New-York daily tribune., 1859-08-04

I \
Sir Er.klne Pery, NJ. T., Sir J. Jobhs'cne NJ. p Mr.
\. Is. Hope Mr. W. NJ. Thsckersy, NJ. David
ROheIts K. A, Mr. Sims Reeves, NJ. John Tmbs. f.
5. and many other representatives. OF literature,
law, The fire aIfs ard the drama.
Tn entel'aIed erseed 10y the presence OF nesr.
y 200 lac es il the GALLERIES, who gave al unwoIted
gayt'y ard al irnaiiOn 10 the sceIe.
Mrr. Charles kesn entered the gallery dufihg tue
dirneI, and ues received with enthusiastic and long
continued plsudts, which She acknoSedge with much
grace tId feeling.
Alter the usual 10y al toasts-
Tie Charmsu Oh rising to propose the toast Of the
eystiug wished TO say sCrd relsive to the oigia ot
tie banquet. Every son of Eton looked back WIN
feelings of the tenderest affection 10 the school a.
which he had been educated. Cheer. Many ot
th' WHO were not educated q, Efou knew that tnere
was r { eeuasonry among Etonars which drew them
tog II under whatever crcuus al and wha;eyr
quarter Of ibe world they were thrown. lCheersl IL
ard other Etonans who were contemporaries Of Charles
kear cheers felt that 10 addition to the names OF Dis
'ingu,l ed geIeral Statesmen philosophers and poets,
iere vas Of EtOn who had brought fresh au'
Iels to The school to which they belonged aud to whom
they we're anxious to prove their APPRECIATION.
Cheers. But they fel'. at the same time, that the
deu onsTaion was one in which il right that all
Il ouo join. l. initiated by the Etobsns, bat they
felt that the fame of Chsres kean was the property OF
al II had grown with his growth, uotil it had be-
The property Of his age and his country and the
public had therefore besn invited to join in the present
barquet, ana the testimonial which was the conse-
qurnce Of the banquet. II would occupy him too
og TO ,tteupt 10 give anything like biography OF
TIER guest but he might be psrdoned IL in this
bly,, initiated by the Etopans, he mentioned that it
was thirty five years sioce he and Mr. Kesn and
many Others at that table associated together in
E'ou Seho.l. That as scholar Mr. kean was dl,tin;
gui-bed they might we'll Judge from what they had
:, en- of him in after life That Mr. kean, as boy,
was popular, lie might appeal to the friends assembled
around him at that board. lCheers. That
he was no bookworm, he could prove by the
fact tpat While their then honorable secretary,
Mr. Taunton, was captain of the boat, Mr.
Kean war second captain, and pulled stroke in
match Of six four OF whom, II was curious fact, were
present in that ro'm In the very year that he let
Etcp lie entered npcn the stage 1t would be mperti.
neuf hm TO refer to the circumstances that induced
bin to take the step, but his education had not tended
10 aDy such He believed that Elk years stter-
ward lie performed the boards Of Coven, Garden for
the last time with his distinguished father, who died
shortly sfterxs,d He also acted on tha, occasion with
snoher-with Miss Ellen Tree loud cheers, she whole
ssseu bly, rising and cheering enthus sastcay with
her who had been the partDer Of all his labors aud all
his gories, and who the happy participation in the
horrors that were now showered upon him. Cheers.
Without attempting to describe IN detail the state OF
III Stage a. that moment, he ux ht aufe TO the fact
that some time before there had been complete sew
erarce of dramatic poetry from the thea'er. While
dramatic poetry occupied the highest position IN our
ins Gil ative iteratufe-whe everybody was delighted
with the poetry of the EGzabe' han age-Sbakerpeare
wa exc uded, nearly go, from those bosrds upon
which 1t had been his great delight to introduce
the beautiful conceptions of his genius. To remedy
that evil ard introduce reform in that respect had
been the object of Mr.. Keans life. Cheers. 10 the
DAYS OF aIceD Greece the drama was one OF the most
efficient Instruments for forming the character Of that
II ost remarkable people. II it were not exactly the
same at this moment, the drama was an index to ths
social status of people aud they might trace the sue
cessive sentiments, opinions and moral sentiments OF
this couutry If they wonld look to the coareeuess OF
language which prevailed III the time CT the Iudors,
which degenerated into pure obscenty, and what was
wpse prfgacy Of heart and 'enti nent IN the time OF
fla,l. tI. fhaFa
complete revival Of everything We might WISH TO see,
there wa,, at sny rate, material and decided i'm.
provement In ancient Greece, the actors were con.
sdered worthy OF the hghes honors of the Sta'e and
it was strange that in this land OF literature and ait,
wrie scup ors, painters and poets received need OF
praise aud respect which he was 80 far from grudslng
them IT, q he considered il fell far short Of their des
er = that branch of ant in which it was most rare and
difficult 10 aiye at excellence seemed to be East into
the shade and treated almost with obloquy or at any
rate with indifference. Honor then, to the man who
bad raised the stage from what it was. lie had raised
IL materially aid had introduced reforms which begun
by the great Gark had been followed up by the two
Ken bes and by bis father, and we're now mntured
ano improved by himself tCheers. OF eourse he
alluded to the Shakespeare reyivals. They had heard
them criticised, but they had outlived criticism.
lCheeIs But Mr.. Kear fame did not rest alone upon
those revIvals. lie had shown versatility IN hs art,
kno FDeoge OF human character, and Of the influence
of the mind the passions OF men 10 way to prove
that lie was no copylst or mdnnerlst, or man Win
only ole idea. Moreover, Mr.. kesn was great his
torcal painter lie sd. present some disng guisbed pro-
fessors of the art Of painting, and he would ask them
whether n ey might Lot look upon Mr.. Kean rival
IN art with only this distinction that happily their
productions descended fresh from the easel to pos
t.ry, while bis, unbappily for HIM, perished IN
the same eyeIing, and left nothing but their lame
behind ICheers. Hs were not only lessons on
Art but also les -on- on history Mr. kesn was one oil
the greatest archaologists OF the day. lie had
a reason for everything. He introduced nothing for
which be had not authority and they might see In
;,.l the Dlays OF SlakeeDear6
II at the exact costume scenery and furniture vi the
rooms reproduced a. they existed IN the time.
MIR. Kean had done more. He had introduced groups
upon the stage that approached to marvel ana
miracle. The way in which he organized them,
brought Il EN- on the stage, and moved them, was
WORTHY Of ally geLerai in the service. lCheers. lie
bad himself answered the question when the great
Shakespeare had cast, " Can this cockpit hold the
yssty fields of France T. MI. kean had entered upon
tins undertaking in 10 commercial spirit. lCheSs.
Without neglectipg the interests ot bis tamly-and
they would respect bin less II he had neglected nose
jn,erests-he bad been nevertheless actuated by a
pure love of ART by love of his profession, and by
noble spirit. Chsers He no doubt felt the truth OF
the lines
"The drama. laws the dramas patron. give,
For those who live 10 please must please TO I'VE.
Mr. Kssp had. however never been improperly infu-
er ced by that sentiment He had never permitted the
love Of gain to make bin swerve from the clear line ot
duty that be had chGlked out for himself. He had fol-
loved b. career regardless OF every selfish cons1efa,
H. D. and be had his reward in the approval and
admiration of the public. Cheers. AT the same
tine lie was open TO assist the poor and needy
uo1e especially those belonging to the theatrical pro-
ftssion Twelve months ago IN the Princess Ihea'er
he eloaueny advo Gated the claims of the Dramatic
College ana proved that not ony his eloquence but his
purse were at the service of tbat charity. Cheers
They hoI ored his public merits and many OF them
kr.w his private virtues. Cheers. He therefore
a,ked them 10 drink the health of whose virtues
md private character had brough. around him wide
rce Of arec ionate and acuirDg friends, whose zeal
in his profession amounting almost to enthusiasm had
led bn TO prove thai the theater might be msde not
,,a,.v vehicle of frivolous amusement, what was