New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-09
SHAKESPEARE HIS THEME
English Editor Says He's Here
to RehabiIitate Poet.
LECTURES AT ST. REGIS
Frank Harris Dissects Charac-
ter of Bard of Avon, as
Portrayed in His Works.

! Frank Harris. former editor OF the
! English Vanity Fair" THE Saturday
| Review and several other publications,
as well as the author OF several novels,
short stories and works on Shakespeare
and his writings, delivered the FIRST of a
| series of three lectures at the Hotel ST.
Regis last night. 1t was Mr. Harris S
/ first appearance before an American aU-
dience since his arrival in this country
| two weeks ago.
! Shakespeare as Friend and Lover
was the particular theme upon which
Mr. Harris spoke. He presented to an
audience OF several hundred persons the
poet as a human personality. drawing his
portrayal from the poets character as
| indicated I'm his own works. For Shakes
peare as a friend and lover the lecturer
/ drew the picture Of a friend true and
generous, excusng the faults that made
/ him human" For the English critics and
, those who refused To see Shakespeare
| underlying nobility Of character ne had
a fine scorn to which he gave frequent
| expression.
II nave come to this country 10 rehabih-
| tate Shakespeare" Mr. Harris said.
! Here. in a country he little dreamed or
| ] have come TO do him justice. Though
| Shakespeare might say: What good VIII
| 70 do me at this day To- he JustlhedF !
want to say that there is no such word
as too late in the lexicon Of God.
Declaring that the only way to really
understand anything was through love
Mr. Harris painted Shakespeare as he
must have appeared at the time ne was
an unhonorcd poet in London.
81 imagine him to have been something
ike swinburne I'm appearance" he said
/ middle sized. inclined 10 be stout, with
hazel eyes and a sharp chin Al the age
of thirty he was rated stout, and l can
| hear him talking in a high voice with
/ lighted face and beating mind
When a young man Shakespeare was
| inclined 10 judge his fellow men harshly'
Mr. Harris said. quoting Falstan as
an example. As a friend. however. he
referred 10 Shakespeare conception Of
Horatio as given in the lines. lie takes
fortunes buffets and rewards with equal
| thanks.
As to Shakespeare generosity Mr..
Harris declared every play he wrote was
full Of it. but the English had not been
! able TO see IT,
"As the merchant Antonio iu The Mer-
chant of Venice the speaker declared.
Shakespeare pledges his goods to give
his friends son money 10 win an heirees.
And in Portals offer Of thrice the vaiue
Of the loan to ShylOck, and his refusal
There does not exist a jew, nor never DID,
who would refuse such an Offer. England
has made him tradcsman. but we an
make our gods from our own Image.
As = lover. Mr.. Harris said. Shake
sueare had left abundant proof ~ all ms
comedies and in nearly all his tragedies
He began as lover he said. as
nearly all poets have done 4Wo eieh'4l-
men OF Verona" n Midsummer Night s
Dream" and Romeo and juliet were
works that. he said. he did not believe
any one could deny were love plays.
The fact that midway boz life Shakes
peare had stopped to write sonnets' one
hundred and tweuty-six OF them TO
youth and a lesser number 20 maiden.
Mr.. Harris declared was due 20 the pres
ence In London Of Mary Ftton. lady IN
waiting 20 Queen Elizabeth, with whom
ne fell desperately IN love. Her subse-
quent treachsry TO him, Mr. Harris said
could an be raced directly IN the poet
works. The story the sonnets told WAS
repeated again in Much Ado About
Nothing" Two Gentlemen Of Verona
and In Twelfth Night he said.
The moral 70 be drawn from the plays
of Shakespeare. Mr.. Harris said. was that
Of announcement, in spite OF the fact
that he passed his life unhouored and UNI
known. The English people. me main
tanned were always ready TO honor the
nobility, but not the noble.