New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-06
THOMAS CARLYLE.
DEATH OF THE VETERAN EssAYIsT.

| IoxDov Feb 5-Thomas Carlyle died at hali-
| past o'clock this morning He passed away WIN,
| ont a struggle From o'clock last evening until
his death Mr. Carlyle was unconscious. Ills respa
tiop was extremely feeble. and the hearts action
WAS barely peceptible. He suffered no pain during
his last brty-six hours. HIS niece was with him to
II lie last. The PaN Mall Gazette saws that Mr. Car
lyle will be buried in the churchyard OF his birth
place. Eccleiechan, Dumfresshirc
THE CAREER OF A HEROIC MAN OF LETTERS.
In the lives of most men of letters there have
been few events winch were known to the world.
How ite has been recorded Of Shakespeare how
much less Of Homer and Of ArlstOph mes has 1t not
often teen pointed out that although the contempt
rary of all the great men of Athens, the memorials
that are left of him are few and those are not
well authenticated Cariyles life has been no ex-
ception to rule which may fairly he called gem
eral. Removing to Chelsea i'll 1884, he lived there
until he ded and, aside from his writings, very
little has outwardy marked the course OF his years.
HIS parents both Scotch people living near the
hamlet of Eccleiechan in DhmfreSshrc and were
remarkable native sagaclty and force of chaIac-
ter OF his father Carlyle once SAID: think OF all
the mer have ever known. my father wasq quite the
remaIkabl,st. lie was a man INTO the four corners
OF whose house there had shined through the years
Of his pilgrimage by day and by night the light OF
the glory of God. If | cOnld see such men now as
| my fa, her and his mnstcr-men OF such fearless
truth and simple aiti--wth such firmnesS i'll hold
ing on TO the things that they believed: in saying
| and doing only what they thought was right III
seeing and hating the things that they felt To be
wrOng-I should have far more hope for this British
| nation. and indeed tor the world at large"
OF the children Thomas the eldest, having been
bornin 1895, III the month OF December The parents
'bpr,tI e
| land and sent him to the University Of Edinburgh
| to study divinity. There lie became fellowship
dent and intimate friend of Edward Irving after
| ward known to the world rs the famous preacher.
Carlyle studied irrcgularly but with amazing
avidity. He was excessively fond of mathematics,
| as was also Irving; but much OF their time
was given to literature. They read many
old English works, rummagel libraries for books Oh
| the drama, studied German literature. and gave
! some attention to theology. Tho stories told of
| Carlye's reading are almost fabulous. No man
| ever read hooks more rapidly than he II is said
that Buckle gave his life to reading hlsOry-read
10000 vOlumes-wrOte two and ded. CARLYLE read
with an equal avidty all his life. but he wrote his
books while doing 1t. Irregular though his studies
were. aud restless he became he AT last reached
definite purpose but it was not without a struggle.
He found divinity unsuited to his taste. but was
unwilliig to forsake the profession his parents
wished him to follow. Doubts and moments Of hes
itaing arose One day he entered his closet and
IaGOred with himself for hours. On the following
day he returned 10 the closet, and again OH the
third day, scarcely eating or drinking. At last he
came forth resolved to give mp his divinity studies
IT is related by one who saw the scene that. few
DAYS after this decision had been made Carlyle
wrote home his determination. and his aged father
was found one day aftcrward sitting ON a moss
I ~. - laffnp
In his hand and weeping bitterly. Carlyle left
Edinburgh and taught school for two years in a
private family. On leaving the city he was again
in doubt about his future career. In letter TO r.
wing he appears to have thought of coming to
America, for he said % have my views of life to
reform and then once more shall venture my bark
upon the waters of this wide realm. and if she can
not weather it shall steer west and try the waters
of another world" Soon after this Carlyle taught
again, this time with Irving. Then he made him
self master OF German Hterature-the most
perfect master he became in Great Britain-and
finally abandoned teaching. and went to Edinburgh,
TO become as he sa ID, - writer of books
But this did not terminate the intimacy with
Irving When, wears aferward. the popularity of
his friend was on the wane. when Irving had died
overcome by popular opinion. and when the world
Judged HIM an ImpOsor Carlyle wrote a beautiful
tribute to his memory, in which lie SAID: " Ills
was the frecst, brotherlieSt. bravest human soul
mine ever came III contact with; | call him. the
whole the best man have found in this world.
or now hope TO find" And aglin he said, when the
world had learned to judge Irving more kindly and
dlspassionately 1.-The fools said Irving was daft,
that his head was turned with popular applause.
He was not daft he was dazed The curtain of
darkness had fallen over the pupil of the eagles
eve by too seadfast gazing Mt the sun. In blindness
aud Loneliness he sobbed the great heart of him to
sleep and In he silence of the sepulchre they laid
him away till the judgment-dav.' And vet very
recently there have been writer, WHO numbered
Carlyle among the friends that deserted Irving III
his last DAYS leaving MIN to die quite iOlsaken by
his early associates!
At Edinburgh CARLYLE began to lead purely
literary HE. lie already had large acquaint-
ance with the language and literature OF
each of the three great countries OF Europe
The first work that came from his pen was transla
ton OF Legendres GcOmetry to winch he prehxed an
| essay on Proportion This was followed IN lS231
24 by the LIE OF sGhe[ Which ~ was Li GDiH1 nz
| hit, Lamb. Hood and DeQuncey were then contrib
| utors. Carlyle's name was withheld. The work
was received with universal favor and by common
| consent was accorded an exalted rank among the
hest biographical writings III English literature. 1t
was married departure from the current
| events which formed so large part OF
the biographies of the time: 1t dealt with
| the whole outer and inner life of the great
| poet and demonstrated that biography was an art
A determined effort was made III u 10 portray CHAR
acter. This and otner OF Cariyles skGt Ics oi men
have been hkened to painting and sculltLre III their
effects on the outer lineaments Of men. The work
was beautiful specimen of English prose fine crit,
icism and manly sentiment. lhough ,he puDlc dlu
not know the authors name, Mr.. Carlyles friends,
| who were well aware that he had done the work,
felt ASSURED thenceforward that he had chosen his
| rightiul calling.
HIS WORK ATTRACTING ATTENTION.
Almost at the same time appeared the translation
| OF Goethe's "Wihelm Meiser" which startled
critics with the familiarity shown in it with the
German tongue. 1t especially interesting now as
showing the direction of the authors studies But
| it did not wholly escape severe censure. De Gum
cey In one of his fractions moods assaulted both