Morris tribune., 1888-06-13

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In the latter part of the sixteenth century
two great lights suddenly blazed out in the
galaxy of British intellects So far did they
surpass all who went before, that each is
taken as the founder of a new system, both
rs the beginners Of a new era. So great have
they seemed to all who have come after that
comparison is considered high praise. So far
did they outshine all contemporaries In their
& several lines, that those are for the most part
only quoted as witnesses to these two; and
while the time abounded in heroes, states
men, scientists and explorers, these two gave
1t that distinctive glory which still attaches
! TO the Elizabethan age. These men were
certain dramatist, whose name is in dis
,pute,, but usually printed shakespeare"
and Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam and
Viscount of st. Adams. Comes now
che Hon. Ignatius Donnelly and offers
20 prove that these two were one;
that Shakespeare" is nom de plume,
adopted In mild burlesque Of GER
tain witty actor and stage manager; that
the authorship of the plays was concealed for
political reasons, and thus the ignorant actor
has been credited with the philosophers
work. It Is as If we should place Pixies
Peak upon Popocatapetl, or add the strength
of Samson to the muscles and stature OF
Goliah. If we must add the greatest philoso-
pher down to that time to the greatest dra-
matist of all time, the colossal intellect thus
evoked overpowers the common mind, and
we can only remit the explanation to the
philosophy of miracles.
Let us, therefore, examine Mr.. Donnelly's
argument carefully, and add to it what
others have discovered, for the theory is no
new thing For nearly half century it has
been gaining adherents; at least $50 books
and pamphlets thereon have been issued, and
literary men are already ranged in two hos
tile camps-the Baconians and Shakespear-
ians. This article is merely an attempt to
present the evidence in compact form, and
point out the strongest and weakest counts
in Mr.. Donnellys plea, just issued.
THE coNTRAsTED TWO.
No two men could differ more widely than
the known philosopher and the supposed
dramatist Lord Bacon was nobly born,
rich Except during one period Of his LIFE and
learned beyond all men of his time, a re-
fined courtier, a profound lawyer and an
able Judge, an aristocrat in politics and a
life long companion of noblemen and the
adherents of royalty. OF the supposed
dramatist the exact reverse was true In
every respect until the middle or latter part
of his life, when he had gained fame and
fortune The contrasted evidence is anaz-
ing and startlingly suggestive. OF Lord
Bacon we know as much as Of any man In
English history. He was born at York
house, in the Strand, London, Jan. %, 1861,
and died at Highgate, April 8, 1926. His
father was a baronet, Sir Nicholas Bacon;
his mother of noble blood and extraordinary
talents. The few specimens extant Of her
letters are perfect models Of graceful and
classical English. The style Is noticeably
ssEhakespearian.s She adopted Puritan
views, and her letter warning her sons,
Francis and Anthony, against the theatre,
bears striking similarity to passages in the
great dramas. Francis was precocious and
hi health was delicate At 8 years Of age
he read the books usually perused by his
parents; at IL he produced an essay on the
laws of the Imagination; at IL he entered
Trinity college, Cambridge, whence he grad
uated with high honors, and at the age of 16
he issued a protest against the philosophy of
Aristotle, then preferred at the college, and
against the general system of teaching.
'sThey learn nothing" he said, Except to be
1ieve. They are like becalmed ship, they
move but by the wind of other mems breath
and have no oars of their own to steer
withal.D From childhood he was polite and
witty.
"How old are You, my pretty boyg' asked
Queen Elizabeth when his mother brought
him to court.
1.-TWO years younger than your majestys
happy reign" replied the witty little cour-
Eier.
He read all the Greek and Latin authors
critically, spoke French and italian, and
had some knowledge of Danish and German.
He travelled on the continent of Europe,
studied in Paris, read law two years, and was
admitted to the bar at the age of 81. At %
he was made counsel extraordinary to the
queen; at 80 he was chosen member of parlia-
ment for Middlesex, and devoted himself to
reform of the laws Subsequently he was
special counsel to King James I; then solic-
itor general, attorney general, and finally
lord high chancellor. In 1918 he was created
Baron Verulam, and in 1921 Viscount of
81 Adams. e
I'VE turn now to the alleged dramatist, and
are at once almost lost in obscurfty. At first
view he would seem no more real historical
person than Romulus or Agamemnon. We
attached to immortal works, from which we
form exalted conceptions of the author, and
O portrait accompanying the works, which is
admitted to be an improvement or fatter-
ing imitation of avery different picture. We
also know that there was an individual whose
name bore very slight similarity to the
ether in sound, and closer resemblance in
spelling; that he came at an early age from
don, grew very rich as manager of a theatre,
reti11lsd to his native place, and spent his
zewremaining years In easy living, diversified
BY some rather discrditablc actions. But
that individuals real linme we cannot know,
since the few of his relatives who could write
spelled it in at least fifty-five different ways,
from Jacquespeer, Shackspeer and Jaxpyr,
though the slow evolution OF Shaxpeer,
Shackspyr, Shackspeer and Sbaxper, down
to Shakspeer and finally Shakspcre, at which
itrested during the later years Of William
Shakspere, after he had tried thirteen differ
emit ways Of spelling it, only to make its final
change some time after his death into
Shakespeare when his heirs claimed the
honor of the dramatic authorship and it was
asserted that the family had been founded by
noted warrior who was knighted for his
bravery with the spear. And, finally, there
is some evidence that the original was the
Norman nick name, for peasant, Jacques
Pierre, which was pronounced Zhackspeair
and meant "Jack PETER
For information Of this William Shaxper
or Shakspere we turn first to the public and
Official annals Of the time and find not q line.
We turn next to the letters and other pro-
auctions Of eminent men Of the time, and it
was indeed an age Of greatness. There were
Robert Earl OF Essex, Sir Francis Drake,
Sir Walter Raleigh, Cecil Lord Burleigh,
Nicholas Anthony and Francis Bacon,
Sir Robert Cecil, Sir Henry Wotton and
Sir Rhilip Sidney. with Walsingham.