CHAPTER VII.

" ANTITHETA " IN BACON, ETC.

"For who knows not that the doctrine of contraries are the same,
tliough they be opposite in use" (Book VI., p. 209, "Advancement of
Learning").

"They that endeavour to abolish vice destroy also virtue, for contraries,
though they destroy one another, are yet in life of one another" ("Religio
Medici," Browne, p. 113).

Hegel, in his logic, affirms " everything is at once that which it is,
and the contrary of that which it is." Bacon has in his Rhetoric
drawn up a collection of ^' Antitheta," or pros and cons, that give,
as it were, the Sophisms of each side of a question or proposition.
Most of these subjects are identical with, or touch very nearly the
arguments of the Essays. Nothing is so remarkable in the plays
as the antithetical style, which gives the sujjposed Shakespeare
at once his depth and peculiar hall mark of distinction from
every other writer ancient or modern. JFJiether philosojihising or
illustrating, nothing the author delights in more than antithesis m'
paradox. It enters so largely into the text of his Theatre,
we must conclude the author's mind was so constituted, so
impersonal and universal, that he could contemplate no subject without
at once embracing its negative. Here are a few examples.

In poison there is physic.

(" 2 King Henry IV.," act i. sc. 1.)

These sentences to sugar, or to gall.
Being strong on both sides are equivocal.

("Othello," acti. sc. 3.)

And do but see his vice,
'Tis to his vertue a just equinox.
The one's as long as t'othc?:

("Othello," act ii. sc. 2.)

1 40 " ANTITHE TA " IN BA CON, E TC.

Merry and tragical ! Tedious and brief !
That is hot ice, and wondrous strange snow,
How sliall we lind the concord of this discord ?

(" Midsummer Niglit's Dream," act v. sc. 1.)

The better act of purposes mistook,
Is tp mistake again, tliougli indirect,
Yet indirection thereby grows direct.

("King John," act i. sc. 1.)

His liumble ambition, proud humility :
His jarring concord : and his discord dulcet,
His faith, his sweet disaster.

("All's Well that Ends Well, act i. sc. 1.)

0 brawling love ! 0 loving hate !

0 anything of nothing first create !

O heavy lightness. Serious vanity 1

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms !

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health.

Still waking sleeji, that is not what it is :

This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

("Romeo and Juliet," act. i. sc. 1.)

To quote them all would be to quote a greater part of the
1623 Folio, for we venture to maintain the style of the works
known as Shakespeare's, is characterised by profundity of ex-
pression, the result of a perfectly-trained mind, holding a peculiar
philosophy, and applying it to everything as explanation. What
we mean is, that in this iterated Antithesis we hold a powerful
key for the locked wards of the mind of whoever Avi^ote these
plays. This delight in Antithesis is at once a proof of an
intellect matui'ed in the schools, familiar with Aristotle (as Bacon
confesses in his letter to Mountjoye), and of a mind always
clear, estimating philosophy as master of poetry, not servant.
Buffon has declared that "the style is the man" in writing.
Style is the outcome of thought. If the thoughts are profound,
clear, and philosophic, the style Avill reveal it. Nothing is
more certain, we venture to suggest, than that the mind of
the author of this style known as Shakespeare's, delighted in
embracing the idea of the contrary or negative of a thing,
at the same time as its positive. Excess always brings (in

" ANTITHETA " IN BA CON, ETC. 141

the philosophy of the plays), its direct opposite. Loss brings
want, plenty satiety and disgust ; excessive generosity and faith in
humanity, produces excessive misanthrojjy and cynicism, as in the
cases of "Timon of Athens," and "King Lear." There is in
the plays evidence (both in style and in construction of plot and
character), of a mind bent upon illustrating the dangers of excess
in anything, and we find it revealed in such passages as the
following : —

The violence of either grief or joy

Their own enaetures with themselves desti'oy.

("Hamlet," act iii. so. 2.)

" For aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit v:ith too much as they tliat
starve with nothing ; it is no small ha2)piness, therefore, to be seated in the
mean. Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competence lives
longer." (" Merchant of Venice," act i.)

Under such passages we may perceive the doctrine pointed,
that ^j?-opo?'^iOTi ar hcdance is as much an ingi^edient in happiness
as in Art or Nature. In the Sonnets we find evidence once more
of this philosophy of contraries at war, and yet in union or love.
Evil with Bacon is not an affirmative, but only a negative, and
we find the plays reiterating the words of Goethe in Faust, that
the Devil is he, "who constantly denies," and yet "brings forth the
good."

God Almighty !
There is some soul of goodness in things evil,
"Would men observingly distil it out ;
Thus may we gather honey from the weed,
And make a moral of the devil himself.

(" King Henry V.," act iv. sc. 1.)

Amongst Bacon's "Colours of Good and Evil," we find him
almost enunciating the same doctrine : — " That which draws near
to Good or Evil, the same is likewise Good or Evil ; hut that which is
removed from Good is Evil, from. Evil is Good." In the Reprehen-
sion of this Colour Bacon writes: — "But the colour deceives
three ways ; first, in respect of Destitution ; secondly, in respect
of Obscwration : thirdly, in respect of Protection. In regard of

142 '' ANTITHETA' IN BACON, ETC.

Protection, for things approach and congi^egate not only for
consort and similitude of nature, but even that which is evil
(especially in Civil matters) approacheth to Good for conceahnent and
Protection ; so ^vicked persons betake themselves to the sanctuary
of the Gods, and rice itself assumes the shape and shadow of rirtxie.

Sccpe latct vitium 2yroxi')nitatc honi."
(P. 214, Lib. VI., "Advancement of Learning," 1640.)

There is no vice so simj^le hut assumes

Some onark of virtue on his outward parts :

How many cowards, whose liearts are all as false

As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins

The beards of Hercules, and frowning Mars,

Who inward search'd have livers white as milk,
t

And these assume but valours excrement

To render them redoubted.

("Merchant of Venice," act iii. sc. 2.)

Now these repeated " Antitheta" cannot be explained upon any
ordinary grounds as casual indulgences of thought, and if they
were even so, they would remain unexplained. They are so
frequent, and play such a profound part in the style of the text,
we must conclude not only are they introduced with reference to
some philosophical principles underlying the construction and
rationalism of these plays, as yet unrevealed to us, but that the
author had arrived at some definite and accepted explanation of
life as the result of Opposites or Contraries, in some such sense as
expounded in the philosophy of Heraclitus. The remarkable
point is, we find Bacon re-echoing all this in his Essays, and
" Antitheta,," and " Colours of Good and Evil." In a letter to
Lord Mountjoye prefixed to these colours, or pros and cons, he
confesses he has borrowed them from Aristotle's " Ehetoric." So
that we see his mind was perfectly trained and versed in these
sophisms, for and against, which he examples as places of per-
siuision and dissuasion. These "Antitheta" are applicable to the
Essays. If we read the Essay on Truth (for example) we find
two contradictory or antithetical propositions, — one setting forth
and inclining to a life of study, and the other a life of active

''ANTITHETA" IN BACON, ETC. 143

politics. It is this that gives the Essays an impersonality and an
impossibility of arriving at any particular teaching, except for
good in the main. Dissimulation is praised as joolitic, yet Bacon
elsewhere declares himself " vanquished with an immortal love of
truth." Presently he declares " Nakedness of the mind to be as
uncomely as nakedness of the body." We desire to point out the
parallel that Bacon is universal, impersonal, all-sided, impartial,
and we refind exactly the same myriad-minded impassiveness and
philosophical treatment in the plays. From Bacon's Essay upon
" Cupid, or the Origins and Principles of Things," we are inclined
to believe he had adopted some sort of philosophy, founded on
what may be permitted us to briefly term. Affirmatives and Nega-
tives, otherwise rendered in such synonyms as Light and Dark-
ness, Love and Hate, Heat and Cold, Attraction and Repulsion,
in connection with the philosophy of Participation of Parmenides,
and the Atomic theory of Democritus. We find in the Sonnets
this philosophy of Opposites very strongly hinted and delivered
in the form of paradox. The philosophy of the plays frequently
tui'ns upon profound paradox. Everything runs to its oppo-
site,* like an over-loaded ship. Directly we lose a thing we feel
its loss, though not before. Excess produces its direct opposite
in want. Discord prepares for Concord. Too much sweetness
produces bitterness, and so applied to everything in morality and
life. I think the reader will grant this is a great characteristic
of what is known as Shakespeare's writings. And being so,
we are certain it amounted in the writer's mind to something
more than chance reflection. It infects the language and com-
pacts it into that condensed form of pithy philosophy and para-
dox so often hard to follow. Virtue and Vice are treated from
this point of view as laws of attraction and repulsion, as effects
of light and shadow. If Ave were asked to characterise the
peculiar style of the writing of the plays (apart from plot or

* The present pleasure,

By revolution lowering does become
The opposite of itself.

( ' ' Antony and Cleopatra, " act i. so. 2. )

144 ''ANTITHETA" IN BACON, ETC.

character), we should say that it abounded and revelled in anti-
thetical expression and paradox. The writer has always the
affirmative and the negative of a proposition in his mind at
the same time, and frequently involves one Avith the other.
P]ven in portrayal of character the same great law is observed.
The fools in the plays are really the "wise men, and are intro-
duced, as in Lear, always to lighten some dark background.
Timon becomes cynic like Apemantus, Avhom he had never
listened to in prosperity. Lear's real madness is set side
by side with Edgar's feigned madness. The real and the false
are introduced as light and shadow to illustrate each other.
We see this again in Hamlet's feigned and Ophelia's real madness.
It is particularly prominent in the contrast afforded by Ape-
mantus the cynic, and Timon the misanthrope, the latter becoming
a hundredfold more cynical than the former when too late.

Archbishop Tenison in "Baconiana" {pub. 1679) thus alludes
to the Essays : — " His Lordship wTote them in the English
tongue, and enlarged them as occasion served, and at last added
to them the ' Colours of Good and Evil,' which are likeAvase found
in his book 'Be Augmentis.'" This is a very important point
for us to consider, because it at once shows Bacon wrote
these Essays with an eye upon Aristotle's Rhetoric, and that
he intended to write in an impersonal and philosophic spirit —
for the " Colours of Good and Eiil " are pros and cons of both sides
of every proposition. But what is far more important, and
I think a discovery of some Aveight, is that in the "De Aug-
mentis," 1623 (and 1640 translation by Wats), we find these
" Colours " introduced as part of " The Wisdom of Pnvate Speech"
" Surely it will not be amiss to recommend this whereof we now
speak to a new Inquiry, and to call it by name ' The Wisdom
OF Private Speech,' and to refer it to Deficients; a thing
certainly which the more seriously a man shall think on, the
more highly he shall value ; and whether this kind of Prudence
should be placed between Rhetoric and the Politics is a matter of
no great consequence. Now let us descend to the Deficients

''ANTITHETA" IN BACON, ETC. 145

in this Art, which (as tve luive said he fore) are of such nature as may
be esteemed rather Appendices^ than portions of the art itself, and
pertain all to the promptuary part of Rhetoric.

"First, we do not find that any man hath well pursued or
supplied the wisdom and the diligence also of Aristotle ; for
he began to make a collection of the Popular signs and colours of
Good and Eril in appearance, both simple and comparative, which
are indeed the Sophisms of Rhetoric : they are of excellent use,
specially referred to business and the tdsdom of private speech"
(Book VI., p. 210, "Advancement of Learning," 1640).

Upon this follow twelve examples of the "Colours of Good
and Evil." Then follow immediately ^' Antitheta Berum" (or the
counterpoint of things, see platform) which Bacon has imitated
from Seneca, and which he calls "a second Provision or Preparatory
Store," which are places of Persuasion and Dissuasion. These are
forty-seven in number. The first point to note is the place
these subjects hold in the "De Augmentis," viz.: — '■^ Illustrations of
Speech or Bhetoric," which last (mark) is but one of the three great
Divisions of Elocution or of Tradition (see table). But the final
words of the Fifth Book (introducing us to the Sixth Book)
conclude, "Now we descend in order to the fourth member of
Logic, which handles Tradition and Elocution." In the platform of
the design may be seen the heading and the divisions and sub-
divisions of the Sixth Book, falling or embraced under the chief
heading : —

The Partition or the Art of Elocution or of Tradition

INTO : —

(And under this falls) " Illustration of Speech or Bhetoric." So
that these "Colours of Good and Evil" belong to the Art of
Delivery (Tradition) of things (?) invented, and (as we have heard
already) Promptuary and Appendices of " The JFisdom of
Private Speech," but why it should be private speech or what it
should prompt to, we have no instructions except our wits or
guesses to assist us ! It is plain all this refers to something else,

K

146 '' ANTITHETA" IN BACON, ETC.

which Bacon has to veil in obscure and private language. Our
theory is that he here suggests tlte Esmi/s in context uifh the Plays.
And we have already discovered some of the examples Bacon
gives, evidently in contact \vith the Plays. In a letter to Prince
Henry, dedicating his fourth edition of the Essays 1612 to him,
Bacon Avrites : — " Which I have called Essays. The word is late,
but the thing is ancient ; for Senecah Epistle to Lucilius, if you
mark them well, are hut Essays, that is dispersed meditations,
though conveyed in the form of epistles." This is important,
because we find Bacon introducing his "Forty-seven Examples of
Antitheta I-verum"with the words : — "A collection of this nature
we find in Seneca, but in suppositions only or cases. Of this sort
(in regard we have many ready prepared) we thought good to
set down some of them for example ; these we call Antitheta Rerum "
(p. 300, Book VI., "Advancement of Learning," 1640). Now
Gervinus asserts Seneca to have been Shakespeare's (save the
mark !) ideal, and that the author of the Plays studied this
ancient tragedian more than any other Avriter. So that to find
Bacon alluding to Seneca's Epistles in context with, his own
Essays is highly suspicious, pointing to the Plays, seeing
the subjects of these Essays are for a large part devoted to
analysis of human character, passions, or affections of the mind which
constitute the motives of Comedy and Tragedy, viz.: — Love, Anger,
Envy, Suspicion, Beauty, Deformity, Ambition, Friendship,
Vain-Glory, Cunning, Revenge, Simulation and Dissimulation,
Boldness, Seditions, Faction, Empire, Fortune, Usury, all of
which enter, in an extraordinary degree, into the composition
of the Dramatis Personce and text of the 1623 Theatre attributed
to Shakespeare. Each of these titles is the subject of an Essay
by Bacon, and we cannot imagine an analysis of the plays re-
solving itself into anything less than a study of these affections,
attributes, and their relationships. The colours of the 'Theatre are
given us in these Essays, as on the palette of a dramatic artist
waiting to use them.

By examining the (1605) " Two Books of the Advancement of
Learning," and collating the Second Book with the 1623 "De

" ANTITHETA " IN BACON, ETC. 147

Augmentis," which grew out of it, we can trace the germs or
early sketch of what Bacon afterwards developed into eight
separate books. In seeking this particular point in the Sixth
Book, Ave find in the 1605 "Advancement" this: — "Now we
descend to that part which concerneth the Illustration of
Tradition compreliended in tluit science, which we call Rhetoric or
art of Eloquence." This is confirmation of what we already have
suggested. "The duty and office of lihetoric is To apply Reason to
Iinaf/imiiion for the better moving of the will ; for we see Reason
is disturbed in the administration thereof by three means ; by
illaqueation, or sopJdsni, which pertains to Logic ; by iimujination or
impression, which pertains to Rheforic ; and by Passion or Affection,
which pertains to Morality" (p. 66, Book IL, 1605). Now Bacon
has laid it down in this work that by imagination he means poetry.*
One of the most remarkable features of the " De Augmentis "
of 1623 are the prsetermitted parts, or ^^ Deficients," which are
fifty in number. Now it is very curious to find some of these
" Deficients," are works already completed hy Bacon. For example,
the Sixth Deficient is " Sapientia Vetermn," or Bacon's " Wisdom
of the Ancients." Although it does not openly say so, the title
is sufficient. And here is a still more pertinent hint for the
1623 Folio, that it is in context with "Parabolical Poesy," for he
introduces this Deficient upon page 108, following the discussion
of the drama and stage plays. The thirty-first Deficient is the
" Organum Novum," or true directions for the Interpretation of
Nature. And the reader is begged to mark a strange thing,
worthy profound reflection, — that in the 1640 translation of the
" De Augmentis," by Gilbert Wats, we find most of these De-
ficients marked by an asterisk in the margin. But these par-
ticular subjects are not so marked, but passed over. The twenty-
fifth Deficient is entitled " Prolongando Curnculo Vitce," and is
evidently a finger-post for Bacon's "History of Life and Death."

* ' ' Tliat is the truest partition of liumane learning, wliicli hath reference
to tlie three faculties of Man's soul, wliich is the seat of learning. History is
referred to Memory, Poesy to the Imagination, Philosophy to Reason " (Lib.
II., "Advancement of Learning").

148 '' ANTITHETA" IN BACON, ETC.

In the Catalogue of these "Deficients" (at the end of both the
1623 "De Augmentis" and 1640 translation), we find one
entitled "Saf>/ra, Seria," which we re-find in the Seventh Book
(p. 351), and called " De Interiorihus Rerum." This Deficient is also
omitted from the margin of the paging. Now there is a very strong
parallel (we are about to endeavour to maintain), this Deficient
alludes to the Essays, because Bacon calls them " The Interim-
of Things," and to the final edition (published in " Operum
Moralium et Cidlium," by Rawley, 1638) we find this actual title
heading them, " Interionim Berum ." The Essays are undoubtedly
ethical, and this Seventh Book deals also with the "Will of
Man, which Bacon calls Moral Knowledge. The Essays are,
moreover, satirical, inasmuch as they censure and lay bare the
vices, follies, impostures, and subtle reaches of human character,
j^assions, and appetites. Such of the Essays as "Revenge,"
"Simulation and Dissimulation," "Envy," "Boldness," "Super-
stition," "Atheism," "Cunning," "Of Seeming Wise," "Sus-
picion," "Ambition," "Usury," "Deformity," "Vain Glory,"
"Anger," "Riches," "Fortune," "Of Nature in Men," "Of
AVisdom for a man's self," &c., are really a keen analysis of the
impostures, frauds, vices, and passions in human natiu'e. And
we must be careful not to rely too much on the bare titles
of these Essays, which are mingled and obscured with
others (Prophecies, Plantations, Expense, Judicature, Faction,
&c.), purposely to veil by art their close approximation to the
characters of the Drama, inasmuch as Ave find their " Antifheta"
(which are connected with them) in the Sixth Book of the " De
Augmentis," as Appendices (see Platform) to Rhetoric (or illustra-
tion of Speech), giving us further the titles "Pride," "Ingratitude,"
"Cruelty," "Loquacity," "Flattery," "Silence," "Violent Coun-
sels," "Incontinence," Avith other subjects already existing as
Essays ("Beauty," "Youth," "Health," "Riches," "Fortune,"
"Empire," "Nature," "Superstition," &c.). We find these
" Antitheta " have each a i)articular Essay to which they belong.
This has been already pointed out l)y AVhately (Essays) and

'' ANTITHETA" IN BACON, ETC. 149

by Di- Abbott (Essays). What we ideally are striving to draw
attention to, is first, that the "De Augmentis," is a "jrrepara-
iive or hey for the better opening of the Instauration" and that
these introductions or sketches and titles in connection with
other works of Bacon's, are so placed as to show us the use they
are intended to serve. Thus all these " Antitheta" (following the
"Colours of Good and Evil") are part of Bacon's system of
Delivery, and come under the great heading of Tradition or
Elocution, ivhich latter Bacon terms Poetry (See Platform of Book
VI., "Advancement of Learning," 1640).

Archbishop Whately, in the Preface to the Essays (1860),
remarks : — ■" He is throughout, and especially in his Essays, one
of the most suggestive authors that ever wrote. And it is re-
markable that, compressed and pithy as the Essays are, and
consisting chiefly of brief hints, he has elsewhere condensed into
a still smaller compass the matter of most of them. In his
Rhetoric (Sixth Book ' De Augmentis') he has drawn up what
he calls ' Antitheta,' or common-places, 'locos,' i.e., pros and cons,
opposite sentiments and reasons on various points, most of them
the .^ame that are discussed in the Essays. It is a compendious and
clear mode of bringing before the mind the most important
points in any question, to place in parallel columns, as Bacon
has done, whatever can be plausibly urged, fairly or unfairly,
on opposite sides; and then you are in the condition of a judge who
has to decide some muse after having heard all the pleadings. I have
accordingly appended to most of the Essays some of Bacon's
' Antitheta ' on the same subjects " (page v.).

The important point is, Bacon introduces these ^^ Antitheta"
as " Pronqjtaary part of Rhetoric" (following the "Colours of
Good and Evil"), or as "a second collection or preparatory
store"; and in "The Two Books of the Advancement" (1605)
we find the early sketch of this now more developed germ
entitled, '^Preparation and Suggestion," coming under "Literate
Experience and Interpretation of Nature" (pages 51, 52). "And
we see the ancient -writers of Rhetoric do give it in precept:

15° " ANTITBETA" IN BACON, ETC.

That Pleaders should hare the places ivherenf theij have most cmitiunal
use,. ready handled hi all the varieties that mmj he, as that to speak for
the literal interpretation of the law against equiti/ and contrary ; and to
speak fry)- p-esumptions and inferences against testimony and contrary."
Archbishop Whately remarks : — " Several of these ' Antitheta '
were either adopted by Bacon from proverbial use, or have
(through him) become proverbs." This is perfectly true, for
a vast number of them do come from the proverbs of Solomon,
a collection of which is one of the curious features of the " Ad-
vancement of Learning." Whately continues : " Proverbs accord-
ingly are somewhat analogous to those medical formulas which
being in frequent use, are kept ready made up in the chemists'
shops, and which often save the framing of a distinct proposi-
tion " (page vi., Preface, " Essays "). Now this is exactly what
Bacon saj's of his "Antitheta," though in other words. He calls
them ^^ seeds," ^^ store," "skeins, or bottoms of thread to be draion out
and imwvnded into larger discourse as occasion should be pre-
sented." And he concludes : " Seeing they are seeds and not
floimrs." Our conviction is they are the seeds of tlie Shake-
speare {so called) Theatre ; being the pithy abstract of certain
virtues and vices, passions and affections, or attributes of human
characters portrayed in action in the plays. And we are to unwind
these "skeins of thread," develop these seeds by analysing the
plots and the motives of each particular play. They seem to us
texts for and against. The headings alone of these " Antitheta "
do a tale unfold, inasmuch as they constitute not only a supple-
ment to the subjects of the Essays, but speak loudly enough
for themselves, as the colours of the dramatic artist, viz. : " F/ide,"
"Envy," " Berenge," "Boldness," "Ingratitude," "Incontinence,"
"Vain-Glory," ^^ Cruelty," which we may term vices. Then we
also find these headings : " Braise," " Fortitude," " Temperance,"
" Constancy," " Blagnanimity," " Learning," " Love," " Fiiendship,"
"Beauty," "Youth," "Nobility;' " Biches," "Honours," "Fortune,"
" Empire." These are connected with the Essays — at least most
of them. And there seems to be a probability Bacon disguised

' ' A NT I THE TA " IN BA CON, ETC. 151

the titles of some of the Essays, and mixed them up with sul)jects
not coimected with the Theatre at first sight. For exam})le,
Bacon Avrites in a letter to Bishop Andrews: "And again for
that my Book of Advancement of Learning, may be some
2) reparative or key for the letter opening of the Instauration ;
because it exhibits a mixture of new conceits and old " (Pre-
fixed to the Advertisement of the "Holy War"). Again, evi-
dently alluding to this particular work, which he considered
his favourite writing: "Therefore, having not long since set
forth a j)art of my Instauration, which is the work that in mine

own judgment (Si niunquam fallit imago) I do most esteem

Yet, nevertheless, I have just cause to doubt that it flies too high
over 77ie)i's heads" (Ibid.). In a letter to Dr Playfer on this same
work : " And therefore the j^nvatmess of the langimge considered,
wherein it is written, excluding so many readers ; as on the other
side the obscurity of the argument, in many parts of it, excludeth
many others, &c." (Part I., "Resus.," p. 28). It appears as
if Bacon associated himself personally with this particular work.
For in a letter to Sir Thomas Bodley, upon sending his book
of "Advancement of Learning," we read : "And the second copy
I have sent unto you, not only in good affection, but in a kind
of congruify, in regard of your great and rare desert of learning.
For Books are the shrines where the Saint is or believed to be.
And you having built an Ark to save learning from deluge, deserve
propriety in any new instrument or engine whereby learning
should be improved or advanced." It is very difficult to com-
prehend in what sense Bacon signifies the " Advancement " to
be a ^^preparative or key for the better opening of the Instauration " 1

Dr Abbott, in his scholarly introduction to Bacon's "Essays,"
writes that the latter "embody the Antitheta " (page xvii.). Now
this is well worthy attention, because it shows these Essays
were written without any particular bias, but embrace both sides
of their subjects in pro and contra. And therefore the attempt
to extract any opinion as to Bacon's particular subjectivity out of
them is as absurd as the laying of weight upon selections out of

152 '' ANTITHETA" IN BACON, ETC.

the plays, to illustrate their author. Why were these " Antitheta"
not pul)lished with the Essays % Why are they to be found in
the "De Augmentis," and particularly in the Sixth Book handling
Traditive Art, that is the " Deliveiij of Secret Knouiedge " to Pos-
terity 1 The " Colours of Good and Evil " were published with
the Essays in 1597 (first edition). And we refind them in this
Sixth Book of the " De Augmentis " entitled " Prowftuary part of
Rhetoric,'^ and appendices of the " JFisduiii of Private Speech,'' so
that they are evidently introduced here as helps, aids, or cues to
something else that is "prirafe " (or obscure) and traditive ! I take the
entire Sixth Book of the "De Augmentis," to consist of nothing but
the different methods and ways, by which Bacon has determined
to hand on to us, the problem of the authorship of the plays.

Upon page 209, Book IV., of the "Advancement of Learning,"
1640, we find Bacon writing of "Divination " and of the "Facul-
ties of the Soul." Very strangely the paging proceeds correctly
to page 280, when it suddenly hecomes 209, falsely mispaged,
and continues for eight pages, Avhen once more it takes up the
correct paging, 289, as if there had been no lapses. Now it is
very remarkable this false page, 209 (Ins), Book VI., introduces
us to the relationship of Logic to Ethic, and upon page 210*
to the " Wisdom of Private Speech," embracing the " Colours of
Good and Evil." There can be, no doid^t, the last point to the
Essays, for they were pul)lished together in 1597. And this is
corroborated by the '■^ Antitheta" (which follow iipon the
" Colours of Good and Evil "), being the kernels or pith of the
Essays placed pro and con. This needs no apology as a state-
ment, for it has not only been recognised by Whately and Dr
Abbott, but the ^^ Antitheta" speak loudly enough for themselves
as to their origins. The " Colours of Good and Evil " are examples
of the working of these " Antitheta," that is, with the sophisms,
re-argued by Bacon.

* This page 210 is exactly the double of page 10.5, ujmn loMch latter Poetry
is first discussed. It is striking to find that 105 is the sum of tJie two first false
pagings 52 aiid 53, Shalxspmres age 1616, full years and year he had just
entered.