speeches-literary & social-第57章

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degenerate　kind　of　〃Stock；〃　which　is　apt　to　grow　hereabouts；

cultivated　by　a　species　of　frozen…out　gardeners　whom　no　thaw　can

ever　penetrate：　　except　these；　the　gardeners'　art　has　contributed

to　the　delight　of　all　men　in　their　time。　　That　there　ought　to　be　a

Benevolent　Provident　Institution　for　gardeners　is　in　the　fitness　of

things；　and　that　such　an　institution　ought　to　flourish　and　does

flourish　is　still　more　so。



I　have　risen　to　propose　to　you　the　health　of　a　gentleman　who　is　a

great　gardener；　and　not　only　a　great　gardener　but　a　great　man　…　the

growth　of　a　fine　Saxon　root　cultivated　up　with　a　power　of　intellect

to　a　plant　that　is　at　this　time　the　talk　of　the　civilized　world　…　I

allude；　of　course；　to　my　friend　the　chairman　of　the　day。　　I　took

occasion　to　say　at　a　public　assembly　hard…by；　a　month　or　two　ago；

in　speaking　of　that　wonderful　building　Mr。　Paxton　has　designed　for

the　Great　Exhibition　in　Hyde　Park；　that　it　ought　to　have　fallen

down；　but　that　it　refused　to　do　so。　　We　were　told　that　the　glass

ought　to　have　been　all　broken；　the　gutters　all　choked　up；　and　the

building　flooded；　and　that　the　roof　and　sides　ought　to　have　been

blown　away；　in　short　that　everything　ought　to　have　done　what

everything　obstinately　persisted　in　not　doing。　　Earth；　air；　fire；

and　water　all　appear　to　have　conspired　together　in　Mr。　Paxton's

favour　…　all　have　conspired　together　to　one　result；　which；　when　the

present　generation　is　dust；　will　be　an　enduring　temple　to　his

honour；　and　to　the　energy；　the　talent；　and　the　resources　of

Englishmen。



〃But；〃　said　a　gentleman　to　me　the　other　day；　〃no　doubt　Mr。　Paxton

is　a　great　man；　but　there　is　one　objection　to　him　that　you　can

never　get　over；　that　is；　he　is　a　gardener。〃　　Now　that　is　our　case

to…night；　that　he　is　a　gardener；　and　we　are　extremely　proud　of　it。

This　is　a　great　age；　with　all　its　faults；　when　a　man　by　the　power

of　his　own　genius　and　good　sense　can　scale　such　a　daring　height　as

Mr。　Paxton　has　reached；　and　composedly　place　his　form　on　the　top。

This　is　a　great　age；　when　a　man　impressed　with　a　useful　idea　can

carry　out　his　project　without　being　imprisoned；　or　thumb…screwed；

or　persecuted　in　any　form。　　I　can　well　understand　that　you；　to　whom

the　genius；　the　intelligence；　the　industry；　and　the　achievements　of

our　friend　are　well　known；　should　be　anxious　to　do　him　honour　by

placing　him　in　the　position　he　occupies　to…night；　and　I　assure　you；

you　have　conferred　great　gratification　on　one　of　his　friends；　in

permitting　him　to　have　the　opportunity　of　proposing　his　health；

which　that　friend　now　does　most　cordially　and　with　all　the　honours。







SPEECH：　　THE　ROYAL　ACADEMY　DINNER。　　LONDON；　MAY　2；　1870。







＇On　the　occasion　of　the　Second　Exhibition　of　the　Royal　Academy　in

their　new　galleries　in　Piccadilly；　the　President；　Sir　F。　Grant；　and

the　council　gave　their　usual　inaugurative　banquet；　and　a　very

distinguished　company　was　present。　　The　dinner　took　place　in　the

large　central　room；　and　covers　were　laid　for　200　guests。　　The

Prince　of　Wales　acknowledged　the　toast　of　his　health　and　that　of

the　Princess；　the　Duke　of　Cambridge　responded　to　the　toast　of　the

army；　Mr。　Childers　to　the　navy；　Lord　Elcho　to　the　volunteers；　Mr。

Motley　to　〃The　Prosperity　of　the　United　States；〃　Mr。　Gladstone　to

〃Her　Majesty's　Ministers；〃　the　Archbishop　of　York　to；　〃The　Guests；〃

and　Mr。　Dickens　to　〃Literature。〃　　The　last　toast　having　been

proposed　in　a　highly　eulogistic　speech；　Mr。　Dickens　responded。＇



MR。　PRESIDENT；　your　Royal　Highnesses；　my　Lords　and　Gentlemen；　…　I

beg　to　acknowledge　the　toast　with　which　you　have　done　me　the　great

honour　of　associating　my　name。　　I　beg　to　acknowledge　it　on　behalf

of　the　brotherhood　of　literature；　present　and　absent；　not

forgetting　an　illustrious　wanderer　from　the　fold；　whose　tardy

return　to　it　we　all　hail　with　delight；　and　who　now　sits　…　or　lately

did　sit　…　within　a　few　chairs　of　or　on　your　left　hand。　　I　hope　I

may　also　claim　to　acknowledge　the　toast　on　behalf　of　the　sisterhood

of　literature　also；　although　that　〃better　half　of　human　nature；〃　to

which　Mr。　Gladstone　rendered　his　graceful　tribute；　is　unworthily

represented　here；　in　the　present　state　of　its　rights　and　wrongs；　by

the　devouring　monster；　man。



All　the　arts；　and　many　of　the　sciences；　bear　witness　that　women；

even　in　their　present　oppressed　condition；　can　attain　to　quite　as

great　distinction；　and　can　attain　to　quite　as　lofty　names　as　men。

Their　emancipation　（as　I　am　given　to　understand）　drawing　very　near；

there　is　no　saying　how　soon　they　may　〃push　us　from　our　stools〃　at

these　tables；　or　how　soon　our　better　half　of　human　nature；　standing

in　this　place　of　mine；　may　eloquently　depreciate　mankind；

addressing　another　better　half　of　human　nature　sitting　in　the

president's　chair。



The　literary　visitors　of　the　Royal　Academy　to…night　desire　me　to

congratulate　their　hosts　on　a　very　interesting　exhibition；　in　which

risen　excellence　supremely　asserts　itself；　and　from　which　promise

of　a　brilliant　succession　in　time　to　come　is　not　wanting。　　They

naturally　see　with　especial　interest　the　writings　and　persons　of

great　men　…　historians；　philosophers；　poets；　and　novelists；　vividly

illustrated　around　them　here。　　And　they　hope　that　they　may　modestly

claim　to　have　rendered　some　little　assistance　towards　the

production　of　many　of　the　pictures　in　this　magnificent　gallery。

For　without　the　patient　labours　of　some　among　them　unhistoric

history　might　have　long　survived　in　this　place；　and　but　for　the

researches　and　wandering　of　others　among　them；　the　most

preposterous　countries；　the　most　impossible　peoples；　and　the

absurdest　superstitions；　manners；　and　customs；　might　have　usurped

the　place　of　truth　upon　these　walls。　　Nay；　there　is　no　knowing；　Sir

Francis　Grant；　what　unlike　portraits　you　yourself　might　have

painted　if　you　had　been　left；　with　your　sitters；　to　idle　pens；

unchecked　reckless　rumours；　and　undenounced　lying　malevolence。



I　cannot　forbear；　before　I　resume　my　seat；　adverting　to　a　sad　theme

（the　recent　death　of　Daniel　Maclise）　to　which　his　Royal　Highness

the　Prince　of　Wales　made　allusion；　and　to　which　the　president

referred　with　the　eloquence　of　genuine　feeling。　　Since　I　first

entered　the　public　lists；　a　very　young　man　indeed；　it　has　been　my

constant　fortune　to　number　amongst　my　nearest　and　dearest　friends

members　of　the　Royal　Academy　who　have　been　its　grace　and　pride。

They　have　so　dropped　from　my　side　one　by　one　that　I　already；　begin

to　feel　like　the　Spanish　monk　of　whom　Wilkie　tells；　who　had　grown

to　believe　that　the　only　realities　around　him　were　the　pictures

which　he　loved；　and　that　all　the　moving　life　he　saw；　or　ever　had

seen；　was　a　shadow　and　a　dream。



For　many　years　I　was　one　of　the　two　most　intimate　friends　and　most

constant　companions　of　the　late　Mr。　Maclise。　　Of　his　genius　in　his

chosen　art　I　will　venture　to　say　nothing　here；　but　of　his

prodigious　fertility　of　mind　and　wonderful　wealth　of　intellect；　I

may　confidently　assert　that　they　would　have　made　him；　if　he　had

been　so　minded；　at　least　as　great　a　writer　as　he　was　a　painter。

The　gentlest　and　most　modest　of　men；　the　freshest　as　to　his

generous　appreciation　of　young　aspirants；　and　the　frankest　and

largest…hearted　as　to　his　peers；　incapable　of　a　sordid　or　ignoble

thought；　gallantly　sustaining　the　true　dignity　of　his　vocation；

without　one　grain　of　self…ambition；　wholesomely　natural　at　the　last

as　at　the　first；　〃in　wit　a　man；　simplicity　a　child；〃　no　artist；　of

whatsoever　denomination；　I　make　bold　to　say；　ever　went　to　his　rest

leaving　a　golden　memory　more　pure　from　dross；　or　having　devoted

himself　with　a　truer　chivalry　to　the　art　goddess　whom　he

worshipped。



＇These　were　the　last　public　words　of　Charles　Dickens。＇













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