He was warmed with the heat of poetic
composition and wound up to heights of eulogy, though even NOW he
could not forget the small Latin and less Greek!
We now turn to Mr. Greenwood's views about the commendatory verses.
On mature consideration I say nothing of his remarks on Ben's
couplets about the bad engraved portrait. {250a} They are concerned
with the supposed "ORIGINAL bust," as represented in Dugdale's
engraving of 1656. What the Baconians hope to make out of "the
ORIGINAL bust" I am quite unable to understand. {250b} Again, I
leave untouched some witticisms {250c} on Jonson's lines about
Spenser, Chaucer, and Beaumont in their tombs--lines either suggested
by, or suggestive of others by an uncertain W. Basse, "but the
evidence of authorship seems somewhat doubtful. How the date is
determined I do not know . . . " {251a} As Mr. Greenwood knows so
little, and as the discussion merely adds dust to the dust, and fog
to the mist of his attempt to disable Ben's evidence, I glance and
pass by.
"Then follow these memorable words, which I have already discussed:
"'And though thou hadst small Latin and less Greek . . . '" {251b}
In "these memorable words," every non-Baconian sees Ben's opinion
about his friend's lack of scholarship. According to his own
excellent Index, Mr. Greenwood has already adverted often to "these
memorable words.
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