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ham, Manchester, Liverpool, &c. &c., to do fo, that they, worthily headed by their chief magistrate, E. F. Flower, Efq., made what had been intended to be merely a local movement, a national one. The people of England have in this

acted upon the leffon of good taste fet them by Garrick in celebrating at Stratford the celebrated jubilee of 1769, and the Commemoration Committee have, fo far as circumstances permitted, done all in their power to make this festival a historic parallel of its predeceffor. This is principally feen in the erection of the pavilion upon a model somewhat similar, but on a much more extended scale to that in which Garrick and Dr. Arne spoke and fung the praises of the bard, and which was itself a copy of the once celebrated Rotunda in Ranelagh Gardens. It is fituated in a large paddock in Southern Lane, close by the church. It is in form a regular dodecagon, being as near an approach to a perfect amphitheatre as the mechanical arrangement of the materials (all timber) used in its conftruction would permit. Internally there are nine faces of the figure perfect; the first and the eleventh are halved by the twelfth being advanced more to the front, and thus a fine opening is obtained for the stage. There are two tiers of boxes, one of them being on the fame level with the arena, or pit, and the whole can with ease accommodate five thousand spectators. The structure is lighted at night by a very fine chandelier, and in the daytime by fide windows, and a lantern light upon the apex of the roof. There are, adjoining the ftage, convenient drefling-rooms for the accommodation of the actors. The cunei or benches are well arranged and roomy, and the vomitoria, or means of egress from the building—a matter of most vital importance in a wooden theatre—are sufficiently numerous, and of ample width. Both the banquet and ball will be celebrated in this pavilion. Here, too, will be performed the oratorio of the " Messiah," and for that occafion a distinct orchestra will be erected on the oppofite fide from the stage; but this will be removed before the performance of the plays. The drop-scene, which has been painted for the occafion, and presented by Mr. Telbin, is in general compofition similar to that painted by the fame artist for the Princess's Theatre. It represents a vestibule hung with drapery,

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on which are medallions, one on each side, of Comedy and Tragedy. A statue of Shakespeare, life size, stands in the centre. At the back there is an archway, through which the spectator obtains a fine view of Stratford Church.

During the Festival, the approach to the Pavilion for private carriages, &c., both for setting-down and taking-up, will be by the water-side from Bridge-street (as marked by an arrow on the plan of the town). On leaving the entrance to the Pavilion, they will pass through Old Town and Bree-street.

The approach for omnibuses and persons on foot will be by High-street and Chapel-street, to the entrance marked K in Church-street. At the close of the performances, omnibuses

will be stationed in Church-street to take up passengers.

The seats in the Pavilion are divided into blocks, indicated by letters on the tickets. The single letters are all on the east side, and the double letters on the west side of the building.

Directions to the blocks are painted in large letters at the various entrances and vestibules.

The Ticket Office will be open during the day, at “New Place," Church-street, and tickets may be obtained at the Office marked 23, on the plan of the Pavilion, before each Entertainment. Unreserved Tickets can be exchanged for Reserved Seats on payment of the difference in price, at the Office.

EXPLANATION

1 Theatrical Stage

2 Lower part of Orchestra,

removed during Theatri

cal Performances

Ball.

OF GROUND PLAN OF PAVILION.

8 Stairs to Gallery.
9 Refreshment Rooms.

10 Offices for Opera Glasses.
and 11 Cloak Rooms.
12 Stairs to Orchestra.

3 Gentlemen's Retiring-room 13 Committee Room.

20 Entrances to Ground-floor of Building.

21 Covered Vestibule and

various

Corridors
Entrances of Building.

22 Carriage Platform. during Oratorio and Ball, 14 Ladies' Dressing Rooms. 23 Office for Sale and Exbut used for Spectators 15 Gentlemen's Dressing change of Tickets. during Theatrical Representations.

FEE

4 Ladies' ditto, ditto, ditto.

5 Retiring Room.

6 Ladies.
7 Gentlemen.

Rooms.

24 Covered Way.

16 Stairs to Ladies' Dressing 25 Church Street Approach

Rooms.

to Pavilion.

17 Stairs to Gentlemen's do. 26 Burton and Sons' Photo

18 Green Room.

19 General Dressing Room.

graphic Studio.

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THE JUBILEE OF 1769,

AND SUBSEQUENT CELEBRATIONS.

THE idea of a jubilee in recognition of the merits of Shakefpeare, as a poet, and of the moral advantages which fociety has reaped from the works of his genius, originated with Garrick ; and, although all men of true literary taste immediately took up the idea, and avowed themselves ready to aid the great actor in carrying it into effect, there were found those who treated it with contempt and ridicule, and attempted to stifle it. Garrick, however, was not a man to be laughed out of a course which he knew to be confiftent with the dictates of a refined taste. On the contrary, feeling encouraged by the way in which the project had been received by thofe whofe approval he valued, he immediately put himself in communication with the then Mayor of Stratford, Samuel Jarvis, Efq., and that gentleman and the Municipal Council, over which he prefided, feeling how much they had been distinguished by their connection with the great poet, and how much the poet himself owed to the grand interpretation put upon his works by the Roscius of the day, determined to pay all poffible honour to the memory of the one and to the person of the other. Garrick was voted the freedom of the borough, and the diploma of his enfranchisement was prefented him in a cafket, not of gold, but of a material still more precious—the wood of the mulberry tree which Shakespeare had himself planted in New Place. The preparations for the jubilee followed fast upon this well-deferved compliment. We are told by a local historian "that a very large and magnificent amphitheatre was erected upon the Bankcroft, close to the river Avon, and which, to please the prevailing taste, fomewhat resembled the Ranelagh Rotunda. It was capable of conveniently holding above one thousand fpectators. Within the amphitheatre, which

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was fupported by a circular colonnade of columns of the Corinthian order, was built a noble orchestra large enough for the accommodation of one hundred performers. From the centre of the dome was fufpended an amazingly large chandelier, confisting of eight hundred lights, which had a beautiful effect; in fine, the gilding of the capitals and bafes of the columns, the paintings of the ceiling and cornice, the curious pilasters at the angles, and the side ornaments, altogether appeared with fuch fymmetry and elegance that it would (fays a cotemporary writer) make a lover of art figh to think how foon it would be demolished. No person that could be conveyed into it without viewing the outside could ever conceive it was a building of boards. Whilst this gorgeous structure was in course of being erected, there was such a concourse of sightseers from all parts of the country to Stratford as the highways of Warwickshire had not seen since the days in which the aspiring Leicester entertained his queen with masque and revel within the proud walls of Kenilworth. But," to again quote the work of Mr. Wheler, great numbers of the nobility and gentry arrived a week or ten days before the appointed time. to fecure their lodgings against the approaching meeting, and Stratford, as well as feveral towns and villages in the neighbourhood, was completely filled, previous to its commencement, by those whose zeal prompted them to be present at this high festival. A beautiful ribbon (afterwards formed into favours) was purposely made at Coventry, and called the jubilee ribbon, which united and blended all the colours of the rainbow, being at once an emblem of his great and universal genius." A medal, too, was struck in honour of the occasion. On the day fixed for the opening of the jubilee, which was the 6th of September, 1769, the banks of the Avon seemed to have changed their gentle and lovable character, and actually bristled with cohorn and with mortar; but these were no longer the instruments of war, but thunder-voiced heralds to proclaim the opening of the festival. From daybreak the streets refounded with vocal and instrumental music; and after a public breakfast, the Mayor, John Mescham, Efq., the succeffor of S. Jarvis, Efq., in the civic chair of Stratford, and the members of the Corporation, waited upon Mr. Garrick, at the Shakespeare Hall, and requested him to accept

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