speeches-literary & social-第2章

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

confided　to　me　to　mention　a　name　which　cannot　be　pronounced　without

sorrow；　a　name　in　which　Scotland　had　a　great　triumph；　and　which

England　delighted　to　honour。　　One　of　the　gifted　of　the　earth　has

passed　away；　as　it　were；　yesterday；　one　who　was　devoted　to　his　art；

and　his　art　was　nature　…　I　mean　David　Wilkie。　　He　was　one　who　made

the　cottage　hearth　a　graceful　thing　…　of　whom　it　might　truly　be

said　that　he　found　〃books　in　the　running　brooks；〃　and　who　has　left

in　all　he　did　some　breathing　of　the　air　which　stirs　the　heather。

But　however　desirous　to　enlarge　on　his　genius　as　an　artist；　I　would

rather　speak　of　him　now　as　a　friend　who　has　gone　from　amongst　us。

There　is　his　deserted　studio　…　the　empty　easel　lying　idly　by　…　the

unfinished　picture　with　its　face　turned　to　the　wall；　and　there　is

that　bereaved　sister；　who　loved　him　with　an　affection　which　death

cannot　quench。　　He　has　left　a　name　in　fame　clear　as　the　bright　sky；

he　has　filled　our　minds　with　memories　pure　as　the　blue　waves　which

roll　over　him。　　Let　us　hope　that　she　who　more　than　all　others

mourns　his　loss；　may　learn　to　reflect　that　he　died　in　the　fulness

of　his　time；　before　age　or　sickness　had　dimmed　his　powers　…　and

that　she　may　yet　associate　with　feelings　as　calm　and　pleasant　as　we

do　now　the　memory　of　Wilkie。







SPEECH：　　JANUARY；　1842。







＇In　presenting　Captain　Hewett；　of　the　BRITANNIA；　with　a　service　of

plate　on　behalf　of　the　passengers；　Mr。　Dickens　addressed　him　as

follows：＇



CAPTAIN　HEWETT；　…　I　am　very　proud　and　happy　to　have　been　selected

as　the　instrument　of　conveying　to　you　the　heartfelt　thanks　of　my

fellow…passengers　on　board　the　ship　entrusted　to　your　charge；　and

of　entreating　your　acceptance　of　this　trifling　present。　　The

ingenious　artists　who　work　in　silver　do　not　always；　I　find；　keep

their　promises；　even　in　Boston。　　I　regret　that；　instead　of　two

goblets；　which　there　should　be　here；　there　is；　at　present；　only

one。　　The　deficiency；　however；　will　soon　be　supplied；　and；　when　it

is；　our　little　testimonial　will　be；　so　far；　complete。



You　are　a　sailor；　Captain　Hewett；　in　the　truest　sense　of　the　word；

and　the　devoted　admiration　of　the　ladies；　God　bless　them；　is　a

sailor's　first　boast。　　I　need　not　enlarge　upon　the　honour　they　have

done　you；　I　am　sure；　by　their　presence　here。　　Judging　of　you　by

myself；　I　am　certain　that　the　recollection　of　their　beautiful　faces

will　cheer　your　lonely　vigils　upon　the　ocean　for　a　long　time　to

come。



In　all　time　to　come；　and　in　all　your　voyages　upon　the　sea；　I　hope

you　will　have　a　thought　for　those　who　wish　to　live　in　your　memory

by　the　help　of　these　trifles。　　As　they　will　often　connect　you　with

the　pleasure　of　those　homes　and　fire　sides　from　which　they　once

wandered；　and　which；　but　for　you；　they　might　never　have　regained；

so　they　trust　that　you　will　sometimes　associate　them　with　your

hours　of　festive　enjoyment；　and；　that；　when　you　drink　from　these

cups；　you　will　feel　that　the　draught　is　commended　to　your　lips　by

friends　whose　best　wishes　you　have；　and　who　earnestly　and　truly

hope　for　your　success；　happiness；　and　prosperity；　in　all　the

undertakings　of　your　life。







SPEECH：　　FEBRUARY　1842。







＇At　dinner　given　to　Mr。　Dickens　by　the　young　men　of　Boston。　　The

company　consisted　of　about　two　hundred；　among　whom　were　George

Bancroft；　Washington　Allston；　and　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes。　　The　toast

of　〃Health；　happiness；　and　a　hearty　welcome　to　Charles　Dickens；〃

having　been　proposed　by　the　chairman；　Mr。　Quincy；　and　received　with

great　applause；　Mr。　Dickens　responded　with　the　following　address：＇



GENTLEMEN；　…　If　you　had　given　this　splendid　entertainment　to　anyone

else　in　the　whole　wide　world　…　if　I　were　to…night　to　exult　in　the

triumph　of　my　dearest　friend　…　if　I　stood　here　upon　my　defence；　to

repel　any　unjust　attack　…　to　appeal　as　a　stranger　to　your

generosity　and　kindness　as　the　freest　people　on　the　earth　…　I

could；　putting　some　restraint　upon　myself；　stand　among　you　as　self…

possessed　and　unmoved　as　I　should　be　alone　in　my　own　room　in

England。　　But　when　I　have　the　echoes　of　your　cordial　greeting

ringing　in　my　ears；　when　I　see　your　kind　faces　beaming　a　welcome　so

warm　and　earnest　as　never　man　had　…　I　feel；　it　is　my　nature；　so

vanquished　and　subdued；　that　I　have　hardly　fortitude　enough　to

thank　you。　　If　your　President；　instead　of　pouring　forth　that

delightful　mixture　of　humour　and　pathos　which　you　have　just　heard；

had　been　but　a　caustic；　ill…natured　man　…　if　he　had　only　been　a

dull　one　…　if　I　could　only　have　doubted　or　distrusted　him　or　you；　I

should　have　had　my　wits　at　my　fingers'　ends；　and；　using　them；　could

have　held　you　at　arm's…length。　　But　you　have　given　me　no　such

opportunity；　you　take　advantage　of　me　in　the　tenderest　point；　you

give　me　no　chance　of　playing　at　company；　or　holding　you　at　a

distance；　but　flock　about　me　like　a　host　of　brothers；　and　make　this

place　like　home。　　Indeed；　gentlemen；　indeed；　if　it　be　natural　and

allowable　for　each　of　us；　on　his　own　hearth；　to　express　his

thoughts　in　the　most　homely　fashion；　and　to　appear　in　his　plainest

garb；　I　have　a　fair　claim　upon　you　to　let　me　do　so　to…night；　for

you　have　made　my　home　an　Aladdin's　Palace。　　You　fold　so　tenderly

within　your　breasts　that　common　household　lamp　in　which　my　feeble

fire　is　all　enshrined；　and　at　which　my　flickering　torch　is　lighted

up；　that　straight　my　household　gods　take　wing；　and　are　transported

there。　　And　whereas　it　is　written　of　that　fairy　structure　that　it

never　moved　without　two　shocks　…　one　when　it　rose；　and　one　when　it

settled　down　…　I　can　say　of　mine　that；　however　sharp　a　tug　it　took

to　pluck　it　from　its　native　ground；　it　struck　at　once　an　easy；　and

a　deep　and　lasting　root　into　this　soil；　and　loved　it　as　its　own。　　I

can　say　more　of　it；　and　say　with　truth；　that　long　before　it　moved；

or　had　a　chance　of　moving；　its　master　…　perhaps　from　some　secret

sympathy　between　its　timbers；　and　a　certain　stately　tree　that　has

its　being　hereabout；　and　spreads　its　broad　branches　far　and　wide　…

dreamed　by　day　and　night；　for　years；　of　setting　foot　upon　this

shore；　and　breathing　this　pure　air。　　And；　trust　me；　gentlemen；

that；　if　I　had　wandered　here；　unknowing　and　unknown；　I　would　…　if　I

know　my　own　heart　…　have　come　with　all　my　sympathies　clustering　as

richly　about　this　land　and　people　…　with　all　my　sense　of　justice　as

keenly　alive　to　their　high　claims　on　every　man　who　loves　God's

image　…　with　all　my　energies　as　fully　bent　on　judging　for　myself；

and　speaking　out；　and　telling　in　my　sphere　the　truth；　as　I　do　now；

when　you　rain　down　your　welcomes　on　my　head。



Our　President　has　alluded　to　those　writings　which　have　been　my

occupation　for　some　years　past；　and　you　have　received　his　allusions

in　a　manner　which　assures　me　…　if　I　needed　any　such　assurance　…

that　we　are　old　friends　in　the　spirit；　and　have　been　in　close

communion　for　a　long　time。



It　is　not　easy　for　a　man　to　speak　of　his　own　books。　　I　daresay　that

few　persons　have　been　more　interested　in　mine　than　I；　and　if　it　be

a　general　principle　in　nature　that　a　lover's　love　is　blind；　and

that　a　mother's　love　is　blind；　I　believe　it　may　be　said　of　an

author's　attachment　to　the　creatures　of　his　own　imagination；　that

it　is　a　perfect　model　of　constancy　and　devotion；　and　is　the

blindest　of　all。　　But　the　objects　and　purposes　I　have　had　in　view

are　very　plain　and　simple；　and　may　be　easily　told。　　I　have　always

had；　and　always　shall　have；　an　earnest　and　true　desire　to

contribute；　as　far　as　in　me　lies；　to　the　common　stock　of　healthful

cheerfulness　and　enjoyment。　　I　have　always　had；　and　always　shall

have；　an　invincible　repugnance　to　that　mole…eyed　philosophy　which

loves　the　darkness；　and　winks　and　scowls　in　the　light。　　I　believe

that　Virtue　shows　quite　as　well　in　rags　and　patches；　as　she　does　in

purple　and　fine　linen。　　I　believe　that　she　and　every　beautiful

object　in　exte