Chapter I: Declare This Dock Now Open, and That Henceforth It Is to Be (15)

The Duke of Cambridge, who has the pleasurable duty every year of responding to the toast of the Army, must naturally feel increasing difficulty in varying the subject of his discourses. He was, however, never more happy in his remarks than at the banquet of 1888. "Every year that I come here," said the Duke, "I feel more at home among you, and for this reason, because I believe that there is great sympathy between artists and military men. It has been said that the services seem to some extent out of place in a company composed of artists, because artists are concerned with art and science and peaceful pursuits; but I believe, on the other hand, that artists derive a great advantage from observing our profession, because it supplies them with many subjects which they love to portray. And the military sentiment among artists is by no means to be considered as effaced. When I see what a splendid corps of Volunteers the artists supply, I think I may claim them as one of the elements of strength which we should use should any emergency arise. God forbid that it should ever arise; but, if it should, may the services be in a condition to prevent danger from approaching this country." These last words form the burden of most of the wise and patriotic speeches which the Duke of Cambridge delivers at the Academy and elsewhere.

ROYAL BANQUETS AT TRINITY HOUSE.

[Blank Page]

ROYAL BANQUETS AT THE TRINITY HOUSE.

_July 2nd, 1866._

The Corporation of the Trinity House received its first charter in 1514, from King Henry VIII. It was then a guild or brotherhood for the encouragement of the science and art of navigation, and was first empowered to build lighthouses and erect beacons by an Act passed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This has gradually come to be the chief duty of the Corporation, and a very important one it is to a nation with such vast commerce. The Scottish coasts are under a separate Board, but all others are under the charge of the Trinity House. The Mastership of the Company has in recent times been an honourable post, held by Princes and Statesmen. Lord Liverpool was Master in 1816, and was followed by the Marquis Camden, the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV., the Duke of Wellington, the Prince Consort, and Lord Palmerston, since whose death the office has been held by the Duke of Edinburgh. The post was offered to the Prince of Wales, but was declined by him, in behalf of his sailor brother, "with graceful delicacy and characteristic manliness," as Sir Frederick Arrow, the Deputy-Master said, in proposing his health at the first banquet where he was a guest.

This first festival meeting after the election of the Duke of Edinburgh as Master took place on the 2nd of July, 1866. Among the guests were the King of the Belgians, the Prince of Wales, the Premier and several members of the Cabinet, the Lord Chief Justice, the Lord Mayor, and other distinguished persons. The guests were received by the Elder Brethren in the Court Room of the Corporation, a stately apartment, adorned with portraits of Royal personages and of former Masters.

His Royal Highness the Master proposed the health of "Her Majesty the Queen," and then that of the "King of the Belgians," who in his reply warmly thanked a Corporation which rendered important services to all maritime and commercial nations. In giving the toast of "The Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and the other members of the Royal Family," the Master said: "It has never before been my pleasing duty to propose the health of my brother in his presence, and I should feel very shy if I were to make any remarks farther than that, as Master of your Corporation, and as his brother, I beg you to give him a most hearty welcome."

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales said:--

"May it please your Majesty, your Royal Highness, my Lords, and
Gentlemen,--Under any circumstances it would have been a source
of gratification to me to be present on such an occasion as
this, but more especially when I have been invited by my own
brother and have the pleasure of supporting him on the first
occasion of his taking the chair as Master of this Company.
Perhaps you will allow me on this occasion merely to mention
that, after the death of that distinguished and lamented
statesman whose loss we must always deplore, the office of
Master was most kindly offered to me by the Brethren of this
Company. I begged to decline--at least, I begged to offer the
suggestion that the office should be offered to my brother, who
was far more fit to undertake its duties. Among the
distinguished personages who are present on this occasion it is,
you will allow me to say, very gratifying to have the honour of
the presence of his Majesty the King of the Belgians. After the
very kind manner in which he has spoken of his attachment to
this country, which I know is a real attachment, and not merely
a form of words, because I have often heard the same sentiment
expressed by him in private--after such expressions from his
Majesty I think I may say that we as Englishmen feel a strong
attachment to his country--a country distinguished in its own
position among the nations of the Continent, and a country for
which his ever lamented father did so much. I beg to thank you
for the honour you have done me in drinking my own health in
connection with the health of her Royal Highness the Princess of
Wales and the other members of the Royal Family."

_July 20th, 1868._

At the banquet of 1868, on the 20th of July, the Prince was formally installed as one of the "Younger Brethren" of the Trinity House, the oaths having been administered by the Duke of Edinburgh, as Master. In proposing the usual loyal toasts, the Master said it gave him much satisfaction to be supported by his brother, who, however, on this occasion was present as a member of the Corporation. The Prince, on speaking to the toast, said:--

"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I return my
best thanks to my illustrious relative for the kind way in
which he has proposed this toast, and for coupling with it the
health of the Princess of Wales and that of the other members of
the Royal Family. I am very grateful for the reception which has
been accorded him in this room, and I have great pleasure in
being here this evening. This is not the first time I have been
present at the hospitable board of the Trinity House. It is the
second time I have supported my brother, and I come here now in
a double capacity, for I have the honour of being present to-day
as a member of this Corporation and as his 'younger brother.' I
am sure I may say even in his presence that it is a source of
the greatest satisfaction to me to be present at the first
dinner at which he has presided since his return from Australia.
I know I am only speaking his wishes when I say that, although
the season is now far advanced, he thought, consistently with
the duties he had to perform on board the _Galatea_, now off
Osborne, he could not refrain from taking the chair at the
anniversary dinner of this ancient Corporation, of which he has
the honour of being the Master. I thank you for the kind way in
which this toast has been received."

The Duke of Richmond, as President of the Board of Trade, acknowledged the great services to the Mercantile Marine rendered by the Trinity House. Lord Napier of Magdala, in response to the toast of "The Visitors," spoke of the efficient manner in which the Transport Service had been carried out during the Abyssinian Expedition.

_July 4th, 1869._

In 1869 the Duke of Edinburgh was absent, and the Prince of Wales undertook the office of presiding at the dinner on the 4th of July. Sir Frederick Arrow, Deputy Master, and the Elder Brethren, among whom were Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Gladstone, honorary Brethren, received the invited guests, among whom were Prince Arthur, Prince Christian, Prince Teck, Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, and numerous men of high distinction in public life.

The Prince having proposed "The Health of The Queen, the protectress of this ancient Corporation," Sir Frederick Arrow gave "The Health of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family." The Deputy Master referred to the sympathy of the Prince with naval service in all departments, and especially his love of yachting. He also referred to his tour in the East, since they last assembled at their annual festival. The Prince replied:--

"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I am gratified
by the honour you have done me in drinking my health and that of
the Princess of Wales and the other members of the Royal Family.
I can assure you it has given me great pleasure to be present on
this occasion, but I feel I have hardly any right to occupy this
chair. The last time I was here I was elected a younger member
of your Corporation. To-day I have become an elder member, and
Sir Frederick Arrow asked me to take the chair in place of my
brother, the Master, who is now in a far distant land. You may
be sure that I shall always be ready to assist in every way I
can to promote the good of this excellent institution. Sir
Frederick Arrow has been pleased to allude to my yachting. It is
true I am fond of yachting, but I cannot claim to be either a
nautical or a naval man. You may, however, always reckon upon
any services I can render in any way in which you may think I
can be useful to your Corporation."

Other customary toasts were then given, and responded to. To the toast of "The Master of the Corporation," his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, "wishing him a happy, prosperous, and safe voyage from the Southern hemisphere, and a quick return home," the Prince of Wales replied:--

"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I feel I am in
rather a difficult position in having to return thanks for one
who is absent. At the same time, I feel assured my brother would
be gratified by my thanking you for the manner in which his
health has been proposed and welcomed. According to the French
proverb, '_Les absens ont toujours tort_.' But I hope you will
think differently, seeing that my brother is a post captain in
Her Majesty's Navy, and is visiting one of Her Majesty's far
distant colonies. I am sure if he knew you were drinking his
health at this time his heart would be with you. Before I sit
down I have the honour of proposing to you a toast--the
principal toast of the evening. I call upon you to drink,
'Prosperity to the Corporation of Trinity House.' It would be
almost superfluous in me to make any remarks on the Corporation
or its present or future development. It has existed since the
time of Henry VIII., and ever since that time to the present the
community has taken the deepest interest in its prosperity. It
has also been connected through its honorary Brethren with some
of the most distinguished men, and many of those honorary
Brethren are present here this evening. Its object is to protect
our ships and our sailors, and that object is never forgotten.
As the First Lord of the Admiralty has just said, while the Navy
is called upon to protect our commerce, the Corporation of
Trinity House is called upon to protect our sailors and our
ships. The first electric light put up in this country was that
at Dungeness, and the great Wolf Rock, which has long been the
terror of our sailors, will before long cease to be so. This
will show you that the Trinity House authorities are anxious to
do their duty and to maintain their great name, which I am sure
is honoured here and in other countries. Before I resume my seat
I give you 'The Health of Sir Frederick Arrow, the Deputy
Master,' and I am sure you will drink it with enthusiasm,
knowing as you do how justly he merits your applause. He has
done his duty in every way to maintain the interests of the
Corporation, and I think the honour was eminently due which his
Sovereign conferred in making him Sir Frederick Arrow. I call
upon you to drink 'Prosperity to the ancient Corporation of
Trinity House,' coupling with the toast the name of Sir
Frederick Arrow."

Sir Frederick Arrow, having briefly responded, gave the toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers," saying that, although politics are unknown at the Trinity House, it was their duty to mark their respect for the Government of the day. Mr. Gladstone responded. The toast of "The Maritime and Commercial Interests of the Country," was coupled with the name of Mr. Bright, as President of the Board of Trade. Mr. Bright made an eloquent reply, discoursing on the benefits to this nation, and to all nations, of the works of the Trinity House Corporation. He said that he believed that "at this time the merchant ships of England are equal, or nearly equal--I have heard it said they surpass--in number and tonnage the seagoing merchant ships of all other countries in the world. This is an extraordinary thing, if it be true. But, whether it be exactly true or not, there can be no doubt with regard to foreign commerce--with regard to ships on the ocean--this country has a position at this moment which I believe it never held before, and one I think we may fairly be proud of. I delight, therefore, to dilate on the grandeur of our merchant navy, and I agree with Mr. Cardwell in hoping that the time is coming when the resources of this country may not be expended to an extravagant extent in maintaining our military establishments."

In dilating on the magnitude of British commerce and the number of British merchant ships, it probably never occurred to Mr. Bright that in case of war, a few swift armed cruisers would make these ships fly, like doves before hawks, and the seas be cleared of our now countless merchant steamers. The _Alabama_ and a few swift rovers speedily swept all the commerce of the United States from the sea; and the same would be the fate of the vaster commerce of Great Britain, if there are not armed vessels, swift, powerful, and numerous, to protect our mercantile navy in every region of the globe. There is no political question in this, but the common prudential principle of insurance against possible peril and disaster. Our coasts may be adequately defended, but there is need of a naval volunteer service as well as of volunteer riflemen and gunners on land. It may be one of the future national services rendered by the Prince of Wales to get the yachting men of the day to form themselves into naval volunteers, in case of the protection of swift armed cruisers being needed for protecting the fleets of merchantmen on which the people of England depend for supplies.

After Mr. Bright's speech, the toast of "The Honorary Brethren" was responded to by Mr. Disraeli, who was followed by Sir Stafford Northcote, Sir R. Phillimore, and Sir John Burgoyne. Seldom has the banqueting hall of the Trinity House been honoured by the presence of so many illustrious and eloquent guests.

_June 24th, 1871._

In 1871, the Duke of Edinburgh, Master of the Trinity House, had returned to England, and on the 24th of June took his place as President at the annual banquet. The Prince of Wales was present, and a distinguished company.

In proposing the health of the Prince of Wales, the Master thanked him for having performed the duties of the Mastership during his absence. Three years before he had jocularly called the Prince his younger Brother. He had since become an Elder Brother, but, in respect of the Trinity House, he, as Master, was still the eldest brother. The Prince, in reply, said:--

"It is a great pleasure to me to have my health proposed by my
brother in the kind manner in which he has proposed it. He has
been pleased to allude to what I call the small duties which I
have had to perform at the Trinity House in his absence. I think
all the Brethren are well aware that it gave me great
satisfaction to be able to do anything during my brother's
absence; and I only regret that I had not more to do; but the
real duties were, in fact, performed by a gentleman who now sits
on my right (the Deputy Master), and I have to thank him and
all the Brethren for the assistance they rendered during the
interregnum. My brother is now on half-pay, but the time may
come when he will again have an important command. In that event
I shall be glad again to be of any service during his absence,
and the Trinity House may always count upon my placing myself at
their disposal."

The usual toasts were given, and responded to. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales gave Her Majesty's Ministers, saying:--

"To whatever party they belonged, so long as they performed
their duty to the Crown and upheld the dignity and honour of the
country, they were entitled to the compliment he now asked the
company to pay to them, and he had great pleasure in coupling
the toast with the name of his noble and learned friend the Lord
Chancellor."

The Lord Chancellor responded, saying that there was not among the methods of preserving peace any greater or more effective means than that of maintaining in its full force and activity the great Navy of England, which must be looked upon by every Government with unmixed admiration; and he trusted, whatever differences might exist on other subjects, Her Majesty's Government would show that they had one common object, the maintenance of the maritime reputation, honour, and dignity of the country.

Mr. Milner Gibson, by command of the Master, proposed a toast always given at the Trinity House anniversaries: "The maritime and commercial interests of the country, and the President of the Board of Trade." Having himself long held the office of President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Milner Gibson bore testimony to the efficient administration by the Trinity House of the funds placed at their disposal. As the funds came from a tax on the shipping and trade of the country, it is a right and constitutional thing that the expenditure should be controlled by the Minister of Commerce, responsible to Parliament. He could say that the lights on the coast of the United Kingdom were equal, if not superior, to the lights which existed in any other country in the world. Under the control of the Board of Trade we had made great improvement in the system of lighting our coasts, coupled with a reduced charge upon the trade of the country.

It might have been added that it was when the Prince Consort was Master that more constitutional relations between the Trinity House and the Government came into operation, the funds being supplied by the Board of Trade, and administered by the Corporation, who then had what they called "new Sailing Orders" for their guidance.

_June 27th, 1874._

The banquet at the Corporation Hall on June 27, 1874, was presided over by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in the absence of the Master, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Deputy Master Sir Frederick Arrow, after the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, gave "The Health of the Prince of Wales," who responded in brief and appropriate terms, and afterwards proposed the toast of "Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House." He said:--

"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I have now the
honour of proposing to you a toast which I only wish had been
placed in better hands than mine. Although I have the honour of
being connected with this ancient Guild, I do not feel that I
possess that nautical knowledge which a person ought to have who
proposes a toast like 'Prosperity to the Corporation of Trinity
House'; but I am sure it is a toast which will meet with your
approval this evening. I will begin by stating that the few
remarks with which I shall preface the toast are not of my own
knowledge, the facts having been supplied to me by the kindness
of the Deputy Master, and if I get out of my depth or among the
quicksands I must trust you will excuse me. I speak with
sincerity when I say that since we met here last year the duties
of the Trinity House have been carried on as successfully as on
any previous occasion, and that the whole of its proceedings
have been of a highly satisfactory character. There have been
several new lighthouses built--one, I believe, has been
completed to-day, and is to be opened on the 1st of July. It is
on Hartland Point, and, with reference to our commercial
interests, is considered to be of great importance. It will do
much to facilitate our trade with the Welsh coal ports. The
Goodwin Sands is a name which fills every sailor with alarm;
and, although everything has been done to prevent the fearful
wrecks with which the name is associated, we have only to read
the daily newspapers to be aware of the fearful disasters that
often occur at sea outside those terrible sands. The Trinity
House has lately put a second lighthouse eastward of Beachy
Head.

"There is another subject in connection with which the Trinity
House has taken a very active part, and it is one of great
importance, especially to nautical men. I mean the subject of
sound-signals in foggy weather. The Trinity House has every
reason to feel deeply indebted to Professor Tyndall, who, I
regret to say, could not be with us upon this occasion owing to
his absence from England. Some most interesting experiments in
connection with sound-signals have been carried out by him, and
a most able report has been written by him on the subject. I am
sure you will all agree with me in thinking this a most
important matter, and one in which it is natural that the
Trinity House should take a prominent interest. At a great many
stations it has been determined to place these fog-signals where
lights can be of no avail.

"There is another matter in connection with which the Trinity
House has every reason for congratulation. I mean the reduction
of dues to the amount of £80,000, in addition to the reduction
of £60,000 in 1872. There are many other important facts
connected with the Trinity House which the Deputy Master has
been kind enough to place at my disposal, but which I need not
now detain you by mentioning. In proposing the toast of
'Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House,' it is my
pleasing duty to connect it with the health of one who not only
does everything to make our annual gatherings here most
agreeable, but who performs the arduous and responsible duties
which he has to discharge in a most praiseworthy and effective
manner. I am sure that you will drink most cordially the health
of the Deputy Master. My Lords and gentlemen, I give you
'Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House, coupled
with the name of Sir Frederick Arrow, the Deputy Master.'"

At a later period of the evening His Royal Highness proposed the toasts of "Her Majesty's Ministers," to which the Lord Chancellor responded, and the "Distinguished Visitors," coupling with it the name of the Lord Chief Justice of England (Sir Alexander Cockburn).

_June 2nd, 1875._

In 1875 the Duke of Edinburgh was not abroad, and presided at the annual dinner on the 2nd of June. The seamen of the _Galatea_ lined the way to the Hall, on Tower Hill, in honour of the occasion, and of the presence of their captain. In the room where the guests were received was a portrait of the Master, painted as a companion picture to those already on the walls, by a Russian artist, G. Koberwein. Count Shouvaloff, the Russian Ambassador, was among the guests. In responding to the customary toast of "The Royal Family," the Prince of Wales expressed his gratification at his brother Prince Leopold having become a member of the Corporation. The Duke of Cambridge responded for the Army.

_1877._

The banquet of 1877 was again presided over by the Prince of Wales, in the absence of the Master, the Duke of Edinburgh. There was the usual select company, including Royal and other distinguished guests, especially General Grant, who, in his travels throughout the old world, was received with as great honour as any king could be.

In proposing the health of the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Derby said:--"No one particularly likes to listen to his own panegyric, even at a public dinner, and therefore I will say nothing with regard to the illustrious subject of my toast beyond that which you all know to be the simple and literal truth. His Royal Highness has not only now, but for many years past, done all that is in the power of man to do, by genial courtesies towards men of every class, and by his indefatigable assiduity in the performance of every social duty, to secure at once that public respect which is due to his exalted position and that social sympathy and personal popularity which no position, however exalted, can of itself be sufficient to secure. We regret the absence of the illustrious Master of the Corporation, the Duke of Edinburgh, but we regret it the less because he is doing what each of us in our humble spheres desires and endeavours to do--he is serving his country. I give you "The Health of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family."

The toast was drunk with all the accustomed honours, and the Prince in reply said:--

"My Lords and Gentlemen,--I return you my sincere thanks for the
kind way in which the toast of my health has been proposed and
the manner in which it has been received. I can assure the whole
company that I feel it a great honour to be present on this
occasion, especially connected as I have the honour to be with
your Master. I regret that my brother is not here this evening.
It is now two years since I was present at this annual
gathering, and I regret to say I miss the kind and genial face
of the late Deputy Master, Sir Frederick Arrow; but in Admiral
Collinson we have an excellent substitute. On the present
occasion it is a matter of peculiar gratification to us as
Englishmen to receive as our guest General Grant. I can assure
him, for myself and for all the loyal subjects of the Queen,
that it has given us the greatest pleasure to see him as a guest
in this country. My lords and gentlemen, before resuming my
seat, it is my privilege to propose to you another toast--one
which always recommends itself most heartily to the public, and
that is 'The Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces,' connecting with it
on this occasion the name of a distinguished officer, Lord
Strathnairn, and that of the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel."

The toast was received with three times three. Lord Strathnairn and Sir H. Keppel replied to the compliment, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer responded to the toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers," proposed by His Royal Highness the Chairman. Other toasts having been given and acknowledged, the Earl of Carnarvon proposed "The Health of the Guests," coupled with the name of General Grant; saying that "there never has been one to whom we willingly accord a freer, a fuller, a heartier welcome than we do to General Grant on this occasion. We accord it to him, not merely because we believe he has performed the part of a distinguished General in many a 'well-foughten field,' nor because he has twice filled the highest office which the citizens of his great country can fill, but because we look upon him here present to-night as representing, so to speak, that good-will and that affection which ought to subsist between us and the United States of America. It is not a century since there befell this country what we believe to have been the greatest misfortune that her pages record. Not a hundred years ago the States of America separated from us; and, great as the loss was, I do not think that the separation was the greatest part of the calamity. The disaster lay in this, that the separation on each side was effected amid the storms of passion, resentment, and animosity. Yet not a century has rolled by, and I believe, and thank God for believing, that in a great measure that animosity and resentment have passed away, and we are entering on a new stage of mutual trust, of mutual sympathy, and of mutual support and strength. I have had, perhaps, special opportunities of observing this in the office I have the honour to hold. It has been my duty to be connected with the great dominion of Canada, stretching, as it does, several thousand miles along the frontier of the United States, and during the last three or four years I can truthfully say that nothing impressed me more or gave me livelier satisfaction than the interchange of friendly and good offices between the two countries under the auspices of President Grant."

General Grant was loudly cheered on rising to respond. He spoke in such a low voice as not to be heard distinctly, but he was understood to say that he felt more impressed than possibly he had ever felt before on any occasion. He came there under the impression that this was the Trinity House, and that the trinity consisted of the Army, the Navy, and Peace. He therefore thought it was a place of quietude, where there would be no talk or toasts. He had been therefore naturally surprised at hearing both one and the other. He had heard some remarks from His Royal Highness the President of the evening which compelled him to say one word in response to them. The remarks he referred to were complimentary to him. He begged to thank His Royal Highness for those remarks. There had been other things said during the evening highly gratifying to him. Not the least gratifying among them was to hear that there were occasionally in this country party fights as well as in America. He had seen before now as much as a war between the three departments of the State--the executive, the judicial, and the legislative departments. He had not seen the political parties of England go so far as that since he had come to this country. He would imitate their Chairman, who had set the good example of oratory--that was brevity--and say no more than simply to thank His Royal Highness and the company for the visitors.

This is one of the longest speeches ever made by General Grant, whose allusion to party fights was suggested by what had been said by the Chancellor of the Exchequer: "There have been reports and rumours of dissensions in the Cabinet, and of them I do not mean to say anything but this--there is one subject on which there is no dissension. Among all the ministers who have ever dined at the Trinity House there is no dissension as to the manner in which they have been received in this hospitable hall."

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.

[Blank Page]

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.

The Royal College of Music has occupied so much of the time and labour of the Prince of Wales, and promises to be an institution of so great national importance, that it seems well to present in order the various movements that led up to the foundation of the College, and to group together the successive speeches of the Prince on this subject.

NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR MUSIC.

_June 15th, 1875._

The need for extending musical education, and for improving musical taste in England, has long been felt. That there is no lack of musical genius or skill in our country is sufficiently attested by the great array of eminent composers and distinguished performers, whether in vocal or instrumental music, both in former and in recent times. Nor has the love of the art, and delight in its exercise, ever been wanting. There was a time when what we now call "old English" rounds and catches, glees and madrigals, and all kinds of choral compositions, were popular, in the widest sense of the word. The love of orchestral harmony has also been great in England, where Handel found his home, and the best field for his wonderful powers. In those days Ireland was truly one with England, in appreciation of high classical music. It was in Dublin that the _Messiah_ was first heard, and best appreciated. Even in the depressed period of music, in the early decades of this century, there were always competitions of well-trained choirs and bands, which showed the love and practice of musical art to be still widely diffused and ardently cultivated.

Notwithstanding all this, it had come to be necessary to take some measures for advancing musical art throughout the country, where great towns and busy centres of industry had multiplied, without the civilising influence of music being to a corresponding degree diffused. No one felt this more strongly than the Prince Consort, but the opportunity of carrying out his ideas did not arise in his lifetime. The Royal Academy of Music, founded in 1822, and incorporated in 1830, did good service in its limited way, for training its pupils and awarding a few scholarships; but some institution was needed, with larger expansiveness, and capable of diffusing the love and the practice of music more widely among the people.

It was in furtherance of this national purpose that the Prince of Wales, who put himself at the head of the movement, held a conference at Marlborough House, on the 15th of June, 1875.

The immediate object was to promote the establishment of free scholarships, to be held in the National Training Schools for Music, then being erected, close to the Royal Albert Hall, at Kensington Gore. The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Christian and the Duke of Teck were present; and representatives of many public bodies in Church and State, including the Archbishops and several Bishops, the Lord Mayor of London and the Mayors of many provincial towns, the Masters or Prime Wardens of the City Companies, the head masters of public schools, the Chairman and members of the London School Board, the Parliamentary representatives of the Metropolitan boroughs, and a very numerous company, of the most distinguished name and position.

The Prince of Wales, in opening the proceedings, expressed his gratification at the large attendance, which augured well for the object they all had in view. He then called on the Duke of Edinburgh to move the first resolution, in introducing which he gave a lucid and interesting statement of the history of the movement.

In 1854, the Royal Academy of Music made an application to the Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851 to grant a site upon their estate for a building in which they could carry on their labours. The negotiations were not successful, and matters remained in abeyance until 1865, when the Society of Arts appointed a Committee to consider and report on the whole subject of musical education in this country. Of this committee the Prince of Wales consented to act as chairman. Inquiries were made as to the methods employed in the management of musical academies in Paris, Berlin, Munich, Milan, and other Continental schools. Reports were drawn up, one of the main points in which dealt with the necessity for instituting scholarships to be competed for openly, so as to draw out the best musical talent throughout the country. Assistance should be given in cases where the scholars were unable to provide education for themselves.

In 1872 negotiations were reopened with the Royal Academy, with the idea of removing the head-quarters of the Academy from Tenderden Street to South Kensington. It became more evident that the purposes contemplated by the Committee of the Society of Arts could be better accomplished by the establishment of a new and independent institution as a National Training School for Music. The foundation-stone of the new institution had been laid in 1873, at which time a member of the Council, Mr. Freake, had liberally offered to undertake the whole cost of the building. At first Mr. Freake intended to give the use only of the building for some years, but he now requested the acceptance of it as a free gift. It was further stated by the Duke of Edinburgh that there was ample accommodation for above 300 students. It only remained to obtain the foundation of Scholarships in sufficient numbers for the appointment of a permanent Staff of Professors, and other arrangements for efficiently carrying on the new training school.

The Duke of Edinburgh then moved a resolution for the appointment of a Committee for taking steps to found Free Scholarships for the City of London and the Metropolitan districts. This resolution was seconded by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and supported by the Lord Mayor and the Archbishop of York.

The Prince of Wales, in responding to a vote of thanks for
having convened and presiding over the meeting, said, "he
thought the initiative in this matter was really due to his
brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, who had taken great interest in
music since his childhood. The same was the case with their
father, the late Prince Consort, whose name would always be
remembered with gratitude for the powerful influence he had
exercised on the intellectual advancement of the country, and to
whose efforts might be traced in great measure the important
place which music now held in the estimation of all classes.

"On the whole, they had reason to congratulate themselves on the
success of the meeting, and he was glad to have the opportunity
of returning his thanks to the Lord Mayor and to all the
gentlemen representing the great City Companies for their
co-operation on this occasion, feeling that that meeting would
be the commencement of a movement which he trusted would be a
success. In conclusion, he wished to move a resolution conveying
a vote of thanks to Mr. Freake for the handsome and liberal
manner in which he had so kindly behaved in giving the building
for the National Training School of Music. It was already a
great exercise of liberality to offer the use of it rent free
for five years, and certainly he was sure none present could
have expected that he would have made them a present of it. He
was therefore anxious that they should on that occasion record a
unanimous vote of thanks to him for his great liberality, and
for the interest he had taken in the welfare of that which they
had so much at heart."

The Duke of Edinburgh seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously.

FOUNDING THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.

_February 28th, 1882._

As far back as June, 1875, the Prince of Wales, we have seen, had taken steps to secure improvement of musical education throughout the kingdom. With this purpose he had invited many influential persons to a Conference at Marlborough House, which was held on the 15th of June of that year, and which resulted in the establishment of the National Training School of Music, with Sir Arthur Sullivan as its Principal. Ten years earlier, in 1865, the Prince had induced the Society of Arts to appoint a Committee to consider and report on the whole subject of musical education in this country, and of this Committee he gladly consented to act as President.

In 1878 the Prince summoned a number of gentlemen to a meeting at Marlborough House, where the proposal to found a National College of Music, uniting the Academy and the Training School, was first mooted. A committee was appointed, and the assent both of the Academy and the School had been obtained, when the Academy withdrew, and declined to accept the proposals of union. It was not till after the lapse of several years that the way was clear for the establishment of a new and truly national institution.

On the 28th of February, 1882, the Prince of Wales presided at a meeting held in the Banqueting Hall, St. James's Palace, for the purpose of soliciting public support for founding a "Royal College of Music." This meeting is destined to be a memorable event, not only in musical annals, but in the history of the nation. What was the character and influence of that meeting was stated in eloquent terms by Sir George Grove, in his speech at the inauguration of the Royal College in the following year. This statement will be given in full on a subsequent page, the following words being sufficient to quote here: "A meeting so truly national in its aspect gave, if I may use a not inappropriate figure, the key-note of the movement; and the key-note thus struck at St. James's Palace resounded through the country, and met with a ready and harmonious response."

Larger meetings the Prince has frequently addressed, but never one more broadly representative of all the most distinguished and influential classes in the kingdom. The Ambassadors and Ministers of most of the Continental Powers were also among the audience.

The Prince of Wales, who on rising was most cordially greeted, opened the proceedings by reading letters from the Duke of Connaught and Prince Christian, expressing regret that circumstances prevented them from being present, and their hearty sympathy with the objects of the meeting. Prince Christian in his letter briefly recounted the history of the fruitless attempt which had been made to induce Professor Macfarren and the directors of the Royal Academy of Music to consent to a union of their institution with the National Training School of Music, with a view to form a Royal College of Music on a more extended basis. The Prince of Wales then said:--

"My Lords and Gentlemen,--I have called you together to-day, the
representatives of the counties and towns in England, the
dignitaries of the Church and other religious and educational
bodies, distinguished colonists now resident in England, and the
representatives of foreign Powers, to aid me in the promotion of
a national object by obtaining contributions for the
establishment of a Royal College of Music. Were the object less
than of national importance, I should not have troubled you--the
heads of social life--to meet me here to-day, and I should not
myself have undertaken the responsibility of acting as the
leader and organiser of the movement. I have invited to meet you
the leading musicians and publishers of music, the most eminent
musical instrument makers, the most influential amateurs and
patrons of music, and I trust that by the co-operation and union
of some of the most powerful elements of society, we may succeed
in establishing a Royal College of Music on a more extended
basis than any existing institution in the United Kingdom;
worthy alike of this meeting and of this country, for whose
benefit you are asked to give your time, your money, and your
influence.

"I do not propose to trouble you with any proofs of the
advantages that would be derived from the establishment of a
National College of Music. That subject has been fully discussed
by the Duke of Albany at Manchester, and his address is before
the world. He showed that relatively to foreign countries
England occupied three centuries ago a higher place in the
musical world than she does at the present time, and he proved
that the almost universal establishment of central and national
musical institutions abroad, and the want of such an institution
in England, had been one cause why musical progress has not in
this country kept pace with the increase of wealth and
population and the corresponding development of science and art.

"Again, the necessity of public aid formed the groundwork of
the appeal made at Manchester by the Duke of Edinburgh and
Prince Christian. Music, as they showed, is far more expensive
to teach than other arts, and the natural capacity for
instruction in music is more rare than in almost any other art.
You are compelled, then, if you would have good musicians, to
provide means by which those to whom nature has been bountiful
in giving good ears and good voices, but niggardly in giving
worldly wealth, may be sought out in their obscurity and brought
up to distinction by a proper course of instruction.

"What I have said naturally leads me to deal with free education
in music, coupled in certain cases with free maintenance of the
pupil as the first branch of the subject on which I desire to
engage your sympathies and ask your aid. This system of
gratuitous education is one of the principal features which will
distinguish the new college from the Royal Academy and other
excellent existing schools of music. I do not mean to say that
we intend to exclude paying pupils. To adopt such a course would
be to deprive musical ability in the upper classes of any means
of access to the college, and would stamp it with a narrow and
contracted character, which is above all to be avoided in a
national institution intended to include in its corporate
character all classes throughout the United Kingdom. What I seek
to create is an institution bearing the same relation to the art
of music as that which our great public schools--Eton and
Winchester, for example--bear to general education. On the one
side you have scholars who are on the foundation and educated by
means of endowments; on the other side, pupils who derive no
direct benefit from the foundation. Both classes of pupils
follow the same course of study; their teachers are the same,
their rewards are the same. They differ only in the fact that
the collegers derive aid from the college, while those who are
not on the foundation pay for the whole of their education. I
lay great stress on this combination of the two systems of
education--that by endowment and that by payment. Financially,
it enables us to have salaried teachers of the greatest
eminence, who will give so much of their time as they devote to
teaching exclusively to the instruction of pupils at the
college. But, more than all, a union of different classes in a
common and elevating pursuit is the best mode of binding in one
tie of common enthusiasm the different grades of society,
varying alike in wealth and social influence. Each has much to
learn from the other, and this learning is best acquired in an
institution where all meet on common ground, and on a footing of
artistic equality. A further object, and one most material, is
sought to be attained by including in our college persons who do
not intend to make music their profession. To advance music as
an art in its highest aspects, resort must be had to those who
possess the best opportunities for general mental culture. The
most highly educated classes are those who have the greatest
power of disseminating the influence of art throughout the
country. They are the sources from which the civilising stream
proceeds downwards, and penetrates through every channel of our
complex social life.

"I will now proceed to explain the details of the scheme for
which I ask your support, beginning with the foundation, as
being that branch of the college for which public money will be
required. The least number of scholars which would be worthy to
constitute a foundation for the college would be 100. Of these,
50 should have their education free and 50 should be maintained
as well as educated. These scholars will be selected by open
competition throughout the United Kingdom. A system of
examination will be organised by which every town--nay, every
village--in the kingdom may be afforded a chance of
participating in the public benefaction. Only let eminent
ability be found in the village choir, the pupil will be brought
to London and may, if he do but possess the requisite ability,
become a Beethoven or a Mendelssohn, and any school of music may
put forward its best pupil as a candidate for collegiate
honours. The expense of maintenance and education of pupils I
estimate at about £80 a year; that of education alone at about
£40 a year. I should hope also that your liberality will grant
me means to found at least two fellowships, in order that rising
musicians, who have acquired distinction at the college, may not
be tempted on commencing their professional career to sacrifice
the higher aspirations of their art to the necessity of
providing immediate means of subsistence.

"Having settled the number of our foundationers, where are we to
place them? In London, I need not say, land is sold by the
yard, and not by the acre, and a square yard in a good locality
is often equal in value to a square acre in a remote district.
Yet, for the health of a young community, we must have open
space and pure air, and space is particularly necessary in a
music school, for, as the Duke of Edinburgh showed in his
address at Manchester, pupils in an ordinary school may be
grouped and classified, but musical pupils require space for the
performance either of vocal or instrumental music, and the
individual attention of their masters to an extent quite unknown
in the education of pupils in other branches of knowledge.
Again, the locality in which a school is placed must be easy of
access in order to accommodate the staff of teachers, for,
though I hope to have a resident staff to a greater extent than
has yet been tried in any other musical school, yet undoubtedly
extraneous teaching must form a considerable portion of our
instruction. Now, on the point of site, I am happy to say I can
give the meeting the most satisfactory assurances without making
any calls on their liberality. It is due to the foresight of my
father, the Prince Consort, that at a time when South Kensington
was comparatively remote from London, the large estate held by
the Exhibition Commissioners was purchased with a view to
furnish sites for future public buildings. In the few years that
have elapsed since that purchase a suburb has been converted
into a city. The estate lies between two stations of the
Metropolitan District Railway, and is skirted on the north by
one of the most frequented roads in the Metropolis. Here already
we have a nucleus for the college in the building constructed by
the great liberality of Mr. Freake, and I am enabled to state,
as Chairman of the Commission of 1851, that in proportion as the
public contributions enable us to construct our buildings, in
the same proportion will the Commissioners be prepared to grant
a sufficiency of site on which to erect them. The Commissioners
have also a considerable portion of the Albert Hall under their
control, and, by connecting that hall with the new college by a
tunnel or a bridge, practising rooms, sitting-rooms,
dining-rooms, and two small theatres will be immediately at the
disposal of the college. The Commissioners will also be prepared
to assist the college with an annual grant of money. To maintain
the college with 100 pupils on the foundation apart from the
expense of buildings an income of not less than from £10,000 to
£12,000 a year will be required. The plan will admit of any
degree of development in proportion as the munificence of the
public or the Government supplies the requisite funds. A charter
for incorporating the college has already been prepared and laid
before the Privy Council. I have myself undertaken to be
President. The governing body consist of a council, intrusted
with the function of making by-laws for the regulation of the
college, and of an executive committee charged with the details
of the administration. The names of the gentlemen who form the
council and the executive committee will be published, and will,
I am satisfied, command the confidence alike of the public and
of the musical world.