Music of the Spheres If we place any belief in the opinion of Plato and Cardan, a divine harmony is generated from the intercourse of the Spheres which we cannot hear on account of the greatness of the distance. De Natura Arcanis, etc. How aptly this thought finds expression in the "Merchant of Venice": Looke how the floore of heaven Is Thicke inlayed with patines of bright gold Still quiring to the young eyed Cherubins. V, I. This thought of a sympathy existing between the senses, explainable by the theory that all the senses are modifications of the sense of feeling, is further illustrated by Bacon in his "Advancement of Learning," in the following striking man ner: The quavering upon a stop in music gives the same delight to the ear that the playing of light upon the water, or the sparkling of a diamond gives to the eye-splendit tremulo sub lumine pontus. In "Twelfth Night" this thought is strikingly repeated:That straine agen; it had a dying fall; O it came ore my eare like the sweet sound I, I. The last two lines find a still closer expression in Bacon's "Essay on Gardens" :- And because the breath of flowers is far sweeter in the air (when it comes and goes like the warbling of music). Doves The following has been noticed by several writers:— Bacon was extremely fond of doves, which Lady Bacon was wont to send him on occasions. The following letters written by her from Gorhambury to her son Anthony, the first in April, and the second in October, 1595, reveal a notable coincidence: I send between your brother and you the first flight of my dove house, II dozen and IV pigeons; XII. to you and XVI. to your brother, because he was wont to love them better than you from a boy. I send you XII. pigeons, my last flight, and one ring dove besides. I have here a dish of Doves that I would bestow upon your worship. I have brought you a Letter and a couple of Pigeons here. To hear with the eyes It seemeth both in ear and eye the instrument of sense hath a sympathy or similitude with that which giveth the reflection. This remarkable thought is from Bacon's "Natural History," in which he treats of the Consent and Dissent of Visibles and Audibles, yet it finds expression in Shakspere as follows: O, learn to read what silent love hath writ, The World a Stage Sonnet XXIII. I have given the rule when a man cannot fitly play his own part; if he have not a friend he may quit the stage. Essay on Friendship. But men must know that in this Theatre of man's life, it is reserved only for God and Angels to be lookers on. All the world's a stage, Advancement of Learning. And all the men and women merely players. As You Like It, 11, 7. Antonio. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; Merchant of Venice, 1, 1. Tides and Currents In third place I set down reputation because of the peremptory tides and currents it hath, which if they be not taken in their due time are seldom recovered. Proficiency and Advancement. There is a Tide in the affayres of men Which taken at the Flood leades on to Fortune. Julius Caesar, IV, 3. Parallels like the foregoing could be multiplied indefinitely, but so many have been pointed out by different writers that we think best to limit ourselves to a few examples. That similar coincidences of thought and expression can be found in other writers of Elizabeth's reign we well know. Many may be found in all periods among the authors of antiquity and of recent times. Contemporary authors living under similar conditions are likely to think and express themselves in similar ways, but it is safe to affirm ruling out Spenser, Marlowe, Greene, and Peele, as we hope to show valid reasons for doing — that no two authors of Elizabeth's time can be found, who at all compare in this regard with those to whom the works under discussion are attributed, without being open to the charge of plagiarism. The coincidences are too numerous to dispose of satisfactorily to dispassionate minds. The late Mr. Reed, one of the profoundest of Shaksperian scholars, has said that "The argument from parallelisms in general may be stated thus: one parallelism has no significance; five parallelisms attract attention; ten suggest inquiry; twenty raise a presumption; fifty establish a probability; one hundred dissolve every doubt." He gives in his book, "Bacon and Shakespeare Parallelisms," eight hundred and eighty-five, all most striking. Others have added to these, and we believe the number can be doubled. The puerile attempts to break the force of Mr. Reed's evidence are pitiable indeed. We would give Mr. Charles Crawford's curious attack upon the "Promus" were it worthy of sufficient space, but its display of egotism, false assumptions and immaturity of thought, forbid it. THE NORTHUMBERLAND MANUSCRIPT In the large mass of Francis and Anthony Bacon's correspondence preserved in English archives, the name of the Stratford actor has not been found. So far as written evidence goes, both Francis and Anthony were unaware of his existence and of the "Shakespeare" Works. We know that Francis was deeply interested in dramatic art, and that Anthony at one time changed his city abode in order to be near the playhouse; yet not a word appears even in their most familiar correspondence to indicate that the man whose birthplace is now the Mecca of deluded pilgrims, and whose name was then on some of the best poetry of the time, was known to them; though he was living in the then small city of London, and had appeared - in a minor capacity it is true- at Court performances. This silence is too significant to be ignored; it was intentional. Serving as a mask, it was prudent, in case of inquiry, for Bacon not to be in any way identified with him. His intimate acquaintance with "Richard II" is evinced by his statement to the Queen that the author had purloined "most of the sentences of Cornelius Tacitus"; but we have another similarly significant piece of evidence in a volume of his manuscripts, probably not written later than 1598, and only discovered in 1867. This is the Northumberland Manuscript, or "Conference of Pleasure," according to its title. Its table of contents reveals many items, as speeches written for Essex in 1595, and one for the Earl of Sussex, 1596; a letter written for Arundell to the Queen. These represent a kind of service which his pregnant pen often rendered to his friends. Besides there are orations at Gray's Inn, and, most interesting of all, the plays of "Richard II" and "Richard III." We can imagine the cruel disappointment of the discoverer of this precious volume, when he eagerly turned its leaves in UNIV. OF Nevill Nevill of them By Christeliges fons refusing your pelision your selves ne vile velis in Christ Anthony Comifart Mr Ffrauncis Bacon Esquier agt The praise of the worthiest vertue and consorte refreshing ye hart oppression of heart Multis annis iam transactis Nulla fides est in pactis Thomas Thomas By Mr. Siaunces Greis. Inn in the Philipp against monsieur revealed Earle of Arundells letter to the Queen from your service Hell in Corde ffraus in factis Speaches for my Lord of Essex at the tylt, Speach for my Lord of Sussex tilt more than externally honorific abiletudine Soycesters Common Wealth Incerto autore Orations at Graus Inne revells Queenes Mate Earle of Arundles By Mrffraunces Bacon letter to the Queens mest every crany by Thomas Nache & inferior places your TITLE-PAGE OF BACON'S VOLUME OF MANUSCRIPTS FOUND AT NORTHUMBERLAND HOUSE ONCE CONTAINING COPIES OF RICHARD II AND RICHARD III1 1 In modern script with portion of scribblings expurgated. |