can　testify　…　I　say　I　do　not　go　to　bed　two　nights　out　of　the　seven
  without　taking　Washington　Irving　under　my　arm；　and；　when　I　don't
  take　him；　I　take　his　own　brother；　Oliver　Goldsmith。　　Washington
  Irving！　　Why；　of　whom　but　him　was　I　thinking　the　other　day　when　I
  came　up　by　the　Hog's　Back；　the　Frying　Pan；　Hell　Gate；　and　all　these
  places？　　Why；　when；　not　long　ago；　I　visited　Shakespeare's
  birthplace；　and　went　beneath　the　roof　where　he　first　saw　light；
  whose　name　but　HIS　was　pointed　out　to　me　upon　the　wall？　　Washington
  Irving　…　Diedrich　Knickerbocker　…　Geoffrey　Crayon　…　why；　where　can
  you　go　that　they　have　not　been　there　before？　　Is　there　an　English
  farm　…　is　there　an　English　stream；　an　English　city；　or　an　English
  country…seat；　where　they　have　not　been？　　Is　there　no　Bracebridge
  Hall　in　existence？　　Has　it　no　ancient　shades　or　quiet　streets？
  In　bygone　times；　when　Irving　left　that　Hall；　he　left　sitting　in　an
  old　oak　chair；　in　a　small　parlour　of　the　Boar's　Head；　a　little　man
  with　a　red　nose；　and　an　oilskin　hat。　　When　I　came　away　he　was
  sitting　there　still！　…　not　a　man　LIKE　him；　but　the　same　man　…　with
  the　nose　of　immortal　redness　and　the　hat　of　an　undying　glaze！
  Crayon；　while　there；　was　on　terms　of　intimacy　with　a　certain
  radical　fellow；　who　used　to　go　about；　with　a　hatful　of　newspapers；
  wofully　out　at　elbows；　and　with　a　coat　of　great　antiquity。　　Why；
  gentlemen；　I　know　that　man　…　Tibbles　the　elder；　and　he　has　not
  changed　a　hair；　and；　when　I　came　away；　he　charged　me　to　give　his
  best　respects　to　Washington　Irving！
  Leaving　the　town　and　the　rustic　life　of　England　…　forgetting　this
  man；　if　we　can　…　putting　out　of　mind　the　country　church…yard　and
  the　broken　heart　…　let　us　cross　the　water　again；　and　ask　who　has
  associated　himself　most　closely　with　the　Italian　peasantry　and　the
  bandits　of　the　Pyrenees？　　When　the　traveller　enters　his　little
  chamber　beyond　the　Alps　…　listening　to　the　dim　echoes　of　the　long
  passages　and　spacious　corridors　…　damp；　and　gloomy；　and　cold　…　as
  he　hears　the　tempest　beating　with　fury　against　his　window；　and
  gazes　at　the　curtains；　dark；　and　heavy；　and　covered　with　mould　…
  and　when　all　the　ghost…stories　that　ever　were　told　come　up　before
  him　…　amid　all　his　thick…coming　fancies；　whom　does　he　think　of？
  Washington　Irving。
  Go　farther　still：　　go　to　the　Moorish　Mountains；　sparkling　full　in
  the　moonlight　…　go　among　the　water…carriers　and　the　village
  gossips；　living　still　as　in　days　of　old　…　and　who　has　travelled
  among　them　before　you；　and　peopled　the　Alhambra　and　made　eloquent
  its　shadows？　　Who　awakes　there　a　voice　from　every　hill　and　in　every
  cavern；　and　bids　legends；　which　for　centuries　have　slept　a
  dreamless　sleep；　or　watched　unwinkingly；　start　up　and　pass　before
  you　in　all　their　life　and　glory？
  But　leaving　this　again；　who　embarked　with　Columbus　upon　his　gallant
  ship；　traversed　with　him　the　dark　and　mighty　ocean；　leaped　upon　the
  land　and　planted　there　the　flag　of　Spain；　but　this　same　man；　now
  sitting　by　my　side？　　And　being　here　at　home　again；　who　is　a　more
  fit　companion　for　money…diggers？　and　what　pen　but　his　has　made　Rip
  Van　Winkle；　playing　at　nine…pins　on　that　thundering　afternoon；　as
  much　part　and　parcel　of　the　Catskill　Mountains　as　any　tree　or　crag
  that　they　can　boast？
  But　these　are　topics　familiar　from　my　boyhood；　and　which　I　am　apt
  to　pursue；　and　lest　I　should　be　tempted　now　to　talk　too　long　about
  them；　I　will；　in　conclusion；　give　you　a　sentiment；　most
  appropriate；　I　am　sure；　in　the　presence　of　such　writers　as　Bryant；
  Halleck；　and　…　but　I　suppose　I　must　not　mention　the　ladies　here　…
  THE　LITERATURE　OF　AMERICA：
  She　well　knows　how　to　do　honour　to　her　own　literature　and　to　that
  of　other　lands；　when　she　chooses　Washington　Irving　for　her
  representative　in　the　country　of　Cervantes。
  SPEECH：　　MANCHESTER；　OCTOBER　5；　1843。
  ＇This　address　was　delivered　at　a　soiree　of　the　members　of　the
  Manchester；　Athenaeum；　at　which　Mr。　Dickens　presided。　　Among　the
  other　speakers　on　the　occasion　were　Mr。　Cobden　and　Mr。　Disraeli。＇
  LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　I　am　sure　I　need　scarcely　tell　you　that　I
  am　very　proud　and　happy；　and　that　I　take　it　as　a　great　distinction
  to　be　asked　to　come　amongst　you　on　an　occasion　such　as　this；　when；
  even　with　the　brilliant　and　beautiful　spectacle　which　I　see　before
  me；　I　can　hail　it　as　the　most　brilliant　and　beautiful　circumstance
  of　all；　that　we　assemble　together　here；　even　here；　upon　neutral
  ground；　where　we　have　no　more　knowledge　of　party　difficulties；　or
  public　animosities　between　side　and　side；　or　between　man　and　man；
  than　if　we　were　a　public　meeting　in　the　commonwealth　of　Utopia。
  Ladies　and　gentlemen；　upon　this；　and　upon　a　hundred　other　grounds；
  this　assembly　is　not　less　interesting　to　me；　believe　me　…　although；
  personally；　almost　a　stranger　here　…　than　it　is　interesting　to　you；
  and　I　take　it；　that　it　is　not　of　greater　importance　to　all　of　us
  than　it　is　to　every　man　who　has　learned　to　know　that　he　has　an
  interest　in　the　moral　and　social　elevation；　the　harmless
  relaxation；　the　peace；　happiness；　and　improvement；　of　the　community
  at　large。　　Not　even　those　who　saw　the　first　foundation　of　your
  Athenaeum　laid；　and　watched　its　progress；　as　I　know　they　did；
  almost　as　tenderly　as　if　it　were　the　progress　of　a　living　creature；
  until　it　reared　its　beautiful　front；　an　honour　to　the　town　…　not
  even　they；　nor　even　you　who；　within　its　walls；　have　tasted　its
  usefulness；　and　put　it　to　the　proof；　have　greater　reason；　I　am
  persuaded；　to　exult　in　its　establishment；　or　to　hope　that　it　may
  thrive　and　prosper；　than　scores　of　thousands　at　a　distance；　who　…
  whether　consciously　or　unconsciously；　matters　not　…　have；　in　the
  principle　of　its　success　and　bright　example；　a　deep　and　personal
  concern。
  It　well　becomes；　particularly　well　becomes；　this　enterprising　town；
  this　little　world　of　labour；　that　she　should　stand　out　foremost　in
  the　foremost　rank　in　such　a　cause。　　It　well　becomes　her；　that；
  among　her　numerous　and　noble　public　institutions；　she　should　have　a
  splendid　temple　sacred　to　the　education　and　improvement　of　a　large
  class　of　those　who；　in　their　various　useful　stations；　assist　in　the
  production　of　our　wealth；　and　in　rendering　her　name　famous　through
  the　world。　　I　think　it　is　grand　to　know；　that；　while　her　factories
  re…echo　with　the　clanking　of　stupendous　engines；　and　the　whirl　and
  rattle　of　machinery；　the　immortal　mechanism　of　God's　own　hand；　the
  mind；　is　not　forgotten　in　the　din　and　uproar；　but　is　lodged　and
  tended　in　a　palace　of　its　own。　　That　it　is　a　structure　deeply　fixed
  and　rooted　in　the　public　spirit　of　this　place；　and　built　to　last；　I
  have　no　more　doubt；　judging　from　the　spectacle　I　see　before　me；　and
  from　what　I　know　of　its　brief　history；　than　I　have　of　the　reality
  of　these　walls　that　hem　us　in；　and　the　pillars　that　spring　up　about
  us。
  You　are　perfectly　well　aware；　I　have　no　doubt；　that　the　Athenaeum
  was　projected　at　a　time　when　commerce　was　in　a　vigorous　and
  flourishing　condition；　and　when　those　classes　of　society　to　which
  it　particularly　addresses　itself　were　fully　employed；　and　in　the
  receipt　of　regular　incomes。　　A　season　of　depression　almost　without
  a　parallel　ensued；　and　large　numbers　of　young　men　employed　in
  warehouses　and　offices　suddenly　found　their　occupation　gone；　and
  themselves　reduced　to　very　straitened　and　penurious　circumstances。
  This　altered　state　of　things　led；　as　I　am　told；　to　the　compulsory
  withdrawal　of　many　of　the　members；　to　a　proportionate　decrease　in
  the　expected　funds；　and　to　the　incurrence　of　a　debt　of　3；000
  pounds。　　By　the　very　great　zeal　and　energy　of　all　concerned；　and　by
  the　liberality　of　those　to　whom　they　applied　for　help；　that　debt　is
  now　in　rapid　course　of　being　discharged。　　A　little　more　of　the　same
  indefatigable　exertion　on　the　one　hand；　and　a　little　more　of　the
  same　community　of　feeling　upon　the　other；　and　there　will　be　no　such
  thing；　the　figures　will　be　blotted　out　for　good　and　all；　and；　from
  that　time；　the　Athenaeum　may　be　said　to　belong　to　you；　and　to　your
  heirs　for　ever。
  But；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　at　all　times；　now　in　its　most　thriving；
  and　in　its　least　flourishing　condition　…　here；　with　its　cheerful
  rooms；　its　pleasant　and　instructive　lectures；　its　improving　library
  of　6；000　volumes；　its　classes　for　the　study　of　the　foreign
  languages；　elocution；　music；　its　opportunities　of　discussion　and
  debate；　of　healthful　bodily　exercise；　and；　though　last　not　least　…
  for　by　this　I　set　great　store；　as　a　very　novel　and　excellent
  provision　…　its　opportunities　of　blameless；　rational　enjoyment；
  here　it　is；　open　to　every　youth　and　man　in　this　great　town；
  accessible　to　every　bee　in　this　vast　hive；　who；　for　all　these
  benefits；　and　the　inestimable　ends　to　which　they　lead；　can　set
  aside　one　sixpence　weekly。　　I　do　look　upon　the　reduction　of　the
  subscription；　and　upon　the　fact　that　the　number　of　members　has
  considerably　more　than　d