president　has　referred；　and　all　its　great　achievements　before　the
  world。　　And　if　I　know　anything　of　my　countrymen　…　and　they　give　me
  credit　for　knowing　something　…　if　I　know　anything　of　my　countrymen；
  gentlemen；　the　English　heart　is　stirred　by　the　fluttering　of　those
  Stars　and　Stripes；　as　it　is　stirred　by　no　other　flag　that　flies
  except　its　own。　　If　I　know　my　countrymen；　in　any　and　every　relation
  towards　America；　they　begin；　not　as　Sir　Anthony　Absolute
  recommended　that　lovers　should　begin；　with　〃a　little　aversion；〃　but
  with　a　great　liking　and　a　profound　respect；　and　whatever　the　little
  sensitiveness　of　the　moment；　or　the　little　official　passion；　or　the
  little　official　policy　now；　or　then；　or　here；　or　there；　may　be；
  take　my　word　for　it；　that　the　first　enduring；　great；　popular
  consideration　in　England　is　a　generous　construction　of　justice。
  Finally；　gentlemen；　and　I　say　this　subject　to　your　correction；　I　do
  believe　that　from　the　great　majority　of　honest　minds　on　both　sides；
  there　cannot　be　absent　the　conviction　that　it　would　be　better　for
  this　globe　to　be　riven　by　an　earthquake；　fired　by　a　comet；　overrun
  by　an　iceberg；　and　abandoned　to　the　Arctic　fox　and　bear；　than　that
  it　should　present　the　spectacle　of　these　two　great　nations；　each　of
  which　has；　in　its　own　way　and　hour；　striven　so　hard　and　so
  successfully　for　freedom；　ever　again　being　arrayed　the　one　against
  the　other。　　Gentlemen；　I　cannot　thank　your　president　enough　or　you
  enough　for　your　kind　reception　of　my　health；　and　of　my　poor
  remarks；　but；　believe　me；　I　do　thank　you　with　the　utmost　fervour　of
  which　my　soul　is　capable。
  SPEECH：　　NEW　YORK；　APRIL　20；　1868。
  ＇Mr。　Dickens's　last　Reading　in　the　United　States　was　given　at　the
  Steinway　Hall　on　the　above　date。　　The　task　finished　he　was　about　to
  retire；　but　a　tremendous　burst　of　applause　stopped　him。　　He　came
  forward　and　spoke　thus：…＇
  LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　The　shadow　of　one　word　has　impended　over　me
  this　evening；　and　the　time　has　come　at　length　when　the　shadow　must
  fall。　　It　is　but　a　very　short　one；　but　the　weight　of　such　things　is
  not　measured　by　their　length；　and　two　much　shorter　words　express
  the　round　of　our　human　existence。　　When　I　was　reading　〃David
  Copperfield〃　a　few　evenings　since；　I　felt　there　was　more　than　usual
  significance　in　the　words　of　Peggotty；　〃My　future　life　lies　over
  the　sea。〃　　And　when　I　closed　this　book　just　now；　I　felt　most　keenly
  that　I　was　shortly　to　establish　such　an　ALIBI　as　would　have
  satisfied　even　the　elder　Mr。　Weller。　　The　relations　which　have　been
  set　up　between　us；　while　they　have　involved　for　me　something　more
  than　mere　devotion　to　a　task；　have　been　by　you　sustained　with　the
  readiest　sympathy　and　the　kindest　acknowledgment。
  Those　relations　must　now　be　broken　for　ever。　　Be　assured；　however；
  that　you　will　not　pass　from　my　mind。　　I　shall　often　realise　you　as
  I　see　you　now；　equally　by　my　winter　fire　and　in　the　green　English
  summer　weather。　　I　shall　never　recall　you　as　a　mere　public
  audience；　but　rather　as　a　host　of　personal　friends；　and　ever　with
  the　greatest　gratitude；　tenderness；　and　consideration。　　Ladies　and
  gentlemen；　I　beg　to　bid　you　farewell。　　God　bless　you；　and　God　bless
  the　land　in　which　I　leave　you。
  SPEECH：　　LIVERPOOL；　APRIL　10；　1869。
  ＇The　following　speech　was　delivered　by　Mr。　Dickens　at　a　Banquet
  held　in　his　honour　at　St。　George's　Hall；　Liverpool；　after　his
  health　had　been　proposed　by　Lord　Dufferin。＇
  MR。　MAYOR；　LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　although　I　have　been　so　well
  accustomed　of　late　to　the　sound　of　my　own　voice　in　this
  neighbourhood　as　to　hear　it　with　perfect　composure；　the　occasion
  is；　believe　me；　very；　very　different　in　respect　of　those
  overwhelming　voices　of　yours。　　As　Professor　Wilson　once　confided　to
  me　in　Edinburgh　that　I　had　not　the　least　idea；　from　hearing　him　in
  public；　what　a　magnificent　speaker　he　found　himself　to　be　when　he
  was　quite　alone　…　so　you　can　form　no　conception；　from　the　specimen
  before　you；　of　the　eloquence　with　which　I　shall　thank　you　again　and
  again　in　some　of　the　innermost　moments　of　my　future　life。　　Often
  and　often；　then；　God　willing；　my　memory　will　recall　this　brilliant
  scene；　and　will　re…illuminate　this　banquet…hall。　　I；　faithful　to
  this　place　in　its　present　aspect；　will　observe　it　exactly　as　it
  stands　…　not　one　man's　seat　empty；　not　one　woman's　fair　face
  absent；　while　life　and　memory　abide　by　me。
  Mr。　Mayor；　Lord　Dufferin　in　his　speech　so　affecting　to　me；　so
  eloquently　uttered；　and　so　rapturously　received；　made　a　graceful
  and　gracious　allusion　to　the　immediate　occasion　of　my　present　visit
  to　your　noble　city。　　It　is　no　homage　to　Liverpool；　based　upon　a
  moment's　untrustworthy　enthusiasm；　but　it　is　the　solid　fact　built
  upon　the　rock　of　experience　that　when　I　first　made　up　my　mind；
  after　considerable　deliberation；　systematically　to　meet　my　readers
  in　large　numbers；　face　to　face；　and　to　try　to　express　myself　to
  them　through　the　breath　of　life；　Liverpool　stood　foremost　among　the
  great　places　out　of　London　to　which　I　looked　with　eager　confidence
  and　pleasure。　　And　why　was　this？　　Not　merely　because　of　the
  reputation　of　its　citizens　for　generous　estimation　of　the　arts；　not
  merely　because　I　had　unworthily　filled　the　chair　of　its　great　self…
  educational　institution　long　ago；　not　merely　because　the　place　had
  been　a　home　to　me　since　the　well…remembered　day　when　its　blessed
  roofs　and　steeples　dipped　into　the　Mersey　behind　me　on　the　occasion
  of　my　first　sailing　away　to　see　my　generous　friends　across　the
  Atlantic　twenty…seven　years　ago。　　Not　for　one　of　those
  considerations；　but　because　it　had　been　my　happiness　to　have　a
  public　opportunity　of　testing　the　spirit　of　its　people。　　I　had
  asked　Liverpool　for　help　towards　the　worthy　preservation　of
  Shakespeare's　house。　　On　another　occasion　I　had　ventured　to　address
  Liverpool　in　the　names　of　Leigh　Hunt　and　Sheridan　Knowles。　　On
  still　another　occasion　I　had　addressed　it　in　the　cause　of　the
  brotherhood　and　sisterhood　of　letters　and　the　kindred　arts；　and　on
  each　and　all　the　response　had　been　unsurpassably　spontaneous；　open…
  handed；　and　munificent。
  Mr。　Mayor；　and　ladies　and　gentlemen；　if　I　may　venture　to　take　a
  small　illustration　of　my　present　position　from　my　own　peculiar
  craft；　I　would　say　that　there　is　this　objection　in　writing　fiction
  to　giving　a　story　an　autobiographical　form；　that　through　whatever
  dangers　the　narrator　may　pass；　it　is　clear　unfortunately　to　the
  reader　beforehand　that　he　must　have　come　through　them　somehow　else
  he　could　not　have　lived　to　tell　the　tale。　　Now；　in　speaking　fact；
  when　the　fact　is　associated　with　such　honours　as　those　with　which
  you　have　enriched　me；　there　is　this　singular　difficulty　in　the　way
  of　returning　thanks；　that　the　speaker　must　infallibly　come　back　to
  himself　through　whatever　oratorical　disasters　he　may　languish　on
  the　road。　　Let　me；　then；　take　the　plainer　and　simpler　middle　course
  of　dividing　my　subject　equally　between　myself　and　you。　　Let　me
  assure　you　that　whatever　you　have　accepted　with　pleasure；　either　by
  word　of　pen　or　by　word　of　mouth；　from　me；　you　have　greatly　improved
  in　the　acceptance。　　As　the　gold　is　said　to　be　doubly　and　trebly
  refined　which　has　seven　times　passed　the　furnace；　so　a　fancy　may　be
  said　to　become　more　and　more　refined　each　time　it　passes　through
  the　human　heart。　　You　have；　and　you　know　you　have；　brought　to　the
  consideration　of　me　that　quality　in　yourselves　without　which　I
  should　but　have　beaten　the　air。　　Your　earnestness　has　stimulated
  mine；　your　laughter　has　made　me　laugh；　and　your　tears　have
  overflowed　my　eyes。　　All　that　I　can　claim　for　myself　in
  establishing　the　relations　which　exist　between　us　is　constant
  fidelity　to　hard　work。　　My　literary　fellows　about　me；　of　whom　I　am
  so　proud　to　see　so　many；　know　very　well　how　true　it　is　in　all　art
  that　what　seems　the　easiest　done　is　oftentimes　the　most　difficult
  to　do；　and　that　the　smallest　truth　may　come　of　the　greatest　pains　…
  much；　as　it　occurred　to　me　at　Manchester　the　other　day；　as　the
  sensitive　touch　of　Mr。　Whitworth's　measuring　machine；　comes　at
  last；　of　Heaven　and　Manchester　and　its　mayor　only　know　how　much
  hammering　…　my　companions…in…arms　know　thoroughly　well；　and　I　think
  it　only　right　the　public　should　know　too；　that　in　our　careful　toil
  and　trouble；　and　in　our　steady　striving　for　excellence　…　not　in　any
  little　gifts；　misused　by　fits　and　starts　…　lies　our　highest　duty　at
  once　to　our　calling；　to　one　another；　to　ourselves；　and　to　you。
  Ladies　and　gentlemen；　before　sitting　down　I　find　that　I　have　to
  clear　myself　of　two　very　unexpected　accusations。　　The　first　is　a
  most　singular　charge　preferred　against　me　by　my　old　friend　Lord
  Houghton；　that　I　have　been　somewhat　unconscious　of　the　merits　of
  the　House　of　Lords。　　Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　seeing　that　I　have
  had　some　few　not　altogether　obscure　or　unknown　personal　friends　in
  that　assembly；　seeing　that　I　had　som