speeches-literary & social-第34章

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new　and　most　lamentable　proof　of　the　necessity　of　such

institutions；　and　should　regard　him　in　his　own　person　as　a

melancholy　instance　of　what　a　man　may　come　to　by　never　having

belonged　to　one　or　sympathized　with　one。



There　is　one　other　paragraph　in　this　report　which　struck　my　eye　in

looking　over　it；　and　on　which　I　cannot　help　offering　a　word　of

joyful　notice。　　It　is　the　steady　increase　that　appears　to　have

taken　place　in　the　number　of　lady　　members　…　among　whom　I　hope　I

may　presume　are　included　some　of　the　bright　fair　faces　that　are

clustered　around　me。　　Gentlemen；　I　hold　that　it　is　not　good　for　man

to　be　alone　…　even　in　Mechanics'　Institutions；　and　I　rank　it　as

very　far　from　among　the　last　or　least　of　the　merits　of　such　places；

that　he　need　not　be　alone　there；　and　that　he　is　not。　　I　believe

that　the　sympathy　and　society　of　those　who　are　our　best　and　dearest

friends　in　infancy；　in　childhood；　in　manhood；　and　in　old　age；　the

most　devoted　and　least　selfish　natures　that　we　know　on　earth；　who

turn　to　us　always　constant　and　unchanged；　when　others　turn　away；

should　greet　us　here；　if　anywhere；　and　go　on　with　us　side　by　side。



I　know；　gentlemen；　by　the　evidence　of　my　own　proper　senses　at　this

moment；　that　there　are　charms　and　graces　in　such　greetings；　such　as

no　other　greeting　can　possess。　　I　know　that　in　every　beautiful　work

of　the　Almighty　hand；　which　is　illustrated　in　your　lectures；　and　in

every　real　or　ideal　portraiture　of　fortitude　and　goodness　that　you

find　in　your　books；　there　is　something　that　must　bring　you　home

again　to　them　for　its　brightest　and　best　example。　　And　therefore；

gentlemen；　I　hope　that　you　will　never　be　without　them；　or　without

an　increasing　number　of　them　in　your　studies　and　your

commemorations；　and　that　an　immense　number　of　new　marriages；　and

other　domestic　festivals　naturally　consequent　upon　those　marriages；

may　be　traced　back　from　time　to　time　to　the　Leeds　Mechanics'

Institution。



There　are　many　gentlemen　around　me；　distinguished　by　their　public

position　and　service；　or　endeared　to　you　by　frequent　intercourse；

or　by　their　zealous　efforts　on　behalf　of　the　cause　which　brings　us

together；　and　to　them　I　shall　beg　leave　to　refer　you　for　further

observations　on　this　happy　and　interesting　occasion；　begging　to

congratulate　you　finally　upon　the　occasion　itself；　upon　the

prosperity　and　thriving　prospects　of　your　institution；　and　upon　our

common　and　general　good　fortune　in　living　in　these　times；　when　the

means　of　mental　culture　and　improvement　are　presented　cheaply；

socially；　and　cheerfully；　and　not　in　dismal　cells　or　lonely

garrets。　　And　lastly；　I　congratulate　myself；　I　assure　you　most

heartily；　upon　the　part　with　which　I　am　honoured　on　an　occasion　so

congenial　to　my　warmest　feelings　and　sympathies；　and　I　beg　to　thank

you　for　such　evidences　of　your　good…will；　as　I　never　can　coldly

remember　and　never　forget。





＇In　acknowledging　the　vote　of　thanks；　Mr；　Dickens　said：…＇





Ladies　and　Gentlemen；　…　It　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　me　that　this

question　has　been　put　by　the　Mayor；　inasmuch　as　I　hope　I　may

receive　it　as　a　token　that　he　has　forgiven　me　those　extremely　large

letters；　which　I　must　say；　from　the　glimpse　I　caught　of　them　when　I

arrived　in　the　town；　looked　like　a　leaf　from　the　first　primer　of　a

very　promising　young　giant。



I　will　only　observe；　in　reference　to　the　proceeding　of　this

evening；　that　after　what　I　have　seen；　and　the　excellent　speeches　I

have　heard　from　gentlemen　of　so　many　different　callings　and

persuasions；　meeting　here　as　on　neutral　ground；　I　do　more　strongly

and　sincerely　believe　than　I　ever　have　in　my　life；　…　and　that　is

saying　a　great　deal；　…　that　institutions　such　as　this　will　be　the

means　of　refining　and　improving　that　social　edifice　which　has　been

so　often　mentioned　to…night；　until；　…　unlike　that　Babel　tower　that

would　have　taken　heaven　by　storm；　…　it　shall　end　in　sweet　accord

and　harmony　amongst　all　classes　of　its　builders。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　most　respectfully　and　heartily　I　bid　you　good

night　and　good…bye；　and　I　trust　the　next　time　we　meet　it　will　be　in

even　greater　numbers；　and　in　a　larger　room；　and　that　we　often　shall

meet　again；　to　recal　this　evening；　then　of　the　past；　and　remember

it　as　one　of　a　series　of　increasing　triumphs　of　your　excellent

institution。







SPEECH：　　GLASGOW；　DECEMBER　28；　1847。







＇The　first　Soiree；　commemorative　of　the　opening　of　the　Glasgow

Athenaeum　took　place　on　the　above　evening　in　the　City　Hall。　　Mr。

Charles　Dickens　presided；　and　made　the　following　speech：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN　…　Let　me　begin　by　endeavouring　to　convey　to

you　the　assurance　that　not　even　the　warmth　of　your　reception　can

possibly　exceed；　in　simple　earnestness；　the　cordiality　of　the

feeling　with　which　I　come　amongst　you。　　This　beautiful　scene　and

your　generous　greeting　would　naturally　awaken；　under　any

circumstances；　no　common　feeling　within　me；　but　when　I　connect　them

with　the　high　purpose　of　this　brilliant　assembly　…　when　I　regard　it

as　an　educational　example　and　encouragement　to　the　rest　of　Scotland

…　when　I　regard　it　no　less　as　a　recognition　on　the　part　of

everybody　here　of　the　right；　indisputable　and　inalienable；　of　all

those　who　are　actively　engaged　in　the　work　and　business　of　life　to

elevate　and　improve　themselves　so　far　as　in　them　lies；　by　all　good

means　…　I　feel　as　if　I　stand　here　to　swear　brotherhood　to　all　the

young　men　in　Glasgow；　…　and　I　may　say　to　all　the　young　women　in

Glasgow；　being　unfortunately　in　no　position　to　take　any　tenderer

vows　upon　myself　…　and　as　if　we　were　pledged　from　this　time

henceforth　to　make　common　cause　together　in　one　of　the　most

laudable　and　worthy　of　human　objects。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　a　common　cause　must　be　made　in　such　a　design

as　that　which　brings　us　together　this　night；　for　without　it；

nothing　can　be　done；　but　with　it；　everything。　　It　is　a　common　cause

of　right；　God　knows；　for　it　is　idle　to　suppose　that　the　advantages

of　such　an　institution　as　the　Glasgow　Athenaeum　will　stop　within

its　own　walls　or　be　confined　to　its　own　members。　　Through　all　the

society　of　this　great　and　important　city；　upwards　to　the　highest

and　downwards　to　the　lowest；　it　must；　I　know；　be　felt　for　good。

Downward　in　a　clearer　perception　of；　and　sympathy　with；　those

social　miseries　which　can　be　alleviated；　and　those　wide…open　doors

to　vice　and　crime　that　can　be　shut　and　barred；　and　upward　in　a

greater　intelligence；　increased　efficiency；　and　higher　knowledge；

of　all　who　partake　of　its　benefits　themselves；　or　who　communicate；

as　all　must　do；　in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　some　portion　to　the

circle　of　relatives　or　friends　in　which　they　move。



Nor；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　would　I　say　for　any　man；　however　high

his　social　position；　or　however　great　his　attainments；　that　he

might　not　find　something　to　be　learnt　even　from　immediate　contact

with　such　institutions。　　If　he　only　saw　the　goddess　Knowledge

coming　out　of　her　secluded　palaces　and　high　places　to　mingle　with

the　throng；　and　to　give　them　shining　glimpses　of　the　delights　which

were　long　kept　hoarded　up；　he　might　learn　something。　　If　he　only

saw　the　energy　and　the　courage　with　which　those　who　earn　their

daily　bread　by　the　labour　of　their　hands　or　heads；　come　night　after

night；　as　to　a　recreation；　to　that　which　was；　perhaps；　the　whole

absorbing　business　of　his　youth；　there　might　still　be　something

very　wholesome　for　him　to　learn。　　But　when　he　could　see　in　such

places　their　genial　and　reviving　influences；　their　substituting　of

the　contemplation　of　the　beauties　of　nature　and　art；　and　of　the

wisdom　of　great　men；　for　mere　sensual　enjoyment　or　stupid　idleness

…　at　any　rate　he　would　learn　this　…　that　it　is　at　once　the　duty　and

the　interest　of　all　good　members　of　society　to　encourage　and

protect　them。



I　took　occasion　to　say　at　an　Athenaeum　in　Yorkshire　a　few　weeks

since；　and　I　think　it　a　point　most　important　to　be　borne　in　mind　on

such　commemorations　as　these；　that　when　such　societies　are　objected

to；　or　are　decried　on　the　ground　that　in　the　views　of　the

objectors；　education　among　the　people　has　not　succeeded；　the　term

education　is　used　with　not　the　least　reference　to　its　real　meaning；

and　is　wholly　misunderstood。　　Mere　reading　and　writing　is　not

education；　it　would　be　quite　as　reasonable　to　call　bricks　and

mortar　architecture　…　oils　and　colours　art　…　reeds　and　cat…gut

music　…　or　the　child's　spelling…books　the　works　of　Shakespeare；

Milton；　or　Bacon　…　as　to　call　the　lowest　rudiments　of　education；

education；　and　to　visit　on　that　most　abused　and　slandered　word

their　failure　in　any　instance；　and　precisely　because　they　were　not

education；　because；　generally　speaking；　the　word　has　been

understood　in　that　sense　a　great　deal　too　long；　because　education

for　the　business　of　life；　and　for　the　due　cultivation　of　domestic

virtues；　is　at　least　as　important　from　day　to　day　to　the　grown

person　as　to　the　child；　because　real　education；　in　the　strife　and

contention　for　a　livelihood；　and　the　consequent　necessity　incumbent

on　a　great　number　of　young　persons　to　go　into　the　world　when　they

are　very　young；　is　extremely　difficult。　　It　is　because　of　these

things　that　I　look　upon　mechanics'　institutions　and　athenaeums　as

vitally　important　to　the　well…being　of　society。　　It　is　because　the

rudiments　of　education　may　there　be　turned　to　good　account　in　the

acquisition　of　sound　principles；　and　of　the　great　virtues；　hope；

faith；　and　charity；　to　which　all　our　knowledge　tends；　it　is　because

of　that；　I　take　it；　that　you　have　met　in　education's　name　to…night。



It　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　me　to　occupy　the　place　I　do　in　behalf

of　an　infant　institution；　a　remarkably　fine　child　enough；　of　a

vigorous　constitution；　but　an　infant　still。　　I　esteem　myself

singularly　fortunate　in　knowing　it　before　its　prime；　in　the　hope

that　I　may　have　the　pleasure　of　remembering　in　its　prime；　and　when

it　has　attained　to　its　lusty　maturity；　that　I　was　a　friend　of　its

youth。　　It　has　already　passed　through　some　of　the　disorders　to

which　children　are　liable；　it　succeeded　to　an　elder　brother　of　a

very　meritorious　character；　but　of　rather　a　weak　constitution；　and

which　expired　when　about　twelve　months　old；　from；　it　is　said；　a

destructive　habit　of　getting　up　early　in　the　morning：　　it　succeeded

this　elder　brother；　and　has　fought　manfully　through　a　sea　of

troubles。　　Its　friends　have　often　been　much　concerned　for　it；　its

pulse　has　been　exceedingly　low；　being　only　1250；　when　it　was

expected　to　have　been　10；000；　several　relations　and　friends　have

even　gone　so　far　as　to　walk　off　once　or　twice　in　the　melancholy

belief　that　it　was　dead。　　Through　all　that；　assisted　by　the

indomitable　energy　of　one　or　two　nurses；　to　whom　it　can　never　be

sufficiently　grateful；　it　came　triumphantly；　and　now；　of　all　the

youthful　members　of　its　family　I　ever　saw；　it　has　the　strongest

attitude；　the　healthiest　loo