The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-31 00:00:00

MR. CHARLES KEAN'S VASE.

Yesterday the admirers of Mr. Charles Kean gave a dinner to that
gentleman in the saloon of Drury-lane Theatre. The dinner was
merely the preliminary business of the evening, the principal object of
the meeting of the company being to express their aerairation of the
talents of Mr. Charles Kean, and to present him with a splendid silver
ease, in testimony of the 'eigh respect which they felt for his worth,
arid for the services his exertions had rendered to thelegitimate drama
a the country. A little before seven o'c'ock upwards of 130 gentle-
Zen connected with theatrical pursuits and dramatic literature sat
etowte to a very splendid dinner. From the bceuty of tee decorations
6! the room, and the excellency of the ♦iands, it might be called a
banquet. P.esides the Marquis of Clanricarde, who prcsid,d, there were
present, Lords A. Paget, Loftus, and Suffield ; Norman. Macdonald,
Esq. (private Secretary to Lord Morpeth) the Hen. Fitzroy Stanhope,
the Hon. Mr. Ponsonhy; Colonel Blake, Captain Burton, Messrs. Platt,
Brown, M.P., Cox, W. P. Matthews, &c. The musical arrangements,
as might be anticipated, were of tl,e very highest degree of excellence.
in addition to all the instrumental and vocai tent of the establishment
of the Theatre, Messrs. Giubilei, Templeton, Ilalfe, Anne.een, T. Cooke,
&c. Messrs. Robinson and many ethers were in attendance, and ieZle
very delight:La glees and other appropriate mnsic were performed.
Upon the remove I of the cloth, the Non nobis having been splendidly
executed by the whole of the vocal corps,
The CHAIRM S N gave " The Queen, the patroness of alt the fine arts,
and more particularly the drama."
This toast was drunk with tumultuous applause, and the national
song, " God sere the Queen," was sung by the whole vocal strength in
the room, the company joining in the choruses.
The Cireisoreer then gave " The Queen Dowager," which was re-
Caved with great applause, and followed by an appropriate glee.
Tile next toast was, " The health of Mr. Charles Kean."—(Tremen.
dous applause for many minutes.)
Silence having at length beets obtained, the Noble CHAIRMAN pro-
ceeded to explain to Mr. Kean and to the company the more immediate
business for which they were met together. His Lordship regretted
that the ab'cnce of Lord Morpeth had imposed upon him a task for
which he felt himself scarcely adequate. He was, however, quite cers
taint that the company would excuse its him any want of talent that
Might be necessary for such an occasion, and give him credit, at leaste
for zeal in the cause to stnreort which they were assembled.---(Lou
cheering.) His Lordship then proceeded to pronounce a very high eul
glum on the doenatic attainments of Mr. C Neon, upon his private vie
tues, and his respectability in domestic life, and, after having referr
to his exemplary beha7lour towards his widowed mother, presented hi
the vase, amidst the most deafening applause and cheers of the compan
As coon as silence was obtalued, Mr. C. KEAN rose, and spoke to t
following effect The situailen in which your kindness has at th
moment placed me, is the roost are:teeus and difficult I have ever y
encountered. It would be unbecoming an'ectation were Ito prete
that as I was not in some measure aware a the high and unmerited'
compliment you intended to confer on me. I 1101 thought and hoped,
that whorl the proper time arrived, I should have been able to expr•
myself in terree suited to the occasion. The opinions and wishes of th
distinguished company by which I am surrounded, have been convey
to me by the Noble Chairman in a manner so unexpectedly kind, so fia
tering, and so overwhelming, that even a practical orator might faiter i
his reply ; but lest I should appear cold and ungrateful, whilemy breas
is throbbing with contrary emotions, let me entreat you to receive th
simple language of the heart in place of set phrases of studied el.
quence, and believe in the sincerity of those feelings which by their ow.
intensity have deprived me of adequate expression. The disti
guiehed honour I am now receiving at your hen& is one which artis •
of the highest name and pretensions have hailed with deligh
when in the decline of life and at the close of a Long and brilliant cone
as the climax of their honourable exertions. how, then, must I a,
preciate your kindness, young in years, standing almost on the ye
threshold of my professional life, my pretensions untried by the purl
ing test of time ; the station I am ultimately to fill unascertained ; u
held by the partial judgment of enthusiastic friends; and, above all, •
a name which has been my most powerful introduction to the notice a
favour of the public: I cannot, and do not wish to blind myself to
true position ; but I feel that an affectionate remembrance of the fath
has, in your eyes, invested the son with attributes to which he has
personal claim, and has placed him in a situation brilliant i
deed, and dazzling, but full of difficulty and danger. I shrin
from the' consciousness of my own inability to realise the e s.
pectations of those friends who have so kindly committed them=
selves in my favour ; yet, to the latest hour of my existence, the
remembrance of this, the proudest day of my life, will serve as
a stimulous to unremitting exertions, and make me feel as if I had given
a pledge which it was my duty to redeem. My Lords and Gentlemen,
the plane where we are now assembled is associated in my mind with
feelings of hereditary interest ; within these walls the name of Kean
first became known to the British public, and the success of my father
formed an epoch in the history of the drama which will not soon be for-
gotten. After an interval of five and twenty years, on the same boards
and by the same public, my humble efforts have been received with a
degree of favour and indulgence far indeed beyond my merits and expec-
tations, and which has engraven on my heart one paramount feeling of
lasting gratitude. My Lords and Gentlemen, I will occupy your atten-
tion no longer: what I have said is totally unworthy of the occasion, and
conveys but faintly what I feel. The conduct of my future life can alone
convince you how I estimate the honour I have received."
The next toast was "Success to Drury-lane Theatre, and to Mr.

Bunn, the Lessee."—(Cheers.)
Mr. Bu'rx returned thanks in a vet, app-opriate address. He had
been accused by certain persons of havinz neglected the legitimate
drama. That accusation was unfounded. lie was too well aware of

the excellencies of Shakspeare to exhibit any repsfsentations in the
place of his plays whilst he had proper persons to represent the elm-
lacters the immortal hard had depicted. He knew well, that whilst
the stream of time had swept away the works of other dramatists, the
adamant of Shakspeare remained untouched.— (Applause.) As
soon as he had found an adequate representative of the characters of
the immortal bard, he had produced him on the stage of Drury-lane
Theatre—(Applause)—and the public had responded to the appeal he
bad made to their judgment by the manner in which they had received
the gentleman to congratulate whom they were that day assembled.
Lord A. PAGET then proposed the health of the Noble Chairman,
whirls was druid( with the usual honours, and his Lordship returned
thanks.

" The memory of Edmund Kean" aas then drunk in silence, with
the usual solemnity.
A variety of other toasts having been drunk, and many glees and
songs performed by the vocalists, the Chairman quitted the room about
half-past ten o'clock. He was followed by the majority of the guests.
A small party, however, of the more convivial remained, and, having
elected Mr. Russell to the chair, kept up the festivity to a late hour.
The vase which was presented to Mr. Charles Kean is one of the
most beautiful and elaborate specimens of art that has been witnessed
fur a great length of time ; it was manufactured by Messrs. Makepeace
and Co., of Serle-street, Lincoln's Inn ; it is, incluCing the base, about
two feet or two feet and a half in height ; on the base or pedestal is in-
scribed the legend descriptive of the seasons and occasion of its presenta.
Cron, together with various allegorical devices. It is surmounted with
a figure of Shakspeare in frosted silver. The handles, which are rustic
and variegated with foliage, are frosted, They are very beautifully exe-
cuted. The vase itself is of polished silver.

PORTRAIT OF CAPTAIN CHAMIER.
TIIE APRIL NUMBER OF
COLBU-RN'S NEW MONTHLY
MAGAZINE AND HUMOURIST,
EDITED BY THEODORE HOOK, Esq.
embellished with a Fine Portrait of Captain Chamier, and
contains,
The Gurney Papers. By the Lines. By Captain Marryat.
Editor. The Manager's Note-book—
Old Madelaine. By Mrs. S. C., Tom King and Jack Bannister.
Hall. ,Life let us Cherish.
The Romance of a Key-hole., Contract for Dust. By J. Ha-
By Douglas Jerrold, Esq. I milton R2.ynolds, Esq.
The Sense of Beauty. By the Personal History of a. Wag.
Hon. Mrs. Norton. !Summer in India. By Captain
A Second Discourse on Bores.! Westmacott.
By the Author of " Paul To My Seal. By Miss L. H.
Pry." Sheridan.
Female Portrait Gallery. By Wedding Tactics.
111 i SS Landon. iMemoir of Captain Chamier,
Leaves from a Log. By Roberti &c.
Keeley, Esq.
Henry Colburn, Publisher, I

3, Great llailborough-street.

-14
f It+
"4,, 46,
Zlle ann.
WITH WHICH
" THE TRUE SUN" IS NOW
INCORPORATED.