speeches-literary & social-第10章

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institution；　as　I　understand　it；　where　the　words　〃exclusion〃　and

〃exclusiveness〃　shall　be　quite　unknown　…　where　all　classes　may

assemble　in　common　trust；　respect；　and　confidence　…　where　there

shall　be　a　great　gallery　of　painting　and　statuary　open　to　the

inspection　and　admiration　of　all　comers　…　where　there　shall　be　a

museum　of　models　in　which　industry　may　observe　its　various　sources

of　manufacture；　and　the　mechanic　may　work　out　new　combinations；　and

arrive　at　new　results　…　where　the　very　mines　under　the　earth　and

under　the　sea　shall　not　be　forgotten；　but　presented　in　little　to

the　inquiring　eye　…　an　institution；　in　short；　where　many　and　many

of　the　obstacles　which　now　inevitably　stand　in　the　rugged　way　of

the　poor　inventor　shall　be　smoothed　away；　and　where；　if　he　have

anything　in　him；　he　will　find　encouragement　and　hope。



I　observe　with　unusual　interest　and　gratification；　that　a　body　of

gentlemen　are　going　for　a　time　to　lay　aside　their　individual

prepossessions　on　other　subjects；　and；　as　good　citizens；　are　to　be

engaged　in　a　design　as　patriotic　as　well　can　be。　　They　have　the

intention　of　meeting　in　a　few　days　to　advance　this　great　object；

and　I　call　upon　you；　in　drinking　this　toast；　to　drink　success　to

their　endeavour；　and　to　make　it　the　pledge　by　all　good　means　to

promote　it。



If　I　strictly　followed　out　the　list　of　educational　institutions　in

Birmingham；　I　should　not　have　done　here；　but　I　intend　to　stop；

merely　observing　that　I　have　seen　within　a　short　walk　of　this　place

one　of　the　most　interesting　and　practical　Institutions　for　the　Deaf

and　Dumb　that　has　ever　come　under　my　observation。　　I　have　seen　in

the　factories　and　workshops　of　Birmingham　such　beautiful　order　and

regularity；　and　such　great　consideration　for　the　workpeople

provided；　that　they　might　justly　be　entitled　to　be　considered

educational　too。　　I　have　seen　in　your　splendid　Town　Hall；　when　the

cheap　concerts　are　going　on　there；　also　an　admirable　educational

institution。　　I　have　seen　their　results　in　the　demeanour　of　your

working　people；　excellently　balanced　by　a　nice　instinct；　as　free

from　servility　on　the　one　hand；　as　from　self…conceit　on　the　other。

It　is　a　perfect　delight　to　have　need　to　ask　a　question；　if　only

from　the　manner　of　the　reply　…　a　manner　I　never　knew　to　pass

unnoticed　by　an　observant　stranger。　　Gather　up　those　threads；　and　a

great　marry　more　I　have　not　touched　upon；　and　weaving　all　into　one

good　fabric；　remember　how　much　is　included　under　the　general　head

of　the　Educational　Institutions　of　your　town。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　APRIL　30；　1853。







＇At　the　annual　Dinner　of　the　Royal　Academy；　the　President；　Sir

Charles　Eastlake；　proposed　as　a　toast；　〃The　Interests　of

Literature；〃　and　selected　for　the　representatives　of　the　world　of

letters；　the　Dean　of　St。　Paul's　and　Mr。　Charles　Dickens。　　Dean

Milman　having　returned　thanks。＇



MR　DICKENS　then　addressed　the　President；　who；　it　should　be

mentioned；　occupied　a　large　and　handsome　chair；　the　back　covered

with　crimson　velvet；　placed　just　before　Stanfield's　picture　of　THE

VICTORY。



Mr。　Dickens；　after　tendering　his　acknowledgments　of　the　toast；　and

the　honour　done　him　in　associating　his　name　with　it；　said　that

those　acknowledgments　were　not　the　less　heartfelt　because　he　was

unable　to　recognize　in　this　toast　the　President's　usual

disinterestedness；　since　English　literature　could　scarcely　be

remembered　in　any　place；　and；　certainly；　not　in　a　school　of　art；

without　a　very　distinct　remembrance　of　his　own　tasteful　writings；

to　say　nothing　of　that　other　and　better　part　of　himself；　which；

unfortunately；　was　not　visible　upon　these　occasions。



If；　like　the　noble　Lord；　the　Commander…in…Chief　（Viscount

Hardinge）；　he　（Mr。　Dickens）　might　venture　to　illustrate　his　brief

thanks　with　one　word　of　reference　to　the　noble　picture　painted　by　a

very　dear　friend　of　his；　which　was　a　little　eclipsed　that　evening

by　the　radiant　and　rubicund　chair　which　the　President　now　so

happily　toned　down；　he　would　beg　leave　to　say　that；　as　literature

could　nowhere　be　more　appropriately　honoured　than　in　that　place；　so

he　thought　she　could　nowhere　feel　a　higher　gratification　in　the

ties　that　bound　her　to　the　sister　arts。　　He　ever　felt　in　that　place

that　literature　found；　through　their　instrumentality；　always　a　new

expression；　and　in　a　universal　language。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　1；　1853







＇At　a　dinner　given　by　the　Lord　Mayor　at　the　Mansion　House；　on　the

above　date；　Mr。　Justice　Talfourd　proposed　as　a　toast　〃Anglo…Saxon

Literature；〃　and　alluded　to　Mr。　Dickens　as　having　employed　fiction

as　a　means　of　awakening　attention　to　the　condition　of　the　oppressed

and　suffering　classes：…＇



〃MR。　DICKENS　replied　to　this　toast　in　a　graceful　and　playful

strain。　　In　the　former　part　of　the　evening；　in　reply　to　a　toast　on

the　chancery　department；　Vice…Chancellor　Wood；　who　spoke　in　the

absence　of　the　Lord　Chancellor；　made　a　sort　of　defence　of　the　Court

of　Chancery；　not　distinctly　alluding　to　Bleak　House；　but　evidently

not　without　reference　to　it。　　The　amount　of　what　he　said　was；　that

the　Court　had　received　a　great　many　more　hard　opinions　than　it

merited；　that　they　had　been　parsimoniously　obliged　to　perform　a

great　amount　of　business　by　a　very　inadequate　number　of　judges；　but

that　more　recently　the　number　of　judges　had　been　increased　to

seven；　and　there　was　reason　to　hope　that　all　business　brought

before　it　would　now　be　performed　without　unnecessary　delay。



〃Mr。　Dickens　alluded　playfully　to　this　item　of　intelligence；　said

he　was　exceedingly　happy　to　hear　it；　as　he　trusted　now　that　a　suit；

in　which　he　was　greatly　interested；　would　speedily　come　to　an　end。

I　heard　a　little　by…conversation　between　Mr。　Dickens　and　a

gentleman　of　the　bar；　who　sat　opposite　me；　in　which　the　latter

seemed　to　be　reiterating　the　same　assertions；　and　I　understood　him

to　say；　that　a　case　not　extraordinarily　complicated　might　be　got

through　with　in　three　months。　　Mr。　Dickens　said　he　was　very　happy

to　hear　it；　but　I　fancied　there　was　a　little　shade　of　incredulity

in　his　manner；　however；　the　incident　showed　one　thing；　that　is；

that　the　chancery　were　not　insensible　to　the　representations　of

Dickens；　but　the　whole　tone　of　the　thing　was　quite　good…natured　and

agreeable。〃







SPEECH：　　BIRMINGHAM；　DECEMBER　30；　1853。







＇The　first　of　the　Readings　generously　given　by　Mr。　Charles　Dickens

on　behalf　of　the　Birmingham　and　Midland　Institute；　took　place　on

Tuesday　evening；　December　27；　1853；　at　the　Birmingham　Town　Hall；

where；　notwithstanding　the　inclemency　of　the　weather；　nearly　two

thousand　persons　had　assembled。　　The　work　selected　was　the

CHRISTMAS　CAROL。　　The　high　mimetic　powers　possessed　by　Mr。　Dickens

enabled　him　to　personate　with　remarkable　force　the　various

characters　of　the　story；　and　with　admirable　skill　to　pass　rapidly

from　the　hard；　unbelieving　Scrooge；　to　trusting　and　thankful　Bob

Cratchit；　and　from　the　genial　fulness　of　Scrooge's　nephew；　to　the

hideous　mirth　of　the　party　assembled　in　Old　Joe　the　Ragshop…

keeper's　parlour。　　The　reading　occupied　more　than　three　hours；　but

so　interested　were　the　audience；　that　only　one　or　two　left　the　Hall

previously　to　its　termination；　and　the　loud　and　frequent　bursts　of

applause　attested　the　successful　discharge　of　the　reader's　arduous

task。　　On　Thursday　evening　Mr。　Dickens　read　THE　CRICKET　ON　THE

HEARTH。　　The　Hall　was　again　well　ruled；　and　the　tale；　though

deficient　in　the　dramatic　interest　of　the　CAROL；　was　listened　to

with　attention；　and　rewarded　with　repeated　applause。　　On　Friday

evening；　the　CHRISTMAS　CAROL　was　read　a　second　time　to　a　large

assemblage　of　work…people；　for　whom；　at　Mr。　Dickens's　special

request；　the　major　part　of　the　vast　edifice　was　reserved。　　Before

commencing　the　tale；　Mr。　Dickens　delivered　the　following　brief

address；　almost　every　sentence　of　which　was　received　with　loudly

expressed　applause。＇



MY　GOOD　FRIENDS；　…　When　I　first　imparted　to　the　committee　of　the

projected　Institute　my　particular　wish　that　on　one　of　the　evenings

of　my　readings　here　the　main　body　of　my　audience　should　be　composed

of　working　men　and　their　families；　I　was　animated　by　two　desires；

first；　by　the　wish　to　have　the　great　pleasure　of　meeting　you　face

to　face　at　this　Christmas　time；　and　accompany　you　myself　through

one　of　my　little　Christmas　books；　and　second；　by　the　wish　to　have

an　opportunity　of　stating　publicly　in　your　presence；　and　in　the

presence　of　the　committee；　my　earnest　hope　that　the　Institute　will；

from　the　beginning；　recognise　one　great　principle　…　strong　in

reason　and　justice　…　which　I　believe　to　be　essential　to　the　very

life　of　such　an　Institution。　　It　is；　that　the　working　man　shall；

from　the　first　unto　the　last；　have　a　share　in　the　management　of　an

Institution　which　is　designed　for　his　benefit；　and　which　calls

itself　by　his　name。



I　have　no　fear　here　of　being　misunderstood　…　of　being　supposed　to

mean　too　much　in　this。　　If　there　ever　was　a　time　when　any　one　class

could　of　itself　do　much　for　its　own　good；　and　for　the　welfare　of

society　…　which　I　greatly　doubt　…　that　time　is　unquestionably　past。

It　is　in　the　fusion　of　different　classes；　without　confusion；　in　the

bringing　together　of　employers　and　employed；　in　the　creating　of　a

better　common　understanding　among　those　whose　interests　are

identical；　who　depend　upon　each　other；　who　are　vitally　essential　to

each　other；　and　who　never　can　be　in　unnatural　antagonism　without

deplorable　results；　that　one　of　the　chief　principles　of　a

Mechanics'　Institution　should　consist。　　In　this　world　a　great　deal

of　the　bitterness　among　us　arises　from　an　imperfect　understanding

of　one　another。　　Erect　in　Birmingham　a　great　Educational

Institution；　properly　educational；　educational　of　the　feelings　as

well　as　of　the　reason；　to　which　all　orders　of　Birmingham　men

contribute；　in　which　all　orders　of　Birmingham　men　meet；　wherein　all

orders　of　Birmingham　men　are　faithfully　represented　…　and　you　will

erect　a　Temple　of　Concord　here　which　will　be　a　model　edifice　to　the

whole　of　England。



Contemplating　as　I　do　the　existence　of　the　Artisans'　Committee；

which　not　long　ago　considered　the　establishment　of　the　Institute　so

sensibly；　and　supported　it　so　heartily；　I　earnestly　entreat　the

gentlemen　…　earnest　I　know　in　the　good　work；　and　who　are　now　among

us；　…　by　all　means　to　avoid　the　great　shortcoming　of　similar

institutions；　and　in　asking　the　working　man　for　his　confidence；　to

set　him　the　great　example　and　give　him　theirs　in　return。　　You　will

judge　for　yourselves　if　I　promise　too　much　for　the　working　man；

when　I　say　that　he　will　stand　by　such　an　enterprise　with　the　utmost

of　his　patience；　his　perseverance；　sense；　and　support；　that　I　am

sure　he　will　need　no　charitable　aid　or　condescending　patronage；　but

will　readily　and　cheerfully　pay　for　the　advantages　which　it

confers；　that　he　will　prepare　himself