Speeches：　Literary　and　Social
  by　Charles　Dickens
  SPEECH：　　EDINBURGH；　JUNE　25；　1841。
  ＇At　a　public　dinner；　given　in　honour　of　Mr。　Dickens；　and　presided
  over　by　the　late　Professor　Wilson；　the　Chairman　having　proposed　his
  health　in　a　long　and　eloquent　speech；　Mr。　Dickens　returned　thanks
  as　follows：…＇
  IF　I　felt　your　warm　and　generous　welcome　less；　I　should　be　better
  able　to　thank　you。　　If　I　could　have　listened　as　you　have　listened
  to　the　glowing　language　of　your　distinguished　Chairman；　and　if　I
  could　have　heard　as　you　heard　the　〃thoughts　that　breathe　and　words
  that　burn；〃　which　he　has　uttered；　it　would　have　gone　hard　but　I
  should　have　caught　some　portion　of　his　enthusiasm；　and　kindled　at
  his　example。　　But　every　word　which　fell　from　his　lips；　and　every
  demonstration　of　sympathy　and　approbation　with　which　you　received
  his　eloquent　expressions；　renders　me　unable　to　respond　to　his
  kindness；　and　leaves　me　at　last　all　heart　and　no　lips；　yearning　to
  respond　as　I　would　do　to　your　cordial　greeting　…　possessing；　heaven
  knows；　the　will；　and　desiring　only　to　find　the　way。
  The　way　to　your　good　opinion；　favour；　and　support；　has　been　to　me
  very　pleasing　…　a　path　strewn　with　flowers　and　cheered　with
  sunshine。　　I　feel　as　if　I　stood　amongst　old　friends；　whom　I　had
  intimately　known　and　highly　valued。　　I　feel　as　if　the　deaths　of　the
  fictitious　creatures；　in　which　you　have　been　kind　enough　to　express
  an　interest；　had　endeared　us　to　each　other　as　real　afflictions
  deepen　friendships　in　actual　life；　I　feel　as　if　they　had　been　real
  persons；　whose　fortunes　we　had　pursued　together　in　inseparable
  connexion；　and　that　I　had　never　known　them　apart　from　you。
  It　is　a　difficult　thing　for　a　man　to　speak　of　himself　or　of　his
  works。　　But　perhaps　on　this　occasion　I　may；　without　impropriety；
  venture　to　say　a　word　on　the　spirit　in　which　mine　were　conceived。
  I　felt　an　earnest　and　humble　desire；　and　shall　do　till　I　die；　to
  increase　the　stock　of　harmless　cheerfulness。　　I　felt　that　the　world
  was　not　utterly　to　be　despised；　that　it　was　worthy　of　living　in　for
  many　reasons。　　I　was　anxious　to　find；　as　the　Professor　has　said；　if
  I　could；　in　evil　things；　that　soul　of　goodness　which　the　Creator
  has　put　in　them。　　I　was　anxious　to　show　that　virtue　may　be　found　in
  the　bye…ways　of　the　world；　that　it　is　not　incompatible　with　poverty
  and　even　with　rags；　and　to　keep　steadily　through　life　the　motto；
  expressed　in　the　burning　words　of　your　Northern　poet　…
  〃The　rank　is　but　the　guinea　stamp；
  The　man's　the　gowd　for　a'　that。〃
  And　in　following　this　track；　where　could　I　have　better　assurance
  that　I　was　right；　or　where　could　I　have　stronger　assurance　to　cheer
  me　on　than　in　your　kindness　on　this　to　me　memorable　night？
  I　am　anxious　and　glad　to　have　an　opportunity　of　saying　a　word　in
  reference　to　one　incident　in　which　I　am　happy　to　know　you　were
  interested；　and　still　more　happy　to　know；　though　it　may　sound
  paradoxical；　that　you　were　disappointed　…　I　mean　the　death　of　the
  little　heroine。　　When　I　first　conceived　the　idea　of　conducting　that
  simple　story　to　its　termination；　I　determined　rigidly　to　adhere　to
  it；　and　never　to　forsake　the　end　I　had　in　view。　　Not　untried　in　the
  school　of　affliction；　in　the　death　of　those　we　love；　I　thought　what
  a　good　thing　it　would　be　if　in　my　little　work　of　pleasant　amusement
  I　could　substitute　a　garland　of　fresh　flowers　for　the　sculptured
  horrors　which　disgrace　the　tomb。　　If　I　have　put　into　my　book
  anything　which　can　fill　the　young　mind　with　better　thoughts　of
  death；　or　soften　the　grief　of　older　hearts；　if　I　have　written　one
  word　which　can　afford　pleasure　or　consolation　to　old　or　young　in
  time　of　trial；　I　shall　consider　it　as　something　achieved　…
  something　which　I　shall　be　glad　to　look　back　upon　in　after　life。
  Therefore　I　kept　to　my　purpose；　notwithstanding　that　towards　the
  conclusion　of　the　story；　I　daily　received　letters　of　remonstrance；
  especially　from　the　ladies。　　God　bless　them　for　their　tender
  mercies！　　The　Professor　was　quite　right　when　he　said　that　I　had　not
  reached　to　an　adequate　delineation　of　their　virtues；　and　I　fear
  that　I　must　go　on　blotting　their　characters　in　endeavouring　to
  reach　the　ideal　in　my　mind。　　These　letters　were；　however；　combined
  with　others　from　the　sterner　sex；　and　some　of　them　were　not
  altogether　free　from　personal　invective。　　But；　notwithstanding；　I
  kept　to　my　purpose；　and　I　am　happy　to　know　that　many　of　those　who
  at　first　condemned　me　are　now　foremost　in　their　approbation。
  If　I　have　made　a　mistake　in　detaining　you　with　this　little
  incident；　I　do　not　regret　having　done　so；　for　your　kindness　has
  given　me　such　a　confidence　in　you；　that　the　fault　is　yours　and　not
  mine。　　I　come　once　more　to　thank　you；　and　here　I　am　in　a　difficulty
  again。　　The　distinction　you　have　conferred　upon　me　is　one　which　I
  never　hoped　for；　and　of　which　I　never　dared　to　dream。　　That　it　is
  one　which　I　shall　never　forget；　and　that　while　I　live　I　shall　be
  proud　of　its　remembrance；　you　must　well　know。　　I　believe　I　shall
  never　hear　the　name　of　this　capital　of　Scotland　without　a　thrill　of
  gratitude　and　pleasure。　　I　shall　love　while　I　have　life　her　people；
  her　hills；　and　her　houses；　and　even　the　very　stones　of　her　streets。
  And　if　in　the　future　works　which　may　lie　before　me　you　should
  discern　…　God　grant　you　may！　…　a　brighter　spirit　and　a　clearer　wit；
  I　pray　you　to　refer　it　back　to　this　night；　and　point　to　that　as　a
  Scottish　passage　for　evermore。　　I　thank　you　again　and　again；　with
  the　energy　of　a　thousand　thanks　in　each　one；　and　I　drink　to　you
  with　a　heart　as　full　as　my　glass；　and　far　easier　emptied；　I　do
  assure　you。
  ＇Later　in　the　evening；　in　proposing　the　health　of　Professor　Wilson；
  Mr。　Dickens　said：…＇
  I　HAVE　the　honour　to　be　entrusted　with　a　toast；　the　very　mention　of
  which　will　recommend　itself　to　you；　I　know；　as　one　possessing　no
  ordinary　claims　to　your　sympathy　and　approbation；　and　the　proposing
  of　which　is　as　congenial　to　my　wishes　and　feelings　as　its
  acceptance　must　be　to　yours。　　It　is　the　health　of　our　Chairman；　and
  coupled　with　his　name　I　have　to　propose　the　literature　of　Scotland
  …　a　literature　which　he　has　done　much　to　render　famous　through　the
  world；　and　of　which　he　has　been　for　many　years　…　as　I　hope　and
  believe　he　will　be　for　many　more　…　a　most　brilliant　and
  distinguished　ornament。　　Who　can　revert　to　the　literature　of　the
  land　of　Scott　and　of　Burns　without　having　directly　in　his　mind；　as
  inseparable　from　the　subject　and　foremost　in　the　picture；　that　old
  man　of　might；　with　his　lion　heart　and　sceptred　crutch　…　Christopher
  North。　　I　am　glad　to　remember　the　time　when　I　believed　him　to　be　a
  real；　actual；　veritable　old　gentleman；　that　might　be　seen　any　day
  hobbling　along　the　High　Street　with　the　most　brilliant　eye　…　but
  that　is　no　fiction　…　and　the　greyest　hair　in　all　the　world　…　who
  wrote　not　because　he　cared　to　write；　not　because　he　cared　for　the
  wonder　and　admiration　of　his　fellow…men；　but　who　wrote　because　he
  could　not　help　it；　because　there　was　always　springing　up　in　his
  mind　a　clear　and　sparkling　stream　of　poetry　which　must　have　vent；
  and　like　the　glittering　fountain　in　the　fairy　tale；　draw　what　you
  might；　was　ever　at　the　full；　and　never　languished　even　by　a　single
  drop　or　bubble。　　I　had　so　figured　him　in　my　mind；　and　when　I　saw
  the　Professor　two　days　ago；　striding　along　the　Parliament　House；　I
  was　disposed　to　take　it　as　a　personal　offence　…　I　was　vexed　to　see
  him　look　so　hearty。　　I　drooped　to　see　twenty　Christophers　in　one。
  I　began　to　think　that　Scottish　life　was　all　light　and　no　shadows；
  and　I　began　to　doubt　that　beautiful　book　to　which　I　have　turned
  again　and　again；　always　to　find　new　beauties　and　fresh　sources　of
  interest。
  ＇In　proposing　the　memory　of　the　late　Sir　David　Wilkie；　Mr。　Dickens
  said：…＇
  LESS　fortunate　than　the　two　gentlemen　who　have　preceded　me；　it　is
  confided　to　me　to　mention　a　name　which　cannot　be　pronounced　without
  sorrow；　a　name　in　which　Scotland　had　a　great　triumph；　and　which
  England　delighted　to　honour。　　One　of　the　gifted　of　the　earth　has
  passed　away；　as　it　were；　yesterday；　one　who　was　devoted　to　his　art；
  and　his　art　was　nature　…　I　mean　David　Wilkie。　　He　was　one　who　made
  the　cottage　hearth　a　graceful　thing　…　of　whom　it　might　truly　be
  said　that　he　found　〃books　in　the　running　brooks；〃　and　who　has　left
  in　all　he　did　some　breathing　of　the　air　which　stirs　the　heather。
  But　however　desirous　to　enlarge　on　his　genius　as　an　artist；　I　would
  rather　speak　of　him　now　as　a　friend　who　has　gone　from　amongst　us。
  There　is　his　deserted　studio　…　the　empty　easel　lying　idly　by　…　the
  unfinished　picture　with　its　face　turned　to　the　wall；　and　there　is
  that　bereaved　sister；　who　loved　him　with　an　affection　which　death
  cannot　quench。　　He　has　left　a　name　in　fame　clear　as　the　bright　sky；
  he　has　filled　our　minds　with　memories　pure　as　the　blue　waves　which
  roll　ov