speeches-literary & social-第36章

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

where　the　evening　party　is　going　on。　　Or　he　may　be　the　gentleman

who　issues　out　of　the　house　on　the　false　alarm；　and　is　precipitated

into　the　area。　　Or；　to　come　to　the　actresses；　she　may　be　the　fairy

who　resides　for　ever　in　a　revolving　star　with　an　occasional　visit

to　a　bower　or　a　palace。　　Or　the　actor　may　be　the　armed　head　of　the

witch's　cauldron；　or　even　that　extraordinary　witch；　concerning　whom

I　have　observed　in　country　places；　that　he　is　much　less　like　the

notion　formed　from　the　description　of　Hopkins　than　the　Malcolm　or

Donalbain　of　the　previous　scenes。　　This　society；　in　short；　says；

〃Be　you　what　you　may；　be　you　actor　or　actress；　be　your　path　in　your

profession　never　so　high；　or　never　so　low；　never　so　haughty；　or

never　so　humble；　we　offer　you　the　means　of　doing　good　to

yourselves；　and　of　doing　good　to　your　brethren。〃



This　society　is　essentially　a　provident　institution；　appealing　to　a

class　of　men　to　take　care　of　their　own　interests；　and　giving　a

continuous　security　only　in　return　for　a　continuous　sacrifice　and

effort。　　The　actor　by　the　means　of　this　society　obtains　his　own

right；　to　no　man's　wrong；　and　when；　in　old　age；　or　in　disastrous

times；　he　makes　his　claim　on　the　institution；　he　is　enabled　to　say；

〃I　am　neither　a　beggar；　nor　a　suppliant。　　I　am　but　reaping　what　I

sowed　long　ago。〃　　And　therefore　it　is　that　I　cannot　hold　out　to　you

that　in　assisting　this　fund　you　are　doing　an　act　of　charity　in　the

common　acceptation　of　that　phrase。　　Of　all　the　abuses　of　that　much

abused　term；　none　have　more　raised　my　indignation　than　what　I　have

heard　in　this　room　in　past　times；　in　reference　to　this　institution。

I　say；　if　you　help　this　institution　you　will　be　helping　the　wagoner

who　has　resolutely　put　his　own　shoulder　to　the　wheel；　and　who　has

NOT　stuck　idle　in　the　mud。　　In　giving　this　aid　you　will　be　doing　an

act　of　justice；　and　you　will　be　performing　an　act　of　gratitude；　and

this　is　what　I　solicit　from　you；　but　I　will　not　so　far　wrong　those

who　are　struggling　manfully　for　their　own　independence　as　to

pretend　to　entreat　from　you　an　act　of　charity。



I　have　used　the　word　gratitude；　and　let　any　man　ask　his　own　heart；

and　confess　if　he　have　not　some　grateful　acknowledgments　for　the

actor's　art？　　Not　peculiarly　because　it　is　a　profession　often

pursued；　and　as　it　were　marked；　by　poverty　and　misfortune　…　for

other　callings；　God　knows；　have　their　distresses　…　nor　because　the

actor　has　sometimes　to　come　from　scenes　of　sickness；　of　suffering；

ay；　even　of　death　itself；　to　play　his　part　before　us　…　for　all　of

us；　in　our　spheres；　have　as　often　to　do　violence　to　our　feelings

and　to　hide　our　hearts　in　fighting　this　great　battle　of　life；　and

in　discharging　our　duties　and　responsibilities。　　But　the　art　of　the

actor　excites　reflections；　sombre　or　grotesque；　awful　or　humorous；

which　we　are　all　familiar　with。　　If　any　man　were　to　tell　me　that　he

denied　his　acknowledgments　to　the　stage；　I　would　simply　put　to　him

one　question　…　whether　he　remembered　his　first　play？



If　you；　gentlemen；　will　but　carry　back　your　recollection　to　that

great　night；　and　call　to　mind　the　bright　and　harmless　world　which

then　opened　to　your　view；　we　shall；　I　think；　hear　favourably　of　the

effect　upon　your　liberality　on　this　occasion　from　our　Secretary。



This　is　the　sixth　year　of　meetings　of　this　kind　…　the　sixth　time　we

have　had　this　fine　child　down　after　dinner。　　His　nurse；　a　very

worthy　person　of　the　name　of　Buckstone；　who　has　an　excellent

character　from　several　places；　will　presently　report　to　you　that

his　chest　is　perfectly　sound；　and　that　his　general　health　is　in　the

most　thriving　condition。　　Long　may　it　be　so；　long　may　it　thrive　and

grow；　long　may　we　meet　（it　is　my　sincere　wish）　to　exchange　our

congratulations　on　its　prosperity；　and　longer　than　the　line　of

Banquo　may　be　that　line　of　figures　which；　as　its　patriotic　share　in

the　national　debt；　a　century　hence　shall　be　stated　by　the　Governor

and　Company　of　the　Bank　of　England。







SPEECH：　　THE　ROYAL　LITERARY　FUND。　　LONDON；　MARCH　12；　1856。







＇The　Corporation　of　the　Royal　Literary　Fund　was　established　in

1790；　its　object　being　to　administer　assistance　to　authors　of

genius　and　learning；　who　may　be　reduced　to　distress　by　unavoidable

calamities；　or　deprived；　by　enfeebled　faculties　or　declining　life；

of　the　power　of　literary　exertion。　　At　the　annual　general　meeting

held　at　the　house　of　the　society　on　the　above　date；　the　following

speech　was　made　by　Mr。　Charles　Dickens：＇



SIR；　…　I　shall　not　attempt　to　follow　my　friend　Mr。　Bell；　who；　in

the　profession　of　literature；　represents　upon　this　committee　a

separate　and　distinct　branch　of　the　profession；　that；　like





〃The　last　rose　of　summer

Stands　blooming　alone；

While　all　its　companions

Are　faded　and　gone；〃





into　the　very　prickly　bramble…bush　with　which　he　has　ingeniously

contrived　to　beset　this　question。　　In　the　remarks　I　have　to　make　I

shall　confine　myself　to　four　points：　　…　1。　　That　the　committee　find

themselves　in　the　painful　condition　of　not　spending　enough　money；

and　will　presently　apply　themselves　to　the　great　reform　of　spending

more。　　2。　　That　with　regard　to　the　house；　it　is　a　positive　matter

of　history；　that　the　house　for　which　Mr。　Williams　was　so　anxious

was　to　be　applied　to　uses　to　which　it　never　has　been　applied；　and

which　the　administrators　of　the　fund　decline　to　recognise。　　3。

That；　in　Mr。　Bell's　endeavours　to　remove　the　Artists'　Fund　from　the

ground　of　analogy　it　unquestionably　occupies　with　reference　to　this

fund；　by　reason　of　their　continuing　periodical　relief　to　the　same

persons；　I　beg　to　tell　Mr。　Bell　what　every　gentleman　at　that　table

knows　…　that　it　is　the　business　of　this　fund　to　relieve　over　and

over　again　the　same　people。



MR。　BELL：　　But　fresh　inquiry　is　always　made　first。



MR。　C。　DICKENS：　　I　can　only　oppose　to　that　statement　my　own

experience　when　I　sat　on　that　committee；　and　when　I　have　known

persons　relieved　on　many　consecutive　occasions　without　further

inquiry　being　made。　　As　to　the　suggestion　that　we　should　select　the

items　of　expenditure　that　we　complain　of；　I　think　it　is　according

to　all　experience　that　we　should　first　affirm　the　principle　that

the　expenditure　is　too　large。　　If　that　be　done　by　the　meeting；　then

I　will　proceed　to　the　selection　of　the　separate　items。　　Now；　in

rising　to　support　this　resolution；　I　may　state　at　once　that　I　have

scarcely　any　expectation　of　its　being　carried；　and　I　am　happy　to

think　it　will　not。　　Indeed；　I　consider　it　the　strongest　point　of

the　resolution's　case　that　it　should　not　be　carried；　because　it

will　show　the　determination　of　the　fund's　managers。　　Nothing　can

possibly　be　stronger　in　favour　of　the　resolution　than　that　the

statement　should　go　forth　to　the　world　that　twice　within　twelve

months　the　attention　of　the　committee　has　been　called　to　this　great

expenditure；　and　twice　the　committee　have　considered　that　it　was

not　unreasonable。　　I　cannot　conceive　a　stronger　case　for　the

resolution　than　this　statement　of　fact　as　to　the　expenditure　going

forth　to　the　public　accompanied　by　the　committee's　assertion　that

it　is　reasonable。　　Now；　to　separate　this　question　from　details；　let

us　remember　what　the　committee　and　their　supporters　asserted　last

year；　and；　I　hope；　will　re…assert　this　year。　　It　seems　to　be　rather

the　model　kind　of　thing　than　otherwise　now　that　if　you　get　100

pounds　you　are　to　spend　40　pounds　in　management；　and　if　you　get

1000　pounds；　of　course　you　may　spend　400　pounds　in　giving　the　rest

away。　　Now；　in　case　there　should　be　any　ill…conditioned　people　here

who　may　ask　what　occasion　there　can　be　for　all　this　expenditure；　I

will　give　you　my　experience。　　I　went　last　year　to　a　highly

respectable　place　of　resort；　Willis's　Rooms；　in　St。　James's；　to　a

meeting　of　this　fund。　　My　original　intention　was　to　hear　all　I

could；　and　say　as　little　as　possible。　　Allowing　for　the　absence　of

the　younger　and　fairer　portion　of　the　creation；　the　general

appearance　of　the　place　was　something　like　Almack's　in　the　morning。

A　number　of　stately　old　dowagers　sat　in　a　row　on　one　side；　and　old

gentlemen　on　the　other。　　The　ball　was　opened　with　due　solemnity　by

a　real　marquis；　who　walked　a　minuet　with　the　secretary；　at　which

the　audience　were　much　affected。　　Then　another　party　advanced；　who；

I　am　sorry　to　say；　was　only　a　member　of　the　House　of　Commons；　and

he　took　possession　of　the　floor。　　To　him；　however；　succeeded　a

lord；　then　a　bishop；　then　the　son　of　a　distinguished　lord；　then　one

or　two　celebrities　from　the　City　and　Stock　Exchange；　and　at　last　a

gentleman；　who　made　a　fortune　by　the　success　of　〃Candide；〃

sustained　the　part　of　Pangloss；　and　spoke　much　of　what　he　evidently

believed　to　be　the　very　best　management　of　this　best　of　all

possible　funds。　　Now　it　is　in　this　fondness　for　being　stupendously

genteel；　and　keeping　up　fine　appearances　…　this　vulgar　and　common

social　vice　of　hanging　on　to　great　connexions　at　any　price；　that

the　money　goes。　　The　last　time　you　got　a　distinguished　writer　at　a

public　meeting；　and　he　was　called　on　to　address　you　somewhere

amongst　the　small　hours；　he　told　you　he　felt　like　the　man　in　plush

who　was　permitted　to　sweep　the　stage　down　after　all　the　other

people　had　gone。　　If　the　founder　of　this　society　were　here；　I

should　think　he　would　feel　like　a　sort　of　Rip　van　Winkle　reversed；

who　had　gone　to　sleep　backwards　for　a　hundred　years　and　woke　up　to

find　his　fund　still　lying　under　the　feet　of　people　who　did　nothing

for　it　instead　of　being　emancipated　and　standing　alone　long　ago。

This　Bloomsbury　house　is　another　part　of　the　same　desire　for　show；

and　the　officer　who　inhabits　it。　　（I　mean；　of　course；　in　his

official　capacity；　for；　as　an　individual；　I　much　respect　him。）

When　one　enters　the　house　it　appears　to　be　haunted　by　a　series　of

mysterious…looking　ghosts；　who　glide　about　engaged　in　some

extraordinary　occupation；　and；　after　the　approved　fashion　of

ghosts；　but　seldom　condescend　to　disclose　their　business。　　What　are

all　these　meetings　and　inquiries　wanted　for？　　As　for　the　authors；　I

say；　as　a　writer　by　profession；　that　the　long　inquiry　said　to　be

necessary　to　ascertain　whether　an　applicant　deserves　relief；　is　a

preposterous　pretence；　and　that　working　literary　men　would　have　a

far　better　knowledge　of　the　cases　coming　before　the　board　than　can

ever　be　attained　by　that　committee。　　Further；　I　say　openly　and

plainly；　that　this　fund　is　pompously　and　unnaturally　administered

at　great　expense；　instead　of　being　quietly　administered　at　small

expense；　and　that　the　secrecy　to　which　it　lays　claim　as　its

greatest　attribute；　is　not　kept；　for　through　those　〃two　respectable

householders；〃　to　whom　reference　must　be　made；　the　names　of　the

most　deserving　applicants　are　to　numbers　of　people　perfectly　well

known。　　The　members　have　now　got　before　them　a　plain　statem