The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-09
SHAKESPEARE
 GREATEST WRITER
And King Lear Greatest Trag
 edy Ever Written.


 edy Ever Written.
 Prof. -Wm. Lyon Phelps En-
 tertains Large Audience in
 High School Hall-A New
 Bacon Book,
 Prof William Lyon Phelps of Yale entertained and instructed a large gathering last evening, at the High School Hall, the subject being King Lear. By way of introduction some of
 the biographical facts 6acts, only, as the speaker emphasized) concerning Shakespeare were detailed. The Ba- conian theory was also touched on rather humorously. Anent this same controversy the lecturer said that friend a short time ago warned him to Beware the Ides of March, to which he replied: Why? I'm not Julius Caesar" The reason given the ad- vice was that a book is to be brought out of March IS, which, according to prove the - authorship by Bacon of Shakespeares works. The Professor said that he was going to read the book and if the evidence proves the cdSe- VIII De COnVlIlCeO. however, [ would appear that although Prof. Phelps advanced his claim to receiv- ing the idea with "hospitable'' mind, the author of this book, by name Booth, will have to present overwhelrn- ing proofs to convert the speaker of last night.
 Previous to discussing Lear the lec- turer said that fleming and Conde11 who first presented Shakespeare works in book form deserve the thanks of all humanity, as they are the only au- thority we have for about half of Shakespeare's works. In this volume of theirs is a picture of the author. beside which Ben Johnson has attest ed the excellent likeness to the orig inal. In speaking of the face of Shakespeare the speaker mentioned the comparison of '.The cathedral face and Waterbury works which is often ap- plicable to handsome men. Prof. Phelps thinks it is just like Shakes peare to have had an ordinary face.
 In the various editions of Shakes peare the lecturer said that many err TOTS have appeared. He illustrated very Strikiugly the reasona blenesS Of such error by saying that an expert shorthand artist might go to any modern play, take down accurately the lines as spoken, and give his version of the play, which would in all prob ability vary much from version that the author of the play would publish some time after.
 Prof. Phelps stated that the litera- ture of England from 1900 to 1925 was as great or greater than at any pe- riod of the world. though it was not then suspected. However, one critic, Meres. made this assertion. Ben John sons admiration for Shakespeare, Prof. Phelps. considers most wonder full, Johnson being as he was quite con- scious of his superiority. Said the speaker: Johnson was tremendous classical scholar. He would consid- CT a graduate of Harvard of to-day and ignoramus. He was very 5eal- ous of the classics, thought that Greece s-nd Rome had said about all that could be spoken; yet he admired his rival, Shakespeare. A few years af- ter his death we hear him saying: He was not of an age, but for all time; and again calling him, Sweet Swan of Avon At another time he said: T love the man and do honor his mem ory this side of idolatry. You know Edwin Booth said that: "A true Chris of rival According to this Ben Johnson was a true Christian. Per haps Booth gave this definition be- cause he had no rivals, and also as a warning to other people,
 ''Tolstoi is the only great author who does not consider Shakespeare great but Tolstoi is old and peevish. l He is a great writer, the best living | rather hard that the best living writ | CT should say that the best dead Wrlt- | CT could not write all.'
 'It is an interesting question to ask in what does the greatness of Shakes- peare consist?' Shakespeare wrote | of every type of humanity. Every kind of person is there; he has rep them with such reality that they are more real to us than many people that we know. We do not con- fuse Cordelia with Desdamonda. AL most every form of thought that man has ever had is revealed. There is pain. pathos. folly You and l W1h never find out Shakespeares real opin- ions. We do not know whether he was an aristocrat or democrat; we do not know whether he was an athe- st or Christian. He said in his will that he believed in the Lord Jesus Christ but that may have been mere form We do know. however, that, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; and we know that a man that wrote as he did was also a man full of human sym pathy, full of human tenderness ana with complete understanding or hu- man life. It is inconcelvable that man car write beautifully about great things and not have any appreciation of them We know that that man znew what human suffering is
 I think, however, that the greatness If Shakespeare consists in the fact hat he wrote better than anyoooy else that ever lived. The style Of at its best is simply De- yond approach. Don't you think It IS in extra ordinary think that this Eliza ,ethan. with no English literature be- lind him at all, with no modern eau cation whatever, do not you tnlnk It s almost a miracle that that man .ould write the English language bet CT than Matthew Arnold and James Russell Lowell?"
 King Lear, Prof. Phelps characterize d as- s'The greatest tragedy that the world has ever seen. There IS no cene in the world like that hnal cene where the King appears with ,ordeIia in his arms. At some length he lecturer brought out the beauties if Lear to a most appreciative audi nee. In closing he merely touched 'n he last picture of the play, saying thAt It is too beautiful to talk about from
 public platform"