(Newfoundland), 2gs; Laurie, ditto, 3 gs; Finder, 6 gs; Flora, 5 gs; and Music, 35s, spaniels; total, £111. 17s. 6d.

THEATRICAL FUND DINNER.

Edinburgh, March, 1827.

YESTERDAY the first annual dinner of the Edinburgh Theatrical Fund was given in the Assembly Rooms, which was attended by upwards of three hundred gentlemen.-Sir Walter Scott of Abbotsford, Baronet, in the chair. -About six o'clock Sir Walter entered the room, followed by the Earl of Fife, Lord Meadowbank, and several other gentlemen, who were greeted by the assembled company with distinguished applause. The Chairman was supported on the right by the Earl of Fife, and on the left by Lord Meadowbank. To the right of the Earl of Fife were Sir John Hope of Pinkie, Admiral Adam, and several of the officers of the 7th hussars; and to the left of the chair, Baron Clerk Rattray, Gilbert Innes, Esq. of Stow, James Walker, Esq. of Dalry, and several hussar officers. Patrick Robertson, Esq., advocate, croupier.

Upon the cloth being removed, Non Nobis Domine was sung by Messrs. Thorne, Templeton, Collier, Murray, and Hawthorn.

The Chairman then gave

The King, with all the honours,-Air, "King's Anthem."

The Duke of Clarence, and the rest of the Royal Family, Air, "Of a noble race was Shenkin."

The CHAIRMAN requested that the next toast might be drunk in solemn silence. It was to the memory of a branch of the Royal Family which we had lately lost. Every individual present would anticipate without his naming the late illustrious personage, that he meant to drink to the memory of the Duke of York. He would not dwell on the military talents of that illustrious in

dividual; these had been told in the senate and repeated in the cottage; and where an English soldier was, his name would never be forgotten. What he now mentioned the name of his Royal Highness for was, because he was the patron of all charitable institutions; that on every occasion he dedicated a portion of his time, giving up his own leisure and amusement, and was always ready to attend meetings for such purposes as they were now assembled. It was for this reason that he requested them to drink, on the present occasion, his memory in solemn silence.

The memory of the Duke of York-Tune, "Dead March in Saul."

:

The CHAIRMAN now requested a particular bumper, while he endeavoured to attempt to say a few words on the subject which had brought them together. It was perfectly unnecessary for him to say much, for they all came to support a particular opinion-that the love of representations of one kind or other seemed to be implanted in human nature. It was the first enjoyment of a child under the schoolmaster ; and, in short, it was the enjoyment natural to humanity and we could not suppose but that it was implanted in us by nature for the best of reasons, and that from it we should derive pleasure. The theatrical art had always kept pace with letters, and the refinement of human nature; in proportion as the love of the drama increased, in like proportion we had seen those works improve which rendered the stage more refined; and stranger as he was to its history, he knew that its first promoter was he who led the Athenian troops to battle; the next who succeeded to him were men of consequence in their country-men who shook the senate by their discourses, as much as their works shook the 'T'heatre itself. In the days of Louis XIV. and in the golden reign of Queen Elizabeth, England began to mingle deeply in the politics of Europe; it was then she became an independent state-that she would receive laws from none, but made laws for others, and vindicated the rights of man.-There were times when the drama was in disrepute, in which its professors had been stigmatized by laws less dishonourable to themselves than to the times in which they were adopted,

and equally dishonourable to the statesmen who proposed them as to the legislators who passed them into laws. At that time the natural duties of man were forbidden; the clergy were condemned to celibacy, and the laity were deprived of the use of their Bible; the theatre was considered a place of profaneness, from which men would withhold their feet as they would do from tents of sin. He was not entitled to charge them with hypocrisy for doing so; on the contrary, he gave them full credit for their sincerity, as he would to those who still entertained prejudices against the stage. But no one could deny, that to relieve the sick, and to support the wretched, were duties enjoined on them by our holy religion, and they were not entitled to ask to whom assistance was given, but by whom it was given. But performers were particularly entitled to the support and regard of those who had partaken of their amusements; they were particularly entitled to such support, because their art was of a delicate and precarious description; it was one to which a very long apprenticeship was necessary; it was very long before even the first geniuses acquired a proper knowledge of the business of the stage; and they have but a short time, too, in which, by the favour of the public and careful management, they may provide in some measure for future wants, but even that time comes late. that spares no man, makes equal havoc on them; the features fail them, the limbs fail them, and they are left dependent. He admitted that the public were liberal to those who deserve their protection; but it was a sad thing to be dependent on the caprice of the public. He was not surprised that, among so many persons in the profession, some were charged with improvidence ; that there should be instances of opportunities neglected, of sums wasted, which might have been saved; but let every gentleman look to his own bosom, and think of all the softer feelings of his nature, plunged into misery at the close of life-(applause.) He had hitherto yet been speaking of those who are called stars; but there was another class, without whom the business of the theatre could not go on. It was very well known, that, as the seaman's phrase went, " every man could not be a boatswain," there must be others for inferior

F

Time,

stations; every one could not act Hamlet, and there must be also a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. It was not for the Generals, not for the Colonels, not for the Subalterns, they were to look; but where were the private soldiers to support themselves? Some had been driven to the profession by necessity, others had chosen that, though one for which they were not naturally competent. They could contrive what to make of an inferior artist or a poor poet; the artist might be made to paint a sign-board, or the poet become a scribe; but they could do nothing of that kind with a player; they could not say to him, "If you are unfit to play Hamlet, you may play Rosencrantz or Guildenstern." What could they do with this man? They could not condemn him to an inferior situation-they could not cast him off like an old hinge, or a piece of useless machinery —that would be unkind, ungrateful, and unchristian. His want is not of his own making, but arises from sickness or old age, which he cannot prevent. These were a class of sufferers for whom nothing could provide, and having once put his hand to the plough, he must continue toiling at it till death relieves him. He was afraid all they could do would not relieve from want; but they might relieve, so as to render that want more tolerable-(Applause.) They must not be disheartened if they could not do a great deal, but they would do something, and any thing they could do, they were aware it would tend to relieve sorrow, and they would sleep the better, when conscious of having been the means of giving sleep to others. It was hard to think that those who had contributed to their amusement should be consigned to hard lodgings. They could not think of letting poor Falstaff go to bed without his cup of sack, or feed on bones as marrowless as those of Banquo-(Loud cheers.) The Chairman concluded by giving" Prosperity to the Edinburgh Theatrical Fund."

Mr. MACKAY rose on behalf of his brethren, to return their thanks for the toast just drank. When he looked around on the large assembly, met for the benevolent purpose of aiding them in their intention of providing for the comfort of their aged brothers and sisters, he feared he was unable to express in proper terms his

feelings. To him this was the proudest day of his life, to have the honour, at the first Theatrical Fund dinner in his native land, to address so brilliant an assemblage of the rank and talent of his native city; and inspired with confidence, he exulted and rejoiced that he was born between the Cross and the Luckenbooths(Cheers.) Many of the gentlemen present, he said, were perhaps not fully acquainted with the nature and intention of the Institution, and it might not be amiss to enter into some explanation on the subject. With whomsoever the idea of a Theatrical Fund might have originated (and it had been disputed by the surviving relatives of two or three individuals), certain it was, that the first legally-constituted Theatrical Fund owed its origin to one of the brightest ornaments of the profession, the late David Garrick. That eminent actor conceived that, by a weekly subscription in the theatre, a fund might be raised among its members, from which a portion might be given to those of his less fortunate brethren, and thus an opportunity would be offered for prudence to provide what fortune had denied-a comfortable provision for the winter of life. With the welfare of his profession constantly at heart, the zeal with which he laboured to uphold its respectability, and to impress upon the minds of his brethren not only the necessity, but blessing of independence, the Fund became his peculiar care. He drew up a form of laws for its government, procured, at his own expense, the passing of an act of Parliament for its confirmation, bequeathed to it a handsome legacy, and thus became the father of the Drury-Lane Fund. So constant was his attachment to this infant establishment, that he chose to grace the close of the brightest theatrical life on record, by the last display of his transcendent talent on the occasion of a benefit for this child of his adoption, which ever since has gone by the name of the Garrick Fund. In imitation of his noble example, funds had been established in several provincial theatres in England; but it remained for Mrs. Henry Siddons and Mr. William Murray to become the founders of the first Theatrical Fund in Scotland-(Cheers.) This fund commenced under the most favourable auspices; it was liberally supported by the management, and highly