The intellectual light in the top and consummation of thy
workmanship;

Shakespeare:

Like eyasses that cry out on the top of the question.

Myriads of pages of such matter would carry no proof. Probably the
hugest collection of such 'parallels' is that preserved by Mrs. Pott
in Bacon's 'Promus,' a book of 628 pages. Mrs. Pott's 'sole object'
in publishing 'was to confirm the growing belief in Bacon's
authorship of the plays.' Having acquired the opinion, she laboured
to strengthen herself and others in the faith. The so-called
'Promus' is a manuscript set of notes, quotations, formulae, and
proverbs. As Mr. Spedding says, there are 'forms of compliment,
application, excuse, repartee, etc.' 'The collection is from books
which were then in every scholar's hands.' 'The proverbs may all,
or nearly all, be found in the common collections.' Mrs. Pott
remarks that in 'Promus' are 'several hundreds of notes of which no
trace has been discovered in the acknowledged writings of Bacon, or
of any other contemporary writer but Shakespeare.' She adds that
the theory of 'close intercourse' between the two men is 'contrary
to all evidence.' She then infers that 'Bacon alone wrote all the
plays and sonnets which are attributed to Shakespeare.' So Bacon
entrusted his plays, and the dread secret of his authorship, to a
boorish cabotin with whom he had no 'close intercourse'! This is
lady's logic, a contradiction in terms. The theory that Bacon wrote
the plays and sonnets inevitably implies the closest intercourse
between him and Shakespeare. They must have been in constant
connection. But, as Mrs. Pott truly says, this is 'contrary to all