AIDS. THE STUDY OF FRANCIS BACON'S WORKS has received tremendous impetus from the recent discoveries, and the arguments heretofore urged by Baconian students and investigators have an added value. In the study of BACON'S CIPHER WRITINGS Of the first importance is the FOLIO "1623" EDITION OF SHAKESPEARE, the only edition extant containing all the Plays as re-written and originally published in that year. There are but five copies of this original edition in existence, three of which are mutilated; two of the five are in Bridgewater House; one is owned by Baroness Burdett Coutts, London; one is in the library of Columbia College, New York, and one is owned by Mr. Gunther, of Chicago. These originals are priceless, but unexpurgated reduced photographic copies have been published, and are available to the student at a cost of $2.50. There are said to be in existence over THREE HUNDRED DIFFERENT EDITIONS of the Plays, no two alike—all incomplete, whole acts, scenes and passages of the original text, as found in Folio 1623 Edition, left out, and much of the remainder re-written to suit ideas of modern Shakesperian students, and individual publishers. BACON'S WORKS, as translated and edited by Spedding, Ellis & Heath, are used in deciphering the Cipher Writings. They comprise INTERPRETATION OF NATURE, NOVUM ORGANUM, ADVANCEMENT OF In all these, and in the WORKS ATTRIBUTED TO THE AUTHORSHIP OF ROBERT GREENE, (PLAYS AND MISCELLANEOUS POEMS), GEORGE PEEL (PLAYS AND MISCELLANEOUS POEMS), CHRISTOPHER MARLOW (HERO AND LEANDER, PLAYS, ETC.), ROBERT BURTON (ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY), EDMUND SPENSER (FAERY QUEEN AND OTHER POEMS), the cipher is found to be continuously enfolded, and all these books are necessary for the production of the connected CIPHER STORY. Some of these books are difficult to obtain, and will be reprinted if demand seems to warrant. We invite correspondence from those desiring any of this list. Literal re prints of the originals only are used in the decipherings. PROOF THAT SHAKESPEARE COULD NOT WRITE. An able pamphlet by W. H. Burr, of Washington, D. C., illustrated with fac-similes of the only signatures of Shakespeare (five in number) known to be in his handwriting, with an analysis of the peculiarities of each, together with what is known of the writer, showing the impossibility of his having written the Plays. Except these signatures there is nothing in existence in the handwriting of William Shakespeare. The book also contains the sonnets written by Bacon to the Earl of Essex and his bride, A. D. 1590, and "Bacon Identified as the Concealed Poet Ignoto." Paper covers-48 pages; price, 25 cents. BRIEF FOR PLAINTIFF. BACON vs. SHAKESPEARE, by that student and scholar, Hon. Edwin Reed, Andover, Mass. This is a most powerful and condensed argument, beautifully written, handsomely bound, an ornament, both literary and artistic, to any library. We quote from well known people concerning this book: "You have put all your points with remarkable skill and force, and I have, in spite of myself, been charmed with the Brief.'"-Justin McCarthy, London. "Delightful to read, even though I call it extra hazardous.' and put it out of the reach of the unsophisticated.”—D. C. Gilman, (Pres. Johns Hopkins Univ.) "Gives in a nutshell what most of those who agree with him have required volumes to set forth."-Henry Labouchere, Truth, London. "I have read the argument with keen interest, and am greatly im pressed by its cogency." (Bishop) H. C. Potter. "It is ingenious and interesting."-Grover Cleveland. 'I think its whole effect will be capital as an educator."-Horace Binney Sargent. "The arguments in favor of the hypothesis are set forth with the utmost ingenuity, and with all the force of which they are susceptible."-Goldwin Smith. "The 'Brief' seems to me remarkably conclusive."-Frances E. Willard. The most persuasive presentation of the question I have seen.”—Mrs. James T. Fields. "Some of the points you raise are very hard to answer, '—Francis Parkman. "In his general position as showing the impossibility of the Shakesperian authorship, he is unanswerable."-O. B. Frothingham. "I have read the able Brief with interest. Whether Bacon wrote the wonderful Plays or not, I am quite sure the man Shakespeare neither did nor could."-John G. Whittier. 108 pages, handsomely bound, gilt edges, $1 00. Further matter of great interest on this subject, is promised from the pen of Mr. Reed, in the near future. DETROIT, MICH. HOWARD PUBLISHING CO. Sir Francis Bacon's Letter to the Decipherer. MY DEAR SIR: LONDON, 1623. Thus leaning on mine elbow I begin the letter scattered wider than the sky and earth; And yet the spacious breadth of this division, As it spreads round in the widest circle, Admits the mingling of the four great guides we use, So that we have no need of any minute rule To make the opening of our device Appear as plainly to you as the sun.. But sir, at the same time, there is no orifrex For a point as subtle as Ariachne's broken woof To enter, in its whole bulk or substance, unless you have Found out the guides of all our shifts and changes. And if you give away or hedge aside From the direct forthright, Like to an entered tide they all rush by And leave you hindermost; Or like a gallant horse falne in first rank, Lie there for pavement to the abject nere, O'errun and trampled on. And for fear that you would go astray from our design Before you had your powers well put on, We have marked out a plan in this epistle To communicate to you how our great cipher cues combine; And we beseech you ask of us What questions you may choose And in what manner; and we will answer unpremeditated, And you shall find we will, |