New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A pARADOXER

HAcON AND SHAKESPEARE II THE sONNE l r u.
II. I. HosNER 12ms., Pr. 3o2 San frs"c'''o A''
Bancroft Company. 49,,
II Professor De Morgan had been living ,herc
can he no doubt that he would have ehricheu "'0
Budget of ParadoXcs by including i'll II the ""o,,
school of neutrality-suspicious., and no man wou'u
have nrlishcd their fantasies more, or dlsseceo
,bem with greater acuteness. We may DC SURF
too that he would have put the writer vi .n''
volume upon an cmincnce, and contemplate" 'i'
with n particular admiration, as setting ior."' WIN
n singular and quite pquant vlViuhess 'ne n'".o
amazing characteristics OF his class. rroiii D'''
Recon UPWARDS they are all paradoNes, and until
now the conclusion seemed Just that lsha'i"s
Donncllv was easily the first of the strange acao-
envy of upsctters. The publication OF MI Nus
$50 hook however, necesstates fresh CLASH
6o,,on. and we are strongly disposed to the opln-
,on that this latest example of wild Western"
,.oror,. WAYS snrpasses even the Minnesota gen.
tleman's alleged cyphcr in all the most potent
clements Of paradox.
Yonr true paradoyer achieves his originality
ALWAYS in one way lie depends for illumination
unon his inward light The advantages OF TINS
system are obvious It enables the paradoXer 10
disnense entirely with study and to contemn Ill
authority. Sir George Cornewall Lewis III
worl, far too little known considering us many
excellences observes concerning the qua'iV.'
which render q person competent au.hoii'S "
meters % oninfon. sThe first qualification Is
that n person should have devoted much STUDY anu
tbouobt 70 the subject-matter; secondly, ms meh-
tai powers must be equal to the task OF oo"p
bendipg the subject, and they must De OF oiio 'oi
fitted TO it, But no paradoxer ever oo'oi''
,hosc rues. and for reasons which lie on the sur.
face The making of a paradoxer is the WORK o,
Nature The due combination OF ignorance anu
,nla
Mother hut though the world may not know the
nronortions in which these elements are COM
,or,doa IL recognizes the elements themselves
when the process is complete. The paradoxer Is
always self-centred If he is told that facts are
AGAINST him. he calmly replies - 30 much VIC
worse for the facts" Like Richelieu In bui-
wer's play. he is guided by his own oracui"i
soulp and cares nothing for the LANDMARKS whicn
serve less daring vovagcrs.
The autbor of Bacon and Shakespeare IN the
Sounctsn is as we have already remarked d very
fine specimen of his kind Doubtless he owes MS
initiative TO Mr.. Donnelly, as the latter Is III
deb,ed 20 Judge Holmes, and Holmes III turh ~
moor Della Bacon. But Mr.. Hosmer mas pie
empted virgin soil. lie leaves the eNpioi'"iU"
Of the dramas hitherto ascribed Ivy fooilsh worn,
TO one William Shakespeare to DohneiS' " nr
no GOES "a work himself urOn the sonnetS. vi
course the whole question has 10 DC o's5'" P
,,orilv Without such concessions no p
oon rrco.cd No time is wasted in considering
whether indeed, there be any crypfogrphic h",-
ter in the sonnets That is taken Tor gr'n'eu
And from that point the paradoxer goes on WIN
a facility not wholly unconncctcd with the u"sIi
cntidc character of his methods to evolve 'ne
most wonderful things imaginable from the VersCs
In order to make It plain that Bacon wrote tine
sonpets and that they all have reference u ni'
authorship of the plays it is only necessary 70 uoo
the key" which Mr. Ilosmer has proouceo iiVA'
his inner consciousness. And TINS Key Is !" J."
self phenomenal conception. 1t Is as ioiio"'