The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-02 00:00:00

nently the nobler pursuits of literature and art ought to
be cultivated, it was that to which the appellation just
alluded to applied—(bear, hear)—and it was with the
most unfeigned satisfaction we should learn that the
patronage of art was not now confined to monarchs and
to nobles, but that the manufacturers of Manchester
and Glasgow, the merchants of Liverpool and Belfast,
felt as deep an interest in, and contributed as largely to,
the patronage of works such as adorned those walls, as
the highest in the land. (Cheers.) He felt sure, that
in rendering the thanks of those who had been invited to
that assembly, he might express the hope of all, that
this exhibition, eminent as it was, might yet be but the
precursor of others that might rival, and in time 'outvie
it-(hear)—and that so, rising as this country had in
commerce, it might not be behind hand in art—(hear,
hear)—a result which would be mainly assisted by that
institution, the prosperity of which he would take the
honour of proposing —namely, " The Royal Academy of
Arts." (Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT, in returning the respectful thanks of
the members of the Academy, would take the opportu-
nity of expressing their acknowledgments, and those of
the professors of the fine arts generally, upon another
ground—acknowledgments due; next to her Majesty, to
more than one enlightened Government. In November
last her Majesty, in the speech from the throne,
addressing the House of Commons, was pleased to
say that the advancement of the fine arts and of
practical' science would be readily recognised by the
house as worthy of the attention of a great and
enlightened nation. (Hear, hear.) As this gracious
recommendation was understood to have reference to a
scheme yet to be considered by Parliament, he need not
advert to it further, except to congratulate the friends of
art on so distinct a recognition of its national value and
importance. (Hear, hear.) In connexion with this sub-
ject he now begged to propose the health of the noble-
man at the head of her Majesty's Government. (Cheers.)
He presumed not to speak of the consistent public

anguished-

assembly that the name of the Earl of Aberdeen had
been quite as familiar to the lovers of art as to the politi-
cal world—(hear, hear)—and that even in early life his
lordship already occupied a prominent place among those
to whom we were indebted for a just appreciation of
Grecian architecture. (Cheers.)
The Earl of ABERDEEN, who was received with much
cheering and with great respect, said,—ln acknowledging
the honour which you have conferred upon me, perhaps
I may venture on this occasion to remark that it has
been my happiness for a great many years—very nearly,
indeed, for half a century—to attend these meetings
with scarcely the intermission of a single year. (Hear.)
During a great portion of that period it was my duty
and pleasure annually to return thanks for distinctions
conferred from that chair upon societies over which I
then had the honour to preside ; and, after resigning the
direction of those societies to younger and more compe-
tent hands, I very little expected to be again called upon
to perform this duty in the position in which I am now
placed. (Hear, hear.) Sir, I can only trust that the
interests of art will not suffer in the hands of my
colleagues and myself. (Hear, hear.) On the contrary,
we may perhaps hope, that by our earnest endeavours
we may be enabled t• contribute somewhat to assist its
progress. (Hear, hear.) A good beginning has already
been made, to which you have referred; and we have
only to continue in the same course. (Hear, hear.)
I think it is a circumstance full of hope and encourage.
ment, that for several years the public of this country,
in their appreciation of art, have advanced more rapidly
than the Government and the Parliament itself. (Hear,
hear.) I beg to thank you for the honour which you
have conferred upon me. (Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT next gave the toast of "Success to
the Dublin Exhibition." It would contain many novel-
ties as compared with the Great Exhibition •f 1851 ;
among others a gallery of pictures by the old masters,
including many perhaps but little known. (Hear, hear.)
The committee appointed to superintend the Dublin
Exhibition were probably aware that there was in Ire-
land a small marble statue by Raphael. It was brought
to Ireland by the Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry, and
was (at least a few years since) in the collection at
Down-bill. The subject, taken from zElian, was a child
borne by a dolphin. Two statues only were admitted by
the best judges to have !been executed either wholly or
in part by the hand of Raphael,—one was the Jonah in
a church in Rome, the other was the statue just men-
tioned. A cast of this statue existed at Dresden, where
it was preserved with great care, as it was supposed that
the original was lost ; but the original was still, he be-
lieved, safe in Ireland—(hear)—and it would, he hoped,
form a part of the Dublin Exhibition. (Cheers.)
Lord DUFFERIN acknowledged the toast, and said he
had every reason to believe that the expectations of the
success of this undertaking would be fully realised.
(Cheers.) He believed that, if possible, even greater
exertions had been made by foreign countries than in the
former instance to contribute to such a successful issue
—(cheers)—and to exhibit so unaccustomed a spectacle
as the wealth of the whole world collected together on
the Irish soil. (Cheers.)
d
as
sgttphrhTleeeeTainriLthedersiopedartstßdoilidEasai
Mayor"
captootyEifft:Nat`rnkrlyi
eunnfi.
iv! etrihitto:hwiwpseteiyrhodooin,opcp-fiiipii
nsooleudiotisweune London and
1):0eadl
fysnet
statues
xctytukphenlreseec:sb,hvsryenil
rea,tsgdl
ottg,
nihtiehaodoif
it was the intention of the city authorities to adorn the
of our principal sculptors.
Interests of Li-
terature," and selected for the representatives of the
world of letters the Dean of St. Paul's and Mr. C.
Dickens.

The Dean of ST. PAUL'S was ashamed to hear himself
announced as the representative of the literature of the
country in the presence of so many gentlemen of the
highest literary distinction. He could only say, that if
others had reaped greater rewards of fame and distinc-
tion, and the gratitude and admiration of their country,
he could vie with them in the true and genuine love of
letters, which had been to him its own sufficient reward.
(Cheers.) With the love of letters he had ever associ-
ated that of art ; and, if he might presume to speak of
himself, he might say that the first time he found bins-
self in print was as venturing on a poetical description
of one of the noblest works of Grecian art. (Hear.) It
was his privilege to live under the shadow, and be the
guardian of the greatest work of the greatest master of
the fine arts—helmeant the great work of Sir Christopher
Wren. (Hear.) He was sure he spoke the feeling of
all present in any way connected with literature when he
expressed the hope that the intimate connection, the
friendship, the brotherhood of letters and arts, might
ever be maintained. (Hear.) They had much by which
they could mutually benefit each other—reciprocal coun-
sel and advantage which they might bestow upon each
other. (Hear.) There were certain branches of letters,
all the imaginative branches, in which no one would
succeed who had not—he would not say some faculty,
but some high feeling for art. Without the faculty of
painting by words, striking out in full form the great
scenes of history, Mr. Macaulay would not have been so
great an historian ; and, if their friend opposite (Mr.
Justice Talfourd), and if Bulwer Lytton and Dickens
had not a feeling for art, they would not have written
such tragedies and such novels as they had. (Hear.)
On the other hand, art might, and did, learn a great
deal from literature. It had the noble forms of poetry
to reproduce in colour, the great scenes of history to re-
present in form ; and it had that one great book, which
was the true source and origin of all art, and which the
President had in this exhibition done his part in show-
ing to be inexhaustible. (Hear, hear.) He begged to
return the thanks of those included in the toast, and to
make over to Mr. Dickens the further execution of the
task. (Cheers.)
Mr. DICKENS then addressed the President, who, it
should be mentioned, occupied a large and handsome
chair, the back covered with crimson velvet, placed just
before Stanfield's picture of the Victory. Mr. Dickens,
after tendering his acknowledgments of the toast, and
the honour done him in associating his name with it,
said that those acknowledgments were not the less heart-
felt because he was unable to recognise in this toast the
president's usual disinterestedness, since English litera-
ture could scarcely be remembered in any place, and
certainly not in a school of art, without a very distinct
remembrance of his own tasteful writings—(cheers)—to
say nothing of that other and better part of himself,
which unfortunately was not visible upon these occasions.
(Renewed cheers.) If, like 'the noble [lord the Com-
mander-in-Chief, lie (Mr. Dickens) might venture to
illustrate his brief thanks with one word of reference to
the noble picture painted by a very dear friend of his,
which was a little eclipsed that evening by the radiant
and rubicund chair, which the president now so happily
toned down—(laughter)—he would beg leave to say
that, as literature could nowhere be more appropriately
honoured than in that place, so he thought she could
literature found, through their instrumentality, always a
hernowhere
t,o t b
ef feel
tae
r higherrats. gratification
felt n tnh et
bt it that be
e otubnd
at
new expression, and in a universal language. (Cheers.)
The toast of " The Interests of Science and the Royal
tbhye
Sir Pres-
ident
R.
Murchison.
Society"
of
ueHotnyt followedthe Society
a Sse c
theneiy
donea, ntdhe w
Ear]atso acknowledgede
ayn by f
ries ; " and its President, Lord Mahon, M.P., rendered
the thanks of that association.
The next toast was "The British Institution," to which
Society Antiqua-
ries
the Marquis of Lansdowne responded.
The health of the noblemen and gentlemen who occa-
sionally open their galleries and works of art to the
public was then given as the last toast ; but
company would His
drinking the health of the President. (Cheers.)
The Earl ofAllwißßsDh
and critical knowledge of art must be
profound learning
on this occasion
valued highly by all ; and his urbanity
demanded also recognition and acknowledgment.
EEnNotrotsoe, laenadv e said
h the e
tablewas sure
et
cheers.)
d honour. There was a poet of antiquity
this unexpected
—the lame Tyrtfeus—who though unable to enact well
the part of a soldier himself, was still allowed to place
The PRESIDENT said he was somewhat oppressed s seLd by
himself in the van of the Spartan armies, and by the
spirit which he infused into them he more than once led
them to victory. In zeal and in the desire to see others
successful, he would willingly resemble Tyrtmus. (Much
cheering.)
After this toast, thus acknowledged, the party broke
up.