(n.p.), (n.p.), ca. early 1900s. A research archive created by amateur scholar Horace Middleton, on the then-popular theory that Francis Bacon was the true author of the works of Shakespeare and that the works are replete with clues as to their true authorship. Highlights of the archive include a 23 page typescript of a speech Middleton gave on the subject of Bacon-as-Shakespeare in 1918 (locale not stipulated, but he was invited by a "Dr. Luce"); 48+ pages of the handwritten original draft of the presentation; more than 100 pages of handwritten notes on the subject; perhaps 200+ pages of notes attempting to decipher cryptographic clues in Shakespeare's texts, and a 12" x 14" key of some sort transcribed across the Ben Johnson poem "On the Portrait of Shakespeare"; a file of what appears to be brief notes on a couple of dozen other possible authorial candidates, perhaps so as to rule them out; a small file of incoming correspondence and newspaper clippings related to the subject; and a 1903 copy of The Bookman (without front cover) that includes the Johnson poem and the Shakespeare portrait. Included with the manuscript archive is a collection of about a dozen of Middleton's reference works, such as: Rawley's 1661 (2nd edition, cover detached) of Resuscitatio, or Bringing into Publick Light Several Pieces of the Works, Hitherto Sleeping; of the Right Honourable Francis Bacon; 11 issues of Baconiana (1910-1916), plus a bound copy of III Series, Vol. XI; Begley's Bacon's Nova Resuscitatio in three volumes; William Stone Booth's The Droeshout Portrait of William Shakespeare and The Hidden Signatures of Francesco Colonna and Francis Bacon; Elizabeth Wells Gallup's Bi-literal Cypher of Francis Bacon and Concerning the Bi-Literal Cypher...; along with several other works. The books are well-used, often later editions, and frequently heavily annotated by Middleton. Much of the paper used in the manuscript archive is thin and toned from age, but on the whole that portion of the archive is near fine, stored by Middleton in a handful of very good envelopes. Will ship at cost. [#035567] SOLD