speeches-literary & social-第42节

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of　right；　God　knows；　for　it　is　idle　to　suppose　that　the　advantages

of　such　an　institution　as　the　Glasgow　Athenaeum　will　stop　within

its　own　walls　or　be　confined　to　its　own　members。　　Through　all　the

society　of　this　great　and　important　city；　upwards　to　the　highest

and　downwards　to　the　lowest；　it　must；　I　know；　be　felt　for　good。

Downward　in　a　clearer　perception　of；　and　sympathy　with；　those

social　miseries　which　can　be　alleviated；　and　those　wide…open　doors

to　vice　and　crime　that　can　be　shut　and　barred；　and　upward　in　a

greater　intelligence；　increased　efficiency；　and　higher　knowledge；

of　all　who　partake　of　its　benefits　themselves；　or　who　communicate；

as　all　must　do；　in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　some　portion　to　the

circle　of　relatives　or　friends　in　which　they　move。



Nor；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　would　I　say　for　any　man；　however　high

his　social　position；　or　however　great　his　attainments；　that　he

might　not　find　something　to　be　learnt　even　from　immediate　contact

with　such　institutions。　　If　he　only　saw　the　goddess　Knowledge

coming　out　of　her　secluded　palaces　and　high　places　to　mingle　with

the　throng；　and　to　give　them　shining　glimpses　of　the　delights　which

were　long　kept　hoarded　up；　he　might　learn　something。　　If　he　only

saw　the　energy　and　the　courage　with　which　those　who　earn　their

daily　bread　by　the　labour　of　their　hands　or　heads；　come　night　after

night；　as　to　a　recreation；　to　that　which　was；　perhaps；　the　whole

absorbing　business　of　his　youth；　there　might　still　be　something

very　wholesome　for　him　to　learn。　　But　when　he　could　see　in　such

places　their　genial　and　reviving　influences；　their　substituting　of

the　contemplation　of　the　beauties　of　nature　and　art；　and　of　the

wisdom　of　great　men；　for　mere　sensual　enjoyment　or　stupid　idleness

…　at　any　rate　he　would　learn　this　…　that　it　is　at　once　the　duty　and

the　interest　of　all　good　members　of　society　to　encourage　and

protect　them。



I　took　occasion　to　say　at　an　Athenaeum　in　Yorkshire　a　few　weeks

since；　and　I　think　it　a　point　most　important　to　be　borne　in　mind　on

such　commemorations　as　these；　that　when　such　societies　are　objected

to；　or　are　decried　on　the　ground　that　in　the　views　of　the

objectors；　education　among　the　people　has　not　succeeded；　the　term

education　is　used　with　not　the　least　reference　to　its　real　meaning；

and　is　wholly　misunderstood。　　Mere　reading　and　writing　is　not

education；　it　would　be　quite　as　reasonable　to　call　bricks　and

mortar　architecture　…　oils　and　colours　art　…　reeds　and　cat…gut

music　…　or　the　child's　spelling…books　the　works　of　Shakespeare；

Milton；　or　Bacon　…　as　to　call　the　lowest　rudiments　of　education；

education；　and　to　visit　on　that　most　abused　and　slandered　word

their　failure　in　any　instance；　and　precisely　because　they　were　not

education；　because；　generally　speaking；　the　word　has　been

understood　in　that　sense　a　great　deal　too　long；　because　education

for　the　business　of　life；　and　for　the　due　cultivation　of　domestic

virtues；　is　at　least　as　important　from　day　to　day　to　the　grown

person　as　to　the　child；　because　real　education；　in　the　strife　and

contention　for　a　livelihood；　and　the　consequent　necessity　incumbent

on　a　great　number　of　young　persons　to　go　into　the　world　when　they

are　very　young；　is　extremely　difficult。　　It　is　because　of　these

things　that　I　look　upon　mechanics'　institutions　and　athenaeums　as

vitally　important　to　the　well…being　of　society。　　It　is　because　the

rudiments　of　education　may　there　be　turned　to　good　account　in　the

acquisition　of　sound　principles；　and　of　the　great　virtues；　hope；

faith；　and　charity；　to　which　all　our　knowledge　tends；　it　is　because

of　that；　I　take　it；　that　you　have　met　in　education's　name　to…night。



It　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　me　to　occupy　the　place　I　do　in　behalf

of　an　infant　institution；　a　remarkably　fine　child　enough；　of　a

vigorous　constitution；　but　an　infant　still。　　I　esteem　myself

singularly　fortunate　in　knowing　it　before　its　prime；　in　the　hope

that　I　may　have　the　pleasure　of　remembering　in　its　prime；　and　when

it　has　attained　to　its　lusty　maturity；　that　I　was　a　friend　of　its

youth。　　It　has　already　passed　through　some　of　the　disorders　to

which　children　are　liable；　it　succeeded　to　an　elder　brother　of　a

very　meritorious　character；　but　of　rather　a　weak　constitution；　and

which　expired　when　about　twelve　months　old；　from；　it　is　said；　a

destructive　habit　of　getting　up　early　in　the　morning：　　it　succeeded

this　elder　brother；　and　has　fought　manfully　through　a　sea　of

troubles。　　Its　friends　have　often　been　much　concerned　for　it；　its

pulse　has　been　exceedingly　low；　being　only　1250；　when　it　was

expected　to　have　been　10；000；　several　relations　and　friends　have

even　gone　so　far　as　to　walk　off　once　or　twice　in　the　melancholy

belief　that　it　was　dead。　　Through　all　that；　assisted　by　the

indomitable　energy　of　one　or　two　nurses；　to　whom　it　can　never　be

sufficiently　grateful；　it　came　triumphantly；　and　now；　of　all　the

youthful　members　of　its　family　I　ever　saw；　it　has　the　strongest

attitude；　the　healthiest　look；　the　brightest　and　most　cheerful　air。

I　find　the　institution　nobly　lodged；　I　find　it　with　a　reading…room；

a　coffee…room；　and　a　news…room；　I　find　it　with　lectures　given　and

in　progress；　in　sound；　useful　and　well…selected　subjects；　I　find　it

with　morning　and　evening　classes　for　mathematics；　logic；　grammar；

music；　French；　German；　Spanish；　and　Italian；　attended　by　upwards　of

five　hundred　persons；　but；　best　and　first　of　all　and　what　is　to　me

more　satisfactory　than　anything　else　in　the　history　of　the

institution；　I　find　that　all；　this　has　been　mainly　achieved　by　the

young　men　of　Glasgow　themselves；　with　very　little　assistance。　　And；

ladies　and　gentlemen；　as　the　axiom；　〃Heaven　helps　those　who　help

themselves；〃　is　truer　in　no　case　than　it　is　in　this；　I　look　to　the

young　men　of　Glasgow；　from　such　a　past　and　such　a　present；　to　a

noble　future。　　Everything　that　has　been　done　in　any　other

athenaeum；　I　confidently　expect　to　see　done　here；　and　when　that

shall　be　the　case；　and　when　there　shall　be　great　cheap　schools　in

connexion　with　the　institution；　and　when　it　has　bound　together　for

ever　all　its　friends；　and　brought　over　to　itself　all　those　who　look

upon　it　as　an　objectionable　institution；　…　then；　and　not　till　then；

I　hope　the　young　men　of　Glasgow　will　rest　from　their　labours；　and

think　their　study　done。



If　the　young　men　of　Glasgow　want　any　stimulus　or　encouragement　in

this　wise；　they　have　one　beside　them　in　the　presence　of　their　fair

townswomen；　which　is　irresistible。　　It　is　a　most　delightful

circumstance　to　me；　and　one　fraught　with　inestimable　benefits　to

institutions　of　this　kind；　that　at　a　meeting　of　this　nature　those

who　in　all　things　are　our　best　examples；　encouragers；　and　friends；

are　not　excluded。　　The　abstract　idea　of　the　Graces　was　in　ancient

times　associated　with　those　arts　which　refine　the　human

understanding；　and　it　is　pleasant　to　see　now；　in　the　rolling　of　the

world；　the　Graces　popularising　the　practice　of　those　arts　by　their

example；　and　adorning　it　with　their　presence。



I　am　happy　to　know　that　in　the　Glasgow　Athenaeum　there　is　a

peculiar　bond　of　union　between　the　institution　and　the　fairest　part

of　creation。　　I　understand　that　the　necessary　addition　to　the　small

library　of　books　being　difficult　and　expensive　to　make；　the　ladies

have　generally　resolved　to　hold　a　fancy　bazaar；　and　to　devote　the

proceeds　to　this　admirable　purpose；　and　I　learn　with　no　less

pleasure　that　her　Majesty　the　Queen；　in　a　graceful　and　womanly

sense　of　the　excellence　of　this　design；　has　consented　that　the

bazaar　shall　be　held　under　her　royal　patronage。　　I　can　only　say；

that　if　you　do　not　find　something　very　noble　in　your　books　after

this；　you　are　much　duller　students　than　I　take　you　to　be。　　The

ladies　…　the　single　ladies；　at　least　…　however　disinterested　I　know

they　are　by　sex　and　nature；　will；　I　hope；　resolve　to　have　some　of

the　advantages　of　these　books；　by　never　marrying　any　but　members　of

the　Athenaeum。　　It　seems　to　me　it　ought　to　be　the　pleasantest

library　in　the　world。



Hazlitt　says；　in　speaking　of　some　of　the　graceful　fancies　of　some

familiar　writer　of　fiction；　〃How　long　since　I　first　became

acquainted　with　these　characters；　what　old…fashioned　friends　they

seem；　and　yet　I　am　not　tired　of　them　like　so　many　other　friends；

nor　they　of　me。〃　　In　this　case　the　books　will　not　only　possess　all

the　attractions　of　their　own　friendships　and　charms；　but　also　the

manifold　…　I　may　say　womanfold　…　associations　connected　with　their

donors。　　I　can　imagine　how；　in　fact；　from　these　fanciful

associations；　some　fair　Glasgow　widow　may　be　taken　for　the　remoter

one　whom　Sir　Roger　de　Coverley　could　not　forget；　I　can　imagine　how

Sophia's　muff　may　be　seen　and　loved；　but　not　by　Tom　Jones；　going

down　the　High　Street　on　any　winter　day；　or　I　can　imagine　the

student　finding　in　every　fair　form　the　exact　counterpart　of　the

Glasgow　Athenaeum；　and　taking　into　consideration　the　history　of

Europe　wit