--Breakfasted at Milnes', and met rather a remarkable
party, consisting of Savage, Landor, and Carlyle (neither of whom
I had ever seen before), Robinson, Rogers, and Rice. A good deal of
conversation between Robinson and Carlyle about German authors, of
whom I knew nothing, nor (from what they paraded of them) felt that I
had lost much by my ignorance."[A]
[Footnote A: Diary of Thomas Moore. (Lond. 1856.) Vol. vii., p. 224]
In 1835, after the publication of "Sartor Resartus," Carlyle received
an invitation from some American admirers of his writings, to visit
their country, and he contemplated doing so, but his labours in
examining and collecting materials for his great work on "The French
Revolution," then hastening towards completion, prevented him.
We may say that, for many reasons, it is to be regretted that this
design was never carried into execution. Had Carlyle witnessed with
his own eyes the admirable working of democratic institutions in the
United States, he might have done more justice to our Transatlantic
brethren, who were always his first and foremost admirers, and he
might also have acquired more faith in the future destinies of his own
countrymen.
Pages:
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46