speeches-literary & social-第36节

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with　pipes　in　a　chaise　cart　…　I　say　it　must　be　admitted　in

disparagement　of　the　Oxford　men　on　the　authority　of　this　gentleman；

that　they　have　won　so　often　that　they　could　afford　to　lose　a　little

now；　and　that　〃they　ought　to　do　it；　but　they　won't。〃



Gentlemen；　in　drinking　to　both　crews；　and　in　offering　the　poor

testimony　of　our　thanks　in　acknowledgment　of　the　gallant　spectacle

which　they　presented　to　countless　thousands　last　Friday；　I　am　sure

I　express　not　only　your　feeling；　and　my　feeling；　and　the　feeling　of

the　Blue；　but　also　the　feeling　of　the　whole　people　of　England；　when

I　cordially　give　them　welcome　to　our　English　waters　and　English

ground；　and　also　bid　them　〃God　speed〃　in　their　voyage　home。　　As　the

greater　includes　the　less；　and　the　sea　holds　the　river；　so　I　think

it　is　no　very　bold　augury　to　predict　that　in　the　friendly　contests

yet　to　come　and　to　take　place；　I　hope；　on　both　sides　of　the

Atlantic　…　there　are　great　river　triumphs　for　Harvard　University

yet　in　store。　　Gentlemen；　I　warn　the　English　portion　of　this

audience　that　these　are　very　dangerous　men。　　Remember　that　it　was

an　undergraduate　of　Harvard　University　who　served　as　a　common

seaman　two　years　before　the　mast；　and　who　wrote　about　the　best　sea

book　in　the　English　tongue。　　Remember　that　it　was　one　of　those

young　American　gentlemen　who　sailed　his　mite　of　a　yacht　across　the

Atlantic　in　mid…winter；　and　who　sailed　in　her　to　sink　or　swim　with

the　men　who　believed　in　him。



And　now；　gentlemen；　in　conclusion；　animated　by　your　cordial

acquiescence；　I　will　take　upon　myself　to　assure　our　brothers　from　a

distance　that　the　utmost　enthusiasm　with　which　they　can　be　received

on　their　return　home　will　find　a　ready　echo　in　every　corner　of

England　…　and　further；　that　none　of　their　immediate　countrymen　…　I

use　the　qualifying　term　immediate；　for　we　are；　as　our　president

said；　fellow　countrymen；　thank　God　…　that　none　of　their　compatriots

who　saw；　or　who　will　read　of；　what　they　did　in　this　great　race；　can

be　more　thoroughly　imbued　with　a　sense　of　their　indomitable　courage

and　their　high　deserts　than　are　their　rivals　and　their　hosts　to…

night。　　Gentlemen；　I　beg　to　propose　to　you　to　drink　the　crews　of

Harvard　and　Oxford　University；　and　I　beg　to　couple　with　that　toast

the　names　of　Mr。　Simmons　and　Mr。　Willan。







SPEECH：　　BIRMINGHAM；　SEPTEMBER　27；　1869。







＇Inaugural　Address　on　the　opening　of　the　Winter　Session　of　the

Birmingham　and　Midland　Institute。



One　who　was　present　during　the　delivery　of　the　following　speech；

informs　the　editor　that　〃no　note　of　any　kind　was　referred　to　by　Mr。

Dickens　…　except　the　Quotation　from　Sydney　Smith。　　The　address；

evidently　carefully　prepared；　was　delivered　without　a　single　pause；

in　Mr。　Dickens's　best　manner；　and　was　a　very　great　success。〃＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　We　often　hear　of　our　common　country　that　it

is　an　over…populated　one；　that　it　is　an　over…pauperized　one；　that

it　is　an　over…colonizing　one；　and　that　it　is　an　over…taxed　one。

Now；　I　entertain；　especially　of　late　times；　the　heretical　belief

that　it　is　an　over…talked　one；　and　that　there　is　a　deal　of　public

speech…making　going　about　in　various　directions　which　might　be

advantageously　dispensed　with。　　If　I　were　free　to　act　upon　this

conviction；　as　president　for　the　time　being　of　the　great

institution　so　numerously　represented　here；　I　should　immediately

and　at　once　subside　into　a　golden　silence；　which　would　be　of　a

highly　edifying；　because　of　a　very　exemplary　character。　　But　I

happen　to　be　the　institution's　willing　servant；　not　its　imperious

master；　and　it　exacts　tribute　of　mere　silver　or　copper　speech　…　not

to　say　brazen　…　from　whomsoever　it　exalts　to　my　high　office。　　Some

African　tribes　…　not　to　draw　the　comparison　disrespectfully　…　some

savage　African　tribes；　when　they　make　a　king　require　him　perhaps　to

achieve　an　exhausting　foot…race　under　the　stimulus　of　considerable

popular　prodding　and　goading；　or　perhaps　to　be　severely　and

experimentally　knocked　about　the　head　by　his　Privy　Council；　or

perhaps　to　be　dipped　in　a　river　full　of　crocodiles；　or　perhaps　to

drink　immense　quantities　of　something　nasty　out　of　a　calabash　…　at

all　events；　to　undergo　some　purifying　ordeal　in　presence　of　his

admiring　subjects。



I　must　confess　that　I　became　rather　alarmed　when　I　was　duly　warned

by　your　constituted　authorities　that　whatever　I　might　happen　to　say

here　to…night　would　be　termed　an　inaugural　address　on　the　entrance

upon　a　new　term　of　study　by　the　members　of　your　various　classes；

for；　besides　that；　the　phrase　is　something　high…sounding　for　my

taste；　I　avow　that　I　do　look　forward　to　that　blessed　time　when

every　man　shall　inaugurate　his　own　work　for　himself；　and　do　it。　　I

believe　that　we　shall　then　have　inaugurated　a　new　era　indeed；　and

one　in　which　the　Lord's　Prayer　will　become　a　fulfilled　prophecy

upon　this　earth。　　Remembering；　however；　that　you　may　call　anything

by　any　name　without　in　the　least　changing　its　nature　…　bethinking

myself　that　you　may；　if　you　be　so　minded；　call　a　butterfly　a

buffalo；　without　advancing　a　hair's　breadth　towards　making　it　one　…

I　became　composed　in　my　mind；　and　resolved　to　stick　to　the　very

homely　intention　I　had　previously　formed。　　This　was　merely　to　tell

you；　the　members；　students；　and　friends　of　the　Birmingham　and

Midland　Institute　…　firstly；　what　you　cannot　possibly　want　to　know；

（this　is　a　very　popular　oratorical　theme）；　secondly；　what　your

institution　has　done；　and；　thirdly；　what；　in　the　poor　opinion　of

its　President　for　the　time　being；　remains　for　it　to　do　and　not　to

do。



Now；　first；　as　to　what　you　cannot　possibly　want　to　know。　　You

cannot　need　from　me　any　oratorical　declamation　concerning　the

abstract　advantages　of　knowledge　or　the　beauties　of　self…

improvement。　　If　you　had　any　such　requirement　you　would　not　be

here。　　I　conceive　that　you　are　here　because　you　have　become

thoroughly　penetrated　with　such　principles；　either　in　your　own

persons　or　in　the　persons　of　some　striving　fellow…creatures；　on

whom　you　have　looked　with　interest　and　sympathy。　　I　conceive　that

you　are　here　because　you　feel　the　welfare　of　the　great　chiefly

adult　educational　establishment；　whose　doors　stand　really　open　to

all　sorts　and　conditions　of　people；　to　be　inseparable　from　the　best

welfare　of　your　great　town　and　its　neighbourhood。　　Nay；　if　I　take　a

much　wider　range　than　that；　and　say　that　we　all　…　every　one　of　us

here　…　perfectly　well　know　that　the　benefits　of　such　an

establishment　must　extend　far　beyond　the　limits　of　this　midland

county　…　its　fires　and　smoke；　…　and　must　comprehend；　in　some　sort；

the　whole　community；　I　do　not　strain　the　truth。　　It　was　suggested

by　Mr。　Babbage；　in　his　ninth　〃Bridgewater　Treatise；〃　that　a　mere

spoken　word　…　a　single　articulated　syllable　thrown　into　the　air　…

may　go　on　reverberating　through　illimitable　space　for　ever　and　for

ever；　seeing　that　there　is　no　rim　against　which　it　can　strike　…　no

boundary　at　which　it　can　possibly　arrive。　　Similarly　it　may　be　said

…　not　as　an　ingenious　speculation；　but　as　a　stedfast　and　absolute

fact　…　that　human　calculation　cannot　limit　the　influence　of　one

atom　of　wholesome　knowledge　patiently　acquired；　modestly　possessed；

and　faithfully　used。



As　the　astronomers　tell　us　that　it　is　probable　that　there　are　in

the　universe　innumerable　solar　systems　besides　ours；　to　each　of

which　myriads　of　utterly　unknown　and　unseen　stars　belong；　so　it　is

certain　that　every　man；　however　obscure；　however　far　removed　from

the　general　recognition；　is　one　of　a　group　of　men　impressible　for

good；　and　impressible　for　evil；　and　that　it　is　in　the　eternal

nature　of　things　that　he　cannot　really　improve　himself　without　in

some　degree　improving　other　men。　　And　observe；　this　is　especially

the　case　when　he　has　improved　himself　in　the　teeth　of　adverse

circumstances；　as　in　a　maturity　succeeding　to　a　neglected　or　an

ill…taught　youth；　in　the　few　daily　hours　remaining　to　him　after　ten

or　twelve　hours'　labour；　in　the　few　pauses　and　intervals　of　a　life

of　toil；　for　then　his　fellows　and　companions　have　assurance　that　he

can　have　known　no　favouring　conditions；　and　that　they　can　do　what

he　has　done；　in　wresting　some　enlightenment　and　self…respect　from

what　Lord　Lytton　finely　calls　…





〃Those　twin　gaolers　of　the　daring　heart；

Low　birth　and　iron　fortune。〃





As　you　have　proved　these　truths　in　your　own　experience　or　in　your

own　observation；　and　as　it　may　be　safely　assumed　that　there　can　be

very　few　persons　in　Birmingham；　of　all　places　under　heaven；　who

would　contest　the　position　that　the　more　cultivated　the　employed

the　better　for　the　employer；　and　the　more　cultivated　the　employer

the　better　for　the　employed；　therefore；　my　references　to　what　you

do　not　want　to　know　shall　here　cease　and　determine。



Next；　with　reference　to　what　your　institution　has　done　on　my

summary；　which　shall　be　as　concise　and　as　correct　as　my　information

and　my　remembran