The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-05 00:00:00

THE SHAKSPERE TERCENTENARY,

It seems that the committee at Stratford-on-Avon
have got into a serious misunderstanding with Mr.
Phelps. From the correspondence which Mr. Phelps
has published (and for the insertion of the whole of
the documents composing which we regret we have
not space) it appears that he was applied to early in
December last to take part in the dramatic perfor-
mances at the festival in April next. To this request
Mr. Phelps accede:l, and on the 16th January he
received a letter from Mr. Bellow, on behalf of the
Stratford Committee, proposing that he should una
dertake the part of Itichimo in the play of " Cymbe-
line." To this proposal Mr. Phelps gave an indig-
nant refusal, and Mr. Bellew replied, offering to get
up "Macbeth," "Othello," or any other play of
Shakspere's that would be more acceptable to him,
except "Hamlet," the part of Hamlet having been
offered to another gentleman. In reply to this, Mr.
Phelps wrote the following letter, which we may
leave to speak for itself :

"My dear Sir,—l claim the right, upon the follow-
ing grounds, to be considered the foremost man in
my profession in a demonstration meant to honour
Stiakspere. I have produced worthily 34 of his
plays, which no individual manager ever did before.
They were acted in my theatre 4,000 times, during
a period extending over 18 years. I acted to the
satisfaction of a large English public all his heroes
—tragic and comic—and to that public I shall
appeal, and publish this correspondence. The
Stratford Committee have insulted me by asking
any man in this country to play Hamlet on such at
occasion without having first offered a choice of
characters to yours faithfully,
" S. PHELPS.

To this letter Mr. Flower, the Mayor of Stratford-
on-Avon, replied, with a protest against attributing
to the committee an intention to insult Mr. Phelps.
That gentleman, however, still insisted on his right
to play the part of Hamlet, and as his right has not
been conceded it seems probable that Mr. Phelps
will take no part in the Stratford commemoration.
It is understood that it was Mr. Fechter to whom
the committee had allotted the part of Hamlet ; and
it is very much to be regretted that the personal
feeling which has manifested itself to so great an
extent in connection with the London movement,
but which we trust has now subsided, should have
been permitted to intrude itself at Stratford-on-
Avon.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

CARMARTHENSHIRE HUNT AND STEEPLE

CHASE MEETING.—TuuRsDAL

The County Members' Plate of N sow), added to a handicap
sweepstakes of 8 soya each. Four miles.
Mr Powell's Annie Laurie, aged, lOst lib .. (J. Pope) 1
Mr Powell's Ace of Hearts, aged, 13st 31b (in 101 b ex.)
(Davies) 2
Mr Holman's De Ruyter, 6 yrs, list 21b .. (G. Holman) 3
Mr Riddell's Carew, aged, 10st 31b (Owner) 4
Fenton and Mountain Lass also ran.

Betting-2 to 1 agst Do Ruy ter, and 3to 1 agat Ace of
Hearts and Annie Laurie, coupled.—Won by 20 lengths,
Bad third.

The Ladies' Plate of 25 sovs, added to a selling stake of
2 soya each ; selling allowances. About two miles.
Mr Riddell's Aunt Sally, aged, list 71b (Owner) 1
Mr Powell's Miss Nightingale, aged, lOst 71b (T. Davies) 2
The following also ran :—Cumberland, Reception, Ma-
genta, and Jack.

Betting-5 to 4 agst Miss Nightingale, 2to 1 agst Aunt
Sally, 5 to 2 agst Jack, and 5 to 1 agst Magenta.—Won by
two lengths, only two passing the post. The winner was
bought in for 106 guineas.
The Hunters' Stakes of 3 soya each, with 30 added, for
horses that have been regularly hunted; four-year-olds,
lOst 71b; five, list 51b; six and aged, 12st ; winners
extra. About three miles.
Mr Powell's Annie Laurie, aged, 12st 7:b .... (J. Pope) 1
Mr Lort-Phillips's Jack, aged, 12st 71b (O Stevens) 2
Carmarthen, !Ost 121 b (Owner) 3
Mr. Harries's Whisperer, 6 yrs, 12$ 71b.... (T Davies) 0
Betting-6 to 4on Annie Laurie, 2to 1 agst Whisperer,
and 3to 1 agst Jack.—Won by three lengths. Bad third.

A PRINTERS' CIIAPEL.—That a body of prin-
ters working together is called a " chapel," may be
amongst the things not generally known. The term is
derived, as those who have read the life of Caxton and the
history of printing will doubtless
.know, from the fact
that the earliest presses were set up in a chapel attached to
sonic religious Ip.use or monastery, then the general seats
of learning. The word has been transmitted through
many generations, and is an exceedingly pictorial one,
carrying the mind back to an age happily long vanished.
Fancy, however, must not whirl us away too fast
or too far. We must not picture to ourselves mullioned
windows, fluted shafts, and groined roofs as constituting the
atelier of the modern
.printer. There is nevertheless some-
thing highly interesting even in a modern printing-office.
The long room, the lines of desks or "cases" ranged regu-
larly against the walls, the files of compositors dippingtheir
nimble fingers in the little square type-boxes, the rapi-
dity and precision with which piece after piece of metal is
thumbed into the "stick," the consciousness that these
men in the white blouses aro agents of a tremendous power,
and are weaving words which will speak from one end of
the world to the other—all these thugs impress us strongly
as we examine the busy hives. The eldest man of the body
receives the honourable title of "father of the chapel ;"
though it by no means. follows that he exercises chief
authority over his oluldren.—Once a Weeks