speeches-literary & social-第46章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



take　its　enemies　to　its　heart；　and　strike　its　best　friends　down　…

powerful　to　fill　the　prisons；　the　hospitals；　and　the　graves　…

powerful　for　blind　violence；　prejudice；　and　error；　in　all　their

gloomy　and　destructive　shapes。　　Whereas　the　power　of　knowledge；　if

I　understand　it；　is；　to　bear　and　forbear；　to　learn　the　path　of　duty

and　to　tread　it；　to　engender　that　self…respect　which　does　not　stop

at　self；　but　cherishes　the　best　respect　for　the　best　objects　…　to

turn　an　always　enlarging　acquaintance　with　the　joys　and　sorrows；

capabilities　and　imperfections　of　our　race　to　daily　account　in

mildness　of　life　and　gentleness　of　construction　and　humble　efforts

for　the　improvement；　stone　by　stone；　of　the　whole　social　fabric。



I　never　heard　but　one　tangible　position　taken　against　educational

establishments　for　the　people；　and　that　was；　that　in　this　or　that

instance；　or　in　these　or　those　instances；　education　for　the　people

has　failed。　　And　I　have　never　traced　even　this　to　its　source　but　I

have　found　that　the　term　education；　so　employed；　meant　anything　but

education　…　implied　the　mere　imperfect　application　of　old；

ignorant；　preposterous　spelling…book　lessons　to　the　meanest

purposes　…　as　if　you　should　teach　a　child　that　there　is　no　higher

end　in　electricity；　for　example；　than　expressly　to　strike　a　mutton…

pie　out　of　the　hand　of　a　greedy　boy　…　and　on　which　it　is　as

unreasonable　to　found　an　objection　to　education　in　a　comprehensive

sense；　as　it　would　be　to　object　altogether　to　the　combing　of

youthful　hair；　because　in　a　certain　charity　school　they　had　a

practice　of　combing　it　into　the　pupils'　eyes。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　turn　to　the　report　of　this

Institution；　on　whose　behalf　we　are　met；　and　I　start　with　the

education　given　there；　and　I　find　that　it　really　is　an　education

that　is　deserving　of　the　name。　　I　find　that　there　are　papers　read

and　lectures　delivered；　on　a　variety　of　subjects　of　interest　and

importance。　　I　find　that　there　are　evening　classes　formed　for　the

acquisition　of　sound；　useful　English　information；　and　for　the　study

of　those　two　important　languages；　daily　becoming　more　important　in

the　business　of　life；　…　the　French　and　German。　　I　find　that　there

is　a　class　for　drawing；　a　chemical　class；　subdivided　into　the

elementary　branch　and　the　manufacturing　branch；　most　important

here。　　I　find　that　there　is　a　day…school　at　twelve　shillings　a

quarter；　which　small　cost；　besides　including　instruction　in　all

that　is　useful　to　the　merchant　and　the　man　of　business；　admits　to

all　the　advantages　of　the　parent　institution。　　I　find　that　there　is

a　School　of　Design　established　in　connexion　with　the　Government

School；　and　that　there　was　in　January　this　year；　a　library　of

between　six　and　seven　thousand　books。　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　if　any

man　would　tell　me　that　anything　but　good　could　come　of　such

knowledge　as　this；　all　I　can　say　is；　that　I　should　consider　him　a

new　and　most　lamentable　proof　of　the　necessity　of　such

institutions；　and　should　regard　him　in　his　own　person　as　a

melancholy　instance　of　what　a　man　may　come　to　by　never　having

belonged　to　one　or　sympathized　with　one。



There　is　one　other　paragraph　in　this　report　which　struck　my　eye　in

looking　over　it；　and　on　which　I　cannot　help　offering　a　word　of

joyful　notice。　　It　is　the　steady　increase　that　appears　to　have

taken　place　in　the　number　of　lady　　members　…　among　whom　I　hope　I

may　presume　are　included　some　of　the　bright　fair　faces　that　are

clustered　around　me。　　Gentlemen；　I　hold　that　it　is　not　good　for　man

to　be　alone　…　even　in　Mechanics'　Institutions；　and　I　rank　it　as

very　far　from　among　the　last　or　least　of　the　merits　of　such　places；

that　he　need　not　be　alone　there；　and　that　he　is　not。　　I　believe

that　the　sympathy　and　society　of　those　who　are　our　best　and　dearest

friends　in　infancy；　in　childhood；　in　manhood；　and　in　old　age；　the

most　devoted　and　least　selfish　natures　that　we　know　on　earth；　who

turn　to　us　always　constant　and　unchanged；　when　others　turn　away；

should　greet　us　here；　if　anywhere；　and　go　on　with　us　side　by　side。



I　know；　gentlemen；　by　the　evidence　of　my　own　proper　senses　at　this

moment；　that　there　are　charms　and　graces　in　such　greetings；　such　as

no　other　greeting　can　possess。　　I　know　that　in　every　beautiful　work

of　the　Almighty　hand；　which　is　illustrated　in　your　lectures；　and　in

every　real　or　ideal　portraiture　of　fortitude　and　goodness　that　you

find　in　your　books；　there　is　something　that　must　bring　you　home

again　to　them　for　its　brightest　and　best　example。　　And　therefore；

gentlemen；　I　hope　that　you　will　never　be　without　them；　or　without

an　increasing　number　of　them　in　your　studies　and　your

commemorations；　and　that　an　immense　number　of　new　marriages；　and

other　domestic　festivals　naturally　consequent　upon　those　marriages；

may　be　traced　back　from　time　to　time　to　the　Leeds　Mechanics'

Institution。



There　are　many　gentlemen　around　me；　distinguished　by　their　public

position　and　service；　or　endeared　to　you　by　frequent　intercourse；

or　by　their　zealous　efforts　on　behalf　of　the　cause　which　brings　us

together；　and　to　them　I　shall　beg　leave　to　refer　you　for　further

observations　on　this　happy　and　interesting　occasion；　begging　to

congratulate　you　finally　upon　the　occasion　itself；　upon　the

prosperity　and　thriving　prospects　of　your　institution；　and　upon　our

common　and　general　good　fortune　in　living　in　these　times；　when　the

means　of　mental　culture　and　improvement　are　presented　cheaply；

socially；　and　cheerfully；　and　not　in　dismal　cells　or　lonely

garrets。　　And　lastly；　I　congratulate　myself；　I　assure　you　most

heartily；　upon　the　part　with　which　I　am　honoured　on　an　occasion　so

congenial　to　my　warmest　feelings　and　sympathies；　and　I　beg　to　thank

you　for　such　evidences　of　your　good…will；　as　I　never　can　coldly

remember　and　never　forget。





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





Ladies　and　Gentlemen；　…　It　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　me　that　this

question　has　been　put　by　the　Mayor；　inasmuch　as　I　hope　I　may

receive　it　as　a　token　that　he　has　forgiven　me　those　extremely　large

letters；　which　I　must　say；　from　the　glimpse　I　caught　of　them　when　I

arrived　in　the　town；　looked　like　a　leaf　from　the　first　primer　of　a

very　promising　young　giant。



I　will　only　observe；　in　reference　to　the　proceeding　of　this

evening；　that　after　what　I　have　seen；　and　the　excellent　speeches　I

have　heard　from　gentlemen　of　so　many　different　callings　and

persuasions；　meeting　here　as　on　neutral　ground；　I　do　more　strongly

and　sincerely　believe　than　I　ever　have　in　my　life；　…　and　that　is

saying　a　great　deal；　…　that　institutions　such　as　this　will　be　the

means　of　refining　and　improving　that　social　edifice　which　has　been

so　often　mentioned　to…night；　until；　…　unlike　that　Babel　tower　that

would　have　taken　heaven　by　storm；　…　it　shall　end　in　sweet　accord

and　harmony　amongst　all　classes　of　its　builders。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　most　respectfully　and　heartily　I　bid　you　good

night　and　good…bye；　and　I　trust　the　next　time　we　meet　it　will　be　in

even　greater　numbers；　and　in　a　larger　room；　and　that　we　often　shall

meet　again；　to　recal　this　evening；　then　of　the　past；　and　remember

it　as　one　of　a　series　of　increasing　triumphs　of　your　excellent

institution。







SPEECH：　　GLASGOW；　DECEMBER　28；　1847。







＇The　first　Soiree；　commemorative　of　the　opening　of　the　Glasgow

Athenaeum　took　place　on　the　above　evening　in　the　City　Hall。　　Mr。

Charles　Dickens　presided；　and　made　the　following　speech：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN　…　Let　me　begin　by　endeavouring　to　convey　to

you　the　assurance　that　not　even　the　warmth　of　your　reception　can

possibly　exceed；　in　simple　earnestness；　the　cordiality　of　the

feeling　with　which　I　come　amongst　you。　　This　beautiful　scene　and

your　generous　greeting　would　naturally　awaken；　under　any

circumstances；　no　common　feeling　within　me；　but　when　I　connect　them

with　the　high　purpose　of　this　brilliant　assembly　…　when　I　regard　it

as　an　educational　e