The 'buskin’ signified tragedy, 'socks’ comedy, and it was as an actor, not as an author, that Jonson would compare Shakespeare with both ancient and modern Greece and Rome. His name was in the list of actors of some of Jonson’s plays, as well as of “Shakespeare’s.” Beeston says, “he did act exceedingly well,” and we are indebted to Mr. Sidney Lee’s Shakespeare in Oral Tradition for a revival of “the exciting discovery some actors made” of Shakespeare’s brother Gilbert whose memory “only enabled him to recall his brother’s performance of Adam in his(?) comedy of As you like it.”
It is true that Shakespeare was lauded for the literary work supposed to be his, yet in the article just cited we observe also that “Shakespeare’s extraordinary rapidity of composition was an especially frequent topic of contemporary debate.” There were men even then who realized that these things were not possible to their Shakespeare.
In the Advancement of Learning we read; “He is the greater and deeper pollitique, that can make other men the Instruments of his will and endes, and yet never acquaint them with his purpose: So that they shall doe it, and yet not know what they doe, then hee that imparteth his meaning to those he employeth.” B. 2., 1st p. 33.
This would suggest that Bacon did not impart his purposes to his “masques.” Ignorant of the fact that Shakespeare’s name was being employed as was his own, Greene exclaimed, “An upstart crow beautified with our feathers!” The similarity of expression was apparent to him, as to students of the present day, and the charge of plagiarism was very natural.
Sir Henry points out that although Bacon “was the legitimate son of Queen Elizabeth, his unnatural mother showed not the smallest desire to advance his interests.” But what shall be said of Sir Nicholas Bacon’s failure to make provision for Francis? The cipher history makes that point quite clear. He made provision for his own sons, and in a certain sense Elizabeth provided for hers, although she did not give them public recognition nor show the elder any marked favor.
Sir Henry asks: “What did Bacon know about the stage?” What did he not know about the stage? A few random quotations will best answer these questions:
“In the plays of this philosophical theatre you may observe the same thing which is found in the theatre of the poets, that stories invented for the stage, are more compact and elegant, and more as one would wish them to be, than true stories out of history.” Nov. Or., p. 90.
“Representative [poetry] is as a visible history, and is an image of actions as if they were present, as history is of actions in nature as they are (that is) past.” Adv. of L., p. 204.
“In whose time also began that great alteration in the state ecclesiastical, an action which seldom cometh upon the stage.” Adv. of L., p. 193.
“As if he were conscient to himself that he had played his part well upon the stage.” Adv. of L., p. 362.