Henry VIII – the case for Francis Bacon - 9 - Rank Weed Contagious Infection

Shakespeare:

Act 4. Sc 2. 37

Katherine:

“. . . He [Wolsey] was a man

of an unbounded stomach …

. . .

his own opinion was his law.”

Act 5, Sc.1. 52

GARDINER:

“….   He’s a rank weed, Sir Thomas,

And we must root him out.”

Act 5, Sc. 2, 58     [Also in Coriolanus 3, 1, ~295]

GARDINER:

“If we suffer,

Out of our easiness and childish pity

To one man’s honour, this contagious sickness,

Farewell, all physic. And what follows then?

Commotions, uproars, with a general taint

Of the whole state, … “

Act 5. Sc 2.138.

SUFFOLK:

“ . . . I told ye all

When we first put this dangerous stone a-rolling

‘Twould fall upon ourselves.”

Bacon:

As mentioned before: “To leave the letter of the law makes the judge a legislator.” (Exempla Antithetorum.) p 75

“ . . . no court of equity should have the right to decree contrary to a statute under any pretext of equity whatever, otherwise the judge would become a legislator, and have all things dependent upon his will.” (De Aug., viii. iii. 44)

Bacon, in the Star Chamber, addressing Judges:

“…. They are like the roots of nettles, which themselves sting not, but yet they bear all the stinging leaves. Let me know of such roots and I will root them out of the country”.

(Life, VI, p. 213)

“Infection spreadeth upon that which is sound and tainteth it.

“  (Essay 9 Of Envy, 1625)

“The more laws we make the more snares we lay to entrap ourselves.” (Life, iii. P. 19.)

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End of Melsome’s parallels. Melsome shows that the themes expressed in many of these parallel passages are often found throughout both Shakespeare works and Bacon’s writings.