16-is shakespeare dead-第6部分

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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　vessels　seemed　nothing　but　spars　and　sails；　while　their

narrow　decks；　far　below；　slanting　over　by　the　force　of　the　wind

aloft；　appeared　hardly　capable　of　supporting　the　great　fabrics

raised　upon　them。　　The　CALIFORNIA　was　to　windward　of　us；　and　had

every　advantage；　yet；　while　the　breeze　was　stiff　we　held　our　own。

As　soon　as　it　began　to　slacken　she　ranged　a　little　ahead；　and　the

order　was　given　to　loose　the　royals。　　In　an　instant　the　gaskets

were　off　and　the　bunt　dropped。　　〃Sheet　home　the　fore…royal！〃

〃Weather　sheet's　home！〃〃Lee　sheet's　home！〃〃Hoist　away；　sir！〃

is　bawled　from　aloft。　　〃Overhaul　your　clew…lines！〃　shouts　the

mate。　　〃Aye…aye；　sir；　all　clear！〃〃Taut　leech！　belay！　　Well　the

lee　brace；　haul　taut　to　windward！〃　and　the　royals　are　set。





What　would　the　captain　of　any　sailing…vessel　of　our　time　say

to　that？　　He　would　say；　〃The　man　that　wrote　that　didn't　learn　his

trade　out　of　a　book；　he　has　BEEN　there！〃　　But　would　this　same

captain　be　competent　to　sit　in　judgment　upon　Shakespeare's

seamanshipconsidering　the　changes　in　ships　and　ship…talk　that

have　necessarily　taken　place；　unrecorded；　unremembered；　and　lost

to　history　in　the　last　three　hundred　years？　　It　is　my　conviction

that　Shakespeare's　sailor…talk　would　be　Choctaw　to　him。　　For

instancefrom　〃The　Tempest〃：





MASTER。　　Boatswain！



BOATSWAIN。　　Here；　master；　what　cheer？



MASTER。　　Good；　speak　to　the　mariners：　　fall　to　't；　yarely；

or　we　run　ourselves　to　ground；　bestir；　bestir！

（ENTER　MARINERS。）



BOATSWAIN。　　Heigh；　my　hearts！　cheerly；　cheerly；　my　hearts！

yare；　yare！　　Take　in　the　topsail。　　Tend　to　the　master's　whistle。

。　。　。　　Down　with　the　topmast！　yare！　lower；　lower！　　Bring　her　to

try　wi'　the　main　course。　。　。　。　　Lay　her　a…hold；　a…hold！　　Set　her

two　courses。　　Off　to　sea　again；　lay　her　off。



That　will　do；　for　the　present；　let　us　yare　a　little；　now；

for　a　change。





If　a　man　should　write　a　book　and　in　it　make　one　of　his

characters　say；　〃Here；　devil；　empty　the　quoins　into　the　standing

galley　and　the　imposing…stone　into　the　hell…box；　assemble　the

comps　around　the　frisket　and　let　them　jeff　for　takes　and　be　quick

about　it；〃　I　should　recognize　a　mistake　or　two　in　the　phrasing；

and　would　know　that　the　writer　was　only　a　printer　theoretically；

not　practically。



I　have　been　a　quartz　miner　in　the　silver　regionsa　pretty

hard　life；　I　know　all　the　palaver　of　that　business：　　I　know　all

about　discovery　claims　and　the　subordinate　claims；　I　know　all

about　lodes；　ledges；　outcroppings；　dips；　spurs；　angles；　shafts；

drifts；　inclines；　levels；　tunnels；　air…shafts；　〃horses；〃　clay

casings；　granite　casings；　quartz　mills　and　their　batteries；

arastras；　and　how　to　charge　them　with　quicksilver　and　sulphate　of

copper；　and　how　to　clean　them　up；　and　how　to　reduce　the　resulting

amalgam　in　the　retorts；　and　how　to　cast　the　bullion　into　pigs；

and　finally　I　know　how　to　screen　tailings；　and　also　how　to　hunt

for　something　less　robust　to　do；　and　find　it。　　I　know　the　argot

and　the　quartz…mining　and　milling　industry　familiarly；　and　so

whenever　Bret　Harte　introduces　that　industry　into　a　story；　the

first　time　one　of　his　miners　opens　his　mouth　I　recognize　from　his

phrasing　that　Harte　got　the　phrasing　by　listeninglike

ShakespeareI　mean　the　Stratford　onenot　by　experience。　　No　one

can　talk　the　quartz　dialect　correctly　without　learning　it　with

pick　and　shovel　and　drill　and　fuse。



I　have　been　a　surface　minergoldand　I　know　all　its

mysteries；　and　the　dialects　that　belongs　with　them；　and　whenever

Harte　introduces　that　industry　into　a　story　I　know　by　the

phrasing　of　his　characters　that　neither　he　nor　they　have　ever

served　that　trade。



I　have　been　a　〃pocket〃　minera　sort　of　gold　mining　not

findable　in　any　but　one　little　spot　in　the　world；　so　far　as　I

know。　　I　know　how；　with　horn　and　water；　to　find　the　trail　of　a

pocket　and　trace　it　step　by　step　and　stage　by　stage　up　the

mountain　to　its　source；　and　find　the　compact　little　nest　of

yellow　metal　reposing　in