I Ridde My Soule of Thee at Laste

by David Teems

1608. London. In the court of James I. With the English language at its zenith and England needing a lift of spirit due to the changing of the reign, the new king has commissioned more than fifty scholars and clerics from Cambridge, Oxford, and Westminster to produce a new translation of the bible in the grand language of the day. But there is not a poet among them. Gathering what intelligence he can from those who know the man Shakespeare, James meets with the poet in secret and commissions him to be the last filter, to have the last editorial gaze upon his prize new book. Ben Jonson, ever suspicious, playing Salieri to Shakespeare's Mozart, and weary of the little man's very existence, finds an ally in first minister, Robert Cecil, whom Shakespeare has slighted in his plays. With cool vengeance in mind, the two men plot to end the life of the Poet, with the help of the sexually rampant astrologer-apothecary-occultist Simon Forman.

173 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2020

About the author

Recording artist, songwriter, and speaker, David Teems is the author of Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an English Voice, Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible, To Love is Christ, Discovering Your Spiritual Center, and And Thereby Hangs a Tale. Teems earned his BA in Psychology at Georgia State University. David and his wife Benita live in Franklin, Tennessee, near their sons Adam and Shad.

Reviews

[Andrew Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slim novel still took time to read, as the writing was complex, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. The prose had a certain eloquence, but characters were continually referred to in multiple forms, e.g., Francis Bacon, The Philosopher, Lord High Chancellor, etc... At times, it was hard to know who was who.

The plot is simple. Several playwrights wrangle about Shakespeare. Then, in confidence, Shakespeare is offered the job of bringing beauty to the King James Bible, which 50+ intellectuals constructed. Finally, one of Shakespeare's detractors, Ben Jonson, hatches a scheme to poison the Bard.

I might have given this book a higher rating if it were clear that Shakespeare helped finish the King James Bible. The balance of opinions is against that.