I am a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last 30 years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom

as yet nothing that I know of has ever been written.

I mean the law copyists or scriveners. I have known very many of them professionally and privately,

and if I pleased could relate divers histories at which goodured gentlemen might smile and sentimental souls might weep.

But I waive the biographies of all other scriveners for a few passages in the life of Bartleby, who was a scrivener of the strangest I ever saw or heard of.

While of other law copyists I might write the complete life of Bartleby nothing of that sort can be done.

I believe that no materials exists for a full and satisfactory biography of this man. Bartleby was one of those beings of whom nothing

is ascertainable except from the original sources, and in his case those are very small.

What my own astonished eyes saw of Bartleby,

that is all I know of him.

Except, indeed, one vague report which will appear in the sequel

H.Podcraft.com

That was the opening from Hervin Melville's

Bartleby the Scrivener.

What is a Scrivener you ask?

Well, today I'm a Scrivener and as you can see

a Scrivener is an artist of the highest degree.

What's happening?

Dick Van Dyke.

He was a scrivener in Mary Poppins.

What?

The street art, you know, like that.

...