speeches-literary & social-第4章

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author　to　speak　of　his　own　books。　　If　the　task　be　a　difficult　one

at　any　time；　its　difficulty；　certainly；　is　not　diminished　when　a

frequent　recurrence　to　the　same　theme　has　left　one　nothing　new　to

say。　　Still；　I　feel　that；　in　a　company　like　this；　and　especially

after　what　has　been　said　by　the　President；　that　I　ought　not　to　pass

lightly　over　those　labours　of　love；　which；　if　they　had　no　other

merit；　have　been　the　happy　means　of　bringing　us　together。



It　has　been　often　observed；　that　you　cannot　judge　of　an　author's

personal　character　from　his　writings。　　It　may　be　that　you　cannot。

I　think　it　very　likely；　for　many　reasons；　that　you　cannot。　　But；　at

least；　a　reader　will　rise　from　the　perusal　of　a　book　with　some

defined　and　tangible　idea　of　the　writer's　moral　creed　and　broad

purposes；　if　he　has　any　at　all；　and　it　is　probable　enough　that　he

may　like　to　have　this　idea　confirmed　from　the　author's　lips；　or

dissipated　by　his　explanation。　　Gentlemen；　my　moral　creed　…　which

is　a　very　wide　and　comprehensive　one；　and　includes　all　sects　and

parties　…　is　very　easily　summed　up。　　I　have　faith；　and　I　wish　to

diffuse　faith　in　the　existence　…　yes；　of　beautiful　things；　even　in

those　conditions　of　society；　which　are　so　degenerate；　degraded；　and

forlorn；　that；　at　first　sight；　it　would　seem　as　though　they　could

not　be　described　but　by　a　strange　and　terrible　reversal　of　the

words　of　Scripture；　〃God　said；　Let　there　be　light；　and　there　was

none。〃　　I　take　it　that　we　are　born；　and　that　we　hold　our

sympathies；　hopes；　and　energies；　in　trust　for　the　many；　and　not　for

the　few。　　That　we　cannot　hold　in　too　strong　a　light　of　disgust　and

contempt；　before　the　view　of　others；　all　meanness；　falsehood；

cruelty；　and　oppression；　of　every　grade　and　kind。　　Above　all；　that

nothing　is　high；　because　it　is　in　a　high　place；　and　that　nothing　is

low；　because　it　is　in　a　low　one。　　This　is　the　lesson　taught　us　in

the　great　book　of　nature。　　This　is　the　lesson　which　may　be　read；

alike　in　the　bright　track　of　the　stars；　and　in　the　dusty　course　of

the　poorest　thing　that　drags　its　tiny　length　upon　the　ground。　　This

is　the　lesson　ever　uppermost　in　the　thoughts　of　that　inspired　man；

who　tells　us　that　there　are





〃Tongues　in　the　trees；　books　in　the　running　brooks；

Sermons　in　stones；　and　good　in　everything。〃





Gentlemen；　keeping　these　objects　steadily　before　me；　I　am　at　no

loss　to　refer　your　favour　and　your　generous　hospitality　back　to　the

right　source。　　While　I　know；　on　the　one　hand；　that　if；　instead　of

being　what　it　is；　this　were　a　land　of　tyranny　and　wrong；　I　should

care　very　little　for　your　smiles　or　frowns；　so　I　am　sure　upon　the

other；　that　if；　instead　of　being　what　I　am；　I　were　the　greatest

genius　that　ever　trod　the　earth；　and　had　diverted　myself　for　the

oppression　and　degradation　of　mankind；　you　would　despise　and　reject

me。　　I　hope　you　will；　whenever；　through　such　means；　I　give　you　the

opportunity。　　Trust　me；　that；　whenever　you　give　me　the　like

occasion；　I　will　return　the　compliment　with　interest。



Gentlemen；　as　I　have　no　secrets　from　you；　in　the　spirit　of

confidence　you　have　engendered　between　us；　and　as　I　have　made　a

kind　of　compact　with　myself　that　I　never　will；　while　I　remain　in

America；　omit　an　opportunity　of　referring　to　a　topic　in　which　I　and

all　others　of　my　class　on　both　sides　of　the　water　are　equally

interested　…　equally　interested；　there　is　no　difference　between　us；

I　would　beg　leave　to　whisper　in　your　ear　two　words：　　INTERNATIONAL

COPYRIGHT。　　I　use　them　in　no　sordid　sense；　believe　me；　and　those

who　know　me　best；　best　know　that。　　For　myself；　I　would　rather　that

my　children；　coming　after　me；　trudged　in　the　mud；　and　knew　by　the

general　feeling　of　society　that　their　father　was　beloved；　and　had

been　of　some　use；　than　I　would　have　them　ride　in　their　carriages；

and　know　by　their　banker's　books　that　he　was　rich。　　But　I　do　not

see；　I　confess；　why　one　should　be　obliged　to　make　the　choice；　or

why　fame；　besides　playing　that　delightful　REVEIL　for　which　she　is

so　justly　celebrated；　should　not　blow　out　of　her　trumpet　a　few

notes　of　a　different　kind　from　those　with　which　she　has　hitherto

contented　herself。



It　was　well　observed　the　other　night　by　a　beautiful　speaker；　whose

words　went　to　the　heart　of　every　man　who　heard　him；　that；　if　there

had　existed　any　law　in　this　respect；　Scott　might　not　have　sunk

beneath　the　mighty　pressure　on　his　brain；　but　might　have　lived　to

add　new　creatures　of　his　fancy　to　the　crowd　which　swarm　about　you

in　your　summer　walks；　and　gather　round　your　winter　evening　hearths。



As　I　listened　to　his　words；　there　came　back；　fresh　upon　me；　that

touching　scene　in　the　great　man's　life；　when　he　lay　upon　his　couch；

surrounded　by　his　family；　and　listened；　for　the　last　time；　to　the

rippling　of　the　river　he　had　so　well　loved；　over　its　stony　bed。　　I

pictured　him　to　myself；　faint；　wan；　dying；　crushed　both　in　mind　and

body　by　his　honourable　struggle；　and　hovering　round　him　the

phantoms　of　his　own　imagination　…　Waverley；　Ravenswood；　Jeanie

Deans；　Rob　Roy；　Caleb　Balderstone；　Dominie　Sampson　…　all　the

familiar　throng　…　with　cavaliers；　and　Puritans；　and　Highland　chiefs

innumerable　overflowing　the　chamber；　and　fading　away　in　the　dim

distance　beyond。　　I　pictured　them；　fresh　from　traversing　the　world；

and　hanging　down　their　heads　in　shame　and　sorrow；　that；　from　all

those　lands　into　which　they　had　carried　gladness；　instruction；　and

delight　for　millions；　they　brought　him　not　one　friendly　hand　to

help　to　raise　him　from　that　sad；　sad　bed。　　No；　nor　brought　him　from

that　land　in　which　his　own　language　was　spoken；　and　in　every　house

and　hut　of　which　his　own　books　were　read　in　his　own　tongue；　one

grateful　dollar…piece　to　buy　a　garland　for　his　grave。　　Oh！　if　every

man　who　goes　from　here；　as　many　do；　to　look　upon　that　tomb　in

Dryburgh　Abbey；　would　but　remember　this；　and　bring　the　recollection

home！



Gentlemen；　I　thank　you　again；　and　once　again；　and　many　times　to

that。　　You　have　given　me　a　new　reason　for　remembering　this　day；

which　is　already　one　of　mark　in　my　calendar；　it　being　my　birthday；

and　you　have　given　those　who　are　nearest　and　dearest　to　me　a　new

reason　for　recollecting　it　with　pride　and　interest。　　Heaven　knows

that；　although　I　should　grow　ever　so　gray；　I　shall　need　nothing　to

remind　me　of　this　epoch　in　my　life。　　But　I　am　glad　to　think　that

from　this　time　you　are　inseparably　connected　with　every　recurrence

of　this　day；　and；　that　on　its　periodical　return；　I　shall　always；　in

imagination；　have　the　unfading　pleasure　of　entertaining　you　as　my

guests；　in　return　for　the　gratification　you　have　afforded　me　to…

night。







SPEECH：　　NEW　YORK；　FEBRUARY　18；　1842。







＇At　a　dinner　presided　over　by　Washington　Irving；　when　nearly　eight

hundred　of　the　most　distinguished　citizens　of　New　York　were

present；　〃Charles　Dickens；　the　Literary　Guest　of　the　Nation；〃

having　been　〃proferred　as　a　sentiment〃　by　the　Chairman；　Mr。　Dickens

rose；　and　spoke　as　follows：＇



GENTLEMEN；　…　I　don't　know　how　to　thank　you　…　I　really　don't　know

how。　　You　would　naturally　suppose　that　my　former　experience　would

have　given　me　this　power；　and　that　the　difficulties　in　my　way　would

have　been　diminished；　but　I　assure　you　the　fact　is　exactly　the

reverse；　and　I　have　completely　baulked　the　ancient　proverb　that　〃a

rolling　stone　gathers　no　moss；〃　and　in　my　progress　to　this　city　I

have　collected　such　a　weight　of　obligations　and　acknowledgment　…　I

have　picked　up　such　an　enormous　mass　of　fresh　moss　at　every　point；

and　was　so　struck　by　the　brilliant　scenes　of　Monday　night；　that　I

thought　I　could　never　by　any　possibility　grow　any　bigger。　　I　have

made；　continually；　new　accumulations　to　such　an　extent　that　I　am

compelled　to　stand　still；　and　can　roll　no　more！



Gentlemen；　we　learn　from　the　authorities；　that；　when　fairy　stories；

or　balls；　or　rolls　of　thread；　stopped　of　their　own　accord　…　as　I　do

not　…　it　presaged　some　great　catastrophe　near　at　hand。　The