The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-12
GRIGGS DELIVERS
 MASTERLY LECTURE
GREATNESS OF SHAkESPEARE'S JULIUS CAESAR BROUGHT OUT IN VIVID MANNER BY THE ABLE sPEAkER-oTHER LECTURES.

Tine High school auditorium was taxed to the limit of its capacity to hold the audience which assembled last night to hear the lecture by Dr. Edward Howard Caesar. or the Problem of the Individual Caesar. or the Problem of the Individual and the State.
 Dr. J. H. Phillips introduced the lec- turer in half dozen words. You Will have the pleasure" said he, 'of hearing the leading lecturer and teacher in Amef- ica," and in both respects it may be safe ly said he was correct
 Dr. Griggs prefaced his lecture by siv- ing an outline of the life of Shakespeare from the age of "A, when he wrote ms first play, Loves Labor Lost,' to the time when he reached the period of his grand tragedies. The stages of the great dramatists mental development and the natural transition of his mind from the portrayal of the beauties of nature as shown in Midsummer Nights Dream and "As You Like It. to the historical plays in which he depicts the vice and intrigue of court life in which he wrote the history of England and its great men, and then on to his play which gives a living picture of the greatest event m profane history were all analysed and shown to be only the natural steps taken bv great mind in the ascending scale
 Tn the play of Julius Caesar, said the lecturer. i've have one of tha most instructive lessons ever taught to men IL ..f Iltsfft noble idealist; of Cassius. the crafty op- portunist of Anthony, the man without principles of Caesar himself, soldier, a victorious conqueror who had over come enemies and obstacles abroad, the man who crossed the Rubcon well know ing the consequences of his act, and yet d vacillating, superstitious, boasttng and timid man after his return to Rome.
 In speaking of Cassius and Brutus, he said it was a question which of these men was most dangerous in commun- ity. The noble anl disinrerested Brutus lacked theN worldly wis lom Of Cassius, who sought only to serve his own eads, and" said the lecturer, "a ra.a must not only think good; he mast act sood Reform suffers more at the hands Of lm- practical reformers than from It's most violent opponents. Brutus was a reform CT: he saw that Caesar was bent on over whelming the republic and establishing an empire and it was to prevent such change that Brutus decided to assassinate Caesar, put when Cassiuc advised that Anthony be included Bruius said there was no fear from him. The results aft t1aa -IA nf when Anthony aroused the mob by his oration over the dead body of Caesar"
 The lecturer read several extracts from the play, afterwards explaining their pur- port and showing how well Shakespeare understood human nature in all it's phases. Mary Anthonys oration," said the lecturer, "is as masterpiece of elo' ouence in the mouth Of . demagoSue. Shakespeare gathered up all the tricks and devices used by the mob orators of all preceding centuries an dimmortalized them. We find him at the very outset oh- scuring the issue. then. appealing to the cupidity of the rabble by referring to the will and finally exhibiting the stabbed and mangled body itself to the specta- tors. Is not this the practice of certain newspapers today, which fill their pages with all the gruesome and revolting de- tails of crime?
 "Julius Caesar" said pr. Griggs, ..contains a great moral lesson for all men who are interested in the wslfare of their country. It shows the condition a nation may reach when a system of government comes into existence under which the rich grow richer, thereby fostering the growth of luxury and vice. and under which the poor grow poorer, thereby losing their public spirit, their patriotism and love of liberty. Such condition is certain to awaken in the breast of gore successful general an ambition to seize upon the supreme power in the state, just as Caesar did then and as Napoleon did aft erwards.'
 After the lecture Dr. Criggs was plost heartily congratulated by several persons who sought introductiors to him and many of whom stated that they had never before known the beauty ana greatness of that play.
 Dr Grigg will deliver a course of six lec- tures in the High school auditorium this week Today at 12:30 he speaks on Soc rates and St. Frances of Assist: Thurs dav at o.aO on Victor Hugo and Carlyle, and Friday at 2:30 on Emerson and 1'ol- sto; Tickets to the full course of six lectures are on sale at the auditorium office. price sl.
 
 M.I;.,I Soeietv Meetinu