Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-02-06
DIR. SAMFIELD
At the Merrill Institute Last Night.

A very large audience of both Jews and Gentiles assembled last night at the Merrill Institute to hear Rev. pr. Samfield, editor of the Jewish Spec tator, Memphis, Tenn. deliver his lecture on ''ShyIock. Rev. Dr. Becker, of this city, introduced the speaker. In his introduction he stated that he never stood OH the platform of the Merrill Institute without thinking of Gods injunction on one occasion 70 Moses: Take off your shoes; you are standing on holy ground. He said he always Merrill Institute and paid a beautiful tribute to the memory of the founder of the Institute
 After this brief and impressive in- troduction, Dr. Samfield arose from his seat in the midst of great ap- plause from the audience His very appearance was theforerunner of the literary treat that was ill store for the audience. He made no intro lduetory remarks like most speakers do. He took hold of his subject in the very beginning with masterly hand and a powerful brain Dr. Samfield is man of letters. His lecture last evening portrayed the most profound study, the most care  1 ful research and most psychological conclusions. To undertake to re- produce any part or parts of his discourse would be simply to break q chain of thoughts that extended | from the days of ancient Rome down ! to the presen. era.
 He said he had been a student of Shakespeare all his life and was 8 great admirer of his works, but that as he lived in an age when men anal ize everything, he thought that in his humble way he had right to criticise that great author and show wherein he failed to portray prop erly the Jewish character in the Merchant of Veniee,' which he did to the pleasure and entire satisfac- tion of the audience. He showed conclusiveiy that Shakespeare never had any personal acquaintance with the Jews, for they had been banished from thatcountry long before Shakes pears time, and did not return un- til about ninety years after his death The speaker said the reasou why Shal espeare wrote Ss he did about the Jews was that d popular hatred and prejudice for the Jews had sprung up among the English and Shakespear, like all authors, wrote to please public opinion; not that he had any malice toward the Jew, but persecution and oppression of the race met with public favor.
 Dr. Samfield then proceeded to show where Shakespeare found his plot for his drama, "The Merchan of Yenice.' He made quotations from some ancient Christian histor- ian which clearly proved that the plot of "The Merchant of Venice was not original with Shakespeare and that even then he had perverted the characters of 'The Merchant and of ..Shyloek.' Dr. Samfield is truly a student and a philosopher. Never has any speaker occupied the platform at the Merrill Institute who can be called his peer in learning, in research and ill philosophy.
 Tn his lecture on "Shylock his pro tasis is well founded and his apo dosis unmistakable. He submits a proposition and by logical thought he arrives at accurate conclusions about which there can possibly bt no doubt.
 Dr. Samfield's lecture last night won for himself many friends in this city. He is q broad-gauged man.