speeches-literary & social-第33章

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the　most　preposterous　nonsense；　and　some　gentlemen　whom　I　see

around　me　could　no　more　belong　to　the　minor　theatres　of　that　day

than　they　could　now　belong　to　St。　Bartholomew　fair。



As　I　honour　the　two　old　funds　for　the　great　good　which　they　have

done；　so　I　honour　this　for　the　much　greater　good　it　is　resolved　to

do。　　It　is　not　because　I　love　them　less；　but　because　I　love　this

more　…　because　it　includes　more　in　its　operation。



Let　us　ever　remember　that　there　is　no　class　of　actors　who　stand　so

much　in　need　of　a　retiring　fund　as　those　who　do　not　win　the　great

prizes；　but　who　are　nevertheless　an　essential　part　of　the

theatrical　system；　and　by　consequence　bear　a　part　in　contributing

to　our　pleasures。　　We　owe　them　a　debt　which　we　ought　to　pay。　　The

beds　of　such　men　are　not　of　roses；　but　of　very　artificial　flowers

indeed。　　Their　lives　are　lives　of　care　and　privation；　and　hard

struggles　with　very　stern　realities。　　It　is　from　among　the　poor

actors　who　drink　wine　from　goblets；　in　colour　marvellously　like

toast　and　water；　and　who　preside　at　Barmecide　beasts　with　wonderful

appetites　for　steaks；　…　it　is　from　their　ranks　that　the　most

triumphant　favourites　have　sprung。　　And　surely；　besides　this；　the

greater　the　instruction　and　delight　we　derive　from　the　rich　English

drama；　the　more　we　are　bound　to　succour　and　protect　the　humblest　of

those　votaries　of　the　art　who　add　to　our　instruction　and　amusement。



Hazlitt　has　well　said　that　〃There　is　no　class　of　society　whom　so

many　persons　regard　with　affection　as　actors。　　We　greet　them　on　the

stage；　we　like　to　meet　them　in　the　streets；　they　almost　always

recal　to　us　pleasant　associations。〃　　When　they　have　strutted　and

fretted　their　hour　upon　the　stage；　let　them　not　be　heard　no　more　…

but　let　them　be　heard　sometimes　to　say　that　they　are　happy　in　their

old　age。　　When　they　have　passed　for　the　last　time　from　behind　that

glittering　row　of　lights　with　which　we　are　all　familiar；　let　them

not　pass　away　into　gloom　and　darkness；　…　but　let　them　pass　into

cheerfulness　and　light　…　into　a　contented　and　happy　home。



This　is　the　object　for　which　we　have　met；　and　I　am　too　familiar

with　the　English　character　not　to　know　that　it　will　be　effected。

When　we　come　suddenly　in　a　crowded　street　upon　the　careworn

features　of　a　familiar　face　…　crossing　us　like　the　ghost　of

pleasant　hours　long　forgotten　…　let　us　not　recal　those　features

with　pain；　in　sad　remembrance　of　what　they　once　were；　but　let　us　in

joy　recognise　it；　and　go　back　a　pace　or　two　to　meet　it　once　again；

as　that　of　a　friend　who　has　beguiled　us　of　a　moment　of　care；　who

has　taught　us　to　sympathize　with　virtuous　grief；　cheating　us　to

tears　for　sorrows　not　our　own　…　and　we　all　know　how　pleasant　are

such　tears。　　Let　such　a　face　be　ever　remembered　as　that　of　our

benefactor　and　our　friend。



I　tried　to　recollect；　in　coming　here；　whether　I　had　ever　been　in

any　theatre　in　my　life　from　which　I　had　not　brought　away　some

pleasant　association；　however　poor　the　theatre；　and　I　protest；　out

of　my　varied　experience；　I　could　not　remember　even　one　from　which　I

had　not　brought　some　favourable　impression；　and　that；　commencing

with　the　period　when　I　believed　the　clown　was　a　being　born　into　the

world　with　infinite　pockets；　and　ending　with　that　in　which　I　saw

the　other　night；　outside　one　of　the　〃Royal　Saloons；〃　a　playbill

which　showed　me　ships　completely　rigged；　carrying　men；　and

careering　over　boundless　and　tempestuous　oceans。　　And　now；

bespeaking　your　kindest　remembrance　of　our　theatres　and　actors；　I

beg　to　propose　that　you　drink　as　heartily　and　freely　as　ever　a

toast　was　drunk　in　this　toast…drinking　city　〃Prosperity　to　the

General　Theatrical　Fund。〃







SPEECH：　　LEEDS；　DECEMBER　1；　1847。







＇On　the　above　evening　a　Soiree　of　the　Leeds　Mechanics'　Institution

took　place；　at　which　about　1200　persons　were　present。　　The　chair

was　taken　by　Mr。　Dickens；　who　thus　addressed　the　meeting：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　Believe　me；　speaking　to　you　with　a　most

disastrous　cold；　which　makes　my　own　voice　sound　very　strangely　in

my　ears　…　that　if　I　were　not　gratified　and　honoured　beyond

expression　by　your　cordial　welcome；　I　should　have　considered　the

invitation　to　occupy　my　present　position　in　this　brilliant

assemblage　in　itself　a　distinction　not　easy　to　be　surpassed。　　The

cause　in　which　we　are　assembled　and　the　objects　we　are　met　to

promote；　I　take；　and　always　have　taken　to　be；　THE　cause　and　THE

objects　involving　almost　all　others　that　are　essential　to　the

welfare　and　happiness　of　mankind。　　And　in　a　celebration　like　the

present；　commemorating　the　birth　and　progress　of　a　great

educational　establishment；　I　recognise　a　something；　not　limited　to

the　spectacle　of　the　moment；　beautiful　and　radiant　though　it　be　…

not　limited　even　to　the　success　of　the　particular　establishment　in

which　we　are　more　immediately　interested　…　but　extending　from　this

place　and　through　swarms　of　toiling　men　elsewhere；　cheering　and

stimulating　them　in　the　onward；　upward　path　that　lies　before　us

all。　　Wherever　hammers　beat；　or　wherever　factory　chimneys　smoke；

wherever　hands　are　busy；　or　the　clanking　of　machinery　resounds　…

wherever；　in　a　word；　there　are　masses　of　industrious　human　beings

whom　their　wise　Creator　did　not　see　fit　to　constitute　all　body；　but

into　each　and　every　one　of　whom　He　breathed　a　mind　…　there；　I　would

fain　believe；　some　touch　of　sympathy　and　encouragement　is　felt　from

our　collective　pulse　now　beating　in　this　Hall。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　glancing　with　such　feelings　at　the　report　of

your　Institution　for　the　present　year　sent　to　me　by　your　respected

President　…　whom　I　cannot　help　feeling　it；　by…the…bye；　a　kind　of

crime　to　depose；　even　thus　peacefully；　and　for　so　short　a　time　…　I

say；　glancing　over　this　report；　I　found　one　statement　of　fact　in

the　very　opening　which　gave　me　an　uncommon　satisfaction。　　It　is；

that　a　great　number　of　the　members　and　subscribers　are　among　that

class　of　persons　for　whose　advantage　Mechanics'　Institutions　were

originated；　namely；　persons　receiving　weekly　wages。　　This

circumstance　gives　me　the　greatest　delight。　　I　am　sure　that　no

better　testimony　could　be　borne　to　the　merits　and　usefulness　of

this　Institution；　and　that　no　better　guarantee　could　be　given　for

its　continued　prosperity　and　advancement。



To　such　Associations　as　this；　in　their　darker　hours；　there　may　yet

reappear　now　and　then　the　spectral　shadow　of　a　certain　dead　and

buried　opposition；　but　before　the　light　of　a　steady　trust　in　them

on　the　part　of　the　general　people；　bearing　testimony　to　the

virtuous　influences　of　such　Institutions　by　their　own　intelligence

and　conduct；　the　ghost　will　melt　away　like　early　vapour　from　the

ground。　　Fear　of　such　Institutions　as　these！　　We　have　heard　people

sometimes　speak　with　jealousy　of　them；　…　with　distrust　of　them！

Imagine　here；　on　either　hand；　two　great　towns　like　Leeds；　full　of

busy　men；　all　of　them　feeling　necessarily；　and　some　of　them

heavily；　the　burdens　and　inequalities　inseparable　from　civilized

society。　　In　this　town　there　is　ignorance；　dense　and　dark；　in　that

town；　education　…　the　best　of　education；　that　which　the　grown　man

from　day　to　day　and　year　to　year　furnishes　for　himself　and

maintains　for　himself；　and　in　right　of　which　his　education　goes　on

all　his　life；　instead　of　leaving　off；　complacently；　just　when　he

begins　to　live　in　the　social　system。　　Now；　which　of　these　two　towns

has　a　good　man；　or　a　good　cause；　reason　to　distrust　and　dread？

〃The　educated　one；〃　does　some　timid　politician；　with　a　marvellously

weak　sight；　say　（as　I　have　heard　such　politicians　say）；　〃because

knowledge　is　power；　and　because　it　won't　do　to　have　too　much　power

abroad。〃　　Why；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　reflect　whether　ignorance　be

not　power；　and　a　very　dreadful　power。　　Look　where　we　will；　do　we

not　find　it　powerful　for　every　kind　of　wrong　and　evil？　　Powerful　to

take　its　enemies　to　its　heart；　and　strike　its　best　friends　down　…

powerful　to　fill　the　prisons；　the　hospitals；　and　the　graves　…

powerful　for　blind　violence；　prejudice；　and　error；　in　all　their

gloomy　and　destructive　shapes。　　Whereas　the　power　of　knowledge；　if

I　understand　it；　is；　to　bear　and　forbear；　to　learn　the　path　of　duty

and　to　tread　it；　to　engender　that　self…respect　which　does　not　stop

at　self；　but　cherishes　the　best　respect　for　the　best　objects　…　to

turn　an　always　enlarging　acquaintance　with　the　joys　and　sorrows；

capabilities　and　imperfections　of　our　race　to　daily　account　in

mildness　of　life　and　gentleness　of　construction　and　humble　efforts

for　the　improvement；　stone　by　stone；　of　the　whole　social　fabric。



I　never　heard　but　one　tangible　position　taken　against　educational

establishments　for　the　people；　and　that　was；　that　in　this　or　that

instance；　or　in　these　or　those　instances；　education　for　the　people

has　failed。　　And　I　have　never　traced　even　this　to　its　source　but　I

have　found　that　the　term　education；　so　employed；　meant　anything　but

education　…　implied　the　mere　imperfect　application　of　old；

ignorant；　preposterous　spelling…book　lessons　to　the　meanest

purposes　…　as　if　you　should　teach　a　child　that　there　is　no　higher

end　in　electricity；　for　example；　than　expressly　to　strike　a　mutton…

pie　out　of　the　hand　of　a　greedy　boy　…　and　on　which　it　is　as

unreasonable　to　found　an　objection　to　education　in　a　comprehensive

sense；　as　it　would　be　to　object　altogether　to　the　combing　of

youthful　hair；　because　in　a　certain　charity　school　they　had　a

practice　of　combing　it　into　the　pupils'　eyes。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　turn　to　the　report　of　this

Institution；　on　whose　behalf　we　are　met；　and　I　start　with　the

education　given　there；　and　I　find　that　it　really　is　an　education

that　is　deserving　of　the　name。　　I　find　that　there　are　papers　read

and　lectures　delivered；　on　a　variety　of　subjects　of　interest　and

importance。　　I　find　that　there　are　evening　classes　formed　for　the

acquisition　of　sound；　useful　English　information；　and　for　the　study

of　those　two　important　languages；　daily　becoming　more　important　in

the　business　of　life；　…　the　French　and　German。　　I　find　that　there

is　a　class　for　drawing；　a　chemical　class；　subdivided　into　the

elementary　branch　and　the　manufacturing　branch；　most　important

here。　　I　find　that　there　is　a　day…school　at　twelve　shillings　a

quarter；　which　small　cost；　besides　including　instruction　in　all

that　is　useful　to　the　merchant　and　the　man　of　business；　admits　to

all　the　advantages　of　the　parent　institution。　　I　find　that　there　is

a　School　of　Design　established　in　connexion　with　the　Government

School；　and　that　there　was　in　January　this　year；　a　library　of

between　six　and　seven　thousand　books。　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　if　any

man　would　tell　me　that　anything　but　good　could　come　of　such

knowledge　as　this；　all　I　can　say　is；　that　I　should　consider　him　a

new　and　most　lamentable　proof　of　the　necessity　of　such

institutions；　and　should　regard　him　in　his　own　person　as