The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-28 00:00:00

SHAYSPEAARAN FESTIVAL AT
STRATFORD.

8TILAT701111).OPON-A1011, Aran. IT.
This year's =deanery of the natal day of the
world's poet was in his native town,
ia more theft the meal Astiwl LssiMa, The solemn
nen of the Shakspeara ebb (sesetimes enlivened by the
eloquence of the gifted man who lave made the memorable
of April the assaeloa he making a pilgrimage to the
pasta bras mil limb) this year gave place to what has
bees deaaainated a " Count, festival," but which was
redly a considerable gathering of the middle and working
dames, eager partieipaata in the opportunity afforded to
them of sharing in a pleasant little nativity, every way ap-
propriate, in so far as related to its design and purpose, of
justly honouring the memory of the marvellous man whose
fame is every day becoming even more famous, and whose
wonderful genius is being every day more universally ac-
knowledged.
Stratford is still unopproachable by railway, though the
iron roads have crept near end encircled it on all sides,
yet there are few persons who have not obtained, in some I
way or other, an idea of the delightfully sunny and fertile
vale in which the home and grave of the bard are nestled ;
yet the thousands who Hocked hither yeeterday.gave one
an idea of the far larger number who would people with
new life the old town's irregular streets, or be found won-
dering reverentially along the banks of the ever sparkling
Avon, if the iron roads of modern days bad formed another
link of net-work to the heart of the Ithakspeeze land.
From a very early hour la the morning the stream of
visitors Bowing into the town was continuous ; the Great
Western Company had special trains laid on as far as War-
wick, both from Birmingham and Orford ; a large number
of people came in that way, sad be 11 o'clock the town was
' pretty well tilled. At noon User; was an assemblage in
treat of the poet's birth-place; then= appropriate address
was delivered ; subsequently the company visited the church
and the tomb, and beyond the precincts of that bellowed
ground a poetical oration was pronounced, writtea for the
mmesion by Mr. Onaciey, of Shrewsbury. In the afternoon
the day's festivity was diversified by the performance of
Illislisperean melodies at the hall which bears the poet's
name, Mr. Bima Reeves, Mr. Frank Mori, and other ani-
mist artists taking part in the performance. Here, too, Mr.
Vaadenhoff delivered an eloquent oration, reciting very
effectively one or two of the most remarkable pas ages from
the poet's works.

In the evening there was another concert and a dinner at
the Town-hall ; at the latter they; were rather more than
one hundred gentlemen present, Mr. Benjamin Webster
presiding. He was supported by Henry Hawke', Esq. (the
Mayor of Birmingham), Mr. andenhcff, and other gen-
tlemen.

The CRAIRMAN, in proposing the appropriate toast of the
emeeion, said that he approached that subject with a feeling
not merely of respect but of awe, with his mind's eye
dazzled by the rays of our poetic luminary, especially as ho
knew that after the eloquent efforts of his predecessors on
similar occasions, he should show but poorly off indeed;
the little, however, that he deserved, the more was the merit
of his audience. The name of Shakspeare was a tower of
strength unassailable by envy or the hand of time; when
speaking of him I can only say that "I am no orator as
Brutus Is " (turning to Mr. as
I lack the
fire of Cassius—neither cave I stir you like another Anthony,
but I speak like Anthony when Imy that I "a plain,
bleat man," and as be loved Caw I love Bkahmease.
(Cheese.) For myself I en truly say that I leave buckled the
fortunes of the drama to my back from my boyhood; my
first love of Sbskspeare was such as to supersede ovary
other (et ling of the heart ; the ',lightest memorial ea relic
ehini seemed to my Dovish fancy "gilded with raised
geld ;" aye, a picture of the period in which our poet lived
wee invested with extraordinary interest. (Seer.) Even
pod Queen 8e..,, as she has been familiarly called, was to
me fie perfection of historical queens, and I couldn't
brim myself to believe that Burleigh had so much as to
Ada Ychead at her. (Laughter.) There is no "modern
Imelmeme for which a " wise saw" may not be found its
OMMegmart, apt and to the point; the men we reflect on
MaMemdrous works, the more IN ass last la astonishment
et the depths of that unfathomable and that has given a
velum to the world, containing peressee quotable in rela-
tion to every occurrence of life, sail of such excel-
lence as may challenge the talent of man to pro-
duce its equal. Without ear dramatic literature
would have taken a repeatable in modern Europe;
with Shakspeare it is supreme—invincible: our drama
_
- "...tees all the

ehallanges a 6 the world; Gideon end
was, he converted it into a feast of reason for men of edu-
nation and refinement. (Chasm.) The age of Elisabeth
may well, indeed, be called the golden age of literature
what it could boast a Shakspeare ; s contemporary, who
flourished with him—Ben Jonson—has said that • man
could not be a poet without being a good man. Of our
bard he has aise said that be was of an honest, good,
and open nature. For myself, I can only say that I love
the man and honour his memory in the fullest sense of the
words on this side of idolatry. (Cheers.) I give now
" the immortal memory of William Shekspeare."
The MAYOR Of BIRMINOHMI next proposed in an eio-
rest speech—" Mr. Sheridan Knowles sad oar National

Y it

To this tout was suoceeded the health of " Mr. Vanden-
hoff,"whe in r spending, declared that be had entered upon
his professional career by playing in a tiara at Stratford
forty-five years ago.
The company separated at gaidAight.