The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-05-07 00:00:00

THE ROYAL ACADEMY BANQUET.

In London, on Saturday evening, the annual festival
of "high art" was celebrated at the Royal Academy.
The banquet was graced by most of the distinguished
personages who usually take this opportunity ot show-
ing their own appreciation of artistic genius and their
anxiety to aid in its national recognition. Thus. the
Bishop of Winchester said grace ; the Prince of Wales
represented the R tyalty id England; the Duke of
Cambridge the army ; the Fuest Lord the Admiralty
the Navy ; and Lord Elcho the Volunteers; the
American Minister solid, and Mr. Dickens light litera-
ture; Mr. Gladstone represented the State ; and the
Church, in the Person of the Archbishop of York, corn-
plinu-nted the Royal Academy and the Pereident (Sir
F. Grant), who in coulter of the evening complimented
everybody and everything. The dinner WWI exc llent,
the guests not too numerous, the vocalists in rare
voice, and the whole fentival a decided success. The
following is Mr. Dicken's speech, in reply to the toast
of "Literature."
Mr. President, your Royal Highnesses, my Lords and
Gentlemen, I beg to sekti^wledge the bast with which you
have done me the great honour of associatihg my name. I
beg to acknowledge it on behalf of the orotherhood of litera-
ture, present and absent, nit forgetting an illustrious
wanderer from the fold, whose tardy retort, to it we all hull
with delight, and who now sits—or lately did sit—within a
few chairs of, or on your left hand. (Ch.ers 1 I hope I may
also claim to acknowledge the toast on behalf of the sister-
hood of literature also, although that "better half of human
nature" to which Mr Gladstone rendered his graceful tribute
is unworthily represented here, in the present state of its
rights and wrongs, I p the devouring monster man. ;Cheers
and laughter.) All the arta, and many of the sciences,
bear witness that women, even in their present onpres,ed
condition, can attain to mote as great distinction, and
can win quite DA lofty names, as men. (Cheers.) Their
emancipation (as I am given to understand) drawing very
new-, there is no saying how soon they may " push us
In ni our stools" at these tables, or how soon or e better
half oftlllll.ll nature, statuitcg in this place of none, may
eleemently dwreciate mankind— (a laugo)—addressing Al3,e
ther better half r,f hiin.n nature silting in the president's
chair. (Cheers and laughter ) The literary visitors of the
Royal Academy to-night dc-ire are to congratulate their
hosts on a very intereating exhibition, in which risen ex-
cellence supremely asserts itself, and front which proini.e
of a brilliant su.,ceWort in time to come is not wanting.

(Cheers.) They naturally see with especial interest the
writings and per,ons of great men—M•tmians, philoso-
phers, poets, and novelists—vividly illustrated around
them here. And they hope that they may modeatly claim
to have rendered some little atsistance towards the pro-
duction of many of the pictures in this magnificent gal-
lery. (Cheers ) For with at the patient labours of some
among them unhistoric histioy tuhht have long survived In
this place, and but for the researches and wanderings
of others among them, the most preposterous countries—
laimk—the roost impossible peoples—(laughter)—and
the aburdest suppositions, manners, and customs, might
have murped the place of truth upon these wells. ((liters
and laughter.) Nay, there is no knowing, Sir French, Grant,
what unlike portraits you yourself might have painted if you
had been left, with your sitters, to idle pens, unchecked
reckless rumours, Bud undeuounced lying malevolence.
(Cheers and laughter.) I cannot forbear, before I resume my
seat. adverting to a sad theme to which his It (pal Higheess
the Prince of Wales made allusion, and to which the presi-
dent referred with the elequence of genuine feeling. (Cheers.)
Since I rind entered the public hats, a very young man Indeed
It has been my constant fortune to number among my nearest
and dearest friends members of the Royal Academy who
have been its grace and pride. (Cheers.) They have so dropped
froni my side one by one that I already begin to feel like the
Spanish monk of whom Wilkie tells, who had grown to believe
that the only realities around him were the pictures which
he loved—(cheers (—and that all the moving life he saw or
ever had seen was a shadow mid a dream. (Cheers.) For
many years I was one of the two flout Intimate friends
and most constant companions of the late Mr. klacliae
(Cheers'. Of his genius in his chosen art I will venture to
say nothing here, hut of his prodigious fertility of mind and
wonderful wealth of intellect I may confidently assert that
they would have made him, if he had been so minded, at least
as great a writer as he was a painter. (Cheers). The gentlest
and most modest of men—hear, hear)—the freshest as to
Silo generous appreciation of young aspirants -(cheers —and
the fraiikeet and largest.hearted as to his peers—(cheers)
—incapable of a sordid or ignoble thought—(cheers)—gallantly
sustaining the true dignity of his voc ition— (cheers)—without
one grain of self-ambition, wholesomely natural at the last
as at the first, " In wit a man, simplicity a child "—(cheers)—
no artist of whatsoever denomination I make bold to say ever
went to his rest leaving a golden memory more pure from
dross or devoted himself with a truer chivalry to the art.g((d.
dess whom he worshipped. (Loud sod continued cheering.