The Portland daily press., 1879-01-29
Bayard Taylor Abroad.
His Friendship-C Carlyle, Muller Thack-
cray,
[Moncure D. Conway in Harper's weekly.l

[Moncure D. Conway in Harper's weeklyl
The death of Bsysrd Taylor has caused q
profound and painful sensation in E,gland.
He enjoyed very high reputation here, and
had many personal friends in London. His
appointment as minister to Berlin had reflected
honor on the administration of President
Hayes, and when he paused Ia London for q
day or TWO on the way to Berlin there were
strong efforts to detain him, and he was COM
pelled to refuse many offers to hospitality.
| bad the pleasure of being present at an inter-
view which then occurred between Bsyard Tay-
lor and Carlyle. The veteran uthor of Chel-
sea was almost tender toward the minister
writing biography Of Goethe-s work which
Carlyle believed to be much needed He dis
cosssd at length all the kDotty points Of
Goethe's career, and gave Taylor many hints ID
Goetheans of Germany had already dor anu
have been dong since; for 1t had bee n ssnasai-
ly conceded that Bsyard Taylor a. ths S,,ss,
man living to tell the true ST. nv Of Cs.hess es.
life, and facts never PUBLISH d wsre nonr;oc n
on him when his 5, NE wa cut short. There is
Keen uesif9 ~ xuo~ "a what state bis impor :
.afs fs,s .het hs ~ oeen left and much sorrow
mt IsiI 'nas =. us c.dld not live to complete IL.
Ibe Llte or Goethe by the late G. Fl. Lewes
nss never been regarded as satisf ,ctory by
.noss 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 calamites to occur at one time
shall never forget the solemnity with which
Caryle bade adieu to Baysrd Taylor. With an
evident feeling that his own life must soon ter
inmate, he repeated Goethe's ode:-
"The future hides in Its gladness and sorrow:
We press still thorow,
Nau9ht that abides in it daunting u.s.
Onwardp'
His voice trembled little when he came to
Stars silent rest Ger us.
Graves under US SILENT"
Then Bayard Taylor took up the strain, and in
warm, earnest tones repeated the remaining
yerses in his perfect German. Carlyle seemed
deeply moved, As we left he took Taylor's
at Berlin to save us from further war in
Europe" Ut was lust then that the danger
OF war between England aud Russia seemed
imminent.)
When Carlyle was first introduced to Bsyard
Taylor, ii was with the announcement that he,
Taylor, was writing life of Goethe. The old
mans experience of literary ambitions among
men OF younger generation than his own
made him little retractie at first, and he said:
but are there not already lives of Goethe?
There is Blanks Life of Goethe, what fault
have you to fiud with thst?" Baysrd smiled
st the transparent trap, and began showing the
errors OF the biography mentioned with such
knowledge and cogency that Carlyle broke out
into his ringing laugh, and said, "I couldn't
read it through" meaning the work concerning
which he had just challenged Taylor. HIS COR
diality from that moment showed his full re-
cogntion of the man before him.
When Bayard Taylor was last here had the
pleasure of bringing him into acquaintance with
Max Muller, who was just then delivering his
HILBERT lectures at Westminster Abbey. The
two first met az dinner, and struck up friend
ship almost bungrily. They talked away brisk
ly while others listened, now rolling out Ger
man and now Eoglsb, equally fluent In the two
languages, and when they parted it was with
promise exacted by the professor that Bayard
should visit him at Oxford. Bayard said
afterward that after meeting Max Muller he
understood the secret of ths value lie had de-
rived from the professors works in his own po-
etic studies: 1T is the humanity underlying
his scholarship" The proposed visit to OK
ford could not take place at that time. In
stead OF IL Bsyard wrote cordial letter TO Max
Muller, which the latter has Just shown me,
ln which be assured him that In the coming
season he would certainly visit London and
attend the commemoration at Oxford. Alas,
that such fair prospect should nov bs forever
faded! L have to-day letter from Max Muller
In which he speaks of the pleasure with which
be had sent Taylor his new volume, as lone Of
those few for whom they (the lstters) were
more especially written, add whose approval
would have been real reward" He speaks
with warm appreciation of our great country
man, and with profound sorrow concerning
his death.
That death, indeed, must seem terrible to
those who remember the happiness which i'm
mediately preceded it. The appointment to
Berlin seemed the culmination of as brave and
busy life as has been lived in our time. Bay
ard Taylor was once walking along q street in
London with Thackeray, his warm friend, and
they stepped into the atelier of Baron Maro-
chetti to see little group OF sculpture which
the artist had desired Thackeray to inspect It
was hero Staying dragon. As they left the
room, Thsckeray said to Bayard, every man
has his dragon. L have mine. What is yours?"
Taylor replied. instantly, 81 have two-Luxury
and Incidence" Thackeray remarked, "Now
that's curioas, for those are just the same IS
mine" " The world may well wish there were
more dragons, if it could be sure they would be
as bravely slain as they had been by those two
men. With the finest artistic sense and feel
iBg, with delight in every oasis Of leisure
which offered litte repose along his life pill
grimage, Bsyard Taylor did such vast and
various service to the culture of his time that.
as the Daily News well remarks, the world will
bs astonished to learn that he reached only
fifty-three years.