speeches-literary & social-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



them　by　the　bushel；　for　the　picking　up。　　Now；　whether　the　comet　has

this　year　had　a　quickening　influence　on　this　crop；　as　it　is　by　some

supposed　to　have　had　upon　the　corn…harvest　and　the　vintage；　I　do

not　know；　but　I　do　know　that　I　have　never　observed　the　columns　of

the　newspapers　to　groan　so　heavily　under　a　pressure　of　orations；

each　vying　with　the　other　in　the　two　qualities　of　having　little　or

nothing　to　do　with　the　matter　in　hand；　and　of　being　always

addressed　to　any　audience　in　the　wide　world　rather　than　the

audience　to　which　it　was　delivered。



The　autumn　having　gone；　and　the　winter　come；　I　am　so　sanguine　as　to

hope　that　we　in　our　proceedings　may　break　through　this　enchanted

circle　and　deviate　from　this　precedent；　the　rather　as　we　have

something　real　to　do；　and　are　come　together；　I　am　sure；　in　all

plain　fellowship　and　straightforwardness；　to　do　it。　　We　have　no

little　straws　of　our　own　to　throw　up　to　show　us　which　way　any　wind

blows；　and　we　have　no　oblique　biddings　of　our　own　to　make　for

anything　outside　this　hall。



At　the　top　of　the　public　announcement　of　this　meeting　are　the

words；　〃Institutional　Association　of　Lancashire　and　Cheshire。〃

Will　you　allow　me；　in　reference　to　the　meaning　of　those　words；　to

present　myself　before　you　as　the　embodied　spirit　of　ignorance

recently　enlightened；　and　to　put　myself　through　a　short；　voluntary

examination　as　to　the　results　of　my　studies。　　To　begin　with：　　the

title　did　not　suggest　to　me　anything　in　the　least　like　the　truth。

I　have　been　for　some　years　pretty　familiar　with　the　terms；

〃Mechanics'　Institutions；〃　and　〃Literary　Societies；〃　but　they　have；

unfortunately；　become　too　often　associated　in　my　mind　with　a　body

of　great　pretensions；　lame　as　to　some　important　member　or　other；

which　generally　inhabits　a　new　house　much　too　large　for　it；　which

is　seldom　paid　for；　and　which　takes　the　name　of　the　mechanics　most

grievously　in　vain；　for　I　have　usually　seen　a　mechanic　and　a　dodo

in　that　place　together。



I；　therefore；　began　my　education；　in　respect　of　the　meaning　of　this

title；　very　coldly　indeed；　saying　to　myself；　〃Here's　the　old

story。〃　　But　the　perusal　of　a　very　few　lines　of　my　book　soon　gave

me　to　understand　that　it　was　not　by　any　means　the　old　story；　in

short；　that　this　association　is　expressly　designed　to　correct　the

old　story；　and　to　prevent　its　defects　from　becoming　perpetuated。　　I

learnt　that　this　Institutional　Association　is　the　union；　in　one

central　head；　of　one　hundred　and　fourteen　local　Mechanics'

Institutions　and　Mutual　Improvement　Societies；　at　an　expense　of　no

more　than　five　shillings　to　each　society；　suggesting　to　all　how

they　can　best　communicate　with　and　profit　by　the　fountain…head　and

one　another；　keeping　their　best　aims　steadily　before　them；　advising

them　how　those　aims　can　be　best　attained；　giving　a　direct　end　and

object　to　what　might　otherwise　easily　become　waste　forces；　and

sending　among　them　not　only　oral　teachers；　but；　better　still；　boxes

of　excellent　books；　called　〃Free　Itinerating　Libraries。〃　　I　learned

that　these　books　are　constantly　making　the　circuit　of　hundreds　upon

hundreds　of　miles；　and　are　constantly　being　read　with　inexpressible

relish　by　thousands　upon　thousands　of　toiling　people；　but　that　they

are　never　damaged　or　defaced　by　one　rude　hand。　　These　and　other

like　facts　lead　me　to　consider　the　immense　importance　of　the　fact；

that　no　little　cluster　of　working　men's　cottages　can　arise　in　any

Lancashire　or　Cheshire　valley；　at　the　foot　of　any　running　stream

which　enterprise　hunts　out　for　water…power；　but　it　has　its

educational　friend　and　companion　ready　for　it；　willing　for　it；

acquainted　with　its　thoughts　and　ways　and　turns　of　speech　even

before　it　has　come　into　existence。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　this　is　the　main　consideration　that　has

brought　me　here。　　No　central　association　at　a　distance　could

possibly　do　for　those　working　men　what　this　local　association　does。

No　central　association　at　a　distance　could　possibly　understand　them

as　this　local　association　does。　　No　central　association　at　a

distance　could　possibly　put　them　in　that　familiar　and　easy

communication　one　with　another；　as　that　I；　man　or　boy；　eager　for

knowledge；　in　that　valley　seven　miles　off；　should　know　of　you；　man

or　boy；　eager　for　knowledge；　in　that　valley　twelve　miles　off；　and

should　occasionally　trudge　to　meet　you；　that　you　may　impart　your

learning　in　one　branch　of　acquisition　to　me；　whilst　I　impart　mine

in　another　to　you。　　Yet　this　is　distinctly　a　feature；　and　a　most

important　feature；　of　this　society。



On　the　other　hand；　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　these　honest　men；

however　zealous；　could；　as　a　rule；　succeed　in　establishing　and

maintaining　their　own　institutions　of　themselves。　　It　is　obvious

that　combination　must　materially　diminish　their　cost；　which　is　in

time　a　vital　consideration；　and　it　is　equally　obvious　that

experience；　essential　to　the　success　of　all　combination；　is

especially　so　when　its　object　is　to　diffuse　the　results　of

experience　and　of　reflection。



Well；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　student　of　the　present　profitable

history　of　this　society　does　not　stop　here　in　his　learning；　when　he

has　got　so　far；　he　finds　with　interest　and　pleasure　that　the　parent

society　at　certain　stated　periods　invites　the　more　eager　and

enterprising　members　of　the　local　society　to　submit　themselves　to

voluntary　examination　in　various　branches　of　useful　knowledge；　of

which　examination　it　takes　the　charge　and　arranges　the　details；　and

invites　the　successful　candidates　to　come　to　Manchester　to　receive

the　prizes　and　certificates　of　merit　which　it　impartially　awards。

The　most　successful　of　the　competitors　in　the　list　of　these

examinations　are　now　among　us；　and　these　little　marks　of

recognition　and　encouragement　I　shall　have　the　honour　presently　of

giving　them；　as　they　come　before　you；　one　by　one；　for　that　purpose。



I　have　looked　over　a　few　of　those　examination　papers；　which　have

comprised　history；　geography；　grammar；　arithmetic；　book…keeping；

decimal　coinage；　mensuration；　mathematics；　social　economy；　the

French　language　…　in　fact；　they　comprise　all　the　keys　that　open　all

the　locks　of　knowledge。　　I　felt　most　devoutly　gratified；　as　to　many

of　them；　that　they　had　not　been　submitted　to　me　to　answer；　for　I　am

perfectly　sure　that　if　they　had　been；　I　should　have　had　mighty

little　to　bestow　upon　myself　to…night。　　And　yet　it　is　always　to　be

observed　and　seriously　remembered　that　these　examinations　are

undergone　by　people　whose　lives　have　been　passed　in　a　continual

fight　for　bread；　and　whose　whole　existence；　has　been　a　constant

wrestle　with





〃Those　twin　gaolers　of　the　daring　heart　…

Low　birth　and　iron　fortune。〃





I　could　not　but　consider；　with　extraordinary　admiration；　that　these

questions　have　been　replied　to；　not　by　men　like　myself；　the

business　of　whose　life　is　with　writing　and　with　books；　but　by　men；

the　business　of　whose　life　is　with　tools　and　with　machinery。



Let　me　endeavour　to　recall；　as　well　as　my　memory　will　serve　me；

from　among　the　most　interesting　cases　of　prize…holders　and

certificate…gainers　who　will　appear　before　you；　some　two　or　three

of　the　most　conspicuous　examples。　　There　are　two　poor　brothers　from

near　Chorley；　who　work　from　morning　to　night　in　a　coal…pit；　and

who；　in　all　weathers；　have　walked　eight　miles　a…night；　three　nights

a…week；　to　attend　the　classes　in　which　they　have　gained

distinction。　　There　are　two　poor　boys　from　Bollington；　who　begin

life　as　piecers　at　one　shilling　or　eighteen…pence　a…week；　and　the

father　of　one　of　whom　was　cut　to　pieces　by　the　machinery　at　which

he　worked；　but　not　before　he　had　himself　founded　the　institution　in

which　this　son　has　since　come　to　be　taught。　　These　two　poor　boys

will　appear　before　you　to…night；　to　take　the　second…class　prize　in

chemistry。　　There　is　a　plasterer　from　Bury；　sixteen　years　of　age；

who　took　a　third…class　certificate　last　year　at　the　hands　of　Lord

Bro