speeches-literary & social-第1章

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Speeches：　Literary　and　Social



by　Charles　Dickens














SPEECH：　　EDINBURGH；　JUNE　25；　1841。







＇At　a　public　dinner；　given　in　honour　of　Mr。　Dickens；　and　presided

over　by　the　late　Professor　Wilson；　the　Chairman　having　proposed　his

health　in　a　long　and　eloquent　speech；　Mr。　Dickens　returned　thanks

as　follows：…＇



IF　I　felt　your　warm　and　generous　welcome　less；　I　should　be　better

able　to　thank　you。　　If　I　could　have　listened　as　you　have　listened

to　the　glowing　language　of　your　distinguished　Chairman；　and　if　I

could　have　heard　as　you　heard　the　〃thoughts　that　breathe　and　words

that　burn；〃　which　he　has　uttered；　it　would　have　gone　hard　but　I

should　have　caught　some　portion　of　his　enthusiasm；　and　kindled　at

his　example。　　But　every　word　which　fell　from　his　lips；　and　every

demonstration　of　sympathy　and　approbation　with　which　you　received

his　eloquent　expressions；　renders　me　unable　to　respond　to　his

kindness；　and　leaves　me　at　last　all　heart　and　no　lips；　yearning　to

respond　as　I　would　do　to　your　cordial　greeting　…　possessing；　heaven

knows；　the　will；　and　desiring　only　to　find　the　way。



The　way　to　your　good　opinion；　favour；　and　support；　has　been　to　me

very　pleasing　…　a　path　strewn　with　flowers　and　cheered　with

sunshine。　　I　feel　as　if　I　stood　amongst　old　friends；　whom　I　had

intimately　known　and　highly　valued。　　I　feel　as　if　the　deaths　of　the

fictitious　creatures；　in　which　you　have　been　kind　enough　to　express

an　interest；　had　endeared　us　to　each　other　as　real　afflictions

deepen　friendships　in　actual　life；　I　feel　as　if　they　had　been　real

persons；　whose　fortunes　we　had　pursued　together　in　inseparable

connexion；　and　that　I　had　never　known　them　apart　from　you。



It　is　a　difficult　thing　for　a　man　to　speak　of　himself　or　of　his

works。　　But　perhaps　on　this　occasion　I　may；　without　impropriety；

venture　to　say　a　word　on　the　spirit　in　which　mine　were　conceived。

I　felt　an　earnest　and　humble　desire；　and　shall　do　till　I　die；　to

increase　the　stock　of　harmless　cheerfulness。　　I　felt　that　the　world

was　not　utterly　to　be　despised；　that　it　was　worthy　of　living　in　for

many　reasons。　　I　was　anxious　to　find；　as　the　Professor　has　said；　if

I　could；　in　evil　things；　that　soul　of　goodness　which　the　Creator

has　put　in　them。　　I　was　anxious　to　show　that　virtue　may　be　found　in

the　bye…ways　of　the　world；　that　it　is　not　incompatible　with　poverty

and　even　with　rags；　and　to　keep　steadily　through　life　the　motto；

expressed　in　the　burning　words　of　your　Northern　poet　…





〃The　rank　is　but　the　guinea　stamp；

The　man's　the　gowd　for　a'　that。〃





And　in　following　this　track；　where　could　I　have　better　assurance

that　I　was　right；　or　where　could　I　have　stronger　assurance　to　cheer

me　on　than　in　your　kindness　on　this　to　me　memorable　night？



I　am　anxious　and　glad　to　have　an　opportunity　of　saying　a　word　in

reference　to　one　incident　in　which　I　am　happy　to　know　you　were

interested；　and　still　more　happy　to　know；　though　it　may　sound

paradoxical；　that　you　were　disappointed　…　I　mean　the　death　of　the

little　heroine。　　When　I　first　conceived　the　idea　of　conducting　that

simple　story　to　its　termination；　I　determined　rigidly　to　adhere　to

it；　and　never　to　forsake　the　end　I　had　in　view。　　Not　untried　in　the

school　of　affliction；　in　the　death　of　those　we　love；　I　thought　what

a　good　thing　it　would　be　if　in　my　little　work　of　pleasant　amusement

I　could　substitute　a　garland　of　fresh　flowers　for　the　sculptured

horrors　which　disgrace　the　tomb。　　If　I　have　put　into　my　book

anything　which　can　fill　the　young　mind　with　better　thoughts　of

death；　or　soften　the　grief　of　older　hearts；　if　I　have　written　one

word　which　can　afford　pleasure　or　consolation　to　old　or　young　in

time　of　trial；　I　shall　consider　it　as　something　achieved　…

something　which　I　shall　be　glad　to　look　back　upon　in　after　life。

Therefore　I　kept　to　my　purpose；　notwithstanding　that　towards　the

conclusion　of　the　story；　I　daily　received　letters　of　remonstrance；

especially　from　the　ladies。　　God　bless　them　for　their　tender

mercies！　　The　Professor　was　quite　right　when　he　said　that　I　had　not

reached　to　an　adequate　delineation　of　their　virtues；　and　I　fear

that　I　must　go　on　blotting　their　characters　in　endeavouring　to

reach　the　ideal　in　my　mind。　　These　letters　were；　however；　combined

with　others　from　the　sterner　sex；　and　some　of　them　were　not

altogether　free　from　personal　invective。　　But；　notwithstanding；　I

kept　to　my　purpose；　and　I　am　happy　to　know　that　many　of　those　who

at　first　condemned　me　are　now　foremost　in　their　approbation。



If　I　have　made　a　mistake　in　detaining　you　with　this　little

incident；　I　do　not　regret　having　done　so；　for　your　kindness　has

given　me　such　a　confidence　in　you；　that　the　fault　is　yours　and　not

mine。　　I　come　once　more　to　thank　you；　and　here　I　am　in　a　difficulty

again。　　The　distinction　you　have　conferred　upon　me　is　one　which　I

never　hoped　for；　and　of　which　I　never　dared　to　dream。　　That　it　is

one　which　I　shall　never　forget；　and　that　while　I　live　I　shall　be

proud　of　its　remembrance；　you　must　well　know。　　I　believe　I　shall

never　hear　the　name　of　this　capital　of　Scotland　without　a　thrill　of

gratitude　and　pleasure。　　I　shall　love　while　I　have　life　her　people；

her　hills；　and　her　houses；　and　even　the　very　stones　of　her　streets。

And　if　in　the　future　works　which　may　lie　before　me　you　should

discern　…　God　grant　you　may！　…　a　brighter　spirit　and　a　clearer　wit；

I　pray　you　to　refer　it　back　to　this　night；　and　point　to　that　as　a

Scottish　passage　for　evermore。　　I　thank　you　again　and　again；　with

the　energy　of　a　thousand　thanks　in　each　one；　and　I　drink　to　you

with　a　heart　as　full　as　my　glass；　and　far　easier　emptied；　I　do

assure　you。





＇Later　in　the　evening；　in　proposing　the　health　of　Professor　Wilson；

Mr。　Dickens　said：…＇





I　HAVE　the　honour　to　be　entrusted　with　a　toast；　the　very　mention　of

which　will　recommend　itself　to　you；　I　know；　as　one　possessing　no

ordinary　claims　to　your　sympathy　and　approbation；　and　the　proposing

of　which　is　as　congenial　to　my　wishes　and　feelings　as　its

acceptance　must　be　to　yours。　　It　is　the　health　of　our　Chairman；　and

coupled　with　his　name　I　have　to　propose　the　literature　of　Scotland

…　a　literature　which　he　has　done　much　to　render　famous　through　the

world；　and　of　which　he　has　been　for　many　years　…　as　I　hope　and

believe　he　will　be　for　many　more　…　a　most　brilliant　and

distinguished　ornament。　　Who　can　revert　to　the　literature　of　the

land　of　Scott　and　of　Burns　without　having　directly　in　his　mind；　as

inseparable　from　the　subject　and　foremost　in　the　picture；　that　old

man　of　might；　with　his　lion　heart　and　sceptred　crutch　…　Christopher

North。　　I　am　glad　to　remember　the　time　when　I　believed　him　to　be　a

real；　actual；　veritable　old　gentleman；　that　might　be　seen　any　day

hobbling　along　the　High　Street　with　the　most　brilliant　eye　…　but

that　is　no　fiction　…　and　the　greyest　hair　in　all　the　world　…　who

wrote　not　because　he　cared　to　write；　not　because　he　cared　for　the

wonder　and　admiration　of　his　fellow…men；　but　who　wrote　because　he

could　not　help　it；　because　there　was　always　springing　up　in　his

mind　a　clear　and　sparkling　stream　of　poetry　which　must　have　vent；

and　like　the　glittering　fountain　in　the　fairy　tale；　draw　what　you

might；　was　ever　at　the　full；　and　never　languished　even　by　a　single

drop　or　bubble。　　I　had　so　figured　him　in　my　mind；　and　when　I　saw

the　Professor　two　days　ago；　striding　along　the　Parliament　House；　I

was　disposed　to　take　it　as　a　personal　offence　…　I　was　vexed　to　see

him　look　so　hearty。　　I　drooped　to　see　twenty　Christophers　in　one。

I　began　to　think　that　Scottish　life　was　all　light　and　no　shadows；

and　I　began　to　doubt　that　beautiful　book　to　which　I　have　turned

again　and　again；　always　to　find　new　beauties　and　fresh　sources　of

interest。





＇In　proposing　the　memory　of　the　late　Sir　David　Wilkie；　Mr。　Dickens

said：…＇





LESS　fortunate　than　the　two　gentlemen　who　have　preceded　me；　it　is

confided　to　me　to　mentio