byMarkTwainMARKTWAIN’S
[Date，1601]
ConversationAsitwasbytheSocialFiresideintheTimeoftheTudorsINTRODUCTION
"Bornirreverent，"scrawledMarkTwainonascratchpad，"——likeallotherpeopleIhaveeverknownorheardof——Iamhopingtoremainsowhilethereareanyreverentirreverenceslefttomakefunof。"
——[HolographmanuscriptofSamuelL。Clemens，inthecollectionoftheF。J。Meine]
MarkTwainwasjustasirreverentashedaredbe，and1601revealshisrichestexpressionofsovereigncontemptforoverstuffedlanguage，genteelliterature，andconventionalidiocies。Later，whenamagazineeditorapostrophized，"OthatwehadaRabelais！"Markimpishlyandanonymously——submitted1601；andthatsameeditor，apraiserofRabelais，scathinglyabuseditandthesender。Inthisepisode，asinmanyothers，MarkTwain，the"badboy"ofAmericanliterature，revealedhishugedelightinblastingtheshamsofcontemporaryhypocrisy。Too，therewasalwaysthespiritofTomSawyerdeviltryinMark’smake—upthatpromptedhim，ashehimselfboasted，toseehowmuchholyindignationhecouldstirupintheworld。
WHOWROTE1601？
Thecorrectandcompletetitleof1601，asfirstissued，was：[Date，1601。]’Conversation，asitwasbytheSocialFireside，intheTimeoftheTudors。’Formanyyearsafteritsanonymousfirstissuein1880，itsauthorshipwasvariouslyconjecturedandwidelydisputed。InBoston，WilliamT。Ball，oneoftheleadingtheatricalcriticsduringthelatego’s，assertedthatitwasoriginallywrittenbyanEnglishactor（namenotdivulged）whogaveittohim。Ball’soriginal，itwassaid，lookedlikeanewspaperstripinthewayitwasprinted，andmayindeedhavebeenaproofpulledinsomenewspaperoffice。InSt。Louis，WilliamMarionReedy，editoroftheSt。LouisMirror，hadseenthisfamoustourdeforcecirculatedintheearly80’singalley—proofform；hefirstlearnedfromEugeneFieldthatitwasfromthepenofMarkTwain。
"Manypeople，"saidReedy，"thoughtthethingwasdonebyFieldandattributed，asajoke，toMarkTwain。Fieldhadaperfectgeniusforthatsortofthing，asmanyextantspecimensattest，andforthatsortofpracticaljoke；buttomythinkingthehumorofthepieceistoomellow——nothardandbrightandbitter——tobeEugeneField’s。"Reedy’sopinionhitsoffthefundamentaldifferencebetweenthesetwogreathumorists；
onehalfsuspectsthatReedywasthinkingofField’sFrenchCrisis。
ButTwainfirstclaimedhisbantlingfromthefogofanonymityin1906，inaletteraddressedtoMr。CharlesOrr，librarianofCaseLibrary，Cleveland。SaidClemens，inthecourseofhisletter，datedJuly30，1906，fromDublin，NewHampshire：
"Thetitleofthepieceis1601。ThepieceisasupposititiousconversationwhichtakesplaceinQueenElizabeth’sclosetinthatyear，betweentheQueen，BenJonson，Beaumont，SirWalterRaleigh，theDuchessofBilgewater，andoneortwoothers，andisnot，asJohnHaymistakenlysupposes，aseriousefforttobringbackourliteratureandphilosophytothesoberandchasteElizabeth’stime；ifthereisadecentwordfindableinit，itisbecauseIoverlookedit。Ihastentoassureyouthatitisnotprintedinmypublishedwritings。"
TWITTINGTHEREV。JOSEPHTWICHELL
Thecircumstancesofhow1601cametobewrittenhavesincebeenofficiallyrevealedbyAlbertBigelowPainein’MarkTwain，ABibliography’（1912），andinthepublicationofMarkTwain’sNotebook（1935）。
1601waswrittenduringthesummerof1876whentheClemensfamilyhadretreatedtoQuarryFarminElmiraCounty，NewYork。HereMrs。Clemensenjoyedrelieffromsocialobligations，thechildrenrompedoverthecountryside，andMarkretiredtohisoctagonalstudy，which，perchedhighonthehill，lookedoutuponthevalleybelow。Itwasinthefamoussummerof1876，too，thatMarkwasputtingthefinishingtouchestoTomSawyer。Beforethecloseofthesameyearhehadalreadybegunworkon’TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’，publishedin1885。Itisinterestingtonotetheuseofthetitle，the"DukeofBilgewater，"inHuckFinnwhenthe"DuchessofBilgewater"hadalreadymadeherappearancein1601。Sandwichedbetweenhistwogreatmasterpieces，TomSawyerandHuckFinn，thewritingof1601wasindeedastrangeinterlude。
DuringthisprolificperiodMarkwrotemanyminoritems，mostofthemrejectedbyHowells，andreadextensivelyinoneofhisfavoritebooks，Pepys’Diary。LikemanyanotherwriterMarkwascaptivatedbyPepys’
styleandspirit，and"hedetermined，"saysAlbertBigelowPaineinhis’MarkTwain，ABiography’，"totryhishandonanimaginaryrecordofconversationandcourtmannersofabygoneday，writteninthephraseoftheperiod。Theresultwas’FiresideConversationintheTimeofQueenElizabeth’，orashelatercalledit，’1601’。The’conversation’
recordedbyasupposedPepysofthatperiod，waswrittenwithalltheoutspokencoarsenessandnakednessofthatrankday，whenfiresidesociabilitieswerelimitedonlytotheloosenedfancy，vocabulary，andphysicalperformance，andnotbyanyboundsofconvention。"
"Itwaswrittenasaletter，"continuesPaine，"tothatrobustdivine，Rev。JosephTwichell，"who，unlikeHowells，hadnoscruplesaboutMark’s’Elizabethanbreadthofparlance。’"
TheRev。JosephTwichell，Mark’smostintimatefriendforoverfortyyears，waspastoroftheAsylumHillCongregationalChurchofHartford，whichMarkfacetiouslycalledthe"ChurchoftheHolySpeculators，"
becauseofitswealthyparishioners。HereMarkhadfirstmet"Joe"atasocial，andtheirmeetingripenedintoaglorious，lifelongfriendship。
TwichellwasamanofaboutMark’sownage，aprofoundscholar，adevoutChristian，"yetamanwithanexuberantsenseofhumor，andaprofoundunderstandingofthefrailtiesofmankind。"TheRev。Mr。TwichellperformedthemarriageceremonyforMarkTwainandsolemnizedthebirthsofhischildren；"Joe，"hisfriend，counseledhimonliteraryaswellaspersonalmattersfortheremainderofMark’slife。Itisimportanttocatchthisbriefglimpseofthemanforwhomthismasterpiecewaswritten，forwithoutitonecannotfullyunderstandthespiritinwhich1601waswritten，orthekeenenjoymentwhichMarkand"Joe"derivedfromit。
"SAVEMEONE。"
Thestoryofthefirstissueof1601isoneoffinesse，statediplomacy，andsurreptitiousprinting。
TheRev。"Joe"Twichell，forwhosedelectationthepiecehadbeenwritten，apparentlyhadpocketedthedocumentforfourlongyears。Then，in1880，itcameintothehandsofJohnHay，laterSecretaryofState，presumablysenttohimbyMarkTwain。Haypronouncedthesketchamasterpiece，andwroteimmediatelytohisoldClevelandfriend，AlexanderGunn，princeofconnoisseursinartandliterature。ThefollowingcorrespondencerevealsthefinediplomacywhichmadethenameofJohnHayknownthroughouttheworld。
DEPARTMENTOFSTATE
WashingtonJune21，1880。
DearGunn：
AreyouinClevelandforallthisweek？Ifyouwillsayyesbyreturnmail，Ihaveamasterpiecetosubmittoyourconsiderationwhichisonlyinmyhandsforafewdays。
Yours，verymuchworrittedbythedepravityofChristendom，HayThesecondletterdisclosesHay’sownhighopinionoftheeffortandhisdeepconcernforitssafety。
June24，1880
MydearGunn：
Hereitis。ItwaswrittenbyMarkTwaininaseriousefforttobringbackourliteratureandphilosophytothesoberandchasteElizabethanstandard。Butthetasteofthepresentdayistoocorruptforanythingsoclassic。Hehasnotyetbeenableeventofindapublisher。TheGlobehasnotyetrecoveredfromDowney’sinroad，andtheywon’ttouchit。
Isendittoyouasoneofthefewlingeringrelicsofthatraceofappreciativecritics，whoknowagoodthingwhentheyseeit。
Readitwithreverenceandgratitudeandsenditbacktome；forMarkisimpatienttoseeoncemorehiswanderingoffspring。
Yours，Hay。
InhisthirdletteronecanalmosthearHay’schuckleinthecertaintythathisdiplomatic，ifsomewhatwicked，suggestionwouldbearfruit。
Washington，D。C。
July7，1880
MydearGunn：
Ihaveyourletter，andthepropositionwhichyoumaketopullafewproofsofthemasterpieceishighlyattractive，andofcoursehighlyimmoral。Icannotproperlyconsenttoit，andIamafraidthegreatmanywouldthinkIwastakinganunfairadvantageofhisconfidence。Pleasesendbackthedocumentassoonasyoucan，andif，inspiteofmyprohibition，youtaketheseproofs，savemeone。
Verytrulyyours，JohnHay。
ThuswasthisElizabethandialoguepouredintothemouldsofcoldtype。
AccordingtoMerleJohnson，MarkTwain’sbibliographer，itwasissuedinpamphletform，withoutwrappersorcovers；therewere8pagesoftextandthepamphletmeasured7by8？inches。Onlyfourcopiesarebelievedtohavebeenprinted，oneforHay，oneforGunn，andtwoforTwain。
"Inthematterofhumor，"wroteClemens，referringtoHay’sdeliciousnotes，"whatanunsurpassabletouchJohnHayhad！"
HUMORATWESTPOINT
Thefirstprintingof1601inactualbookformwas"DonneatyeAcademiePress，in1882，WestPoint，NewYork，underthesupervisionofLieut。C。
E。S。Wood，thenadjutantoftheU。S。MilitaryAcademy。
In1882MarkTwainandJoeTwichellvisitedtheirfriendLieut。WoodatWestPoint，wheretheylearnedthatWood，asAdjutant，hadunderhiscontrolasmallprintingestablishment。OnMark’sreturntoHartford，WoodreceivedaletteraskingifhewoulddoMarkagreatfavorbyprintingsomethinghehadwritten，whichhedidnotcaretoentrusttotheordinaryprinter。Woodrepliedthathewouldbegladtooblige。
OnApril3，1882，Marksentthemanuscript：
"Ienclosetheoriginalof1603[sic]asyousuggest。Iamafraidthereareerrorsinit，also，heedlessnessinantiquatedspelling——e’sstuckonoftenatendofwordswheretheyarenotstricklynecessary，etc……
IwouldgothroughthemanuscriptbutIamtoomuchdrivenjustnow，anditisnotimportantanyway。Iwishyouwoulddomethekindnesstomakeanyandallcorrectionsthatsuggestthemselvestoyou。
Sincerelyyours，S。L。Clemens。"
CharlesErskineScottWoodrecalledinaforeword，whichhewroteforthelimitededitionof1601issuedbytheGrabhornPress，howhefeltwhenhefirstsawtheoriginalmanuscript。"WhenIreadit，"writesWood，"Ifeltthatthecharacterofitwouldbecarriedalittlebetterbyaprintingwhichpretendedtotheeyethatitwascontemporaneouswiththepretended’conversation。’
"IwroteMarkthatforliteraryeffectIthoughtthereshouldbeaspeciesofforgery，thoughofcoursetherewasnoefforttoactuallydeceiveascholar。MarkansweredthatImightdoasIliked；——thathisonlyobjectwastosecureanumberofcopies，asthedemandforitwasbecomingburdensome，buthewouldbeverygratefulforanyinterestI
broughttothedoing。
"Well，Tucker[foremanoftheprintingshop]andIsoakedsomehandmadelinenpaperinweakcoffee，putitasawetbundleintoawarmroomtomildew，driedittoadampnessapprovedbyTuckerandheprintedthe’copy’onahandpress。IhadspecialpunchescutforsuchElizabethanabbreviationsasthea，e，oandu，whenfollowedbymorn——andforthe（commonlyandstupidlypronouncedye）。
"TheonlyeditingIdidwasastothespellingandafewoldEnglishwordsintroduced。Thespelling，ifIremembercorrectly，ismine，butthetextisexactlyaswrittenbyMark。Iwroteaskinghisviewofmakingthespellingoftheperiodandhewasenthusiastic——tellingmetodowhateverIthoughtbestandhewasgreatlypleasedwiththeresult。"
ThuswasprintedinadeluxeeditionoffiftycopiesthemostcuriousmasterpieceofAmericanhumor，atoneofAmerica’smostdignifiedinstitutions，theUnitedStatesMilitaryAcademyatWestPoint。
"1601wassobe—praisedbythearchaeologicalscholarsofaquarterofacenturyago，"wroteClemensinhislettertoCharlesOrr，"thatIwasratherinordinatelyvainofit。Atthattimeithadbeenprivatelyprintedinseveralcountries，amongthemJapan。Asumptuouseditiononlargepaper，rough—edged，wasmadebyLieut。C。E。S。WoodatWestPoint——aneditionof50copies——anddistributedamongpopesandkingsandsuchpeople。InEnglandcopiesofthatissuewereworthtwentyguineaswhenI
wastheresixyearsago，andnonetobehad。"
FROMTHEDEPTHS
MarkTwain’sirreverenceshouldnotbemisinterpreted：itwasanirreverencewhichbubbledupfromadeep，passionateinsightintothewell—springsofhumannature。In1601，asin’TheManThatCorruptedHadleyburg，’andin’TheMysteriousStranger，’hetorethemasksoffhumanbeingsandleftthemcringingbeforethepublicview。WiththedeftnessofamastersurgeonClemensdealtwithhumanemotionsanddelightedinexposinghumannatureintheraw。
ThespiritandthelanguageoftheFiresideConversationwererooteddeepinMarkTwain’snatureandinhislife，asC。E。S。Wood，whoprinted1601atWestPoint，haspertinentlyobserved，"IfImadeaguessastotheintellectualfermentoutofwhich1601roseIwouldsaythatMark’sintellectualstructureandsubconsciousgrainingwasfromAnglo—SaxonsasprimitiveasthecommonmanoftheTudorperiod。
HecamefromthebanksoftheMississippi——fromtheflatboatmen，pilots，roustabouts，farmersandvillagefolkofarude，primitivepeople——asLincolndid。
"HewasfinishedintheminingcampsoftheWestamongstagedrivers，gamblersandthemenof’49。Thesimpleroughnessofafrontierpeoplewasinhisbloodandbrain。
"Wordsvulgarandoffensivetootherearswereacommonlanguagetohim。
AnyonewhoeverknewMarkheardhimusethemfreely，forcibly，picturesquelyinhisunrestrainedconversation。Suchlanguageisforcibleasallprimitivewordsare。Refinementseemstomakeforweakness——orletussayacuttingedge——buttheoldvulgarmonosyllabicwordsbitliketheblowofapioneer’sax——andMarkwaslikethat。ThenIthink1601cameoutofMark’sinstinctivehumor，satireandhatredofpuritanism。Butthereismorethanthis；withallitshumorthereisasenseofrealdelightinwhatmaybecalledobscenityforitsownsake。
WhitmanandtheBiblearenomoreobscenethanNatureherself——nomoreobscenethanamanurepile，outofwhichcomerosesandcherries。Everywordusedin1601wasusedbyourownrudepioneersasapartoftheirvocabulary——andnowordwaseverinventedbymanwithobsceneintent，butonlyaslanguagetoexpresshismeaning。Noactofnatureisobsceneinitself——butwhensuchwordsandactsaredraggedinforanulteriorpurposetheybecomeoffensive，aseverythingoutofplaceisoffensive。
Ithinkhedelighted，too，inshocking——givingresoundingslapsonwhatChaucerwouldquitesimplycall’thebareerse。’"
QuiteasidefromthisChaucerian"erse"slapping，Clemenshadalsoasemi—seriouspurpose，thatofreproducingapasttimeashesawitinShakespeare，Dekker，Jonson，andotherwritersoftheElizabethanera。
FiresideConversationwasanexerciseinscholarshipilluminedbyakeensenseofcharacter。Itwasmadeespeciallyeffectivebytheartisticarrangementofwidely—gatheredmaterialintoacompressedpictureofaphaseofthemannersandeventhemindsofthemenandwomen"inthespacioustimesofgreatElizabeth。"
MarkTwainmadeof1601averysmartandfascinatingperformance，carriedoveralmosttogrotesquenessjusttoshowitwasnotdoneformeredelightinthefranknaturalismofthefunctionswithwhichitdeals。
ThatMarkTwainhadmadeconsiderablestudyofthisfranknessisapparentfromchapterfourof’AYankeeAtKingArthur’sCourt，’wherehereferstotheconversationatthefamousRoundTablethus：
"Manyofthetermsusedinthemostmatter—of—factwaybythisgreatassemblageofthefirstladiesandgentlemenofthelandwouldhavemadeaComancheblush。Indelicacyistoomildatermtoconveytheidea。
However，IhadreadTomJonesandRoderickRandomandotherbooksofthatkindandknewthatthehighestandfirstladiesandgentlemeninEnglandhadremainedlittleornocleanerintheirtalk，andinthemoralsandconductwhichsuchtalkimplies，clearuptoonehundredyearsago；infactclearintoourownnineteenthcentury——inwhichcentury，broadlyspeaking，theearliestsamplesoftherealladyandtherealgentlemandiscoverableinEnglishhistory，——orinEuropeanhistory，forthatmatter——maybesaidtohavemadetheirappearance。SupposeSirWalter[Scott]insteadofputtingtheconversationintothemouthsofhischaracters，hadallowedthecharacterstospeakforthemselves？WeshouldhavehadtalkfromRebeccaandIvanhoeandthesoftladyRowenawhichwouldembarrassatrampinourday。However，totheunconsciouslyindelicateallthingsaredelicate。"
MarkTwain’sinterestinhistoryandinthedepictionofhistoricalperiodsandcharactersisrevealedthroughhisfondnessforhistoricalreadinginpreferencetofiction，andthroughhisotherhistoricalwritings。Eveninthehilarious，youthfuldaysinSanFrancisco，Painereportsthat"Clemens，however，wasneverquitereadyforsleep。Then，asever，hewouldprophimselfupinbed，lighthispipe，andlosehimselfinEnglishorFrenchhistoryuntilhissleepconquered。"Painetellsus，too，thatLecky’s’EuropeanMorals’wasanoldfavorite。
Thenotesto’ThePrinceandthePauper’showagainhowcarefullyClemensexaminedhishistoricalbackground，andhisinterestinthesematerials。
Someofthemoreimportantsourcesarenoted：Hume’s’HistoryofEngland’，Timbs’’CuriositiesofLondon’，J。HammondTrumbull’s’BlueLaws，TrueandFalse’。ApparentlyMarkTwainrelishedit，forasBernardDeVotopointsout，"ThebookisalwaysMarkTwain。ItsparodiesofTudorspeechlapsesometimesintoacallowsatisfactioninthatidiom——Markhugelyenjoyshisnathlessesandbeshrewsandmarrys。"Thewritingof1601foreshadowshisfondnessforthistreatment。
"DoyousupposethelibertiesandtheBrawnofTheseStateshavetodoonlywithdelicatelady—words？withglovedgentlemanwords"
WaltWhitman，’AnAmericanPrimer’。
Although1601wasnotmatchedbyanysimilarsketchinhispublishedworks，itwasrepresentativeofMarkTwaintheman。Hewasnoemaciatedliterarytea—tosser。BronzedandweatherbeatensonoftheWest，Markwasaman’sman，andthatsignificantfactisemphasizedbytheseveralphasesofMark’srichlifeassteamboatpilot，printer，miner，andfrontierjournalist。
OntheVirginiaCityEnterpriseMarklearnedfromeditorR。M。Daggettthat"whenitwasnecessarytocallamannames，therewerenoexpletivestoolongortooexpressivetobehurledinrapidsuccessiontoemphasizetheutterwantofcharacterofthemanassailed……ThereweretypesetterstherewhocouldhurlanathemasatbadcopywhichwouldhavefrightenedaBengaltiger。Thenewseditorcoulddamnamutilateddispatchintwenty—fourlanguages。"
InSanFranciscointhesizzlingsixtieswecatchaglimpseofMarkTwainandhisbuddy，SteveGillis，pausingindoorwaystosing"TheDolefulBalladoftheNeglectedLover，"anoldpieceofuncollectederotica。
Onemorning，whenadogbegantohowl，Steveawoke"tofindhisroom—matestandinginthedoorthatopenedoutintoabackgarden，holdingabigrevolver，hishandshakingwithcoldandexcitement，"relatesPaineinhisBiography。
"’Comehere，Steve，’hesaid。’I’msochilledthroughIcan’tgetabeadonhim。’
"’Sam，’saidSteve，’don’tshoothim。Justswearathim。Youcaneasilykillhimatanyrangewithyourprofanity。’
"SteveGillisdeclaresthatMarkTwainletgosuchascorching，singeingblastthatthebrute’sownersoldhimthenextdayforaMexicanhairlessdog。"
NordidMark’s"geysersofprofanity"ceasespoutingafterthesegayandyouthfuldaysinSanFrancisco。WithClemensitmaytrulybesaidthatprofanitywasanart——apyrotechnicartthatentertainednations。
"Itwasmydutytokeepbuttonsonhisshirts，"recalledKatyLeary，life—longhousekeeperandfriendintheClemensmenage，"andhe’dswearsomethingterribleifIdidn’t。Ifhefoundashirtinhisdrawerwithoutabuttonon，he’dtakeeverysingleshirtoutofthatdrawerandthrowthemrightoutofthewindow，rainorshine——outofthebathroomwindowthey’dgo。Iusedtolookouteverymorningtoseethesnowflakes——anythingwhite。Outthey’dfly……Oh！he’dswearatanythingwhenhewasonarampage。He’dswearathisrazorifitdidn’tcutright，andMrs。Clemensusedtosendmearoundtothebathroomdoorsometimestoknockandaskhimwhatwasthematter。Well，I’dgoandknock；I’dsay，’Mrs。Clemenswantstoknowwhat’sthematter。’Andthenhe’dsaytome（kindoflow）inawhisperlike，’DidshehearmeKaty？’’Yes，’I’dsay，’everyword。’Oh，well，hewasashamedthen，hewasafraidofgettingscoldedforswearinglikethat，becauseMrs。
Clemenshatedswearing。"ButhisswearingneverseemedreallybadtoKatyLeary，"Itwassortoffunny，andapartofhim，somehow，"shesaid。
"Sortofamusingitwas——andgay——notlikerealswearing，’causehesworelikeanangel。"
InhislateryearsatStormfieldMarklovedtoplayhisfavoritebilliards。"ItwassometimesawonderfulandfearsomethingtowatchMr。
Clemensplaybilliards，"relatesElizabethWallace。"Helovedthegame，andhelovedtowin，butheoccasionallymadeaverybadstroke，andthenthevaried，picturesque，andunorthodoxvocabulary，acquiredinhismoreyouthfulyears，wastheonlythingthatgavehimcomfort。Gently，slowly，withnoprofaneinflexionsofvoice，butirresistiblyasthoughtheyhadtheheadwatersoftheMississippifortheirsource，camethisstreamofunholyadjectivesandchoiceexpletives。"
Mark’svocabularyranthewholegamutoflifeitself。InParis，inhisappearancein1879beforetheStomachClub，ajollylotofgaywags，Mark’saddress，reportsPaine，"obtainedawidecelebrityamongtheclubsoftheworld，thoughnolineofit，notevenitstitle，haseverfounditswayintopublishedliterature。"Itisrumoredtohavebeencalled"SomeRemarksontheScienceofOnanism。"
InBerlin，MarkaskedHenryW。FishertoaccompanyhimonanexplorationoftheBerlinRoyalLibrary，wherethelibrarian，havinglearnedthatClemenshadbeentheKaiser’sguestatdinner，openedthesecrettreasurechestsforthefamousvisitor。OneoftheseguardedtreasureswasavolumeofgrosslyindecentversesbyVoltaire，addressedtoFredericktheGreat。"Toomuchisenough，"Markisreportedtohavesaid，whenFishertranslatedsomeoftheverses，"IwouldblushtorememberanyofthesestanzasexcepttotellKrafft—EbingaboutthemwhenIgettoVienna。"
WhenFisherhadfinishedcopyingaverseforhimMarkputitintohispocket，saying，"Livy[Mark’swife，Olivia]issobusymispronouncingGermanthesedaysshecan’tevenattempttogetatthis。"
Inhisletters，too，Howellsobserved，"HehadtheSouthwestern，theLincolnian，theElizabethanbreadthofparlance，whichIsupposeoneoughtnottocallcoarsewithoutcallingone’sselfprudish；andIwasoftenhidingawayindiscreetholesandcornersthelettersinwhichhehadloosedhisboldfancytostooponranksuggestion；Icouldnotbeartoburnthem，andIcouldnot，afterthefirstreading，quitebeartolookatthem。IshallbestgivemyfeelingonthispointbysayingthatinithewasShakespearean。"
"Withaniggersquatonhersafety—valve"
JohnHay，PikeCountyBallads。
"Isthereanyotherexplanation，"asksVanWyckBrooks，"’ofhisElizabethanbreadthofparlance？’Mr。HowellsconfessesthathesometimesblushedoverMarkTwain’sletters，thatthereweresomewhich，totheverydaywhenhewrotehiseulogyonhisdeadfriend，hecouldnotbeartoreread。Perhapsifhehadnotsoinsisted，informeryears，whilegoingoverMarkTwain’sproofs，upon’havingthatswearingoutinaninstant，’hewouldneverhadhadcausetosufferfromhishaving’loosedhisboldfancytostooponranksuggestion。’MarkTwain’sverbalRabelaisianismwasobviouslytheexpressionofthatvitalsapwhich，nothavingbeenpermittedtoinformhiswork，hadbeendriveninwardandlefttheretoferment。Nowonderhewasalwaysindulginginorgiesofforbiddenwords。Considerthefamousbook，1601，thatfiresideconversationinthetimeofQueenElizabeth：isthereanyobsoleteverbalindecencyintheEnglishlanguagethatMarkTwainhasnotpainstakinglyresurrectedandassembledthere？He，whosebloodwasinconstantfermentandwhocouldnotcontainwithinthenarrowbondsthathadbeensetforhimtheroitousexuberanceofhisnature，hadtohaveanescape—valve，andhepouredthroughitafetidstreamofmeaninglessobscenity——thewasteofapricelesspsychicmaterial！"Thus，Brookslumps1601withMarkTwain’s"bawdry，"andinterpretsitsimplyasanotherindicationoffrustration。
FIGSFORFIGLEAVES！
Ofcourse，thewritingofsuchapieceas1601raisedthequestionoffreedomofexpressionforthecreativeartist。
Althoughlittlediscussedatthattime，itwasaquestionwhichintenselyinterestedMark，andforafullerappreciationofMark’spositiononemustkeepinmindtheyearinwhich1601waswritten，1876。TherehadbeennothinglikeitbeforeinAmericanliterature；therehadappearednoCaldwells，noFaulkners，noHemingways。VictorianEnglandwasgushingTennyson。IntheUnitedStatespoliteletterswasacultoftheBrahminsofBoston，withWilliamDeanHowellsatthehelmoftheAtlantic。LouisaMayAlcottpublishedLittleWomenin1868—69，andLittleMenin1871。In1873MarkTwainledthevanofthedebunkers，scrapingthegiltoffthelilyintheGildedAge。
In1880MarktookafewpotshotsatlicenseinArtandLiteratureinhisTrampAbroad，"Iwonderwhysomethingsare？Forinstance，Artisallowedasmuchindecentlicenseto—dayasinearliertimes——buttheprivilegesofLiteratureinthisrespecthavebeensharplycurtailedwithinthepasteightyorninetyyears。FieldingandSmolletcouldportraythebeastlinessoftheirdayinthebeastliestlanguage；wehaveplentyoffoulsubjectstodealwithinourday，butwearenotallowedtoapproachthemverynear，evenwithniceandguardedformsofspeech。
ButnotsowithArt。Thebrushmaystilldealfreelywithanysubject；
howeverrevoltingorindelicate。Itmakesabodyoozesarcasmateverypore，togoaboutRomeandFlorenceandseewhatthislastgenerationhasbeendoingwiththestatues。Theseworks，whichhadstoodininnocentnakednessforages，areallfig—leavednow。Yes，everyoneofthem。
Nobodynoticedtheirnakednessbefore，perhaps；nobodycanhelpnoticingitnow，thefig—leafmakesitsoconspicuous。Butthecomicalthingaboutitall，is，thatthefig—leafisconfinedtocoldandpallidmarble，whichwouldbestillcoldandunsuggestivewithoutthisshamandostentatioussymbolofmodesty，whereaswarm—bloodedpaintingswhichdoreallyneedithaveinnocasebeenfurnishedwithit。
"AtthedooroftheUfizzi，inFlorence，oneisconfrontedbystatuesofamanandawoman，noseless，battered，blackwithaccumulatedgrime——theyhardlysuggesthumanbeings——yettheseridiculouscreatureshavebeenthoughtfullyandconscientiouslyfig—leavedbythisfastidiousgeneration。Youenter，andproceedtothatmost—visitedlittlegallerythatexistsintheworld……andthere，againstthewall，withoutobstructingragorleaf，youmaylookyourfilluponthefoulest，thevilest，theobscenestpicturetheworldpossesses——Titian’sVenus。Itisn’tthatsheisnakedandstretchedoutonabed——no，itistheattitudeofoneofherarmsandhand。IfIventuredtodescribetheattitude，therewouldbeafinehowl——buttheretheVenuslies，foranybodytogloatoverthatwantsto——andthereshehasarighttolie，forsheisaworkofart，andArthasitsprivileges。Isawyounggirlsstealingfurtiveglancesather；Isawyoungmengazelongandabsorbedlyather；Isawaged，infirmmenhanguponhercharmswithapatheticinterest。HowIshouldliketodescribeher——justtoseewhataholyindignationIcouldstirupintheworld——justtoheartheunreflectingaveragemandeliverhimselfaboutmygrossnessandcoarseness，andallthat。
"IneverygalleryinEuropetherearehideouspicturesofblood，carnage，oozingbrains，putrefaction——picturesportrayingintolerablesuffering——
picturesalivewitheveryconceivablehorror，wroughtoutindreadfuldetail——andsimilarpicturesarebeingputonthecanvaseverydayandpubliclyexhibited——withoutagrowlfromanybody——fortheyareinnocent，theyareinoffensive，beingworksofart。Butsupposealiteraryartistventuredtogointoapainstakingandelaboratedescriptionofoneofthesegrislythings——thecriticswouldskinhimalive。Well，letitgo，itcannotbehelped；Artretainsherprivileges，Literaturehaslosthers。Somebodyelsemaycipheroutthewhysandthewhereforesandtheconsistenciesofit——Ihaven’tgottime。"
PROFESSORSCENTSPORNOGRAPHY
Unfortunately，1601hasrecentlybeentaggedbyProfessorEdwardWagenknechtas"themostfamouspieceofpornographyinAmericanliterature。"Likemanyanotheruninformed，Prof。W。islikethelittleboywhoisshockedtosee"naughty"wordschalkedonthebackfence，andthinkstheyarepornography。Theinitiated，afteryearsofwadingthroughthemire，willrecognizeinstantlythesignificantdifferencebetweenfilthyfilthandfunny"filth。"Dirtfordirt’ssakeissomethingelseagain。Pornography，aneminentAmericanjuristhaspointedout，isdistinguishedbythe"leerofthesensualist。"
"Thewordswhicharecriticisedasdirty，"observedjusticeJohnM。
WoolseyintheUnitedStatesDistrictCourtofNewYork，liftingthebanonUlyssesbyJamesJoyce，"areoldSaxonwordsknowntoalmostallmenand，Iventure，tomanywomen，andaresuchwordsaswouldbenaturallyandhabituallyused，Ibelieve，bythetypesoffolkwhoselife，physicalandmental，Joyceisseekingtodescribe。"Neitherwasthere"pornographicintent，"accordingtojusticeWoolsey，norwasUlyssesobscenewithinthelegaldefinitionofthatword。
"Themeaningoftheword’obscene，’"theJusticeindicated，"aslegallydefinedbythecourtsis：tendingtostirtheseximpulsesortoleadtosexuallyimpureandlustfulthoughts。
"Whetheraparticularbookwouldtendtoexcitesuchimpulsesandthoughtsmustbetestedbythecourt’sopinionastoitseffectonapersonwithaveragesexinstincts——whattheFrenchwouldcall’l’hommemoyensensuel’——whoplays，inthisbranchoflegalinquiry，thesameroleofhypotheticalreagentasdoesthe’reasonableman’inthelawoftortsand’thelearnedmanintheart’onquestionsofinventioninpatentlaw。"
Obviously，itisridiculoustosaythatthe"leerofthesensualist"
lurksinthepagesofMarkTwain’s1601。
DROLLSTORY
"Inaway，"observedWilliamMarionReedy，"1601istoTwain’swholeworkswhatthe’DrollStories’aretoBalzac’s。ItisbetterthantheprivatelycirculatedribaldryandvulgarityofEugeneField；is，indeed，anessayinasortofprimordialhumorsuchaswefindinRabelais，orintheplaysofsomeofthelesserstarsthatdrewtheirlightfromShakespeare’surn。Itishumororfunsuchasoneexpects，letussay，fromthepeasantsofThomasHardy，outsideofHardy’sbooks。And，thoughitbefilthy，ityethathasplendorofmereanimalismofgoodspirits……
Iwouldsayitisscatalogicalratherthanerotic，saveforonetouchtowardtheend。Indeed，itseemsmoreofRabelaisthanofBoccaccioorMasuccioorAretino——isbrutallyBritishratherthanlasciviouslylatinate，astothesubjects，butsumptuousasregardsthelanguage。"
Immediatelyuponfirstreading，JohnHay，laterSecretaryofState，hadproclaimed1601amasterpiece。AlbertBigelowPaine，MarkTwain’sbiographer，likewiseacknowledgeditsgreatness，whenhesaid，"1601isagenuineclassic，asclassicsofthatsortgo。ItisbetterthanthegrossobscenitiesofRabelais，andperhapsinsomedaytocome，thetastethatjustifiedGargantuaandtheDecameronwillgivethisliteraryrefugeeshelterandsettingamongthemoreconventionalwritingofMarkTwain。Humantasteisacuriousthing；delicacyispurelyamatterofenvironmentandpointofview。"
"Itdependsonwhowritesathingwhetheritiscoarseornot，"wroteClemensinhisnotebookin1879。"Ibuiltaconversationwhichcouldhavehappened——Iusedwordssuchaswereusedatthattime——1601。Isentitanonymouslytoamagazine，andhowtheeditorabuseditandthesender！
ButthatmanwasapraiserofRabelaisandhadbeensaying，’OthatwehadaRabelais！’IjudgedthatIcouldfurnishhimone。
"ThenItookittooneofthegreatest，bestandmostlearnedofDivines[Rev。JosephH。Twichell]andreadittohim。Hecamewithinanaceofkillinghimselfwithlaughter（forbetweenyouandmethethingwasdreadfullyfunny。Idon’toftenwriteanythingthatIlaughatmyself，butIcanhardlythinkofthatthingwithoutlaughing）。ThatoldDivinesaiditwasapieceofthefinestkindofliteraryart——andDavidGrayoftheBuffaloCouriersaiditoughttobeprintedprivatelyandleftbehindmewhenIdied，andthenmyfameasaliteraryartistwouldlast。"
FRANKLINJ。MEINE
THEFIRSTPRINTING
VerbatimReprint[Date，1601。]
CONVERSATION，ASITWASBYTHESOCIALFIRESIDE，INTHETIMEOFTHE
TUDORS。
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