The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-06
DR., STAFFORD ON
JULIUS CAESAR
Highly Interesting aud Dramatic
Lecture Of Rev. D. j. Stafford.
d. D.. at the High School.

! Through a mistake of the lecture
bureau. Rcv. D. J. Stafford. p. D.. OF
| Washington. D. c., was announced to
| lecture last evening in the High school
auditorium, on Dickens. His Power and
Pathos." but instead gave a delightful.
instructive and painstaking portrayal
OF Shakespeare's Julius Caesar" and
it's characters.
| The audience that greeted DR.. STAFF
ford. when he was introduced by Prof.
NJ. j. Jordan was one OF the largest
| that has ever assembled in the audi
| torium. When the change of subjects
was announced. the assembaSe greeted
! it with applause. and when the lee
! turer began to speak he prefaced his
remarks with the thought that he was
| glad to observe that julius Caesar had
| many friends in the audience.
| The history of Rome" he hegan. lis
| the most fascinating ever written. and
Julius Caesar WAS the greatest char
| acter in ancient history. He could not
have escaped the notice of the greatest
| poet, and the facts in this history were
| taken in the rough. so to speak. and
| developed into the most finished pro-
| duction of the poets art.
'rhe poet studies in the character of
| julius Caesar the question of charac
| ter. public destiny and conscience. and
| gives us study of II man who sur
| rounded himself with ruin and dis
nster bu: by his unswervins principle
arises and wins the hearts of all man
kind"
In characterizing Erut,IS. the hssHs-
sin Of julius CacsHr. DR.. Stafford said
Rrutus loved the stainless purity of
his own character. and was fond ot
| analyzine his own conduct. But above
ull things, he loved Rome. Continuing,
the Speakc" said:
"Cassius was practical man Of nr-
fairs, who knew how to hnndl, Vlutus.
and used him as a tool. Erutus WAS
an list and A dangerous man, who
admitted that julius Caesar had not
vet become dangerous, vet he killed
him on suppostion that he might
become dangerous. The reason is pitt
ful. the renSoner. sublime.
Marc Anthony should have died
with Caesar. but Brutns would not AL
low it, yet a mistake was made in not
putting Elm to death. The association
| between Brutus and Portia, his wife. is
more perfect than anything else in
Shakespeare. RrutuS love for llcr is a
religious revelation. Unfortunately the
poet allowed us TO sec but little OF Por-
tia.
But no man can escape from n
wrong act such as Brutus committed
and who is there to speak Of the sad
moments Of great men as Shakespeare
does? The address of Rrutus to the
boy who played music for him in his
troubled moments was one of the
sweetest passages of the poet. There
Is nothing So beautiful as tho tender
ness of strong lncr. which too often
vanishcs in public men
THE 3Ssa SSinHt ion of Caesar MAS he
greatest crime in ancient history, AS
h" was the greatest man in antiquity.
th" greatest soldier in battle. and the
MOST humane of all Concuerors. lie
plun,lrr"' the world, but gave them
back treasures in monuments Assas.
,ination never benefited the world,
ana no good can com" of it,
Tho speaker here gave UassiuS' mem
| orihc speech against Caesar TO tho
Romans. 'it WAS C'assi,is." he said
"whn welded Rru,us tn tho conspiracy
| against Caesar. Marc Anthony wa.
many degrees lcss perfect than cas-.
SiuS, but - man who MAS wonderfully
perfect in his own Nay. BrutuS DO
spiscd him, rs his MAS a life at ease
aud pleasure, and the "nd Of snch n lir"
is ruin
THIS Was followed by the recital nj
Mar" Anthonys oratiou over Caesars
hnly, whirh was an artistic feature nf
In" lecture. These remarks, Or stat
tor'l said, were among the greatest
ever rlt in the mouth nf man. .\n-
thnny had the eift ut clouucnre, and
thore is nothing in literature like this
speech.
Dr. Stafford spoke for over an hour.
holding the closest attention of his
audience. ana his effort was thoroughly
M IA nIl