speeches-literary & social-第13章

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





I　am　requested　to　propose　…　or；　according　to　the　hypothesis　of　my

friend；　Mr。　Owen；　I　am　in　the　temporary　character　of　a　walking

advertisement　to　advertise　to　you　…　the　Educational　Institutions　of

Birmingham；　an　advertisement　to　which　I　have　the　greatest　pleasure

in　calling　your　attention；　Gentlemen；　it　is　right　that　I　should；　in

so　many　words；　mention　the　more　prominent　of　these　institutions；

not　because　your　local　memories　require　any　prompting；　but　because

the　enumeration　implies　what　has　been　done　here；　what　you　are

doing；　and　what　you　will　yet　do。　　I　believe　the　first　is　the　King

Edward's　Grammar　School；　with　its　various　branches；　and　prominent

among　them　is　that　most　admirable　means　of　training　the　wives　of

working　men　to　be　good　wives　and　working　wives；　the　prime　ornament

of　their　homes；　and　the　cause　of　happiness　to　others　…　I　mean　those

excellent　girls'　schools　in　various　parts　of　the　town；　which；　under

the　excellent　superintendence　of　the　principal；　I　should　most

sincerely　desire　to　see　in　every　town　in　England。　　Next；　I　believe；

is　the　Spring　Hill　College；　a　learned　institution　belonging　to　the

body　of　Independents；　foremost　among　whose　professors　literature　is

proud　to　hail　Mr。　Henry　Rogers　as　one　of　the　soundest　and　ablest

contributors　to　the　Edinburgh　Review。　　The　next　is　the　Queen's

College；　which；　I　may　say；　is　only　a　newly…born　child；　but；　in　the

hands　of　such　an　admirable　Doctor；　we　may　hope　to　see　it　arrive　at

a　vigorous　maturity。　　The　next　is　the　School　of　Design；　which；　as

has　been　well　observed　by　my　friend　Sir　Charles　Eastlake；　is

invaluable　in　such　a　place　as　this；　and；　lastly；　there　is　the

Polytechnic　Institution；　with　regard　to　which　I　had　long　ago

occasion　to　express　my　profound　conviction　that　it　was　of

unspeakable　importance　to　such　a　community　as　this；　when　I　had　the

honour　to　be　present；　under　the　auspices　of　your　excellent

representative；　Mr。　Scholefield。　　This　is　the　last　of　what　has　been

done　in　an　educational　way。　　They　are　all　admirable　in　their　kind；

but　I　am　glad　to　find　that　more　is　yet　doing。　　A　few　days　ago　I

received　a　Birmingham　newspaper；　containing　a　most　interesting

account　of　a　preliminary　meeting　for　the　formation　of　a　Reformatory

School　for　juvenile　delinquents。　　You　are　not　exempt　here　from　the

honour　of　saving　these　poor；　neglected；　and　wretched　outcasts。　　I

read　of　one　infant；　six　years　old；　who　has　been　twice　as　many　times

in　the　hands　of　the　police　as　years　have　passed　over　his　devoted

head。　　These　are　the　eggs　from　which　gaol…birds　are　hatched；　if　you

wish　to　check　that　dreadful　brood；　you　must　take　the　young　and

innocent；　and　have　them　reared　by　Christian　hands。



Lastly；　I　am　rejoiced　to　find　that　there　is　on　foot　a　scheme　for　a

new　Literary　and　Scientific　Institution；　which　would　be　worthy　even

of　this　place；　if　there　was　nothing　of　the　kind　in　it　…　an

institution；　as　I　understand　it；　where　the　words　〃exclusion〃　and

〃exclusiveness〃　shall　be　quite　unknown　…　where　all　classes　may

assemble　in　common　trust；　respect；　and　confidence　…　where　there

shall　be　a　great　gallery　of　painting　and　statuary　open　to　the

inspection　and　admiration　of　all　comers　…　where　there　shall　be　a

museum　of　models　in　which　industry　may　observe　its　various　sources

of　manufacture；　and　the　mechanic　may　work　out　new　combinations；　and

arrive　at　new　results　…　where　the　very　mines　under　the　earth　and

under　the　sea　shall　not　be　forgotten；　but　presented　in　little　to

the　inquiring　eye　…　an　institution；　in　short；　where　many　and　many

of　the　obstacles　which　now　inevitably　stand　in　the　rugged　way　of

the　poor　inventor　shall　be　smoothed　away；　and　where；　if　he　have

anything　in　him；　he　will　find　encouragement　and　hope。



I　observe　with　unusual　interest　and　gratification；　that　a　body　of

gentlemen　are　going　for　a　time　to　lay　aside　their　individual

prepossessions　on　other　subjects；　and；　as　good　citizens；　are　to　be

engaged　in　a　design　as　patriotic　as　well　can　be。　　They　have　the

intention　of　meeting　in　a　few　days　to　advance　this　great　object；

and　I　call　upon　you；　in　drinking　this　toast；　to　drink　success　to

their　endeavour；　and　to　make　it　the　pledge　by　all　good　means　to

promote　it。



If　I　strictly　followed　out　the　list　of　educational　institutions　in

Birmingham；　I　should　not　have　done　here；　but　I　intend　to　stop；

merely　observing　that　I　have　seen　within　a　short　walk　of　this　place

one　of　the　most　interesting　and　practical　Institutions　for　the　Deaf

and　Dumb　that　has　ever　come　under　my　observation。　　I　have　seen　in

the　factories　and　workshops　of　Birmingham　such　beautiful　order　and

regularity；　and　such　great　consideration　for　the　workpeople

provided；　that　they　might　justly　be　entitled　to　be　considered

educational　too。　　I　have　seen　in　your　splendid　Town　Hall；　when　the

cheap　concerts　are　going　on　there；　also　an　admirable　educational

institution。　　I　have　seen　their　results　in　the　demeanour　of　your

working　people；　excellently　balanced　by　a　nice　instinct；　as　free

from　servility　on　the　one　hand；　as　from　self…conceit　on　the　other。

It　is　a　perfect　delight　to　have　need　to　ask　a　question；　if　only

from　the　manner　of　the　reply　…　a　manner　I　never　knew　to　pass

unnoticed　by　an　observant　stranger。　　Gather　up　those　threads；　and　a

great　marry　more　I　have　not　touched　upon；　and　weaving　all　into　one

good　fabric；　remember　how　much　is　included　under　the　general　head

of　the　Educational　Institutions　of　your　town。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　APRIL　30；　1853。







＇At　the　annual　Dinner　of　the　Royal　Academy；　the　President；　Sir

Charles　Eastlake；　proposed　as　a　toast；　〃The　Interests　of

Literature；〃　and　selected　for　the　representatives　of　the　world　of

letters；　the　Dean　of　St。　Paul's　and　Mr。　Charles　Dickens。　　Dean

Milman　having　returned　thanks。＇



MR　DICKENS　then　addressed　the　President；　who；　it　should　be

mentioned；　occupied　a　large　and　handsome　chair；　the　back　covered

with　crimson　velvet；　placed　just　before　Stanfield's　picture　of　THE

VICTORY。



Mr。　Dickens；　after　tendering　his　acknowledgments　of　the　toast；　and

the　honour　done　him　in　associating　his　name　with　it；　said　that

those　acknowledgments　were　not　the　less　heartfelt　because　he　was

unable　to　recognize　in　this　toast　the　President's　usual

disinterestedness；　since　English　literature　could　scarcely　be

remembered　in　any　place；　and；　certainly；　not　in　a　school　of　art；

without　a　very　distinct　remembrance　of　his　own　tasteful　writings；

to　say　nothing　of　that　other　and　better　part　of　himself；　which；

unfortunately；　was　not　visible　upon　these　occasions。



If；　like　the　noble　Lord；　the　Commander…in…Chief　（Viscount

Hardinge）；　he　（Mr。　Dickens）　might　venture　to　illustrate　his　brief

thanks　with　one　word　of　reference　to　the　noble　picture　painted　by　a

very　dear　friend　of　his；　which　was　a　little　eclipsed　that　evening

by　the　radiant　and　rubicund　chair　which　the　President　now　so

happily　toned　down；　he　would　beg　leave　to　say　that；　as　literature

could　nowhere　be　more　appropriately　honoured　than　in　that　place；　so

he　thought　she　could　nowhere　feel　a　higher　gratification　in　the

ties　that　bound　her　to　the　sister　arts。　　He　ever　felt　in　that　place

that　literature　found；　through　their　instrumentality；　always　a　new

expression；　and　in　a　universal　language。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　1；　1853







＇At　a　dinner　given　by　the　Lord　Mayor　at　the　Mansion　House；　on　the

above　date；　Mr。　Justice　Talfourd　proposed　as　a　toast　〃Anglo…Saxon

Literature；〃　and　alluded　to　Mr。　Dickens　as　having　employed　fiction

as　a　means　of　awakening　attention　to　the　condition　of　the　oppressed

and　suffering　classes：…＇



〃MR。　DICKENS　replied　to　this　toast　in　a　graceful　and　playful

strain。　　In　the　former　part　of　the　evening；　in　reply　to　a　toast　on

the　chancery　department；　Vice…Chancellor　Wood；　who　spoke　in　the

absence　of　the　Lord　Chancellor；　made　a　sort　of　defence　of　the　Court

of　Chancery；　not　distinctly　alluding