The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-12-28


higher grades OF ripe scholarship which en-.
title them to rank among the sages of the
world. In this hurry burly. business-l like
in scholastic pursuits as to spend their
lives digging among musty volumes fol
something which the masses will care
nothing about after it is found out and
demonstrated; there are no scholars spend
ing their lives on the study Of one Greek
enclltic; no lifetimes spent in evolving a
mathematical formula for solving problems
which not one man in ten million ever
wants to solve
Thls country is too matter Of fact too
business like. therefore, to accord to the
new book by Ignatius Donnelly, 1.-The CT
pher In the Plays and on the Tombstone. .
that full recognition which is it's due. But
that the new book will receive warm
welcome from the comparatively small
number of competent Shakesperean critics
In this country and from scholars generally
IS assured. The folk who are interested
IN that branch of knowledge remember
otner works by the same author, and re-
member his accurate studies Of the perplex-
Ing subject as presented by him in his lee
lures. 1t is assured. as well, that the new
book will receive cordial welcome in
OF the Shakespeare plays is lively among
critics and literary people
1t was to gain some definite information
from the fountain head of the Baconian
theorists in this country that The Tribune
spent an agreeable hour with the author of
me Great Cryptogram." Mr.. Donnelly
was cordially itself. and was willing to
'aik on his famed cipher theories and other
FEATURES of the Shakespearean controver-
sizes touched on in the new book and in
his earlier works. Few questions were
needed to start the conversations or rather
the monologue for after he had entered
upon the subject the whole argument un-
folded as If by its own accord
II was suggested to Mr.. Donnelly that
The publication of his new book had re-
vlved interest in the discussion of the
authorship Ct the Shakespeare plays. and
that some of the newspapers seemed to
mink that he had ended the controversy
ana established the fact hat Bacon was
The real writer of them: and that a little
'aik 10 the reading public on the influences
which had started him on his long wears
or investigation would be apropos
IDEA HALF CENTURY OLD
It is more than 80 years ago that tho
incompatibility between the productions
which go by the name of Shakespeare. and
the life of the man Shakspere. so far
as it is recorded, began to occur to think
ing minds. said Mr.. Donnelly The first
suggestion was, 'Dfd Shakespeare keep a
poet! DID he have some poor struggling
scnoiar In a garnet. writing magnificent
dramas, OF which he assumed the author
snip and placed them upon the stage
IN one of the contemporaneous plays such ,
4 poet Is introduced. and there can be no
doubt that impecunious men Of education
availed themselves then as since, of the
stage as a means of making living. There
were then no newspapers or magazines
to write for; and but a limited novel
reading public. England contained about
five million Inhabitants. and probably not
more than a million of them spoke Ian
suage that would be comprehensive today
by our people. The theaters were of the
rudest and lowest kind. At first a stage
was erected in the middle Of the en-
closed court of an inn or tavern and when
building was later erected. for the rep
resentation OF dramas this model was fol- |
lowed. The center of the theater had
no roof to tit was called the pit The !
audience stood ankle deep in the mud.
while the rain poured in on them The I
audiences were semi barbarous If the
he author and tossed him in blanket; /
on some occasions they went so far as to |
actually tear down the playhouse.
The first suggestion linking the name |
Of Francis Bacon with the Shakespeare |
plays. came from Della Bacon. the daugh- /
Ter OF Michigan missionary. born In 1911, |
4 sister of the famous Rev. Leonard Bacon.
u the congregational church, who had been |
called the pope of New England
she was woman of great learning /
and ability and penetration of mind; she !
s believed to have been the first woman /
who delivered lectures in this country.
She wrote history of Raleigh. and in /
her studies it occurred to her that the
Shakespeare plays were profoundly able
ana learned, and that it was improbable
nat William Shakespeare. who was the first
81 his family that could read or write could
nave written them. 1t was said that he
left school at IA; his youth was Wild and
hsslpated; ne was often publicly whipped
by the constable for petty offenses
md he was compelled to marry a
woman eight years his senior His name an
bears in the bond given to permit the mar
Rage with one calling of the banns. as
William Shagspere, and the woman's name
IS Ann Hathaway; while he seems to
nave been married the next day to Ann
" natley The neighborhood was bookless'
HIS education was limited to what he could
acquire at the grammar school of Stratford
Win one teacher and, after leaving school.
AZ 1t years he was apprenticed to his faith
II S trade OF butcher or glover 1t seem
ed impossible, l say, to Della Bacon that
Sucn man with such an equipment could
nave written the tremendous and master
lui plays, which are today, and always will
De, the marvel of the world Tradition tells
is that for some of his offenses he was
orced to desert his wife and children and
ny 10 London. There he held horses at the
toor of theaters then became servant
N the playhouse then call boy, and finally
IN actor.
NOR STUDIOUS NOR SCHOLARLY.
Della Bacon also observed the utter all
sehce OF any traditions which refer tn
nm as a studious scholarly man. Not
scrap or his writing remains to this day
except three signatures to a will. and one
o deed, and all of these are of the coars
Isl and rudest type, SO much so that some
rave claimed that they were tracinxs from
'oples set for him. In the great British
museum, which contains tons Of mann
Scripts OF tnat era, there is not a scrap
u Snakespeares writing. 1t was an age
x brilliant and learned men, between whom
IN extensive correspondence was carried
IN. much OF which has been preserved. But
mere is not letter extant addressed to
except one asking for loan
# money.
The poem of Venus and Adonfs was