In 1603 Bacon wrote a private letter to the poet John Davies, begging him to speak a good word for the writer to the incoming King James I., and closing with these words: "So, desiring you to be good to _concealed poets_, I continue."
Bacon"s most intimate friend, Toby Matthew, in a letter with cancelled date, but as late as 1605, acknowledged the receipt of some work by Bacon, and added this postscript:
"I will not return you weight for weight, but _Measure for Measure_."
"Mesur for Mesur," by "Shaxberd," was played before King James, at Whitehall, December 26, 1604.
Again, about the time of the publication of the Shakespere Folio, 1623, Matthew acknowledged in a letter without date, the receipt of a "great and n.o.ble favor," and added the following:
"P. S.-The most prodigious wit that ever I knew, of my nation and of this side of the sea, is of your Lordship"s name, though he be known by another."
BACON IDENTIFIED AS THE CONCEALED POET IGNOTO
Spenser"s "Faery Queen" was begun in 1582, and published in 1590. The Dedication to Sir Walter Raleigh is dated 23 January, 1589 (i. e., 1590.) Raleigh in return praised the poem in two Sonnets. These, together with five other versified encomiums by "Hobynoll" (Gabriel Harvey,) "R. S.," "H. B.," "W. L.," and "Ignoto," are prefixed to Spenser"s work.
In 1599 "The Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim," a collection of twenty-one sonnets, songs, etc., was published with the name of W. Shakspere on the t.i.tle page. The authorship of several of the pieces is disputed.
In regard to No. xviii. "My flocks feed not," Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps, says:
"There is a somewhat brief version of this song in the collection of Madrigals, etc., by Thomas Weelkes 1597, this person being the composer of the music, but not necessarily the author of the words. A copy of it as it is seen in the Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim also occurs in England"s Helicon, 1600, ent.i.tled "The Unknowne Sheepheards Complaint," and is there subscribed _Ignoto._"
Again, in regard to No. xx, "Live with me and be my love," the same author, says:
"The first of these very pretty songs is incomplete, and the second, called "Love"s answer," still more so. In England"s Helicon, 1600, the former is given to Marlowe, the latter to _Ignoto_; and there is good reason to believe that Christopher
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Marlowe wrote the song, and Sir Walter Raleigh the nymph"s reply; for so we are positively a.s.sured by Isaac Walton, who has inserted them both in his Complete Angler under the character of "that smooth song which was made by Kit Marlowe, now at least fifty years ago; and an answer to it which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh in his younger days:-old fashioned poetry but choicely good." Both these songs were exceedingly popular and are afterwards found in the street ballads. The first is quoted in the Merry Wives of Windsor."
Again, in regard to No. xxi, "As it fell upon a day," Mr.
Halliwell-Phillipps, says:
"This charming idyl occurs, with the absence of two lines, amongst the Poems in Divers Humours appended to Bamfield"s Encomion of Lady Pecunia, in 1598, and the first twenty-six lines with the addition of two new ones are found in England"s Helicon, 1600. This latter version follows in that work No. xviii of this list, ["My flocks feed not,"] is also subscribed _Ignoto_, and is headed: "Another of the same Sheepheards."
The probability is that the copies of these little poems, as given in the Helicon, were taken from a Common Place book in which the names of the authors were not recorded; the two supplementary lines just noticed having the appearance of being an unauthorized couplet improvised for the sake of giving a neater finish to the abridgment."
We will now reproduce the aforesaid poems from "England"s Helicon,"
second edition, 1614. A brief version of the first song, No. xviii of "The Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim," says Halliwell-Phillipps, appeared in 1597:
*The unknown Shepherd"s Complaint.*
My flocks feed not, my ewes breed not, My rams speed not, all is amiss; Love is denying, Faith is defying; Hearts ren[e]ging, causer of this.
All my merry jigs are quite forgot, And my lady"s love is lost, G.o.d wot: Where her faith was firmly fixed in love, There a nay is placed without remove.
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One silly cross wrought all my loss; O frowning fortune, cursed fickle Dame, For now I see, inconstancy More in women than in men remain.
In black mourn I, all fears scorn I, Love hath forlorn me, living in thrall; Heart is bleeding, all help needing, O cruel speeding, fraughted with gall.
My shepherd"s pipe can sound no deal, My wether"s bell rings doleful knell.
My curtail dog that wont to have played, Plays not at all, but seems afraid.
With sighs so deep, procure to weep, In howling-wise to see my doleful plight, How sighs resound, through heartless ground, Like a thousand vanquished men in b.l.o.o.d.y fight.
Clear wells spring not, sweet birds sing not, Green plants bring not forth their dye; Herds stand weeping-flocks all sleeping, Nymphs back peeping fearfully.
All our pleasures known to us poor swains, All our merry meeting on the plains, All our evening sports from us are fled, All our love is lost, for love is dead.
Farewell sweet la.s.s, thy like ne"er was, For sweet content, the cause of all my moan: Poor Corydon must live alone, Other help for him, I see that there is none.
Finis Ignoto
The variations from the version of 1599 are few, the only important one being "ren[e]ging" for "renying." The latter has no meaning; _the former is used twice in the plays._
The only question in regard to the authorship of this poem is, whether Shakspere or "Ignoto" wrote it.
The next poem printed in the "Helicon" is a part of No.xxi of the "Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim.":
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Another of the Same Shepherds.
As it fell upon a day In the merry month of May, Sitting in a pleasant shade Which a grove of myrtles made; Beasts did leap, and birds did sing, Trees did grow and plants did spring; Everything did banish moan, Save the nightingale alone.
She, poor bird, as all forlorn, Lean"d her breast against a thorn; And there sung the dolefull"st ditty, That to hear it was great pity.
Fie, fie, fie, now would she cry; Teru, teru! by and by; That to hear her so complain Scarce I could from tears refrain; For her griefs, so lively shown, Made me think upon mine own.
Ah! thought I, thou mourn"st in vain!
None takes pity on thy pain: Senseless trees, they cannot hear thee, Ruthless beasts they will not cheer thee: King Pandion he is dead; All thy friends are lapp"d in lead; All thy fellow birds do sing, Careless of thy sorrowing!
Even so, poor bird, like thee, None alive will pity me.
Finis. Ignoto.
The last two lines, Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps says, are new ones added to the first twenty-six in "The Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim." Our own edition of the latter has those two lines, and the only variation is in the tenth line-"up-till" for "against." There are thirty lines more in our edition. But we have another version of the whole, omitting the aforesaid two lines and a subsequent couplet. This version, curiously enough, is
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Leaded "Address to the Nightingale," and is credited to Richard Barnfield, "about 1610." (Encyc. of Poetry No. 121.) In 1598 it is said that the first twenty-six lines of this idyl appeared in an appendix to Barnfield"s "Encomium in 1599 it reappeared enlarged to twice the length and was credited to Shakspere; in 1600 the first twenty-eight lines were republished in "England"s Helicon" and subscribed "Ignoto."
We now transcribe from the "Helicon," No. xx of "The Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim"
much amended and enlarged: