^# ,^^ % v*^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. : ; @{|utt. X>^ ©uj^^rig^i 1^0. I Shelf ._..W^_ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. i ■'^ r f!""^ PRODROMI OR * DISCOVERIES IN THE BACON > CIPHER PROBLEM. BY W. F. C. WiGSTON 5^^:--*-^ PREFACE. n^HIS little pamphlet is only a forerunner, published for the sake of protecting and guarding my claim, to cer- tain cipher discoveries in the Bacon-Shakespeare author- ship problem, which discoveries are running the risk of becoming prematurely promulgated and pirated, owing to delays in printing a work, which will shortly be placed before the public. The fac-simile impressions of the pages on wnich the cipher congruities adduced anpear, will be duly given in the said work. As the time is fast approach- ing, when this cipher problem, will assume importance and reality in the public mind, I take this precaution of estab- lishing my lawful claim to the said discoveries, which, though they may appear light and trifling, and open to criticism at this moment, will be fonnd hereafter to hold important issues and connections with the proofs as to the real authorship of the plays attributed to Shakespeare. Th^ dangers of printing these matters are manifest ; and in proportion to their simplicity and directness is the risk of losing them by the delays inseparable from publishing a large body of matter. This pamphlet makes, therefore, no pretense whatever to literary style, completeness, or even clear comprehensiveness. It is merely self-jyrotective, and its value can only be understood by myself. The evidence I am about to adduce is derived from a quotation from the poet, Horace, applied by Ben Jonson to Bacon's -DeAugmentis Scientiarum, which latter was published 1623, the same year as the first collected edition of the plays, known as the 1623 folio Shakespeare. The Latin quotation applied to the ^'De Augmentis'' IS borrowed from Horace's Arte Poetica, and is found ■i'n direct context with the invention of the art of play •toriting ^ But, first, let me give Ben Jonson's words : '- Witness the ''case of Julius Ccesar, who, in the heat of the civil war '' writ his book of Analogy and dedicated them to Tullv' '' This made the late Lord S'Albans entitle his work ^'; Novum Organic, which, though by the most of super- ^^ fic.al men, who can not get beyond the title of Nominals U IS not penetrated nov understood, it reallv openeth all detects of Learniug whatsoever, and is a Book.'' Qui longum nolo scriptori porrfget fevum. (Discoveries, p. 102 1641 ) In the margin we read, "De Augments Scientiarumr and agamst the citation, ^' Horat: Be Arte Poetica.- No4 very curiously, in the same volume of Ben Jonson's works^ I find a translation by him of this, - De Arte Poetica - by^Horace-the Latin on one side, the translation on the Ficta. voluptatis cau>a, sint proxima veris Nee quodcuQque, volet; poscat sibi fabula credi • Neu praas* Lamle vivum puerum extrahat alvo Centuriae seniorem agitant expertia frugis • Celsi praetereunt austera poemata Rhamues Omne tulit punctum, qui raiscult utile dulci Lectorem delectando, pariterque monendo ' JJic meret r,ra liber Sosiis; hie et mare transit M lonfium mto scriptoii porric/et mum. (Printed 1640.) The last line is the one Quoted Kv w^.. t was translated into English for the first time in 1640 by Gilbert Wats; therefore, appears the same year as this poem (quoted from)by Jonson. — Ben Jonson's translation is thus: Let what thou feign'st for pleasures sake, be near The truth; nor let th\- fable think what e're It would, must be: lest it alive would draw The child, when Lamia has dined, out of her maw. The poems void of profit, our grave men CdSt out by voices; want they pleasure, then Our gallants give them none, but pass them by; But he hath every suffrage can apply iSvvtet mixed with sour, to his reader, so As ducirine and delight together go. This book will gkt the 8os[i money; this Will pass the seas, and long as nature is, With honor make, the far known author live. (p. 23. Horace of the Art of Poeiic, 1640). Ail this is a description, by Horace, of Dramatical AND Poetical composition, its laws, with directions for success. Horace introduces Orpheus, Amphion, Homer, TyrtcBiis. — Ludusque reperlus £t longorum operum finis, ne forteC pudori Sit tibi Musa lyrse solers, tt cantor Apollo. Ben Johnson^s translation: Plays were found out; and rest the end and crown Of their iouij; labours was in verse set down. All which I tell, lest when Apollo's named. Or muse upon the Lyre, thou chance be ashamed. (p. 23.) The fourth line from the last introduces the passage already quoted: Ficta voluptatis causti, siut proxima veris. Now the reader will perceive how extraordinarily apposite these lines are to describe the De Augmentis, which Bacon compares to a ship sailing through time, an emblem he borrowed from the discovery of the New World to illustrate his '' New imrld of Sciences," which the De Augmentis is to open up: This (book) Will pass the seas, and long as nature is, With honour make the far known Author lice. But this single parallel is not all; for in context with Orpheus (who Bacon introduces as ''Orpheus Theatre '\ page 49 De Augmentis, translated by Wats 1640), I lind a few lines preceding, and leading to those already cited, the following, which is an exact description of the sort of Acroamatical or parabolical STYLE in which the De Augmentis is written: . Silvtistres homines sacer, iiiterpresque Deorum, Caedibus et victu faedo deterruit Orpheus, Diclus ob hoc leiiire tigres, lapidosque leoces. Dictus et Amphion Thebanae conditor arcis Saxo movere sono tesludinis, et prece blanda Ducere quo vellet. Fuit hcee sapientia quondam, Publica priTatis secernere, sacra profanis, Concubitu proJtibere vago. Here is Bacon^s favorite Orpheus, and just that enigmat- ical and veiled parabolical style described, which Bacon introduces in context with Dramatical Poetry, ^2^ge?, 107, 108 of this same De Augjnentis (which he describes as *' flying too high over men's heads from the obscurity of the style by which was to select its reader)." Ben Jon- son's translation of the lines I have placed in Italics runs: This was the wisdom that they had of old. Things sacred, from prof ane to separate; The public from the private to abate. (p. 23H.) Compare: ** There is another use of Parabolical Poesy,'' ** opposite to the former, which tendeth to the folding up " *' of those things the dignity whereof, deserves to be retired " " and distinguished, as with a drawn curtain. That '' 'Ms when the secrets and mysteries of Religion, Policy," 4 *^and Philosophy are veiled and invested with fables and'' " parables." (P. 108, Adv. of Learning, 1640.) This is in context and follows out of Bacon's description of Dramat- ICALA Kepresentative Poesy, tipon the previous page 107. And to show what Bacon means upon this same page, he in- troduces with an asterisk his "■ Wisdom of the Ancients,'^ as a Deficient of his " New World of Sciences.'' (Sapie^itia Veteriim 6ih star or asterisk of ^1 ]\eiv World of Sciences, or the Deficients. Catalogue at end of Advancement, 1640.) The hint Bacon gives ns for the theatre and its drawn curtaifi, is one of those felicitous touches, which, like one of the titles of the Advancement, Bacon applies to it, viz., the Intellectual Globe, recalls the Globe Theatre itseU, where the immortal pieces ascribed to Shakespeare were acted. If tlie render will count the italic words upon page J 02 of Ben Jonson's Timber or Discoveries (1641, first edition), he will find the word (applied to Bacon, ''mark," and acme of our language") Mark is the 1:16th word in order, couniing from the top of the page. There are 36 plays in the 1623 folio. If the count is continued, it is remarkable to find the fircit word of the Latin quotation from Horace's ''Art of Poetry/' is the 52d or 53d word in italics, according as wecount the word ''Commonwealtlt " asasingle hyphen- ated. word, or as two woids. The words in italics are: Cicero, Rome, Empire, Ingenium par imperio, Seculum, Sir Thomas More, Wiat, Henry, Surrey, Chaloner, Smith, Cliot, Gardiner, Nico Bacon, Elizabeths, Philip Sidney, Hooker, Essex, Walter Rawleigh, Henry Savile, Ediui^i Sandes, Egerton, Successor, Greece, Rome, Eloquence, Marke, I have, State, Commonwealth, Seminaries, Repub- lick, Advancement, Julius Ccesar, Analogic, Tully,Albane, Xovum Organum, Nominals, Qui longtim tioto scriptori 5 porriget Mvum. I refer the reader to the reproduced page in my forthcoming work. If the reader will kindly cheek and number these words in succession he will find I am correct in my numbers, and that the line cited from Horace carries Shakespeare's age 1616 — that is, 52 and 53. If the italicized words in the marginal notes, entitled Scriptorium. Catalogus, are likewise counted down, it is curious to again find the number 36 brings us to Francis (Bacon). If in the same marginal text we count all the words together (initials also), we find Sir (Francis Bacon) the 53d word. If these coincidences stood alone they might be attributed to accident, but there are such a number of them elsewhere, it is impossible to escape conviction all this is part of a profound system of cypher by means of mathe- matics. I particularly desire to draw the student's attention to column 106 of the Comedies, whereon we find the line (p. 53, Merry Wives of Windsor): Hang-Hog is Latia for Bacon I warrant }0u. The reader will perceive this word Hang- Hog is hyphen- ated, and therefore it n)ay be counted as one or two words. The column paging is very important in this cypher, and it stands to reason the columns must not only be correctly numb, red, but are real factors in the problem. The fact Shakespeare died in 1616 in his fifty- third year, as recorded on the Stratford monument (erected whilst his widow and family were alive), and that we refind the word Bacon not only on this page, but also twice on page 52 of 1st K. H. IV. (which page is mispaged 54 from false 49, two in advance of the real number), is a re-indorsement of the theory I hold of the p07'trait standing in the frame by mathematics, Bacon being brought in as a word on these pages, 52, 53. Now, if the reader will carefully count the words both down and up this column 106, he will find the line quoted is as follows: Down column f Hang 263. 6r ^ 263. r 100. ' oo (up column. • ^^ 106) 106, Ho^ 264. ( 99. p. 53M. W. W. is 265. 264. 98. Latin 266. 265. 97. for 267. 266. -{ 96. Bicoa 268. 267. 95. I 269. 268. 94. warrant 270. 269. 93. , you. 271. 270. I 92. Amongst the chief verses dedicated to the author of the plays, one stands pre eminent, written by Ben Johnson (which already has claimed attention from Mr. Donnelly's pen), and is to be found at the commencement of the 1623 Folio Plays. If the student will turn to this poem, com- mencing: To draw no envy (Shakespeare) on thy name. Am I thus ample to thy Booke and Faint, While 1 confesse thy writings to he such. As neither Man, nor Muse, can praise too much, he will find on the 32d line these words: I iDould not seek For names — If the reader will carefully count every word in suc- cession, from the commencement of the poem, down to these words he will find the words, ** Seek for na7nes,'' the 2b6th. 267th, 268th, or 267lh, 268Lh, 269th, according as we count 'out-shine," as a single word or two words. If the reader will now count the words upon page 53, Merry Wives of Windsor, column L06, he will find the words: Bacon I IV arrant the 267th, 268th, 269th, likevihe doiv n the cohmin, counted from the top, "Hang-Hog'' being treated as a single word. As the critic may object to any arbitrary treatment of hyphenated words, of which there is a single example in each collated passage, I will give the alterative counts in each case, viz., covmt'mg ''ffrntg- Hog" as one, and then as two words, and also counting outshine as one, and then as two words. The reader will perceive, no matter how we collate the poem with page 53, col. 106, M, W. W., tlie suspicious words, " Seek for 7ia?nes" falls into congrujty with and against the word, "Bacon!" Hang-Hog treated as a siugle word, Hang Hog treated as two words, For 266 Bacon 267 1 268 For 267 Bacon 268 I 269 Out-shine as single word, OiU-sliine as two words, Seek 266 for 267 names, ^108 Seek 267 for 268 names, 269 If we count a hyhenated word in one case as a single word, it is only rational we do likewise in the other case. But even if we outrage this rule and try the cipher col- lusion by the next possible count, of treating ''Hang- Hog" out-shine" as two words, we get the as one word, and same result: Hang-Hog, one word, Hang- Hog, two words, Bacon 267 I 268 warrant, 269 For Bicon 267 268 Out-fihine, tv\o words. Out shine, one Word, Se( k 267 for 5i68 names, 269 For 267 names. 268 The imparcial critic will do me the justice to allow I have evaded no difficulty, or possible collating of the figures, which may be hostile to my discovery. The only four possible alternative counts and collusions by congruity of cipher counts, have been exhausted, with always the same result, that tiie works, "seek for iiames" agiee with the words " Bacon I luarrant," or hold an apparent answer to the implied query, by the words " For Bacon"--\t may be observed Ben Jonson writes, "I would not seek for names " and then praises Shakespeare solely as an actor! f Extraordinary as this cipher congruity of figures is, I am quite ready to confess if it stood alone it might be open to criticism to declare it mere coincidence. But it does not stand singly or unsupported by other evidence, all tending to show page 53, col. 106 of the Merry Wives of Windsor, is a great cipher text page, or Philosophical Grammar, to which this cipher problem of the authorship of the plays is to be tested and referred to. For example in one of the prefaces to this same folio Plays, first edition 1623, is an address by John Heminge and Henry Condell (the publishers),'' To the Great Variety of Readers,'" which I shall also reproduce in fac-simile. The second paragraph opens, '' It had been a thing, we '• covTfcirS, worthy to have been wished, that the author ''HIMSELF had lived to have set forth his oivn ivriti7igs.'' This is the only entry of the word author in this preface. If the I'eader will count the words up, from the bottom of the page, he will find " al^thor'' the 267th word, agreeing with the word '• Baco7i" 267 {Hang- Hog counted as one word), page 53^ col. 106 Merry Wives of Windsor. It may be observed there are no hyphenated double, or ambiguous words in this count. It is open to the critic to include the names of John Heminge and Henry Condell in the count if he likes, but 1 think this is hardly legitimate? If we now collate again with page 53, col. 106 Merry Wives of Windsor, we get: P. 53M.W.W. ( S Author, 267. Up the page. Hang Hog. - Bacon 267. '{ himself 266. {One word). ( For 266. P. 53M.W.W. ( Bacon 268. j the 268. Up the page. Hang Hog. \ For 267. \ Author 267. ( I wo wordis). { If we include the four words of the names of John Heminge and Henry Condell in the count, we get this extraordinary result; a cipher statement, that Bacon had lived to set forth and oversee his own writings: P. 53M.W.W. ( I 269. Preface Uiad 269. (counted up). liany Hog. \ Bacon 268. Folio 1623 '{ lived 268. (counted up). ( Two words). { You 270. f himself 270. Hang Hog. j Warrant 269. ) had 269. as one word.) ] I 2(i8. j lived 268. t Bacon 267. [ to 267. If we read the last collated passage in sequence, up, from left to right down, we get part of a complete sentence, Bacon / luarrant yon, himself had lived to (set forth and oversee his own writing?) The reader will see this is a second endorsement of my theory, that page 53 M. W. of W. col. 106, is a table of cipher reference. 10 W'^i ^w LIBRARY OF CONGRESS