St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-03
BRILL ON SHYLOCK,
The Distinguished st. Paul
Judge Before the Ham
line Students.
Brilliant Lecture on Shake
speare's Great Creation,
Merchant Of Venice.
Doughty Col. Ingersoll Comes,
in for the Usual Side
Thrust.
Field Day Exercises in Force
This Afternoon at the
University.

Yesterday afternoon at Hamline uni
versity Judge II. r. Brill lectured be-
fore the united literary societies on
''The Merchantof Venice" The lecture
was under the auspices of the University
Lecture bureau, composed of delegates
from the Philomathean. Amphictyon,
Browning and Athenean societies. The
object is to provide suitable lectures
and entertainments during the college
year, and they have secured some of the
best speakers that grace the national
and state rostrums. Among these
have been DR.. w. III. Milburn,
DR.. Upham, of Drew Theological
seminary, DR.. O.. H. Tiffany, Hon. G. K.
Davis, ignatius Donnelly, DIR. S. G.
Smith, DR.. f. O. Holman and many
others, but perhaps none of these have
attracted more attention in Methodist
circles than Judge Brill. He is one of
the honored sons of HamliDe, gradua-
ting early in the eos, when the univer-
sity was located at Red Wing. His rep
utation in legal circles is an enviable
one throughout the state and city. The
chapel was filled, many of the Meth
odist clergy from the Twin Cities and
the state Y. NJ. A. being present.
Judge Brill used manuscript, but read
in such natural, easy style as to gain
the close attention of his audience.
The Merchant OF Venice" offered
ample scope for his keen analyzing
power, and much clearer conception
of the crafty Jew was gained by the
listeners. A synopsis of the address
reads:
A critic once said, "A rib of Shake
speare would make a Milton and a rib
Af ,Nnly oil <ln re-, Inn
have lived since The consensus of
opinion places him easily first among
the great poets. History reveals him,
but as an actor of inferior parts,
A Scapegrace
with no suspicion of greatness and no
ambition for higher things, but judged
by his works he was meta-pbysician.
mOraliSt, a social economist and
theologian and, Robert Ingersoll to
the contrary Notwithstanding. he
believed in the inspiration of
the Bible. He understood hu-
man nature and the springs of
human action. As a painter, by his
delicate skill converts landscape into
a work of art and, as a lapidary by
careful polishing reveals hidden beau
ties in stones, so Shakespeare discovers
truths in nature hidden from our eyes.
That he did so consciously is by no
means implied: it may have been by
that power within, an incalculable
something, the direct gift of the Gre
ator, be it a power, essence or spark,
called genius.
Shakespeare wrote for the stage, and
was fairly successful, but his influence
is not now confined to the theater, not
even chiefly. DR.. Johnson said, MANY
of his plays are the worse for being
acted" 1t is not necessary to have the
accessories Of the stage or the sound of
voices. and we often lose the best
through the manneriSmS of the actor
and the glare of the footlights.
who can portray the superhuman am
bition of Macbeth, .or what one man can
give Us Hamlet, King Lear OF Shylock,
as he is in the plays?
These dramas are the school of the
moralist and human nature. He IS the
poet of nature, but this may be misun-
derstood.
Othel!o is jealousy incarnate, but we
have never seen an Othello or a Shy
lock because we have never seen per-
fectly jealous or perfectly avaricious
man. They embrace all shades. We
have never seen as perfect human
forms as the statues of Phidiac; but
that does not make them the less natu-
raj.
The scene is laid in Venice, but takes
from there no local cOloring. The
praises of the city were in the mouth of
all critics, and the play would attract
people from that fact. There are two
independent stories, that Of the Jew and
his bond, and Portia and her baskets.
They have no natural connection, but
are so skillfully blended by the drama
= 70,
originality in the plot can be claimed,
but Shakespeare figured not as a pho
tographer OF Stenographic reporter, but
as an artist and poet. The dry outlines,
the people and incidents, may not be
original, but he took them as bundle
of dry sticks and made them blossom as
AarOn'S rod, or as bare bones and trans
formed them into living, feeling crea,
lures.
The character of Antonio is only in
cidental, the play is Shylock,
The Money Changer.
Antonio has great wealth, a large
heart and open hand, his argosies
plough every sea and carry the winged
lion of st. Marco into every part. The
necessities of his fellows were not
canses for contempt but occasions FOL
nelp. dlS purSe, HIS person. HIS means
were open to all his friends.
| Portia is of Belmont Nor is The
wide world ignor ant of her worth, fol
the four winds blow in from every coas
renowned suitoIs; and her sunny locks
| hang on her temples as golden fleece.
| She is to be won by the choosing o.
three caskets and, of course, unit
the right one comes all choose the
| wrong caSket. Portals sentences are
replete with wit, sarcasm, wisdom, bu
| also of gentleness and womanliness, al
| the descriptions of her different suitors
show.
Bassanco, the Venetian, is the ia
vored one, but he lacks means, and ha
been prodigal of his money. He APP
plies for aid to Antonio, who woulC
gladly grant it, but his fortunes are al
at sea. His sadness is like the Fremont
the money. Antonio will be security
In his quest Bassanco meets with til,
Jew, ShylOck, who is the very opposite
Of Antonio. He is selfish, cruel, ant
for the love of money would sacrifice
his soul. He justifies his meanness b,
appeals to his fathers, is shrewd, sharp
and like all the Hebrews except Moses
a ready talker. Money has become tn,
only shield of the Jews. Shylock will
do anything to compass the destruc
ton of Antonio, who has despiset
him as money lender. 1t become
the studied purpose of his life. Tn
Hebrew law says: Thou shalt not kill,
and he obeys the letter of the law. Tn
hired assassin he shrinks from; he will
not murder, but he will lave the mel
chants life.
Shylock is a miser and reveals all tn
evils of avarce. He is without kind
ness or pity. The very embodiment o
cunning and trickery, and we ca
scarcely believe him to be creature c
flesh and blood. All things come roun
to him who will but wait, even revenge
We could wish that Antonio had bee
more courteous, but Shylock falsely az
cuses him of treating him so becaus
Jewish blood flowed in his veins. Shy
lock lends the money, but cringingl
asks for the bond, as a matter of form
the forfeit of pound of flesh.
Time rolls on, and Antonio from
merchant OrinPp hnpOmnc a hnrror on