St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-29

pared to discuss whether Shakespeare
wrote the plays, but it seems TO HE
that, after listening to my friend, the
title of the debate should be 1.-The Truth
or Falsity of the Cryptogram."
Mr., Donnelly then procee(el to state
that two of the greatest maihema:i ianS
had seen the proof sheets of his work,
and both had said that they had no
doubt OF the fact that cipher existed
in the plays. These gentlemen We're
George Parker Bidder, queens counsel
of London, England, and the famous
astronomer, Mr.. Co!man. of Chicago.
Count DreXel. the great French mathe-
matician had also examined the T o.
sheets and he also said that he believed
there was a cipher in the plays
Mr.. Donnelly here proceeded to eX-
PLAN certain workings of the cipher
which produced the line "Sir Francis
Bacon. Nicholas Bacon's Son." and
stated that he had challenged any
to apply the cipher to any other three
pages of Shakespeare and produce the
same result, but no one had taken him
up. 1t was a very easy matter for any
person to come forward and ridicule
mathematical problem. but if 4 clown
at circus made fun of a problem Of
Isaac Newton, that did not prove
that it was false. Prof. Freeman had
done the same thing as many others hid
done, but in his case the professor h: d
borrowed his witt was not even origi-
nal. poor as it was. The cipher told
the whole story of Shakesp cares life,
running through thousands of words.
As to the So-cailed error Of making the
son of the Duke of Monmouth the
Prince of Wales, he begged to remind
the professor that Monmouth was a
uSurper. and had many titles, and gave
these to his son.
AS to the quotations showing that the
contemporaries of Shakespeare believed
that he wrote the plays. OF course they
believed that, for they were put forth in
Shakespeare name, and that was part
of the intention. 1t only proved that
the deiuSion was a success. He ridi-
culed the ideas of his opponent that it
was vandalism to doubt that Shake
speare wrote the plays, for the higher
minds OF to-day doubted that Shake
speare wrote them, even if it had so
been believed for 800 years. As to the
term 'gentle Will Shakespeare" used
by Ben Jonson, it was used in jest, for
Shakespeare had tried to secure pat
ent of gentility and had failed, though
he had used the means Of
Forgery and Perjury
to attain that end. He was a peasant
and son of a peasant. The professor
had quoted Milton as an authority that
his contemporaries recognized him as
the writer of the plays, but Milton was
only eight years old when Shakespeare
died. Ben Johnson, III his famous list
of fifteen wits of his day. does not men-
ton Shakespeare, but does mention Ba-
con. a strong proof that Bacon did
al n fa nt
that he received letters from his mother.
who begged him not to write plays or go
near the theaterS. If Bacon had no
wit, how was it that Basil Montague,
the great lawyer, had said of Bacon:
His wit was brilliant, and sparkling
like the diamond" Macaulay had
spoken in the highest terms Of praise of
Bacon's wit, anu Ben JonSon Speaking
of him said: HE was the greatest
orator of his time. His language was
beautiful where he could spare or pass
by a Jest" Yet the professor says he
had no wit.
Shakespeare never could have written
the plays, for he left school at fourteen,
and it is doubtful if he ever learned the
English language. beyond the dialect OF
shire where he lived. He was butcher,
and when lie went to London he earned
a living holding horses for the mobiles
who visited the theater. Where could
he have perfected his education? Not
in the drinking bouts in which he was
always engaged, and one OF which
caused his death. There is no proof
that he ever owned book, and in the
British museum there is not scrap of
paper bearing his writing. No mention
was made in his will of any single play.
though he left his bed to his vile.
Mr.,Donnelly concluded his address
with reading verses of Bacon and some
known to have been written by Shakes
peare, and asking the audience whether
they believed the writer of the dOgger-
ell had written the plays, or whether
the author of the beautiful verses of
Bacon was the real author of the
Shakespeare plays.
Prof. Northrop was compelled to
leave at this point, but stated, amidst
much laughter, that from the argu-
mentS he commenced to think that
neither Shakespeare or Bacon ever
! lived. He had no doubt but that the
| debaterS would be able to get along
amicably iE his absence.
The fifteen minute discussions then
| followed, the same ground being trav-
eled over again by both gentlemen, and
it was the coDcensIS of opinion that Mr..
DOnnelly had certainly the better of the
| contest.