The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-07

nym under which the play appeared,
could have had no possible objection as
an actor to be thought the writer of the
plays produced under his management.
The attribution added to his Importance
and may have swelled his profits"
Having said this much about the name
of the author of the plays, the reader will
kindly bear in mind the fact that, when
I write "Shakspere." 1 mean the actor;
but when / refer to Shakespeare" I
mean Lord Bacon, as the Baconians hold.
The photography of this controversy
consists of many works. The first Of
consequence is the ponderous volume Of
Miss Della Bacon on 1.-THE Philosophy of
the Plays of Shakespeare Unfolded;" W..
III. Smiths WAS Bacon the Author Of
Shakespeare" Ignatius Donnellys pa
cons Cryptogram;" Greenwood's 1.-THE
Shakespeare Problem Restated;" Some
Acrostic Signatures of Francis Bacon" by
William Stone Booth; Bacon VS.. ShalSs-
PEREZ" and Noteworthy Opinions" by
Edwin Reed. The nature of my self-im-
posed task shall lead me to quote from
any of these authors or others as / see
proper.
pronounced conviction that Shakspere
did not write the plays OF Shakespeare
but that Francis Bacon did, was Miss
Della Bacon, who claimed descent from
the great chancellor, though she was q
member Of the New England Bacon fam
lily. The reader will find most inter-
esting and yet pathetic sketch of her in
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Our Old Tome"
In tho chapter entitled, "Recolleotions of
. Gifted Woman" My own mind was
awakened to this interesting controversy
years ago by reading Hawthorne's sad
story of this unfortunate yet gifted lady
The story of Miss Bacon's life Is tragic
one. To gather additional data that she
might convince the world that she had
made a great discovery, even that OF the
real authorship Of the works OF Shakes
peare, she crossed the Atlantic, lived in
poverty in London, lodged in garnet.
haunted the old church in which Shass-
pere is buried, at Etratford; went into
dark old ghostly buildings at midnight
and. with the assistance of the verger Of
the parish, tried to remove the slab
over the grave of Shakspere, believing
that In the coffin there were evidences
Of the Baconian authorship of the great
plays and poems; finally she completed
her book, gave 1t to tho world. and with
an unhinged mind lay down and died.
Hawthorne wrote an Introduction to
Miss Bacon's book, that lady having
sent her manuscript to Hawthorne's home
in order that he might read the remark
able story whose foreword he was to
write. Mrs. Hawthorne, a person of
rare Intellectual endowments and we'll
developed logical faculties, read the
manuscript and wrote to Miss Bacon, 81
mover read so profound and wonderful
a criticism. and think there was never
such philosophic insight and apprecia-
ton since Lord Bacon himself" She
also expressed her opinion of the author
ship In question thus. II believe Lord
Bacon and Shakespeare to be ono and
the same person, or rather, believe that
Lord Bacon wrote what are called
Shakespeare's plays and sonnsts."
Nathaniel Hawthorne was reported to
have said. after the publication of Miss
Bacon's book, that William D. O'Connor
was the only man he had ever met who
had read all of Miss Bacons book. NJ.
O'Connor. having read the book, became
q complete convert to its contention. and
later gave answer to Mr.. Grant Whites
argument, that Bacon could not have
written the plays of Shakespeare, be-
cause the style of Bacon was 30 differ
emit. Mr.. O'Connor SAID Mr.. Grant
White says that the inherent absurdity
of, the Baconian belief lies in the ~
likeness of Bscon's mind and style to
those of the writer of the plays. OF all
fudge ever written this is the sheerest.
What likeness Of mind and style could
he detect between Sir William Black
stones Commentaries. and his charming