The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-21

r. b. mncnutay ana Thomas Cafsytrs
Maeaulsy g sense Of bcautyis keen, but |
cot deep; his enthusiasm has no central fre; |
his convictions want depth, and, as con-
sequence, his eloquerIce, with all its aPPa-
rent earnestness, wants force. The surface
Of his mind is large and active; but lis re-
gions below remain untroubled. The con-
sequence is. that he has no influence on bis
age. He hatters the Incidence OF his rea'
ders; he does not stimulate their minds
He delights; he does not aspire. In read
ing him. we do not feel that his soul is
speaking from its depth to the depth OF ours.
Compare him with Carlyle. Two more
opposite men cannot he named in the same
breath. Macaulay, c lear. definite, elegant,
methodical; crowding his pages with anti
thesis and illustrations; more solicitous about
the fall Of a period than about the accuracy
Of his assertion; grouping details into PIC
ture; fond of paradox, yet never probing be-
meath the surface; expert in polemics, yet
seldom fighting for great truths; captivating
by the grace, and dazzling by the gorgeous
ness. of his dction, and leaving upon the
readers mind no more durable impression
than that which splendid spectacle leaves
upon the mind OF theatrical audience
Carlyle,-rugged, mystical, abrupt, imnae-
thodical, unmusical, vehement, sc0rnful,
sarcastic, sardonic, and humorous; rich also
in pictures; inordinately fond OF paradox,
but profoundly serious; striving at all times
to see into the depths OF things disdainful
OF ordinary rules Of composition, disdainful
of all elegancies, graces, and shams OF life
and OF literature; forever appealing to the
soul of man, and bidding him remember
that he is in the presence Of the Infinite;
sternly recalling those awful facts OF life
which fiivolity endeavors to gloss over;
fercely preaching the imperative nature oil
duty and Of earnestness; speaking in proph-
ct tones to a needless generation; mingling
the quaintest imagery and widest buffoone-
ry with the saddest pathos and the drsarissi
gloom; sceptic, yet prophet; amidst al
ternaie laughter and alternate tears, alter
nate exhor!ation and alternate contempt; he
does not dazzle, he provokes, he does not
captivate, he inspires and the impression
he leaves upon the mind is various and abb
ding. as that left by tragedy Of Shakespeare.
As specimens Of literature, in the limited
sense Of the word, Macaulay's writings are
immeasurably superior; but If literature be
something more than the amusement OF cul
tivated intellects, something more than an
intellectual luxury, fer the dissipation q
leisure hours, Carlyl,'s superiority is un.
mistakable. Macaulay has delighted thou
sands. This is no slight thing, and We
should be the last to undervalue it. But he
has materially beltered no one. He ha.
deepened no mans convictions, he has Civ
en- fresh strength to no human soul. His in
huence on his generation has been null.-
Carlyle, though scorne1 by many for his or
fences against literary taste, and though
dreaded by Others for his reckless treatment
Of great questions, has nevertheless, produ
ced visible influence on the minds Of hi,
contemporaries; he has given direction Il
their thoughts, and has suggested so much
thought that he is rightfully regarded as a
teacher. This fact there is no gainsaying
; Think what we may OF the influence, be il
evil or be il good, it is there We could
name more than one distinguished ornament
of the church, whose rise has been rendered
impossible because OF the Carlyle .taint. .
We.-,hat is, the present writer-feel call
ed upon here distinctly 70 declare, tina. with
scarcely any living author have we les
agreement than with Carlyle; yet we are
nevertheless, sensible Of great benefit de
rived from his writiDgs. There Is III indi
rect teaching not less valuable than the di
rect teaching No serious thinker write:
in vain. Carlyle has his Alterations, hi.
shams but he has his realities. Had he
not lived, some Of the most active minds Of
our generation would have been different;
they would assuredly have been as active,
It may be, wiser. but certainly different
| Now. it is impossible, We think, to say that
any human being would have been other.
wise had Macauley never written. Some
few might have written less picturesquely
and less elegantly, but no human soul would
have been poorer.-7Ae British Quarterly
for February.