Chapter X

SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY CURIOSITIES
" That every word dotli almost sel my name, Shewing their birth and where they did proceed ?"
Shakespeare's Sonnets, 1609 (No. 76).
Bacon could see his name upon the headings of all the Sonnet pages. " Shakespeare's " means " Shakespeare is." Is what ? Sonnets. Well ? The count of Sonnets is 100. The count of Francis Bacon is 100. To Bacon the headlines affirmed, " Shakespeare 'is Francis Bacon." Note the precaution of not using " tell " in the Sonnet line above. He did not desire any contemporary counting.
Emblemata, 1616
The actor, William Shakespeare, of Stratford-upon-Avon, who well played his part of ascribed author of certain of Bacon's poems and plays, died in April, 1616. " That he grew immortal in his own despight," is quite true. From all there is to be known, no discredit attaches to his name in respect of this authorship business. He made no personal claim to authorship of the writings ascribed to him, and he may have considered the position in which he was situated an intolerable burden, whether he was well paid for it or not. Requiescat in pace. Bacon was the cause of all the trouble. Blame him if you will, but reserve a little for your own lack of imagination and perceptive power. Had you searched under the 1616 date for a book to tell you all about it, you would have found one in every way satisfying. It was printed at Amsterdam, and was entitled.