CHAPTER XXIII. CONCLUSION. THE issue raised and argued in the foregoing pages is the origin of those works, plays, and poems which go under the name of Shakespeare; an issue which, so far as the plays are concerned, divides itself into two branches : I. Are they original compositions? II. Who were, or was the authors or author? In endeavouring to answer these questions we have shown-— 1. That English literature, when the plays appeared, was extensively tinctured with classical learning (Chap. I.). 2. That the drama, which had just come into fashion, was formed on classical models (Chap. II. 3. That the characteristics of the plays show they were written by learned men (Chap. III.). 4. That so far, however, from being original, their originals are to be found, respectively, in the Greek, Roman, Spanish and Italian drama (Chaps. IV., V., VI., VII.). 5. That the incidence of their publication does not reveal the author (Chap. XI.). 6. That William Shakespeare's literary character, as gathered from contemporary opinion, was not such as became the author of the plays (Chaps. XII. and XIII.). 7. That his personal character was consistent with that of a literary impostor, whose wealth had enabled him to make use of needy scholars (Chap. XIV.). 8. That such scholars were numerous and their necessities pressing (Chaps. I. and XV.). 9. That, in fact, more than six such scholars employed by him to write plays were named or referred to by a contemporary in 1592 (Chaps. XV., XVI., XVII.). 10. That another contemporary asserted in 1589 that the author of ' Hamlet' was a lawyer; and that while Shakespeare was none, Francis Bacon was a poet of distinguished learning and genius, and the only lawyer of the time likely to engage in such an employment, as he was the only one capable of writing 'Hamlet' (Chap. XVIII.)' 11. And that Robert Greene, Christopher U Marlowe, Thomas Nash, George Peele, Samuel Daniel, Thomas Lodge, George Chapman, and Francis Bacon were respectively the authors of 'Love's Labour's Lost,' and the Comedy of Errors,' the second and third parts of Henry VI.,' and 'Richard III.', 'The Winter's Tale,' 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' ' Romeo and Juliet,' 'Love's Labour Won (As You Like It),' 'Macbeth' and 'The Tempest,' and 'Hamlet' (Chaps. XV., XVI., XVII., and XVIII.). 12. That, in consequence of the great favour with which 'Hamlet' was received in or before 1589, Shakespeare engaged Francis Bacon, under a promise of secrecy, to revise the plays he had obtained or should obtain from other authors; and that Robert Greene and others ascribed the revision to Shakespeare himself, and therefore taunted him with pretending he could "bombast out a blank verse as well as the best of them' (Chaps. XIX., and XV.). 13. That as Bacon's composition of 'Hamlet' is proved by the parallel passages found in his acknowledged works (Chap. XVIII.); so his revision of the other plays-excepting always 'Titus Andronicus,' 'Love's Labour's Lost,' and the Comedy of Errors -is proved not only by parallel passages, but by the presence of his tone of thought, mode of illustration and personal experience; and that 'Julius Cæsar,' 'Antony and Cleopatra,' Coriolanus,' 'Timon of Athens,' and Henry VIII.' were also his entire composition (Chaps. XIX. and XX.). 14. That the best pieces in the series are reproductions of more archaic plays; but that, so far as English beauties are concerned, Francis Bacon, with some assistance from Samuel Daniel, is the genius of Shakespeare. 15. The Sonnets of Shakespeare,' we find to be the production of Anthony and Francis Bacon and some of the friends of Francis (Chap. XXI.), and Venus and Adonis,' and 'The Rape of Lucrece,' of Christopher Marlowe. |