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    scale of expenditure , ha would supply the answer . Jjfo went * last June , to that highly genteel place , "lySJUs ' s-rooms , to attend a special general meeting of tS&iseo : rporatioii . Allowing for the absence of the younger and fairer portion of the female sex , he found M yexy much like Alniack ' s in the morning . ( A titipgh ) The ball was opened by nothing less than a ndarqtiifl , who walked through a minuet with very great decorum . { Lauglter . ) After that , a member of the House oi Commons gracefully took the floora mere commoner unfortunately , but a gentleman highly connected . To frfm succeeded a distinguished lord , the son of another distinguished lord , and to \\ ii *) a bishop : and the minor church stood up with

    the stock-exchange and the bar , and so on . { Laughter . Now , it was in . those things—it was in being studiously genteel ,, in keeping up a fine appearance—it was in the vulgar , common , social vice of holding on to great connexions at any price—that the money of the fund ' was expended . { Cheers . ) He remembered at a recent anniversary festival of the society a distinguished literary man who ocoupied the chair saying 1 , towards the small hours , that he felt very much like the servant in plush who was permitted to sweep the stage when there were no more great people to cpma-on 7 { A laugh ) He ( Mr . Dickens ) felt like «^ C ^ Emd of Rip Van Winkle reversed , who had gone to sleep backwards , and wo&e again—{ a laugh )—to find

    this Literary Fund surrounded with adjuncts and associations from which he earnestly wished to see it emancipated . That Blponisbury-house , in which , the I * und carried , oni its business , was part of the same stow . No man on earth could tell tha-t meeting why it was necessary to have a house in which to hold a few meetings of the Committee of the Literary Fund ill the year , when no such accommodation was ever Necessary for the Artists' Fund . As to the officer to whom allusion had bean made ( Mr . Blewitt , the secretary ) , he would mate bold to say that the

    assertion ^ that his services were absolutely necessary in making inquiry into the cases of applicants for assistance from the fund , was » preposterous pretence , and that working literary men , managing their own $$ Fairs , would have a much better know ledge of those affiars than could ev 3 r be attained by any committee . { Hear hear . ) Hie asserted , too , that the secrecy to ^ lliph tMs society laid claim as one of its greatest attributes was not observed in practice , and that the SajPQ ^ si of its inost deserving applicants were to numbers of people perfectly well known * - —Mr . John yprpter spoke ' . to the same effect .

    ... Mr . Blackmor-e contended that the administration $£ the fund simply by literary men would be likely to introduce a hole-and-coxnep spirit , and that needy authors would prefer to bring , their wants before » Qplen > en and gentlemen , rather than before their own } refchren .- Mi ? , Monckton Milnes , M ; P . j expressed the gamie . opinion , aad reproved Mr . Dickens for his anclwgPjai ^ Ba t ? tb ^ society and for his sneers at the Patronage bestp ? vred by the aristocracy . He might *« ai | low ; ed . to r « ndipd tie meeting that the list the Opposition propounded last year as the council of the aooiety was composed almost entirely of lords and honourable

    wght . ( 4 laugh . ) With respect to the house in which the sooiety was located , he would put it to Mr , Dickens to say whether , amid the competition of so many new societies , it was not an advantage to an institution like that to have " a local babi-¦ tatipp and a name ? " Mr .. Dickens had made this somewhat of a personal question as it affected the secretary , Mr- Blewitt . ( Mr . Dickens denied that he lad done so . ) Finally , an arnendtnent , proposed by Mr . Murray Qf AlpexnarleTstreet , approving of the constitution and ma nagement of "the soqiety , was carried by 51 vote / 3 wgainst 30 in favour of Mr . Dilke's resolution *

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    THE DESTEUCTION OF COVENT-GAKDEN THEATRE . An inquest into this lamentable occurrence has been held at the Piazza Hotel , Covent-garden , by Mr . Bedford , the Westminster coroner , and a jury . From the evidence received on the first day ( Tuesday ) , it appeared that Mr . Palmer , head gasman at the theatre , discovered the fire just as " God save the Queen , " was being struck up . " I saw through the cracks in the flooring of the carpenter's shop , " he states in his evidence , " something resembling a transparency on a starry night . I immediately became almost speechless , and I fell back and said to Mr . Anderson . ' The

    place is on fire . He said , * Oh , hush ! Nonsense !' and then , looking up himself , he exclaimed , ' Good God ! the place is all on fire . For your life ' s sake , get out of it . ' Castles , the fireman , then ran towards a brother fireman , named Butler , and shouted , ' Bill , the house is oa fire ! ' The two immediately went up to the carpenters * shop at the top of the house , and saw a large heap of fire burning on the left hand side . The smoke was suffocating , and they retreated—Castles tumbling down some of the stairs from the stupefying effects of the vapour . This witness being asked by the coroner if he could , account for the origin of the fire , answered , " I really must say I think the means were taken there to do it . " Being further asked if he meant that "the theatre was seb on

    fire , he said , " Yes . He stated , as his reasons for this belief ( which he afterwards admitted was a mere suspicion ) that the smoke was peculiar—not like common burning smoke—and that the time was remarkable , all the firemen beiaig then employed on the stage in getting the people out . There were some iron gas fittings in the carpenter ' s shop , but they had not been used since Christmas , and the gas was turned off from them . Mr . Sloman ,. the machinist , however , had perceived a very strong smell of gas in thisi'oom , as well as in other parts of the theatre , and had repeatedly and earnestly called attention to it . The great chandelier was suspended immediately under the carpenter ' s s ^ hop , and was lighted through a hole in the floor , from which the gas jets were about ten or eleven feet distant ; but the witnesses denied that

    the floor of the shop , was ever dangerously heated in this way . Three firemen -were always on duty at night ; and it was their business to go round every hour—but not , added the witness Castles , during the performances . On the night of the fire , the last time Castles was in tho carpenter's shop was between seven and eight o ' clock , at which "time there was no fire . He shut the door on leaving , but found it open when he went up , on discovering the fire . In reply to a question as to whether he had not felt . it his duty on that night , there being- a hal masque , to go round very frequently , he said , " We were generally ou the move , and we considered it our duty to bo where wo thought there was most danger , among the people , who were throwing their oigora and fusoes about in overy part of the theatre . "

    The inquiry was adjourned . We have * received a cironlar from Mr . Albano architect of the late theatre , correcting some errors , with respect to hia building operations , whioh had found circulation in the press , though but one of them was admitted into our own columns . Mr . Albano ( who furnishes some very interesting details ) objects to thp word " remodelling , " oontending , with justice , that ho entirely rebuilt the audience part of tho house , together with various othor parts , such as saloons , offices , staircases , &o . This was effected in little more than four months , by meanB of working night and

    day , and employing throe gangs of workmen . " The published statements » s to tho oont of my works , " aaya Mr . Albano , " have been vory orroneoue , varying , as they do , from , £ 40 , 000 to £ 75 , 000 . Tho whole cost of tho wovJiB j building , painting , &c , was under < 62 S , 000 ; besides this sum , £ 4 , 000 was oxpondod for fixtures , ohandelior ( whioh I had oonvortoa from tho old one at the trifling « xponao of . £ 860 ) , gom fittings , looking-glasses , carpeting and furnishing most gorgoously hor Majesty ' s apartments , boxos , saloons , artistes' rooms , &o . The insinuation that' bond timber' Boema to have boon introduced , or left in tho walls

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    have one diabolical anecdote and one remarkable fact . { Laughter . ) To dispose of the diabolical anecdote , first , it may be sufficient to mention ( and it is an old Puritan idea ) that , on one occasion , when . Alleyne played the ' Devil , ' he found on the stage with him a genuine devil , which apparition so terrified him that h . e immediately retired from the stage , and , as an expiation for ever having belonged to it , founded God ' s Gift of Dulwich College . { Laughter . ) Now , there is no reason whatever for believing that he ever played the ' Devil' at all j and , indeed , I find an aagel ' s suit among the list of his wardrobe . { Laughter . ) But , as the story has been told b y an old gentleman who wrote a charming old book abou t devils w"ho went ha

    and out of old wainscoting with a melodious twang perhaps , under these circ umstances , we may , without disrespect to this particular devil , get rid of him with a melodious twang of general consent . { Laughter . ) The remarkable fact is of more importance . It is this - —that , in the original gift , Edward Alleyne limited the gift to the inhabitants of certain parishes , including lis own . These parishes expressly included the very districts above others , in which the actors of the time habitually resided . Not to weary you with names of persons and dates , I will simply state that the books of his own parish are still ia existence , and we find in them the names of the thoroughly well-known actors who were rated

    ground of the Half "Moon public-house at Dulwich . A few observations on the general question were also made by Mr . Keeley , Mr . Buckstone , Mr . Harley Mr Robert Bell , Mr . Albert Smith , Mr . T . P . Cooke Sir Joseph Paxton , M . P ., Mr . Cieswick , and Mr . Wigan and resolutions in accordance with the design of the meeting ( including a proposition for a memorial to the Home Secretary ) were carried unanimously . Mr . Kimtry , who stated that he was one of a

    committee of the parishioners of Camberwell appointed to inquire into the subject , said that the parish to which he belonged would not in any way oppose the present movement . —A gentleman named Farmer , who stated that he was one of the poor scholars of the charity , contended that the proposed scheme was not in harmony with the intentions of the founder , and proposed an amendment to one of the resolu tions , to that effect , which was lost , no one having been found to support it but the seconder .

    to the relief of the poor , and the two names highest rated were those of Edward AOeyne and William Shakspeare . { Hear , hear . )) Surely we can hardly have better corroboration of the inte ations of the founder in naming these districts . Add to this , the first successor of Edward Alleyne was himself an actor , and there is strong reason to be " - lieve that two of the original officers of the charity were also actors . Add to this , that , at every period of his life , Edward Alleyne never forgot the actor , or ¦ was forgotten by him , or ceased to be reiaembered for his fame as an actor . Two years after he commenced building the college , he forgave a debt of £ 200 to a company of actors at one blow . I find also

    among is papers a letter from a poor actor , who wrote to him thus : — 'Mr . Allyn , I commend my love and humble duty to you , giving you thanks for your great boon bestowed upon me in my sickness when I was in great want—God bless you for it . ' Lord Bacon writes of the college and its founder , the actor— ' I like well that Allyn playeth at the last act of his life so well . ' { Hear , hear . ) Alleyne himself writes to the former possessor of that ground on which the college now stands , and in which his remains now rest , who had taunted him , as a mean soul might , with his former pursuit— ' That I was a player I cannot deny , and I aun sure I will not . { Cheers . ) My means of living were honest , and with the poor abilities

    wherewith God blest me , I was able to do something for niyself ,. my relations , and my friends : many of them living at this day will not refuse to own what they owed me . Therefore I am not ashamed . ' { Loud c 7 ieers . ) Now , ladies an d gentlemen , it would be a grievous wrong to the writer of these noble words , and a great injury to the memory of so manly a nature ; to suppose him capable of having spurned down the ladder by which he had risen , or setting his face against the road by which he came . { Hear , hear , ) I venture to say that , in all biography , there is not an instance of any man of honest self-reliance and greatness of soul being guilty of so base an action . { Hear , hear . ) Edward Alleyne never was . The

    THE ALLEYNE' CHARITY , A fljijNJSBAi . meeting of members of tho dramatic profession , literary men and others , was held on Thursday in the MelpjLi Theatre , to take \ nto consideration , the necessity of imimediatply presenting a memorial to the Qhapity ComunlnBumers , praying that in the revision of the funds of piilwloh College , founded by Jjjdward Aljqyne , the actor , the claiwa of tl » ° m < un .-tyers of the dramatic profession , might be considered , Th , e ohair wag ; tnken by ftjtv . Diokons , who , after a Sketch pf the life of Afleyno , prooeedpd ;— " When Jtis ashes had ^ nia . £ vvp , hundred years under the

    very , y vPflWiesioners , found , that this endowment waa ^ jttremely rich a » dcapable of groat extension ; which «? Mi 9 ^ 9 P ^ eyrepomnien < led to the Legislature , (// car , ^ r , ) , ^ " 4 « ero uprises another famous , actor and wfW , naawgar of o « x ? time , fauo to h } a trust , WW always feeing wltihlu tho proposed oxten ,-5 JW > . '¦ ' . JPrayfl 1 , that onorfcuyth . of jits benefit may TO ^ tWdea . to , popr pj ayor « pf both ' sexes , and fo S ^ M ?^ i ? W * P yoV 0 . ( & «**> , hear . ) tfifflWW-fflft « far » t « . flupposjUon that 11 $ W ^ & ^ W P » Heg « , * u % o great « ot of his SSfcSf A ? SP 5 ^^ <> * H Ko-by to all tho eymy * t » W , AP 4 ABB < 50 V $ ^ of , hia w £ o | p o ^ ifltonoe / wo

    industry of my friend Mr . John Payne Collier , shows ua what he was in his habits as he lived , and it is easy in his secluded life at Dulwich . to trace the many pleasant tendings of his feet to the old pa ^ h , and his many delightful tending s to his old occupation . {// ear , Jiear . ) When he went from Dulwioh to London on horseback , he rode with a page behind him , and loved to dine at the theatrical ordinary and surround himself with old familliar faces . ( Hear hear , ) We are told , too , that on . Twelfthnight he always had a play performed at the college . Late in life , hjs theatre was burned down , and he applied himself with energy to its reconstruction . The manuscript of one of hia own parts has been found , ages after he is dead , and every thing iu and About him testifies to the truth and fidelity of his simple heart . The graoious proseuco * t obsorve in the boxes reminde me that lust nightwhen I was

    re-, freshing my memory with tho perusal of his good life , I had one uaeasy doubt about him . I believe ¦ that one of his stipulations was , that the fellows of hia college should be single mow . This appeared to We to bo uncomfortable . { Laughter . ) I aeon found , however , that his intention woe to oonsolo and reponiperuBo them for their miserable solitude , inasmuch , os ho had a wife of hia own to whom he , was ¦ tenderly attached , and whom ho was aooustomed to address by tho endoaring epithet of ' mouse ' { Laughter . ) And whou that grisly cat , which ia our common foe , dwpatohed her , he provided himaelf with another mouao -with all convenient speed . " Mr . Benjamin , Webster then briefly addressed the meeting in bohalf of extending tho application of the charity , and mentioned that until recently the stone that OQVQrod Alloyno'e grave wns lying in tho ekittle-

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    246 T H E LEADER . [ No . 312 , Saturday ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 15, 1856, page 246, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2132/page/6/