is shakespeare dead-第6节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
got a hymn…book in place of them。 This for summer wear； probably。 I lived in Hannibal fifteen and a half years； altogether； then ran away； according to the custom of persons who are intending to become celebrated。 I never lived there afterward。 Four years later I became a 〃cub〃 on a Mississippi steamboat in the St。 Louis and New Orleans trade； and after a year and a half of hard study and hard work the U。 S。 inspectors rigorously examined me through a couple of long sittings and decided that I knew every inch of the Mississippithirteen hundred milesin the dark and in the dayas well as a baby knows the way to its mother's paps day or night。 So they licensed me as a pilotknighted me； so to speakand I rose up clothed with authority； a responsible servant of the United States government。
Now then。 Shakespeare died younghe was only fifty…two。 He had lived in his native village twenty…six years； or about that。 He died celebrated （if you believe everything you read in the books）。 Yet when he died nobody there or elsewhere took any notice of it； and for sixty years afterward no townsman remembered to say anything about him or about his life in Stratford。 When the inquirer came at last he got but one factno； LEGENDand got that one at second hand； from a person who had only heard it as a rumor； and didn't claim copyright in it as a production of his own。 He couldn't； very well； for its date antedated his own birth…date。 But necessarily a number of persons were still alive in Stratford who； in the days of their youth； had seen Shakespeare nearly every day in the last five years of his life； and they would have been able to tell that inquirer some first…hand things about him if he had in those last days been a celebrity and therefore a person of interest to the villagers。 Why did not the inquirer hunt them up and interview them？ Wasn't it worth while？ Wasn't the matter of sufficient consequence？ Had the inquirer an engagement to see a dog…fight and couldn't spare the time？
It all seems to mean that he never had any literary celebrity； there or elsewhere； and no considerable repute as actor and manager。
Now then； I am away along in lifemy seventy…third year being already well behind meyet SIXTEEN of my Hannibal schoolmates are still alive to…day； and can telland do tellinquirers dozens and dozens of incidents of their young lives and mine together； things that happened to us in the morning of life； in the blossom of our youth； in the good days； the dear days； 〃the days when we went gipsying； a long time ago。〃 Most of them creditable to me； too。 One child to whom I paid court when she 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 steamboats those 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 numberthere 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 air the 〃sixfeetSCANT！〃 that made me shudder； and the 〃M…a…r…ktwain！〃 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。
CHAPTER 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 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； 〃
