Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-12
The SEVEN AGES OF MAN.


10 the Conspirators from, Henry
v" and Portals address TO Shy
lock in the Merchant of Venice"
Referring to the controversy about the au-
thorship OF the works of Shakespeare, in
which it was contended BY many that none
bat the master-mind of Lord Bacon could
have written them, the speaker said that
aside from the internal evidence In favor of
Shakespeare. was the fact that he was not
only genius, but an universal genius, and
one whose mind was not only full, but run
ming over. Witt this genius, not taught, he
OWNED the secrets of all men and of every
nation. In his capacious, many-sided mind,
were seats for all men. From the freedom
and knowledge with which he wrote, he
might have been soldier, sailor, courtier.
and physician, while, added to this, his thor
ough familiarity with law, which teens on
almost every page, justihes the belief that he
was lawyer. Quotations from Hamlet,
Merchant of Venice" and Measure for
Measure" beautifully illustrated the latter
point.
The English character of the justice could
not he omitted, and further in the lecture,
the bewigged modern English justice in
pompous vestments was made to fill an illus
tration of the subject, and a contrast with
the American judicial dress. In the
Seven Ages is given the most
vivid picture of the English Justice; a per-
feet picture of the physical man, one feeling
his Importance, if not his responsibility.
We look to him to talk wisely, TO be full of
wise saws, and with well lined stomach
with angles sufficient to lodge all legal con-
troyersies. The speaker was inclined to de-
precate the want of suitable dress to lend
dignity to the American bench, and the fact
that with us such vestments in civil life we're
the peculiar property only of railroad Off
cials and occasionally policeman. In Eng
land, to this day, justices don't forget their
dignity, nor allow others to forget it.
The judges, who is guided by reason, justice
and precedent, is the grandest outcome Of
modern civilization. In view of his sacred
Office, mankind has always paid him the
humblest homage and divided with him the
honors of the warrior. Moses, as law
giver formulated the code and character of
the Hebrew nation as Lycurgus did that for
the Greek Solon's laws made Athens repub-
| lie; the code of Justinian is the legacy of an
| cient Rome to modern civilization upon
whose fundamental principles are based
English and American law and the code of
| Napoleon.
! Shakespeare's type of justice is that of a
conservator of society, to the appreciation
of which, we rise only in mature life. The
boy, exuberent with sport, is governed by
| the law of his likes and dislikes, and loves no
| denial until later reason brings him to a
recognition of a governing law; the lover is
controlled by the law of his fancy or sentiment
in which he usually displays about as much
sented as blind, is blind only to prejudice,
while the lover is blind to everything but
prejudice. The soldier believes in the law
of force, in daring, strength, and not having
patience to unite, cuts the Gordon Knot.
The lecturer led his hearers through a
| maze of apt illustrations upon the eternal
principles of law, based upon justice, govern
| ing everything in the universe. No contest
in life is ever finally settled except upon the
basis of justice and right. The moral force
of truth and right are more powerful than
an army with banners, and though false
hood be sunken deeper than the ocean, or
piled mountains high, justice finally will
reign supreme. AS years pass us toward
mature life the loss of animal spirits and
the sanguine ardor that pins our faith to a
star and the love of chance, have a tendency
to poise the mind to an appreciation of
Justice. We are then more autious and less
venturesome in our acts, more cautious in
| expressing our opinions, see exceptions
where none existed in youth and are slower
to learn.
Men dare not ignore the laws of nature.
! She keeps an exact sccount, and for every
over-indulgence of our inclinations We pay
the forfeit, and find that when we thought
we cheated her she only slept. Had Napoleon
slept eight hours instead of four, his mis-
fortunes might have been avoided and his
weary, wasting exile never occurred.
| Mr.. Fluhrer's lecture was so closely woven
from premises to logical conclusion, with
connecting links of illustration. quotations
and present applications to modern society,
! that but an Indifferent idea of its merits can
be given in a short synopsis. He drew to a
close with a severe criticism upon the system
| of American Jurisprudence. which so
frequently failed in the administration of
Justice. fault which he laid directly to the
| door of the people, rather than TO the legal
! profession. He denominated the latter pro-
fession rs one of the noblest under the sun,
to which society owes the shaping of its
laws, and a. the true police of society to
| stand guard over the innocent and unpro
tected: the honest attorney as an apostle of
the Most High. and the pettifogger. "a an
unclean bird that permits liberty to pluck
justice by the nose. The panacea for a fail
ure of Justice. the speaker said. could be
found in an awakened pulpit. press and com
mon school system.