CHAPTER VIIl.

HISTORY, POETRY, AND PHILOSOPHY.

In the relationship of History to Poetry may be refound some
profound study by Bacon of Aristotle (" De Augmentis "). Aris-
totle writes : — " The difference between the liidoriiui and the poet
is not that one speaks in verse and the other in prose. The real
distinction is, that the one relates what has been, the other what
might have been. On this account Poetry is more philosophical and
a more excellent thing than history, for poetry is conversant with
the universal, history with the particular." How frequently
Bacon implies the same thing may be seen in the following-
passages : — -" By Poesy in this place, we understand nothing l)ut
feigned Histoi'ij or fables." " Historij is properhj uf individuals circmn-
scribed within time and place." "Poesy in that sense we have
expounded it, is likewise of individiuds, fancied to the similitude of
those things which in true history are recorded, yet so as often it
exceeds measure ; and those things which in nature would never
meet, nor come to pass, Poes;/ composeth and introduceth at
pleasure, even as Painting doth" (p. 77, Book H., "Advance-
ment," 1640). There is a relationship implied here between
History and Poetry, the one being circumscribed to time and
place, the other not so. Again, " for a true narration may be
composed in verse, and a feigned in prose. In the latter sense Ave
have already determined it a principal member of learning, and
have placed it next unto history, seeing it is nothing else than
imitation (f historg at pleasure" (Poetry, Book II. p. 105, "Ad-
vancement," 1640). Again, ^^ Dramatical or Pepresentative (Poetry)
is, as it Avere, a visible history" (p. 106). AVe may perceive how
determined Bacon is to class History and Poetry together, as
particular and universal aspects of past and present history.

154 HISTORY, POETRY, AND PHILOSOPHY.

Let us consider that out of the thirty-six plays of the 1623
Folio, no less than ten are entitled " Histories," and are nothing Ijut
^^ feigned histories," or "iinitatioii of history at ])leaswe," in exactly
the sense Bacon inculcates in the passage quoted. If we add to
the Chronicle plays, the historical j^lays of " Coriolanus," "Julius
Csesar," "Timon of Athens," "Titus Andronicus," "Antony and
Cleopatra," " Macbeth," how great is the number of these ^^ feigned
histmies" treated poetically, and ^^ fancied to the similitude of those
things which in true history are recorded " / Indeed, almost the
entire Folio consists of plays of this character. For " Hamlet,"
" Lear," " Othello," " Cymbeline," though not so strictly in accord
Avith history as the chronicles and classical plays, are nevertheless
each founded upon, and Avoven round certain historical figures,
traditions, or myths the dramatist borrowed from. " Hamlet,"
taken from Saxo-Grammaticus, has an historical basis for facts.
Cymbeline really lived ; his uncle, Cassibulan, holding for chief
town Verolaninm (or Verulam), the site of St Albans, Bacon's home.
" Othello " (borroAved from Cinthio's novel) has probably some
origin in fact. In short, the only plays not of this character of
^^ feigned history " are the Comedies, if even certain pieces like the
" Comedy of Errors " borroAved from Plautus, do not belong to
" Dramatic history " redressed 1 Only thirteen plays out of
thirty-six do not belong to Avhat, strictly speaking, is only
"feigned history," as Bacon calls poetry. Therefore, in classing
History and Poetry together, in an interchangeable sense of past
made present, and calling dramatical poetry "visible history,"
Bacon is perfectly logical, and at the same time presents us Avith
a hint for the greater part of the character of the 1623 Folio.

We are bound to alloAv the possible truth of the theory we
postulate in connection with this cipher problem, that the plays
may contain a great deal more " true narration " though Avritten
"in verse," than Ave imagine. So likeAvise this actual book of
" De Augmentis " Ave quote from, may contain a great deal
"feigned in prose," seeing it is "obscurely" written and the " ptivate-
ness (f the langimge excludeth so rimny remiers " as Bacon Avrites.

HISTORY, POETRY, AND PHILOSOPHY. 155

Much of Bacon's poetry or "feigned hisfori/," may cOMtain real
history of " /i/v'.s'," and " relafinns," and "times," as yet hidden in
UTidiscovered cipher. But be this true or no, Poetry is nothing
but Memory or feigned History, and it seems to us almost
evident. Bacon introduces History with regard to Poetry and
with regard to Memory or Cudody (chap. v. Book V.), which we
find immediately followed by the great book of Delivery or
Ciphers. Indeed it is not going too far to suggest, it is impossible
to imagine three more perfect foundations than Memory, Imagina-
tion, and Reason, emanating into History, Poetry, and Philo-
sophy, as three great principles (imj^lying faculties of the mind),
underlying a philosophical Drama, intended for revelation or
discovery. In the light of a great Cipher Key work, pointing to
the plays, this book of "De Augmentis," is sufficiently pregnant
in these tripartite divisions (bracketed together in the table or
platform of the design) to suggest all we claim for the character
of this work. If Bacon had been no poet, we suggest he would
not have thus brought poetry into prominence and classed it
amongst the sciences. The Avork is the basement, door, and
access to a structure of literature, and nobody we maintain knew
this better than the writer. "Poetry is not a hwivledge," he writes,
"hut a play of ivit," * and the scientific air with which he disguises
all this Avas only part of his design. What Ave ask has the
Instauration, of which this is the first pto-Tt (called a preparative or
key for the better opening of it) to do Avith Poetry and History 1
Let those who would reply " the Avork is only an enumeration
and review of the chief divisions of learning " study the prefaces.
They will see the Great Instauration is an entire tvhole, and,
moreover, a creative whole (compared to the six days), one part
to be applied to another part, and embracing types of invention as
examples of illustration to the Baconian logic or inductive system.
In the "Advancement and Proficience of Learning," 1605

* In spite of this statement, Bacon makes Poetry one of the Foundations of
his "Advancement of Learning " ! The fact that his third faculty, " Reason,"
should consist of "Ciphers" and "Delivery of Secret Knowledge" is suspicious.

156 HISTORY, POETRY, AND PHILOSOPHY.

{which may be considei^ed the fird hiiili of the 1623 " De
Augmentis ") we read : — " It (Poetry) is taken in two senses in
respect of words or matter." " In the first sense it is but a char-
acter of style and belongeth to arts of speech, and is not pertinent
for the present. In the latter it is (as hath been said) one of the
princijcial ])ortions of learning, and is nothing else but feigned history,
which may be styled as well in prose as verse" (Book II., iii. 4). It
is most important to note the distinction Bacon makes between
woixls and riuitter Avith regard to poetry. For he evidently must
have had some reason for so doing. And we get a hint in the
words, " So as theology consisteth also of history of the Church,
of parables, which is divine poesy." This thoroughly is in keeping
with his statement that Poetry is "feigned history," which may
be styled as Avell in prose as in verse. In the "Advancement of
Learning," 1640, he writes: — "As for Narrative Poesy, or, if you
please, Heroical (so you understand it of the matter, not of the verse),
it seems to be raised altogether from a noble foundation " (p.
106). Again, " Representative (Poe/ry Draimitical) is as a visible
history, and is an image of actions as if they were present, as
history is of actions in nature as they are (that is) past" (1605,