The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-27
A WASTE OF POWDER.

Ths discussion OF the Baeonian theory
oil the authorship of shakspeare's plays
has been given deal more space In the
Arena than Its merits deserved. There
never has been any more legitimate ground
for dIsputing that William Shakespeare
was the author of the plays that bear his
name than there has been for denying
that Patrick Henry's brilliant orations
we're his own work.
Granting that the author Of Shakspcare's
plays was a man Of genius and there Is
nothing left Of mystery TO explain. There
IL no learning: no scholarship In the
plays: there Is large proof Of the utter
lack Of learning and accurate scholarship.
Any one who reads the two prefaees by
Heminge and Condell. the friends aud
fellow actors Of the poet. will not believe
that they were deceived by him as to the
real authorship of ths plays. Then We
have the long poem TO Shakspeare's men,
ory by Ben jonson. who not only was a
thorough scholar. but had been . soldier
ard was thorough man Of the world.
OF Shakespeare, Jonson says:
"For, II thought my judgement wera OF yssres,
should commit thee surely With thy heeras.
AID tell how iarfs thoa didss our LILY out-shins
or sporting Kid. or Maflowe's mighty line.
Aad though thon hadst small Latino. and Jesse
Gsseke,
From thence to honour thee. would not seeke
For names; but call forth thund ring Aesehilus,
EaEipties. aud sophocies tn IA.
iacayius. Acelus. him OF covdova dead,
TO life again, 10 brave thy Baskin tread.
And shake STAGE Or. when thy socses we're
on.
Leave thee alone, for me comparison
of alt. that tasosent Greece or hsughtis Rome
sCns forth. OF siaee did from ,helr ashes coma
There never was so utterly baseless a
claim as that made hy the advocates of
Bacon against Shakespeare. There Is no
evidence in Shaksresre's days that he was
Q man OF more than ordinary learning:
there Is evidence that he was o man of ex-
traordinsry knowledge. but the French,
the Italian, the Latin, the legal and medl.
cal superficial knowledge OF his PLAYS in
clades nothing that implie, any more
than the ordinary learning Of bright
man mixing with accomplished men,
familiar with all sorts of society and &C.
qaain,ed with variety Of social and civic
experience.
Shakespeare constantly drop. into an.
achrontsms which no scholar ever does
he was man OF genius and versatile
knowledge, bat not = man of large. accn-
rate or severe learning. Shakespeare, like
alt playwrights and bright nohemisns
bad picked up deal Of as.altory informa.
ton. London was then foodcd with eh.an
trSnslations OF the classics and ct Italian
novels; bis French in Henry tie Flfth
is wretehed: indeed. the evidence that Ia
was man Of very superficial learning
and scholarship is SO ample that it seems
absurd for men Of sense TO discuss Il.
The venerable Rev. nr {. A. Bsrtol. Of
the Unitarian church, sums up the cas-.
as follows;
III, as the French Dufoa said. The
style IL the man himself Racoa aia n,.t
write Saskspeare, nor are the two binary
star The parallel between them il of as
loined expressions, contrast both Of
spir,t aud OF form. Rseon Is weiehsv
shaksneare imp0nderaAie; Racon Is reaee-
tive, Shakespeare tntussire Bacan j. ian.
ctt&s, Shakespeare IN inaAg NATIVE: Bacon =
logical. Shakespeare dramatic. Raeou's
rayme - mech anteal. Shakespeare rhvthsa
~ tA&AEeals HSc0A poetry - VeFxtted
prose, saakspeare's prose : poetry; Ba-
Con brings a scheme. shakspeare a
chime, hacon never ESCAPES from,
and ShakspeaFe sfEaces, hiEase4f: IA.
con las eioQaeaSs and SaAkSpes-e
sons. Hsceu Was selfish and SAakxTearr
humane: hseon was ambitious. greeav Of
wealth saa fasnei Shaksp~are, hike the
greatest ~ e.cds. which leaves is exxs 10
Dc hAtchss1 ia sac sad: bacon ks,rr7,wed
has Shakespeare leat: Bacon tranSfwrre.
What Saskspssrc trAnsA Enresi; Ras,on rNs.e
sad ieis. S6aksfeare !. ia ths xsnith .
Nacen does rok better ShAksrMsr~s :
phrase, eni. ike tAies. DISCUSSES ana ae.
snffns aas ne steals hscon gives a creed,