speeches-literary & social-第7部分

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

will　I　venture　to　enter　into　those　details　of　the　management　of

this　place　which　struck　me　most　on　the　perusal　of　its　papers；　but　I

cannot　help　saying　how　much　impressed　and　gratified　I　was；　as

everybody　must　be　who　comes　to　their　perusal　for　the　first　time；　by

the　extraordinary　munificence　with　which　this　institution　has　been

endowed　by　certain　gentlemen。



Amongst　the　peculiar　features　of　management　which　made　the　greatest

impression　on　me；　I　may　observe　that　that　regulation　which　empowers

fathers；　being　annual　subscribers　of　one　guinea；　to　introduce　their

sons　who　are　minors；　and　masters；　on　payment　of　the　astoundingly

small　sum　of　five　shillings　annually；　in　like　manner　their

apprentices；　is　not　the　least　valuable　of　its　privileges；　and；

certainly　not　the　one　least　valuable　to　society。　　And；　ladies　and

gentlemen；　I　cannot　say　to　you　what　pleasure　I　derived　from　the

perusal　of　an　apparently　excellent　report　in　your　local　papers　of　a

meeting　held　here　some　short　time　since；　in　aid　of　the　formation　of

a　girls'　school　in　connexion　with　this　institution。　　This　is　a　new

and　striking　chapter　in　the　history　of　these　institutions；　it　does

equal　credit　to　the　gallantry　and　policy　of　this；　and　disposes　one

to　say　of　it　with　a　slight　parody　on　the　words　of　Burns；　that





〃Its　'prentice　han'　it　tried　on　man；

And　then　it　TAUGHT　the　lasses；　O。〃





That　those　who　are　our　best　teachers；　and　whose　lessons　are

oftenest　heeded　in　after　life；　should　be　well　taught　themselves；　is

a　proposition　few　reasonable　men　will　gainsay；　and；　certainly；　to

breed　up　good　husbands　on　the　one　hand；　and　good　wives　on　the

other；　does　appear　as　reasonable　and　straightforward　a　plan　as

could　well　be　devised　for　the　improvement　of　the　next　generation。



This；　and　what　I　see　before　me；　naturally　brings　me　to　our　fairer

members；　in　respect　of　whom　I　have　no　doubt　you　will　agree　with　me；

that　they　ought　to　be　admitted　to　the　widest　possible　extent；　and

on　the　lowest　possible　terms；　and；　ladies；　let　me　venture　to　say　to

you；　that　you　never　did　a　wiser　thing　in　all　your　lives　than　when

you　turned　your　favourable　regard　on　such　an　establishment　as　this

…　for　wherever　the　light　of　knowledge　is　diffused；　wherever　the

humanizing　influence　of　the　arts　and　sciences　extends　itself；

wherever　there　is　the　clearest　perception　of　what　is　beautiful；　and

good；　and　most　redeeming；　amid　all　the　faults　and　vices　of　mankind；

there　your　character；　your　virtues；　your　graces；　your　better

nature；　will　be　the　best　appreciated；　and　there　the　truest　homage

will　be　proudly　paid　to　you。　　You　show　best；　trust　me；　in　the

clearest　light；　and　every　ray　that　falls　upon　you　at　your　own

firesides；　from　any　book　or　thought　communicated　within　these

walls；　will　raise　you　nearer　to　the　angels　in　the　eyes　you　care　for

most。



I　will　not　longer　interpose　myself；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　between

you　and　the　pleasure　we　all　anticipate　in　hearing　other　gentlemen；

and　in　enjoying　those　social　pleasures　with　which　it　is　a　main　part

of　the　wisdom　of　this　society　to　adorn　and　relieve　its　graver

pursuits。　　We　all　feel；　I　am　sure；　being　here；　that　we　are　truly

interested　in　the　cause　of　human　improvement　and　rational

education；　and　that　we　pledge　ourselves；　everyone　as　far　as　in　him

lies；　to　extend　the　knowledge　of　the　benefits　afforded　in　this

place；　and　to　bear　honest　witness　in　its　favour。　　To　those　who　yet

remain　without　its　walls；　but　have　the　means　of　purchasing　its

advantages；　we　make　appeal；　and　in　a　friendly　and　forbearing　spirit

say；　〃Come　in；　and　be　convinced　…





'Who　enters　here；　leaves　DOUBT　behind。'〃





If　you；　happily；　have　been　well　taught　yourself；　and　are　superior

to　its　advantages；　so　much　the　more　should　you　make　one　in　sympathy

with　those　who　are　below　you。　　Beneath　this　roof　we　breed　the　men

who；　in　the　time　to　come；　must　be　found　working　for　good　or　evil；

in　every　quarter　of　society。　　If　mutual　respect　and　forbearance

among　various　classes　be　not　found　here；　where　so　many　men　are

trained　up　in　so　many　grades；　to　enter　on　so　many　roads　of　life；

dating　their　entry　from　one　common　starting…point；　as　they　are　all

approaching；　by　various　paths；　one　common　end；　where　else　can　that

great　lesson　be　imbibed？　　Differences　of　wealth；　of　rank；　of

intellect；　we　know　there　must　be；　and　we　respect　them；　but　we　would

give　to　all　the　means　of　taking　out　one　patent　of　nobility；　and　we

define　it；　in　the　words　of　a　great　living　poet；　who　is　one　of　us；

and　who　uses　his　great　gifts；　as　he　holds　them　in　trust；　for　the

general　welfare　…





〃Howe'er　it　be；　it　seems　to　me

'Tis　only　noble　to　be　good：

True　hearts　are　more　than　coronets；

And　simple　faith　than　Norman　blood。〃







SPEECH：　　BIRMINGHAM；　FEBRUARY　28；　1844。







＇The　following　speech　was　delivered　at　a　Conversazione；　in　aid　of

the　funds　of　the　Birmingham　Polytechnic　Institution；　at　which　Mr

Dickens　presided。＇



YOU　will　think　it　very　unwise；　or　very　self…denying　in　me；　in　such

an　assembly；　in　such　a　splendid　scene；　and　after　such　a　welcome；　to

congratulate　myself　on　having　nothing　new　to　say　to　you：　　but　I　do

so；　notwithstanding。　　To　say　nothing　of　places　nearer　home；　I　had

the　honour　of　attending　at　Manchester；　shortly　before　Christmas；

and　at　Liverpool；　only　the　night　before　last；　for　a　purpose　similar

to　that　which　brings　you　together　this　evening；　and　looking　down　a

short　perspective　of　similar　engagements；　I　feel　gratification　at

the　thought　that　I　shall　very　soon　have　nothing　at　all　to　say；　in

which　case；　I　shall　be　content　to　stake　my　reputation；　like　the

Spectator　of　Addison；　and　that　other　great　periodical　speaker；　the

Speaker　of　the　House　of　Commons；　on　my　powers　of　listening。



This　feeling；　and　the　earnest　reception　I　have　met　with；　are　not

the　only　reasons　why　I　feel　a　genuine；　cordial；　and　peculiar

interest　in　this　night's　proceedings。　　The　Polytechnic　Institution

of　Birmingham　is　in　its　infancy　…　struggling　into　life　under　all

those　adverse　and　disadvantageous　circumstances　which；　to　a　greater

or　less　extent；　naturally　beset　all　infancy；　but　I　would　much

rather　connect　myself　with　it　now；　however　humble；　in　its　days　of

difficulty　and　of　danger；　than　look　back　on　its　origin　when　it　may

have　become　strong；　and　rich；　and　powerful。　　I　should　prefer　an

intimate　association　with　it　now；　in　its　early　days　and　apparent

struggles；　to　becoming　its　advocate　and　acquaintance；　its　fair…

weather　friend；　in　its　high　and　palmy　days。　　I　would　rather　be　able

to　say　I　knew　it　in　its　swaddling…clothes；　than　in　maturer　age。

Its　two　elder　brothers　have　grown　old　and　died：　　their　chests　were

weak　…　about　their　cradles　nurses　shook　their　heads；　and　gossips

groaned；　but　the　present　institution　shot　up；　amidst　the　ruin　of

those　which　have　fallen；　with　an　indomitable　constitution；　with

vigorous　and　with　steady　pulse；　temperate；　wise；　and　of　good

repute；　and　by　perseverance　it　has　become　a　very　giant。　　Birmingham

is；　in　my　mind　and　in　the　minds　of　most　men；　associated　with　many

giants；　and　I　no　more　believe　that　this　young　institution　will　turn

out　sickly；　dwarfish；　or　of　stunted　growth；　than　I　do　that　when　the

glass…slipper　of　my　chairmanship　shall　fall　off；　and　the　clock

strike　twelve　to…night；　this　hall　will　be　turned　into　a　pumpkin。　　I

found　that　strong　belief　upon　the　splendid　array　of　grace　and

beauty　by　which　I　am　surrounded；　and　which；　if　it　only　had　one…

hundredth　part　of　the　effect　upon　others　it　has　upon　me；　could　do

anything　it　pleased　with　anything　and　anybody。　　I　found　my　strong

conviction；　in　the　second　place；　upon　the　public　spirit　of　the　town

of　Birmingham　…　upon　the　name　and　fame　of　its　capitalists　and

working　men；　upon　the　greatness　and　importance　of　its　merchants　and

manufacturers；　upon　its　inventions；　which　are　constantly　in

progress；　upon　the　skill　and　intelligence　of　its　artisans；　which

are　daily　developed；　and　the　increasing　knowledge　of　all　portions

of　the　community。　　All　these　reasons　lead　me　to　the　conclusion　that

your　institution　will　advance　…　that　it　will　and　must　progress；　and

that　you　will　not　be　content　with　lingering　leagues　behind。



I　have　another　peculiar　ground　of　satisfaction　in　connexion　with

the　object　of　this　assembly；　and　it　is；　that　the　resolutions　about

to　be　proposed　do　not　contain　in　themselves　anything　of　a　sectarian

or　class　nature；　that　they　do　not　confine　themselves　to　any　one

single　institution；　but　assert　the　great　and　omnipotent　principles

of　comprehensive　education　everywhere　and　under　every　circumstance。

I　beg　leave　to　say　that　I　concur；　heart　and　hand；　in　those

principles；　and　will　do　all　in　my　power　for　their　advancement；　for

I　hold；　in　accordance　with　the　imperfect　knowledge　which　I　possess；

that　it　is　impossible　for　any　fabric　of　society　to　go　on　day　after

day；　and　year　after　year；　from　father　to　son；　and　from　grandfather

to　grandson；　punishing　men　for　not　engaging　in　the　pursuit　of

virtue　and　for　the　practice　of　crime；　without　showing　them　what

virtue　is；　and　where　it　best　can　be　found　…　in　justice；　religion；

and　truth。　　The　only　reason　that　can　possibly　be　adduced　against　it

is　one　founded　on　fiction　…　namely；　the　case　where　an　obdurate　old

geni；　in　the　〃Arabian　Nights；〃　was　bound　upon　taking　the　life　of　a

merchant；　because　he　had　struck　out　the　eye　of　his　invisible　son。

I　recollect；　likewise；　a　tale　in　the　same　book　of　charming　fancies；

which　I　consider　not　inappropriate：　　it　is　a　case　where　a　powerful

spirit　has　been　imprisoned　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　in　a　casket

with　a　leaden　cover；　and　the　seal　of　Solomon　upon　it；　there　he　had

lain　neglected　for　many　centuries；　and　during　that　period　had　made

many　different　vows：　　at　first；　that　he　would　reward　magnificently

those　who　should　release　him；　and　at　last；　that　he　would　destroy

them。　　Now；　there　is　a　s