speeches-literary & social-第36章

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honours；　and　one　cheer　more。　　Mr。　Dickens　then　rose；　and　spoke　as

follows：＇



NO　thanks　that　I　can　offer　you　can　express　my　sense　of　my　reception

by　this　great　assemblage；　or　can　in　the　least　suggest　to　you　how

deep　the　glowing　words　of　my　friend　the　chairman；　and　your

acceptance　of　them；　have　sunk　into　my　heart。　　But　both　combined

have　so　greatly　shaken　the　composure　which　I　am　used　to　command

before　an　audience；　that　I　hope　you　may　observe　in　me　some　traces

of　an　eloquence　more　expressive　than　the　richest　words。　　To　say

that　I　am　fervently　grateful　to　you　is　to　say　nothing；　to　say　that

I　can　never　forget　this　beautiful　sight；　is　to　say　nothing；　to　say

that　it　brings　upon　me　a　rush　of　emotion　not　only　in　the　present；

but　in　the　thought　of　its　remembrance　in　the　future　by　those　who

are　dearest　to　me；　is　to　say　nothing；　but　to　feel　all　this　for　the

moment；　even　almost　to　pain；　is　very　much　indeed。　　Mercutio　says　of

the　wound　in　his　breast；　dealt　him　by　the　hand　of　a　foe；　that　…

〃'Tis　not　so　deep　as　a　well；　nor　so　wide　as　a　church　door；　but　'tis

enough；　'twill　serve。〃　　I　may　say　of　the　wound　in　my　breast；　newly

dealt　to　me　by　the　hands　of　my　friends；　that　it　is　deeper　than　the

soundless　sea；　and　wider　than　the　whole　Catholic　Church。　　I　may

safely　add　that　it　has　for　the　moment　almost　stricken　me　dumb。　　I

should　be　more　than　human；　and　I　assure　you　I　am　very　human　indeed；

if　I　could　look　around　upon　this　brilliant　representative　company

and　not　feel　greatly　thrilled　and　stirred　by　the　presence　of　so

many　brother　artists；　not　only　in　literature；　but　also　in　the

sister　arts；　especially　painting；　among　whose　professors　living　and

unhappily　dead；　are　many　of　my　oldest　and　best　friends。　　I　hope

that　I　may；　without　presumption；　regard　this　thronging　of　my

brothers　around　me　as　a　testimony　on　their　part　that　they　believe

that　the　cause　of　art　generally　has　been　safe　in　my　keeping；　and

that　it　has　never　been　falsely　dealt　with　by　me。　　Your　resounding

cheers　just　now　would　have　been　but　so　many　cruel　reproaches　to　me

if　I　could　not　here　declare　that；　from　the　earliest　days　of　my

career　down　to　this　proud　night；　I　have　always　tried　to　be　true　to

my　calling。　　Never　unduly　to　assert　it；　on　the　one　hand；　and　never；

on　any　pretence　or　consideration；　to　permit　it　to　be　patronized　in

my　person；　has　been　the　steady　endeavour　of　my　life；　and　I　have

occasionally　been　vain　enough　to　hope　that　I　may　leave　its　social

position　in　England　better　than　I　found　it。　　Similarly；　and　equally

I　hope　without　presumption；　I　trust　that　I　may　take　this　general

representation　of　the　public　here；　through　so　many　orders；

pursuits；　and　degrees；　as　a　token　that　the　public　believe　that；

with　a　host　of　imperfections　and　shortcomings　on　my　head；　I　have　as

a　writer；　in　my　soul　and　conscience；　tried　to　be　as　true　to　them　as

they　have　ever　been　true　to　me。　　And　here；　in　reference　to　the

inner　circle　of　the　arts　and　the　outer　circle　of　the　public；　I　feel

it　a　duty　to…night　to　offer　two　remarks。　　I　have　in　my　duty　at　odd

times　heard　a　great　deal　about　literary　sets　and　cliques；　and

coteries　and　barriers；　about　keeping　this　man　up；　and　keeping　that

man　down；　about　sworn　disciples　and　sworn　unbelievers；　and　mutual

admiration　societies；　and　I　know　not　what　other　dragons　in　the

upward　path。　　I　began　to　tread　it　when　I　was　very　young；　without

influence；　without　money；　without　companion；　introducer；　or

adviser；　and　I　am　bound　to　put　in　evidence　in　this　place　that　I

never　lighted　on　these　dragons　yet。　　So　have　I　heard　in　my　day；　at

divers　other　odd　times；　much　generally　to　the　effect　that　the

English　people　have　little　or　no　love　of　art　for　its　own　sake；　and

that　they　do　not　greatly　care　to　acknowledge　or　do　honour　to　the

artist。　　My　own　experience　has　uniformly　been　exactly　the　reverse。

I　can　say　that　of　my　countrymen；　though　I　cannot　say　that　of　my

country。



And　now　passing　to　the　immediate　occasion　of　your　doing　me　this

great　honour；　the　story　of　my　going　again　to　America　is　very　easily

and　briefly　told。　　Since　I　was　there　before　a　vast　and　entirely　new

generation　has　arisen　in　the　United　States。　　Since　I　was　there

before　most　of　the　best　known　of　my　books　have　been　written　and

published；　the　new　generation　and　the　books　have　come　together　and

have　kept　together；　until　at　length　numbers　of　those　who　have　so

widely　and　constantly　read　me；　naturally　desiring　a　little　variety

in　the　relationship　between　us；　have　expressed　a　strong　wish　that　I

should　read　myself。　　This　wish；　at　first　conveyed　to　me　through

public　channels　and　business　channels；　has　gradually　become

enforced　by　an　immense　accumulation　of　letters　from　individuals　and

associations　of　individuals；　all　expressing　in　the　same　hearty；

homely；　cordial　unaffected　way；　a　kind　of　personal　interest　in　me　…

I　had　almost　said　a　kind　of　personal　affection　for　me；　which　I　am

sure　you　would　agree　with　me　it　would　be　dull　insensibility　on　my

part　not　to　prize。　　Little　by　little　this　pressure　has　become　so

great　that；　although；　as　Charles　Lamb　says；　my　household　gods

strike　a　terribly　deep　root；　I　have　torn　them　from　their　places；

and　this　day　week；　at　this　hour；　shall　be　upon　the　sea。　　You　will

readily　conceive　that　I　am　inspired　besides　by　a　natural　desire　to

see　for　myself　the　astonishing　change　and　progress　of　a　quarter　of

a　century　over　there；　to　grasp　the　hands　of　many　faithful　friends

whom　I　left　there；　to　see　the　faces　of　the　multitude　of　new　friends

upon　whom　I　have　never　looked；　and　last；　not　least；　to　use　my　best

endeavour　to　lay　down　a　third　cable　of　intercommunication　and

alliance　between　the　old　world　and　the　new。　　Twelve　years　ago；　when

Heaven　knows　I　little　thought　I　should　ever　be　bound　upon　the

voyage　which　now　lies　before　me；　I　wrote　in　that　form　of　my

writings　which　obtains　by　far　the　most　extensive　circulation；　these

words　of　the　American　nation：…　〃I　know　full　well；　whatever　little

motes　my　beamy　eyes　may　have　descried　in　theirs；　that　they　are　a

kind；　large…hearted；　generous；　and　great　people。〃　　In　that　faith　I

am　going　to　see　them　again；　in　that　faith　I　shall；　please　God；

return　from　them　in　the　spring；　in　that　same　faith　to　live　and　to

die。　　I　told　you　in　the　beginning　that　I　could　not　thank　you

enough；　and　Heaven　knows　I　have　most　thoroughly　kept　my　word。　　If　I

may　quote　one　other　short　sentence　from　myself；　let　it　imply　all

that　I　have　left　unsaid；　and　yet　most　deeply　feel。　　Let　it；　putting

a　girdle　round　the　earth；　comprehend　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic　at

once　in　this　moment；　and　say；　as　Tiny　Tim　observes；　〃God　bless　us

every　one。〃







SPEECH：　　BOSTON；　APRIL　8；　1868。







＇Mr。　Dickens　gave　his　last　Reading　at　Boston；　on　the　above　date。

On　his　entrance　a　surprise　awaited　him。　　His　reading…stand　had　been

decorated　with　flowers　and　palm…leaves　by　some　of　the　ladies　of　the

city。　　He　acknowledged　this　graceful　tribute　in　the　following

words：…　〃Before　allowing　Dr。　Marigold　to　tell　his　story　in　his　own

peculiar　way；　I　kiss　the　kind；　fair　hands　unknown；　which　have　so

beautifully　decorated　my　table　this　evening。〃　　After　the　Reading；

Mr。　Dickens　attempted　in　vain　to　retire。　　Persistent　hands　demanded

〃one　word　more。〃　　Returning　to　his　desk；　pale；　with　a　tear　in　his

eye；　that　found　its　way　to　his　voice；　he　spoke　as　follows：…＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　My　gracious　and　generous　welcome　in

America；　which　can　never　be　obliterated　from　my　remembrance；　began

here。　　My　departure　begins　here；　too；　for　I　assure　you　that　I　have

never　until　this　moment　really　felt　that　I　am　going　away。　　In　this

brief　life　of　ours；　it　is　sad　to　do　almost　anything　for　the　last

time；　and　I　cannot　conceal　from　you；　although　my　face　will　so　soon

be　turned　towards　my　native　land；　and　to　all　that　makes　it　dear；

that　it　is　a　sad　consideration　with　me　that　in　a　very　few　moments

from　this　time；　this　brilliant　hall　and　all　that　it　contains；　will

fade　from　my　view　…　for　ever　more。　　B