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Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 2, No. 71. Wednesday, 27 Feb 1991.
 
Date:    Wed, 27 Feb 91 16:49:28 GMT
From:    Mike Ellwood <MWE@IBM-B.RUTHERFORD.AC.UK>
Subject: New(?) light on the Francis Bacon theories
 
This may be "old-hat" to many of you, but I thought I would (should) pass
it on for anyone possibly interested. BBC domestic radio carried a
programme recently about scholarship done on the text of a scroll that the
statue'd figure of the Bard is holding up, in Westminster Abbey.
 
It is based on the text of one of his plays (I confess I have forgotten
which, but I'm sure it is well known to many), but the text differs from
accepted versions in some ways, which had been noted long ago.
 
Using ciphers which had been public knowledge for centuries actually, a
scholar had deciphered the name "Francis Bacon - Author" from the text.
I think this work was relatively recent, although Bacon's name is
supposed to appear in the Sonnets in cipher form, which has been known for
longer, I think. Theories about Bacon having authored the plays are as
old as the hills, but I THINK this was a new(-ish) piece of evidence.
 
I think that the fundamental thesis was that the statue of the Bard
had been put there by a group of "conspirators" who wanted to
perpetuate the "myth" of Shakespeare's authorship, while leaving a
clue as to the "real" authorship.
 
I confess I neglected to record any significant details, such as the name
of the person doing this detective work.  Perhaps the radio broadcast
will be repeated, and possibly on BBC World Service, for those (the
majority on this list, I presume), outside Britain.
 
Let me add a disclaimer that I have no views for or against any such
theories, and no reason to hold any views; I just pass this on as
a "conduit", as it were.

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