The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-01 00:00:00

841

' PUBLIC DINNER to MR. DICKENS.
(From the Edinburgh Advertiser.)
! On Friday upwards of 250 geAletun sat down to
dinner in the Great Waterloo Room, at six o'clock, Pro-
-.fessor Wilson in the chair. Upon the platform we ob-
served Professor Wilson, who entered with the distin-
guished guest on his arm, and was supported on the
right by the hOnoured guest, Sir G. Warrender, Bart.,
Sir William Hamilton, Bart., Sir Charles Bell, Professor
Alison, Professors Christison, Traill and Syme, Alex.
Blackwood, Esq., Charles Neaves, Esq., Dr. D. M. Moir
(Delta) ; and on the left by the Lord Provost, lion. Bou-
verie PriMrose, Sir Edward Lees, Captain Archibald
Sinclair, R.N., Mr. Sheriff Cay, William Drysdale, Esq.,
of Pitteuchar, Major Irton, Hon. Mr. Kerr, Angus Flet-
cher, Esq., of Dunans.
-In the body of the hall Mr. P. Robertson occupied the
Croupier's- chair, supported. on the right and left by the
Hon. Horace Walpole, George Williamson Ramsay, Esq.,
advocate, William Allan, 11;q., P.R.S.A., Professor
Simpson, James Miller, Esq., surgeon, Dr. Neill, Coun-
cillor Newton, Adam Black, Esq., Robert Blackwood,
Esq., J. T. Gordon, Esq., advocate, R. W. Hamilton,
Esq., D. 0. Hill, Esq., William Tait, Esq., Mark Sprot,
Esq., of Garnl4rk, Willitrat M. Craufurd, Esq., of Col-
liston' William Drysdale, Esq., jun., of Pitteuchar, F.
ltolatd, Esq., D. BuT,qianan, Esq., Alexander Sinclair,
Esq., Horatio M`C.l.lloch, Esq., Major Nairn, Alexander
Goodsir, l'rofessor Bla,ckie, Bailie Richardson, &c.
An instrr.,nental band, conducted by Mr. R. B. Stewart,
perforte.ed appropriate and popular airs throughout the
with admirable effect.
The cloth having been removed, a number of ladies
entered the galleries, and were received by the company
standing, and testifying their applause.
The CHAIRMAN gave " The Queen"— three times
three. " Prince Albert"—three times three and cheers.
" The Princess Royal"—three times three, and one cheer
more, from Captain Sinclair. " The Queen Dowager,
and the rest of the Royal Family," was received with
three times three, and one cheer more. " The Navy and
Army "—three times three. Rule Britannia and British
Grenadieri. •

Major IRTON returned thanks, and rejoiced to assure
every one present that none more highly than the United
Services appreciated the literary character of the dis-
tinguished guest.
. Professor WILSON, who, on coming forward, was re-
ceived with long-continued cheering, said—ln rising to
propose the health of our distinguished, our illustrious
guest—(Cheers)—l may remark that, as a people, we
are distinguished for our nationality ; we are supposed
to be proud—indeed we are supposed sometimes to be
too proud of the national character—to be too proud of
the achievements which native genius has wrought. But
I would remark that nothing great or good can ever be
expected to be produced in any land of which the natives
do not rejoice that they were born there—who do not con-
sider their clime and their country as the best of all
climes and countries under the sun—who are not at-
tached to the customs and habits of their country—who
do not reverence the memory of their forefathers, and
who do not trust in Providence that their bones may be
laid in their native soil.—(Great cheering.) But while
I hesitate not to express those sentiments, I am sure that
I may with perfect truth declare that the whole heart of
Scotland beats with love and admiration for the character
of England.—(Cheers.) I know that in our ears it sounds
as the most majestic and magnificent of names, which we
rejoice at all times to welcome, as we do to identify our-
selves with her great men, whether statesmen, philoso-
phers, poets, or warriors ; or whether we are delighted
when, on visiting our country, they bring before us the
consummate courtesy and polish of their manners—that
consummate courtesy, elegance, and grace which belongs
more peculiarly to their', and makes them, as it were, the
very chosen people of the earth.—(Cheers.) It is to do
honour to a son of that illustrious land that we are now

met together.--(Renewed cheers.) This is no ordinary
assemblage—no mere confraternity of literary men or
authors, who are proud to honour one that has outstripped
them all in the race.—(G rent cheering.) This meeting
is composed of men of different professional pursuits, of
different characters, of different degrees and kinds of
mental cultivation and moral culture, but who are all
agreed in admiration of genius, and capable of sympa-
thising with the victory that his genius has given him,
and with the pure and noble sentiments which it has im-
mortalised.—(Continued cheers.) I shall not presume to
say, or to lay claim, or arrogate to ourselves, the character
of being, as it were, the representatives of our country's
opinions and sentiments regarding our distinguished
guest ; but I do not hesitate so say, that wherever he
may show himself over what we somewhat poetically
call broad Scotland, there will be a feeling of enthusiasm
towards him in all ranks. They will hold him as one of those
original geniuses.who.has struck out a new path for him-
self, and introducetta beauty and lustre over many parts
esteemed before to be barren and desolate, and over
which no flower of genius could be supposed to blow.—
(Great applause.) And, allow me to say, there is some-
thing not inappropriate in the time at which we are now
met. At this time, the whole of the country is justly
and rightly agitated, astir and active with political sen-
timents. I said justly and rightly, for every knan who
ritlrffhiS iie ought tethriOrtt stand----rtp for its-
cause, whatever may be his peculiar opinions, inspired
by a genuine patriotism, and desiring nothing shall be
done save for his country's good—(Cheers) —in the
midst of such feelings as are now rapidly about to
spread all over the country—is it not delightful that we
should hold for a certain season—(Cheers)—a sort of
truce, in which we can speak of subjects that are of ever-
lasting interest—in which we can speak of sentiments
and feelings which shall blend themselves in the heart
and bosom of the patriot, and without which he does not
deserve the name of a lover of his country, for he knows
not the power of the genius and soul concentrated in the
understandings of her gifted sons. Yes, Gentlemen, I
will say that the love of liberty and the love of literature,
are kindred and cognate. I will say that the spirit of
literature is a free, bold, and independent spirit,—l will
say that this spirit is sacred to liberty, for it spurns
from it every thing that is low, mean, and vicious; all
servility, and all sycophancy.—(Cheers.) The man of
genius stands erect, and is not ashamed to show his face
anywhere—he is not ashamed to show his face, whether
in multitudes who may sympathise with him to the very
top of his bent, or in multitudes who, by their frowns,
desire to spurn him from them. No, his bosom is filled with
noble and-independent thoughts, that bid defiance to all
such passing things,' for he who presecutes literature as
it ought to be prosecuted—he to whom heaven has given
the gift of genius, feels his soul free at all times, rejoices
in his might, and rejoices to unfold his wings, whether
in the sunshine or.. in the storm, and ardently desires
that the whole human race should enjoy that liberty
which is the birthright of all, and by the power of which
he himself works all those miracles which delight and
astonish mankind.—(Cheers.) It would indeed be pre-
sumptuous, and altogether unnecessary in me, were I to
attempt to draw anything like a character or picture of
the endowments with which our distinguished guest is
mentally gifted. I shall merely say this, which you all
know, that he is perhaps the most popular writer now
alive—(Cheers)—in popularity at least he is second
to no man of this age.—(Renewed cheering.) Now, in
regard to popularity, there are some who pretend even
to despise it ; perhaps if their opinions could be narrowly
looked into, and their own characters strictly scanned, it
would be found that they despised it chiefly on the ground
that it was something placed very far beyond their own
reach, and which, nevertheless, they are incessantly han •
kering after.--(Hear, hear, and cheers.) You are still
all well aware that there have been always men of tran-
scendant geuius who have not been popular. It is easy
to believe, for it is difficult to believe otherwise, that
great philosophers have not been duly estimated during
their own lifetiMe—it is easy to imagine that some of the
greatest poets Were not popular during their lifetime,
from the nature of the. subjects chosen by them—they
desired and required fit audience, and finding it .not,
they were driven.to trust to an accumulation of ages fin-
an audience beyond the tomb. It is undeniable, too, that
there are various kinds of beauty which are not im-
mediately apparent.' The popular sense which requires
long years of cultivation to open up the popular
mind to the perception of such :beauty,. and you•can
easily imagine much beauty of a high order, which
perhaps will never be appreciated by all, for it
would scarcely be true to say, that Milton's Paradise
Lost, or the sublime poems of Dante, are, or ever will
be what is termed popular. But is that any reason for
us to look down with scorn on those productions of ge-
nius which are truly popular, and popular on just and
right grounds, because they appeal to feelings implanted
in human nature, and find a universal response re-
turned all over the land ?—(Loud cheers.) It is cer-
tainly not necessary, in the first place, before an
inaivi-
dual can be popular, that lie shall sympathise tenderly
and deeply with his fellow-men in whatever condition,
situation, or sphere they may be placed ? It is not ne-
cessary that he should prefer the peculiar and instinctive
sense of mankind to his own peculiar feelings ? and
that while he does not sacrifice his own feelings to theirs,
but catches fresh light and nature from them, in the
assurance that as " one touch of nature makes the whole
world kin," so a hundred touches from the same source
will spread his fame over the land, and shed a lustre
that will not die around his grave. What man of ge-
nius in his heart deipises popularity ? No one who
has acquired it—gaining, perhaps, without desiring it—
but.must be proud of receiving it ; for he then knows
that he has not written in vain ; he takes the praise of
living men as an earnest of the praise that shall be be-
stowed on him in future years ; and he rejoices in his
popularity, though perhaps in moments of sadness and
despondency he may estimate it low. It is not incon-
sistent or mean to strive for the possession of that which
has been gained by the highest minds in arts, in arms,
in philosophy ; nor can it be paltry to seek for posses-
sion of that which, when got, is never despised—which
men hug in their hearts while living, and of which they
are not unwilling that some hint should be inscribed on
their graves.—(Loud cheers.) We all know, that if -We
look back either to the history of literature or to the his-
tory of mankind,' we do meet with instances where great
popularity hasbeen achieved with, as we are disposed to
believe, very
inadequate powers, and, therefore, very un-
worthily bestowed. Still there
had been some power, and,
perhaps, some little genius possessed, and the possessor
had availed himself of some favourable circumstances in
the tone and structure of society of the period—he had
endeavoured to profit by some of those popular gales
• which were breathing at the time ; but the more effectu-
ally he profited, the more clearly did he show that he
had some sail to carry, and that his bark had been rig-
ged and Walsall sea-worthy, had some power of floatage