to the mill, find novels and stories, translate them, and forward them by his trusted kinsman Kempe to others to ship-shape them and fit them for the stage? May not the name of Sherley have oozed out amongst “the playwrights,” and thence “_Henry_ Sherley, who excelled in that faculty,” been spoken of as the man who wrote them. Sir Anthony keeps up his friendship with Anthony Bacon, whom no doubt he knew in earlier days at Court. How fond they all were of the name of Anthony. A greater knowledge of men and manners and languages and the leading men and courtiers of the day or such a master of travel existed not in his time. Strange also is it that “The Travailes of the three English Brothers, Sir Thomas, Sir Anthony, and Mr. Robert Sherley,” should be presented on the stage by this same company of which Kempe was a member. How were they acquainted with them? These are all singular coincidences, and as I write I have been perusing Donnelly, and I find nothing to contradict, but much to back up my theories. His chapter ix. vol. i. p. 171, also x. and others passim, might fit Sherley as well as Bacon. (Shylock, p. 224.) Sherley borrows money wherever he could get credit and at other times spends it freely. He lends out money gratis, and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft In the Rialto you have rated me About my monies and my usances. Sir Anthony, has he not often “sat on the Rialto”? has he not often watched the Argosies come “to road”? Has he not had ventures everywhere? Read over The Merchant of Venice, and say if it could possibly have been written but by one resident there and half Italian in his knowledge and familiarity with people and scenes in Italy itself. What is Antonio everywhere but Anthony “writ new”? See Sonnets, lxxvi.: Why write I still all _one_, ever the same, And keep invention in a noted weed, That every word doth almost tell my name, Showing their birth and where they did proceed? See also Sonnets passim illustrating and explaining “my papers yellowed with their age,” “my muse,” “my verse.” What are the names of places mentioned? Tripolis, Mexico, England, Lisbon, Barbary, India, “where his argosies with portly sail,” “the pageants of the sea.” What in Othello? Cyprus on the brow of the sea “stand ranks of people and they cry a sail.” May—nay, must have witnessed it in person.