The New York herald., 1874-09-27
A Few Objections Answered-A Novel
Theory Rcfuted.

Theory kcfUted.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The HERALD since Its founda ton has given the
American public a greater number and variety
OF Interesting subjects for discussion than all
the other papers of New York city combined, but
| doubt If II has ever started any topic more
interesting and rom literary and educa'i ional
point Of view more profitable, tnan the one 1t now
presents as to the authorship OF Shakespeare's
plays. The effects OF the discussion are already
beginning 10 show themselves: booksellers like
Mr.. Sabn and Mr.. Bonton will tell you that an
eager demand has already sprung up for Shake
spearian literature, Tor books ana pamphlets
that may throw light upon the question under
discussion; and should the debate oe prolonged
have no doubt that the popular interest and
curiosity will continue TO increase and may event.
ually result in q permanent revival among us OF
the literature OF the glorious age oil Elizabeth. 1t
seems to that the popular taste is IN transi.
state just such state as the popular taste or
Great Britain was IN toward the close OF the last
century. The feeble platitudes Of Dr. Darwin,
Anna seward, Hayley. Whitehead and Della Crus-
cans mad bunted the public taste just as the name
less horde Of poetasters ana sensational noveiists
OF the present day have " ell nigh obliterated all
relish for healthy, nourshlng literature among
| our reading pubic. The Shaxespearian discussions
| OF tina, day arrested the popular attention: popu-
| lar curiosity became aroused, and ere long a
| thorough revolution took place IN the literary
tastes OF the people. WHAT II similar revolu ion
speare- Bacon question: cannot but regard the
! nippant treatment oi this subject by some OF your
contemporaries utterly senseless and lndeiensi-
| pIe. one OF them WINDS up column OF journal
| istc spite with the following profound renee
ton ReaGers OF average Iov GoSoa iSair sSas
! speaIe without troubling themselve, whether III
was written by Bacon or by Ben Jonsonn
! a purely literary discussion nSe this can GER
tainly be conducted without loss o! t-mper, ior
whatever the verdict m4y oe no one can posslp }
be injured by the couti Ovefsy ana many may oe
benentea py H. rne swallow remark just quoted
SHOWS plainly that the writer mas Lot caught tHe
correct drlt OF the inquiry. The question mas
much dc per significance han he supposes. Coler-
ldge puts 1t before US properly wien ne ashs
/ amazed at the DISPARITY between the man Shakes.
neare and his works. Are we 70 have miracles IN
sport? Does God choose ldlots oy whom 10 con.
vey divine truths to manr Learnihs Lear iI'r aoes no
! can sensible men be made TO oeAeVe that llsL
philosophy can come by fantastic miracle" Ih'
/ he oi every great man, he he Loet statesman oi
pnl,osopAer. Is au Inspiration, Tor II has moral
As Longfellow has molly SAID
Lives OF great all eullnd US
We can make our liNe .ub ine
IA benlud
Iootprits On the sends OF tine
Where Is the moral OF Shakespeares life anl
what does 1t teacn usy IL teaches US, IN INC Woio
OF Judge Holmes II II teaches any tIng 'thal th'
, spontaneous genus Of born poet, without th'
ne, - ol much earulng, should come 10 see deepe
IEto all the mysteries OF God, nature ana man
and write better about the universal Wurld taal
tine mos. accomplished scholars, critics dnu phi.
Osophets, ana Ue hlmse.i unaware tnat he ha'
. done anything remarkable."
ine anti.Baconlans, admitting an apparent dts
J party between the man chdkspeaIe ana III
: works fan back ana iutreuCh themselves behind
/ piea that no intelligent man can respect. snake
sQeare, tuey tell Us, was an exceptional man,
nrnat0y IN fact. and. saws one writer :-".f W
I { LOOK az shakespeare mercy as an lnteHeciua
| marvel we may account lor nm IN some degree q
| Tor otuer marves-as lor a C9sar or Napoleon
I CT4ar and Napoleon were both undoubtedly MAJ
vels but not IN the sense taat tney cannot be as
j. counted Ior. In botn cases ''tne child,' as tn
poet says, was Iather to the man, we can trae
tneir lives from. IN .ancy; we them. as
c we're, go on step by step, Johing up The hiI
;. fame until tney reach its summit and can 100
d down ca tae valley beneath them. Their 6eveoi
"a ment was progressive, and not spontaneous, as !
But the most amusing feature Of the contr
70 ver-y Is The ati empt ol q writer in the Bfoohy
r Faye lan editorial writer, tool TO uniold tAeoi
'l WHICH, 81 accepted "ouid thoiouehy uspVso
y every element ol mystery thdt now surI0uhc5 nv
't question, aDG leave Us hothlng TO teat WIN VI
Shakespeare the poet mat theuIy ~ thaV ~
vs. knowledge OF law aud medicine anu scieEce dl
"a PLAYED 90 every page o Shakespeare, ana Wm'
4d has been the wonder and admiration OF an ma
kiud. was not profound or minute 0ut superdca
aud 90 50 par with the SnowedEe possessed by .
To average newspaper reporter OF this year OF 9rac
ia | append the paragraph from the artcie that tf
ld | writer very words may be seen lest DE thoug
lg | to do hm injustice by my paraphrase ol u
s. theory -
y; Sir Holmes eGdr,lv unable to see how man U
90 Shakespeare Could WHO shakespeare. Mr. IuIu
a gahcrs SA8se~icarr tIc uook q lot Of law phra.
~ alot oi m&Gai9a, & LifG3a 3 ot ~ mulafS and n.r
~ learned so much aT 80 much medicine, 9mnch ~
IA knowledge tuO 30 uuHt llc says t
Snakcspearn had no opportunity much
IN many branches of earthly knowledge. q o.
o. tbO,yeGte be displays those les- shan possess
.n by q reporter on q daily paper Of our day.
So SAYS the writer in the Eqgie. Bat let
glance at a few opinions culled rom the wutlu
w or those who by vlrtue of iaborous studies al
ID Investigations OF the subject, have some right
be regarded as Authorities.
IL Fiyst-As to bis legal knowledge Eighty yea
Ms ago Edmund Malone, the best Shdkespeai
AZ scholar OF MS day ana LAWYER 100, by pTot
.u sion, was 50 impressed WIN tHt GO NV 49,
lr uteness Or the legal knowledge dlsplayed ~ I
plays o. Snakes peare that be could account I0f
L. only on the supposltOu that The author nad spe
some time in The ONCE Of q country att0fn'
ht ''iits knowledge Of legal terms IS not mere
'a- | sucn,' wrote MHlOuc ''As IiGub NC y
Iv | nnlred hY fhn caannl OhsnrXatIOn OF eY