PREFACE. Ir may interest those who are already converts to the Baconian theory of the authorship of the Plays, to learn that Mr Donnelly has made further discoveries. He writes under date 12th July 1890: "I am still at work, in all leisure moments, upon the Cipher, and am working out the complete and perfect story, and hope to publish something before long that will end the controversy." ERRATA. Page 20, line 15, read 52 for 25. Page 157, line 8, read Venatio for Venatis. Page 160, line 9, read Sanchuniathon for Sancumathon. CONTENTS. Preliminary Remarks-Lithograph Facsimile Copy of pages 52, 53, "CONFESSIO FRATERNITATIS, or Confession of the Laud- able Order of the Rosy Cross," published at Frankfort, 1617, showing how a Stage Player is held up to contempt as an impostor- Michael Maier publishes three works immediately after his return from a visit to England in 1616-In his "Ex- amination and Exposure of Drones and False Alchymists," he re-echoes the "Confessio," and identifies Poetry with Alchymy, giving hints for the Rosicrucians themselves-His Serio Comic Dialogue, "Lusus Serius," written also with regard to his stay in England-Contains the story of the "Waking Man's Dream," repeated in the Induction of the "Taming of the Shrew," by the incident of the substitution of Christopher Sly PAGE Bacon's History of "King Henry the Seventh "-Missing Link in the orderly succession of Chronicle Plays-Bacon writes this BACON'S ESSAYS APPLIED TO THE PLAYS-Continued Suspicion- Malice-Cunning-Othello and Iago.--Vain-Glory -Achilles and Ajax. - Boldness Bardolph, Nym, Pistol.- Parasites and Trencher Friends - Timon and Apemantus.- Augury-Perspective-Reflection-Glass Mirror-Rosicrucian BACON'S "GEORGICS OF THE MIND " Quotations showing Shakespeare employs the word weed for vice-Our Bodies compared to a Garden-Abandoned since the Poem by Powell, comparing Bacon to Seneca the Dramatist- Evidently written by one who knew Bacon's poetic side-Re- Find their reflection in the antithetical style of Shakespeare- Evidence of an impersonal philosophical mind trained in the schools-Bacon's Collection of Antitheta simply Texts for his Essays-Antitheta found in the "De Augmentis," under the "Wisdom of Private Speech," and as part of the Delivery of Secret knowledge or Tradition-Colours of Good and Evil-The Antitheta really the Colours of the Dramatic Artist-Strange Bacon's suspicious definition of History and Poetry-Their 153 Old Verulam seat of Cassibulan, uncle to Cymbeline-Imogen and her two brothers parallels for Helen, Castor, and Pollux- Aubrey's descriptive details-Paintings from classical subjects --Ceres-Jupiter and Apollo represented on the walls of Verulam Hamlet-Bacon's "Wisdom of the Ancients" refound in the |