16-is shakespeare dead-第2部分

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leave　the　world　to　ennoble　them　with　a　title　of　its　own　choosing。



Now　and　then　when　Ealer　had　to　stop　to　cough；　I　pulled　my

induction…talents　together　and　hove　the　controversial　lead

myself：　　always　getting　eight　feet；　eight　and　a　half；　often　nine；

sometimes　even　quarter…less…twainas　_I_　believed；　but　always

〃no　bottom；〃　as　HE　said。



I　got　the　best　of　him　only　once。　　I　prepared　myself。　　I

wrote　out　a　passage　from　Shakespeareit　may　have　been　the　very

one　I　quoted　awhile　ago；　I　don't　rememberand　riddled　it　with

his　wild　steamboatful　interlardings。　　When　an　unrisky　opportunity

offered；　one　lovely　summer　day；　when　we　had　sounded　and　buoyed　a

tangled　patch　of　crossings　known　as　Hell's　Half　Acre；　and　were

aboard　again　and　he　had　sneaked　the　PENNSYLVANIA　triumphantly

through　it　without　once　scraping　sand；　and　the　A。　T。　LACEY　had

followed　in　our　wake　and　got　stuck；　and　he　was　feeling　good；　I

showed　it　to　him。　　It　amused　him。　　I　asked　him　to　fire　it　off

READ　it；　read　it；　I　diplomatically　added；　as　only　HE　could　read

dramatic　poetry。　　The　compliment　touched　him　where　he　lived。　　He

did　read　it；　read　it　with　surpassing　fire　and　spirit；　read　it　as

it　will　never　be　read　again；　for　HE　know　how　to　put　the　right

music　into　those　thunderous　interlardings　and　make　them　seem　a

part　of　the　text；　make　them　sound　as　if　they　were　bursting　from

Shakespeare's　own　soul；　each　one　of　them　a　golden　inspiration　and

not　to　be　left　out　without　damage　to　the　massed　and　magnificent

whole。



I　waited　a　week；　to　let　the　incident　fade；　waited　longer；

waited　until　he　brought　up　for　reasonings　and　vituperation　my　pet

position；　my　pet　argument；　the　one　which　I　was　fondest　of；　the

one　which　I　prized　far　above　all　others　in　my　ammunition…wagon

to　wit；　that　Shakespeare　couldn't　have　written　Shakespeare's

words；　for　the　reason　that　the　man　who　wrote　them　was　limitlessly

familiar　with　the　laws；　and　the　law…courts；　and　law…proceedings；

and　lawyer…talk；　and　lawyer…waysand　if　Shakespeare　was

possessed　of　the　infinitely　divided　star…dust　that　constituted

this　vast　wealth；　HOW　did　he　get　it；　and　WHERE　and　WHEN？



〃From　books。〃



From　books！　　That　was　always　the　idea。　　I　answered　as　my

readings　of　the　champions　of　my　side　of　the　great　controversy　had

taught　me　to　answer：　　that　a　man　can't　handle　glibly　and　easily

and　comfortably　and　successfully　the　argot　of　a　trade　at　which　he

has　not　personally　served。　　He　will　make　mistakes；　he　will　not；

and　cannot；　get　the　trade…phrasings　precisely　and　exactly　right；

and　the　moment　he　departs；　by　even　a　shade；　from　a　common　trade…

form；　the　reader　who　has　served　that　trade　will　know　the　writer

HASN'T。　　Ealer　would　not　be　convinced；　he　said　a　man　could　learn

how　to　correctly　handle　the　subtleties　and　mysteries　and　free…

masonries　of　ANY　trade　by　careful　reading　and　studying。　　But　when

I　got　him　to　read　again　the　passage　from　Shakespeare　with　the

interlardings；　he　perceived；　himself；　that　books　couldn't　teach　a

student　a　bewildering　multitude　of　pilot…phrases　so　thoroughly

and　perfectly　that　he　could　talk　them　off　in　book　and　play　or

conversation　and　make　no　mistake　that　a　pilot　would　not

immediately　discover。　　It　was　a　triumph　for　me。　　He　was　silent

awhile；　and　I　knew　what　was　happeninghe　was　losing　his　temper。

And　I　knew　he　would　presently　close　the　session　with　the　same　old

argument　that　was　always　his　stay　and　his　support　in　time　of

need；　the　same　old　argument；　the　one　I　couldn't　answer；　because　I

dasn'tthe　argument　that　I　was　an　ass；　and　better　shut　up。　　He

delivered　it；　and　I　obeyed。



O　dear；　how　long　ago　it　washow　pathetically　long　ago！　　And

here　am　I；　old；　forsaken；　forlorn；　and　alone；　arranging　to　get

that　argument　out　of　somebody　again。



When　a　man　has　a　passion　for　Shakespeare；　it　goes　without

saying　that　he　keeps　company　with　other　standard　authors。　　Ealer

always　had　several　high…class　books　in　the　pilot…house；　and　he

read　the　same　ones　over　and　over　again；　and　did　not　care　to

change　to　newer　and　fresher　ones。　　He　played　well　on　the　flute；

and　greatly　enjoyed　hearing　himself　play。　　So　did　I。　　He　had　a

notion　that　a　flute　would　keep　its　health　better　if　you　took　it

apart　when　it　was　not　standing　a　watch；　and　so；　when　it　was　not

on　duty　it　took　its　rest；　disjointed；　on　the　compass…shelf　under

the　breastboard。　　When　the　PENNSYLVANIA　blew　up　and　became　a

drifting　rack…heap　freighted　with　wounded　and　dying　poor　souls

（my　young　brother　Henry　among　them）；　pilot　Brown　had　the　watch

below；　and　was　probably　asleep　and　never　knew　what　killed　him；

but　Ealer　escaped　unhurt。　　He　and　his　pilot…house　were　shot　up

into　the　air；　then　they　fell；　and　Ealer　sank　through　the　ragged

cavern　where　the　hurricane…deck　and　the　boiler…deck　had　been；　and

landed　in　a　nest　of　ruins　on　the　main　deck；　on　top　of　one　of　the

unexploded　boilers；　where　he　lay　prone　in　a　fog　of　scald　and

deadly　steam。　　But　not　for　long。　　He　did　not　lose　his　headlong

familiarity　with　danger　had　taught　him　to　keep　it；　in　any　and　all

emergencies。　　He　held　his　coat…lapels　to　his　nose　with　one　hand；

to　keep　out　the　steam；　and　scrabbled　around　with　the　other　till

he　found　the　joints　of　his　flute；　then　he　took　measures　to　save

himself　alive；　and　was　successful。　　I　was　not　on　board。　　I　had

been　put　ashore　in　New　Orleans　by　Captain　Klinenfelter。　　The

reasonhowever；　I　have　told　all　about　it　in　the　book　called　OLD

TIMES　ON　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　and　it　isn't　important；　anyway；　it　is

so　long　ago。





II



When　I　was　a　Sunday…school　scholar；　something　more　than

sixty　years　ago；　I　became　interested　in　Satan；　and　wanted　to　find

out　all　I　could　about　him。　　I　began　to　ask　questions；　but　my

class…teacher；　Mr。　Barclay；　the　stone…mason；　was　reluctant　about

answering　them；　it　seemed　to　me。　　I　was　anxious　to　be　praised　for

turning　my　thoughts　to　serious　subjects　when　there　wasn't　another

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　Tradition