download PDF version: 47.1MB - Global Grey

flowed from his pen without any exertion on his part.
Either supposition leads to the same result in the end,
the one proving that Bacon was at all
times a conscious
poet and rhymer, the other, that he was at all times a
poet and rhymer, without knowing We it. ourselves
incline rather to the first supposition. For, so far, we
have not met with anything in Bacon that we should
call "accidental." A man, gifted with such a power
of mind, always knows what he is
doing, what he is
If he interpolates rhymes in his prose, those
writing.
rhymes are intended. That were, indeed, a poor
author who were unconscious of such !
rhymes
Essay No. " 4, Of Revenge," on the other hand, was
perfectly new in 1625. The matter it treats of is also
of a personal nature throughout. Petty vindictiveness
was alien to the nature of the man who penned those
Essays and " served Posterity." In his poetic works,
he had hurled the " spears " of his wit and satire ;
those
stage-jests were laughed at.
Bacon's nature discarded,
despised any other manner of taking revenge. Nor
did he ever seek to avenge himself upon those of his
adversaries who had assisted in deposing him. " That
which is past is gone, and Irrevocable "
; he says in his
Essay, "And wise Men have Enough to doe, with things
present, and to come." From 1621, Bacon devoted
himself entirely to his literary work, to publishing and
recasting his former writings. The principal passage in
the Essay again refers to the "
stage It is a Princes
:
part to Pardon," and that part Bacon played himself.
In the same Essay a comparison
is drawn between
a sharp word and a spear (dart) a Shakespeare-simile,
we may call it which we mentioned above " Cosmus
:
Duke of Florence, had a Desperate Saying, against
\