Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-02

being employed to hold horses at the
inn, etc.
as that the school in which this vast
learning could be accumulated?' he
asked. "For that learning was vast.
Mr.. Donnelly cited several illustrations
TO show that the author OF the plays
must have been well acquainted with
Greek, Latin, French, and Spanish
authors and with history. He con-
tinued:
''Mr. Ingersoll believes that while the
age of miracles has passed away from
the domain of religion, it survives in
Where there is genius, education
seems almost unnecessary Why, a
more abominable doctrine was never
taught in the whole world than that
genius can supply the needs of educa-
ton. Mr.. IngerSoll would have US be-
lieve that Shakespeare by inspiration
could write good French. | understand
that he is to lecture here tomorrow
night on myths. The biggest myth
that ever was on earth is this man
SHAKESPEARE" Mr.. Donnelly said that
ShakSpere'S father was once fined be-
cause he failed TO go to church, and
added:
1.-The fact was, he didn't go to church
because he was in prison for debt; and
il wasn't on account of any agnoStic
Scruples he had about the unknOwable
or the unfathomable. | say to you, nay
friends, that the learning of the plays is
immense. There is no record and no
tradition that goes to show that Shakes
peare ever spent an hour in lawyers
office in his life; and yet nothing is
palmer, my friends, than that the man
who wrote the plays was a lawyer. and
learned lawyer, and a deeply learned
lawyer. Now this tremendous argu-
ment diSposeS once and forever with
Shakespeare as the author of the plays.
Il pass TO another point. Mr.. lnger-
soil also attacked the character of
Francis Bacon. He says: we know
he was a corrupt judge Francis Bacon
it is true, was lord chancellor; it is
true he was cast down from his high
position and forced to make confes-
sion, but it is true also, that he wrote in
cipher, as if not daring to write it be-
fore the eyes of royalty, 4 was the just
est Judge that ever sat in the seven
chambers The whole courts in those
days was sustained by fees and presents.
All there was attached to Bacon's office
that he derived from the government
was $500. In that day everybody gave
gifts: there was no other way in which
/ the courts of justice could be maintain
ed. The Judges of the courts received
no more money from the government
than would keep them in gloves. Not
/ one Of all Of Bacon'S decisions were ever
reversed by the House of Lords, and
/ there could be no more striking evil
dence than that Bacon was a just
Judge.
The colonel attacks him and tries to
make ont that he was not even philos-
opher. He says he did not believe in
the confernican theory. Well, il he did
not, his ignorance was shared by a
great many of his time; it was shared
byr the author of Shakespeare playes. "
The speaker emphasized Bacon's
greatness as philosopher, and chided
Col. Ingersoll for his lack of apprecia-
ton in these words; "Why, my agnostic
friends, it's enough to make you turn
tail on Robt. G. IngersOll and rush
right back to Christianity" The
speaker went on to show that Col. In
gerSol has miSrepresented Bacon by
according TO him belief in various sup
erstitionS. "How mean, how unjust, 3"
he explained, 'for man to take ad-
vantage Of his great name 10 miSrepre-
sent a man dead and gone 300 years
Ego!
{" think have said enough to show
you that
MIR. INGERSOLL KNOWS NOTHING
about this Bacon-ShakeSpeare matter,
and not only that, but he's unfair.
Now few words regarding Francis
Bacon.
If Francis Bacon had said to the
world, | Francis Bacon, a gentleman Of
gentlemen, have been taking in secret
my share of the coppers and shillings
taken at the door of those low play
houses, he would have been ruined; he
would have been oStraciSed. If he had
put his plays forth simply as poetry, it
would have ruined his legal reputation.
Men don't want poet for lawyer;
they want hard-headed man. If one
| of your lawyers here should publish in
a Minneapolis paper an ode to spring,
he might just as well close up his
office"
Mr. Donnely said in conclusion that
Bacon had benefited the world in two
ways; by writing the plays, and by
/ founding the experimental system of
/ philosophy. "a sublime man! And
oh, it makes me sorry, my friends, to
see man. an American. for whom
have considerable respect, plunge in
headlong where angels fear to tread,
/ speaking on subject Of which he knows
nothing, and bringing charges against
/ this man, when he ought to be down on
/ his knees thanking God that He created
such a man. And now, my friends,
beg of you to study this question. |
have no doubt that the universal belief
of coming ages will be that Francis Ba-
con wrote the plays. Study the life and
works of Francis Bacon. Pass away
| from the humbuggery with which this
age is dragged down in its magazines
and newspapers: study this question,
and you will think as | do"
INGERSOLL'S SPEECH.
He Has His Little Say Myth and
Miracle.