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too formidably increases the historian's difficulty in accounting
for the young Shakespeare's eruditionan erudition which he was
acquiring； hunk by hunk and chunk by chunk； every day in those
strenuous times； and emptying each day's catch into next day's
imperishable drama。
He had to acquire a knowledge of war at the same time； and a
knowledge of soldier…people and sailor…people and their ways and
talk； also a knowledge of some foreign lands and their languages：
for he was daily emptying fluent streams of these various knowledges；
too； into his dramas。 How did he acquire these rich assets？
In the usual way： by surmise。 It is SURMISED that he
traveled in Italy and Germany and around； and qualified himself
to put their scenic and social aspects upon paper； that he
perfected himself in French； Italian； and Spanish on the road；
that he went in Leicester's expedition to the Low Countries； as
soldier or sutler or something； for several months or yearsor
whatever length of time a surmiser needs in his businessand
thus became familiar with soldiership and soldier…ways and
soldier…talk and generalship and general…ways and general…talk；
and seamanship and sailor…ways and sailor…talk。
Maybe he did all these things； but I would like to know who
held the horses in the mean time； and who studied the books in
the garret； and who frolicked in the law…courts for recreation。
Also； who did the call…boying and the play…acting。
For he became a call…boy； and as early as '93 he became a
〃vagabond〃the law's ungentle term for an unlisted actor； and in
'94 a 〃regular〃 and properly and officially listed member of that
（in those days） lightly valued and not much respected profession。
Right soon thereafter he became a stockholder in two
theaters； and manager of them。 Thenceforward he was a busy and
flourishing business man； and was raking in money with both hands
for twenty years。 Then in a noble frenzy of poetic inspiration
he wrote his one poemhis only poem； his darlingand laid him
down and died：
Good friend for Iesus sake forbeare
To digg the dust encloased heare：
Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones
And curst be he yt moves my bones。
He was probably dead when he wrote it。 Still； this is only
conjecture。 We have only circumstantial evidence。 Internal
evidence。
Shall I set down the rest of the Conjectures which
constitute the giant Biography of William Shakespeare？ It would
strain the Unabridged Dictionary to hold them。 He is a
brontosaur： nine bones and six hundred barrels of plaster of
Paris。
V
〃We May Assume〃
In the Assuming trade three separate and independent cults
are transacting business。 Two of these cults are known as the
Shakespearites and the Baconians； and I am the other onethe
Brontosaurian。
The Shakespearite knows that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare's
Works； the Baconian knows that Francis Bacon wrote them； the
Brontosaurian doesn't really know which of them did it； but is
quite composedly and contentedly sure that Shakespeare DIDN'T；
and strongly suspects that Bacon DID。 We all have to do a good
deal of assuming； but I am fairly certain that in every case I
can call to mind the Baconian assumers have come out ahead of the
Shakespearites。 Both parties handle the same materials； but the
Baconians seem to me to get much more reasonable and rational and
persuasive results out of them than is the case with the
Shakespearites。 The Shakespearite conducts his assuming upon a
definite principle； an unchanging and immutable law： which is：
2 and 8 and 7 and 14； added together； make 165。 I believe this
to be an error。 No matter； you cannot get a habit…sodden
Shakespearite to cipher…up his materials upon any other basis。
With the Baconian it is different。 If you place before him the
above figures and set him to adding them up； he will never in any
case get more than 45 out of them； and in nine cases out of ten
he will get just the proper 31。
Let me try to illustrate the two systems in a simple and
homely way calculated to bring the idea within the grasp of the
ignorant and unintelligent。 We will suppose a case： take a lap…
bred； house…fed； uneducated； inexperienced kitten； take a rugged
old Tom that's scarred from stem to rudder…post with the
memorials of strenuous experience； and is so cultured； so
educated； so limitlessly erudite that one may say of him 〃all
cat…knowledge is his province〃； also； take a mouse。 Lock the
three up in a holeless； crackless； exitless prison…cell。 Wait
half an hour； then open the cell； introduce a Shakespearite and a
Baconian； and let them cipher and assume。 The mouse is missing：
the question to be decided is； where is it？ You can guess both
verdicts beforehand。 One verdict will say the kitten contains
the mouse； the other will as certainly say the mouse is in the
tom…cat。
The Shakespearite will Reason like this（that is not my
word； it is his）。 He will say the kitten MAY HAVE BEEN attending
school when nobody was noticing； therefore WE ARE WARRANTED IN
ASSUMING that it did so； also； it COULD HAVE BEEN training in a
court…clerk's office when no one was noticing； since that could
have happened； WE ARE JUSTIFIED IN ASSUMING that it did happen；
it COULD HAVE STUDIED CATOLOGY IN A GARRET when no one was
noticingtherefore it DID； it COULD HAVE attended cat…assizes on
the shed…roof nights； for recreation； when no one was noticing；
and have harvested a knowledge of cat court…forms and cat lawyer…
talk in that way： it COULD have done it； therefore without a
doubt it DID； it COULD HAVE gone soldiering with a war…tribe when
no one was noticing； and learned soldier…wiles and soldier…ways；
and what to do with a mouse when opportunity offers； the plain
inference； therefore； is that that is what it DID。 Since all
these manifold things COULD have occurred； we have EVERY RIGHT TO
BELIEVE they did occur。 These patiently and painstakingly
accumulated vast acquirements and competences needed but one
thing moreopportunityto convert themselves into triumphal
action。 The opportunity came； we have the result； BEYOND SHADOW
OF QUESTION the mouse is in the kitten。
It is proper to remark that when we of the three cults plant
a 〃WE THINK WE MAY ASSUME；〃 we expect it； under careful watering
and fertilizing and tending； to grow up into a strong and hardy
and weather…defying 〃THERE ISN'T A SHADOW OF A DOUBT〃 at last
and it usually happens。
We know what the Baconian's verdict would be： 〃THERE IS NOT
A RAG OF EVIDENCE THAT THE KITTEN HAS HAD ANY TRAINING； ANY
EDUCATION； ANY EXPERIENCE QUALIFYING IT FOR THE PRESENT OCCASION；
OR IS INDEED EQUIPPED FOR ANY ACHIEVEMENT ABOVE LIFTING SUCH
UNCLAIMED MILK AS COMES ITS WAY； BUT THERE IS ABUNDANT EVIDENCE
UNASSAILABLE PROOF； IN FACTTHAT THE OTHER ANIMAL IS EQUIPPED；
TO THE LAST DETAIL； WITH EVERY QUALIFICATION NECESSARY FOR THE
EVENT。 WITHOUT SHADOW OF DOUBT THE TOM…CAT CONTAINS THE MOUSE。〃
VI
When Shakespeare died； in 1616； great literary productions
attributed to him as author had been before the London world and
in high favor for twenty…four years。 Yet his death was not an
event。 It made no stir； it attracted no attention。 Apparently
his eminent literary contemporaries did not realize that a
celebrated poet had passed from their midst。 Perhaps they knew a
play…actor of minor rank had disappeared； but did not regard him
as the author of his Works。 〃We are justified in assuming〃 this。
His death was not even an event in the little town of
Stratford。 Does this mean that in Stratford he was not regarded
as a celebrity of ANY kind？
〃We are privileged to assume〃no； we are indeed OBLIGED to
assumethat such was the case。 He had spent the first twenty…
two or twenty…three years of his life there； and of course knew
everybody and was known by everybody of that day in the town；
including the dogs and the cats and the horses。 He had spent the
last five or six years of his life there； diligently trading in
every big and little thing that had money in it； so we are
compelled to assume that many of the folk there in those said
latter days knew him personally； and the rest by sight and
hearsay。 But not as a CELEBRITY？ Apparently not。 For everybody
soon forgot to remember any contact with him or any incident
connected with him。 The dozens of townspeople； still alive； who
had known of him or known about him in the first twenty…three
years of his life were in the same unremembering condition： if
they knew of any incident connected with that period of his life
they didn't tell about it。 Would the if they had been asked？ It
is most likely。 Were they asked？ It is pretty apparent that
they were not。 Why weren't they？ It is a very plausible guess
that nobody there or elsewhere was interested to know。
For seven years after Shakespeare's death nobod