New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-24
DIR. GREER LAUDS
SHAKESPEARE
Compares Works to Bible
in Memorial Service in
st. Johns Cathedral.
COURTS DECISION
SCORNED BY TREE
Al Actors Church Alliance
Meeting Decries Effort to Shear
Bard of Laurels.

Bishop Greer surrendered his pulpit
81 the Cathedral OF 81. John the Divine
in ;urn to SIR Herbert Tree and Sir
Johnston Robertson yesterday
afternoon a. special Shakespesrian
service held in conjunction with the
Actors Church Alliance
An Easter crowd throneed the aisles
and nave. Outside several hundred per
sons who could not enter 'he cathedral
stood Throughout, the service with UNI
breilas aiof;.
The Rev Walter Bentley. chaplain Of
tho Actors Church Alliance. conducted
the service and read the first scriptnral
lesson Frederick Wardc, the tragedian.
also read a selection. DR. Bentley re-
ceived kilograms o. regret from George
Arliss. president Of the alliance. and
william II. Crane. vicc-president
Greer Lauds Shakespeare.
In introducing tho speakers Bishop
Greer said: Three hundred years ago
to-day the great spirit Of Shakespeare
Joined tho Choir Invisible. he has
touched with the master touch every
human passion. and his writings. with
that Of the Bible. are in class by
themselves. Indeed. the Bible and
Shakespeare have been said to be sur
fcient TO prepare men FOR the minis
try
Sir Herbert pointed out Shakespesre's
universal and eternal philosophy, citing
Messages from his work which nigh;
have been written about incidents of
today.
"To-dsy ,hroughou, tho English
speaking countries the churches are
joining with the peoples in gres, fes-
tiyal which is .iftcd above all differ
ences Of politics. Of creed and of race.
Our two countries ere united as one
TO honor the memory Of the greatest
man who wrote our common language.
On this Easter day two books stand
side by side the bible and Shakes
pearc.
AT time which - perhaps the most
momentous Of .hc worlds history a
mourning world has decscd itself with
A garland Of flowers 20 90 homage to
the poet.
Bard's Genius = gndless.
Shakespeare geni-- was like
boundless ocean. whose depth is IN
fa.homable and whose waves wash
every shore. As he was not for an age
but FOR all time. so is he FOR both
Young and old. More than any other
writer Shakespeare expresses for US .
our own thoughts. our own aspirations.
Has not every youth capable Of feeling
noble scorn o. the injustice OF the .
world been requited by the immorta.
words OF Hamlet. which are familiar
to Va all? Has not every young WON
an found herself mirrored in Shake
speare's heroines? Who has sung so
we'll of the virtue OF woman and the
valor OF man? His ideal Of woman IS
ever Young. No lesser than his love
OF woman was his courage toward man.
MARK how prophetically Shakespeare
has summed up the terrible situation
which is daily n all our minds. How
does he express for us
what all sanf- inded, othically poised
human beings feel IN regard 10 the
the criminal stupidity OF
the war which seems Ike nightmare
OF demons interregnum on earth.
II is like a tale told By an idiot, fun
Of sound and fury, signifyng nothing
Thus, IN the play Of Henry " does
the Duke OF Burgundy address the
Kings Of England and France
VIVA, ruo Or vhas impedimsnt = there
WIZ 'haf no naked POOR and ma1Eed Feaca
Dear nuf.o - as per'iss an1 l@il. oi,'hs'
0n- fertile France m, ID her .oys'y rsase'
Alss. she han from Frame 200 ions o.en CHASED
IorrlpunE in is own 'er..iiy.
Court Decision Decried.
and w:thal how practical il Shake
speare in his humanity while his head
.ouches the clouds his foot is firmly
planted on the earth. In The Tempest
he ridicules a false idealism. And
again IN The Tempest We sec that
toward all things human Shakespeare
mas that serene tolerance when u me
attribute OF only great thinkers lie
sees. as lesser and more self-rghteous
writer's do not see. the soul OF good
1ess in things evil Shakespeare makes
~aliban. the Mailman, the monster, a
over Of music.
Regarding the recent court decision
on the case Bacon VI. Shakespeare.
which a Chicago Judge decided IN "a
vor Of the plaintiff, Sir Herbert said:
There arc those who would snatch
the laurel from Shakesp eare's brow
by claiming that another wrote his
works. because he, forsooth. did not
boest a university edueation: because
he was born in a humble place. Can
any good come out Of S.ratford? p they
,volld ask. There are those who would
Law blame on him for the sins which
are immortal in mortal man. But IL
should be borne IN mind that a mans
truest expression "a found in MS
:, ork: he is his work. and there -
certain fitness IN me Chinese custom
according 70 which q great man en-
mobiles his ancestry. for Il is indeed
less easy for ancestry 20 ennoble ia.
Truly. Shakespeare needs TO psten.
Of nobility. His title Is his BOOK
Sir Johnston Forbes-RobertEon fol-
owed hi, colleague. ard painted an elo-
luent picture Of Shakespearc's lie. lie
,losed his address with The words:
"Out Of the mouths Of great ones ha.
zone the chant Of his praise from gen
,ration 20 generation Cor over 300
years. ever swelling in volume and
,rudition. Other poets have won their
lour o. triumph. their periods Of
praise. their pedestals o. honor, but he
.tands alone. in a glorious isolation. on
he shining pinnacle OF an unapproach-
.ble and solitary rock, FOR al peoples
and FOR all time"