book concerned in this inquiry, it is hardly to be doubted that

a real scheme could be drawn up to demonstrate the precise method of the use of paper-marks. The following table may be sufficient to illustrate our meaning. The " moons " to which
AND HIS SECRET SOCIETY. 343
allusion will be made are not made, like the other paper-marks, by wires. They give the idea of having been produced by the impression of a thumb on the soft pulp in the process of paper-making. These moon-marks are of too frequent occur- rence, in certain books and during a certain period, for any doubt to remain as to their being the result of intention and not of accident or chande. They are, therefore, included amongst the extras in our list. The chronological arrangement enables us to observe several particulars. First, that the pots seem to be in one edition at least of every work produced by Francis or Anthony Bacon, or published under their auspices. Two handles to the pot seem to mean that two persons helped in the construction of the book. Next, we notice that, in republications, compilations, or "collections" of any kind, grapes prevail, and that the candlesticks only appear when the volume which includes them is to be considered complete. Then, as to dates. The Baconian pots have been found first in a book 1579-80, and not later than 1680 — a period of one hundred years. They, like the rest of the marks, increase in size from about one inch to seven inches. The use of the Baconian grapes seems to have begun about 1600, and to have continued only in France after 1680. The double candlesticks appeared later still, after the death of Francis Bacon, and remained in use for about fifty years. The three marks all disappeared in England about 1680.
The following Table shows the proportion in which marks of the Pot, Grapes and Candlesticks are traced in 39 volumes taken at random for examination. They date from 1579 when, pre- sumably, Francis (then 18) published his translation of Plutarch's lives under the name of Sir T. North, a kinsman. The marks are continued until 1674, when the De Augmentis was repub- lished. Every one of the 39 books contains the Pot, whilst of the Grapes there are but 19, Candlesticks 12, and of the almost ubiquitous Shields 16.
Let us inquire and try to assure ourselves as to whether this Pot mark be not a figure of the " Holy Grail," that " Gift of God," that Holy, inspiring Spirit for whose help and support Francis St. Alban continually prayed.
344
FRANCIS BACON
DATE
TITLE
POT
GRAPES
CANDLESTICKS
EXTRAS
1579
North s Plutarke
Pot (on fly-leaves)
1590
Book of Com. Prayer
Pots, various
—
—
—
1596
The Faerie Queene
„ „ some two-handled with letters A B, F B,
B I, R, R C
—
—
—
1598
Chapman's Works
Pots, various
—
—
—
1603
North's Plurtarke
„ „
—
—
—
1603
Montaigne's Essays
„ „ some
two-handled
—
—
—
1605
Advt. of Learning
Pots, various
Crapes
—
Twisted horns
1609
Rook of Com. Prayer
„ „
„
—
Crowns, shields
1609
Observns. on Cresar's
Candlestick,
Commentaries
—
—
single
(Fly-leaves gone)
1611
Bible
Pots, various
Grapes
—
Twisted horns
1611
Florio's Dictionary
„ „
„
—
Bugle
1616
Ben Jonson's Works
„ „
—
—
Moons
1618
Selden's History of
„ „ some
Tithes
two-handled
—
—
Shields
1622
Shakespeare
—
Grapes
—
Crowns
1631
Love's Labour's Lost
Pots, various
—
—
—
1633
"Fulke's' Bible
„ „
Grapes
—
Shields
1631
Jeremy Taylor's
"Holy State"
„ „
„
—
?>
1638
Bacon Opera
» »
„
Candlesticks
„ bugles
1639
Quarles' Emblems
„ „
„
„
„ bugles
1640
De Augmentis;
„ „
—
„
„
1640
Ben Jonson's Works
—
Grapes
„
„
1645
Comus & other poems " The Art of Making
Pots, various
—
,,
Fool's cap
1646
Devises," Ciphers,
&c.
„ „
Grapes
„
—
1647
Fuller's "Holy Warre"
,, „
„
„
—
1648
Hieroglyphics, Sym-
bols, Ciphers, &c.
„ „
Grapes
„
—
1648
" Diodata " Bible
„ (enormous)
—
—
Shields
1651
Sylva Sylvarum
„ various
Grapes
Candlesticks
„
1651
Comus, &c.
„ „
--
—
—
1652
Comus, &c.
i> >>
—
Candlesticks
—
1653
Comus, &c.
„ „ and
cut in half
—
—
Shields
1655
Fuller's Ch. History
Pots, various
—
—
& double- headed eagle
1658
Sylva Sylvarum]
„ „
Grapes
—
Shields, bugle
1664
Shakespeare
»
"
—
„ hearts, crowns, &c.
1668
Paradise Lost
» »>
„
—
Shield
1669
Paradise Regained
» ».
>»
—
„
1669
Sir K. Digby's Trea-
tises
>
—
Candlesticks
Cresent & R C
1669
Cowley's Works
„ „
Grapes
—
Fool's cap
1671
Resuscitatio. 3rd edn.
,, » very
! large
—
—
—
1674
De Augmentis
Pots, various, very
large
—
—
—
10. Not only is the nature of the paper-mark thus varied in each book, but the forms of each figure are varied to a surprising extent. No two volumes, often no two parts of the same volume, treatise, poem, or play, contain marks which are identical. For instance, in Ben Jonson, 1616, there are at least fifteen different forms of the pot, two of which are sometimes in one play. In Seidell's History of Tithes, 1618, the variations are as
AND HIS SECRET SOCIETY. 345
frequent. In Burton s Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621, there are at least thirty half -pitchers, no two of which seem to be alike. Again, we have not succeeded in finding any form of mark precisely repeated in books of different titles, editions, or dates.
In the writing-paper of the Bacon family and their friends, there is almost as striking a^variety in the representation of the same figure or pattern. It is certain that these marks were not of the same kind as the ornaments, etc., on letter-paper of the present day, in which crests, monograms, etc., are adopted by certain individuals and retained by them for some time at least. Letters in Baconian correspondence, written in rapid succession, are found with different marks ; on the other hand, different persons writing, the one from England and the other from abroad, occasionally used paper with precisely similar marks. It would seem that, in such cases, paper had been furnished to these correspondents from some private mill.
11. There are, in combination with some designs, or apart from them, " bars " on which appear names, sometimes of paper- makers, as " Ricard," " Rapin," " Conard," " Nicolas,'' etc. These seem to be chiefly in the foreign paper, as nowadays we have " Whatman," " Joynson," etc.* But often these bars are as cabalistic as the rest of the designs, or they seem to contain the initials of the " producer " of the book, not, we think, of its true author. The pots have no bars in connection with them ; perhaps the letters upon them render further additions unneces- sary. Observe, in the plates of pots, the large number which occur inscribed A B, F B, B, B I, R, R C, C R, the letters being sometimes inverted, sometimes placed sideways, or otherwise disguised.t
* The practice of inserting the full names of the makers is said to have come into fashion in the sixteenth century. See The Manufacture of Paper,