The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-20
WAS SHAKESPEARE A DUMMY ~.


WAS SHAKESPEARE A DUMMY ~
sse9Ys
The discussion now progressing in New
York about the authorship of Sh lkespeare'
plays is one of the healthy signs of the times
II II . question which comes home to thu
bosons Of all families, and should be intro
dSsed as popular study IN the public
schools We particularly recommend it fol
the public schools, because it will give an OPP
po9tanity to the textbook committee tt
change the edition every six months, which
- there are only bout one hundred and sixty
Of them extant, would give the T. B. G. JUS
about eightyyears to get through with the lot
The literary world owes an unpayable debt
10 those who 80 nobly st,nd up tor theil
Bacon, and it is about time that we had
thrown overheard such fossil remains as Lord
Southampton. Ben Johnson Beaumont and
fetch r. and the other diverting vagabonds.
The worli for some time has been swindied
into believing these having known Shake
speare at the Globe, the Mermaid. and other
places where players most did congregate in
tho days of ELIZA and our James" but
what has that to do with Shakespeare as an
anthOr2
That everybody at this advanced day and
in this age OF reason should believe that vii
liam Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare is a rare
concoit, and simply proves that we are led by
tradition apd not governed by facts. That
Bacon in his day should never have been
found guilty OF writing the plays of Shaks
peare has nothing to do with the right of
ownership; but that Bill, the son of the poor
bankrupt glover ran about the lanes of
Shottery barefpoted, perhaps, and hit off Sir
Thomas Lucy's deer in Charlecote range
that this boy should IN his future have been
otC iuU Han Of and ManhatI a,l
tho others. is simply, in a manner, laughable,
Genius is naturally aristocratic. Bacon in the
halls of Verulam, hiding from disgrace, mi hit
readily have conceived such immortality: but
that the boy who learned his s'lIttle Latin and
Less Greek in the grammar school of STRAIT
ford and afterwards held horses at the
theatre door in Southwark should have
done 50, is almost impos sible. 1t is very
true that the Earl Of Southa mpton was his
friend; that he owned An intere It in the Globe
theatre; that Ben Jonson wrote verses III his
honor; that good Queen Bess babe Master
Shakespeare write her play in which the jolly
knight, Jack Falstaff, should forsrke the
Oheape and be in love. 1t is also true that
Master Shallow, quTtering is three hces,
should stand us portrait for that same knight
Of Charlecote, against whom the deer-raider
scsAwled ia Use immortal lines and nailed
On the Charlecote gates. This is all very true,
bst then it passes for nothing, for was not
ny Lord Bacon the great man ofshis time,
MD was it not reserved for n Smith, and a
Bacon christened Della, and Holmes to dis
DOver in the II neteenth century that Shake
speare was u dummy and that Bacon was
3hakspeare2
1t is ,erhaps singular in proof of the Baco-
man theory that in no place is there any men
ION Of Sh ikespeare's name in connection with
he great Lord Bacon la the earliest edition
II the plays William Shakespeare is distinctly
Identified by his publishers. This perhaps is |
lOthing. He is the friend and protege OF
# Ii eratnre. This however, is nothing
onson and Beaumont, a, Fletcher, and |
3Teen. who hated him, all testify to Shakes
Ieare, the draniatist, the poet, the actor aud
be wit. All the men connected with the |
tage OF that day ce -hty to Shakespeare. But |
his Is nothing In fact nothing is ANYTHING |
4 proof OF Shakespeare being Shakespeare
n the minds of Deli, Bacon and Holmes, ana |
ne Smith, OF London. Bacon is never men
Toned in connection with the plays of Shakes
aare in any paper of that day, and yet
. must have written Shakespeare, be-
auss Pope pronounces him 1.-The wisest,
reatest, meanest Of mankind" while Will
shakespeare was but poor compa,a-
scdy uueuuCdtel Doy from the DankS OF |
won. Pope, in his celebrated line, said more
han this, and it seems as if the qualities
hich be there bestowed on the great lord
banceilor were legitmately transferred to
nose who would phil down Shakespeare from
- niche of lame and put up Francis Bacon
! his place. Pope calls Bacon the "wisest;
reatest, meanest of mankind" Pope was
III. of meanness himself, and was not as well
Nod to pass judgment on the lord OF Verulam
are the men OF the present day. Bacon
- wi 20 and he WAS great, and however true
, false may have been the charges preferred
ssinst him by the House of Lords in all that
4iowed that charge Of bribe.taking he de-
slOped no meanness. Certainly, none 10 the
Eeent OF attempt Nc 70 deprive II an gre ter
IN himself, IN one particular, of the honor
dramatic authorship. The meanness which
russ through n,,gaz ne pages in the motley
an absurd vanity. was unfortunately re-
rived for our o w TIME. st. Louis Republican.