The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-30
pr. Stafford Last Night.

"Fortunate, Indeed, are you" said pr J. H. Phillips in introducing the Rev. U, d. Stafford, D. D., the eloquent Shakesperlah scholar from Washington, 'in coming 10 the Jefferson tonight. and Dr. stanoro had not spoken dozen words before all knew that Dr. Phillips had kept within the truth
 There Is scarcely gift of face, or voice. or culture or magnetism that Dr. Stafford Is not a master of, and 1t is difficult to say which of them all Is the finest gift. To all learning is added the finest histrionle tal- ent, and the most captivating face He Is simply a superb orator and actor.
 He began with a few words about Shakespeare defending him against Bos- we'll and all other critics. He said In substance that genius knows none or the limitations and deficiencies that the critics waste their time in devising None or them fit the great poet; none of them oe- serve serious consideration.
 From a brief consideration of the poet the speaker passed to the poets con- ception of Julius Caesar, the greatest man in all history, the man whose life and whose death changed the history or the world And In passing the speaker spoke of Rome How he dwelt upon IL. How much meaning and eloquence ana grandeur he put on the one mighty word, Rome! How 1t rolled in all sweetness and majesty from his tongue!
 The greater part of the delightful and deeply critical lecture consisted Of pict- ures of Brutus, Cassius and Marc Antony, their lives coming necessarily in con- trast, arl each appearing more vivid by rnaane of such close contrast.
 Brutu was shown to be a student, an idealist Stoic, but one ever true to himself His life was series of mis- takes. because he was not a practical mar, and yet he was finally triumphant because he ever stood true to his con- science, and his life Is today one of the most influential in the worlds history. pr. Stafford recited the speech of Brutus in the tent before the battle of Philippi when he sees the ghost of murdered Caesar, and the audience instructively compared Dr. Stafford's rendition with that of Richard Mansfield on the same stage in the same character few weeks previous Both were thrilling and in- tensely pathetic.
 Then he took up the character of Cas- sius, the politician and conspirator and general. Cassius' hatred of Caesar was made very plain, and he was given a much lower niche in the gallery of fame than was assigned to Brutus Dr. Staff ford showed, however, that the conspiracy against Julius Caesar would have been a success instead of failure if the shrewd advice of Cassius had been followed in- stead of the advice of Brutus. Cassus advised that Marc Antony be put to death with Caesar, and his plan of the battle would have been successful, and the his- tory of the world would have been chang ed. He was. however, but politician.
 Then same a picture of Marc Antony, the undying type of all demagogues, of all men who seek to swim with the tide lacking convictions or ethical control or principles or high ideals. Lower even than Cassius stands Marc Antony in the worlds estimation. Dr. Stafford recited with wonderful effect the speech of An tony over the body of Caesar when alons with 1t, and later still he gave the lm- mortal speech from the pulpit over the body before the mob. It filled every heart with admiration for the speaker. even if they hated Marc Antony and loved Brutus.
 Dr. Stafford closed his splendid lecture with a tribute to Brutus and to all who are true to their ideals, using as his text these lines of Marc Antony's after Brutus death at the end of the immortal tragedy: This was the noblest Roman of them all All the conspirators, save only he,
 Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; He only, in a general honest thought, And common good to all made one of
 them
 His life was gentle. and the clements So mix'd in him. that Nature might stand
 up,
 And say to all the world, This Was
 Manl'