New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-16

,our shilling days Of next week Fridays hence
forth the admission is to be 2s Cd go cents) anu
Saturdays SIS tsl 2O,) and many believe 'ne ! q.
nee will be as crowded on these as on othSf o''''
doubt .,.,,n
TIE LITERARY GUILD
THE Guild Of Literature and Art VIII Ha''
already been heard Of in America " Is al u'i'
de,,,tino ~ several fortunate authors ana theif
- % rnoEe some provision FOX their unsuc-
rrs.fnl brethren--for those VINO nave 'He o3u
h,cL 10 be born before their time as wen a.
,hose who would apparently have done better by
declining 10 be born at al. The world oyerho"s
With writers who would fam trans'nuie their
thoughts into bread and, lacking the opportunity
have slim chance for any bread at all, even the
coarsest No other class has less worldly WIS
dom. less practical thrift no other suffers more
keenly from the sings ard arrows oil outrageous
fortune than unlucky authors II anything can
he done TO mitigate the severity Of their fate, ana
especially if their more favored brethren can 20
II there ought to be but one opinion as to lie
propriety.
And vet fear the issue OF this project. The
world is scourged by legions of drones and ad-
xen;urers who have taken to Literature as IN
another age they would have taken to the high
,ysv--,o procure an easy livelihood. They write
because they are too lazy to work, or because
they would scoTn TO live on the meager pro1uct
Of manual toll OF Genius, they have manly
the eccentricities-that IS 10 say, strong adalc-
ton 10 late hours, hot suppers and proiusloh ol
Gin and water, though they are not particular
about the water. What Authorship needs above
all thing, is publication from this Falstah's
regiment. who should be taught some branch OF
honest industry and obliged to earn their living
bv H. SO far, therefore, am | from regreitng
that every one who wishes cannot rush into
print, and joining in the general cxecration OF
publishers for their Insenslbllty to unacknow-
lodged merit, that wish no man could have his
book printed until h. had earned the cost thereof
by Jona fde labor, and that no one could 1--we by
Authorship until after he had practically demon
straed both his ability and willingness to earn
his living, IN a different way. greatly tear the
proposed Guild even under the wlsest regula-
tons, will do as much harm as good, by aggra-
waiting the prevalent tendency toward Authorship
by thousands who never asked whether the world
is likely to profit by their lucubrations, but only
whether they may hope TO profit by them. II the
Guild should tend to increase the aspirants to
the honors and rewards Of Authorship, II Will IN
cite more misery than it is likely to overcome.
However, this is an attempt to mend tho
fortunes Of mlucky British Authors, and as we
Americans habituaIly steal the productions of
British Authorship, and deliberately refuse them
that protection to which all producers are Justly
entitled, feel myself fairly indebted to the
class, by the amount Of my reading Of their
works to which Copyright IN America is denied.
meant to have attended the first dramatic en-
tertainment given at Devonshre House in aid OF
this enterprise, but | did not apply for ticket
(price f5) till too late; so took care to be in
season for next time-that is, on Tuesday eve
ning-of this week.
The play (as before) was Not so Bad as We
Seem, or Many Sides to Character written
expressly in aid Of the Guild by Bulwer, and
performed at the town mansion of the Duke OF
Dovonshire, one of the most wealthy and pop
ular of the British nobility On the former
evening the Queen and Royal Family attended,
win some scores vi inc lNobitit1 tuio Ahho
there was a spnnkling Of Duchosses, &C. but
Commoners largely preponderated, and the hour
of commencing was changed from to u Pm
The apartment devoted to the performance IS a
very fine one, and the whole mansion, though
commonplace enough IN It's exterior, Is fitted up
with a wealth Of wing, gliding, sculpture,
&c, which can hardly be imagined. The scenes
L. a ,f.b 10 4
admirably done. The Dukes private band
played before and betWecn the acts, and nothing
had been spared on IN, part to render the enter
tanuent pleasant one Every seat was filled,
and at $40 each and no expenses out hand
some sum must have been realized in aid of the
benevolent enterprise.
The male performers, as is well understood,
are all Literary amateurs the ladies alone being
actresses by profession Charles Dickens had
the principal oharacter-that of a proilgate
though sound hearted young Lord-and he played
II very fairly But statolmess sits Ill upon HIM,
and ncomparably his best scene was one where
IN he appears in disguise as bookseller tempt
ing the virtue OF a poverty stricken author
Douglas Jerrold was for the nonce young Mr..
SVllhtdu, anu steuleu quite al nome III the ChhI-
acter II was better played than Dlckens's.-
The residue Were indiferently good--or rather,
indiflerently bad-and on the whole the perform
ance was indebted for its main interest to the
personal character Of the performers. | was not
sorry when il was concluded.
After briei interval for refreshments, literally
proAered, comic afterpieoe. Mr. Nightingale's
n,arNs o,V Nth tor ntrE-
ems personated the principal character--oT rather,
the four or 1--WE principal Characterization the life
of the piece is sustained by his appearance sue
ceSslvely as lawyer servant, vigorous and
active gentleman relieved OF his dlStemperS by
watercure, feeble invalid, &c, &c. 1t is long
Since SnN n,nch nctln, OF nr,r accnnnt Int tins