Examine first the left-hand picture shewn enlarged, Plate 28, Page 118.
You see a man, evidently Bacon, giving his writing to a Spearman who is
dressed in actor's boots (see Stothard's painting of Falstaff in the
"Merry Wives of Windsor" wearing similar actor's boots, Plate 32, Page
127). Note that the Spearman has a sprig of bay in the hat which he
holds in his hand. This man is a Shake-Spear, nay he really is a correct
portrait of the Stratford householder, which you will readily perceive
if you turn to Dugdale's engraving of the Shakespeare bust, Plate 5,
Page 14. In the middle distance the man still holding a spear, still
being a Shake-Speare, walks with a staff, he is therefore a Wagstaffe.
On his back are books--the books of the plays. In the sky is seen an
arrow, no, it is not sufficiently long for an arrow, it is a Shotbolt
(Shakespeare, Wagstaffe, Shotbolt, of Camden's "Remains"). This Shotbolt
is near to a bird which seems about to give to it the scroll it carries
in its beak. But is it a real bird? No, it has no real claws, its feet
are Jove's lightnings, verily, "it is the Eagle of great verse."
Next, look on Plate 29, Page 119, which is the picture on the right of
the title page.
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