, 1874-06-14
TIE BACOKIAN ORIGIN OF sHAKsPEAREs
PLAYS

| Ihe best WORKS on shakespeare and bis dra1nat
writings have been produced by the German
Goethe and Schlegel may be called tho ushers
Shakespeare to the Teutonc race, laying til
foundation for pyramid of criticism, interprt
tation, and erudition, only less wonderful tha
the edifce which sprang from the great mag
cian's wand. Every considerable town in Gel
many now has it's Shakespeare Society, and VI
hear, not infrequcntly, that the entire list OF hi
plays hare been produced in consecutive orte
on the same stage in some German the
afro. with the most scrupulous e1aotneas,- :
each character being as well performed rs ever
other, from the hero and heroine down to tn
clown and tapster. No English or America,
stage has ever accomplished such feat, and
is much to be doubted whether such an achieve
ment would not result in q heavy loss to my the
atre in London or Now York.
While tho Germans thus excel us in Sbak
epearean criticism, no one among them entitled
to be called scholar has ever propounded th.
idea that Shalspea1e's playa were written by Lori
Bacon. That brilliant conception was reserved {o
"these air. United States" It WIS put fortt
many years ago by Miss Bacon, Of New Haven,
| in Putnam's Won0tly, with prudent dis claime1
| on the part Of the editor. It was subsequently
elaborated by Judge Holmes, OF St. Louis, and
| spun out into volume and it caught a good
| many OF the unthinking, though the argum mentE
wore not whit more ingenious than Bishor
Whateley's "Historic Doubts Regarding the Ex-
| istence Of Napoleon Bonaparte." They served,
however, to establish the faith Of Judge
Holmes, who is certainly an able Inv
yer and conscientious writer. The latest
disciple Of Miss Bacon is Mr. Arthur B. Bradford,
who fills nearly two pages Of the Golden Aqc
spcare's plays we're written by Francis Bacon.
The miracle that these plays could hive been
written by any one is go miraculous that 1t is
necessary to conclude that they were produced
bY the dryest, most scrubbv, and least imagi-
native OF all the writer's Of that period.
1fr. Bradford, il not the most profound, is
certainly the most bumptious, of all the cham
pione OF the Baconian theory. "There is class
of predestinated fools," hea.ys, "whose funo-
ton it is in the great plan of the universe to try
the faith and patience Of inventors and oxpound-
ers Of new truth. OF this class were the men in
our Cabinet and Congress who ridicuIed and
sneered at Morse for bis theory concerning the
electric telegraph. Had this not been practical
age, Morse would have died poverty-stricken
and heartbroken, like nearly all his prototypes"
OF the same class are those who held TINT Shak-
apeare's plays were written by Shakespeare, or at
oil events not By Lord Bacon.
The argument for the Baconian origin of these
plays rests upon the thesis that they could have
been written only By ono who WAS lawyer, n
DOCTOR philosopher, linguist. naturalist, and
a courtier, since the plays themselves betray J.
knowledge of all these spocialties moro. pro-
found than Shakespeare or eny other Bmatterer
could possibly have had. Bacon WIS thoroughly |
7eiaed in the classics and the modern languages.
IN law, physiology, philosophy, natural science. |
Ind the etiquette Of Courts, and, though no moro
II q poet (so far as proof gocs) than an Egyptian
mummy. he must have written these plays. This
E substantially the argument of mr. Bradford.
Evidently the class Of prodestinated fools that
&c speaks Of might bo enlarged by ono, without
:rowding tho asylum.
Let US consider one (and q worry important
'no) of these so-called arguments. It is por-
eived that shakspeare's plays disclose very
considerable acquaintance With the classics.
]at Shakespeare had not received a classical
1ncntinn {not aa yra 1pou-a roN I
ould not have written these plays. But Bacon
tad received thorough classical cducation-
hercforo he could have written thom, Wa
1aintain that Shakespeare had rrofoundor in
light into the spirit OF Ancient Greece and
Tome than Bacon or any other Englishman of
is time who has left Us any record Of his &C.
uirements. Technical knowledge he had not,
3 is abundantly proved On almost every page.
Lis plays are full OF email anachronisms, rettv
lundcrs in geography, history, names, datos,
I'D things ,-b1unders Of exactly the sort that
aeon. By reason Of his thorough education.
ould not have made. Tho play OF Coriolanus
at once mirror Of Roman politics Of tho time 1
the first Tribunes, and prophecy OF the civil | 7
ars which should grow out Of the Commune, t
hich then demanded for the first timo the freq 1
stributlon Of corn. Eet Shakespeare makes {
olurunia to have been the mother OF Coriola- e
Ii instead OF his wife. and makes no mention | t
'etruria Chis real mother, according to Ligy) ! r
al. Surely, Bacon know better; and II he e
igned to SO to the Globe Theatre he must /,
re enoered at tho ignorance OF the playwright F
10 could make euch a mistake When z
enenlus has returned from the camp OF the e
'lscians. where be has vainly endeavored to Il
I'VE the compassion Of Coxtolanus, hs says: 4
rhs s&zsnss of btu tac& faass .tps k7apls. Tnsp c