The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-24 00:00:00

MR. THACKERAY'S LECTURE.

ON Thursday evening Mr. Thackeray delivered a
lecture at the Marylebone Literary and Scientific In-
stitution, on " Humour and Charity." As was to be
expected, such a speaker on such a subject attracted
a oonsiderable audience, and we hope that the unfor-
tunate and most worthy Utarateur to whose aid our
charitable humorist so generously came will reap a
plentiful harvest from the exertions of his great bro-
ther writer.
Mr. Thackeray, with his somewhat caustic humour,
commenced what he well styled his "lay sermon "
by exposing the cheap cant of many senti
mental authors, which he graphically contrasted
with the genuine flesh-and-blood humour of
true humorists. Addison, whom he so delights
to honour, came in for a graceful tribute. Dick
Steele, whom he 83 heartily loves, was spoken of in
terms of genuine affection. Fielding, " that erring
but noble spirit," as he called him, was alluded to
with heartfelt veneration. Swift, whom Mr. Thack-
eray thanked God he did not love, but whom he ad-
mired so intensely, met with stern justice from our
modern satirist, who did not conceal his scorn for a
man who blasphemed all home charities, who had no
kind greeting for young children, and who so foully
ridiculed the sanctities of wedded love. The lecturer
forcibly contrasted the sham pathos of the clerical
sentimentalist, whimpering and pumping up unreal
tears overthe dead ass, with the genuine humour which '
has made generations weep over the story of Lefevre,
love dear Uncle Toby, and exult over the charming
anecdote of the noble of Rennes. Passing rapidly on
to contemporary literature, he read Charles Lamb's
charming sketch of Captain Jackson, and spoke in
such terms of that dear genuine humorist as made
the dense mass of poor Elia's admirers assembled
within those walls thrill with delight and sympathy.
Poor Hood claimed a manly tribute of' affectionate
admiration. Some of Mr. Thackeray's collabarateurs,
Mr. Jerrold and Mr. Lemon, of Punch, were spoken
of with perhaps more kindness than s sober, impar-
tial critic would be inclined to award to them ; and
even Charles Divkens was extolled by the generous
humorist, with whom he is often so uniesthetically
compared or contrasted, in terms of greater eulogy
than we are prepared to endorse, or than posterity,
we fancy, will sanction. But, beyond doubt, the por-
tion of Mr. Thackeray's lecture which attracted the
greatest attention, and which was received with the
warmest sympathy by his auditory, was that in which
he quoted from some serial of ancient date a paper of
his own called " The Curate's Walk." As he closed
his book, after reading that touching story, he said that
the extract was by a man who bad been accused of
cynicism and cold-heartedness, whom the Times had
stigmatised as ajaundiced sceptic who saw no beauty
on earth, no holiness in heaven, to whose vision the
sky was green and his fellow men miserable sinners.
" And so we are," said the lecturer, " we are miserable
sinners—we are weak and erring; and let us humbly ac-
knowledge it, and pray to God that we may go on help-
ing and loving one another." He wrote, he said, as
his thoughts were given to him, and he should be
sinning against Him who gave him power so to write,
and against his own conscience, if he wrote otherwise.
Not so much the hearty cheers and sturdy thumping
of sticks and umbrellas evinced how thoroughly
his hearers agreed with him as the flushed faces
and glistening eyes which we saw before, behind, and
around us.•

THE FRENCH EMBASSY has obtained from the
Porte an authorisation to build Catholic churches at
Trebizonde, Maelin, Mersine and Bingasi. The
necessary fin:awl have been sent to the competent
authorities.