speeches-literary & social-第27章

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SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　11；　1864。







＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　presided　at　the　Adelphi　Theatre；　at

a　public　meeting；　for　the　purpose　of　founding　the　Shakespeare

Schools；　in　connexion　with　the　Royal　Dramatic　College；　and

delivered　the　following　address：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN　…　Fortunately　for　me；　and　fortunately　for　you；

it　is　the　duty　of　the　Chairman　on　an　occasion　of　this　nature；　to　be

very　careful　that　he　does　not　anticipate　those　speakers　who　come

after　him。　　Like　Falstaff；　with　a　considerable　difference；　he　has

to　be　the　cause　of　speaking　in　others。　　It　is　rather　his　duty　to

sit　and　hear　speeches　with　exemplary　attention　than　to　stand　up　to

make　them；　so　I　shall　confine　myself；　in　opening　these　proceedings

as　your　business　official；　to　as　plain　and　as　short　an　exposition

as　I　can　possibly　give　you　of　the　reasons　why　we　come　together。



First　of　all　I　will　take　leave　to　remark　that　we　do　not　come

together　in　commemoration　of　Shakespeare。　　We　have　nothing　to　do

with　any　commemoration；　except　that　we　are　of　course　humble

worshippers　of　that　mighty　genius；　and　that　we　propose　by…and…by　to

take　his　name；　but　by　no　means　to　take　it　in　vain。　　If；　however；

the　Tercentenary　celebration　were　a　hundred　years　hence；　or　a

hundred　years　past；　we　should　still　be　pursuing　precisely　the　same

object；　though　we　should　not　pursue　it　under　precisely　the　same

circumstances。　　The　facts　are　these：　　There　is；　as　you　know；　in

existence　an　admirable　institution　called　the　Royal　Dramatic

College；　which　is　a　place　of　honourable　rest　and　repose　for

veterans　in　the　dramatic　art。　　The　charter　of　this　college；　which

dates　some　five　or　six　years　back；　expressly　provides　for　the

establishment　of　schools　in　connexion　with　it；　and　I　may　venture　to

add　that　this　feature　of　the　scheme；　when　it　was　explained　to　him；

was　specially　interesting　to　his　Royal　Highness　the　late　Prince

Consort；　who　hailed　it　as　evidence　of　the　desire　of　the　promoters

to　look　forward　as　well　as　to　look　back；　to　found　educational

institutions　for　the　rising　generation；　as　well　as　to　establish　a

harbour　of　refuge　for　the　generation　going　out；　or　at　least　having

their　faces　turned　towards　the　setting　sun。　　The　leading　members　of

the　dramatic　art；　applying　themselves　first　to　the　more　pressing

necessity　of　the　two；　set　themselves　to　work　on　the　construction　of

their　harbour　of　refuge；　and　this　they　did　with　the　zeal；　energy；

good…will；　and　good　faith　that　always　honourably　distinguish　them

in　their　efforts　to　help　one　another。　　Those　efforts　were　very

powerfully　aided　by　the　respected　gentleman　under　whose　roof　we　are

assembled；　and　who；　I　hope；　may　be　only　half　as　glad　of　seeing　me

on　these　boards　as　I　always　am　to　see　him　here。　　With　such　energy

and　determination　did　Mr。　Webster　and　his　brothers　and　sisters　in

art　proceed　with　their　work；　that　at　this　present　time　all　the

dwelling…houses　of　the　Royal　Dramatic　College　are　built；　completely

furnished；　fitted　with　every　appliance；　and　many　of　them　inhabited。

The　central　hall　of　the　College　is　built；　the　grounds　are

beautifully　planned　and　laid　out；　and　the　estate　has　become　the

nucleus　of　a　prosperous　neighbourhood。　　This　much　achieved；　Mr。

Webster　was　revolving　in　his　mind　how　he　should　next　proceed

towards　the　establishment　of　the　schools；　when；　this　Tercentenary

celebration　being　in　hand；　it　occurred　to　him　to　represent　to　the

National　Shakespeare　Committee　their　just　and　reasonable　claim　to

participate　in　the　results　of　any　subscription　for　a　monument　to

Shakespeare。　　He　represented　to　the　committee　that　the　social

recognition　and　elevation　of　the　followers　of　Shakespeare's　own

art；　through　the　education　of　their　children；　was　surely　a　monument

worthy　even　of　that　great　name。　　He　urged　upon　the　committee　that

it　was　certainly　a　sensible；　tangible　project；　which　the　public

good　sense　would　immediately　appreciate　and　approve。　　This　claim

the　committee　at　once　acknowledged；　but　I　wish　you　distinctly　to

understand　that　if　the　committee　had　never　been　in　existence；　if

the　Tercentenary　celebration　had　never　been　attempted；　those

schools；　as　a　design　anterior　to　both；　would　still　have　solicited

public　support。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　what　it　is　proposed　to　do　is；　in　fact；

to　find　a　new　self…supporting　public　school；　with　this　additional

feature；　that　it　is　to　be　available　for　both　sexes。　　This；　of

course；　presupposes　two　separate　distinct　schools。　　As　these

schools　are　to　be　built　on　land　belonging　to　the　Dramatic　College；

there　will　be　from　the　first　no　charge；　no　debt；　no　incumbrance　of

any　kind　under　that　important　head。　　It　is；　in　short；　proposed

simply　to　establish　a　new　self…supporting　public　school；　in　a

rapidly　increasing　neighbourhood；　where　there　is　a　large　and　fast

accumulating　middle…class　population；　and　where　property　in　land　is

fast　rising　in　value。　　But；　inasmuch　as　the　project　is　a　project　of

the　Royal　Dramatic　College；　and　inasmuch　as　the　schools　are　to　be

built　on　their　estate；　it　is　proposed　evermore　to　give　their

schools　the　great　name　of　Shakespeare；　and　evermore　to　give　the

followers　of　Shakespeare's　art　a　prominent　place　in　them。　　With

this　view；　it　is　confidently　believed　that　the　public　will　endow　a

foundation；　say；　for　forty　foundation　scholars　…　say；　twenty　girls

and　twenty　boys　…　who　shall　always　receive　their　education

gratuitously；　and　who　shall　always　be　the　children　of　actors；

actresses；　or　dramatic　writers。　　This　school；　you　will　understand；

is　to　be　equal　to　the　best　existing　public　school。　　It　is　to　be

made　to　impart　a　sound；　liberal；　comprehensive　education；　and　it　is

to　address　the　whole　great　middle　class　at　least　as　freely；　as

widely；　and　as　cheaply　as　any　existing　public　school。



Broadly；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　this　is　the　whole　design。　　There　are

foundation　scholars　at　Eton；　foundation　scholars　at　nearly　all　our

old　schools；　and　if　the　public；　in　remembrance　of　a　noble　part　of

our　standard　national　literature；　and　in　remembrance　of　a　great

humanising　art；　will　do　this　thing　for　these　children；　it　will　at

the　same　time　be　doing　a　wise　and　good　thing　for　itself；　and　will

unquestionably　find　its　account　in　it。　　Taking　this　view　of　the

case　…　and　I　cannot　be　satisfied　to　take　any　lower　one　…　I　cannot

make　a　sorry　face　about　〃the　poor　player。〃　　I　think　it　is　a　term

very　much　misused　and　very　little　understood　…　being；　I　venture　to

say；　appropriated　in　a　wrong　sense　by　players　themselves。

Therefore；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　can　only　present　the　player　to

you　exceptionally　in　this　wise　…　that　he　follows　a　peculiar　and

precarious　vocation；　a　vocation　very　rarely　affording　the　means　of

accumulating　money　…　that　that　vocation　must；　from　the　nature　of

things；　have　in　it　many　undistinguished　men　and　women　to　one

distinguished　one　…　that　it　is　not　a　vocation　the　exerciser　of

which　can　profit　by　the　labours　of　others；　but　in　which　he　must

earn　every　loaf　of　his　bread　in　his　own　person；　with　the　aid　of　his

own　face；　his　own　limbs；　his　own　voice；　his　own　memory；　and　his　own

life　and　spirits；　and　these　failing；　he　fails。　　Surely　this　is

reason　enough　to　render　him　some　little　help　in　opening　for　his

children　their　paths　through　life。　　I　say　their　paths　advisedly；

because　it　is　not　often　found；　except　under　the　pressure　of

necessity；　or　where　there　is　strong　hereditary　talent　…　which　is

always　an　exceptional　case　…　that　the　children　of　actors　and

actresses　take　to　the　stage。　　Persons　therefore　need　not　in　the

least　fear　that　by　helping　to　endow　these　schools　they　would　help

to　overstock　the　dramatic　market。　　They　would　do　directly　the

reverse；　for　they　would　divert　into　channels　of　public　distinction

and　usefulness　those　good　qualities　which　would　otherwise　languish

in　that　market's　over…rich　superabundance。



This　project　has　received　the　support　of　the　head　of　the　most

popular　of　our　English　public　schools。　　On　the　committee