speeches-literary & social-第3节

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！



forests；　and　deep　solitudes　of　the　far　west。　　Many　a　sturdy　hand；

hard　with　the　axe　and　spade；　and　browned　by　the　summer's　sun；　has

taken　up　the　pen；　and　written　to　me　a　little　history　of　domestic

joy　or　sorrow；　always　coupled；　I　am　proud　to　say；　with　something　of

interest　in　that　little　tale；　or　some　comfort　or　happiness　derived

from　it；　and　my　correspondent　has　always　addressed　me；　not　as　a

writer　of　books　for　sale；　resident　some　four　or　five　thousand　miles

away；　but　as　a　friend　to　whom　he　might　freely　impart　the　joys　and

sorrows　of　his　own　fireside。　　Many　a　mother　…　I　could　reckon　them

now　by　dozens；　not　by　units　…　has　done　the　like；　and　has　told　me

how　she　lost　such　a　child　at　such　a　time；　and　where　she　lay　buried；

and　how　good　she　was；　and　how；　in　this　or　that　respect；　she

resembles　Nell。　　I　do　assure　you　that　no　circumstance　of　my　life

has　given　me　one　hundredth　part　of　the　gratification　I　have　derived

from　this　source。　　I　was　wavering　at　the　time　whether　or　not　to

wind　up　my　Clock；　and　come　and　see　this　country；　and　this　decided

me。　　I　felt　as　if　it　were　a　positive　duty；　as　if　I　were　bound　to

pack　up　my　clothes；　and　come　and　see　my　friends；　and　even　now　I

have　such　an　odd　sensation　in　connexion　with　these　things；　that　you

have　no　chance　of　spoiling　me。　　I　feel　as　though　we　were　agreeing　…

as　indeed　we　are；　if　we　substitute　for　fictitious　characters　the

classes　from　which　they　are　drawn　…　about　third　parties；　in　whom　we

had　a　common　interest。　　At　every　new　act　of　kindness　on　your　part；

I　say　to　myself　〃That's　for　Oliver；　I　should　not　wonder　if　that　was

meant　for　Smike；　I　have　no　doubt　that　is　intended　for　Nell；〃　and　so

I　become　a　much　happier；　certainly；　but　a　more　sober　and　retiring

man　than　ever　I　was　before。



Gentlemen；　talking　of　my　friends　in　America；　brings　me　back；

naturally　and　of　course；　to　you。　　Coming　back　to　you；　and　being

thereby　reminded　of　the　pleasure　we　have　in　store　in　hearing　the

gentlemen　who　sit　about　me；　I　arrive　by　the　easiest；　though　not　by

the　shortest　course　in　the　world；　at　the　end　of　what　I　have　to　say。

But　before　I　sit　down；　there　is　one　topic　on　which　I　am　desirous　to

lay　particular　stress。　　It　has；　or　should　have；　a　strong　interest

for　us　all；　since　to　its　literature　every　country　must　look　for　one

great　means　of　refining　and　improving　its　people；　and　one　great

source　of　national　pride　and　honour。　　You　have　in　America　great

writers　…　great　writers　…　who　will　live　in　all　time；　and　are　as

familiar　to　our　lips　as　household　words。　　Deriving　（as　they　all　do

in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　in　their　several　walks）　their

inspiration　from　the　stupendous　country　that　gave　them　birth；　they

diffuse　a　better　knowledge　of　it；　and　a　higher　love　for　it；　all

over　the　civilized　world。　　I　take　leave　to　say；　in　the　presence　of

some　of　those　gentleman；　that　I　hope　the　time　is　not　far　distant

when　they；　in　America；　will　receive　of　right　some　substantial

profit　and　return　in　England　from　their　labours；　and　when　we；　in

England；　shall　receive　some　substantial　profit　and　return　in

America　for　ours。　　Pray　do　not　misunderstand　me。　　Securing　to

myself　from　day　to　day　the　means　of　an　honourable　subsistence；　I

would　rather　have　the　affectionate　regard　of　my　fellow　men；　than　I

would　have　heaps　and　mines　of　gold。　　But　the　two　things　do　not　seem

to　me　incompatible。　　They　cannot　be；　for　nothing　good　is

incompatible　with　justice；　there　must　be　an　international

arrangement　in　this　respect：　　England　has　done　her　part；　and　I　am

confident　that　the　time　is　not　far　distant　when　America　will　do

hers。　　It　becomes　the　character　of　a　great　country；　FIRSTLY；

because　it　is　justice；　SECONDLY；　because　without　it　you　never　can

have；　and　keep；　a　literature　of　your　own。



Gentlemen；　I　thank　you　with　feelings　of　gratitude；　such　as　are　not

often　awakened；　and　can　never　be　expressed。　　As　I　understand　it　to

be　the　pleasant　custom　here　to　finish　with　a　toast；　I　would　beg　to

give　you：　　AMERICA　AND　ENGLAND；　and　may　they　never　have　any

division　but　the　Atlantic　between　them。







SPEECH：　　FEBRUARY　7；　1842。







GENTLEMEN；　…　To　say　that　I　thank　you　for　the　earnest　manner　in

which　you　have　drunk　the　toast　just　now　so　eloquently　proposed　to

you　…　to　say　that　I　give　you　back　your　kind　wishes　and　good

feelings　with　more　than　compound　interest；　and　that　I　feel　how　dumb

and　powerless　the　best　acknowledgments　would　be　beside　such　genial

hospitality　as　yours；　is　nothing。　　To　say　that　in　this　winter

season；　flowers　have　sprung　up　in　every　footstep's　length　of　the

path　which　has　brought　me　here；　that　no　country　ever　smiled　more

pleasantly　than　yours　has　smiled　on　me；　and　that　I　have　rarely

looked　upon　a　brighter　summer　prospect　than　that　which　lies　before

me　now；　is　nothing。



But　it　is　something　to　be　no　stranger　in　a　strange　place　…　to　feel；

sitting　at　a　board　for　the　first　time；　the　ease　and　affection　of　an

old　guest；　and　to　be　at　once　on　such　intimate　terms　with　the　family

as　to　have　a　homely；　genuine　interest　in　its　every　member　…　it　is；

I　say；　something　to　be　in　this　novel　and　happy　frame　of　mind。　　And；

as　it　is　of　your　creation；　and　owes　its　being　to　you；　I　have　no

reluctance　in　urging　it　as　a　reason　why；　in　addressing　you；　I

should　not　so　much　consult　the　form　and　fashion　of　my　speech；　as　I

should　employ　that　universal　language　of　the　heart；　which　you；　and

such　as　you；　best　teach；　and　best　can　understand。　　Gentlemen；　in

that　universal　language　…　common　to　you　in　America；　and　to　us　in

England；　as　that　younger　mother…tongue；　which；　by　the　means　of；　and

through　the　happy　union　of　our　two　great　countries；　shall　be　spoken

ages　hence；　by　land　and　sea；　over　the　wide　surface　of　the　globe　…　I

thank　you。



I　had　occasion　to　say　the　other　night　in　Boston；　as　I　have　more

than　once　had　occasion　to　remark　before；　that　it　is　not　easy　for　an

author　to　speak　of　his　own　books。　　If　the　task　be　a　difficult　one

at　any　time；　its　difficulty；　certainly；　is　not　diminished　when　a

frequent　recurrence　to　the　same　theme　has　left　one　nothing　new　to

say。　　Still；　I　feel　that；　in　a　company　like　this；　and　especially

after　what　has　been　said　by　the　President；　that　I　ought　not　to　pass

lightly　over　those　labours　of　love；　which；　if　they　had　no　other

merit；　have　been　the　happy　means　of　bringing　us　together。



It　has　been　often　observed；　that　you　cannot　judge　of　an　author's

personal　character　from　his　writings。　　It　may　be　that　you　cannot。

I　think　it　very　likely；　for　many　reasons；　that　you　cannot。　　But；　at

least；　a　reader　will　rise　from　the　perusal　of　a　book　with　some

defined　and　tangible　idea　of　the　writer's　moral　creed　and　broad

purposes；　if　he　has　any　at　all；　and　it　is　probable　enough　that　he

may　like　to　have　this　idea　confirmed　from　the　author's　lips；　or

dissipated　by　his　explanation。　　Gentlemen；　my　moral　creed　…　which

is　a　very　wide　and　comprehensive　one；　and　includes　all　sects　and

parties　…　is　very　easily　summed　up。　　I　have　faith；　and　I　wish　to

diffuse　faith　in　the　existence　…　yes；　of　beautiful　things；　even　in

those　conditions　of　society；　which　are　so　degenerate；　degraded；　and

forlorn；　that；　at　first　sight；　it　would　seem　as　though　they　could

not　be　described　but　by　a　strange　and　terrible　reversal　of　the

words　of　Scripture；　〃God　said；　Let　there　be　light；　and　there　was

none。〃　　I　take　it　that　we　are　born；　and　that　we　hold　our

sympathies；　hopes；　and　energies；　in　trust　for　the　many；　and　not　for

the　few。　　That　we　cannot　hold　in　too　strong　a　light　of　disgust　and

contempt；　before　the　view　of　others；　all　meanness；　falsehood；

cruelty；　and　oppression；　of　every　grade　and　kind。　　Above　all；　that

nothing　is　high；　because　it　is　in　a　high　place；　and　that　nothing　is

low；　because　it　is　in　a　low　one。　　This　is　the　lesson　taught　us　in

the　great　book　of　nature。　　This　is　the　lesson　which　may　be　read；

alike　in　the　bright　track　of　the　stars；　and　in　the　dusty　course　of

the　poorest　thing　that　drags　its　tiny　length　upon　the　ground。　　This

is　the　lesson　ever　uppermost　in　the　thoughts　of　that　inspired　man；

who　tells　us　that　there　are





〃Tongues　in　the　trees；　books　in　the　running　brooks；

Sermons　in　stones；　and　good　in　everything。〃





Gentlemen；　keeping　these　objects　steadily　before　me；　I　am　at　no

loss　to　refer　your　favour　and　your　generous　hospitality　back　to　the

right　source。　　While　I　know；　on　the　one　hand；　that　if；　instead　of

being　what　it　is；　this　were　a　land　of　tyranny　and　wrong；　I　should

care　very　little　for　your　smiles　or　frowns；　so　I　am　sure　upon　the

other；　that　if；　instead　of　being　what　I　am；　I　were　the　greatest

genius　that　ever　trod　the　earth；　and　had　diverted　myself　for　the

oppression　and　degradation　of　mankind；　you　would　despise　and　reject

me。　　I　hope　you　will；　whenever；　through　such　means；　I　give　you　the

opportunity。　　Trust　me；　that；　whenever　you　give　me　the　like

occasion；　I　will　return　the　compliment　with　interest。



Gentlemen；　as　I　have　no　secrets　from　you；　in　the　spirit　o