New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-11
NEW-YORK DRAMATIC FUND 1850
CLIFTON
EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY DINNER AND FES-
TIVAL.


the Metropolitan Hotel, by dinner ard festival Ar
ap-ernerts were sie on the most liberal scale, with
the view Of surprising in al desirable respects the
celebrations Of previous wears. The tables were ar
ranged for two hundred and twenty five guests. Every
scat ras oCcupied. Dodworth Band was in attend
arce and during the evening furnished of their
finest selections. The spacious dining hall appro-
praely decorated At the head OF the hall were sus
pended the portraits Of Washington Shakespeare and
Garr;ck On the walls st intervals were inscribed the
names Of those who had added luster the Drama by
the pen or by filing the ranks of the profession. On
the table were the following ornamental dishes:
Tribute 10 Shakespeare. Mslvolio.
Figure OF Comedy. TriumphA Arch
Merchant Of Venice Shakespeare's Birthplace.
The i:..hmsa, Here's III ye. 7.TeIaFe.i; -.
The Globe Theater. The lsnkee, reckon:
EsuI- Of TRAGEDY scene " ior Ell iIle
The President of me Association, JAMES I. BRADY,
presided Ex.Judge Edulonds and Hiram Fuller were
at the opposite end Of the tables Seated by the side
of the President were Thomas Francis Mesgher and
Judge DAILY, and M Blake Of the Broadway Theater.
Many members of the Dramatic profession We're pres
ent.
The bill of fare was unusually large and included eve
" luxury the market Afforded. In al its appointments
the occasion does great credit TO the Committee OF the
Society and to the Mossrs. Leands OF the Metropolitan
At u o'clock the cloth removed and the doors
were opened for the admission of the ladies who had
been invited be present to listen to the speeches and
music, which was TO form the concluding part OF the
entertainment. About sixty ladies present.
When they had seated themselves glee party, led
by Mr Charles NJ Wolcott, sang No. RoJis DoHsiri.
The President, Mr.. BRADY, arose and returned his
thanks for the honor which had been bestowed upon
him in selecting him 10 preside the Association in
place of Nh Stebbins, who had resigned. He did not
know why he should have been selected to succeed
Mr. Stebbns unless il to show the antethesls of
laziness and industry. But ike Dogbery he did not
intend 10 nhiet upon them tedious speech for that
would be most toerabls and not TO be endured.
Though he had not the flowers of Spring TO decorate
the room, they had those better flowers Of beauty
surrounding the table, and for this occasion he would
represent the bouquet and call their attention to
them applausel. But solemn seriousness was sug-
gested by the occasion. The widow and the orphan,
ard the decayed actor men suggested to them
thoughts the recipients Of their benefits of the As
socation. And when this company had dispensed the
spirit Of charity kindness you'd incte them to higher
and nobler efforts in behalf of those who suffer lap
plausel.
The PRssIDESr then announced ~ the first regular
toast:
l. TA Ptesdtnt Of he Usiied States. All Hail Colum.
bia"
The Ctyof Netc York Glee. "Whsi shall he have who
s. Shake,pears and ne Eide, Drsnd.
Mr.. ALLAN IRyISG sang " Arise from Dreams,
which was loudly applaNded.
The Hon. CHARLKs Y. DAILY responded to the toast
He said that the present month happy association
with the subject of the toast. Tie 23d OF this month
WAS designed L, celebrate the coming of the patron
saint of Eng land But it far more illustrious
the birthday OF Shakespeare; and on the same day
fifty -four years after the migh'est light went ont that
sparked in the armament of literature. 1t could
not be expected that he should point out all his supe-
roritv. A. the j. to system il Shakespeare
to literature. man so profound thinker IN the
philosophy of human nature was not to be measured
Ike ordinary men. If there anything to be de-
rived tom the perusa of his works il was the made
quacy of language 10 speak in terms sufficiently
exalted OF the universally of his genius.
What We had of Shakespeare was hot only very
meager, but rested upon authority 20 uncertain and
contradictory that II needed much sitting to approach
the truth. Ills life was little understood, be felt
that be could not perform a service faithful than
disc nshrOud it of of the msts that surrounded
il. Il is commonly supposed he wrote bis works by
the natural force OF genius and without generalization;
that he worked by rules OF art that he was uncon
scous of his own greatness, and that 1t was
not until hundred years after his death that this
ce-ket OF literature was discovered. 10 otaire, ne
vas an inspired barbarian To Milton himself great
poet be was pictured a. fancy's child, singing his
wood.notes Wild Others have pictured him a. unedu.
Gated and a. unacquginted with ancient literature,
except through the translation but ne was the com
panion of Raleigh Pembroke, and Essex, and others,
and il would seem TO be strange that, assOciatlng with
these he should not have been highly educated man.
Where did he acquire the marvellous knowledge dls-
played in his works. There was no royal road to
knowledge Each man had 10 get it by study.
Where tLen did he get his knowledge OF nations,
localities, pecullarities of the professions, and
social life Of antiquity He proposed 20 answer
those questions, and he asserted that ne was a
highly educated He was Il proficient IN five
languages, and had Travelled in Italy Mt least.
Jonsol remark that Shakespeare had little Latin and
ess Greek would only indicate that Shakespeare wes
profound in the subtetles OF those languages. We
were apt 10 mistake IN not thinking bow much great
minds teach themselves. We did not now
Shakespeare got his knowledge. L. was enough to
say that he had Il. Greek scholars had said that no
man could have reproduced the HOmenc characters
with that power and yigOr II be had r0t read Homer
in the original Greek. In respect 70 the Latin he
was the only modern writer IN all Literature who had
produced real Romans. The Romans OF Racine were
French marquises. OF bis knowledge Of French le
Id say that an eminent French critic had said Of the
dialogue in Henry V. that he could not have written
il If he h6d not understood French well. His HABITS
were studious. H an e2tOr "a well a. q
dramatic writer. He large proprietor in
two OF the most pros porous tbeateTs In London.
H. and Burbayge, VINO was eminent actor
and the first to play Shakespeares cbarac-
ter-, were the principal propnetors Of two theaies
ana the success Of thOse tneatsIs was immense lie
It was belle we'd, the manager IF those establish
meets. He ama,sed fortune sufficiently large
that when b. retired 20 StratfordupOnAvOn Se had
fortune equal to income OF $40 600 per annum.
In the EzabetLan age the people at . o'clock.
TheAters opened 81 from to O'Clock II :he after
noon. Wa il 10 be supposed that Shakespeare waited
liz time n taverns in the morning Was il not more
reasonable 20 suppose that during that time be va.
planning hi- tbity-sixl immortal plsys! he would
remark too that Shakespeare was 20 highly APP
urecia:td by bis cotemporanes az he has ever
besn since. When Ben Jonson's plays failed
to draw, Burbayges appearance rs the crook,
back tyrent or the Moor would draw crowded
houses at the Globe Theater. They had not then, as
.,f.oo % randar the