The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-12 00:00:00

ROYAL LITERARY FUND.

The annna festival of this institution was held
last night at the Freemasons' Tavern, the Right lion.
Bissau's DISRAELI, M.P., in the chair. The company
was very large, the spacious apartment being very incon-
veaiently crowded.
Amongst the most distinguished of the guests were:—
The Marquis of Salisbury, Lord John Manners, the lion.
Charles lierdinge, M.P., Dr. M'llweine (Bishop of Ohio),
the Chevalier Massimo d'Auglio, Mr. Justice lialiburtun
(. Sam Slick ") the Queen's Advocate, Professor Aytoun,
Sir George dead, Sir IL Ellis, the Hon. Butler King
(United States), Mr. Evelyn, M.P., Mr. M. Milnes, M.P.,
Mr. J. M'Oregor, M.P., Mr. Digby Seymour, M.P., Pro-
fessor Fenton, U.S., Mr. Serjeent Merewether, the Consuls-
General of Belgium and the Uruguay, Mr. Spence, F.R.S.,
Dr. Daubeney, Mr. H. T. Hope, M.P. &demons, lion.
S. Auneraley, Mr. J. It. Kenyon, Dr. Luling, the Rev. Dr.
Vaught*, the Rev. Dr. Russell, Dr. Latham, Mr. Crofton
Cooker, Mr. Theodore Martin, the Rev. it. Alford, Mr.
Reeve, Professor Creasey, Mr. Douglas Jerrold, Mr. S.
Blanchard, Mr. P.Cunninghans, &e.
After the loyal toasts (in giving which Mr. Disraeli eulo-
gieed the liberal patronage which the Queen had bestowed
upon the institution, and pointed out the influence which
her Royal Consort bad exerised upon the science' arts, and
literature of this country since he hail adopted it for his
home).
The CRAIIIMAN proposed " The Church and the Bishop
of Ohio ;" to which Dr. M'llvaine responded, and pointed '
out the service which the missionaries of the different reli-
gious bodies had done to the cause of letters, by bringing
before the literary world languages which had been pre-
viously unknown to all but the savage tribes by whom they
were spoken.
The CUSHMAN then proposed the toast of the evening,
" Prosperity to the Royal Literary Fund, and the Health
of its President, the Marquis of Lansdowne." The right
hon. gentleman observed that it was now nearly three
quarters of a century since its founder, not himself an
author, but a man of lettered tastes, mentioned to no Irks a
' personage than Dr. Franklin the importau:o of instituting
a fund which should at least prevent men of genius and
learning from falling into intolerable misery, and should
prevent those catastrophes which occasionally occurred, and
which were so flagrant en outrage upon the literature of
any civilised country. (Cheers.) Dr. Franklin was cer-
Willy not deficient in knowledge of human nature, and he
looked upon the idea as *speculation too refined to be prac-
tical. Common charities, he said, sprang from common
feelings; and it was vain, however beautiful, to suppose
that there could ever be sufficient sympathy between the
mass of mankind and the peculiar class they called authors.
It was also the fortune of the founder of the institution to
submit his views to the three most eminent public charac-
ters who adorned the end of the eighteenth century ; but
the austere and absorbed minister (Mr. Pitt), the genial
orator of the opposition (Mr. Fox), and the profound poli-
tical sage (Mr. Burke), much as they differed on other mat-
ters, all agreed that the idea was chimerical. A consider-
able period had elapsed since that epoch, and the institution
which had first sees light in an obscure tavern club, had
booms the Royal Corporation of the Literary Fund.
(Cheers.) It would not, however, le altogether unprofitable
so inquire whether the principle upon which it had been
established was a true and sound one, and if so, whether
that principle had been efficiently and discreetly applied.
(Hear, hear.) There were a great many ciscumstances
which were necessary to an author's success, or to its con-
tinuance, even it once secured. He would ask the mem-
bers of iet corporation, which for 64 years had been watch-
ing over the idiosyncrasy of that peculiar being, what was
as author ? An author was an individual who followed the
irresistible impluse of an organic law, and devoted himself to
the extension of the domain of human knowledge.
With that view he expended infinite research, continued
labour, and profound thought. It was possible that ho
might be a person of simple tastes and frugal habits, but
he was surrounded by the common casualties of life, any
can of which might fall upon him with overwhelming and
crushing effect. In such cues the institution stepped in
and said that such a man should not be made the victim of
an exigency, should not be compelled to sell his books
which were the tools of his craft, or to mortgage the future
exertions of his intellect. (Hear, hear.) That was the
principle of the society, and he could not doubt they would
all be agreed as to its perfect soundness. But they lived in.
en age of criticism and cavil ; and from that criticism,
though they might deem it erroneous and unwise,or from that
cavil, though they might deem it contemptible, he
would ;not advise them to shrink. (Hear, hear.)
It was true that they would have to encounter one difficulty
from which all institutions of an analogous character were
free. Other societies could show to the world those whom
they had saved from sickness, from sorrow, from calamity,
from disaster, from disgrace, and from death; but the
Royal Literary Fund had no witnesses to prove its excel-
lence. It was its highest merit, its holiest claim, that the
aid it rendered was given in secret. (Hear, hear.) Only
they who were engaged in the distribution of its funds, or
they who periodically occupied that chair, could appreciate
its claim, or the services it had rendered to the cause of

humaniti. (Hear' hear.) They were assembled in the
neighbourhood of that great store of literary wealth over
which his excellent friend Sir H. Ellis so

ently presided ; but they might go to the British
Museum, or the State Paper Office, they might
search the manuscript treasures of the Universities,
but they would find no mass of records equal in interest
and importance to the archives of the Literary Fund. It
was popularly supposed that they were the records only of
ill-calculated ambition, of morbid fancy, or of ill-regulated
susceptibility; and that the feelings of society had been
wrought upon to contribute to the assistance of what were,
at the very best, the beautiful but eccentric errors of hu-
manity. No mistake could be greater than that. (Rear,
hear.) The conditions upon which the aid of the society
was granted were severe but admirable. They imposed no
conditions of civil opinions or religious creed ; of country
or clime. On the contrary, the poet of Iceland and the
grammarian of Arabia had both claimed its aid and been
relieved; and an individual who was amongst the most
distieguished authors of the 19th century, as well
as the minister of regal France, had also, when
an obscure editor, received assistance. (Cheers.)
The only condition the society imposed was that the claim
of all applicants should be deserved ; and in looking over
the list of names they would find none that were un-
worthy, many that were distinguished, and some that were
1 illustrious. (Cheers.) In the duration of the society's exist-
ence and the increase of its claims they would find unmis-
takeable and unanswerable testimony, not only that its
principle was sound and true, bat that the manner in
which it had been administered had been wise, discreet,
and satisfactory. (Cheers.) It was impossible to form any
idea of the functions of the Literary Fund from the printed
documents that were placed in their hands. Its duties
were not to be performed by a secretary or clerk ; and those
who were entrusted by the confidence of the
subscribers with distributing their funds bad some-
thing more to do than receiving subscriptions and drawing
cheques. (Cheers and laughter.) The different claims must
be investigated with the utmost delicacy, and the resources
of the society must be administered with a tenderness
which gentlemen, and gentlemen of lettered tastes and
habits, could alone exercise towards recipients of a peculiar
sensibility. (Hear, hear.) They had not to deal out alms
—they had to offer a tribute, and an imperfect tribute, to
the sufferings of genius. They must visit the suffering
author in his home; and they must do more than assist
him in his pressing need. They must endeavour that hie
future should be cared for, and that he should be restored
to that career of usefulness which had been arrested by
misfortune. (Cheers.) They must smooth the pillow of
the poor expiring author, and whisper to him—" Your
genius will remain behind, and will excite the sympathy
and affection of the community you; have benefited, and if
you leave any loved ones behind you, even they will feel
the power of your intellect and the gratitude of society."
(Cheers.) The right hon. gentleman thin concluded by
proposing the toast, which was enthusia•tically drunk.
The Rev. Dr. Itesszu. then laid before the meeting as
account of the society's financial affairs. They had received
1,3401., which was a little less than last year, but still con-1
siderably mere than bad been received in previous years.
Objections had been made to the society for having cham-
hers ; but it would be a sufficient answer to say they had
an estate which had been left them for the express pur-
pose, and which yielded 1911. a year after the property let
was paid. Would these gentlemen, then, in the name of
all that was respectable, have the corporation receive the
legacy, and not expend it in the manner directed by the