I was really tired to death before my own turn came, sitting all that
time, as it were, on the scaffold, with the rope round my neck. At last
Monckton Milnes was called up and made a speech, of which, to my dismay,
I could hardly hear a single word, owing to his being at a considerable
distance, on the other side of the chairman, and flinging his voice,
which is a bass one, across the hall, instead of adown it, in my
direction. I could not distinguish one word of any allusions to my
works, nor even when he came to the toast, did I hear the terms in which
he put it, nor whether I was toasted on my own basis, or as representing
American literature, or as Consul of the United States. At all events,
there was a vast deal of clamor; and uprose peers and bishop, general,
mayor, knights and gentlemen, everybody in the hall greeting me with all
the honors. I had uprisen, too, to commence my speech; but had to sit
down again till matters grew more quiet, and then I got up, and proceeded
to deliver myself with as much composure as I ever felt at my own
fireside. It is very strange, this self-possession and clear-sightedness
which I have experienced when standing before an audience, showing me my
way through all the difficulties resulting from my not having heard
Monckton Milnes's speech; and on since reading the latter, I do not see
how I could have answered it better. My speech certainly was better
cheered than any other; especially one passage, where I made a colossus
of Mr.
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