“Another thing, and only one other, I will say.  All books are properly the record of the history of past men—­what thoughts past men had in them—­what actions past men did:  the summary of all books whatsoever lies there.  It is on this ground that the class of books specifically named History can be safely recommended as the basis of all study of books—­the preliminary to all right and full understanding of anything we can expect to find in books.  Past history, and especially the past history of one’s own native country, everybody may be advised to begin with that.  Let him study that faithfully; innumerable inquiries will branch out from it; he has a broad-beaten highway, from which all the country is more or less visible; there travelling, let him choose where he will dwell.

“Neither let mistakes and wrong directions—­of which every man, in his studies and elsewhere, falls into many—­discourage you.  There is precious instruction to be got by finding that we are wrong.  Let a man try faithfully, manfully, to be right, he will grow daily more and more right.  It is, at bottom, the condition which all men have to cultivate themselves.  Our very walking is an incessant falling—­a falling and a catching of ourselves before we come actually to the pavement!—­it is emblematic of all things a man does.

“In conclusion, I will remind you that it is not by books alone, or by books chiefly, that a man becomes in all points a man.  Study to do faithfully whatsoever thing in your actual situation, there and now, you find either expressly or tacitly laid to your charge; that is your post; stand in it like a true soldier.  Silently devour the many chagrins of it, as all human situations have many; and see you aim not to quit it without doing all that it, at least, required of you.  A man perfects himself by work much more than by reading.  They are a growing kind of men that can wisely combine the two things—­wisely, valiantly, can do what is laid to their hand in their present sphere, and prepare themselves withal for doing other wider things, if such lie before them.

“With many good wishes and encouragements, I remain, yours sincerely,

  “THOMAS CARLYLE.

  “Chelsea, 13th March, 1843.”

The publication of “Past and Present” elicited a paper “On the Genius and Tendency of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle,” from Mazzini, which appeared in the “British and Foreign Review,” of October, 1843.[A] It is a candid and thoughtful piece of criticism, in which the writer, while striving to do justice to Carlyle’s genius, protests strongly and uncompromisingly against the tendency of his teaching.

[Footnote A:  Reprinted in the “Life and Writings of Joseph Mazzini.”  (London, 1867).  Vol. iv. pp. 56-144.]

Some months afterwards, when the House of Commons was occupied with the illegal opening of Mazzini’s letters, Carlyle spontaneously stepped forward and paid the following tribute to his character:—­