speeches-literary & social-第27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！



who　was　afraid　of　anything　must　be　a　scoundrel；　sir。〃　　By　no　means

binding　myself　to　this　opinion　…　though　admitting　that　the　man　who

is　afraid　of　a　newspaper　will　generally　be　found　to　be　rather

something　like　it；　I　must　still　freely　own　that　I　should　approach

my　Parliamentary　debate　with　infinite　fear　and　trembling　if　it　were

so　unskilfully　served　up　for　my　breakfast。　　Ever　since　the　time

when　the　old　man　and　his　son　took　their　donkey　home；　which　were　the

old　Greek　days；　I　believe；　and　probably　ever　since　the　time　when

the　donkey　went　into　the　ark　…　perhaps　he　did　not　like　his

accommodation　there　…　but　certainly　from　that　time　downwards；　he

has　objected　to　go　in　any　direction　required　of　him　…　from　the

remotest　periods　it　has　been　found　impossible　to　please　everybody。



I　do　not　for　a　moment　seek　to　conceal　that　I　know　this　Institution

has　been　objected　to。　　As　an　open　fact　challenging　the　freest

discussion　and　inquiry；　and　seeking　no　sort　of　shelter　or　favour

but　what　it　can　win；　it　has　nothing；　I　apprehend；　but　itself；　to

urge　against　objection。　　No　institution　conceived　in　perfect

honesty　and　good　faith　has　a　right　to　object　to　being　questioned　to

any　extent；　and　any　institution　so　based　must　be　in　the　end　the

better　for　it。　　Moreover；　that　this　society　has　been　questioned　in

quarters　deserving　of　the　most　respectful　attention　I　take　to　be　an

indisputable　fact。　　Now；　I　for　one　have　given　that　respectful

attention；　and　I　have　come　out　of　the　discussion　to　where　you　see

me。　　The　whole　circle　of　the　arts　is　pervaded　by　institutions

between　which　and　this　I　can　descry　no　difference。　　The　painters'

art　has　four　or　five　such　institutions。　　The　musicians'　art；　so

generously　and　charmingly　represented　here；　has　likewise　several

such　institutions。　　In　my　own　art　there　is　one；　concerning　the

details　of　which　my　noble　friend　the　president　of　the　society　and

myself　have　torn　each　other's　hair　to　a　considerable　extent；　and

which　I　would；　if　I　could；　assimilate　more　nearly　to　this。　　In　the

dramatic　art　there　are　four；　and　I　never　yet　heard　of　any　objection

to　their　principle；　except；　indeed；　in　the　cases　of　some　famous

actors　of　large　gains；　who　having　through　the　whole　period　of　their

successes　positively　refused　to　establish　a　right　in　them；　became；

in　their　old　age　and　decline；　repentant　suppliants　for　their

bounty。　　Is　it　urged　against　this　particular　Institution　that　it　is

objectionable　because　a　parliamentary　reporter；　for　instance；　might

report　a　subscribing　M。P。　in　large；　and　a　non…subscribing　M。P。　in

little？　　Apart　from　the　sweeping　nature　of　this　charge；　which；　it

is　to　be　observed；　lays　the　unfortunate　member　and　the　unfortunate

reporter　under　pretty　much　the　same　suspicion　…　apart　from　this

consideration；　I　reply　that　it　is　notorious　in　all　newspaper

offices　that　every　such　man　is　reported　according　to　the　position

he　can　gain　in　the　public　eye；　and　according　to　the　force　and

weight　of　what　he　has　to　say。　　And　if　there　were　ever　to　be　among

the　members　of　this　society　one　so　very　foolish　to　his　brethren；

and　so　very　dishonourable　to　himself；　as　venally　to　abuse　his

trust；　I　confidently　ask　those　here；　the　best　acquainted　with

journalism；　whether　they　believe　it　possible　that　any　newspaper　so

ill…conducted　as　to　fail　instantly　to　detect　him　could　possibly

exist　as　a　thriving　enterprise　for　one　single　twelvemonth？　　No；

ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　blundering　stupidity　of　such　an　offence

would　have　no　chance　against　the　acute　sagacity　of　newspaper

editors。　　But　I　will　go　further；　and　submit　to　you　that　its

commission；　if　it　be　to　be　dreaded　at　all；　is　far　more　likely　on

the　part　of　some　recreant　camp…follower　of　a　scattered；　disunited；

and　half…recognized　profession；　than　when　there　is　a　public　opinion

established　in　it；　by　the　union　of　all　classes　of　its　members　for

the　common　good：　　the　tendency　of　which　union　must　in　the　nature　of

things　be　to　raise　the　lower　members　of　the　press　towards　the

higher；　and　never　to　bring　the　higher　members　to　the　lower　level。



I　hope　I　may　be　allowed　in　the　very　few　closing　words　that　I　feel　a

desire　to　say　in　remembrance　of　some　circumstances；　rather　special；

attending　my　present　occupation　of　this　chair；　to　give　those　words

something　of　a　personal　tone。　　I　am　not　here　advocating　the　case　of

a　mere　ordinary　client　of　whom　I　have　little　or　no　knowledge。　　I

hold　a　brief　to…night　for　my　brothers。　　I　went　into　the　gallery　of

the　House　of　Commons　as　a　parliamentary　reporter　when　I　was　a　boy

not　eighteen；　and　I　left　it　…　I　can　hardly　believe　the　inexorable

truth　…　nigh　thirty　years　ago。　　I　have　pursued　the　calling　of　a

reporter　under　circumstances　of　which　many　of　my　brethren　at　home

in　England　here；　many　of　my　modern　successors；　can　form　no　adequate

conception。　　I　have　often　transcribed　for　the　printer；　from　my

shorthand　notes；　important　public　speeches　in　which　the　strictest

accuracy　was　required；　and　a　mistake　in　which　would　have　been　to　a

young　man　severely　compromising；　writing　on　the　palm　of　my　hand；　by

the　light　of　a　dark　lantern；　in　a　post…chaise　and　four；　galloping

through　a　wild　country；　and　through　the　dead　of　the　night；　at　the

then　surprising　rate　of　fifteen　miles　an　hour。　　The　very　last　time

I　was　at　Exeter；　I　strolled　into　the　castle　yard　there　to　identify；

for　the　amusement　of　a　friend；　the　spot　on　which　I　once　〃took；〃　as

we　used　to　call　it；　an　election　speech　of　my　noble　friend　Lord

Russell；　in　the　midst　of　a　lively　fight　maintained　by　all　the

vagabonds　in　that　division　of　the　county；　and　under　such　a　pelting

rain；　that　I　remember　two　goodnatured　colleagues；　who　chanced　to　be

at　leisure；　held　a　pocket…handkerchief　over　my　notebook；　after　the

manner　of　a　state　canopy　in　an　ecclesiastical　procession。　　I　have

worn　my　knees　by　writing　on　them　on　the　old　back　row　of　the　old

gallery　of　the　old　House　of　Commons；　and　I　have　worn　my　feet　by

standing　to　write　in　a　preposterous　pen　in　the　old　House　of　Lords；

where　we　used　to　be　huddled　together　like　so　many　sheep　…　kept　in

waiting；　say；　until　the　woolsack　might　want　re…stuffing。　　Returning

home　from　excited　political　meetings　in　the　country　to　the　waiting

press　in　London；　I　do　verily　believe　I　have　been　upset　in　almost

every　description　of　vehicle　known　in　this　country。　　I　have　been；

in　my　time；　belated　on　miry　by…roads；　towards　the　small　hours；

forty　or　fifty　miles　from　London；　in　a　wheelless　carriage；　with

exhausted　horses　and　drunken　postboys；　and　have　got　back　in　time

for　publication；　to　be　received　with　never…forgotten　compliments　by

the　late　Mr。　Black；　coming　in　the　broadest　of　Scotch　from　the

broadest　of　hearts　I　ever　knew。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　mention　these　trivial　things　as　an

assurance　to　you　that　I　never　have　forgotten　the　fascination　of

that　old　pursuit。　　The　pleasure　that　I　used　to　feel　in　the　rapidity

and　dexterity　of　its　exercise　has　never　faded　out　of　my　breast。

Whatever　little　cunning　of　hand　or　head　I　took　to　it；　or　acquired

in　it；　I　have　so　retained　as　that　I　fully　believe　I　could　resume　it

to…morrow；　very　little　the　worse　from　long　disuse。　　To　this　present

year　of　my　life；　when　I　sit　in　this　hall；　or　where　not；　hearing　a

dull　speech；　the　phenomenon　does　occur　…　I　sometimes　beguile　the

tedium　of　the　moment　by　mentally　following　the　speaker　in　the　old；

old　way；　and　sometimes；　if　you　can　believe　me；　I　even　find　my　hand

going　on　the　table…cloth；　taking　an　imaginary　note　of　it　all。

Accept　these　little　truths　as　a　confirmation　of　what　I　know；　as　a

confirmation　of　my　undying　interest　in　this　old　calling。　　Accept

them　as　a　proof　that　my　feeling　for　the　location　of　my　youth　is　not

a　sentiment　taken　up　to…night　to　be　thrown　away　to…morrow　…　but　is

a　faithful　sympathy　which　is　a　part　of　myself。　　I　verily　believe　…

I　am　sure　…　that　if　I　had　never　quitted　my　old　calling　I　should

have　been　foremost　and　zealous　in　the　interests　of　this

Institution；　believing　it　to　be　a　sound；　a　wholesome；　and　a　good

one。　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　am　to　propose　to　you　to　drink

〃Prosperity　to　the　Newspaper　Press　Fund；〃　with　which　toast　I　will

connect；　as　to　its　acknowledgment；　a　name　that　has　shed　new

brilliancy　on　even　the　foremost　newspaper　in　the　world　…　the

illustrious　name　of　Mr。　Russell。







SPEECH：　　KNEBWORTH；　JULY　29；　1865。







＇On　the　above　date　the　members　of　the　〃Guild　of　Literature　and　Art〃

proceeded　to　the　neighbourhood　of　Stevenage；　near　the　magnificent

seat　of　the　President；　Lord　Lytton；　to　inspect　three　houses　built

in　the　Gothic　style；　on　the　ground　given　by　him　for　the　purpose。

After　their　survey；　the　party　drove　to　Knebworth　to　partake　of　the

hospitality　of　Lord　Lytton。　　Mr。　Dickens；　who　was　one　of　the

guests；　proposed　the　health　of　the　host　in　the　following　words：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　It　was　said　by　a　very　sagacious　person；

whose　authority　I　am　sure　my　friend　of　many　years　will　not　impugn；

seeing　that　he　was　name