speeches-literary & social-第12章

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If　the　President　of　this　Institution　had　been　here；　I　should

possibly　have　made　one　of　the　best　speeches　you　ever　heard；　but　as

he　is　not　here；　I　shall　turn　to　the　next　toast　on　my　list：…　〃The

health　of　your　worthy　Treasurer；　Mr。　George　Moore；〃　a　name　which　is

a　synonym　for　integrity；　enterprise；　public　spirit；　and

benevolence。　　He　is　one　of　the　most　zealous　officers　I　ever　saw　in

my　life；　he　appears　to　me　to　have　been　doing　nothing　during　the

last　week　but　rushing　into　and　out　of　railway…carriages；　and　making

eloquent　speeches　at　all　sorts　of　public　dinners　in　favour　of　this

charity。　　Last　evening　he　was　at　Manchester；　and　this　evening　he

comes　here；　sacrificing　his　time　and　convenience；　and　exhausting　in

the　meantime　the　contents　of　two　vast　leaden　inkstands　and　no　end

of　pens；　with　the　energy　of　fifty　bankers'　clerks　rolled　into　one。

But　I　clearly　foresee　that　the　Treasurer　will　have　so　much　to　do

to…night；　such　gratifying　sums　to　acknowledge　and　such　large　lines

of　figures　to　write　in　his　books；　that　I　feel　the　greatest

consideration　I　can　show　him　is　to　propose　his　health　without

further　observation；　leaving　him　to　address　you　in　his　own　behalf。

I　propose　to　you；　therefore；　the　health　of　Mr。　George　Moore；　the

Treasurer　of　this　charity；　and　I　need　hardly　add　that　it　is　one

which　is　to　be　drunk　with　all　the　honours。





＇Later　in　the　evening；　Mr。　Dickens　rose　and　said：…＇





So　many　travellers　have　been　going　up　Mont　Blanc　lately；　both　in

fact　and　in　fiction；　that　I　have　heard　recently　of　a　proposal　for

the　establishment　of　a　Company　to　employ　Sir　Joseph　Paxton　to　take

it　down。　　Only　one　of　those　travellers；　however；　has　been　enabled

to　bring　Mont　Blanc　to　Piccadilly；　and；　by　his　own　ability　and　good

humour；　so　to　thaw　its　eternal　ice　and　snow；　as　that　the　most　timid

lady　may　ascend　it　twice　a…day；　〃during　the　holidays；〃　without　the

smallest　danger　or　fatigue。　　Mr。　Albert　Smith；　who　is　present

amongst　us　to…night；　is　undoubtedly　〃a　traveller。〃　　I　do　not　know

whether　he　takes　many　orders；　but　this　I　can　testify；　on　behalf　of

the　children　of　his　friends；　that　he　gives　them　in　the　most　liberal

manner。



We　have　also　amongst　us　my　friend　Mr。　Peter　Cunningham；　who　is　also

a　traveller；　not　only　in　right　of　his　able　edition　of　Goldsmith's

〃Traveller；〃　but　in　right　of　his　admirable　Handbook；　which　proves

him　to　be　a　traveller　in　the　right　spirit　through　all　the

labyrinths　of　London。　　We　have　also　amongst　us　my　friend　Horace

Mayhew；　very　well　known　also　for　his　books；　but　especially　for　his

genuine　admiration　of　the　company　at　that　end　of　the　room　＇MR。

DICKENS　HERE　POINTED　TO　THE　LADIES　GALLERY＇；　and　who；　whenever　the

fair　sex　is　mentioned；　will　be　found　to　have　the　liveliest　personal

interest　in　the　conversation。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　am　about　to　propose　to　you　the　health　of

these　three　distinguished　visitors。　　They　are　all　admirable

speakers；　but　Mr。　Albert　Smith　has　confessed　to　me；　that　on　fairly

balancing　his　own　merits　as　a　speaker　and　a　singer；　he　rather

thinks　he　excels　in　the　latter　art。　　I　have；　therefore；　yielded　to

his　estimate　of　himself；　and　I　have　now　the　pleasure　of　informing

you　that　he　will　lead　off　the　speeches　of　the　other　two　gentlemen

with　a　song。　　Mr。　Albert　Smith　has　just　said　to　me　in　an　earnest

tone　of　voice；　〃What　song　would　you　recommend？〃　and　I　replied；

〃Galignani's　Messenger。〃　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　therefore　beg　to

propose　the　health　of　Messrs。　　Albert　Smith；　Peter　Cunningham；　and

Horace　Mayhew；　and　call　on　the　first…named　gentleman　for　a　song。







SPEECH：　　ADMINISTRATIVE　REFORM。　　THEATRE　ROYAL；　DRURY　LANE；

WEDNESDAY；　JUNE　27；　1855。







I　CANNOT；　I　am　sure；　better　express　my　sense　of　the　kind　reception

accorded　to　me　by　this　great　assembly；　than　by　promising　to

compress　what　I　shall　address　to　it　within　the　closest　possible

limits。　　It　is　more　than　eighteen　hundred　years　ago；　since　there

was　a　set　of　men　who　〃thought　they　should　be　heard　for　their　much

speaking。〃　　As　they　have　propagated　exceedingly　since　that　time；

and　as　I　observe　that　they　flourish　just　now　to　a　surprising　extent

about　Westminster；　I　will　do　my　best　to　avoid　adding　to　the　numbers

of　that　prolific　race。　　The　noble　lord　at　the　head　of　the

Government；　when　he　wondered　in　Parliament　about　a　week　ago；　that

my　friend；　Mr。　Layard；　did　not　blush　for　having　stated　in　this

place　what　the　whole　country　knows　perfectly　well　to　be　true；　and

what　no　man　in　it　can　by　possibility　better　know　to　be　true　than

those　disinterested　supporters　of　that　noble　lord；　who　had　the

advantage　of　hearing　him　and　cheering　him　night　after　night；　when

he　first　became　premier　…　I　mean　that　he　did　officially　and

habitually　joke；　at　a　time　when　this　country　was　plunged　in　deep

disgrace　and　distress　…　I　say；　that　noble　lord；　when　he　wondered　so

much　that　the　man　of　this　age；　who　has；　by　his　earnest　and

adventurous　spirit；　done　the　most　to　distinguish　himself　and　it；

did　not　blush　for　the　tremendous　audacity　of　having　so　come　between

the　wind　and　his　nobility；　turned　an　airy　period　with　reference　to

the　private　theatricals　at　Drury　Lane　Theatre。　　Now；　I　have　some

slight　acquaintance　with　theatricals；　private　and　public；　and　I

will　accept　that　figure　of　the　noble　lord。　　I　will　not　say　that　if

I　wanted　to　form　a　company　of　Her　Majesty's　servants；　I　think　I

should　know　where　to　put　my　hand　on　〃the　comic　old　gentleman；〃　nor；

that　if　I　wanted　to　get　up　a　pantomime；　I　fancy　I　should　know　what

establishment　to　go　to　for　the　tricks　and　changes；　also；　for　a　very

considerable　host　of　supernumeraries；　to　trip　one　another　up　in

that　contention　with　which　many　of　us　are　familiar；　both　on　these

and　on　other　boards；　in　which　the　principal　objects　thrown　about

are　loaves　and　fishes。　　But　I　will　try　to　give　the　noble　lord　the

reason　for　these　private　theatricals；　and　the　reason　why；　however

ardently　he　may　desire　to　ring　the　curtain　down　upon　them；　there　is

not　the　faintest　present　hope　of　their　coming　to　a　conclusion。　　It

is　this：…　The　public　theatricals　which　the　noble　lord　is　so

condescending　as　to　manage　are　so　intolerably　bad；　the　machinery　is

so　cumbrous；　the　parts　so　ill…distributed；　the　company　so　full　of

〃walking　gentlemen；〃　the　managers　have　such　large　families；　and　are

so　bent　upon　putting　those　families　into　what　is　theatrically

called　〃first　business〃　…　not　because　of　their　aptitude　for　it；　but

because　they　ARE　their　families；　that　we　find　ourselves　obliged　to

organize　an　opposition。　　We　have　seen　the　COMEDY　OF　ERRORS　played

so　dismally　like　a　tragedy　that　we　really　cannot　bear　it。　　We　are；

therefore；　making　bold　to　get　up　the　SCHOOL　OF　REFORM；　and　we　hope；

before　the　play　is　out；　to　improve　that　noble　lord　by　our

performance　very　considerably。　　If　he　object　that　we　have　no　right

to　improve　him　without　his　license；　we　venture　to　claim　that　right

in　virtue　of　his　orchestra；　consisting　of　a　very　powerful　piper；

whom　we　always　pay。



Sir；　as　this　is　the　first　political　meeting　I　have　ever　attended；

and　as　my　trade　and　calling　is　not　associated　with　politics；

perhaps　it　may　be　useful　for　me　to　show　how　I　came　to　be　here；

because　reasons　similar　to　those　which　have　influenced　me　may　still

be　trembling　in　the　balance　in　the　minds　of　others。　　I　want　at　all

times；　in　full　sincerity；　to　do　my　duty　by　my　countrymen。　　If　I

feel　an　attachment　towards　them；　there　is　nothing　disinterested　or

meritorious　in　that；　for　I　can　never　too　affectionately　remember

the　confidence　and　friendship　that　they　have　long　reposed　in　me。

My　sphere　of　action　…　which　I　shall　never　change　…　I　shall　never

overstep；　further　than　this；　or　for　a　longer　period　than　I　do　to…

night。　　By　literature　I　have　lived；　and　through　literature　I　have

been　content　to　serve　my　country；　and　I　am　perfectly　well　aware

that　I　cannot　serve　two　masters。　　In　my　sphere　of　action　I　have

tried　to　understand　the　heavier　social　grievances；　and　to　help　to

set　them　right。　　When　the　TIMES　newspaper　proved　its　then　almost

incredible　case；　in　reference　to　the　ghastly　absurdity　of　that　vast

labyrinth　of　misplaced　men　and　misdirected　things；　which　had　made

England　unable　to　find　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　an　enemy　one…

twentieth　part　so　potent　to　effect　the　misery　and　ruin　of　her　noble

defenders　as　she　has　been　herself；　I　believe　that　the　gloomy

silence　into　which　the　country　fell　was　by　far　the　darkest　aspect

in　which　a　great　people　had　been　exhibited　for　many　years。　　With

shame　and　indignation　lowering　among　all　classes　of　society；　and

this　new　element　of　discord　piled　on　the　heaving　basis　of

ignorance；　poverty　and　crime；　which　is　always　below　us　…　with

little　adequate　expression　of　the　general　mind；　or　apparent

understanding　of　the　general　mind；　in　Parliament　…　with　the

machinery　of　Government　and　the　legislature　going　round　and　round；

and　the　people　fallen　from　it　and　standing　aloof；　as　if　they　left

it　to　its　last　remaining　function　of　destroying　itself；　when　it　had

achieved　the　destruction　of　so　much　that　was　dear　to　them　…　I　did

and　do　believe　that　the　only　wholesome　turn　affairs　so　menacing

could　possibly　take；　was；　the　awaking　of　the　people；　the

outspeaking　of　the　people；　the　uniting　of　the　people　in　all

patriotism　and　loyalty　to　effect　a　great　peaceful　constitutional

change　in　the　administration　of　their　own　affairs。　　At　such　a

crisis　this　association　arose；　at　such　a　crisis　I　joined　it：

considering　its　further　case　to　be　…　if　further　case　could　possibly

be　needed　…　that　what　is　everybody's　business　is　nobody's　business；

that　men　must　be　gregarious　in　good　citizenship　as　well　as　in　other

things；　and　that　it　is　a　law　in　nature　that　there　must　be　a　centre

of　attraction　for　particles　to　fly　to；　before　any　serviceable　body

with　recognised　functions　can　come　into　existence。　　This

association　has　arisen；　and　we　belong　to　it。　　What　are　the

objections　to　it？　　I　have　heard　in　the　main　but　three；　which　I　will

now　briefly　notice。　　It　is　said　that　it　is　proposed　by　this

association　to　exercise　an　influence；　through　the　constituencies；

on　the　House　of　Commons。　　I　have　not　the　least　hesitation　in　saying

that　I　have　the　smallest　amount　of　faith　in　the　House　of　Commons　at

present　existing　and　that　I　consider　the　exercise　of　such　influence

highly　necessary　to　the　welfare　and　honour　of　this　country。　　I　was

reading　no　later　than　yesterday　the　book　of　Mr。　Pepys；　which　is

rather　a　favourite　of　mine；　in　which　he；　two　hundred　years　ago；

writing　of　the　House　of　Commons；　says：





〃My　cousin　Roger　Pepys　tells　me　that　it　is　matter　of　the　greatest

grief　to　him　in　the　world　that　he　should　be　put　upon　this　trust　of

being　a　Parliament　man；　because　he　says　nothing　is　done；　that　he

can　see；　out　of　any　truth　and　sincerity；　but　mere　envy　and　design。〃





Now；　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　after　two　hundred　years；　and　many

years　after　a　Reform　Bil