Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

CHAPTER V.
PLAYWRIGHT AND POET-PHILOSOPHER.
"Playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was, and is, to hold, as 'twere,
the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image,
and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure."
— Hamlet.
ABOUT
the year 1592 Bacon wrote a device entitled The
Conference of Pleasure. 1 It was evidently prepared for
some festive occasion, but whether or not it was ever performed
in the shape in which it is seen in the existing manuscript, is
not known.
The paper hook which contained this device bore on its outside
leaf a list of its original contents, hut the stitches which
fastened the sheets together have given way, or were intentionally
severed, and the central pages are gone — a great loss,
when we know that these pages included copies of the plays of
Richard II. and Richard III., of which it would have been interesting
to have seen the manuscript.
The Conference of Pleasure represents four friends meeting
for intellectual amusement, when each in turn delivers a speech
in praise of whatever he holds " most worthy." This explains
the not very significant title given to this work in the catalogue
which is found upon the fly-leaf of the paper book: " Mr. Fr.
Bacon Of Giving Tribute, or that which is due.
The speeches delivered by the four friends are described as
The Praise of the Worthiest Virtue, or Fortitude, " The Worthiest
Affection, "— Love "
; The "Worthiest Power, "— Knowledge;
and the fourth and last, "The Worthiest Person." This is
the same that was afterwards printed and published under
l This device was edited by Mr. Spedding (1867) from the manuscript, which
he found amongst a quantitv of paper belonging to the Duke of Northumberland.
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