The Express.
London, England, 1865-07-31 00:00:00

[STAMPED, U. ADDITIONAL]

Lytton and his nephews, and found that a large
number of the county gentry had been in-
vited to meet them, including, amongst others,
Earl Cowper, the Right Hon. W. Cowper, M.P.,
the Hon. Henry Cowper, M.P., Sir Minto Far-
quhar, Bart., M.P., Mr. B. E. Surtees, M.P.,
Mr. Robert and Mrs. Dimadale, Mr. H. Gosselin,
Mr. C. E. Prince, Mr. C. Hale, Mr. D. H. O'Brien,
Mr. Austin, of Hertford, Mr. Marten, the Rev. F.
Sullivan, the Rev. J. Olive, the Rev. H. J.
Daubeney, Mr. L. Deedea, Mr. W. Wilshire, Mr.
L Ames, Mr. and Mrs. Franks, Mr. C. G.
Dinisdale, the Rev. J. E. Prior, the Rev. G. E.
Prescott.

A few hours were very agreeably spent in exa-
mining the antiquities, works of art, apartments,
and grounds of this celebrated seat, and in the
usual amusements of a morning fete in the 000 D•
try. A detacumeot of the celebrated Coldstream
Guards Band, under the conductorship of Mr.
Godfrey, had been thoughtfully provided by Sir
E. Bulwer Lytton. Large as the banguettiug-hall
of Knebworth is, it was hardly large enough to
contain the crowd who pressed into it for a late
luncheon ; and Sir E. Bulwer Lyttou stood on a
chair in the middle of this crowd to propose the
following toast of the day :

Ladies and Gentlemen—Unacesstased as I base .been
;to public apeekbiebliiiidity dude* the last four week
toi
lis
(laughter)—l rely upon yoer hid* for the few w
with which I shell preface the am about to in
you to drink. Some amongst you t y remember that t
old ball was once turned into a stip for the perfarma
of am of Ben Joeson's conierites,an which play seve
gentlemen of the county took pats, in company with
of mine whose names are "household words" "all they
round." (Laughter and cheers.) It was on that aerial
that the ides was alerted of esteWiehieg • sort of Ittersit
guild or brotherhood, which might tend to being
scholars and artiste, and men of letters, more WM.,'
Beefy together, end secure to learning and geniusj
when bowed down by old age or poverty, some modest ind 9
dependence and honourable refuge, attended cot by minisi
terial patronage .or by the alma of the begging bat, but
by the respectful sympathy of our own fellow litheurers.•
(Cheers.) Well, in order to get the necesoary funds for the
commencement of this scheme it was agreed that one of the
parties should write • play, the faults of which were re-
deemed by the excellent acting and by the distinguished
names of the artists and authors who performed it. Out
9 of the praise of that play se performed we were enabled to
erect that building which soma amongst you may have
seen in the neighbourhood of Stevenage, aid which we
. flatter ourselves does honour to the artist who
his planned it. (Cheer..) That building comprises
three homes for artists, or 'cholera, or men of
letter., modest is themselves, but still of a character that
gentlemen may inhabit, and with each of those houses we
are enabled to bestow • small but assured annuity. That
building is now tisished—kfr. Charles Dickens and other
friends and members of the Guild have come down to-day to
inspect it—(hear, hear)—and now I come to the toast
which I wish to propose to you. I invite you to drink
" Prosperity to the Guild of Literature and Art,'•
molded with the name of a man who has takes •
roost effective Fart in its formation, and whose visit to oar
county upon as °cession connected with that literature of
which he is so resplendent an ornament is an bosom to
ourselves we must all greet, and an event we shall ell re-
member —(oheers)—the name of • man whose wriaings
are squally the delight of the scholar and '
the artisan, whose creations dwell Is our hearts
as familiarly and as fondly as if they were our
own kinsfolk, and who has united unrivalled mastery
over the laughter and tsars of millions with at gentle and
sweet • philosophy as ever made the passions move at the
command of virtue. (Cheers.) Ladies and gentlemen, l
now invite you to drink " Prosperity to the Guild of Lite-
rature," toupee& with the name of oar illsetrioes whiter
and fellow-countryman, Ifr.Charlea Dickens. (Loud cheers.)
The toast was drunk with great cordiality.
Mr. Charles Dickens rose on the same chair, and
responded in the following words :
Ladies and Gentlemen—lt was said by • very sagacious
pi rsoe, whose authority I sot quite sure my friend of
many years will not impugn, notwithstanding he was
named Augustus Tomlinson, and was the guide, pbilo.
Gopher, and friend if Paul Clifford —it was maid by
that remarkable man, " LIG is short, why should speeches
be long r.— (Laughter)—ati aphorism so sensible under all
circumstances, and particularly in these circumstances, with
such delicious weather and such charming gardens near at
band, the tether because my friend's remake have been, as
hie speeches sleep are, quite exhaustive of the subject in
hand, and pot the least exhaustive of his sudience. (A
laugh.) In thanking you for the toast with which you
have done me the honour—an honour I very much prize—
of associating my name, allow me to correct an Olniniioll
which my friend has fallen into, and to assure you that
these houses in questiin would have been built, nor
could have been built, but by his zealous and invaluable
co-operation - .(cheera) ; and also that the pleasant labour
out of which they arse would certainly have lost ono
of its greatest charms and one of its strongest in..
pulses if it had lost his ever ready sympathy with
that class in which be has risen to the foremost rank, sad
of which he is the highest oreament. (Cheers.) Baring
said this much ea simply due to my friend, I can only say
on behalf of my associates th it the ladies and 'enthuses
whom we shall invite to occupy these houses said never be
planed in them as being under soy social disadvantage,
They will be invited to accept them as artiste receiving a
mark of respect and en assurance, of high coosideratioa
from some of their fellow-workers. They will be invited
to occupy them as artists who, we hope, will often exercise
their calling within those walls for the general advantage,
and they will also claim on equal terms the hospitality of
your generous and hospitable neighbourhood. Raving
thanked you on behalf of my brothers and sisters—for
ladies become members of the Guild—and myself,
I am sure I may take the liberty of giving utterance
to your feeliNs not lees than mine in proposing the health,
long life, and prosperity of our distinguished host. (Cher rs).
You all know very well that when the health, life, and
beauty now o'ertlowieg this hall shall have lied out of it,
and out of existence, crowds of people, not yet born, will
COON here to see where he lived and wrote. (Cheers,)
Setting aside the orator and the .tattooist—for, happily,
we know so party here but this agreeable party (laughter)—
you keow very well that he is • very great men whose ace.
nezion with Hertfordshire every °there:milt), ie England will
envy for many a long year totem'. (Cheers.) You know very
well that when this house is at its darkest and emptiest, you
eau maks it, when you pleas, brightest and fullest by
peopling it with the creatures of his brilliant fem.
(Cheers.) Let us all wish that there may be many more of
them, the more there ere the better we shall be, and as he
always excels himself, the better they will be. Now,
ladies and gentler:see, pray listen to their praises and not
mine, aid let them, aid sot me, propose his health,
(Cheers.) _

• •
The toast baviog been most warmly responded to,
Sir Edward briefly re ttttt d thanks. and requested the
young ladies sod gentlemen present, sad those who liked
dasciog to adjourn to she "alley" when be expressed a
hope they would find some amusement.
One country gentlemen said to another that two
such speeches from two such men iu that hall were
" quite au historic event ;" and au elderly lady
who bad probably never written a line in her life,
remarked in a patronising manner to Sir E. Bulwer
Lytton—the author of a hundred volumes—that his
speech was excellent, and " bad not a word too
touch."

The four G uild residences inaugurated on Saturday
h►ve cost about 2,0001., and the society is left with
another 2,000/. invested in government securities..
Mr. Charles Dick ens and ill° fe w living founders of the
Guild have done their part of the work, and have
left a legacy to literature and art which may
be easily converted either to glory or
to shame. Four almshouses, thirty miles
from London, on a dear and unpunctual line
of railway, ought never to be regarded as the com-
pletion of a great scheme of friendly help and class
combination, but only as the first stone of a noble
and useful institution to be raised by hard and
patient labour and the sinking of m►ny mutual
prejudices. What every class, from pot•bop to