speeches-literary & social-第21章

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bachelor　self；　and　finds　that　they　were　but　dream…children　who

might　have　been；　but　never　were。　　〃We　are　nothing；〃　they　say　to

him；　〃less　than　nothing；　and　dreams。　　We　are　only　what　might　have

been；　and　we　must　wait　upon　the　tedious　shore　of　Lethe；　millions　of

ages；　before　we　have　existence　and　a　name。〃　　〃And　immediately

awaking；〃　he　says；　〃I　found　myself　in　my　arm　chair。〃　　The　dream…

children　whom　I　would　now　raise；　if　I　could；　before　every　one　of

you；　according　to　your　various　circumstances；　should　be　the　dear

child　you　love；　the　dearer　child　you　have　lost；　the　child　you　might

have　had；　the　child　you　certainly　have　been。　　Each　of　these　dream…

children　should　hold　in　its　powerful　hand　one　of　the　little

children　now　lying　in　the　Child's　Hospital；　or　now　shut　out　of　it

to　perish。　　Each　of　these　dream…children　should　say　to　you；　〃O；

help　this　little　suppliant　in　my　name；　O；　help　it　for　my　sake！〃

Well！　…　And　immediately　awaking；　you　should　find　yourselves　in　the

Freemasons'　Hall；　happily　arrived　at　the　end　of　a　rather　long

speech；　drinking　〃Prosperity　to　the　Hospital　for　Sick　Children；〃

and　thoroughly　resolved　that　it　shall　flourish。







SPEECH：　　EDINBURGH；　MARCH；　26；　1858。







＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　gave　a　reading　of　his　Christmas

Carol　in　the　Music　Hall；　before　the　members　and　subscribers　of　the

Philosophical　Institution。　　At　the　conclusion　of　the　reading　the

Lord　Provost　of　Edinburgh　presented　him　with　a　massive　silver

wassail　cup。　　Mr。　Dickens　acknowledged　the　tribute　as　follows：＇



MY　LORD　PROVOST；　ladies；　and　gentlemen；　I　beg　to　assure　you　I　am

deeply　sensible　of　your　kind　welcome；　and　of　this　beautiful　and

great　surprise；　and　that　I　thank　you　cordially　with　all　my　heart。

I　never　have　forgotten；　and　I　never　can　forget；　that　I　have　the

honour　to　be　a　burgess　and　guild…brother　of　the　Corporation　of

Edinburgh。　　As　long　as　sixteen　or　seventeen　years　ago；　the　first

great　public　recognition　and　encouragement　I　ever　received　was

bestowed　on　me　in　this　generous　and　magnificent　city　…　in　this　city

so　distinguished　in　literature　and　so　distinguished　in　the　arts。

You　will　readily　believe　that　I　have　carried　into　the　various

countries　I　have　since　traversed；　and　through　all　my　subsequent

career；　the　proud　and　affectionate　remembrance　of　that　eventful

epoch　in　my　life；　and　that　coming　back　to　Edinburgh　is　to　me　like

coming　home。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　have　heard　so　much　of　my　voice　to…night；

that　I　will　not　inflict　on　you　the　additional　task　of　hearing　any

more。　　I　am　better　reconciled　to　limiting　myself　to　these　very　few

words；　because　I　know　and　feel　full　well　that　no　amount　of　speech

to　which　I　could　give　utterance　could　possibly　express　my　sense　of

the　honour　and　distinction　you　have　conferred　on　me；　or　the

heartfelt　gratification　I　derive　from　this　reception。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MARCH　29；　1858。







＇At　the　thirteenth　anniversary　festival　of　the　General　Theatrical

Fund；　held　at　the　Freemasons'　Tavern；　at　which　Thackeray　presided；

Mr。　Dickens　made　the　following　speech：＇



IN　our　theatrical　experience　as　playgoers　we　are　all　equally

accustomed　to　predict　by　certain　little　signs　and　portents　on　the

stage　what　is　going　to　happen　there。　　When　the　young　lady；　an

admiral's　daughter；　is　left　alone　to　indulge　in　a　short　soliloquy；

and　certain　smart　spirit…rappings　are　heard　to　proceed　immediately

from　beneath　her　feet；　we　foretell　that　a　song　is　impending。　　When

two　gentlemen　enter；　for　whom；　by　a　happy　coincidence；　two　chairs；

and　no　more；　are　in　waiting；　we　augur　a　conversation；　and　that　it

will　assume　a　retrospective　biographical　character。　　When　any　of

the　performers　who　belong　to　the　sea…faring　or　marauding

professions　are　observed　to　arm　themselves　with　very　small　swords

to　which　are　attached　very　large　hilts；　we　predict　that　the　affair

will　end　in　a　combat。　　Carrying　out　the　association　of　ideas；　it

may　have　occurred　to　some　that　when　I　asked　my　old　friend　in　the

chair　to　allow　me　to　propose　a　toast　I　had　him　in　my　eye；　and　I

have　him　now　on　my　lips。



The　duties　of　a　trustee　of　the　Theatrical　Fund；　an　office　which　I

hold；　are　not　so　frequent　or　so　great　as　its　privileges。　　He　is　in

fact　a　mere　walking　gentleman；　with　the　melancholy　difference　that

he　has　no　one　to　love。　　If　this　advantage　could　be　added　to　his

character　it　would　be　one　of　a　more　agreeable　nature　than　it　is；

and　his　forlorn　position　would　be　greatly　improved。　　His　duty　is　to

call　every　half　year　at　the　bankers'；　when　he　signs　his　name　in　a

large　greasy　inconvenient　book；　to　certain　documents　of　which　he

knows　nothing；　and　then　he　delivers　it　to　the　property　man　and

exits　anywhere。



He；　however；　has　many　privileges。　　It　is　one　of　his　privileges　to

watch　the　steady　growth　of　an　institution　in　which　he　takes　great

interest；　it　is　one　of　his　privileges　to　bear　his　testimony　to　the

prudence；　the　goodness；　the　self…denial；　and　the　excellence　of　a

class　of　persons　who　have　been　too　long　depreciated；　and　whose

virtues　are　too　much　denied；　out　of　the　depths　of　an　ignorant　and

stupid　superstition。　　And　lastly；　it　is　one　of　his　privileges

sometimes　to　be　called　on　to　propose　the　health　of　the　chairman　at

the　annual　dinners　of　the　institution；　when　that　chairman　is　one

for　whose　genius　he　entertains　the　warmest　admiration；　and　whom　he

respects　as　a　friend；　and　as　one　who　does　honour　to　literature；　and

in　whom　literature　is　honoured。　　I　say　when　that　is　the　case；　he

feels　that　this　last　privilege　is　a　great　and　high　one。　　From　the

earliest　days　of　this　institution　I　have　ventured　to　impress　on　its

managers；　that　they　would　consult　its　credit　and　success　by

choosing　its　chairmen　as　often　as　possible　within　the　circle　of

literature　and　the　arts；　and　I　will　venture　to　say　that　no　similar

institution　has　been　presided　over　by　so　many　remarkable　and

distinguished　men。　　I　am　sure；　however；　that　it　never　has　had；　and

that　it　never　will　have；　simply　because　it　cannot　have；　a　greater

lustre　cast　upon　it　than　by　the　presence　of　the　noble　English

writer　who　fills　the　chair　to…night。



It　is　not　for　me　at　this　time；　and　in　this　place；　to　take　on　myself

to　flutter　before　you　the　well…thumbed　pages　of　Mr。　Thackeray's

books；　and　to　tell　you　to　observe　how　full　they　are　of　wit　and

wisdom；　how　out…speaking；　and　how　devoid　of　fear　or　favour；　but　I

will　take　leave　to　remark；　in　paying　my　due　homage　and　respect　to

them；　that　it　is　fitting　that　such　a　writer　and　such　an　institution

should　be　brought　together。　　Every　writer　of　fiction；　although　he

may　not　adopt　the　dramatic　form；　writes　in　effect　for　the　stage。

He　may　never　write　plays；　but　the　truth　and　passion　which　are　in

him　must　be　more　or　less　reflected　in　the　great　mirror　which　he

holds　up　to　nature。　　Actors；　managers；　and　authors　are　all

represented　in　this　company；　and　it　maybe　supposed　that　they　all

have　studied　the　deep　wants　of　the　human　heart　in　many　theatres；

but　none　of　them　could　have　studied　its　mysterious　workings　in　any

theatre　to　greater　advantage　than　in　the　bright　and　airy　pages　of

VANITY　FAIR。　　To　this　skilful　showman；　who　has　so　often　delighted

us；　and　who　has　charmed　us　again　to…night；　we　have　now　to　wish　God

speed；　and　that　he　may　continue　for　many　years　to　exercise　his

potent　art。　　To　him　fill　a　bumper　toast；　and　fervently　utter；　God

bless　him！







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　APRIL　29；　1858。







＇The　reader　will　already　have　observed　that　in　the　Christmas　week

of　1853；　and　on　several　subsequent　occasions；　Mr。　Dickens　had　read

the　CHRISTMAS　CAROL　and　the　CHIMES　before　public　audiences；　but

always　in　aid　of　the　funds　of　some　institution；　or　for　other

benevolent　purposes。　　The　first　reading　he　ever　gave　for　his　own

benefit　took　place　on　the　above　date；　in　St。　Martin's　Hall；　（now

converted　into　the　Queen's　Theatre）。　　This　reading　Mr。　Dickens

prefaced　with　the　following　speech：…＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEME