The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-24


yrjfe, the Insiauratfo Msgoa would nov bs
perfect edfce instead OF the domeless ten.
pie that ID 4. Nature reveals this, and Mr.
DoT nelly will hardly dispute IL. Bsconisn
TO shatier his idol and deprive Sir Francis OF
the title Of universal genius" though it
still lsf. him supreme in poetry.
At thirteen Bacon entered Cambritga and
at eighteen wrote most sseecious essay on
The State Of Europe" OF this WORK and
ifs young author Shaw says: 1.-The political
knowledge exhibited in this little treatise,
and the profound wisdom and aouteness
displayed in IL. would astenish Us as the
Work Of one hardly entered upon the period
OF dolescer oe, IL any manifestation OF intel
ltcs could surprise Us on the part OF this
that be had already felt the mysterious
vocation OF eenius-thst secret oracle which
points out 10 the highest order OF minds the
true path which Providence intended them
TO pursue, path from which they never de-
viate with impunity. Bacon so strongly felt
that the true bent OF his character would
lead him to consecrate bis future life to sub.
lime and solitary meditation, aud was so
proudly and justly confident in the yet un-
exercised strength OF his intellect. that he
tntTeated Burleigh TO procure him from the
State some provision which would enable
him TO prosecute his studies in uninterrupted
leisure" II philosophy then was the first
and last love of Bacon-and all the world
knows ii was-and be permitted the allure
msnts OF statecraft 10 obscure his sublime
visions, and the voice OF the siren to sths
that OF tie angel. he probably created such
people as Lear and Hamlet when al leisure
when there was nothing serious to engage
his attention. After he entered politics
tuggsd at and tormented, as he certain oily
vac, by the conscience, so to speak. OF his
philosophical genius, he had little time for
poetry. No sooner bad he struck the cur.
rent OF popular prosperity thsn his eye be-
came single, his ambition absoib ing.
Mr.. Donnelly says, "Yes, bat you should
rem ember that Bacon, though always
gentleman, was once young, poor
not positively say so. ne implies that Bscoa
wrote the Sbakesperean dramas when be waJ
youIg, poor and obscure" III this 10 Mr..
DoDnelly's meaning his position Is ridicu-
lous. Every sstule student of Shakespeare
tees distinctly the poets different stages of
growth, and assigns to each its production.
Bacon write the Shakesperean PLAY before he
was appointed Queens Counsel? 1t could
not have been.
Now what lie claimed for Bacon, pure and
simple is this: that in youth he was the
sutlimest roet. In maturity the most co n
prehensive statesman. and in after lie the
| grstest practical philosophsr-a universal
| genius" Here are three extraordinary lives
in one, and that life cut short. A striking
popularity OF Ii is that the middle part 10 tie
| lONebt anu tu6 tHO euuS Tue loltle9i. III ~
sadly out of thape-so extremely SWAY ha ,ksd
tina; the ends nearly meet. Are the achieve
me ants OF youth superior to thoae OF maturity?
| IL Bacon wrote the plays when young. he
never did anything else so we'll and would
therefore be the solitary exception. Bat
genius, though peculiar, does not drive cart
foremost. 1t is strange, as Joseph says,
that so great q statesman should hsve
| been so sublime q poet; and stranger
that this rare poetic light should have
been dlmmed so suddenly; and stranger
still that when Bacon realized his oc5upa.
self to philosophy rather than to poetry.
Grant that Bacon wrote some of the plays
| sfier Robert Cecil became conspicuous, Is 1t
probable that he thought to humiliate Cecil
by producing Richard HIP 1t is not appar-
emit that Richard was seriously affected with
bumllity-less 30, perhaps, than any other
character except one in the whole round. A
deformed idiot might have bit the mark
but deformed king-never. Richards am
bition was a kingdom, and he secured it,
His bold and subtle mind was ever equal to
the demands of the most exactiDg occasions.
He walked in blood, 10 bs sure, aad main
tanned himself by blood. and though his leg
was drawn and his body dwarfed By o
crooked back, his mind was the Hottest IN
his realm. III Cecil could have seen himself
in Richard he might have felt complimented.
If Bacon detested him he would not have
devised this means to debase him. Such
pretentions do not magnify the opinion of
Bacon and though NJ. Donnelly can not
convince Us that he was poet, he should
have more respect for the memory of the
great philosopher than TO depfeciate his
merit Ard as TO the date OF Richard it is
considers d one of shakespeare's early proi1c-
tons
Mr. Dopnelly claims that 8acon's cipher
ruas through the shakespearesn plays He
has detected it in Henry "" and the
~ Uivos NJ W;pHear and savu ~
Hamlet" is one fifth larger than when first
written. He says further. that whoever
wrote the cipher wrote the plays. Bat this
is not evident. 1t does not necessarily fol.
lew that the srthor of the one Is the author
OF the other. Mr. Donnelly virtually admits
this when he declares that the cipher was
written separately and subsequently, and
then inserted. Even If he has found Bacon g
cipher in the plays of Shakespeare, he does
not hold in bis hand as he proudly asserts.
the lives OF Shakespeare, Bacon and Raj
eigh.
Young Bscon, like young spinczs. knew
himself to be philosopher; bat unlike
Spinozs, he could not toll in poverty aud
1bscuritv, gaining livelihood by some hum
bic means that he might write philosophy.
Bacon was too great for either the law or the
State, bat unfortunately was cursed with q
he entered the service of his sovereign he
ives never at his best, his abilities being c,n.
strained to an unnatural course, and when
he reached the end of 1t humili-
sted and broken hearted, he saw
there was nothing in it to recon-.
nerd him to posterity. The question IT,
which is greater in its sphere Shakespeare
poetry or Bacon's philosophy? We ply
kr ow how vast the complete system of phi
lcsophy might have been, bat the poetry, we
know. is unapproached, Now, If az poet
he could stand absolutely ahead, aud as a
philosopher only abreast-for We do mol
think him greater than Aristotle-why did
be not, in retirement, attempt to rest his
, fam on poetry rather than philosophy? and
Why was it not his solace in distress But we
I frd him true to bis nature. Notwithstanding
Mr. Donnelly q distasteful effort to make him
an intellectual and psychological hsrnaph
rodite, feeling in the dark for the los,
thread of his genius, and when he finds it be
I knows il and straitway pur.ues il until be
dies, carried away by the impulse of his one
great power. Remember it was in youth Ba