speeches-literary & social-第38章

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

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

American　lady；　the　gate　flew　open；　as　it　were　magically。　　I　am

unwillingly　bound　to　add　that　she　certainly　was　young　and

exceedingly　pretty。　　Still；　the　porter　of　that　institution　is　of　an

obese　habit；　and；　according　to　the　best　of　my　observation　of　him；

not　very　impressible。



Now；　gentlemen；　I　refer　to　these　trifles　as　a　collateral　assurance

to　you　that　the　Englishman　who　shall　humbly　strive；　as　I　hope　to

do；　to　be　in　England　as　faithful　to　America　as　to　England　herself；

has　no　previous　conceptions　to　contend　against。　　Points　of

difference　there　have　been；　points　of　difference　there　are；　points

of　difference　there　probably　always　will　be　between　the　two　great

peoples。　　But　broadcast　in　England　is　sown　the　sentiment　that　those

two　peoples　are　essentially　one；　and　that　it　rests　with　them

jointly　to　uphold　the　great　Anglo…Saxon　race；　to　which　our

president　has　referred；　and　all　its　great　achievements　before　the

world。　　And　if　I　know　anything　of　my　countrymen　…　and　they　give　me

credit　for　knowing　something　…　if　I　know　anything　of　my　countrymen；

gentlemen；　the　English　heart　is　stirred　by　the　fluttering　of　those

Stars　and　Stripes；　as　it　is　stirred　by　no　other　flag　that　flies

except　its　own。　　If　I　know　my　countrymen；　in　any　and　every　relation

towards　America；　they　begin；　not　as　Sir　Anthony　Absolute

recommended　that　lovers　should　begin；　with　〃a　little　aversion；〃　but

with　a　great　liking　and　a　profound　respect；　and　whatever　the　little

sensitiveness　of　the　moment；　or　the　little　official　passion；　or　the

little　official　policy　now；　or　then；　or　here；　or　there；　may　be；

take　my　word　for　it；　that　the　first　enduring；　great；　popular

consideration　in　England　is　a　generous　construction　of　justice。



Finally；　gentlemen；　and　I　say　this　subject　to　your　correction；　I　do

believe　that　from　the　great　majority　of　honest　minds　on　both　sides；

there　cannot　be　absent　the　conviction　that　it　would　be　better　for

this　globe　to　be　riven　by　an　earthquake；　fired　by　a　comet；　overrun

by　an　iceberg；　and　abandoned　to　the　Arctic　fox　and　bear；　than　that

it　should　present　the　spectacle　of　these　two　great　nations；　each　of

which　has；　in　its　own　way　and　hour；　striven　so　hard　and　so

successfully　for　freedom；　ever　again　being　arrayed　the　one　against

the　other。　　Gentlemen；　I　cannot　thank　your　president　enough　or　you

enough　for　your　kind　reception　of　my　health；　and　of　my　poor

remarks；　but；　believe　me；　I　do　thank　you　with　the　utmost　fervour　of

which　my　soul　is　capable。







SPEECH：　　NEW　YORK；　APRIL　20；　1868。







＇Mr。　Dickens's　last　Reading　in　the　United　States　was　given　at　the

Steinway　Hall　on　the　above　date。　　The　task　finished　he　was　about　to

retire；　but　a　tremendous　burst　of　applause　stopped　him。　　He　came

forward　and　spoke　thus：…＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　The　shadow　of　one　word　has　impended　over　me

this　evening；　and　the　time　has　come　at　length　when　the　shadow　must

fall。　　It　is　but　a　very　short　one；　but　the　weight　of　such　things　is

not　measured　by　their　length；　and　two　much　shorter　words　express

the　round　of　our　human　existence。　　When　I　was　reading　〃David

Copperfield〃　a　few　evenings　since；　I　felt　there　was　more　than　usual

significance　in　the　words　of　Peggotty；　〃My　future　life　lies　over

the　sea。〃　　And　when　I　closed　this　book　just　now；　I　felt　most　keenly

that　I　was　shortly　to　establish　such　an　ALIBI　as　would　have

satisfied　even　the　elder　Mr。　Weller。　　The　relations　which　have　been

set　up　between　us；　while　they　have　involved　for　me　something　more

than　mere　devotion　to　a　task；　have　been　by　you　sustained　with　the

readiest　sympathy　and　the　kindest　acknowledgment。



Those　relations　must　now　be　broken　for　ever。　　Be　assured；　however；

that　you　will　not　pass　from　my　mind。　　I　shall　often　realise　you　as

I　see　you　now；　equally　by　my　winter　fire　and　in　the　green　English

summer　weather。　　I　shall　never　recall　you　as　a　mere　public

audience；　but　rather　as　a　host　of　personal　friends；　and　ever　with

the　greatest　gratitude；　tenderness；　and　consideration。　　Ladies　and

gentlemen；　I　beg　to　bid　you　farewell。　　God　bless　you；　and　God　bless

the　land　in　which　I　leave　you。







SPEECH：　　LIVERPOOL；　APRIL　10；　1869。







＇The　following　speech　was　delivered　by　Mr。　Dickens　at　a　Banquet

held　in　his　honour　at　St。　George's　Hall；　Liverpool；　after　his

health　had　been　proposed　by　Lord　Dufferin。＇



MR。　MAYOR；　LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　although　I　have　been　so　well

accustomed　of　late　to　the　sound　of　my　own　voice　in　this

neighbourhood　as　to　hear　it　with　perfect　composure；　the　occasion

is；　believe　me；　very；　very　different　in　respect　of　those

overwhelming　voices　of　yours。　　As　Professor　Wilson　once　confided　to

me　in　Edinburgh　that　I　had　not　the　least　idea；　from　hearing　him　in

public；　what　a　magnificent　speaker　he　found　himself　to　be　when　he

was　quite　alone　…　so　you　can　form　no　conception；　from　the　specimen

before　you；　of　the　eloquence　with　which　I　shall　thank　you　again　and

again　in　some　of　the　innermost　moments　of　my　future　life。　　Often

and　often；　then；　God　willing；　my　memory　will　recall　this　brilliant

scene；　and　will　re…illuminate　this　banquet…hall。　　I；　faithful　to

this　place　in　its　present　aspect；　will　observe　it　exactly　as　it

stands　…　not　one　man's　seat　empty；　not　one　woman's　fair　face

absent；　while　life　and　memory　abide　by　me。



Mr。　Mayor；　Lord　Dufferin　in　his　speech　so　affecting　to　me；　so

eloquently　uttered；　and　so　rapturously　received；　made　a　graceful

and　gracious　allusion　to　the　immediate　occasion　of　my　present　visit

to　your　noble　city。　　It　is　no　homage　to　Liverpool；　based　upon　a

moment's　untrustworthy　enthusiasm；　but　it　is　the　solid　fact　built

upon　the　rock　of　experience　that　when　I　first　made　up　my　mind；

after　considerable　deliberation；　systematically　to　meet　my　readers

in　large　numbers；　face　to　face；　and　to　try　to　express　myself　to

them　through　the　breath　of　life；　Liverpool　stood　foremost　among　the

great　places　out　of　London　to　which　I　looked　with　eager　confidence

and　pleasure。　　And　why　was　this？　　Not　merely　because　of　the

reputation　of　its　citizens　for　generous　estimation　of　the　arts；　not

merely　because　I　had　unworthily　filled　the　chair　of　its　great　self…

educational　institution　long　ago；　not　merely　because　the　place　had

been　a　home　to　me　since　the　well…remembered　day　when　its　blessed

roofs　and　steeples　dipped　into　the　Mersey　behind　me　on　the　occasion

of　my　first　sailing　away　to　see　my　generous　friends　across　the

Atlantic　twenty…seven　years　ago。　　Not　for　one　of　those

considerations；　but　because　it　had　been　my　happiness　to　have　a

public　opportunity　of　testing　the　spirit　of　its　people。　　I　had

asked　Liverpool　for　help　towards　the　worthy　preservation　of

Shakespeare's　house。　　On　another　occasion　I　had　ventured　to　address

Liverpool　in　the　names　of　Leigh　Hunt　and　Sheridan　Knowles。　　On

still　another　occasion　I　had　addressed　it　in　the　cause　of　the

brotherhood　and　sisterhood　of　letters　and　the　kindred　arts；　and　on

each　and　all　the　response　had　been　unsurpassably　spontaneous；　open…

handed；　and　munificent。



Mr。　Mayor；　and　ladies　and　gentlemen；　if　I　may　venture　to　take　a

small　illustration　of　my　present　position　from　my　own　peculiar

craft；　I　would　say　that　there　is　this　objection　in　writing　fiction

to　giving　a　story　an　autobiographical　form；　that　through　whatever

dangers　the　narrator　may　pass；　it　is　clear　unfortunately　to　the

reader　beforehand　that　he　must　have　come　through　them　somehow　else

he　could　not　have　lived　to　tell　the　tale。　　Now；　in　speaking　fact；

when　the　fact　is　associated　with　such　honours　as　those　with　which

you　have　enriched　me；　there　is　this　singular　difficulty　in　the　way

of　returning　thanks；　that　the　speaker　must　infallibly　come　back　to

himself　through　whatever　oratorical　disasters　he　may　languish　on

the　road。　　Let　me；　then；　take　the　plainer　and　simpler　middle　course

of　dividing　my