The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-04

pinchei face and bare foot OF not One
orphan could he point as the IrUI
Of his enemy's greed. And It cef-
nor add iusteY 10 the virtue Of An
tonic thu he himself negotiates a
loan with the man he daily proclAifis
"a cut-throat dog and thief
ShylOck possessed by nature gen
erous impulses and was far removed
from the
"yindictive and revengeful."
Forget not the condition. political and
social. OF the Jew in the seventeenth
century. Picture to yourself the son
Of an alien race, every day hisseu a.
upon the street, ~rcprC9ched ana spar
upon: no hand extended to him III
friendly greeting. no heart beating 4
sympathetic measure with his own,
but every eye that falls upon him
views him with cruel suspicion aE0
chilling doubt, and you have the at
mosphere in which this man i1Ve1.
moved and had his being. And with
no purpose but to arcentuate his
isolation, no motive but to agsrayate
his woe, Antonio daily pressed the
cup Of gall to the lip Of this uDof-
Tending son of Jacob, calling him
H"misbelicver, cut-throat dog. thief
all which ~indisnities We're "bcrne
with a patient shrug."
Time gtides along and there comes
a day when ito supply the ripe
wants OF his friend Antonio would
borrow three thousand ducats Of this
Oft-Abused son Of Jacob. If ever
man could be justified in rejoicing i'll
another's necessity. 1t is nov when
Antonio is suppi;ant at S~nylocS's feet.
But, doe he r~ejoice2 In a burst OF
-nlagnanimity that should have GRIM
soned the cheek OF Antonio with
shame, he says:
II would be friends with you, and
have our love;
Forget the shalnes you have stained
me with,
Supply your present wants and take
do dot
OF usance for my mo,sies."
Is it not & mean heart and tongue
Of Islander that would charge Shylock
with ins!ncerity here? Whatever his
faults, hypocrisy was not & cloak fit
ted to his nature. He could look his
, accuSefs and the judge upon the
, bench in the face, with u~nfinching
eye, and challenge them to point out
where he had ever played double, or
violated any law Of h state He was
loyal to his ace and the traditions
OF his tribe. . yes. he loved money.
Was this a mortal offense? Yes, he
was ssrewd, active. diligent In bust
ness. "Drcnes hived not with him."
WaS this a damuable crime? OF
course, Shyiock loved money. but
. there was something he loved infinite
ly more than one Twas the
honor Of his tribe, else why did he
. not accept the profer OF twice the
amount OF the debt? Why?
"He hates our nation
!, cursed be my tribe
II l forgive him."
The insults and i%ndignities that were
! piled upon him he bore with 6
$ patient ehrug," but the iterated and
reiterated cslumnies upon the faith
o OF his fathers, the ceaseless n pro
lane denunciati0n Of his tribe aNak-
> ened h deepest resentment OF his
8 nature n TO him. the sin tina,
a his lov OF money. there was that
that he valued far and away beyond
his ducats
Eff every ducat il six thousand dncat
ls Were in six parts and every part
y ducat,
n I would not draw them. woult
% have my bond"
81.
n Let us now inquire into some of tn,
Ell causes that twisted and spoiled thi
8, character. making It appear the yer,
Of incarnation Of hate and revenge
De That he could and did hate is mos
freely admitted, but the force an
l. intensity of his hate only proves tn
RS strength Of his nature and the nigh
n OF his character. Only stFonr nature
d. = capable Of deep and IRRESISTIBLE
passion, whether Of love or hate
Is Philosophers tell us that evil is mis-
% directed energy. What. therefore,
n hope to set forth is thai Shyiock wa
ne q maj OF tremendous energy and tka
ey this tremendous energy was diverte.
into an improper channel by force
H. and influences from without, that h
Of was a man terribly sinned aSains'
be whose misfortune it was to have bee
'tS b0rn a Jew and whose greatest Grim
e was love OF hie ii
" II would be worse than presump
or ton for one to state dogmAttcall
he what the purpose OF the peerless poe
was in this comedy. But IL one ma
A not affirm positively, it certainly wi
nd not be denied him to express hi