speeches-literary & social-第4节

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occasion；　I　will　return　the　compliment　with　interest。



Gentlemen；　as　I　have　no　secrets　from　you；　in　the　spirit　of

confidence　you　have　engendered　between　us；　and　as　I　have　made　a

kind　of　compact　with　myself　that　I　never　will；　while　I　remain　in

America；　omit　an　opportunity　of　referring　to　a　topic　in　which　I　and

all　others　of　my　class　on　both　sides　of　the　water　are　equally

interested　…　equally　interested；　there　is　no　difference　between　us；

I　would　beg　leave　to　whisper　in　your　ear　two　words：　　INTERNATIONAL

COPYRIGHT。　　I　use　them　in　no　sordid　sense；　believe　me；　and　those

who　know　me　best；　best　know　that。　　For　myself；　I　would　rather　that

my　children；　coming　after　me；　trudged　in　the　mud；　and　knew　by　the

general　feeling　of　society　that　their　father　was　beloved；　and　had

been　of　some　use；　than　I　would　have　them　ride　in　their　carriages；

and　know　by　their　banker's　books　that　he　was　rich。　　But　I　do　not

see；　I　confess；　why　one　should　be　obliged　to　make　the　choice；　or

why　fame；　besides　playing　that　delightful　REVEIL　for　which　she　is

so　justly　celebrated；　should　not　blow　out　of　her　trumpet　a　few

notes　of　a　different　kind　from　those　with　which　she　has　hitherto

contented　herself。



It　was　well　observed　the　other　night　by　a　beautiful　speaker；　whose

words　went　to　the　heart　of　every　man　who　heard　him；　that；　if　there

had　existed　any　law　in　this　respect；　Scott　might　not　have　sunk

beneath　the　mighty　pressure　on　his　brain；　but　might　have　lived　to

add　new　creatures　of　his　fancy　to　the　crowd　which　swarm　about　you

in　your　summer　walks；　and　gather　round　your　winter　evening　hearths。



As　I　listened　to　his　words；　there　came　back；　fresh　upon　me；　that

touching　scene　in　the　great　man's　life；　when　he　lay　upon　his　couch；

surrounded　by　his　family；　and　listened；　for　the　last　time；　to　the

rippling　of　the　river　he　had　so　well　loved；　over　its　stony　bed。　　I

pictured　him　to　myself；　faint；　wan；　dying；　crushed　both　in　mind　and

body　by　his　honourable　struggle；　and　hovering　round　him　the

phantoms　of　his　own　imagination　…　Waverley；　Ravenswood；　Jeanie

Deans；　Rob　Roy；　Caleb　Balderstone；　Dominie　Sampson　…　all　the

familiar　throng　…　with　cavaliers；　and　Puritans；　and　Highland　chiefs

innumerable　overflowing　the　chamber；　and　fading　away　in　the　dim

distance　beyond。　　I　pictured　them；　fresh　from　traversing　the　world；

and　hanging　down　their　heads　in　shame　and　sorrow；　that；　from　all

those　lands　into　which　they　had　carried　gladness；　instruction；　and

delight　for　millions；　they　brought　him　not　one　friendly　hand　to

help　to　raise　him　from　that　sad；　sad　bed。　　No；　nor　brought　him　from

that　land　in　which　his　own　language　was　spoken；　and　in　every　house

and　hut　of　which　his　own　books　were　read　in　his　own　tongue；　one

grateful　dollar…piece　to　buy　a　garland　for　his　grave。　　Oh！　if　every

man　who　goes　from　here；　as　many　do；　to　look　upon　that　tomb　in

Dryburgh　Abbey；　would　but　remember　this；　and　bring　the　recollection

home！



Gentlemen；　I　thank　you　again；　and　once　again；　and　many　times　to

that。　　You　have　given　me　a　new　reason　for　remembering　this　day；

which　is　already　one　of　mark　in　my　calendar；　it　being　my　birthday；

and　you　have　given　those　who　are　nearest　and　dearest　to　me　a　new

reason　for　recollecting　it　with　pride　and　interest。　　Heaven　knows

that；　although　I　should　grow　ever　so　gray；　I　shall　need　nothing　to

remind　me　of　this　epoch　in　my　life。　　But　I　am　glad　to　think　that

from　this　time　you　are　inseparably　connected　with　every　recurrence

of　this　day；　and；　that　on　its　periodical　return；　I　shall　always；　in

imagination；　have　the　unfading　pleasure　of　entertaining　you　as　my

guests；　in　return　for　the　gratification　you　have　afforded　me　to…

night。







SPEECH：　　NEW　YORK；　FEBRUARY　18；　1842。







＇At　a　dinner　presided　over　by　Washington　Irving；　when　nearly　eight

hundred　of　the　most　distinguished　citizens　of　New　York　were

present；　〃Charles　Dickens；　the　Literary　Guest　of　the　Nation；〃

having　been　〃proferred　as　a　sentiment〃　by　the　Chairman；　Mr。　Dickens

rose；　and　spoke　as　follows：＇



GENTLEMEN；　…　I　don't　know　how　to　thank　you　…　I　really　don't　know

how。　　You　would　naturally　suppose　that　my　former　experience　would

have　given　me　this　power；　and　that　the　difficulties　in　my　way　would

have　been　diminished；　but　I　assure　you　the　fact　is　exactly　the

reverse；　and　I　have　completely　baulked　the　ancient　proverb　that　〃a

rolling　stone　gathers　no　moss；〃　and　in　my　progress　to　this　city　I

have　collected　such　a　weight　of　obligations　and　acknowledgment　…　I

have　picked　up　such　an　enormous　mass　of　fresh　moss　at　every　point；

and　was　so　struck　by　the　brilliant　scenes　of　Monday　night；　that　I

thought　I　could　never　by　any　possibility　grow　any　bigger。　　I　have

made；　continually；　new　accumulations　to　such　an　extent　that　I　am

compelled　to　stand　still；　and　can　roll　no　more！



Gentlemen；　we　learn　from　the　authorities；　that；　when　fairy　stories；

or　balls；　or　rolls　of　thread；　stopped　of　their　own　accord　…　as　I　do

not　…　it　presaged　some　great　catastrophe　near　at　hand。　The

precedent　holds　good　in　this　case。　　When　I　have　remembered　the

short　time　I　have　before　me　to　spend　in　this　land　of　mighty

interests；　and　the　poor　opportunity　I　can　at　best　have　of　acquiring

a　knowledge　of；　and　forming　an　acquaintance　with　it；　I　have　felt　it

almost　a　duty　to　decline　the　honours　you　so　generously　heap　upon

me；　and　pass　more　quietly　among　you。　　For　Argus　himself；　though　he

had　but　one　mouth　for　his　hundred　eyes；　would　have　found　the

reception　of　a　public　entertainment　once　a…week　too　much　for　his

greatest　activity；　and；　as　I　would　lose　no　scrap　of　the　rich

instruction　and　the　delightful　knowledge　which　meet　me　on　every

hand；　（and　already　I　have　gleaned　a　great　deal　from　your　hospitals

and　common　jails）；　…　I　have　resolved　to　take　up　my　staff；　and　go　my

way　rejoicing；　and　for　the　future　to　shake　hands　with　America；　not

at　parties　but　at　home；　and；　therefore；　gentlemen；　I　say　to…night；

with　a　full　heart；　and　an　honest　purpose；　and　grateful　feelings；

that　I　bear；　and　shall　ever　bear；　a　deep　sense　of　your　kind；　your

affectionate　and　your　noble　greeting；　which　it　is　utterly

impossible　to　convey　in　words。　　No　European　sky　without；　and　no

cheerful　home　or　well…warmed　room　within　shall　ever　shut　out　this

land　from　my　vision。　　I　shall　often　hear　your　words　of　welcome　in

my　quiet　room；　and　oftenest　when　most　quiet；　and　shall　see　your

faces　in　the　blazing　fire。　　If　I　should　live　to　grow　old；　the

scenes　of　this　and　other　evenings　will　shine　as　brightly　to　my　dull

eyes　fifty　years　hence　as　now；　and　the　honours　you　bestow　upon　me

shall　be　well　remembered　and　paid　back　in　my　undying　love；　and

honest　endeavours　for　the　good　of　my　race。



Gentlemen；　one　other　word　with　reference　to　this　first　person

singular；　and　then　I　shall　close。　　I　came　here　in　an　open；　honest；

and　confiding　spirit；　if　ever　man　did；　and　because　I　felt　a　deep

sympathy　in　your　land；　had　I　felt　otherwise；　I　should　have　kept

away。　　As　I　came　here；　and　am　here；　without　the　least　admixture　of

one…hundredth　part　of　one　grain　of　base　alloy；　without　one　feeling

of　unworthy　reference　to　self　in　any　respect；　I　claim；　in　regard　to

the　past；　for　the　last　time；　my　right　in　reason；　in　truth；　and　in

justice；　to　approach；　as　I　have　done　on　two　former　occasions；　a

question　of　literary　interest。　　I　claim　that　justice　be　done；　and　I

prefer　this　claim　as　one　who　has　a　right　to　speak　and　be　heard。　　I

have　only　to　add　that　I　shall　be　as　true　to　you　as　you　have　been　to

me。　　I　recognize　in　your　enthusiastic　approval　of　the　creatures　of

my　fancy；　your　enlightened　care　for　the　happiness　of　the　many；　your

tender　regard　for　the　afflicted；　your　sympathy　for　the　downcast；

your　plans　for　correcting　and　improving　the　bad；　and　for

encouraging　the　good；　and　to　advance　these　great　objects　shall　be；

to　the　end　of　my　life；　my　earnest　endeavour；　to　the　extent　of　my

humble　ability。　　Having　said　thus　much　with　reference　to　myself；　I

shall　have　the　pleasure　of　saying　a　few　words　with　reference　to

somebody　else。



There　is　in　this　city　a　gentleman　who；　at　the　reception　of　one　of

my　books　…　I　well　remember　it　was　the　Old　Curiosity　Shop　…　wrote　to

me　in　England　a　letter　so　generous；　so　affectionate；　and　so　manly；

that　if　I　had　written　the　book　under　every　circumstance　of

disappointment；　of　discouragement；　and　difficulty；　instead　of　the

reverse；　I　should　have　found　in　the　receipt　of　that　letter　my　best

and　most　happy　reward。　　I　answered　him；　and　he　answered　me；　and　so

we　kept　shaking　hands　autographically；　as　if　no　ocean　rolled

between　us。　　I　came　here　to　this　city　eager　to　see　him；　and　＇LAYING

HIS　HAND　IT　UPON　IRVING'S　SHOULDER＇　here　he　sits！　　I　need　not　tell

you　how　happy　and　delighted　I　am　to　see　him　here　to…night　in　this

capacity。



Washington　Irving！　　Why；　gentlemen；　I　don't　go　upstairs　to　bed　two

nights　out　of　the　seven　…　as　a　very　creditable　witness　near　at　hand

can　testify　…　I　say　I　do　not　go　to　bed　two　nights　out　of　th