The following is an abstract from a paper read to the Uvion Church Literary and Social Guild on the 4th of November 1903 by Mr. Robert G. Dowi Carlyle was born in the year 1795. In 1795 the times were out of joint, Europe wi convulsed with revolutions and counter revolutions; wars and rumours of wars. Britain had joined in the conflict against France some say to avert fest are horrors of civil war, The cry "Fraternity and Equality" raised in France rang through the nations. Men began to realise that they were men and not slaves; playthings of a corrupt and remorseless aristocracy. The dead in apathy were raised to life at these magic words and behold they were giants who, fed on their passions, overthrow the established order of things and Iaunched themselves into chaos.
There was world anarchic. Confusion everywhere is death. From chaos the lightning of hate flashed, and death, now here, now there, marked its dread track.
Polo horror fleeing through the lands had its image imprinted on the minds of the observant sons of Time.
Such a son was Ourlyle. The French Revolution left an indelible impression on him. Again and again ani yet again he launches into the human mystery of it and the divine meant ing of it. Without it, to him the government of the world had been inexplicable.
Of Carlyle's boyhood there is not much record. Even then, however, he gave promise of what he would be—the child was father of the man. That he experience! the common joys of childhood his writings prove. What man is there who will dare to say the following is not a true picture of a joy of his own youth? " Hast thou forgotten the day when thou first received st breeches, and thy long clothes became short? The village where thou livest was all apprised of the fact; and neighbour after neighbour kissed thy pudding cheek and gave thee, as handsel, silver end ce coins, on' that the first gala-day of thy existence."
As this is not a critical essay on his works, nor a criticism on his style, it will not. be out of place to refer to his parents and his home life, The conduct in the home is a better criterion of what a man is, han is his conduct in Society before the gaze of the world. Society is notoriously Carlyle was in many respects unfortunate artificial and man in Society differs greatly in his choice of a wife. She too was a from man as he is. But in the home, man genius and their characters and tempera-stands revealed: there he is seen minus the ments were too similar, As he saya, gilt put on to please, or as Carlyle would "A strict similarity of characters is not say, stripped of his clothes, naked. necessary or perhaps very favourable to Carlyle thought there probably had never Ttiendship." "How much less favourable been such another man as his father. He toa truly happy marriage.
questioned whether he or Burns had the Her tongue was as sharp as his, but he finer intellect, and of Burns he said, was less dexterous in its use. Each knew believe the day is coming when there will the failings of the other and they could hit be little di saying that Burns was off one another to perfection. the most gifted British soul we had in all Her marriage was great disappointment. that century of his," His father, he declared, She had discerned his genius while he was "walked as a man in the full presence yet unknown to fame, and had hoped to of heaven and hell and the judgment" and share in the works and triumphs of his Carlyle's comment, ecially the two genius and her feelings can be better latter," was not only witty but true. imagined than described when she dis-His mother had been a domestic servant, covered she would lead her life not on but Carlyle says, 'She was a woman of Parnassus, but in the kitchen, Then the the fairest descent—of the pious, the homage Carlyle psid Lady' Ashburton [just and the wise." No false pride was in this man. He did not boast of his descent aggravated the agony, Tt ate into her very soul as a canker and ultimately for a season from the Bruce as he might have done, unhinged her mind. He did not see how but of his descent from his mother—a the friendship was tending. He could not domestic servant. Buros and he had the understand why Mrs. Carlyle did not like same exalted opinion of an honest man. to Lady Ashborton's. The truth is And he was the best of brothers. He he had not fathomed a noble woman's soul. denied himself the bare necessaries of life But he loved her passionately; and she to send his brother the money needed for loved him too, though for a time her mental the completion of his education in Ger-vision was warped. many; he stepped into and assumed the "She was the one person in the world position of head of the house on the death besides his mother, whose racter he of their father and in the kindliest of completely admired, whose judgment he spirits he encouraged and admonished completely respected, whose Soppiese. he them all; he resigned to them his share of was most anxious to secure." their father's estate saying his portion was And when she was dead how he missed his education. His early life was a per-her, and mourned for her with undying petual sacrifice. sorrow, and in his grief for the days that What wonder then that he was the were dead, past, beyond recall, his remorse dearest possession of his family, their is indeed' priofal and real but quite un-pride and their glory necessary. He was prone to exaggerate—a In course of time he fell in love. Could hereditary gift—and it is certain that to Carlyle act the part of alover? A demon-extol the dead he wronged the living. strative lover he could not be, but that he From the depths he cried, Where was my could feel the passion and the power of Jeannie's peer in this world? and she fell to love the following passage will be his me and I could not screen ber from the es bitterest distresses. God pity and forgive "To our friend"—in love "the hours me. My own burden too might have seemed moments; holy was he and happy broken a stronger back had not she been so the words from those sweetes: lips came loyal and loving." over him like dow on thirsty grass; all interesting as this part of the subject is better feelings in his soul seemed to it must be left, however, and now we shall whisper: It is good for us to be he: follow him into the domain of phitosoph; parting the Blumine's hand was i for his historical and political works the balmy twilight, with the really phases of that subject and his above them he spoke something of meeting philosophy is too pungent to be dry. again, which was not contradicted: he The question of the day is the Trade pressed gently those small soft fingers, and question. Isitto be Free Trade or Fair scorned as if they were not hosti Trade? Hear him. "As for Pro-not angrily withdrawn. tectionist jargon, who in these earnest Why do I dwell on all this? To under-days would occupy many moments of his stand clearly the next part, and the most time with that 2" "A costermonger in this complex part, of my subject, Carlyle the street," says Crabbe, "finding Intely that husband. But first allow me to introduce his rope of onions, which he oped would to you Jane Welsh Carlyle. Here you see have brought a shilling, was to go for only descendant of John Knox, and tradition sevenpence forth burst forth into says of William Wallace. Whit a com-lamentation, execration, and the most bination is this union. Wallxce, Bruce aithetic tears. Throwing up the window and Knox. Why, here is the best that perceived the other costermongers Scotland has produced and that huve pro-preparing impatiently to pack this one out duced Scotland, proud, independent, stero of their company as a disgrace to it, if he and free; all honour (o them. would not hold his peace and take the And she? She is a daughter worthy of her market value for his onions. I looked noble ancestry, worthy of her gifted hus-better at this costermonger. To my as-band; a woman among women; one of tonishment, a star and garter dawned upon the most talented of women. the dim figure of the man; and I perceived She is a most loveable little woman too, that here was no costerimonger to be expel-despite her sharp tongue and her propensity led with ignominy, but a sublime Ducal Infor ridicule. Withal she ix ambitious. She dividual, whom I forbear to name at this hopes to help her husband in his work and moment." Carlyte has been called a proto foster his genius, for she has detected phet. Was this not more than a passing; that he has a genius. And so they are comment? Was it not prophetic? If not married, and settle down to the serious prophetic it is certainly pat. business of life—a life full of fighting as it It may be interesting to hear his ideas on turned out, sometimes with one another—the Russian question, and to hear what he Ppe' a wordy warfare—sometimes with want, has to say of Germany. In his day Russia and for years with fortune. The fight with was not the mighty giant she has since want was voluntary, for she was an heiress become and it may be that Carlyle was and had assigned her fortune to her mother. The fe with one another is not wrong and all the rest of the world was right; but there are people in the present yet over. Still the battle rages round them in their separate graves, the champions day who hold ie sao views as he with regard to Russian aggression an more bitter tha" the championed. Truly "*the evil that men do lives after them."
Bai polic towards aggressive Russia. Russian increase of strength, really
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.