The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year: Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy ScriptureRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year: Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy Scripture
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
"'The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious;
If it were so, it were a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honorable man,
So are they all, all honorable men)
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me;
But Brutus says he was ambitious,
And Brutus is an honorable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransom did the general coffers fill.
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor hath cried Caesar hath wept.
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,
And Brutus is an honorable man.
You all did see, that, on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?'
"The strongest argument against belief in guilty ambition on the part
of Caesar and in favor of punishing his murderers is reserved by the
subtle Antony for the last, and then he manages to have the people
demand it of him. He proceeds very naturally and effectively from the
rent robe and the bleeding body to the will of Caesar. This instrument
gave the Romans each a large donation in money, and bestowed upon
them collectively 'his walks, his private arbors, and 'new planted
orchards' as a public park. The argument was irresistible, and needed
no elaboration. If his death was avenged as a murder, the will would be
valid; otherwise, it would be set aside, and his estate confiscated by
the conspirators. The people, thus fired by the strongest motives of
gratitude and interest themselves supply the conclusion, and Brutus had
to fly for his life. The whole speech is worth study as an exhibition
of almost perfect eloquence. Shakespeare meant to draw in Brutus the
picture of a scholar coming before the people with fine words, and
producing little more than a literary effect. In Antony he pictures
the true orator in the plentitude of his power, to whom words are
but servants in accomplishing his purpose of [I suggest convincing]
persuading and inflaming the people. The one speech reads as if it
might have been written out in the closet and memorized; the other
gushes from the heart of the speaker as he watches the sea of upturned
faces, adapting his words with exquisite skill to suit and swell the
passions written there." (Extempore Speech, pp. 54-59.)
PART IV.
_The Ancient American Scripture.---The Book of Mormon._
LESSON I.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.[1]
ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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