this　is　what　I　solicit　from　you；　but　I　will　not　so　far　wrong　those
  who　are　struggling　manfully　for　their　own　independence　as　to
  pretend　to　entreat　from　you　an　act　of　charity。
  I　have　used　the　word　gratitude；　and　let　any　man　ask　his　own　heart；
  and　confess　if　he　have　not　some　grateful　acknowledgments　for　the
  actor's　art？　　Not　peculiarly　because　it　is　a　profession　often
  pursued；　and　as　it　were　marked；　by　poverty　and　misfortune　…　for
  other　callings；　God　knows；　have　their　distresses　…　nor　because　the
  actor　has　sometimes　to　come　from　scenes　of　sickness；　of　suffering；
  ay；　even　of　death　itself；　to　play　his　part　before　us　…　for　all　of
  us；　in　our　spheres；　have　as　often　to　do　violence　to　our　feelings
  and　to　hide　our　hearts　in　fighting　this　great　battle　of　life；　and
  in　discharging　our　duties　and　responsibilities。　　But　the　art　of　the
  actor　excites　reflections；　sombre　or　grotesque；　awful　or　humorous；
  which　we　are　all　familiar　with。　　If　any　man　were　to　tell　me　that　he
  denied　his　acknowledgments　to　the　stage；　I　would　simply　put　to　him
  one　question　…　whether　he　remembered　his　first　play？
  If　you；　gentlemen；　will　but　carry　back　your　recollection　to　that
  great　night；　and　call　to　mind　the　bright　and　harmless　world　which
  then　opened　to　your　view；　we　shall；　I　think；　hear　favourably　of　the
  effect　upon　your　liberality　on　this　occasion　from　our　Secretary。
  This　is　the　sixth　year　of　meetings　of　this　kind　…　the　sixth　time　we
  have　had　this　fine　child　down　after　dinner。　　His　nurse；　a　very
  worthy　person　of　the　name　of　Buckstone；　who　has　an　excellent
  character　from　several　places；　will　presently　report　to　you　that
  his　chest　is　perfectly　sound；　and　that　his　general　health　is　in　the
  most　thriving　condition。　　Long　may　it　be　so；　long　may　it　thrive　and
  grow；　long　may　we　meet　（it　is　my　sincere　wish）　to　exchange　our
  congratulations　on　its　prosperity；　and　longer　than　the　line　of
  Banquo　may　be　that　line　of　figures　which；　as　its　patriotic　share　in
  the　national　debt；　a　century　hence　shall　be　stated　by　the　Governor
  and　Company　of　the　Bank　of　England。
  SPEECH：　　THE　ROYAL　LITERARY　FUND。　　LONDON；　MARCH　12；　1856。
  ＇The　Corporation　of　the　Royal　Literary　Fund　was　established　in
  1790；　its　object　being　to　administer　assistance　to　authors　of
  genius　and　learning；　who　may　be　reduced　to　distress　by　unavoidable
  calamities；　or　deprived；　by　enfeebled　faculties　or　declining　life；
  of　the　power　of　literary　exertion。　　At　the　annual　general　meeting
  held　at　the　house　of　the　society　on　the　above　date；　the　following
  speech　was　made　by　Mr。　Charles　Dickens：＇
  SIR；　…　I　shall　not　attempt　to　follow　my　friend　Mr。　Bell；　who；　in
  the　profession　of　literature；　represents　upon　this　committee　a
  separate　and　distinct　branch　of　the　profession；　that；　like
  〃The　last　rose　of　summer
  Stands　blooming　alone；
  While　all　its　companions
  Are　faded　and　gone；〃
  into　the　very　prickly　bramble…bush　with　which　he　has　ingeniously
  contrived　to　beset　this　question。　　In　the　remarks　I　have　to　make　I
  shall　confine　myself　to　four　points：　　…　1。　　That　the　committee　find
  themselves　in　the　painful　condition　of　not　spending　enough　money；
  and　will　presently　apply　themselves　to　the　great　reform　of　spending
  more。　　2。　　That　with　regard　to　the　house；　it　is　a　positive　matter
  of　history；　that　the　house　for　which　Mr。　Williams　was　so　anxious
  was　to　be　applied　to　uses　to　which　it　never　has　been　applied；　and
  which　the　administrators　of　the　fund　decline　to　recognise。　　3。
  That；　in　Mr。　Bell's　endeavours　to　remove　the　Artists'　Fund　from　the
  ground　of　analogy　it　unquestionably　occupies　with　reference　to　this
  fund；　by　reason　of　their　continuing　periodical　relief　to　the　same
  persons；　I　beg　to　tell　Mr。　Bell　what　every　gentleman　at　that　table
  knows　…　that　it　is　the　business　of　this　fund　to　relieve　over　and
  over　again　the　same　people。
  MR。　BELL：　　But　fresh　inquiry　is　always　made　first。
  MR。　C。　DICKENS：　　I　can　only　oppose　to　that　statement　my　own
  experience　when　I　sat　on　that　committee；　and　when　I　have　known
  persons　relieved　on　many　consecutive　occasions　without　further
  inquiry　being　made。　　As　to　the　suggestion　that　we　should　select　the
  items　of　expenditure　that　we　complain　of；　I　think　it　is　according
  to　all　experience　that　we　should　first　affirm　the　principle　that
  the　expenditure　is　too　large。　　If　that　be　done　by　the　meeting；　then
  I　will　proceed　to　the　selection　of　the　separate　items。　　Now；　in
  rising　to　support　this　resolution；　I　may　state　at　once　that　I　have
  scarcely　any　expectation　of　its　being　carried；　and　I　am　happy　to
  think　it　will　not。　　Indeed；　I　consider　it　the　strongest　point　of
  the　resolution's　case　that　it　should　not　be　carried；　because　it
  will　show　the　determination　of　the　fund's　managers。　　Nothing　can
  possibly　be　stronger　in　favour　of　the　resolution　than　that　the
  statement　should　go　forth　to　the　world　that　twice　within　twelve
  months　the　attention　of　the　committee　has　been　called　to　this　great
  expenditure；　and　twice　the　committee　have　considered　that　it　was
  not　unreasonable。　　I　cannot　conceive　a　stronger　case　for　the
  resolution　than　this　statement　of　fact　as　to　the　expenditure　going
  forth　to　the　public　accompanied　by　the　committee's　assertion　that
  it　is　reasonable。　　Now；　to　separate　this　question　from　details；　let
  us　remember　what　the　committee　and　their　supporters　asserted　last
  year；　and；　I　hope；　will　re…assert　this　year。　　It　seems　to　be　rather
  the　model　kind　of　thing　than　otherwise　now　that　if　you　get　100
  pounds　you　are　to　spend　40　pounds　in　management；　and　if　you　get
  1000　pounds；　of　course　you　may　spend　400　pounds　in　giving　the　rest
  away。　　Now；　in　case　there　should　be　any　ill…conditioned　people　here
  who　may　ask　what　occasion　there　can　be　for　all　this　expenditure；　I
  will　give　you　my　experience。　　I　went　last　year　to　a　highly
  respectable　place　of　resort；　Willis's　Rooms；　in　St。　James's；　to　a
  meeting　of　this　fund。　　My　original　intention　was　to　hear　all　I
  could；　and　say　as　little　as　possible。　　Allowing　for　the　absence　of
  the　younger　and　fairer　portion　of　the　creation；　the　general
  appearance　of　the　place　was　something　like　Almack's　in　the　morning。
  A　number　of　stately　old　dowagers　sat　in　a　row　on　one　side；　and　old
  gentlemen　on　the　other。　　The　ball　was　opened　with　due　solemnity　by
  a　real　marquis；　who　walked　a　minuet　with　the　secretary；　at　which
  the　audience　were　much　affected。　　Then　another　party　advanced；　who；
  I　am　sorry　to　say；　was　only　a　member　of　the　House　of　Commons；　and
  he　took　possession　of　the　floor。　　To　him；　however；　succeeded　a
  lord；　then　a　bishop；　then　the　son　of　a　distinguished　lord；　then　one
  or　two　celebrities　from　the　City　and　Stock　Exchange；　and　at　last　a
  gentleman；　who　made　a　fortune　by　the　success　of　〃Candide；〃
  sustained　the　part　of　Pangloss；　and　spoke　much　of　what　he　evidently
  believed　to　be　the　very　best　management　of　this　best　of　all
  possible　funds。　　Now　it　is　in　this　fondness　for　being　stupendously
  genteel；　and　keeping　up　fine　appearances　…　this　vulgar　and　common
  social　vice　of　hanging　on　to　great　connexions　at　any　price；　that
  the　money　goes。　　The　last　time　you　got　a　distinguished　writer　at　a
  public　meeting；　and　he　was　called　on　to　address　you　somewhere
  amongst　the　small　hours；　he　told　you　he　felt　like　the　man　in　plush
  who　was　permitted　to　sweep　the　stage　down　after　all　the　other
  people　had　gone。　　If　the　founder　of　this　society　were　here；　I
  should　think　he　would　feel　like　a　sort　of　Rip　van　Winkle　reversed；
  who　had　gone　to　sleep　backwards　for　a　hundred　years　and　woke　up　to
  find　his　fund　still　lying　under　the　feet　of　people　who　did　nothing
  for　it　instead　of　being　emancipated　and　standing　alone　long　ago。
  This　Bloomsbury　house　is　another　part　of　the　same　desire　for　show；
  and　the　officer　who　inhabits　it。　　（I　mean；　of　course；　in　his
  official　capacity；　for；　as　an　individual；　I　much　respect　him。）
  When　one　enters　the　house　it　appears　to　be　haunted　by　a　series　of
  mysterious…looking　ghosts；　who　glide　about　engaged　in　some
  extraordinary　occupation；　and；　after　the　approved　fashion　of
  ghosts；　but　seldom　condescend　to　disclose　their　business。　　What　are
  all　these　meetings　and　inquiries　wanted　for？　　As　for　the　authors；　I
  say；　as　a　writer　by　profession；　that　the　long　inquiry　said　to　be
  necessary　to　ascertain　whether　an　applicant　deserves　relief；　is　a
  preposterous　pretence；　and　that　working　literary　men　would　have　a
  far　better　knowledge　of　the　cases　coming　before　the　board　than　can
  ever　be　attained　by　that　committee。　　Further；　I　say　openly　and
  plainly；　that　this　fund　is　pompously　and　unnaturally　administered
  at　great　expense；　instead　of　being　quietly　administered　at　small
  expense；　and　that　the　secrecy　to　which　it　lays　claim　as　its
  greatest　attribute；　is　not　kept；　for　through　those　〃two　respectable
  householders；〃　to　whom　reference　must　be　made；　the　names　of　the
  most　deserving　applicants　are　to　numbers　of　people　perfectly　well
  known。　　The　members　have　now　got　before　them　a　plain　statement　of
  fa