Christie Waldman

Me too!

Thank you, Eric, for sharing Charlotte Grimston's account which adds these new details. I wish she had given dates. I was not claiming any particular knowledge or expertise. I haven't looked up land records--hard to do from overseas. I was just exploring it this morning a little when I should have been doing other things. Maybe the new book would shed further light. For most purposes, I suppose it doesn't matter so much whether Sir Nicholas bought the land from his brother-in-law Ralph Rowlett in 1556-57 (said to have had no "heirs'--daughter Mary not considered an "heir") or from the son of Mary's husband "Maynard" (was he her son too? Is she the "Mary Hunt" in the Geni account? So many questions!), so long as we can establish that Sir Nicholas owned Gorhambury in 1561. Maybe the Maynards are the "third parties" mentioned in the History of Parliament account? Mostly, I was interested in a connection between Rowlett, Gilbert Gerard who executed his Will, the priest John Gerard (Gilbert's second cousin), the Bacons, and Queen Elizabeth.

Nicholas Bacon purchased Gorhambury from Ralph Rowlett, his brother-in-law (married to Margaret Cooke). The History of Parliament website says "In December 1556 and January 1557 Rowlett sold three large parcels of land, one including the manor of Gorhambury, Hertfordshire, acquired through the agency of certain third parties by Sir Nicholas Bacon, a brother-in-law of Rowlett’s, who made it his main seat." (3d par. under "Biography," https://historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/rowlett-sir-ralph-1513-71). I see that there is a new book, Deborah Springer, Mistress of Gorhambury: Lady Anne Bacon, Tudor courtier and scholar, SAHAAS Concise Histories, No 1 www.stalbanshistory.org/store price £6.50 plus p&p. It calls Anne Mistress of Gorhambury from 1561. Possibly, because the properties were "acquired through the agency of certain third parties," Sir Nicholas did not own Gorhambury Manor outright until 1561. Who were the third parties? Rowlett's executor was Sir Gilbert Gerard who had defended Queen Elizabeth when she was examined by the Privy Council under Queen Mary ("according to tradition found in William Dugdale's Baronage of England," giving ref. to vol 2, 417-418). He was "much favored by Elizabeth." She made him Attorney General a week after she became Queen when he was young for such a post. "Sir Gilbert Gerard, MP, Attorney General," Geni, https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Gilbert-Gerard-MP-Attorney-General/6000000003097877551 (p. 3) Gilbert Gerard's cousin's son was John Gerard the Jesuit priest (p. 4) who escaped from the Tower of London. Somehow, although weak from torture, he managed to hold onto a rope leading from the Tower to a boat waiting on the Thames (was the ferryman John Taylor the Water-Poet, possibly?). After the other interrogators had left, Francis Bacon had gone back to see Gerard privately in the Tower, prior to his escape. Is that not suggestive? Gerard's book is The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest, written in Latin, translated by Philip Caramen (Ignatius Press, 2012 [1952]). Was Francis, as the Queen's "Counsel Extraordinary" doing the bidding of Queen Elizabeth in helping Gerard to escape? She had hated the "butchering of priests." I like to think so.

Well, I apologize. I just accidentally deleted two comments with one click: the "empty" comment--which I was trying to get rid of--and the one responding to Light-of-Truth's recent comment on Castalian Stream's blogpost on Bacon and mindfulness--which I meant to keep. Basically, I was just suggesting that Bacon's "maze metaphor" was very apt, for it can seem to a person who is stuck ruminating on problems that there is no solution, like a person lost in a maze who can't see around corners or over walls (like a corn maze, perhaps, or Daedelus in the mythological labyrinth). That person's vision is narrow. I thought Patch Adams had good advice when he said, "If you focus on the problem, you'll never see past it to the solution." (in the movie "Patch Adams," with Patch played by Robin Williams). If you say "mindfulness," people can relate. I like how Castalian Spring makes Bacon's wisdom relevant to readers today. (Regarding Castalian Spring's essay, "Francis Bacon on Staying Present" (based on Bacon's essay, "Of the Moderation of Cares"). Thanks, Light-of-Truth, for taking the time to read it and comment!

The link for the Sotheby's ad is right here on SirBacon, with many thanks of course to SirBacon: https://sirbacon.org/links/baconwrite.htm .

There's no reason why not to, that I know of.

Castalian Spring has been writing a series of essays on Bacon's Essays for some time, at Blogging Bacon, on Medium. There are two new ones as of yesterday (May 27). Please share with others who are interested. Thanks! https://medium.com/essaying-bacon

There does seem to be a lot to be concerned about these days. Here's the Authors Guild, April 29, 2021, "#Disney Must Pay Uncovers Additional Unpaid Writers Owed Royalties by Disney," https://authorsguild.org/news/disneymustpay-uncovers-additional-unpaid-writers-owed-royalties-by-disney/ and Aug. 12, 2021, https://www.authorsline.org/industry-advocacy/disneymustpay-task-force-begins-outreach-to-all-comic-book-creators-looking-for-missing-royalties/ and https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/solutions (2021). Back to Bacon: Bacon mentioned concern about prior piracy of his essays, presumably in manuscript form? in his dedication to his brother Anthonie of the first edition of his Essays (1597. 2d ed. was 1612. 3d ed. was 1625). Even so, he didn't put his name on the title page. He said elsewhere, he considered that to be bad form. We also see in the First Folio that piracy of the plays is mentioned as a reason for its publication. A living author cares most about the piracy of his works. Smith College's Mary Augusta Scott's "Introduction" to her edition of Bacon's Essays (New York: Scribner's, 1908) seems very good, telling Bacon's life story probably a lot more accurately than some of the ones we've seen lately online. In her preface, she explains why she uses the Bible and Shakespeare to explain Bacon's meaning of terms, finding that Bacon made some reference to the Bible in every single essay. It's on Internet Archive.

Light-of-Truth, I hear you saying, you support Disney because it brings money into Florida where you live and work and indirectly has a positive effect on your business, and because Walt Disney was a Freemason, and maybe for other reasons, including your respect for its artistry. Many of us learned as children about Bambi or Pinocchio or Snow White or Cinderella from the Disney animated movie versions. In the case of French author Franck Le Calvez who self-published his illustrated children's screenplay, Pierrot Le Poisson Clown in Nov., 2002 (having registered his fish as a trademark with French authorities in 1995 and registering his screenplay with the French Society of Authors in June, 2002), pre-dating the May 30, 2003 Disney film "Little Nemo" in 2003: the French court ruled against him, requiring him to pay $80,000 penalty and court costs in U.S. money to Disney. Did the Court call him a fraud or was that "headline hyperbole"? I have not read the case. A person can bring a case in good faith and still lose. Maybe Calvez should have appealed but could not afford to. So, let's be careful about labelling him a fraud based on a newspaper headline, okay? Yes, there are two sides to every story. People may sue Disney who do not have good claims., but I would not think a person would sue Disney lightly. According to this article, Calvez sued because bookstores were pulling his book from the shelves because it was "too much like the Disney movie." Shiraz Sidhva, "Author Claims 'Finding Nemo' Plagiarism," Dec. 30, 2003, https://www.today.com/popculture/author-claims-finding-nemo-plagiarism-wbna3840185. It is the copyright laws which do not protect writers and artists sufficiently, that need to be changed, and the laws we have need to be enforced. It is hard enough for a writer or artist to make a living these days without having to worry that, merely by pitching one's work of years to a publisher or producer, etc., one could lose the rights to claim its content. I guess you can tell this is something I feel strongly about.

Not everyone is a fan of Disney's. Michael Hiltzik, "Column: Disney allegedly has cheated hundreds of writers out of pay," May 11, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-05-11/disney-star-wars-writers-of-royalties. https://authorsguild.org/news/disneymustpay-uncovers-additional-unpaid-writers-owed-royalties-by-disney/ https://whatculture.com/film/10-times-disney-blatantly-stole-from-other-movies https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-zootopia-lawsuit-20170321-story.html https://whatculture.com/film/7-disney-movies-accused-stealing-ideas https://screenrant.com/tower-terror-art-work-disney-youtube-stolen-apology/ https://imafoolishmortal.com/blogs/news/disney-art-isnt-always-disney-made-they-steal-it-from-fan-artists-like-me https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=89515&page=1 https://ipwatchdog.com/2017/10/02/disney-pixar-steal-movie-inside-out/id=88559/ and https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/18-55635/18-55635-2020-05-04.html (Denise Daniels, the parenting expert who pitched her idea to Disney and Disney just took it without compensating her, lost in the 9th Circuit Court). https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/disney-settles-pirates-caribbean-copyright-185804239.html and https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1662189/how-many-times-disney-got-sued-for-the-original-pirates-of-the-caribbean-movie (Pirates of the Caribbean) https://filmsuits.com/beverly-hills-chihuahua/ (Zenon Martin Yachreta vs Disney, over Beverly Hills Chihuahas). The idea for the Epcot Center idea was stolen; Disney had to pay. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66666/did-disney-steal-idea-epcot Ozama Tezuka, the creator of Kimba the White Lion sued Disney (but lost) over The Lion King. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/lion-king-kimba-white-lion-does-disney-need-come-clean-1225822/ Even Mickey Mouse. https://nypost.com/2018/06/30/walt-disney-stole-the-idea-for-mickey-mouse-off-his-friend/ Little Nemo, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3347067.stm. The plaintiff suing Disney lost and was ordered to pay $80,000 in fees and damages. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/writer-who-sued-disney-over-nemo-guilty-of-fraud/article979274/.

It is a wonderful question but not quick to answer! I don't know the answer. It would take research, to study Francis Bacon's role in the development of the modern corporation. Do you have a Spedding reference for the usage you found in the Advancement of Learning? One would need to find out if Bacon used the phrase "piercing the veil" elsewhere and trace the etymology of "piercing the veil." It sounds like it might have religious connections. I found this article, Aleksa Vuckovic, "Piercing the Veil: Uncovering the Secrets of the Holy Lance," Ancient Origins, Dec. 13, 2019, https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-religions/holy-lance-0012997. As you know, "Piercing the corporate veil" means to hold individual members of a corporation personally liable instead of letting them hide behind the veil of corporate immunity, under the "legal fiction" that the corporation is the legal person to be sued, in cases such as fraud. The concept of the corporation originated in ancient Roman law. I found a few references in this article, Tyler Halloran, "A Brief History of the Corporate Form and Why it Matters," (under part 2, first 3 pars. and fn 7), https://news.law.fordham.edu/jcfl/2018/11/18/a-brief-history-of-the-corporate-form-and-why-it-matters/ . The book, The King's Two Bodies: A Study in Medieval Political Theology, by Ernst H.Kantorowicz (Princeton: Princeton U. Press, 2016 [1957]), is about the idea that "a ruler has two bodies: a natural body that lives and dies, and a symbolic body that endures and is assumed by the ruler's successor." (intro., ix, by Conrad Leyser). One body is real and one is fictional. There is the man and there is the king. There are many references to Francis Bacon in the index. Leyser, in the intro., further writes, "That kind of man-made irreality--indeed, that strange construction of a human mind which finally becomes slave to its own fictions--we are normally more ready to find in the religious sphere than in the allegedly sober and realistic realms of law, politics, and constitution;...Great medievalist that Maitland was, he knew perfectly well that the curious fiction of 'twin-born majesty' had a very long tradition and complex history which 'would take us deep into the legal and political thoughts of the Middle Ages.'" (intro, Kantorowicz, p. 5). There are references to Shakespeare in the index: 24-41 (The Tragedy of Richard II); Macbeth, 387; and law, 24 and following. I see at OpenSourceShakespeare.org 40 uses of "pierce" (2 in Rich. III), 15 of "piercing" (in Lear IV, 6: "oh thou side-piercing sight!") and 21 uses of "veil." I'm sorry, that's all I can do with it, for now. Maybe others will have input.

Forgive me, but what is the source of that passage, Yann?--never mind found it. Shakespeare's Sonnet 95.

1. In the Watermen's Suit, John Taylor asked Francis Bacon to intercede for the Watermen in their legal case. You can read about it here: John Taylor, "The True Case of the Watermen's Suit Concerning Players," Works of John Taylor, the Water Poet, https://archive.org/stream/worksofjohntaylo00tayl/worksofjohntaylo00tayl_djvu.txt (search "Bacon" or "Watermen's Suit"). 2. As to Taylor, I found this here on SirBacon: These lines are quoted in Ordish's Early London Theatres (1894). Is it possible that John Taylor had Shakespearee in mind as the pretender, and Bacon as the "learned brain"? from R. L. Eagle, "Literary Concealments," Baconiana, Oct. 1964, https://sirbacon.org/eagleliteraryconcealments.htm. 3. Taylor served under Essex at Cadiz. He had some grammar school education but dropped out because he couldn't manage the Latin. He was a friend of Thomas Bushell who was a secretary/servant of Bacon's. "His first job, other than rowing, was as a ‘bottleman’ at the Tower of London, rowing out to wine-carrying vessels and bringing back to the Tower governor his ‘fee’ of two large bottles per cargo." (first par., Jonathan Green, "Green's Heroes of Slang," reference below). I wonder if he might have been involved in the escape of the Jesuit priest John Gerard from the Tower which occurred after Coke and co. had left and Francis Bacon had gone back to see him privately. There was a boat waiting on the water, and Girard weakly made his way down a rope from the Tower to the boat. See John Gerard, The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest. https://ignatius.com/the-autobiography-of-a-hunted-priest-ahupp/. 4. In looking up info on Taylor, I found this wonderful article by Constance Pott, "Francis Bacon's Friends and Associates," on SirBacon: https://sirbacon.org/fbfriendsassociates.htm (mentions the "Taylor family"). I think there's a high probability that Taylor knew or strongly suspected who the real Shakespeare was. 5. A few more references (as usual, most do not mention Bacon's name): https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/volume-iv-english-prose-and-poetry-sir-thomas-north-to-michael-drayton/12-john-taylor-the-thames-waterman/ (The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21). Volume IV. Prose and Poetry: Sir Thomas North to Michael Drayton.XVIII. The Book-Trade, 1557–1625§ 12. John Taylor, the Thames waterman). http://thedabbler.co.uk/2011/08/greens-heroes-of-slang-5-john-taylor-the-water-poet/ (Johathan Green, "Green's Heroes of Slang: 5. John Taylor the Water Poet," Aug. 18, 2011). Willard Thorp, "John Taylor, Water Poet," Texas Review,Vol. 8, No. 1 (OCTOBER, 1922), pp. 32-41, https://www.jstor.org/stable/43465459 (I could not log in today, so did not read it).

I apologize for a late response. As to Bacon, law and science, the best book I know of is Barbara Shapiro's A Culture of Fact: England, 1550-1720 (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2000). I've highlighted her important conclusion in the quotation below from the publisher's website. Shapiro also wrote “Sir Francis Bacon and the Mid-Seventeenth-Century Movement for Law Reform,” American Journal of Legal History, XXIV (1980), 333-362 and “Science and Law in Seventeenth-Century England,” Stanford Law Review, XXI (1969), 727-766. The book can be "borrowed" at the Internet Archive or Open Library. Here is her publications page: https://rhetoric.berkeley.edu/people/barbara-shapiro/.