Sword Sunday 43 - The most legendary sword you've probably never heard of

This story has all the makings of a best-selling novel, complete with a court case agaisnt a major corporation, palace intrigue, secret societies, a spy, and a murder. But our story starts sometime in the early 1900s with the looting of a tomb. 

We don't know the exact date, or time, or even who carried out the deed. And as easy as it is to envision the event happening under cover of darkness, by candlelight, and with black cloaks on, the truth of the matter is that it could very well have been a regularly scheduled event, set in between lunch and tea, or just after breakfast. 

Who knows, right?

But the fact of the matter is that some time just before the world was embroiled in "the Great War", men working under the orders of the 5th Earl of Warwick entered a tomb in  St Mary’s Church in Warwick, and proceeded to empty the location of everything but the body and the sarcophagus itself. While we may never know if the act itself was conducted clandestinely, the results were not. One sword, one dagger and two helmets have been on display to the public in Warwick castle ever since.

And now, a century later, that sword is back in the news, but to understand why, we need to first understand who it was who first owned it. 

Sir Fulke Greville,
1st Baron Brooke (1554-1628).
 English poet and courtier
Portrait by Edmund Lodge

Sir Fulke Greville, (who would, at the time of his death be properly styled Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, de jure 13th Baron Latimer and 5th Baron Willoughby de Broke KB PC) was something of a renaissance man for his day. Author, courtier, exchequer, playwright, Greville was arguably one of the leading minds of his time. It is now also believed he was a high ranking, possibly the top member of the order of the Rosicrucians.

Don't let the name Rosicrucians shoot by you without taking it in. The Rosicrucian society was a spiritual and cultural movement, and mystical order in the early 17th century. The foundation was based on a the story of a German physician, mystic, and philosopher who was called Father Brother Christian Rosenkreuz (Literally "Rose-cross"), who was reportedly born in 1378, and lived to be 106, and practiced what today some scholars believed to be form of  Sufism. Rosenkreuz, and per the story, practiced a personal ethos of healing the sick without accepting payment,. The foundations of the order, again, per the tradition, was Rosenkreuz and eight followers agreeing to maintain a secret fellowship while working though their lifetimes to continue to heal others and better themselves. 

All of this entered the public eye in the yea 1600 when a series of manifestos was published in Germany, and then the rest of Europe, telling the story of Rosenkreuz to the larger public, and saying that 'the time was right' for the secret order to reveal themselves to the world, seeking good men to join them. 

The movement's manifestos promised to revamp philosophical, literary, ecclesiastical/religious, artistic, and scientific (or "alchemical") thinking of the day by making use of 'lost' or 'hidden' practices. While the actual practiced talked about either did not work, or were never revealed, (in fact, the whole history of the order is widely speculated to be little more than a work of creative writing), the impact of its promises was very real.

The manifestos (3 of them in total) would directly influence and inspire the works of movers and shakers across Europe. Michael Maier (1568–1622) of Germany would go on to be named  Pfalzgraf (Count Palatine) by Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor. his works would included argent, and striden defense of the Rosicrucians. Other historical figures included Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens, Gotthardus Arthusius, Julius Sperber, Henricus Madathanus, Gabriel Naudé, and Thomas Vaughan.

 Robert Fludd (1574–1637) and Elias Ashmole (1617–1692) of England would also credit the writing of the Rosicrucians with influencing their works,  helping to bring the order fully to the English aisle. 

German theologian Daniel Cramer published a treatise in 1617 entitled "Societas Jesus et Rosae Crucis Vera" (The True Society of Jesus and the Rosy Cross).

Art, poetry, and history across Europe began to see references to the order, some almost coded, others obvious.

For what we do presage is not in grosse,

For we are brethren of the Rosie Crosse;

We have the Mason Word and second sight,

Things for to come we can foretell aright.

— Henry Adamson, The Muses Threnodie  (a poem from 1638).

The name of the order was also its own self-explanatory brand, with a gold cross and a rose at the intersection becoming the badge for members and adherents. 

It was in this philosophical tumult that we find Sir Fulke Greville, personal exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I, and then to James I. When you consider the history of the English royal family and their ability to spend and loose money to the point of literal bankruptcy many times over throughout history, the selection of a person charged with organizing that money was a mark of the highest trust, and put Greville in very high circles. 

Greville was no meek individual, A prolific writer, he was a poet, man of numbers and letters, scholar, and lawmaker, on top of being a combat veteran and member of the English high-born. Before his rise to prominence, it is known that participated in the Battle of Coutras in 1587. He also for a short time in Normandy under King Henry III of Navarre in the French Wars of Religion  in 1591. In his later years, he would serve as the parliamentary representative for  Warwickshire at multiples meetings of parliament.

On top of, and aside from his public life, Greville's sharp mind, extensive education, and  work with both letters and numbers made him a more than capable spy for the crown. Not only knowledgeable of of foreign customs and language, but he almost certainly was one of the early code-masters used in England.  Even if the letter was intercepted and read before its delivery, the use of codes could help protect the message itself. In an age before computer encryption and frequency hopping radios, such abilities would have been worth Greville's weight in gold to whoever hired him.  

Greville's skills also included the dramatic and the political. He famously penned "Four Foster Children of Desire", a small production written specifically to be put on before the french ambassador during a visit  to Whitehall. At the time, the French were working to arrange a marriage between Elizabeth I and Francis, the Duke of Anju. Internationally, it would have joined two of the dominant military powers of Europe. Domestically, however, it would have relegated the English Queen to the status of empty figurehead, and broodmare to have Francis'es children. Under the laws of the day, had she given birth to a son by Francis, the child would immediately have more power and political value than his own mother. Greville was opposed to the marriage, and use the visit to say as much. In the play, "Four Foster Children of Desire",  The "Children" lay siege to the "Fortress of Perfect Beauty". After two days of challenges the Children admitted defeat. In the context of the sensibilities of the day, the message to the ambassador was clear; Elizabeth (who would never marry, and never see her power as monarch pulled from her) was 'unattainable' by the french. 

For a man who lived the life he did, Greville's end was both tragic, and horrific. A personal servant of his attacked him in 1628 over a disagreement as to Greville's will. While the would itself was not life threatening, the treatment including sealing it with pig lard, which quickly infected the injury. Greville reportedly died in agony, weeks later, from what today would likely be called sepsis. 

But the story does not stop there. 

Almost 400 years later we come to Rene Greville, descendant of the late Fulke Greville, and, among other things, his biographer (under the pen name of  A.W.L. Saunders). According to Rene, what remains of the tomb of Fulke have multiple icons and inscriptions that suggest he was not only a follower of the Rosicrucians, but likely even one of their leaders in England, possibly even the order's highest member of the time. 

Rene Greville

‘My own research into the monument [...] and the remains of the stained-glass windows of the Chapter House, make it almost certain that Greville was a very high-ranking member of the Rosicrucians,’ 

If this is true, and per Rene there is evidence aplenty to support the claim, that would put one of the most elite of the English courtiers of the day as a member of the society, and even its leader. 

The relevance here is not only historical, either. A great many modern societies, including the Freemasons recognize the influence of the Rosicrucians, with some individuals believing that the latter was, in fact, part of the founding effort of the former. Iconography of several orders, historical and modern, include the use of the rose cross, an image not widely used before the rise of the Rosicrucians.

"Once Freemasons and Rosicrucians understand what that sword is it could be like the Mona Lisa. Millions of people could turn up at the church wanting to see the sword which would bring the church to a halt." - Rene Greville. 

And this brings us back to 1900s looting of Fulke's tomb. According to Rene, the sword includes an emblem of the rose cross, and a more detailed study of it might reveal more information. It is important to remember that Faulk was a code master in his day, so the idea of hiding his membership by way of code or related imagery on something like a sword is not only possible, but likely for a man with the theatrical pedigree he had. 

The problem, though, is that the sword was not available for such close study. Still in the custody of Warwick castle (owned by  Merlin Entertainment), the company was not interested in allowing such a  closer study, and did not allow Rene access to the weapon. Finally, in late 2019, He took the case to court, sewing for custody of the weapon that, per his challenge, was rightfully his. The year long legal fight was described a costly, and exhausting.

"Merlin [entertainment] held out and held out until 24 hours before a hearing was to be brought and they caved. In legally-binding emails they agreed to return the items to the church. I love the sword but it’s a bit of pain to me as my family have spent thousands [of British pounds] on this whole thing." - Rene

With the connections that the sword has, and the names of the people who were in, or involved in  Fulke Greville's life, the potential value of the weapon is bordering on astronomical. 

‘The most expensive sword ever sold went for £7.7million and I believe this would go for something similar as there’s nothing like it in the whole world.’- Rene

In something of another major historical connection, Rene is hoping that 'the items' to be returned include several manuscripts that he believes were removed from the tomb as well, and never put on display. If his theory is true, they might hold evidence that Fulke was the actual author of Shakespear's Antony and Cleopatra, as well as possibly several of the bard's other famous works. 

I’m very happy that the sword is going back but now my interest is what else the Earl of Warwick took from Fulke’s sarcophagus. I believe that boxes full of letters and documents came out and they will answer questions on the Essex Rebellion, the Armada, Elizabeth I’s death. They could reveal Fulke wrote Anthony And Cleopatra and other works of Shakespeare. My dream is to find those documents before I die. Fulke was at the centre of everything and what he says could change history as we know – even at my age it’s so fascinating.’

- Rene

Source: Descendant of 17th century Freemason spy Fulke Greville has won a legal battle...

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