The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-18 00:00:00

blind Father of Greek poetry would be a less ap-
propriate memorial than a temple. We give statues
to those whom we wish to immortalise, not to those
who are already immortal. A cathedral is the only
fitting monument that England could erect to
Shakspeare. The notion of a statue originally pro-
ceeded from a clumsy but well-meant desire to do
national honour to a genius whose art will make
the English language classical to all time. If it is
not too late to reconsider the scheme, it is to be
hoped it may be reconsidered in the interests both
of good taste and of art. Thousands of lovers of
Shakspeare will never contribute to such a plan, con-
taining, as it does, endless possibilities of ludicrous
failure and fiasco. Who is to choose the man to
make the statue ? Is it to be Sir Joseph Paxton, the
Lord Mayor, and Mr. William Tite, whose names
occupy so aaaepicuous a place on the committee, to
nominate the site, or are we to have universal
suffrage, the begot boxes to be held by Mr. Hep-
worth Dixon ? Before everything else, the public
naturally asks in whose hands so great a piece of
artistic patronage is to lie. There are many indi-
viduals who would use it well, but not so many so
well known as to command general confidence and
respect. It is in vain to summon the country to
follow without informing them definitely who is to
be their leader. Mr. Palgrave proposes to substi-
tute for the present unwieldy executive of the
nascent association a small knot of four or five first-
rate men, whose judgment may be trusted and who
are known for their genius and good sense. He is
right in believing that the present course will end
in disappointment ; and, if the association are wise,
they will listen to his suggestion. A decisive reason
for altering the constitution of the managing com-
mittee is, that they have begun with remarkable
energy to quarrel among themselves. Those who
know the way in which societies and associations
are got up, need not be surprised to hear it. Efforts
for promoting somebody's benefit, or for doing some
one honour, are usually set on foot by the nobodies
of various professions. The work is easy, and re-
quires no ability. Barristers without business are
very fond of promoting something. Second-rate
literary men have the same morbid wish to create
some sensation in the world. They are glad to look
forward to seeing their names in the advertisement
columns of the 2inses, in close proximity to noble-
men and bishops. The first step is to meet and
form a committee. The next thing is to get a few
illustrious outsiders to lend their names to leaven the
lump. This is plain sailing; for if the object of
the organisation be plausible, the illustrious out-
siders never refuse ; and noblemen are gregarious
animals and go together for public purposes in
droves. The management remains with the ener-
getic nobodies, while the great outsiders are used
as decoy ducks to attract attention, and to lend
lustre to the whole. This suits everybody, especially
the outsiders. It also affords perpetual gratification
to the virtuous promoters. They reap their re-
ward in sitting by Lord Brougham in council, in
being on a joint sub committee with the Archbishop
of Canterbury, or perhaps in fetching the Lord
Chancellor an orange when he is in the middle of a
speech to a public meeting. These are the gentle-
men who are usually so active in getting up asso-
ciations and demonstrations, and it is very natural
that they should begin to quarrel when once the
scheme is in full swing. The prominent members
of the Shakspearo Committee do not seem to be ex-
empt from the failings that are incidental to their
position. They have the passions of their kind.
The proceedings recorded in the papers seem very
much on a par with the regular proceedings of a
public meeting of shareholders in a railway com-
' pony. Everybody is dissatisfied with everybody
else—especially with the directors—and has not the
slightest hesitation in saying so. Votes of ceoaure
upon the managing committee are freely bruited to
and fro. Mr. Hepworth Dixon disagrees with Mr.
Tomlius, and Mr. Marston rises " to order " amidst
"considerable confusion." Mr. Martin attempts to
address the meeting in the midst of such manifes-
tations of impatience and cries of " spoke " that he
is completely " inaudible." Irregular skirmishing
takes place as to whether amendments are " reg° u-
lar " and whether Mr. Hepworth Dixon and his
coadjutor' have not taken too much upon themselves.
This is the national committee which is to do honour
to Shakspeare. Most of the speakers are utterly
unknown beyond their own clique, and some of those
who ore known are known to be second-rate in
their profession. Of the illustrious outsiders who
are so conspicuously advertised we see and hear
nothing. Like Essex, they know better than to be
there. The consequences of their absence are per-
ceptible. Already an unseemly piece of bad taste
has brought the managers of the concern into die-
grece, with respect to one great man who has sud-
denly passed away from us. Nor until a very dif-
ferent Directory takes the lead will the country
give the association any but the most; limited confi-
dence. The best advice to be bestowed on ono and
all of them is that the committee should purge it-
self. A self-denying ordinance is wanted. Those
whom the public does not know at all, as well as
those whom the literary public knows too well, will
do good service to the cause by retieieg into that
honourable obscurity from which they are right in
wishing to emerge, but crone which they are wrong
in trying to use Shakespeare as a stepping-stone.
Volere are those geetlerneu who ought ia so great
a manifestation to be acting as managers end seers-
•••aries ? Where is Monckton Milnes, the Dean of St.
Paul's, Sir C. Easi,lake, Lord Granville, Mr. Foley ?
Their names are on the list, but the reins do not
seem to be in their hands. They may rest assured
that the sooner they take the conduct of the matter,
the sooner the world at large will begin to interest
itself warmly in its success.
SPECTATOR.—Centenary celebrations are exotics
in this country. The idea comes from Germany,
and has been acclimatised in England by the enter-
prising speculators of the Crystal Palace. After. all
there is something to be said for a musical festival in
honour of Handel or Mozart; their music is
always charming to listen to ; and it may
be perrxmed with equal appropriateness on
one day as on another. There is, however,
something exquisitely absurd in the notion of pass-
ing a national vote of thanks by acclamation to
Shakespeare, and the projectors of this ingenious
schema seem painfully aware of the absurdity of
their own proposal. Nobody can suggest any mode
of celebration which is not either impossible or ludi-
crous. The original conception of the great London
Committee was to erect a statue in one of the central
parks in honour of the great dramatist, Whether
there exists any authentic likeness of Shakespeare at
all is a question on which opinions are divided, and
it is quite within the bounds of possibility that the
proposed statue, even if it ever gets beyond the hypo-
thetical stage, might be a likeness of some person
who bore no more resemblance to Shakespeare than
to Messrs. Coliyer or Halliwell. Leaving aside this
initial difficulty, we all know beforehand that such
a statue would be certain to be an eyesore and a nui-
sance. The Iron Duke at Hyde Park Corner and the
Guards' Memorial in Waterloo-place are quite bad
enough, without our disfiguring London with a third
and even more unsuticessful attempt of a similar kind.
Moreover, such a project would entail a large outlay
of money, and the public has remained utterly and
obstinately deaf to any appeal for money on behalf
of the Shakespeare memorial. One hundred thou-
sand was the first amount demanded, then twenty
thousand was suggested as a compromise, and finally
we hear of rumours that "a neat thing in stone"
might be put up for some twentieth part of the ori-
ginal demand. Practically, therefore, we may assume
that the idea of a statue has been abandoned, and in
default of that we are offered a performance of
shgleesperian music—whatever that may be—a
re presP.7trstion of one of Shakespeare's plays at the
two „,,tiogtal theatres, and a conversazione in
Westminster Mall, at which the characters of
Hamlet and Lady Macbeth are to be discussed
s of tea and sherry negus.
between the interva;,
The Stratford on-Avon Committee has not quite
equalled its London compeers : n absurdity, from the
simple fact that this body has a Rd't of faint shadowy
raison d'etre. The sole glory of Str. tford is in con-
nection with Shakespeare. In the words of Steevens,
" All that is known with any degree oe certainty
concerning Shakespeare is, that he was born et
Stratford-on-Avon, married, and had chit: siren
there, went to London, where he commenced actor,
and wrote plays and poems, returned to Stratford,
made his will, died, and was buried." If therefore,
the memory of the dramatist has a local habitation
anywhere it is at Stratford; and if the neighouring
gentry like to put up a monument to Shakespeare
in his native town nobody can object to their doing
so. This very reasonable proposal, however, is coupled
with a plan that all the Hone of England, and every-
body who wishes to see the said lions, shall spend a
week at Stratford, in solemn contemplation of the
genius of Shakespeare—a plan which, doubtless,
commends itself to the intellect of the landlords
and lodging-housekeepers of the dull little War-
wickshire town, but is not likely to find favour
with the public. The amateur suggestions for
doing honour to the tercentenary are even more
wonderful than those put forward by its profes-
sional patrons. A tradesman suggests a commemo-
rative medal, to be struck, of course, under his own
superintendence. A correspondent to one London
journal proposes a gigantic monument on the top of
Primrose-hill; another wishes fora " boulevard"
leading from Charing-cross to Hampstead-hill; a
third proposes the erection of a new city in a thriv-
ing district to be called Shakespeare-town, and
containing Hamlet-street, Verona-crescent, Romeo-
square, and soon. Finally, a grave public newspaper
recommends a general holiday, on the idea that
admiration of Shakespeare's genius will thus
be diffused amidst our working classes, just as
loyalty is implanted in the hearts of our school
boys by an Cl'Lrtl week's vacation on the occasion
of a royal Anarriage. Tilt) manner iu wldeil the

idea has been worked out so far is on a p
innate allsnrdity. We have no wish to e rater the
merits of the various squabbles in whic' the Lon-
don Shakespeare Committee hasbeen involved during°
its short and inglorious career ; we look. simPlY
the facts patent to the w0r1.1., without t;o aching °
9,r saithi a
the internal history of this anasuccessfait agit:
,11 of more sheer;
Four hundred and odd gentlemen, forraeon.
less rank, or position, or reputati:ln have
themselves in a society for the prop
Shakespeare's fame. The persons whc 'theto uos.ta_.
most apropriate Yankee phrase, form 'lck. l'4
beetles'' of the body, gave it their adhes.it- n' pertly
because they thought it the proper thing to exi rb-ta
an abstract admiration for Shakespeare, pal credit
cause, as men of rank, they rather liked the Tbe
agation
of being connected with a literary movement.
working bees of the organization consisted Of Pr`ta,
fcssional literary men. Now we have no viriu
say anything against our own class, and we believer
that, aa a rule, authors and men of letters are n.,;',"
so jealous of each other, nor so incapable of setl'o'r
together, as men whose profession is eithor law,
or
medicine, or theology. If any great princiPle„o,
human interest had been involved in this Shatt'o
eli
perian movement, literary rivalries and a alo
would have been at once forgotten by the genter
men who had undertaken to aid in its prosecutie"
Unfortunately this was not the case. With the ea;
caption of some dozen persons whose hobby 1
Shakespeare, probably not one member of the coo,
mittee cared a sixpence personally whether then
was a tercentenary celebration or not. It argube
no want of charity to suppose that the bulk Of tve,
acting members attached themse.!ves to them °l.ore
went with a view of bringing heir names be„rta
the world. In so doing they used a very nal'ing
and perfectly irreprehensible method of fid.vi'nfrch-cir
their professional interests. They giv,l i's-teto
names for exactly the same reasons that ,/larbr—doo,
join a society for the study of the law, or a' aof
tors subscribe to a testimonial for the disco veril'og,
some improvement in the art of he a`or
If, however, you give your guinea, or Soar
five guineas, as the case may be, Y°ll,tle
pect some return for your money ; and all the ge'.
ate
men who took an active part in what, by a delic to
euphemism, was described as doing honour a
Shakespeare's memory, wished to have their fief
names brought forward in connection with the' pio.
the Swan of Avon. Hence arose the various quarica;
which have amused the critical public, Their org'a
and nature may in every case be briefly deseriAbett
by saying that Mr. Septimus Smith considet-alt
extremely undesirable for his own interests this tie
Sextus Smith should take any leading share 'l3OO
proceedings, and utterly unreasonable that oa.'t!dati
Smith should even wish to do so. The result of
".at
state of things is that nine months have been Sa
in alternate phases of mutual admiration andAriTed
urination, and that the acting Council has prnei,
a report which the general committee has Mee,;{94
The ill-luck which invariably pursues unsuoeeote
enterprise brought the committee into an unfortan at)
dispute with regard to the late Mr. Thacker/tat
the very eve of the great novelist's death; 013"„nao'
result has been to throw an accidental and '''-dfof
served obloquy on its later acts. The "
Shakespeare are not, we suspect, likely to be giootl
fled by tercentenary festivities. Possibly the 'OO
that his works are to be found in every
library, that his plays are acted on every •F't/A°,oo
stage, and that no Englishman can speak 6 ",-tog
earnest sentences without unconsciously '111; far
Shakespeare, may console the departed geniu,te
the loss of a statue and a soirée at Westoo'
Hall.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

-A ---

NORTHAMPTON—SATURDAY. cod
We had a moderate show of wheat on offer at 01,,,re
market to-day, in middling condition. The trade tiled
ther quiet, and recent rates were not supported. at 181
little animation in barley. Oats and beans dillifflitetl
rates.—White wheat, 40s to 475; red, 39s to 428;
to ri
to —s per qr. Barley, 35s to 37s—grinding, .27
pe
Oats, 26s to 33s per 24 stone. Beaus, 38s to 41$.
30s to 385 per qr.

YORK—SATURDAY. t
There was a fair attendance of farmers at mark .s 4 vieei;
but the supply of wheat was hardly so large as Ted 004
A languid feeling in the trade, and buyers 01111016°
wants at currencies is per qr in their favour.
a sluggish demand. Oats and beans also slow. . ,cs to
Wheat, red 3Bs to 41s Oats.... ........ to
White do .42s to 46s Beans .......... mssto3o3
Barley .28s to 32s Peas ......... our,
Malt, 588 to 60s per qr.; rye, 30s per qr.;
to 32s per sack.

LEICESTER—SATURDAY.
at 01
We were supplied with a fair quantity of whe.ces icco
from the growers, but a dull demand, and late I)ll;toctidi
is per qr lower than last week. Barley was a 10,.. „eres,,,
—New white wheat, 44s to 46s ; :red, 44s to 45b pet
stone. Old red, 39s to 41s per 36 stone. Barley, old h
new, 32s ,to 35s per qr.; grinding, 27s to 295; I'
25s to 28s; new oats, 21s to 23s per 24 stone. 1,0
old, 408 to 428 per 33 stone ; flour, 28s to 32s Per 20
NORWICII--SATURDAY. beif4
Ot
There was a good supply of whee, but millers
et,
at all free buyers the idvance established lest we` g 9
lost. A fair supply of barley, and prices the sao ;1
this day se'nnight. Flour 6,1 per sack cheaper.,3sto,
White wheat. 44s to 46s lied wheat ...... • . rosto,,d'6l
Malting barley ...36s to 37s I Chevalier bar1eY...2.14, to
Distilling d0.....30s to 32s I Oats.. ..........fillet
Flour, 23s Od to —s Od per sack from 01°
of
NOTTINGHAM—SATURDAV• doe° e.
At this corn market to-day there was 'a fair 3t.e opal l:
ofrarsot,miasn4dlsthteo reduction s4hsos w; u
porofendW,htvhheeaetaaosas
f—Saarrevsehwristeear slow,ellwdh et*:et
Barley—malting, 30s to 38s ; grinding, 268,t0 •, id gt
old, at 24s to 31s Od; new, 19s to 258. 130326 6°
to 42s per qr. ; new, 34s to 365.

gat.;
GRANTHAM—SATURDAY. n
Old white wheat, 44s to 488; red, 39s to 4,VKP n ti)
new white, 40s to 4,58; red, 328 to 425. I\l9:—Jidt q. 16-
33s to 36s per qr ; grinding, 28s to 30s; 031',114t0
28e; new, 20s to 24. s ; beans, 38s to 40s; peas,

Foreign Mail Packet List.

0. ______
15'
MAILS DUE. JO' I%'Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton....";,lo3' 3,
via Marseilles ...... feb
. ' 'l9'
drazil and Cape Verds, by British pack.et. ....... pie' 15.
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. neletle';3,laPoS
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southarapto ,,a, '
via Marseilles . '' is.
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via SouthatoPi— 'J'
India (Bombay), via Southam;::2l.ll.7.e•ille ... .. ... ....raj. 31''
via Marseilles ........... .
Portugal.... ......
..... ~
..., ,
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via SouthaniptoD•'' If 1; ‘).
via Marseilles .. •' ' ' ..., •1 A '
Sewfoundland .............. •"' 0
..... .......
.....:jo,
Oporto and Vigo .• . ...... ot,. 4.
U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. P' Jot.' ' J l' '
by U.S. E,nscpaclo.t''osb, 1).
by Caned'''. .... 't.,b, la'
W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneritle ..... Jan'-t'''''
Bahamas, via New York ............. :5.
......... ... ...•,
Mexico..
All parts of West Indies, including shu" - )
California, and British Columbia. ...... • "'.
..........____..._________.
0(0
the 6 vre4'
The Belgian journals state that alzolg deo at alep
who attracted attention in the Zoological (31"°red Aytoc` ja
sels last week was an English gentleman iliaat of 1t fro 0
b
Among other feats which he performed was t 20 fee
over three obstacles nearly two feet high, planed t
0 tli°
each other. 06°11 efer°
A letter from Basle in Switzerland ra_
vot 0 00
the cold is intense there, the winter being Ito Offe, ,I,lt
000 ar
for many years past. The streams are all fr 0
00 to
the fields covered with snow. A man was ir oie.
at Neerbach; another at Avry; and a Chilli tl
..-- -
____----