The Sun.
London, England, 1817-06-28 00:00:00

beCa3;Oft rl. Aettl) ec
by 11`1101dA3 tsq.
The Pleasures of Hope, &c..&c. &c.
Pride of the British Stage,
A long and last Adieu!
Whose image brought tit' heroic age
Itcyiv'd to Faecy's view.
fields refiesh'd with dewy light,
When tho 14,t, , • •
Thy partiagreseneketal.es more brigls
Our mentory of the past,
• And tuemerty conjures feelings up,.
That wine or music need not swell,
As high tee lift the festal cop,
To •`Ktalvt,e, Fare thee won,"
I.lis SVPI‘ the spell o'er hearts, .
Which ()illy acting lends—
The yonngest of the Sister Arts. .
Where all their beauty blends.
For ill con Poetry express
Full many zt tone of thought edblime;
And Painting Mute and motiouluss
Steals but one glance from Tinos.
tut, by the mighty Atter brettght,
Illusion's Wedded triunipbs come—
Verse ceases to be airy thought,
• And Sculpture to be duntb.
- Time may again revive,
But ne'er efface the charm;
When Cato spoke in him al-rye,
Or Hotspur kindled warm.
What soul was not resign'd entire,
To the deep sorrows of the Moor
• What English heart was not on tire,
With bun at Agincourt ?
And yet a majesty possesed •
His transports' most impetuous tone,
And to each passion of his breast
The Graces gave their zone.
High were the task—too high,
Ye conscious bosoms here.
In words to paint your memory,
Of Kratnee and of Lear.
Butt Who-forgets that white diserowrred beam!,
Those bents of Reason's half•extingeish'd glare,
Those tears upon Ceirdelia's Imsonfshed,
In doubt more touching than despair
If 'twas reality he felt-:4
Had SHAKSPEAIIeti self atnidst you been,
Friends, be had seen you melt,
And triumph'd to have seen !
And there was many an hour
Of blended kindred et,
When SIntIONS'S aUXiiiar power,
4nd Sister !tlagic came.
Together at the Muse's side
Her Tragic Paragons had grown—
' They veere,the children of Ler pride,
The columns of her throne.
And undivided favour ran
From heart to heart in their applose,—
. Save for the gallantry of Man,
In lovelier ‘yoman's cause,
Fair as some classic dome
Robust and richly greed,
Your Ersintav,'s spit it was the home
Of Genius and of Taste—
Taste, like the silent dial's power, •
That when supernal light is giten,
Can measure Inspiration's hour,
Aud tell its height in Heaven.
At once ennobled and correct,
His mind survey'd the Tragic page,
And what the Actor cOuld. effect,
The Scholar Could presage.
These were his traits of worth—
And mutt we lose them now ?
• And shall the scene no more street forth
His sternly pleasing brow ?
Alas ! the moral brings a tear—
'Tis all a transient hone below,
And WC that would detain thee here,
Ourselves as fleetly ga.
Yet shall our latest age
Thi;l patting sector review--
Pride of the British stage,
A long and last adieu !
Lard flouessm then proposed " The Neill) of
Mr. Kemble," which was received, with enlist!.
%intro.
Mr. Kisme then rose amid the cordial and fer-
vent acclamations of his friends and admirers.
" Gentlemen-4`ur your presence this day, and
the honour you haveconferred upon me by drink Mg
my health, permit me to beg your steceptance of soy
best thanks. I ant nob accustomed to extempore-
slim's speaking, and even if 1 were, !should feel, 1
am convinced, great embarrassment at this peculiar
moment. Surrounded as 1 am by persons eminent,
for rank, for oleos s, for celebrity in the nobleit and.
most useful attainments of the human mind, I can-
not be insensible to the difficulties in which I ani
placed. lam et the same time no less aware of
the honourable testimonies of my professionalex
-
ertions which are thus held up to me. Such, cer-'
tainly, have never been shewn to any of My pre-
decessors. Of my gratitude it would be idle to
speak. The terms in which you have been pleased
to speak, of my public and private character mint
ever be a source of the most heartfelt satisfaction.
Your. Noble Cheirman has been pleased to com-
pliment' nti'im talents and judgment which may
have been °vermeil ; hut allow me to say, that
as far as his condescension and kindness have gone
in respect to my exertions; I feel myself justified
in observing, that my endeevours to deserve public
approbation have been -uniformly nnremating. I
fed myself inspired with the hope, under yonr
picas, that these endeavours.may be transmitted to
posterity. This is, perhaps, too proud a mode of
expression, but 1 am suddenly prompted to the
Ilse of it by your encouragement and sanction. ]
shall express myself better by saying.. that I hope
yet to be known after my performances have
ceased, I entertain the pleasing refleetion that
shalt not be-forgotten, since I know that my re-
tirement from the Stage hai been celebrated by
the Muse that dictated The Pleasures of
I beg, in conclusion, to propose the health of our
Noble Chairman:
Lord liffeeesso returned thanks, and gave the
health of Mr. Campbell, the author oldie Ode,
Mr. CAMPBELL. Said,
.the company were lets
indebted to him than to the Gentleman who had
delivered his production with so flinch force and
effect. There was more poetry in the room Ilion
any to which be could pretend, and he lamented
that there had not been a more efficient substitute
than himself.
His Lordship next' gave-.." Mr. Fawcett, and
the Actors of Covent Garden Theatre." ,
Mr. FAWCETT, in returning thanks for the ho-
nour conferred on him and his brother performers,
observed, that, next to the pleasure of receiving
the applauses of a good-natured audience at Co.
yea-garden, the approbation of that splendid as-
sembly whit% be then addressed, was most grateful
to his heart. He and his fellow-performers did not
tike any pride to themselves for the plan which led
to the meeting this day, but they felt the honour-1
done to their brother in thelumott recesses of their
hearts.---(Applause)—He was sure no soldier • that
traced the dnubttid field of Waterloo felt. more for.
This GeneralthaQ they did for theirs.--(Applause.)