Notebook Written by 17th-Century Shakespeare Scholar Shocks Antiques Roadshow Expert

According to the Telegraph, a 17th-century notebook containing notes from one of the first Shakespeare scholars left experts "trembling." The notebook, entitled Shakespeare: Comedies and Tragedies, was discovered among the collection of 18th century antiquarian John Loveday of Caversham by a relative.

The notebook was appraised for over £30,000 by Matthew Haley, head of books and manuscripts at Bonhams. Haley admitted that its "enormous scholarly value" had left him "trembling" as he held it.

"It's a very small manuscript," Haley said. "About the size of a matchbox, and it's in a 17th-century hand. We don't know who the person who wrote it is, but...they were either going along to Shakespeare's plays when they were being performed and taking notes, or they were reading one of the first four printed editions of Shakespeare."

The notebook was noted to not include the histories, and it contained quotes, passages, or phrases that the author jotted down.

"Obviously there weren't that many people who were literate at the time and there weren't that many people who would have had access to the printed editions of Shakespeare," Haley said. "It's such a fascinating mystery."

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