speeches-literary & social-第42章

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himself　to　vanquish　one　by　one；　as　they　daily　arise；　all　the　little

difficulties　incidental　to　his　calling　as　an　electro…plater；　and

should　be　applied　to　by　his　companions　in　the　shop　in　all

emergencies　under　the　name　of　the　〃Encyclopaedia。〃　　Suppose　a　long

procession　of　such　cases；　and　then　consider　that　these　are　not

suppositions　at　all；　but　are　plain；　unvarnished　facts；　culminating

in　the　one　special　and　significant　fact　that；　with　a　single

solitary　exception；　every　one　of　the　institution's　industrial

students　who　have　taken　its　prizes　within　ten　years；　have　since

climbed　to　higher　situations　in　their　way　of　life。



As　to　the　extent　to　which　the　institution　encourages　the　artisan　to

think；　and　so；　for　instance；　to　rise　superior　to　the　little

shackling　prejudices　and　observances　perchance　existing　in　his

trade　when　they　will　not　bear　the　test　of　inquiry；　that　is　only　to

be　equalled　by　the　extent　to　which　it　encourages　him　to　feel。

There　is　a　certain　tone　of　modest　manliness　pervading　all　the

little　facts　which　I　have　looked　through　which　I　found　remarkably

impressive。　　The　decided　objection　on　the　part　of　industrial

students　to　attend　classes　in　their　working　clothes；　breathes　this

tone；　as　being　a　graceful　and　at　the　same　time　perfectly

independent　recognition　of　the　place　and　of　one　another。　　And　this

tone　is　admirably　illustrated　in　a　different　way；　in　the　case　of　a

poor　bricklayer；　who；　being　in　temporary　reverses　through　the

illness　of　his　family；　and　having　consequently　been　obliged　to　part

with　his　best　clothes；　and　being　therefore　missed　from　his　classes；

in　which　he　had　been　noticed　as　a　very　hard　worker；　was　persuaded

to　attend　them　in　his　working　clothes。　　He　replied；　〃No；　it　was　not

possible。　　It　must　not　be　thought　of。　　It　must　not　come　into

question　for　a　moment。　　It　would　be　supposed；　or　it　might　be

thought；　that　he　did　it　to　attract　attention。〃　And　the　same　man

being　offered　by　one　of　the　officers　a　loan　of　money　to　enable　him

to　rehabilitate　his　appearance；　positively　declined　it；　on　the

ground　that　he　came　to　the　institution　to　learn　and　to　know　better

how　to　help　himself；　not　otherwise　to　ask　help；　or　to　receive　help

from　any　man。　　Now；　I　am　justified　in　calling　this　the　tone　of　the

institution；　because　it　is　no　isolated　instance；　but　is　a　fair　and

honourable　sample　of　the　spirit　of　the　place；　and　as　such　I　put　it

at　the　conclusion　…　though　last　certainly　not　least　…　of　my


references　to　what　your　institution　has　indubitably　done。



Well；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　come　at　length　to　what；　in　the　humble

opinion　of　the　evanescent　officer　before　you；　remains　for　the

institution　to　do；　and　not　to　do。　　As　Mr。　Carlyle　has　it　towards

the　closing　pages　of　his　grand　history　of　the　French　Revolution；

〃This　we　are　now　with　due　brevity　to　glance　at；　and　then　courage；

oh　listener；　I　see　land！〃　　I　earnestly　hope　…　and　I　firmly　believe

…　that　your　institution　will　do　henceforth　as　it　has　done　hitherto；

it　can　hardly　do　better。　　I　hope　and　believe　that　it　will　know

among　its　members　no　distinction　of　persons；　creed；　or　party；　but

that　it　will　conserve　its　place　of　assemblage　as　a　high；　pure

ground；　on　which　all　such　considerations　shall　merge　into　the　one

universal；　heaven…sent　aspiration　of　the　human　soul　to　be　wiser　and

better。　　I　hope　and　believe　that　it　will　always　be　expansive　and

elastic；　for　ever　seeking　to　devise　new　means　of　enlarging　the

circle　of　its　members；　of　attracting　to　itself　the　confidence　of

still　greater　and　greater　numbers；　and　never　evincing　any　more

disposition　to　stand　still　than　time　does；　or　life　does；　or　the

seasons　do。　　And　above　all　things；　I　hope；　and　I　feel　confident

from　its　antecedents；　that　it　will　never　allow　any　consideration　on

the　face　of　the　earth　to　induce　it　to　patronise　or　to　be

patronised；　for　I　verily　believe　that　the　bestowal　and　receipt　of

patronage　in　such　wise　has　been　a　curse　in　England；　and　that　it　has

done　more　to　prevent　really　good　objects；　and　to　lower　really　high

character；　than　the　utmost　efforts　of　the　narrowest　antagonism

could　have　effected　in　twice　the　time。



I　have　no　fear　that　the　walls　of　the　Birmingham　and　Midland

Institute　will　ever　tremble　responsive　to　the　croakings　of　the

timid　opponents　of　intellectual　progress；　but　in　this　connexion

generally　I　cannot　forbear　from　offering　a　remark　which　is　much

upon　my　mind。　　It　is　commonly　assumed　…　much　too　commonly　…　that

this　age　is　a　material　age；　and　that　a　material　age　is　an

irreligious　age。　　I　have　been　pained　lately　to　see　this　assumption

repeated　in　certain　influential　quarters　for　which　I　have　a　high

respect；　and　desire　to　have　a　higher。　　I　am　afraid　that　by　dint　of

constantly　being　reiterated；　and　reiterated　without　protest；　this

assumption　…　which　I　take　leave　altogether　to　deny　…　may　be

accepted　by　the　more　unthinking　part　of　the　public　as

unquestionably　true；　just　as　caricaturists　and　painters；

professedly　making　a　portrait　of　some　public　man；　which　was　not　in

the　least　like　him　to　begin　with；　have　gone　on　repeating　and

repeating　it　until　the　public　came　to　believe　that　it　must　be

exactly　like　him；　simply　because　it　was　like　itself；　and　really

have　at　last；　in　the　fulness　of　time；　grown　almost　disposed　to

resent　upon　him　their　tardy　discovery　…　really　to　resent　upon　him

their　late　discovery　…　that　he　was　not　like　it。　　I　confess；

standing　here　in　this　responsible　situation；　that　I　do　not

understand　this　much…used　and　much…abused　phrase　…　the　〃material

age。〃　　I　cannot　comprehend　…　if　anybody　can　I　very　much　doubt　…　its

logical　signification。　　For　instance；　has　electricity　become　more

material　in　the　mind　of　any　sane　or　moderately　insane　man；　woman；

or　child；　because　of　the　discovery　that　in　the　good　providence　of

God　it　could　be　made　available　for　the　service　and　use　of　man　to　an

immeasurably　greater　extent　than　for　his　destruction？　　Do　I　make　a

more　material　journey　to　the　bed…side　of　my　dying　parent　or　my

dying　child　when　I　travel　there　at　the　rate　of　sixty　miles　an　hour；

than　when　I　travel　thither　at　the　rate　of　six？　　Rather；　in　the

swiftest　case；　does　not　my　agonised　heart　become　over…fraught　with

gratitude　to　that　Supreme　Beneficence　from　whom　alone　could　have

proceeded　the　wonderful　means　of　shortening　my　suspense？　　What　is

the　materiality　of　the　cable　or　the　wire　compared　with　the

materiality　of　the　spark？　　What　is　the　materiality　of　certain

chemical　substances　that　we　can　weigh　or　measure；　imprison　or

release；　compared　with　the　materiality　of　their　appointed

affinities　and　repulsions　presented　to　them　from　the　instant　of

their　creation　to　the　day　of　judgment？　　When　did　this　so…called

material　age　begin？　　With　the　use　of　clothing；　with　the　discovery

of　the　compass；　with　the　invention　of　the　art　of　printing？　　Surely；

it　has　been　a　long　time　about；　and　which　is　the　more　material

object；　the　farthing　tallow　candle　that　will　not　give　me　light；　or

that　flame　of　gas　which　will？



No；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　do　not　let　us　be　discouraged　or　deceived

by　any　fine；　vapid；　empty　words。　　The　true　material　age　is　the

stupid　Chinese　age；　in　which　no　new　or　grand　revelations　of　nature

are　granted；　because　they　are　ignorantly　and　insolently　repelled；

instead　of　being　diligently　and　humbly　sought。　　The　difference

between　the　ancient　fiction　of　the　mad　braggart　defying　the

lightning　and　the　modern　historical　picture　of　Franklin　drawing　it

towards　his　kite；　in　order　that　he　might　the　more　profoundly　study

that　which　was　set　before　him　to　be　studied　（or　it　would　not　have

been　there）；　happily　expresses　to　my　mind　the　distinction　between

the　much…maligned　material　sages　…　material　in　one　sense；　I

suppose；　but　in　another　very　immaterial　sages　…　of　the　Celestial

Empire　school。　　Consider　whether　it　is　likely　or　unlikely；　natural

or　unnatural；　reasonable　or　unreasonable；　that　I；　a　being　capable

of　thought；　and　finding　myself　surrounded　by　such　discovered

wonder