speeches-literary & social-第12章

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Gentlemen；　I　accept　this　salver　and　this　ring　as　far　above　all

price　to　me；　as　very　valuable　in　themselves；　and　as　beautiful

specimens　of　the　workmanship　of　this　town；　with　great　emotion；　I

assure　you；　and　with　the　liveliest　gratitude。　　You　remember

something；　I　daresay；　of　the　old　romantic　stories　of　those　charmed

rings　which　would　lose　their　brilliance　when　their　wearer　was　in

danger；　or　would　press　his　finger　reproachfully　when　he　was　going

to　do　wrong。　　In　the　very　improbable　event　of　my　being　in　the　least

danger　of　deserting　the　principles　which　have　won　me　these　tokens；

I　am　sure　the　diamond　in　that　ring　would　assume　a　clouded　aspect　to

my　faithless　eye；　and　would；　I　know；　squeeze　a　throb　of　pain　out　of

my　treacherous　heart。　　But　I　have　not　the　least　misgiving　on　that

point；　and；　in　this　confident　expectation；　I　shall　remove　my　own

old　diamond　ring　from　my　left　hand；　and　in　future　wear　the

Birmingham　ring　on　my　right；　where　its　grasp　will　keep　me　in　mind

of　the　good　friends　I　have　here；　and　in　vivid　remembrance　of　this

happy　hour。



Gentlemen；　in　conclusion；　allow　me　to　thank　you　and　the　Society　to

whom　these　rooms　belong；　that　the　presentation　has　taken　place　in

an　atmosphere　so　congenial　to　me；　and　in　an　apartment　decorated

with　so　many　beautiful　works　of　art；　among　which　I　recognize　before

me　the　productions　of　friends　of　mine；　whose　labours　and　triumphs

will　never　be　subjects　of　indifference　to　me。　　I　thank　those

gentlemen　for　giving　me　the　opportunity　of　meeting　them　here　on　an

occasion　which　has　some　connexion　with　their　own　proceedings；　and；

though　last　not　least；　I　tender　my　acknowledgments　to　that　charming

presence；　without　which　nothing　beautiful　can　be　complete；　and

which　is　endearingly　associated　with　rings　of　a　plainer

description；　and　which；　I　must　confess；　awakens　in　my　mind　at　the

present　moment　a　feeling　of　regret　that　I　am　not　in　a　condition　to

make　an　offer　of　these　testimonials。　　I　beg　you；　gentlemen；　to

commend　me　very　earnestly　and　gratefully　to　our　absent　friends；　and

to　assure　them　of　my　affectionate　and　heartfelt　respect。





The　company　then　adjourned　to　Dee's　Hotel；　where　a　banquet　took

place；　at　which　about　220　persons　were　present；　among　whom　were

some　of　the　most　distinguished　of　the　Royal　Academicians。　　To　the

toast　of　〃The　Literature　of　England；〃　Mr。　Dickens　responded　as

follows：…



Mr。　Mayor　and　Gentlemen；　I　am　happy；　on　behalf　of　many　labourers　in

that　great　field　of　literature　to　which　you　have　pledged　the　toast；

to　thank　you　for　the　tribute　you　have　paid　to　it。　　Such　an　honour；

rendered　by　acclamation　in　such　a　place　as　this；　seems　to　me；　if　I

may　follow　on　the　same　side　as　the　venerable　Archdeacon　（Sandford）

who　lately　addressed　you；　and　who　has　inspired　me　with　a

gratification　I　can　never　forget　…　such　an　honour；　gentlemen；

rendered　here；　seems　to　me　a　two…sided　illustration　of　the　position

that　literature　holds　in　these　latter　and；　of　course；　〃degenerate〃

days。　　To　the　great　compact　phalanx　of　the　people；　by　whose

industry；　perseverance；　and　intelligence；　and　their　result　in

money…wealth；　such　places　as　Birmingham；　and　many　others　like　it；

have　arisen　…　to　that　great　centre　of　support；　that　comprehensive

experience；　and　that　beating　heart；　literature　has　turned　happily

from　individual　patrons　…　sometimes　munificent；　often　sordid；

always　few　…　and　has　there　found　at　once　its　highest　purpose；　its

natural　range　of　action；　and　its　best　reward。　　Therefore　it　is

right　also；　as　it　seems　to　me；　not　only　that　literature　should

receive　honour　here；　but　that　it　should　render　honour；　too；

remembering　that　if　it　has　undoubtedly　done　good　to　Birmingham；

Birmingham　has　undoubtedly　done　good　to　it。　　From　the　shame　of　the

purchased　dedication；　from　the　scurrilous　and　dirty　work　of　Grub

Street；　from　the　dependent　seat　on　sufferance　at　my　Lord　Duke's

table　to…day；　and　from　the　sponging…house　or　Marshalsea　to…morrow　…

from　that　venality　which；　by　a　fine　moral　retribution；　has　degraded

statesmen　even　to　a　greater　extent　than　authors；　because　the

statesman　entertained　a　low　belief　in　the　universality　of

corruption；　while　the　author　yielded　only　to　the　dire　necessity　of

his　calling　…　from　all　such　evils　the　people　have　set　literature

free。　　And　my　creed　in　the　exercise　of　that　profession　is；　that

literature　cannot　be　too　faithful　to　the　people　in　return　…　cannot

too　ardently　advocate　the　cause　of　their　advancement；　happiness；

and　prosperity。　　I　have　heard　it　sometimes　said　…　and　what　is

worse；　as　expressing　something　more　cold…blooded；　I　have　sometimes

seen　it　written　…　that　literature　has　suffered　by　this　change；　that

it　has　degenerated　by　being　made　cheaper。　　I　have　not　found　that　to

be　the　case：　　nor　do　I　believe　that　you　have　made　the　discovery

either。　　But　let　a　good　book　in　these　〃bad〃　times　be　made

accessible；　…　even　upon　an　abstruse　and　difficult　subject；　so　that

it　be　one　of　legitimate　interest　to　mankind；　…　and　my　life　on　it；

it　shall　be　extensively　bought；　read；　and　well　considered。



Why　do　I　say　this？　　Because　I　believe　there　are　in　Birmingham　at

this　moment　many　working　men　infinitely　better　versed　in

Shakespeare　and　in　Milton　than　the　average　of　fine　gentlemen　in　the

days　of　bought…and…sold　dedications　and　dear　books。　　I　ask　anyone

to　consider　for　himself　who；　at　this　time；　gives　the　greatest

relative　encouragement　to　the　dissemination　of　such　useful

publications　as　〃Macaulay's　History；〃　〃Layard's　Researches；〃

〃Tennyson's　Poems；〃　〃The　Duke　of　Wellington's　published

Despatches；〃　or　the　minutest　truths　（if　any　truth　can　be　called

minute）　discovered　by　the　genius　of　a　Herschel　or　a　Faraday？　　It　is

with　all　these　things　as　with　the　great　music　of　Mendelssohn；　or　a

lecture　upon　art　…　if　we　had　the　good　fortune　to　listen　to　one　to…

morrow　…　by　my　distinguished　friend　the　President　of　the　Royal

Academy。　　However　small　the　audience；　however　contracted　the　circle

in　the　water；　in　the　first　instance；　the　people　are　nearer　the

wider　range　outside；　and　the　Sister　Arts；　while　they　instruct　them；

derive　a　wholesome　advantage　and　improvement　from　their　ready

sympathy　and　cordial　response。　　I　may　instance　the　case　of　my

friend　Mr。　Ward's　magnificent　picture；　and　the　reception　of　that

picture　here　is　an　example　that　it　is　not　now　the　province　of　art

in　painting　to　hold　itself　in　monastic　seclusion；　that　it　cannot

hope　to　rest　on　a　single　foundation　for　its　great　temple；　…　on　the

mere　classic　pose　of　a　figure；　or　the　folds　of　a　drapery　…　but　that

it　must　be　imbued　with　human　passions　and　action；　informed　with

human　right　and　wrong；　and；　being　so　informed；　it　may　fearlessly

put　itself　upon　its　trial；　like　the　criminal　of　old；　to　be　judged

by　God　and　its　country。



Gentlemen；　to　return　and　conclude；　as　I　shall　have　occasion　to

trouble　you　again。　　For　this　time　I　have　only　once　again　to　repeat

what　I　have　already　said。　　As　I　begun　with　literature；　I　shall　end

with　it。　　I　would　simply　say　that　I　believe　no　true　man；　with

anything　to　tell；　need　have　the　least　misgiving；　either　for　himself

or　his　message；　before　a　large　number　of　hearers　…　always　supposing

that　he　be　not　afflicted　with　the　coxcombical　idea　of　writing　down

to　the　popular　intelligence；　instead　of　writing　the　popular

intelligence　up　to　himself；　if；　perchance；　he　be　above　it；　…　and；

provided　always　that　he　deliver　himself　plainly　of　what　is　in　him；

which　seems　to　be　no　unreasonable　stipulation；　it　being　supposed

that　he　has　some　dim　design　of　making　himself　understood。　　On

behalf　of　that　literature　to　which　you　have　done　so　much　honour；　I

beg　to　thank　you　most　cordially；　and　on　my　own　behalf；　for　the　most

flattering　reception　you　have　given　to　one　whose　claim　is；　that　he

has　the　distinction　of　making　it　his　profession。





＇Later　in　the　evening；　Mr。　Dickens　gave　as　a　toast；　〃The

Educational　Institutions　of　Birmingham；〃　in　the　following　speech：＇





I　am　requested　to　pr