The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.0544  Wednesday, 23 March 2005

From:           JD Markel <
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Date:           Tuesday, 22 Mar 2005 16:23:32 -0800 (PST)
Subject: 16.0531 Heywood's Apology
Comment:        Re: SHK 16.0531 Heywood's Apology

 >""I cannot see that "books", in the context of "to
 >precepts, to laws, to religion, sweetly touched with
 >eloquence and persuasion of books, of sermons, of
 >harangues", can be fairly taken as comprehending
 >playbooks, novels, and love-poems. The adducing of
 >Orpheus could obviously be utilized in an argument
 >tending that way, but it does not seem to be the
 >lesson that Bacon wishes to draw.""

Good point.  I did not mean to match Heywood's reference to "books" to
the mention of the same in the particular Bacon paragraph I quoted.  To
elaborate, one of the essences of The Advancement of Learning is an
anti-censorship plea to James about books - and thereby learning - in
general.  Bacon was a statesman and what Heywood refers to as a dispute
about "certain books" could very well be what inspired or provoked Bacon
to write Advacement.

There's another parallel.  As Bacon addresses James, Heywood's text
recalls a discourse with Julius Caesar (with perhaps a self-promoting
comparison between the author and Cicero).  Here's the text again:

""Ivlivs C