speeches-literary & social-第31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！



standing　to　write　in　a　preposterous　pen　in　the　old　House　of　Lords；

where　we　used　to　be　huddled　together　like　so　many　sheep　…　kept　in

waiting；　say；　until　the　woolsack　might　want　re…stuffing。　　Returning

home　from　excited　political　meetings　in　the　country　to　the　waiting

press　in　London；　I　do　verily　believe　I　have　been　upset　in　almost

every　description　of　vehicle　known　in　this　country。　　I　have　been；

in　my　time；　belated　on　miry　by…roads；　towards　the　small　hours；

forty　or　fifty　miles　from　London；　in　a　wheelless　carriage；　with

exhausted　horses　and　drunken　postboys；　and　have　got　back　in　time

for　publication；　to　be　received　with　never…forgotten　compliments　by

the　late　Mr。　Black；　coming　in　the　broadest　of　Scotch　from　the

broadest　of　hearts　I　ever　knew。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　mention　these　trivial　things　as　an

assurance　to　you　that　I　never　have　forgotten　the　fascination　of

that　old　pursuit。　　The　pleasure　that　I　used　to　feel　in　the　rapidity

and　dexterity　of　its　exercise　has　never　faded　out　of　my　breast。

Whatever　little　cunning　of　hand　or　head　I　took　to　it；　or　acquired

in　it；　I　have　so　retained　as　that　I　fully　believe　I　could　resume　it

to…morrow；　very　little　the　worse　from　long　disuse。　　To　this　present

year　of　my　life；　when　I　sit　in　this　hall；　or　where　not；　hearing　a

dull　speech；　the　phenomenon　does　occur　…　I　sometimes　beguile　the

tedium　of　the　moment　by　mentally　following　the　speaker　in　the　old；

old　way；　and　sometimes；　if　you　can　believe　me；　I　even　find　my　hand

going　on　the　table…cloth；　taking　an　imaginary　note　of　it　all。

Accept　these　little　truths　as　a　confirmation　of　what　I　know；　as　a

confirmation　of　my　undying　interest　in　this　old　calling。　　Accept

them　as　a　proof　that　my　feeling　for　the　location　of　my　youth　is　not

a　sentiment　taken　up　to…night　to　be　thrown　away　to…morrow　…　but　is

a　faithful　sympathy　which　is　a　part　of　myself。　　I　verily　believe　…

I　am　sure　…　that　if　I　had　never　quitted　my　old　calling　I　should

have　been　foremost　and　zealous　in　the　interests　of　this

Institution；　believing　it　to　be　a　sound；　a　wholesome；　and　a　good

one。　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　am　to　propose　to　you　to　drink

〃Prosperity　to　the　Newspaper　Press　Fund；〃　with　which　toast　I　will

connect；　as　to　its　acknowledgment；　a　name　that　has　shed　new

brilliancy　on　even　the　foremost　newspaper　in　the　world　…　the

illustrious　name　of　Mr。　Russell。







SPEECH：　　KNEBWORTH；　JULY　29；　1865。







＇On　the　above　date　the　members　of　the　〃Guild　of　Literature　and　Art〃

proceeded　to　the　neighbourhood　of　Stevenage；　near　the　magnificent

seat　of　the　President；　Lord　Lytton；　to　inspect　three　houses　built

in　the　Gothic　style；　on　the　ground　given　by　him　for　the　purpose。

After　their　survey；　the　party　drove　to　Knebworth　to　partake　of　the

hospitality　of　Lord　Lytton。　　Mr。　Dickens；　who　was　one　of　the

guests；　proposed　the　health　of　the　host　in　the　following　words：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　It　was　said　by　a　very　sagacious　person；

whose　authority　I　am　sure　my　friend　of　many　years　will　not　impugn；

seeing　that　he　was　named　Augustus　Tomlinson；　the　kind　friend　and

philosopher　of　Paul　Clifford　…　it　was　said　by　that　remarkable　man；

〃Life　is　short；　and　why　should　speeches　be　long？〃　　An　aphorism　so

sensible　under　all　circumstances；　and　particularly　in　the

circumstances　in　which　we　are　placed；　with　this　delicious　weather

and　such　charming　gardens　near　us；　I　shall　practically　adopt　on　the

present　occasion；　and　the　rather　so　because　the　speech　of　my　friend

was　exhaustive　of　the　subject；　as　his　speeches　always　are；　though

not　in　the　least　exhaustive　of　his　audience。　　In　thanking　him　for

the　toast　which　he　has　done　us　the　honour　to　propose；　allow　me　to

correct　an　error　into　which　he　has　fallen。　　Allow　me　to　state　that

these　houses　never　could　have　been　built　but　for　his　zealous　and

valuable　co…operation；　and　also　that　the　pleasant　labour　out　of

which　they　have　arisen　would　have　lost　one　of　its　greatest　charms

and　strongest　impulses；　if　it　had　lost　his　ever　ready　sympathy　with

that　class　in　which　he　has　risen　to　the　foremost　rank；　and　of　which

he　is　the　brightest　ornament。



Having　said　this　much　as　simply　due　to　my　friend；　I　can　only　say；

on　behalf　of　my　associates；　that　the　ladies　and　gentlemen　whom　we

shall　invite　to　occupy　the　houses　we　have　built　will　never　be

placed　under　any　social　disadvantage。　　They　will　be　invited　to

occupy　them　as　artists；　receiving　them　as　a　mark　of　the　high

respect　in　which　they　are　held　by　their　fellow…workers。　　As　artists

I　hope　they　will　often　exercise　their　calling　within　those　walls

for　the　general　advantage；　and　they　will　always　claim；　on　equal

terms；　the　hospitality　of　their　generous　neighbour。



Now　I　am　sure　I　shall　be　giving　utterance　to　the　feelings　of　my

brothers　and　sisters　in　literature　in　proposing　〃Health；　long　life；

and　prosperity　to　our　distinguished　host。〃　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；

you　know　very　well　that　when　the　health；　life；　and　beauty　now

overflowing　these　halls　shall　have　fled；　crowds　of　people　will　come

to　see　the　place　where　he　lived　and　wrote。　　Setting　aside　the

orator　and　statesman　…　for　happily　we　know　no　party　here　but　this

agreeable　party　…　setting　aside　all；　this　you　know　very　well；　that

this　is　the　home　of　a　very　great　man　whose　connexion　with

Hertfordshire　every　other　county　in　England　will　envy　for　many　long

years　to　come。　　You　know　that　when　this　hall　is　dullest　and

emptiest　you　can　make　it　when　you　please　brightest　and　fullest　by

peopling　it　with　the　creations　of　his　brilliant　fancy。　　Let　us　all

wish　together　that　they　may　be　many　more　…　for　the　more　they　are

the　better　it　will　be；　and；　as　he　always　excels　himself；　the　better

they　will　be。　　I　ask　you　to　listen　to　their　praises　and　not　to

mine；　and　to　let　them；　not　me；　propose　his　health。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　FEBRUARY　14；　1866。







＇On　this　occasion　Mr。　Dickens　officiated　as　Chairman　at　the　annual

dinner　of　the　Dramatic；　Equestrian；　and　Musical　Fund；　at　Willis's

Rooms；　where　he　made　the　following　speech：＇



LADIES；　before　I　couple　you　with　the　gentlemen；　which　will　be　at

least　proper　to　the　inscription　over　my　head　（St。　Valentine's　day）

…　before　I　do　so；　allow　me；　on　behalf　of　my　grateful　sex　here

represented；　to　thank　you　for　the　great　pleasure　and　interest　with

which　your　gracious　presence　at　these　festivals　never　fails　to

inspire　us。　　There　is　no　English　custom　which　is　so　manifestly　a

relic　of　savage　life　as　that　custom　which　usually　excludes　you　from

participation　in　similar　gatherings。　　And　although　the　crime

carries　its　own　heavy　punishment　along　with　it；　in　respect　that　it

divests　a　public　dinner　of　its　most　beautiful　ornament　and　of　its

most　fascinating　charm；　still　the　offence　is　none　the　less　to　be

severely　reprehended　on　every　possible　occasion；　as　outraging

equally　nature　and　art。　　I　believe　that　as　little　is　known　of　the

saint　whose　name　is　written　here　as　can　well　be　known　of　any　saint

or　sinner。　　We；　your　loyal　servants；　are　deeply　thankful　to　him　for

having　somehow　gained　possession　of　one　day　in　the　year　…　for

having；　as　no　doubt　he　has；　arranged　the　almanac　for　1866　…

expressly　to　delight　us　with　the　enchanting　fiction　that　we　have

some　tender　proprietorship　in　you　which　we　should　scarcely　dare　to

claim　on　a　less　auspicious　occasion。　　Ladies；　the　utmost　devotion

sanctioned　by　the　saint　we　beg　to　lay　at　your　feet；　and　any　little

innocent　privileges　to　which　we　may　be　entitled　by　the　same

authority　we　beg　respectfully　but　firmly　to　claim　at　your　hands。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　need　no　ghost　to　inform　you　that　I

am　going　to　propose　〃Prosperity　to　the　Dramatic；　Musical；　and

Equestrian　Sick　Fund　Association；〃　and；　further；　that　I　should　be

going　to　ask　you　actively　to　promote　that　prosperity　by　liberally

contributing　to　its　funds；　if　that　task　were　not　reserved　for　a

much　more　persuasive　speaker。　　But　I　rest　the　strong　claim　of　the

society　for　its　useful　existence　and　its　truly　charitabl