speeches-literary & social-第14节

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the　charity　has　only　suffered　to　the　extent　of　30　pounds。　　After

this；　I　most　earnestly　and　sincerely　say　that　were　we　all　authors

together；　I　might　boast；　if　in　my　profession　were　exhibited　the

same　unity　and　steadfastness　I　find　in　yours。



I　will　not　urge　on　you　the　casualties　of　a　life　of　travel；　or　the

vicissitudes　of　business；　or　the　claims　fostered　by　that　bond　of

brotherhood　which　ought　always　to　exist　amongst　men　who　are　united

in　a　common　pursuit。　　You　have　already　recognized　those　claims　so

nobly；　that　I　will　not　presume　to　lay　them　before　you　in　any

further　detail。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　I　do　not　think　it　is　in

your　nature　to　do　things　by　halves。　　I　do　not　think　you　could　do　so

if　you　tried；　and　I　have　a　moral　certainty　that　you　never　will　try。

To　those　gentlemen　present　who　are　not　members　of　the　travellers'

body；　I　will　say　in　the　words　of　the　French　proverb；　〃Heaven　helps

those　who　help　themselves。〃　　The　Commercial　Travellers　having

helped　themselves　so　gallantly；　it　is　clear　that　the　visitors　who

come　as　a　sort　of　celestial　representatives　ought　to　bring　that　aid

in　their　pockets　which　the　precept　teaches　us　to　expect　from　them。

With　these　few　remarks；　I　beg　to　give　you　as　a　toast；　〃Success　to

the　Commercial　Travellers'　School。〃



＇In　proposing　the　health　of　the　Army　in　the　Crimea；　Mr。　Dickens

said：…＇



IT　does　not　require　any　extraordinary　sagacity　in　a　commercial

assembly　to　appreciate　the　dire　evils　of　war。　　The　great　interests

of　trade　enfeebled　by　it；　the　enterprise　of　better　times　paralysed

by　it；　all　the　peaceful　arts　bent　down　before　it；　too　palpably

indicate　its　character　and　results；　so　that　far　less　practical

intelligence　than　that　by　which　I　am　surrounded　would　be　sufficient

to　appreciate　the　horrors　of　war。　　But　there　are　seasons　when　the

evils　of　peace；　though　not　so　acutely　felt；　are　immeasurably

greater；　and　when　a　powerful　nation；　by　admitting　the　right　of　any

autocrat　to　do　wrong；　sows　by　such　complicity　the　seeds　of　its　own

ruin；　and　overshadows　itself　in　time　to　come　with　that　fatal

influence　which　great　and　ambitious　powers　are　sure　to　exercise

over　their　weaker　neighbours。



Therefore　it　is；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　that　the　tree　has　not　its

root　in　English　ground　from　which　the　yard　wand　can　be　made　that

will　measure　…　the　mine　has　not　its　place　in　English　soil　that　will

supply　the　material　of　a　pair　of　scales　to　weigh　the　influence　that

may　be　at　stake　in　the　war　in　which　we　are　now　straining　all　our

energies。　　That　war　is；　at　any　time　and　in　any　shape；　a　most

dreadful　and　deplorable　calamity；　we　need　no　proverb　to　tell　us；

but　it　is　just　because　it　is　such　a　calamity；　and　because　that

calamity　must　not　for　ever　be　impending　over　us　at　the　fancy　of　one

man　against　all　mankind；　that　we　must　not　allow　that　man　to　darken

from　our　view　the　figures　of　peace　and　justice　between　whom　and　us

he　now　interposes。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　if　ever　there　were　a　time　when　the　true

spirits　of　two　countries　were　really　fighting　in　the　cause　of　human

advancement　and　freedom　…　no　matter　what　diplomatic　notes　or　other

nameless　botherations；　from　number　one　to　one　hundred　thousand　and

one；　may　have　preceded　their　taking　the　field　…　if　ever　there　were

a　time　when　noble　hearts　were　deserving　well　of　mankind　by　exposing

themselves　to　the　obedient　bayonets　of　a　rash　and　barbarian　tyrant；

it　is　now；　when　the　faithful　children　of　England　and　France　are

fighting　so　bravely　in　the　Crimea。　　Those　faithful　children　are　the

admiration　and　wonder　of　the　world；　so　gallantly　are　they

discharging　their　duty；　and　therefore　I　propose　to　an　assembly；

emphatically　representing　the　interests　and　arts　of　peace；　to　drink

the　health　of　the　Allied　Armies　of　England　and　France；　with　all

possible　honours。





＇In　proposing　the　health　of　the　Treasurer；　Mr。　Dickens　said：…＇





If　the　President　of　this　Institution　had　been　here；　I　should

possibly　have　made　one　of　the　best　speeches　you　ever　heard；　but　as

he　is　not　here；　I　shall　turn　to　the　next　toast　on　my　list：…　〃The

health　of　your　worthy　Treasurer；　Mr。　George　Moore；〃　a　name　which　is

a　synonym　for　integrity；　enterprise；　public　spirit；　and

benevolence。　　He　is　one　of　the　most　zealous　officers　I　ever　saw　in

my　life；　he　appears　to　me　to　have　been　doing　nothing　during　the

last　week　but　rushing　into　and　out　of　railway…carriages；　and　making

eloquent　speeches　at　all　sorts　of　public　dinners　in　favour　of　this

charity。　　Last　evening　he　was　at　Manchester；　and　this　evening　he

comes　here；　sacrificing　his　time　and　convenience；　and　exhausting　in

the　meantime　the　contents　of　two　vast　leaden　inkstands　and　no　end

of　pens；　with　the　energy　of　fifty　bankers'　clerks　rolled　into　one。

But　I　clearly　foresee　that　the　Treasurer　will　have　so　much　to　do

to…night；　such　gratifying　sums　to　acknowledge　and　such　large　lines

of　figures　to　write　in　his　books；　that　I　feel　the　greatest

consideration　I　can　show　him　is　to　propose　his　health　without

further　observation；　leaving　him　to　address　you　in　his　own　behalf。

I　propose　to　you；　therefore；　the　health　of　Mr。　George　Moore；　the

Treasurer　of　this　charity；　and　I　need　hardly　add　that　it　is　one

which　is　to　be　drunk　with　all　the　honours。





＇Later　in　the　evening；　Mr。　Dickens　rose　and　said：…＇





So　many　travellers　have　been　going　up　Mont　Blanc　lately；　both　in

fact　and　in　fiction；　that　I　have　heard　recently　of　a　proposal　for

the　establishment　of　a　Company　to　employ　Sir　Joseph　Paxton　to　take

it　down。　　Only　one　of　those　travellers；　however；　has　been　enabled

to　bring　Mont　Blanc　to　Piccadilly；　and；　by　his　own　ability　and　good

humour；　so　to　thaw　its　eternal　ice　and　snow；　as　that　the　most　timid

lady　may　ascend　it　twice　a…day；　〃during　the　holidays；〃　without　the

smallest　danger　or　fatigue。　　Mr。　Albert　Smith；　who　is　present

amongst　us　to…night；　is　undoubtedly　〃a　traveller。〃　　I　do　not　know

whether　he　takes　many　orders；　but　this　I　can　testify；　on　behalf　of

the　children　of　his　friends；　that　he　gives　them　in　the　most　liberal

manner。



We　have　also　amongst　us　my　friend　Mr。　Peter　Cunningham；　who　is　also

a　traveller；　not　only　in　right　of　his　able　edition　of　Goldsmith's

〃Traveller；〃　but　in　right　of　his　admirable　Handbook；　which　proves

him　to　be　a　traveller　in　the　right　spirit　through　all　the

labyrinths　of　London。　　We　have　also　amongst　us　my　friend　Horace

Mayhew；　very　well　known　also　for　his　books；　but　especially　for　his

genuine　admiration　of　the　company　at　that　end　of　the　room　＇MR。

DICKENS　HERE　POINTED　TO　THE　LADIES　GALLERY＇；　and　who；　whenever　the

fair　sex　is　mentioned；　will　be　found　to　have　the　liveliest　personal

interest　in　the　conversation。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　am　about　to　propose　to　you　the　health　of

these　three　distinguished　visitors。　　They　are　all　admirable

speakers；　but　Mr。　Albert　Smith　has　confessed　to　me；　that　on　fairly

balancing　his　own　merits　as　a　speaker　and　a　singer；　he　rather

thinks　he　excels　in　the　latter　art。　　I　have；　therefore；　yielded　to

his　estimate　of　himself；　and　I　have　now　the　pleasure　of　informing

you　that　he　will　lead　off　the　speeches　of　the　other　two　gentlemen

with　a　song。　　Mr。　Albert　Smith　has　just　said　to　me　in　an　earnest

tone　of　voice；　〃What　song　would　you　recommend？〃　and　I　replied；

〃Galignani's　Messenger。〃　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　therefore　beg　to

propose　the　health　of　Messrs。　　Albert　Smith；　Peter　Cunningham；　and

Horace　Mayhew；　and　call　on　the　first…named　gentleman　for　a　song。







SPEECH：　　ADMINISTRATIVE　REFORM。　　THEATRE　ROYAL；　DRURY　LANE；

WEDNESDAY；　JUNE　27；　1855。







I　CANNOT；　I　am　sure；　better　express　my　sense　of　the　kind　reception

accorded　to　me　by　this　great　assembly；　than　by　promising　to

compress　what　I　shall　address　to　it　within　the　closest　possible

limits。　　It　is　more　than　eighteen　hundred　years　ago；　since　there

was　a　set　of　men　who　〃thought　they　should　be　heard　for　their　much

speaking。〃　　As　they　have　propagated　exceedingly　since　that　time；

and　as　I　observe　that　they　flourish　just　now　to　a　surprising　extent

about　Westminster；　I　will　do　my　best　to　avoid　adding　to　the　numbers

of　that　prolific　race。　　The　noble　lord　at　the　head　of　the

Government；　when　he　wondered　in　Parliament　about　a　week　ago；　that

my　friend；　Mr。　Layard；　did　not　blush　for　having　stated　in　this

place　what　the　whole　country　knows　perfectly　well　to　be　true；　and

what　no　man　in　it　can　by　possibility　better　know　to　be　true　than

those　disinterested　supporters　of　that　noble　lord；　who　had　the

advantage　of　hearing　him　and　cheering　him　night　after　night；　when

he　first　became　premier　…　I　mean　that　he　did　officially　and

habitually　joke；　at　a　time　when　this　country　was　plunged　in　deep

disgrace　and　distress　…　I　say；　that　noble　lord；　when　he　wondered　so

much　that　the　man　of　this　age；　who　has；　by　his　earnest　and

adventurous　spirit；　done　the　most　to　distinguish　himself　and　it；

did　not　blush　for　the　tremendous　audacity　of　having　so　come　between

the　wind　and　his　nob