Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-07-09 00:00:00

MR. CHARLES KEAN.

The dinner and testimonial proposed by the Etonian&
in honour of our distinguished tragedian, Mr. C. Kean,
afford the public an opportunity of testifying their feelings
towards the greatest living representative of the

I art in a manner consonant to his position and not unsuit-
able to his deserts. The fact that such a compliment
emanates from his old schoolfellows invests it with one of
the most pleasing of all sentiments, and shews also a de-
termination, in a highly exclusive and influential body, to
break down a prejudice that has too long existed as a
disgrace to civilisation, and as an impediment to the
-free exercise and fair reward of genius. Have our
readers, after witnessing any one of Mr. Charles
Kean'.s masterly performances, ever paused to reflect
on the vast combination of qualities that such
excellence require ? How profound must be the
knowledge of human nature that can present such
portraits of Hamlet, Macbeth, Lear, Louis XI., Beuedick,
Shylock, Richard 11., Wolsey, and Henry V.- creations
that have scarcely anything in 'common, save that they
belong to the great human family. Admit the difficulty of
such artistic perfection, and we must at once acknowledge
that it is only to the porcelain men of nature's factory that
the power of o'ermastering it is given. The rule applies to
literature, to science, to pictorial art, and to the drama.
The faculty of identifying character distinguishes the child
of genius from the mass of the world; and this faculty
has never been more brilliantly developed than by the
varied delineations of-Mr. C. Kean. Even when the great
mental effort of conceiving character has been achieved,
little beyond the basis of the arch is laid. We may go still
further, and say that the intellectual architect has simply
marked out this ground, and that the structure itself ii not
yet begun. Gray has commemorated the "mute inglorious
Miltons " who have remained silent fur want of,
opportunity," and Wordsworth has eulogised the voiceless
poets who teemed with thought, " yet wanted the accom-
plishment of verse." The latter are interesting subjects of
contemplation, no doubt ; but they are of small value to their
fellow men, unless they appear as patrons of the practical
I genius they are unable to emulate. In the latter case they
are represented in the highest degree by the Nacenases and
Medici of former times. In our own days may be placed
by their side the lovers of Shakespere, not actors them-
selves, but votaries who bow ire honour, as the treasures
of the poet's page are unveiled to their imagination.
These are the truest appreciators of the actor's superiority.
The testimonial ,in honour of Mr. Charles Kean will
stand as a monument of the intellectual culture of the
nineteenth century, and Of the unfettered spirit in
which his cotemporaries acknowledge his high endowments,
and the- value of his public services. It has -even been-
remarked as one of his most striking attributes that in all
his stage impersonations he has not the slightest' infusion
of coarseness either in thought or style. He presents
invariably the polished gentleman disciplined by careful
education, and trained in the usages of good society. And
here Eton may in a considerable degree claim a portion of
the lustre that shines so brightly round the head of her
gifted pupil, Eton could not make a great genius, but her
renown stands high as the nurse of English gentlemen.
An English gentleman she has trained for the English
stage, and thus she has fairly earned the thanks of the
nation, whose co-operation in a tribute of respect to Mr.
Charles Kean she now so gracefully invites.—Globe,

~,,_

THE INDIAN QUEEN.

We gave a description of the disaster to this vessel in
yesterday's paper, written by a passenger. We now sub-
join the report of Mr. P. Svratt, second officer.

. . _..-.
' - " The accident took place in lat. 60 S. lon. 149 W., dur-
ing a thick fog. About 1.30 a.m. of April 1 was his (Mr.
Syratt's) watch. The captain, on finding that the ship had
struck, jumped out of his cabin. and immediately ordered
the boat to be lowered down, When himself, the chief office,
Mr Jones, thirteen of the crew, and two stowaways, pas-
' sengers, e•ot into the boat and pulled off from the ship about
one hundred° yards. On sounding the pumps, found the
ship was • making no water. Made signs and hailed
the boat, telling Captain Brewer of the fact that
the ship was not leaky; whereupon the boat put back,
and attempts were made to get to the ship. When coming
alongside a back sea filled and swamped the boat. Imme-
diately the life boat buoys and a number of spars and ropes
were thrown to the struggling crew, but to no effect ; they
were all drowned. Finding himself left in command of the
ship he ordered all the spars and rigging to be cut away
and cleared, when he made up his mind, for the safety of
the .ship, to bear up for Valparaiso. From the time of
the collision the passage was made in forty days, under
foresail spanker and mainsail. The remainder of the crew
on board are —Mr. William (third mate), Thomas Howard
(carpenter), Joseph Taylor (A. 8.), Robert M'Clear (A.B. ,
John Anderson (apprentice), Joseph Brewer (ordinary ~
Charles Fannall (steward), the Doctor, Mr. Preston (purser ,
and William Wood (cook). On arriving at Valparaiso applied
to the Consul for advice, and had a survey held on the ship
by the port surveyor, his assistant, and another carpenter,
who report the state of the ship to be as follows :
' Found the cutwater, figure-head, upper part of the stein and
apron Knightheads, heads of 11 bow timbers, seven beams
of topgallant forecastle, and two knees of the same, hawse
pieces, the whole of the topgallant forecastle deck ends, and
part of the deck, part of the maindeck ends, two main-
deck ends, one breasthook, bowsprit bitts, both catheads,
solid work and bulwark round the bows, one iron anchor
stock, 11 iron stanchions, plates and chains round the top-
gallant forecastle, two skylights, 86 feet of main rail, 126
feet of topgallantrail, six topgallant stanchions, and two
gangway boards, afterpart of fore channel, one chain plate
30 feet of mainrail batten, 20 feet of poop rail, five sockets
for iron stanchions round the poop, lost, broken, and other-
wise destroyed; bowsprit and jibboon, with all the gear
and sails attached, including bowstay, bowsprit shrouds,
guys, and foremast gone by the deck, with all yards, masts,
sails, standing and running rigging attached ; mainmast
head gone ; also all the masts except the main rigging, mien
topmast, &c.; also two lifeboats, one pinnace, and one bin-
nacle lamp lost, gig stove, and other damage, &c.'" The
estimate of the costs for executing the repairs and the fitting
out of the ship has not as yet been made out, but he was
given to understand it would at least amount to £6,000.