speeches-literary & social-第40章

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to　whom　I　propounded；　as　we　went　along　under　my　umbrella　…　he　being

most　excellent　company　…　this　old　question；　what　was　the　one　all…

absorbing　passion　of　the　human　soul？　　He　replied；　without　the

slightest　hesitation；　that　it　certainly　was　the　passion　for　getting

your　newspaper　in　advance　of　your　fellow…creatures；　also；　if　you

only　hired　it；　to　get　it　delivered　at　your　own　door　at　exactly　the

same　time　as　another　man　who　hired　the　same　copy　four　miles　off；

and；　finally；　the　invincible　determination　on　the　part　of　both　men

not　to　believe　the　time　was　up　when　the　boy　called。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　have　not　had　an　opportunity　of　verifying

this　experience　with　my　friends　of　the　managing　committee；　but　I

have　no　doubt　from　its　reception　tonight　that　my　friend　the　newsman

was　perfectly　right。　　Well；　as　a　sort　of　beacon　in　a　sufficiently

dark　life；　and　as　an　assurance　that　among　a　little　body　of　working

men　there　is　a　feeling　of　brotherhood　and　sympathy　…　which　is　worth

much　to　all　men；　or　they　would　herd　with　wolves　…　the　newsvendors

once　upon　a　time　established　the　Benevolent　and　Provident

Institution；　and　here　it　is。　　Under　the　Provident　head；　certain

small　annuities　are　granted　to　old　and　hard…working　subscribers。

Under　the　Benevolent　head；　relief　is　afforded　to　temporary　and

proved　distress。　　Under　both　heads；　I　am　bound　to　say　the　help

rendered　is　very　humble　and　very　sparing；　but　if　you　like　it　to　be

handsomer　you　have　it　in　your　power　to　make　it　so。　　Such　as　it　is；

it　is　most　gratefully　received；　and　does　a　deal　of　good。　　Such　as

it　is；　it　is　most　discreetly　and　feelingly　administered；　and　it　is

encumbered　with　no　wasteful　charges　for　management　or　patronage。



You　know　upon　an　old　authority；　that　you　may　believe　anything

except　facts　and　figures；　but　you　really　may　believe　that　during

the　last　year　we　have　granted　100　pounds　in　pensions；　and　some　70

pounds　in　temporary　relief；　and　we　have　invested　in　Government

securities　some　400　pounds。　　But；　touching　this　matter　of

investments；　it　was　suggested　at　the　anniversary　dinner；　on　the

high　and　kind　authority　of　Sir　Benjamin　Phillips　that　we　might

grant　more　pensions　and　invest　less　money。　　We　urged；　on　the　other

hand；　that　we　wished　our　pensions　to　be　certain　and　unchangeable　…

which　of　course　they　must　be　if　they　are　always　paid　out　of　our

Government　interest　and　never　out　of　our　capital。　　However；　so

amiable　is　our　nature；　that　we　profess　our　desire　to　grant　more

pensions　and　to　invest　more　money　too。　　The　more　you　give　us　to…

night　again；　so　amiable　is　our　nature；　the　more　we　promise　to　do　in

both　departments。　　That　the　newsman's　work　has　greatly　increased；

and　that　it　is　far　more　wearing　and　tearing　than　it　used　to　be；　you

may　infer　from　one　fact；　not　to　mention　that　we　live　in　railway

times。　　It　is　stated　in　Mitchell's　〃Newspaper　Press　Directory；〃

that　during　the　last　quarter　of　a　century　the　number　of　newspapers

which　appeared　in　London　had　more　than　doubled；　while　the　increase

in　the　number　of　people　among　whom　they　were　disseminated　was

probably　beyond　calculation。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　have　stated　the　newsman's　simple　case。　　I

leave　it　in　your　hands。　　Within　the　last　year　the　institution　has

had　the　good　fortune　to　attract　the　sympathy　and　gain　the　support

of　the　eminent　man　of　letters　I　am　proud　to　call　my　friend；　who　now

represents　the　great　Republic　of　America　at　the　British　Court。

Also　it　has　the　honour　of　enrolling　upon　its　list　of　donors　and

vice…presidents　the　great　name　of　Longfellow。　　I　beg　to　propose　to

you　to　drink　〃Prosperity　to　the　Newsvendors'　Benevolent　and

Provident　Institution。〃







SPEECH：　　MACREADY。　　LONDON；　MARCH　1；　1851。







＇On　the　evening　of　the　above　day　the　friends　and　admirers　of　Mr。

Macready　entertained　him　at　a　public　dinner。　　Upwards　of　six

hundred　gentlemen　assembled　to　do　honour　to　the　great　actor　on　his

retirement　from　the　stage。　　Sir　E。　B。　Lytton　took　the　chair。　　Among

the　other　speakers　were　Baron　Bunsen；　Sir　Charles　Eastlake；　Mr。

Thackeray；　Mr。　John　Forster；　Mr。　W。　J。　Fox；　and　Mr。　Charles

Dickens；　who　proposed　〃The　Health　of　the　Chairman〃　in　the　following

words：…＇



GENTLEMEN；　…　After　all　you　have　already　heard；　and　so　rapturously

received；　I　assure　you　that　not　even　the　warmth　of　your　kind

welcome　would　embolden　me　to　hope　to　interest　you　if　I　had　not　full

confidence　in　the　subject　I　have　to　offer　to　your　notice。　　But　my

reliance　on　the　strength　of　this　appeal　to　you　is　so　strong　that　I

am　rather　encouraged　than　daunted　by　the　brightness　of　the　track　on

which　I　have　to　throw　my　little　shadow。



Gentlemen；　as　it　seems　to　me；　there　are　three　great　requisites

essential　to　the　perfect　realisation　of　a　scene　so　unusual　and　so

splendid　as　that　in　which　we　are　now　assembled。　　The　first；　and　I

must　say　very　difficult　requisite；　is　a　man　possessing　the

stronghold　in　the　general　remembrance；　the　indisputable　claim　on

the　general　regard　and　esteem；　which　is　possessed　by　my　dear　and

much　valued　friend　our　guest。　　The　second　requisite　is　the　presence

of　a　body　of　entertainers；　…　a　great　multitude　of　hosts　so　cheerful

and　good…humoured　（under；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　some　personal

inconvenience）；　…　so　warm…hearted　and　so　nobly　in　earnest；　as　those

whom　I　have　the　privilege　of　addressing。　　The　third；　and　certainly

not　the　least　of　these　requisites；　is　a　president　who；　less　by　his

social　position；　which　he　may　claim　by　inheritance；　or　by　fortune；

which　may　have　been　adventitiously　won；　and　may　be　again

accidentally　lost；　than　by　his　comprehensive　genius；　shall　fitly

represent　the　best　part　of　him　to　whom　honour　is　done；　and　the　best

part　of　those　who　unite　in　the　doing　of　it。　　Such　a　president　I

think　we　have　found　in　our　chairman　of　to…night；　and　I　need

scarcely　add　that　our　chairman's　health　is　the　toast　I　have　to

propose　to　you。



Many　of　those　who　now　hear　me　were　present；　I　daresay；　at　that

memorable　scene　on　Wednesday　night　last；　when　the　great　vision

which　had　been　a　delight　and　a　lesson；　…　very　often；　I　daresay；　a

support　and　a　comfort　to　you；　which　had　for　many　years　improved　and

charmed　us；　and　to　which　we　had　looked　for　an　elevated　relief　from

the　labours　of　our　lives；　faded　from　our　sight　for　ever。　　I　will

not　stop　to　inquire　whether　our　guest　may　or　may　not　have　looked

backward；　through　rather　too　long　a　period　for　us；　to　some　remote

and　distant　time　when　he　might　possibly　bear　some　far…off　likeness

to　a　certain　Spanish　archbishop　whom　Gil　Blas　once　served。　　Nor

will　I　stop　to　inquire　whether　it　was　a　reasonable　disposition　in

the　audience　of　Wednesday　to　seize　upon　the　words　…





〃And　I　have　brought；

Golden　opinions　from　all　sorts　of　people；

Which　would　be　worn　now　in　their　newest　gloss；

Not　cast　aside　so　soon　…　〃





but　I　will　venture　to　intimate　to　those　whom　I　am　addressing　how　in

my　mind　I　mainly　connect　that　occasion　with　the　present。　　When　I

looked　round　on　the　vast　assemblage；　and　observed　the　huge　pit

hushed　into　stillness　on　the　rising　of　the　curtain；　and　that　mighty

surging　gallery；　where　men　in　their　shirt…sleeves　had　been　striking

out　their　arms　like　strong　swimmers　…　when　I　saw　that。　boisterous

human　flood　become　still　water　in　a　moment；　and　remain　so　from　the

opening　to　the　end　of　the　play；　it　suggested　to　me　something

besides　the　trustworthiness　of　an　English　crowd；　and　the　delusion

under　which　those　labour　who　are　apt　to　disparage　and　malign　it：

it　suggested　to　me　that　in　meeting　here　to…night　we　undertook　to

represent　something　of　the　all…pervading　feeling　of　that　crowd；

through　all　its　intermediate　degrees；　from　the　full…dressed　lady；

with　her　diamonds　sparkling　upon　her　breast　in　the　proscenium…box；

to　the　half…undressed　gentleman；　who　bides　his　time　to　take　some

refreshment　in　the　back　row　of　the　gallery。　　And　I　consider；

gentlemen；　that　no　one　who　could　possibly　be　placed　in　this　chair

could　so　well　head　that　comprehensive　representation；　and　could　so

well　give　the　crowning　grace　to　our　festivities；　as　one　whose

comprehensive　genius　has　in　his　various　works　embraced　them　all；

and　who　has；　in　his　dramatic　genius；　enchanted　and　enthralled　them

all　at　once。



Gentlemen；　it　is　not　for　me　here　to　recall；　after　what　you　have

heard　this　night；　what　I　have　seen　and　known　in　the　bygone　times　of

Mr。　Macready's　management；　of　the　strong　friendship　of　Sir　Bulwer

Lytton　for　him；　of　the　association　of　his　pen　with　his　earliest

successes；　or　of　Mr。　Macready's　zealous　and　untiring　services；　but

it　may　be　permitted　me　to　say　what；　in　any　public　mention　of　him　I

can　never　repress；　that　in　the　path　we　both　tread　I　have　uniformly

found　him　from　the　first　the　most　generous　of　men；　quick　to

encourage；　slow　to　disparage；　ever　anxious　to　assert　the　order　of

which　he　is　so　great　an　ornament；　never　condescending　to　shuffle　it

off；　and　leave　it　outside　state　rooms；　as　a　Mussulman　might　leave

his　slippers　outside　a　mosque。



There　is　a　popular　prejudice；　a　kind　of　superstition　to　the　effect

that　authors　are　not　a　particularly　united　body；　that　they　are　not

invariably　and　inseparably　attached　to　each　other。　　I　am　afraid　I

must　concede　half…a…grain　or　so　of　truth　I　to　that　superstition；

but　this　I　know；　that　there　can　hardly　be　…　that　there　hardly　can

have　been　…　among　the　followers　of　literature；　a　man　of　more　high

standing　farther　above　these　little　grudging　jealousies；　which　do

sometimes　disparage　its　brightness；　than　Sir　Edward　Bulwer　Lytton。



And　I　have　the　strongest　reason　just　at　present　to　bear　my

testimony　to　his　great　consideration　for　those　evils　which　are

sometimes　unfortunately　attendant　upon　it；　though　not　on　him。　　For；

in　conjunction　with　some　other　gentlemen　now　present；　I　have　just

embarked　in　a　design　with　Sir　Bulwer　Lytton；　to　smoothe　the　rugged

way　of　young　labourers；　both　in　literature　and　the　fine　arts；　and

to　soften；　but　by　no　eleemosynary　means；　the　declining　years　of

meritorious　age。　　And　if　that　project　prosper　as　I　hope　it　will；

and　as　I　know　it　ought；　it　will　one　day　be　an　honour　to　England

where　there　is　now　a　reproach；　originating　in　his　sympathies；　being

brought　into　operation　by　his　activity；　and　endowed　from　its　very

cradle　by　his　generosity。　　There　are　many　among　you　who　will　have

each　his　own　favourite　reason　for　drinking　our　chairman's　health；

resting　his　claim　probably　upon　some　of　his　diversified　successes。

According　to　the　nature　of　your　reading；　some　of　you　will　connect

him　with　prose；　others　will　connect　him　with　poetry。　　One　will

connect　him　with　comedy；　and　another　with　the　romantic　passions　of

the　stage；　and　his　assertion　of　worthy　ambition　and　earnest

struggle　against　those





〃twin　gaolers　of　the　human　heart；

Low　birth　and　iron　fortune。〃





Again；　another's　taste　will　lead　him　to　the　contemplation　of　Rienzi

and　the　streets　of　Rome；　another's　to　the　rebu