conduct. Follow him into his relations with James I; his eager
pursuit of favour, the multiplicity of his affairs, his pecuniary
distresses, and the profound study and severe labour entailed by the
preparation for and the composition of The Advancement of Learning
(1603-5). He must be a stout-hearted Baconian who can believe that,
between 1599 and 1605, Bacon was writing Hamlet, and other
masterpieces of tragedy or comedy. But all is possible to genius.
What Mr. Greenwood's Great Unknown was doing at this period, "neither
does he know, nor do I know, but he only." He, no doubt, had
abundance of leisure.

At last Shakspere died (1616), and had not the mead of one melodious
tear, as far as we know, from the London wits, in the shape of
obituary verses. This fills Mr. Greenwood with amazement. "Was it
because 'the friends of the Muses' were for the most part aware that
Shakespeare had not died with Shakspere?" Did Jonson perchance think
that his idea might be realised when he wrote,


"What a sight it were,
To see thee in our waters yet appear"?


and so on. Did Jonson expect and hope to see the genuine
"Shakespeare" return to the stage, seven years after the death of
Shakspere the actor, the Swan of Avon? As Jonson was fairly sane, we
can no more suspect him of having hoped for this miracle than believe
that most of the poets knew the actor not to be the author. Moreover
Jonson, while desiring that Shakespeare might "shine forth" again and
cheer the drooping stage, added,