New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-18
CARLYLE AND FkOCDE.

,e.ter from, Mr.. Leslie stephen OH Sarlyle
.o,so and the proposed purchase of it appears
a. '"rhs Tires' of Monday Mr.. Stephens name
e.. - s,cb weight in the world of letters that his
$1,000, will perhaps, stir that world hitherto
snnooxbat apathctic on this subject. One passage
I may quote;
IT, Srsa in the voluminous Carlyle literature
tne mrhatever else enay be said Of It, contains
W. most graphic portraiture OF a man of genius
hat has ever appeared in our language. There
a. think no house in London possessing such
,,a,,e interest to all who care for literary
sociatons.
.rt &c frequently visited by our American
cousins" adds Mr.. stephen. 1t Is and the visits
will surely become more frequent when once the
hor n shall have been bought and It's preserva-
tion assured 1t is not only against what Bacon
calls the waves and weathers of time that II has
n he made safe. MIR. Stephen reminds us all
that Chelsea though full of associations from
the time Of Sir Thomas More. whose house was
close TO Carlyles. us a region in which modern
changes have remorselessly swept away very
large part OF the relics Of the past. We hope to
rascue Carlyles house from this fate" He re-
minds us also very aptly, that to Carlyle himself
such associations were dear. I'm this mad,
whir,ing. all-forgetting London" says the Chel-
sea sage. "the 'haunts Of the mighty are hard to
discover. With Samuel Johnson may it prove
otherwise" Mr. Stephen and all of us desire that
It may prove otherwise with Thomas Carlyle.
Since then. a first list of subscriptions has been
published II includes beside the $500 from the
German Emperor, $3.50 from Lord Rosebery the
same amount from Lord Ripon togetfOr with
800 from Lady Ripon; Mrs. Tyndall. widow of
the lamentei Professor. contributing an equal
sum. Lord Rothschld gives sl25. perhaps partly
in memory Of his friend and Caryle's friend
Froude American donors include Mr.. Pierpont
Morgan and Mr.. William Waldorf Astor. each
for sl25: the American Ambassador. the late Sec
rotary of Legation. Mr.. Henry White. Mr.. +. r.
Kennedy of Brooklyn; Professor Charles Eliot
Norton, Mr. Andrew Carnegie and some others
all in advance of the organization of an American
Committee Other English subscribers are Mr.
Huxley, Mr. Frederic Harrison, DR.. Garnett Of
the British Museum Lord Houghton. Mr.. George
Murray Smith, the eminent publisher; Mr.. Leon
ard Courtney. several members of the Carlyle
family. Mr.. Miller and Mr.. Lumsden, the authors
Of this movement and Archdeacon Farrar. This
first list foots up about $4,000.
The Committee has held two meetings. an EN-
ecutve Committee Of ten has been appointed,
with Mr.. Leslie Stephen Chairman. and
systematic effort will now be made to raise the
whole sum needed. American contributions may
be sent without waiting for the organization OF
the American Committee, TO Mr.. Pierpont Nor
gan. Wall Street New-York. who has been 50
good as to say he will take charge of them and
act as banker to the fund. The matter has now
advanced so far that there can be little doubt
that the house will be bought, and the home Of
Thomas Carlyle saved from the fate which has
threatened IT, The Committee intend also TO
ISSUE to subscribers only memorial volume or
the proceedings incident to the purchase, with
q complete list Of contributors. The two names
most recently added to the English Committee
are Mr.. Henry Irving and Lord Rothschild.
With those already mentioned, they show how
wide is the interest in the Memorial and how far
reaching was and Is. Carlyles influence.
Mr.. Shelton continues in the January Black
wood his "reminiscences Of James Anthony
Froude, Of which the most interesting passage is
perhaps that relating to Carlyle and Froudes
Biography Of him. Froude writes:
am more surprised than should have been
at the reception of the "Reminiscences 1t is
CARLYLE himself-the same Carlyle precisely tnat
/ have known for thirty years; and 1t seemed TO
me that my duty was TO represent MN 'or let
him represent HIMSELF near the truth as pos
sible To me in of his writings does ne
appear in more beautiful aspect, and So |
am still convinced will all mankind eventually
think I cut out everything which could inJure
anybody. To have cut out his general estimates
of men and things would have turned the book
into a caput mortuum In year or TWO
every one whose opinion Is worth having VIII De
grateful for having a true Carlyle before them.
and not a mutated and incredible one. The
end will be that c. will stand higher than ever.
and will be loved than ever When a mans
faults are not such dishOnOr him, we are all
the nearer 10 him because OF them. and because
we feel the common pulse Of humanity in MIN
Qss1).
What motive could have in writing as have
done except to do what believe Carlyle to have
wished? 0Ss2).
The year or two have long since passed and
still some Of those whose opinion Is worth hav-
Ing are not yet grateful for the true Carlyle which
Froude gave them. The wrangle over the book
goes on. internationally. Froude is still attacked.
Perhaps the majority are against him. Carlyles
fame Is still little obscured. The truth Is that
the Carlyle worshippers who knew him only from
his books worshipped "A more or less imaginary
Carlyle. They had ideazed their hero. We may
be quite sure that he would not have thanked
them for that He had in him the passion of
veracity. Sooner than swerve from his loyalty
10 truthfulness. ne would have suffered in fame
and in other things. Froude understood him.
Carlyle left contradictory messages and instruc
tons about his papers Froude had to determine
which Of them TO follow-which most nearly ex-
pressed the true mind and the final purpose OF
the great writer who was tornented before his
time by remorse and kind OF tragic despair.
1t was no easy task. But Froudc had something
besides the written letter to guide him. He had
his thirty years intimacy with Carlyle. To no
man had the grim giant ever poured out his soul
as to Froude None other was in so full sense
his spiritual disciple The disciple interpreted
the Earring written messages OF the master in the
hght OF the past which spread itself out before
ie hat, crit
TO nave understood, or never to have admitted.
VINO was most likely TO judge truly. the near
friend and trusted frena or the stranger-c,itics?
And, whatever Carlyle may have wished, there
remains the final verdict OF mankind. to which he
and his biographer alike looked forward. A year
or two is a short time. A generation soon passcs
sill living the lfoti,aa