copper captains, and all Shakespeare's crowd of people hanging loose
on the town?

It is much easier to discover how Shakespeare found the tone and
manners of courtly society (which, by the way, are purely poetic and
conventional), than to find out where Bacon got his immense knowledge
of what is called "low life."

If you reply, as regards Bacon, "his genius divined the Costards and
Audreys, the Doll Tearsheets and tapsters, and drawers, and
Bardolphs, and carters, from a hint or two, a glance," I answer that
Will had much better sources for THEM in his own experience of life,
and had conventional poetic sources for his courtiers--of whom, in
the quick, he saw quite as much as Moliere did of his Marquis.

But one Baconian has found out a more excellent way of accounting for
Bacon's pictures of rude rustic life, and he is backed by Lord
Penzance, that aged Judge. The way is short. These pictures of
rural life and character were interpolated into the plays of Bacon by
his collaborator, William Shakspere, actor, "who prepared the plays
for the stage." This brilliant suggestion is borrowed from Mr.
Appleton Morgan. {103a}

Thus have these two Baconians perceived that it IS difficult to see
how Bacon obtained his knowledge of certain worlds and aspects of
character which he could scarcely draw "from the life." I am willing
to ascribe miracles to the genius of Bacon; but the Baconians cited
give the honour to the actor, "who prepared the plays for the stage."

Take it as you please, my Baconian friends who do not believe as I