The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-05-30

Rev. Dr. Thomns - Fulstam.- The 1
Presbyterian General Assembly.

FFeSDyteEihnO Oehch0 6HSohtDtys
"Even shakespeare cannot be read as he wrote r
TIE TheafeV, p. lA- II
{ The citizens Of Dayton viii not soon for
get the exceedingly interesting and in-
structlve controversy in relation 70 Thea
ters, which, just about the opening Of Tur-
ners Opera House, was carried on for some
weeks between the Rev. Dr. Thomas and
John A. Mcmahon, Esq. The Rev. Doctor
was very bitter against the Theater, against
dramatic writers, and against all who at
tended theatric representations, or even
justified or extenuated them; broadly
mantaining that the wisestand best mep,
Of every age aud every class, had, with one
voice, condemned and denounced such ex-
hibitions. as essentially corrupt aud de-
morall2ing. Aud as 10 the dramatists them
selves ~even Shakspeare,H said be, cannot
be read rs ne wrote."A
The Reverend Doctor is now q Commis-
sionef- TO the General Assembly of the Old
School Presbyterian Church, sitting, at the
present time, IN st. Louis, as court of
Christ" In recent debate on loyalty"
politics, slavery and ecclesiastical govern
ment he delivered very able, eloquent
and, at times, bitter and sensational Grafton
against divers and sundry offending and
sinful fellow men, who are, evidently, In
his estimation, of the self same class as the
Jews believed those eighteen to be, upon
whom the tower of Sloan fell. The fol-
lowing is an extract 81.
"You know very well. sir, that It is the
nature of debate TO kindle that tin0ifng in
the blood which Sir John FalstaG declares
was symptomatic of dpoplery. He had "read
the cause of his effects in Galen." You re-
member, sir, under the influence Of that feel
ing 4 arose yesterday to occupy the floor by
way of reply TO the speeches that had been
presented ON this question" GEffa
Now, the passage to which allusion, no
doubt after fresh examination, is thus
pointedly made, and part of which Is quo
ted, is from Shakespeare's Play of Henry
~, Part II, Act |, Scene 2, wherein the Fat
Knight is represented as fcigning deafness,
when called to account by the Chief Justice,
and reads as follows:
FdlstqG. | most humbly beseech your
lordship to have renewed care of your
health.
CHIEF Justice. Sir John. sent for YOU
before your expedition to Shrewsbury.
EdistdD. Ant 1t please your lOrdship, /
hear his majesty Is returned with some dis
comfort from Wales.
CHIEF Justice. ] talk not of his majesty.
Y You would not come when sent for you.
IdlstGG. And ] hear moreover, his high
ness is fallen into this same tohoreson apo
ple1y. .,......
! Chief Justice. Well, Heaven mend him |.
pray let me speak with you.
Fdtstq9. This apoplexy is, as take 1t,
a kind OF lethargy, ant please your lord
ship; kind of sleeping in the blood, a
UhoresoR tingliR0, .sssa a4a
Chfef Justice. What tell you me of itp
Be ii as it Is. gt h"'.n
Fdl. 1t hath its original from much grief,
from study and purtHrbdtiOR Of the brain. 1
have read the cause of its effects In Galen;
il is a kind of deafness.
Ch. Just. | think you are fallen into the
disease; for you hear not what say to
you. daf
No wonder the Reverend Doctor, under
the influence of that aforesaid ''tingling,"
when he had concluded, moved the previ-
Gus question, in order, as he expressed it,
Ito have free debate!
And now upon this delicate passage, thus
alluded to in an ecclesiastical-I do not
say religious-discussion beg leave re-
spectfully to suggest two practical obser-
vations": $50
l. Either the Reverend Doctor, in his eaG
gerness to show rrofane familiarity with
the great bard, must have forgotten his
own recent wholesale condemnation Of
theatres, dramatic writers, and of SHAK-
sPEARE expressly by name, or have confin-
ed his reading of the immortal actor and
playwright, from the first, to one of HAN.
NAH MoRE's "expurgated editions;"I and
was ignorant, therefore, of the real charac-
ter of the tingling and apoplexy- to which
he alluded; although he expressly declares
that he had ''read the cause of its effects IN
Galen." li|.
2. Would he deny to his own flock, and
especially TO the lambs thereof the "flow-
cry food" which he crop shimself and,
As some ungracious pastors do
Show them the steep and thorny way TO Heaven,
Whilst .f.
Himself the primrose path of dalIiance treads, a
And recks not his own readr" sou ..