speeches-literary & social-第39章

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

of　dividing　my　subject　equally　between　myself　and　you。　　Let　me

assure　you　that　whatever　you　have　accepted　with　pleasure；　either　by

word　of　pen　or　by　word　of　mouth；　from　me；　you　have　greatly　improved

in　the　acceptance。　　As　the　gold　is　said　to　be　doubly　and　trebly

refined　which　has　seven　times　passed　the　furnace；　so　a　fancy　may　be

said　to　become　more　and　more　refined　each　time　it　passes　through

the　human　heart。　　You　have；　and　you　know　you　have；　brought　to　the

consideration　of　me　that　quality　in　yourselves　without　which　I

should　but　have　beaten　the　air。　　Your　earnestness　has　stimulated

mine；　your　laughter　has　made　me　laugh；　and　your　tears　have

overflowed　my　eyes。　　All　that　I　can　claim　for　myself　in

establishing　the　relations　which　exist　between　us　is　constant

fidelity　to　hard　work。　　My　literary　fellows　about　me；　of　whom　I　am

so　proud　to　see　so　many；　know　very　well　how　true　it　is　in　all　art

that　what　seems　the　easiest　done　is　oftentimes　the　most　difficult

to　do；　and　that　the　smallest　truth　may　come　of　the　greatest　pains　…

much；　as　it　occurred　to　me　at　Manchester　the　other　day；　as　the

sensitive　touch　of　Mr。　Whitworth's　measuring　machine；　comes　at

last；　of　Heaven　and　Manchester　and　its　mayor　only　know　how　much

hammering　…　my　companions…in…arms　know　thoroughly　well；　and　I　think

it　only　right　the　public　should　know　too；　that　in　our　careful　toil

and　trouble；　and　in　our　steady　striving　for　excellence　…　not　in　any

little　gifts；　misused　by　fits　and　starts　…　lies　our　highest　duty　at

once　to　our　calling；　to　one　another；　to　ourselves；　and　to　you。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　before　sitting　down　I　find　that　I　have　to

clear　myself　of　two　very　unexpected　accusations。　　The　first　is　a

most　singular　charge　preferred　against　me　by　my　old　friend　Lord

Houghton；　that　I　have　been　somewhat　unconscious　of　the　merits　of

the　House　of　Lords。　　Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　seeing　that　I　have

had　some　few　not　altogether　obscure　or　unknown　personal　friends　in

that　assembly；　seeing　that　I　had　some　little　association　with；　and

knowledge　of；　a　certain　obscure　peer　lately　known　in　England　by　the

name　of　Lord　Brougham；　seeing　that　I　regard　with　some　admiration

and　affection　another　obscure　peer　wholly　unknown　in　literary

circles；　called　Lord　Lytton；　seeing　also　that　I　have　had　for　some

years　some　slight　admiration　of　the　extraordinary　judicial

properties　and　amazingly　acute　mind　of　a　certain　Lord　Chief　Justice

popularly　known　by　the　name　of　Cockburn；　and　also　seeing　that　there

is　no　man　in　England　whom　I　respect　more　in　his　public　capacity；

whom　I　love　more　in　his　private　capacity；　or　from　whom　I　have

received　more　remarkable　proofs　of　his　honour　and　love　of

literature　than　another　obscure　nobleman　called　Lord　Russell；

taking　these　circumstances　into　consideration；　I　was　rather　amazed

by　my　noble　friend's　accusation。　　When　I　asked　him；　on　his　sitting

down；　what　amazing　devil　possessed　him　to　make　this　charge；　he

replied　that　he　had　never　forgotten　the　days　of　Lord　Verisopht。

Then；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　understood　it　all。　　Because　it　is　a

remarkable　fact　that　in　the　days　when　that　depreciative　and

profoundly　unnatural　character　was　invented　there　was　no　Lord

Houghton　in　the　House　of　Lords。　　And　there　was　in　the　House　of

Commons　a　rather　indifferent　member　called　Richard　Monckton　Milnes。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　to　conclude；　for　the　present；　I　close　with

the　other　charge　of　my　noble　friend；　and　here　I　am　more　serious；

and　I　may　be　allowed　perhaps　to　express　my　seriousness　in　half　a

dozen　plain　words。　　When　I　first　took　literature　as　my　profession

in　England；　I　calmly　resolved　within　myself　that；　whether　I

succeeded　or　whether　I　failed；　literature　should　be　my　sole

profession。　　It　appeared　to　me　at　that　time　that　it　was　not　so　well

understood　in　England　as　it　was　in　other　countries　that　literature

was　a　dignified　profession；　by　which　any　man　might　stand　or　fall。

I　made　a　compact　with　myself　that　in　my　person　literature　should

stand；　and　by　itself；　of　itself；　and　for　itself；　and　there　is　no

consideration　on　earth　which　would　induce　me　to　break　that　bargain。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　finally　allow　me　to　thank　you　for　your　great

kindness；　and　for　the　touching　earnestness　with　which　you　have

drunk　my　health。　　I　should　have　thanked　you　with　all　my　heart　if　it

had　not　so　unfortunately　happened　that；　for　many　sufficient

reasons；　I　lost　my　heart　at　between　half…past　six　and　half…past

seven　to…night。







SPEECH：　　THE　OXFORD　AND　HARVARD　BOAT　RACE。　　SYDENHAM；　AUGUST　30；

1869。







＇The　International　University　Boat　Race　having　taken　place　on

August　27；　the　London　Rowing　Club　invited　the　Crews　to　a　Dinner　at

the　Crystal　Palace　on　the　following　Monday。　　The　dinner　was

followed　by　a　grand　display　of　pyrotechnics。　　Mr。　Dickens；　in

proposing　the　health　of　the　Crews；　made　the　following　speech：＇



GENTLEMEN；　flushed　with　fireworks；　I　can　warrant　myself　to　you　as

about　to　imitate　those　gorgeous　illusions　by　making　a　brief　spirt

and　then　dying　out。　　And；　first　of　all；　as　an　invited　visitor　of

the　London　Rowing　Club　on　this　most　interesting　occasion；　I　will

beg；　in　the　name　of　the　other　invited　visitors　present　…　always

excepting　the　distinguished　guests　who　are　the　cause　of　our　meeting

…　to　thank　the　president　for　the　modesty　and　the　courtesy　with

which　he　has　deputed　to　one　of　us　the　most　agreeable　part　of　his

evening's　duty。　　It　is　the　more　graceful　in　him　to　do　this　because

he　can　hardly　fail　to　see　that　he　might　very　easily　do　it　himself；

as　this　is　a　case　of　all　others　in　which　it　is　according　to　good

taste　and　the　very　principles　of　things　that　the　great　social　vice；

speech…making；　should　hide　it　diminished　head　before　the　great

social　virtue　action。　　However；　there　is　an　ancient　story　of　a　lady

who　threw　her　glove　into　an　arena　full　of　wild　beasts　to　tempt　her

attendant　lover　to　climb　down　and　reclaim　it。　　The　lover；　rightly

inferring　from　the　action　the　worth　of　the　lady；　risked　his　life

for　the　glove；　and　then　threw　it　rightly　in　her　face　as　a　token　of

his　eternal　adieu。　　I　take　up　the　President's　glove；　on　the

contrary；　as　a　proof　of　his　much　higher　worth；　and　of　my　real

interest　in　the　cause　in　which　it　was　thrown　down；　and　I　now

profess　my　readiness　to　do　even　injustice　to　the　duty　which　he　has

assigned　me。



Gentlemen；　a　very　remarkable　and　affecting　volume　was　published　in

the　United　States　within　a　short　time　before　my　last　visit　to　that

hospitable　land；　containing　ninety…five　biographies　of　young　men；

for　the　most　part　well…born　and　well　nurtured；　and　trained　in

various　peaceful　pursuits　of　life；　who；　when　the　flag　of　their

country　waved　them　from　those　quiet　paths　in　which　they　were

seeking　distinction　of　various　kinds；　took　arms　in　the　dread　civil

war　which　elicited　so　much　bravery　on　both　sides；　and　died　in　the

defence　of　their　country。　　These　great　spirits　displayed

extraordinary　aptitude　in　the　acquisition；　even　in　the　invention；

of　military　tactics；　in　the　combining　and　commanding　of　great

masses　of　men；　in　surprising　readiness　of　self…resource　for　the

general　good；　in　humanely　treating　the　sick　and　the　wounded；　and　in

winning　to　themselves　a　very　rare　amount　of　personal　confidence　and

trust。　　They　had　all　risen　to　be　distinguished　soldiers；　they　had

all　done　deeds　of　great　heroism；　they　had　all　combined　with　their

valour　and　self…devotion　a　serene　cheerfulness；　a　quiet　modesty；

and　a　truly　Christian　spirit；　and　they　had　all　been　educated　in　one

school　…　Harvard　University。



Gentlemen；　nothing　was　more　remarkable　in　these　fine　descendants　of

our　forefathers　than　the　invincible　determination　with　which　they

fought　against　odds；　and　the　undauntable　spirit　with　which　they

resisted　defeat。　　I　ask　you；　who　will　say　after　last　Friday　that

Harvard　University　is　less　true　to　herself　in　peace　than　she　was　in

war？　　I　ask　you；　who　w