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FRANCIS BACON'S CRYPTIC RHYMES 187
us hear what the sentences sound like, if we merely
pronounce the word " Smother " in the manner in
which it was pronounced by a great part of the
London Court, in 1625, even by King James, son of
Mary, Queen of Scots. " Smore " is the Scotch
pronunciation of the word :
There is nothing makes a Man Suspect much, more
then to Know little : And there/or^
Men should remedy
Suspicion, by
procuring to know more,
and not keep their Suspicions in Smore (Smother).
For thereby, he shall be sure, to know more
\
of the Truth of them, then he did before
',
And withall, shall make that Party, more
circumspect, not to give further Cause of Suspicion (Smore ?)
We may be allowed to remind the reader of a
tragedy in which a suspecting, jealous " moore " (the
early form of spelling was: "more") believing the
empty suspicions cast upon his wife ' ' smothers " her,
after speaking a wonderful monologue, beginning with
the words : "It is the Cause, it is the Cause, my
"
soul !
The word " more " rhyming four times, the words
"Smore" and "Cause" occurring in the Essay must
set us thinking, all the more, as in
both cases they are
in matter closely connected with Suspicion, Jealousy
and Husband. And as though we had not yet
enough, the word " Italian " occurs immediately after.
In the Latin " Essay, Smother" is replaced by the
words :
Fumo enim et Tenebris aluntur Suspiciones
(For suspicions are fostered by Smoke and Darkness).