The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-12-01
An Able and Eloquent Lecture al h0zlIt
Academy Last Evening.
REY. JOSEPH KRAUSKOPF THE ORATOR.
Entertainment Under the Auspices OF the JEFF
ferson Literary and Social Circie-Presen-
tation of shakespeare's Creation.

Pertaining lectures which has ever Deeh uc'
liveged in this city.
Mr. S. L. Bloomberg presented the Rev
DR.. Calisch. of the Beth Ahaba synagogue
who in turn introduced the speaker. DR..
krauskopf is n graceful and fOrcible speaker
! and commanded the closest attention Oh the
entire audience during the evening"
He prefaced the lecture by the following
lucid synopsis OF Shakespeare Merchant
| of Venice
1t was some years ago, when. together with
vast throng of people. ] witnessed per-
! Torrance of one of Shakespeare plays. FROM
| FIRST TO last the acting and the scenery rlFetea
my whole attention upon the stage. Inc Rioy
was an exceedingly interestin- one. Inc
! opening scene carried us 10 beautiful Nenlce;
and among the first of her people introduced
10 US there was one Antonio ana
J his friend BessaniO. Antonio was
a man OF means. whose fortunes, however
were all bound up IN q number @. hazardous
! specuatlOns he was rather careless WIN MS
| money, and a very convenient source lCr
| some Of his speudthritt friends 10 draw tnelr
means from for their reyels one Of these
| spendthrifts was his friend Bessanio lie
had sluandered his own, and a soooly snare
| OF his friends fortune and was besides,
heavily in debt, especially 10 Antonio.
AT the time of our making his acquaint-
ance he was again IN need OF money, uuI
embauassments. lie has heard OF rich
heiress. He vii try 20 WIN her affection. and
| lie has 80 doubt o. his success, If trend
Antonio will only help him with 1880 ducais.
wherewth 90 rig himself up with attractive
hnerles 10 make pretty BAIT, and enable MN
% make the Journey. 70 where the coveted
fish baskeJ in "a sea oil gold. Antonio IS out
OF money, even out of commodities where
with 10 raise 10. But DESTROYS OF helping
his friends scheme bids HIM TO find some
one willing To lend the required sum, with
MIN as security.
sHYLOCK APPEARS.
Bessanio approaches a man named Shylock
who rs n member Of the prescribed Jewish
race. enjoys . very unsayory reputation. Tie
is talked of as cunning and uslrious, aud yet,
strange, cut OF the hundreds Of wealthy mer-
chants of Venice. tins very jew despite ms
evil reputation. is sought Co advance the 1000
ducats 20 the schemiug tortuue-see1cr. Nllls
the jew Is rejecting on the rtn Ol ni- See
curity AIT MO hilnsof appears Shyloc1
hates him for hating hls race. for IN ur-
ing his business. for the repeated Insults
- which be had publicly subjected Am
such - splitting upon hls beard and
gaberdine. kicking him from Che door. calling
him misbehever cut-thr0at. Qog.-ail of
which he had endured patiently for suffer
ance is the badge of All his tribe. Tie eE-
presses his surprise. that after all these ln-
suits Antonio should come u MIN for tavOrs
10 which Antonio haughtily replies that he
IS as like % call him aoai1, t0 spit upon
HIM and 10 spurn him 0s before. tbatil be ad-
vauces the loan to bear in mind that II
is to his enemy and not to h.s friend
that he loans the money. shyloc1
feels tho sting Of this new insult keenly. but
bears 10 with the characteristic patience Ot
his race. Still. within his heart the Wrong
rankles and ms outraged human nature clam
ala frrrr 4.|
over his enemy 0. for an opportunity TO
make him feel that his all. his very life. is in
his power
lie sees the chance. Autonios hazardous
speculations might all fail. Antonio ~ ult
then be at his mercy. lie declares himself
ready to advance the money. lie wants no
interest. only as a merry sport he wants
Antonio 10 sign bond. that n the money BIO
not paid in dye time Shylock should have the
right 20 cut q pound Of flesh from oil lis
body. Antonio. positive IN his ability % meet
ms obligation long before the time set shall
have expired and undoubtedly believing
that among all his wealthy Christian friends,
one will be found % deliver HIM from the
clutches OF the Jew. should he percLauce,
not be able TO meet his debt, signs the bond.
TIE FAIR roEIIA.
In the mean time, while Bessanio is getting
himself in trim for the capture of fair forta
the much coveted leross. an outrage is per-
petrated upon the jew. that tous all the in-
suits and injuries that had been Leaped upon
him before, that Overwhelms him with grief.
TINT drives him into freuZy Of wrath that
kindles within him an unqueuchabe thirst
for cruel revenge. He IS robbed robbed of
treasures. OF more. Infinitely more. of ms
daughter of Jessca. MS only child. tho only
link that tied him 20 his beloved wife
Leah in the grave. His feelings of father
are insulted beyond endurance. Tho honor |
Of his family is besmrched. The covenant 0f /
his fathers IS dosecrated. His daughter. eu- |
ticed from home. is Jewess no longer. q |
Christian she was made 70 become "a Chris
tian's wife. BY whom O. vengeance by
that Antonios friend Lorenzo. ty another /
mOneyless and constituencies heiress seeker, /
aided by yet other Of AntOnia's friends. by /
those impecunous rakes that now make sport |
az his lamentations over his irreparable loss. |
The fates favor mis- thirst for revenge. AM |
tOniO's possessions are all lost. The time cX- /
pres. Among all his Christian friend app /
parently not one was found willing o. stake /
5000 ducats to save friends lie. The jew /
insists upon the pound Of flesh. lie hal |
called him dog he shall now feel his angs |
The Duke OF Venice Is undecided. in IT, +
spouse 10 his appeal 10 Rome for legal aid q /
Judge appears. VINO IS none Otler than the /
heress + noN. Ee mo s.wie. in.disguise +
She hears the case. and admits the /
Jews right 70 the pound Of flesh. shy /
lock is offered ten times the sum originally +
loaned. He declines; he viii have the pound /
of flesh Portia orders him 10 proceed. bat /
cautions him % beware Of shedding a single /
drop of blood, or OF cutting trlie more or
less. for if he do his life and AL his posses /
sons are doomed. Skylock. bah.ed. demands |
his money. This Is now denied him on tho /
ground that il had been offered and WAS +
by him refused. When about %
depart he Is stopped by the
clever and much-c oncerned wife Of him. who /
was the cause of all this trOub e. and inform
ed that. according to the laws OF h enice by /
intending as an alien % take the lilo o. tho +
of her citizens. 0ne-hai Of his possessions /
half 10 the State and that hls life is 40 the
mercy of the Duke. The after pardons him
his lie Shylock however begs that his lie
robbed him of everything wherewith to sus
tain *. Antonio. somewhat moved by the +
Jews misery becomes generous. lie asks the
Duke TO quit the fine for one-halI OF the
Jews goods, providing he viii Jet him have
tho other half % render 10 on hls death q
him that abducted Ills daughter rom him.
providing also. that for this favor. lie wall IN
stantly become a Christian, aud providing
also. that al his death. he will leave all he /
may possess 10 the Christian husband oil his |
fai,hless daughter The Duke conditions the |
pardon OF his life upon his compliance with /
Antonios request, and SO, finding no other |
escape ShylOck sObs forth piteOus consent /
anu slaggers. heart-broken. OF the stage
sHAKEsPEABR's MOTIVES.
Alu1ino 10 the uootives of Shakesneere in |