"For Alexander Pope, Francis Bacon was the Humblest of Mankind"
https://www.worldshakesbib.org/entry/bbbm425/
Author:
	McIlroy, Susan.
Type:
	Journal Article
Year:
	2019
Publication Information:
	Baconiana: The Online Journal of the Francis Bacon Society 1, no. 7 (2019). (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://francisbaconsociety.co.uk/baconiana-journals/baconiana-journals-2007-present/baconiana-vol1-no7/*anchor-three__;Iw!!KwNVnqRv!DRlSEIrtemQlhg5i192dTmXaX6piHCzZXJFAxk3sHHMK_droQcGNy-X_Iyn7jQZCHXlkCdE6gMVF22s$)
Annotation:
	Seeks to recuperate Francis Bacon's reputation in eyes of Alexander Pope, noting that Pope's characterization of Bacon as "mean" was also applied to himself. Connects various pieces of evidence -- including ambiguous meanings of "mean" and related words throughout Shakespeare's corpus; Hemings and Condell's apparent use of "meanest" to describe Shakespeare's works; Pope's description of Bacon as "the greatest Genius that England (or perhaps any country) ever produced"; and Pope's admiration of Shakespeare -- to conclude that Bacon was involved in writing Shakespeare's plays. 
Language:
	English
Persons:
	Pope, Alexander; Bacon, Francis
Tags:
	Authorship Controversy
WSB Update:
	Spring 2025
WSB Record Number:
	bbbm425