The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-22 00:00:00

EVE.NTING EDITION.

DINNER TO MR. MACREADY.

(From the Observer.)
A grand public dinner was given on Saturday
at the Freemasons' Hall to that eminent tragedian,
W. C.. Macready. It is not three centuries since
ak►akspeare, in the humility of his heart, being
but a " poor player," expressed himself doubtingly,
-as not knowing how (much) he should. offend
in dedicating one of his immortal works, " Venus
and Adonis," to the Earl of Southampton, nor how
(much) the world would censure him for choosing so
strong a prop to support so strong a burthen ; to which
be adds, as a lower self-abasement—
... ..

" In every deep thereis a deeper still."
" Only, if your honour seem but pleased, I account
myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all
idle hours till I have honoured you with some graver
labour :" and little more than two ages have lapsed
since Prynn wrote his " Histrio Mastix' " the scourge
of players, when the stage and all its followers were
held infamous, being so branded even by Act of Par-
liament, as well as by public opinion. Yet here we
have, in the nineteenth century, a tribute paid to the
genius of an actor, whose respectability his very ene-
mies dare not question ; and a public entertainment ac-
corded him—an ovation which a hero might envy—pre-
sided over by Royalty, and graced by the presence of all
that is high in rank, great in name, and honourable in
station in the kingdom. It is, indeed, a mighty change
in the social condition of the class to which Mr. Mac-
ready belongs. Who shall say it is not for the better ?
and what man living is there who will grudge its deserv-
ing object his nobly-earned honours ?
The assemblage was large and most respectable.
There could not have been fewer than 400 persons
present. Among other noblemen and gentlemen of
distinction, we observed—the Marquis Conyngham,
Lord Nugent, Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer, M.P. ;
Mr. Sheil, M.P.; Mr. Bernal, M.P. ; Mr. Milnes,
M.P. ; Mr. Tennyson D'Eyncourt, M.P. ; Sir Arthur
Shee, Mr. Charles Dickens, Mr. Jerdan, Mr. E.
Blount, Mr. Edward Dowling, &c. &c.'
The cloth having been removed, and Non Nobis
sung,

The Royal CHAIRMAN rose to propose a toast which
he was sure would meet with a most cordial reception.
It ivas not neceesary to preface it with a single word.
He begged to propose " The Queen, God bless her."
His Royal Highness gave the toast with an emphasis
of which it is impossible to form any idea, and it was
drunk amidst the most deafening plaudits, which lasted
for some time.

The Marquis of CONYNGHAM then proposed " The
health of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, and
the rest of the Royal Family." Drunk with great
applause.
The Royal CHAIRMAN begged to return 'thanks
in the name of the Royal Family, and his own name,
for the honour done them by the way in which the
toast was drunk. There is not one of the Royal Family
that does not feel the greatest interest in the prosperity
of the drama, as well as in the well-being of the
country.—( Cheers.)
The Duke of SUSSEX then said—Gentlemen, I now
rise to perform a most pleasing duty, that of expressing
in your name, and with your approbation, our high opi-
nions of the merits and services of Mr. Macready—
(Great cheering)—and also the deep obligations
which we feel, and which the public owe him, for his
admirable exertions in the cause of the legitimate
drama.—(Renewed cheering, which lasted for some
minutes.) Gentlemen, I feel myself a great degree of
delicacy in coming forward on this occasion, inasmuch
as I see myself surrounded by men of the most eminent
talents in this country, and who, moreover, have most
efficiently exerted themselves in the cause and for the
advantage of the English stage.—(Cheers.) In
expressing my opinion of Mr. Mac ready, I think it
right to take into consideration the nature of his ser-
vices, which I should say are to be contemplated in a
two-fold shape—the first, the prominent figure which he
has enjoyed in his profession—the second, his position
as manager of Covent Garden Theatre.—(Cheers.) In
the first capacity his reputation is not only known all
through this country, but also beyond it, in America
and elsewhere, and when I add to the talent of the
individual alluded to as an artist the character
of a gentleman—(Cheers)—and an upright man, I
I think I convey in these terms the greatest compliment
which I can offer, or which, by your acquiescence, you can
confer.—(Cheers,) Gentlemen, the stage is an arduous
and an important profession. In entering into it a man
has to fight with a variety of disadvantages ; he is ex-
posed to every temptation—to forgetfulness of his duty
to society, and to himself—he is given up a prey to
anxiety, and he is the slave of vicissitudes ; this, more-
over, is accompanied by the circumstance of a most irk-
some duty, and a variety of other contingencies, which
I may not enumerate here under pain of being tiresome.
Any one who enters into the minutiae of the profession,
however, will agree with me, that when an individual is
found who rises by his own unaided efforts to the top of
his profession, he must be acknowledged as in the pos-
session of talent of no ordinary degree, and we must
give him full credit for respectability after having under-
gone those trials. If that individual be a man of sense
as well as a man of talent, his example teaches others to
eschew the follies which he has escaped, and to imitate
the excellences which he displays. It also instructs
them to have that compassion for those less fortunate
and less successful in the same line which should abide
in every honest heart, and which, I am perfectly satisfied,
has its resting-place in the heart of the individual whom
we are met here to honour.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen,
after having made this preface, I need not say that for
such a school the proper selection of a teacher is of the
last importance—such, gentlemen, is the manager of a
theatre. In the first place, he is the dictator of his
little world. His is the duty to see that those persons
who are introduced to the public through his medium are
men worthy of attention, and, from their talents and their
characters, fit to appear on the boards of this great me-
tropolis ; his, also, it is to see that the pieces performed
on his stage are suitable at once to the morals and the
taste of the community ; and, furthermore, to take care
that the interests of the individuals concerned in the thea-
tre, as well as those of the public, are sufficiently secured
and guarded against injury.—( Hear.) Laying down these
things as a principle, we have only to ask ourselves in
how far the exertions of Mr. Macready have conformed
to them since he has presided, for the last two years,
as Manager over the destinies of Covent Garden Thea-
tre.—(Cheers.) During that short period, gentlemen,
he bas succeeded in reviving no less than ten of Shaks-
peare's plays.—(Cheers.) Aye, and he has not only
revived them, but he has done more—he has placed
them on their proper footing as dramas as regards acces-
sories—(Cheers)—and has represented them in a style
and manner worthy of the illustrious author—a style
well calculated to inspire all that interest, and encourage
all that enthusiasm, which must ever animate all true
lovers of the drama.—(Cheers.) Besides this, gentle-
men, with the assistance of a distinguished individual
now present, he has produced two new plays, which have
merited universal applause.—(Cheers.) Need I say
that I allude to Sir E. L. Bulwer ?—(Hear.) He has
also been aided by Sheridan Knowles (Great
cheering) some of whose admirable plays he
has performed : he has revived, or rather brought
forward, some of the dramas of Byron, and he has
worthily played those of Sergeant Talfourd.—(Cheers.)
By great exertions, gentlemen, he has raised that
stage which is dear to us all, and has done for the
drama of this country that which merits the lasting ap-
plause of an enlightened and generous public.—
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, in doing all this, that distinguished
individual has not sought his own private advantage.--
(Great cheering.) He has not looked to profit ; be-
cause I happen to know that he has made a great per-
sonal sacrifice of his own income, and, moreover, that
he has incurred much additional trouble and very heavy
labour as well as loss without the slightest pecuniary re-
compense.--(Hear.) He did it, gentlemen, under the
impression—the laudable impression—that a good the-
atre might be obtained—a theatre which could be made
the vehicle of virtue and noble sentiments, and that it
was possible to procure an advantage beyond price to
those persons connected with the drama—the advantage
of regular payments, without being left to the dilatory
paymastership of poor or unprincipled persons, or to
their remedy at law in a case of bankruptcy.—(Cheers.)
The result was most successful.—(Cheers.) In the
first year the rent of the theatre was 5,673/. ; in the
last year 7,000/. ; all actually paid out of the produce
of the theatre.—(Cheers ) Other demands, also, he
paid to the extent of 3,000/. a year ; so that in these
two years, under his direction, no less a sum than a
little short of 19,0001. was paid for the rent and neces-
saries of the theatre.—(Cheers.) So much for the
success of this interesting experiment. I come
now to a still more interesting
.part of the subject,
one which affects the morals of the country at large
more than it does individual interests, I mean the
plays which have been performed under the
auspices of Mr. Macready, and the powerful and suc-
cessful efforts which he has made to create a sense of
i
rectitude and a feeling of propriety in the theatre
; an
effort, in short, which led mothers to attend it with
their children, and which encouraged husbands to bring
thither their wives. He has, gentlemen,
succeeded also
in this effort, and he has Convinced
the
public that a
theatre may be made the scene ofhigh intellectual
instruction as well as innocent amusement,
iieinstead
ooff
being the focus of idleness and folly—
t
profligacy and confusion, which it was accustomeda in
recent times to be considered.—(Cheers.)
hI
a of may
f 3 re eeganot
still further and say, that what once was a scene
moral confusion, the saloon of the theatre
under his management, made so innocuous to pro.ll
priety, so totally changed in its features and character,
that the father and husband may now walk through it
without fear of having the feelings of those who are
dearer to him than life itself shocked or offended.—
(Hear.) These things, gentlemen, he did in such a
wholesome and proper manner as not to shock the feel-
ings of the public. Therefore are we indebted to him,
for the revival of the legitimate drama, but
enjoyment of a delightful amusement, with-
-awback ; and through his means honest
amore likely to obtain sound ideas from.the
Al they would be by staying at home.—(Hear.)

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