VOLUME I.

"To my friend I write a letter, and from him I receive a letter. It is a spiritual gift, worthy of him to give, and of me to receive."—Emerson

"What the writer did actually mean, the thing he then thought of, the thing he then was."—Carlyle

EDITORIAL NOTE

The trust of editing the following Correspondence, committed to me several years since by the writers, has been of easy fulfilment. The whole Correspondence, so far as it is known to exist, is here printed, with the exception of a few notes of introduction, and one or two essentially duplicate letters. I cannot but hope that some of the letters now missing may hereafter come to light.

In printing, a dash has been substituted here and there for a proper name, and some passages, mostly relating to details of business transactions, have been omitted. These omissions are distinctly designated. The punctuation and orthography of the original letters have been in the main exactly followed. I have thought best to print much concerning dealings with publishers, as illustrative of the material conditions of literature during the middle of the century, as well as of the relations of the two friends. The notes in the two volumes are mine.

My best thanks and those of the readers of this Correspondence are due to Mr. Moncure D. Conway, for his energetic and successful effort to recover some of Emerson's early letters which had fallen into strange hands. —Charles Eliot Norton

Cambridge, Massachusetts January 29, 1883

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NOTE TO REVISED EDITION

The hope that some of the letters missing from it when this correspondence was first published might come to light, has been fulfilled by the recovery of thirteen letters of Carlyle, and of four of Emerson. Besides these, the rough drafts of one or two of Emerson's letters, of which the copies sent have gone astray, have been found. Comparatively few gaps in the Correspondence remain to be filled.

The letters and drafts of letters now first printed are those numbered as follows:—

Vol. I. XXXVI. Carlyle XLI. Emerson XLII. Carlyle XLVI. " XLVII. " LXVIII. "

Vol. II. C. Emerson CIV. Carlyle CV. " CVI. " CVII. " CVIII. " CIX. " CXII. " CXVI. " CXLIX. Emerson CLII. " CLXV. " CLXXXVI. "

Emerson's letter of 1 May, 1859 (CLXIV.), of which only fragments were printed in the former edition, is now printed complete, and the extract from his Diary accompanying it appears in the form in which it seems to have been sent to Carlyle.

—C.E.N.

December 31, 1884

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CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.

Introduction. Emerson's early recognition of Carlyle's genius. —His visit at Craigenputtock, in 1833.—Extracts concerning it from letter of Carlyle, from letter of Emerson, and from English Traits.

I. Emerson. Boston, 14 May, 1834. First acquaintance with Carlyle's writings.—Visit to Craigenputtock.—Sartor Resartus, its contents, its diction.—Gift of Webster's Speeches and Sampson Reed's Growth of the Mind.

II. Carlyle. Chelsea, 12 August, 1834. Significance of Emerson's gift and visit.—Sampson Reed.—Webster.— Teufelsdrockh, its sorry reception.—Removal to London.—Article on the Diamond Necklace.—Preparation for book on the French Revolution.—Death of Coleridge.

III. Emerson. Concord, 20 November, 1834. Death of his brother Edward.—Consolation in Carlyle's friendship.—Pleasure in receiving stitched copy of Teufelsdrockh.—Goethe.— Swedenborgianism.—Of himself.—Hope of Carlyle's coming to America.—Gift of various publications.

IV. Carlyle. Chelsea, 3 February, 1835. Acknowledgments and inquiries.—Sympathy for death of Edward Emerson.—Unitarianism. —Emerson's position and pursuits.—Goethe.-Volume of French Revolution finished.—Condition of literature.—Lecturing in America.—Mrs. Austin.

V. Emerson. Concord, 12 March, 1835. Appreciation of Sartor. —Dr. Channing.—Prospect of Carlyle's visit to America.—His own approaching marriage.—Plan of a journal of Philosophy in Boston.—Encouragement of Carlyle.

VI. Emerson. Concord, 30 April, 1835. Apathy of English public toward Carlyle.—Hope of his visit to America.—Lectures and lecturers in Boston.—Estimate of receipts and expenses.—Esteem of Carlyle in America.

VII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 13 May, 1835. Emerson's marriage. —Astonishing reception of Teufelsdrockh in New England. —Boston Transcendentalism.—Destruction of manuscript of first volume of French Revolution.—Result of a year's life in London.—Wordsworth.—Southey.

VIII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 27 June, 1835. Visit to America questionable.—John Carlyle.—Tired out with rewriting French Revolution.—A London rout.—O'Connell.—Longfellow.—Emerson and Unitarianism.

IX. Emerson. Concord, 7 October, 1835. Mrs. Child.—Public addresses.—Marriage.—Destruction of manuscript of French Revolution.—Notice of Sartor in North American Review. —Politics.—Charles Emerson.

X. Emerson. Concord, 8 April, 1836. Concern at Carlyle's silence.—American reprint of Sartor.—Carlyle's projected visit.—Lecturing in New England.

XI. Carlyle. Chelsea, 29 April, 1836. Weariness over French Revolution.—Visit to Scotland.—Charm of London.—Letter from James Freeman Clarke.—Article on Sartor in North American Review.—Quatrain from Voss.

XII. Emerson. Concord, 17 September,1836. Death of Charles Emerson.—Solicitude concerning Carlyle.—Urgency to him to come to Concord.—Sends Nature to him.—Reflections.

XIII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 5 November, 1836. Charles Emerson's death.—Concord.—His own condition.—French Revolution almost ended.—Character of the book.—Weariness.—London and its people.—Plans for rest.—John Sterling.—Articles on Mirabeau and the Diamond Necklace.—Mill's London Review.—Thanks for American Teufelsdrockh.—Mrs. Carlyle.—Might and Right, Canst and Shalt.—Books about Goethe.

XIV. Carlyle. Chelsea, 13 February, 1837. Teufelsdrockh in America and England.—Nature.—Miss Martineau on Emerson. —Mammon.—Completion of French Revolution.—Scheme of Lecturing in London.—America fading into the background.

XV. Emerson. Concord, 31 March, 1837. Receipt of the Mirabeau and Diamond Necklace.—Their substance and style.—Proof-sheet of French Revolution.—Society in America.—Renewed invitation. —Mrs. Carlyle.—His son Waldo.—Bronson Alcott.—Second edition of Sartor.

XVI. Carlyle. Chelsea, 1 June, 1837. Lectures on German Literature.—Copy of French Revolution sent.—Review of himself in Christian Examiner.—George Ripley.—Miss Martineau and her book on America.—Plans.

XVII. Emerson. Concord, 13 September, 1837. The French Revolution.—Sale of Carlyle's books.—Lectures.

XVIII. Emerson. Concord, 2 November, 1837. Introduction given to Charles Sumner.—Reprint of French Revolution.—Lectures.

XIX. Carlyle. Chelsea, 8 December, 1837. Visit to Scotland. —Mrs. Carlyle's ill-health.—His own need of rest.—John Sterling; his regard for Emerson.—Emerson's Oration on the American Scholar.—Proposed collection of his own Miscellanies.

XX. Emerson. Concord, 9 February, 1838. Lectures on Human Culture.—Carlyle's praise of his Oration.—John Sterling. —Reprint of French Revolution.—Profits from it.—American selection and edition of Carlyle's Miscellanies.

XXI. Emerson. Boston, 12 March, 1838. Sale of French Revolution.—Arrangements concerning American edition of Miscellanies.

XXII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 16 March, 1838. Prospect of cash from Yankee-land.—Poverty.—American and English reprints of Miscellanies.—Sterling's Crystals from a Cavern.—Miss Martineau on Emerson.—Lectures.—Plans.

XXIII. Emerson. Concord, 10 May, 1838. American edition of Miscellanies.—Invitation to Concord.—His means and mode of life.—Sterling.—Miss Martineau.—Carlyle's poverty.

XXIV. Carlyle. Chelsea, 15 June, 1838. American French Revolution.—London edition of Teufelsdrockh.—Miscellanies. —Lectures, their money result.—Plans.—Emerson's Oration. —Mrs. Child's Philothea.

XXV. Emerson. Boston, 30 July, 1838. Encloses bill for L50. —Miscellanies published.

XXVI. Emerson. Concord, 6 August, 1838. Publication of Miscellanies.—Two more volumes proposed.—Orations at Theological School, Cambridge, and at Dartmouth College.—Carlyle desired in America.

XXVII. Carlyle. Scotsbrig, Ecclefechan, 25 September, 1838. Visit to his Mother.—Remittance from Emerson of L50.— Miscellanies again.—Another Course of Lectures.—Sterling.— Miss Martineau.

XXVIII. Emerson. Concord, 17 October, 1838. Business.—Outcry against address to Divinity College.—Injury to Carlyle's repute in America from association with him.—Article in Quarterly on German Religious Writers.—Sterling.

XXIX. Carlyle. Chelsea, 7 November, 1838. Emerson's letters.— Dyspepsia.—Use of money from America.—Arrangements concerning publication of Miscellanies.—Emerson's Orations.—Tempest in a washbowl concerning Divinity School Address.—John Carlyle— Postscript by Mrs. Carlyle.

XXX. Carlyle. Chelsea, 15 November, 1838. Arrangements concerning Miscellanies.—Employments, outlooks.—Concord not forgotten, but Emerson to come first to England.—John Carlyle. —Miss Martineau and her books.

XXXI. Carlyle. Chelsea, 2 December, 1838. Arrival of American reprint of Miscellanies.—English and American bookselling.— Proposed second edition of French Revolution.—Reading Horace Walpole.—Sumner.—Dartmouth Oration.—Sterling.—Dwight's German Translations.

XXXII. Emerson. Concord, 13 January, 1839. Business.— Remittance of L100.—Lectures on Human Life.—Dr. Carlyle.

XXXIII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 8 February, 1839. Acknowledgment of remittance.—Arrangements for new edition of French Revolution.—London.—Wish for quiet.—Ill-health.—Suggestion of writing on Cromwell.—Mr. Joseph Coolidge.—Divinity School Address.—Mrs. Carlyle.—Gladstone cites from Emerson in his Church and State.

XXXIV. Emerson. Concord, 15 March, 1839. Account of sales.— Second series of Miscellanies.—Ill wind raised by Address blown over.—Lectures.—Birth of daughter.—The Onyx Ring. —Alcott.

XXXV. Emerson. Concord, 19 March, 1839. Need of copy to fill out second series of Miscellanies.—John S. Dwight.

XXXVI. Carlyle. Chelsea, 13 April, 1839. Solicitude on account of Emerson's silence.—Gift to Mrs. Emerson.—Book business. —New edition of French Revolution.—New lectures.—Better circumstances, better health.—Arthur Buller urges a visit to America.—Milnes.—Emerson's growing popularity.

XXXVII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 17 April, 1839. Nothing in manuscript fit for Miscellanies.—Essay on Varnhagen.—Translation of Goethe's Mahrchen.—Cruthers and Jonson.—Dwight's book. —Lectures.—Discontent among working people.

XXXVIII. Emerson. Boston, 20 April, 1839. Proposals of publishers concerning French Revolution.—Introduction of Miss Sedgwick.

XXXIX. Emerson. Concord, 25 April, 1839. Account.—Sales of books.

XL. Emerson. Concord, 28 April, 1839. Proposals of publishers and accounts.

XLI. Emerson. Concord, 15 May, 1839. Arrangements with publishers.—Matter for completion of fourth volume of Miscellanies.—Stearns Wheelers faithful labor.—Arthur Buller's good witnessing.—Plans for Carlyle's visit to America. —Milnes.—Copy of Nature for him.

XLII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 29 May, 1839. Lectures happily over.— Sansculottism.—Horse must be had.—Extempore speaking an art.— Must lecture in America or write a book.—Wordsworth.—Sterling. —Messages.

XLIII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 24 June, 1839. Delay in arrival of Miscellanies.—Custom-house rapacities.—Accounts..—No longer poor.—Emerson's work.—Miss Sedgwick.—Daniel Webster.—Proposed visit to Scotland.—Sinking of the Vengeur.

XLIV. Emerson. Concord, 4 July, 1839. Proof-sheet of new edition of French Revolution received.—Gift to Mrs. Emerson of engraving of Guido's Aurora.—Publishers' accounts.—Sterling.— Occupations.—Margaret Fuller.

XLV. Emerson. Concord, 8 August, 1839. Miscellanies sent. —Daniel Webster.—Alcott.—Thoreau.

XLVI. Carlyle. Scotsbrig, Ecclefechan, 4 September, 1839. Rusticating.—Arrival of Miscellanies.—Errata.—Reprint of Wilhelm Meister.—Estimate of the book.—Copies of French Revolution sent.—Eager expectation of Emerson's book.— Sterling.—Plans.

XLVII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 8 December, 1839. Long silence.—Stay in Scotland.—Chartism.—Reprint of Miscellanies.—Stearns Wheeler.—Wilhelm Meister.—Boston steamers.—Speculations about Hegira into New England.—Visitor from America who had never seen Emerson.—Miss Martineau.—Silence and speech.— Sterling.—Southey.—No longer desperately poor.

XLVIII. Emerson. Concord, 12 December, 1839. Copies of French Revolution arrived.—Lectures on the Present Age.—Letter from Sterling, his paper on Carlyle.—Friends.

XLIX. Carlyle. Chelsea, 6 January, 1840. Chartism.— Sterling.—Monckton Milnes, paper by him on Emerson.

L. Carlyle. Chelsea, 17 January, 1840. Export and import of books.—New editions.—Books sent to Emerson.—Cromwell as a subject for writing.—No appetite for lecturing.—Madame Necker on Emerson.

LI. Emerson. New York, 18 March, 1840. New York.—Loss of faith on entering cities.—Margaret Fuller to edit a journal.—Lectures on the Present Age.—His children.—Renewed invitation.

LII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 1 April, 1840. Count D'Orsay, his portrait of Carlyle.—Wages for books, due to Emerson.—Milnes's review.—Heraud.—Landor.—Lectures in prospect on Heroes and Hero-worship.

LIII. Emerson. Concord, 21 April, 1840. Introduction of Mr. Grinnell.—Chartism.—Reprint of it.—At work on a book.— Booksellers' accounts.—The Dial.—Alcott.

LIV. Emerson. Concord, 30 June, 1840. Wilhelm Meister received.—Landor.—Letter to Milnes.—Lithograph of Concord. —The Dial, No. 1.

LV. Carlyle. Chelsea, 2 July, 1840. Bibliopoliana.—Lectures about Great Men.—Lecturing in America.—Milnes and his Poems. —Controversial volume from Ripley.

LVI. Emerson. Concord, 30 August, 1840. Booksellers' accounts. —Faith cold concerning Carlyle's coming to America.— Transcendentalism and The Dial.—Social problems.—Character of his writing.—Charles Sumner.

LVII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 26 September, 1840. Not to go to America for the present.—Heroes and Hero-Worship.—Journey on horseback.—Reading on Cromwell.—Dial No. 1.—Puseyism.—Dr. Sewell on Carlyle.—Landor.—Sterling.

LVIII. Emerson. Concord, 30 October, 1840. Booksellers' accounts.—Projects of social reform.—Studies unproductive. —Hopes to print a book of essays.

LIX. Carlyle. Chelsea, 9 December, 1840. Booksellers' carelessness and accounts.—Puseyism.—Dial No. 2.—Goethe. —Miss Martineau's Hour and Man.—Working in Cromwellism.

LX. Carlyle. Chelsea, 21 February, 1841. To Mrs. Emerson.— London transmuted by her alchemy.—Hope of seeing Concord. —Miss Martineau.—Toussaint l'Ouverture.—Sheets of Heroes and Hero-worship sent to Emerson.

LXI. Emerson. Concord, 28 February, 1841. Accounts.—Essays soon to appear.—Lecture on Reform.

LXII. Emerson. Boston, 30 April, 1841. Remittance of L100.— Accounts.—Piratical reprint of Heroes and Hero-worship.— Dial No. 4.

LXIII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 8 May, 1841. Visit to Milnes.—To his Mother.—Emerson's Essays.—His own condition.

LXIV. Carlyle. Chelsea, 21 May, 1841. Acknowledgment of remittance of L100.—Unauthorized American reprint of Heroes and Hero-worship.—Improvement in circumstances.—Desire for solitude.—Article on Emerson in Fraser's Magazine.

LXV. Emerson. Concord, 30 May, 1841. Accounts.—Book by Jones Very.—Heroes and Hero-worship.—Thoreau.

LXVI. Carlyle. Chelsea, 25 June, 1841. Proposed stay at Annan. —Motives for it.—London reprint of Emerson's Essays.—Rio.

LXVII. Emerson. Concord, 31 July, 1841. London reprint of Essays.—Carlyle in his own land.—Writing an oration.

LXVIII. Carlyle. Newby, Annan, Scotland, 18 August, 1841. Speedy receipt of letter.—Stay in Scotland.—Seclusion and sadness.—Reprint of Emerson's Essays.—Shipwreck.

LXIX. Emerson. Concord, 30 October, 1841. Pleasure in English reprint of Essays.—Lectures on the Times.—Opportunities of the Lecture-room.—Accounts.

LXX. Emerson. Concord, 14 November, 1841. Remittance of L40.— His banker.—Gambardella.—Preparation for lectures on the Times.

LXXI. Carlyle. Chelsea, 19 November, 1841. Gambardella.— Lawrence's portrait.—Emerson's Essays in England.—Address at Waterville College.—The Dial.—Emerson's criticism on Landor.

LXXII. Carlyle. Chelsea, 6 December, 1841. Acknowledgment of remittance of L40.—American funds.—Landor.—Emerson's Lectures.

LXXIII. Emerson. New York, 28 February, 1842. Remittance of L48.—American investments.—Death of his son.—Alcott going to England.

LXXIV. Carlyle. Templand, 28 March, 1842. Sympathy, with Emerson.—Death of Mrs. Carlyle's mother.—At Templand to settle affairs.—Life there.—A book on Cromwell begun.

LXXV. Emerson. Concord, 31 March, 1842. Bereavement.—Alcott going to England.—Editorship of Dial.—Mr. Henry Lee.— Lectures in New York.

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CORRESPONDENCE OF CARLYLE AND EMERSON

At the beginning of his "English Traits," Mr. Emerson, writing of his visit to England in 1833, when he was thirty years old, says that it was mainly the attraction of three or four writers, of whom Carlyle was one, that had led him to Europe. Carlyle's name was not then generally known, and it illustrates Emerson's mental attitude that he should have thus early recognized his genius, and felt sympathy with it.

The decade from 1820 to 1830 was a period of unusual dulness in English thought and imagination. All the great literary reputations belonged to the beginning of the century, Byron, Scott, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, had said their say. The intellectual life of the new generation had not yet found expression. But toward the end of this time a series of articles, mostly on German literature, appearing in the Edinburgh and in the Foreign Quarterly Review, an essay on Burns, another on Voltaire, still more a paper entitled "Characteristics," displayed the hand of a master, and a spirit in full sympathy with the hitherto unexpressed tendencies and aspirations of its time, and capable of giving them expression. Here was a writer whose convictions were based upon principles, and whose words stood for realities. His power was slowly acknowledged. As yet Carlyle had received hardly a token of recognition from his contemporaries.

He was living solitary, poor, independent, in "desperate hope," at Craigenputtock. On August 24,1833, he makes entry in his Journal as follows: "I am left here the solitariest, stranded, most helpless creature that I have been for many years….. Nobody asks me to work at articles. The thing I want to write is quite other than an article… In all times there is a word which spoken to men; to the actual generation of men, would thrill their inmost soul. But the way to find that word? The way to speak it when found?" The next entry in his Journal shows that Carlyle had found the word. It is the name "Ralph Waldo Emerson," the record of Emerson's unexpected visit. "I shall never forget the visitor," wrote Mrs. Carlyle, long afterwards, "who years ago, in the Desert, descended on us, out of the clouds as it were, and made one day there look like enchantment for us, and left me weeping that it was only one day."