work for him; and why not to the man who wrote the commendatory
verses, the 'Lines to the Reader'" (opposite to the engraving), "and,
as seems certain, the Preface, 'to the great variety of Readers'?"
{218a}

That man, that "good pen," was Ben Jonson. On the "supposing" of Mr.
Greenwood, Ben is "doing work for" the Great Unknown at the time when
"the business" following on the "idea of publishing a collected
edition of the plays which had been written under the name of
Shakespeare" occurred to the illustrious but unknown owner of that
"nom de plume." In plain words of my own,--the Author may have
entrusted "the business," and what was that business if not the
editing of the Folio?--to Ben Jonson--"who was at the time doing work
for him"--for the Author.

Here is a clue! We only need to know for what man of "transcendent
genius, universal culture, world-wide philosophy . . . moving in
Court circles," and so on, Ben "was working" about 1621-3, the Folio
appearing in 1623.

The heart beats with anticipation of a discovery! "On January 22,
1621, Bacon celebrated his sixtieth birthday with great state at York
House. Jonson was present," and wrote an ode, with something about
the Genius of the House (Lar or Brownie),


"Thou stand'st as if some mystery thou didst."


Mr. Greenwood does not know what this can mean; nor do I. {219a}