The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-01 00:00:00

CHARLES DICKENS,

And his Farewell Readings.
Who is there amongst us who will not be eager
to attend them ? These Farewell Readings of our
greatest living Humorist ! Himself—in voice, in
look, in face, in his whole outward appearance—
the very incarnation (while he is going through
these Readings, so-called, though they are in point
of fact no readings at all) the very incarnation,
visibly and audibly, of the most widely contrasted
of his most famous creations! Character after
character appears before us, living and breathing, in
the flesh, while we look and listen. It matters no-
thing that the great author is all the while himself
before us in his own identity. His evening costume
goes for nothing—the flower in his button hole, the
paper knife in his hand, the book before him, that
earnest, animated, mobile, delightful face of his
that we all know by heart through his übiquitous
photographs, all go equally for nothing. We kno w
that he alone is there all the while before us—
reading, no, rather let us say re-creating, for us
one and all, while his lips are speaking the familiar
words his hand first wrote so long ago—one after
after another, the most renowned of the imaginary
creatures peopling his books. Watching him, heark-
ening to him,while he stands there unmistakably be-
fore us on the raised platform, in the glare of the
gas-burners shining down upon him, from behind
the pendant screen immediately above his head, we
may assert quite confidently and quite truly that
his individuality altogether disappears, while we
see before us instead—just as the case may
happen to be—Mrs. Gamp, or Mr. Pickwick, or
Little Paul Dombey, or Dr. Marigold, or Mr.
Squeers, or Sam W eller, or Mr. Peggotty, or some
other of those immortal parsonages. We are as
conscious—as though we saw them—of the bald
head, the spectacles, the capacious waistcoat, and
the little gaiters of Mr. Pickwick—of the snuffy
tones, the immense umbrella, and the volu-
minous bonnet and gown of Mrs. Gamp—
of the belcher necktie, of the mother-of-pearl but-
tons, and of the coloured waistcoat of the voluble
Cheap Jack—of little Paul's sweet face and gentle
voice—of the one eye and the well known pair of wel-
lingtons adorning the head and legs of Mr. Wack-
ford Squeers—of Sam's imperturbable nonchalance,
and Mr.. Peggotty's hearty, briny, sou'-wester of a
voice and general demeanour ! Remembering all
these wonderful creations, and how any one who
lists can enjoy the privilege of witnessing their
absolute impersonation, like so many realities
(as they are) by their creator, Mr. Charles
Dickens himself—who is there amongst us, we
again ask, who will not gladly and eagerly
attend some, at least, if not the whole complete
series, of these famous Readings—more especially
that they are about to be given for the last time,
or by way of final Farewell.

FUNERAL OF THE DEAN OF ST. PA UL'S.

THIS DAY.

The burial of the mortal remains of the Very
Rev. Henry Hart Milman, Dean of St. Paul's Ca-
thedral, took place this morning. Shortly before
12 o'clock the funeral cortege quitted the deanery,
in Doctors' Commons, the residence of the deceased,
and proceeded on foot to the Cathedral, the great
bell tolling. On arriving at the western door the
body was received by the clergy and conducted to
the choir, the choristers chanting the opening sen-
tences of the burial service, "I am the reeurrec-

tiou and the life." The procession was extremely
short and simple. On the coffin rested a plume of
sable feathers, which was the only trapping of woe
used on the occasion. The only member of the
corporation present was the Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor (Alderman Allen), and he attended in the
ordinary habit of a private gentleman.

The mourners were the Rev. William H. Mil•
man (chief), Arthur Milman, Esq., Sir Walter
Milman, Bart., Colonel Geore Milman, H. S. Mil-
lman, Esq., Colonel Bryan Milman, Colonel
Cockell, Hon. E. Twistleton, J. Murray, Esq.,
Herman Merrivale, Esq., Rev. W. Scott, F. Pen-
rose, Esq., surveyor to the Cathedral, the Rev.
Mr. Harness, and H. Dyke, Esq.

The body having been placed near the pulpit,
the concluding portion of the service was perform ed,
after which the coffin was conveyed to the grave
prepared for it, at the back of the lecture, but pre-
cisely in front of the communion-table.

The solemn service having terminated, the dead
march pealed forth, and, amidst its deep and splen-
did tone, the funeral cortege returned to the
deanery.

There was a very large attendance of the public,
most of whom were dressed in mourning, and it was
only the extraordinary number present that made
the funeral of the distinguished scholar and divine
differ from that of an ordinary person.
The deceased was born in London, February 10,
1791, and was the youngest son of Sir Francis Mil-
man, physician to George 111. He was educated
at Dr. Burney's academy at Greenwich, at Eton,
and at Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1817 ho
took orders, becoming at once clergyman and
dramatist, received the vicarage of St. Mary's
Reading, and published the play of " Fazio."
The drama was played with some succcess,
particularly at Covent Garden, where Miss
O'Neill sustained the character of the heroine.
In the early part of 1818 his next work,
" Samor' " an heroic poem in twelve books appeared.
In 1820 he published another poem, called the
" Fall of Jerusalem," and founded on the narrative
of Josephus. In 1821 he was elected Professor of
Poetry to the University of Oxford. He shortly
published, at brief intervals, " Anne Boleyne," the
" Martyr of Antioch," and " Belshazzar," a " His-
tory of Christianity," a " History of the Jews," and
"Notes and Illustrations to Gibbon's Decline and
Fall." Having been some time rector of St. Marga-
ret's, Westminster, he was, in November, 1849,
presented to the deanery of St. PatiVq.