New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-06

followed by those on German Literature, N0vas
and Burns. The essay on Burns, acknowledged to
be one of the most beautiful in the series, has given
tone to all subsequent criticisms of the Scottish
poet. But more remarkable than this were the
essays on the German writer's. Some one has re-
marked that the English people awOke to reaza-
ton that a literary Columbus had appeared
among them, and opened a new world OF letters.
He had indeed opened their eyes to the riches of
modern German thought. Possessing knowledge
of the language such perhaps no other foreigner
had ever attained, he was better prepared for the
work than any other man III England. In the same
rod lac contributed several articles to fhe fOre,W
RrieW ard wrote biographies for BFeTStGS Ea'm-
bUgh CrclOpddid, notably those on MonlrsquIIruu
Monta mt, Nelson Norfolk and the Two Pltls ne
also published ESSAYS on Goethe who was tneh
living and with whom CARLYLE han ioT,rsG a" and
short visit at his home III GERMANY.
He thought Goethes chief title to attention
was through his position an interpreter OF 'he
wants and aspiraIons of his age. One of the essays
saws he was filled full of The sceptciSl Dlileft9s
holiowness ami thouSan lfold CONTRADICTIONS Oh 'he
ace till his heart waS nigh 10 Dfeah' DhI Nv
aimed to subdue it ; he rose victor o'ls over II
honor then to- him who first through tho lihpa9''
able payts q road" ,,,i .d 70
thar of ms own country sorry sight II presented 10
a man who had left II III SO rcn OF siIccIlIN anu
faith and found an abundance "1 " III lhr WIll.ns
of "A few men of another nationality ana hho'hei
race lie had early been convinced tat Tor slhcciy,
trr, LCuuess and depth of purpose there was notne
~ England to compare with tine WRITINGS o. me ul
1iulIislrd foreigners whose works lie hau sluhIeu'
lie WAS shocked at the holl0"heSS' ia,H'eSNn'o',
clcvernc,s and literary uiling which he saw Nv u,
home With Saddeucd heart he wrote an essay on
Ine Signs of the Times" IL gloomy, thohgh t'o-
uurnt lament over the material ana ull'ildIiaI
character OF he age. He WRITES that Inc pres,nt =
nm age of machinery. and Is neither II her"iCii'
drvOtIOna philosophical nor m"lal age IL"
writing of n book is Ii tine LAYING OF brlck wofH-
done Nv rule and prncIpes Of mathematics Mc,,
hoy nst individual cUtfaNOi anu III az
natural force. lndcprndrnce oil opinion u loH, W
the clainor OF The multitude" men haVe uet"'v nrt
cartons tbcv no longer have The 60 image TO asocft
nm Opininu oil their own and abide or idl WIN "
They belong 10 some party or some ScNoo VI ,
and bIndly follow Wherever us n.'''lH ""n pill o
tne way But Carlyle was not without nope ITO
saw indications that mechanism was hot aI"dNS w
be hard iaskmastcT. but one daN wouiu brcoine lh
administering servant. 40 reform WORTH. ne
saws Ito reform nation. no WISE man W"i.l
undertake and all but fool sh men kno% that TUG
oily soiId reformation Is what cach OeG'ls III"
periects on himself. ,
"CuArAC1ERlsrlCs" AND "StRTOI RrsARruS.'
This essay was followed by another and more
remark die one which gave still greater indications
of the direction of Carlyles mind Ii marked the
era of hIs departure from the paths of pure Literature
IN hecome the caStg.tOr of his age: to teach the
English and other peoples that theirs was taT from
the highest ideal of human justice ami true living
II was n bret essay called Character'>lc'' kcad
to-day il seems like Il deliberate announcement 81
the philosophy which the author Afterwards pro-
mugated with such singular force ana atom
ishlng results. 1t opens with the say
inc that unconsciousncss is not Only the
sign but the condition OF health IN the individual or
in society IL IL the SICK and rot the well who are
continually aware OF their state. The present age
is sclf-conscouS, and therefor diseased one 1t ~
when We dream that we ar dreaming that we
awaken. What men need IL more oi carncsnrss and
consecracd effort toward truthful things. though
thc way be dark and the road difficult, il Is thu end
every true man should avn ut. II Is simply the old
saving that the path to tin gods is steep AMI stony,
but TAUGHT here anew with charm before unknown.
Tie idea run, through many of Car.yic's LATER
works especially through "Thc French Revolution
and the " Pas, ami Present" In sill later writings,
a. i'm the Latter Day Pamphlets. II expand, 10 the
melancholy assumption that all noh!cnc--, belief
and virtue have died out of the wurli
But the truth and nature of Carl'le's calling do
moi seem to have fully revealed Themselves until
fine Sartor ReSartus" was written. Then Ms full
scope and purpose appeaI,d III brilliant colnrlnG.
Rarely If ever in literature has s'lch phenomenon
been seen as this sudden and amazing tran 'fofua-
ton of a human mind; rarrr still has the world
seen the like of the influence winch II" came Z" "A
ert upon every department OF Thought and phN-
cudenvor. He had gone 10 Einhurgh as Il "Fit'I
of book" HIS writings thus idt hHd ID 'Ioug"u 10
the dom i'm Of literature pure and ,lmpr--HuihlhH III
the language NOR" truN 80 tah inc early
ESSAYS and the IAte OF ScIill"r. Like many
other men in his time, lIr seems 10 nave
found in literary work n final drsiluhl"h an" Il
solace from the harsh rratIngs and business selfish
ness of the world. Poetry ana song. a. well ~ 10"
early English drama. contained great charms i"i ms
mind and he became a rcNrwrr; talked Hike others
about taste ana style ana gave every pIonl., 81
becoming Il confirmed dcv'tr' al bellies lrtiTrH
Hut glance back upon his long HE
and its changes. Will iorhid the douhL that
there was even then t0mchng Sry han and
~ lta nruI - CUDfNIf
with It's OWn.cli developing ~ lhNl INTO an nh@ildc-
ton from all sympathy "itr IN" world and rs ways.
Atlcr lie had written OF Schll'r, turthe and Burns
pIcturng their heroic struggles against Sphlt
winch ietercd their amblilon ne turned T." Ia" Ut
eratuIr ana tone of la, own observation-disclosures IN
an element of moral Impatlrncc To aniagoniz" II
Will the b.st Of genius aud power that was III lam.
IRE "SdrtOr appeared, the English mlnd
for thirty wears la seemed incapable ct npprrcatIug
any deep philosophy or mcdltalnR IN any sincere
and thoughtful tone upon the lu meaning OF he
and It's demands. MatcralIsln and ndrlIly. ~ led
by Hume aud Noltairo IN II previous century. mad
paIayzed all reverence Tor religion and all iaith IA
the nobility and ultimate destiny OF MANKIND An
Intellectual effort toward social and moral Tcf0rma-
ton had been made Ivy Wordsworth AMI COrrIdge;
the former Il KIND gentle and loving man working
with the poet art ~ the mine OF pure feeling; the
lat ter an acute aud restless intellect ihou S endowed
with Il heavy laden, much; iicird. hcaveu-IsrlT-
soul. Beth SAW III poetry two schonls. In"
one marked by the worst phantasmagOrla which
diseased Imagination could produce the other
sunken low III an cllcnlinate scnsualtv while IN re-
hgiOn they fOnnd prevailing iailhlrSsncss and in
difference that bOrderrd OH sccptlclSm. They were
stunned by IT. cnOrnlty and contemplated removing
TO America to find home for free impulse aud SIM
pie iaith on the banks of the Su>quchlnnl. AbIn-
dOning this they removed, the one 10 u country
home at Grasmerr the other to rural retreat the
suburbs OF LOndOn. Lord jeffrey, great but lmpcr-
feet monitor that he was, udlcnlrd the poems of
Wordsworth Coleridge lacked the energy 10 do
more than think IN solitude an talk to his friends.
ami later III life he SAID hlmslf that he had
skircd the bowling deserts Of nIdrIty." Carlyle,
after he had pr0pOundei his own philosophy and
TpaDPd his reward quoted theSe WORKS OF tOlrriugr'S
and added " But he mad not the courage, def
ancc Of pam and terror, TO pass TcsOlutcy to the
firm lands Ol faith beyond"
WIRING "sAKTOR REsAETLo."
"Sartor Rcsarius" was written at Carlyle's rural
home. In 1888 he went with it 10 London 10 find Il