THOMAS CAKLYLE. 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 6 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 ; 

 ' 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 Kevolution, 

 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 

 fraternelj with citizens ' hobnobbing in the streets to 

 the reign of Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood'; and 



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