WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS THREE FRIENDS BEN, ANTHONIE and FRANCIS FRANK A. KENDALL THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BEQUEST OF PROFESSOR JOHN S. P. TATLOCK WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS THREE FRIENDS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS THREE FRIENDS BEN, ANTHONIE and FRANCIS By FRANK A. KENDALL W. A. BUTTERFIELD BOSTON 1911 Copyright, jgil By Frank A. Kendall u Hc't Cd^ f3Zf " Firft my feare then my curfie, laft my fpeech. My feare, is your difpleafure, my curfy, my duty, & my fpeech, to beg your pardons : if you looke for a good fpeech now, you vndo me, for what I haue to fay is of mine owne making, and what indeed ( I fhould fay ) wil ( I doubt ) proue mine own mar- ring : but to the purpofe, and fo to the venture." ^ IVilUam Shakespeare And His Three Friends WHAT IS AN ACROSTIC What is an acrostic ? We know what is meant by the word today. Had it formerly a broader meaning? In 1682, in the course of a merciless and withering satire, John Dryden wrote in " Macflecknoe" — " Thy genius calls thee not to purchase fame In keen iambics, but mild anagram. Leave writing plays, and choose for thy command Some peaceful province in Acrostic land. Where thou mayest Wings display and Altars raise And torture one poor word ten thousand ways." The satire was directed against Shadwell ; the references were to certain literary tricks which Dryden affects to despise ; and it is probable that he had especially in mind George Herbert (1593- 1632), selections from whose writings justify literally the mention of "anagram," "Wings" and "Altars." "MILD ANAGRAM" An anagram, as the reader knows, consists of the formation of a word from the identical letters of another word. Here is one of Herbert's which is certainly mild : — . f Mary > ^■\ Armt l^""' Ow well her name an Army doth prcfenli In whom the Lordofbojisdid. pitch his tent! H 8 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE "WINGS DISPLAY" The following poem of Herbert's appears in two stanzas on two facing pages, under the title " Eafter wings." It is an example of a reverent and devotional attitude of mind expressed in what at first sight seems to us a fanciful and almost trivial form ; but as scholarly and balanced a critic as Professor Palmer finds in this poem a decadence and growth in the thought of the lines corre- sponding to their varied length. * 34 The Church, f Eafter wings. The Church ^ Eafter wings. 35 ntt Ei. a- S -., "-s o c" „ s 2 o c= 3- O. ai 5' a 3 »■ 3 ST- S> '» S ^ 2 S g 5 .S cw »• s-w s> q " B £- 2 S S "^ & B o* » O S> S- 5r> » 3 S * » 9 O. o 3 o > 3* 3 >T3 r n #-» 3 Moftt With [y tender age in fo And ftill with fickneffi Thou didft fo punifli this day thy mp my win all advance o o o 3 a- f 8 2t 5' s n 1.^ a- n n K 3 f» *' < » » q f% 5 a » o a s « o a. ric: thine, flight It B- 'I 1 I Eafter H. Ba- » " The form of this poem is not dictated by imitative considerations merely, but — as usual with Herbert — is shaped by the subject, in this case decline and enlargement." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 9 "ALTARS RAISE" Herbert also wrote a poem entitled " The Altar." The form which these lines fill needs no explanation, but like the other poem, it shows the effect on a devout mind of the current love for the curious. ^be Church. -SjuWfiJcsSs&feSiiS^^ The Altar. A broken Altar, Lord , thy fervant reares , Made of a heart , and cemented with tearet : Whofe parts are as thy hand did frame; No workmans tool hath touch'd the fame. A H £ A R T alone Is fach a ftone. As nothing but Thy pow'r doth cut. Wherefore each part Of my hard heart Meets in this frame. To praife thy name. That ii I chance to hold my peace, Thefe ftones to praife thee may not ceafe. O let thy bleffed Sacrifice be mine. And fan£tifie this Altar to be thine. These examples show what attention literary men paid to mere outward form while still treating their subjects with care and force and even with reverence. They also show the control of the printer that the author was forced to exercise in order to be assured that his purpose would be fulfilled. But the chief object in presenting them here is to show the breadth of "Acrostic land," and that the word "acrostic" was applied generally to literary tricks. lo WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE "TORTURE ONE WORD TEN THOUSAND WAYS" I am in doubt as to what is meant by the line in " Macflecknoe " — " torture one poor word ten thousand ways." Perhaps a clue is furnished in a Latin poem of Herbert's where a series of anagrams on the word "Roma" occurs entitled ( Oram Maro Roma ; Anagr. I Ramo Armo \ Mora Amor Another clue to the meaning of the line " torture one poor word ten thousand ways " may perhaps be found in a tortuous form of acrostic which has lately attracted some attention. MR. BOOTH'S BOOK A work written by Mr. William Stone Booth * and published two years ago last May is worthy of much more study and more careful attention, even on the part of those who would not agree with its apparent conclusions, than has been given to it. After some interesting chapters on the use and users of curious literary devices, such as anagrams, ciphers, and acrostics, and on the currency of anonymity and pseudonymity, Mr. Booth discloses an " acrostic " method of structurally concealing words, names, or short statements within the text of a stanza, page, or passage, a sort of " Omnia per omnia" without necessarily distorting the structure or sense of the passage itself. THE ACROSTIC METHOD The method is simple, absolutely inflexible and easy to apply either in " inserting " or in " extracting " the hidden word or phrase. The acrostics appear usually in three forms : — On Initials. On Terminals, (i.e. on the letters at either end of the words of the text). On all the letters of all words. * Some Acnxtic Signaturet of Francis Bacon. Houghton, Mifflin Co. AND HIS THREE FRIENDS ii Whichever of these acrostics appears, the rule for finding them is the same, viz : — Begin with a suspicion or assumption or with a suggestion from the text, and having assumed the form and the word or words of the acrostic, take the first letter required and then, in order, the letters of the assumed words in the order in which they arc needed and in which they first appear in the text, following the text for- ward on one line and backward on the next, so that if the text were taken by each end and, as it were, pulled out, the text would appear as a consecutive string ; hence the name " String acrostic. " One must not pass a needed letter in order to make progress possible later in the text, but after checking one needed letter must check the next needed letter as he comes to it. It is evident that if an "acrostic" is to begin at any point whatever and to end at any point whatever, one may read anything he wishes if he read far enough. The first test of an acrostic is that it begin and end at such distinctive points as the first or last letter of a title, or a terminal of a corner word, or a printer's signa- ture, or a remarkably significant word ; or two or more acrostics thus beginning may end at a common point, or an acrostic may in some manner be " coextensive " with the text, i.e. beginning at a given point it shall follow around to that point again. The " String " feature is an ancient device * ; the sequence of the " next needed letter " combmed with the string is Mr. Booth's discovery or invention, — and whether a discovery or an invention Mr. Booth's ingenuity and the subtlety of the device are not to be denied. Even if there is not sufficient evidence to prove its actual use, it undoubtedly could have been used for the very purposes alleged by Mr. Booth, f • Claudian, writing at the beginning of the fifth century A.D., tells m his " de Bello Gothico " that Alaric was urged on to attack Rome by a voice which delivered to him these lines ; — ** Kumfie omneij AlaricCy moras^ hoc impigtr annO Alpibui Ilaliae rufth finelrahlt ad urbeM.'' A true acrostic {AKROS = "H the end": STICH0S=»3 line"), recognized as such by scholars, and indicated in at least two editions, is here presented, which, read forward on the first line and backward on the second line, on the " terminals " of the lines, gives " ROMA." t One of Mr. Booth's most intelligent critics names certain conditions, which if found would con- vince him of an intentional method. la WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Mr. Booth has shown the presence in " acrostics " of certain names and phrases which if intentional, are undoubtedly significant, in the passages in which they occur, though their significance is not necessarily " exclusive." Mr. Booth's argument for intention is based upon the dis- covery of each of these names or phrases in a series which it is claimed cannot be duplicated in passages taken at random from literature in general, although the phrase or na/ne is undoubtedly to be found here and there in random and unrelated passages. These series of acrostics have been compared to series of extraordinary deals at cards to the dealer's own advantage, while a number of similar deals occurring at various tables and at diverse times, would (like the occasional acrostics) have no significance. Granting, however, that such acrostics as Mr. Booth has traced occur with greater frequency in a given group than in the same num- ber of passages taken at random, and granting also that perfect acrostics do occur at random, how is the status of a given indi- vidual passage to be determined, if his series are all that can be discovered ? Moreover, it seems to the writer, neither Mr. Booth nor his critics have directed enough attention to two very important phases of the subject ; first, — the method itself apart from the application of the method to the building up of some theory of authorship ; secondly, — the discovery of significant acrostics in significant places even if these may not be repeated in series — for example the " Donna Leonora " acrostics in the Milton poems. The writer has been impressed by Mr. Booth's work, es- pecially by certain details and incidentals, and has found a study of the subject interesting and diverting. He has tried neither to prove nor to disprove its conclusions, but has attempted to see if the method were capable of further development. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS After two years' investigation it seems to the writer that he has determined the following facts : — some of them for conven- AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 13 ience stated in the form of answers to questions that are frequently asked. 1. ^«. Is it not possible to find acrostics anywhere? Ans. The occurrence of acrostics that are clearly accidental in random passages is much more frequent than one would gather from Mr Booth's assumptions. 2. ^«. Have you looked for other names ? With what result ? Ans. Yes. Occasional acrostics that lead to impos- sible conclusions are to be found to some extent in some of the passages in which Mr. Booth has found " Baconian " acrostics. 3. ^a. How could one write his fancy freely and keep these acrostics in his mind at the same time ? (assuming that the acrostics are not acci- dental). Ans. The first draft must have been written freely and the acrostics inserted afterwards, for the " tricking " of a passage in order to insert acrostics (even a considerable number of them in a few lines) is an easy process ; and the sense, meter, and even the wording need not greatly change, especially if the variant spelling of the i6th century is allowed. 4. ^a. Do some acrostics " work " and some not.? Ans. In attempting to read acrostics there are cer- tain words, names and phrases which it seems almost impossible to find at all, while others form a numerous series. Any of these would be equally significant if found with a frequency which could be proved to be unusual. 5. ^. How could Mr. Booth's evidence be rein- forced ? 14 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Ans. Within the text of certain exceptional passages certain words, names or phrases, and some- times several of these, may be traced in acrostics to a degree far beyond that which Mr. Booth's diagrams indicate. Such a proven exceptional and unusual repetition of significant acrostics would strengthen the evidence of intention in the acrostic method discovered or devised by Mr. Booth. 6. ^«. If this acrostic method is intentional what have you to say about other methods that other people present, the "bi-literal " cipher for instance ? Ans. I have not studied the application of the " bi- literal " cipher, but no matter what tricks may have been played with a given piece of text, when that text is in its final literal form, the " bi-litcral " cipher may be applied, as it is absolutely independent of the sense, spelling and division into lines, and depends entirely on the use of two different fonts of type. 7. ^. Are you not proving too much ? Ans. If I understand this frequent inquiry, it seems to me to beg the question. Distrusting my own negative testimony to a certain degree, I ask comparison of the discoveries shown in diagram with what it is possible to find in random and unrelated passages. It is my purpose to present to the reader, without argument and without attempting to defend or deny any theory of authorship or of intention, certain acrostics which by a little patience he may find in the page that forms the subject of this paper — or may read from the diagrams without the trouble of verifying them. AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 15 Those who wish to verify the acrostics may have the text always opposite the diagrams by unfolding the fly leaf at the end of the book. Acrostics in the diagrams are shown as follows : — On Initials — by Roman Capitals. On Terminals — by Italic Capitals. On All letters — by small letters. Unless otherwise stated acrostics are to be read on all letters. A few remarks are necessary about the rules for reading the acrostics in the page about to be considered, and which I have applied to all the passages I have examined. i and j are interchangeable. u and V are interchangeable (in lower case type). " Thendeuour " in the fifth line and " shalbe " in the thirteenth I consider as one word in reading terminals or initials. No words are omitted in reading through a given portion, whether stage directions, names of characters or words in parentheses, and no exceptions are for any reason admitted. Notice that the method used in finding the acrostics is the same in every case; that they pass once, and once only, through the text from the point of beginning to where they end, passing around the outside when necessary to complete the progress. i6 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THE TEXT The text shown on the opposite page is the first page of the 1598 Quarto of "A pleafant conceited Comedie called Loues Labor's Loft," the only known edition of that play previous to the 1623 Folio, and is a reproduction from "A Facsimile in Photo- lithography by William Griggs." The facsimile is "from the Duke of Devonshire's copy, the confounded mounter of whose pages has cut off part of some head lines and foot lines, and the whole of some signatures." * In this case the catch word " To" has been trimmed, but the lower part has been restored in the present reproduction by the dotted lines. The proper signature for this page is A2. If it ap- peared in the original it was trimmed away by the mounter. The other signatures in the quarto were usually on the same line with the catchword, but in at least one case the signature was in the line below the catchword. The presence of the signature would not affect the acrostics that are to be illustrated. * F. J. Furnivall. Foreword to Quarto i, 1598 AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 17 Encer Ferdinand ICof Nauar, Berowne, LmgatiHt^attdDtaajam. Terdmaid, LET Faine,that all inint after in their tyues. Line re^URred vpon our brazen Tombes, And then grace vs,in the di&raoe oTdeath; When^l^t of cormoTaoc deuotffingTinu^ Tbetideiiour of this preient breath xtaej buy: That honour whidiUiall bare his fythes keene ^^ And make vs hdres of all ctemkic. Therefore brauc Con<(ucroors,forfoyou are, Thacwarre agaynftyourowneafieftioils. And the hudse armie of the worldes defires* Our late ediu (hall flron?l}r fland in force, 2\(«a»- ihall be the wonder of the vforWe, OiirCourtfltalbealytOe Achadem^ Still and contemplatyue b lyning art You three, Tiefmne, 'Dpmam, and LongauHl. HaaeiWomefor three yeeresteamie, to line wHh me: My ftllow S<^Iert,and to kcepo thiofe Aattttes That are recorded in this fedaleiicre. Your othes are paAjtind row fubfcribe yoar nsmest That his ownc hand may flrike his honour downe, ThatviolaiesthefManeft branch herein. If ]^u are armd t o do, as fworne to do, SobTcribe to your deepeothes, and keepe H to. LaitgrnU. IaQtrerolued,tis botatheeye^resfaft: Thenindc fliaU bait^tjthoi^ the body pine* Fatpauneheshaueleanepatet: and dayntv bits Make rid) the ribbes,but banerout quite the wttn Htmem. T^y louine Lord, DHxnaine is tnott«fied, Tite Btbfler manner onhefe world^ddyghtsi Hettnowdvppoo die groire worlds baierflfiues To i8 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE A CONCEALED TITLE In most of the quarto editions the title of the play is repeated either in full or in an abbreviated form at the head of the first page of the text. This is not true of this quarto of "Loues Labor's Loft." Is the title concealed ? Begin with the " 1 " of " lyues," the initial of the first right hand word of the text. Read to the left and downward through the text to the "T" of the catchword "To" having selected the initials in the order needed, having spelled " LOVES LABORS LOST" and having just passed through the passage from the first initial in the string to the last. It is to be remembered that in reading an initial acrostic all letters save initials are nulls. AND HISTHREE FRIENDS Figure I. Enter FerdinandK-ofNauar, Berowne, JUngatiiflfOndDmv&itTt. c £T ram»|thrt a Uliiinn t fe a ii l^^^ «* ■{Ml -Vie CT L iner«g^ftr« l vpo| HW*4>»a*^ -:^ > d Z3 ->-e..j^ c D ->f- c 3 C L < alytU wA<- ID C »^ 3 wHhweT ) c o<- ■a ft|9ad Fi ... j. D -»r- J rrr-*!- C . ^ m t e t ^fc wivn — ' i. n»in » TMfiod» »iyghtrt D »ww v |>p o a die g pp flc w Qri< t fi^af <»fift«»» \ 20 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure II. Enter Ferdinand JLof Nauar, Berowne, n — 0-* Dt C D -b-a- -no- ZD -vs-C- c reb- D I -jons- -c- eft -r-ft- -fMr C! •I — ?irb- D I C 'I II u.] I ' f f C*' -** ) tCTi^ ;c(i>oigy to I I mc whi i i n cf itf-S- CIsIfcTi- n C'-i ' -" ■' t O » theeye€rtjfoft4 :« samtk ffitii i»e«^t,ywu^H the boily |Kne, - a« paunehc J haae J«ne pst«s: and daynty bits Mnke rieh the ribbes.but banewiut quite tfte wit*. TSi* fflfiftffer mamker olth«■ r m s \ / \ -/ \ fmallcjt branch Subf / Subfcribe''*o- v^ r Ftrdiitand. ^ rrco^ 2SZL / i / / / / / ^ 1 Snbieribe From the " O " of " Our " in the eleventh line of the speech read to the right and down up the outside to the left and down to the " A " of" And " in the tenth line of the speech spelling backward "Antonio Bacono et Ben lonsono et Francisco Bacono." From the " o " of " do " in the last line but one read to the left and up down the outside to the right and up to the " a " of" as " in the same line of the speech spelling backward "Antonio Bacono et Ben lonsono et Francisco Bacono." These are the only places on the page where "a" and "o" are adjacent letters. 30 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XVI I. Figure XVIII. Ferdinand.^ T ET A L ~^^ XVII \ \ 1 c ' A 1 3 ( .\ / O c / s / c / Subfcribc ^^^ - ^ L Ferdinand. ET Subfcribc X 'n \ -v. XVIll /» t S liuf vwthme:/ / From the " f " of "of" in the fourth line read on terminals to the right and up down the outside to the left and up to the " o " of the same " of" in the fourth line " FRANCISCO BACONOr From the " e " of " Hue " in the sixteenth line read on terminals to the left and down up the outside to the left and down to the " w " of " with " in the six- teenth Hne spelling backward ''iVILLIAM SHAKESPEARE." Remember this when we read plates LIV and LV AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 31 Figure XIX. Figure XX. L" SubJcribe Feidinani. / X / I s XK / \ wonder of the worlde, ^z \ \ V \ -X-A- J/ V J^rdihend. u / /r B \ f/ 5 / C /r A Hauefwome /r O Subfcrik N*^ N sx: \ \ / / / y / From the " e " of the second " the " in the twelfth line read on terminals to the left and up down the outside to the right and up to the " w " of " worldes " in the twelfth line spelling backward ''WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREr From the " e " of " fworne " in the sixteenth line read on terminals to the left and down up the outside to the left and down to the "f" of "for" in the six- teenth line spelling backward "FRANCIS BEN AND ANTHONIE." See plate LIX 32 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XXI. rerdinand. , — F < JSZI \ / / Swbfcribe N^v From the " m " of " make " in the seventh line read on initials to the right and down up the outside to the left and down to the "A" of "And" in the seventh line "MEDIOCRIA FIRMA" ^^'Bacon ecjues auratus O* magnl fimli zAngUae Cuftos librum hum hi' oltothecae CdntahrigJmuit, 1574" It may be well to call attention again to the fact that in " initial acrostics " all the letters but initials are nulls. The "A" of "And" and the "m" of " make " are contig- uous initials, and hence the " Key " of this acrostic is complete. AND HIS THREE FRIENDS :i3 Figure XXII. Figure XXIII. Ferdinand. / / 1 affections /And \ 1 Take the text of the first speech alone. From the " s " of " affections " in the ninth line read to the left and up down the outside to the right and up to the "A" of "And " in the tenth line, spelling backward "Antonius Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Francis cus Baconus." To read through a passage con- taining an odd number of lines one must begin at one end of a line and end at the other end of the next line. T ET huntalter -^^^ L /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ ' \ 1 'i 1 • ' '• « " . u 1 f \ f \ f \ \ / ^v / \ ./ He ^^res^i-r^ We have thus far been concerned with the first speech and the name of its speaker. Let us now ex- amine the text of the whole page. From the " a " of " after " in the first line of the text read to the right and down up the outside to the left to the " t " of " hunt " "Antonius Baconus et Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus scripserunt." 34 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XXIV. Figure XXV. ?*- And \ Therefore \ % \ 1 :■ 1 m e / s / / / a S / S / % / V / '♦ y He '«*9c -- T ET Pint \ \ t \ 1 1 / / / ** a *• / J" / % / i 5 / He *'^ te auno / From the " A " of " And " in the seventh line of the text read to the right and up ' down the outside to the left and up to the "T" of "Therefore" in the eighth line "Antonius Baconus et Francis cus Baconus et Ben lonsonus invenerunt." From the same " A " to the same " T " read in the same manner "Antonius Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus invenerunt." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 35 Figure XXVI. Figure XXVII. V/ I»c4i*c,„^ X^^ / \ \ y \ That 1 1 a 1 1 S e t / J' a h c / t' a e / s / He ''« ^ft. ,^ L' / ^^ />^ TOW / 5 / / / / / 1 / s Uatule* \ J ^ 1 1 \ y \ / He "^Suno. From the " T " of " That " in the ninth line read to the right and up down the outside to the left and up to the "A" of "And" in the tenth line, spelling backward "Antonius Baconus et Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus invenerunt." From the first " t " of " ftatutes " in the seventeenth line read to the left and up down the outside to the right and up to the " a " of " ftatutes," spelling backward "Antonius Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus scripserunt." 36 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XXVIII. Figure XXIX. V 1 huntaftgr s a \ \ i \ t \ a % 1 \ o » s o u s , A / % / \ / He "'-'/>.., ..^ From the " f " of " after " in the first line read to the left and down up the outside to the left to the " t " of " after " " Franciscus Baconus et Antonius Baconus et Ben Ions onus scripserunt." From the same " f " to the same "t" read in the same manner " Franciscus Baconus et Ben Ions onus et Antonius Baconus scripserunt." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 37 Figure XXX. Figure XXXI. V / 1 / * 1 e y u 1 1 of the worMes defiTe«> 1 n 9 I tt \ 1 t m \ m, S t 3 \ m c « \ \ / \ He ^ "I^neB^ \T f I < \ ft \ t. \ ** \ \ 1 '4 t e / 1 / f ^ / r c S / % / \ / He \^^ / From the " t " of the second " the " in the tenth line read to the right and up down the outside to the right and up to the " f " of " of" in the tenth line, spelHng backward " Franciscus Baconus et Antonius Baconus et Ben lonsonus scripserunt." From the " t " of " fmalleft" in the twenty-first line read to the left and down up the outside to the left and down to the " b " of " branch " in the twenty-first line, spelling backward " Ben lonsonus et Antonius Baconus et Franciscus Baconus scripserunt." 38 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XXXII. Figure XXXIII. L" N t n A \ '• \ \ *d \ \ \ \ "r i 1 1 / I fmlleA^fwich / e IT e f / / \ / St, / He •'"-*-- L" f ^ XXXlil \ ■i \ U \ /f \ s 1 u 1 \ / /r / £ finaI1e0 branch / / / > / > / if / He \ — -/ From the same "t" to the same " b " read in the same manner, backward " Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus et Antonius Baconus scripserunt." From the same " t " to the same " b " read in the same manner, but on the terminals, backward " BEN lONSONUS SCRIPSIl." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 39 Figure XXXIV. Figure XXXV. For the sake of a little fun take the text and the name of Ferdinand, an odd number of lines. Read from the " s " of " wits " in the twenty-seventh line down to the left up the outside to the left and down to the "F" of "Fat," spelling backward " Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Baconus." Ly""\ XXXV ;J \ c \ s \ I 3 £ \ I "1 ^ 1 \ 1 / A 1 7 1 H He ''^V^^ / From the " F " of " Fame " in the first line read on terminals through the text to the left and down up the outside to the left to the " e " of " Fame " " FRANCIS BEN AND ANTHONIE." The two terminals of any word are contiguous terminals ; hence this acrostic keys. 40 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XXXVI. Figure XXXVII. From the final " s " of " Schol- lers " in the seventeenth Hne read on terminals to the left and up down the outside to the right and up to the " a " of " and " in the seven- teenth line, spelling backward ''ANTHONIE BEN AND FRANCIS." From the " f " of " force " in the eleventh line read on terminals to the right and down up the outside to the right and down " FRANCIS ANTHONIE AND BEN." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 41 Figure XXXVIII. Figure XXXIX. From the " e " of " braue " in the eighth line read on terminals through the text to the right and up down the outside to the right and up to the " b " of " braue," spelling backward "BEN FRANCIS AND ANTHONIE." Enter ,^1^-^- ^™^ L / \ B ./ ,/ Tigiur . Achadent / / H I \ I I / He To Taking the whole page except the catch word " To " read on in- itials from the "A" of "Achademe " in the thirteenth line to the left and down up the outside to the left and down to the"N" of"Nauar" "ANTHONIE BACON. 42 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XL. From the " b " of " bate " in the sixth line of the text read on initials to the right and up down the outside to the left and up to the " {" of " Ihall " in the sixth line " Double entente " We have thus far read our acros- tics so that they key completely through the speech or the text or the page. The reader with the use of a little imagination may have traced something of what may be called " double entente," or of a suggested meaning in the words on which the acrostics begin and end, especially in Figures II, IV, V, XIII, XIV, XVIII and XIX. In the diagrams now to be shown the acrostics read in such a way as to leave out or expose or unmask certain words which will be seen to be suggestive of a hidden meaning. This is accomplished by reading the acrostic between the terminals of the words that it is desired to " expose " or between the terminals next to such words. "BEN lONSONUS." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 43 Figure XLI. Figure XLII. L Ferdinand. Xll (^"n, ET lyues V Liue regiRred vpon our bnzen Tombes \ '"t^ \. / • X S e u I i e o ft u 4. $«tb(cribe ,/ / y / / / Ferdinand,^ ^«-:r«.^^ JtUL T ET ;p<»""' L /' o n u ^ \ Shciresofanetenritie, « | c/^"''^ (— forToyouaTe, / / S a c / I / f «» / \ / v.. y Subfcribe ""'on^^ / Take the "speech and Ferdinand." From the "A" of "And" in the third line of the speech read to the right and down up the outside to the left and down to the " s " of " lyues " in the first line, thus leaving the entire second line out of the acrostic and reading "Antonius Baconus et Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus" " Liue regiftred vpon our brazen Tombes." From the " f " of " for " in the eighth line read to the left and down up the outside to the left and down to the " s " of " vs " in the seventh line, so that we read " heires of all eternitie " " for fo you are " " Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Antonius Baconus." 44 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XLIII. Figure XLIV. V Ferdinami. /<- A stHo \ V \ \ J^ yibt9ueConquen>iirs - ^ / , n s / * 9 / / / 1 \ / SBbtcribe '--*^,^c^^ From the " s " of "Conquerors " in the eighth line read to the right and up down the outside to the left and up to the " b " of " braue," spelling backward so that we read " Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus et Antonius Baconus'' " braue Conquerors." Fake the text again. From the final " e " of " There- fore " in the eighth line read on terminals to the left and down up the outside to the right and down to the " f " of " for " in the eighth line, so that we read backward "FRANCIS BEN AND A Nr HON IE" " braue Conquerours." AND HISTHREE FRIENDS 45 Figure XLV. From the " e " of " are " in the eighth line read on terminals to the right and up down the outside to the right and up to the " b " of " braue " in the eighth line, spelling backward so that we read "BEN FRANCIS AND ANTHONIE " " braue Conquerours, for fo you arc." L" Figure XLVI. Ferdinand, ^^-•*— xTvr / / / / t e / s u I OurCourtihalbea-^"' tor"'* s^ B" "'^o. '^^. "A ^^^f. \ s \ / Subfcribe^ cus—r^ \ Take the " Speech and P'erdi- nand " again. From the article " a " in the thirteenth line read to the right and up down the outside to the right and up to the " S " of " Still " so that we read " Our Court shalbe " "Antonius Baconus et Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus." 46 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure XLVII. Figure XLVIII. L Ferdinand. ET ^'*rancig^ ^»i ^> B n o J" .tfi f « e XEHL 1 u I SukfcTJbe to yourdwpe oAer^and keep eilto. Ferdinand. r ./^ c 5-. V o Subfcribe to your decpe oihes, a- From the " F " of " Fame " in the first line read to the right and down to the " S " of " Subfcribe " in the last line, so that we read " Let " " Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Antonius Baconus " '' Subfcribe to your deepe othes, and keepe it to." From the " s " of" lyues " in the first line read to the left and down to the " a " of " and " in the last line, spelling backward so that we read " Subfcribe to your deepe othes " "Antonius Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 47 Figure XLIX. Figure L. ir Ferdinavi. y*^"""^- / / i / s / ^ / w c 1 1 c « s I S a e o \ J ^andnowrublcribeyDumamesI 1 \ H \ Subktihc Ftrdhami. M^-^^ L L" / c \ \ F \ f 1 £ / A/ /f / T /v \nd now fubftrlbe your n^ / i / Subfcilbe ^^ From the " a " of " and " in the nineteenth line read to the left and down up the outside to the right and down to the "s" of "names," so that we read " and now fubfcribe your names " '■^ Antonius Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus." From the " a " of " and " in the nineteenth line read on terminals through the " speech and Ferdi- nand " to the left and up down the outside to the left and up to the " n " of " names " so that wc read " and now fubfcribe your " "JNTHONIE FRANCIS AND BEN" 48 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure LI. Figure LII. Ferdinand^^^ '^ us ^'cc ^ \T / ./ % / / / '.* / .(>fenpwSdiolleti -*""''' y' \ "''', \ * Subfcrtl^-^ Ferdinand. ^rf'<^»\ Br V / \ ^ Jl ; / / / / J y^-" / Stilt / You three, ■Z?-»«.^ .-»'' J tf / '^^ / SlMrib. ''«/7_» From the " s " of " Schollers " in the seventeenth line read to the right and up down the outside to the right and up to the "f" of "fellow" in the seventeenth line, spelling backward so that we read " Franciscus Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Antonius Baconus " "Fellow Schollers." From the " B " of " Berowne " in the fifteenth line read to the right and down up the outside to the left and down to the "S" of "Still" in the twelfth line, so that we read " You three " " Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus et Antonius Baconus." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 49 Figure LIII. Figure LIV. PerdinaffJ. g'Suc„_^^ J3n L 1 A i 1 c i / / / s-^' / / s""' / r / Subfcribe ^*>to^^^ Reverse the reading so as to read the names backward and we have "You three " " Ben lonsonus et Antonius Baconus et Franciscus Baconus." Ttriimini, ^pcc^^ USL T ET ^ s. / i / a / // 1 1 S^ p ^^' You three, ^^-^ IHaue fwonie/br three yeew •jtMTme.toriBewithme: 4"-' \ a. B \ I Snbferibe ^-z^s-ei- /)«'""' From the final " s " of" ftatutes " in the seventeenth line read to the left and down up the outside to the right and down to the " B " of " Berowne," spell- ing the names backward so that we read "You three" " Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus et Antonius Baconus " " Haue fworne for three yeeres tearme, to Hue with me." " To live with whom ? " We may ask. Look back at figure XVIII. 50 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure LV. Figure LVI. Ferdinand. ^ ^nr ^ / s A / s / / / A 1 1 J. 1 I 1 ^>»-vfahrK: \ •> \ \ ,/ V Subfcrib* \r Ferdinand. 121 ,t^" i'^ y^ ^ \ \ /^' , .^s.forlbyouare, / r « M M O s » •s / / / / Subfcrlbt '''*»oc* From the " e " of " me " in the sixteenth line read on terminals to the right and down up the outside to the right and down to the "w" of "with," spelHng backward and reading " with me " "WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE." Take the text of Ferdinands' speech alone. From the "A" of "And " in the seventh line read to the right and up down the outside to the left and up to the " s " of " Conquerours " in the eighth line, so that we read "Antonius Baconus et Ben lonsonus et Franciscus Baconus " " for fo you are." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 51 Figure LVII. Figure LVIII. Next using the entire text read on terminals from the " e " of " are " in the eighth line to the right and up down the outside to the right and up to the " f " of " for " in the eighth line, spelling backward, so that we read " FRANCIS BEN AND ANTHONIE " " for fo you are " Taking the whole text again read on terminals from the " B " of " Berowne " in the fifteenth line to the right and down up the outside to the right and down to the « S " of " Still " " You three " " BEN ANTHONIE AND FRANCIS." 5a WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Figure LIX. Figure LX. Ferdinand, ^^-^ US. V ^^ 1 z / 1 ^wondffoftheworUer / / \ / / Subftribe '^^/r — • -^ y Return to the " speech and Ferdinand." From the " e " of " worlde " in the twelfth line read on terminals to the right and up down the outside to the left and up to the " w " of " wonder " in the twelfth line backward, so that we read " wonder of the worlde " 'WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE." Enter -^ IZ /"^ \^ / • L/ s / E / \ A 1 1 f 1 J now fi/bfcrib*/ 1 r \ \ "u f 'A M Using the whole page read from the "e" of "fubfcribe" in the nineteenth line to the right and up down the outside to the right and up to the"w" of "now," spelling backward, so that we read " fubfcribe " ''WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE." AND HIS THREE FRIENDS Figure LXI. S3 We began by reading the Title of the Play. Let us end by reading the author's name. In reading the acrostics "IVILLIAM SHAKESPEARE" wc might in each case have spelled the surname "SHAKSPEARE." From the initial " f " of " flaues " in the last line of the text read to the left and up to the " E " of " Enter," the first word on the page, on initials "SHAKSPEARE" Read the name back again backward on initials to the " f " of " flaues. " 54 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS I am not credulous enough to believe that all the acrostics indicated in the diagrams are intentional, even if we assume that part of them are.* Does it seem to the reader that they are all accidental? For one who answers this question in the affirmative the case is ended. But of those who see an evidence of intention in the group of acrostics taken together I should like to ask a few more questions : — What relation is indicated on the part of Anthonie and Fran- cis Bacon and Ben lonson to this particular play by the repeated occurrences of the three names in all their permutations and combi- nations with and without the Latin verbs " scripserunt " and invenerunt ? " f What did they write ? What did they devise ? What is the relationship between the three men named and " William Shakespeare," between the play and " William Shakes- peare," the " wonder of the worlde " (Fig. LIX), " with " whom the other three have " fworne for three yeares tearme to Hue," (Figs. LIV and LV) and who like the others "fubfcribes" his name (Fig. LX) ? Who or what was this " William Shakespeare " ? Was he the Stratford boy ? The actor and the theatre owner of London ? The poet of " Orthodox " tradition ? The " un- lettered rustic " of the " High Baconian " ? The pseudonym ? The inspiring genius ? Is he to be identified with either, or all of the three men named ? When the answer is given to the question " Who was William Shakespeare?" the authorship problem will be solved. * This statement may need a word of explanation. I would not attempt to distinguish between the accidental and intentional in individual cases, if there is such a distinction. But accidental acrostics do occur with a frequency which can be approximately determined. The question is this; " Is the frequency indicated in the diagrams so exceptional and unusual as to signify intention .' " The only serious and searching criticism of Mr. Booth's work which I have seen is in the form of a letter in the New Tori Nation in the issue of Jan. ao, 1910, from Prof. Frederick E. Pierce of Yale University. His mathematical demonstration appears not to meet the facts presented in this paper. It may be that a development of Prof. Pierce's method will solve the problem that those facts present. t Notice that all six permutations in the order of the three name« ANTHONIE, BEN AND FRANCIS are to be found. AND HIS THREE FRIENDS 55 Substantially every expression of address applied by Ferdinand to Berowne, Dumaine and Longauill also appears as if applied in acrostic to Anthonie Bacon, Ben lonson and Francis Bacon, and the only time that Ferdinand refers to himself alone (in the words " with me ") a curious acrostic reveals the name " William Shakes- peare." Do these facts suggest that " William Shakespeare " is addressing Anthonie Bacon, Ben lonson and Francis Bacon ? Do the " exposed " words suggest a secret pact on the part of the " interior " or acrostic characters, as well as on the part of the exterior characters ? QUESTIONS FOR THE SHAKESPEAREAN Granting for a moment the truth of the tradition that the actor, the dramatist, the householder of Stratford were one and the same man, on what other ground than surmise and supposition have been based the whole critical analysis of the plays and of col- laboration in the plays and selection and rejection in the formation of the " canon " ? Is there any actual proof that Peele and Greene and Marlowe and Fletcher had the part in this or that work that " Orthodox " criticism assigns one or the other ? Why may we not question whether others may not have had as great or an even greater part in the greatest literary works in the English language ? And if we name Anthonie or Francis Bacon, or Walter Raleigh or Ben lonson or others as possible collaborators, is there any occasion for excitement or crimination ? Are you not making the same mistakes in your methods of " defense " that other " standpatters " have made since the world began ? Why not look for the truth instead of defending an alleged truth ? QUESTIONS FOR THE BACONIAN Granting that Francis and Anthonie Bacon and Ben lonson, or either of them had a hand in any or all of the Shakespeare writings, what are the facts that warrant most of the attacks made 56 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE by " High Baconians " on the reputed genius of Stratford and of London ? The paucity of knowledge and evidence is the basis on which a great deal of surmise (and even nonsense) in regard to the "man of Stratford " may properly be discarded. Is it reasonable to build on the same paucity of evidence a theory regarding this same man, equally baseless, but going to the other extreme ? For all that we know he may or may not have been a " divine poet," or an " unlettered rustic." From what we know we can prove neither. A PLEA FOR FAIRNESS To both Baconians and Shakespeareans it may well appear that no one has yet reached the whole truth in regard to the mooted authorship and that only by patient and persevering research can the truth be reached. Perhaps it may be clear also that only a comparatively few of the men on either (or any) side of this question have really in- vestigated the subject personally, and that of those who have done so, there are men of learning, of judgment, and of eminence to be found on both sides. Let us not then assume that the holding of any opinion on this subject is prima facie evidence either of superior wisdom or of mental aberration. Why should not reasonable men treat this, one of the most interesting literary problems ever propounded, as a fair open question, and treat each other accordingly ? CONCLUSION In conclusion I wish to state that the first and last pages of most of the quartos and many of the title pages, are rich in acrostics, often repeated in the same passage, and often grouped so that the same combinations occur in closely related passages. These acrostics, if" intentional " and " exclusive," indicate that certain names, sometimes four, sometimes three, oftener two, (but these two in all cases) have been inserted in the text for some pur- pose. What that purpose was, and whose, is a subject that demands careful study, if an intentional acrostic process be first determined. 3 S e 1 8 1 10 II IX 13 If IS 16 n /a I) 20 i; tx 23 ay xs u 17 2$ i9 3o Enter Ferdinand K.of Nauar> Bcrowne, Lmgatiilt^aitdDioniutte. Vardmand, LET Fame^hat all biint after in tiheirlyueSy LiDe re^flmi vpon out brazen Tombes, And th«fi grace v$,in the di^raoe oTdeatb: When^lSitorcomioTantdeuoaringTiiQ^ Tbemleiiour ofthtf prefeDt breath raay buy: That honour whi 2\^A2^fliall bethewonoerof tbeworlde. Our Couft fltalbe a lytlle Acfaadem^ Still and contemplatyue in lyning ert You three, Titrmne, 'Dumahte, and Ltm^auitl; Hanefwomefbr three yeeresteamie, toliue wtibiae? My Mow Schoilen,and to keepc thofe flatwes That arerecoided in this fednle ncre. Your odKS arepafl,8od now fi^fcribeyowtismes} Thathisownehandmav lUlke his honour downCj That violates the fftalteK branch herein» Ifyouarearmd to do,atrv*onrnctode, Sobfcribe to your deepcothes, and keepe k to. Leygauiil. I am reToiuedith batathceyeeresFafl: The minde (htVl ban<]«ei,though the body pine, fn paunches hatie leant paiet: and daynty bits Make rich the ribbes.bui banerout <]uite ine wit<« ^Dtmuwu, My k>uine Lord, Dumaiiu a mottefied, Theatoffer manner o/the(e worldisdelyghtsi JEikoaowes vppon the groile wotklibaferflsiKS To r ^i ^ ^st^^y ^''<''<. IF 04 ^.^U 'A. X*^'*