The Sun.
London, England, 1821-06-05 00:00:00

COMMEMORATION DINNER.

Yesterday a dinner was given at Freema-
sons'-ilall, in hot-14:41r of his late Majesty King
GEORGE the Tnran, whose birth-day it was de-
termined to commemorate.

At half past seven o'clock his. Royal Highness the Duke of
YORK, who officiated as chairman, entered the room, accom-
panied by a number of personages of distinguished rank, among
whom were the Duke of Montrose, the Marquess Camden, the
Earls of Harrowby; Bathurst, Westmorland, and Blesinton ;
Lords Erskine, Torrington, Melville, Pomfret, .Saltoun, and
several other peers; Mr. Justice Dallas, Mr. Justice Park,
Mr. Justice Burrough, Count Monster,' Admirals Cockburn,
Saumarez, and several other distinguishbd naval characters.
Many military gentlemen who ware present appeared hi full
uniform.

The principal gallery was filled with ladies of rank.
At half past 7 o'clock, the company, nearly 400 in number,
sat down to a sumptuous dinner, which consisted of every deli-
cacy of the season, served up in abundance, together with a
variety of wines of the finest flavour.

After dinner " Non nobis Dcmine," was sung by Messrs.
Bellamy, Hawes, Pyne, Broadhurst, Leete, Terrail, Watson,
and Master Longhurst. Sir George Smart directed the musical
department, and Mr. Hawes acted as deputy. 'There were also
seven young gentlemen from the choir at St. Paul's and the
Chapel Royal, who were stationed in the side gallery, and
whose assistance in the chorus had the finest effect.
The toasts which followed when the cloth was removed were,
the King, which was drank with three times three, and great
applause. -
Air.—" Gad save the King."
" All the Royal Family."—" The Navy and Army."
Admiral Sir JAMES SAUMAREZ begged leave, as a naval
officer, to return thanks for this mark of- respect to the profes-
sion to which he had the honour of.belonging.
" The memory of King George III.," drank in solemn si-,
lence.—Handel's Funeral Anthem was performed on the organ
by Sir Geo. Smart, accompanied by all the professional Gentle-
men present. When it was concluded
Mr. CONWAY (late of Covent-garden Theatre) recited, with
appropriate energy, the following " Address in honour of his
late Majesty," written for the occasion by the Rev. GEORGE
CROLY, and highly creditable to his talents and his feelings:—
The tears were filial tears, that England gave
Her proud, sad tribute, to her Monarch's grave.—
Still on the hallow'd•spot was fixed her eye,
With grief, tho' soften'd, yet too deep to die ;
And•now she bids her Empire's mightiest come,
To rear th' eternal Trophy o'er his tomb.
•
Ye, on whose brows the fates of kingdoVos lie,
There read the lesson of true Sovereignty !
But, if upon your splendid struggle brood
The heavy thought of Man's ingratitude,
Here turn your gaze,—behold what feelings cling
Around the sainted memory of a King ;
What noble natures in his homage vie,
Look,—and anticipate Posterity !
War was upon the -World ! the dying roar
Of Empires peal'd around our mountain shore.
Then to his God, and-to his People, true,
Her ancient King the sword of England drew ;
The strong, reluctant sword, that never dyed
Its edge, but in the blood of Homicide.
at his call, where matchless minds unpraised,—
Beacons! that thro' the night of nations blazed.
Spirit of Nelson ! tho' the voice of fame
Swells since thy day with many a warrior name ;
Tho' One like thee, still heads th' Immortal Band,
First of the first, the. Nelson of the Land ! •
Yet all thy triumph on our vision rolls,
Thy name is graven-upon our swords, our souls.
Hero of England ! to whose hope was given
The only boon the Hero asks of Heaven ; •
In valour's prime, in glory's cause to die—
'Twas thine to burst from Earth in Victory.
Yet there were those,—tho' in no fight they fell,
Whom England's heart of heart remembers well.
Statesmen ! from mankind's cause untimely torn ;
O'er whose cold graves ev'n rivalry can mourn,
With generous wonder, human, sorrow wrung,
Can praise the might, the magic of the tongue,
The stainless hand, the zeal—a living flame,
• And love to give the fulness of their fame.
But stronger than the sword, the tongue, the Crown,
'Tis Heart —that draws the conquering blessing down.
Earth saw her kir:gee= given to blr.deaindebrani4,
But round one throne the 'Virtues took their stand,
• Their proud, last refuge, ere they soar'd to Heaven :
If, in that day, our wanderings were forgiven ;
If, in the hour that wither'd Europe's fame,
On England's crest unsought-for glory came,
Great Kung! 'twas thine; thy prayer our sword and shield,
Our more than victory by flood and field;
All thine, that in thy honour'd grave are low—
Thrones were immortal, filled by such as thou !
And in that storm, when Earth wes waste and wild,.
Peace on our shores in summer-beauty smiled ;
Here, in the guaidian splendours of the Throne,
Glowed the rich pencil, sprang to life the, stone ;
•
Here, like the contest for young Athen'slove,
• Valour's proud emblem with the Olive strove;
But, first in mental, as in martial toil,
We daim'd them both the Natives of the soil.
And blessing still is on the favour'd land,
Still waves her sceptre in a Brunswick's hand ; •
Son, worthy of thy Sire ! beneath thy sway
Our clouds shall brighten into perfect day :
Around thy throne the laurell'd -arts shall spring,
And earth rejoice in England's patriot King !

The Earl of BLESINTON then rose, and said that he was re-
quested by the Acting Committee to propose a toast which it
gave him the highest satisfaction to introduce. It was the
health of a personage in which there was no man in the empire
who did not feel the deepest interest ; need he name the health
of their illustrious President, his Royal Highness the Duke of
York.—(Great applause.)—lle (Lord Blesin ton) was selected
on the present occasion to propose this toast, as being at the head
of the Stewards, and also upon that Committee through the me-
dium of which, under the sanction of their Royal Chairman,.the
great object of this meeting was brought before the priblic.—
When he looked around him and saw the splendid assemblage of
personages, illustrious for their rank and station in society, he
thought the Committee who had brought the business. forward
would at least stand acquitted for having undertaken such a task
as this, to commemorate the virtues of King George the Third.—
(Great applause.)—The first object of the Committee (which.
was merely for the moment abandoned) was the erection of a
monument to the memory of.the late King, by public subscrip-
tion.—(Applause.)—Their efforts to promote that object had not
been the work of a moment, but were of 12 moilths' constant
duration. In selecting that mode (by a public monument) of
testifying their reverence for the memory of the late King,
they agreed upon the plan which had been laid before them,
not because they thought it the best which could be furnished,
but because it was the only one that hid been submitted to the
public. He alluded to that circumstance for the sake of having
-an opportunity of stating that, although he-yielded to the sug-
gestion of their royal chairman to withdraw the toast of " success
to the monumental trophy in memory of the late King," which
was intended to have been proposed that evening, yethe begged to
be considered as doing it in obedience to the wisk of his Royal
Highness, and lest one word should be uttered in that crowded
and happy assembly against the project which the Committee
had introduced to the public notice.—(Applause.)--On the
subject of the intended monument, an idea had gone abroad
that it would be improper, when the funds were likely to-be so
large, it should be confined to a single artist. It was therefore
by some recommended that instead of being intrusted to a single
individual, it ought to be open to general competition. Such a
proposition wouldindeed have been reasonable enough, had it
been made 12 months ago, when the subject was first started. But
to press it now, when the pains had been taken by an individual
who had entered for some time upon the business,_ would be to
do an act of individual injustice, to deprive a man of the benefit
of his labour : it would be, in fart, as it were, to take away an
author's copy-right.—(Applause.)—They had, however, omitted
the allusion to the monument in the list of toasts, and they
bowed to the suggestion of the Royal Chairman, for whose very
great condescension they had often had occasion to be grateful.
Had it not been for the kind assistance of his Royal Highness,
this meeting would have been postponed to the 25th, when, per-
haps, it might not have taken place under the same auspices, and
certainly not with the advantage of occurring on the birth-day
of the lamented Monarch, whose memory they were most
anxious to celebrate. His Lordship concluded by proposing
the health of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, which
was drank with great applause.
His ROYAL HIGHNESS then rose, and expressed how deeply
he felt the honour which had been conferred upon him. Inde-
pendently of any sentiments which his filial piety could prompt,
he must say that he could only leave it to the hearts of his fel-
low subjects to speak of the merits of his deceased and beloved
father.—(Applause.)—For the last eight years the country had
been, if not really, at least nominally, under the government of
his alder brother, and ho was convinced that during Ins reign

clothing had been done which could diminish the ziflletion which
the.people of England felt to his family.
(lee—" How merrily we live that soldiers be."

Mr. Bellamy then sang, in very fine style, and amid great
applause, the following song, which was said to have been.writ-
,ten by a young lady under 14 years of age:—
Let the harp of Britannia the patriot's song
Breathe high in the praise of our late belov'd King;
'Tis the name that all Englishmen love to prolong,
'Tis the name that our bards, when inspired, will sing.
And when centuries glide,
'Twill be the heart's pride
Of Britons to tell to the universe wide;
His virtues will still be their boast and their pride,
And pray that a Brunswick may ever preside.
May the page of our history, that bears his name,.
Be a source-of exulting td each lciyal breast ;
It will be a bright beacon, a land mark of fame,
Still uninjur'd by time, When this age is at rest.
• Then Englishmen sing,
To the name Of their King ;
His praises on earth let the patriot ring;
Through each nation still name him their boas tand their pride,
And pray that a Brunswick may ever preside.

How numerous the asylums fonn'd in his reign,
To shelter the hapless from poverty's stoim--
To cheer the afflicted,—alleviate pain,_
And hope—expiring—in the bosom to warm !
The.friend of the poor,
' • The guardian of our Shore;—
May blessings the best on a Brunswick cal pour !
Let the voice of the nation in loyalty rise!
"ris tile song of the bard, and the theme of the wise.

When the War trumpet sounded, how trembled the main !
' • How mighty the vict'ries that mark'd his just sway !
Till Peace in her sunshine appear'd on the plain,
Beaming the fair dawn of our present bright day,
Then united we'll sing
The worth of our King ;
Their harps to his fame let the minstrels string
And Britons still name him their boast and their pride,
And pray that a Brunswick may ever -prc:siefte !
Toast—" The British Constitution.`.'
Song—" Scots wha ha'e wi' Wallace bled," by Broad.
burst.
Toast—" The Laws and Judges of the land." _

Chief Justice DALLAS, in the name of his Brother Judges,
briefly returned thanks, and observed, that it was with peculiar
pleasure he acknowledged. the honour done the Bench, by unit-
ing the mention of it with the memory of the Sovertiguto whose
magnanimity it owed its present independence—(Acela/nations.)
Toast—" The Agriculture, Manufactures, and Commerce of
the United Kingdom."
• Song—" Poor Robin's Petition."
Toast—The Naval 'and Military glories of the late reign."
J (nix DOYLE, in returning thanks, as a British Officer,
said that the gracious and condescending conduct of his Royal
Highness the Duke of York called him forward to n-turn
thanksfor the hon Our which had been conferred on the service
with which he was connected. The suddennessrof the occasion
would prevent him froth expressing his gratitude in the manner
he should desire ;'but as his Royal Highness had invited him
to say a few words on. the present occasion, he now came for-
ward to fulfil his Royal Highness's desire. If he were to say
any thing of himself, he was well aware that he could not say too
little. If he Were to say any thing of the two services, he was
equally well aware he could not say too much.-(Applause.)-Both
had been employed for the benefit of the country, and both had
been distinguished by the approbation of their Sovereign, and the
plaudits of a brave and free people.—(Applause.)—lt was min-
possible to avoid saying a word upon the present meeting ;
composed as it was of a great portion of the wealth, rank, talent,
and character of the country, assembled to commemorate the
worth of the late King, and to pay a tribute to his memory.
The presence of their Royal Chairman must at all times com-
mand a respectable meeting ; and therefore it was unnecessary
for him to say a word upon that subject. This, however, he
must say—that though he had frequently differed with the
statesman who had principally conducted the affairs of this
country during the late reign, lie had never withheld his ardent
attachment from the revered Sovereign, who had at that time
sat on the British throne. It had beerr-frequentlly said that
they had too much of a good thing; but he was afraid lest in
his speech the company should have too much of a bad thing.
He would therefore hasten to a conclusion ; but before he ar-
rived at it, he could not refrain from returning thanks in behalf
Of himself and hiS.'absent-comrades for the distinguished honour
which the company had conferred upon them.
Song by Mr. Pyne, " Come if you dare, &c."—Toast, " The
Royal Academy, and other institutions founded by his late
Majesty," three times three.
Glee and Chorus.—" Health to the Sovereign."—Toast,
" The City of London," three times three.
Sir Ric HARD CARR GLYN returned thanks-for this compli-
ment paid to his fellow-citizens.
Glee.—" Generous Friendship."--Toast, " The Arts,
Scienect, and Literature of -Greo. 13ri,ti;t1' •- •

Toast.—" Prosperity to the schools for educating the children
of the poor."
After which followed " the health of the Ladies," and then
" the health of the Stewards," with three times three. _

The Royal Chairman then quitted the Chair at 11 o'clock.
After his Royal Highness had left the Chair, it was taken by
the Earl of Blesinton, who, among other toasts, proposed the
healths of the Rev. Mr. Croly and of Mr. M. Wyat. These
Gentlemen severally returned thanks. Many other health% and
toasts were given, and the greater part of the company did not
separate till a late hour. •