“T.  CARLYLE.”

  “To HAMILTON HUME, Esq.,
  “Hon. Sec.  ‘Eyre Defence Fund.’”

In August, 1867, Carlyle broke silence again with an utterance in the style of the Latter-Day Pamphlets, entitled “Shooting Niagara:  and After?” published anonymously (though everyone, of course, knew it to be his) in Macmillan’s Magazine.  Shortly afterwards it was reprinted as a separate pamphlet, with additions, and with the author’s name on the title-page.

In February, 1868, Carlyle wrote some Recollections of Sir William Hamilton, as a contribution to Professor Veitch’s Memoir of that accomplished metaphysician.

In November, 1870, he addressed a long and very remarkable letter to the Times, on the French-German war, which is reprinted in the latest edition of his collected Miscellanies.

Two years later (November, 1872) he added a very beautiful Supplement to the People’s Edition of his “Life of Schiller,” founded on Saupe’s “Schiller and his Father’s Household,” and other more recent books on Schiller that had appeared in Germany.

His last literary productions were a series of papers on “The Early Kings of Norway,” and an Essay on “The Portraits of John Knox,” which appeared, in instalments, in Fraser’s Magazine, in the first four months of 1875.  On the 4th December of that year, Carlyle attained his eightieth year, and this anniversary was signalised by some of the more distinguished of his friends and admirers by striking a medal, the head being executed by Mr. Boehm, whose noble statue of Carlyle, exhibited in the Royal Academy in the previous year, had won so much merited praise from Mr. Ruskin and others.  The medal was accompanied by an address, signed by the subscribers.  Carlyle seems to have been much gratified with this honour, which took him quite by surprise, and he expressed his acknowledgments as follows:—­

“This of the medal and formal address of friends was an altogether unexpected event, to be received as a conspicuous and peculiar honour, without example hitherto anywhere in my life....  To you ...  I address my thankful acknowledgments, which surely are deep and sincere, and will beg you to convey the same to all the kind friends so beautifully concerned in it.  Let no one of you be other than assured that the beautiful transaction, in result, management, and intention, was altogether gratifying, welcome, and honourable to me, and that I cordially thank one and all of you for what you have been pleased to do.  Your fine and noble gift shall remain among my precious possessions, and be the symbol to me of something still more golden than itself, on the part of my many dear and too generous friends, so long as I continue in this world.

  “Yours and theirs, from the heart,

  “T.  CARLYLE.”

Carlyle’s last public utterances were a letter on the Eastern Question, addressed to Mr. George Howard, and printed in the Times of November 28, 1876, and a letter to the Editor of the Times, on “The Crisis,” printed in that journal on May 5, 1877.