16-is shakespeare dead-第9章

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But　when　a　layman　ventures　to　plunge　deeply　into　legal

subjects；　he　is　naturally　apt　to　make　an　exhibition　of　his

incompetence。　　〃Let　a　non…professional　man；　however　acute；〃

writes　Lord　Campbell　again；　〃presume　to　talk　law；　or　to　draw

illustrations　from　legal　science　in　discussing　other　subjects；

and　he　will　speedily　fall　into　laughable　absurdity。〃



And　what　does　the　same　high　authority　say　about　Shakespeare？

He　had　〃a　deep　technical　knowledge　of　the　law；〃　and　an　easy

familiarity　with　〃some　of　the　most　abstruse　proceedings　in

English　jurisprudence。〃　　And　again：　　〃Whenever　he　indulges　this

propensity　he　uniformly　lays　down　good　law。〃　　Of　〃Henry　IV。；〃

Part　2；　he　says：　〃If　Lord　Eldon　could　be　supposed　to　have　written

the　play；　I　do　not　see　how　he　could　be　chargeable　with　having

forgotten　any　of　his　law　while　writing　it。〃　　Charles　and　Mary

Cowden　Clarke　speak　of　〃the　marvelous　intimacy　which　he　displays

with　legal　terms；　his　frequent　adoption　of　them　in　illustration；

and　his　curiously　technical　knowledge　of　their　form　and　force。〃

Malone；　himself　a　lawyer；　wrote：　　〃His　knowledge　of　legal　terms

is　not　merely　such　as　might　be　acquired　by　the　casual　observation

of　even　his　all…comprehending　mind；　it　has　the　appearance　of

technical　skill。〃　　Another　lawyer　and　well…known　Shakespearean；

Richard　Grant　White；　says：　　〃No　dramatist　of　the　time；　not　even

Beaumont；　who　was　the　younger　son　of　a　judge　of　the　Common　Pleas；

and　who　after　studying　in　the　Inns　of　Court　abandoned　law　for　the

drama；　used　legal　phrases　with　Shakespeare's　readiness　and

exactness。　　And　the　significance　of　this　fact　is　heightened　by

another；　that　is　only　to　the　language　of　the　law　that　he　exhibits

this　inclination。　　The　phrases　peculiar　to　other　occupations

serve　him　on　rare　occasions　by　way　of　description；　comparison；　or

illustration；　generally　when　something　in　the　scene　suggests

them；　but　legal　phrases　flow　from　his　pen　as　part　of　his

vocabulary　and　parcel　of　his　thought。　　Take　the　word　'purchase'

for　instance；　which；　in　ordinary　use；　means　to　acquire　by　giving

value；　but　applies　in　law　to　all　legal　modes　of　obtaining

property　except　by　inheritance　or　descent；　and　in　this　peculiar

sense　the　word　occurs　five　times　in　Shakespeare's　thirty…four

plays；　and　only　in　one　single　instance　in　the　fifty…four　plays　of

Beaumont　and　Fletcher。　　It　has　been　suggested　that　it　was　in

attendance　upon　the　courts　in　London　that　he　picked　up　his　legal

vocabulary。　　But　this　supposition　not　only　fails　to　account　for

Shakespeare's　peculiar　freedom　and　exactness　in　the　use　of　that

phraseology；　it　does　not　even　place　him　in　the　way　of　learning

those　terms　his　use　of　which　is　most　remarkable；　which　are　not

such　as　he　would　have　heard　at　ordinary　proceedings　at　NISI

PRIUS；　but　such　as　refer　to　the　tenure　or　transfer　of　real

property；　'fine　and　recovery；'　'statutes　merchant；'　'purchase；'

'indenture；'　'tenure；'　'double　voucher；'　'fee　simple；'　'fee

farm；'　'remainder；'　'reversion；'　'forfeiture；'　etc。　This

conveyancer's　jargon　could　not　have　been　picked　up　by　hanging

round　the　courts　of　law　in　London　two　hundred　and　fifty　years

ago；　when　suits　as　to　the　title　of　real　property　were

comparatively　rare。　　And　besides；　Shakespeare　uses　his　law　just

as　freely　in　his　first　plays；　written　in　his　first　London　years；

as　in　those　produced　at　a　later　period。　　Just　as　exactly；　too；

for　the　correctness　and　propriety　with　which　these　terms　are

introduced　have　compelled　the　admiration　of　a　Chief　Justice　and　a

Lord　Chancellor。〃



Senator　Davis　wrote：　　〃We　seem　to　have　something　more　than　a

sciolist's　temerity　of　indulgence　in　the　terms　of　an　unfamiliar

art。　　No　legal　solecisms　will　be　found。　　The　abstrusest　elements

of　the　common　law　are　impressed　into　a　disciplined　service。　　Over

and　over　again；　where　such　knowledge　is　unexampled　in　writers

unlearned　in　the　law；　Shakespeare　appears　in　perfect　possession

of　it。　　In　the　law　of　real　property；　its　rules　of　tenure　and

descents；　its　entails；　its　fines　and　recoveries；　their　vouchers

and　double　vouchers；　in　the　procedure　of　the　Courts；　the　method

of　bringing　writs　and　arrests；　the　nature　of　actions；　the　rules

of　pleading；　the　law　of　escapes　and　of　contempt　of　court；　in　the

principles　of　evidence；　both　technical　and　philosophical；　in　the

distinction　between　the　temporal　and　spiritual　tribunals；　in　the

law　of　attainder　and　forfeiture；　in　the　requisites　of　a　valid

marriage；　in　the　presumption　of　legitimacy；　in　the　learning　of

the　law　of　prerogative；　in　the　inalienable　character　of　the

Crown；　this　mastership　appears　with　surprising　authority。〃



To　all　this　testimony　（and　there　is　much　more　which　I　have

not　cited）　may　now　be　added　that　of　a　great　lawyer　of　our　own

times；　VIZ。：　　Sir　James　Plaisted　Wilde；　Q。C。　1855；　created　a

Baron　of　the　Exchequer　in　1860；　promoted　to　the　post　of　Judge…

Ordinary　and　Judge　of　the　Courts　of　Probate　and　Divorce　in　1863；

and　better　known　to　the　world　as　Lord　Penzance；　to　which　dignity

he　was　raised　in　1869。　　Lord　Penzance；　as　all　lawyers　know；　and

as　the　late　Mr。　Inderwick；　K。C。；　has　testified；　was　one　of　the

first　legal　authorities　of　his　day；　famous　for　his　〃remarkable

grasp　of　legal　principles；〃　and　〃endowed　by　nature　with　a

remarkable　facility　for　marshaling　facts；　and　for　a　clear

expression　of　his　views。〃



Lord　Penzance　speaks　of　Shakespeare's　〃perfect　familiarity

with　not　only　the　principles；　axioms；　and　maxims；　but　the

technicalities　of　English　law；　a　knowledge　so　perfect　and

intimate　that　he　was　never　incorrect　and　never　at　fault。　。　。　。

The　mode　in　which　this　knowledge　was　pressed　into　service　on　all

occasions　to　express　his　meaning　and　illustrate　his　thoughts　was

quite　unexampled。　　He　seems　to　have　had　a　special　pleasure　in　his

complete　and　ready　mastership　of　it　in　all　its　branches。　　As

manifested　in　the　plays；　this　legal　knowledge　and　learning　had

therefore　a　special　character　which　places　it　on　a　wholly

different　footing　from　the　rest　of　the　multifarious　knowledge

which　is　exhibited　in　page　after　page　of　the　plays。　　At　every

turn　and　point　at　which　the　author　required　a　metaphor；　simile；

or　illustration；　his　mind　ever　turned　FIRST　to　the　law。　　He　seems

almost　to　have　THOUGHT　in　legal　phrases；　the　commonest　of　legal

expressions　were　ever　at　the　end　of　his　pen　in　description　or

illustration。　　That　he　should　have　descanted　in　lawyer　language

when　he　had　a　forensic　subject　in　hand；　such　as　Shylock's　bond；

was　to　be　expected；　but　the　knowledge　of　law　in　'Shakespeare'　was

exhibited　in　a　far　different　manner：　　it　protruded　itself　on　all

occasions；　appropriate　or　inappropriate；　and　mingled　itself　with

strains　of　thought　widely　divergent　from　forensic　subjects。〃

Again：　　〃To　acquire　a　perfect　familiarity　with　legal　principles；

and　an　accurate　and　ready　use　of　the　technical　terms　and　phrases

not　only　of　the　conveyancer's　office；　but　of　the　pleader's

chambers　and　the　Courts　at　Westminster；　nothing　short　of

employment　in　some　career　involving　constant　contact　with　legal

questions　and　general　legal　work　would　be　requisite。　　But　a

continuous　employment　involves　the　element　of　time；　and　time　was

just　what　the　manager　of　two　theaters　had　not　at　his　disposal。

In　what　portion　of　Shakespeare's　（i。e。；　Shakspere's）　career　would

it　be　possible　to　point　out　that　time　could　be　found　for　the

interposition　of　a　legal　employment　in　the　chambers　or　offices　of

practicing　lawyers？〃



Stratfordians；　as　is　well　known；　casting　about　for　some

possible　explanation　of　Shakespeare's　extraordinary　knowledge　of

law；　have　made　the　suggestion　that　Shakespeare　might；

conceivably；　have　been　a　clerk　in　an　attorney's　office　before　he

came　to　London。　　Mr。　Collier　wrote　to　Lord　Campbell　to　ask　his

opinion　as　to　the　probability　of　this　being　true。　　His　answer　was

as　follows：　　〃You　require　us　to　believe　implicitly　a　fact；　of

which；　if　true；　positive　and　irrefragable　evidence　in　his　own

handwriting　migh