The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-23 00:00:00

LIGIIT SHIP AT HOLYHEAD.

Mr. STANLEY asked the President of the Board of
Trade if instructions had been given to remove the light
ship at Holyhead, and erect a lighthouse on the structure
of the northern breakwater ?

Mr M. GIBSON said that instructions had been given on
the subject.
REPORTS OF FACTORY INSPECTORS.

Mr, F. S. POWELL asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department whether the reports of factory in-
spectors, as printed and circulated, are copies of those
originally sent in by the Inspectors; if not, what are the
regulations under which recision of those reports is con-
ducted.

Sir G. GREY said that the last instructions had been
issued about nine years ago, pointing out to the inspectors
that their reports should bs calmly written, and that they
ought to avoid any matter calculated to Iced to public con-
troversy. Since then there had been no occasion to revise
these reports. It would bs inexpedient to lay the reports
on the table, as the names of different persons were intro-
duced into them.
THE BRADFORD RESERVOIRS.

Mr. FERRAND asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department if Mr. Rawlinson, the Government
engineer, had sent in his report on the Bradford Reser-
voirs; and, if not, when he would do so?
Sir G. GREY said, from what he nnderstocd, Mr. Raw-
linson was endeavouring to make his report as complete as
possible, and that there would be no unnecessary delay on
his part in presenting it.

Mr. LIDDELL moved that, in the opinion of this house,
further interference on the part of this country in the civil
war in China is impolitic and unnecessary. The hon.
gentleman condemned the course adopted by this country
in regard to China by our interference in the military ope-
rations in that country, the object of which, he contended,
was to introduce British supremacy there, It was not his
intention to ask the house to pass a censure upon the Go-
vernment, although he considered their policy erroneous in
very many respects—but he wished them simply to join
him in the attempt to dissuade Ministers from continuing
in the course which was unprecedented in the past, and
which ho hoped would find no favour in the future.
Mr. LAYARD, after complimenting his hon. friend on
the ability displayed in his speech, explained the course
which the Government intended to pursue in reference to
the resolution that had been submitted to the house. As
he (Mr. Layard) was precluded from moving the previous
question, he should move that the Speaker do leave the
chair. If the resolution were carried, and sent to China,
together with the debates upon it, disastrous consequences
would ensue. The hon. gentleman proceeded to sketch the
history of our commercial intercourse with China from its
commencement until the signing of the celebrated treaty of
Tien-Tsin, or Pekin, which was the most important instru-
ment entered into by England with any Eastern nation.
It had caused a great change in the state of cur relations
with China, and had put an end to the chronic state of
war which had previously existed. Our great difficulty
lay in restraining our consuls and other officials, who,
having been brought up in the old school, were in the habit
when a grievance arose, of insisting upon immediate redress
without referring the matter to headquarters. But it now
appeared, from the papers which had been laid upon the
table, that Sir F. Bruce had succeeded in almost every case
in keeping the consuls under due restraint. In all the sea-
ports which were thrown open to our commerce by the
treaty of Tientsin, the English had the benefit of es-ter-
ritorial jurisdiction. They lived in separate quarters from
the Chinese, and were exempted from the law of China. As
to the Taepings, they were marauders and plunderers con-
nected together, as everybody now admitted except the hon.
member for Aberdeen (Col. Sykes). Well, these Taepings
came at last to the neighbourhood of Shanghai, and repre-
sentations were addressed to her Majesty's Government,by
the Chamber of Commerce of Shanghai to send troops
there—and he would ask the house, if notwithstanding
those representations, and notwithstanding the statements
of their diplomatic agents in China, her Majesty's Govern-
meta had declined to send the troops, would they not have
been deserving of the strongest censure ? If assistance had
not been given the Taepings would have entered Shanghai,
and the result would have been an immense loss of life and
property, There were three courses open to her Majesty's
Government—to leave Shanghai :to be defended by the
Chinese, to defend it with English troops, or to allow Eng-
lish officers on half-pay to aid the Chinese Government in
disciplining their soldiers and sailors. Of these three courses
her Majesty's Government thought the last the most con-
venient one to adopt. The hon. member had referred to the
30-miles' radius, and said that it had been exceeded ; but
he was prepared;to show the house that the 30.miles' radius
was a military question, which had been resolved upon
after due consideration at the recommendation of ,Admiral
Hope, Brigadier Savory, and other naval and military
authorities in China, and that positive orders were given
that .it should not be exceeded by troops in the service
of her Majesty. This radius of 30 miles only applied to
the two treaty ports of Shanghai and Ningpo, and it
would entirely depend upon military considerations whether
or not it would be applied to other treaty ports. It was
true that in one instance Gen. Brown deemed it necessary
to exceed the 30 miles' radius, but nevertheless the order
was adhered to that the limit should not be exceeded.
After taking the advice of Sir F. Bruce, orders in council
wore issued enabling English officers to enter the service
of the Chinese Government. With regard to the massacre
at Soochow, it was impossible to avoid condemning the
barbarity committed by the Futai, but later accounts which
appeared in the China Mail showed that it had been very
much exaggerated. After reviewing all the circumstances
of the case, he was inclined to take a favourable view of
the course pursued by Major Gordon, an officer of whose
ability and discretion he entertained a very high opinion.
Placed in a position of groat difficulty, and deceived by the
Futai, he had to consider what course was best to take, and
it seemed to him that if he had quitted his post the troops
would have gone over to the Taepings, and a dreadful mas-
sacre would have ensued. In consequence of the repeal of
the order in council Major Gordon was no longer in the
service of the Chinese Government. The hon. gentleman
then referred to the breaking up of the flotilla in conse-
quence of the Chinese Government having refused to ac-
cept the services of Captain Osborn and Mr Lay ; and after
defending the character of Captain Osborn from the taunts
of Mr Goldwin Smith and other writers, ho said that the
stores and ammunition supplied by this country were paid
for with the exception of a balance of about £3,000, for
which there was sufficient security, With regard to Mr.
Lay, it seemed that he exceeded his authofity, but he was
a man of large views, and had large ideas as regarded
China. (Laughter.) Mr Lay's idea was that he might
introduce civilisation into China, and reform the Chinese
revenue ; and, looking at what he had effected in three or
four years in the revenue department of China, he (Mr.
Layard) maintained that it was impossible to resist the
conviction that he was a man of great power. The policy
or her Majesty's Government in China was to avoid all in-
terference in the civil war as long as it did not approach the
treaty ports—ncr to meddle with the interior of the
country. The object of accomplishing that 30 miles radius
was to defend the treaty ports, and not to take part in the
civil war. And had their policy in China been successful ?
The enormous increase in the British and foreign trade
with China—an increase even exceeding that detailed by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to our imports
and exports at home—was the best proof that it had. Had
the Taepings been permitted to enter the treaty ports, and
had all that vast trade been cut off, how great would have
been the responsibility of the Government I There was
not a respectable merchant who would not be horrified at
the notion of our policy being reversed. That policy had
likewise been approved by the representatives of America,
France, and Russia, and they had expressed their opinion
that the employment of the fleet under Captain Sherard
Osborn bad proved most useful. No Government could
take upon itself to overturn the marvellous results which
had been brought shout in China, and therefore he would
move that the Speaker do now leave the chair,
Mr. W. E. FOE STER said that the question really
befor the house was whether the Government were to be
sanctioned in continuing their interference for the purpose
of putting down the Taeping rebellion, and that question
the Under Secretary had not attempted to answer. He com-
plained of their policy that it had not only not been right
with regard to China, but not fair towards the house; and
condemned our recent operations against the Taepings as
a species of buccaneering. Captain Sherard Osborne, how-
ever, had acted nobly in returning home. He had resisted
all temptations, and thus saved ministers from consequences
such as they would have rued for years to conic. With re-
gard to protecting the treaty ports and our treaty rights,
he should like to knew whether the capture of Soochow,
which was accomplished chi, fly through the assistance of
British officers, was necessary. In looking back upon the
history of the past, it was impossible to deny that we had a
good deal to do in creating the anarchy now prevailing in
China. The end of this policy would, he feared, be to throw
another Chinese war on our hands and oblige us to effect
the conquest of the country.

Mr. FERRAND denounced the policy of successive Whig
Governments with regard to China as unjust, cruel, and
dishonourable, and declared that, however cruel Russia
might have been in Poland, or Austria and Prussia at this
moment in Denmark, the conduct of England as a nation,
acting under the direction of Lord Palmerston, had been
ten times worse.

Tne hon. member was continuing his speech, when the
house was counted out at a quarter past 8 o'clock,

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See Shylock, and note how we pity him as he goes
out of sight a ruined man—roft of his vengeance, of
his ducats, of his child, half rat of his religion.
The tender memory of his Leah, which makes the
loss of the turquoise she gave him when he was a
bachelor one of his sharpest tortures, imparts a
touch of softness to his character; and the revenge
for which he thirsted is palliated by the strong
provocation of a Jew who has feelings like other
men, but is treated as if he had none. Or, again,
take Lady Macbeth, and remember how she herself
could ❑ot imbrue her hands in Duncan's bleed.
"Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I
had done't." She, too, has the tender part in her
❑ature, and with all her cruel ambition has the family
affections strongly developed. Not only has she a
warm place in her heart for the memory of her
father, " she has given suck, and knows how tender
'tis to love the babe that milks her ;" all her fierce
ambition is inspired by devotion to her hu3band,
and at last the mind of this strong woman gives way
in the contemplation of her guilt, her higher nature
gets the mastery, and she dies in an agony of re-
morse. Or, yet again, take Ingo, than whom in the
whole range of Shakspere's characters there is not
a more hateful villain. Shalispere never, like
other dramatists, paints gratuitous villainy, and in
always suggesting a strong motive he mixes mercy
with reprobation. Ingo, it must be observed, is
labouring under the impression that the Moor had
been too intimate with his wife Emilia,

-- the thought whereof
Doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards,
And nothing can or shall content my soul,
Till I have evened with him, wife for wife.

So the worst villain gets the benefit of a doubt in
his favour and is always justly treated. In Shak-
spere's view of human vice and frailty there is indeed
hardly any satira. It is only in" Trialus and Cres-
sida" that the scornful view of life is fully presented,
and certainly nothing can be more scornful than the
view there presented of love without purity, of war
without dignity, and of society all destitute of truth.
But such a view as this is quite exceptional in Shak-
spere, unless we add to it the misanthropy of Timon,
which, after all, is not of a kind that makes the pie
ture of life hideous. We may go through play after
play and we still End this, that whereas when Shak-
spere rose to his height he took sad desponding
views of human life, saw the earth but as a football
of the gods, and the human race as but the dust on
its surface, he never mixed with this view an
unkind judgment of man, he never separated him-
self from his fellows, he was a partaker of their
sins and follies, sorrowed in t heir sorrow, and re-
joiced in their joy.
Shakspere's art too of expressing his idea, or of
making it felt, was beyond that of any man who ever
lived. He puts his idea before us, or suggests it
with immense ease. It was usual among the French
critics to speak of him as a splendid barbarian and
an inspired idiot; but in ail French or any other
art there is to be found nothing like the power
which Shakspere displays of bringing all the rays
of thought into a focus, and concentrating light
in a word, in a character, in a scene, or in a whole
play. Other writers spread out their ideas, divide
their forces, and are content to make a single
effect in one play. Sir John Vanbrugh provides
us with as good an example as we need. In one of
his playa he has Lord Foppington—one of the most
celebrated representations of a dandy. In another
comedy he has Lady Fanciful, the feminine coun-
terpart of Lord Foppington. The lord is the cen-
tral figure of the one and the lady of the other.
This is precisely as if Shakspere had put Benedick
in one play and Beatrice in another. It is the very
opposite of his method. He would not have wasted
two plays on one idea, but would have worked both
Lord Foppington and Lady Fanciful into one drama,
where we should see the dandy of every shade and
degree. Thus in the most popular of his tragedies,
if tee undertakes to show us the mock madness, or
what some think the half-madness of Hamlet, he
takes care to let us see it in contrast and compari-
son with the perfect madness of Ophelia, with the
irrationality of the gravediggers, and with the over-
wisdom of Polonius. So if Lear is to stand forth
another madman, his mental aberration is put into
comparison with the assumed madness of Mad Tom
and with the mother-wit of the poor fool. Not only
does he bring varieties of the same class of charac-
ter thus into close relationship, he loves to present
the same idea in double lights. The play of "King
John" turns upon a question of primogeniture. It is
a question to be seriously determined between King
Jain and Prince Arthur. Shakepere begins the play
by discussing the law of primogeniture from a
comic point of view, and raising a question as to
the rights of the bastard Falconbridge. This may
not be conscious art ; if the French choose to call it
nature they are free to do so. We know not what
to call that organic force in nature which produces
in the leaf and in the frpit of a tree the same form
which we see in flower, in stamen, and in pistil.
The morphology of plants shows us the same type
of structure pervading every member of the plant;
and in the works of great art we may detect a like
morphology. By some inherent force, call it art,
call it nature, the parts repeat each other, and the
whole is a repetition of the parts.
Language is perhaps the most wonderful part
of Shakspere's art, and his dominion over language
is perhaps the great miracle in literature, At least
it is in this region of his art that his power is most
understood. We have not all attempted to draw
characters and to construct plays so as to under-
stand by experience how rare is the mystery which
Shakspere has attained in this way. But we all use
words and know the difficulty of finding forcible
and felicitous expression for our ideas. Shakspere
at all times
gay() to his thoughts not only the most

fit, but also the most beautiful, the most rich, the
most rare expression. His phrases have come to be
our household words. Whenever we want an ex-
pression more than usually suggestive, we turn to
his pages and borrow from his treasures. Perhaps
the most curious thing about his style is that though
it is remarkably florid, and though floridity com-
monly implies excess of ornament, there is seldom
any sense of excess in his language, and we accept
all his luxuriance of diction as most apt and neces-
sary. There are some styles, Goethe's for example,
which, however fine, burst but seldom into flower.
Shakspere's language is always in blossom, and like
the orange tree we may find on it at once the bud,
the blossom, and the perfect fruit. It is quite won-
derful to see how he combines intensity of expres-
sion with richness of colouring. The same sort of
phrases that from a feebler hand would read but as
masterpieces of literary agility—amazing feats of
words—come from his pen with a force and fire that
makes us forget their want of simplicity, and think
only of their intense meaning. There is no passage
more celebrated than the one in which Macbeth,
having committed the murder, exclaims in a passion
of remorse that all the waters of the sea cannot wash
his hands of blood—
" Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand ? No, this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green—one red."
Pertly because we are used to it, partly because of
the violence of the passion with which it is instinct,
we lose sight of the extraordinary elaboration of
the diction here and forgetihow strangely it does
violence to ordinary modes of speech. The play in
it is so excessive, that any one who has much en-
joyment of literary form will be apt to think of it
as all play—whereas, :in point of fact, we for the
most part forget how ornate it is, and think only of
its weight of meaning.
These are the most obvious sources of Shakspere's
influence over us—an influence which renders his
the greatest name in literature. That the anniver-
sary of his birth should be held in honour is natu-
ral enough. If anniversaries are to be held at all,
surely he of all men is most entitled to the honour.
But, in the name of our country, we must protest
to all the world and to all time coming that the de-
monstration which this day witnesses does not pro-
perly represent the national feeling. We have the
greatest genius that the world has ever seen to
honour, and we give him the frankincense of our
stupidities, of bungling committees, and feeble dis-
plays. We have a hero —one of the least envious,
most peaceful, most sympathetic of men, " our
sweetest Shakspere" to remember, and our fond
committees pay him a tribute of infinite jealousies,
of interminable squabbles, and of selfishness curious
in its ingenuity. If we give little honour to the
celebration of this day it is not because we give
little honour to him who is celebrated. On the con-
trary, it is because we honour him that we refuse
to greet him with the idolatrous claptrap and the
ridiculous oblations of a false religion.

Stratford-on-Avon Tercentenary Festival,

STRATFORD-ON-AVON, Thursday Night,
As nothing is going on at present, and 1 have
already communicated all that is known with re-
spect to the future, I may as well resume my his-
tory of the past, enlivening it here and there with
the results of actual observation. Everything, I
should remark, is done here to facilitate the inves-
tigations of the antiquary. The Museum in Shaks-
pere's birthplace, which is the permanent attrac-
tion of the town, is exhibited by a lady, who
knows all about the things to which she directs
attention, and who thus stands in remarkable cons
crast to the tribe of exhibitors, both in England and
on the Continent, who hurry you past the objects of
your curiosity with the greatest possible speed, and
utter their descriptions in parrot-like fashion.
When you enter the sacred edifice you may remain
as long as you please, and are not likely to ask a
question to which you will not receive a satisfactory
answer. Similar commendation may be bestowed
upon the lady who inhabits Ann Hathaway's cot-
tage, in the little village of Shottery, and who is
herself a descendant of the Hathaway family ; also
upon the parish clerk who conducts the visitor to the
chancel of Trinity Church, and points out the bust
of Shakspere, as well as the ombs of the other
persons who are connected with his history. All
bear witness to the zeal and industry of Mr. Halli-
well, under whose auspices so much has been effected
to render a visit to Stratford profitable to the Shak-
sp(rian student.
The great importance attached to Stratford is
comparatively of recent growth. We have seen
how Victor, who published his book in 1771, men-
tions " a very small old house in which the great
poet was born," as if he were speaking of an object
equally strange to himself and his readers, and I
learn here that the general curiosity felt with respect
to Shaksperian topography:did not manifest itself
much more than 25 years ago, and did not rise to
its present intensity till about the year 1847, when
the intelligence that Shakspere's house was about
to be sold led to the establishment of a committee
for the purpose of preventing a piece of vandalism
that would have completely eclipsed the now daz•
zling infamy of poor Mr. Gastrell.
The display of 1769 was a spurt and nothing more
as far as Stratford was concerned, and to arrive at
the next Shatsperian event we must take a leap
of more then half a century, which will bring us to
the year 1824. Here I resume my history.

In April, 1824, then, a Shaksperian Club was
established, the members of which, nearly 200 in
number, comprised the most respectable inhabitants
of the borough. These determined to hold a Trien-
nial Commemoration Festival on St. George's Day,
which is likewise the birthday of Shakspere, and
this intention was first carried into effect in April,
1827.

The festival of 1827 lasted three days, at the first
of which (the 23d) a pageant such as Garrick
had projected nearly 60 years before, but which
weather did not permit, moved from the Guild-
hall to the poet's birthplace in Henley-street.
The committee of the Club, with Mr. John Mills,
the Mayor, at their head, and carrying their
banner, marched in fron , and was followed by a
procession in this order :—The Royal Standard of
military band, St. George on horse-
back,England, a
bearing a sword of the time of Edward
111., St. Gsorge's banner, carried by his Esquire,
the banner of the borough, Melpomene,
the Tragic
Muse, in a car drawn by four fiends—Lear and
Edgar—Richard HI. and the Prince of Wales—
Macbeth, Banquo, and the three witches—King
John, the Cardinal, and Falconbridge—Othello and
lago—Hamlet, the King, the Ghost, and the Grave-
diggers—Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Lawrence. Thus
was completed the tragic series, which was fol-
lowed by the banner of Shakspere's arms. Now
comes tae turn of Comedy.
Thalia, the Comic
Muse, it a car drawn by four satyrs, led the way,
and was followed by Caliban, Trinculo, Ariel, and
Prospers—Autolycus and the Shepherd—Touch.
stone and Audrey—Oberon, Titania (in a car drawn
by Puck and fairies), and Bottom, with the ass's
head—Ehylock and Portia (as Doctor of Laws)—
Sir John Falstaff and the two merry wives—
Henry V., Bardolph, and
Pistol—the Union F lag
concleding the whole. .
-- - - -

On reaching the house in Henley-street the pro-
cession halted, and Melpomene and Thalia, descend-
ing fron their cars, crowned with laurel a bust of
Shaksfere that had been placed on a pedestal. An
address in blank verse, written by Mr. Serle, then
of Covent-garden, was delivered by Mr. Bond, one
of the theatrical company engaged by Mr. Ray-
mond, who hoped that a day was approaching in
which Stratford would become an arena for the de-
veloptxent of histrionic talent. Indeed, one of the
objects of the festival was to lay the foundation-
stone of a new theatre. To the site of this projected
edifice the pageant now proceeded, and the stone
was duly laid, a plate with the following inscrip-
tion Leing inserted in the cavity
" Genio loci
Hoc Theatruin,
D. D. D.
Consocintia Shakspeareana,
Die Aprilia XXIII,
fatali Poet at,
A.D. MDCCCXXVII.
Stratfordia idcirco jubilante."

A vocal performance, the music from " Macbeth,"
followed the ceremony on the spot.
At 4 o'clock a dinner ,at ?ilia 200 gentlemen eat

The members of the profession to which Shaks-
pere belonged were determined to be first in the
field in celebrating the tercentenary of his birth,
and accordingly they gave a professional demons-
tration in the shape of a supper at the Freemasons'
Tavern last evening, when the chair was announced
to be taken by Mr. Benjamin Webster at a quarter
to twelve, Mr. Buckstone occupying the vice-chair.
About 400 sat down, among whom were Mr. Paul
Bedford, Mr. J. Clarke, Mr. E. Clarke, Mr. W.
Montgomery, Mr. Fergusson (the eminent surgeon),
Dr. Hastings, Dr. O'Connor, Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr.
H. Webb, and Mr. Frank Toole.

The chair was not taken until nearly a quarter
past twelve.
The CHAIRMAN rose gni said—Gentlemen, the
tercentenary birthday of Shakspere has commenced.
(Laud cheers.) Respect the hour, and behold the
great genius in whose honour we are aesembled.

Mr. Webster then unveiled, amid loud applause,
a bust of Shakspere.

The CHAIRMAN then said—" May good digestion
wait on appetite, and health on both." (Cheers.)
Supper having been partaken of,
The CHAIRMAN said—" For what we have re-
ceived may the spirit of Shakspere bless the meet-
ing."

The usual loyal and p.triotic toasts having been
proposed and duly honoured,

Mr. BUCKSTONE, who was cordially applauded in
proposing the toast of the evening, said—Gentle.
men, the toast I have been deputed to propose is
one that it will be your duty and your pleasure to
receive with every expression of delight, as that
toast is "The Birth of Shakspere." (Cheers.) This
day 300 years ago a baby boy was born, born in
that low-roofed room at Stratford-upon-Avon, on
whose walls thousands upon thousands of pilgrims
to that bumble shrine have inscribed their names.
The happy mother of that boy, while listening to
his "mewling and puking," never dreamt of the
immortality awaiting the little stranger nestling at
her bosom, never thought that that boy would not
be "of an age, but of all time"—(hear)—that he
who could then but murmur inarticulate sounds—
(uproarious laughter)—would live to give a poetic
and a lasting lustre to the English tongue it had
never known before—(loud cheers)—and bequeath
to England those imperishable plays that have made
our country's drama the noblest in the world.
(Loud cheers.) And when I look around me and
see this large gathering of English actors to com-
memorate the birth of Shakspere, I consider it not
only a glorious movement, not only one that has
never before been accomplished, but one that is an
honour to us all; and to see you thus united,
thus socially sitting together,: with no other
thoughts and feelings than those of goodwill and
kindness to one another, and all eagerly assisting i❑
a great celebration, I am reminded of one of the
verses of a song for Shakspere's birthday, written
years ago by my old and still unforgotten friend,
the late Latuan Blanchard, who there says of Shaks.•
pere--

"All his mighty mind was love ;
Yes—sure his pen was once a feather
In the wing of Noah's dove ;
It links us so in peace together."
(Loud cheers.) Now, gentlemen, let us drink
"Ilea Birth of Shakspere"—the birth of one who
was not only our great poet—not only an actor—
but, I am happy to add, as a source of comfort and
encouragement to our chairman and myself, he was
a manager—(laughter)-.-and paid his salaries—
(laughter)—a virtue which both of us have hitherto
strictly emulated. (Renewed cheers and laughter.)
And as a celebration like this may not occur again
for another hundred years, and as it is not very
possible that many of us will be alive then—(loud
laughter)-1 call upon you to honour the toast of
our illustrious Englishman to honour it on this
April morning—
" The hallowed morn
When Will was born,
In the spring time of the year"—
with hearty and joyous English cheers. Gentle-
men, "The Birth of Shakspere."
The toast was drunk with loud and prolonged
cheers, and was followed by the following sonnet,
written expressely for the occasion by Mr. John
Brougham, the music composed by Mr. A. Mellon :-
1
" What shall his crown be ? Not the laurel leaf
That, blood.• besprinkled, decks the warrior's head,
Who grasps at Glory, as Destruction's chief :
A living monument to thousands dead,
Bequeathing a vast legacy of grief—
Some pest-incarnate, fed with human life,
Born of Ambition or the lust of strife.
" In regal coronet shall we proclaim
Him Monarch? That would circumscribe his worth;
A kingly diadem would only shame
The kinglier MOUGUIT, whose realm is the whole earth I
Such petty vanities tut mock his fame.
Profane it not—he is all crowns above :
Hero of PEACE—Evangelist of Loy 1"
The piece was loudly encored, and was followed
by continuous cheering.
The CHAIRMAN said—Gentlemen, Mr. Alfred
Mellon is unavoidably absent, although nothing
would have given him greater pleasure than to have
been present to witness the approbation with which
you have received his composition. (Cheers.) Mr.
Brougham is present, and he has won half the ad-
miration. (Cheers.) Anything more beautiful than
his ode it is impossible to conceive. (Cheers.)
In answer to the unanimous call of those present,
Mr. Brougham came forward and was loudly
cheered.
The CHAIRMAN then rose and said—l approach
the next toast with a reverenee, I may say an awe,
at the dazzling mightiness of the subject, and the
knowledge of my littleness to propose it. This feel-
ing will, I fear, make my speech come from me as
birdlime does from frieze—will pluck out brain and all
—and leave a most lame and impotent conclusion ;
but my heart is buckled to the task, and I will
stand the hazard of the dio. Genius can only be
fully estimated by u kindred genius, and seldom

has genius been judged by its peers. It has been
said, perhaps, truthfully , that the works of Shak.
spore are his greatest monument ; but why statues
should only rise oat of blood instead of brains is to
me a paradox. If, then, his works be indeed his
nablest monument, what words of mine can do
justice to his memory when brass and stone will
moulder and decay, while his inspired poesy will
exist till doomsday. His works have been justly
and not irreverently called the Bible of literature,
and while the sacred book of Holy Writ solaces the
civilised world with heavenly love and hope, the
book of Shakspere fills the human mind in our
earthly piigrimsge with unalloyed pleasure and the
highest aspirations. His plays abound in the deepest
researches of nature and art, clothed in most elcquent
language, each carrying out a separate and distinct
moral, with philosophy looking into the remotest
recesses of the heart, but into the world of the future,
showing that he was not for an age but for all time.
His writings are rife with lessons for every class,
conveyed with most amazing and amusing power.
He makes no distinction ; and whether with play-
fullest wit or most serious argument, he teaches
clemency to royalty, humility to aristocracy, tole-
rance to the people, and duty to all. Shakspere had
a master-mind on all subjects, which is more than
can be said of any other man of any age or any
country, and a thorough knowledge of his works
affords endless food for conversation or reflection.
No profession, no art, no philosophy, no science but
may find an apt quotation in Shakspere. Even the
wondrous power of electricity may quote, " I'll put a
girdle round the earth in 40 minutes." Teeming with
those principles that elevate the soul of the poet to
the height of his genius, he charmed and con-
soled humanity by his art, fulfilling thus his
glorions mission, which posterity will reverence.
Many eminent men have attained, in the memories
of man, greater renown than any hereditary or
heraldic names can boast, but not ono has attained
the deserved distinction of the immortal Shakspere.
If it be true that men of genius die only in the
flesh ; if it be true that, after the cruel hour which
puts a term to their magnificent creations, they con-
tinue among us in the spirit—the work of enchant
ment for which they came on earth—we can say of
Shakspere that he will live to charm the present, as
he has the past and after us all future generations.
The kingdom of genius is the greatest inheritance
on earth, for what king ever sat in sach state as
Shakspers., who is enthroned in the hearts of all
mankind ? He has spoken of the divinity that doth
hedge a king. What divinity, then, doth hedge
our Shakspere ? I see assembled here the workers
out of his works to do honour to his memory. Could
he look down upon us it would add another joy to
his place above, for I verily believe had fate not
driven him within the walls of a theatre those
dramas which have such a world-wide fame could
never have sprung Minerva-like from his brain.
The practical knowledge necessary for such a task
could only be acquired by such association, and we
may justly feel proud that amid actors bis dramatic
genius had birth. Of Shakspere's self we know
little. The poet has done nothing to dispel the
night in which the man was enveloped. What
relations had Shakspere with his contemporaries?
To what political party was he attached ? To what
social fraction, to what philosophical or religious
sect did he appertain ? Oa all these points history
is dumb, so mysterious, obscure, so enveloped in
shadow has been the life of that g,Plorious being ; and
perhaps it is wisely ordained to leave these earthly
matters to imagination, which will endow him with
greater earthly attributes. However, if we are
to believe in " Shakspere's boys," the guardian
of horses became the pastor of men. He died, we
know, in ease and comfort, which is net the
lot of all who essay to climb the thorny steep li
of literary fame, for the crown of the poet is
often that of the martyr. Nations far and wide are
uniting to do honour to the poet of the world, for
as his writings are said to be for all time, so are
they for all civilised nations, present or to come.
Our hearts unite themselves to render a solemn
homage to him whose genius was stored with the
richest and most varied of inspirations. If the
spirits of the departed be permitted to revisit the
glimpses of the moon, let us hope his spirit hovers
over us now whilst we drink in solemn silence, our
hearts only speaking love and:adoration, to the im-
mortal memory of Shakspere.
The toast was drunk in solemn silence.

Mr. San tley then sang "Take, oh take, those lips
away," composed expressly for this occasion by Mr.
A. Mellon, which was encored and vociferously
applauded.

Dr. O'CoNNoR proposed " The Players' Art,"
observing that every actor present might be proud
of belonging to the profession of which Shakspere
was so distinguished a member, Might we long
appreciate the players' art, and might we long have
players to strut upon the stage to do honour to those
immortal plays Shakspere had given us. (Cheers.)
Mr. BROUGHAM briefly responded on behalf of
the actors present.
There was then a general call for Mr. G. V.
Brooke, upon which
The CHAIRMAN said that he should be delighted
to call upon Mr. Brooke to propose " The British
Drama." (Loud cheers.)
Mr. G. V. BROOKE then proposed " The British
Drama ;" after which the toast of The Illustrators
of Shakspere" was proposed and cordially received.

The company separated at a late hour:
The following vocalists offered the tribute of their
art on this occasiol :—Mr. Santley, Mr. G. Perren,
Mr. A. St. Albyn, Mr. B. Bowler, Mr. Fielding,
Mr. Barnby, Mr. Coward, Mr. W. H. Eburne, Mr.
Geo. Tedder, Mr. T. Distin, Mr. Aynsley Cook,
Mr. J. A. Shaw, Mr. J. Rouse, Mr. Bartleman, Mr.
G. Honey, Mr. J. Patey, Mr. H. Distin, Mr. W.
H. Montgomery, and Mr. Dswson. Mr. Benedict
conducted the part-songs and choruses. The general
musical arrangements were under the direction of
Mr. Alfred St. Albyn.

APOTIIECARIES'-HALL.—The following are the
names of the gentlemen who passed their examination in
the science and practice of medicine, and received certifi-
cates to practise, on Thursday, April 21 :—ltichd. Istance,
Carmarthen; John Edmund Gunning, Surbiton, Surrey;
Joseph Carter Neynoe Murphy, 75th Regiment; John
William Devereux Bath, Brunswick-terrace, Blackwell.
ST. ANN'S SOCIETY.—The annual dinner of the
Royal Asylum of the Society of St. Ann was held
yesterday at the London Tavern, the Lord Mayor in the
chair. The ordinary loyal and patriotic toasts having been
drunk and responded to, the Lord Mayor rose to propose
the toast of the evening, " Prosperity to the Asylum of St.
Ann." His lordship commenced by warning his hearers
that it was of very little use to drink the toast if they did not
come forward to support the very deserving charity whose
claims he was about to advocate, The Royal Asylum of St.
Ann was established as far back as the year 1702, for afford-
ing home, clothing, maintenance, and education to the
children of those who had moved in a superior position in
life, but who from misfortune had been compelled to cast
themselves on the generosity of their more fortunate
brethren. This great metropolis was acknowledged to be
the centre of the wealth of the empire, and as its chief
magistrate he was proud to say that it was also the centre
of its charity. The great city companies which formed part
of its corporation had often been accused of being fond of
indulging in social pleasures, but he would remind his
hearers that on such occasions they never forgot to help
their poorer brethren, who through force of circumstances
had been thrown into a less fortunate position than them-
selves. The institution in whose cause they were assem-
bled this evening had special claims on the charity of
those present, for none of them knew how soon those
who were dear to them might require its assistance and
support. The institution, besides affording to its pupils
the advantages of a very liberal education, was perfectly
liberal in its operations, none of those religious restrictions
being found among its rules which in the case of other
charitable corporations were found to be so irksome. After
what he had said he was sure it was needless for him to
urge the interests of the asylum any further. It had been
his lot on several occasions to advocate many charities con-
nected with this metropolis, but it was seldom he had done
so with so much pleasure as in the present instance. The
secretary then announced subscriptions to the amount of
only £6OO, a very small slllll for so deserving a charity.
This is, no doubt, to be accounted for by the fact that a notion
has got abroad that the asylum is possessed of large re-
sources, whereas the truth is that it is one of the poorest in
London, and almost entirely dependent for support on its an-
nual subscriptions. The healthy of the trustees, of the war••
dens, of Mr. Leeks, the energetic secretary, and of the other
officers of the institution, were then proposed, and the meet-
ing broke up at a late hour. Besides the Lord Mayor, there
were present Lord li. Gordon, Sir P. Van N. Pole, Sir F.
Aar, Sir R. Sydney, Col. North, M.P., Captain Claxton,
end many others intorestott in the charity,