CHALMERS. 343 



For seven years of his last residence in Edin- 

 burgh, Chalmers was still in life. The relation be- 

 tween the men was not so much personal friendship 

 as what I may call comprehensive, unwavering alliance 

 on all points of sentiment and opinion. Chalmers had 

 the large and masculine sagacity, a thing of the heart 

 as well as the brain, to accept Miller for what he was, 

 a strong-featured, strong-charactered, original man, whose 

 services to a cause he loved were sure to be of incalcul- 

 able importance, but who was not to be expected to pull 

 in party harness, or to tame down his natural port and 

 action to the step of party drill. Such a man, Chalmers 

 felt, ought not to be fretted by little criticisms. A 

 word, now and then, of frank sympathy, was what he 

 deserved, and such a word Chalmers was always ready 

 to speak. ' You are getting on bravely with your 

 education battle/ it might be, or ' Many, many thanks 

 for your noble article on the West Port ; ' flashes of 

 radiance, slight but precious, which would kindle a 

 gleam of proud encouragement in the eye of Miller. 

 Chalmers frequently looked in upon the family circle in 

 Archibald Place, and Mrs Miller recollects the ' apostolic 

 fervour/ softened no doubt with fatherly kindness, with 

 which he ' put his hand on Harriet's golden head and 

 blessed her/ A generation has arisen which knew 

 not Chalmers in the body, and already, when the 

 defects of his theological erudition, and the lack of 

 searching and exhaustive power in much of his thinking, 

 are considered, there begin to be whispered inquiries as 

 to wherein his greatness consisted. Even in his books, 

 with their glowing earnestness and massive force, there 

 is enough, I think, to rank him with the sons of the 

 mighty ; but it was evidently in himself, in the influence 

 of his personal weight and worth, in the majestic noble- 



