DUNEDIN SHAKESPEARE CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2374, 31 August 1899, Page 45

DUNEDIN SHAKESPEARE CLUB.

The Choral Hall on the 18th insf., on the occasion «f an entertainment being given there by the Dttnedin Shakespeare Club. Mr A. Wilson, president of the club, who occupied the chair, said there was no one in Dunedin to whom the Shakespeare Club owed more than to Mr Burton. That gentleman was present at its inception, and he (Mr Wilson) questioned whether there was any meeting of the club from its inception at which Mr Burton ■was not present. At any rate, if he had been absent it was contrary to his wish and desire." Mr Burton had now ceased to be a working member of the club, and it was exceedingly fitting and proper that the committee should have invited him to speak on a subject to which he had given a life-long attention. Mr A. H. Burton gave an address on " King Henry V." He said it was, he thought, noteworthy that in the whole of Shakespeare's historical plays there was only one of the titular characters that could be rightly called a central heroic figure. He briefly referred to the characters in question, and endorsed the opinion of Professor Dowden that King Henry V was Shakespeare's ideal of the practical heroic character. His hearty English warmth, his modesty, his love of plainness, rather than of pageantry, and his joyous temper, pervaded every scene in the English court and in the French campaign. After referring to other characters in the play of " Henry V," Mr Burton said Shakespeare's object in introducing three of the characters was to show that the old antagonistic feeling in countries so nearly neighboured was already on the wane, and that the way was being even then prepared for future alliance and absorption and. for the ultimate development of the majestic empire of which we to-day formed a part. He then proceeded to allude to the growth and greatness of ihat empire, pointing out, among other things, that where, as in the times of Henry V, English •was only spoken by four millions of people, and was bottom but one on the list of European languages in point of number of talkers, ■it now topped the list, and was spoken by 116 millions. In concluding, he said: — There is on the part of some a feeling that -we shculd call a halt to the extending of our 22mpire, and we are reminded that bulk is no guarantee of strength; and are pointed to the decadence of the Roman Empire as to an example and a warning. But was not the decadence of Rome in the people themselves? -That once-so-mighiy empire fell because it deserved to fall ; and if our country and our race should ever deteriorate in & like manner, they will assuredly meet with a like fate. Meanwhile, does it not seem as though the feeble folk of the earth were crying to us to come and care f6r them — to protect them from rapacity and from cruelty? Is not our rule becoming an absolute need alike in Central and Southern Africa, and in the farthest East of Asia ? And, so long as we rule with righteousness, so long, as " whero Britain's power is felt, mankind may feel her mercy too " ; we need be under no alarm in that our frontiers are ever advancing. Mr Burton quoted from the poet laureate the sentence, "Who would not die for England?" and continued " History is clamant with replies: Prom the field of Agincourt, where Henry declares, with mingled pride and scorn — - " We would not die in that man's company That fears his fellowship to die with us." From the Elizabethan sea-dogs of Drake . and Frobisher, as they drove before their little ships Spain's mighty sea nasties to well-deserved destruction. From the God - fearing comrades of Robert Blake when he , silenced from his "wooden -walls" the forts of Santa Cruz in Teneriffe, and smashed, in his day again, the haughty navy of Spain. From our more modern .sailors, led by glorious Nelson at the Nile and at Trafalgar. From the slopes of Waterloo, when the stolid British squares resisted every charge of the' veterans of France, until, at the end o£ that hard-fought day, the Duke of Wellington, closing his field-srlass, gave that word: "Let the whole line advance!" and the last hopes of Napoleon vanished like a puff of smoke. From the heights of Inkcrman, when huge masses of Russian troops on that dull November morning hour after hour were hurled in vain tgainstthe dogged and determined fpw. and the distinguishing title of " the soldiers' battle " -was so grandly earned by onr men ! Time and again during the dark hours of the Indian mutiny. Here is a preEent-day voice in testimony: Says Dr Faixbaim in a Review article now on the tables of the Athenaeum: — • We explored the ridge at Delhi, and marvelled at the tenacity which, in Bpite of the summer heat and the Indian rains, stuck to ' a place which the winter's sun made hardly tolerable at midday. We stood beside the spot -rhero the ma?a7.inp had been, examined the battlements, the battered Cashmere gate, and ■the water bastion : and we thought with pride of the bravery which feared neither numbers nor fortifications, nor racial hate nor religious fanaticism; bnt dared all and overcame all through love of a name that could not be tarnished, and in maintenance of a kingdom ' that must not be moved." Such are a few of the replying voices; but how many others cannot be distinguished if we only listen ? 'And now let the Laureate answer the" question Jiimself: ' ■*' Who would not die for England ? This great thought, Through centuries of glory handed down ?By storied Tault in monumental fane, (And homeless grave in lone- barbaric lands. — Homeless but not- forgotten, — can so thrill (With its imperious call the hearts of men, That suddenly from drawf ignoble lives Whey rise to heights of nobleness^ and spurn The languid couch of safety, to embrace P".tty and Death, that evermore were twin/ >— 'Loud applause.) 'The readings given by the members of the rub were from " Henry V," the selections being rrom act vscene 2; act ii, scenes 1, 3, and 4; uct iii, scenes 1, 3, 6, and 7; act iv, scenes 1, 3, 7,

and 8 ; and act v, scenes 1 and 2. On the whole the entertainment was quite up to the standard of former ones given by the club, and it appeared to be thoroughly enjoyed by the audience, who bestowed liberal applause upon the various readers. Mr 'Hanlon took the part of Henry V, and read his lines admirably throughout. It is true that opinions may differ as to whether he imported quite enough fire into some of the passages, but on the whole he did remarkably well, and created a decidedly favourable impression. Mr Horace Fisher made a very good "Pistol," and afforded the audience much merriment by his interpretation of the character. Mr Sawell was also well cast as Fluellen, the manner in which he read his lines being one of the features of the entertainment. Miss Wilkie, as _ Chorus, read intelligently and effectively, being frequently rewarded with applause. Mr Webb, being unable to attend, his part -vas taken almost at a moment's notice by Mr C V. H. Campbell, who acquitted himself very creditably under the circumstances. The other parts were filled with varying degrees of success by the following: — Mr Wathen (Exeter), Mr Pavletich (Bardolph and Messenger), Mr Thomson (Nym and Governor), Mr Scoular (King of France), Mr F. J. Jones (Dauphin and Orleans), Mr W. S. Fisher (Constable of France and Burgundy), Mr D. J. Fyfe (Westmoreland and Gower), Miss K. Mullm (Hostess), Miss Cameron (Isabella), and Miss Ina Whitson (Katherine). Two or three musical selections were contributed during the course of the evening gave a pleasing variety «to the entertein.riient. Miss Amy Mtirphy played a pianoforte solo/'.Le Corrent" (Lacombe), and Miss Florence Brewer sang " A summer night " (to which a 'cello" obbligato was played by Mr Parker), and "Twickenham ferry," the latter song being given in response to an imperative encore.