make　an　offer　of　these　testimonials。　　I　beg　you；　gentlemen；　to
  commend　me　very　earnestly　and　gratefully　to　our　absent　friends；　and
  to　assure　them　of　my　affectionate　and　heartfelt　respect。
  The　company　then　adjourned　to　Dee's　Hotel；　where　a　banquet　took
  place；　at　which　about　220　persons　were　present；　among　whom　were
  some　of　the　most　distinguished　of　the　Royal　Academicians。　　To　the
  toast　of　〃The　Literature　of　England；〃　Mr。　Dickens　responded　as
  follows：…
  Mr。　Mayor　and　Gentlemen；　I　am　happy；　on　behalf　of　many　labourers　in
  that　great　field　of　literature　to　which　you　have　pledged　the　toast；
  to　thank　you　for　the　tribute　you　have　paid　to　it。　　Such　an　honour；
  rendered　by　acclamation　in　such　a　place　as　this；　seems　to　me；　if　I
  may　follow　on　the　same　side　as　the　venerable　Archdeacon　（Sandford）
  who　lately　addressed　you；　and　who　has　inspired　me　with　a
  gratification　I　can　never　forget　…　such　an　honour；　gentlemen；
  rendered　here；　seems　to　me　a　two…sided　illustration　of　the　position
  that　literature　holds　in　these　latter　and；　of　course；　〃degenerate〃
  days。　　To　the　great　compact　phalanx　of　the　people；　by　whose
  industry；　perseverance；　and　intelligence；　and　their　result　in
  money…wealth；　such　places　as　Birmingham；　and　many　others　like　it；
  have　arisen　…　to　that　great　centre　of　support；　that　comprehensive
  experience；　and　that　beating　heart；　literature　has　turned　happily
  from　individual　patrons　…　sometimes　munificent；　often　sordid；
  always　few　…　and　has　there　found　at　once　its　highest　purpose；　its
  natural　range　of　action；　and　its　best　reward。　　Therefore　it　is
  right　also；　as　it　seems　to　me；　not　only　that　literature　should
  receive　honour　here；　but　that　it　should　render　honour；　too；
  remembering　that　if　it　has　undoubtedly　done　good　to　Birmingham；
  Birmingham　has　undoubtedly　done　good　to　it。　　From　the　shame　of　the
  purchased　dedication；　from　the　scurrilous　and　dirty　work　of　Grub
  Street；　from　the　dependent　seat　on　sufferance　at　my　Lord　Duke's
  table　to…day；　and　from　the　sponging…house　or　Marshalsea　to…morrow　…
  from　that　venality　which；　by　a　fine　moral　retribution；　has　degraded
  statesmen　even　to　a　greater　extent　than　authors；　because　the
  statesman　entertained　a　low　belief　in　the　universality　of
  corruption；　while　the　author　yielded　only　to　the　dire　necessity　of
  his　calling　…　from　all　such　evils　the　people　have　set　literature
  free。　　And　my　creed　in　the　exercise　of　that　profession　is；　that
  literature　cannot　be　too　faithful　to　the　people　in　return　…　cannot
  too　ardently　advocate　the　cause　of　their　advancement；　happiness；
  and　prosperity。　　I　have　heard　it　sometimes　said　…　and　what　is
  worse；　as　expressing　something　more　cold…blooded；　I　have　sometimes
  seen　it　written　…　that　literature　has　suffered　by　this　change；　that
  it　has　degenerated　by　being　made　cheaper。　　I　have　not　found　that　to
  be　the　case：　　nor　do　I　believe　that　you　have　made　the　discovery
  either。　　But　let　a　good　book　in　these　〃bad〃　times　be　made
  accessible；　…　even　upon　an　abstruse　and　difficult　subject；　so　that
  it　be　one　of　legitimate　interest　to　mankind；　…　and　my　life　on　it；
  it　shall　be　extensively　bought；　read；　and　well　considered。
  Why　do　I　say　this？　　Because　I　believe　there　are　in　Birmingham　at
  this　moment　many　working　men　infinitely　better　versed　in
  Shakespeare　and　in　Milton　than　the　average　of　fine　gentlemen　in　the
  days　of　bought…and…sold　dedications　and　dear　books。　　I　ask　anyone
  to　consider　for　himself　who；　at　this　time；　gives　the　greatest
  relative　encouragement　to　the　dissemination　of　such　useful
  publications　as　〃Macaulay's　History；〃　〃Layard's　Researches；〃
  〃Tennyson's　Poems；〃　〃The　Duke　of　Wellington's　published
  Despatches；〃　or　the　minutest　truths　（if　any　truth　can　be　called
  minute）　discovered　by　the　genius　of　a　Herschel　or　a　Faraday？　　It　is
  with　all　these　things　as　with　the　great　music　of　Mendelssohn；　or　a
  lecture　upon　art　…　if　we　had　the　good　fortune　to　listen　to　one　to…
  morrow　…　by　my　distinguished　friend　the　President　of　the　Royal
  Academy。　　However　small　the　audience；　however　contracted　the　circle
  in　the　water；　in　the　first　instance；　the　people　are　nearer　the
  wider　range　outside；　and　the　Sister　Arts；　while　they　instruct　them；
  derive　a　wholesome　advantage　and　improvement　from　their　ready
  sympathy　and　cordial　response。　　I　may　instance　the　case　of　my
  friend　Mr。　Ward's　magnificent　picture；　and　the　reception　of　that
  picture　here　is　an　example　that　it　is　not　now　the　province　of　art
  in　painting　to　hold　itself　in　monastic　seclusion；　that　it　cannot
  hope　to　rest　on　a　single　foundation　for　its　great　temple；　…　on　the
  mere　classic　pose　of　a　figure；　or　the　folds　of　a　drapery　…　but　that
  it　must　be　imbued　with　human　passions　and　action；　informed　with
  human　right　and　wrong；　and；　being　so　informed；　it　may　fearlessly
  put　itself　upon　its　trial；　like　the　criminal　of　old；　to　be　judged
  by　God　and　its　country。
  Gentlemen；　to　return　and　conclude；　as　I　shall　have　occasion　to
  trouble　you　again。　　For　this　time　I　have　only　once　again　to　repeat
  what　I　have　already　said。　　As　I　begun　with　literature；　I　shall　end
  with　it。　　I　would　simply　say　that　I　believe　no　true　man；　with
  anything　to　tell；　need　have　the　least　misgiving；　either　for　himself
  or　his　message；　before　a　large　number　of　hearers　…　always　supposing
  that　he　be　not　afflicted　with　the　coxcombical　idea　of　writing　down
  to　the　popular　intelligence；　instead　of　writing　the　popular
  intelligence　up　to　himself；　if；　perchance；　he　be　above　it；　…　and；
  provided　always　that　he　deliver　himself　plainly　of　what　is　in　him；
  which　seems　to　be　no　unreasonable　stipulation；　it　being　supposed
  that　he　has　some　dim　design　of　making　himself　understood。　　On
  behalf　of　that　literature　to　which　you　have　done　so　much　honour；　I
  beg　to　thank　you　most　cordially；　and　on　my　own　behalf；　for　the　most
  flattering　reception　you　have　given　to　one　whose　claim　is；　that　he
  has　the　distinction　of　making　it　his　profession。
  ＇Later　in　the　evening；　Mr。　Dickens　gave　as　a　toast；　〃The
  Educational　Institutions　of　Birmingham；〃　in　the　following　speech：＇
  I　am　requested　to　propose　…　or；　according　to　the　hypothesis　of　my
  friend；　Mr。　Owen；　I　am　in　the　temporary　character　of　a　walking
  advertisement　to　advertise　to　you　…　the　Educational　Institutions　of
  Birmingham；　an　advertisement　to　which　I　have　the　greatest　pleasure
  in　calling　your　attention；　Gentlemen；　it　is　right　that　I　should；　in
  so　many　words；　mention　the　more　prominent　of　these　institutions；
  not　because　your　local　memories　require　any　prompting；　but　because
  the　enumeration　implies　what　has　been　done　here；　what　you　are
  doing；　and　what　you　will　yet　do。　　I　believe　the　first　is　the　King
  Edward's　Grammar　School；　with　its　various　branches；　and　prominent
  among　them　is　that　most　admirable　means　of　training　the　wives　of
  working　men　to　be　good　wives　and　working　wives；　the　prime　ornament
  of　their　homes；　and　the　cause　of　happiness　to　others　…　I　mean　those
  excellent　girls'　schools　in　various　parts　of　the　town；　which；　under
  the　excellent　superintendence　of　the　principal；　I　should　most
  sincerely　desire　to　see　in　every　town　in　England。　　Next；　I　believe；
  is　the　Spring　Hill　College；　a　learned　institution　belonging　to　the
  body　of　Independents；　foremost　among　whose　professors　literature　is
  proud　to　hail　Mr。　Henry　Rogers　as　one　of　the　soundest　and　ablest
  contributors　to　the　Edinburgh　Review。　　The　next　is　the　Queen's
  College；　which；　I　may　say；　is　only　a　newly…born　child；　but；　in　the
  hands　of　such　an　admirable　Doctor；　we　may　hope　to　see　it　arrive　at
  a　vigorous　maturity。　　The　next　is　the　School　of　Design；　which；　as
  has　been　well　observed　by　my　friend　Sir　Charles　Eastlake；　is
  invaluable　in　such　a　place　as　this；　and；　lastly；　there　is　the
  Polytechnic　Institution；　with　regard　to　which　I　had　long　ago
  occasion　to　express　my　profound　conviction　that　it　was　of
  unspeakable　importance　to　such　a　community　as　this；　when　I　had　the
  honour　to　be　present；　under　the　auspices　of　your　excellent
  representative；　Mr。　Scholefield。　　This　is　the　last　of　what　has　been
  done　in　an　educational　way。　　They　are　all　admirable　in　their　kind；
  but　I　am　glad　to　find　that　more　is　yet　doing。　　A　few　days　ago　I
  received　a　Birmingham　newspaper；　containing　a　most　interesting
  account　of　a　preliminary　meeting　for　the　formation　of　a　Reformatory
  School　for　juvenile　delinquents。　　You　are　not　exempt　here　from　the
  honour　of　saving　these　poor；　neglected；　and　wretched　outcasts。　　I
  read　of　one　infant；　six　years　old；　who　has　been　twice　as　many　times
  in　the　hands　of　the　police　as　years　have　passed　over　his　devoted
  head。　　These　are　the　eggs　from　which　gaol…birds　are　hatched；　if　you
  wish　to　check　that　dreadful　brood；　you　must　take　the　young　and
  innocent；　and　have　them　reared　by　Christian　hands。
  Lastly；　I　am　rejoiced　to　find　that　there　is　on　foot　a　scheme　for　a
  new　Literary　and　Scientific　Institution；　which　would　be　worthy　even
  of　this　place；　if　there　was　nothing　of　the　kind　in　it　…　an
  institution；　as　I　understand　it；　where　the　words