speeches-literary & social-第41章

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by　any　name　without　in　the　least　changing　its　nature　…　bethinking

myself　that　you　may；　if　you　be　so　minded；　call　a　butterfly　a

buffalo；　without　advancing　a　hair's　breadth　towards　making　it　one　…

I　became　composed　in　my　mind；　and　resolved　to　stick　to　the　very

homely　intention　I　had　previously　formed。　　This　was　merely　to　tell

you；　the　members；　students；　and　friends　of　the　Birmingham　and

Midland　Institute　…　firstly；　what　you　cannot　possibly　want　to　know；

（this　is　a　very　popular　oratorical　theme）；　secondly；　what　your

institution　has　done；　and；　thirdly；　what；　in　the　poor　opinion　of

its　President　for　the　time　being；　remains　for　it　to　do　and　not　to

do。



Now；　first；　as　to　what　you　cannot　possibly　want　to　know。　　You

cannot　need　from　me　any　oratorical　declamation　concerning　the

abstract　advantages　of　knowledge　or　the　beauties　of　self…

improvement。　　If　you　had　any　such　requirement　you　would　not　be

here。　　I　conceive　that　you　are　here　because　you　have　become

thoroughly　penetrated　with　such　principles；　either　in　your　own

persons　or　in　the　persons　of　some　striving　fellow…creatures；　on

whom　you　have　looked　with　interest　and　sympathy。　　I　conceive　that

you　are　here　because　you　feel　the　welfare　of　the　great　chiefly

adult　educational　establishment；　whose　doors　stand　really　open　to

all　sorts　and　conditions　of　people；　to　be　inseparable　from　the　best

welfare　of　your　great　town　and　its　neighbourhood。　　Nay；　if　I　take　a

much　wider　range　than　that；　and　say　that　we　all　…　every　one　of　us

here　…　perfectly　well　know　that　the　benefits　of　such　an

establishment　must　extend　far　beyond　the　limits　of　this　midland

county　…　its　fires　and　smoke；　…　and　must　comprehend；　in　some　sort；

the　whole　community；　I　do　not　strain　the　truth。　　It　was　suggested

by　Mr。　Babbage；　in　his　ninth　〃Bridgewater　Treatise；〃　that　a　mere

spoken　word　…　a　single　articulated　syllable　thrown　into　the　air　…

may　go　on　reverberating　through　illimitable　space　for　ever　and　for

ever；　seeing　that　there　is　no　rim　against　which　it　can　strike　…　no

boundary　at　which　it　can　possibly　arrive。　　Similarly　it　may　be　said

…　not　as　an　ingenious　speculation；　but　as　a　stedfast　and　absolute

fact　…　that　human　calculation　cannot　limit　the　influence　of　one

atom　of　wholesome　knowledge　patiently　acquired；　modestly　possessed；

and　faithfully　used。



As　the　astronomers　tell　us　that　it　is　probable　that　there　are　in

the　universe　innumerable　solar　systems　besides　ours；　to　each　of

which　myriads　of　utterly　unknown　and　unseen　stars　belong；　so　it　is

certain　that　every　man；　however　obscure；　however　far　removed　from

the　general　recognition；　is　one　of　a　group　of　men　impressible　for

good；　and　impressible　for　evil；　and　that　it　is　in　the　eternal

nature　of　things　that　he　cannot　really　improve　himself　without　in

some　degree　improving　other　men。　　And　observe；　this　is　especially

the　case　when　he　has　improved　himself　in　the　teeth　of　adverse

circumstances；　as　in　a　maturity　succeeding　to　a　neglected　or　an

ill…taught　youth；　in　the　few　daily　hours　remaining　to　him　after　ten

or　twelve　hours'　labour；　in　the　few　pauses　and　intervals　of　a　life

of　toil；　for　then　his　fellows　and　companions　have　assurance　that　he

can　have　known　no　favouring　conditions；　and　that　they　can　do　what

he　has　done；　in　wresting　some　enlightenment　and　self…respect　from

what　Lord　Lytton　finely　calls　…





〃Those　twin　gaolers　of　the　daring　heart；

Low　birth　and　iron　fortune。〃





As　you　have　proved　these　truths　in　your　own　experience　or　in　your

own　observation；　and　as　it　may　be　safely　assumed　that　there　can　be

very　few　persons　in　Birmingham；　of　all　places　under　heaven；　who

would　contest　the　position　that　the　more　cultivated　the　employed

the　better　for　the　employer；　and　the　more　cultivated　the　employer

the　better　for　the　employed；　therefore；　my　references　to　what　you

do　not　want　to　know　shall　here　cease　and　determine。



Next；　with　reference　to　what　your　institution　has　done　on　my

summary；　which　shall　be　as　concise　and　as　correct　as　my　information

and　my　remembrance　of　it　may　render　possible；　I　desire　to　lay

emphatic　stress。　　Your　institution；　sixteen　years　old；　and　in　which

masters　and　workmen　study　together；　has　outgrown　the　ample　edifice

in　which　it　receives　its　2；500　or　2；600　members　and　students。　　It

is　a　most　cheering　sign　of　its　vigorous　vitality　that　of　its

industrial…students　almost　half　are　artisans　in　the　receipt　of

weekly　wages。　　I　think　I　am　correct　in　saying　that　400　others　are

clerks；　apprentices；　tradesmen；　or　tradesmen's　sons。　　I　note　with

particular　pleasure　the　adherence　of　a　goodly　number　of　the　gentler

sex；　without　whom　no　institution　whatever　can　truly　claim　to　be

either　a　civilising　or　a　civilised　one。　　The　increased　attendance

at　your　educational　classes　is　always　greatest　on　the　part　of　the

artisans　…　the　class　within　my　experience　the　least　reached　in　any

similar　institutions　elsewhere；　and　whose　name　is　the　oftenest　and

the　most　constantly　taken　in　vain。　　But　it　is　specially　reached

here；　not　improbably　because　it　is；　as　it　should　be；　specially

addressed　in　the　foundation　of　the　industrial　department；　in　the

allotment　of　the　direction　of　the　society's　affairs；　and　in　the

establishment　of　what　are　called　its　penny　classes　…　a　bold；　and；　I

am　happy　to　say；　a　triumphantly　successful　experiment；　which

enables　the　artisan　to　obtain　sound　evening　instruction　in　subjects

directly　bearing　upon　his　daily　usefulness　or　on　his　daily

happiness；　as　arithmetic　（elementary　and　advanced）；　chemistry；

physical　geography；　and　singing；　on　payment　of　the　astoundingly　low

fee　of　a　single　penny　every　time　he　attends　the　class。　　I　beg

emphatically　to　say　that　I　look　upon　this　as　one　of　the　most

remarkable　schemes　ever　devised　for　the　educational　behoof　of　the

artisan；　and　if　your　institution　had　done　nothing　else　in　all　its

life；　I　would　take　my　stand　by　it　on　its　having　done　this。



Apart；　however；　from　its　industrial　department；　it　has　its　general

department；　offering　all　the　advantages　of　a　first…class　literary

institution。　　It　has　its　reading…rooms；　its　library；　its　chemical

laboratory；　its　museum；　its　art　department；　its　lecture　hall；　and

its　long　list　of　lectures　on　subjects　of　various　and　comprehensive

interest；　delivered　by　lecturers　of　the　highest　qualifications。

Very　well。　　But　it　may　be　asked；　what　are　the　practical　results　of

all　these　appliances？　　Now；　let　us　suppose　a　few。　　Suppose　that

your　institution　should　have　educated　those　who　are　now　its

teachers。　　That　would　be　a　very　remarkable　fact。　　Supposing；

besides；　it　should；　so　to　speak；　have　educated　education　all　around

it；　by　sending　forth　numerous　and　efficient　teachers　into　many　and

divers　schools。　　Suppose　the　young　student；　reared　exclusively　in

its　laboratory；　should　be　presently　snapped　up　for　the　laboratory

of　the　great　and　famous　hospitals。　　Suppose　that　in　nine　years　its

industrial　students　should　have　carried　off　a　round　dozen　of　the

much　competed　for　prizes　awarded　by　the　Society　of　Arts　and　the

Government　department；　besides　two　local　prizes　originating　in　the

generosity　of　a　Birmingham　man。　　Suppose　that　the　Town　Council；

having　it　in　trust　to　find　an　artisan　well　fit　to　receive　the

Whitworth　prizes；　should　find　him　here。　　Suppose　that　one　of　the

industrial　students　should　turn　his　chemical　studies　to　the

practical　account　of　extracting　gold　from　waste　colour　water；　and

of　taking　it　into　custody；　in　the　very　act　of　running　away　with

hundreds　of　pounds　down　the　town　drains。　　Suppose　another　should

perceive　in　his　books；　in　his　studious　evenings；　what　was　amiss

with　his　master's　until　then　inscrutably　defective　furnace；　and

should　go　straight　…　to　the　great　annual　saving　of　that　master　…

and　put　it　right。　　Supposing　another　should　puzzle　out　the　means；

until　then　quite　unknown　in　England；　of　making　a　certain

description　of　coloured　glass。　　Supposing　another　should　qualify

himself　to　vanquish　one　by　one；　as　they　daily　arise；　all　th