is shakespeare dead-第6部分

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ollections　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　testimonyunanswerable　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　clewlines！〃　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　instance　from　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　of　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　dialect　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　its　secret　home　under　the　ground。　　I　know　the　language　of　that　trade；　that　capricious　trade；　that　fascinating　buried…treasure　trade；　and　can　catch　any　writer　who　tries　to　use　it　without　having　learned　it　by　the　sweat　of　his　brow　and　the　labor　of　his　hands。

I　know　several　other　trades　and　the　argot　that　goes　with　them；　and　whenever　a　person　tries　to　talk　the　talk　peculiar　to　any　of　them　without　having　learned　it　at　its　source　I　can　trap　him　always　before　he　gets　far　on　his　road。

And　so；　as　I　have　already　remarked；　if　I　were　required　to　superintend　a　Bacon…Shakespeare　controversy；　I　would　narrow　the　matter　down　to　a　single　questionthe　only　one；　so　far　as　the　previous　controversies　have　informed　me；　concerning　which　illustrious　experts　of　unimpeachable　competency　have　testified：　WAS　THE　AUTHOR　OF　SHAKESPEARE'S　WORKS　A　LAWYER？a　lawyer　deeply　read　and　of　limitless　experience？　　I　would　put　aside　the　guesses；　and　surmises；　and　perhapses；　and　might…have…beens；　and　could…have　beens；　and　must…have…beens；　and　we…are　justified…in…presumings；　and　the　rest　of　those　vague　spectres　and　shadows　and　indefinitenesses；　and　stand　or　fall；　win　or　lose；　by　the　verdict　rendered　by　the　jury　upon　that　single　question。　　If　the　verdict　was　Yes；　I　should　feel　quite　convinced　that　the　Stratford　Shakespeare；　the　actor；　manager；　and　trader　who　died　so　obscure；　so　forgotten；　so　destitute　of　even　village　consequence　that　sixty　years　afterward　no　fellow…citizen　and　friend　of　his　later　days　remembered　to　tell　anything　about　him；　did　not　write　the　Works。

Chapter　XIII　of　The　Shakespeare　Problem　Restated　bears　the　heading　〃Shakespeare　as　a　Lawyer；〃　and　comprises　some　fifty　pages　of　expert　testimony；　with　comments　thereon；　and　I　will　copy　the　first　nine；　as　being　sufficient　all　by　themselves；　as　it　seems　to　me；　to　settle　the　question　which　I　have　conceived　to　be　the　master…key　to　the　Shakespeare…Bacon　puzzle。



CHAPTER　VIII



Shakespeare　as　a　Lawyer　｛2｝

The　Plays　and　Poems　of　Shakespeare　supply　ample　evidence　that　their　author　not　only　had　a　very　extensive　and　accurate　knowledge　of　law；　but　that　he　was　well　acquainted　with　the　manners　and　customs　of　members　of　the　Inns　of　Court　and　with　legal　life　generally。

〃While　novelists　and　dramatists　are　constantly　making　mistakes　as　to　the　laws　of　marriage；　of　wills；　and　inheritance；　to　Shakespeare's　law；　lavishly　as　he　expounds　it；　there　can　neither　be　demurrer；　nor　bill　of　exceptions；　nor　writ　of　error。〃　　Such　was　the　testimony　borne　by　one　of　the　most　distinguished　lawyers　of　the　nineteenth　century　who　was　raised　to　the　high　office　of　Lord　Chief　Justice　in　1850；　and　subsequently　became　Lord　Chancellor。　　Its　weight　will；　doubtless；　be　more　appreciated　by　lawyers　than　by　laymen；　for　only　lawyers　know　how　impossible　it　is　for　those　who　have　not　served　an　apprenticeship　to　the　law　to　avoid　displaying　their　ignorance　if　they　venture　to　employ　legal　terms　and　to　discuss　legal　doctrines。　　〃There　is　nothing　so　dangerous；〃　wrote　Lord　Campbell；　〃as　for　one　not　of　the　craft　to　tampe