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that nobody there or elsewhere was interested to know。
For seven years after Shakespeare's death nobody seems to have been
interested in him。 Then the quarto was published； and Ben Jonson
awoke out of his long indifference and sang a song of praise and
put it in the front of the book。 Then silence fell AGAIN。
For sixty years。 Then inquiries into Shakespeare's Stratford
life began to be made； of Stratfordians。 Of Stratfordians
who had known Shakespeare or had seen him？ No。 Then of
Stratfordians who had seen people who had known or seen
people who had seen Shakespeare？ No。 Apparently the inquires
were only made of Stratfordians who were not Stratfordians of
Shakespeare's day； but later comers； and what they had learned
had come to them from persons who had not seen Shakespeare； and
what they had learned was not claimed as FACT； but only as legend
dim and fading and indefinite legend； legend of the calf…slaughtering
rank； and not worth remembering either as history or fiction。
Has it ever happened beforeor sincethat a celebrated
person who had spent exactly half of a fairly long life in the
village where he was born and reared； was able to slip out of
this world and leave that village voiceless and gossipless behind
himutterly voiceless。； utterly gossipless？ And permanently so？
I don't believe it has happened in any case except Shakespeare's。
And couldn't and wouldn't have happened in his case if he had
been regarded as a celebrity at the time of his death。
When I examine my own casebut let us do that； and see if
it will not be recognizable as exhibiting a condition of things
quite likely to result； most likely to result； indeed
substantially SURE to result in the case of a celebrated person；
a benefactor of the human race。 Like me。
My parents brought me to the village of Hannibal； Missouri；
on the banks of the Mississippi； when I was two and a half years
old。 I entered school at five years of age； and drifted from one
school to another in the village during nine and a half years。
Then my father died； leaving his family in exceedingly straitened
circumstances； wherefore my book…education came to a standstill
forever； and I became a printer's apprentice； on board and
clothes； and when the clothes failed I 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 day
as 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 speak
and 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 fact
no； 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 today； and can telland do tell
inquirers 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 steamboatsthose 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 numbersthere 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 the
〃SixfeetSCANT！〃 that made me shudder； and the 〃M…a…r…k
TWAIN！〃 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。
1。 Four fathomstwenty…four feet。
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 testimony
unanswerable 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