No, he is "sooping it in his glaring Satten sute."
The whole title page clearly shows that it is drawn to give a
revelation about Shakespeare, who might just as well have borne the
name of Shotbolt or of Wagstaffe or of Shakespur, see "The Tempest,"
Act v., Scene I.
"The strong bass'd promontorie
Have I made shake, and by the spurs pluckt up."
There are also revealing title pages in other books, shewing a spear and
an actor wearing a single spur only (see Plate 35, Page 153).
It will be of interest to shew another specially revealing title page,
which for upwards of a hundred years remained unaltered as the title
page to Vol. I. of Bacon's collected works, printed abroad in Latin. A
different engraving, representing the same scene was also published in
France. These engravings, however, were never reproduced or used in
England, because the time for revelation had not yet come. Bacon is
shewn seated (see Plate 33, Page 131). Compare his portrait with the
engraving of the gentleman giving his scroll to the Spearman in the
Gustavus Silenus frontispiece, Plate 27, Page 115, and Plate 28, Page
118. Bacon is pointing with his right hand in full light to his open
book, while his left hand in deepest shadow is putting forward a figure
holding in both its hands a closed and clasped book, which by the cross
lines on its side (the accepted symbol of a mirror) shows that it
represents the mirror up to Nature, i.
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