At this point—a kind of middle point before the evil days begin—it may be convenient to introduce all Lockhart’s extant correspondence with Mr. Carlyle. To Lockhart, though they saw each other seldom (a quiet dinner is noted now and then), Mr. Carlyle was greatly attached.1 In 1828 he called Lockhart’s book on Burns “a trivial one enough,” but the sage was not on good terms with the nature of things in 1828. In 1831 they met. “Lockhart (whom I did not know) desires to be introduced to me,” at a Fraser dinner. “A precise, brief, active person of considerable faculty, which, however, had shaped itself gigmanically only.
1 Once Lockhart met Carlyle at Lord Ashburton’s. His diary says of the visit, “very stupid!” |
| 224 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
I now give the whole correspondence in one mass, despite the separation of dates: the unity of subject seems to justify this arrangement. Lockhart writes as to the famous Goethe medal, unaccountably unacknowledged by Scott:—
“Dear Sir,—I am much obliged to you for
1 “Thomas Carlyle, First Forty Years,” ii. 233, 263. 2 Letter from Mr. Alexander Carlyle, February 27, 1896. |
| CARLYLE | 225 |
Mr. Carlyle complied with this request: his original letter to Scott is at Abbotsford. Like Mr. Carlyle, Lockhart could feel “low.”
“My dear Carlyle,—I am your debtor, and Varnhagen’s too, for a very neat and pleasant little book, which you shall read when you like. I am sorry to hear you are low, but I am myself in profundissimis.—Ever yours,
That Carlyle should write a novel, as Lockhart next proposes, was a curious suggestion. Thomas busy over a love-scene cannot well be imagined.
“Dear Saurteig,—There used
to be a learned Icelander in the Advocates’ Library, but he left there years ago,
and is now established, I think, at
| 226 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
“I hope we shall walk, or, better, dine together soon; but I am now going into Herts for a few days.
“Now give us a Romance of the Middle Ages, or of any age. Why not Cromwell’s time and the Scotch Covenanters? You have more the power of putting life into the dry bones than anybody but Scott, and nothing could be more unlike his method of doing it than yours. Ergo, you may walk into a field that always will be rich for whoso can walk without stick or crutch.—Yours,
The familiarity of this note seems to show that it is later than the following proposal from Carlyle:—
“Dear Sir,—It will
probably seem surprising that I of all persons should propose writing for you
in the Quarterly
Review. Neither do I propose it for a series of times, nor
altogether definitely even for one first time. For one first time, however,
| CHARTISM | 227 |
“I have, and have had for many years, a word to speak on the condition of the lower classes in this country. My notions on this subject differ intensely from those of the speculating Radicals, intensely from those of the Whigs: it seems to me the better class of the Conservatives are, on the whole, the persons to whom it were hopefullest, and in many ways fittest, to address myself. There are writers in your Review with whom I have a deep sympathy; a Rev. Mr. Sewell in particular, whose name I inquired out some years ago, gets in general from me the heartiest, most entire assent all along till we get to the conclusion he draws, when, strangely enough, I am obliged to answer, ‘Not at all by any means,’ for most part! On the whole, I think I partly understand what the conditions of this proposed sermon of mine would be; and if you gave me scope I think I could tell my audience a strange thing or two without offence—nay, with hope of persuading and interesting certain of them.
“At all events, as I said, it is a kind of necessity for me to speak this word, some time or other, somewhere or other; and as I cannot afford to pay for printing pamphlets, or even to write for nothing, I find on looking round me that first of all I ought to ask you to consider what is feasible about this, and let me know your decision.
“I come almost daily into the Piccadilly region,
| 228 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
Lockhart was unable to accept Carlyle’s essay, which, indeed, was a book, not an article. Carlyle writes, after he learned this, assuring Lockhart that he is not annoyed:—
“My dear Sir,—There are two books of yours here; which I beg you to understand are not meant to be kept as black-mail, but to be returned with thanks. I retain them only till the Chartism concern be printed—till I can send you a copy of that along with them.
“However, the reason of my writing is not these
books, which are probably of no value at all to you; but a reflection I made
yesterday on the irritable nature of authors—on the doubts you may by
possibility have about my being irritated! God knows I am much gratified, by
your praise of me especially, which I believe to have much more sincerity in it
than praise usually has. For the rest, I consider
| CARLYLE’S COVENANTERS | 229 |
“With many kind regards, and a hope to fall in with you again by-and-by,—I remain, my dear Sir, yours very truly always,
Carlyle was now in search of books on the Covenant, and found them hard to obtain; to buy books was, indeed, difficult for him at this date.
“Dear Mr.
Lockhart,—In reference to one of the topics touched upon
yesterday, when I was lucky enough to come athwart your orbit for a
little,—it strikes me that I might as well have asked you if you did not
by chance possess a copy of the Covenanter
Baillie’s ‘Letters and Journals’? or perhaps
you know some charitable soul who has one, and would lend it me to read? As I
borrow
| 230 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
“I will ask farther, now that my hand is in, whether you have not, in defect of Baillie or not in defect, some stock of books on that period of history, in which a hungry reaver might be allowed, on occasion, to forage? I desiderate greatly the Literature of it, Songs, Pasquinades, &c &c.—so far as it had any Literature.
At lowest, perhaps you can tell me something about Jenny Geddes! I search to no purpose for any glimmering of light about Jenny. C. K. Sharpe (in Kirkton) says, she had sat on the Cutty Stool for a mistake in behaviour; but even that small fact I am unable to verify. Burns, you tell me, named his mare after her;—proper surely. In truth, she stands as a most memorable monumental figure, this poor Jenny, to me; featureless, I am afraid, for ever. Shakespeare’s is not the only lost Biography! Greedy oblivion makes haste to swallow us all.—Believe me, yours very heartily,
Lockhart did possess some books on the period
| THE GREAT MONTROSE | 231 |
“My dear Sir,—Yesterday I left your Napier’s ‘Montrose’ with Fraser, who promised to send it home forthwith; many thanks for it. The book is very readable, not without talent: an anti-Cameronian rant, as in the former case, but with somewhat of the dissonance abated, marrowbone and cleaver music mostly left out, &c. I find the great Montrose not unintelligible; a right brave man, with his haughty shut mouth, with his broad mournful brow; a man of genius,—a hero and hero-worshipper, with nothing but a poor shambling Charles First to worship: one of the most tragical conditions. Ah me!
“Have you ‘Argyle’s Letters’ among your Maitland books? or is it a Bannatyne one?
“If you ever see that Mr. Richardson, of Fludyer Street,1 perhaps you will bethink you to gather from him whether he actually possesses a stock of Covenant works, and is communicative of it? I have got from Scotland, after endless labour, a Baillie under way for me. A hapless man searching in these departments is like a cinder-sifter, a Parisian rag-picker, searching and swashing through all gutters, happy if here and there he find a copper button or an old nail!
|
1 Mr. Richardson had a good library, now at Kirklands. |
| 232 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
“I wish I fell in with you oftener. A mouthful of rational conversation does a man real good; and he seldom gets it in these times and places, poor devil!—Yours very truly, T. Carlyle.”
“The good honest Scotch face” of poor Charles Scott, spoken of by Carlyle in the following letter, had been sketched by Lockhart long ago. Carlyle also comments on Lockhart’s article on Copyright: the subject of his own humorous petition:—
“My dear Sir,—If you have yet got any certain intelligence about poor Charles Scott, may I claim of you to let me share in it. If not yet, then as soon as any does arrive. I have the liveliest impression of that good honest Scotch face and character, though never in contact with the young man but that once. Alas, so many histories are tragedies; or rather, all histories are! I pray you, let me know.
“That is a capital article on the Copyright question: a
conviction in it as deep and vivid as my own, or that of any other idealist; but embodied, with excellent dexterity, in the
given element of practicalities, possibilities, and existing facts—which
do and will exist, let us bless them or curse them! It cannot but do great
service. I fancy I know the hand very well: a most velvet touch; truly a
| CARLYLE AT TEMPLAND | 233 |
Carlyle’s grief at the death of Mrs. Carlyle’s mother finds expression in his next letter.1 That he wrote to Lockhart in» this hour of sadness proves his confidence in his friend’s heart and sympathy.
“Dear Lockhart,—An event has occurred here, of which, though it can only concern you through me, I think I should apprise you. My poor wife’s mother, Mrs. Welsh of this place, has been unexpectedly called away by death. She was a person of much generosity and worth; whose very frailties and failings, being, as they were, all virtues in a state of obstruction and terrene imprisonment, now make one love her more, now that the imprisonment has broken down, and all has melted into clearness and eternity! My wife, her only daughter and child, has returned to Chelsea; her letters still betoken extreme misery and disconsolation. Mrs. Welsh was a widow, and her father had died here, and before him her sister. This establishment is now to be abandoned and terminated. None can fancy what all that will mean
1 See “Thomas Carlyle,” ii. 237. |
| 234 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
“It is often far longer than this that I do not see you; but I feel as if, were I within four miles of you at present, not even London should keep me from exchanging a few words with a thinking man. Adieu.—I remain yours very truly always,
“P.S.—This Mrs. Welsh was the owner of the little dog Shandy which used to run about the feet of Sir Walter Scott. Ah me!”
The dog, which fell in love with Sir Walter in the street, is mentioned in Carlyle’s essay on Scott. Lockhart replies thus:—
“Dear Carlyle,—Thanks for your brief, friendly missive from
the hills. I have outlived so many friends, and am left with so few, that it is
no wonder I should dwell a good deal more in the past than the present; but I
am nevertheless quite alive to whatever interests and concerns you, and
therefore your wife—never seen by
me, alas! but often heard
| “AN OLD BELIEF” | 235 |
|
“It is an old belief
That on some solemn shore
Beyond the sphere of grief
Dear friends shall meet once more—
|
|
Beyond the sphere of Time
And Sin and Fate’s control,
Serene in changeless prime
Of Body and of Soul.
|
|
That creed I fain would keep,
This hope I’ll not forego;
Eternal be the Sleep
Unless to waken so.”
|
| 236 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
The verses are part of a lyric written by Lockhart in 1841. Mr. Carlyle answers wisely as to booksellers; but he had grumbled the same grumble himself, as his published letters declare. The letter is touchingly affectionate, and displays the sage in his best mood:—
“Dear Lockhart,—Your letter is very kind and friendly; thanks to you for it.
“We are not much richer, even in money, by our good
mother’s death, which has made
us poorer in so many other ways: a small peculium, once hers, is now ours, and might in case of
extremity keep the hawks out of a poor author’s eyes (which is a blessing
too); but henceforth, as heretofore, our only sure revenue must be the great
one which Tullius speaks of by the name
Parcimonia—meaning
abstinence, rigorous abnegation—Scotch thrift, in a word! Not so bad a
vectigal after all. Really
the Scotch are a meritorious people. They make wholesome pottage by boiling
oatmeal in water; savoury soup of a singed sheep’s head. They teach a
poor man to understand that he is verily to live on bread and water, or even to
die for want of bread and water, rather than beg, and be another’s
bondsman. They say, with their rigorous stoicism, and Calvinism, which is
hyper-stoicism: ‘Suffer, abstain;’ thou art there to abstain
and endure! Honour to them, poor fellows. It is really the lesson which destiny
itself
| SERVITUDE | 237 |
“We growl much about bookseller-servitude; worse than Algerine—and yet at bottom we are but a foolish folk. Consider you, for example, how many of your good things you would perhaps never have taken the trouble to write at all had there been no such servitude! Servitude is a blessing and a great liberty, the greatest that could be given a man! So the shrewd little De Stael, on reconsidering and computing it, found that the place, of all places ever known to her, she had enjoyed the most freedom in, was the Bastille. As to me, I have dragged this ugly millstone Poverty at my heels, spurning it and cursing it often enough, ever since I was a man; yet there it tagged and lumbered on; and at length I was obliged to ask myself, Had they cut it for thee, sent thee soaring like a foolish tumbler-pigeon, like a mad Byron! Thank the millstone, thou fool; it is thy ballast, and keeps the centre of gravity right! In short, we are a foolish people, born fools—and it were wise, perhaps, at present, to go and smoke a pipe in silence under the stars.
“The mountain-tops are aglow like so many volcanoes:
it is poor tarry shepherds burning their heather, to let the grass have a
chance. Sirius is glancing blue-bright like a spirit—a comrade of
| 238 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
“These last days, the rustics and factors driven out of my way, have been altogether like a kind of Sabbath to me—different enough from Agnew’s. Unhappily they are now to end: in the beginning of next week come packers, carpenters; on the Thursday it all ends in an uproar of auctioneers, &c.; I before that am far off, never to return hither. Back to your whirlpool, I suppose, in some few days more. Adieu, dear Lockhart; many good nights.—Yours very truly,
Lockhart here acknowledges Carlyle’s “Past and Present,” in Carlyle’s own manner:—
“Father Saurteig,—Thanks to thee for thy new work—a real piece of work such as even thou hadst not before given us the like of—not even in ‘Sartor Resartus.’ I could wish thou hadst not put forth more of this at once than the two or three first books, and that the first had been placed last of these. Thou shouldst have begun assuredly with thy true revivification of the men of St. Edmundsburg.
| LOCKHART TO CARLYLE | 239 |
“Neither can I agree with my teacher in what he more than once proclaimeth as his judgment general, touching Olivier of Tyburn; nor, indeed, am I very sure that I leap as yet contentedly to any of thy distinct conclusions, save one—namely, that we are all wrong and all like to be damned (p. 158). But I thank thee for having made me conscious of life and feeling for sundry hours by thy pages, whether figurative, or narrative, or didactic Thou hast done a book such as no other living man could do or dream of doing.
“Give us more of thy pictures of the past. Bad is the present, and black exceedingly the future, and even thou canst do little for either of them, except truly that thou canst enable thy fellows now breathing to breathe more nimbly whenever it so pleaseth thee to indite a page of Carlylism.—So resteth ever thine,
The Templand epistles are those of which Carlyle speaks in his notes on the letters of Mrs. Carlyle, where he fears that he has lost Lockhart’s replies. “A hard, proud, singularly intelligent, and also affectionate man, whom in the distance I esteemed more than perhaps he ever knew. Seldom did I speak to him; but hardly ever without learning and gaining something.”1
“The ways are sair” from Regent’s Park to
1 “Letters of Jane Welsh Carlyle,” i. 44. |
| 240 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
Carlyle’s letters are, as always, the man himself. How true, especially (despite his own murmurings), are his remarks on Lockhart’s grumble at the “booksellers,” a traditional grumble: Lockhart had no cause for complaint. Two later letters of Carlyle’s may be added. The gifted Gilfillan, whom he here recommends, published later in a kind of “Life of Scott” the usual things about Lockhart, called him “malignant,” “virulent,” and so forth. He who would defend Lockhart, said Mr. Gilfillan, would be “another Lockhart,” with the rest of such inspired judgments.
“Dear Lockhart,—A
poor, meritorious Scotchman, a burgher minister in Dundee, of the name of
Gilfillan, has published a
book—I believe at his own expense too, poor fellow—under the title
| “GIFTED GILFILLAN” | 241 |
“This testimony I have volunteered to send, having seen the man as well as his writing;—and now this is all I have to say. The antecedents to this step, and the corollaries that follow from it on your part and on mine, are not needed to be written. I believe you will do me the honour (a very great honour as times go) to believe what I have written; and the helping of a poor fellow that has merit, when he can be helped,—this, I take it, is at all times felt to be a pleasure and a blessing by you as by me. And so enough of it.
“We are here on the Hampshire coasts, hiding with
kind friends from the London fogs for a while: a pleasant place in comparison,
especially when one
| 242 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
This is the last letter which has been preserved:—
“Dear Lockhart,—Here are your Session Papers again, with many thanks to the Lord Peter and you. I had heard of Jeffrey’s opinion on the same question, but do not find it here; perhaps he sits in some other ‘Division,’ under some other kind of wig. May the Lord help them all—and us all!
“There will be required, I perceive, a very great
deal more palaver before they get a real English Poor-Law passed for Scotland;
but to that conclusion, if they should paint an inch thick, they will be
obliged to come;—and even that (God knows!) will not stead them very
long. Palaver has been loud very long; but Fact, in these times, is getting
still louder—loud as Cavaignac’s cannon and the thunder of the
gods! I confess I am not sorry that this brutish dog-kennel is either to be cut
off altogether or made more human a little. Was not Peel’s prophecy, the other week, a kind of gleam as of
something like a dawn that would get above
| CARLYLE | 243 |
“You will never more come to Chelsea; and at Sussex Place it is useless for me to call—yet I will once again before long, in spite of the grim Fates. If you are in bed or abroad, your blood be on your own head!
“Good be with you at any rate; I do salute you across the Arctic seas and their ice-floes; and am always, dear Lockhart, yours sincerely,
By 1849 Lockhart’s health
and private sorrows made him averse to paying visits; probably Carlyle and he saw little of each other henceforth. The great probability
of encountering Leigh Hunt at Mr.
Carlyle’s may not have been wholly agreeable to
Lockhart. In all affections there is celui qui aime, et celui qui se laisse aimer. It seems not unlikely
that Carlyle was in the former position: he had a real and warm
affection for Lockhart, who, in his own misfortunes, turned seldom for
comfort to others, as Carlyle at Templands had turned to him. But, at
bottom, the two men trusted and understood each other. Carlyle, in his
latest days, was often heard, Mr. Froude says, to
quote Lockhart’s lines, “It is an old
belief.” He often insisted that Lockhart’s biography
should be written then, while there were
| 244 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
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