Priceofcorn

PRICES of STOCK S,

&c.

in

1758.

89

89

SEPTEMBER, 1769.

per C. 4 per C. 14. per. C. 4 per C. In. Bond. Long. Lottery confol. 1763. Navy. Prem. Ann.

Tickets

Wind at Deal

Weather London

92

101

29

168 1

225

30

168

227

104

88 1

31

168

228

88

89

S

92 급

201

36

S. W.

cloudy

88

89

89

98

ΤΟΙ

fair

York. Gloucester. Hereford. Monmouth. 348 to 35 qu5806d bufhel 58 6d buf9g58 bufh.10gal Hay per load 275. to 30s. 38 od to 38 3dos od to 45 od 45 2d to 4 46 Straw from 14s. to 199 3 48 to 38 60 25 6d to os od 25 4dtoasoçd Coals 348, per cha, 38 6d to 38 8dos ed to os odos od to as od Hops x1, to 21, 6d.

179 to 21 O 13s to 150 ocs to oo

A Letter from James Bofwell, Efq; on Shakespeare's Jubilee at Stratfordupon-Avon.

LLOW me amongst many others to defcribe Shakespeare's jubilee at Stratford-upon-Avon. Upon fuch occafions it is exceedingly difficult for those who are prefent to convey to people at a diftance a juft account of what is going on. There are few whofe heads are ftrong enough to be in the midst of gay company and a variety of entertainments, without having their spirits put into fuch a fermentation, as to be incapable of fettling to write; and they who can in thefe circumftances be quite calm, and masters of themselves, are for the most part of feelings fo dull, that we cannot expect from them but a heavy and inanimate picture.

For my own part I am now returned to London, and I flatter myfelf that, after being agitated as much as any body, I have recovered my tranquillity, and am in condition to give you a few remarks on this celebrated jubilee of genius, which I am perfuad ed will engage the attention not only of all ranks in this ifland, but of the learned and ingenious in every part of Europe. For what was the Stratford jubilee? not a piece of farce and rhodomontade, as many of the envious foes of our Rofcius attempted to make us believe, but an elegant and truly claffical celebration of the memory of Shakespeare, that illuftrious poet, whom all ages will admire as the world has hitherto done. It was truly an antique idea, a Grecian thought, to inftitute a fplendid festival in honour of a bard. My bofom glowed with joy when I beheld a numerous and brilliant company of nobility and Sept. 1769.

1769.

gentry, the rich, the brave, the witty, and the fair, aflembled to pay their tribute of praife to Shakespeare; nor could I help thinking that they at the fame time paid a very juft compliment to Mr. Garrick, the steward of the jubilee, who has done so much to make our nation acquainted with the ineftimable riches of their own stage, in poffeffing fo illuftrious a dramatic author with fuch amazing variety and wonderful excellence as Shakespeare. Garrick may be called the colourist of Shakespeare's foul.-He

Dame Nature's pencil ftole, Juft where old Shakespeare dropt it. Let conceited and disappointed authors and players vent their spleen against him, he may affure himself that his fame will last for ever.

The morning of the firft day was ufhered in with a pleafing ferenade by the best muficians from London in difguife. The jubilee began with an oratorio in the great church at Stratford; the fubject the ftory of Judith; the words by Mr. Bickerstaff; the mufic by Dr. Arne. It was a grand and admirable performance. But I could have wifhed that prayers had been read, and a fhort fermon preached. It would have confecrated our jubilee to begin it with devotion, with gratefully adoring the fupreme Father of all fpirits, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift. The proceffion with mufic from the church to the amphitheatre, led on by Mr. Garrick, had a very good effect. The amphitheatre was a wooden building, erected just on the brink of the Avon, in the form of an octagon, with eight pillars fupporting the roof. It was elegantly painted and gilded. tween the pillars were crimson curtains, very well imitated as hanging over each recefs. In this amphithea tre was a large orchestra, placed as it L112

Be

used

452

he fung,

Sept.

There never was feen fuch a creature, &c.

Warwickshire thief,

He's the chief,

the chorus.

I fhall not follow a regular method of narrating the proceedings exactly, but juft mention what made impreffion upon myself; that is the beft rule for every man to follow, if he wishes to entertain.

The performance of the dedication ode was noble and affecting it was like an exhibition in Athens or Rome. The whole audience were fixed in the moft earnest attention, and I do be lieve, that if any one had attempted to difturb the performance, he would have been in danger of his life. Garrick in the front of the orchestra, filled with the first muficians of the nation, with Dr. Arne at their head, and infpired with an aweful elevation of foul, while he looked from time to time at the venerable ftatue of Shakespeare, appeared inore than himself. While he repeated the ode, and faw the various paffions and feelings which it contaxis fully transfufed into all around him, he feemed in extacy, and gave us the idea of a mortal transformed into a demi-god, as we read in the Pagan mythology.

I can witnefs from my own hearing what did great honour to Lord Grovenor as well as to Mr. Garrick. After the ode his lordship came up to the orchestra, and told Mr. Garrick that he had affected his whole frame, fhewing him his veins and nerves ftill quivering with agitation. What truly delighted me, was to obferve the warm fincerity of Mr. Garrick's enthufiafm for his immortal bard throughout the whole fuite of entertainments. While the fongs were finging, he was all life and fpirit, joining in the chorus, and humouring every part with his

I

The thief of all Thieves, &c. his eyes fparkled with joy; and the triumph of his countenance at fome parts of the ode, it's tenderness at others, and inimitable fly, humour at others, cannot be defcribed. know not whether it may be a compliment to Mr. Garrick, but I must fay that his ode greatly exceeded my expectations. I knew his talents for little fportive fallies, but I feared that a dedication ode for Shakespeare was above his powers. What the critics may fay of this performance I know not, but I fhall never be induced to waver in my opinion of it. I am fenfible of it's defects; but, upon the whole, I think it a work of confiderable merit, well fuited to the occafion, by the variety of it's fubjects, and con taining both poetical force and elegance. It would be unpardonable thould I omit acknowledging the pleafure which I received from Dr. Arne's mufic, which was truly fine; nor muft I neglect thanking the whole orchestra for their execution.

As a number of letters have ap peared concerning this famous jubilee, I would wish to avoid repetition; I would with not to go over the fame ground with others, though perhaps it may be with defcription, as it is with farming, where different perfons going over the fame ground will make it have a very different appearance, juft from their different methods of dreffing it. When the ode was finished, Mr. Garrick made a very genteel address to us in profe, modeftly expreffing how much he thought himself unequal to the task he had undertaken, and af furing us, that he found it quite another thing to speak in public, fupported by the great genius of Shakefpeare, from what he found it to speak in public, fupported only by his own feeble genius; but he hoped we would fhew him the fame kind indulgence as is usually fhewn to thofe unfortunate gentlemen who appear for the first time in a character. His epilogue to the ladies was very lively,

and

1769.

and very well expreffed. I hope he will favour us with it in print. When Mr. Garrick had done, he invited any of the company to fpeak, if they were fo difpofed. Upon which Mr. King, the comedian, got up to the orcheftra, and gave us a fmart ironical attack upon Shakespeare, in the character of a modern refined man of tafte. This might have done very well on fome other occafion; but, in my opinion, it had better have been omitted at this noble feftival: it detracted from it's dignity; nor was there any occafion for it. We were all enthufiaftic admirers of Shakefpeare. We had not time to think of his cavilling critics. We were fill ed with glowing admiration of our immortal bard; and the levity of the fine gentleman difturbed the tone of our minds. I must be forgiven too for obferving that this exhibition looked fo like a trap laid on purpole, that it difpleafed me; and I was angry to find any notice taken of the venomous infects who have fhot their ftings in the news papers against the jubilee, and particularly against Mr. Garrick. It had the appearance of a forenefs unworthy of our lord highfteward. If the gnats at any time fightly pierce his fkin, let him drop a little of the oil of good-humoured pleafantry upon the place, and give himfelf no farther trouble. This is my receipt, founded on experience, Probatum eft. I must however do juftice to Tom King, and allow that he played his part exceedingly well. I got acquainted at the jubilee with this ingenious comedian, and found him a genteel, agreeable companion, and for all the fhining of his brass upon the ftage, a very modeft man in private fociety. I am furprized that your correfpendents, who have fo juftly praised Mr. Angelo's fireworks, have not mentioned the pictures on the bank of the Avon, fronting the amphitheatre. There we beheld Time leading Shakespeare to immortality, Tragedy on one fide and Comedy on the other, copied from the fine ideas of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Behind these pictures were placed a number of lamps, which gave them a most beautiful transparency. In the fame style were five pictures in the windows

453

of the town hall: in the middle Shakefpeare, in the attitude of exclaiming,

"Oh! for a mufe of fire!" On the windows on one fide of him, Lear and Caliban: on the windows on the other fide, Sir John Falstaff and Ancient Pistol. In the fame style too was a piece of painting hung before the windows of the room where Shakefpeare was born, reprefenting the fun breaking through the clouds. In this room was lodged Mr. Thomas Becket, of London, grand bookfeller to the jubilee. Whether infpiration poetical hath impregnated his mind, time muft determine. I had a ferene and folemn fatisfaction in contemplating the church in which Shakespeare lies. It is a large old building, and has been a kind of cathedral, or a church belonging to fome religious fociety, for it has a regular choir, in which the bard repofes. His grave-tone is a good deal funk below the level of the floor; but nobody will ever put a hand to it, for his epitaph is,

"Good friends, for Jefus fake, for-
bear

To dig the duft enclosed here.
Bleft be he that fpares thefe ftones,

But curft be he that moves my bones." At one end of his grave Tome pious hands had placed a garland of flowers, bays, laurels, and other ever greens; and there were also feftoons of evergreens put on the monument which is erected on the wall next his grave. The monument is not very excellent. The warlike mufic of the Warwickshire militia, and the difcharge of artillery, added confiderably to the grandeur of our jubilee. We all wore, hung in a blue ribband at our breafts, a medal of Shakespeare, very well caft by Mr. Weftwood of Birmingham. On one fide was the head of Shakespeare, and round it this infcription, WE SHALL NOT LOOK UPON HIS LIKE

AGAIN.

And on the reverse, JUBILEE AT STRATFORD,

IN HONOUR AND TO THE MEMORY OF SHAKESPEARE,

SEPTEMBER, 1769.

D. G. STEWARD.

We

CHURCHILL.