The New York herald., 1874-09-26
SHAKESPEARE and bacon.
Two Opposite Kinds
Of Genius.
Shakespeare's Blunders an Argu-
ment Against the Baconians.
THE CLASSICAL TASTES OF BACON.

THE CLASSICAL TASTES OF BACON.
haitian Coiiege-.As Well Might the
Pensivc Bird OF Minerva MARBLE Forth
the Liquid Notes Of the Lark as Bacon
Give Life TO Oberon Puck"
Recently a HERALD reporter called on Professor
O'Leary of Manhattan College, at his residence In
the village. The Professor was found in his library
poring over Or. Ludwig Bucnner's latest. When
| the reporter stated his business the Doctor
! smiled and said he had noticed the con-
troversy which had peen going on in the columns
OF the HERALD, and although 1t was not new 1t
| was very timely, as 1t had called forth some new
| opinion and authority regarding the identity OF
| Will Shakespeare and the works accredited TO him.
| The Professor, from his intimate acquaintance
| with the Greek dramatists had some opinions to
| orer on the PROBABILITY Of Bacon's authorship OF
Shakespeare. "Ihe greatest and meanest OF men"
was a student OF the Grecian dramatlsts, and as
such could hardly be expected TO write IN the
style or words OF Shakespeare who, according TO
the Doctor, is at times vulgar. If not obscene.n
The reporter requested the Doctor TO give his
opinion on the controversy and the reasons lor the
same in his own words. and the following Is the
result
"Bacon's mind was essentially OF the classical
type Not only did its inherent organization
p ace him in sympathy with the severe regularity
OF the ancen is but his asslduous study OF their
writings surrounded nlm with an atmosphere OF
arcnaism. Even the crude specuauens OF Emped-
0cles and Democrltus approached nearer TO the
true and beautiful IN his estimation than the vig-
orous thoughts Of mis- contemporaries. Aristotle,
acc riding to him, anticipated the DIVINE Founder
o. the CHRISTIAN rehylon IN many % essentials h n ana
he sateswta truth deeanas raWe moe
work TO the princ.eles ennnoiatsd BY
the pagan master. Though the illusions
tn 40
writings, yet enough IN conjunction with his Well
known admiration ior ancient art generally, occurs
to warrant the belief tnat mad he engaged as o
. playwright he would have sought his models in
Athens, and that Eurpldes and Sophocles would
nave lighted his pain rather than the tghiS futtts
OF mystery plays and the grotesque images and ex-
, travagant legends Of medieval times. Ancient
> and Euripldes was SUBJECT 20 certain rules or
canons, which followed 1t at every slep and ham,
forbidden to speaK-nec Qudrtd lo7ul persona lab
oret-but the action was confined to one
iour hours. This law Of The two uniiies Of time
and place was religiously adhered to, not only by
in the classical as distnsuished rom the roman
tic school, and hence, there Is no doubt that bacon
Instance who was TAR less reverer Of anltauity
! than Bacon, outstripped the ancients themselves
IN MS seryiity to those ciampins eanons. Adopt
r6le trnogy OF Edipus, he IS trivial ana
; Mad prescribed or himself IN accordance
with the rules OF ancient art. The inter-
1 view between the TNeban and pnoctetes
is commonplace and STRAIN ed IN Votdires tragedy,
OBJECT being merely to determine SITUATION.
With Sophocles this interview is but the prelude
80 the accumulated horrors which rapidly en-
sue and reveals the deep art OF the poet the deit
weaving together Of incidents apparently dscon'
O ribie catastrophe Those rules OF ancient art, SO
oS ~ ,ne S ns
J a when ars s'I Itself had its its origin. and are
IN the
Bacons, cast IN this antique mould. wou.d hav,
delighted rather TO reproduce the mournlul Antig
one Of sophocles pouring forth her soui Il
plainnve lamentations, solemn walls which strik
our ears like the note OF iunerai bell ana III
Il more natural Ophela, whose PHILOSOPHY Is uncon
70 scionsly revealed IN rev tender sonnets.
it led on the traditions ana lore OF a semi-bar
l. barous period y spurned whatever interfere
! made the sense OF the multitude the true standard
Oi TASTE HIS dlcton savors so OF the pavement
tn the aprom ne and ne
d than in the closet and read more
the 9oOS Of IT the ,hs heart than
= lfiscnyus than Sophoces. his words were 'wedgeC
. like one who rends timber breathing with glgant,
e strength and PROVIDED he feels that he hold
II tr reascts Heels II Hence he is often vulgar not %
}. veruIam. Like Kscnyins Shakespeare was tn,
!, unconsclously SO, out endowed with genius
that could DSna brook no restraint BaGoI coz
u mind which could not rest satisfied witt
; secondary causes, no matter how remote, coult
l. never have devoted itself TO the observation o
the hidden springs Of human actions, and sees
e no solution OF them outside the heart Itself
: Shakespeare understood 1t when ne told HoratiC
! tnat there more things IN heaven and eartf
taan are dreamt OF IN his philosophy, remark nt
:. might have addressed VITA equal truth to Lore
r dltons OF his country which fitted between the
h aim realms Of fable and - me ne lgat OF history II
IS be questioned. AS Goethe says in his prologue
!, to Faust. But most particularly, let there
L be incident enough Shakespeare thought
\ tnat the qualities OF eXactness and cor
eotness might be pSan saGrated i loot
u thought he with Goethe; their greatest pleasure
D. ls to see. Ifmuch is spun on before heir eyes SC
have then gained III breadth. You can subdue
!, mass only by mass. Each eventually picks on
IS something lor himself. Who brings much VII
4 srlng something to many one and all VIII leave
Di the house content Though these are the words
II ae Conduct OF saKaspeare Wond Lord Bacol
le have tolerated course so repugnant to loglca
A. mind, TO mind that revived II 1t did not crea'
n .sThe wen known Inconsistencies OF Lore
- Bacons character which earned for MN the unen
y meanest OF mankind, might lead US to think tha
J. he was best prepared to draw those hiehke pic
lures OF humanity which abound IN the writing
E. OF Shakespeare lies greatness and meanness, IL
nexpncable, chameleon changes rom good TO ba'
and back again the scale up and down, over an,
over, never ceasing, ever changing, irregular
But reflection teaches that we are at least apt t.
our own nature, and the bad man sees badnes
, only in his own beart Genius Is unconscious
~ its achievements are a spontaneous development
l., wrought out In accordance with It's Dent an
4 characteristics. The harmony OF Its productions
y SAYS Carlyle, ARE like the heavenly diapason tina
RI is not heard because It's notes never change q
Bacon and Shakespeare both. IL Is freely coLcede
W tnat they possessed genius OF the highest order
IL and that their works are the necessary renectio
It OF their minds The one solemn, stately grandiosC
IKE pared, temple sd ol heopos ,[mpressss
d durability; the other graceful ana soaring ike
IL Gothic fame that here shoots spre heayenwar
e. and there turrcle barely above ground s Ia
truest symbol OF the poets art. AS well might til
X pensive bird OF Minerva warbc forth the hqui
notes OF the lark as Bacon give life to 0bcro
and Puck"
The informal Evidence OF the Plays.
bavo thn d,vu