The New York herald., 1874-09-13
SHAKESPEARE VS.. BACON.
"A Judicial Luminary Sums Up
and Charges.
STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF WILLIAM.
A Shakespearian Atheist De-
nounces His Plays.
RECORDER HACKETr AS A JUDGE.

Our reporter more lucky than counsel or
criminals He caught the Recorder mapping last
evening upon an entcing library lounge, and
alter apologies That were courteously received the
visitor said :--"Mr. Recorder, you are, l know,
more Draconian than Baconian, but what do you
think OF the merits OF the case-The People on the
Relation Of the NEW YORK HERALD VS.. Bacon and
ShakespeareTn -
The criminal magistrate OF our city smillngy
answered. 'Don't you give TO each separate
trial7 Yes, can answer the query, for nave
often heard discussions upon the subject ana
read pretty much everything that has been writ
ten upon 1t. ana II you VIII open yonder desK ana
suppose yourself to be The stenographer OF the
Court of General Sessions, about to take down
cnaIge | can embody my views upon the assump-
ton that witnesses have all been heard Tor Bacon
or Shakespeare"
For instance, might begin by sayng:-Gentle-
men OF the HERALD's jury-rne question for you
to determine (here the reporter vaulted into a
chair and proceeded 10 make the crow tracks VI
photography by preponderance OF evidence, is,
whether Lord Bacon or VIII Shakespeare tthe de-
fendants) Jointly or severaly, either one and
either one, which one, wrote the accepted plays?
The reator (the HERALp) has very fairly brought
evidence against both defendants, and respective
counsel have been heard, first for Bacon and
nextlv for Shakespeare, On the part OF the yeo-
man William the first offers OF evidence were the
traditions, gosslps, talk and repute OF his coDtem-
pOraries. associates, and tae acquescence OF his
Immediately succeeding generation; in other
words, the common consent OF prescription in
6hakespeares title TO authorship and no
contrary claim made by any other author
or his descendants. In the next place
theirs is testimony that Shakespeare was
poet. Indeed, this was admitted. Also, that he
ap1t tha torh If hp
stage. Also, that the manuscript of the plays
offered by him at the Globe Theatre was in his
handwriting, and that necessary and eXigent cor
rectiOns anu emenuations were also mannaiiy and
with personal supervisors, made by him. Also,
that there were printed under his name, in his
lifetime, poems of MS corresponding in style and
metaphor and beauty OF diction TO the like style
and characteristics of his alleged plays. Indeed
The 135th and 136th sonnets were put IN as exhibits
These show the name OF "Wilr' played upon and,
indeed, tortured through several lines after the
manner OF his besettng sin OF quIbbing. Ninety
four coincident forms OF metaphorical express
sion OF similar ideas IN both poems and plays were
presented by one witness, DR.. Charles w. Stearns.
they were certainly significant. The same witness
called attention also 10 the marked preference
In poem and play for female beauty OF the
fair or blonde order over that OF the dark or
brunette type, and 1t may be Judiclally observed
style OF woman that style turns up IN composition
As the beau Idedl, or, rather perhaps as the 6eue
tdeaL The Witness DR.. Stearns, also directed re-
gard to the extraordinary use OF Illustrations and
hgures drawn from the legal profession and mostly
cOnveyanclng practlce, sucn as bonds and leases
ana tnat, in TACT many more law extracts could be
taken from the few acknowledged poems than from
All his reputed plays, and yet the latter a6o 1nded
with them. true, II Was agreed that this was
evidence rather favorlng the right OF the defend
ant, Bacon, who was Lord Chancellor, and coun-
Sci Tor the latter read coplousy from Lord Chan-
ceilOr Campbelps book on the legal requirements
of Shakespeare to snow how very abstruse was
this learning. However VIII speak of this again
when we come to consider for the defendant,
Bacon, whether he could also have written
the poems claimed by and given to shakespeare
10 snow how Shakespeares frequent use ol con-
Trajectory terms in order to intensity the express
sion OF his thoughts, almost an exclusive
characteristic OF his STYLE Clearly SO IN the poems
and correspondingly IN the plays. give you a
dlscord," "niggardly prodigaI" poorly rich"
..wanton modesty," "cursed-bessed." and these
ue" % I'VE LOVING hase,' CHAOS of weeseeming @
1orms,' feather of lead, "cod fire" hypocrisy
against the devil &C. II was also, also argued that
admittedly possessed) must be included mental
powers OF the highest order, such as memory,
Judgment, Imagination attention Or abstraction.
Testimony was further gwen that very soon alter
Shakespeare's decease TWO OF his old friends
and associates published far edition Of
nus collected plays and bearing his name.
We're they printed from has manuscripts
Would they have given his name as their author Ii
they mad not believed him to have been their CON-
poser True no manuscripts OF these plays sur
vlved; but it Is important for you to consider
whether the authorized printing Of dramatic
piece being in his day an Abandonment OF stage
rights in 1t, there was not motive here existing
for suppression and destruction OF all man useripts
by publishers. 1t clearly shown that IN the
preface these latter (which were, one might say,
his partners in business1 said as foiiows:-'Flrst
we have scarcely received from him blot IN his
papers, second, We, wlsn the author himself had
lived TO have set forth ana overseen his own writ
tngs.n Thus we have during MS HE by him aud
at MS death by mis- irends. and for ages alter by
the consent oil posterity, claim made OF authorship
for Shakespeare, and none by any one else. here
especially call your attention TO the fact that the
expert witnesses who have deeply studied the
plays all bear witness before you tnat they are The
product OF forces residing In one mind, and which
was subjected to certain external Influences, snch
there is reason for believing the poet defendant
was subjected to, especially IN his earlier years.
Upon the other hand, FOR the defendant Bacon,
1t was said that the plays showed lavishing OF
thought and of ampl1ed instruction upon up
wards OF 500 subjects connected with the myste-
ries of Providence, the order OF nature, human
lie, manners, the general course OF the world and
philosophy at large, together with very special
topics such as military science, law, medicine,
theOOgies, agriculture, sports, seamanship, lnsan-
lty, music and also the cuisine dress and manners
OF court life. And 1t was argued that Shake
speares ordinary mode OF life and conversation,
were he In TACT the playwright, ought to have In
some way unfOlded TO aa,liring associates some OF
port OF the theory that Bacon was the playwright
1t was proved that our lordly defendant lived
during the years when the plays were composed,
and possessed 10 an eminent degree, as well as
showed by ms lie ano talk, as we'll as writings,
all TINS wide scope OF general and special
attainments. 1t was hereupon agreed that the
playwright was profound classical scholar, and
that the commentators who were sworn In the
case had testified to distinct traces in the plays OF
Sopnoces, Ovid Horace, Virgil, Catullus, Seneca
Eurpides. Plautus, several OF whom IN Bacon and
Snakespeare's day had not, az was proven, been
translated into English. IL was also testified by
experts that three OF the plays were distinctly
adapted or "colaboratedn from French or Italian
stories, whereof also, no English translation
existed. There does not appear 10 be any evidence
tnat Shakespeare was classical scholar, yet iair
presumption 10 was proven that Lord Bacon had
lived some years IN Paris and had acquired
knowledge OF the French, spanish and ltalsn Ian
guages. IL was argued that Bacon, being skllled
IN natural sciences and IN law and philosophy,
could add these TO his classical knowledge anu
produce the plays. Testimony aud exhibits were
onered In support OF identity Of authorship,
embracing score OF volumes written by the
defendant Bacon such as the histories OF Henry
VII and Will, an essay on the character OF Julius
Cesar, cOnceit entitled New Atlantlsn tfOr
purposes OF special comparison with the TEN
pest,n Sonnpfa and rnetrical vareion of rho