, 1874-12-13
THOMAS CARlYLYE AND HIS AGE.

He we're bold indeed who would venture to
prophesy what place Carlyle will hold as .
writer in the eyes Of posterity. Literary pyro-
technics are as shortlved Al any other; and 1t it
be true, as is often assumed, that Carlyle is
little more than q word-conjure1, brilliant
nay, 6ery-wlzard calling up spirits from the
vasty deep OF his gloomy mind to terrify this
age Of Free-Trade and Democracy, ne may be
sure be will in the end be forgotten. He has
certainly endeavored to be worthy Of more
than oblivion. Few questions OF philosophy,
religion, social life, politics, there are that
he has not touched. His future fame will depend
entirely upon how truly he has spoken on all
these topics. His unparalleled gift Of portrait
ure; his gorgeous eioquence; his appreciation
Of the sublime, no less than OF the grotes4ue in
life and Nature; his pathos, huHor, inspiration;
these, all Of which. and more beside5, ho pos
sesses in wonderful degree, will not saye him
from oblivion, if the substance OF which they
are but the clothing and appearance is not such
as may interest all men, in all times aud places.
Carlyle has, IN more than ono place in his works,
pointed cut the goal to which this age Is tending
His own peculiar philosophy permeates all
his works, philosophical and historic
al, - we'll as his smaller ones. The
future will test his philosophy, and, with his
philosophy, his genius as a m.n. He himself
seems to be perfectly willing to leave the verdict
TO Time. Carlyle is not In harmony with his
age. He goes into no 1aptu1es over our boosted
prog1ess He cares little for its philosophy or
it's industrial advances. Our photographs, telo-
graphs and railroada ara secondary considers
tions with him. Democracy is h1s bugbear. Util-
1tarianism he hates with all his might. He cares
little for the prevalent ideas and notions of the
day. The idea OF Gods existence should, ac-
cording to Carlyle, be uppe1most In the minds Of
men and Of the age. But it is not. "We have
forgotten God" he Says, land taken up the fact
Of the univorso as it is noe. We have quietly
closed our eyes to the eternal substance Of
things, and opened them only to the shows and
shams Of things. We quietly believed this
universe to be intrinsica1ly great. unintelligi
bic Perhaps; e1trinsically clear enough, it is
9 great, most extensive Cattlefold and Work.
house, with most extensive Etchen-raugas. din
ing-tables, vhereat he is wise who can find &
tain only tho profit and loss OF it, the pudding
and praise Of it, are and remain very visible to
the practical man. There is no longer any God
for us! Gods LAWS are become Greatest-Hap-
piness Principle, Parliamentary expedlency ;
the Heavens oyerreach us only aa IN astronomi-
cal t1ne-koeper; : butt for Hersche!-telescopes
10 shoot Science at, to shoot Hentimenta1ites as.
There is no religion there ia no God /;
nen has lost his soul, and vainly socks
salt" Such is the modern world to
inc Of the brightest inte1lecss in it.
In our modern religion, he iinda God left out;
llat our philosophy Of the movable is phi- |
osophy Of sharns and shows; that our Science |
8 note of Interrogation. and our Util:tariAn |
morality or greatest-happness principle, only q
lecies OF bookkeeping by which We intimate our !
min aud loss of bread and butter, or OF pleasure
md pain! This modern world, Of ekeptice, and |
ltilitarians, and spectators, that marrios, and |
yves in marriage, pilcs dollar On dollar, and |
annot raise pelf abovo the practical, above the |
slance and the yard-.tick, the census-returns or
o1umns OF statistics. ia in need OF hero to Wor-
hip and to follow. The men OF to-day are
linking Rutomata, without heart, without
ou1, and with calculating machine in
tead Of q strong brain. Darwin and Spencer
aust find little favor with Carlyle. Man. Car
ylc views. not with the eye OF the Psychologist,
OF breeder not through tho phases
I Evolution or the Cosmic philosophy He
ears away from man the trappiugs OF clothes
nd the trappipgs OF bones. nerves. and flesh,
nd sees in him Soul, 3 Spirit q Divine Appa-
tion,-not =" an omnivorous Biped that wesrs
reeches, as the vulgar eye beholda him.
But not only does Carlyle set his face agaiuat
ur philosophy and morality, but against our
onception Of the universe,-the universe no
re- told too frequently to look upon US IN aggre-
ata Of matter and force. C.Elylo will eco in it
ut ono vast symbol Of God Hs may not be
Transcendaliar; ho certainly is no Materialist,
nj does not wish 10 be found even On the lmits I
Aaterialism. Indeed, Carlyle il, judged from
Is works, rather disciple Of Berklev than Of
~ other school OF philosophy. He does not
eny the external world, but then lie would
Ashsr halis7s Ia Rbsolute idea1au than R1ant