286 A SUNDAY IN CHEYNE ROW. 



old stock truths perpetually need restating and re- 

 applying on fresh grounds and in large and unex- 

 pected ways. And how he restated them, and rein- 

 forced them ! veracity, sincerity, courage, justice, 

 manliness, religiousness, fairly burning them into 

 the conscience of his times. He took the great facts 

 of existence out of the mouths of priests, out of their 

 conventional theological swathing, where they were 

 fast becoming mummified, and presented them quick, 

 or as living and breathing realities. 



It may be added that Carlyle was one of those 

 men whom the world can neither make nor break, 

 a meteoric rock from out the fiery heavens, bound to 

 hit hard if not self-consumed, and not looking at all 

 for a convenient or a soft place to alight, a blazing 

 star in his literary expression, but in his character 

 and purpose the most tangible and unconquerable of 

 men. 



" Thou, O World, how wilt thou secure thyself 

 against this man ? Thou canst not hire him by thy 

 guineas ; nor by thy gibbets and law penalties re- 

 strain him. He eludes thee like a Spirit Thou 

 canst not forward him, thou canst not hinder him. 

 Thy penalties, thy poverties, neglects, contumelies : 

 behold, all these are good for him." 



