Bacon is Shake-Speare. Durning-Lawrence Edwin

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СКАЧАТЬ ere they seeme being euen at the best

                  They are but sporting fortunes scornfull iests.

      Can these last two lines refer to Shakspeare the actor seeming to be the poet? Note that they are spoken by Philomusus that is friend of the poetic muse. Mark also the words "this mimick apes." Notice especially "with mouthing words that better wits haue framed, they purchase lands and now Esquiers are made" i.e. get grants of arms. Who at this period among mimics excepting W. Shakspeare of Stratford purchased lands and obtained also a grant of arms?

      That this sneer "mouthing words that better wits have framed" must have been aimed at Shakspeare is strongly confirmed by the tract (reprinted by Halliwell-Phillipps in his "Outlines of Shakespeare," 1889, Vol. I, p. 325) which is called "Ratsei's Ghost or the second part of his mad prankes and Robberies."

      This pamphlet bears no date, but was entered at Stationers' Hall May 31st 1605. There is only a single copy in existence, which used to be in Earl Spencer's library at Althorp but is now in the Rylands; Library at Manchester. As I said, it is reprinted by Halliwell-Phillipps, and Stratfordians are obliged to agree with him that the reference is unquestionably to "Wm Shakespeare of Stratford." The most important part which is spoken by Ratsei the robber to a country player is as follows: —

       Ratsei. And for you sirra, saies hee to the chiefest of them, thou hast a good presence upon a stage; methinks thou darkenst thy merite by playing in the country. Get thee to London, for if one man were dead, they will have much neede of such a one as thou art. There would be none in my opinion fitter then thyselfe to play his parts. My conceipt is such of thee, that I durst venture all the mony in my purse on thy head to play Hamlet with him for a wager. There thou shalt learn to be frugall, – for players were never so thriftie as they are now about London – and to feed upon all men, to let none feede upon thee; to make thy hand a stranger to thy pocket, thy hart slow to performe thy tongues promise, and when thou feelest thy purse well lined, buy thee some place of lordship in the country, that, growing weary of playing, thy mony may there bring thee to dignitie and reputation; then thou needest care for no man, nor not for them that before made thee prowd with speaking their words upon the stage.

      The whole account of buying a place in the country, of feeding upon all men (that is lending money upon usury) of never keeping promises, of never giving anything in charity, agrees but too well with the few records we possess of the man of Stratford. And therefore Stratfordians are obliged to accept Halliwell-Phillipps' dictum that this tract called Ratsei's Ghost refers to the actor of Stratford and that "he needed not to care for them that before made him proud with speaking their words upon the stage." How is it possible that Stratfordians can continue to refuse to admit that the statement in the "Return from Pernassus" "with mouthing words that better wits haue framed they purchase lands and now Esquiers are made" must also refer to the Stratford Actor?

      CHAPTER VI

      Shackspere's Correspondence!

      There is only a single letter extant addressed to Shakspeare, and this asks for a loan of £30 It is dated 25th October 1598, and is from Richard Quiney. It reads

      "Loveinge Countreyman I am bolde of vow as of a ffrende,

      craveinge yowr helpe wth xxxll vppon mr Bushells & my

      securytee or mr Myttons wth me. mr Rosswell is nott come

      to London as yeate & I have especiall cawse. yow shall

      ffrende me muche in helpeinge me out of all the debttes I

      owe in London I thancke god & muche quiet my mynde wch

      wolde nott be indebeted I am nowe towardes the Cowrte in

      hope of answer for the dispatche of my Buysenes. yow shall

      nether loase creddytt nor monney by me the Lorde wyllinge

      and nowe butt perswade yowr selfe soe as I hope & yow shall

      nott need to feare butt wth all hartie thanckefullenes I wyll

      holde my tyme & content yowr ffrende & yf we Bargaine

      farther yow shalbe the paie mr yowr selfe. my tyme biddes me

      hasten to an ende & soe I committ thys [to] yowr care & hope

      of yowr helpe. I feare I shall nott be backe thys night ffrom

      the Cowrte. haste, the Lorde be wth yow & with us all

      amen

      ffrom the Bell in Carter Lane the 25 October 1598.

      yowrs in all kyndenes

Ryc. Quyney

      (addressed)

      LS To my Loveinge good ffrend

      & contreymann mr wm

      Shackespere d[e]l[ive]r thees."

      This letter is the only letter known to exist which was ever addressed to William Shackspere, the illiterate householder of Stratford, who as has been pointed out in these pages was totally unable to read a line of print, or to write even his own name. There are however in existence three, and three only, contemporary letters referring in any way to him, and these are not about literature with which the Stratford man had nothing whatever to do – but about mean and sordid small business transactions.

      One is from Master Abraham Sturley, who writes in 1598 to a friend in London in reference to Shakspeare lending "Some monei on some od yarde land or other att Shottri or neare about us."

      Another is dated Nov. 4th 1598, and is from the same Abraham Sturley to Richard Quiney in which we are told that "our countriman Mr Wm Shak would procure us monei wc I will like of."

      A third from Adrian Quiney written (about 1598-1599) to his son Rycharde Quiney in which he says "yff yow bargen with Wm Sha or receve money therfor, brynge youre money homme."

      There exists no contemporary letter from anyone to anyone, referring to the Stratford actor as being a poet or as being in any way connected with literature. But from the Court Records we learn that;

      In 1600 Shakespeare brought action against John Clayton in London for £7 and got judgment in his favour. He also sued Philip Rogers of Stratford for two shillings loaned.

      In 1604 he sued Philip Rogers for several bushels of malt sold to him at various times between March 27th and the end of May of that year, amounting in all to the value of £1. 15s. 10d. The poet a dealer in malt?

      In 1608 he prosecuted John Addenbroke to recover a debt of £6 and sued his surety Horneby.

      Halliwell-Phillipps tells us that "The precepts as appears from

      memoranda in the originals, were issued by the poet's solicitor Thomas

      Greene who was then residing under some unknown conditions3 at

      New Place."

      Referring to these sordid stories, Richard Grant White, that strong believer in the Stratford man, says in his "Life and genius of William Shakespeare," p. 156 "The pursuit of an impoverished man for the sake of imprisoning him and depriving him both of the power of paying his debts and supporting himself and his family, is an СКАЧАТЬ