Bacon is Shake-Speare

The pagination of the MS. is modern, and was inserted for reference purposes when the Promus was bound up in one volume together with certain other miscellaneous manuscripts which are numbered from 1 to 82, and from 133 onwards.

A facsimile of a portion of a leaf of the Promus MS., folio 85, is given on pages 190-91, in order to illustrate Bacon's handwriting, and also to shew his method of marking the entries. It will be perceived that some entries have lines //// drawn across the writing, while upon others marks similar to the capital letters T, F, and A are placed at the end of the lines. But as the Promus is here printed page for page as in the manuscript, I am not raising the question of the signification of these marks, excepting only to say they indicate that Bacon made considerable use of these memoranda.

"Promus" means larder or storehouse, and these "Fourmes, Formularies and Elegancyes" appear to have been intended as a storehouse of words and phrases to be employed in the production of subsequent literary works.

Mrs. Pott was the first to print the "Promus," which, with translations and references, she published in 1883. In her great work, which really may be described as monumental, Mrs. Pott points out, by means of some thousands of quotations, how great a use appears to have been made of the "Promus" notes, both in the acknowledged works of Bacon and in the plays which are known as Shakespeare's.

Mrs. Pott's reading of the manuscript was extremely good, considering the great difficulty experienced in deciphering the writing. But I thought it advisable when preparing a reprint to secure the services of the late Mr. F. B. Bickley, of the British Museum, to carefully revise the whole of Bacon's "Promus." This task he completed and I received twenty-four proofs, which I caused to be bound with a title page in 1898. There were no other copies, the whole of the type having unfortunately been broken up. The proof has again been carefully collated with the original manuscript and corrected by Mr. F. A. Herbert, of the British Museum, and I have now reprinted it here, as I am satisfied that the more Bacon's Promus – the Storehouse – is examined, the more it will be recognised how large a portion of the material collected therein has been made use of in the Immortal Plays, and I therefore now issue the Promus with the present essay as an additional proof of the identity of Bacon and Shakespeare.

EDWIN DURNING-LAWRENCE

[Illustration: Plate XLII. Facsimile of portion of Folio 85 of the

Original MS of Bacon's "Promus." see page 199]

[Illustration: Plate XLIII. Portrait of Francis Bacon, from a Painting by Van Somers. Formerly in the Collection of the Duke of Fife]

Promus of Formularies.

Folio 83, front

Ingenuous honesty and yet with opposition and

strength.

Corni contra croci good means against badd, homes

to crosses.

In circuitu ambulant impij; honest by antiperistasis.

Siluj a bonis et dolor meus renouatus est.

Credidj propter quod locutus sum.

Memoria justi cum laudibus at impiorum nomen

putrescet

Justitiamque omnes cupida de mente fugarunt.

Non recipit stultus verba prudential nisi ea dixeris

quaee uersantur in corde ejus

Veritatem erne et noli vendere

Qui festinat ditari non erat insons

Nolite dare sanctum canibus.

Qui potest capere capiat

Quoniam Moses ad duritiam cordis uestri permisit

uobis

Obedire oportet deo magis quam hominibus.

Et vniuscujusque opus quale sit probabit ignis

Non enim possumus aliquid aduersus ueritatem sed

pro ueritate.

Folio 83, front – continued

For which of y'e good woorkes doe yow stone me

Quorundam hominum peccata praecedunt ad judicium

quorundam sequuntur

Bonum certamen certauj

Sat patriae priamoque datum.

Ilicet obruimur numero.

Atque animis illabere nostris

Hoc praetexit nomine culpam.

Procul o procul este prophani

Magnanimj heroes nati melioribus annis

Folio 83, back

Ille mihi ante alios fortunatusque laborum

Egregiusque animi qui ne quid tale videret

Procubuit moriens et humum semel ore momordit

Fors et uirtus miscentur in vnum.

Non ego natura nec sum tam callidus vsu.

aeuo rarissima nostro simplicitas

Viderit vtilitas ego cepta fideliter edam.

Prosperum et foelix scelus, virtus vocatur

Tibi res antiquas laudis et artis

Inuidiam placare paras uirtute relicta.

Iliacos intra muros peccatur et extra

Homo sum humanj a me nil alienum puto.

The grace of God is woorth a fayre

Black will take no other hue

Vnum augurium optimum tueri patria.

Exigua res est ipsa justitia

Dat veniam coruis uexat censura columbas.

Homo hominj deus

Semper virgines furiae; Cowrting a furye

Di danarj di senno et di fede

Ce ne manco che tu credj

Chi semina spine non vada discalzo

Mas vale a quien Dios ayuda que a quien mucho

madruga.

Quien nesciamente pecca nesciamente ua al infierno

Quien ruyn es en su uilla

Ruyn es en Seuilla

De los leales se hinchen los huespitales

Folio 84, front

We may doe much yll or we doe much woorse

Vultu laeditur saepe pietas.

Difficilia quae pulchra

Conscientia mille testes.

Summum Jus summa injuria

Nequiequam patrias tentasti lubricus artes.

Et monitj meliora sequamur

Nusquam tuta fides

Discite Justitiam moniti et non temnere diuos

Quisque suos patimur manes.

Extinctus amabitur idem.

Optimus ille animi vindex laedentium pectus

Vincula qui rupit dedoluitque semel.

Virtue like a rych geme best plaine sett

Quibus bonitas a genere penitus insita est

ij iam non mali esse nolunt sed nesciunt

Oeconomicae rationes publicas peruertunt.

Divitiae Impedimenta virtutis; The bagage of

vertue

Habet et mors aram.

Nemo virtuti invidiam reconciliauerit praeter

mort …

Turpe proco ancillam sollicitare Est autem

virtutis ancilia laus.

Si suum cuique tribuendum est certe et venia

humanitati

Qui dissimulat liber non est

Leue efficit jugum fortunae jugum amicitiae

Omnis medecina Innouatio

Folio 84, front – continued

Auribus mederi difficillimum.

Suspitio fragilem fidem soluit fortem incendit

Pauca tamen suberunt priscae vestigia fraudis

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

Mors et fugacem persequitur virum.

Danda est hellebori multo pars maxima avar [is]

Folio 84, back

Minerall wytts strong poyson and they be not

corrected

aquexar.

Ametallado fayned inameled.

Totum est majus sua parte against factions and

priuate profite

Galens compositions not paracelsus separations

Full musike of easy ayres withowt strange concordes

and discordes

In medio non sistit uirtus

Totem est quod superest

A stone withowt foyle

A whery man that lookes one way and pulls another

Ostracisme

Mors in Olla poysonings

Fumos uendere.

[Sidenote up the left margin oriented at ninety degrees to the text:

FOURMES COMERSATE]

Folio 85, front

Dec. 5, 1594.

Promus

// Suauissima vita indies meliorem fierj

The grace of God is woorth a faire

Mors in olla F

// No wise speech thowgh easy and voluble.

Notwithstanding his dialogues (of one that giueth

life to his speach by way of quaestion). T

He can tell a tale well (of those cowrtly giftes of

speach w'ch. are better in describing then in

consydering) F

A goode Comediante T (of one that hath good

grace in his speach)

To commend Judgments.

// To comend sense of law

// Cunyng in the humors of persons but not in the

condicons of actions

Stay a littell that we make an end the sooner. A

// A fooles bolt is soone shott

His lippes hang in his light. A. T

// Best we lay a straw hear

A myll post thwitten to a pudding pricke T

// One swallo maketh no sumer

L'Astrologia e vera ma l'astrologuo non sj truoua

// Hercules pillers non vltra. T

// He had rather haue his will then his wyshe. T

Well to forgett

Make much of yourselfe

Folio 85, front – continued

Wyshing yow all &c and myself occasion to doe

yow servyce

// I shalbe gladd to vnderstand your newes but none

// rather then some ouerture whearin I may doe

// yow service

// Ceremonyes and green rushes are for strangers T

How doe yow? They haue a better question in cheap side w'lak ye

// Poore and trew. Not poore therefore not trew T

Folio 85, back

Tuque Inuidiosa vestustas. T

Licentia sumus omnes deteriores. T

Qui dat nivem sicut lanam T

Lilia agri non laborant neque nent T

Mors omnia solvit T

// A quavering tong.

like a cuntry man that curseth the almanach. T

Ecce duo gladij his. T

Arnajore ad minorem. T

In circuitu ambulant impij T

Exijt sermo inter fratres quod discipulus iste non

moritur T

Omne majus continet in se mjnus T

Sine vlla controuersia quod minus est majore

benedic … T

She is light she may be taken in play T

He may goe by water for he is sure to be well

landed T

// Small matters need sollicitacion great are remem-

bred of themselues

The matter goeth so slowly forward that I haue

almost forgott it my self so as I maruaile not

if my frendes forgett

Not like a crabb though like a snaile

Honest men hardly chaung their name. T

The matter thowgh it be new (if that be new wch)

hath been practized in like case thowgh not in

this particular

I leaue the reasons to the parties relacions and the

consyderacion of them to your wysdome

Folio 86, front

I shall be content my howrs intended for service

leaue me in liberty

// It is in vayne to forbear to renew that greef by

// speach w'ch the want of so great a comfort must

// needes renew.

// As I did not seeke to wynne your thankes so your

// courteous acceptacion deserueth myne

// The vale best discouuereth the hill T.

// Sometymes a stander by seeth more than a plaier T.

The shortest foly is the best. T.

// I desire no secrett newes but the truth of comen

newes. T.

// Yf the bone be not trew17 sett it will neuer be well

till it be broken. T.

// Cheries and newes fall price soonest. T.

You vse the lawyers fourme of pleading T.

// The difference is not between yow and me but

between your proffite and my trust

// All is not in years some what is in howres well

spent. T.

// Offer him a booke T

// Why hath not God sent yow my mynd or me your

// means.

// I thinke it my dowble good happ both for the

obteynyng and for the mean.

// Shutt the doore for I mean to speak treason T.

I wysh one as fytt as I am vnfitt

I doe not onely dwell farre from neighbors but near

yll neighbors. T

Folio 86, front – continued.

// As please the paynter T.

Receperunt mercedem suam. T.

Secundum tidem vestram fiet vobis

Ministerium meum honorificabo

Folio 86, back

Beati mortuj qui moriuntur in domino

Detractor portat Diabolum in lingua T

frangimur heu fatis inquit ferimurque procella

Nunc ipsa vocat res

Dij meliora pijs erroremque hostibus illum

Aliquisque malo fuit vsus in illo

Vsque acleo latet vtilitas

Et tamen arbitrium que, rit res ista duorum.

Vt esse phebi dulcius lumen solet

Jam jam cadentis

Velle suum cuique est nee voto viuitur vno

Who so knew what would be dear

Nead be a marchant but a year.

Blacke will take no other hew

He can yll pipe that wantes his vpper lip

Nota res mala optima

Balbus balbum rectius intelligit

L' agua va al mar

A tyme to gett and a tyme to loose

Nee dijs nee viribus equis

Vnum pro multis dabitur caput

Mitte hanc de pectore curam

Neptunus ventis impleuit vela secundis

A brayne cutt with facettes T

T Yow drawe for colors but it prooueth contrarie

T Qui in paruis non distinguit in magnis labitur.

Every thing is subtile till it be conceyued

Folio 87, front

That y't. is forced is not forcible

More ingenious then naturall

Quod longe jactum est leviter ferit

Doe yow know it? Hoc solum scio quod nihil scio

I know it? so say many

Now yow say somewhat.s. euen when yow will; now

yow begynne to conceyue I begynne to say.

What doe yow conclude vpon that? etiam tentas

All is one.s. Contrariorum eadam est ratio.

Repeat your reason.s. Bis ac ter pulchra.

Hear me owt.s. you were neuer in.

Yow iudg before yow vnderstand.s. I iudg as I vnderstand.

You goe from the matter.s. But it was to folow yow.

Come to the poynt.s. why I shall not find yow thear

Yow doe not vnderstand y'e poynt.s. for if I did.

Let me make an end of my tale.s. That which I

will say will make an end of it

Yow take more then is graunted.s.

you graunt lesse then is prooued

Yow speak colorably.s. yow may not say truly.

That is not so by your fauour.s. But by my reason

it is so

Folio 87, back

It is so I will warrant yow.s. yow may warrant me

but I thinke I shall not vowche yow

Awnswere directly.s. yow mean as you may direct

me

Awnswere me shortly.s. yea that yow may coment

vpon it.

The cases will come together.s. It wilbe to fight

then.

Audistis quia dictum est antiquis

Secundum hominem dico

Et quin18 non novit talia?

Hoc praetexit nomine culpa

Et fuit in toto notissima fabula celo

Quod quidam facit

Nee nihil neque omnia sunt quae dicit

Facete nunc demum nata ista est oratio

Qui mal intend pis respond

Tum decujt cum sceptra dabas

En haec promissa fides est?

Proteges eos in tabernaculo tuo a contradictione

linuarum.

[Greek: prin to thronein katathronein epistasai]

Sicut audiuimus sic vidimus

Credidj propter quod locutus sum.

Quj erudit derisorem sibj injuriam facit

Super mjrarj ceperunt philosopharj

Folio 88, front

Prudens celat scientiam stultus proclamat stultitiam

Querit derisor sapientiam nee invenit eam.

Non recipit stultus verba prudentie nisi ea dixeris

quae sunt in corde ejus

Lucerna Dej spiraculum hominis

Veritatem eme et noli vendere

Melior claudus in via quam cursor extra viam.

The glory of God is to conceale a thing and the

glory of man is to fynd owt a thing.

Melior est finis orationis quam principium.

Injtium verborum ejus stultitia et novissimum oris

illius pura insania

Verba sapientium sicut aculej et vebut clavj in

altum defixj.

Quj potest capere capiat

Vos adoratis quod nescitis

Vos nihil scitis

Quod est veritas.

Quod scripsj scripsj

Nolj dicere rex Judeorum sed dicens se regem

Judeorum

Virj fratres liceat audacter dicere apud vos

Quod uult seminator his verborum dicere

Folio 88, back

Multe te litere ad Insaniam redigunt.

Sapientiam loquiraur inter perfectos

Et Justificata est sapientia a filijs suis.

Scientia inflat charitas edificat

Eadem vobis scribere mihi non pigrum vobis autem

necessarium

Hoc autem dico vt nemo vos decipiat in sublimi-

tate sermonum.

Omnia probate quod bonum este tenete

Fidelis sermo

Semper discentes et nunquam ad scientiam veritatis

pervenientes

Proprius ipsorum propheta

Testimonium hoc verum est

Tantam nubem testium.

Sit omnis homo velox ad audiendum tardus ad

loquendum.

Error novissimus pejor priore.

Quecunque ignorant blasphemant

Non credimus quia non legimus

Facile est vt quis Augustinum vincat viderit vtrum

veritate an clamore.

Bellum omnium pater

De nouueau tout est beau

De saison tout est bon

Dj danarj di senno et di fede

Ce ne manca che tu credj

Di mentira y saqueras verdad

Folio 89, front

Magna Civitas magna solitude

light gaines make heuy purses

He may be in my paternoster indeed

But sure he shall neuer be in my Creed

Tanti causas sciat ilia furosis

What will yow?

For the rest

It is possible

Not the lesse for that

Allwaies provyded

Yf yow stay thear

for a tyme

will yow see

what shalbe the end.

Incident

Yow take it right

All this while

Whear stay we? prima facie.

That agayne. more or less.

I find that straunge It is bycause

Not vnlike quasi vero

Yf that be so Best of all

What els

Nothing lesse

Yt cometh to that

Hear yow faile

To meet with that

Bear with that

And how now

Folio 89, front – continued

Of grace

as if

let it not displease yow

Yow putt me in mynd

I object, I demaund I distinguish etc.

A matter not in question

few woordes need

much may be said,

yow haue

well offred.

The mean the tyme

All will not serue

Yow haue forgott nothing.

Causa patet

Tamen quaere.

Well remembred

I arreste yow thear

I cannot thinke that

Discourse better

I was thinking of that

I come to that

That is iust nothing

Peraduenture Interrogatory.

Se then how (for much lesse)

NOTE. – This folio is written in three columns. The first two are printed on page 209, and this page forms the third column. The first line, "Of grace," is written opposite the sixth line on page 209, "What will yow?"

Folio 89, back

Non est apud aram Consultandem.

Eumenes litter

Sorti pater equus vtrique

Est quoddam [sic] prodire tenus si non datur vltra.

Quem si non tenuit magnis tamen excidit ausis

Conamur tenues grandia

Tentantem majora fere praesentibus equum.

Da facilem cursum atque audacibus annue ceptis

Neptunus ventis implevit vela secundis

Crescent illae crescetis Amores

Et quae nunc ratio est impetus ante fuit

Aspice venturo laetentur vt omnia seclo

In Academijs discunt credere

Vos adoratis quod nescitis

To gyue Awthors thear due as yow gyue Tyme his

dew w'ch is to discouuer troth.

Vos graeci semper pueri

Non canimus surdis respondent omnia syluae

populus volt decipi

Scientiam loquimur inter perfectos

Et Justificata est sapientia a filijs suis

Pretiosa in oculis domini mors sanctorum ejus

Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.

Magistratus virum iudicat.

Da sapienti occasionem et addetur ej sapienta

Vite me redde priorj

I had rather know then be knowne

Folio 90, front

Orpheus in syluis inter Delphinas Arion

Inopem me copia fecit.

An instrument in tunyng

A yowth sett will neuer be higher.

like as children doe w'th their babies when they haue

plaied enowgh wth them they take sport to

undoe them.

Faber quisque fortune suae

Hinc errores multiplices quod de partibus vitae

singuli deliberant de summa nemo.

Vtilitas magnos hominesque deosque efficit auxilijs

quoque fauente suis.

Qui in agone contendit a multis abstinet

Quidque cupit sperat suaque illum oracula fallunt

Serpens nisi serpentem comederit non fit Draco

The Athenians holyday.

Optimi consiliarij mortuj

Cum tot populis stipatus eat

In tot populis vix vna fides

Odere Reges dicta quae dici iubent

Nolite confidere in principibus

Et multis vtile bellum.

Pulchrorum Autumnus pulcher

Vsque adeone times quern tu facis ipse timendum.

Dux femina facti

Res est ingeniosa dare

A long wynter maketh a full ear.

Declinat cursus aurumque uolubile tollit

Romaniscult.

Vnum augurium optimum tueri patriam

Bene omnia fecit

Folio 90, back

Et quo quenque modo fugiatque feratque laborem edocet.

Non vlla laborum o virgo nova mi facies inopinave surgit;

Omnia praecepi atque animo mecum ante peregi.

Cultus major censu

Tale of y'e frogg that swelled.

Viderit vtilitas

Qui eget verseter in turba

While the legg warmeth the boote harmeth

Augustus rapide ad locum leniter in loco

My father was chudd for not being a baron.

Prowd when I may doe any man good.

I contemn few men but most thinges.

A vn matto vno & mezo

Tantene animis celestibus ire

Tela honoris tenerior

Alter rixatur de lana sepe caprina

Propugnat nugis armatus scilicet vt non

Sit mihi prima fides.

Nam cur ego amicum offendam in nugis

A skulter

We haue not drunke all of one water.

Ilicet obruimur numer[o].

Numbring not weighing

let them haue long mornynges that haue not good

afternoones

Cowrt howres

Constancy to remayne in the same state

Folio 90, back – continued.

The art of forgetting.

Rather men then maskers.

Variam dans otium mentem

Spire lynes.

Folio 91, front

Veruntamen vane conturbatur omnis homo

Be the day never so long at last it ringeth to

even-song.

Vita salillum.

Non possumus aliquid contra veritatem sed pro veritate.

Sapie[n]tia quoque perseueravit mecum

Magnorum fluuiorum navigabiles fontes.

Dos est vxoria lites

Haud numine nostro

Atque animis illabere nostris

Animos nil magne laudi egentes

Magnanimj heroes nati mehioribus annis

AEuo rarissima nostro Simplicitas

Qui silet est firmus

Si nunquam fallit imago

And I would haue thowght

Sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile temp[us]

Totum est quod superest

In a good beleef

Possunt quia posse videntur

Justitiamque omnes cupida de mente fugaru[nt]

Lucrificulus

Qui bene nugatur ad mensam sepe vocatur

faciunt et tedi[urn finitum?]19

Malum bene conditum ne moveas

Be it better be it woorse

Goe yow after him that beareth the purse

Tranquillo quilibet gubernator

Nullus emptor difficilis bonum emit opsonium

Chi semina spine non vada discalzo

Folio 91, back

Quoniam Moses ad duritiem cordis permi [sit] vobis

Non nossem peccatum nisi per legem.

Discite Justitiam monit;

Vbj testamentum ibi necesse est mors intercedat

testatoris

Scimus quia lex bona est si quis ea vtatur legitime

Ve vobis Jurisperitj

Nee me verbosas leges ediscere nee me Ingrato

voces prostituisse foro.

fixit leges pretio atque refixit

Nec ferrea Jura Insanumque forum et populi

tabularia vidit

Miscueruntque novercae non innoxia verba

Jurisconsultj domus oraculum Civitatis

now as ambiguows as oracles.

Hic clamosi rabiosa forj

Jurgia vendens improbus

Iras et verba locat

In veste varietas sit scissura non sit

Plenitude potestatis est plenitudo tempestatis

Iliacos intra muros peccatur et extra

Prosperum et felix scelus virtus vocatur

Da mihi fallere da iustum sanctumque viderj.

Nil nisi turpe iuuat cure est sua cuique voluptas

Hec quoque ab alterius grata dolore venit

Casus ne deusne

fabuleque manes

Folio 92, front

Ille Bioneis sermonibus et sale nigro

Existimamus diuitem omnia scire recte

Querunt cum qua gente cadant

Totus mu[n]dus in malingo positus

O major tandem parcas insane minori

Reall

forma dat esse

Nee fandj fictor Vlisses

Non tu plus cernis sed plus temerarius audes

Nec tibj plus cordis sed minus oris inest.

Invidiam placare paras virtute relicta

[Greek: ho polla klepsas oliga douk ekpheuxetai]

Botrus oppositus Botro citius maturescit.

Old treacle new losanges.

Soft fire makes sweet malt.

Good to be mery and wise.

Seeldome cometh the better.

He must needes swymme that is held vp by the chynne.

He that will sell lawne before he can fold it.

Shall repent him before he haue sold it.

No man loueth his fetters thowgh they be of gold.

The nearer the church the furder from God.