New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-09

touched with delicacy and with sure
perception OF whatever is lovely,
whether Of good report or not.
The present protagonist OF the Ba-
contains, Sir Edwin Burning Lawrence
has taken step forward. In his pas
sicnate craftsmanship ~ his idol. he IS
mo longer content 10 believe that Bacon
wrote only Shakespeare. He now ALL
nounces that there is no literary mas
terpiece Of the Elizabethan age which
did not come from Bacon's workshop.
Including Sponsors "Faerie Queene"
Nor does he stop there. Chaucer is
Iswept into the baconan net. all but
q few rough l.nes" if | understand
the too brief report in the papers The
fact that Chaucer died lel years before
Bacon was born is not dealt with. and
is presumably M important. Bacon also
wrote every line OF Don Quixote.
being, | suppose. better Spaiiard than
Cervantes. Imaginings OF this kind can
be dangerous TO nobody but the author
or victim of them. They may even be
helpful. since :hey throw a little light
on the Shakespeare Bacon delusion
and on the mental state of the man who
champions the Baconian theory.
Sir Edwin burning Lawrence is a
Baronet OF the United Kingdom. ere
sted in 1895 Why Lord Salisbury. who
vas then Prime Minister. advised the
Queen TO confer on him this dignity
know not. but Mr.. Lawrence had I'M
dOubtedly some of the qualifications
which sometimes serve as basis or
ar excuse for such an increase OF dig
nifty. lie was OF the City, on which
Train knighthoods and Baronetcies az
all times plentifully. whether for civic
or personal reasons. His father was an
Alderman He had two brothers who
were Members Cf Parliament; one Tor
London and the other for Lambeth: one
Sir William and the other Sir J. G..
Lawrence. also a Baronet He married
an heiress. Edith Jane, daughter Of Mr.
John Benjamin Smith. he too. Mem
ber Of Parliament. He was educated
|
q Bs rrister Of the Middle Temple. He
was member Of the Metropolitan
Board Of Works. After yainly contest
ing East Berkshire In 1865 Haggorston
I'm 1866. and Burnley in 1882. he finally
was elected a Liberal Unionist MEM
Der for Truro in 1895. and held that
| seat till 1906. These are often reckone1
good services. and the reward for dis
putting difficult constituencies is often
title as perhaps In this case.
! lie has written books form ~ in
orstry more seldom resulting in titular
, distinctions. though now the 10, Of
authors is. in This respect. not wholly
unhappy. lie wrote a History Of
Lighting from the Earliest Times" then
The Progress Of a Century; or. the
Age OF Iron and Steam" From these
useful and practical subjects he
plunged downward into Bacon il
Shakespeare" in 1910. and has now. as
YOU cav a moment ago. plunged more
deeply downward still. He has no heir.
RE has 4 mansion in Carlton House
Terrace and country place In Bcrk-
shire. He is member Of golf and
cricket clubs and President Of the Ba
con Society. take it the real object OF
the Bacon Society is, OF was. 10 per
suade the world that Bacon wrote
| Shakespeare If YOU believe Mr.. W. T.
Smedley you vii believe that. besides
failing TO persuade the world OF Bacons
authorship OF Shakespeare. its great
merit is to have done more for Eliza
bethan and carly JacObean literature
than any other body. ] should like 70
tell YOU who Mr. Smedley IL, and how
much authority belongs 10 his unsup-
ported opinion. but 7 cannot. because I
and invaluable Who's Who" his name
does not occur.
Sir Edwin Burning Lawrence declared
in his speech as President Of the Bacon
Society that he would not notice Mr..
Andrew Lsngs book. shakespeare
Bacon" because Mr.. Lang did not no
tee his. In which Mr.. Lang showed
perhaps wise discretion. II there
were anywhere TO be found a full re-
port OF Sir Edwin's speech il would
contain. | am sure. many other gems
Of imagination besides those ! have al
ready quoted. But the fullest account
! of the meeting have seen occupies IL
'self with other things; surely Of less
moment than the deliverance OF the
President. There is. for instance, a
list OF guests: ! suppose OF the kind
which the lady-keepers OF refined
boarding houses in Bloomsbury call
paving guests since this festival took
place at the Trocadero Restaurant. In
the list Of guests. paying or otherwise.
there is not one name ! can remember
ever 10 have seen or heard of before.
do find, however, in one report an
exclamation by Mr. ". T. Smedlcy.
above mentioned. Of the object of the
Bacon Society. 1T stands" says Mr..
W r. Smedley, for reparation of the
wrongs done 10 the memory Of the
greatest Englishman, il not the great
est man. the world has ever known
II was the 352d anniversary OF Bacon's
birth. Mr.. Smedley omitted to remind
bis hearers that out Of these 3b2 ami
,arsaries something like 800 had passed
before il ever entered into the mind Of
ma, or even into the mind of woman.
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