speeches-literary & social-第6部分

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at　shoemaking　with　Bloomfield　in　his　garret；　it　followed　the　plough

with　Burns；　and；　high　above　the　noise　of　loom　and　hammer；　it

whispers　courage　even　at　this　day　in　ears　I　could　name　in　Sheffield

and　in　Manchester。



The　more　the　man　who　improves　his　leisure　in　such　a　place　learns；

the　better；　gentler；　kinder　man　he　must　become。　　When　he　knows　how

much　great　minds　have　suffered　for　the　truth　in　every　age　and　time；

and　to　what　dismal　persecutions　opinion　has　been　exposed；　he　will

become　more　tolerant　of　other　men's　belief　in　all　matters；　and　will

incline　more　leniently　to　their　sentiments　when　they　chance　to

differ　from　his　own。　　Understanding　that　the　relations　between

himself　and　his　employers　involve　a　mutual　duty　and　responsibility；

he　will　discharge　his　part　of　the　implied　contract　cheerfully；

satisfactorily；　and　honourably；　for　the　history　of　every　useful

life　warns　him　to　shape　his　course　in　that　direction。



The　benefits　he　acquires　in　such　a　place　are　not　of　a　selfish　kind；

but　extend　themselves　to　his　home；　and　to　those　whom　it　contains。

Something　of　what　he　hears　or　reads　within　such　walls　can　scarcely

fail　to　become　at　times　a　topic　of　discourse　by　his　own　fireside；

nor　can　it　ever　fail　to　lead　to　larger　sympathies　with　man；　and　to

a　higher　veneration　for　the　great　Creator　of　all　the　wonders　of

this　universe。　　It　appears　to　his　home　and　his　homely　feeling　in

other　ways；　for　at　certain　times　he　carries　there　his　wife　and

daughter；　or　his　sister；　or；　possibly；　some　bright…eyed

acquaintance　of　a　more　tender　description。　　Judging　from　what　I　see

before　me；　I　think　it　is　very　likely；　I　am　sure　I　would　if　I　could。

He　takes　her　there　to　enjoy　a　pleasant　evening；　to　be　gay　and

happy。　　Sometimes　it　may　possibly　happen　that　he　dates　his

tenderness　from　the　Athenaeum。　　I　think　that　is　a　very　excellent

thing；　too；　and　not　the　least　among　the　advantages　of　the

institution。　　In　any　case；　I　am　sure　the　number　of　bright　eyes　and

beaming　faces　which　grace　this　meeting　to…night　by　their　presence；

will　never　be　among　the　least　of　its　excellences　in　my

recollection。



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　shall　not　easily　forget　this　scene；　the

pleasing　task　your　favour　has　devolved　upon　me；　or　the　strong　and

inspiring　confirmation　I　have　to…night；　of　all　the　hopes　and

reliances　I　have　ever　placed　upon　institutions　of　this　nature。　　In

the　latter　point　of　view　…　in　their　bearing　upon　this　latter　point

…　I　regard　them　as　of　great　importance；　deeming　that　the　more

intelligent　and　reflective　society　in　the　mass　becomes；　and　the

more　readers　there　are；　the　more　distinctly　writers　of　all　kinds

will　be　able　to　throw　themselves　upon　the　truthful　feeling　of　the

people　and　the　more　honoured　and　the　more　useful　literature　must

be。　　At　the　same　time；　I　must　confess　that；　if　there　had　been　an

Athenaeum；　and　if　the　people　had　been　readers；　years　ago；　some

leaves　of　dedication　in　your　library；　of　praise　of　patrons　which

was　very　cheaply　bought；　very　dearly　sold；　and　very　marketably

haggled　for　by　the　groat；　would　be　blank　leaves；　and　posterity

might　probably　have　lacked　the　information　that　certain　monsters　of

virtue　ever　had　existence。　　But　it　is　upon　a　much　better　and　wider

scale；　let　me　say　it　once　again　…　it　is　in　the　effect　of　such

institutions　upon　the　great　social　system；　and　the　peace　and

happiness　of　mankind；　that　I　delight　to　contemplate　them；　and；　in

my　heart；　I　am　quite　certain　that　long　after　your　institution；　and

others　of　the　same　nature；　have　crumbled　into　dust；　the　noble

harvest　of　the　seed　sown　in　them　will　shine　out　brightly　in　the

wisdom；　the　mercy；　and　the　forbearance　of　another　race。







SPEECH：　　LIVERPOOL；　FEBRUARY　26；　1844。







＇The　following　address　was　delivered　at　a　soiree　of　the　Liverpool

Mechanics'　Institution；　at　which　Mr。　Dickens　presided。＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　It　was　rather　hard　of　you　to　take　away　my

breath　before　I　spoke　a　word；　but　I　would　not　thank　you；　even　if　I

could；　for　the　favour　which　has　set　me　in　this　place；　or　for　the

generous　kindness　which　has　greeted　me　so　warmly；　…　because　my

first　strong　impulse　still　would　be；　although　I　had　that　power；　to

lose　sight　of　all　personal　considerations　in　the　high　intent　and

meaning　of　this　numerous　assemblage；　in　the　contemplation　of　the

noble　objects　to　which　this　building　is　devoted；　of　its　brilliant

and　inspiring　history；　of　that　rough；　upward　track；　so　bravely

trodden；　which　it　leaves　behind；　and　that　bright　path　of　steadily…

increasing　usefulness　which　lies　stretched　out　before　it。　　My　first

strong　impulse　still　would　be　to　exchange　congratulations　with　you；

as　the　members　of　one　united　family；　on　the　thriving　vigour　of　this

strongest　child　of　a　strong　race。　　My　first　strong　impulse　still

would　be；　though　everybody　here　had　twice　as　many　hundreds　of　hands

as　there　are　hundreds　of　persons　present；　to　shake　them　in　the

spirit；　everyone；　always；　allow　me　to　say；　excepting　those　hands

（and　there　are　a　few　such　here）；　which；　with　the　constitutional

infirmity　of　human　nature；　I　would　rather　salute　in　some　more

tender　fashion。



When　I　first　had　the　honour　of　communicating　with　your　Committee

with　reference　to　this　celebration；　I　had　some　selfish　hopes　that

the　visit　proposed　to　me　might　turn　out　to　be　one　of

congratulation；　or；　at　least；　of　solicitous　inquiry；　for　they　who

receive　a　visitor　in　any　season　of　distress　are　easily　touched　and

moved　by　what　he　says；　and　I　entertained　some　confident　expectation

of　making　a　mighty　strong　impression　on　you。　　But；　when　I　came　to

look　over　the　printed　documents　which　were　forwarded　to　me　at　the

same　time；　and　with　which　you　are　all　tolerably　familiar；　these

anticipations　very　speedily　vanished；　and　left　me　bereft　of　all

consolation；　but　the　triumphant　feeling　to　which　I　have　referred。

For　what　do　I　find；　on　looking　over　those　brief　chronicles　of　this

swift　conquest　over　ignorance　and　prejudice；　in　which　no　blood　has

been　poured　out；　and　no　treaty　signed　but　that　one　sacred　compact

which　recognises　the　just　right　of　every　man；　whatever　his　belief；

or　however　humble　his　degree；　to　aspire；　and　to　have　some　means　of

aspiring；　to　be　a　better　and　a　wiser　man？　　I　find　that；　in　1825；

certain　misguided　and　turbulent　persons　proposed　to　erect　in

Liverpool　an　unpopular；　dangerous；　irreligious；　and　revolutionary

establishment；　called　a　Mechanics'　Institution；　that；　in　1835；

Liverpool　having；　somehow　or　other；　got　on　pretty　comfortably　in

the　meantime；　in　spite　of　it；　the　first　stone　of　a　new　and　spacious

edifice　was　laid；　that；　in　1837；　it　was　opened；　that；　it　was

afterwards；　at　different　periods；　considerably　enlarged；　that；　in

1844；　conspicuous　amongst　the　public　beauties　of　a　beautiful　town；

here　it　stands　triumphant；　its　enemies　lived　down；　its　former

students　attesting；　in　their　various　useful　callings　and　pursuits；

the　sound；　practical　information　it　afforded　them；　its　members

numbering　considerably　more　than　3；000；　and　setting　in　rapidly　for

6；000　at　least；　its　library　comprehending　11；000　volumes；　and　daily

sending　forth　its　hundreds　of　books　into　private　homes；　its　staff

of　masters　and　officers；　amounting　to　half…a…hundred　in　themselves；

its　schools；　conveying　every　sort　of　instruction；　high　and　low；

adapted　to　the　labour；　means；　exigencies；　and　convenience　of　nearly

every　class　and　grade　of　persons。　　I　was　here　this　morning；　and　in

its　spacious　halls　I　found　stores　of　the　wonders　worked　by　nature

in　the　air；　in　the　forest；　in　the　cavern；　and　in　the　sea　…　stores

of　the　surpassing　engines　devised　by　science　for　the　better

knowledge　of　other　worlds；　and　the　greater　happiness　of　this　…

stores　of　those　gentler　works　of　art；　which；　though　achieved　in

perishable　stone；　by　yet　more　perishable　hands　of　dust；　are　in

their　influence　immortal。　　With　such　means　at　their　command；　so

well…directed；　so　cheaply　shared；　and　so　extensively　diffused；　well

may　your　Committee　say；　as　they　have　done　in　one　of　their　Reports；

that　the　success　of　this　establishment　has　far　exceeded　their　most

sanguine　expectations。



But；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　as　that　same　philosopher　whose　words

they　quote；　as　Bacon　tells　us；　instancing　the　wonderful　effects　of

little　things　and　small　beginnings；　that　the　influence　of　the

loadstone　was　first　discovered　in　particles　of　iron；　and　not　in

iron　bars；　so　they　may　lay　it　to　their　hearts；　that　when　they

combined　together　to　form　the　institution　which　has　risen　to　this

majestic　height；　they　issued　on　a　field　of　enterprise；　the　glorious

end　of　which　they　cannot　even　now　discern。　　Every　man　who　has　felt

the　advantages　of；　or　has　received　improvement　in　this　place；

carries　its　benefits　into　the　society　in　which　he　moves；　and　puts

them　out　at　compound　interest；　and　what　the　blessed　sum　may　be　at

last；　no　man　can　tell。　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　with　that　Christian

prelate　whose　name　appears　on　your　list　of　honorary　Members；　that

good　and　liberal　man　who　once　addressed　you　within　these　walls；　in

a　spirit　worthy　of　his　calling；　and　of　his　High　Master　…　I　look

forward　from　this　place；　as　from　a　tower；　to　the　time　when　high　and

low；　and　rich　and　poor；　shall　mutually　assist；　improve；　and　educate

each　other。



I　feel；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　that　this　is　not　a　place；　with　its

3；200　members；　and　at　least　3；200　arguments　in　every　one；　to　enter

on　any　advocacy　of　the　principle　of　Mechanics'　Institutions；　or　to

discuss　the　subject　with　those　who　do　or　ever　did　object　to　them。

I　should　as　soon　think　of　arguing　the　point　with　those　untutored

savages　whose　mode　of　life　you　last　year　had　the　opportunity　of

witnessing；　indeed；　I　am　strongly　inclined　to　believe　them　by　far

the　more　rational　class　of　the　two。　　Moreover；　if　the　institution

itself　be　not　a　sufficient　answer　to　all　such　objections；　then

there　is　no　such　thing　in　fact　or　reason；　human　or　divine。　　Neither

will　I　venture　to　enter　into