Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

To this
AND HIS SECEET SOCIETY. 135
year, when Bacon was in retirement at Twickenham,
The Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer Nighfs Dream are
In the first of these " the hard Jew " who persecuted
attributed.
Francis Bacon is immortalised in the person of Shylock, whilst;
in Antonio we recognise the generous brother, Anthony
Bacon, who sacrificed
himself and " taxed his credit " in order
to relieve Francis. 1
A Midsummer Nighfs Dream is the first piece in which Bacon,
whilst creating his fairies from " the vital spirits of nature,
brings his studies of the winds to his help. 2 This play,
as has been said, bears points of strong resemblance to the
Device of an Indian Prince, which Bacon had written a few
months previously, when the stormy passages between the
Queen and Essex had passed away, and when the Earl had apparently
applied to him for a device which should be performed
on the " Queen's Day."
January 27, 1595, is the latest date on any sheet in Bacon's
Promus of Formularies and Elegancies. Judged by the handwriting,
it appears to be the latest sheet, although it is not
placed last in the collection of MSS. One entry is suggestive
3 — "Law at Twickenham for ye merry tales." The
merry tales for which Bacon was thus preparing Law, are supposed
to be those already named, with The Taming of the Shrew,
King John, two parts of Henry IV. and AWs Well that Ends Well,
soon to appear, and full of abstruse points of law, such as afterwards
exercised the mind of Lord Campbell. The play of
Richard III. is attributed to 1591 by Dr. Delius, but the list of
Bacon's MSS. on the outside leaf of the Conference of Pleasure
seems to show that Richard II. and III. were sketched together,
though apparently the former was not heard of till the
year 1596.
Very little is known for some years of the private proceedings
of Bacon. He had no public business of importance, and it is
1 Note, Antonio, in Tu-elfth Night, is another impersonation of the same generous
and unselfish character.
2 See Of Vital Spirits of Nature.
3 Promus, 1165. The Promus is a MS. collection of Bacon's private notes.