16-is shakespeare dead-第1章

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IS　SHAKESPEARE　DEAD？



（from　My　Autobiography）





Scattered　here　and　there　through　the　stacks　of　unpublished

manuscript　which　constitute　this　formidable　Autobiography　and

Diary　of　mine；　certain　chapters　will　in　some　distant　future　be

found　which　deal　with　〃Claimants〃claimants　historically

notorious：　　Satan；　Claimant；　the　Golden　Calf；　Claimant；　the

Veiled　Prophet　of　Khorassan；　Claimant；　Louis　XVII。；　Claimant；

William　Shakespeare；　Claimant；　Arthur　Orton；　Claimant；　Mary　Baker

G。　Eddy；　Claimantand　the　rest　of　them。　　Eminent　Claimants；

successful　Claimants；　defeated　Claimants；　royal　Claimants；　pleb

Claimants；　showy　Claimants；　shabby　Claimants；　revered　Claimants；

despised　Claimants；　twinkle　star…like　here　and　there　and　yonder

through　the　mists　of　history　and　legend　and　traditionand；　oh；

all　the　darling　tribe　are　clothed　in　mystery　and　romance；　and　we

read　about　them　with　deep　interest　and　discuss　them　with　loving

sympathy　or　with　rancorous　resentment；　according　to　which　side　we

hitch　ourselves　to。　　It　has　always　been　so　with　the　human　race。

There　was　never　a　Claimant　that　couldn't　get　a　hearing；　nor　one

that　couldn't　accumulate　a　rapturous　following；　no　matter　how

flimsy　and　apparently　unauthentic　his　claim　might　be。　　Arthur

Orton's　claim　that　he　was　the　lost　Tichborne　baronet　come　to　life

again　was　as　flimsy　as　Mrs。　Eddy's　that　she　wrote　SCIENCE　AND

HEALTH　from　the　direct　dictation　of　the　Deity；　yet　in　England

nearly　forty　years　ago　Orton　had　a　huge　army　of　devotees　and

incorrigible　adherents；　many　of　whom　remained　stubbornly

unconvinced　after　their　fat　god　had　been　proven　an　impostor　and

jailed　as　a　perjurer；　and　today　Mrs。　Eddy's　following　is　not　only

immense；　but　is　daily　augmenting　in　numbers　and　enthusiasm。

Orton　had　many　fine　and　educated　minds　among　his　adherents；　Mrs。

Eddy　has　had　the　like　among　hers　from　the　beginning。　　Her　Church

is　as　well　equipped　in　those　particulars　as　is　any　other　Church。

Claimants　can　always　count　upon　a　following；　it　doesn't　matter

who　they　are；　nor　what　they　claim；　nor　whether　they　come　with

documents　or　without。　　It　was　always　so。　　Down　out　of　the　long…

vanished　past；　across　the　abyss　of　the　ages；　if　you　listen；　you

can　still　hear　the　believing　multitudes　shouting　for　Perkin

Warbeck　and　Lambert　Simnel。



A　friend　has　sent　me　a　new　book；　from　EnglandTHE

SHAKESPEARE　PROBLEM　RESTATEDwell　restated　and　closely　reasoned；

and　my　fifty　years'　interest　in　that　matterasleep　for　the　last

three　yearsis　excited　once　more。　　It　is　an　interest　which　was

born　of　Delia　Bacon's　bookaway　back　in　the　ancient　day1857；

or　maybe　1856。　　About　a　year　later　my　pilot…master；　Bixby；

transferred　me　from　his　own　steamboat　to　the　PENNSYLVANIA；　and

placed　me　under　the　orders　and　instructions　of　George　Ealerdead

now；　these　many；　many　years。　　I　steered　for　him　a　good　many

monthsas　was　the　humble　duty　of　the　pilot…apprentice：　　stood　a

daylight　watch　and　spun　the　wheel　under　the　severe

superintendence　and　correction　of　the　master。　　He　was　a　prime

chess…player　and　an　idolater　of　Shakespeare。　　He　would　play　chess

with　anybody；　even　with　me；　and　it　cost　his　official　dignity

something　to　do　that。　　Alsoquite　uninvitedhe　would　read

Shakespeare　to　me；　not　just　casually；　but　by　the　hour；　when　it

was　his　watch　and　I　was　steering。　　He　read　well；　but　not

profitably　for　me；　because　he　constantly　injected　commands　into

the　text。　　That　broke　it　all　up；　mixed　it　all　up；　tangled　it　all

upto　that　degree；　in　fact；　that　if　we　were　in　a　risky　and

difficult　piece　of　river　an　ignorant　person　couldn't　have　told；

sometimes；　which　observations　were　Shakespeare's　and　which　were

Ealer's。　　For　instance：





What　man　dare；　_I_　dare！



Approach　thou　WHAT　are　you　laying　in　the　leads　for？　what　a

hell　of　an　idea！　like　the　rugged　ease　her　off　a　little；　ease　her

off！　rugged　Russian　bear；　the　armed　rhinoceros　or　the　THERE　she

goes！　meet　her；　meet　her！　didn't　you　KNOW　she'd　smell　the　reef　if

you　crowded　in　like　that？　　Hyrcan　tiger；　take　any　ship　but　that

and　my　firm　nerves　she'll　be　in　the　WOODS　the　first　you　know！

stop　he　starboard！　come　ahead　strong　on　the　larboard！　back　the

starboard！　。　。　。　NOW　then；　you're　all　right；　come　ahead　on　the

starboard；　straighten　up　and　go　'long；　never　tremble：　　or　be

alive　again；　and　dare　me　to　the　desert　DAMNATION　can't　you　keep

away　from　that　greasy　water？　pull　her　down！　snatch　her！　snatch

her　baldheaded！　with　thy　sword；　if　trembling　I　inhabit　then；　lay

in　the　leads！no；　only　with　the　starboard　one；　leave　the　other

alone；　protest　me　the　baby　of　a　girl。　　Hence　horrible　shadow！

eight　bellsthat　watchman's　asleep　again；　I　reckon；　go　down　and

call　Brown　yourself；　unreal　mockery；　hence！





He　certainly　was　a　good　reader；　and　splendidly　thrilling　and

stormy　and　tragic；　but　it　was　a　damage　to　me；　because　I　have

never　since　been　able　to　read　Shakespeare　in　a　calm　and　sane　way。

I　cannot　rid　it　of　his　explosive　interlardings；　they　break　in

everywhere　with　their　irrelevant；　〃What　in　hell　are　you　up　to

NOW！　pull　her　down！　more！　MORE！there　now；　steady　as　you　go；〃

and　the　other　disorganizing　interruptions　that　were　always

leaping　from　his　mouth。　　When　I　read　Shakespeare　now　I　can　hear

them　as　plainly　as　I　did　in　that　long…departed　timefifty…one

years　ago。　　I　never　regarded　Ealer's　readings　as　educational。

Indeed；　they　were　a　detriment　to　me。



His　contributions　to　the　text　seldom　improved　it；　but

barring　that　detail　he　was　a　good　reader；　I　can　say　that　much　for

him。　　He　did　not　use　the　book；　and　did　not　need　to；　he　knew　his

Shakespeare　as　well　as　Euclid　ever　knew　his　multiplication　table。



Did　he　have　something　to　saythis　Shakespeare…adoring

Mississippi　pilotanent　Delia　Bacon's　book？



Yes。　　And　he　said　it；　said　it　all　the　time；　for　monthsin

the　morning　watch；　the　middle　watch；　and　dog　watch；　and　probably

kept　it　going　in　his　sleep。　　He　bought　the　literature　of　the

dispute　as　fast　as　it　appeared；　and　we　discussed　it　all　through

thirteen　hundred　miles　of　river　four　times　traversed　in　every

thirty…five　daysthe　time　required　by　that　swift　boat　to　achieve

two　round　trips。　　We　discussed；　and　discussed；　and　discussed；　and

disputed　and　disputed　and　disputed；　at　any　rate；　HE　did；　and　I

got　in　a　word　now　and　then　when　he　slipped　a　cog　and　there　was　a

vacancy。　　He　did　his　arguing　with　heat；　with　energy；　with

violence；　and　I　did　mine　with　the　reverse　and　moderation　of　a

subordinate　who　does　not　like　to　be　flung　out　of　a　pilot…house

and　is　perched　forty　feet　above　the　water。　　He　was　fiercely　loyal

to　Shakespeare　and　cordially　scornful　of　Bacon　and　of　all　the

pretensions　of　the　Baconians。　　So　was　Iat　first。　　And　at　first

he　was　glad　that　that　was　my　attitude。　　There　were　even

indications　that　he　admired　it；　indications　dimmed；　it　is　true；

by　the　distance　that　lay　between　the　lofty　boss…pilotical

altitude　and　my　lowly　one；　yet　perceptible　to　me；　perceptible；

and　translatable　into　a　complimentcompliment　coming　down　from

about　the　snow…line　and　not　well　thawed　in　the　transit；　and　not

likely　to　set　anything　afire；　not　even　a　cub…pilot's　self…

conceit；　still　a　detectable　complement；　and　precious。



Naturally　it　flattered　me　into　being　more　loyal　to　Shakespeare

if　possiblethan　I　was　before；　and　more　prejudiced　against

Baconif　possiblethat　I　was　before。　　And　so　we　discussed

and　discussed；　both　on　the　same　side；　and　were　happy。

For　a　while。　　Only　for　a　while。　　Only　for　a　very　little　while；

a　very；　very；　very　little　while。　　Then　the　atmosphere　began

to　change；　began　to　cool　off。



A　brighter　person　would　have　seen　what　the　trouble　was；

earlier　than　I　did；　perhaps；　but　I　saw　it　early　enough　for　all

practical　purposes。　　You　see；　he　was　of　an　argumentative

disposition。　　Therefore　it　took　him　but　a　little　time　to　get

tired　of　arguing　with　a　person　who　agreed　with　everything　he　said

and　consequently　never　furnished　him　a　provocative　to　flare　up

and　show　what　h