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

THE SUN, LOls4 DON, SATURDA Y EVENING, APRIL 23, 1864.

SHAKSPERE,

(From the Times.)

Englishmen do not keep the 23d of April—Se.
George's-day—as Irishman keep St. Patrick's, and
Scotchmen keep St. Andrew's. The great champion
who slew the dragon is not much cared for, but a
large portion of the human race commemorates to.
day the birth of a Warwickshire boy 300 years ago.
Since he first drew breath ten generations of men
has come and gone, and the world has seen vast

changes—dynasties melting away, nations dropping
out of account, great conquerors crossing the earth,
and mighty empires rising out of the dust—new
literatures, new arts, new sciences. Since the world
began there are not to be named three centuries
which have made such a complete revolution in the

affairs of men or in the aspects of nature, and
which, reckoning not by time, but by events, are so
full of moment or so long in the account. Yet, in
all the ages, we cannot point to any man who, for a
mere human achievement, has been remembered
one century after his birth as the child born at
Stratford-on-Avon is now remembered after the
lapse of the three longest centuries in the history of
mankind. It is the son of a homely alderman whose
birth we celebrate—the son of a grazier, who was
bred among the cows and the calves; but his in-
tellectual work has raised him to a throne recog-
nised from continent to continent and lasting from
age to age.

Shakepere gives voice to every wave of feeling—

to every mood of the mind. He knowe all the pulses
of sorrow as well as all the springs of laughter. He
studied hate as well as love, and low appetite as
lofty ambition. Men and women, lords and com-
mons, fays and hags, he 'crows them all. Lands-
man and seaman, tailor and apothecary, are alike
to him. His revelation of the workings of the

heart is a ceaseless marvel. When the murder of
Duncan is discovered, Lady Macbeth expresses
her astonishment—" What, in our houses ?" She
is not like an innocent woman 'astonished at
the murder, but that it should have been

perpetrated under her roof. Is there anything that

can be compared for knowledge of human nature,
and consummate skill in managing it, with the
great speech of Antony over the dead body of Coaiar?
Similar examples might be quoted without number,
and will crowd on the recollection of every intelli-
gent reader. But Shakspere's perfect knowledge of
the human heart would appear cruel were it not
tempered with perfect sympathy. If no man has
exhibited so clearly as he the frailties of our nature
and our self deceptions in fancying ourselves better
than we are, it is a rare thing for him to make any
one positively hateful. There is no malice in the
ridicule with which he covers a fault; there is infi-
nite pity in the fate which overtakes the offender.

down, was held in the large room of the Town-
hall, a scroll, inscribed "We ne'er shall look upon
his like again," being suspended over the painting
of Shakspere, and another, inscribed "He suited
the action to the word," over the portrait of Gar-
rick. Over the entrance was .a transparency re-
presenting the head of Shakspere surrounded
with a radiant glory dissipating the previous
darkness. The speeches on the occasion were
numerous and long, the chief orator apparently
being the Rev. Dr. Wade, vicar of St. Nicholas,
Warwick. A public breakfast at the White Lion
Hotel, a large house in Henley-street, adjacent
to the birthplace, and a masquerade held in
a temporary amphitheatre erected in the Rother-
market were the chief amusements of the second
day, which terminated with a display of fireworks.
Garrick's Amphitheatre, it seems, had been erected
close to the Avon, but the Rother-market, which
looks like a large village green, long since destitute
of verdure, was again selected for the Pavilion of
1830. The wooden edifice of the present festival is
in quite a different part of the town, the chief en-
trance being in a nar-ow street called Southern's-
lane, situated near the church and the river. A con-
cert at the White Lion contributed the principal
entertainment of the third day, the musicians being
amateurs and members of Mr. Raymond's company.
The festival of 1827 is still recollected with
pleasure by the older inhabitants of the town,
and the pageant seems to have been exceed-
ingly well contrived. Mr. Raymond had already
taken a lease of the projected theatre, and
its opening was eagerly anticipated as likely to
prove a lasting source of amusement. Those san-
guine expectations were never realised, and, though
the theatre was indeed completed, and now stands
an unsightly edifice in Chapel-lane, not far from the
grammarAschool, where Shakspere is supposed to
have learnt Latin, it is rarely used at present for
dramatic purposes, and I have been informed that
an itinerant company, who essayed to make it a
place of attraction last winter, miserably failed.
Indeed, it has dropped its theatrical title, and, now
popularly known by the vague name of the " Shaks-
pere Rooms," is considered available for any sort of
exhibition that requires a certain amount of space.
Thus, on 1 hursday next, it will be devoted to a con-
cert of instrumental music and glees, which is con-
sidered of secondary importance to the grand musi-
cal performance which will take:place at the Pavilion
on Menday.