The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-06-07


sruments upon which to make play Of cheap witt
Facts! You state as fact, that Ben Jonson
saw Shakespeares Mss. That this should be news
to us is all strange; but it will be less in
formative some hundred millions of others. But
we glad that last the authorship of the works
bearing his name has been settled! An anxious
world has waited long for definite Adjudication of
the Shakespeare-Bacon controversy. But now that
none other than 70 has set the seal of fnalty upon
il there be no longer doubt! Ben Jonson we
might even dare to doubt, but "I'-never! NATuRA
10 FECE, RUPEE sTAMPA.
We, also, have read Life of Shakespeare,
Lusus, more than one in fact, and are hardly ready
to accept Professor Lee, even, the last word in
the matter We recommend for your consideration
in gathering data from contemp orary," etc.,
the works of Rowe, Shakespeare's first biographer;
Feary's SHAKEsPEARE MANUAL; Haliwe Phillips,
OUTLINES SHAKESPEARE Burning Lawrence.
BACON is SHAKESPEARE, ct cetera. The fact that
one has not read these works is not objectionable
offense but pose critic and authority without
having cleaned from all sources all known data is.
From the above and other literature have learned
something of the political, diplomatic and literary
conditions in the spacious days of great Elizabeth"
We have also acquainted oursef with the motives
which lmpelled Bacon to hide, as to the plays be-
hind the denty of the thrifty peasant Shakespeare)
who had to London to escape the Jail and the
whipping post at Stratford- Avon" Neither are
we unaware, Lusus. of the actuatng Ben
Jonson to write his famous misleading strained
and collusive euogy" after Shakespeare,s
death. And we have also read from the pen of his
most devoted biographer. Frank Harris. in The MAN
SuAKESpEApE that "whila Shakpsneara WAS in on.
don Gin 1885, he allowed his wife to suffer the ex-
tremes of poverty" Himself, meanwhile was max
ing merry in London And it in the midst of
this poverty, unrelieved by him, and because of
which the whippng-post hungry for him. that
Shakespeares wife brought forth the twins-"hosta-
ges fortune" Bacon has termed ones children.
Facts! You state as fact that Ben Jonson saw
Shakespeaaes Mss OF this there be doubt
of course, Notwithstanding the fact that there has
yet to be found letter, Ms, copy of verses or any
other composition in Shakespeares writing bear
ing his signature. In fact. six signatures make up
all the actual handwriting ascribed to him. and
these. it has been reasonably demonstrated by Sir
Edwin Durning-Lawrence, written by
rious persons for him and that the bard of Avon"
only affixed his mark. Three of these six sigma
lures are on the three pages of Shakespeares will,
and last being on the famous Bellot- Mountjoy de-
position. And these, by able authority ratified
by marks" There has not to date been evidence
submitted sufficient prove that Shakespeare could
even write. And this Notwithstanding the fact that
men of almost equal profundity with you and have
given the subject their ablest attention.
Hon. Moye Wicks, in THE MAN BEHIND THE
MASK, says that Shakespeare spent the last six
years of his life in Stratford-in the maturity of his
mental powers-living without books-manifesty
Indifferent to his elderly carefaded wife-his chief
associate usurer, John a. Contemplating his days
from the age of 46 years to his death las the result
of a drunken debauch the age of 52) lettering at
the local ale-house from day to day and never wr-
ting letter to any one in London, where he had
spent twenty five busy years."
From the pen of who when our Consular
representative in England, made comprehensive
study of Shakespeare, and who has been termed the
American Addison 1 submit few excerpts He,
l refer to Nathaniel Hawthorne, describes Shake
speare as being the youthful deer stealer-the
rade of players-the too familiar friend of Dave
nants mother-the mellow, red-nosed, autumnal
boon companion of John a. Combe-and finally the
victim of convivial habits who met his death by
tumbng in ditch on his way home from drinking
bout"
''Facts contemporary, etc. Rather! Whether
it was Bacon that wrote the literary gems accredited
to Shakespeare, as some believe, whether they
were the product of many minds, as Sir George
Greenwood suggests, whumsoever it was do not
know, and, pardon me for my so great temeriy, but
l do not believe that even Lusus knows. But speak
ing of facts this fact remains they aud many other
productions, few of which only we mentioned,