CENTENARY OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1029, 19 August 1871, Page 6

CENTENARY OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.

THE bUSLDJS 31UT[T.VMAirK0Vjnn:XT.S0CIKTY'.S CELEBRATION.

The Centenary of Sir Walter Scott was celebrated in a really popular manner at the Masonic Hall on AVednesday week, where there was a large and pleasant social gathering. The festivities there were under the auspices of the Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society, which deserves every praise for having initiated and brought to a successful issue a meeting at which all could assemble, with their wives and families, or sweethearts, as the case may be, to do honour to the memory of the great patriot, poet, and novelist.

Tea, together with a plentiful supply of eatables and other refreshments, catered by Mr Hudson, was served in the side-rooms from se\ en till eight o'clock, and with it there was the usual inseparable accompaniment of pleasant conversation and agreeable social intercourse.

After eight o'clock, the company — numbering about oOO— adjourned to the large hall, where a concert took place. Mr iSeveridge, in the absence of Mi John Bath gate-, took the chair till the latter gentleman arrived from the other celebration. We noticed on the platform Mr J. T. Thomson, the President of the Caver&ham Mutual Improvement Society, and Mr Macklin, of the lioslyn an el Waikari combined Societies. Mr Sykcs played an overture from the opera of Guy Mannering. After, there came a trio, "O, Memory, "' by two ladies and a gentleman. An original pocin, eulogistic of the great author, and composed by Mr Barr, of Craigielee, for -the occasion, was read by Mr Macgregor, and its sentiments were well recened. Not to break the continuity of the description, we give it below. A lady, a great favourite among audiences at amateur concerts, sang the "Bonny Hills of Scotland," and, in answer to hearty and longcontinued applause, had to come before the audience a second time, when she sang " i>ide a wev.'' The glee " Hail to the Chief was next sung. A lady gave "Bonnie L'rinee Chailie." She appeared to be extremely nervous, but being encored, gave another song somewhat butter. A gentleman sang " Bonny Dundee."' A lady gave " The Auld Scotch Sangs " very sweetly, meeting with an encore. A lengthy address by Mr Jago followed. There was then an interval, during which the audience refreshed themselves in the side rooms. The second part of the concert w;>s opened by an overture p! a M'd by Mr Sykcs. The Chairman, Mr JSathgate, referring to the amount of infliction the audience must have put np with in the way of serioius expaiiation and critie'ibiu of the works of Sir Walter Scott, said he should not bore them with anything more on that point. He then related a number of interesting and entertaining anecelotes of events in the life and stirring times of Sir Walter, holding the attention of the audience throughout, and frequently calling forth their applause and laughter. An apology "was read from Trofessor Sale, regretting that he was unable to be present. The lady who before sang "The Bonnie Hills of Scotland," now rendered " Here's a Health, Bonny Scotland, to Thee,'' meeting v. ith a flattering reception, and an encore. A glee "Now Tramp o"er Moss and Fell, ' was well given. The lady who had already sang "The Auld Scotch Sangs, "' now sang " Jock o' H «i zel dean, " in a way which was favourably appreciated by the audience. A recitation, the description of the combat hctw een Fit/ James and llodcrick l.)hu, would have been given by a gentleman if ho had known the words, ffow'ever, he made a show of going through the recitation, and at every stoppage he made to collect his scattered thoughts he was greeted with bursts of hearty laughter nnd ironical applause. "Auld Room (I ray '' Wa^ .sung by a lady, and "The Hover's Biide" by a gentleman. " Kuntinglower,"' a duct by a lady and geiitlenu'ii, was very Mt'-t "'sful. The siii^ir.'j, of "Auld Lang S^ no." the audience joining in lustily, eoneluded the entertainment. Mr Sjkes presided at the piano during the eomert, and ill so at the ball held afterwards when his services were appreciated by the dancers.

During ilu: e\ening His Honour Mr .Justice. Chapman arrived, and delivered a neat and brief address, which was well received. He informed the audience of the fact that a subscription had been initiated at the other celebration towards the foundation of a Scott Scholar-drip in the University, and that a good begiuninghadbeen made. Theaunounccment was warmly received. His Honour considered that the fund for the attaining of this object was one which should not be subscribed for in guineas only, but one to which every man here, with a iJriti&li heart in his b'i=om, slumld contribute, however little his contribution might be.

Jlv .laco, in an address, referred Lo the surpassing greatness and versatility of the genius of Scott. The fact that they, in this region of the earth, were there assembled that night was the most forcible proof of the marvellous power it sti'l swayed after this lapse of time over tin 1 minds ot men. The unsulbed punl.y of Si oil's writings w,i , manifest to every reader, and was still mo"c so when compared with the writings of hi.-, contemporaries. In his graphi-' power ot bringing scenes of history before the reader, and stirring the mind with thoughts of past times, Scott stood without a rival. Though Scott had passed away, he lived in his works, which would ouke inon, better, and

wiser, and happier ; and in his works his influence for good still remained.

At the close of the entertainment the hall was cleared for dancing, which, after an interval during which all refreshed themselves, was carried on vigorously till a time extending into the small hours of morning. The utmost harmony pre\ ailed throughout, and the celebration may be considered a complete success.

We append Mr Barr's poem, composed specially for the occasion, and rend at the concert : — Old Scotia hoists her rliuuitlcs^ Wallace wight, AVhose fame shall live \Urile ilay .succeeds to night ; Her royal I'ruce, of wide-world' hiqli renown, "Who s:ned his country and pve.sened his crown ; Her countless heroes who, for Fieedoin's c.uisc, Conqucicd or died, defending riptlits and lav. s. She boasts her bards of hijjh and low degree, And claims her Scott a prince in minstrelsy, "Whose magic pencil in his virml den Drew to the life the characters of men. In tmthful verse he sans; of Scotia's hills, Her noble rivers, and her winding rills ; Her battle fields, with many a warrior's cairn : Her maityrs' gi.ivcs, half hid by moorland fern, "Who stern oppression nobly defied, Whose dc.nest blood their hills and valleys dyed ; Her woody glens, with many a waterfall : Her cstles old, with proud barnni.il hall ; Her lovelj lakes, embedded "moinjst the hillsAre all pourtiviyed and p.iinted as he wills. He sang of lovo, of haunted bionks and bowcr-s, Of iruel \i,ir, with .ill ,i print's powers , Tliefcnd.il tlui'ies .mil m.'il cLtdn.uiiois stion^', lie conjuies ii]i to miimle in the thiong ; To Palestine, far far fumi their abode, He bends them ofi to coiiilvt for their (!od. Tlie;»i:rri<if "Won in h Ipidinir foith his host, He next pomfci.ijs in blo'idv tempest toss'd ; And loud ,md shrill the pipe of Ciledon To the each bie.'.st sets up her wailike dioiie. Shrill trumpets sound, thej shout, they eh.ugc, they wheel, The sun shines lniuht upon their pointed steel, On, on the} rush, like a resistless wave, A Mctoiy g.un, or lind a Ueioe's gra\e. The royal p.ilace, and the cl.ij built cot, Alike, declare the wonderous powers of Scott ; And ]o\ fu!lv may Caledonia w,i\c Her ancient thistle o'er hci poet's, grave. A contiui '«. past. «inre first he s,uv the light, In distant lands we all are met this night, To paj all honour to his honomed name ; His spotlc=; worth, andne\er ending fame. To mourn Ins death would be but w^iste of time, For all still li\es that ever was sublime, His work >\,'s finished, c"ie his spirit fled, Pence to his ashes 'mong't thehonouicd dead.

[The following addresses were delivered at the Dinner last week :— ] His Honour Mr Ji >rui: Ciupmax, who was received with great enthusiasm, said : Mr Chairman and <!entlemen — 1 shall take a leaf out of my friend Major Richardson's book. — (No, no.) 1 mean in giving you a very short speech. You have often listened to me at very considerable length. — (Laughter and ap]il<iu.se.) Sometimes for an hour, sometimes for two hours ; sometime*, pcihaps, for more. 1 don't allude pnrticulaily to what takes place in a certain establishment a little distance from here. — (Great laughter.) 1 menu not when 1 have had occasion to address juries, but when I have been occupied delivering speeches, lectures, and so forth, 1 have often had occasion to feel grateful to the public of Dunedin for the great patience with which they have listened to long speeches from me. But this is not the occasion for one, because, as Major Richardson has said, we have, or some of lib have, to meet the ladies, who are now probably unrobing — (great laughter) — and will be soon expecting their cavaliers ; and 1 should do an injustice to one half of the human race if I inflicted a long speech upon you now. I recollect that a tew years ago, a friend ot mine said he " had done Europe in a couple of months.'' I think L can do American Literature in ten minutes ; and if I make a short speech to-night, and if yem don't listen attentively, and put in all the " hear, hears,'' and so on at the proper time, I have an opportunity of taking my revenge, for 1 see that one of my lieutenants, Mr Macassey, is present ; and if you don't behave yourself piopcrly — 1 cannot got} on all at once into my power, but 1 can get you twelve at a time into a ceitain box — (laughter) — and after you have been talked to for an hour by my lieutenant, I can w ith a sort of refined cruelty inflict a speech of another hour's duration. —(Laughter and applause.) Having had tlii.-, liffle professional joke, let me be serious, i it*! ore we go into the <|ucsli< nof American Literatuie, lei me allude to something that took pi. ice here this e\ening. It is a matter that deserves } our gra\e consideration. 1 allude to the suggestion which has been made by Mr Barron. I think that the highest eiedit is due to him for it, and that you will ayree w itli me that we could not better celebrate the hundredth birthday of one of our greatest lintish literary characters, for he belongs to Britain, and not merely to Scotland — (applause) — we shall best do honour to the memory of that great and good man if we come down with our guineas, with a view of establishing a scholarship, to be called Scott's Scholarship. — (Applause.) That was the suggestion of Mr Barron ; but 1 also happen to know that it has been a favourite scheme of my wi rt!iy and excellent friend, Major Richardson, the Chancellor of the University, for some time, i'hc fact that it was thought of by Major Uichardson, and that it was also thought of by Mr Barron, is not to be considered as a piece of plagiarism by the one as against the other. It conies within that common sa\ ing of the French,

-"Men of line intellects arc apt to coin' 1 into coniliet with each other."- -(Applause and a Your.: l'ra\o, Barron) Andwh"n an original suggestion has emanated from two gentlemen of character and « -red it. in the colony, we onght the more readily to adopt that suggestion ps coming from two, and to aid in the cai rying out of it by putting our hands in our poektti,— for what? To bring out our guineas, — (Applause.) Let some

person agree to act as Treasurer, and let us hand him our cheques for one guinea to establish the Scholarship which has been contemplated by .Major Richardson for some time past, and which h.ts been suggested, tonight by Mr Barron. We should then carry out the suggestion of two persons — a suggestion which has emanated fjom tlieir independent thoughts, and thcrefoie the more entitled to our consideration. Now for the tive minutes up'in the literature of America. — (Laughter.) It is so large a subject that it is quite impossible for me to do it full justice in the few minutes assigned to me. American literature at the present day is graced by a vast number of very eminent names. They are eminent in what is commonly called polite literature —or what the French call belles-lettres — poetry, novels, tales, and so forth, in Avlrich the mode of dealing with the. subject is the principal part ; the subject matter being to a certain extent subordinate. But they are also great in the higher walks of literature — in which the mere literary machinery is quite subordinate to the great thoughts — such as physical science, medicine, law, philosophy, philology, &c. In all the walks of science, philosophy, and literature, the Americans of late years have made great strides ; and, recollect, they have done this within the last .~)0 yeais; which fact should be a great encouragement to us who are inhabitants of what are now colonies, but also, so to speak, incipient nations. It should lie an encouragement to us to rellect that all this has been effected by America in an inconceivably short period of time ; and that in all probability we shall have a literature growing up in the Australasian Colonies, which will be as much respected in Europe as that of America now is. — (Applause.) Fifty years ago there was only one American writer known in Europe, and that was Washington Irving. But he to a certain extent was an English writer. The character and spirit of his writings, and the structure of his stories, were altogether English. It is true, he had commenced as an American writer. He had commenced with a book called "Salmagundi,"' and had written "The Humorous History of New York, by Dietrich Knickerbocker, ' which were purely America;) ; but these works did not make him great. What brought him into notice— and perhaps it was the only way in which he could hnve been brought into notice — wa.-, when he went to England, and treated English subjects in an English style, and in pure English language.

- (Applause.) He wrote in st of all, "The Sketchbook, by Geoffrey Crayon," which was published when T was a boy. Tt consisted of .sketches describing in a great measure English scenery mid English manners and customs. It Mas followed by another book called " Braccbridgc Hall,"' which was more English still. I Ikuc no doubt the English character of those work 5 ; gave Washington Irving his fame in America ; because the people there had not been accustomed to native literature. They had not been accustomed to the description of native scenes, customs, and manners. They were imitative— imitative not merely in what they did, but in what they enjoyed. All their enjoyments were imitations of English enjoyments, and so it was when those two works of Irving's- came out. When Washington Irving's ''Sketchbook'" and ' • Braccbndge Hall"' came out, the Americans devoured th. cm with great avidity. Why ? Because they described manners, and customs, and scenery, which they most wished to have described. The consequence of the production of these two works was to float to the surface the jmrely American works, which had fallen, as it were, still-born from the press before that ; and it was only after the production of " Bracebridgc Hall" that the "Humorous History of New York came to lie read with delight, and by Englishmen perhaps with greater delight than " Brace-bridge Hall.' Since that time — since that production of "BraeebridgeHall,"' which laid the foundation of Washington Irving's fame— he became more purely an American writer. But at that tnne 1 think he was the only American writer in that particular walk of litevauiire v. hooe books had any "go" 1 in England or Europe, They were translated into French, and road as extensively in Franco as in England. l>ut even at that time there were some few American writers whoso great ability caused their works to penetrate into England, particularly modical writers, In the higher walks ot medical science and law, the Americans ha\e pushed their literaUire into l\nghiud and into the hands of Englishmen and into English Courts of Justice in a way quite unheard of .'>o year.4 ago. — (Applause.) 1 believe the general impression in England of American works, on law particularly, is peihaps higher than they really de.-erve, just as the impression of Americans as to English law writers is better than they deserve. The explanation of this fact it*, 1 think, very simple. Tt is this : that only the best works of America lind their way into England, and the great mass of book-making trash that pervades every class of literature in every countiy never rinds its way abroad. Therefore we get ;m impression that American writers 1 arc superior to our own. But if yon goto Amerioi, the same impression is felt by them with rogard to English writers. They only get the best English works, and the trash never iinds it<" m.'v lo America at all, and they therefore have the same impression in f,i\imr of English law writers as w<« him: in favour of American law writers. I have given this illustration of one. class of literature, because this class I am best acquainted with ; but 1 believe that the observation ia perfectly true as to all foreign literature —that it is the best

only that comes to us as foreigners, and therefore we are apt to esteem it more highly than our own. Hut if we have an opportunity of running our eye over the whole liteiaturc of America -and Lhe whole literature of England — philosophy, philology, physical science, law, medicine, and so forth — 1 believe we should lind that at the present day the Americans have raised for themselves a literary character which h;;s drawn them completely into the European Republic of Letters, and that they ha\e amongthemwiitersinr.il classes of science anil philosophy which entitle them to be recei\ed as literary brethren. In one or two subjects Lhey have made themselves eminent. They now are investigating the whole history of the English language— they are becoming, many of them, great AngloSaxon scholars. Fifty years ago there were fewpeople in England who couldreadthe Sax on Chronicle, written in the language of King Alfred's time. Now, I know several in these colonies who can do it. In America the. subject has been taken up of late years w ith that energy characterising the Americans - one of the best collections of English ballad poetry that I know has been made in America. It must be recollected, of course, that they have great facilities for doing that. \Yo luu c men avlio have collected our o\\ n ballad poetry as they could from time to time, and the Americans have the advantage of our labours before them, anil have been able to bring our labours into one collection, and add something to it themselves, so that if we seek now for some of the best collections of English literature, we may go to America for them, for the simple reason that they have been able to avail themselves of 200 years of our work and add something to it, and make it more convenient. I may mention that in the schools and colleges of America, the cultivation of the English language is more specially attended to than in our colleges and public institutions. That, 1 hope, at a future time will be carefully attended to by the University of Otago. — (Applause.) Let me conclude by repeating the suggestion made to bring out your mite to perpetuate the memory of this celebration by founding a Scott scholarship for the University, as T know my friend Major Richarelson desired to recommend to you, and I suppose you w ill iind it in his speech as spoken in to-morrow morning's paper. His Honour concluded by proposing the toast of ' ' American Literature. '' Mr MACAssm , who, on rising to projjosc the toast of "The British Historians,"' was received with great applause, said : Mr Chairman and gentlemen — 1 entirely concur in the observations which fell from the Hon. Major liiehardsiin and His Honour Mr Justice Chapman, that in vie-w of the remaining engagements you have, it would be cruel to enlarge upon the subject of the toast which I have to pi-opo^c. But there is an additional reason why 1 should not take up your time in dwelling upon the subject of the British Historian';. lam quite sure that the historical literature to which I have devoted my attention has been of a kind in which John Doc and Eichard Roe came forward most prominently. — (Hear, hear.) When, therefore, 1 am asked what claim I have upon British Historians, or what claim British Historians have npou me, I confess 1 pause, as indeed you will, for an answer. If I had been ask oil to dwell on the majesty, the dignity, or the grandeur of the law, or to propose the the health of the unworthy members of the legal profession, 1 might have felt more at home than I do at the present time. Had you asked me to talk about the political institutions of the country I might have been able to give you the experiences of a defeated political candidate. — (Laughter, and applause. ) But, gentlemen, the subject of the toast which 1 have to propose ib the British Historians. "Now, I agree with the observations that fell from Mr Brodie, that it is impossible, in the few minutes allotted to each speaker, that I could do any measure of justice to so important a toast as the British Historians. lam satisfied of this : that were I to make an attempt to enter on such a subject I should feel hound to act like Tennyson's Brook — For men m.iy conic and men may g.i, But 1 go oil for ever. That I am sure is not the kind of subject you expect from me— (laughter) — and therefore 1 need not dwell upon it. But the Hon. Major Kk'hardson, in the speech which lie made, took a leaf from the Daily Times of a few days ago. (Laughter.) I speak rather feelingly upon the subject, because 1 intended to hnve made piccitely the same suggestion lo you which the Hon. Major Richardson has done, and you no doubt saw in the Daily Times, a few dsus ago, that Professor Blackic did precisely the same thing. But, gentlemen, lot me not be behindhand in this matter. The story about Professor Blnekio is an old one ; but have wo not recently had the captain of the Nevada here?— (Hear, hear.) Well, following the example of the Captain of the Nevada, 1 now ask Professor Sale to propose my toast. — (Laughter, and cries of "No, no.") Gentlemen, 1 beg to propose the toast of the "British Historians." — (Applause. )

1 Vof c-sor Sw.rc, who was received with loud and continued applause, said : Mr Chairman and gentlemen, I w ill not trouble you with any remarks about the probable lmgth or shortness of my speech, f may simply .^ay that during the ten days since I hoard that I should have the honour of taking part in this evening's proceedings, 1 have iicLH too busy to prepare a speech, and therefore I shall not make a set speech tonight. Until 1 came into this room. J had not given the matter a moment's considera. tion, and, since I h.ave been here I have

vainly attempted to direct my attention to the subject which I was going to talk about. But, as you know, " a positive din makes a comparative dinner" — (laughter and applause) —and it is next to impossible at a public dinner to arrange ouo's thoughts in a systematic and lucid niaamer ; so you must take the best lean offer under the circumstances. However, the subject which J have to speak about is one so familiar that 110 doubt all of you have formed opinions upon it quite as good as my otvn. It is so familiar that it is not necessary that I should say much to make t^e toast acceptable, ■*' U-ood -wine needs flo bush ;" and it would be absurd for me to speak at great length in •asking you t(> <lrink the toast of a class of writers atlio are to many men their most intimate auu most beloved friends. I say they are their most intimate friends, and not only tliat, but they are their moat trusted advisers. I have no doubt there is many a small humble cabin into which the works of a man like Dickens will penetrate where no literature of any other kind can enter ; that the effect produced by the works of Dickens on that account is world-wide, and that his influence is greater than any other influence can possibly be. It is no use attempting to speak about a large number of our writers : the range is exceedingly wide, from De Foe, the Father of English Novelists, down to " L,)thair," or the latest seria 1 in a magazine. The number is so great that it would im absurd to attempt to mention their names or their works, and therefore it is xieeessary to make some selection of English writers. What do we mean by a novel ? I don't think we mean nowadays what was understood a few years ago. By a novel, I understand, not a historical romance, I do not look upon a historical romance — the greater part of the works, for instance, of the eminent man whose memory we are celebrating — I do not look upon them as novels. What we nowadays understand to be a novel is a fictitious biography of a certain kind relating to our own times, of a character we can sympathise with and understand, and who must be one with whom we can identify ourselves; a character which *we may imagine ourselves to bear, and if it does not correspond with this definition, I do not think most people would allow it to be a novel. From this it follows that what is really a novel to one man is not to another in the same sense. For instance, for my own part, the Heir of lledclyffe is not a novel, for the reason that the character there depicted is so unnatural — the task of self-analysis and selfdissection about which he is so continually occupied is so utterly foreign to my taste and opinions, that I cannot enter into the story. It is a book that could not possibly affect me hi a way a novel suited to my tastes would do. The same might be said of a book like "Jane Eyre.'" It is impossible for me to sympathise with a character like Rochester or Jane Eyre herself. It is impossible to look upon anything of that kind of morbid dependence upon one person as being anything but mere fantasy. It is not, to my mind, a real depiction of characters as we liiul them among ourselves in the world at large, and that is what I conceive to be a novel. — (Applause.) Of the early novelists, everyone has his favourite, and [ have mine. [ was sorry when I heard Mr Bathgate speak slightingly of the early English novelists. Some of them are amongst my dearest friends. —(A Voice : Smollett. ) No ; I maintain he was a Scotchman. I maintain that in Fielding— (hear, hear) — in Sterne, Goldsmith — (hear, hear, and great applause, — you have characters which will be natural so long as the world lives. I will only allude to one or two in these authors. The Tom Jones of Fielding, and others of his characters, have been reproduced over and over again. They are the grand originals from which all similar characters have since been drawn ; and I say Fielding ought to have the credit for the original creations. Then, again, in Joseph Andrews, there is no single character in the world more true to life than Parson Adams. The utter simplicity and goodness of the man — the easy way in which he is taken in, and yet withal the honesty and bravery of his character is such as commands everyone's admiration. Then, in Tristram Shandy, who could possibly fail to be in love with Uncle Toby? there is not a single trait in his character which is not loveable. His little quarrels with his brother because he is too learned bring him out in the most pleasing light it is possible for a character to be put. Just to mention one part. Mr Shandy puts the question in his solemn way, one day, ' ' What is the cause of the greater or less, or quicker or slower, apparent lapse of time?" That is a posing question. Uncle Toby answers in the most glib manner, "I suppose it is the association of our ideas." Shandy is taken aback by the answer, and remarks, " Pray, Uncle Toby, what do you know about the association of ideas?" And Toby answers "no more than my horse." — Great laughter. ) Another part is so good that you must excuse me for alluding to it. Uncle Toby maintains that his man Corporal Trim is one of the best men alive, and among other things, he says he knows his catechism. So Mr Shandy immediately says, ' ' What does he know about the Catechism." Uncle Toby says he knew it perfectly well. Shandy then said, "Put him to the test ; give him the fifth commandment." Corporal Trim was tried, but could not remember the Fifth Commandment. Uncle Toby says, " Oh, but you must not ask him it in that way ; you must begin with the iirst, then the second, then the "third, and so on." — (Laughter.) So that is clone, and Corporal Trim repeats them 'right through, and when he gets to the iifth, he repeats it quite correctly. But then Shandy says,

" What's the good of that ; he repeats the Commandments like a parrot ; he does not know the meaning of them." Then Uncle Toby says to Corporal Trim, "What do you mean by honouring your father and your mother ':" to which the Corporal replied, "Why, allowing them fourpence per day out of your pay Avhen you are getting nincpence. " — (Laughter, and great applause.) Well, I only mention these to show there were, at any rate, English writers at that day avlio are not to be despised. — (Hear, hear.) There are characters in books of that time which everyone Avill read with as great a zest as they would the latest serial coming out uoav in the magazines. To come to more recent times, there is Trollope. What can be more delightful than many of his characters ? Then, take George Elliot. I can only on this occasion just allude to her name ; but all modern names are eclipsed by those two brothers, Thackeray and Dickens. Those tAVO great men, like as they were to each other in many respects, may yet be strongly contrasted. There is this peculiarity about Thackeray : he never leaves Avhat is common and natural ; Aye are always in every day life. You never have any A*ery startling events in Thackeray. So far as my memory serves me, there is not one of his stories, except, perhaps, '' Virginians" with airy stirring incidents in them. All his works keep you constantly on one leA-el. You are in respectable society and there you remain. 1 will not say that Dickens is unnatural, Imt he is generally startling, and sometimes almost grotesque. I think that must lie admitted by the greatest admirers of Dickens. Then again Thackeray's forte is generally satire ; he is ahvaya laughing at the foibles, the contemptible qualities, and the Aveaknesscs of man. On the other hand, Dickens seems to bo full of enthusiasm ; he carries us away Avith admiration of some character. Then, again, Thackeray seems to ignore all intensity of feeling, and to think that such a thing is too sacred to be paraded before the public. Dickens's humour is at times almost farcical and his pathos almost painful. Yet Thackeray is not deficient in pathos. There is no doubt the tAvo men are very different. Thackeray has his admirers, and so has Dickens, these latter maintaining that Thackeray is inferior to him. For myself, I put them together. It is said that Dickens never dreAv a gentleman, but he has done more than that. He has dniAni not what is generally called a gentleman, but the most noble character m this world. Colonel Ncjavcouio is what is ordinary considered a gentleman ; but it strikes me that Tom Pinch is fully as good a gentleman as he. I think nobility of character AvheneA r er it shews itself ought to he admired. If there is one thing more than another I loA-e Dickens for. it is that he scorns respectability. — (Applau&e). I will not detain you any longer at this hour. These tAvo are the great names upon Avhich I rest my claims for calling upon you to drink this toast. They are two men a\ hose books none can fail to be better for reading. These two men, I consider. hoAveA'er different their qualities, their liA-es were equally great. Their works Avill last equally long, and they are rightly buried side by side in Westminster Abbey, to remain there amongst the greatest names of England. — (Great applause. ) The toast, "The English Novelists," Avas the last on the list. It was drunk Avith enthusiasm. A A-ote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, on the motion of Mr G. Duncan. Before the company dispersed, the Chairman announced that fifty-six guineas had been already subscribed by those present for the proposed Scott Scholarship ; he also stated that he Avould be happy to act as honorary treasurer, and receive subscriptions from those Avilling to subscribe.