speeches-literary & social-第37章

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

fade　from　my　view　…　for　ever　more。　　But　it　is　my　consolation　that

the　spirit　of　the　bright　faces；　the　quick　perception；　the　ready

response；　the　generous　and　the　cheering　sounds　that　have　made　this

place　delightful　to　me；　will　remain；　and　you　may　rely　upon　it　that

that　spirit　will　abide　with　me　as　long　as　I　have　sense　and

sentiment　left。



I　do　not　say　this　with　any　limited　reference　to　private　friendships

that　have　for　years　upon　years　made　Boston　a　memorable　and　beloved

spot　to　me；　for　such　private　references　have　no　business　in　this

public　place。　　I　say　it　purely　in　remembrance　of；　and　in　homage　to；

the　great　public　heart　before　me。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　beg　most　earnestly；　most　gratefully；　and

most　affectionately；　to　bid　you；　each　and　all；　farewell







SPEECH：　　NEW　YORK；　APRIL　18；　1863。







＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　was　entertained　at　a　farewell　dinner

at　Delmonico's　Hotel；　previous　to　his　return　to　England。　　Two

hundred　gentlemen　sat　down　to　it；　Mr。　Horace　Greeley　presiding。　　In

acknowledgment　of　the　toast　of　his　health；　proposed　by　the

chairman；　Mr。　Dickens　rose　and　said：…＇



GENTLEMEN；　…　I　cannot　do　better　than　take　my　cue　to　from　your

distinguished　president；　and　refer　in　my　first　remarks　to　his

remarks　in　connexion　with　the　old；　natural；　association　between　you

and　me。　　When　I　received　an　invitation　from　a　private　association

of　working　members　of　the　press　of　New　York　to　dine　with　them　to…

day；　I　accepted　that　compliment　in　grateful　remembrance　of　a

calling　that　was　once　my　own；　and　in　loyal　sympathy　towards　a

brotherhood　which；　in　the　spirit；　I　have　never　quieted。　　To　the

wholesome　training　of　severe　newspaper　work；　when　I　was　a　very

young　man；　I　constantly　refer　my　first　successes；　and　my　sons　will

hereafter　testify　of　their　father　that　he　was　always　steadily　proud

of　that　ladder　by　which　he　rose。　　If　it　were　otherwise；　I　should

have　but　a　very　poor　opinion　of　their　father；　which；　perhaps；　upon

the　whole；　I　have　not。　　Hence；　gentlemen；　under　any　circumstances；

this　company　would　have　been　exceptionally　interesting　and

gratifying　to　me。　　But　whereas　I　supposed　that；　like　the　fairies'

pavilion　in　the　〃Arabian　Nights；〃　it　would　be　but　a　mere　handful；

and　I　find　it　turn　out；　like　the　same　elastic　pavilion；　capable　of

comprehending　a　multitude；　so　much　the　more　proud　am　I　of　the

honour　of　being　your　guest；　for　you　will　readily　believe　that　the

more　widely　representative　of　the　press　in　America　my　entertainers

are；　the　more　I　must　feel　the　good…will　and　the　kindly　sentiments

towards　me　of　that　vast　institution。



Gentlemen；　so　much　of　my　voice　has　lately　been　heard　in　the　land；

and　I　have　for　upwards　of　four　hard　winter　months　so　contended

against　what　I　have　been　sometimes　quite　admiringly　assured　was　〃a

true　American　catarrh　〃　…　a　possession　which　I　have　throughout

highly　appreciated；　though　I　might　have　preferred　to　be　naturalised

by　any　other　outward　and　visible　signs　…　I　say；　gentlemen；　so　much

of　my　voice　has　lately　been　heard；　that　I　might　have　been　contented

with　troubling　you　no　further　from　my　present　standing…point；　were

it　not　a　duty　with　which　I　henceforth　charge　myself；　not　only　here

but　on　every　suitable　occasion　whatsoever　and　wheresoever；　to

express　my　high　and　grateful　sense　of　my　second　reception　in

America；　and　to　bear　my　honest　testimony　to　the　national　generosity

and　magnanimity。　　Also；　to　declare　how　astounded　I　have　been　by　the

amazing　changes　that　I　have　seen　around　me　on　every　side　…　changes

moral；　changes　physical；　changes　in　the　amount　of　land　subdued　and

peopled；　changes　in　the　rise　of　vast　new　cities；　changes　in　the

growth　of　older　cities　almost　out　of　recognition；　changes　in　the

graces　and　amenities　of　life；　changes　in　the　press；　without　whose

advancement　no　advancement　can　be　made　anywhere。　　Nor　am　I；　believe

me；　so　arrogant　as　to　suppose　that　in　five…and…twenty　years　there

have　been　no　changes　in　me；　and　that　I　had　nothing　to　learn　and　no

extreme　impressions　to　correct　when　I　was　here　first。



And；　gentlemen；　this　brings　me　to　a　point　on　which　I　have；　ever

since　I　landed　here　last　November；　observed　a　strict　silence；

though　tempted　sometimes　to　break　it；　but　in　reference　to　which　I

will；　with　your　good　leave；　take　you　into　my　confidence　now。　　Even

the　press；　being　human；　may　be　sometimes　mistaken　or　misinformed；

and　I　rather　think　that　I　have　in　one　or　two　rare　instances　known

its　information　to　be　not　perfectly　accurate　with　reference　to

myself。　　Indeed；　I　have　now　and　again　been　more　surprised　by

printed　news　that　I　have　read　of　myself　than　by　any　printed　news

that　I　have　ever　read　in　my　present　state　of　existence。　　Thus；　the

vigour　and　perseverance　with　which　I　have　for　some　months　past　been

collecting　materials　for　and　hammering　away　at　a　new　book　on

America　have　much　astonished　me；　seeing　that　all　that　time　it　has

been　perfectly　well　known　to　my　publishers　on　both　sides　of　the

Atlantic　that　I　positively　declared　that　no　consideration　on　earth

should　induce　me　to　write　one。　　But　what　I　have　intended；　what　I

have　resolved　upon　（and　this　is　the　confidence　I　seek　to　place　in

you）　is；　on　my　return　to　England；　in　my　own　person；　to　bear；　for

the　behoof　of　my　countrymen；　such　testimony　to　the　gigantic　changes

in　this　country　as　I　have　hinted　at　to…night。　　Also；　to　record　that

wherever　I　have　been；　in　the　smallest　places　equally　with　the

largest；　I　have　been　received　with　unsurpassable　politeness；

delicacy；　sweet　temper；　hospitality；　consideration；　and　with

unsurpassable　respect　for　the　privacy　daily　enforced　upon　me　by　the

nature　of　my　avocation　here；　and　the　state　of　my　health。　　This

testimony；　so　long　as　I　live；　and　so　long　as　my　descendants　have

any　legal　right　in　my　books；　I　shall　cause　to　be　re…published；　as

an　appendix　to　every　copy　of　those　two　books　of　mine　in　which　I

have　referred　to　America。　　And　this　I　will　do　and　cause　to　be　done；

not　in　mere　love　and　thankfulness；　but　because　I　regard　it　as　an

act　of　plain　justice　and　honour。



Gentlemen；　the　transition　from　my　own　feelings　towards　and　interest

in　America　to　those　of　the　mass　of　my　countrymen　seems　to　be　a

natural　one；　but；　whether　or　no；　I　make　it　with　an　express　object。

I　was　asked　in　this　very　city；　about　last　Christmas　time；　whether

an　American　was　not　at　some　disadvantage　in　England　as　a　foreigner。

The　notion　of　an　American　being　regarded　in　England　as　a　foreigner

at　all；　of　his　ever　being　thought　of　or　spoken　of　in　that

character；　was　so　uncommonly　incongruous　and　absurd　to　me；　that　my

gravity　was；　for　the　moment；　quite　overpowered。　　As　soon　as　it　was

restored；　I　said　that　for　years　and　years　past　I　hoped　I　had　had　as

many　American　friends　and　had　received　as　many　American　visitors　as

almost　any　Englishman　living；　and　that　my　unvarying　experience；

fortified　by　theirs；　was　that　it　was　enough　in　England　to　be　an

American　to　be　received　with　the　readiest　respect　and　recognition

anywhere。　　Hereupon；　out　of　half…a…dozen　people；　suddenly　spoke　out

two；　one　an　American　gentleman；　with　a　cultivated　taste　for　art；

who；　finding　himself　on　a　certain　Sunday　outside　the　walls　of　a

certain　historical　English　castle；　famous　for　its　pictures；　was

refused　admission　there；　according　to　the　strict　rules　of　the

establishment　on　that　day；　but　who；　on　merely　representing　that　he

was　an　American　gentleman；　on　his　travels；　had；　not　to　say　the

picture　gallery；　but　the　whole　castle；　placed　at　his　immediate

disposal。　　The　other　was　a　lady；　who；　being　in　London；　and　having　a

great　desire　to　see　the　famous　reading…room　of　the　British　Museum；

was　assured　by　the　English　family　with　whom　she　stayed　that　it　was

unfortunately　impossible；　because　the　place　was　closed　for　a　week；

and　she　had　only　three　days　there。　　Upon　that　lady's　going　to　the

Museum；　as　she　assured　me；　alone　to　the　gate；　self…introd