evidence.'

Perhaps the best way to deal with Mrs. Pott is to cite the author of
her preface, Dr. Abbott. He is not convinced, but he is much struck
by a very exquisite argument of the lady's. Bacon in 'Promus' is
writing down 'Formularies and Elegancies,' modes of salutation. He
begins with 'Good morrow!' This original remark, Mrs. Pott reckons,
'occurs in the plays nearly a hundred times. In the list of upwards
of six thousand words in Appendix E, "Good morrow" has been noted
thirty-one times. . . . "Good morrow" may have become familiar
merely by means of "Romeo and Juliet."' Dr. Abbott is so struck by
this valuable statement that he writes: 'There remains the
question, Why did Bacon think it worth while to write down in a
notebook the phrase "Good morrow" if it was at that time in common
use?'

Bacon wrote down 'Good morrow' just because it WAS in common use.
All the formulae were in common use; probably 'Golden sleepe' was a
regular wish, like 'Good rest.' Bacon is making a list of
commonplaces about beginning the day, about getting out of bed,
about sleep. Some are in English, some in various other languages.
He is not, as in Mrs. Pott's ingenious theory, making notes of
novelties to be introduced through his plays. He is cataloguing the
commonplace. It is Mrs. Pott's astonishing contention, as we have
seen, that Bacon probably introduced the phrase 'Good morrow!' Mr.
Bucke, following her in a magazine article, says: 'These forms of
salutation were not in use in England before Bacon's time, and it
was his entry of them in the "Promus" and use of them in the plays
that makes them current coin day by day with us in the nineteenth
century.' This is ignorant nonsense. 'Good morrow' and 'Good