speeches-literary & social-第35节

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had　some　few　not　altogether　obscure　or　unknown　personal　friends　in

that　assembly；　seeing　that　I　had　some　little　association　with；　and

knowledge　of；　a　certain　obscure　peer　lately　known　in　England　by　the

name　of　Lord　Brougham；　seeing　that　I　regard　with　some　admiration

and　affection　another　obscure　peer　wholly　unknown　in　literary

circles；　called　Lord　Lytton；　seeing　also　that　I　have　had　for　some

years　some　slight　admiration　of　the　extraordinary　judicial

properties　and　amazingly　acute　mind　of　a　certain　Lord　Chief　Justice

popularly　known　by　the　name　of　Cockburn；　and　also　seeing　that　there

is　no　man　in　England　whom　I　respect　more　in　his　public　capacity；

whom　I　love　more　in　his　private　capacity；　or　from　whom　I　have

received　more　remarkable　proofs　of　his　honour　and　love　of

literature　than　another　obscure　nobleman　called　Lord　Russell；

taking　these　circumstances　into　consideration；　I　was　rather　amazed

by　my　noble　friend's　accusation。　　When　I　asked　him；　on　his　sitting

down；　what　amazing　devil　possessed　him　to　make　this　charge；　he

replied　that　he　had　never　forgotten　the　days　of　Lord　Verisopht。

Then；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　understood　it　all。　　Because　it　is　a

remarkable　fact　that　in　the　days　when　that　depreciative　and

profoundly　unnatural　character　was　invented　there　was　no　Lord

Houghton　in　the　House　of　Lords。　　And　there　was　in　the　House　of

Commons　a　rather　indifferent　member　called　Richard　Monckton　Milnes。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　to　conclude；　for　the　present；　I　close　with

the　other　charge　of　my　noble　friend；　and　here　I　am　more　serious；

and　I　may　be　allowed　perhaps　to　express　my　seriousness　in　half　a

dozen　plain　words。　　When　I　first　took　literature　as　my　profession

in　England；　I　calmly　resolved　within　myself　that；　whether　I

succeeded　or　whether　I　failed；　literature　should　be　my　sole

profession。　　It　appeared　to　me　at　that　time　that　it　was　not　so　well

understood　in　England　as　it　was　in　other　countries　that　literature

was　a　dignified　profession；　by　which　any　man　might　stand　or　fall。

I　made　a　compact　with　myself　that　in　my　person　literature　should

stand；　and　by　itself；　of　itself；　and　for　itself；　and　there　is　no

consideration　on　earth　which　would　induce　me　to　break　that　bargain。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　finally　allow　me　to　thank　you　for　your　great

kindness；　and　for　the　touching　earnestness　with　which　you　have

drunk　my　health。　　I　should　have　thanked　you　with　all　my　heart　if　it

had　not　so　unfortunately　happened　that；　for　many　sufficient

reasons；　I　lost　my　heart　at　between　half…past　six　and　half…past

seven　to…night。







SPEECH：　　THE　OXFORD　AND　HARVARD　BOAT　RACE。　　SYDENHAM；　AUGUST　30；

1869。







＇The　International　University　Boat　Race　having　taken　place　on

August　27；　the　London　Rowing　Club　invited　the　Crews　to　a　Dinner　at

the　Crystal　Palace　on　the　following　Monday。　　The　dinner　was

followed　by　a　grand　display　of　pyrotechnics。　　Mr。　Dickens；　in

proposing　the　health　of　the　Crews；　made　the　following　speech：＇



GENTLEMEN；　flushed　with　fireworks；　I　can　warrant　myself　to　you　as

about　to　imitate　those　gorgeous　illusions　by　making　a　brief　spirt

and　then　dying　out。　　And；　first　of　all；　as　an　invited　visitor　of

the　London　Rowing　Club　on　this　most　interesting　occasion；　I　will

beg；　in　the　name　of　the　other　invited　visitors　present　…　always

excepting　the　distinguished　guests　who　are　the　cause　of　our　meeting

…　to　thank　the　president　for　the　modesty　and　the　courtesy　with

which　he　has　deputed　to　one　of　us　the　most　agreeable　part　of　his

evening's　duty。　　It　is　the　more　graceful　in　him　to　do　this　because

he　can　hardly　fail　to　see　that　he　might　very　easily　do　it　himself；

as　this　is　a　case　of　all　others　in　which　it　is　according　to　good

taste　and　the　very　principles　of　things　that　the　great　social　vice；

speech…making；　should　hide　it　diminished　head　before　the　great

social　virtue　action。　　However；　there　is　an　ancient　story　of　a　lady

who　threw　her　glove　into　an　arena　full　of　wild　beasts　to　tempt　her

attendant　lover　to　climb　down　and　reclaim　it。　　The　lover；　rightly

inferring　from　the　action　the　worth　of　the　lady；　risked　his　life

for　the　glove；　and　then　threw　it　rightly　in　her　face　as　a　token　of

his　eternal　adieu。　　I　take　up　the　President's　glove；　on　the

contrary；　as　a　proof　of　his　much　higher　worth；　and　of　my　real

interest　in　the　cause　in　which　it　was　thrown　down；　and　I　now

profess　my　readiness　to　do　even　injustice　to　the　duty　which　he　has

assigned　me。



Gentlemen；　a　very　remarkable　and　affecting　volume　was　published　in

the　United　States　within　a　short　time　before　my　last　visit　to　that

hospitable　land；　containing　ninety…five　biographies　of　young　men；

for　the　most　part　well…born　and　well　nurtured；　and　trained　in

various　peaceful　pursuits　of　life；　who；　when　the　flag　of　their

country　waved　them　from　those　quiet　paths　in　which　they　were

seeking　distinction　of　various　kinds；　took　arms　in　the　dread　civil

war　which　elicited　so　much　bravery　on　both　sides；　and　died　in　the

defence　of　their　country。　　These　great　spirits　displayed

extraordinary　aptitude　in　the　acquisition；　even　in　the　invention；

of　military　tactics；　in　the　combining　and　commanding　of　great

masses　of　men；　in　surprising　readiness　of　self…resource　for　the

general　good；　in　humanely　treating　the　sick　and　the　wounded；　and　in

winning　to　themselves　a　very　rare　amount　of　personal　confidence　and

trust。　　They　had　all　risen　to　be　distinguished　soldiers；　they　had

all　done　deeds　of　great　heroism；　they　had　all　combined　with　their

valour　and　self…devotion　a　serene　cheerfulness；　a　quiet　modesty；

and　a　truly　Christian　spirit；　and　they　had　all　been　educated　in　one

school　…　Harvard　University。



Gentlemen；　nothing　was　more　remarkable　in　these　fine　descendants　of

our　forefathers　than　the　invincible　determination　with　which　they

fought　against　odds；　and　the　undauntable　spirit　with　which　they

resisted　defeat。　　I　ask　you；　who　will　say　after　last　Friday　that

Harvard　University　is　less　true　to　herself　in　peace　than　she　was　in

war？　　I　ask　you；　who　will　not　recognise　in　her　boat's　crew　the

leaven　of　her　soldiers；　and　who　does　not　feel　that　she　has　now　a

greater　right　than　ever　to　be　proud　of　her　sons；　and　take　these

sons　to　her　breast　when　they　return　with　resounding　acclamations？

It　is　related　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington　that　he　once　told　a　lady

who　foolishly　protested　that　she　would　like　to　see　a　great　victory

that　there　was　only　one　thing　worse　than　a　great　victory；　and　that

was　a　great　defeat。



But；　gentlemen；　there　is　another　sense　in　which　to　use　the　term　a

great　defeat。　　Such　is　the　defeat　of　a　handful　of　daring　fellows

who　make　a　preliminary　dash　of　three　or　four　thousand　stormy　miles

to　meet　great　conquerors　on　their　own　domain　…　who　do　not　want　the

stimulus　of　friends　and　home；　but　who　sufficiently　hear　and　feel

their　own　dear　land　in　the　shouts　and　cheers　of　another　…　and　who

strive　to　the　last　with　a　desperate　tenacity　that　makes　the　beating

of　them　a　new　feather　in　the　proudest　cap。　　Gentlemen；　you　agree

with　me　that　such　a　defeat　is　a　great；　noble　part　of　a　manly；

wholesome　action；　and　I　say　that　it　is　in　the　essence　and　life…

blood　of　such　a　defeat　to　become　at　last　sure　victory。



Now；　gentlemen；　you　know　perfectly　well　the　toast　I　am　going　to

propose；　and　you　know　equally　well　that　in　thus　glancing　first

towards　our　friends　of　the　white　stripes；　I　merely　anticipate　and

respond　to　the　instinctive　courtesy　of　Oxford　towards　our　brothers

from　a　distance　…　a　courtesy　extending；　I　hope；　and　I　do　not　doubt；

to　any　imaginable　limits　except　allowing　them　to　take　the　first

place　in　last　Friday's　match；　if　they　could　by　any　human　and

honourable　means　be　kept　in　the　second。　　I　will　not　avail　myself　of

the　opportunity　provided　for　me　by　the　absence　of　the　greater　part

of　the　Oxford　crew　…　indeed；　of　all　but　one；　and　that；　its　most

modest　and　devoted　member　…　I　will　not　avail　myself　of　the　golden

opportunity　considerately　provided　for　me　to　say　a　great　deal　in

honour　of　the　Oxford　crew。　　I　know　that　the　gentleman　who　attends

here　attends　under　unusual　anxieties　and　difficulties；　and　that　if

he　were　less　in　earnest　his　filial　affection　could　not　possibly

allow　him　to　be　here。



It　is　therefore　enough　for　me；　gentlemen；　and　enough　for　you；　that

I　should　say　here；　and　now；　that　we　all　unite　with　one　accord　in

regarding　the　Oxford　crew　as　the　pride　and　flower　of　England　…　and

that　we　should　consider　it　very　weak　indeed　to　set　anything　short

of　England's　very　best　in　opposition　to　or　competition　with

America；　though　it　certainly　must　be　confessed　…　I　am　bound　in

common　justice　and　honour　to　admit　it　…　it　must　be　confessed　in

disparagement　of　the　Oxford　men；　as　I　heard　a　discontented

gentleman　remark　…　last　Friday　night；　about　ten　o'clock；　when　he

was　baiting　a　very　small　horse　in　the　Strand　…　he　was　one　of　eleven

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

disparagement　of　the　Oxford　men　on　the　authority