speeches-literary & social-第35章

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

attitude；　the　healthiest　look；　the　brightest　and　most　cheerful　air。

I　find　the　institution　nobly　lodged；　I　find　it　with　a　reading…room；

a　coffee…room；　and　a　news…room；　I　find　it　with　lectures　given　and

in　progress；　in　sound；　useful　and　well…selected　subjects；　I　find　it

with　morning　and　evening　classes　for　mathematics；　logic；　grammar；

music；　French；　German；　Spanish；　and　Italian；　attended　by　upwards　of

five　hundred　persons；　but；　best　and　first　of　all　and　what　is　to　me

more　satisfactory　than　anything　else　in　the　history　of　the

institution；　I　find　that　all；　this　has　been　mainly　achieved　by　the

young　men　of　Glasgow　themselves；　with　very　little　assistance。　　And；

ladies　and　gentlemen；　as　the　axiom；　〃Heaven　helps　those　who　help

themselves；〃　is　truer　in　no　case　than　it　is　in　this；　I　look　to　the

young　men　of　Glasgow；　from　such　a　past　and　such　a　present；　to　a

noble　future。　　Everything　that　has　been　done　in　any　other

athenaeum；　I　confidently　expect　to　see　done　here；　and　when　that

shall　be　the　case；　and　when　there　shall　be　great　cheap　schools　in

connexion　with　the　institution；　and　when　it　has　bound　together　for

ever　all　its　friends；　and　brought　over　to　itself　all　those　who　look

upon　it　as　an　objectionable　institution；　…　then；　and　not　till　then；

I　hope　the　young　men　of　Glasgow　will　rest　from　their　labours；　and

think　their　study　done。



If　the　young　men　of　Glasgow　want　any　stimulus　or　encouragement　in

this　wise；　they　have　one　beside　them　in　the　presence　of　their　fair

townswomen；　which　is　irresistible。　　It　is　a　most　delightful

circumstance　to　me；　and　one　fraught　with　inestimable　benefits　to

institutions　of　this　kind；　that　at　a　meeting　of　this　nature　those

who　in　all　things　are　our　best　examples；　encouragers；　and　friends；

are　not　excluded。　　The　abstract　idea　of　the　Graces　was　in　ancient

times　associated　with　those　arts　which　refine　the　human

understanding；　and　it　is　pleasant　to　see　now；　in　the　rolling　of　the

world；　the　Graces　popularising　the　practice　of　those　arts　by　their

example；　and　adorning　it　with　their　presence。



I　am　happy　to　know　that　in　the　Glasgow　Athenaeum　there　is　a

peculiar　bond　of　union　between　the　institution　and　the　fairest　part

of　creation。　　I　understand　that　the　necessary　addition　to　the　small

library　of　books　being　difficult　and　expensive　to　make；　the　ladies

have　generally　resolved　to　hold　a　fancy　bazaar；　and　to　devote　the

proceeds　to　this　admirable　purpose；　and　I　learn　with　no　less

pleasure　that　her　Majesty　the　Queen；　in　a　graceful　and　womanly

sense　of　the　excellence　of　this　design；　has　consented　that　the

bazaar　shall　be　held　under　her　royal　patronage。　　I　can　only　say；

that　if　you　do　not　find　something　very　noble　in　your　books　after

this；　you　are　much　duller　students　than　I　take　you　to　be。　　The

ladies　…　the　single　ladies；　at　least　…　however　disinterested　I　know

they　are　by　sex　and　nature；　will；　I　hope；　resolve　to　have　some　of

the　advantages　of　these　books；　by　never　marrying　any　but　members　of

the　Athenaeum。　　It　seems　to　me　it　ought　to　be　the　pleasantest

library　in　the　world。



Hazlitt　says；　in　speaking　of　some　of　the　graceful　fancies　of　some

familiar　writer　of　fiction；　〃How　long　since　I　first　became

acquainted　with　these　characters；　what　old…fashioned　friends　they

seem；　and　yet　I　am　not　tired　of　them　like　so　many　other　friends；

nor　they　of　me。〃　　In　this　case　the　books　will　not　only　possess　all

the　attractions　of　their　own　friendships　and　charms；　but　also　the

manifold　…　I　may　say　womanfold　…　associations　connected　with　their

donors。　　I　can　imagine　how；　in　fact；　from　these　fanciful

associations；　some　fair　Glasgow　widow　may　be　taken　for　the　remoter

one　whom　Sir　Roger　de　Coverley　could　not　forget；　I　can　imagine　how

Sophia's　muff　may　be　seen　and　loved；　but　not　by　Tom　Jones；　going

down　the　High　Street　on　any　winter　day；　or　I　can　imagine　the

student　finding　in　every　fair　form　the　exact　counterpart　of　the

Glasgow　Athenaeum；　and　taking　into　consideration　the　history　of

Europe　without　the　consent　of　Sheriff　Alison。　　I　can　imagine；　in

short；　how　through　all　the　facts　and　fictions　of　this　library；

these　ladies　will　be　always　active；　and　that





〃Age　will　not　wither　them；　nor　custom　stale

Their　infinite　variety。〃





It　seems　to　me　to　be　a　moral；　delightful；　and　happy　chance；　that

this　meeting　has　been　held　at　this　genial　season　of　the　year；　when

a　new　time　is；　as　it　were；　opening　before　us；　and　when　we　celebrate

the　birth　of　that　divine　and　blessed　Teacher；　who　took　the　highest

knowledge　into　the　humblest　places；　and　whose　great　system

comprehended　all　mankind。　　I　hail　it　as　a　most　auspicious　omen；　at

this　time　of　the　year；　when　many　scattered　friends　and　families　are

re…assembled；　for　the　members　of　this　institution　to　be　calling　men

together　from　all　quarters；　with　a　brotherly　view　to　the　general

good；　and　a　view　to　the　general　improvement；　as　I　consider　that

such　designs　are　practically　worthy　of　the　faith　we　hold；　and　a

practical　remembrance　of　the　words；　〃On　earth　peace；　and　good　will

toward　men。〃　　I　hope　that　every　year　which　dawns　on　your

Institution；　will　find　it　richer　in　its　means　of　usefulness；　and

grayer…headed　in　the　honour　and　respect　it　has　gained。　　It　can

hardly　speak　for　itself　more　appropriately　than　in　the　words　of　an

English　writer；　when　contemplating　the　English　emblem　of　this

period　of　the　year；　the　holly…tree：…





＇Mr。　Dickens　concluded　by　quoting　the　last　three　stanzas　of

Southey's　poem；　THE　HOLLY　TREE。



In　acknowledging　a　vote　of　thanks　proposed　by　Sir　Archibald　（then

Mr。）　Alison；　Mr。　Dickens　said：＇





Ladies　and　Gentlemen；　…　I　am　no　stranger　…　and　I　say　it　with　the

deepest　gratitude　…　to　the　warmth　of　Scottish　hearts；　but　the

warmth　of　your　present　welcome　almost　deprives　me　of　any　hope　of

acknowledging　it。　　I　will　not　detain　you　any　longer　at　this　late

hour；　let　it　suffice　to　assure　you；　that　for　taking　the　part　with

which　I　have　been　honoured　in　this　festival；　I　have　been　repaid　a

thousand…fold　by　your　abundant　kindness；　and　by　the　unspeakable

gratification　it　has　afforded　me。　　I　hope　that；　before　many　years

are　past；　we　may　have　another　meeting　in　public；　when　we　shall

rejoice　at　the　immense　progress　your　institution　will　have　made　in

the　meantime；　and　look　back　upon　this　night　with　new　pleasure　and

satisfaction。　　I　shall　now；　in　conclusion；　repeat　most　heartily　and

fervently　the　quotation　of　Dr。　Ewing；　the　late　Provost　of　Glasgow；

which　Bailie　Nicol　Jarvie；　himself　〃a　Glasgow　body；〃　observed　was

〃elegantly　putten　round　the　town's　arms。〃







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　APRIL　14；　1851。







＇The　Sixth　Annual　Dinner　of　the　General　Theatrical　Fund　was　held　at

the　London　Tavern　on　the　above　date。　　Mr。　Charles　Dickens　occupied

the　chair；　and　in　giving　the　toast　of　the　evening　said：…＇



I　HAVE　so　often　had　the　satisfaction　of　bearing　my　testimony；　in

this　place；　to　the　usefulness　of　the　excellent　Institution　in　whose

behalf　we　are　assembled；　that　I　should　be　really　sensible　of　the

disadvantage　of　having　now　nothing　to　say　in　proposing　the　toast

you　all　anticipate；　if　I　were　not　well　assured　that　there　is　really

nothing　which　needs　be　said。　　I　have　to　appeal　to　you　on　the　old

grounds；　and　no　ingenuity　of　mine　could　render　those　grounds　of

greater　weight　than　they　have　hitherto　successfully　proved　to　you。



Although　the　General　Theatrical　Fund　Association；　unlike　many　other

public　societies　and　endowments；　is　represented　by　no　building；

whether　of　stone；　or　brick；　or　glass；　like　that　astonishing

evidence　of　the　skill　and　energy　of　my　friend　Mr。　Paxton；　which　all

the　world　is　now　called　upon　to　admire；　and　the　great　merit　of

which；　as　you　learn　from　the　best　authorities；　is；　that　it　ought　to

have　fallen　down　long　before　it　was　built；　and　yet　that　it　would　by

no　means　consent　to　doing　so　…　although；　I　say；　this　Association

possesses　no　architectural　home；　it　is　nevertheless　as　plain　a

fact；　rests　on　as　solid　a　foundation；　and　carries　as　erect　a　front；

as　any　building；　in　the　world。　　And　the　best　and　the　utmost　that

its　exponent　and　its　advocate　can　do；　standing　here；　is　to　point　it

out　to　those　who　gather　round　it；　and　to　say；　〃judge　for

yourselves。〃



It　may　not；　however；　be　improper　for　me　to　suggest　to　that　portion

of　the　company　whose　previous　acquaintance　with　it　may　have　been

limited；　what　it　is　not。　　It　is　not　a　theatrical　association　whose

benefits　are　confined　to　a　small　and　exclusive　body　of　actors。　　It

is　a　society　whose　claims　are　always　preferred　in　the　name　of　the

whole　histrionic　art。　　It　is　not　a　theatrical　association　adapted

to　a　state　of　theatrical　things　entirely　past　and　gone；　and　no　more

suited　to　present　theatrical　requirements　than　a　string　of　pack…

horses　would　be　suited　to　the　conveyance　of　traffic　between　London

and　Birmingham。　　It　is　not　a　rich　old　gentleman；　with　the　gout　in

his　vitals；　brushed　and　got…up　once　a　year　to　look　as　vigorous　as

possible；　and　brought　out　for　a　public　airing　by　the　few　survivors

of　a　large　family　of　nephews　and　nieces；　who　afterwards　double…lock

the　street…door　upon　the　poor　relations。　　It　is　not　a　theatrical

association　which　insists　that　no　actor　can　share　its　bounty　who

has　not　walked　so　many　years　on　those　boards　where　the　English

tongue　is　never　heard　…　between　the　little　bars　of　music　in　an

aviary　of　singing　birds；　to　which　the　unwieldy　Swan　of　Avon　is

never　admitted　…　that　bounty　which　was　gathered　in　the　name　and　for

the　elevation　of　an　all…embracing　art。



No；　if　there　be　such　things；　this　thing　is　not　of　that　kind。　　This

is　a　theatrical　association；　expressly　adapted　to　the　wants　and　to

the　means　of　the　whole　theatrical　profession　all　over　England。　　It

is　a　society　in　which　the　word　exclusiveness　is　wholly　unknown。　　It

is　a　society　which　includes　every　actor；　whether　he　be　Benedict　or

Hamlet；　or　the　Ghost；　or　the　Bandit；　or　the　court…physician；　or；　in

the　one　person；　the　whole　King's　army。　　He　may　do　the　〃light

business；〃　or　the　〃heavy；〃　or　the　comic；　or　the　eccentric。　　He　may

be　the　captain　who　courts　the　young　lady；　whose　uncle　still

unaccountably　persists　in　dressing　himself　in　a　costume　one　hundred

years　older　than　his　time。　　Or　he　may　be　the　young　lady's　brother

in　the　white　gloves　and　inexpressibles；　whose　duty　in　the　family

appears　to　be　to　listen　to　the　female　members　of　it　whenever　they

sing；　and　to　shake　hands　with　everybody　between　all　the　verses。　　Or

he　may　be　the　baron　who　gives　the　fete；　and　who　sits　uneasily　on

the　sofa　under　a　canopy　with　the　baroness　while　the　fete　is　going

on。　　Or　he　may　be　the　peasant　at　the　fete　who　comes　on　the　stage　to

swell　the　drinking　chorus；　and　who；　it　may　be　observed；　always

turns　his　glass　upside　down　before　he　begins　to　drink　out　of　it。

Or　he　may　be　the　clown　who　takes　away　the　doorstep　of　the　house

where　the　evening