The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-01
CARLYLE ON CROMWELL.
An Important Letter Vow Published
for the First Time.

for the First Time.
LONDON. oct. 24.-Oue of the most Wig
orous and lively of Cariyle's letters comes
to light as the result Of the unwilling Of
statue To Oliver Cromwell at ST Ives
today Cromwell spent about five years
Of his life as a farmer at St Ives. and il
seems that more than nifty years ago
an attempt was made TO erect a memorial
TO him there. a letter was written TO the
. Sage Of Chelsea at that time asking him
! 10 help the movement along. and for some
reason OF cher II happens that his reply
. was never published. Here it is
Chelsea, 10th April. 1873.
Sir-IOu are very Kind 10 me- and / am
obiised 70 you. retain "a very lively, in
teresitng, and by no means unpleasant
recollection of St Ives, and If ever 4 30
thither again, which surely may be among
my hopes, 1 shall like the place much
more indeed by tse sight Of some fit me
mortal 10 your great JOwnsman. openly
claiming him as yours, and by the thought
that 1 myself :or his sake, have found
Z well wisherS among you
Ia tho Birmingham newspaper some ten
days ago a blazing article was sent me
about general peoples statue for
Oliver, 20 be set up at London. Hunting
don, or, falling both these, at St Ives,
or iu NaSeby Field Some considerable
notion Z find otherwise has gone abroad
/ OF COMMUNICATING Cromwell in the public
I
erto made little answer OF none at all
MY private suspicion / confess is that
I the present generation of EugliShmeu-
/ Who have hued their town. with such a
/ set Of public statues as were never be
| fore erected by any people, ugly brazen
I images ttp mere commonplace adyentur-
els with titles on them. and even some
times 70 mere paltry scOuuUrels. worthy
I OF immediate Oblivion only, and who
I have WiHded up their enterprises in the
Z statue OF memorial line by subscribing
I 1000 TO a memorial for King Hudson
I are not likely 10 do themselves or any
body much good by setting up statues 10
l OllFer Cromwell / fear they have for
I ieited the right To pretend to remember
cromwell IN a public manner. Cron-
wells divine memory. sad, stern. and
/ earnest as the gods says virtually 70
I them r Orget me and pass on, ye Unhap-
~ canalue-carry your offerings 70 King
hudson and strive 10 emulate him New
crtheless / have privately resolved. II
such a thing do go on. to subscribe my
/ little mite TO it on occasion. and 70 wish
privately that II may prosper much bet
1 ter than 1 can with any assurance hope.
i think a. viii be very difficult TO avoid
I Ine introduction Of such an ocean Of
| tlummery and mere Idle baIderdash into
/ the affair Of the public are fairly
awaken TO it, as will be very distressing
I 10 any one who feels how a Cromwell
ought 10 be hOnOred By the nation that
/ produced him.
With regard 70 you and your towns
men, however ] perceive that so far
] y o
ground that Is sure and viii carry such
an enterprise in all times. even in the
hudson. Dundas, and braZ=n Duke Of
FORK times St Ives wishes to claim
Z ing once been Oliver CrOmwelTs place Of
/ abode-an honor that Is likely to lasr il
and be its most peculiar one sOr a thou
sand years To come
/ Proper. good every way. and right on
l the part Of St Ives. while you keep with
B IN these limits the soul of oliver himself.
. H.a |#.#. a
I diS1pprUve- Not TO do Cromwell honor
| that. owing To Hudson. etc we unfOrtu-
Htteiy cannot at present pretend TO try.
not 20 do him honor, but 10 claim pub
I llCly our own property in him and do
I honor To- ourselves and our t0wu-thaT we
Z can pretend TO- and will So far ] say
your enterprise is founded on the rock.
/ and how eycr much further Il NAV 20 /
think you should take special care 20
MAINTAIN that particular foundation and
I Jet nothing shift You from IT, Namely.
I that Nour enterprise is 10 point out Oliver
! tromWcHS iudiSputahle connection with
you, and 20 claim publicly. and assert II
I IN brass or stone for the coming ages
ana an persons that may forget or do
not know IT,
( In this point OF vIew-Iet me at last
1 get TO say. for that was the main pUrp0rt
{ or my letter. feel considerably appre-
{ heusive as 70 the site yOu propose for
/ your monument There should be no un-
/ certainty, no shadow of dispute. that The
site ChGsrp- WaE-EeriII a SPOT related 10
{ cromwell Any possibility Of caTil as %
/ this ] should regard as a decided uerma-
neut misfortune Take ground that is neIs-
trai that belorgs to s. Ives in general,
/ and o. cverybpdy In ST Ives. very well
J but IL YOU pretend that il is Cromwell =
ground 90 not tell pOsterity uncertainties
about that. be sure Of il as YOU are OF
the sun shining, OF else fOrbear 10 mention
I II In monumental brass. and as il were
/ IN religious manner like this
/ Tradition ! have everywhere found
I 10 De the most worthless Of all guides i'm
. q rrf ~
Z ignorant oblivion. not in any case 20 be
trusted except You can otherwise aUJhsn-
tcate f. That divers house ever stood
( on the site Of the present cor late. fOT il
I seems 10 De pulled down since / was there)
House Of Slope Hail. / have not the least
-estlge Of real evidence. and 1 clearly
think you must either try with success
I TO find better and even good and iudis-
putdbie- or choose some other site for YOUR
/ memorial divers fields. I believe by the
side or the river are better. or perhaps
completely aScertaiuable- and PERHAPS in
old registers and records. il well search ID
Z into. The house itself might stin be re-
/ coverssde or some authentic account OF
! the Sivpe Han family at that time. a
Judlcious autquary OF real learning and
diligence tif there should be- such a one
IN Hunts; ! know such in some cOuntiesl
might set the matter completely at rest
and then you would proceed with eyes
/ open
But at rest the matter ought TO be set
one way or other. and for this reason. If
YOU find no antiquarian help. YOU can. i'm
! short. discover nothing. would not the
market place or centre of St Ives town
I itself be- the Surest and fittest of all
Places Here Oliver. beyond any doubt
ha5itualy was His name still stands
! does IL not. still stands In your church
books ns "9Sersevr Of the - Of St
! Ives 7 decidedly advise some indis-
putable place, and indeed otherwise think
: the market suitablest rather for reasons
I Of its own.
/ With many good wishes TO YOU and your
+ plOuS project. yours sincerely.
T CARLYLE.
/ Rev. J. X Holland