In Henry IV
part 1, the scene Prince Henry beckoning Francis the drawer repeatedly is a
mock at Francis Bacon, whose name can be spelt by Francis’ “but Anon.” His procrastination or idleness is similar to Caliban in The Tempest.
Dialogue
Prince Henry.
But Ned, to drive away time till Falstaff
come, I prithee do thou stand in some by-room, while I question my puny Drawer,
to what end he gave me the Sugar, and do never leave calling Francis,
that his Tale
to me may be nothing but, Anon: step aside, and I’ll show thee a President.
Ned Poins.
Francis.
Prince Henry.
Thou art perfect.
Ned Poins.
Francis.
[Enter Drawer.]
Francis.
Anon, anon sir; look down into the Pomgarnet,
Ralfe.
Prince Henry.
Come hither, Francis.
Francis.
My Lord.
Prince Henry.
How long hast thou to serve, Francis?
Francis.
Forsooth, five years, and as much as to——
Ned Poins.
Francis.
Francis.
Anon, anon sir.
Prince Henry.
Five years: Berlady, a long Lease for the
clinking of Pewter.
But Francis, dare’st thou be so valiant, as to play the coward with thy
Indenture, and show it a fair pair of heels, and run from it?
Francis.
O Lord sir, I’ll be sworn upon all the Books
in England, I could find in my heart.
Ned Poins.
Francis.
Francis.
Anon, anon sir.
Prince Henry.
How old art thou, Francis?
Francis.
Let me see, about Michaelmas
next I shalbe——
Ned Poins.
Francis.
Francis.
Anon sir, pray you stay a little, my Lord.
Prince Henry.
Nay, but hark you Francis, for the Sugar
thou gave’st me, it was a pennyworth, was it not?
Francis.
O, Lord sir, I would it had been two.
Prince Henry.
I will give thee for it a thousand pound:
Ask me when thou wilt, and thou shalt have it.
Ned Poins.
Francis.
Francis.
Anon, anon.
Prince Henry.
Anon Francis? No Francis, but tomorrow Francis: or Francis,
on thursday:
or indeed Francis when thou wilt. But Francis.
Francis.
My Lord.
Prince Henry.
Wilt thou rob this Leathern Jerkin, Crystal
button, Not-pated, Agate ring, Puke stocking, Caddice garter, Smooth tongue,
Spanish pouch.
Francis.
O, Lord sir, who do you mean?
Prince Henry.
Why, then your brown Bastard is
your only drink: for look you Francis, your white Canvas doublet
will sully. In Barbary, sir, it cannot come to so much.
Francis.
What, sir?
Ned Poins.
Francis.
Prince Henry.
Away you Rogue, dost thou hear them call?
Notes
*while
I question my puny Drawer: This line can spell Mary Sidney Wilton
House, suggesting the identity of “I.” Puny
has the usage of raw or without experience; drawer of one who renders into
another language; “puny Drawer” mocks at Francis Bacon’s writing style.
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| https://i.imgur.com/7zZmQNE.png |
*Sugar: Sugar has the usage of honey words since the 14th century. The drawer gives honey words but fails his duty.
*that his Tale
to me: Tale has the usage of rumor, or an obsolete
form of tail. Rumored that Queen Elizabeth had an illegitimate child appeared already
in 1560, a tale and tail of shame she would not want people to know.
*but,
Anon: step aside, and I’ll show thee a President: Francis “but, Anon”
can spell Francis Bacon, a mock at his procrastination
in Shakespeare venture. President has the usage of the head of a group
of people or an organization, or an obsolete form of precedent (prior instance).
Bacon was once the head of Shakespeare venture, sealed in Prince of Norway Fortinbras.
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| https://i.imgur.com/umvSe5r.png |
*I’ll show thee a President: President has the usage of an appointed leader of a body of persons, or a variant of precedent (preceding cases to be followed). Both spellings appear often in the 1623 folio, mostly with meaning of precedent (except one from Cleopatra, “A Charge we bear in the War, and as the president of my Kingdom will appear there for a man.”) Here it can mean both. Francis Bacon was appointed as leader of Shakespeare venture.
*look
down into the Pomgarnet, Ralfe: The word pomegranate appears three times in
the 1623 folio as Pomgarnet, Pomgranet, and Pomgranat. There is no one called Ralfe
in the folio but Raphe Moldy in Henry IV, Part 2.
The command “look down into” suggests to check
deeper into the following word Pomgarnet and Ralfe. Ralfe can be a perfect anagram
of flare, which has the usage of to display in an expanded conspicuous form. Pomgarnet
can spell anagram and poet. Anagram can flare words to be conspicuous with expanded
meaning.
Pomegranate can be a perfect anagram of magnate pore or rope; magnate has
the usage of a noble or important person; pore of an obsolete form of poore or poor. Francis
Bacon is a Tudor being poorly roped to reveal his true birth.
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| https://i.imgur.com/YTcEOUD.png |
*Forsooth,
five years, and as much as to——: Five sounds like fie; fie is a imperfect anagram
of five by removing letter v. Five and fie in The Merry Wives of Windsor:
“It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is.” Forsooth has the usage of truly. This incomplete line
can be read as “Truly, five years, and as much as to fie years.”
*Five
years: Berlady, a long Lease for the clinking of Pewter: Clink has the usage of to make sharp ringing sound;
lease of a contract between
parties for transfer of usage; pewter of
an alloy of tin and lead or utensils made of pewter. Pewter utensils have similar
look and usage as silverware but cheaper, similar to the comparison of commoners
and royal members.
It’s a long lease contract of fie years for the
alerting (Francis Bacon) not being a royal member.
*about Michaelmas
next I shalbe——: This line suggests that his birthday is related to Michaelmas
or Saint Michael the Archangel, whose birth is unknown to the world. Date of Michaelmax
has various versions. The age and birthday of Francis is not affirmed in this play.
*the
Sugar thou gave’st me, it was a pennyworth: alluding that Mary
Sidney didn’t like Francis Bacon’s cheap honey words.
*I would it
had been two: Francis the drawer argues with the Prince; Francis Bacon would
not follow what was told from his mentor.
*Anon
Francis? No Francis, but tomorrow Francis: “No Francis” follows “Anon Francis”
suggests that Anon can be a wordplay of a-non. Tomorrow has the usage of the time
to come; “but tomorrow Francis” can spell Francis Bacon, suggesting the drawer Francis
is not (a non) himself but Francis Bacon in the time to come.
*on thursday:
The word thursday appears total sixteen times in the 1623 folio: twice in Henry
IV Part 1, once in Henry IV Part 2, and thirteen times in Romeo
And Juliet. It’s the wedding day of Juliet who fakes her death and revives later.
In the 1623 folio, Thursday alludes to resurrection and ascension. Ascension
Day is the Thursday forty days after Easter. Francis the drawer in the drama world
may resurrect to Francis Bacon in the human world. Similar design is sealed in the
death of Falstaff.
*your
brown Bastard is your only drink: Brown has the usage of being tanned and losing the
original color; drink of to
live through, endure, or suffer; bastard of
a kind of sweetened wine or an illegitimate. Francis Bacon is an illegitimate (“bastard”)
of Queen Elizabeth and Robert Dudley with his true birth being covered. This state
is the only “drink” Bacon should take, else he “will sully” his “doublet.”
*your
white Canvas doublet will sully. In Barbary, sir, it cannot come to so much:
Canvass has the usage of a sheet
for covering, or a variant of canvass; canvass of to shake, assault, or criticize; doublet of one of a pair of similar things; white of innocent, ignorant, or unspotted.
This line “your white Canvas doublet” can spell Elisabeth Tudor and Robert Dudley, suggesting the identity of the “doublet.” Their illegitimate Francis Bacon is well covered without blemish, but it will be sullied in a barbarous place, where this cover cannot come to so much the condition today.
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