speeches-literary & social-第24章

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

Brougham；　he　is　this　year　again　successful　in　a　competition　three

times　as　severe。　　There　is　a　wagon…maker　from　the　same　place；　who

knew　little　or　absolutely　nothing　until　he　was　a　grown　man；　and　who

has　learned　all　he　knows；　which　is　a　great　deal；　in　the　local

institution。　　There　is　a　chain…maker；　in　very　humble　circumstances；

and　working　hard　all　day；　who　walks　six　miles　a…night；　three　nights

a…week；　to　attend　the　classes　in　which　he　has　won　so　famous　a

place。　　There　is　a　moulder　in　an　iron　foundry；　who；　whilst　he　was

working　twelve　hours　a　day　before　the　furnace；　got　up　at　four

o'clock　in　the　morning　to　learn　drawing。　　〃The　thought　of　my　lads；〃

he　writes　in　his　modest　account　of　himself；　〃in　their　peaceful

slumbers　above　me；　gave　me　fresh　courage；　and　I　used　to　think　that

if　I　should　never　receive　any　personal　benefit；　I　might　instruct

them　when　they　came　to　be　of　an　age　to　understand　the　mighty

machines　and　engines　which　have　made　our　country；　England；　pre…

eminent　in　the　world's　history。〃　　There　is　a　piecer　at　mule…frames；

who　could　not　read　at　eighteen；　who　is　now　a　man　of　little　more

than　thirty；　who　is　the　sole　support　of　an　aged　mother；　who　is

arithmetical　teacher　in　the　institution　in　which　he　himself　was

taught；　who　writes　of　himself　that　he　made　the　resolution　never　to

take　up　a　subject　without　keeping　to　it；　and　who　has　kept　to　it

with　such　an　astonishing　will；　that　he　is　now　well　versed　in　Euclid

and　Algebra；　and　is　the　best　French　scholar　in　Stockport。　　The

drawing…classes　in　that　same　Stockport　are　taught　by　a　working

blacksmith；　and　the　pupils　of　that　working　blacksmith　will　receive

the　highest　honours　of　to…night。　　Well　may　it　be　said　of　that　good

blacksmith；　as　it　was　written　of　another　of　his　trade；　by　the

American　poet：





〃Toiling；　rejoicing；　sorrowing；

Onward　through　life　he　goes；

Each　morning　sees　some　task　begun；

Each　evening　sees　its　clause。

Something　attempted；　something　done；

Has　earn'd　a　night's　repose。〃





To　pass　from　the　successful　candidates　to　the　delegates　from　local

societies　now　before　me；　and　to　content　myself　with　one　instance

from　amongst　them。　　There　is　among　their　number　a　most　remarkable

man；　whose　history　I　have　read　with　feelings　that　I　could　not

adequately　express　under　any　circumstances；　and　least　of　all　when　I

know　he　hears　me；　who　worked　when　he　was　a　mere　baby　at　hand…loom

weaving　until　he　dropped　from　fatigue：　　who　began　to　teach　himself

as　soon　as　he　could　earn　five　shillings　a…week：　　who　is　now　a

botanist；　acquainted　with　every　production　of　the　Lancashire

valley：　　who　is　a　naturalist；　and　has　made　and　preserved　a

collection　of　the　eggs　of　British　birds；　and　stuffed　the　birds：

who　is　now　a　conchologist；　with　a　very　curious；　and　in　some

respects　an　original　collection　of　fresh…water　shells；　and　has　also

preserved　and　collected　the　mosses　of　fresh　water　and　of　the　sea：

who　is　worthily　the　president　of　his　own　local　Literary

Institution；　and　who　was　at　his　work　this　time　last　night　as

foreman　in　a　mill。



So　stimulating　has　been　the　influence　of　these　bright　examples；　and

many　more；　that　I　notice　among　the　applications　from　Blackburn　for

preliminary　test　examination　papers；　one　from　an　applicant　who

gravely　fills　up　the　printed　form　by　describing　himself　as　ten

years　of　age；　and　who；　with　equal　gravity；　describes　his　occupation

as　〃nursing　a　little　child。〃　　Nor　are　these　things　confined　to　the

men。　　The　women　employed　in　factories；　milliners'　work；　and

domestic　service；　have　begun　to　show；　as　it　is　fitting　they　should；

a　most　decided　determination　not　to　be　outdone　by　the　men；　and　the

women　of　Preston　in　particular；　have　so　honourably　distinguished

themselves；　and　shown　in　their　examination　papers　such　an　admirable

knowledge　of　the　science　of　household　management　and　household

economy；　that　if　I　were　a　working　bachelor　of　Lancashire　or

Cheshire；　and　if　I　had　not　cast　my　eye　or　set　my　heart　upon　any

lass　in　particular；　I　should　positively　get　up　at　four　o'clock　in


the　morning　with　the　determination　of　the　iron…moulder　himself；　and

should　go　to　Preston　in　search　of　a　wife。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　these　instances；　and　many　more；　daily

occurring；　always　accumulating；　are　surely　better　testimony　to　the

working　of　this　Association；　than　any　number　of　speakers　could

possibly　present　to　you。　　Surely　the　presence　among　us　of　these

indefatigable　people　is　the　Association's　best　and　most　effective

triumph　in　the　present　and　the　past；　and　is　its　noblest　stimulus　to

effort　in　the　future。　　As　its　temporary　mouth…piece；　I　would　beg　to

say　to　that　portion　of　the　company　who　attend　to　receive　the

prizes；　that　the　institution　can　never　hold　itself　apart　from　them；

…　can　never　set　itself　above　them；　that　their　distinction　and

success　must　be　its　distinction　and　success；　and　that　there　can　be

but　one　heart　beating　between　them　and　it。　　In　particular；　I　would

most　especially　entreat　them　to　observe　that　nothing　will　ever　be

further　from　this　Association's　mind　than　the　impertinence　of

patronage。　　The　prizes　that　it　gives；　and　the　certificates　that　it

gives；　are　mere　admiring　assurances　of　sympathy　with　so　many

striving　brothers　and　sisters；　and　are　only　valuable　for　the　spirit

in　which　they　are　given；　and　in　which　they　are　received。　　The

prizes　are　money　prizes；　simply　because　the　Institution　does　not

presume　to　doubt　that　persons　who　have　so　well　governed　themselves；

know　best　how　to　make　a　little　money　serviceable　…　because　it　would

be　a　shame　to　treat　them　like　grown…up　babies　by　laying　it　out　for

them；　and　because　it　knows　it　is　given；　and　knows　it　is　taken；　in

perfect　clearness　of　purpose；　perfect　trustfulness；　and；　above　all；

perfect　independence。



Ladies　and　Gentlemen；　reverting　once　more　to　the　whole　collective

audience　before　me；　I　will；　in　another　two　minutes；　release　the

hold　which　your　favour　has　given　me　on　your　attention。　　Of　the

advantages　of　knowledge　I　have　said；　and　I　shall　say；　nothing。　　Of

the　certainty　with　which　the　man　who　grasps　it　under　difficulties

rises　in　his　own　respect　and　in　usefulness　to　the　community；　I　have

said；　and　I　shall　say；　nothing。　　In　the　city　of　Manchester；　in　the

county　of　Lancaster；　both　of　them　remarkable　for　self…taught　men；

that　were　superfluous　indeed。　　For　the　same　reason　I　rigidly

abstain　from　putting　together　any　of　the　shattered　fragments　of

that　poor　clay　image　of　a　parrot；　which　was　once　always　saying；

without　knowing　why；　or　what　it　meant；　that　knowledge　was　a

dangerous　thing。　　I　should　as　soon　think　of　piecing　together　the

mutilated　remains　of　any　wretched　Hindoo　who　has　been　blown　from　an

English　gun。　　Both；　creatures　of　the　past；　have　been　…　as　my　friend

Mr。　Carlyle　vigorously　has　it　…　〃blasted　into　space；〃　and　there；　as

to　this　world；　is　an　end　of　them。



So　I　desire；　in　conclusion；　only　to　sound　two　strings。　　In　the

first　place；　let　me　congratulate　you　upon　the　progress　which　real

mutual　improvement　societies　are　making　at　this　time　in　your

neighbourhood；　through　the　noble　agency　of　individual　employers　and

their　families；　whom　you　can　never　too　much　delight　to　honour。

Elsewhere；　through　the　agency　of　the　great　railway　companies；　some

of　which　are　bestirring　themselves　in　this　matter　with　a　gallantry

and　generosity　deserving　of　all　praise。　　Secondly　and　lastly；　let

me　say　one　word　out　of　my　own　personal　heart；　which　is　always　very

near　to　it　in　this　connexion。　　Do　not　let　us；　in　the　midst　of　the

visible　objects　of　nature；　whose　workings　we　can　tell　of　in

figures；　surrounded　by　machines　that　can　be　made　to　the　thousandth

part　of　an　inch；　acquiring　every　day　knowledge　which　can　be　proved

upon　a　slate　or　demonstrated　by　a　microscope　…　do　not　let　us；　in

the　laudable　pursuit　of　the　facts　that　surround　us；　neglect　the

fancy　and　the　imagination　which　equally　surround　us　as　a　part　of

the