Saturday, April 2, 2011

Parallel - Woman's body compared to countries

First Shake-Speare

From the Comedy of Errors [Dromio of Syracuse compares parts of Nell's body to countries]:
 1.1.124-5

Dromio S:   She is spherical like a globe. I could find countries in her . . .
Antipholus S: In what part of her body stands . . . Spain?
Dromio S:   Faith, I saw it not; but I felt it hot in her breath.

Now the Bacon quote: "There was given in evidence also, when the cause of the divorce was handled, a pleasant passage which was - that in a morning Prince Arthur; upon his uprising from bed with her [Katherine] called for drink, which he was not accustomed to; and finding the gentleman of his chamber that brought him the drink, to smile at it and note it, he said merrily to him that he had been in the midst of Spain, which was an hot region, and his journey had made him dry".
     History of Henry VII

Cockburn comment: Thus our authors both make a lascivious comparison of a hot woman with Spain. Dromio "saw it not" because it was her private parts. Note incidentally on the question of Bacon's personality his evident enjoyment of this story.

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