The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-02-25

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for sale that he carried brick In his pocket ~
q specimen. This circumstance 10 recalled to
my recollection by the arguments Of Mrs. Pott.
who. having runsacked tho remains Of
Baconian literary brickyard now produces her
brick. and. with such u specimen Of Bacon's
work. lays claim to tho glorious ediflce which
has rendered the name Of Shakespeare i'm
mortal.
The attempt to transfer the works Of Shake
spoare to Lord Bacon has been attempted so
often. and 40 thoroughly rsbutted. that the task
appears q wcarissne ono 70 once more repeat
the well known arwumonts which have settled
the question forever.
As Mrs. Potts book has received some atten-
ton from critics. propose to offer a few facts
for tho consideration Of those who have any
doubts on tho subject. promising to present
nothing which Is not supported by tho best au-
thorities.
The author OF tho Norm O,oan,n is we'll
known to have been man who took all
knowledge to be his province"-not. as he OBJ
served. AS an augur taking auspices. but like
II General who means to take possession" As
n correct and perfect writer and master OF tho
English language Bacon stood unrivalled. and
Is yet ack nowledged MS the founder in English
literature OF that favorlte style Of composition
which he made his own.
1t will be remembered that Lord Bacon re-
coivcd n college education and passed three
years ut Cambridge. He possessed u perfect
mystery OF the ancient languages. and wrote
his principal works In tho Latin tongue.
When only 10 years Of age Bacon visited Paris
and passed three years on the Continent. max
ing n close study OF the institutions OF Europe
at that period.
In word. Lord Bacon was q man who had
mastered nll knowledge within his grasp and
was styled by his contemporaries the adorner
and ornament OF learning" n tito which all
readers Of his works will acknowledge to have
been given appropriately to the author.
Lot us now turn 10 Shakespeare. and we learn
from the best autl tiles that ho was the eldest
son OF tradesman who had 40 largo family
that the expenses OF n liberal education could
not be given even to tho eldest child. Shake
speare passed u short time ut q free school In
his native town of Stratford on Avon. where
he probably acquired what Latin he was mastor
Of" but lie was forced to roturn to his fathers
business. which prevented his further pro-
fciency In that language"
He then becomes a dealer In wool. and mar
ries while yet young. Later he leaves his
business and family and arrives In London.
where he makes the acquaintance Of q COM
pany Of actors Shakespeare joins this conf
pany. and it il said that the top OF his per-
iormancc WAS the Ghosi in hts own Hamlet"
Then followed the ora Of Shnkcspeare's play
writing. until he gathers an estate edunl to
his OCCASION and re,ireS TO his native town.
With this brief sketch OF the educational
facilities possessed by bacon and Shakespeare
let Us nov examine what critical eAamina-
ticc the evidence ;hus afforded ~ to the nu-
thorship nf the works in question. , ,
One of the most eminent critics OF tho Eng
lish language observes OF the Shakespearcan
plays that the plots were often loosely formed
md SO c s,, pursued that ne seemed not
The author nt the plays had no regard to dis
tinc,ons Of time or place but gave to one ma
ton or age. without scrurle. tho customs in
pensG not only Of likelihood; hut oi possibility.
der to lind HrctSr, quoting ARISTOTLE. when
we ser the lines of Thcsrus and HpDo'Did com
EMna Min nine G9he %,nos g, I lHrisT
NEGLECT Of the, Snities", and the Violation q
critics. The works Of shakespeare. with ali
in style. which DR.. johnson describes as un-
grammatical. perplexed and obscure, Vol
speares extravaCanees were endured by the
English nation Taking ono play. The Two
GSnsIn of 1anES ftas
care and negligence. The author conveys his
heroes by sea from ono inland town to another
| In the same country. He sends the Emperor to
Milan and never mentions him more. Profe"s
after nm interview with sNria. says he has only
seen her picture, and II we may credit the old
scenery inextricable.
How ignorant the author OF Shakcspeare's
plays was of the map OF Europe may he Judged
by reference to the play Of the Winters Tale" y
when one scene opens with shiDwreck on the
may now nsk Is it possible that the learned.
accomplished. and correct Bacon could have
| fallen into such depths OF errors and vulgar
blunderss IL it creditable that the man who
passed three years on the Continent and wrote
lie ignorant Of the geography OF Bohemia, and
place it on the seashorc? Finally. will ask,
aey pne ," Writ" sss
lish that the lash OF tho critic. could style 1t
Mngrammatcal and OBSCURE,
| Shakespeare wero written by man Of poor
educat ion. it is singular how the life and char
acter OF Shakespeare suggest that he was the
have, shown that the whole of the education
period PASSED at the Common school Of small
country town. 1t would follow. therefore. that
such man attcmpting literary work Of the
eHregious errors and that his range of subjects
would be limited to the reading within his
| reach.
Shakespeare found himsclfin London needy
adventurer. but, as Dryden says, he had large
pressed by poverty. nor limited by the narrow
conversation to which men in want are newt
of his fonne Wars sb bn. as r e
H. as his so rss pS Ts omS
can well imagine " it'll what success. for it must
havo been received rs u revelation by his con-
temporaries Hs doubtless rose rapidly to
notice, and received the counsels and adinoni-
tons Of scholars and critics. who saw in him Il
poet of nature holding UP faithful mirror OF
manners and of life.
Shakespeare ut this time becnme u liligent
reader. Grasping everything within his reach
in his native tongue. for the literature OF the
ancionts aud modern Europe were to him
sealed books Many of the koman and some
of the Greek authors Ind been translated. and
English writer's were increasing in number
and poetry had been cultivated with diligence
and success. This vas stock Of knowledge
ating and improving it,
But IL is evident that books supplied little OF
the knowledge which is scattered over Shake
sp.arc's works, for the Greater part OF his eN
He found the English stage in u state OF he ut
mos. rudencss. and carried the dramatic ar
10 the highcs;. state Of excellence. But nature
gives no man knowledge. and Shakespeare wa'
| limited to the literary material at hand. HI
borrowed some Of his plots from novels
We now lind only in remote authors were nc
sessihle and familiar In his time. The fable o
"As You Like II" WAS found In a little pam
phlo, of that period period and the tale Of Ham ME
torles lilo took from EnRlsh chroniclcs and bnl