clipped from: www.ctv.ca   
William Shakespeare a.k.a. 'The Bard'

LONDON -- A 400-year-old volume of Shakespeare stolen in England a decade ago and valued US$30 million has been recovered after a man walked into a library in Washington and asked to have it authenticated.

Police in Durham, northeast England, said Friday they had arrested a 51-year-old man over the theft of the First Folio edition of 1623, which scholars consider one of the most important printed books in the English language.

It was among seven centuries-old books and manuscripts stolen in December 1998 from a display case at the Durham University library.

The university said at the time it would be virtually impossible to sell the books to legitimate buyers, and for almost a decade police found no trace of them.

"Like Shakespeare himself, this book is a national treasure giving a rare and beautiful snapshot of Britain's incredible literary heritage,'' said Bryson, whose books include "Shakespeare: the World as a Stage.''