16-is shakespeare dead-第7章

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night。　　So　they　licensed　me　as　a　pilotknighted　me；　so　to　speak

and　I　rose　up　clothed　with　authority；　a　responsible　servant　of

the　United　States　Government。



Now　then。　　Shakespeare　died　younghe　was　only　fifty…two。

He　had　lived　in　his　native　village　twenty…six　years；　or　about

that。　　He　died　celebrated　（if　you　believe　everything　you　read　in

the　books）。　　Yet　when　he　died　nobody　there　or　elsewhere　took　any

notice　of　it；　and　for　sixty　years　afterward　no　townsman

remembered　to　say　anything　about　him　or　about　his　life　in

Stratford。　　When　the　inquirer　came　at　last　he　got　but　one　fact

no；　LEGENDand　got　that　one　at　second　hand；　from　a　person　who

had　only　heard　it　as　a　rumor　and　didn't　claim　copyright　in　it　as

a　production　of　his　own。　　He　couldn't；　very　well；　for　its　date

antedated　his　own　birth…date。　　But　necessarily　a　number　of

persons　were　still　alive　in　Stratford　who；　in　the　days　of　their

youth；　had　seen　Shakespeare　nearly　every　day　in　the　last　five

years　of　his　life；　and　they　would　have　been　able　to　tell　that

inquirer　some　first…hand　things　about　him　if　he　had　in　those　last

days　been　a　celebrity　and　therefore　a　person　of　interest　to　the

villagers。　　Why　did　not　the　inquirer　hunt　them　up　and　interview

them？　　Wasn't　it　worth　while？　　Wasn't　the　matter　of　sufficient

consequence？　　Had　the　inquirer　an　engagement　to　see　a　dog…fight

and　couldn't　spare　the　time？



It　all　seems　to　mean　that　he　never　had　any　literary　celebrity；

there　or　elsewhere；　and　no　considerable　repute　as　actor　and　manager。



Now　then；　I　am　away　along　in　lifemy　seventy…third　year

being　already　well　behind　meyet　SIXTEEN　of　my　Hannibal

schoolmates　are　still　alive　today；　and　can　telland　do　tell

inquirers　dozens　and　dozens　of　incidents　of　their　young　lives　and

mine　together；　things　that　happened　to　us　in　the　morning　of　life；

in　the　blossom　of　our　youth；　in　the　good　days；　the　dear　days；

〃the　days　when　we　went　gipsying；　a　long　time　ago。〃　　Most　of　them

creditable　to　me；　too。　　One　child　to　whom　I　paid　court　when　she

was　five　years　old　and　I　eight　still　lives　in　Hannibal；　and　she

visited　me　last　summer；　traversing　the　necessary　ten　or　twelve

hundred　miles　of　railroad　without　damage　to　her　patience　or　to

her　old…young　vigor。　　Another　little　lassie　to　whom　I　paid

attention　in　Hannibal　when　she　was　nine　years　old　and　I　the　same；

is　still　alivein　Londonand　hale　and　hearty；　just　as　I　am。

And　on　the　few　surviving　steamboatsthose　lingering　ghosts　and

remembrancers　of　great　fleets　that　plied　the　big　river　in　the

beginning　of　my　water…careerwhich　is　exactly　as　long　ago　as　the

whole　invoice　of　the　life…years　of　Shakespeare　numbersthere　are

still　findable　two　or　three　river…pilots　who　saw　me　do　creditable

things　in　those　ancient　days；　and　several　white…headed　engineers；

and　several　roustabouts　and　mates；　and　several　deck…hands　who

used　to　heave　the　lead　for　me　and　send　up　on　the　still　night　the

〃SixfeetSCANT！〃　that　made　me　shudder；　and　the　〃M…a…r…k

TWAIN！〃　that　took　the　shudder　away；　and　presently　the　darling　〃By

the　d…e…e…pFOUR！〃　that　lifted　me　to　heaven　for　joy。　＇1＇　　They

know　about　me；　and　can　tell。　　And　so　do　printers；　from　St。　Louis

to　New　York；　and　so　do　newspaper　reporters；　from　Nevada　to　San

Francisco。　　And　so　do　the　police。　　If　Shakespeare　had　really　been

celebrated；　like　me；　Stratford　could　have　told　things　about　him；

and　if　my　experience　goes　for　anything；　they'd　have　done　it。





1。　　Four　fathomstwenty…four　feet。





VII



If　I　had　under　my　superintendence　a　controversy　appointed　to

decide　whether　Shakespeare　wrote　Shakespeare　or　not；　I　believe

I　would　place　before　the　debaters　only　the　one　question；

WAS　SHAKESPEARE　EVER　A　PRACTICING　LAWYER？　and　leave　everything

else　out。



It　is　maintained　that　the　man　who　wrote　the　plays　was　not

merely　myriad…minded；　but　also　myriad…accomplished：　　that　he　not

only　knew　some　thousands　of　things　about　human　life　in　all　its

shades　and　grades；　and　about　the　hundred　arts　and　trades　and

crafts　and　professions　which　men　busy　themselves　in；　but　that　he

could　TALK　about　the　men　and　their　grades　and　trades　accurately；

making　no　mistakes。　　Maybe　it　is　so；　but　have　the　experts　spoken；

or　is　it　only　Tom；　Dick；　and　Harry？　　Does　the　exhibit　stand　upon

wide；　and　loose；　and　eloquent　generalizingwhich　is　not

evidence；　and　not　proofor　upon　details；　particulars；

statistics；　illustrations；　demonstrations？



Experts　of　unchallengeable　authority　have　testified

definitely　as　to　only　one　of　Shakespeare's　multifarious　craft…

equipments；　so　far　as　my　recollections　of　Shakespeare…Bacon　talk

abide　with　mehis　law…equipment。　　I　do　not　remember　that

Wellington　or　Napoleon　ever　examined　Shakespeare's　battles　and

sieges　and　strategies；　and　then　decided　and　established　for　good

and　all　that　they　were　militarily　flawless；　I　do　not　remember

that　any　Nelson；　or　Drake；　or　Cook　ever　examined　his　seamanship

and　said　it　showed　profound　and　accurate　familiarity　with　that

art；　I　don't　remember　that　any　king　or　prince　or　duke　has　ever

testified　that　Shakespeare　was　letter…perfect　in　his　handling　of

royal　court…manners　and　the　talk　and　manners　of　aristocracies；　I

don't　remember　that　any　illustrious　Latinist　or　Grecian　or

Frenchman　or　Spaniard　or　Italian　has　proclaimed　him　a　past…master

in　those　languages；　I　don't　rememberwell；　I　don't　remember　that

there　is　TESTIMONYgreat　testimonyimposing　testimony

unanswerable　and　unattackable　testimony　as　to　any　of

Shakespeare's　hundred　specialties；　except　onethe　law。



Other　things　change；　with　time；　and　the　student　cannot　trace

back　with　certainty　the　changes　that　various　trades　and　their

processes　and　technicalities　have　undergone　in　the　long　stretch

of　a　century　or　two　and　find　out　what　their　processes　and

technicalities　were　in　those　early　days；　but　with　the　law　it　is

different：　　it　is　mile…stoned　and　documented　all　the　way　back；

and　the　master　of　that　wonderful　trade；　that　complex　and

intricate　trade；　that　awe…compelling　trade；　has　competent　ways　of

knowing　whether　Shakespeare…law　is　good　law　or　not；　and　whether

his　law…court　procedure　is　correct　or　not；　and　whether　his　legal

shop…talk　is　the　shop…talk　of　a　veteran　practitioner　or　only　a

machine…made　counterfeit　of　it　gathered　from　books　and　from

occasional　loiterings　in　Westminster。



Richard　H。　Dana　served　two　years　before　the　mast；　and　had

every　experience　that　falls　to　the　lot　of　the　sailor　before　the

mast　of　our　day。　　His　sailor…talk　flows　from　his　pen　with　the

sure　touch　and　the　ease　and　confidence　of　a　person　who　has　LIVED

what　he　is　talking　about；　not　gathered　it　from　books　and　random

listenings。　　Hear　him：





Having　hove　short；　cast　off　the　gaskets；　and　made　the　bunt

of　each　sail　fast　by　the　jigger；　with　a　man　on　each　yard；　at　the

word　the　whole　canvas　of　the　ship　was　loosed；　and　with　the

greatest　rapidity　possible　everything　was　sheeted　home　and

hoisted　up；　the　anchor　tripped　and　cat…headed；　and　the　ship　under

headway。





Again：





The　royal　yards　were　all　crossed　at　once；　and　royals　and

sky…sails　set；　and；　as　we　had　the　wind　free；　the　booms　were　run

out；　and　all　were　aloft；　active　as　cats；　laying　out　on　the　yards

and　booms；　reeving　the　studding…sail　gear；　and　sail　after　sail

the　captain　piled　upon　her；　until　she　was　covered　with　canvas；

her　sails　looking　like　a　great　white　cloud　resting　upon　a　black

speck。





Once　more。　　A　race　in　the　Pacific：





Our　antagonist　was　in　her　best　trim。　　Being　clear　of　the

point；　the　breeze　became　stiff；　and　the　royal…masts　bent　under

our　sails；　but　we　would　not　take　them　in　until　we　saw　three　boys

spring　into　the　rigging　of　the　CALIFORNIA；　then　they　were　all

furled　at　once；　but　with　orders　to　our　boys　to　stay　aloft　at　the

top…gallant　mast…heads　and　loose　them　again　at　the　word。　　It　was

my　duty　to　furl　the　fore…royal；　and　while　standing　by　to　loose　it

again；　I　had　a　fine　view　of　the　scene。　　From　where　I　stood；　the

two　vessel