New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

BY no MEANS AN EPOCHAL BOOK.

| LECTURES On THE HISTORY OF LITERATURE
Delivered by Thomas Carlyle. Apr,l t, July
with Preface and Yoes, by Tr5ic,s"r J. Tray
Greene. 12mo, PIP. 2S3. CEarcs Sciibn RS sons
Professor Greene asks in his preface 10 this book
why did not Carlyle iSsue these lectures on
literature in his lifc-time?" and answers the
question by suggesting that Doubtless lie shrank
from the slow labor of preparing for publication
discouiscS which deal with topics demanding care
full treatment while almost infinite in their extent
and diversity" But Thomas Carlyle was possessed
Of indcfatigablc industry, and cannot be
| thought Of as shrinking from any labor, slow ol
otherwise. 1t seems more reasonable 70 conclude
that the lectures were not published by him be-
cause ne did not becv" tI.ot thoy would add any
| thing to his repu cation; and this we think will ho
the iudgmpn. of most readers. They are IN.
terstlng, not because they real, throw anv
.ght upon history or literature. but because they
exhibit the workings of mind which on these
as on most other subjects held peculiar and often
paradoXical views. They also reveal the lecturers
limitations in a marked way. and they offer csti-
mates OF various authors which have never been
and are never likely to be, accepted by the world
The diction of the Lectures is as unlike that Of
| Carlyle as anything could we'll be. They were
| delivered within year from the publication Of
| the History OF the French Revolution" and some
six years after the appearance of SartOr Rcsartus"
| The authors style vas tlen fully fixed, with all
| its mannersms; yet in these pages there is absO
| lutely no trace Of those Carly lean peculiaritcs
| The editor does moi state-pcrhaps does not know
| how the notes the reporter (Mr. Thomas
| Chisholm Anstcy) we're takcn-whethcr in long
| or short hand Blu tho fact must make "A great
| deal OF difference. II they were taken in long
hand we should eXcct that they would not re-
produce the lectures language with cxactness,
| and that there wod be omissions. and some
times unintelligble lssages and this is precisely
| what we find here. trlyle seems in fact to have
been diluted in the ocess Of reporting and 10
| have lost his native b, pungency. ouaintncss of
| expression and freque' bursts Of eloquencc All
is tame and sober, deeously dull bare Of orna-
ment and osdity' WIT remains Enthusiastically
Carlylean is the pon of view. We recognize
instantly the writer's cIous faith in the vitality
Of belief without refer ce to the trutb of the
things believed in; INFLAMMATION for strenatl,
and energy which takes account of the charac.
ter or morality of the deein which such strength
and energy are eXpcnde the enthusiasm for
German literature which ne was 10 moderate
greatly the strange union democratic tendencies
with profound distrust obopular Intelligence
All these points OF view aramiliar and. bclonc
| 10 CARLYLE alone. The voice the voice NJ Jacob
surely but the hands are th'ands of Esau.
Nothing can be sketchier more fraementarv
, than Carlyle's historical OUTS as here given
unless it be his estimates orcat men of the
, past In speaking of Greek BIOLOGY. he favors
| the Euhemeris'ic view i'e hnes TO belief 10
the genuineness oil inc unoic"' lies, though how
| he snpposes them 10 nav "ren Niuccd does not
, appear at all clearly. For Hon he has great
5 admiration, though he leaves tho,at question of
' the unity Of the Had where he nd it. or the
; Greek philosophers he has but poor opinion.
+ Pythagoras has leu 10 Piin' ois genius but