Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-10-15
MIR. Dickens on Education

The vii Ter session of the Midland
Institute was iraugurated in the Tow
Hall, Birmingham, England. on the 9th
ultimo. Mr.. Charles Dickens, as Presi-
dent of the Institute, delivered the
opening address, which he concluded as
follows:
To the students OF your industrial
classes generally l have had it in my
mind, first, to commend the short motto,
in two words, "Courage-Persevre.
Cheers. This is the motto Of q friend
and worker. Not because the eyes of
Europe are upon them, for | don't in
the least believe it laughter nor be-
cause the eyes of even England are upon
them, for don't in the least believe it
nor because their doings will be pro
claimed with blast of trumpet at street
corners, for no such musical perfore
mances will take place. laughterl-
not because self. improvement is 1t all
certain to lead to worldly success, but
simply because it is good and right of
Itself hear, hear and because, being
SO. it does assuredly bring with it its
own resources and its own rewards. |
would further commend to them very
wise and witty piece of aGvce on the
conduct of the understanding which
was given moro than a half a century
ago by the Rev. Sydney Smith-wisest
and wittiest of the friends l have lost
He says~-ard he is speaking, you will
please understand, as | speak, to a
school of volunteer students-he says,
"there ID a piece of foppery which is to
be cautiously guarded against, the fop~
perry Of universally, of knowing all
sciences, and exceling in all arts -chefn-
istry, mathematics, algebra, dancing,
history, reasoning, riding, fencing, Low
Dutch. High Dutch, and atural philo-
sophy. Laughter. In short, the mod
ern precept of education very often is,
take the Admirable Crichton for your
model; would have you ignorant of
nothing "Now," says he, "my advice
on the contrary, is to have the courage
to be ignorant Of great number of
things, in order that.you may avoid the
calamity Of being ignorant of evoIy-
thing" Laughter and cheers.
70 this / would superadd a little
truth, which holds equally good of my
own life and life of every eminent man
| have ever known. The one servicea-
BILE, safe, certain, remunerative, attaina-
BILE quality in every study and in every
pursuit is the quality Of attention. Ny
own invention or imagination, such as
it is, can most truthtully assure you,
would never have served me as it has
but for the habit of Commonplace,
humble, patient, daily toiling, drudg-
ing attention, genius, viyacity, quick
ness of penetration, brilliancy in asso-
citation of ideas-such mental qualities,
like the qualities of the apparltion of
the externally AIMED head in Mac
beth" will not be commanded; but at
tention, after due term of submissive
service, always will. Like certain
plants which the poorest peasant may
grew in the poorest soil, it can be Gull
tivated by any enc, and it is certain in
its own good season to bring forth flow
ers and fruit. l can most truthfully
assure you, by the by, that this eulog-
Jun on attention is so far quite disin-
terested on my part as that it has not
the least reference whatever to the at
tention with which you have honored
me. [Laughter.l Well, ladies and
gentlemen. / have done. [ cannot out
reflect how often you have probably
heard within these walls one of the
foremost men, and certainly one Of the
very best speakers, if not the very best
in England. [Cheers.l I could not
say to myself when I began just now,
in Shakespeare's line
ri will be bright and shiniog gold"
but / could say to myself, and | did to
myself, 81 will be as natural and IS
easy as l possibly can" because my
heart has all been in my subject, and |
bear an old love towards Birmingham
- rhear, hear and Birmingham men.
[Cneera.1 have said that | bear an
old love towards Birmingham and Bir-
mingham men; let me amend a small
omission, and add "and Birmingham
women" Cheers and laughter. This
ring wear on my finger now is an old
Birmingham gift--[hearl and if BY
rubbing it could raise the spirit that
was obedient to Aladdin's ring, | hear
tily assure you that my first instruc-
tion to that genius on the spot should
be to place himself at Birmingham's
disposal in the best of causes. Loud
applause. ]