Theatre；　for　the　purpose　of　establishing　the　now　famous　Royal
  Dramatic　College。　　Mr。　Charles　Kean　was　the　chairman；　and　Mr。
  Dickens　delivered　the　following　speech：＇
  LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　I　think　I　may　venture　to　congratulate　you
  beforehand　on　the　pleasant　circumstance　that　the　movers　and
  seconders　of　the　resolutions　which　will　be　submitted　to　you　will；
  probably；　have　very　little　to　say。　　Through　the　Report　which　you
  have　heard　read；　and　through　the　comprehensive　address　of　the
  chairman；　the　cause　which　brings　us　together　has　been　so　very
  clearly　stated　to　you；　that　it　can　stand　in　need　of　very　little；　if
  of　any　further　exposition。　　But；　as　I　have　the　honour　to　move　the
  first　resolution　which　this　handsome　gift；　and　the　vigorous　action
  that　must　be　taken　upon　it；　necessitate；　I　think　I　shall　only　give
  expression　to　what　is　uppermost　in　the　general　mind　here；　if　I
  venture　to　remark　that；　many　as　the　parts　are　in　which　Mr。　Kean　has
  distinguished　himself　on　these　boards；　he　has　never　appeared　in　one
  in　which　the　large　spirit　of　an　artist；　the　feeling　of　a　man；　and
  the　grace　of　a　gentleman；　have　been　more　admirably　blended　than　in
  this　day's　faithful　adherence　to　the　calling　of　which　he　is　a
  prosperous　ornament；　and　in　this　day's　manly　advocacy　of　its　cause。
  Ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　resolution　entrusted　to　me　is：
  〃That　the　Report　of　the　provisional　committee　be　adopted；　and　that
  this　meeting　joyfully　accepts；　and　gratefully　acknowledges；　the
  gift　of　five　acres　of　land　referred　to　in　the　said　Report。〃
  It　is　manifest；　I　take　it；　that　we　are　all　agreed　upon　this
  acceptance　and　acknowledgment；　and　that　we　all　know　very　well　that
  this　generous　gift　can　inspire　but　one　sentiment　in　the　breast　of
  every　lover　of　the　dramatic　art。　　As　it　is　far　too　often　forgotten
  by　those　who　are　indebted　to　it　for　many　a　restorative　flight　out
  of　this　working…day　world；　that　the　silks；　and　velvets；　and　elegant
  costumes　of　its　professors　must　be　every　night　exchanged　for　the
  hideous　coats　and　waistcoats　of　the　present　day；　in　which　we　have
  now　the　honour　and　the　misfortune　of　appearing　before　you；　so　when
  we　do　meet　with　a　nature　so　considerably　generous　as　this　donor's；
  and　do　find　an　interest　in　the　real　life　and　struggles　of　the
  people　who　have　delighted　it；　so　very　spontaneous　and　so　very
  liberal；　we　have　nothing　to　do　but　to　accept　and　to　admire；　we　have
  no　duty　left　but　to　〃take　the　goods　the　gods　provide　us；〃　and　to
  make　the　best　and　the　most　of　them。　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　allow　me
  to　remark；　that　in　this　mode　of　turning　a　good　gift　to　the　highest
  account；　lies　the　truest　gratitude。
  In　reference　to　this；　I　could　not　but　reflect；　whilst　Mr。　Kean　was
  speaking；　that　in　an　hour　or　two　from　this　time；　the　spot　upon
  which　we　are　now　assembled　will　be　transformed　into　the　scene　of　a
  crafty　and　a　cruel　bond。　　I　know　that；　a　few　hours　hence；　the　Grand
  Canal　of　Venice　will　flow；　with　picturesque　fidelity；　on　the　very
  spot　where　I　now　stand　dryshod；　and　that　〃the　quality　of　mercy〃
  will　be　beautifully　stated　to　the　Venetian　Council　by　a　learned
  young　doctor　from　Padua；　on　these　very　boards　on　which　we　now
  enlarge　upon　the　quality　of　charity　and　sympathy。　　Knowing　this；　it
  came　into　my　mind　to　consider　how　different　the　real　bond　of　to…day
  from　the　ideal　bond　of　to…night。　　Now；　all　generosity；　all
  forbearance；　all　forgetfulness　of　little　jealousies　and　unworthy
  divisions；　all　united　action　for　the　general　good。　　Then；　all
  selfishness；　all　malignity；　all　cruelty；　all　revenge；　and　all　evil；
  …　now　all　good。　　Then；　a　bond　to　be　broken　within　the　compass　of　a
  few　…　three　or　four　…　swiftly　passing　hours；　…　now；　a　bond　to　be
  valid　and　of　good　effect　generations　hence。
  Ladies　and　gentlemen；　of　the　execution　and　delivery　of　this　bond；
  between　this　generous　gentleman　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　united
  members　of　a　too　often　and　too　long　disunited　art　upon　the　other；
  be　you　the　witnesses。　　Do　you　attest　of　everything　that　is　liberal
  and　free　in　spirit；　that　is　〃so　nominated　in　the　bond；〃　and　of
  everything　that　is　grudging；　self…seeking；　unjust；　or　unfair；　that
  it　is　by　no　sophistry　ever　to　be　found　there。　　I　beg　to　move　the
  resolution　which　I　have　already　had　the　pleasure　of　reading。
  SPEECH：　　MANCHESTER；　DECEMBER　3；　1858。
  ＇The　following　speech　was　delivered　at　the　annual　meeting　of　the
  Institutional　Association　of　Lancashire　and　Cheshire；　held　in　the
  Free…trade　Hall　on　the　evening　of　the　above　day；　at　which　Mr。
  Dickens　presided。＇
  IT　has　of　late　years　become　noticeable　in　England　that　the　autumn
  season　produces　an　immense　amount　of　public　speaking。　　I　notice
  that　no　sooner　do　the　leaves　begin　to　fall　from　the　trees；　than
  pearls　of　great　price　begin　to　fall　from　the　lips　of　the　wise　men
  of　the　east；　and　north；　and　west；　and　south；　and　anybody　may　have
  them　by　the　bushel；　for　the　picking　up。　　Now；　whether　the　comet　has
  this　year　had　a　quickening　influence　on　this　crop；　as　it　is　by　some
  supposed　to　have　had　upon　the　corn…harvest　and　the　vintage；　I　do
  not　know；　but　I　do　know　that　I　have　never　observed　the　columns　of
  the　newspapers　to　groan　so　heavily　under　a　pressure　of　orations；
  each　vying　with　the　other　in　the　two　qualities　of　having　little　or
  nothing　to　do　with　the　matter　in　hand；　and　of　being　always
  addressed　to　any　audience　in　the　wide　world　rather　than　the
  audience　to　which　it　was　delivered。
  The　autumn　having　gone；　and　the　winter　come；　I　am　so　sanguine　as　to
  hope　that　we　in　our　proceedings　may　break　through　this　enchanted
  circle　and　deviate　from　this　precedent；　the　rather　as　we　have
  something　real　to　do；　and　are　come　together；　I　am　sure；　in　all
  plain　fellowship　and　straightforwardness；　to　do　it。　　We　have　no
  little　straws　of　our　own　to　throw　up　to　show　us　which　way　any　wind
  blows；　and　we　have　no　oblique　biddings　of　our　own　to　make　for
  anything　outside　this　hall。
  At　the　top　of　the　public　announcement　of　this　meeting　are　the
  words；　〃Institutional　Association　of　Lancashire　and　Cheshire。〃
  Will　you　allow　me；　in　reference　to　the　meaning　of　those　words；　to
  present　myself　before　you　as　the　embodied　spirit　of　ignorance
  recently　enlightened；　and　to　put　myself　through　a　short；　voluntary
  examination　as　to　the　results　of　my　studies。　　To　begin　with：　　the
  title　did　not　suggest　to　me　anything　in　the　least　like　the　truth。
  I　have　been　for　some　years　pretty　familiar　with　the　terms；
  〃Mechanics'　Institutions；〃　and　〃Literary　Societies；〃　but　they　have；
  unfortunately；　become　too　often　associated　in　my　mind　with　a　body
  of　great　pretensions；　lame　as　to　some　important　member　or　other；
  which　generally　inhabits　a　new　house　much　too　large　for　it；　which
  is　seldom　paid　for；　and　which　takes　the　name　of　the　mechanics　most
  grievously　in　vain；　for　I　have　usually　seen　a　mechanic　and　a　dodo
  in　that　place　together。
  I；　therefore；　began　my　education；　in　respect　of　the　meaning　of　this
  title；　very　coldly　indeed；　saying　to　myself；　〃Here's　the　old
  story。〃　　But　the　perusal　of　a　very　few　lines　of　my　book　soon　gave
  me　to　understand　that　it　was　not　by　any　means　the　old　story；　in
  short；　that　this　association　is　expressly　designed　to　correct　the
  old　story；　and　to　prevent　its　defects　from　becoming　perpetuated。　　I
  learnt　that　this　Institutional　Association　is　the　union；　in　one
  central　head；　of　one　hundred　and　fourteen　local　Mechanics'
  Institutions　and　Mutual　Improvement　Societies；　at　an　expense　of　no
  more　than　five　shillings　to　each　society；　suggesting　to　all　how
  they　can　best　communicate　with　and　profit　by　the　fountain…head　and
  one　another；　keeping　their　best　aims　steadily　before　them；　advising
  them　how　those　aims　can　be　best　attained；　giving　a　direct　end　and
  object　to　what　might　otherwise　easily　become　waste　forces；　and
  sending　among　them　not　only　oral　teachers；　but；　better　still；　boxes
  of　excellent　books；　called　〃Free　Itinerating　Libraries。〃　　I　learned
  that　these　books　are　constantly　making　the　circuit　of　hundreds　upon
  hundreds　of　miles；　and　are　constantly　being　read　with　inexpressible
  relish　by　thousands　upon　thousands　of　toiling　people；　but　that　they
  are　never　damaged　or　defaced　by　one　rude　hand。　　These　and　other
  like　facts　lead　me　to　consider　the　immense　importance　of　the　fact；
  that　no　little　cluster　of　working　men's　cottages　can　arise　in　any
  Lancashire　or　Cheshire　valley；　at　the　foot　of　any　running　stream
  which　enterprise　hunts　out　for　water…power；　but　it　has　its
  educational　friend　and　companion　ready　for　it；　willing　for　it；
  acquainted　with　its　thoughts　and　ways　and　turns　of　speech　even
  before　it　has　come　into　existence。
  Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　this　is　the　main　consideration　that　has
  brought　me　here。　　No　central　association　at　a　distance　could
  possibly　do　for　those　working　men　what　this　local　association　does。
  No　central　association　at　a　distance　could　possibly　understand　them
  as　this　local　association　does。　　No　central　association　at　a
  distance