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166 FRANCIS BACON'S CRYPTIC RHYMES
tion " practised by Bacon is defended in a rhymed
verselet, which rhymed verselet is even repeated in
French. The Essay, "Of Envy," finally advises us,
under certain circumstances, to bring a substitute upon
the stage, for which turne there is never wanting some
person who "will ( !) take it at any Cost." We must
also remember that Bacon is constantly re-modelling,
re-casting quotations in verse or prose from other
authors, making verses, rhymed verses in English,
or in Latin even ;
that this manner of expression and
rhyme frequently resembles that noticeable in the
Shakespeare plays that the thoughts here and there
;
run parallel to each other (only parallel words are
carefully avoided),
and that even the manner of
writing a vexing-rhyme observed in Hamlet is
repeated in the Essays : " This would have done
better in Poesy!" "You might have rhymed!" In
both cases we are requested to change
the final word
into a corresponding word that rhymes.
Such are the facts revealed by the first nine Essays.
To these we must add the open confessions, firstly, in
the Psalms, to the effect that Bacon was a versifier ;
secondly, in the Apophthegmes, which state that he
was a great wit ;
thirdly, in his last will, where he
admits to having written a great deal in "curiously
rhymed " verses ;
finally, we must not forget the fact
that all this was done in the face of approaching
death.
Now let us r-^.urn to the Essays.
The tenth ss-iy j s tne disreputed one, "Of Love,"
disreputed only because most of its readers have
hitherto read it too fast, too superficially,
and have
consequently maunder stood " it. What insipid words,