[Born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, 1796. Still living.]
Critic, Philosopher, Essayist, Censor: the criticism acute,
penetrating,, severe; the philosophy idol-worship; the essay-writing
picturesque, striking, animated, and strongly coloured; the censorship
furious, testy, useless, if not unmeaning. Saturated with German
metaphysics, full of German literature, and delighting in the German
form of expression. If Thomas Carlyle would throw off his foreign
affectations, and forget _himself_ in his labours, he would be one of
our most instructive, useful, convincing, and admirable writers; for his
heart is large, his intellect strong, and both heart and intellect have
long striven to inculcate human love amongst men, and to build, upon
mutual affection, high deeds, and benevolent aspirations. But Thomas
Carlyle, pen in hand, never did forget himself at any one instant of his
life, and never will. To use one of his own Germanisms, he is the very
incarnation of “Ich.” An instructed author will hold the balance fairly
between his subject and his reader, dealing with each with intelligent
reference to the other. Carlyle usually cares nothing either for his
reader or his subject, but swallows up both. Whatever he shows us, we
chiefly see Thomas Carlyle. “The French Revolution” is the best of his
works! His pictures, there are startling, wonderful, and highly painted;
his eloquence is inspiriting, and his imagery grand. As a social and
moral Reformer, he beats the air, belonging to that humblest order of
architects who are clever enough at destroying houses, but have no power
to set up others in their place. Yet the influence of Carlyle has been
great, both in England and America. He has forced men to think--he has
appealed with irresistible power to their better natures--given vigour
and direction to their impulses, and torn the veil from quackery as
often as the evil thing has crossed his manly and indignant path. Sad
thought that so serviceable an arm should be clogged with fetters of its
own forging--that an almost boundless capacity for good should be
restricted by a tether of its own fashioning.
[By H. Weigall.]