BACON AND DECIPHERER.

"Away, with me, all you whose souls abhor Th' uncleanly savors of a slaughter-house."

"O, I am stifled with this smell of sin! I am best pleas'd to be from such a deed.

"Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain
From whence this stream, through muddy passages
Hath had his current, and defil'd himself,
Thy overflow of good, converts the bad,
And thy abundant goodness shall excuse
This deadly blot in thy digressing friend.
Now he is gone, I do but stay behind
To do for him the office of revenge,

And then my soul shall wait on his to heaven,
As it on earth had been his servant still.

O God, O God! I wish the wicked Queen
Had cut off my head with my poor brother's."
"Nay do not banish reason; show wisdom

In close patience."

"Many that are not mad,

Have sure more lack of reason.

Look thou, sir,

His head is off, his eyes pluck'd out; and I

Must hide the faults, seem true and gracious,
Be a suitor unto his substitutes,

Or go to prison. Shall I continue?"
"I am your free dependent."

"Peace, here comes

The villain that did murder my dear lord!
What black magician conjures up this fiend?
I beseech you look, sir; here comes to him
The steelèd jailer and his cut-purse friend.
Oh 'tis an accident Heaven provides !
Let's step into the shadow of these trees,
And listen to them."

Jailer. I do beseech you,

O good my lord, that I may speak with you.

Cecil. What's the matter with you now, my masters?
Ja. Why, stay and hear me speak.

Ce. Not now, not now;

I'll speak with nobody: I have much to do.

Ja. Come sir, come sir, come sir; the prince is dead, And we claim the promise at your grace's hand, And look to have it yielded with all kindness.

Ce. Get you hence, instantly! for look you, sirs, Dogs are often beat for barking.

Ja. Thou dar'st not, coward, live to see the day:
Oppose thy steadfast-gazing eyes to mine,

See if thou canst out-face me with thy looks.
Set limb to limb and thou art far the lesser;

Thy hand is but a finger to my fist;

Thy leg a stick, compar'd with this truncheon;

My foot shall fight with all the strength thou hast;

And if mine arm be heavèd in the air,

Thy grave is digg'd already in the earth.

Did'st thou not tell us to torture and oppress,

Villify, torment and crucify him?

Starve, vex, gall, tyrannize and insult him?

To put out both his eyes, that they might serve
For buttons to his lips to keep his tongue
From catching cold?

Ce. Out, treacherous villain!

Is't not enough to break into my garden,
And like a thief to come to rob my ground.
Climbing my walls in spite of me the owner,
But thou wilt brave me with these saucy terms?

Ja. Brave thee? ay, by the best blood that ever was broach'd,

And beard thee too.

Ce. Thou miserable wretch:

I was not born to sue but to command.
Upon mine own free-hold, with forty feet
Of gallows conning thy neck, thou shalt hang.
Ja. What, coward! If I be hang'd look to it,
Whither I go, thither shalt thou go too.

Ce. Peace!

Second Jailer. Hear the cryer.

Ce. What the devil art thou!

S. J. One that will play the devil, sir, with you,
And a may catch your hide and you alone.
You are the hare of whom the proverb goes,
Whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard;
I'll smoke your skin-coat, and I catch you right;
Sirrah, look too't; yfaith I will, yfaith.

Ce. Well, well, put up your sword.
Ja. Say then my peace is made.

Ce. I will excuse you both, and for his death
No wind of blame shall breathe against you, sirs;
Even his mother shall not lay a fault on you.
Come, go with me, speak fair; you may salve so.
Ja. I'll follow sir, as they say, for reward.
S. J. He that rewards me, heaven reward him.
(Exit Cecil and Jailers.)

"This is the cruel man that was employ'd

To execute that execrable tragedy,

And you can witness with me this is true."

"This is the strangest tale that e'er I heard."

Synopsis of "The Tragical Historie of the Earl of Essex."

PROLOGUE.

ACT 1.-Scene 1.-Horns and trumpets sound. Enter Queen Elizabeth with hounds and dogs, returning
from hunt Queen and Huntsman. Enter Earl of Essex and Francis Bacon.
Queen dismisses attendants. Essex announces insurrection in Ireland.

Scene 2-Palace. Stormy discussion over assignment of commander of forces for Ireland.
Queen to Essex: "Take thou that." (Boxes his ears.)

Essex assays to draw his sword; defies her and leaves in a rage.

Queen relents, and sends the Admiral and Cecil to call him back
Scene 3.-Cecil, Solus. Enter Essex; the quarrel and blow.

Scene 4.-Queen and Cecil. Prayer of the Queen :

"I that never weep, now melt with woe,

That my ungracious son doth hate me so."

Scene 5.-Lady Essex warns the Earl against Cecil. Bacon and Essex. Rival claims to the Crown. ACT II.-Scene 1.-Elizabeth and Lords Queen announces that Essex will go to Ireland. Dismisses all but Essex, to whom she promises,

"" * * * * The next degree shall be
England's royal throne, for King of England
Shall you be proclaimed in every borough."

Scene 2.-Essex; outlines his puposes in Ireland.

Scene 3.-Essex and Bacon; farewell.

ACT III-Scene 1.-Cecil tells the Queen that Essex is returning with an army.

Scene 2.-Elizabeth walks in her sleep. Her horrible dream. Queen and ladies in prayer. Scene 3.-Bed chamber of Queen; noisy arrival of Essex. The Queen bids that he be admitted. "Bless thee, my blessed boy,

*

*

*

Then, sir, withdraw, and in an hour return"

Ladies in waiting dress the Queen in handsome robes. Essex returns; Queen embraces him. He discourses of Ireland and claims the Dukedom of York. (Exit.) Enter Cecil, who frightens the Queen with false reasons for Essex's sudden return.

Scene 4.-Bacon tells Essex of Cecil's intrigues, and bids him fly to France. Enter Queen ; Shows displeasure at Essex's return, and bids him go to his home. ACT IV.-Scene 1.-Council Chamber. Queen informs Essex he must appear before the Council.

But if, sir,

And deliver us this ring.

You be put in bondage, appeal to us

*

Essex before the Council. Insults Cecil.

*

Scene 2.-Essex commanded to close confinement in his house.

Scene 3.-Quarrels with his brother Francis Bacon.

Scene 4.-Queen and Bacon. Bacon pleads for Essex.

Interrupted by news of Essex's revolt.

Scene 5.-Gate of Essex's House. Lords demand his surrender; Essex's soldiers surround and take them away.

Scene 6.-Street in London. Essex endeavors to incite the mob to burn and plunder.

Scene 7.-Front of Essex's House-Essex on walls. Alarms and clash of arms. Summoned to parley; descends; is arrested and conveyed to the Tower.

Scene 8.-Palace.

Queen. "Where is the Earl?"

Cecil. "In the Tower, Your Grace."

ACT V.-Scene 1.-Order for the trial of Essex.

Scene 2.-Queen and Francis Bacon; plea for pardon of Essex.
"Your treacherous brother dies!

Queen.

*

*

Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and measure still for measure."

Scene 3.-Star Chamber. Trial of Essex. He denounces Cecil. Essex condemned to execution.
Scene 4-Streets of London. Essex under guard; axe, edge toward him; led to dungeon.
Scene 5.-Garden of Palace. Lady Essex and child before the Queen; pleads for Essex's life.
Francis Bacon supports her and supplicates the Queen, without result.

Essex. "No bending knee will call me Cæsar now," (Enter Bacon.)
O thou damn'd cur;

Whom to call brother would infect my mouth,

Get thee gone, thou most wicked sir!

Bacon. "Is it my fault that I was forced to plead?

How much thou wrongst me, Heaven be my judge

Essex upbraids him with sharpest scorn. Enter Lord Keeper; commands Bacon to depart gives commission to jailor. Jailors bind Essex in a chair; show him the order.

Cut out my tongue so that I may still keep

Both mine eyes (Jailor tears out one eye, then the other.)

Sir Francis Bacon's Cipher Story.

The series of deciphered writings from the Shakespearean Plays, the stage plays of Marlow, the works of Peele, Green, Spenser and Burton, has reached the sixth book, and others in process of translation. The character and scope of the matter so far deciphered, will be indicated by the following

SYNOPSIS.

BOOK I.

Francis Bacon's Letter to the Decipherer.

Embracing the plan of the work, explanation of methods,
and reasons for writing the narrative in Cipher.

1

45

56

61-67

Upon those who have caused his humiliation.

Francis Bacon's Life.

97

Discovery that he was son of Elizabeth. Confirmation by
his foster mother, Lady Ann Bacon.

The early life of Elizabeth and the end of the reign of Mary.

Continues

BOOK II.

The account of Elizabeth; the wooing of Leicester in the
Tower; bribes the Holy Friar to take him to Eliza-
beth; frightens him into performing the marriage cer-
emony; plotting the death of Leicester's wife, Ayme
Robsart; Ayme Robsart visits the Queen; stormy
interview; death of Ayme Robsart.

200

202

224

226

235

248