new　illustration　of　the　uncertainty　of　life；　some　illustration　of
  its　vicissitudes　and　fluctuations。　　Mindful　of　this　permanent
  lesson；　some　members　of　the　trade　originated　this　society；　which
  affords　them　assistance　in　time　of　sickness　and　indigence。　　The
  subscription　is　infinitesimal。　　It　amounts　annually　to　five
  shillings。　　Looking　at　the　returns　before　me；　the　progress　of　the
  society　would　seem　to　be　slow；　but　it　has　only　been　slow　for　the
  best　of　all　reasons；　that　it　has　been　sure。　　The　pensions　granted
  are　all　obtained　from　the　interest　on　the　funded　capital；　and；
  therefore；　the　Institution　is　literally　as　safe　as　the　Bank。　　It　is
  stated　that　there　are　several　newsvendors　who　are　not　members　of
  this　society；　but　that　is　true　in　all　institutions　which　have　come
  under　my　experience。　　The　persons　who　are　most　likely　to　stand　in
  need　of　the　benefits　which　an　institution　confers；　are　usually　the
  persons　to　keep　away　until　bitter　experience　comes　to　them　too
  late。
  SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　11；　1864。
  ＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　presided　at　the　Adelphi　Theatre；　at
  a　public　meeting；　for　the　purpose　of　founding　the　Shakespeare
  Schools；　in　connexion　with　the　Royal　Dramatic　College；　and
  delivered　the　following　address：＇
  LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN　…　Fortunately　for　me；　and　fortunately　for　you；
  it　is　the　duty　of　the　Chairman　on　an　occasion　of　this　nature；　to　be
  very　careful　that　he　does　not　anticipate　those　speakers　who　come
  after　him。　　Like　Falstaff；　with　a　considerable　difference；　he　has
  to　be　the　cause　of　speaking　in　others。　　It　is　rather　his　duty　to
  sit　and　hear　speeches　with　exemplary　attention　than　to　stand　up　to
  make　them；　so　I　shall　confine　myself；　in　opening　these　proceedings
  as　your　business　official；　to　as　plain　and　as　short　an　exposition
  as　I　can　possibly　give　you　of　the　reasons　why　we　come　together。
  First　of　all　I　will　take　leave　to　remark　that　we　do　not　come
  together　in　commemoration　of　Shakespeare。　　We　have　nothing　to　do
  with　any　commemoration；　except　that　we　are　of　course　humble
  worshippers　of　that　mighty　genius；　and　that　we　propose　by…and…by　to
  take　his　name；　but　by　no　means　to　take　it　in　vain。　　If；　however；
  the　Tercentenary　celebration　were　a　hundred　years　hence；　or　a
  hundred　years　past；　we　should　still　be　pursuing　precisely　the　same
  object；　though　we　should　not　pursue　it　under　precisely　the　same
  circumstances。　　The　facts　are　these：　　There　is；　as　you　know；　in
  existence　an　admirable　institution　called　the　Royal　Dramatic
  College；　which　is　a　place　of　honourable　rest　and　repose　for
  veterans　in　the　dramatic　art。　　The　charter　of　this　college；　which
  dates　some　five　or　six　years　back；　expressly　provides　for　the
  establishment　of　schools　in　connexion　with　it；　and　I　may　venture　to
  add　that　this　feature　of　the　scheme；　when　it　was　explained　to　him；
  was　specially　interesting　to　his　Royal　Highness　the　late　Prince
  Consort；　who　hailed　it　as　evidence　of　the　desire　of　the　promoters
  to　look　forward　as　well　as　to　look　back；　to　found　educational
  institutions　for　the　rising　generation；　as　well　as　to　establish　a
  harbour　of　refuge　for　the　generation　going　out；　or　at　least　having
  their　faces　turned　towards　the　setting　sun。　　The　leading　members　of
  the　dramatic　art；　applying　themselves　first　to　the　more　pressing
  necessity　of　the　two；　set　themselves　to　work　on　the　construction　of
  their　harbour　of　refuge；　and　this　they　did　with　the　zeal；　energy；
  good…will；　and　good　faith　that　always　honourably　distinguish　them
  in　their　efforts　to　help　one　another。　　Those　efforts　were　very
  powerfully　aided　by　the　respected　gentleman　under　whose　roof　we　are
  assembled；　and　who；　I　hope；　may　be　only　half　as　glad　of　seeing　me
  on　these　boards　as　I　always　am　to　see　him　here。　　With　such　energy
  and　determination　did　Mr。　Webster　and　his　brothers　and　sisters　in
  art　proceed　with　their　work；　that　at　this　present　time　all　the
  dwelling…houses　of　the　Royal　Dramatic　College　are　built；　completely
  furnished；　fitted　with　every　appliance；　and　many　of　them　inhabited。
  The　central　hall　of　the　College　is　built；　the　grounds　are
  beautifully　planned　and　laid　out；　and　the　estate　has　become　the
  nucleus　of　a　prosperous　neighbourhood。　　This　much　achieved；　Mr。
  Webster　was　revolving　in　his　mind　how　he　should　next　proceed
  towards　the　establishment　of　the　schools；　when；　this　Tercentenary
  celebration　being　in　hand；　it　occurred　to　him　to　represent　to　the
  National　Shakespeare　Committee　their　just　and　reasonable　claim　to
  participate　in　the　results　of　any　subscription　for　a　monument　to
  Shakespeare。　　He　represented　to　the　committee　that　the　social
  recognition　and　elevation　of　the　followers　of　Shakespeare's　own
  art；　through　the　education　of　their　children；　was　surely　a　monument
  worthy　even　of　that　great　name。　　He　urged　upon　the　committee　that
  it　was　certainly　a　sensible；　tangible　project；　which　the　public
  good　sense　would　immediately　appreciate　and　approve。　　This　claim
  the　committee　at　once　acknowledged；　but　I　wish　you　distinctly　to
  understand　that　if　the　committee　had　never　been　in　existence；　if
  the　Tercentenary　celebration　had　never　been　attempted；　those
  schools；　as　a　design　anterior　to　both；　would　still　have　solicited
  public　support。
  Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　what　it　is　proposed　to　do　is；　in　fact；
  to　find　a　new　self…supporting　public　school；　with　this　additional
  feature；　that　it　is　to　be　available　for　both　sexes。　　This；　of
  course；　presupposes　two　separate　distinct　schools。　　As　these
  schools　are　to　be　built　on　land　belonging　to　the　Dramatic　College；
  there　will　be　from　the　first　no　charge；　no　debt；　no　incumbrance　of
  any　kind　under　that　important　head。　　It　is；　in　short；　proposed
  simply　to　establish　a　new　self…supporting　public　school；　in　a
  rapidly　increasing　neighbourhood；　where　there　is　a　large　and　fast
  accumulating　middle…class　population；　and　where　property　in　land　is
  fast　rising　in　value。　　But；　inasmuch　as　the　project　is　a　project　of
  the　Royal　Dramatic　College；　and　inasmuch　as　the　schools　are　to　be
  built　on　their　estate；　it　is　proposed　evermore　to　give　their
  schools　the　great　name　of　Shakespeare；　and　evermore　to　give　the
  followers　of　Shakespeare's　art　a　prominent　place　in　them。　　With
  this　view；　it　is　confidently　believed　that　the　public　will　endow　a
  foundation；　say；　for　forty　foundation　scholars　…　say；　twenty　girls
  and　twenty　boys　…　who　shall　always　receive　their　education
  gratuitously；　and　who　shall　always　be　the　children　of　actors；
  actresses；　or　dramatic　writers。　　This　school；　you　will　understand；
  is　to　be　equal　to　the　best　existing　public　school。　　It　is　to　be
  made　to　impart　a　sound；　liberal；　comprehensive　education；　and　it　is
  to　address　the　whole　great　middle　class　at　least　as　freely；　as
  widely；　and　as　cheaply　as　any　existing　public　school。
  Broadly；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　this　is　the　whole　design。　　There　are
  foundation　scholars　at　Eton；　foundation　scholars　at　nearly　all　our
  old　schools；　and　if　the　public；　in　remembrance　of　a　noble　part　of
  our　standard　national　literature；　and　in　remembrance　of　a　great
  humanising　art；　will　do　this　thing　for　these　children；　it　will　at
  the　same　time　be　doing　a　wise　and　good　thing　for　itself；　and　will
  unquestionably　find　its　account　in　it。　　Taking　this　view　of　the
  case　…　and　I　cannot　be　satisfied　to　take　any　lower　one　…　I　cannot
  make　a　sorry　face　about　〃the　poor　player。〃　　I　think　it　is　a　term
  very　much　misused　and　very　little　understood　…　being；　I　venture　to
  say；　appropriated　in　a　wrong　sense　by　players　themselves。
  Therefore；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　can　only　present　the　player　to
  you　exceptionally　in　this　wise　…　that　he　follows　a　peculiar　and
  precarious　vocation；　a　vocation　very　rarely　affording　the　means　of
  accumulating　money　…　that　that　vocation　must；　from　the　nature　of
  things；　have　in　it　many　undistinguished　men　and　women　to　one
  distinguished　one　…　that　it　is　not　a　vocation　the　exerciser　of
  which　can　profit　by　the　labours　of　others；　but　in　which　he　must
  earn　every　loaf　of　his　bread　in　his　own　person；　with　the　aid　of　his
  own　face；　his　own　limbs；　his　own　voice；　his　own　memory；　and　his　own
  life　and　spirits；　and　these　failing；　he　fails。　　Surely　this　is
  reason　enough　to　render　him　some　little　help　in　opening　for　his
  children　their　paths　through　life。　　I　say　their　paths　advisedly；
  because　it　is　not　often　found；　except　under　the　pressure　of
  necessity；　or　where　there　is　strong　hereditary　talent　…　which　is
  always　an　exceptional　case　…　that　the　children　of　actors　and
  actresses　take　to　the　stage。　　Persons　therefore　need　not　in　the
  least　fear　that　by　helping　to　endow　these　schools　they　would　help
  to　overstock　the　dramatic　market。　　They　would　do　directly　the
  reverse；　for　they　would　divert　into　channels　of　public　distinction
  and　usefulness　those　good　qualities　which　would　otherwise　languish
  in　that　market's　over…rich　superabundance。
  This　project　has　received　the　support　of　the　head　of　the　most
  popular　of　our　English　public　schools。　　On　the　commit