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9； Love's Labour's Lost in 1589； Two Gentlemen of Verona in 1589 or 1590； and so forth； and then asks； 〃with this catalogue of dramatic work on hand 。 。 。 was it possible that he could have taken a leading part in the management and conduct of two theatres； and if Mr。 Phillipps is to be relied upon； taken his share in the performances of the provincial tours of his companyand at the same time devoted himself to the study of the law in all its branches so efficiently as to make himself complete master of its principles and practice； and saturate his mind with all its most technical terms？〃
I have cited this passage from Lord Penzance's book； because it lay before me； and I had already quoted from it on the matter of Shakespeare's legal knowledge； but other writers have still better set forth the insuperable difficulties； as they seem to me； which beset the idea that Shakespeare might have found time in some unknown period of early life； amid multifarious other occupations； for the study of classics； literature and law； to say nothing of languages and a few other matters。 Lord Penzance further asks his readers： 〃Did you ever meet with or hear of an instance in which a young man in this country gave himself up to legal studies and engaged in legal employments； which is the only way of becoming familiar with the technicalities of practice； unless with the view of practicing in that profession？ I do not believe that it would be easy； or indeed possible； to produce an instance in which the law has been seriously studied in all its branches； except as a qualification for practice in the legal profession。〃
This testimony is so strong； so direct； so authoritative； and so uncheapened； unwatered by guesses； and surmises； and maybe…so's； and might…have…beens； and could…have…beens； and must…have…beens； and the rest of that ton of plaster of paris out of which the biographers have built the colossal brontosaur which goes by the Stratford actor's name； that it quite convinces me that the man who wrote Shakespeare's Works knew all about law and lawyers。 Also； that that man could not have been the Stratford Shakespeareand WASN'T。
Who did write these Works； then？
I wish I knew。
CHAPTER IX
Did Francis Bacon write Shakespeare's Works？
Nobody knows。
We cannot say we KNOW a thing when that thing has not been proved。 KNOW is too strong a word to use when the evidence is not final and absolutely conclusive。 We can infer； if we want to； like those slaves 。 。 。 No； I will not write that word； it is not kind； it is not courteous。 The upholders of the Stratford…Shakespeare superstition call US the hardest names they can think of； and they keep doing it all the time； very well； if they like to descend to that level； let them do it； but I will not so undignify myself as to follow them。 I cannot call them harsh names； the most I can do is to indicate them by terms reflecting my disapproval； and this without malice； without venom。
To resume。 What I was about to say； was； those thugs have built their entire superstition upon INFERENCES； not upon known and established facts。 It is a weak method； and poor； and I am glad to be able to say our side never resorts to it while there is anything else to resort to。
But when we must； we must； and we have now arrived at a place of that sort。
Since the Stratford Shakespeare couldn't have written the Works； we infer that somebody did。 Who was it； then？ This requires some more inferring。
Ordinarily when an unsigned poem sweeps across the continent like a tidal wave； whose roar and boom and thunder are made up of admiration； delight and applause； a dozen obscure people rise up and claim the authorship。 Why a dozen； instead of only one or two？ One reason is； because there's a dozen that are recognizably competent to do that poem。 Do you remember 〃Beautiful Snow〃？ Do you remember 〃Rock Me to Sleep； Mother； Rock Me to Sleep〃？ Do you remember 〃Backward； turn backward； O Time； in thy flight！ Make me a child again just for to…night〃？ I remember them very well。 Their authorship was claimed by most of the grown…up people who were alive at the time； and every claimant had one plausible argument in his favor； at least： to wit； he could have done the authoring； he was competent。
Have the Works been claimed by a dozen？ They haven't。 There was good reason。 The world knows there was but one man on the planet at the time who was competentnot a dozen； and not two。 A long time ago the dwellers in a far country used now and then to find a procession of prodigious footprints stretching across the plain footprints that were three miles apart； each footprint a third of a mile long and a furlong deep； and with forests and villages mashed to mush in it。 Was there any doubt as to who had made that mighty trail？ Were there a dozen claimants？ Were there two？ Nothe people knew who it was that had been along there： there was only one Hercules。
There has been only one Shakespeare。 There couldn't be two； certainly there couldn't be two at the same time。 It takes ages to bring forth a Shakespeare； and some more ages to match him。 This one was not matched before his time； nor during his time； and hasn't been matched since。 The prospect of matching him in our time is not bright。
The Baconians claim that the Stratford Shakespeare was not qualified to write the Works； and that Francis Bacon was。 They claim that Bacon possessed the stupendous equipmentboth natural and acquiredfor the miracle； and that no other Englishman of his day possessed the like； or； indeed； anything closely approaching it。
Macaulay； in his Essay； has much to say about the splendor and horizonless magnitude of that equipment。 Also； he has synopsized Bacon's history： a thing which cannot be done for the Stratford Shakespeare； for he hasn't any history to synopsize。 Bacon's history is open to the world； from his boyhood to his death in old agea history consisting of known facts； displayed in minute and multitudinous detail； FACTS； not guesses and conjectures and might… have…beens。
Whereby it appears that he was born of a race of statesmen； and had a Lord Chancellor for his father； and a mother who was 〃distinguished both as a linguist and a theologian： she corresponded in Greek with Bishop Jewell； and translated his Apologia from the Latin so correctly that neither he nor Archbishop Parker could suggest a single alteration。〃 It is the atmosphere we are reared in that determines how our inclinations and aspirations shall tend。 The atmosphere furnished by the parents to the son in this present case was an atmosphere saturated with learning； with thinkings and ponderings upon deep subjects； and with polite culture。 It had its natural effect。 Shakespeare of Stratford was reared in a house which had no use for books； since its owners； his parents； were without education。 This may have had an effect upon the son； but we do not know； because we have no history of him of an informing sort。 There were but few books anywhere； in that day； and only the well…to…do and highly educated possessed them； they being almost confined to the dead languages。 〃All the valuable books then extant in all the vernacular dialects of Europe would hardly have filled a single shelf〃imagine it！ The few existing books were in the Latin tongue mainly。 〃A person who was ignorant of it was shut out from all acquaintancenot merely with Cicero and Virgil； but with the most interesting memoirs； state papers； and pamphlets of his own time〃a literature necessary to the Stratford lad； for his fictitious reputation's sake； since the writer of his Works would begin to use it wholesale and in a most masterly way before the lad was hardly more than out of his teens and into his twenties。
At fifteen Bacon was sent to the university； and he spent three years there。 Thence he went to Paris in the train of the English Ambassador； and there he mingled daily with the wise； the cultured； the great； and the aristocracy of fashion； during another three years。 A total of six years spent at the sources of knowledge； knowledge both of books and of men。 The three spent at the university were coeval with the second and last three spent by the lit