Poet, Prophet, Philosopher,
Versus
Phantom Captain Shakespeare
The Rosicrucian Mask
by
W.F.C. Wigston
"Orpheus himself was torn to pieces by the women in their fury, and his limbs scattered about the fields: at whose death HELICON(river sacred to the Muses), in grief and indignation, buried his waters under the earth to reappear elsewhere." ( Bacon's "Wisdom of the Ancients," Orpheus.)
London
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH,TRUBNER & CO., LTD.
1891
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION Preliminary Remarks--Lithograph Facsimile Copy of pages
52-3, "Confessio Fraternitatis, or Confession of the
Laudable Order of the Rosy Cross," published at Frankfort,
1617, showing how a Stage Player is held up to contempt as
an imposter---Michael Maier publishes three works
immediately after his return from a visit to England in
1616-- In his "Examination 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"Walking Man's Dream,"
repeated in the Induction of the "Taming of the Shrew," by
the incident of the substition of Christoher Sly in the
place of Lord--Bacon's Fragment upon Fame--Paraphrase from
Virgil--His Fable of Perseus twice repeated--The Perseus
myth a Rosicrucian myth centre. XV Chapter I. History of King Henry The
Seventh Bacon's History of"King Henry the Seventh"--Missing Link
in the orderly sucession of Chronicle Plays--Bacon writes
this sole History--Parallels--Cipher connection between
Bacon's "Henry the Seventh" and the 1623 Folio Plays. 1. Chapter II. Bacon's Essays Applied To The
Plays Ambition, Envy, and Deformity--Richard III.
--Thersites--Edmund--Don John--Phillip the Bastard--Cassius
and Caesar--Cicero 25 Chapter III. Bacon's Essays Applied To The
Plays-continued Suspicion--Malice--Cunning--Othello and
Iago.--Vain-Glory--Achilles and Ajax.--Boldness--Bardolf,
Nym, Pistol.-- Parasites and Trencher Friends--Timon and
Apemantus-- Usury--Revenge--Shylock.-- Riches--The Three
Caskets.--Friendship--Parents and Children.--Followers and
Friends. 42 Chapter IV. Divination and Prediction Augury--Perspective- Reflection-- Glass
Mirror--Rosicrucian Ideas--The World as Theatre--The Theatre
as Nature--The Music of the Spheres--Another Rosicrucian
Doctrine 70 Chapter V. Bacon's "Georgics of the Mind" Quotations showing Shakespeare employs the word
weed for vice--Our Bodies compared to a
Garden--Abandoned since the Fall--King Lear a neglected
piece of ground, crowned with furrow weeds and darnel--The
Microcosm the reflection of the Macrocosm--Diseases of the
Mind--The Parable of the Talents illustrated by "Measure for
Measure." 99 Chapter VI. Poem by Powell, comparing Bacon to Seneca the Dramatist--
Evidently written by one who knew Bacon's poetic
side--Resemblance of Bacon to Seneca--His self comparison
with him--Both sacrifices of Faction. 113 Chapter VII. "Antitheta" in
Bacon's Writings 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 Anthitheta really
the Colours of the Dramatic Artist--Strange introduction of
Bacon's Works in the "De Augmentis" as deficients. 139 Chapter VIII. History, Poetry, Philosophy Bacon's suspicious definition of History and
Poetry--Their close relationship as past history made
present or visible--The number of Chronicle Histories in the
1623 Folio--Bacon's tripartite foundations of Learning, or
Faculties of the Soul--Memory--Imagination--Reason--Makes
Poetry one of the emanatons of the Soul, on which Science is
based--Nevertheless confesses, "Poetry is not a knowledge,
but a play of wit"--Enigmatic character of "The Advancement
of Learning"--Bacon identifies History with Custody or
Memory--His art of Tradition or Delivery or transferring
those things laid up in the memory to others. 153 Chapter IX. Verulam and Cymbeline Old Verulam seat of Cassibulan,uncle to Cymbeline--Imogen
and her two brothers parallels for Helen, Castor, and
Pollux--The Lion's Whelp--Curious MSS. written by Sir Tobie
Mathews. 172 Chapter X. Temple and Verulam House Aubrey's descriptive details--Paintings from classical
subjects--Ceres--Jupiter and Apollo represented on the walls
of Verulam House--The Fish Ponds. 186 Chapter XI. Hamlet--Bacon's "Wisdom of the Ancients" refound in the
Plays--Horticultural Parallels--Custom, Habit,
Use--Love--Falconry--Swans--Duke Humphrey--Music 192
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