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Francis Bacon's Private Notebook The Promus - Source for Hundreds of Parallels in his Shakespeare Works


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On 1/21/2023 at 7:14 AM, A Phoenix said:

Happy Birthday Francis Bacon-Shakespeare Greatest of all Men

FRANCIS BACON’S PRIVATE MANUSCRIPT NOTEBOOK (KNOWN AS THE PROMUS OF FORMULARIES AND ELEGANCIES) THE SOURCE OF SEVERAL HUNDRED   RESEMBLANCES, CORRESPONDENCES AND PARALLELS FOUND THROUGHOUT HIS SHAKESPEARE POEMS AND PLAYS.

SYNOPSIS

In ordinary circumstances this contemporary manuscript document named the Promus of Formularies and Elegancies would be well known to every Bacon and Shakespeare scholar and student of English literature around the world. Bacon’s unique private notebook held at the British Library contains a total of 51 leaves numbered pages 83 to 132 all written (apart from some French proverbs) in his own hand. The Folio numbered 85 is headed ‘Promus’ and beneath it appears the date ‘Dec. 5, 1594’ with the Folio numbered 114 headed ‘Formularies Promus’ carrying the date ‘27 Jan. 1595’ (i.e., January 1596).

It contains 1655 entries jotted down as an aid to his memory. The entries include single words, phrases, lines, turns of speech, metaphors, similes, aphorisms, and various moral and philosophical observations. These include entries drawn from the Bible; Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, and English proverbs; and lines and verses from classical poets and dramatists, among them, Virgil, Ovid, Seneca, Horace, and Terence.

This private notebook was used by Bacon as a literary storehouse from where he developed, expanded, and introduced ideas and themes into his acknowledged writings and works. In Shakespeare Studies in Baconian Light R. M. Theobald produced a list of around 500 Promus entries used by Bacon in his acknowledged writings, a number the orthodox scholar Charles Crawford stated could be significantly added to, and following his detailed study of the Promus in The Bacon Shakespeare Question N. B. Cockburn put the number at about 600. More recently, its modern editors Professor Stewart and Dr Knight in The Oxford Francis Bacon: Early Writings 1584-1596 (Oxford Clarendon Press, 2012) specified that during a period of thirty years Bacon utilised these entries in the Promus for usage in a diverse range of categories and genres that included his private letters, speeches, dramatic devices, essays, religio-political tracts, legal writings, and several of his philosophical and scientific works.

In 1883 the indefatigable Baconian scholar Constance M. Pott published her monumental work entitled The Promus of Formularies and Elegancies (Being Private Notes, circ. 1594, hitherto unpublished) by Francis Bacon Illustrated and Elucidated by Passages from Shakespeare. In a work running to more than six hundred pages, Pott reproduced a full transcript of the entries in the Promus alongside hundreds of parallel passages from the Shakespeare poems and plays. This work has remained virtually unknown for the last one hundred and fifty years because it has been systematically ignored and misrepresented by orthodox Bacon and Shakespeare editors and commentators as it manifestly demonstrates that Bacon is Shakespeare.   

Now here for the first time (unknown to or expanded upon by Pott and other previous scholars and commentators) beyond paralleling hundreds of entries from Bacon’s notebook against his Shakespeare poems and plays, the present work will show how these sources used by Bacon, the Bible, Erasmus, Florio (Italian proverbs), Heywood (English proverbs), and especially the classical poets and dramatists Virgil, Ovid, Seneca, Horace, and Terence, completely saturate his Shakespeare works, confirming beyond any doubt that he used his private notebook as an aid-to-memory and wellspring for his divine Shakespeare poems and plays.

 

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

THE PROMUS SYNOPSIS.pdf 118.26 kB · 13 downloads

Apologies if this link to a facsimile of C M Pott's 1883 publication of the Promus has already been posted elsewhere on SirBacon.org: https://archive.org/details/promusofformular00pott/mode/2up

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Lady Anne Bacon read Ovid to Francis

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 49.png

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The Influence of Ovid in the Shakespeare Poems

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 50.png

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 Metamorphoses and Venus and Adonis

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 51.png

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This reference, a testimonial to Bacon's proficiency on Ovid, is one I had not expected to find: 

 
 
Quote

 

Mr. George Sands, in his Com[m]ent on Ovid, professes himself to be much assisted by our Author, whom he calls, The Crown of the latter Age, the Lord Viscount St. ALBAN." In "To the Reader," THE FELICITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH: And Her Times, With other Things; By the RIGHT HONORABLE FRANCIS Ld BACON Viscount St Alban (LONDON, 1651) (pages not numbered).
 

 

"Our author" is, of course, Bacon, author of The Felicity of Queen Elizabeth, translated from Bacon's Latin.
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Ovid & The Rape of Lucrece

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 52.png

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Ovid & The Early Shakespeare Plays

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For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

 

PROMUS 53.png

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The Influence of Ovid Throughout the Shakespeare Canon

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 54.png

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3 hours ago, A Phoenix said:

The Influence of Ovid Throughout the Shakespeare Canon

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 54.png

 

 

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Well that was interesting. I always thought the O was long, like "Go", never considered it was short, like "Hog".

And that was about all I have ever known about Ovid. I've been reading the posts in this thread excited about what I reading even though without any background. This video, when I immediately heard Bacon in my mind every time either one of them said Shakespeare, I followed right along.

 

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T A A A A A A A A A A A T
157     www.Light-of-Truth.com     287
<-- 1 8 8 1 1
O 1 1 8 8 1 -->

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The Ovidian Winter's Tale

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 55.png

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Ovid and The Tempest

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 56.png

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Virgil and The Aeneid

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 57.png

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The Dedication  of the Translation of The Aeneid  to Sir Nicholas Bacon

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 58.png

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The 1573 Translation Dedicated to Sir Nicholas Bacon

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 59.png

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The 1584 Translation Dedicated to Sir Nicholas Bacon

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 60.png

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2 hours ago, A Phoenix said:

The 1584 Translation Dedicated to Sir Nicholas Bacon

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 60.png

Brilliant research, A.P. 

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9 hours ago, A Phoenix said:

The 1573 Translation Dedicated to Sir Nicholas Bacon

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 59.png

Hi A Phoenix, once again I second Eric regarding your incredible , enlightening research and presentation ! ❤️

I have a question ? Do you have (or have access to) a copy/facsimile of this book (1573 edition) ?

I searched one on internet without success.

My idea is that "Moniti Meliora" the motto that appears on some title pages of Francis Bcon's Books , the abbreviation of the fuller motto "Moniti Meliora Sequamur" (Let us, being admonished, follow better things) is from Virgil Book 3 verse 188.

I think that it could be interesting to take a closer look at the corresponding page of the 1573 edition.

By the way, I discovered a site that sells the book, with photographs of some pages of the book, and one of them is very interesting . Take a look at the before last photographs. 🙂 

https://www.liberantiquus.com/pages/books/4534/publius-virgilius-maro-thomas-phaer-thomas-twyne-b-c-1510-1560-c/the-whole-xii-bookes-of-the-aeneidos-of-virgill-whereof-the-first-ix-and-part-of-the-tenth-were

 

R2_Q1_TP_1597.jpg 

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_II_(play)#/media/File:R2_Q1_TP_1597.jpg

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Hi Yann,

Likewise thank you for all your incredible unique and groundbreaking work that you so generously share with us on B'Hive. 

Unfortunately, we only have photocopies of the dedication pages of the 1573 Lord Bacon edition. 

Brilliant spot Yann. I have taken a look at the emblem at the end of the 1573 FB edition which is of course the same emblem which appears on the title page of his Shakespeare play Richard II (containing the Lord Bacon acrostic) clearly linking the two works. 

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44 minutes ago, A Phoenix said:

Hi Yann,

Likewise thank you for all your incredible unique and groundbreaking work that you so generously share with us on B'Hive. 

Unfortunately, we only have photocopies of the dedication pages of the 1573 Lord Bacon edition. 

Brilliant spot Yann. I have taken a look at the emblem at the end of the 1573 FB edition which is of course the same emblem which appears on the title page of his Shakespeare play Richard II (containing the Lord Bacon acrostic) clearly linking the two works. 

Thank you A.P. ! ❤️ 

Sadly, I did not find any link to a digitized version of the 1573 edition nor of the 1584 edition.

Here is a link to the HTML version (1573) for those who are interested :

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=eebo2;idno=A14480.0001.001

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T A A A A A A A A A A A T
157     www.Light-of-Truth.com     287
<-- 1 8 8 1 1
O 1 1 8 8 1 -->

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Virgil's Poems Saturate the Shakespeare Works

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 61.png

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Virgil and the Shakespeare Poems

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 62.png

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Key Emblems & Symbols

#FrancisBacon #Shakespeare #Promus #ShakespeareSources #ShakespeareAuthorship

For the full story about ‘Francis Bacon’s Notebook’ see:

PAPER: https://aphoenix1.academia.edu/research

FULL VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/LTfUbKb7KqU

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/DQMzHdhXeXE

PROMUS 63.png

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