The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I

The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle

and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I, by Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo
Emerson
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Title: The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872,
Vol. I
Author: Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson
Release Date: October 3, 2004 [EBook #13583]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CARLYLE AND EMERSON,
VOL. I ***

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THOMAS CARLYLE AND RALPH WALDO
EMERSON
1834-1872
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