I led my troops to Phea’s trembling wall.”
In this place Bacon omits all mention of the Jardan, but in the catalogue of the ships he says, “Phæstus, by the silver Jardan.” Chapman gives the name of the river, Jardanus, another translator speaks of the Jardan, but Mr. Marston, I notice, writes the word Iardus.
In his MS. Pope had “hilly Eteon”; Bacon wrote “hillie Eteon”; but Pope’s printed work has “Eteon’s hills.”
It is conceded that Pope followed Ogilby very closely. There may be some interesting developments in the history of the latter. We know that he was much employed about Gray’s Inn, and that he was afterward taught Greek and Latin by the Oxford students to enable him to translate Homer and Virgil. One thing needs no demonstration, that there was nothing in Bacon’s Homer that made it necessary to keep it concealed before or after it was put in cipher. Upon that point he says that cipher writing became so much a habit, and pastime, that he embodied many things in it not necessarily secret. I quote:
“And yet I have also emploied my cyphers for other then secret matters in many of my later bookes, because it hath now become so much an act of habite, I am at a losse at this present having less dificile labour, now, then in former times in Her Ma.’s service.”—Bi-literal Cypher, p. 66.
In the matter of criticism and expression of individual opinion, we might quote from Bacon’s Essay of Custom and Education: “Men’s thoughts are much according to their inclination; their discourse and speeches according to their learning and infused opinions, but their deeds are after as they have been accustomed.”
Elizabeth Wells Gallup.
Detroit, Mich., May 15, 1902.
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Elizabeth Wells Gallup.