WCP3303

[1]¹

Feb 11. 1911.

Dear Dr Russel-Wallace;

Among its "Massive facts",² which you think ought to supersede the Baconian Induction³ (which you most astonishingly call, "peddling as details" — a poseur that Darwin⁴ and you must have carried on very extensively before you arrived at your wonderful results respecting the origin of species;) — you refer to the "love and admiration ^with which William Shakespeare⁵ was regarded by his fellow actors and publishers" is of course a mere piece of conjecture as there is no evidence existing of anything of this kind. And in reference to this let me refer you to a passage in Spedding's edition⁶ of Bacon's⁷ work — Vol. I, P519. n. The whole note is too long for quotation; I suggest that you should[2] look upon. The most remarkable passage in it is the following[?]. Spedding⁸ quotes Lord Southampton's⁹ letter¹⁰ to Lord Chan[cellor] Ellesmere,¹¹ — it introduces[?] it thus "that very letter without which he should scarcely have known that Shakespeare was personally known to only me in the great world as a distinguished dramatic writer," — proves at the same time how little was known about him by people of that quality? And then he quotes from the letter. And curiously enough it [one word illeg.] not that that letter is one of Collier's¹² forgeries {see Staunton's¹³ Shakespeare — introduction) ^p.ixi So much for the most important of your "massive^[?] facts."

I will not publish your letter without your express permission. But I have some idea of publishing its arguments, as given by a very distinguished man of letters, in the columns of Baconiana.¹⁴ I am absolutely persuaded[3] that your belief will be soon compelled[?] & in the mean time, I ask you to consider on what a slender basis it rests.

The fact is that Shakespeare hagiography is a [one word illeg.] made up of guesses, conjectures, — assumptions which are trotted out as "doubtless" thus, — while the Baconian case rests on solid facts, which cannot be disputed.

With deepest respect I am, | yours very truly

Rob[er]t M. Theobald [signature]

Staunton gives no less than 8 of these forgeries, and these do not include all.