16-is shakespeare dead-第3章

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boy　in　the　village　who　could　be　hired　to　do　such　a　thing。　　I　was

greatly　interested　in　the　incident　of　Eve　and　the　serpent；　and

thought　Eve's　calmness　was　perfectly　noble。　　I　asked　Mr。　Barclay

if　he　had　ever　heard　of　another　woman　who；　being　approached　by　a

serpeant；　would　not　excuse　herself　and　break　for　the　nearest

timber。　　He　did　not　answer　my　question；　but　rebuked　me　for

inquiring　into　matters　above　my　age　and　comprehension。　　I　will

say　for　Mr。　Barclay　that　he　was　willing　to　tell　me　the　facts　of

Satan's　history；　but　he　stopped　there：　　he　wouldn't　allow　any

discussion　of　them。



In　the　course　of　time　we　exhausted　the　facts。　　There　were

only　five　or　six　of　them；　you　could　set　them　all　down　on　a

visiting…card。　　I　was　disappointed。　　I　had　been　meditating　a

biography；　and　was　grieved　to　find　that　there　were　no　materials。

I　said　as　much；　with　the　tears　running　down。　　Mr。　Barclay's

sympathy　and　compassion　were　aroused；　for　he　was　a　most　kind　and

gentle…spirited　man；　and　he　patted　me　on　the　head　and　cheered　me

up　by　saying　there　was　a　whole　vast　ocean　of　materials！　　I　can

still　feel　the　happy　thrill　which　these　blessed　words　shot

through　me。



Then　he　began　to　bail　out　that　ocean's　riches　for　my

encouragement　　and　joy。　　Like　this：　　it　was　〃conjectured〃though

not　establishedthat　Satan　was　originally　an　angel　in　Heaven；

that　he　fell；　that　he　rebelled；　and　brought　on　a　war；　that　he　was

defeated；　and　banished　to　perdition。　　Also；　〃we　have　reason　to

believe〃　that　later　he　did　so　and　so；　that　〃we　are　warranted　in

supposing〃　that　at　a　subsequent　time　he　traveled　extensively；

seeking　whom　he　might　devour；　that　a　couple　of　centuries

afterward；　〃as　tradition　instructs　us；〃　he　took　up　the　cruel

trade　of　tempting　people　to　their　ruin；　with　vast　and　fearful

results；　that　by　and　by；　〃as　the　probabilities　seem　to　indicate；〃

he　may　have　done　certain　things；　he　might　have　done　certain　other

things；　he　must　have　done　still　other　things。



And　so　on　and　so　on。　　We　set　down　the　five　known　facts　by

themselves　on　a　piece　of　paper；　and　numbered　it　〃page　1〃；　then　on

fifteen　hundred　other　pieces　of　paper　we　set　down　the

〃conjectures；〃　and　〃suppositions；〃　and　〃maybes；〃　and　〃perhapses；〃

and　〃doubtlesses；〃　and　〃rumors；〃　and　guesses；〃　and

〃probabilities；〃　and　〃likelihoods；〃　and　〃we　are　permitted　to

thinks；〃　and　〃we　are　warranted　in　believings；〃　and　〃might　have

beens；〃　and　〃could　have　beens；〃　and　〃must　have　beens；〃　and

〃unquestionablys；〃　and　〃without　a　shadow　of　doubt〃and　behold！



MATERIALS？　　Why；　we　had　enough　to　build　a　biography　of　Shakespeare！



Yet　he　made　me　put　away　my　pen；　he　would　not　let　me　write

the　history　of　Satan。　　Why？　　Because；　as　he　said；　he　had

suspicionssuspicions　that　my　attitude　in　the　matter　was　not

reverent；　and　that　a　person　must　be　reverent　when　writing　about

the　sacred　characters。　　He　said　any　one　who　spoke　flippantly　of

Satan　would　be　frowned　upon　by　the　religious　world　and　also　be

brought　to　account。



I　assured　him；　in　earnest　and　sincere　words；　that　he　had

wholly　misconceived　my　attitude；　that　I　had　the　highest　respect

for　Satan；　and　that　my　reverence　for　him　equaled；　and　possibly

even　exceeded；　that　of　any　member　of　the　church。　　I　said　it

wounded　me　deeply　to　perceive　by　his　words　that　he　thought　I

would　make　fun　of　Satan；　and　deride　him；　laugh　at　him；　scoff　at

him；　whereas　in　truth　I　had　never　thought　of　such　a　thing；　but

had　only　a　warm　desire　to　make　fun　of　those　others　and　laugh　at

THEM。　　〃What　others？　　〃Why；　the　Supposers；　the　Perhapsers；　the

Might…Have…Beeners；　the　Could…Have…Beeners；　the　Must…Have…Beeners；

the　Without…a…Shadow…of…Doubters；　the　We…Are…Warranted…in…Believingers；

and　all　that　funny　crop　of　solemn　architects　who　have　taken　a

good　solid　foundation　of　five　indisputable　and　unimportant　facts

and　built　upon　it　a　Conjectural　Satan　thirty　miles　high。〃



What　did　Mr。　Barclay　do　then？　　Was　he　disarmed？　　Was　he

silenced？　　No。　　He　was　shocked。　　He　was　so　shocked　that　he

visibly　shuddered。　　He　said　the　Satanic　Traditioners　and

Perhapsers　and　Conjecturers　were　THEMSELVES　sacred！　　As　sacred　as

their　work。　　So　sacred　that　whoso　ventured　to　mock　them　or　make

fun　of　their　work；　could　not　afterward　enter　any　respectable

house；　even　by　the　back　door。



How　true　were　his　words；　and　how　wise！　　How　fortunate　it

would　have　been　for　me　if　I　had　heeded　them。　　But　I　was　young；　I

was　but　seven　years　of　age；　and　vain；　foolish；　and　anxious　to

attract　attention。　　I　wrote　the　biography；　and　have　never　been　in

a　respectable　house　since。





III



How　curious　and　interesting　is　the　parallelas　far　as

poverty　of　biographical　details　is　concernedbetween　Satan　and

Shakespeare。　　It　is　wonderful；　it　is　unique；　it　stands　quite

alone；　there　is　nothing　resembling　it　in　history；　nothing

resembling　it　in　romance；　nothing　approaching　it　even　in

tradition。　　How　sublime　is　their　position；　and　how　over…topping；

how　sky…reaching；　how　supremethe　two　Great　Unknowns；　the　two

Illustrious　Conjecturabilities！　　They　are　the　best…known　unknown

persons　that　have　ever　drawn　breath　upon　the　planet。



For　the　instruction　of　the　ignorant　I　will　make　a　list；　now；

of　those　details　of　Shakespeare's　history　which　are　FACTS

verified　facts；　established　facts；　undisputed　facts。







Facts



He　was　born　on　the　23d　of　April；　1564。



Of　good　farmer…class　parents　who　could　not　read；　could　not

write；　could　not　sign　their　names。



At　Stratford；　a　small　back　settlement　which　in　that　day　was

shabby　and　unclean；　and　densely　illiterate。　　Of　the　nineteen

important　men　charged　with　the　government　of　the　town；　thirteen

had　to　〃make　their　mark〃　in　attesting　important　documents；

because　they　could　not　write　their　names。



Of　the　first　eighteen　years　of　his　life　NOTHING　is　known。

They　are　a　blank。



On　the　27th　of　November　（1582）　William　Shakespeare　took　out

a　license　to　marry　Anne　Whateley。



Next　day　William　Shakespeare　took　out　a　license　to　marry

Anne　Hathaway。　　She　was　eight　years　his　senior。



William　Shakespeare　married　Anne　Hathaway。　　In　a　hurry。　　By

grace　of　a　reluctantly　granted　dispensation　there　was　but　one

publication　of　the　banns。



Within　six　months　the　first　child　was　born。



About　two　（blank）　years　followed；　during　which　period

NOTHING　AT　ALL　HAPPENED　TO　SHAKESPEARE；　so　far　as　anybody　knows。



Then　came　twins1585。　　February。



Two　blank　years　follow。



Then1587he　makes　a　ten…year　visit　to　London；　leaving　the　family　behind。



Five　blank　years　follow。　　During　this　period　NOTHING

HAPPENED　TO　HIM；　as　far　as　anybody　actually　knows。



Then1592there　is　mention　of　him　as　an　actor。



Next　year1593his　name　appears　in　the　official　list　of　players。



Next　year1594he　played　before　the　queen。　　A　detail　of　no

consequence：　　other　obscurities　did　it　every　year　of　the　forty…

five　of　her　reign。　　And　remained　obscure。



Three　pretty　full　years　follow。　　Full　of　play…acting。　　Then*



In　1597　he　bought　New　Place；　Stratford。



Thirteen　or　fourteen　busy　years　follow；　years　in　which　he

accumulated　money；　and　also　reputation　as　actor　and　manager。



　Meantime　his　name；　liberally　and　variously　spelt；　had

become　associated　with　a　number　of　great　plays　and　poems；　as

（ostensibly）　author　of　the　same。



Some　of　these；　in　these　years　and　later；　were　pirated；　but

he　made　no　protest。



Then1610…11he　returned　to　Stratford　and　settled　down　for

good　and　all；　and　busied　himself　in　lending　money；　trading　in

tithes；　trading　in　land　and　houses；　shirking　a　debt　of　forty…one

shillings；　borrowed　by　his　wife　during　his　long　desertion　of　his

family；　suing　debtors　for　shillings　and　coppers；　being　sued

himself　for　shillings　and　coppers；　and　acting　as　confederate　to　a

neighbor　who　tried　to　rob　the　town　of　its　rights　in　a　certain

common；　and　did　not　succeed。



He　lived　five　or　six　yearstill　1616in　the　joy　of　these

elevated　pursuits。　　Then　he　made　a　wil