The Portland daily press., 1881-02-09

that to God alone is obedience due arbitrarily,
from creatures who are alike individually re-
sponsible for their acts
As literary worker, Mr.. Carlyle's place is
among the great essayists and not alone because
large part of his literary work is in the form
oi essays, but because even when he adopted
other forms his work partook of the essential
IS not a history and even his Frederick the
Great" is scarcely that. One needs 70 be IA
millar with the history of which Mr. Carlyle
writes in those works il he would read
them understandingly. The French
Revolution" is series of brilliant pic
lures, chiefly in black and white, great
masses Of light and shade handled
with uncommon power and startling results
They are frequently false in their effect and
teaching, but their vigor, their grandeur OF as
force in the French Revolution as elsewhere,
and the heroes whom he recognizes there are
only those who represent that principle. 1t
was his worship of force that prompted him to
make Cromwell the theme of one of his most
notable works, and his Hero Worship" is a
passionate, almost an insane, apotheosis of the
principle OF force. 1t is as an embodiment of
that principle too, that he is attracted to Fred
erick the Great, and here, as in "The French
Revolution, /" he is picturesque writer of ss-
says rather than the biographer of an histori-
cal parsonage. His love Of the picturesque
was passion, and its indulgence In the histo-
ry of Frederick the Great6 threw things sad
y out Of proportion. That provoking work is
filled with episodes in which events Of small
importance to the subject are narrated with
degree OF minuteness and at a length wholly
out OF proportion to the care and space given
to larger matters belonging more strictly with
in the domain OF the historian. Carlyle wrote
OF them in this way because they ministered
to his love of the picturesque, because they
gave opportunity for the exercise OF his pecul-
lar gift as a writer, not because their elaborate
telling helped his historical purpose. His dill
gence in mastering all the details of an histori-
cal subject was admirable. He explored the
literature of his theme to It's ultimate end He
read every book, every article, every scrap that
related to 1t, and was master of his materials
At that point, however, his qualifications for
the distinctive work Of the historian ended;
thenceforth he was the essayist with strong
convictions and preiudices; the philosopher
with perverse theory to maintain.
The patience which enabled him to collect
materials in this way was never more sorely
taxed than in the destruction of the manu-
Revolution" The story is variously told,
but Mrs. Carlyle is authority for the follow
ing version of il: A friend borrowed the
manuscript to read it Just as it was ready for
the printers. He read it in garden arbo-,
and, leaving it there, allowed the sheets to be-
come wet in a shower. In this state the man.
uscrlpt was taken into the house and placed in
front OF a fire to dry. Unluckily, when no
one was at hand to save it, the paper caught
lire and the work of many months was con-
sumed. When Carlyle was informed of the
mishap, he rushed out Of the house with look
and manner so peculiar that fears were enter
tanned respecting his intention. After time
he returned with an armful of novels from a
circulating library, and shutting himself up
with these, he read them for weeks as a means
OF regaining cemposure. Then he began
again and reproduced the burned volume.
In taking account OF Carlyle as force in the
world 1t is impossible to overlook the fact that
his philosophy was almost wholly destructive.
His was voice crying in the wilderness, but
one which suggested no remedy for the crook
edneSs OF modern ways. He labored to con-
vince his readers that the times were out Of
Joint, but he offered no remedy. He pulled
down but did not build up. His words were
words Of discouragement; the logical outcome
OF his teaching was despair. He bewailed the
decay of faith, but he himself had no strong.
inspiring faith, and his utterances bred none
in the minds of his readers. He was perhaps
believer in God, but his philosophy was es-
sentially atheistic in its tendency His con-
ceptlon was OF universe ruled by Necessity,
and unworthy Of any other government.
IL Is said by some that Carlyle's influence
has been inspiring in an indirect way; that he
has had the gift to set men thinking; and
d ubtless this has been true in the case of
young men; but one outgrows the need of mere
lmpulsion to intellectual activity, and it Is
certain that there is in Carlyle's work little of
that permanently effective force which make
Emerson's writings lasting source OF inspira-
ton, capable OF serving the need of thinking
men as well as that of youths Just awakening
to consciousness OF an intellectual life. There
have been persons who have called Emerson
the American Carlyle;" it would be filter to
reverse the order, and even then the truth ex-
pressed would be partial and one-sided.