Daily globe., 1879-04-06
BAYARD TAYLOR ABROAD.
His Friendshlp---Carlylc, Muller,
Thackeray.

Moncure D. Conway to Harper's Weekly
The death Of Bayarl Taylor has caused
a profound and panied sensation in Eng
land. He enjoyed a very high reputa-
tion here, and had many personal friends
in London. His appointment as minister
to Berlin had reflected honor on the ad
ministration of President Hayes, and
when he paused i'll London for d day or
two on the way to Berlin there were
strong efforts to detain him, and he was
compelled to refuse many offers Of hospi-
tahty. had the pleasure of being pres
ent at an interview which then occurred
between Bayard Taylor and Carlyle.
The veteran author Of Chelsea was al
most tender toward the minister whom
he found cherishing the purpose of writ
ing biography Of Goe1he--a work
which Carlyle believed to be much need
ed. He discussed at length all the knot
ty points of Goethe career, and gave
Taylor many hints of value. In this he
was only doing what the Gotheans of
Gefmany.had already done, ,and lave been
doing since; for 1t had been generally
conceded that Bayard Taylor was the fit
test man living to tell the true story of
Goethe's life, and facts never published
were pouring in on him when his life
was cut short. There is a keen desire
here to know in what state his important
ma terials have been left, and much sor-
row is felt that he could not live to COM
plete it. The life of Gocthe by the late
sG. H. Lewes has never been re garded as
satisfactory by those who have studied
the subject most thoroughly. But the
deaths of both Lewes and Taylor, such
admirable Interpreters of the best German
thought and literature, are indeed heavy
,calamities to occur at one time.
shall never forget the solemnity with
which Carlyle bade adleu to Bayard Tay-
lor. With an evident feeling that his
own life would soon terminate, be re-
peated Goethe's ode:
''The future hides in its gladness and sorrow;
| We press still thOrow,
| .Maught that abides in it daunting us,
Onward!"
His voice trembled little when he came
! to the lines
''Stars silent rest DER us,
! Graves under us silent"
Then Bayard Taylor took up the strain,
and in warm, earnest tones repeated the
remaining verses in his perfect German.
Carlyle seemed deeply moved. As we
| left he took Taylor's hand and said, II
hope you will do your best at Berlin to
save US from further war in Europe"
ut was Just then that the danger of war
between Englandkand Russia see med i'm
minent)
When Carlyle was first introduced to
Bayard Taylor it was with the announce
ment that he (Taylor) was writing life
.of,GOethe. The old mans experience Of
literary ambitions among men of a
younger generation thaa his own made
him little retractile at first, and he
said: "But are there not already lives
of Goethe? There is Blanke's life OF
Goethe; what fault have you to find with
that?" Bayard smiled at the transparent
trap, and began showing the errors Of
the biography mentioned with such
knowledge and cogencv that Carlyle
broke out into his ringing laugh, anG
said, II couldn't read it through" mean.
4 ing the work concerning which he hao
just challenged Taylor His cordialitJ
from that moment showed MS full recog
nition' OF the man before him.
| When Bayard Taylor was last here
had the pleasure of bringing him into &C.
quaintance with Max Muller, who wa:
| just then delivering his HILBERT lecture!
at " estminister Abbey. They first me-
at dinner, and struck up friendship al
most hungrily. They talked away brisk
ly while others listened, now rolling ou
German and now English, equally fuen
in the two languages, ana when they
parted 1t was with a promise exacted BY
the professor that Bayard should visi
him at Oxford. Bayard said afterwarc
that after meeting Max Muller he under
stood the secret Of the value be had de
rived from the professors works in hi
! own poetic studies: 1T is the humanit,
underlying his scholarship" The pro
posed visit to Oxford could not take plac,
, at that time. Instead of it Bayacd wrot,
cordial letter to Max Muller, which tn
latter has just shown me, in which h.
assuredihim in it that in the coming
season he would certainly visit LOndo1
and attend the commemoration at Oxford
Alas that such fair prospect should b.
forever faded! have to-day aletter from
Max Muller in which he speaks of tn
pleasure with which he had sent Taylo
his new volume, as tone of those few fo
whom they (the lectures) were more es
, pecially written, and whose approva
, would have been real reward" 81
speaks with warm appreciation of GU
''great countryman,' and with profount
sorrow concerning his death.
That death, indeed, must seem terribl
to those who remember the happine
which Immediately preceded it. The
appointment to Berlin seemed the culmi
nation of as brave and busy life as ha
) been lived in our time. Bayard Tavlo
was once walking along street in Lon
don with Thackeray, his warm friend
! and they stepped into the atelier of Barol
Marochetti to see a little group of sculp
ture which tie artist had desired Thacke
f ray to inspect. It was hero Staying
| dragon. AS they left the room, Thacke
ray said to Bayard, ''Every man has hi
t dragon. I have mine. What is yours2
) Taylor replied instantly, 81 have two
Luxury and Incidence" Thackeray re
f, marked, "Now that's curious, for thos
, are Just the same as mine" The worl,
may we'll wish there were more dragons
3 if it could be sure they would be as brave
: ly slain as they had been by these tw
: men. With the finest artistic sense an
e feeling, with delight in every oasis G
r leisure which offered little repose alon
:, his life pilgrimage, Bayard Taylor di,
+ auch vast and various service to the cu]
e ture Of his time that, as the Daily Neu
t well remarks, the world will be astonishe
I to learn that he reached only So years.