The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-04-09
BAYARD TAYLOR ABROAD.
His Friendshlp---Carlyle, Muller,
Thackeray.

His Frlendshlp---Carlyle, Muller.
Thackeray.
Moncure D. Conway to Harper's Weekly,
The death of Bayard Taylor has caused
a profound and panied sensation in Eng
land: He enjoyed very high repu ia
ton here, ana 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 in London for 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-
tality. I 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 cherisbing the purpose of writ
Ing biography of Goethe--a work
which Carlyle believed to be much need
ed. He discussed at length all the knot
ty points of Goethes career, and gave
Taylor many hints of value. In this he
was only doing what the Gotheans of
Germanyshad already done, and have 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 Goethe by the late
G. 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 babe adleu to Bayard Tay-
lor. With an evident feeling that his
own life would soon terminate, he re-
peated Goethe's ode:
THE future hides in its gladness and sorrow;
We press still thorow,
Naught 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 Englandaand 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 q
younger generation than 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, and
said, II couldn't read it through" mean
ing the work concerning which he had
just challeng ed Taylor. His cordially
from that moment showed MS full recog-
nStion of the man before him.
When Bayard Taylor was last here
had the pleasure OF bringing him into &C.
quaintance with Max Muller, who was
just then delivering his HILBERT lectures
at Westminster Abbey. They first met
at dinner, and struck up friendship al
most hungrily. They talked away brisk
ly while others listened, now rolling out
German and now English, equally fluent
in the two languages, ana when they
parted 1t was with promise exacted by
the professor that Bayard should visit
him at Oxford. Bayard said afterward
that after meeting Max Muller he under
stood the secret of the value be had de-
rived from the professors works in his
own poetic studies: ut is the humanity
underlying his scholarship" The pro-
posed visit to Oxford could not take place
at that time. Instead of it Baya.d wrote
cordial letter to Max Muller, which the
latter has just shown me, in which he
assured him in it that in the coming
season he would certainly visit London
and attend the commemoration at Oxford.
Alas that such a fair prospect should be
forever faded! have to-day aletter from
Max Muller in which he speaks of the
pleasure with which he had sent Taylor
his new volume, as tone of those few for
whom they (the lectures) were more es-
pecially written, and whose approval
would have been a real reward" He
speaks with warm appreciation of our
'great countryman," and with profound
sorrow concerning his death.
That death, indeed, must seem terrible
to those who remember the happines
which Immediately proceeded it. The
appointment to Berlin seemed the culmi-
nation of as brave and busy life as has
been lived in our time. Bayard TAYLOR.
was once walking along street in Lon
don with Thackeray, his warm friend,
and they stepped into the atelier of Baron
Marochetti to see little group of sculp-
ture which tie artist had desired Thacke-
ray to inspect. 1t was hero slaying
dragon: as they left the room, Thacke-
ray said to Bayard, "Every man has his
dragon. have mine. What is yours2'
Taylor replied instantly, II have two