224 FRESH FIELDS 



in 1821, " I am like an alien, a stranger and pilgrim 

 from a far-distant land." His faculties were "up 

 in mutiny, and slaying one another for lack of fair 

 enemies." He must to the city, to Edinburgh, and 

 finally to London, where, thirteen years later, we 

 find his craving as acute as ever. " Oct. 1st. This 

 morning think of the old primitive Edinburgh 

 scheme of engineership ; almost meditate for a 

 moment resuming it yet ! It were a method of 

 gaining bread, of getting into contact with men, 

 my two grand wants and prayers." 



Nothing but man, but heroes, touched him, 

 moved him, satisfied him. He stands for heroes 

 and hero-worship, and for that alone. Bring him 

 the most plausible theory, the most magnanimous 

 idea in the world, and he is cold, indifi'erent, or 

 openly insulting; but bring him a brave, strong 

 man, or the reminiscence of any noble personal 

 trait, — sacrifice, obedience, reverence, — and every 

 faculty within him stirs and responds. Dreamers 

 and enthusiasts, with their schemes for the millen- 

 nium, rushed to him for aid and comfort, and 

 usually had the door slammed in their faces. They 

 forgot it was a man he had advertised for, and not 

 an idea. Indeed, if you had the blow-fly of any 

 popular ism or reform buzzing in your bonnet, 

 No. 5 Cheyne Bow was the house above all others 

 to be avoided; little chance of inoculating such a 

 mind as Carlyle's with your notions, — of blowing 

 a toiling and sweating hero at his work. But wel- 

 come to any man with real work to do and the 



