speeches-literary & social-第6章

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Manchester；　Athenaeum；　at　which　Mr。　Dickens　presided。　　Among　the

other　speakers　on　the　occasion　were　Mr。　Cobden　and　Mr。　Disraeli。＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　I　am　sure　I　need　scarcely　tell　you　that　I

am　very　proud　and　happy；　and　that　I　take　it　as　a　great　distinction

to　be　asked　to　come　amongst　you　on　an　occasion　such　as　this；　when；

even　with　the　brilliant　and　beautiful　spectacle　which　I　see　before

me；　I　can　hail　it　as　the　most　brilliant　and　beautiful　circumstance

of　all；　that　we　assemble　together　here；　even　here；　upon　neutral

ground；　where　we　have　no　more　knowledge　of　party　difficulties；　or

public　animosities　between　side　and　side；　or　between　man　and　man；

than　if　we　were　a　public　meeting　in　the　commonwealth　of　Utopia。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　upon　this；　and　upon　a　hundred　other　grounds；

this　assembly　is　not　less　interesting　to　me；　believe　me　…　although；

personally；　almost　a　stranger　here　…　than　it　is　interesting　to　you；

and　I　take　it；　that　it　is　not　of　greater　importance　to　all　of　us

than　it　is　to　every　man　who　has　learned　to　know　that　he　has　an

interest　in　the　moral　and　social　elevation；　the　harmless

relaxation；　the　peace；　happiness；　and　improvement；　of　the　community

at　large。　　Not　even　those　who　saw　the　first　foundation　of　your

Athenaeum　laid；　and　watched　its　progress；　as　I　know　they　did；

almost　as　tenderly　as　if　it　were　the　progress　of　a　living　creature；

until　it　reared　its　beautiful　front；　an　honour　to　the　town　…　not

even　they；　nor　even　you　who；　within　its　walls；　have　tasted　its

usefulness；　and　put　it　to　the　proof；　have　greater　reason；　I　am

persuaded；　to　exult　in　its　establishment；　or　to　hope　that　it　may

thrive　and　prosper；　than　scores　of　thousands　at　a　distance；　who　…

whether　consciously　or　unconsciously；　matters　not　…　have；　in　the

principle　of　its　success　and　bright　example；　a　deep　and　personal

concern。



It　well　becomes；　particularly　well　becomes；　this　enterprising　town；

this　little　world　of　labour；　that　she　should　stand　out　foremost　in

the　foremost　rank　in　such　a　cause。　　It　well　becomes　her；　that；

among　her　numerous　and　noble　public　institutions；　she　should　have　a

splendid　temple　sacred　to　the　education　and　improvement　of　a　large

class　of　those　who；　in　their　various　useful　stations；　assist　in　the

production　of　our　wealth；　and　in　rendering　her　name　famous　through

the　world。　　I　think　it　is　grand　to　know；　that；　while　her　factories

re…echo　with　the　clanking　of　stupendous　engines；　and　the　whirl　and

rattle　of　machinery；　the　immortal　mechanism　of　God's　own　hand；　the

mind；　is　not　forgotten　in　the　din　and　uproar；　but　is　lodged　and

tended　in　a　palace　of　its　own。　　That　it　is　a　structure　deeply　fixed

and　rooted　in　the　public　spirit　of　this　place；　and　built　to　last；　I

have　no　more　doubt；　judging　from　the　spectacle　I　see　before　me；　and

from　what　I　know　of　its　brief　history；　than　I　have　of　the　reality

of　these　walls　that　hem　us　in；　and　the　pillars　that　spring　up　about

us。



You　are　perfectly　well　aware；　I　have　no　doubt；　that　the　Athenaeum

was　projected　at　a　time　when　commerce　was　in　a　vigorous　and

flourishing　condition；　and　when　those　classes　of　society　to　which

it　particularly　addresses　itself　were　fully　employed；　and　in　the

receipt　of　regular　incomes。　　A　season　of　depression　almost　without

a　parallel　ensued；　and　large　numbers　of　young　men　employed　in

warehouses　and　offices　suddenly　found　their　occupation　gone；　and

themselves　reduced　to　very　straitened　and　penurious　circumstances。

This　altered　state　of　things　led；　as　I　am　told；　to　the　compulsory

withdrawal　of　many　of　the　members；　to　a　proportionate　decrease　in

the　expected　funds；　and　to　the　incurrence　of　a　debt　of　3；000

pounds。　　By　the　very　great　zeal　and　energy　of　all　concerned；　and　by

the　liberality　of　those　to　whom　they　applied　for　help；　that　debt　is

now　in　rapid　course　of　being　discharged。　　A　little　more　of　the　same

indefatigable　exertion　on　the　one　hand；　and　a　little　more　of　the

same　community　of　feeling　upon　the　other；　and　there　will　be　no　such

thing；　the　figures　will　be　blotted　out　for　good　and　all；　and；　from

that　time；　the　Athenaeum　may　be　said　to　belong　to　you；　and　to　your

heirs　for　ever。



But；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　at　all　times；　now　in　its　most　thriving；

and　in　its　least　flourishing　condition　…　here；　with　its　cheerful

rooms；　its　pleasant　and　instructive　lectures；　its　improving　library

of　6；000　volumes；　its　classes　for　the　study　of　the　foreign

languages；　elocution；　music；　its　opportunities　of　discussion　and

debate；　of　healthful　bodily　exercise；　and；　though　last　not　least　…

for　by　this　I　set　great　store；　as　a　very　novel　and　excellent

provision　…　its　opportunities　of　blameless；　rational　enjoyment；

here　it　is；　open　to　every　youth　and　man　in　this　great　town；

accessible　to　every　bee　in　this　vast　hive；　who；　for　all　these

benefits；　and　the　inestimable　ends　to　which　they　lead；　can　set

aside　one　sixpence　weekly。　　I　do　look　upon　the　reduction　of　the

subscription；　and　upon　the　fact　that　the　number　of　members　has

considerably　more　than　doubled　within　the　last　twelve　months；　as

strides　in　the　path　of　the　very　best　civilization；　and　chapters　of

rich　promise　in　the　history　of　mankind。



I　do　not　know　whether；　at　this　time　of　day；　and　with　such　a

prospect　before　us；　we　need　trouble　ourselves　very　much　to　rake　up

the　ashes　of　the　dead…and…gone　objections　that　were　wont　to　be

urged　by　men　of　all　parties　against　institutions　such　as　this；

whose　interests　we　are　met　to　promote；　but　their　philosophy　was

always　to　be　summed　up　in　the　unmeaning　application　of　one　short

sentence。　　How　often　have　we　heard　from　a　large　class　of　men　wise

in　their　generation；　who　would　really　seem　to　be　born　and　bred　for

no　other　purpose　than　to　pass　into　currency　counterfeit　and

mischievous　scraps　of　wisdom；　as　it　is　the　sole　pursuit　of　some

other　criminals　to　utter　base　coin　…　how　often　have　we　heard　from

them；　as　an　all…convincing　argument；　that　〃a　little　learning　is　a

dangerous　thing？〃　　Why；　a　little　hanging　was　considered　a　very

dangerous　thing；　according　to　the　same　authorities；　with　this

difference；　that；　because　a　little　hanging　was　dangerous；　we　had　a

great　deal　of　it；　and；　because　a　little　learning　was　dangerous；　we

were　to　have　none　at　all。　　Why；　when　I　hear　such　cruel　absurdities

gravely　reiterated；　I　do　sometimes　begin　to　doubt　whether　the

parrots　of　society　are　not　more　pernicious　to　its　interests　than

its　birds　of　prey。　　I　should　be　glad　to　hear　such　people's　estimate

of　the　comparative　danger　of　〃a　little　learning〃　and　a　vast　amount

of　ignorance；　I　should　be　glad　to　know　which　they　consider　the　most

prolific　parent　of　misery　and　crime。　　Descending　a　little　lower　in

the　social　scale；　I　should　be　glad　to　assist　them　in　their

calculations；　by　carrying　them　into　certain　gaols　and　nightly

refuges　I　know　of；　where　my　own　heart　dies　within　me；　when　I　see

thousands　of　immortal　creatures　condemned；　without　alternative　or

choice；　to　tread；　not　what　our　great　poet　calls　the　〃primrose　path〃

to　the　everlasting　bonfire；　but　one　of　jaded　flints　and　stones；

laid　down　by　brutal　ignorance；　and　held　together；　like　the　solid

rocks；　by　years　of　this　most　wicked　axiom。



Would　we　know　from　any　honourable　body　of　merchants；　upright　in

deed　and　thought；　whether　they　would　rather　have　ignorant　or

enlightened　persons　in　their　own　employment？　　Why；　we　have　had

their　answer　in　this　building；　we　have　it　in　this　company；　we　have

it　emphatically　given　in　the　munificent　generosity　of　your　own

merchants　of　Manchester；　of　all　sects　and　kinds；　when　this

establishment　was　first　proposed。　　But　are　the　advantages　derivable

by　the　people　from　institutions　such　as　this；　only　of　a　negative

character？　　If　a　little　learning　be　an　innocent　thing；　has　it　no

distinct；　wholesome；　and　immediate　influence　upon　the　mind？　　The

old　doggerel　rhyme；　so　often　written　in　the　beginning　of　books；

says　that





〃When　house　and　lands　are　gone　and　spent；

Then　learning　is　most　excelle