CHAT BY THE FIRESIDE.

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blockhead-big as you look, you low miserable creature, you.'

[At another time Carlyle, after reading in Macaulay's "History of England," laid down the book and said, "Flow on, thou shining river."!]

"Carlyle took me up into his study, showed his daguerreotype from Cooper's 'Cromwell,' for which he has a great fondness; his screen covered with small prints relative to Frederick; a (framed) Albert Durer, that had once belonged to the Elector of Saxony; who saved Luther. Gave me also a plaster mask of Dante's face, which he has had many years.

"Carlyle spoke affectionately of Hollar-despondingly of literature. 'If he were on his death-bed' (Carlyle spoke this with intense sincerity), the only thing he had done would give him any pleasure was the 'Cromwell; ' some little pleasure to have done that to have dispersed the lies, and shown him as some day all men would see him to have been!' 'One might as well go on the stage and be a mountebank as take to literature-with other splenetic words,' as interposing he confessed them to be. Carlyle showed himself truly lovable, as well as grand, throughout."

From the time of this visit, Gilchrist was in constant correspondence with Carlyle over the "Frederick :" letters wherein the historian is seen at work upon his last great book. book. For full enjoyment, the communications presuppose close knowledge of the "History of Frederick the Great." As eight of Carlyle's letters to Gilchrist follow one another closely in date, we give them in sequence :

"MY DEAR SIR,

"Chelsea, 28 Nov., 1855.

Last night your messenger brought down the Pictures framed,-four new ones among the lot, besides the 3 Fredericks :-thanks for your singular and useful goodness to me. One of these new Pictures, Lascy (I write Lacy) is extremely good; indeed they seem all good,— except Loudon, whom I know otherwise with a better physiognomy extremely Scotch. This Garret will become quite a Gallery, were all these Portraits hung in their places here; my wife, skilful in such things, has undertaken that part of the business ;-and indeed is now actually engaged in the preliminary parts of it.

"But there is one thing you must do straightway: solve me this couple of Enigmas, the two Prints, Lady and old Gentleman who have no name! No name the remarkable old gentleman (whom I could wish to prove Anhalt-Dessau, whose other portraits he does slightly resemble, but no, no, Anhalt has always whiskers),— and the Lady almost worse than no name, for her signature seems to be written in Persic or Arabic: who on earth is she? Not the Czarìna Elizabeth surely? And she does not resemble Maria Theresa, to my understanding, hardly at all.

"Of the Frederick Books I have read three; all of them worth looking at; one of them a conspicuously excellent Piece, which I had never seen before, his Instructions Militaires, extremely physiognomic of the man, and in all ways demanding to be read, I think the Prussians must still keep it secret,—or I know not what they do with it? No trace of it hitherto in any of

LETTERS FROM CARLYLE.

45

the collections of his books; nor did I know it had ever been translated into English. Were I Commander in Chief I would study that book to the last fibre of meaning in it; and make all my officers, down to the lowest corporal who had sense in his head, read it and again read it.-Alas, I fear if our "Commander-in-Chief," socalled, did read it till he really understood it,—the first effect would be, said Commander-in-Chief would go distracted, and do himself a mischief, with rope or otherwise! It is certain our highest War-Secretary, Duke of Newcastle or whoever he might be, if he applied to Frederick to be made a Drummer, would not even be allowed to drum: "Go first and learn it, then apply to me!”— — But enough of all that. Please solve me the enigma at once, for I shall be unhappy till then, more or less!

"Ruskin took my copy of Etty with him; hopes to make your acquaintance before long.

Chelsea, 10 Dec., 1855. "I yesterday found your new Gift of Prussian Pamphlets waiting for me when I came down. Really I am almost ashamed of your kindness, tho' very heartily obliged.

The Letter on Patriotism I never saw, never distinctly heard of, before: I almost guess they are really not by Frederick (tho' nobody can at once say, such unutterable Editors are these Prussian ones), but I will read, I will examine; a Book even with such a title, in that year 1760, must be curious, and throw light on a thing or two. I suspect the Frederick in sky blue coat (dark blue is the real colour) may really be a copy by Hogarth

from the Chodowiecky Portrait,-not a quite unsuccessful Copy. The other reproduction from Chodowiecky teaches us at least (so bad is it) how happy we are to possess the excellent original.

"Smith is quite right: "It is an error" (very considerable indeed!) "that the science of war needs not to be taught," rule of thumb is by no means adequate to said science! The "Instructions to the Cavalry" is a genuine Piece; I already have it in German (somewhere), with Notes by the Prince de Ligne. Frederick, I find, wrote several sets of "Instructions," general or special, which at length got into print; that of De Ligne's is the only one I had; and that first one you gave me was reckoned by far the most important: every General had a copy in writing; sworn to keep it secret, and not to carry it to the war with him ;-I see it was written before the 7-Years' War (probably about 1750); by what chance it got to the Public is not said; but, about the time of that English one, it was getting printed in various places the Prussian Editors do not give it; a very notable set of Editors!

"We go on Monday, as I said; but shall be back, it all go right, punctually on the 17th of next month; shortly after which date let me have the pleasure of seeing you again, and thanking you for all this kindness. "Yours, with many regards,

"T. CARLYLE." "Chelsea, 3rd February, 1856. Beyond doubt you are one of the successfullest hunters up of Old Books now living; and one of the politest of obliging men! Once more I have to declare

PRINCE OF PUPPIES.

47

myself very much your debtor, and grateful to be helped,-in such a spirit, and also with such effect.

"The Bielefeld is quite a conquest; vainly tried, in all manner of ways, for four years past: it would have saved me, and will still save me, many missions (missions, since visits are really impossible for me) to that dismal labyrinth of a British Museum; nay I may get out of it what no missions or visits would ever have given.

..

"I find in that old book of military Pictures, something of costume to learn from; and at least three portraits I was interested in,-Prince de Ligne (Prince of Puppies, as I call him) for one. N.B. all his pamphlets about Frederick (indifferent all, but unique some of them) are under my hand already."

"Chelsea, 5th March, 1856. "Thanks again for your new Gift,—which I must endeavour again to accept without confusion of face! There is a certain interest in witnessing the actual Installation of Frederick's grandfather by Dutch William and "Mr. Johnston " (a countryman, whom I do not know), -though the main profit is to make good the allusions (Louis XIV.'s second attack upon mankind, treaty of Ryswick still in the womb of Time, &c.), and to spell out the Prussian personages, one or more of whom are beyond my might in this dreadfully mangled condition, "Fulks" for Fuchs, "Denherff" for Donhoff etc. etc.

""Serena" is rather a curious book for Toland's sake, and may become a little more so if the Goddess herself should ever be better known to English mankind. It was worth picking up.