speeches-literary & social-第3章

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

object　in　external　nature；　claims　some　sympathy　in　the　breast　of

the　poorest　man　who　breaks　his　scanty　loaf　of　daily　bread。　　I

believe　that　she　goes　barefoot　as　well　as　shod。　　I　believe　that　she

dwells　rather　oftener　in　alleys　and　by…ways　than　she　does　in　courts

and　palaces；　and　that　it　is　good；　and　pleasant；　and　profitable　to

track　her　out；　and　follow　her。　　I　believe　that　to　lay　one's　hand

upon　some　of　those　rejected　ones　whom　the　world　has　too　long

forgotten；　and　too　often　misused；　and　to　say　to　the　proudest　and

most　thoughtless　…　〃These　creatures　have　the　same　elements　and

capacities　of　goodness　as　yourselves；　they　are　moulded　in　the　same

form；　and　made　of　the　same　clay；　and　though　ten　times　worse　than

you；　may；　in　having　retained　anything　of　their　original　nature

amidst　the　trials　and　distresses　of　their　condition；　be　really　ten

times　better；〃　I　believe　that　to　do　this　is　to　pursue　a　worthy　and

not　useless　vocation。　　Gentlemen；　that　you　think　so　too；　your

fervent　greeting　sufficiently　assures　me。　　That　this　feeling　is

alive　in　the　Old　World　as　well　as　in　the　New；　no　man　should　know

better　than　I　…　I；　who　have　found　such　wide　and　ready　sympathy　in

my　own　dear　land。　　That　in　expressing　it；　we　are　but　treading　in

the　steps　of　those　great　master…spirits　who　have　gone　before；　we

know　by　reference　to　all　the　bright　examples　in　our　literature；

from　Shakespeare　downward。



There　is　one　other　point　connected　with　the　labours　（if　I　may　call

them　so）　that　you　hold　in　such　generous　esteem；　to　which　I　cannot

help　adverting。　　I　cannot　help　expressing　the　delight；　the　more

than　happiness　it　was　to　me　to　find　so　strong　an　interest　awakened

on　this　side　of　the　water；　in　favour　of　that　little　heroine　of

mine；　to　whom　your　president　has　made　allusion；　who　died　in　her

youth。　　I　had　letters　about　that　child；　in　England；　from　the

dwellers　in　log…houses　among　the　morasses；　and　swamps；　and　densest

forests；　and　deep　solitudes　of　the　far　west。　　Many　a　sturdy　hand；

hard　with　the　axe　and　spade；　and　browned　by　the　summer's　sun；　has

taken　up　the　pen；　and　written　to　me　a　little　history　of　domestic

joy　or　sorrow；　always　coupled；　I　am　proud　to　say；　with　something　of

interest　in　that　little　tale；　or　some　comfort　or　happiness　derived

from　it；　and　my　correspondent　has　always　addressed　me；　not　as　a

writer　of　books　for　sale；　resident　some　four　or　five　thousand　miles

away；　but　as　a　friend　to　whom　he　might　freely　impart　the　joys　and

sorrows　of　his　own　fireside。　　Many　a　mother　…　I　could　reckon　them

now　by　dozens；　not　by　units　…　has　done　the　like；　and　has　told　me

how　she　lost　such　a　child　at　such　a　time；　and　where　she　lay　buried；

and　how　good　she　was；　and　how；　in　this　or　that　respect；　she

resembles　Nell。　　I　do　assure　you　that　no　circumstance　of　my　life

has　given　me　one　hundredth　part　of　the　gratification　I　have　derived

from　this　source。　　I　was　wavering　at　the　time　whether　or　not　to

wind　up　my　Clock；　and　come　and　see　this　country；　and　this　decided

me。　　I　felt　as　if　it　were　a　positive　duty；　as　if　I　were　bound　to

pack　up　my　clothes；　and　come　and　see　my　friends；　and　even　now　I

have　such　an　odd　sensation　in　connexion　with　these　things；　that　you

have　no　chance　of　spoiling　me。　　I　feel　as　though　we　were　agreeing　…

as　indeed　we　are；　if　we　substitute　for　fictitious　characters　the

classes　from　which　they　are　drawn　…　about　third　parties；　in　whom　we

had　a　common　interest。　　At　every　new　act　of　kindness　on　your　part；

I　say　to　myself　〃That's　for　Oliver；　I　should　not　wonder　if　that　was

meant　for　Smike；　I　have　no　doubt　that　is　intended　for　Nell；〃　and　so

I　become　a　much　happier；　certainly；　but　a　more　sober　and　retiring

man　than　ever　I　was　before。



Gentlemen；　talking　of　my　friends　in　America；　brings　me　back；

naturally　and　of　course；　to　you。　　Coming　back　to　you；　and　being

thereby　reminded　of　the　pleasure　we　have　in　store　in　hearing　the

gentlemen　who　sit　about　me；　I　arrive　by　the　easiest；　though　not　by

the　shortest　course　in　the　world；　at　the　end　of　what　I　have　to　say。

But　before　I　sit　down；　there　is　one　topic　on　which　I　am　desirous　to

lay　particular　stress。　　It　has；　or　should　have；　a　strong　interest

for　us　all；　since　to　its　literature　every　country　must　look　for　one

great　means　of　refining　and　improving　its　people；　and　one　great

source　of　national　pride　and　honour。　　You　have　in　America　great

writers　…　great　writers　…　who　will　live　in　all　time；　and　are　as

familiar　to　our　lips　as　household　words。　　Deriving　（as　they　all　do

in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　in　their　several　walks）　their

inspiration　from　the　stupendous　country　that　gave　them　birth；　they

diffuse　a　better　knowledge　of　it；　and　a　higher　love　for　it；　all

over　the　civilized　world。　　I　take　leave　to　say；　in　the　presence　of

some　of　those　gentleman；　that　I　hope　the　time　is　not　far　distant

when　they；　in　America；　will　receive　of　right　some　substantial

profit　and　return　in　England　from　their　labours；　and　when　we；　in

England；　shall　receive　some　substantial　profit　and　return　in

America　for　ours。　　Pray　do　not　misunderstand　me。　　Securing　to

myself　from　day　to　day　the　means　of　an　honourable　subsistence；　I

would　rather　have　the　affectionate　regard　of　my　fellow　men；　than　I

would　have　heaps　and　mines　of　gold。　　But　the　two　things　do　not　seem

to　me　incompatible。　　They　cannot　be；　for　nothing　good　is

incompatible　with　justice；　there　must　be　an　international

arrangement　in　this　respect：　　England　has　done　her　part；　and　I　am

confident　that　the　time　is　not　far　distant　when　America　will　do

hers。　　It　becomes　the　character　of　a　great　country；　FIRSTLY；

because　it　is　justice；　SECONDLY；　because　without　it　you　never　can

have；　and　keep；　a　literature　of　your　own。



Gentlemen；　I　thank　you　with　feelings　of　gratitude；　such　as　are　not

often　awakened；　and　can　never　be　expressed。　　As　I　understand　it　to

be　the　pleasant　custom　here　to　finish　with　a　toast；　I　would　beg　to

give　you：　　AMERICA　AND　ENGLAND；　and　may　they　never　have　any

division　but　the　Atlantic　between　them。







SPEECH：　　FEBRUARY　7；　1842。







GENTLEMEN；　…　To　say　that　I　thank　you　for　the　earnest　manner　in

which　you　have　drunk　the　toast　just　now　so　eloquently　proposed　to

you　…　to　say　that　I　give　you　back　your　kind　wishes　and　good

feelings　with　more　than　compound　interest；　and　that　I　feel　how　dumb

and　powerless　the　best　acknowledgments　would　be　beside　such　genial

hospitality　as　yours；　is　nothing。　　To　say　that　in　this　winter

season；　flowers　have　sprung　up　in　every　footstep's　length　of　the

path　which　has　brought　me　here；　that　no　country　ever　smiled　more

pleasantly　than　yours　has　smiled　on　me；　and　that　I　have　rarely

looked　upon　a　brighter　summer　prospect　than　that　which　lies　before

me　now；　is　nothing。



But　it　is　something　to　be　no　stranger　in　a　strange　place　…　to　feel；

sitting　at　a　board　for　the　first　time；　the　ease　and　affection　of　an

old　guest；　and　to　be　at　once　on　such　intimate　terms　with　the　family

as　to　have　a　homely；　genuine　interest　in　its　every　member　…　it　is；

I　say；　something　to　be　in　this　novel　and　happy　frame　of　mind。　　And；

as　it　is　of　your　creation；　and　owes　its　being　to　you；　I　have　no

reluctance　in　urging　it　as　a　reason　why；　in　addressing　you；　I

should　not　so　much　consult　the　form　and　fashion　of　my　speech；　as　I

should　employ　that　universal　language　of　the　heart；　which　you；　and

such　as　you；　best　teach；　and　best　can　understand。　　Gentlemen；　in

that　universal　language　…　common　to　you　in　America；　and　to　us　in

England；　as　that　younger　mother…tongue；　which；　by　the　means　of；　and

through　the　happy　union　of　our　two　great　countries；　shall　be　spoken

ages　hence；　by　land　and　sea；　over　the　wide　surface　of　the　globe　…　I

thank　you。



I　had　occasion　to　say　the　other　night　in　Boston；　as　I　have　more

than　once　had　occasion　to　remark　before；　that　it　is　not　easy　for　an

author　to　speak　of　his　own　books。　　If　the　task　be　a　difficult　one

at　any　time；　its　difficulty；　certainly；　is　not