The New York herald., 1874-09-14
THE SHAKESPEARE CONTROVERSY.
A COmpa rison OF the Events OF Shake.
speare and Bacon's Lives.
SEpTvMBER TO- 1874

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Under ordinary circumstances I should do with
the question OF the authorship OF Shakespeare's
plays what modern philosophers do with tne-
illogical questions in general and the question OF
Beechers innocence or guilt in particular-viz.,
'reegate II to the region OF the unknowabe."
But you seem to have "free night" in your COL
umns on the subject, and as would have been an
Irlsnman II my mother had not emgrated before
her marriage, my national characteristics prompt
me to enter the fray. Mr.. Furness for whom en-
tertain high respect, has presented very fairly
the position OF the Baconites, but desire to some
what strengthen that position by review Of some
known facts in the lives OF Shakespeare aud Bacon
Let me premise my review by a statement OF my
own position on the subject | am neither
BacOnite nor Shakespearian. In my hero wor
ship set up the author OF the plays attributed to
Shakespeare, ana care very little whether his
name was Bacon. Shakespeare, Smith or Jones. I
am simply doubter, occupying a position some
what similar TO that OF Professor Tyndall on the
subject OF creation. The latter sees in matter the
promise and potency Of every form of lie, but does
not deny or afrm that the promise and potency
were put there by creator. And It Is thus that
see IN Bacon the promise and potency OF great
dramatist, without either affirming or denying
that he wrote tae plays ascribed to Shakespeare.
The authenticated dates IN Snakespeare's life
are as foIlows-He was born IN 1864; when Ia his
thirteenth year his father was In embarrassed CHI
Shakespeare was married to Ann Hathaway II
that Shakespeare IN his boyhood had little oppOr-
tunity Of gaining much more than common
license had been granted his wife was delivered
OF her first Child. In 1885. three years thereafter,
he went alone to London. In 1889 ne held some
shares In the theatre there, and IN 1891 or 1892 ne
Is supposed to have written his first drama. The
plays were produced regularly from that time
until 1911; possibly one play, VIZ, "Henry vIll,"
was written subsequent to tnat date, as 1t seems
to have been acted as q new play in 1913 During
ager and actor In the theatre and was prosperous
IN worldly affairs in 1897 he bought Great House
AZ Stratiord, ana purchased other real estate IN
the nelghbOrhOOd In 1902 ana 1905. In 161l he re-
tired to StratIOrd aud lived there until his DEATH
IN 1916 When he retired he was IN the prime of
single play, poem or any other known writing from
1.-The immortal bard" except some commercial
papers indicative OF his business AS money lender
not so much as mention his literary works
:. Now let US examine the prominent dates In the
He OF Bacon. he was born three years before
Shakespeare. viz IN 1851. When IN his sixteenth
year he visited foreign courts anu remained
abroad until the death OF his iather, in $3.50. lie
spent several years OF duh Lille in Gray's Inns, with
nothing in particular to engage his attention, and
was not visited with court iavors until $780, when
he received an honorary appointment. lie en-.
tered Parliament IN 1892 but his active puoic lie
did not Degla Until 1901 when he was
state state until iSi2 when he was ass mads 3
l1shed, but MS other works did not appear until
after he mad been appointed Lord tigh Chancellor.
he was engaged in inyestgatSn. study and tne
preparation and publication OF bis great works.
Now note the dates In nts life with reference to
the dates ascrlbed TO the plays published under
the name oil Shakespeare. Bacon well edu-
Gated, not only in Dook knowledge, but IN court
life; was engaged IN intrigues which necessitated
study or character. From early manhood, in 1852,
to 1880 he had little to 40 in his quiet quarters at
Gray's Inns and from that date until lie was ap-
DONted ATTORNEY General IN 1911. Mic dutirS
could not have occupied much OF his time. Tne
PLAYS OF Shakespeare were produced during tais
interval OF leisure from 1880 to l611 and as soon
as Lord Bacon mad reached hign ONCE, engaging
q large part OF his time, the publication OF the
puted author, Shakespeare, rad juss obtained that
leisure which Is ordinarily favorable to authorship
than allude to some Others. The unevenness of
the dramas-the prominence given to vulgar and
pointess Jokes, coupled sometimes with the most
exalted pOetical thoughts and lOrciDle figures
might have originated III the association OF
great genius with vulgar associates tuke s. AXE
sspeare's relatives and iriends) during his youth.
But cannot the unevenness Of The writing be ex-
planned on more reasonable hypothesis ?
them to common play actor to prepare
and put on the stage. would It not be natural Tor
pease uUar 20 ns 40
author were unknown. and therefore unable,
while preserving his i'aco0nito to protest against
the outrage One more suggestion and / am
done.
Some one relates that the players mentioned as
hne No one who has written page OF
manuscript ma believes that. that the author & o.
the play actor before it was presented to the
theatre there would be no reason why line OF
the manuscript seen by the players should be
bOtted.
Let me say in conclusion that think 1t desir-
able thing. that this discussion should be con.
tinued, so that some new facts in Shakespeare's
lie may be brought to light. or that he may be
his pOso as the epued author
written, does not teach u good lesson 70 aspiring
authors. rhe history of every other man OF
et'' out work and study Can % do little little toward ward
making man leader IN thought The skeleton
history OF Shakespeare teaches us, Ii 1t teaches
anything, that man may be SO gifted by nature
that vulgar associates, vulgar aims and lin those
days. vulgar pursuits Will not prevent him from
becoming true poet, and that without work
study such man may become, not only a leader OF
Thought. but a nine Of Information. do not be-
leve that such Is the case and therefore l do not
believe Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare's plays If
his lie has been truly recorded or l do not be-
eve that his life has been truly recorded If
PHILADELPHIA. ADDISON B. BURK.
No One Person Ever Wrote Them.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Although this question Is not a new one 1t has
never been answered to the satisfaction of the
public. Many individuals who have given particu-
lar attention to this subject are convinced that
shakespeare did not write them. When we reflect
that there are several thousand volumes written
upon and about Shakespeare and his plays ana
tens OF thousands OF magazine. articles on the
same subject 1t can be seen that il is easy ques
ton at TINS time to thoroughly examine to
answer by furnishing proof shall not attempt 1t
IN this letter, put will present some considerations
which convince me that Shakespeare did not write
the plays that bear his name and that no one per.
son ever wrote them. From all the evidences
which l examined some three years ago
| arrived at the conclusion that these plays