16-is shakespeare dead-第7部分

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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　perhapes；　and　might…have…beens；　and　could…have…

beens；　and　must…have…beens；　and　we…are…justified…in…presumings；

and　the　rest　of　those　vague　specters　and　shadows　and

indefintenesses；　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。







VIII



Shakespeare　as　a　Lawyer　＇1＇





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；　of　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

tamper　with　our　freemasonry。〃　　A　layman　is　certain　to　betray

himself　by　using　some　expression　which　a　lawyer　would　never

employ。　　Mr。　Sidney　Lee　himself　supplies　us　with　an　example　of

this。　　He　writes　（p。　164）：　　〃On　February　15；　1609；　Shakespeare　。

。　。　obtained　judgment　from　a　jury　against　Addenbroke　for　the

payment　of　No。　6；　and　No。　1；　5s。　0d。　costs。〃　　Now　a　lawyer　would

never　have　spoken　of　obtaining　〃judgment　from　a　jury；〃　for　it　is

the　function　of　a　jury　not　to　deliver　judgment　（which　is　the

prerogative　of　the　court）；　but　to　find　a　verdict　on　the　facts。

The　error　is；　indeed；　a　venial　one；　but　it　is　just　one　of　those

little　things　which　at　once　enable　a　lawyer　to　know　if　the　writer

is　a　layman　or　〃one　of　the　craft。〃



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　fo