speeches-literary & social-第30节

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the　giants　in　Guildhall　hear　the　clock　strike　one；　they　come　down

to　dinner。　　Similarly；　when　the　City　of　London　shall　hear　but　one

single　word　in　just　disparagement　of　its　present　Lord　Mayor；

whether　as　its　enlightened　chief　magistrate；　or　as　one　of　its

merchants；　or　as　one　of　its　true　gentlemen；　he　will　then　descend

from　the　high　personal　place　which　he　holds　in　the　general　honour

and　esteem。　　Until　then　he　will　remain　upon　his　pedestal；　and　my

private　opinion；　between　ourselves；　is　that　the　giants　will　come

down　long　before　him。



Gentlemen；　in　conclusion；　I　would　remark　that　when　the　Lord　Mayor

made　his　truly　remarkable；　and　truly　manly；　and　unaffected　speech；

I　could　not　but　be　struck　by　the　odd　reversal　of　the　usual

circumstances　at　the　Mansion　House；　which　he　presented　to　our　view；

for　whereas　it　is　a　very　common　thing　for　persons　to　be　brought

tremblingly　before　the　Lord　Mayor；　the　Lord　Mayor　presented　himself

as　being　brought　tremblingly　before　us。　　I　hope　that　the　result　may

hold　still　further；　for　whereas　it　is　a　common　thing　for　the　Lord

Mayor　to　say　to　a　repentant　criminal　who　does　not　seem　to　have　much

harm　in　him；　〃let　me　never　see　you　here　again；〃　so　I　would　propose

that　we　all　with　one　accord　say　to　the　Lord　Mayor；　〃Let　us　by　all

means　see　you　here　again　on　the　first　opportunity。〃　　Gentlemen；　I

beg　to　propose　to　you　to　drink；　with　all　the　honours；　〃The　health

of　the　right　hon。　the　Lord　Mayor。〃







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　7；　1866。







＇The　Members　of　the　Metropolitan　Rowing　Clubs　dining　together　at

the　London　Tavern；　on　the　above　date；　Mr。　Dickens；　as　President　of

the　Nautilus　Rowing　Club；　occupied　the　chair。　　The　Speech　that

follows　was　made　in　proposing　〃Prosperity　to　the　Rowing　Clubs　of

London。〃　　Mr。　Dickens　said　that：…＇



HE　could　not　avoid　the　remembrance　of　what　very　poor　things　the

amateur　rowing　clubs　on　the　Thames　were　in　the　early　days　of　his

noviciate；　not　to　mention　the　difference　in　the　build　of　the　boats。

He　could　not　get　on　in　the　beginning　without　being　a　pupil　under　an

anomalous　creature　called　a　〃fireman　waterman；〃　who　wore　an

eminently　tall　hat；　and　a　perfectly　unaccountable　uniform；　of　which

it　might　be　said　that　if　it　was　less　adapted　for　one　thing　than

another；　that　thing　was　fire。　　He　recollected　that　this　gentleman

had　on　some　former　day　won　a　King's　prize　wherry；　and　they　used　to

go　about　in　this　accursed　wherry；　he　and　a　partner；　doing　all　the

hard　work；　while　the　fireman　drank　all　the　beer。　　The　river　was

very　much　clearer；　freer；　and　cleaner　in　those　days　than　these；　but

he　was　persuaded　that　this　philosophical　old　boatman　could　no　more

have　dreamt　of　seeing　the　spectacle　which　had　taken　place　on

Saturday　（the　procession　of　the　boats　of　the　Metropolitan　Amateur

Rowing　Clubs）；　or　of　seeing　these　clubs　matched　for　skill　and

speed；　than　he　（the　Chairman）　should　dare　to　announce　through　the

usual　authentic　channels　that　he　was　to　be　heard　of　at　the　bar

below；　and　that　he　was　perfectly　prepared　to　accommodate　Mr。　James

Mace　if　he　meant　business。　　Nevertheless；　he　could　recollect　that

he　had　turned　out　for　a　spurt　a　few　years　ago　on　the　River　Thames

with　an　occasional　Secretary；　who　should　be　nameless；　and　some

other　Eton　boys；　and　that　he　could　hold　his　own　against　them。　　More

recently　still；　the　last　time　that　he　rowed　down　from　Oxford　he　was

supposed　to　cover　himself　with　honour；　though　he　must　admit　that　he

found　the　〃locks〃　so　picturesque　as　to　require　much　examination　for

the　discovery　of　their　beauty。　　But　what　he　wanted　to　say　was　this；

that　though　his　〃fireman　waterman〃　was　one　of　the　greatest　humbugs

that　ever　existed；　he　yet　taught　him　what　an　honest；　healthy；　manly

sport　this　was。　　Their　waterman　would　bid　them　pull　away；　and

assure　them　that　they　were　certain　of　winning　in　some　race。　　And

here　he　would　remark　that　aquatic　sports　never　entailed　a　moment's

cruelty；　or　a　moment's　pain；　upon　any　living　creature。　　Rowing　men

pursued　recreation　under　circumstances　which　braced　their　muscles；

and　cleared　the　cobwebs　from　their　minds。　　He　assured　them　that　he

regarded　such　clubs　as　these　as　a　〃national　blessing。〃　　They　owed；

it　was　true；　a　vast　deal　to　steam　power　…　as　was　sometimes　proved

at　matches　on　the　Thames　…　but；　at　the　same　time；　they　were　greatly

indebted　to　all　that　tended　to　keep　up　a　healthy；　manly　tone。　　He

understood　that　there　had　been　a　committee　selected　for　the　purpose

of　arranging　a　great　amateur　regatta；　which　was　to　take　place　off

Putney　in　the　course　of　the　season　that　was　just　begun。　　He　could

not　abstain　from　availing　himself　of　this　occasion　to　express　a

hope　that　the　committee　would　successfully　carry　on　its　labours　to

a　triumphant　result；　and　that　they　should　see　upon　the　Thames；　in

the　course　of　this　summer；　such　a　brilliant　sight　as　had　never　been

seen　there　before。　　To　secure　this　there　must　be　some　hard　work；

skilful　combinations；　and　rather　large　subscriptions。　　But　although

the　aggregate　result　must　be　great；　it　by　no　means　followed　that　it

need　be　at　all　large　in　its　individual　details。



＇In　conclusion；　Mr。　Dickens　made　a　laughable　comparison　between　the

paying　off　or　purification　of　the　national　debt　and　the

purification　of　the　River　Thames。＇







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　JUNE　5；　1867。







＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　presided　at　the　Ninth　Anniversary

Festival　of　the　Railway　Benevolent　Society；　at　Willis's　Rooms；　and

in　proposing　the　toast　of　the　evening；　made　the　following　speech。＇



ALTHOUGH　we　have　not　yet　left　behind　us　by　the　distance　of　nearly

fifty　years　the　time　when　one　of　the　first　literary　authorities　of

this　country　insisted　upon　the　speed　of　the　fastest　railway　train

that　the　Legisture　might　disastrously　sanction　being　limited　by　Act

of　Parliament　to　ten　miles　an　hour；　yet　it　does　somehow　happen　that

this　evening；　and　every　evening；　there　are　railway　trains　running

pretty　smoothly　to　Ireland　and　to　Scotland　at　the　rate　of　fifty

miles　an　hour；　much　as　it　was　objected　in　its　time　to　vaccination；

that　it　must　have　a　tendency　to　impart　to　human　children　something

of　the　nature　of　the　cow；　whereas　I　believe　to　this　very　time

vaccinated　children　are　found　to　be　as　easily　defined　from　calves

as　they　ever　were；　and　certainly　they　have　no　cheapening　influence

on　the　price　of　veal；　much　as　it　was　objected　that　chloroform　was　a

contravention　of　the　will　of　Providence；　because　it　lessened

providentially…inflicted　pain；　which　would　be　a　reason　for　your　not

rubbing　your　face　if　you　had　the　tooth…ache；　or　not　rubbing　your

nose　if　it　itched；　so　it　was　evidently　predicted　that　the　railway

system；　even　if　anything　so　absurd　could　be　productive　of　any

result；　would　infallibly　throw　half　the　nation　out　of　employment；

whereas；　you　observe　that　the　very　cause　and　occasion　of　our　coming

here　together　to…night　is；　apart　from　the　various　tributary

channels　of　occupation　which　it　has　opened　out；　that　it　has　called

into　existence　a　specially　and　directly　employed　population　of

upwards　of　200；000　persons。



Now；　gentlemen；　it　is　pretty　clear　and　obvious　that　upwards　of

200；000　persons　engaged　upon　the　various　railways　of　the　United

Kingdom　cannot　be　rich；　and　although　their　duties　require　great

care　and　great　exactness；　and　although　our　lives　are　every　day；

humanly　speaking；　in　the　hands　of　many　of　them；　still；　for　the　most

of　these　places　there　will　be　always　great　competition；　because

they　are　not　posts　which　require　skilled　workmen　to　hold。　　Wages；

as　you　know　very　well；　cannot　be　high　where　competition　is　great；

and　you　also　know　very　well　that　railway　directors；　in　the　bargains

they　make；　and　the　salaries　which　they　pay；　have　to　deal　with　the

money　of　the　shareholders；　to　whom　they　are　accountable。　　Thus　it

necessarily　happens　that　railway　officers　and　servants　are　not

remunerated　on　the　whole　by　any　means　splendidly；　and　that　they

cannot　hope　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things　to　do　more　than　meet

the　ordinary　wants　and　hazards　of　life。　　But　it　is　to　be　observed

that　the　general　hazards　are　in　their　case；　by　reason　of　the

dangerous　nature　of　their　avocations；　exceptionally　great；　so　very

great；　I　find；　as　to　be　stateable；　on　the　authority　of　a

parliamentary　paper；　by　the　very　startling　round　of　figures；　that

whereas　one　railway　traveller　in　8；000；000　of　passengers　is　killed；

one　railway　servant　in　every　2；000　is　killed。



Hence；　from　general；　special；　as　well；　no　doubt；　for　the　usual

prudential　and　benevolent　considerations；　there　came　to　be

established　among　railway　officers　and　servants；　nine　years　ago；

the　Railway　Benevolent　Association。　　I　may　suppose；　therefore；　as

it　was　established　nine　years　ago；　that　this　is　the　ninth　occasion

of　publishing　from　this　chair　the　banns　between　this　institution

and　the　public。　　Nevertheless；　I　feel　bound　individually　to　do　my

duty　the　same　as　if　it　had　never　been　done　before；　and　to　ask

w