The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-24 00:00:00

SHA-KESPBARE'S BIRTBDA F.

STRAVORD-ON-AVON, Tuesday.
William Shakespeare's birthday was comme-
morated with the custotiary festive demonstrations
in his native town to-day. The people of Strat-
ford are always ready to do honour to their
renowned fellow-townenan, and this anniversary
is kept by them as a sort of holiday year after
year. Since the withdrawal of the Shakespeare
bequest, which was intended by the testator for aid-
ing the birthplace comnittee in restoring, improv-
ing, and endowing the house in which the gentle
• bard was born, it has thrown them on the assistance
of the public in carryiig out these objects ; but
several pleasing improvements have been made in
the gardens of the horse during the last year.
Genuine scions of the cebbrated mulberry...tree have
been there planted, a raised terrace made, and
parterres and walks laid out with good taste. Two
cornice stones have heel introduced from the once
famous residence in New-place, and such other
mementoes as will remind the visitors of the sur-
roundings
i
, is they really were in the
p
little
e interest was excited to
ngsof
lifetime.th e
Noho us
day by the exhibition of portrait of " Sweet Will"
himself, from which it is alleged the bust in the
chancel of Stratford Church, familiar to every pil-
grim shrine, was originally copied. This
picturteoishtihs eonly copy representing the bard in
the same costume as that of the bust, which Chan-
trey and Bell considered Was moulded from a
cast " from life." Both portrait and bust exhibit
the bard with light hazel eyes, auburn hair and
beard, and scarlet doublet, covered by a black silk
gown, without any 81errea. The bust has within '
the last few weeks been so restored that the whity-
brown pigment placed over it by Malone has been
removed, and the colours of the bust, corresponding
witlithose of the portrait, • are now exposed to
view. Mr. W. 0. Hunt, town clerk, the owner of
the picture, at first thought of presenting it to the
British Museum, or National Gallery, but as grave
doubts have been cast upon its originality, it was
determined to leave it in the hands of the Birth-
place Committee,until its genuineness or otherwise
has been finally set at rest.

The first annual dinner of the "London Warwick-
shire Men's Shakspearean Club" took place last
evening at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet-street,--Mr. G.
Linnaeus Banks in the chair, supported by George
Cruikshank, Esq., Dr. Lockhart, Messrs. G. W.
Simpson, J. M. Phi.p, Thomas Whetstone, James
J. C. Onions, Handley,
Abbott,W. Gilchrist,
Hopwood,Payne, Cheesewright, J.
lßristil,
Powell, &c.,—in all about 60. Letters of apology
T.
i.
nib b s .
for non-attendance 'ere read from Mr. Scholefield,
Esq., M.P.; George Augustus Sala, Esq, and
several other gentlemen who bad promised to be
present. The toast of the evening was given by
the chairman in a most able and eloquent speech
of nearly an hour's length, and was afterwards
drunk in solemn silence. The toast of the " Drama"
,
" English Art and Artists," the " Histrionic Pro-
fession," the
4,
Press," the ' Chairman," &c., were
severally proposed by Dr. Lockhart, Mr. Cruik-
shank, Mr. Handley, Mr.
, Simpson &c. During
the evening a snuff box was handed round, cut
from the well-known -Sh
-akespere elm, in the pos-
session of Mr. J. C. th=lo4s, Government bellows-
maker, Birminghars.