one of several renditions of this historical-narrative can be found in Shakespeare’s play: ‘King Henry IV part 1’.
The dedication in “Loves Martyr” signed “Ro.Chester” alludes to the city of Rochester on the river Medway in Kent and was published – summer 1601 shortly after the execution of “Robert Devereux 2nd Earl of Essex” a work in which he is alluded to ‘XIX’ times using the words ‘Envie’ or ‘Envious’.
‘Essex’ was tried and sentenced to death for ‘high-treason’ on Feb ‘19’ 1601 (a personnel tragedy for our author) from which he ingeniously conceived:
“The Essex/Christ allusion” found three times across the Shakespeare cannon, a clever device showing eternal parallels between the lives of Essex & Christ, a term predicated on the Christian number ‘XIX’, with the very first of these three allusions found in line ‘XIX’ of William Shakespeare’s poem “The Phoenix and the Turtle” expressed by the following revelatory words:
“With the breath thou giv’st and tak’st”, meaning:
The Virgin Queen Elizabeth 1st gave breath to Essex at birth and when she signed his death warrant and he was executed she took his breath away.
The second allusion is represented unsurprisingly by sonnet ‘XIX’, its first stanza a tribute to Essex, where described as a “lion & fierce tiger”, while the third allusion appears in Edmund’s premier soliloquy in “Shakespeare’s play King Lear”, where by employing ‘Hebrew gematria’ in conjunction with the Elizabethan-alphabet we find the word “Lag” converts neatly to number ‘XIX’, for as we see:
‘L’ = 11, ‘A’ = 1 & ‘G’ = 7.
In Shakespeare’s mind ‘T’ stands for “Truth” but also “Turtle” the peaceful ‘dove’ representing him in his avian-poem, ‘T’ also stands for ‘Tau’ letter ‘XIX’ of the Greek alphabet – a symbol of the crucified Christ – venerated by ‘The Royal Arch Freemasons’ & ‘Knights Templar’, while the following sentence explains concisely the meaning of “The Essex/Christ allusion”.
Both Essex & Christ were born of Virgins
And both put to death for their beliefs.
Also seriously considered, is scene III of “Romeo & Juliet” where by persistent use of the number ‘14’ ‘Juliet’s’ birthday is rather strangely alluded to five times (bizarrely not her actual age) which was ‘13’ – explanation is given for these obvious contradictions.
Equally interesting, found encrypted in “Love’s Martyr” constituting ‘Sacred 3’ is prophesy by ‘Dr John Dee’, magician, astronomer and mathematician to Queen Elizabeth 1, remarkably all three of his predictions from ‘1601’ came true: (1) The year of Queen Elizabeth’s death, (2) the year of Shakespeare’s death and (3) the year The Globe Theatre burnt to the ground in ‘1613’.
Then, regarding Elizabethan literature and history – surrounding “The Phoenix and the Turtle” in “Love’s Martyr” examined are a number of highly important poems, preceding it, the “Invocatio” speaks of an incestuous sexual encounter that took place between “a lose enamoured girl” & ‘our famous author’ while immediately succeeding it, “A Narration” answers the subsequent question: Did Queen Elizabeth 1st have children? Before a further question:
When was the schwa/e/ first used in the English Language?
Importantly, my work also explains why our author was so enamoured with the following biblical idiom – found three-times across the life-time of his work:
“I AM THAT I AM”.
While the reason he found gratification transposing it gematrically from ’91’ to the individual numbers: ‘IX’ & ‘One’ is also explained.
Then, in a further rendition of ‘Sacred 3’ I reveal previously unrecorded evidence – of how and why in the sixteenth century it was truly possible that our great author was born three months prematurely at gestation week ‘26’
“14 weeks before the course of time”. (K.J.)
A Royal ‘nativity’ expressed by the following simple sum: 12 + 14 = 26.
Proving to my mind our great poet was no ordinary mortal.
Also revealed are the complexities of: ‘The Oxford/Shakespeare brand 1740’ numbers recorded for posterity on Shakespeare’s tomb in Westminster Abbey, a brand represented in the Phoenix-poem by these same numbers ‘1740’ easily found – and easily understood – beginning on ‘Pg 26’ of what effectively is my life’s work:
“With the Breath thou Giv’st and Tak’st”
Finally, I explain why William Shakespeare specifically selected ‘sonnet 67’ to describe Henry Wriothesley and his cat ‘TRIXIE’ in the Tower of London a painting attributed to John de Critz, while providing controversial confirmation the ‘sitter’ in the portrait mourns his brother ‘Essex’ not his mother ‘Elizabeth’. Explanation is also given why in sonnet ‘67’ by William Shakespeare – ‘XIX’ words begin with the letter ‘S’ and why this proves ‘Wriothesley’ grieves for Essex and not Elizabeth.
Finally, in “The Phoenix and the Turtle” by William Shakespeare we find in line ‘20’ our great poet – not without virtue – because at “Fever’s end” (her demise) he empathises with Elizabeth – proffering forgiveness, giving her an invitation to the memorial service held for Essex, referred to in the poem as “this session interdict” (a requiem-service) which he knows – full well, she will be unable to accept.
