Bacon is Shake-Speare Part 27

_Folio 133, front_.

[Blank]

_Folio 133, back_.

Some choice Frensh Prover[bs.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tail Piece from Spencer's "Faerie Queen." 1617]

FOOTNOTES.

[1] Digges really means "When Time dissolves thy Stratford Mask".

[2] Through the whole play the fact that Puntarvolo represents Bacon is continually apparent to the instructed reader. Note especially Act II., Scene 3, where Puntarvolo addresses his wife, who appears at a window, in a parody of the address of Romeo to Juliet. Again in Act II., Scene 3, Carlo Buffone calls Puntarvolo "A yeoman pheuterer." Pheuter or feuter means a rest or supportfor a spear--which is informing.

[3] This fact so puzzling to Halliwell-Phillipps is fully explained when it is realised that William Shackspere of Stratford could neither read or write.

[4] The words attriuted to Apollo, are of course spoken by his Chancellor Bacon. See note on the number 33 on page 112.

[5] While I am perfectly satisfied that the above explanation of the meaning of the expression "All numbers" is the correct one; I am not unaware that at the date at which the Discoveries appeared "All numbers"

would be generally understood in its cla.s.sical sense; Jonson of course not being permitted to speak too plainly. He was foreman of Bacon's good pens and one of his "left-hands"; as any visitor to Westminster Abbey may learn, the attendants there being careful to point out that the sculptor has "accidentally" clothed Jonson's Bust in a left-handed coat. (With respect to the meaning of this the reader is referred to Plate 33, page 131.) Thus far was written and in print when the writer's attention was called to the Rev. George O Neill's little brochure, "Could Bacon have written the plays?" in which in a note to page 14 we find "Numeri" in Latin, "numbers" in English, applied to literature mean nothing else than verse, and even seem to exclude prose. Thus Tibullus writes, "_Numeris ille hic pede libero scribit_" (one writes in verse another in prose), and Shakespeare has the same ant.i.thesis in "Love's Labour Lost"

(iv., 3), "These numbers I will tear and write in prose." Yet all this does not settle the matter, for "Numeri" is also used in the sense merely of "parts". Pliny speaks of a prose work as perfect in all its parts, "_Omnibus numeris absolutus_," and Cicero says of a plan of life, "_Omnes numeros virtutis continet_" (it contains every element of virtue). So that Jonson may have merely meant to say in slightly pedantic phrase that Bacon had pa.s.sed away all parts fulfilled.

[6] Under what is now known as "Rask's law" the Roman F becomes B in the Teutonic languages: fero, bear; frater, brother; feru, brew; flo, blow, etc., etc., shewing that the Roman F was by no means really a mute.

[7] See Page 104.

[8] The number 33 too obviously represented Bacon, and therefore 53 which spells sow (S 18, O 14, W 21 = 53) was subst.i.tuted for 33. Scores of examples can be found where on page 53 some reference is made to Bacon in books published under various names, especially in the Emblem Books. In many cases page 55 is _misprinted_ as 53. In the Shakespeare Folio 1623 on the first page 53 we read "Hang Hog is latten for Bacon,"

and on the second page 53 we find "Gammon of Bacon." When the seven extra plays were added in thethird folio 1664 in each of the two new pages 53 appears "St. Albans." In the fifth edition, published by Kowe in 1709, on page 53 we read "deeper than did ever Plummet sound I'll drown my Book"; and on page 55 _misprinted_ 53 (the only mispagination in the whole book of 3324 pages) we find "I do ... require My Dukedom of thee, which perforce I know Thou must restore." In Bacon's "Advancement of Learning," first English edition, 1640, on page 55 _misprinted_ 53 in the margin in capital letters (the only name in capital letters in the whole book) we read "BACON." In Florio's "Second Frutes," 1591, on page 53, is "slice of bacon" and also "gammon of bakon," to shew that Bacon may be misspelled as it is in Drayton's "Polyolbion," 1622, where on page 53 we find _Beca.n.u.s_. A whole book could be filled with similar instances.

[9] About A.D. 1300 benefit of clergy was extended to all males who could read. In 1487 it was enacted that mere laymen should have the benefit only once and should be branded on the thumb to shew they had once had it. _Whimsies_, 1623, p. 69, tells us: "If a prisoner, by help of a compa.s.sionate prompter, hack out his neck verse (Psalm li. _v_. i in Latin) and be admitted to his clergy, the jailors have a cold iron in store if his purse be hot, but if not, a hot iron that his fist may _Fiz_." Benefit of clergy was not totally abolished till 1827.

[10] In 1599 Sir John Hayward, LL.D., brought out "The Life and raigne of King Henrie IIII extending to the end of the first yeare of his raigne."

This little book contains an account of the trial of Richard II., and was dedicated to the Earl of Ess.e.x in very encomiastic terms. It irritated Queen Elizabeth in the highest degree, and she clapped Hayward into prison and employed Sir Francis Bacon to search his book for treason.

(Lowndes, Bohn, p. 1018). The story carefully read reveals the fact that it was really the play rather than the book which enraged Queen Elizabeth.

[11] The appearance of Shakespeare's name in the list of Actors in Ben Jonson's plays and in the plays known as Shakespeare's was, of course, part of the plot to place Shakespeare's name in a prominent position while the pseudonym had to be preserved.

[12] Facsimiles of law clerks' writing of the name "John Shakespeare,"

are given in Plate 40, Page 169. They are taken from Halliwell-Phillipps'

"Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare," 1889, vol. 2, pp. 233 and 236. In the first two examples the name is written "Shakes," followed by an exactly similar scroll and dash to complete the name. In Saunders'

"Ancient Handwriting," 1909, page 24, we are shown that such a "scroll and dash" represents "per" "par," and "por"; and in Wright's "Court Handwriting restored" we find that in the most perfectly formed script a "p" with a dash through the lower part similarly represented "per,"

"par," and "por," this is repeated in Thoyts' "How to decipher and study old doc.u.ments," and the same information is given in numerous other works. There is therefore no possible excuse for Dr. Wallace's blundering.

[13] A facsimile example of the way in which the law clerk wrote "Shaxper"

is shewn in the third line of Plate 40, Page 169, where it will be seen that the writer uses a similar "X".

[14] Holinshed's Chronicles (1557) state that "Montioy, king-at-arms, was sent to the King of England to defie him as the enemie of France, and to tell him that he should shortlie have battell." Moreover, "Montioy" is not the personal name, but the official t.i.tle of a Herald of France, just as "Norroy" is not a personal name, but the official t.i.tle of one of the three chief Heralds of the College of Arms of England.

[15] He never was a manager.

[16] From the Introduction of "The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid, by William Shakespeare," 1609. This play as the above Introduction says was never acted.

[17] 'well' has been struck out.

[18] 'Quin,' this may be 'quis.'

[19] This is difficult to read. It may be "faciunt et tedia funera."

[20] This is difficult to read. It may be "fero danid es."

[21] "Sedeant." This word is doubtful. It may be "tedeant," "te deum" is not an impossible reading.

[22] "Num" may by read as "Nunc."

[23] "Validat" may be read "Validas".

[24] "Swear," this may be read "Sweat."

[25] The side note "Direction generall" has been struck out in the MS.

[26] s. P. s. J. may be read s R s. f.

[27] "ante," this may be read "aute" = "autem." 2 "ipsa" this may be read "ipsu"--"ipsum".

[28] "Timores" may be read "timoris".

[29] "Inst.i.tit" = insist.i.t.

[30] "To frime (to Sp." this line may read, "To trime) to Suse Sp."

[31] [This is an endors.e.m.e.nt across the page.]

[32] "balbe" may be read "balle."

[33] For "Il n'est faut" may be read "Il n'en faut."