The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-10 00:00:00

responding with so much warmth to the toast which your
President has just proposed to you, and he will allow me
to thank him very cordially for the flattering expressions
which he used towards myself in introducing to you that
toast. I shall feel very happy if the future should prove
that the Great Exhibition, to which all nations have so
generously contributed, should, among other advantages
which I firmly hope will result from it, likewise tend to
assist. in the promotion of the fine arts in this country,
of which you are the representatives; and I feel proud
that we can show to the many foreigners who are
now visiting our shores specimens of British art
such as these walls display. Although I have,
since my first arrival in this country, never once missed
visiting the exhibition of the Royal Academy, and have
always derived the greatest pleasure and instruction
from those visits, it is but seldom that my engagements
will allow me to join in your festive dinner. I have,
however, upon this occasion, made it a point to do so, in
order to assist in what may be considered the inaugura-
tion festival of your newly-elected president, at
whose election I have heartily rejoiced, not only on
account of my high estimate of his qualities, but
also on account of my feelings of regard cowards him
personally. It would be presumptuous in me to speak to
you of his talent as an artist, for that is well known to
you, and of it you are the best judges; or of his merits
as an author, for you are all familiar with his books—or,
at least, ought to be so; or of his amiable character
as a man, for that also you must have had opportu-
nities to estimate; but my connexion with him, now
for nine years, on her Majesty's Commission for the
Promotion of the Fine Arts, has enabled me to
know what you can know less, and what is of the greatest
value in a President of the Royal Academy—l mean that
kindness of heart and refinement of feeling which guided
him in all his communications, often most difficult and
delicate, with the different artists whom we had to in-
vite to competition, whose works we had to criticise,
whom we had to employ or to reject. Gentlemen,
the productions of all works in art or poetry re-
quires, in their conception or executian, not only an
exercise of the intellect, skill, and patience, but particu-
larly a current warmth of feeling, and a free flow of ima-
gination. This renders them most tender plants, which
will thrive only in an atmosphere calculated to main-
tain that warmth, and that atmosphere is one of kind-
ness—kindness towards the artist personally, as well as
towards his productica. An unkind word of criticism
passes like a cold blast over their tender shoots, and
shrinks them up, checking the flow of the sap which was
rising to produce, perhaps, multitudes of flowers and
fruit. But still criticism is absolutely necessary to the
development of art, and the injudicious praise of an infe-
rior work becomes an insult to superior genius. In this
respect our times are peculiarly unfavourable when com-
pared with those when Madonnas were painted in theseclu-
sion of convents; for we have now, on the one hand, the
eager competition of a vast array of artists of every do-
gree of talent and skill, and, on the other, as judge, a
great public, for the greater part wholly uneducated in
art; and this led by professional writers, who often
strive to impress the public with a great idea of their own
artistic knowledge, by the merciless manner in which
they treat works which cost those who produced them
the highest efforts of mind and feeling. The works of
art, by being publicly exhibited and offered for sale, are
becoming articles of trade, following as such the
unreasoning laws of markets and fashion, and
public, and even private, patronage, is swayed
by their tyrannical influence. It is, then, to an
institution like this, gentlemen, that we must look for
a counterpoise to these evils. Here young artists are
educated and taught the mysteries of their profession;
those who have distinguished themselves, and given
proof of their talent and power, receive a badge of ac-
knowledgment from their professional brethren by
being elected associates of the Academy, and are at
last, after long toil and continued exertion, received
into a select aristocracy of a limited number, and
shielded in any further struggle by their well- established
reputation, of which the letters "R. A." attached to
their names give a pledge to the public. If this body is
often assailed from without, it shares only the fate of
every aristocracy; if more than another, this only proves
that it is even more difficult to sustain an aristocracy
of merit than one of birth or of wealth, and may serve
as an usaul check upon yourselves, when tempted at
your elections to let personal predilections compete with
real merit. Of ono thing, however, you may rest as-
sured, and that is the continued favour of the
Crown. The same feeling which actuated George 111. in
founding this institution still actuates the Crown in con-
tinuing to it its patronage and support, recognising in
you a constitutional link, as it wore, between the Crown
itself and the artistic body. And when I look at the
assemblage of guests at this table, I may infer that the
Crown does not stand alone in this respect, but that those
feelings are shared also by the great and noble in the
land. May the Academy long flourish, and continue its
career of usefulness.
The Duke of WELLINGTON acknowledged the toast of
" the Army and Navy ;" and expressed the pleasure with
which he met the gentlemen of the Royal Academy, and
witnessed the productions of their art.
The toast of " The city of London" called up Lord
J. RUSSELL, who, " in the absence of my Lord Mayor,"
returned thanks; remarked on the importance of such
exhibitions as that of the Royal Academy in contribut-
ing to popular education, and announced his intention,
as a Minister of she Crown, to use every means within
his power to throw open to the people the civilizing in-
Hume° of the fine arts.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE returned thanks for the
visitors, and M. VAN DE WEYER for the Foreign
Ministers.

The Chevalier BUNSEN proposed " Success to the
Great Exhibition," which was responded to by Lord
GRANVILLE, with many earnest allusioni to the unwearied
energy and ability by which its illustrious originator
had secured its success.

Mr.
2:IACAITLAY and Sir ROBERT INGLIS returned
thanks fcr the honorary members of the Academy; and
the toasts of " Literature " and the " Drama" were
acknowled by Mr. DICKENS and Mr. MACREADY.
" The Royal Society" was (in the absence of Lord
Rosse) acknowledged by Sir RoDERICK MURCIIISoN;
" the Society of Arts," by his Royal Highness Prince
ALBERT; " The Society of Ant;quaries," by Lord MA-
L[oN; and " The British Institution," by Lord CARLISLE.
Towards the close of the evening, in speaking to the
toast of The Possessors of Collections of Pictures who
occasionally throw open their Galleries to the Pub-
lic," Lord WESTMINSTER stated that his gallery was
open every Thursday to those who honoured him
by desiring to view it, and regretted that he could not
throw open its contents more frequently. He agreed in
all that had fallen from Lord John Russell on the subject,
and expressed the interest with which ho viewed the pre-
valence of that good understanding among the artists of
all countries which the Great Exhibition was sure to
extend, and of which the presence of two pictures by
Russian artists in the Academy exhibition of this year
was a gratifying evidence.

Sir C.:hartes Eastlake quitted the chair at ten o'clock
and the meeting broke up.

Although want of room may be pleaded as an excuse
for the absence of reporters, the regret exprersed after
the entertainment by the guests themselves, that no re-
cord would be preserved of such a meeting, will probably
lead the Council of the Academy to reform the timid
and exclusive habits to which they have so long adhered.
—Times.

DE BERIOT IN PARIS.—CLOSE OF THE
ITALIAN SEASON.
(FRox OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Oar Italian season finally closed, on Saturday week,
with a concert, in which the celebrated De Beriot was
heard in Paris for the first time for many years, and
amply justified the enthusiasm of his ancient admirers,
while his superb playing delighted beyond expression
all those who had never before heard the great violinist.
The power and sweetness of his tone, the combined fire
and delicacy of his execution, and, above all, the
musical feeling which pervaded his entire performance,
elicited transports of applause, and fully me-
rited the warmth of his audience, excessive as it was.
M. de Beriot left us but one cause of regret—that he
only played a single morgeau, his well-known Tremolo,
which was redeenanded with rapturous plaudits by the
entire salle. We could have desired to hear some of his
compositions of a later date. The achievements of his
three pupils, who play in unison, went off with the usual
eclat. M. Gottschalk's execution on the piano is known
to you in London; I need, therefore, only say that it was
a distinguished feature in the soiree. De Beriot's play-
ing carried the evening off triumphantly, and thus closed
the spring season of 1851; the conclusion of which de-
rived an unexpected splendour from the success of
Signora Cravelli, which has been brilliant almost beyond
example; and on the whole, though from the lateness of
the period at which the theatre was placed in the hands
of Mr. Lumley it was found impossible to organize a
troupe, as it would have been under other circumstances,
and will be in future, we have to thank the impresario
for a delightful season. In addition to that greatest of
Parisian favourites, Lablache; he has introduced to us
the matchless Sontag, Caroline Duprez, Mme.Fiorientini,
Mine. Montenegro, and the brilliant Cravelli, who
though not, so tar as I have heard, a revolutionist, or
even a democrat, seems destined to shatter " long estab-
lished thrones"—operatic, of course—on her advent in
London. The " bright particular star" of our season
was, however, La Sontag, whose surpassing powers never
surely shone out so brilliantly, or under such varied as-
pects. As the season advanced she seemed more and
more at home with the Parisian public, and her singing
was attended with that rare and indefinable charm ;of
appearing to yield the gracious vocalist as much plea-
sure as it afforded her hearers. We have to thank Mr.
lt e
and
n fdo r
energy more
raisedthan at lhl e this—for
theatre
de-
plorable state in which it had been thrown by the tLulemnrevo-
lution, and subsequent unfortunate management. It be-
came at once the resort of all the rank, wealth, and
fashion of the capital, and the Theatre Italien was, in
fact, the only spot in Paris which recalled the splendour
of days gone by. Mr. Lumley commences his next
season on the Ist of October, with every promise of a
brilliant result.