The Washington times., 1912-01-19
H. Soern Quotes authorities Answering Questions OF
H. Mail Bag Question of Bacons AUTHORSHIP

70. II. Sothern's able and interesting
article on the Shakespeare-Bacon con-
trnversy. in the January number Of
Nunsey's Magazine. moved q recent
contributor to The Times Mall Bag to
PROFOUND to him series Of twelve
questions, the answers to which, In the
correspondents opinion. would estab-
lish the plays as the work of Bacon.
A copy of these questions was for
warded to Mr.. Sothern, who is now on
tour with Julia Marlowe, in Shakes
perean repertoire. 1t was labor of
ioye for him to answer these questions
and his mastery Of the subject Is suf-
hciently evident by tho wealth Of de-
tall. clean-cut and to the point, with
which no meets his opponents questions
In the following letter to The Times:
Editor Washington Times-A WASH
lngton friend has forwarded me a COPY
OF The Times OF January l6, in which
your correspondent, E. II. H., propounds
twelve questions for me to answer in
re the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS controversy
tiad our friend z. F. H., taken the
!rounie to read Munseys Magazine Of
answers to several OF these questions.
He can, however, rest his soul in peace
In one PARTICULAR shall not treat him
with discourtesy: The worst that need
vail replied to one of his kind: Some
men are born color blind and can not
distinguish tints; those must be born
color blind that cannot distinguish Ba-
to the various questions in order:
.. Il. Lord Macaulay proclaimed Ba-
Sonts., con e great poet Is this not sisnifi-
A. Lord Macaulays opinion would
be significant were it that his opinion
on the subject might be accepted as Of
value. One Of the truest things ever
SaS, saiG OF Macaulay was this Every
body believes Mr.. Macaulay.' In Ba-
cons works there will be found a num-
per OF translations Of the Psalms. These
translations are little else than crude
stance. are the frst four Zine lines Of Of Ba-
cons translation of the First Psalm:
WHO never gave the wicked reed
A yielding and attentive ear;
VINO Nor e! sm Gd IN
Can e. H. F.. in the warmth of his
fsrvor. Imagine for an instant that
that wrote the plays attributed to Will
Q. ''2. Is It not fact that Shakes
peare was unknown to the people Of his
own time, except as a player-not as
A. No. shakespeare was known not
only as a player, but as a poet. Proof
positive OF this fact is found in a play
called "The Pilgrimage to and Return
from Parnassus," printed in 1607-ten
years before Shakespeare died. In this
| play there are introduced Kempe and
Burbage, two of shakespeare's players.
The following dialogue Is put into their
mouths
Burbage-"A little teaching will mend
their faults. and 1t may be. besides.
they will be able to pen a part
Kempe-"Few Of the university pen
plays well; they smell too much Of that
writer. Ovid. and talk too much of
Proserpina and Jupiter. Why. here's
our fellow Shakespeare puts them all
down, aye. and Ben Jonson. TOO. Oh.
that, Ben Jonson is a pestilent fellow.
He brought up Horace giving the poet
pill, but our fellow Shakespeare hath
given him purge that made his be-
wray his credit
I think that our friend. f. F. H., will
admit that this passage serves to iden-
tify Shakspere, the player. as being
Shakespeare the poet!
Q. "a Is II rot fact that the only
books In Stratford inlthe time of Shake
sEeare were chained to tables in noble
mems houses?'
A. This statement is absolutely un-