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　Traditioners　and
  Perhapsers　and　Conjecturers　were　THEMSELVES　sacred！　　As　sacred　as
  their　work。　　So　sacred　that　whoso　ventured　to　mock　them　or　make
  fun　of　their　work；　could　not　afterward　enter　any　respectable
  house；　even　by　the　back　door。
  How　true　were　his　words；　and　how　wise！　　How　fortunate　it
  would　have　been　for　me　if　I　had　heeded　them。　　But　I　was　young；　I
  was　but　seven　years　of　age；　and　vain；　foolish；　and　anxious　to
  attract　attention。　　I　wrote　the　biography；　and　have　never　been　in
  a　respectable　house　since。
  III
  How　curious　and　interesting　is　the　parallelas　far　as
  poverty　of　biographical　details　is　concernedbetween　Satan　and
  Shakespeare。　　It　is　wonderful；　it　is　unique；　it　stands　quite
  alone；　there　is　nothing　resembling　it　in　history；　nothing
  resembling　it　in　romance；　nothing　approaching　it　even　in
  tradition。　　How　sublime　is　their　position；　and　how　over…topping；
  how　sky…reaching；　how　supremethe　two　Great　Unknowns；　the　two
  Illustrious　Conjecturabilities！　　They　are　the　best…known　unknown
  persons　that　have　ever　drawn　breath　upon　the　planet。
  For　the　instruction　of　the　ignorant　I　will　make　a　list；　now；
  of　those　details　of　Shakespeare's　history　which　are　FACTS
  verified　facts；　established　facts；　undisputed　facts。
  Facts
  He　was　born　on　the　23d　of　April；　1564。
  Of　good　farmer…class　parents　who　could　not　read；　could　not
  write；　could　not　sign　their　names。
  At　Stratford；　a　small　back　settlement　which　in　that　day　was
  shabby　and　unclean；　and　densely　illiterate。　　Of　the　nineteen
  important　men　charged　with　the　government　of　the　town；　thirteen
  had　to　〃make　their　mark〃　in　attesting　important　documents；
  because　they　could　not　write　their　names。
  Of　the　first　eighteen　years　of　his　life　NOTHING　is　known。
  They　are　a　blank。
  On　the　27th　of　November　（1582）　William　Shakespeare　took　out
  a　license　to　marry　Anne　Whateley。
  Next　day　William　Shakespeare　took　out　a　license　to　marry
  Anne　Hathaway。　　She　was　eight　years　his　senior。
  William　Shakespeare　married　Anne　Hathaway。　　In　a　hurry。　　By
  grace　of　a　reluctantly　granted　dispensation　there　was　but　one
  publication　of　the　banns。
  Within　six　months　the　first　child　was　born。
  About　two　（blank）　years　followed；　during　which　period
  NOTHING　AT　ALL　HAPPENED　TO　SHAKESPEARE；　so　far　as　anybody　knows。
  Then　came　twins1585。　　February。
  Two　blank　years　follow。
  Then1587he　makes　a　ten…year　visit　to　London；　leaving　the　family　behind。
  Five　blank　years　follow。　　During　this　period　NOTHING
  HAPPENED　TO　HIM；　as　far　as　anybody　actually　knows。
  Then1592there　is　mention　of　him　as　an　actor。
  Next　year1593his　name　appears　in　the　official　list　of　players。
  Next　year1594he　played　before　the　queen。　　A　detail　of　no
  consequence：　　other　obscurities　did　it　every　year　of　the　forty…
  five　of　her　reign。　　And　remained　obscure。
  Three　pretty　full　years　follow。　　Full　of　play…acting。　　Then*
  In　1597　he　bought　New　Place；　Stratford。
  Thirteen　or　fourteen　busy　years　follow；　years　in　which　he
  accumulated　money；　and　also　reputation　as　actor　and　manager。
  Meantime　his　name；　liberally　and　variously　spelt；　had
  become　associated　with　a　number　of　great　plays　and　poems；　as
  （ostensibly）　author　of　the　same。
  Some　of　these；　in　these　years　and　later；　were　pirated；　but
  he　made　no　protest。
  Then1610…11he　returned　to　Stratford　and　settled　down　for
  good　and　all；　and　busied　himself　in　lending　money；　trading　in
  tithes；　trading　in　land　and　houses；　shirking　a　debt　of　forty…one
  shillings；　borrowed　by　his　wife　during　his　long　desertion　of　his
  family；　suing　debtors　for　shillings　and　coppers；　being　sued
  himself　for　shillings　and　coppers；　and　acting　as　confederate　to　a
  neighbor　who　tried　to　rob　the　town　of　its　rights　in　a　certain
  common；　and　did　not　succeed。
  He　lived　five　or　six　yearstill　1616in　the　joy　of　these
  elevated　pursuits。　　Then　he　made　a　will；　and　signed　each　of　its
  three　pages　with　his　name。
  A　thoroughgoing　business　man's　will。　　It　named　in　minute
  detail　every　item　of　property　he　owned　in　the　worldhouses；
  lands；　sword；　silver…gilt　bowl；　and　so　onall　the　way　down　to
  his　〃second…best　bed〃　and　its　furniture。
  It　carefully　and　calculatingly　distributed　his　riches　among
  the　members　of　his　family；　overlooking　no　individual　of　it。　　Not
  even　his　wife：　　the　wife　he　had　been　enabled　to　marry　in　a　hurry
  by　urgent　grace　of　a　special　dispensation　before　he　was　nineteen；
  the　wife　whom　he　had　left　husbandless　so　many　years；　the　wife　who
  had　had　to　borrow　forty…one　shillings　in　her　need；　and　which　the
  lender　was　never　able　to　collect　of　the　prosperous　husband；　but
  died　at　last　with　the　money　still　lacking。　　No；　even　this　wife
  was　remembered　in　Shakespeare's　will。
  He　left　her　that　〃second…best　bed。〃
  And　NOT　ANOTHER　THING；　not　even　a　penny　to　bless　her　lucky
  widowhood　with。
  It　was　eminently　and　conspicuously　a　business　man's　will；
  not　a　poet's。
  It　mentioned　NOT　A　SINGLE　BOOK。
  Books　were　much　more　precious　than　swords　and　silver…gilt
  bowls　and　second…best　beds　in　those　days；　and　when　a　departing
  person　owned　one　he　gave　it　a　high　place　in　his　will。
  The　will　mentioned　NOT　A　PLAY；　NOT　A　POEM；　NOT　AN　UNFINISHED
  LITERARY　WORK；　NOT　A　SCRAP　OF　MANUSCRIPT　OF　ANY　KIND。
  Many　poets　have　died　poor；　but　this　is　the　only　one　in
  history　that　has　died　THIS　poor；　the　others　all　left　literary
  remains　behind。　　Also　a　book。　　Maybe　two。
  If　Shakespeare　had　owned　a　dogbut　we　not　go　into　that：　　we
  know　he　would　have　mentioned　it　in　his　will。　　If　a　good　dog；
  Susanna　would　have　got　it；　if　an　inferior　one　his　wife　would　have
  got　a　downer　interest　in　it。　　I　wish　he　had　had　a　dog；　just　so　we
  could　see　how　painstakingly　he　would　have　divided　that　dog　among
  the　family；　in　his　careful　business　way。
  He　signed　the　will　in　three　places。
  In　earlier　years　he　signed　two　other　official　documents。
  These　five　signatures　still　exist。
  There　are　NO　OTHER　SPECIMENS　OF　HIS　PENMANSHIP　IN　EXISTENCE。
  Not　a　line。
  Was　he　prejudiced　against　the　art？　　His　granddaughter；　whom
  he　loved；　was　eight　years　old　when　he　died；　yet　she　had　had　no
  teaching；　he　left　no　provision　for　her　education；　although　he　was
  rich；　and　in　her　mature　womanhood　she　couldn't　write　and　couldn't
  tell　her　husband's　manuscript　from　anybody　else'sshe　thought　it
  was　Shakespeare's。
  When　Shakespeare　died　in　Stratford；　IT　WAS　NOT　AN　EVENT。　　It
  made　no　more　stir　in　England　than　the　death　of　any　other
  forgotten　theater…actor　would　have　made。　　Nobody　came　down　from
  London；　there　were　no　lamenting　poems；　no　eulogies；　no　national
  tearsthere　was　merely　silence；　and　nothing　more。　　A　striking
  contrast　with　what　happened　when　Ben　Jonson；　and　Francis　Bacon；
  and　Spenser；　and　Raleigh；　and　the　other　distinguished　literary
  folk　of　Shakespeare's　time　passed　f