speeches-literary & social-第41章

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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　rebuilt　and　repeopled

streets　of　Pompeii；　another's　to　the　touching　history　of　the

fireside　where　the　Caxton　family　learned　how　to　discipline　their

natures　and　tame　their　wild　hopes　down。　　But；　however　various　their

feelings　and　reasons　may　be；　I　am　sure　that　with　one　accord　each

will　help　the　other；　and　all　will　swell　the　greeting；　with　which　I

shall　now　propose　to　you　〃The　Health　of　our　Chairman；　Sir　Edward

Bulwer　Lytton。〃







SPEECH：　　SANITARY　REFORM。　　LONDON；　MAY　10；　1851。







＇The　members　and　friends　of　the　Metropolitan　Sanitary　Association

dined　together　on　the　above　evening　at　Gore　House；　Kensington。　　The

Earl　of　Carlisle　occupied　the　chair。　　Mr。　Charles　Dickens　was

present；　and　in　proposing　〃The　Board　of　Health；〃　made　the　following

speech：…＇



THERE　are　very　few　words　for　me　to　say　upon　the　needfulness　of

sanitary　reform；　or　the　consequent　usefulness　of　the　Board　of

Health。　　That　no　man　can　estimate　the　amount　of　mischief　grown　in

dirt；　…　that　no　man　can　say　the　evil　stops　here　or　stops　there；

either　in　its　moral　or　physical　effects；　or　can　deny　that　it　begins

in　the　cradle　and　is　not　at　rest　in　the　miserable　grave；　is　as

certain　as　it　is　that　the　air　from　Gin　Lane　will　be　carried　by　an

easterly　wind　into　Mayfair；　or　that　the　furious　pestilence　raging

in　St。　Giles's　no　mortal　list　of　lady　patronesses　can　keep　out　of

Almack's。　　Fifteen　years　ago　some　of　the　valuable　reports　of　Mr。

Chadwick　and　Dr。　Southwood　Smith；　strengthening　and　much　enlarging

my　knowledge；　made　me　earnest　in　this　cause　in　my　own　sphere；　and　I

can　honestly　declare　that　the　use　I　have　since　that　time　made　of　my

eyes　and　nose　have　only　strengthened　the　conviction　that　certain

sanitary　reforms　must　precede　all　other　social　remedies；　and　that

neither　education　nor　religion　can　do　anything　useful　until　the　way

has　been　paved　for　their　ministrations　by　cleanliness　and　decency。



I　do　not　want　authority　for　this　opinion：　　you　have　heard　the

speech　of　the　right　reverend　prelate　this　evening　…　a　speech　which

no　sanitary　reformer　can　have　heard　without　emotion。　　Of　what　avail

is　it　to　send　missionaries　to　the　miserable　man　condemned　to　work

in　a　foetid　court；　with　every　sense　bestowed　upon　him　for　his

health　and　happiness　turned　into　a　torment；　with　every　month　of　his

life　adding　to　the　heap　of　evils　under　which　he　is　condemned　to

exist？　　What　human　sympathy　within　him　is　that　instructor　to

address？　what　natural　old　chord　within　him　is　he　to　touch？　　Is　it

the　remembrance　of　his　children？　…　a　memory　of　destitution；　of

sickness；　of　fever；　and　of　scrofula？　　Is　it　his　hopes；　his　latent

hopes　of　immortality？　　He　is　so　surrounded　by　and　embedded　in

material　filth；　that　his　soul　cannot　rise　to　the　contemplation　of

the　great　truths　of　religion。　　Or　if　the　case　is　that　of　a

miserable　child　bred　and　nurtured　in　some　noisome；　loathsome　place；

and　tempted；　in　these　better　days；　into　the　ragged　school；　what　can

a　few　hours'　teaching　effect　against　the　ever…renewed　lesson　of　a

whole　existence？　　But　give　them　a　glimpse　of　heaven　through　a

little　of　its　light　and　air；　give　them　water；　help　them　to　be

clean；　lighten　that　heavy　atmosphere　in　which　their　spirits　flag

and　in　which　they　become　the　callous　things　they　are；　take　the　body

of　the　dead　relative　from　the　close　room　in　which　the　living　live

with　it；　and　where　death；　being　　familiar；　loses　its　awe；　and　then

they　will　be　brought　willingly　to　hear　of　Him　whose　thoughts　were

so　much　with　the　poor；　and　who　had　compassion　for　all　human

suffering。



The　toast　which　I　have　to　propose；　The　Board　of　Health；　is　entitled

to　all　the　honour　which　can　be　conferred　upon　it。　　We　have　very

near　us；　in　Kensington；　a　transparent　illustration　that　no　very

great　thing　can　ever　be　accomplished　without　an　immense　amount　of

abuse　being　heaped　upon　it。　　In　connexion　with　the　Board　of　Health

we　are　always　hearing　a　very　large　word　which　is　always　pronounced

with　a　very　great　relish　…　the　word　centralization。　　Now　I　submit

that　in　the　time　of　the　cholera　we　had　a　pretty　good　opportunity　of

judging　between　this　so　called　centralization　and　what　I　may；　I

think；　call　〃vestrylisation。〃　　I　dare　say　the　company　present　have

read　the　reports　of　the　Cholera　Board　of　Health；　and　I　daresay　they

have　also　read　reports　of　certain　vestries。　　I　have　the　honour　of

belonging　to　a　constituency　which　elected　that　amazing　body；　the

Marylebone　vestry；　and　I　think　that　if　the　company　present　will

look　to　what　was　done　by　the　Board　of　Health　at　Glasgow；　and　then

contrast　those　proceedings　with　the　wonderful　cleverness　with　which

affairs　were　managed　at　the　same　period　by　my　vestry；　there　will　be

very　little　difficulty　in　judging　between　them。　　My　vestry　even

took　upon　itself　to　deny　the　existence　of　cholera　as　a　weak

invention　of　the　enemy；　and　that　denial　had　little　or　no　effect　in

staying　the　progress　of　the　disease。　　We　can　now　contrast　what

centralization　is　as　represented　by　a　few　noisy　and　interested

gentlemen；　and　what　centralization　is　when　worked　out　by　a　body

combining　business　habits；　sound　medical　and　social　knowledge；　and

an　earnest　sympathy　with　the　sufferings　of　the　working　classes。



Another　objection　to　the　Board　of　Health　is　conveyed　in　a　word　not

so　large　as　the　other；　…　〃Delay。〃　　I　would　suggest；　in　respect　to

this；　that　it　would　be　very　unreasonable　to　complain　that　a　first…

rate　chronometer　didn't　go　when　its　master　had　not　wound　it　up。

The　Board　of　Health　may　be　excellently　adapted　for　going　and　very

willing　and　anxious　to　go；　and　yet　may　not　be　permitted　to　go　by

reason　of　its　lawful　master　having　fallen　into　a　gentle　slumber　and

forgotten　to　set　it　a　going。　　One　of　the　speakers　this　evening　has

referred　to　Lord　Castlereagh's　caution　〃not　to　halloo　until　they

were　out　of　the　wood。〃　　As　regards　the　Board　of　Trade　I　would

suggest　that　they　ought　not　to　halloo　until　they　are　out　of　the

Woods　and　Forests。　　In　that　leafy　region　the　Board　of　Health

suffers　all　sorts　of　delays；　and　this　should　always　be　borne　in

mind。　　With　the　toast　of　the　Board　of　Health　I　will　couple　the　name

of　a　noble　lord　（Ashley）；　of　whose　earnestness　in　works　of

benevolence；　no　man　can　doubt；　and　who　has　the　courage　on　all

occasions　to　face　the　cant　which　is　the　worst　and　commonest　of　all

…　the　cant　about　the　cant　of　philanthropy。







SPEECH：　　GARDENING。　　LONDON；　JUNE　9；　1851。







＇At　the　anniversary　dinner　of　the　Gardeners'　Benevolent

Institution；　held　under　the　presidency　of　Mr。；　afterwards　Sir

Joseph　Paxton；　Mr。　Charles　Dickens　made　the　following　speech：…＇



I　FEEL　an　unbounded　and　delightful　interest　in　all　the　purposes　and

associations　of　gardening。　　Probably　there　is　no　feeling　in　the

human　mind　stronger　than　the　love　of　gardening。　　The　prisoner　will

make　a　garden　in　his　prison；　and　cultivate　his　solitary　flower　in

the　chink　of　a　wall。　　The　poor　mechanic　will　string　his　scarlet

bean　from　one　side　of　his　window　to　the　other；　and　watch　it　and

tend　it　with　unceasing　interest。　　It　is　a　holy　duty　in　foreign

countries　to　decorate　the　graves　of　the　dead　with　flowers；　and

here；　too；　the　resting…places　of　those　who　have　passed　away　from　us

will　soon　be　gardens。　　From　that　old　time　when　the　Lord　walked　in

the　garden　in　the　cool　of　the　evening；　down　to　the　day　when　a　Poet…

Laureate　sang　…





〃Trust　me；　Clara　Vere　de　Vere；

From　yon　blue　heaven　above　us　bent

The　gardener　Adam　and　his　wife

Smile　at　the　claims　of　long　descent；〃





at　all　times　and　in　all　ages　gardens　have　been　amongst　the　objects

of　the　greatest　interest　to　mankind。　　There　may　be　a　few；　but　I

believe　they　are　but　a　few；　who　take　no　interest　in　the　products　of

gardening；　except　perhaps　in　〃London　Pride；〃　or　a　certain

degenerate　kind　of　〃Stock；〃　which　is　apt　to　grow　hereabouts；

cultivated　by　a　species　of　frozen…out　gardeners　whom　no　thaw　can

ever　penetrate：　　except　these；　the　gardeners'　art　has　contributed

to　the　delight　of　all　men　in　their　time。　　That　there　ought　to　be　a

Benevolent　Provident　Institution　for　gardeners　is　in　the　fitness　of

things；　and　that　such　an　institution　ought　to　flourish　and　does

flourish　is　still　more　so。



I　have　risen　to　propose　to　you　the　health　of　a　gentleman　who　is　a

great　gardener；　and　not　only　a　great　gardener　but　a　great　man　…　the

growth　of　a　fine　Saxon　root　cultivated　up　with　a　power　of　intellect

to　a　plant　that　is　at　this　time　the　talk　of　the　civilized　world　…　I

allude；　of　course；　to　my　friend　the　chairman　of　the　day。　　I　took

occasion　to　say　at　a　public　assembly　hard…by；　a　month　or　two　ago；

in　speaking　of　that　wonderful　building　Mr。　Paxton　has　designed　for

the　Great　Exhibition　in　Hyde　Park；　that　it　ought　to　have　fallen

down；　but　that　it　refused　to　do　so。　　We　were　told　that　the　glass

ought　to　have　been　all　broken；　the　gutters　all　choked　up；　and　the

building　flooded；　and　that　the　roof　and　sides　ought　to　have　been

blown　away；　in　short　that　everything　ought　to　have　done　what

everything　obstinately　persisted　in　not　doing。　　Earth；　air；　fire；

and　water　all　appear　to　have　conspired　together　in　Mr。　Paxton's

favour　…　all　have　conspired　together　to　one　result；　which；　when　the

present　generation　is　dust；　will　be　an　enduring　temple　to　his

honour；　and　to　the　energy；　the　talent；　and　the　resources　of

Englishmen。



〃But；〃　said　a　gentleman　to　me　the　other　day；　〃no　doubt　Mr。　Paxton

is　a　great　man；　but　there　is　one　objection　to　him　that　you　can

never　get　over；　that　is；　he　is　a　gardener。〃　　Now　that　is　our　case

to…night；　that　he　is　a　gardener；　and　we　are　extremely　proud　of　it。

This　is　a　great　age；　with　all　its　faults；　when　a　man　by　the　power

of　his　own　genius　and　good　sense　can　scale　such　a　daring　height　as

Mr。　Paxton　has　reached；　and　composedly　place　his　form　on　the　top。

This　is　a　great　age；　when　a　man　impressed　with　a　useful　idea　can

carry　out　his　project　without　being　imprisoned；　or　thumb…screwed；

or　persecuted　in　any　form。　　I　can　well　understand　that　you；　to　whom

the　genius；　the　intelligence；　the　industry；　and　the　achievements　of

our　friend　are　well　known；　should　be　anxious　to　do　him　honour　by

placing　him　in　the　position　he　occupies　to…night；　and　I　assure　you；

you　have　conferred　great　gratification　on　one　of　his　friends；　in

permitting　him　to　have　the　opportunity　of　proposing　his　health；

which　that　friend　now　does　most　cordially　and　with　all　the　honours。







SPEECH：　　THE　ROYAL　ACADEMY　DINNER。　　LONDON；　MAY　2；　1870。







＇On　the　occasion　of　the　Second　Exhibition　of　the　Royal　Academy　in

their　new　galleries　in　Piccadilly；　the　President；　Sir　F。　Grant；　and

the　council　gave　their　usual　inaugurative　banquet；　and　a　very

distinguished　company　was　present。　　The　dinner　took　place　in　the

large　central　room；　and　covers　w