In 1757, an Englishman called Charles Bertram, living in Copenhagen, published a forged manuscript. This contained a text supposedly written by a medieval monk but based on a Roman original. Charles Bertram thus created three authors in one fell swoop.
Bertram himself is consistently present in the text, despite positioning himself as an editor only. The medieval monk is an explicit presence, portrayed as having put his own words – indeed in his own hand – on the pages. Behind him is the shadowy character of a Roman general, the author of the presumed original. In their various situations, the authors partake of different degrees of authority and reliability, which are also shifted from one author to another.