The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-14 00:00:00

The National Shakespeare Committee.

Under this heading we must, if merely for the
good-humoured banter of the thing, put the follow-
ing delightfully comical report as given in the
pages *of Mr. Punch. A more perfectly truthful
report, in its way, we hardly conceive it possible
can any where have appeared in regard to any public
meeting that ever took place. In saying this, we ap-
peal to the recollection of anyone who happened
to be present on the occasion referred to. And we
are satisfied that those who were present on that
occasion will agree with us, after reading the sub-
joined report, that, exquisitely ludicrous though it
is, it is really and truly, hardly anywhere touched
with the exaggeration of a mere caricature. Quoth
Mr. Punch or his Reporter ;
Precisely as the clock struck four, the room being tole-
rably well filled, the chair was taken by an elderly gentle-
man totally unknown to any one present. Mr. Chick, the
energetic promoter of the scheme, was seated at the chair-
man's left hand, while a mild individual, acting as under-
secretary, was on the chairman's right, but in consequence
of being placed behind several large volumes, he was not
visible to the majority of the members.
The CHAIRMAN on rising, said that
A MEMBER of the committee here observed that he was
sorry to interrupt, but what he wanted to know was, how
that gentleman came to occupy the chair? (1-lear, hear.)
Mr. CHICK rose to explain. He begged to say that since
the last meeting, ho had come to the unanimous resolution
of electing himself secretary, and that he now, of course,
held that position. In discharge of the duties of this office,
he had received and answered several letters from various
influential personages in the United Kingdom, who had
expressed themselVes favourably with regard to the present
national movement. Also, in bearing this onerous but
cheerfully self-imposed burden, he had had the pleasure of
calling on a few of his friends, whose mimes he would now
read to them : the Duke of Turnham Green,
His Grace the Duke of Kennington,
The Marquis of Islington, with whom he had spent an
hour or so at luncheon.

Lord Eletant-and-Carcel, who expressed himself in the
strongest terms possible of admiration—(hear, hear)—for
him personally, Mr. Chick—(disapprobation),
His Excellency Karat Sing, Ambassador from the Un-
discovered Islands of the Pacific,

The Earl of March and April, to whom he Mr. Chick,
had been lately introduced, and was proud to acknowledge
as his dearest friend.

Mr, CHICK was proceeding to read a long list of his aris-
tocratic acquaintance, dividing them into five classes, i.e.,
Those whom he knew well; those with whom he was on
speaking terms ; those who knew him well, but were not on
speaking terms; those whom he knew by sight ; and the
remainder consisted of those whom he wanted to know,
when-

Mr. Mivms interrupted. He (Mivins) didn't want to
hear the self-glorification of Mr. Chick. (Order, order—
Hear, hear—Chair.) He pressed the original question-
-Who was that elderly person in the chair ? (Hear, hear
—Order.)

Mr. Citicx, in explanation, said, that the inhabitants of
the county of Surrey had at first contemplated the celebra-
tion of a distinct Festival in honour of Adam, founding their
right on the existence of a small colony, not far from Rich-
mond, entitled Ham, which they asserted, could trace an
unbroken descent from the Noachian era. Mr D'Hummy
was the President of the Ham Council; that distinguished
body, so far from opposing the National plan, had sent in
their adhesion to it, and he (Mr. Chick) felt sure that he
had done nothing but carry out the wish of every well.
wisher of the present Great Festival,in electing, on his own
responsibility, to the office of their chairman, the late anta-
gonistic President, Mr. D'Hummy.

Mr. D'HummY (on being nudged by Mr. Chick), rose
and said—Ladies and Gentlemen—l mean Gentlemen—
the—um—present occasion—is one—on which you—that is
I—(Hear, hear)—and in fact the National Committee—l
must state, however, that I've come all the way from Ham
by the omnibus—

VOlCE—Better go back again. (Order! Chair !)

Mr. D'Humir continued—And being unaccustomed to
public—no—l should say, this sort of thing—(Speak up I
Order I Chair I) 1 can only remark that I wish—(here Mr.
Chick handed the Chairman a small piece of paper)—eh (
where are my spectacles ? Oh, yes, (reading what Mr.
Chick has written)—ah so—yes--thank you. The
Secretary—no, the Under-Secretary—(looking about)—l
don't exactly see where he is. (Here Mr. Chick attracted
the Chairman's attention to the Under-Secretary, who
em3rged from behind the big books.) Ah, how d'ye do,
Sir ?—then, yes—

At this point the Chairman, imagining he had done
everything that was necessary, sat down.

SEVERAL MEMBERS—What's the question ? What's
going to be done ?
CHAIRMAN (rouses by Mr. Chick, smilingly)—Oh yes, I
forgot to say that the Minutes of the former Meeting—l
wasn't here you know—will be read. (Hear, hear.)
The reading of the Minutes led to an animated discussion
as to whether they were framed in grammatical language,
and a good deal of language that was neither elegant nor
grammatical was exchanged. A Member proposed that a
copy of Lindley Murray should be provided for the use of
the meeting, and offered to go out and buy one at the ex-
pense of the Secretary.
Mr. Wicx.iNs observed that such a course was unprece-
dented.

The CHAIRMAN (rising)—What I want to say is, that
I've come all the way from Ham by omnibus—(Order,
Order, and cries of " Wickins").
Mr. WICKINS (angrily)—ls this proceeding to stifle dis-
cussion?

Mr. SPLUFF (rising and attracting the Chairman's eye
away from Mr. Wickins)—l ask to be allowed--(Order I
Chair I Chorus of " Wickins.") _

The CHAIRMAN (who has all this time been talking,
apparently, to Mr. Spluff, continues)—And I must say that
at Ham—(goes on talking inaudibly.)
Mr. Wickins (violently)—ls this conduct intended to
stifle—to stifle discussion ?

Here Mr. Chick plucked the Chairman by the sleeve, who
on turning and seeing Mr. Wickins on his legs, bowed to
that gentleman, and, after smiling affably, was about to
proceed with the dircourse, in which he had been jast in •
terrupted, when Mr. Chick handed him a slip of paper.
After inspecting the writing,
The CHAIRMAN (politely b Mr. Wickins, before sitting
down)—l didn't know that Jou were speaking, Mr. Wig-
gins.
Mr. CHICK, in explanation, regretted to inform the
meeting that Mr. D'Hummy was slightly afflicted with
deafness. (Hear, hear.)

Mr, WrciaNs—Sir, I must protest against being called
Wiggins.

Mr. SMITH said he was sorry to interrupt the last
speaker, but as a practical man—he repeated as a practical
man—he wanted to know what they were going to do about
the Adamite Festival. That was their object in meeting
together. They had been there for nearly three hours doing
nothing. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. WICKINS was understood to protest against being
called Wiggins.
Mr. CHICK said he would read to them a little poem that
he had just written in honour of(Hear, hear.)
—.....
he would read to them a list of
every Mar rr SC: ,Het
wy rhK
0--wQ.\\
sa
ehe
esl
dt
ti ohhnei
then,
I,name
to opear in public print,
commencing with those who had forwarded a guinea spe-
cially for that purpose.
This occupied about three-quarters of an hour, during
which most of the members left the room. At the conclu-
sion, Mr. Chick wished to know whether they'd like to hear
the names of several members of the aristocracy who had not
yet been asked to join the movement. This question having
been replied to in the negative, Mr. Chick proposed a vote
of thanks to himself, and moved that he should aot for the
Committee in the interim before the next meeting. This
proposal having been also negatived, Mr. Chick said that he
should do what he liked without reference to any of them.
Mr. Wicaiars—When and where do we meet again ?
Mr. Catcx.—Don't know.
Mr. WiciaNs—Don't care.
After this the meeting separated, and the amiable chair-
man went back to Ham for the omnibus.

A WORD IN ITS FAVOUR.
(From the Court Journal.)

—The National ShaksPeare Committee have lately been
drawing down upor_ their unfortunate heads a vast amount
of censure and abuse, and bade fair some few days ago to
become the most unpopular body of men in England. We
neither concur with those who believe in the total justice of
the severe remarks made by the opponents of the committee,
nor with the gentlemen who are so vigorously striving to
prove that they acted in the most courteous, modest, and
justifiable manner to the late Mr. Thackeray. In our opi-
nion the committee certainly wronged the great man who ,
has so unexpectedly been snatched away from us, while, on 1
the other hand, they have done their best, since Mr.
Mr. Thackeray's death, to set themselves right in the eyes
of the public, and to make amends for the fault which they
may possibly have committed in a moment of haste and
mortification, rather than of planned hostility. At any rate,
it is time that personal bickerings and accusations should
give way to the general desire to do something in 1864
worthy the rummy of one of the greatest men whose
genius ever adorned the literature of ancient or modern
times,
and that the names of Sir E.
The whole gist of the dispute lies in a mere nutshell. It
appears that the most distinguished authors, statesmen,
accountable opposition had
orators, artists, and actors have been asked by the commit-
tee to act as vice presidents,
three novelists who were
B. Lytton and Mr. Dickens wore both added to the list,
though not till some very un
been made to the admission of Sir E. Bulwer Lytton.
However, as two out of the
T
acknowledged to be the greatest 4 the day had been ap-
pointed vice-presidents, it was only reasonable to expect
thhaeci third,
already
been
that the committee
emwnotaukltedephocaoimebackeray. An invitation
r,07
asking him to join the ge-
neral same distinction upon
committee; and hero it Appears that the mistake arose
1 on the part of numy members, rho imagined that the dis-

tinguished author intended to slight their body, and forgot
that, as the invitation was in the shape of a printed cir-
cular, Mr. Thackeray would be very likely to overlook it,
or to disregard it as a mere matter of form which needed no
reply. When, therefore, it was proposed to make him a
vice-president, those gentlemen who shared this belief
voted against the motion, on the ground that he ought first
to have accepted the place of a member of the commitee.
Several persons acted, perhaps, from a different motive, but
on the whole there is reason to believe that the great majo-
rity laboured under an unfortunate misconception, and are
consequently not deserving of the opprobrium and the
fierce attacks which they have had to er4counter from every
qaarter.

At the suggestion of Mr. Gruneisen, the committee have,
in the most commendable manner, carried a resolution to
the effect " that the general committed deeply deplore the
premature disease of Mr. Thackeray, and regret that cir-
cumstances should have occurred to prevent the enrol-
ment of his name in the list of vice-presidents."
This ought surety to have the effect of lessening the
public resentment, and causing the committee to be re-
ceived as the exponent and repr,,sentative of the country in
the national movement, to which all men must wish well,
No doubt it is not composed and constituted exactly as
might have been wished, but, nevertheless, the names of
Bulwer, Brougham, Dickens, Lord Stanhope, Gladstone,
and others are suffioient guarantee that the affair is not in
the hands of a selfish and petty-minded clique, as some
persons (from what motives we know not) have been
pleased to insinuate. Those who now endeavour to throw
obstacles into its path will lay themselves open to the im-
putation that their veneration for Mr. Thackeray's memory
is but a blind to disguise their personal dislike to several
members of the committee. Surely, too, our desire to do
justice to Mr. Thackeray should not be the means of pre-
venting our display of admiration for Shakapeare. It is
time that something should have been proposed, if not
commenced, for the day appointed for the festival is close
at hand ; and unless more good-will, unity, and activity is
displayed on all sides, England will be open to the reproach
that, while every country has done honour to its national
poet, she alone has neglected to show any mark of admira-
tion or respect to the memory of one whom the world
acknowledges as the greatest poet of all ages. If, too, it
should be added, this neglect was occasioned by the most
contemptible and petty squabbles of a personal nature, the
disgrace will, indeed, be doubly strong.

A ROUNDABOUT PAPER.
(From the London Review.)
(Not yet printed in the Cornhill Magazine.)

UPON POSTHUMOUS STATUES, AND OTHER IMAI3ES NOT

POSTHUMOUS.
(A. Letter to a young Literary Gentleman.)

A certain writer, I mention no names, my dear Bob--for
after a long interval I again address you—a writer whose
name you may possibly have seen affixed to certain yellow
covers of a work that shall be nameless, objected in that
mild and benignant way which so well became him to the
gushing enthusiasm of Poor Paddy, who wished to raise a
statue to King Gorgius the Fourth upon the banks of that
silver stream which fl Avs through the beautiful city of
Dublin. "My dear Public," that ill-conditioned and satiric
writer is reported to have said, "what is the use of raising
a statue to a man who never did a good action in his life,
who was debased, sensual, vulgar, and gluttonous ; whose
highest genii's was strained, absolutely strained, when he
invented a shoebuckle, and whose great mind was
taxed in endeavouring to make his coat sit
without wrinkles? No, my dear Public, do not
do so; choose your heroes with more wisdom; besides,
why are you so anxious to commit a superfluous deed ;
why rush into a work of supererogation? Is not Gorgius
fitly represented amidst the waxen populace of Madame
Tussaud's ? Is he not there in all his glory, strut, stare,
pink cheeks, coronation robes, flaxen wig—a masterpiece by
Truefitt—dancing pumps and all ? Gorgius was proud of
his foot, and the artist who stuffed him—for the Chamber
of Horrors, I was about to write, but I remember his Ma-
jesty is in a properly gilt recess—has been careful to copy
it." There he stands in all the majesty of real life, and
children and flunkies who are admitted at half price, my
dear Bob—only sixpence each—wonder and admire.
There—l declare if I have not let the secret out. Of
course, the ingenious public will see that the present pen-
man is the ill-conditioned writer. Of course, they will
nudge each other, and say, Ah I we knew his contempt for
the Georges. Well, I may as well make an open confes
sion, de me /abule narratur, I was ono of the non-contents ;
I think that the character of a people may be known by its
statues, just as the character of the Athenians in the days
of Alcibiades was shown by the damage done to the effigies
of a certain god, as we read in Plutarch. You will please
to mark the classical allusion and take it for what it is
worth. What I mean is that people should be careful about
setting up posthumous statues to the successful speculator,
the pill merchant, or the king of snobs. I, for one, did
once subscribe two guineas for —. But that fact shall
never pass my pen—no, never. But when I do subscribe
again, it shall be to one eminently great in Genius, Fortune,
Wisdom, and Service to his country. Of course, statues
to such men are, need I say, from the very nature of the
thing, perfectly superfluous. Great men who combine in
their life these four requisites have raised statues to them-
selves less perishable than brass and marble ; and, as
Milton says of gentle William Shakspeare of such a
sort—

One Law for the Rich and another for the

Poor.

SECOND E lITION.