The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-17
Mr.. IGNATIUS DONNELLY
HE STARTS TO LECTURE ON HIS
BACONIAN THEORY.

Hall. They brought with them large Shaks-
nesrean TONES, first folios, concordances,
volumes of Elizabethan literature. They
asked questions, propounded conundrums.
cat traps of all kinds for the lecturer. But
1gnatius was too smart for them He re-
tired after one of the ivelest battles ever
1yared in a debating room, with the honors
Of war.
He began by supposing that his hearers,
who represented most of the literary world
of Chicago, had come out to listen to a
crank. Well, he was willing to be crank
Calico was a crank. Wendell Phillips,
when pelted with rotten eggs, was a
crank. Garrison, when led through the
stseets with halter round his neck, was a
crank.
Mr.. Donnelly deprecated the ''terocity of
abusen which had assailed him. He pro-
ceeded to maui the unjust and ungenerous
scribblers" who objected to the Baconian
theory. why am l prejudged!" he asked.
''Where is the money i'll it? Even the
method of publishing my book is reviled
And vet, gentleman, is not my method of
publishing the method adopted by Mark
Twainp
Having slaughtered his critics he slaugh-
tered Shakespeare. The plays, he said, had
learning which they displayed was incredi-
BILE. Lawyers pronounced their author a
lawyer: doctors doctor.
And what was hef
He came from dirty little village The
first mention of his name was when a mud
heap was removed from his fathers door
He was a poacher; he made a disreputable
marriage; he belonged to a society of bucolic
beer-drinkers; he went to school where
nothing but dog-Latin was taught; he was
bred in place where only six Aldermen
could sign their names. And the Alder
men, said Mr.. Donneliy, "were, of course,
the best men in the town"
There was a roar at this.
"You understand" added the lecturer,
''that am speaking of the sixteenth cent
ury.0
Up rose a gentleman of professional mien
He lad been sitting in the balcony. Mr.
Donnelly," he said, do you believe that
Shakespeare wrote Venus and Adonis' and
the Rape of Lucrece""
"NO sir, don't"
What do you believe he wrote?"
The sis nature to his Withholding else
There is j., taug in Tennyson so polished as
the poems which you name. How should l
believe that young man came up from the
country, disgraced, fleeing from justice and
wrote ID poem full of the language of the
universe ies?'
rs there anything more extraordinary"
cried somebody else, ''in Shakespeares
knowledge than in Ben Jon on's"
"Jonson had university education"
johnson was a bricklayer."
No, sir: he was net. His mother mar
ried brickayer. Ben Jonson was at Cam
bridge"
The fight was going to wax hot, when Mr.
Gunther, the candymaker, arose. Mr. Gun
ther wanted TO know why, if Shakespeare
could not write, his family had monu-
me placed over his tomb representing him
as sta. ding with pen in bis hand!
This was a poser. Mr.. Donnelly mused-
Irish Wit came to his rescue. 20" said be,
''if you are going to take testimony from
tombstones you offer evidence that no
properly constituted court would accept"
While the laugh ran round, Mr.. Joseph
Wright, the lawyer, caught the speakers
eye. Mr.. Donnelly." said he, impresSively,
''if Henry Irving claimed the authorship of
plays that were written for him would not
the members of his company expose him!"
Mr.. Donnelly regarded bis interlocutor
in silence. Il will trouble the janitor" he
said, after a pause, ito get me some more
water. If | am to answer everybody in the
house must drink
Replies like these kept the lecturer afoat
amid the tempest of criticisms. 1t was
readiness rather than wit, bue 1t preserved
good temper and good humor throughout
the hall.
odd not Marlowe testify to shakespeare's
authorSb pr pursued Mr. Wright
"Marlowe died before Shakespeare
wrote.n
''Do you mean, sir, that Shakespeare had
written nothing in 1882"
"A play had been attributed to him. But
at that time he was probably holding horses
at tie theatre doors"
'And Jonson. did he not testifyr'
'No doubt no doubt But in his poem
on the Fifteen Great Wits of Z gland" he
refers to Bacon as having filled all num-
bers,n and omits Shakespeare altogether.
Besides whispering very mysteriouslyl,
Jonson was in the secret"
Mr. Guuther the candy man, was not ap-
peased by the answers made to Mr.. Wright.
"If no plays" he said, remain in Shakes
peare's handwriting do any remain in Ba-
consT
Bacon was too foxy to leave any," said
Mr. Donnelly.
At which Prof. Pearson of the Northwest
ern University grew red in the face, and
said: You have alleged, Mr. Donnelly-
and | dare say you recognize my face-that
Ben Jonson was used to translate Bacons
works into Latin. Could not Bacon write
LatinT'
Not accurately"
at Is tn best can make"
II will thank you for an answer"
You can buy the answer soon at 81 80 a
copy"
No sir: my moneys up already"
Matters were coming to a climax. Three
foolish virgins in the balcony who ad
marred the gravity of the o casion by til
tering now went into Mysteries of merri-
ment.
Let me suppose, /" said Mr. Donnelly to
Prof. Pear.on, 'that you are young man.
IA violent supposition," said Prof. Pear
son.
Or highly gifted man."
20, of course" said the professor, and he
said it so grutfiy that Mr.. Donnely dropped
his hypothesis and turned pleasantly to an
other of his tormeutors.
This was no other than the Rev. Frank
Bristol, whose humorous discovery that
Raleigh wrote Shakespeare electrified
Sbakespearean scholars the other day.
"Mr. Donnelly," laid he, 81 understand
you claim that the drama was in disrepute
In Shakespeares day"
Yes, sir, in grave dsrepute. The drama
OF that day correspondent with the minstrel
show Of this"
Then how do you account for the splen-
did birth of dramatic workP
Mr.. Donnelly pre- ented the appearance
on Mr.. John l.. Sullivan on the memorable
occasion when Mr.. Charles Mitchell knocked
that hero down. He was surprised. He