New-York tribune., 1906-08-04
TROUNCING A DELIAN.
An English Critic on the Shake
speare- Bacon Folly.

we nn0 IN a recent number OF The London
Literary World" a vigorous review Of a book
by certain w. Begley. The reviewer gently
mentions Mr. Begley as having in q previous
volume 'joined the queue Of incurable cranks
calling themselves 'Baconians.' who follow the
crazy Della, and set himself to shout with them
the hugest falsehood that was ever concocted in
the whole history Of literature, viz. that Shake
speare's works were written by Bacon, a man
who had every disqualification for such task
whose mind, fine critic says might have
been cut out Of Shakespeares and would never
have been missed and whose best work. in Car
lyle's solemn judgment must be rated far below
shakespeare's." In relation to that gross false
hood, however, as The Literary World" says,
Bacon, bad as he was, is entirely innocent:
As young man he let's us know that his object
IN life apaEt from his legal career) was totally un
IN the END Gf his life ne declares that he had stuck
Of course three centuries later, know better than
Bacon himself have manufactured for him another
careeT-a grotesque form of imposture, the venom
Of Of which lies in its involving the doyen of the
writer; known we add, possessing every one Of
which in Bacon were totally wanting: known aiso
as as man for his courtesy his honor. mis- charm
ing style, his excellence as a dramatist and
actor; the best testimony to all which the
Jealousy of other dramatists of his time and the
! So far as we can discover Bacon and Shakespeare
/ TO Bacon supplying Shakespeare with plays. the
Bacon himself furnishes ample but quite unneces-
/ saIy evidence on the point His habits We're lax.
/ two hundred servants and hangers-on; but not a
nd to utter or WTtte Aon tb BOOKS and the
carloads of papers he and left behind him
not the tinest jOt OF evidence be found in sup
port of the ISLANDERS and misrepresentation con
cocted on his behalf
In the case of honest Ben Jonson. who could
scarcely find words adequate to express his
admiration and love of Shakespeare Mr.. Beg
1 ley, IT appears. has an ingenious theory. Ben
had his tongue in his cheek'-that is. as tho
reviewer points out. was a moclNer as well as
liar and hypocrite The theory is not worth
contradiction We may quote, instead the
critics lively study of the real character and
| exploits of Master Francis Bacon:
Bacon we have defended from the idiocy implied
in the least participation in the creed of the crazy
Della; but we turn with regret TO the figure he cut
I IN real life. Here he known Bacon prince
! OF hckspittles Bacon. practically the murderer Of
whom, even after his death. he bIackened With his
zen as Macanlay says; Bacon, the yender of jus
tlce to the highest bidder and wouldbe corrupter
OF the law; who violated the most sacred obliga-
worthless peTsec9ted the innocent tampered with
Judges tortured prisoners in spite OF the law, and
1 plUndered suitors CMacaUlay)- On some improved
suspicion the wretched old man, Peachan. was. by
nate bTuay BACON 5 on 5 ad WITH Ro his n
ne was actually undergoing that horrible infic-
.,I1-7 K1i9g James as IS wei known. ruled and was
reign the favorite was George Viers Gcreated Duke
! o. Buckingham) ycung man OF incredible immo-
! falify. who made himself master, rather ty-
/ rant. or the officers Of state although most of
con- the Attorney general man g after m ro9hg his on a
fheart; f capable Of executing and defending any IL
1 on the woolsack. and was ready to endure any
rim on to the Coveted m appontm9nt t. ge' Te theP eP
a1eFG eer C9aqeeior ~ was old and worn out but re-
shelve him and by way of special insult sent the
the old mans spirit @ could da nof te sefs s resed
@ irab 10 ree Iye them ne up but sent them by his
/ ne Welded MS soul to his Maker Bacon then got
his his f5attering 5 in message from buckingham: He
t he m also 20 knew ne 5 an }o q6 excellent be @ parts b
grateful disposition and an arrant knave apt in
adversity This esssaa t refere e If9 91 nun ~ lI6I b
villanous Treatment of the Earl Of Essex for the
/ earl saved him from starving and he requited him
/ With the backest ingrattude- The old recorder,
quoting here aptlv adds reflection good for
/ al! time: No age but a worthless one. and lionel
I corrupt in men and manners. could have thought
/ Bacon worthy of such place Of honor" Core
becility could have thought Of ignoring his mis-
deeds. endowing him with knowledge, abilities and
on a pedestal to be worshipped, but s!IaiIes cum
similibps faclime congregantur.
Bacon's arrogant behavior during the tenn
porary absence Of the King and his craven fright
when his majesty returned and he was called to
account by Buckingham are not forgotten bv
the reviewer. Was there ever a more disgust
ing lickspittle?" he asks, after quoting the old
/ chronicler who describes Bacons action on his
/ admittance to the DUKES presence: He fell
down fiat his face at the dukes foot kissing
it, and vowing never to rise till he had his par
don" His talents as a sponge are also recorded
particularly in the case Of Sir julius Caesar. to
whom Bacon proved to be such leech that he
was at last forced to get the Kings warrant
to remove him" AS to beles-lettres. the critic
remarks. Bacon was totally destitute Of literary
especially modern literary culture:
A learned friend Of ours tooi. the dreary trouble
to hunt IN through all Sped s%peddlngs fourteen volumes;
cropped up nov and then he was rich in Latin
literature with its noted authors he had never
apparently. heard of, not even of Chaucer. nor OF
or NOS @ T9 se %orF IN abd s5dney
More,s Utopia and Ascham's '.schoolmaster."
To the immense Dramatic Revival going on aA
/ around him he was blind and deaf. Though ne
some sonnets, ne never succeeded; and. although he
paid others TO help him: he took care to keep his
pacity he rated poetry a form of lying. and
gave it as his opinion that the highest type OF
] neLl -a 20 9g te I TS ~ SoHgre - al "lilcn ma hythihg
had his works translated into Latin (by other
But one might dilate for a week on the ele-
/ SURPRISING their To mount from the
speare is to rise from a bottomess pit TO heaven
In Shakespeare VIC hnd consummate and unsur-
passed example Of the born poet. His works, from
the earliest to the latest. furnish evidence OF his
versihcation was derived from the best Latin models
And what of his glorious gallery of women. drawn
ter of a gentleman OF worship" and later after
the lovely Eliza bethan ladies of the noble families
the III conditioned Bacon after licking Buckng-
hams boots trying to create "a, an IImogeH Cor
a T1tania. Portia. Rosalnd. Viola. Perdita.
whom not? The result would have been Prank
enstein,s monster or, at best a city dame. for
and indeed almost everybody does spare, all that