by Eddie Aderne

“A rare copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio sold for almost $10 million Wednesday,
becoming the most expensive work of literature ever to appear at auction,
according to Christie’s.”
—CNN

(with apologies to Ben Jonson)

The figure that thou seest was spent
On gentle Shakespeare, every cent,
When someone vowed to have his Will,
And came across for near 10 mill.
O if the buyer had to match
The value of this special catch,
The sale should further still surpass
All that was ever splurged in brass!
But if thou art a reader, look
Not on his pricetag, but his book.