speeches-literary & social-第19节

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great　public　recognition　and　encouragement　I　ever　received　was

bestowed　on　me　in　this　generous　and　magnificent　city　…　in　this　city

so　distinguished　in　literature　and　so　distinguished　in　the　arts。

You　will　readily　believe　that　I　have　carried　into　the　various

countries　I　have　since　traversed；　and　through　all　my　subsequent

career；　the　proud　and　affectionate　remembrance　of　that　eventful

epoch　in　my　life；　and　that　coming　back　to　Edinburgh　is　to　me　like

coming　home。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　have　heard　so　much　of　my　voice　to…night；

that　I　will　not　inflict　on　you　the　additional　task　of　hearing　any

more。　　I　am　better　reconciled　to　limiting　myself　to　these　very　few

words；　because　I　know　and　feel　full　well　that　no　amount　of　speech

to　which　I　could　give　utterance　could　possibly　express　my　sense　of

the　honour　and　distinction　you　have　conferred　on　me；　or　the

heartfelt　gratification　I　derive　from　this　reception。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MARCH　29；　1858。







＇At　the　thirteenth　anniversary　festival　of　the　General　Theatrical

Fund；　held　at　the　Freemasons'　Tavern；　at　which　Thackeray　presided；

Mr。　Dickens　made　the　following　speech：＇



IN　our　theatrical　experience　as　playgoers　we　are　all　equally

accustomed　to　predict　by　certain　little　signs　and　portents　on　the

stage　what　is　going　to　happen　there。　　When　the　young　lady；　an

admiral's　daughter；　is　left　alone　to　indulge　in　a　short　soliloquy；

and　certain　smart　spirit…rappings　are　heard　to　proceed　immediately

from　beneath　her　feet；　we　foretell　that　a　song　is　impending。　　When

two　gentlemen　enter；　for　whom；　by　a　happy　coincidence；　two　chairs；

and　no　more；　are　in　waiting；　we　augur　a　conversation；　and　that　it

will　assume　a　retrospective　biographical　character。　　When　any　of

the　performers　who　belong　to　the　sea…faring　or　marauding

professions　are　observed　to　arm　themselves　with　very　small　swords

to　which　are　attached　very　large　hilts；　we　predict　that　the　affair

will　end　in　a　combat。　　Carrying　out　the　association　of　ideas；　it

may　have　occurred　to　some　that　when　I　asked　my　old　friend　in　the

chair　to　allow　me　to　propose　a　toast　I　had　him　in　my　eye；　and　I

have　him　now　on　my　lips。



The　duties　of　a　trustee　of　the　Theatrical　Fund；　an　office　which　I

hold；　are　not　so　frequent　or　so　great　as　its　privileges。　　He　is　in

fact　a　mere　walking　gentleman；　with　the　melancholy　difference　that

he　has　no　one　to　love。　　If　this　advantage　could　be　added　to　his

character　it　would　be　one　of　a　more　agreeable　nature　than　it　is；

and　his　forlorn　position　would　be　greatly　improved。　　His　duty　is　to

call　every　half　year　at　the　bankers'；　when　he　signs　his　name　in　a

large　greasy　inconvenient　book；　to　certain　documents　of　which　he

knows　nothing；　and　then　he　delivers　it　to　the　property　man　and

exits　anywhere。



He；　however；　has　many　privileges。　　It　is　one　of　his　privileges　to

watch　the　steady　growth　of　an　institution　in　which　he　takes　great

interest；　it　is　one　of　his　privileges　to　bear　his　testimony　to　the

prudence；　the　goodness；　the　self…denial；　and　the　excellence　of　a

class　of　persons　who　have　been　too　long　depreciated；　and　whose

virtues　are　too　much　denied；　out　of　the　depths　of　an　ignorant　and

stupid　superstition。　　And　lastly；　it　is　one　of　his　privileges

sometimes　to　be　called　on　to　propose　the　health　of　the　chairman　at

the　annual　dinners　of　the　institution；　when　that　chairman　is　one

for　whose　genius　he　entertains　the　warmest　admiration；　and　whom　he

respects　as　a　friend；　and　as　one　who　does　honour　to　literature；　and

in　whom　literature　is　honoured。　　I　say　when　that　is　the　case；　he

feels　that　this　last　privilege　is　a　great　and　high　one。　　From　the

earliest　days　of　this　institution　I　have　ventured　to　impress　on　its

managers；　that　they　would　consult　its　credit　and　success　by

choosing　its　chairmen　as　often　as　possible　within　the　circle　of

literature　and　the　arts；　and　I　will　venture　to　say　that　no　similar

institution　has　been　presided　over　by　so　many　remarkable　and

distinguished　men。　　I　am　sure；　however；　that　it　never　has　had；　and

that　it　never　will　have；　simply　because　it　cannot　have；　a　greater

lustre　cast　upon　it　than　by　the　presence　of　the　noble　English

writer　who　fills　the　chair　to…night。



It　is　not　for　me　at　this　time；　and　in　this　place；　to　take　on　myself

to　flutter　before　you　the　well…thumbed　pages　of　Mr。　Thackeray's

books；　and　to　tell　you　to　observe　how　full　they　are　of　wit　and

wisdom；　how　out…speaking；　and　how　devoid　of　fear　or　favour；　but　I

will　take　leave　to　remark；　in　paying　my　due　homage　and　respect　to

them；　that　it　is　fitting　that　such　a　writer　and　such　an　institution

should　be　brought　together。　　Every　writer　of　fiction；　although　he

may　not　adopt　the　dramatic　form；　writes　in　effect　for　the　stage。

He　may　never　write　plays；　but　the　truth　and　passion　which　are　in

him　must　be　more　or　less　reflected　in　the　great　mirror　which　he

holds　up　to　nature。　　Actors；　managers；　and　authors　are　all

represented　in　this　company；　and　it　maybe　supposed　that　they　all

have　studied　the　deep　wants　of　the　human　heart　in　many　theatres；

but　none　of　them　could　have　studied　its　mysterious　workings　in　any

theatre　to　greater　advantage　than　in　the　bright　and　airy　pages　of

VANITY　FAIR。　　To　this　skilful　showman；　who　has　so　often　delighted

us；　and　who　has　charmed　us　again　to…night；　we　have　now　to　wish　God

speed；　and　that　he　may　continue　for　many　years　to　exercise　his

potent　art。　　To　him　fill　a　bumper　toast；　and　fervently　utter；　God

bless　him！







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　APRIL　29；　1858。







＇The　reader　will　already　have　observed　that　in　the　Christmas　week

of　1853；　and　on　several　subsequent　occasions；　Mr。　Dickens　had　read

the　CHRISTMAS　CAROL　and　the　CHIMES　before　public　audiences；　but

always　in　aid　of　the　funds　of　some　institution；　or　for　other

benevolent　purposes。　　The　first　reading　he　ever　gave　for　his　own

benefit　took　place　on　the　above　date；　in　St。　Martin's　Hall；　（now

converted　into　the　Queen's　Theatre）。　　This　reading　Mr。　Dickens

prefaced　with　the　following　speech：…＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　It　may　perhaps　be　in　known　to　you　that；　for

a　few　years　past；　I　have　been　accustomed　occasionally　to　read　some

of　my　shorter　books；　to　various　audiences；　in　aid　of　a　variety　of

good　objects；　and　at　some　charge　to　myself；　both　in　time　and　money。

It　having　at　length　become　impossible　in　any　reason　to　comply　with

these　always　accumulating　demands；　I　have　had　definitively　to

choose　between　now　and　then　reading　on　my　own　account；　as　one　of　my

recognised　occupations；　or　not　reading　at　all。　　I　have　had　little

or　no　difficulty　in　deciding　on　the　former　course。　　The　reasons

that　have　led　me　to　it　…　besides　the　consideration　that　it

necessitates　no　departure　whatever　from　the　chosen　pursuits　of　my

life　…　are　threefold：　　firstly；　I　have　satisfied　myself　that　it　can

involve　no　possible　compromise　of　the　credit　and　independence　of

literature；　secondly；　I　have　long　held　the　opinion；　and　have　long

acted　on　the　opinion；　that　in　these　times　whatever　brings　a　public

man　and　his　public　face　to　face；　on　terms　of　mutual　confidence　and

respect；　is　a　good　thing；　thirdly；　I　have　had　a　pretty　large

experience　of　the　interest　my　hearers　are　so　generous　as　to　take　in

these　occasions；　and　of　the　delight　they　give　to　me；　as　a　tried

means　of　strengthening　those　relations　…　I　may　almost　say　of

personal　friendship　…　which　it　is　my　great　privilege　and　pride；　as

it　is　my　great　responsibility；　to　hold　with　a　multitude　of　persons

who　will　never　hear　my　voice　nor　see　my　face。　　Thus　it　is　that　I

come；　quite　naturally；　to　be　here　among　you　at　this　time；　and　thus

it　is　that　I　proceed　to　read　this　little　book；　quite　as　composedly

as　I　might　proceed　to　write　it；　or　to　publish　it　in　any　other　way。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　1；　1858。







＇The　following　short　speech　was　made　at　the　Banquet　of　the　Royal

Academy；　after　the　health　of　Mr。　Dickens　and　Mr。　Thackeray　had　been

proposed　by　the　President；　Sir　Charles　Eastlake：…＇



FOLLOWING　the　order　of　your　toast；　I　have　to　take　the　first　part　in

the　duet　to　be　performed　in　acknowledgment　of　the　compliment　you

have　paid　to　literature。　　In　this　home　of　art　I　feel　it　to　be　too

much　an　interchange　of　compliments；　as　it　were；　between　near

relations；　to　enter　into　any　lengthened　expression　of　our　thanks

for　the　honour　you　have　done　us。　　I　feel　that　it　would　be　changing

this　splendid　assembly　into　a　sort　of　family　party。　　I　may；

however；　take　leave　to　say　that　your　sister；　whom　I　represent；　is

strong　and　healthy；　that　she　has　a　very　great　affection　for；　and　an

undying　interest　in　you；　and　that　it　is　always　a　very　great

gratification　to　her　to　see　herself　so　well　remembered　within　these

walls；　and　to　know　that　she　is　an　honoured　guest　at　your　hospitable

board。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　JULY　21；　1858。







＇On　the　above　date；　a　public　meeting　was　held　at　the　Princess's

Theatre；　for　the　purpose　of　establishing　the　now　famous　Royal