MAR 5'36 - 2 ΤΟ THE ONE WHO WILL MOST VALUE IT AND TO THE FEW WHO BY KIND HELP, CRITICISM, OR ENCOURAGEMENT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ITS PRODUCTION This Book is Dedicated PREFACE. WHEN a book is written to demonstrate something, an explanation seems necessary to show why an introduction to it should be written by one who is unable to accept the demonstration. If it may be allowed to use the first personal pronoun in order to distinguish between the writer of this introduction and the author of the book, the needful explanation can be briefly and clearly given. Though not able to believe that Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare's Plays-which is the main object of the publication of this book-I nevertheless cannot fail to see very much in the following pages that will throw new light on the style both of Bacon and of Shakespeare, and consequently on the structure and capabilities of the English language. On one point also I must honestly confess that I am a convert to the author. I had formerly thought that, considering the popularity of Shakespeare's Plays, it was difficult to explain the total absence from Bacon's works of any allusion to them, and the almost total absence of any phrases that might possibly be borrowed from them. The author has certainly shown that there is a very considerable similarity of phrase and thought between these two great authors. More than this, the Promus seems to render it highly probable, if not absolutely certain, that Francis Bacon in the year 1594 had either heard or read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Let the reader turn to the passage in that play where Friar Laurence lectures Romeo on too early rising, and note the italicised words: But where unbruised youth with unstuff'd brain Thou art up-roused by some distemperature. Romeo and Juliet, ii. 3, 40. Now let him turn to entries 1207 and 1215 in the followlowing pages, and he will find that Bacon, among a number of phrases relating to early rising, has these words, almost consecutively, 'golden sleep' and 'uprouse.' One of these entries would prove little or nothing; but anyone accustomed to evidence will perceive that two of these entries constitute a coincidence amounting almost to a demonstration that either (1) Bacon and Shakespeare borrowed from some common and at present unknown source; or (2) one of the two borrowed from the other. Tho author's belief is (pp. 95-7) that the play is indebted for these expressions to the Promus; mine is that the Promus borrowed them from the play. But in any case, if the reader will refer to the author's comments on this passage (pp. 65-7) he will find other similarities between the play and the Promus which indicate borrowing of some sort. Independently of other interest, many of the notes in the Promus are valuable as illustrating how Bacon's allpervasive method of thought influenced him even in the merest trifles. Analogy is always in his mind. If you can say Good-morrow,' why should you not also say Good-dawning' (entry 1206)? If you can anglicise some 6 French words, why not others? Why not say 'Good swoear' (sic, entry 1190) for Good-night,' and 'Goodmatens' (1192) for 'Good-morning?' Instead of 'twilight,' why not substitute vice-light' (entry 1420)? Instead of 'impudent,' how much more forcible is 'brazed' (entry 1418)! On the lines of this suggestive principle Francis Bacon pursues his experimental path, whether the experiments be small or great-sowing, as Nature sows, superfluous seeds, in order that out of the conflict the strongest may prevail. For before we laugh at Bacon for his abortive word-experiments, we had better wait for the issue of Dr. Murray's great Dictionary which will tell us to how many of these experiments we are indebted for words now current in our language. Many interesting philological or literary questions will be raised by the publication of the Promus. The phrase 'Good-dawning,' for example, just mentioned, is found only once in Shakespeare, put into the mouth of the affected Oswald (Lear, ii. 2, 1), Good-dawning to thee, friend.' The quartos are so perplexed by this strange phrase that they alter dawning' into 'even,' although a little farther on Kent welcomes the 'comfortable beams' of the rising sun. Obviously dawning' is right; but did the phrase suggest itself independently to Bacon and Shakespeare ? Or did Bacon make it current among court circles, and was it picked up by Shakespeare afterwards? Or did Bacon jot down this particular phrase, not from analogy, but from hearing it in the court? Here again we must wait for Dr. Murray's Dictionary to help us; but meantime students of Elizabethan literature ought to be grateful to the author for having raised the question. Again, Bacon has thought it worth while to enter (entry 1189) the phrase 'Good-morrow.' What does this mean? It |