Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-02-06


called from places celebrated for their
legal colleges.
The -uickness with which she per-
ceives the legal advantage which may
be taken. the spirit displayed in her
masqucrading and the firmness and in
telligenoe with which she executes her
purpose are all in keeping in one on
whom the author has seemed to lavish
peculiar and loving care, ana who has
been styled Shakespeare's greatest
heroine cf intellect"
In the trial scene her intellectual
powers, her keen sense Of religion, her
high end honarble principles and her
best feelings as woman are all dis
played.
Size maintains a calm self-commanf
as one who Is confident of success in
the end, and yet the painful uncertain
ty :, which she keeps the whole court
until suspense verges upon agony is
net for effect merely but necessary
and inevitable.
To deliver her husbands friend AMI
to maintain her husbands honor by
the discharge cf his just debt, she
aims to reach the memorable Jew
through his feelings or awaken re-
lenting spirit by reason or persuasion,
rather than by the legal quibble with
which she had been armed and which
she used only as a last resort.
She appeals to his mercy in that
matchless piece of eloquence falling
upon the heart like the gentle dew
from Heaven" then she attacks his
avarice-
"shylock-there is thrice thy bond
offered thee
Then appeals to his pity-"Be merci-
ful-Take thrice thy money-Bid me
tear the bond"
So unwilling is her generous spirit
to believe that humanity is absolutely
extinct in the bosom of the Jew, that
she bids Antonio speak for himself.
At length the crisis is reached when
patience and wcmanhood can endure it
no longer and her indignation and
scorn show themselves in her powerful
closing speech.
Her consciousness of power does in
deed make her cool, collected, firm,
but not unfeminine, thus do we see
that ther mental prerogatives" are
Of no sex, but the common free hold of
man and woman alike the rightful her
itage of the women of creation as well
as she lords"
The proprieties of her character are
all preserved and the grace of woman
hood seems to consecrate the garb in
which she is disguised"
Admirable rs shire Is for her mental
endowments, her warm generous affec-
tion, her tenderness of heart make her
none the less lovable as woman.
'Tis said, "that the affections are to
the intellect, what the forge is to the
metal. 1T is they which temper and
shape, soften, strengthen and purify"
We are interested in the lovers from
the start, and when the gold, silver and
leaden caskets, the humblest of which
contains her portrait, are placed be-
fore Bassanio and the choice is made
as Portia had hoped and desired, we
rejoice with her in her joy and are
IL, oft E,,dn That
of a passionate Juliet but rather the
perfect surrender in tenderness of a
wise woman. confessing that her hap
piness is no longer in her own keep
ing but given for ever and ever into
the hands of another.
Nor is the bright, victorious tenn
permanent, the confiding, buoyant spiri
mingling with all her thoughts and af-
| fections a less prominent feature in
Portals character. Happiness Is in
| deed her element and we feel that she
like another heroine of the English
poet must have been born under the
star that danced"
| N1dny vi vi Ild iNiNSeiO''S '@Af'AN~c 2
| from the most common incidents OF
life are in such poetic spirit and are at
the same time so profound, that they
have passed into daily application,
with all the force of proverbs.
'If to do were as easy as to know
what were good to do, chapels had
been churches and poor mems cottages
princes palaces"
81 can easier teach twenty what
were GOOD to be done, than be one OF
the twenty TO follow mine own teach
ing"
"How fer that little candle throws
his beams!
80 shines good deed in naughty
world"
Portia, in whose character, intellect
touched by poetic imagination, gen
uine tenderness. decision of purpose
buoyancy of spirit, and lively wit, are
all so blended with the dignity OF
c-w