ar　brother；　the　late　Mr。　Siddons；　it　was　proposed　that　I　should　undertake　the　management　of　the　Edinburgh　Theatre；　I　confess　I　drew　back；　doubting　my　capability　to　free　it　from　the　load　of　debt　and　difficulty　with　which　it　was　surrounded。　　In　this　state　of　anxiety；　I　solicited　the　advice　of　one　who　had　ever　honoured　me　with　his　kindest　regard；　and　whose　name　no　member　of　my　profession　can　pronounce　without　feelings　of　the　deepest　respect　and　gratitude。　　I　allude　to　the　late　Mr。　John　Kemble。　（Great　applause。）　　To　him　I　applied；　and　with　the　repetition　of　his　advice　I　shall　cease　to　trespass　upon　your　time（hear；　hear）　〃My　dear　William；　fear　not。　　Integrity　and　assiduity　must　prove　an　overmatch　for　all　difficulty；　and　though　I　approve　your　not　indulging　a　vain　confidence　in　your　own　ability；　and　viewing　with　respectful　apprehension　the　judgment　of　the　audience　you　have　to　act　before；　yet　be　assured　that　judgment　will　ever　be　tempered　by　the　feeling　that　you　are　acting　for　the　widow　and　the　fatherless。〃　　（Loud　applause。）　　Gentlemen；　those　words　have　never　passed　from　my　mind；　and　I　feel　convinced　that　you　have　pardoned　my　many　errors；　from　the　feeling　that　I　was　striving　for　the　widow　and　the　fatherless。　　（Long　and　enthusiastic　applause　followed　Mr。　Murray's　address。）
  Sir　WALTER　SCOTT　gave　〃The　Health　of　the　Stewards。〃
  Mr。　VANDENHOFF。…Mr。　President　and　Gentlemen；　the　honour　conferred　upon　the　Stewards；　in　the　very　flattering　compliment　you　have　just　paid　us；　calls　forth　our　warmest　acknowledgments。　In　tendering　you　our　thanks　for　the　approbation　you　have　been　pleased　to　express　of　our　humble　exertions；　I　would　beg　leave　to　advert　to　the　cause　in　which　we　have　been　engaged。　　Yet；　surrounded　as　I　am　by　the　geniusthe　eloquenceof　this　enlightened　city；　I　cannot　but　feel　the　presumption　which　ventures　to　address　you　on　so　interesting　a　subject。　　Accustomed　to　speak　in　the　language　of　others；　I　feel　quite　at　a　loss　for　terms　wherein　to　clothe　the　sentiments　excited　by　the　present　occasion。　　（Applause。）　　The　nature　of　the　institution　which　has　sought　your　fostering　patronage；　and　the　objects　which　it　contemplates；　have　been　fully　explained　to　you。　　But；　gentlemen；　the　relief　which　it　proposes　is　not　a　gratuitous　relief；　but　to　be　purchased　by　the　individual　contribution　of　its　members　towards　the　general　good。　　This　Fund　lends　no　encouragement　to　idleness　or　improvidence；　but　it　offers　an　opportunity　to　prudence　in　vigour　and　youth　to　make　provision　against　the　evening　of　life　and　its　attendant　infirmity。　　A　period　is　fixed　at　which　we　admit　the　plea　of　age　as　an　exemption　from　professional　labour。　　It　is　painful　to　behold　the　veteran　on　the　stage　（compelled　by　necessity）　contending　against　physical　decay；　mocking　the　joyousness　of　mirth　with　the　feebleness　of　age；　when　the　energies　decline；　when　the　memory　fails！　　and　〃the　big；　manly　voice；　turning　again　towards　childish　treble；　pipes　and　whistles　in　the　sound。〃　　We　would　remove　him　from　the　mimic　scene；　where　fiction　constitutes　the　charm；　we　would　not　view　old　age　caricaturing　itself。　　（Applause。）　　But　as　our　means　may　be　found；　in　time　of　need；　inadequate　to　the　fulfilment　of　our　wishes　fearful　of　raising　expectations　which　we　may　be　unable　to　gratifydesirous　not　〃to　keep　the　word　of　promise　to　the　ear；　and　break　it　to　the　hope〃we　have　presumed　to　court　the　assistance　of　the　friends　of　the　drama　to　strengthen　our　infant　institution。　　Our　appeal　has　been　successful　beyond　our　most　sanguine　expectations。　　The　distinguished　patronage　conferred　on　us　by　your　presence　on　this　occasion；　and　the　substantial　support　which　your　benevolence　has　so　liberally　afforded　to　our　institution；　must　impress　every　member　of　the　Fund　with　the　most　grateful　sentimentssentiments　which　no　language　can　express；　no　time　obliterate。　　（Applause。）　　I　will　not　trespass　longer　on　your　attention。　　I　would　the　task　of　acknowledging　our　obligation　had　fallen　into　abler　hands。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　In　the　name　of　the　Stewards；　I　most　respectfully　and　cordially　thank　you　for　the　honour　you　have　done　us；　which　greatly　overpays　our　poor　endeavours。　　（Applause。）
  ＇This　speech；　though　rather　inadequately　reported；　was　one　of　the　best　delivered　on　this　occasion。　　That　it　was　creditable　to　Mr。　Vandenhoff's　taste　and　feelings；　the　preceding　sketch　will　show；　but　how　much　it　was　so；　it　does　not　show。＇
  Mr。　J。　CAY　gave　〃Professor　Wilson　and　the　University　of　Edinburgh；　of　which　he　was　one　of　the　brightest　ornaments〃
  Lord　MEADOWBANK；　after　a　suitable　eulogium；　gave　〃The　Earl　of　Fife；〃　which　was　drunk　with　three　times　three。
  Earl　FIFE　expressed　his　high　gratification　at　the　honour　conferred　on　him。　　He　intimated　his　approbation　of　the　institution；　and　his　readiness　to　promote　its　success　by　every　means　in　his　power。　　He　concluded　with　giving　〃The　Health　of　the　Company　of　Edinburgh。〃
  Mr。　JONES；　on　rising　to　return　thanks；　being　received　with　considerable　applause；　said　he　was　truly　grateful　for　the　kind　encouragement　he　had　experienced；　but　the　novelty　of　the　situation　in　which　he　now　was　renewed　all　the　feelings　he　experienced　when　he　first　saw　himself　announced　in　the　bills　as　a　young　gentleman；　being　his　first　appearance　on　any　stage。　（Laughter　and　applause。）　Although　in　the　presence　of　those　whose　indulgence　had；　in　another　sphere；　so　often　shielded　him　from　the　penalties　of　inability；　he　was　unable　to　execute　the　task　which　had　so　unexpectedly　devolved　upon　him　in　behalf　of　his　brethren　and　himself。　　He　therefore　begged　the　company　to　imagine　all　that　grateful　hearts　could　prompt　the　most　eloquent　to　utter；　and　that　would　be　a　copy　of　their　feelings。　　（Applause。）　　He　begged　to　trespass　another　moment　on　their　attention；　for　the　purpose　of　expressing　the　thanks　of　the　members　of　the　Fund　to　the　Gentlemen　of　the　Edinburgh　Professional　Society　of　Musicians；　who；　finding　that　this　meeting　was　appointed　to　take　place　on　the　same　evening　with　their　concert；　had；　in　the　handsomest　manner；　agreed　to　postpone　it。　　Although　it　was　his　duty　thus　to　preface　the　toast　he　had　to　propose；　he　was　certain　the　meeting　required　no　further　inducement　than　the　recollection　of　the　pleasure　the　exertions　of　those　gentlemen　had　often　afforded　them　within　those　walls；　to　join　heartily　in　drinking　〃Health　and　Prosperity　to　the　Edinburgh　Professional　Society　of　Musicians。〃　　（Applause。）
  Mr。　PAT。　ROBERTSON　Proposed　〃The　Health　of　Mr。　Jeffrey；〃　whose　absence　was　owing　to　indisposition。　　The　public　was　well　aware　that　he　was　the　most　distinguished　advocate　at　the　bar。　　He　was　likewise　distinguished　for　the　kindness；　frankness；　and　cordial　manner　in　which　he　communicated　with　the　junior　members　of　the　profession；　to　the　esteem　of　whom　his　splendid　talents　would　always　entitle　him。
  Mr。　J。　MACONOCHIE　gave　〃The　Health　of　Mrs。　Siddons；　senior；　the　most　distinguished　ornament　of　the　stage。〃
  Sir　W。　SCOTT　said　that　if　anything　could　reconcile　him　to　old　age；　it　was　the　reflection　that　he　had　seen　the　rising　as　well　as　the　setting　sun　of　Mrs。　Siddons。　　He　remembered　well　their　breakfasting　near　to　the　Theatrewaiting　the　whole　daythe　crushing　at　the　doors　at　six　o'clockand　their　going　in　and　counting　their　fingers　till　seven　o'clock。　　But　the　very　first　stepthe　very　first　word　which　she　utteredwas　sufficient　to　overpay　him　for　all　his　labours。　　The　house　was　literally　electrified；　and　it　was　only　from　witnessing　the　effects　of　her　genius　that　he　could　guess　to　what　a　pitch　theatrical　excellence　could　be　carried。　　Those　young　gentlemen　who　have　only　seen　the　setting　sun　of　this　distinguished　performer；　beautiful　and　serene　as　that　was；　must　give　us　old　fellows；　who　have　seen　its　rise　and　its　meridian；　leave　to　hold　our　heads　a　little　higher。
  Mr。　DUNDAS　gave　〃The　Memory　of　Home；　the　author　of　Douglas。〃
  Mr。　MACKAY　here　announced　that　the　subscriptions　for　the　night　amounted　to　L280；　and　he　expressed　gratitude　for　this　substantial　proof　of　their　kindness。　　＇We　are　happy　to　state　that　subscriptions　have　since　flowed　in　very　liberally。＇
  Mr。　MACKAY　here　entertained　the　company　with　a　pathetic　song。
  Sir　WALTER　SCOTT　apologized　for　having　so　long　forgotten　their　native　land。　　He　would　now　give　〃Scotland；　the　land　of　Cakes。〃　He　would　give　every　river；　every　loch；　every　hill；　from　Tweed　to　Johnnie　Groat's　houseevery　lass　in　her　cottage　and　countess　in　her　castleand　may　her　sons　stand　by　her；　as　their　fathers　did　before　them；　and　he　who　would　not　drink　a　bumper　to　his　toast；　may　he　never　drink　whisky　more！
  Sir　WALTER　SCOTT　here　gave　〃Lord　Meadowbank；〃　who　returned　thanks。
  Mr。　H。　G。　BELL　said　that　he　should　not　have　ventured　to　intrude　himself　upon　the　attention　of　the　assembly；　did　he　not　feel　confident　that　the　toast　he　begged　to　have　the　honour　to　propose　would　make　amends　for　the　very　imperfect　manner　in　which　he　might　express　his　sentiments　regarding　it。　　It　had　been　said　that；　notwithstanding　the　mental　supremacy　of　the　present　age　notwithstanding　that　the　page　of　our　history　was　studded　with　names　destined　also　for　the　page　of　immortalitythat　the　genius　of　Shakespeare　was　extinct；　and　the　fountain　of　his　inspiration　dried　up。　　It　might　be　that　these　observations　were　unfortunately　correct；　or　it　might　be　that　we　were　bewildered　with　a　name；　not