THOMAS CARLYLE. 379 



his own countrymen, failing to recognise his need of a 

 form of expression suited to his genius, had set him 

 down as merely eccentric and wayward meting out to 

 him the wages of eccentricity and waywardness, and 

 describing the work in which he had invested his highest 

 faculty as ' a heap of clotted nonsense ' America, 

 through her noblest son, had opened to him her mind, 

 her heart, her purse. Still, to make assurance doubly 

 sure, I told Grant-Duff that I would go down to Chelsea 

 and make myself acquainted with Carlyle's present 

 feelings. I went, and mentioned this conjectural dis- 

 like of Americans. * What nonsense ! ' he exclaimed ; 

 6 bring him down here immediately.' The gentleman 

 here referred to was, and is, Mr. Charles Norton, of 

 Harvard College. He came to Carlyle, and his visit 

 was the starting-point of a friendship which proved its 

 steadfastness after Carlyle was dead and gone. With 

 chivalrous firmness of purpose Mr. Norton has sought, 

 and I am told successfully sought, to stem and roll 

 back the foul wave of detraction and abuse, whereby 

 inconsiderate England threatened to overwhelm the 

 memory of a man to whom her best and bravest owe a 

 debt never to be cancelled. On this sad subject, how- 

 ever, it is not my intention to dwell ; but many 

 patriotic men regard it as a calamity of unspeakable 

 magnitude, that Carlyle's opinions on the grave ques- 

 tions which now agitate us should be reduced to nullity. 

 Were he amongst us he could point for our instruction 

 to certain apposite phases of the French Revolution, 

 which he incomparable limner that he was ! has 

 thrown upon the canvas of History. The manifold 

 coiling of fraternal arms ; the friendships sworn and 

 re-sworn at the ' Feast of Pikes ' ; the pathetic ' Souper 

 fratemelj with citizens ' hobnobbing in the streets to 

 the reign of Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood'; and 



