speeches-literary & social-第43章

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

of　thought；　and　finding　myself　surrounded　by　such　discovered

wonders　on　every　hand；　should　sometimes　ask　myself　the　question　…

should　put　to　myself　the　solemn　consideration　…　can　these　things　be

among　those　things　which　might　have　been　disclosed　by　divine　lips

nigh　upon　two　thousand　years　ago；　but　that　the　people　of　that　time

could　not　bear　them？　　And　whether　this　be　so　or　no；　if　I　am　so

surrounded　on　every　hand；　is　not　my　moral　responsibility

tremendously　increased　thereby；　and　with　it　my　intelligence　and

submission　as　a　child　of　Adam　and　of　the　dust；　before　that　Shining

Source　which　equally　of　all　that　is　granted　and　all　that　is

withheld　holds　in　His　mighty　hands　the　unapproachable　mysteries　of

life　and　death。



To　the　students　of　your　industrial　classes　generally　I　have　had　it

in　my　mind；　first；　to　commend　the　short　motto；　in　two　words；

〃Courage　…　Persevere。〃　　This　is　the　motto　of　a　friend　and　worker。

Not　because　the　eyes　of　Europe　are　upon　them；　for　I　don't　in　the

least　believe　it；　nor　because　the　eyes　of　even　England　are　upon

them；　for　I　don't　in　the　least　believe　it；　not　because　their　doings

will　be　proclaimed　with　blast　of　trumpet　at　street　corners；　for　no

such　musical　performances　will　take　place；　not　because　self…

improvement　is　at　all　certain　to　lead　to　worldly　success；　but

simply　because　it　is　good　and　right　of　itself；　and　because；　being

so；　it　does　assuredly　bring　with　it　its　own　resources　and　its　own

rewards。　　I　would　further　commend　to　them　a　very　wise　and　witty

piece　of　advice　on　the　conduct　of　the　understanding　which　was　given

more　than　half　a　century　ago　by　the　Rev。　Sydney　Smith　…　wisest　and

wittiest　of　the　friends　I　have　lost。　　He　says　…　and　he　is　speaking；

you　will　please　understand；　as　I　speak；　to　a　school　of　volunteer

students　…　he　says：　　〃There　is　a　piece　of　foppery　which　is　to　be

cautiously　guarded　against；　the　foppery　of　universality；　of　knowing

all　sciences　and　excelling　in　all　arts　…　chymistry；　mathematics；

algebra；　dancing；　history；　reasoning；　riding；　fencing；　Low　Dutch；

High　Dutch；　and　natural　philosophy。　　In　short；　the　modern　precept

of　education　very　often　is；　'Take　the　Admirable　Crichton　for　your

model；　I　would　have　you　ignorant　of　nothing。'　　Now；〃　says　he；　〃my

advice；　on　the　contrary；　is　to　have　the　courage　to　be　ignorant　of　a

great　number　of　things；　in　order　that　you　may　avoid　the　calamity　of

being　ignorant　of　everything。〃



To　this　I　would　superadd　a　little　truth；　which　holds　equally　good

of　my　own　life　and　the　life　of　every　eminent　man　I　have　ever　known。

The　one　serviceable；　safe；　certain；　remunerative；　attainable

quality　in　every　study　and　in　every　pursuit　is　the　quality　of

attention。　　My　own　invention　or　imagination；　such　as　it　is；　I　can

most　truthfully　assure　you；　would　never　have　served　me　as　it　has；

but　for　the　habit　of　commonplace；　humble；　patient；　daily；　toiling；

drudging　attention。　　Genius；　vivacity；　quickness　of　penetration；

brilliancy　in　association　of　ideas　…　such　mental　qualities；　like

the　qualities　of　the　apparition　of　the　externally　armed　head　in

MACBETH；　will　not　be　commanded；　but　attention；　after　due　term　of

submissive　service；　always　will。　　Like　certain　plants　which　the

poorest　peasant　may　grow　in　the　poorest　soil；　it　can　be　cultivated

by　any　one；　and　it　is　certain　in　its　own　good　season　to　bring　forth

flowers　and　fruit。　　I　can　most　truthfully　assure　you　by…the…by；

that　this　eulogium　on　attention　is　so　far　quite　disinterested　on　my

part　as　that　it　has　not　the　least　reference　whatever　to　the

attention　with　which　you　have　honoured　me。



Well；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　have　done。　　I　cannot　but　reflect　how

often　you　have　probably　heard　within　these　walls　one　of　the

foremost　men；　and　certainly　one　of　the　very　best　speakers；　if　not

the　very　best；　in　England。　　I　could　not　say　to　myself；　when　I　began

just　now；　in　Shakespeare's　line　…





〃I　will　be　BRIGHT　and　shining　gold；〃





but　I　could　say　to　myself；　and　I　did　say　to　myself；　〃I　will　be　as

natural　and　easy　as　I　possibly　can；〃　because　my　heart　has　all　been

in　my　subject；　and　I　bear　an　old　love　towards　Birmingham　and

Birmingham　men。　　I　have　said　that　I　bear　an　old　love　towards

Birmingham　and　Birmingham　men；　let　me　amend　a　small　omission；　and

add　〃and　Birmingham　women。〃　　This　ring　I　wear　on　my　finger　now　is

an　old　Birmingham　gift；　and　if　by　rubbing　it　I　could　raise　the

spirit　that　was　obedient　to　Aladdin's　ring；　I　heartily　assure　you

that　my　first　instruction　to　that　genius　on　the　spot　should　be　to

place　himself　at　Birmingham's　disposal　in　the　best　of　causes。





＇In　acknowledging　the　vote　of　thanks；　Mr。　Dickens　said：…＇





Ladies　and　gentlemen；　as　I　hope　it　is　more　than　possible　that　I

shall　have　the　pleasure　of　meeting　you　again　before　Christmas　is

out；　and　shall　have　the　great　interest　of　seeing　the　faces　and

touching　the　bands　of　the　successful　competitors　in　your　lists；　I

will　not　cast　upon　that　anticipated　meeting　the　terrible

foreshadowing　of　dread　which　must　inevitably　result　from　a　second

speech。　　I　thank　you　most　heartily；　and　I　most　sincerely　and

fervently　say　to　you；　〃Good　night；　and　God　bless　you。〃　　In

reference　to　the　appropriate　and　excellent　remarks　of　Mr。　Dixon；　I

will　now　discharge　my　conscience　of　my　political　creed；　which　is

contained　in　two　articles；　and　has　no　reference　to　any　party　or

persons。　　My　faith　in　the　people　governing　is；　on　the　whole；

infinitesimal；　my　faith　in　the　People　governed　is；　on　the　whole；

illimitable。







SPEECH：　　BIRMINGHAM；　JANUARY　6；　1870。







＇On　the　evening　of　the　above　date；　Mr。　Dickens；　as　President　of　the

Birmingham　and　Midland　Institute；　distributed　the　prizes　and

certificates　awarded　to　the　most　successful　students　in　the　first

year。　　The　proceedings　took　place　in　the　Town　Hall：　　Mr。　Dickens

entered　at　eight　o'clock；　accompanied　by　the　officers　of　the

Institute；　and　was　received　with　loud　applause。　　After　the　lapse　of

a　minute　or　two；　he　rose　and　said：…＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　When　I　last　had　the　honour　to　preside　over

a　meeting　of　the　Institution　which　again　brings　us　together；　I　took

occasion　to　remark　upon　a　certain　superabundance　of　public　speaking

which　seems　to　me　to　distinguish　the　present　time。　　It　will　require

very　little　self…denial　on　my　part　to　practise　now　what　I　preached

then；　firstly；　because　I　said　my　little　say　that　night；　and

secondly；　because　we　have　definite　and　highly　interesting　action

before　us　to…night。　　We　have　now　to　bestow　the　rewards　which　have

been　brilliantly　won　by　the　most　successful　competitors　in　the

society's　lists。　　I　say　the　most　successful；　because　to…night　we

should　particularly　observe；　I　think；　that　there　is　success　in　all

honest　endeavour；　and　that　there　is　some　victory　gained　in　every

gallant　struggle　that　is　made。　　To　strive　at　all　involves　a　victory

achieved　over　sloth；　inertness；　and　indifference；　and　competition

for　these　prizes　involves；　besides；　in　the　vast　majority　of　cases；

competition　with　and　mastery　asserted　over　circumstances　adverse　to

the　effort　made。　　Therefore；　every　losing　competitor　among　my

hearers　may　be　certain　that　he　has　still　won　much　…　very　much　…　and

that　he　can　well　afford　to　swell　the　triumph　of　his　rivals　who　have

passed　him　in　the　race。



I　have　applied　the　word　〃rewards〃　to　these　prizes；　and　I　do　so；　not

because　they　represent　any　great　intrinsic　worth　in　silver　or　gold；

but　precisely　because　they　do　not。　　They　represent　what　is　above

all　price　…　what　can　be　stated　in　no　arithmetical　figures；　and　what

is　one　of　the　great　needs　of　the　human　soul　…　encouraging　sympathy。

They　are　an　assurance　to　every　student　present　or　to　come　in　your

institution；　that　he　does　not　work　either　neglected　or　unfriended；

and　that　he　is　watched；　felt　for；　stimulated；　and　appreciated。

Such　an　assurance；　conveyed　in　the　presence　of　this　large　assembly；

and　striking