New-York tribune., 1895-12-22
THE CARLYLE CENTENARY
MUCH APOLOGETIC EULOGf-Mf MoH-
LEYS ADDREss-THE CHELSEA
HOUSE.

London December D.
A generation which has witnessed the purchase
II the famous house IN Cheyne Row ana i's con-
version into permanent memorial OF CariFie
considers itself at liberty to patronize ms genius
with anolopetic criticism Because he hated
shams and half-:ruths and rallied against cant
his most fervid admirers find 1t necessary to say
40 many unpleasant things about him as possible
and to deal with his life and character in spirit
OF stark-naked candor
There has certainly been not little eccentric
i,v In the manner in which the centenary OF his
birth has been celebrated One leading journal
has spoken Of him as a man or CONSIDERABLE
genius Another has referred 10 him as essen
TALLY dialect writer, whose works are no longer
read Every old friend. in "reminiscences OF the
great man. has touched the weak spots of his
character and the foibles Of his manner ana en-
larged upon them. The new men OF letters have
dismissed him jauntiy to the obscurity or the
past as chronic dyspepdc. with disordered
genius for eXaggeration when he wrote ana
disagreeable habit of roaring at people In pri-
yate conversation. Indeed. the prevailing tone In
all the comment which has attended this inter
est.ng literary commemoraton has been critlcai
depreciation Of the man and his work.
Even Mr. John Morley's address on this COM
mcmorative occasion. when eulogy would natural
ginning to end. 1t impeached Caryle's familiar
title of Sage" and described him as tempestu-
Gus person opposed to anything like balance; 1t
laid stress upon his persistent habit OF over
emphasizing everything. and thereby challenged
his right To be considered a philosopher; IT eX-
pressed doubt whether any one now living has
read through the whole of Frederick the Great :;
II deprecated the value Of his writings on social
problems on the ground that he had never been
in close contact with his subject; IL disclosed his
eccentric antagonism to science and American
progress as vagaries of his career; and While SYM
pathetically recognizing the flashes OF genius IN
his works, 1t justified his pre-eminence as the
foremos, figure in the literature of the time by
generalities upon his powers OF setting men 10
think for themselves of comforting internal free
dom" upon them and of shaking them free from
conven,ionalities and Journalism 1t was an ad-
dress singuarly free from cant. and embodied
an honest, sincere and scholarly estimate OF
great mind. which was a powerful moral force Ih
modern thought; but with all its brilliant phras-
ing and literary finish it was essentially an
apologetic discourse.
The passages in which Mr.. Morley referred to
the personal characteristics of Carlyle were deep
" interesting, and disclosed sympathetic appre-
citation of the defects Of eXaggeration and over
emphasis in the sorrowful details of his domestic
life He described everything that went on III
the modest little house in Cheyne Row as on q
.Brobdngnagian scale" There was a giant,
he said lived in that house. The husband ana
wife rallied at one another like the giant ana
giantess in fairy tale. The cocks and mems OF
which readers Of these volumes know only 100
much are as large as ostrches. and crow with the
power Of a steam whistle. and the smallest Great
ure on a bed is as big as hedgehog.
That is a reasonable explanation of all the pain
ful disclosures for which Carlyles literary eXecu-
tor was responsible; and If II had been furnished
as a gloss upon the text of the correspondence
when II was originally published 1t might nave
nitIgated many OF the harsh judgments which
were passed upon the strange occupants o4 tne
famous house. But the appearance of such a
passage in a eulogy of Carlyle on commemora-
tive occasion is anomalous. Equally fantastic was
the joc5se mood In which Mr.. Morleys address
was received by the audience which had assem-
bed TO honor the memory Of an intellectual giant
There were constant outbursts OF merriment. as
Is shown by the frequency with which the text
in the daily journals is b:acketed with laughter
Indeed. if anything has been made clear by
\ the honors paid to the grea: mans memory IL Is
the fact that Carlyle worship has practically
ceased, and that the new generation, not saushed
with n saner estimate Of his genius than was
formed by his contemporaries, has gone 10 the
other extreme and fallen into the habit OF unde--
valuing it, That there will be reaction against
cynical indifference and neglect Is probable. Inc
calm dispassiOnate and brilliant address WIN
which Mr. Morley has enriched permanent itera-
ture. will help to soften the asperties OF recent
judgments and to arouse intelligent interest in
the personality Of the man. The completion OF
the memorial trust and the preservation of the
homage
10 human genius which will do even more to per-
,,etuate his influence. Moreover Carlye's burn
ing words retain their luminous power. In these
days when Europe is confronted in the East with
the most rnomentous crisis in human aralrs since
the downfall of Constantinople centuries ago
what phrase is SO fraught with condensed Vitanty
as 1.-THE unspcakabe Turk = III is CarIyle uid
lect but IL sums up centuries OF mlsruie anu
solemnizes the moral Obligations OF Chrlstehuoin'
The loan collection which has been opened IN
the Chelsea house is a most interesting one ana
is already attracting swarns OF visitors; Even
without its adventitious aid. the house mas not
been neglected during the last hve months ior
over l. 700 pilgrims have been drawn 70 thls
shrine of genius even when there was llttie De-
yond the bare walls and floors TO see lhere are
over 200 pictures ensravhsS a,H ,ea,,s t or
a few weeks In the dining-rOom is MI H. lalt
interior view Of the floor as II was iurnished
when the Carlyles were there IN iSo' IL Is az
most DhotograDhc in accuracy OF detail ana rep
resents Carlyle In a dressing-gown with MS
wife on the opposite side of the hear;h. on
the same floor there are many drawings py Mis.
AIinghan and the medals in honor or Carlyle
eightieth birthday IN the little room are the
Latin and Greek grammar and french nook
which Carlyle studied at scnooi ana therS - d
cur;ous n,emento Of his inventive talent-a horse
shoe with screw cogs for dse in frosty weather,
with a rough draft in his own hand written IN
1894 describing 1t. This Is one OF te SUPPRESS "
tho collection for few visitors have any suspicion
that the honor Of this humane invention rests
with Carlyle. ,, :,
orea ned 10 SIR James Stephen by Carlyle, ana
preserved by Lady Stephen as the most precious
of her treasures. On IL were written all car
lyle's books except his schiller large oJOH-
case which was for a time in the dining-room
is now in the drawing-roonl. with glass doors
added and q collection OF Carlyle's books be
-.-A..- &C E.LANt ralf fc lAf