New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-18
EMERSON AND CARLYLE.
THEIR LETTERS FROM 1884 TO 1872.

full heaithful as the morning !" writes Carlyle TO
Emerson in 1888 "As for me, you have no con-
cepton what a grabbed, sulky piece OF sorrow ana
dyspepsia / am grown; and growing II 90 not
draw bridlev In the two volumes OF CORE
spondence Of Carlyle and Emerson edited by
Charles Eliot Norton, and about to be published by
j. r. Osgood & Co.. this contrast drawn by The
testy Scotchman is throughout sharply dehned.
The American writes himself down in double
sense Man of Concord the balance, the harmony,
the loving and limpd serenity of his nature and
intellect are revealed in every paragraph Asplain-
ly is set forth in the letters he received the gusty
somewhat vain and often selfish temper
OF that atrabanan his correspondent. There is
hardly letter from Carlyle which has not its COM
plaint there are many letters which are masses of
complain of fierce nvective against " glgman1ty "
and the like, of dissatisfaction with his life and ITS
surroundings Warm sunshine, fresh as the
sweet air of May is the atmosphere OF Emerson
epstles He often writes himself and his work to be
sure but the dominant expression is ever that of in
terest in the personality the work and the welfare of
his correspondent. In not few of Carlyie's letters,
on the contrary. the burden Is a. ""H-may-
GAY de nip In what manner he priced Emer-
son may be judged from letter written in 1897.
He mentions his friends remarkable Grafton on
1.-THE American Scholar" received not long before.
y
me there Is was long decades of years that L mad
heard nothing but the infinite jangng and jabber-
ing. and martculate twitterng and scTeechlug ana
my soul had sunk down sOrrOwful, and said there Is
no articuate speaking then any more, and thou art
solitary among strangercreatures ana TO- out OF
the West "a clear ut erance. clearly recogniz-
able as a mans voice, and have klnsman and
brother: God be thanked for 1t! could nave
went tn read chat speech; the clear high melody of
ii went tIngng through nav heart; L said TO my
wife, There, womauV She read; and returned,
and charges me to return tor answer, that there
tlrnt SnhI a
went silent" My brave Emerson! And all this has
been lying silent, quite tranquil in him, hese seven
years, and The "vociferous platltude" DINING ms
ears ON all Sides and II" quietly answering no lord;
and a whole world of Thought has silently built IT.
self In these calm depths and, the day being come
qn i hs1 as j s weS MaaEenm tells me-
"Some say it is inspired some say 1t Is mad" EX-
actly so no say could be suta bier. But for you,
my dear friend, say aud pray heartily: May God
grant you strength tor you nave a fearful work TO
dOl Fearful call 1t; and yet 1t is great. ana tne
greatest for Gods sake keep yourself still quiet!
Do not hasten to write; you cannot be too slow
about it. Give car TO any mans praise or CEN
sure know that that Is not 1T: on the one side is az
Heaven If you have strength 10 Keep silent, ana
climb unseen; yet the other side, yawning
ALWAYS at ones nght-hand and ones lett, Is the
frightfulest Abyss and Paniemonlum! See Feni-
more Cooper poor Cooper, he is down in it; and
had a climbing faculty 100. Be steady, b. quiet,
be In no haste; and God speed you we'll! My space
is done.
liz the earlier portion of the correspondence Car
iyles keynote was apparently 1--WE two against the
world u" and his wife had her own little sympathy
with this idea 81 read all that you write" she
saws to Emerson with an interest which feel no
other writing but my husband's-or it were nearer
the truth to say there Is no other writing OF
living men but yours and his that can read"
Emersons letters to his friend are full of cordial
praise and encouragement. as we'll as of wise sug-.
gestion and apt criticism. 81 feel like congratulate
ing you upon the cold welcome which you say
Teufelsdr6ckh has met" he writes early in their
correspondence.
As it is not earthly happy, it is marked OF high
sacred sort like il a great deal better than ever.
and before 1t was all published had eaten nearly
all my words OF objection. But do not think II shall
lack present popularity. That II should not be
known seems possible, for If memoir OF LaDlace
had been thrown into that muck heap OF fras@s
Magazine, would be the wiserf But this has
too much wit and Imagination not to strike class
who would for IL faithful mirror OF this
very Hour But you know Fhe pr prov f De
day plane so low as TO be thoroughly IN
teiligible TO tine vulgar. Nevertheless, as God
maketh the world forevermOre, whatever the devils
NAV seem TO do, 50 the thoughts of the best minds
always become the last opinion OF society," 1rulu IL
ever born IN manger, but Is compensated by living
till it has all fools for its kingdom. Far, far better
10 me the unpOpularity OF TINS Philosophical
Poem shall call ltf than the adulaton that fol-
lowed your eminent friend Goethe. With mm am
becoming better acquainted, but mine must be a
qualified admiration 1t Is singular piece of good
nature in you 10 apotheosize him. l cannot but
regard it MS misfortune, with conspicuous bad
influence on his genius,-that velvet life he led.
What ncOngrulty for genius, whose nj ornaments
and releis are poverty and hatred, TO repose htty
years chairs of state! and what pity tuat his
Duke did not cut of ms head to save hun from the
mean end (forgIvel OF retiring from the municipal
incense TO arrange tastetully his gift and medals!
Then the Puritan in me accepts no apology for bad
morals in such as he We can tolerate vice in
splendid nature whilst that nature is battling with
The brute majority in defence of some human pTin-
rn1 he manhood IS
fortunes call out adopts even his faults; but genius
pampered, acknowledged crowned, can only retain
our sympathy by turning the same force once
expended against outward enemies now against
inward, aud carrying forward aud planting the.
standard OF OrOnasdes so many leagues farther on
into the envIous Dark Failing this. it loses It's
nature and becomes talent according 10 the dehn-
tiOn,-mOre skill i'll attaining vulgar ends. A
certain wonderful friend of mine said
that "a false priest is the falsest of false
things" But what mukes the prestf cassock
o DOgenes Or the power land thence the CALI TO
teach mans duties they flow from the Super
human Is not he who perceives and pro-
claims, the Superhumanties, he who has once
asa see INVISIBLE Leader "Hcav-
only Powers of Sorrow" and so on. forever the hege
OF the samcf
Then TO write Enormously is not the same thing az
to live 50, but and worse offence. Ii implies
intellectual defect also, the not perceivng that
the present corrupt condition OF human nature
uatej is a temporary superficial state. The good
word lasts forever; the impure word can only buoy
itself i'll tine gross gas that now envelOps us, and
will sink altogether to ground as tuat works Itself
clear III the everl lasting effort of God.
Nav | not call 1t temporary for when ! ascend
into the pure region of truth Tor under my under
most garment, as EDictetus and IeutelsGr0ckh
would say, see that to abide lnviOlate, although
all men TAIL away from it /; yea, though the Whole
OF Adam should be healed sore oil
the face of the creation SO, my friend live SOC
rates and Milton, those starcn Pur1taus, for ever
more! Strange is it to me that you should not SYM
pathize (yet so you said with Socrates Ionical,
SO true and who " tramped III the mire with
WOODEN shoes whenever they would force him into
the clouds" seem TO him offering the band to
you across the ages which time you will grasp.
Carlyle's answer and the extracts which follow it
will give the reader sufficiently clear idea OF the
md drif of no