The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I.

The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I.

I am very happy in the “success” of the London lectures.  I have no word to add tonight, only that Sterling is not timber-toned, that I love his poetry, that I admire his prose with reservations here and there.  What he knows he writes manly and well.  Now and then he puts in a pasteboard man; but all our readers here take Blackwood for his sake, and lately seek him in vain.  I am getting on with some studies of mine prosperously for me, have got three essays nearly done, and who knows but in the autumn I shall have a book?  Meantime my little boy and maid, my mother and wife, are well, and the two ladies send to you and yours affectionate regards,—­they would fain say urgent invitations.  My mother sends tonight, my wife always.

I shall send you presently a copy of a translation published here of Eckermann, by Margaret Fuller, a friend of mine and of yours, for the sake of its preface mainly.  She is a most accomplished lady, and her culture belongs rather to Europe than to America.  Good bye.

—­R.W.  Emerson

XLV.  Emerson to Carlyle

Concord, 8 August, 1839

Dear Friend,—­This day came the letter dated 24 June, with “steam packet” written by you on the outside, but no paddles wheeled it through the sea.  It is forty-five days old, and too old to do its errand even had it come twenty days sooner—­so far as printer and bookbinder are concerned.  I am truly grieved for the mischance of the John Fraser, and will duly lecture the sinning bookseller.  I noticed the misnomer in a letter of his New York correspondent, and, I believe, mentioned to you in a letter my fear of such a mischance.  I am more sorry for the costliness of this adventure to you, though in a gracious note to me you cut down the fine one half.  The new books, tardily printed, were tardily bound and tardily put to sea on the packet ship “Ontario,” which left New York for London on the 1st of August.  At least this was the promise of Munroe & Co.  I stood over the boxes in which they were packing them in the latter days of July.  I hope they have not gone to John again, but you must keep an eye to both names....

I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have seen my brave Senator, and seen him as I see him.  All my days I have wished that he should go to England, and never more than when I listened two or three times to debates in the House of Commons.  We send out usually mean persons as public agents, mere partisans, for whom I can only hope that no man with eyes will meet them; and now those thirsty eyes, those portrait-eating, portrait-painting eyes of thine, those fatal perceptions, have fallen full on the great forehead which I followed about all my young days, from court-house to senate-chamber, from caucus to street.  He has his own sins no doubt, is no saint, is a prodigal.  He has drunk this rum of Party too so long, that his strong head

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The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.