speeches-literary & social-第7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！


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　excellent；〃





but　I　should　be　strongly　disposed　to　reform　the　adage；　and　say　that





〃Though　house　and　lands　be　never　got；

Learning　can　give　what　they　canNOT。〃





And　this　I　know；　that　the　first　unpurchasable　blessing　earned　by

every　man　who　makes　an　effort　to　improve　himself　in　such　a　place　as

the　Athenaeum；　is　self…respect　…　an　inward　dignity　of　character；

which；　once　acquired　and　righteously　maintained；　nothing　…　no；　not

the　hardest　drudgery；　nor　the　direst　poverty　…　can　vanquish。

Though　he　should　find　it　hard　for　a　season　even　to　keep　the　wolf　…

hunger　…　from　his　door；　let　him　but　once　have　chased　the　dragon　…

ignorance　…　from　his　hearth；　and　self…respect　and　hope　are　left

him。　　You　could　no　more　deprive　him　of　those　sustaining　qualities

by　loss　or　destruction　of　his　worldly　goods；　than　you　could；　by

plucking　out　his　eyes；　take　from　him　an　internal　consciousness　of

the　bright　glory　of　the　sun。



The　man　who　lives　from　day　to　day　by　the　daily　exercise　in　his

sphere　of　hands　or　head；　and　seeks　to　improve　himself　in　such　a

place　as　the　Athenaeum；　acquires　for　himself　that　property　of　soul

which　has　in　all　times　upheld　struggling　men　of　every　degree；　but

self…made　men　especially　and　always。　　He　secures　to　himself　that

faithful　companion　which；　while　it　has　ever　lent　the　light　of　its

countenance　to　men　of　rank　and　eminence　who　have　deserved　it；　has

ever　shed　its　brightest　consolations　on　men　of　low　estate　and

almost　hopeless　means。　　It　took　its　patient　seat　beside　Sir　Walter

Raleigh　in　his　dungeon…study　in　the　Tower；　it　laid　its　head　upon

the　block　with　More；　but　it　did　not　disdain　to　watch　the　stars　with

Ferguson；　the　shepherd's　boy；　it　walked　the　streets　in　mean　attire

with　Crabbe；　it　was　a　poor　barber　here　in　Lancashire　with

Arkwright；　it　was　a　tallow…chandler's　son　with　Franklin；　it　worked

at　shoemaking　with　Bloomfield　in　his　garret；　it　followed　the　plough

with　Burns；　and；　high　above　the　noise　of　loom　and　hammer；　it

whispers　courage　even　at　this　day　in　ears　I　could　name　in　Sheffield

and　in　Manchester。



The　more　the　man　who　improves　his　leisure　in　such　a　place　learns；

the　better；　gentler；　kinder　man　he　must　become。　　When　he　knows　how

much　great　minds　have　suffered　for　the　truth　in　every　age　and　time；

and　to　what　dismal　persecutions　opinion　has　been　exposed；　he　will

become　more　tolerant　of　other　men's　belief　in　all　matters；　and　will

incline　more　leniently　to　their　sentiments　when　they　chance　to

differ　from　his　own。　　Understanding　that　the　relations　between

himself　and　his　employers　involve　a　mutual　duty　and　responsibility；

he　will　discharge　his　part　of　the　implied　contract　cheerfully；

satisfactorily；　and　honourably；　for　the　history　of　every　useful

life　warns　him　to　shape　his　course　in　that　direction。



The　benefits　he　acquires　in　such　a　place　are　not　of　a　selfish　kind；

but　extend　themselves　to　his　home；　and　to　those　whom　it　contains。

Something　of　what　he　hears　or　reads　within　such　walls　can　scarcely

fail　to　become　at　times　a　topic　of　discourse　by　his　own　fireside；

nor　can　it　ever　fail　to　lead　to　larger　sympathies　with　man；　and　to

a　higher　veneration　for　the　great　Creator　of　all　the　wonders　of

this　universe。　　It　appears　to　his　home　and　his　homely　feeling　in

other　ways；　for　at　certain　times　he　carries　there　his　wife　and

daughter；　or　his　sister；　or；　possibly；　some　bright…eyed

acquaintance　of　a　more　tender　description。　　Judging　from　what　I　see

before　me；　I　think　it　is　very　likely；　I　am　sure　I　would　if　I　could。

He　takes　her　there　to　enjoy　a　pleasant　evening；　to　be　gay　and

happy。　　Sometimes　it　may　possibly　happen　that　he　dates　his

tenderness　from　the　Athenaeum。　　I　think　that　is　a　very　excellent

thing；　too；　and　not　the　least　among　the　advantages　of　the

institution。　　In　any　case；　I　am　sure　the　number　of　bright　eyes　and

beaming　faces　which　grace　this　meeting　to…night　by　their　presence；

will　never　be　among　the　least　of　its　excellences　in　my

recollection。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　shall　not　easily　forget　this　scene；　the

pleasing　task　your　favour　has　devolved　upon　me；　or　the　strong　and

inspiring　confirmation　I　have　to…night；　of　all　the　hopes　and

reliances　I　have　ever　placed　upon　institutions　of　this　nature。　　In

the　latter　point　of　view　…　in　their　bearing　upon　this　latter　point

…　I　regard　them　as　of　great　importance；　deeming　that　the　more

intelligent　and　reflective　society　in　the　mass　becomes；　and　the

more　readers　there　are；　the　more　distinctly　writers　of　all　kinds

will　be　able　to　throw　themselves　upon　the　truthful　feeling　of　the

people　and　the　more　honoured　and　the　more　useful　literature　must

be。　　At　the　same　time；　I　must　confess　that；　if　there　had　been　an

Athenaeum；　and　if　the　people　had　been　readers；　years　ago；　some

leaves　of　dedication　in　your　library；　of　praise　of　patrons　which

was　very　cheaply　bought；　very　dearly　sold；　and　very　marketably

haggled　for　by　the　groat；　would　be　blank　leaves；　and　posterity

might　probably　have　lacked　the　information　that　certain　monsters　of

virtue　ever　had　existence。　　But　it　is　upon　a　much　better　and　wider

scale；　let　me　say　it　once　again　…　it　is　in　the　effect　of　such

institutions　upon　the　great　social　system；　and　the　peace　and

happiness　of　mankind；　that　I　delight　to　contemplate　them；　and；　in

my　heart；　I　am　quite　certain　that　long　after　your　institution；　and

others　of　the　same　nature；　have　crumbled　into　dust；　the　noble

harvest　of　the　seed　sown　in　them　will　shine　out　brightly　in　the

wisdom；　the　mercy；　and　the　forbearance　of　another　race。







SPEECH：　　LIVERPOOL；　FEBRUARY　26；　1844。







＇The　following　address　was　delivered　at　a　soiree　of　the　Liverpool

Mechanics'　Institution；　at　which　Mr。　Dickens　presided。＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　It　was　rather　hard　of　you　to　take　away　my

breath　before　I　spoke　a　word；　but　I　would　not　thank　you；　even　if　I

could；　for　the　favour　which　has　set　me　in　this　place；　or　for　the

generous　kindness　which　has　greeted　me　so　warmly；　…　because　my

first　strong　impulse　still　would　be；　although　I　had　that　power；　to

lose　sight　of　all　personal　considerations　in　the　high　intent　and

meaning　of　this　numerous　assemblage；　in　the　contemplation　of　the

noble　objects　to　which　this　building　is　devoted；　of　its　brilliant

and　inspiring　history；　of　that　rough；　upward　track；　so　bravely

trodden；　which　it　leaves　behind；　and　that　bright　path　of　steadily…

increasing　usefulness　which　lies　stretched　out　before　it。　　My　first

strong　impulse　still　would　be　to　exchange　congratulations　with　you；

as　the　members　of　one　united　family；　on　the　thriving　vigour　of　this

strongest　child　of　a　strong　race。　　My　first　strong　impulse　still

would　be；　though　everybody　here　had　twice　as　many　hundreds　of　hands

as　there　are　hundreds　of　persons　present；　to　shake　them　in　the

spirit；　everyone；　always；　allow　me　to　say；　excepting　those　hands

（and　there　are　a　few　such　here）；　which；　with　the　constitutional

infirmity　of　human　nature；　I　would　rather　salute　in　some　more

tender　fashion。



When　I　first　had　the　honour　of　communicating　with　your　Committee

with　reference　to　this　celebration；　I　had　some　selfish　hopes　that

the　visit　proposed　to　me　might　turn　out　to　be　one　of

congratulation；　or；　at　least；　of　solicitous　inquiry；　for　they　who

receive　a　visitor　in　any　season　of　distress　are　easily　touched　and

moved　by　what　he　says；　and　I　entertained　some　confident　expectation

of　making　a　mighty　strong　impression　on　you。　　But；　when　I　came　to

look　over　the　printed　documents　which　were　forwarded　to　me　at　the

same　time；　and　with　which　you　are　all　tolerably　familiar；　these

anticipations　very　speedily　vanished；　and　left　me　bereft　of　all

consolation；　but　the　triumphant　feeling　to　which　I　have　referred。

For　what　do　I　find；　on　looking　over　those　brief　chronicles　of　this

swift　conquest　over　ignorance　and　prejudice；　in　whic