Last words of Thomas Carlyle - Warburg Institute

WOTTON EEINFEED 95* which he should suppress and war against, for he hasno alchemy which ca7i so transfigure them. If his ageis worthless and sunk, he must make for himselfanother; let him strive to change his degradedbrethren into his noble likeness, not deface himself intotheirs.'*But the means ? ' said Williams.*By deep worship of truth and a generous scorn offalsehood, however popular and patronised. Let nomomentary show of things divert him from theiressence. Let him not look to the idols of the time,but to the pure ideal of his own spirit ; let him listennot to the clamours and contradictions from without,but to the harmonious unison from within.'*And how will the time relish this ? ' said Burridge.* Badly, it may be,' answered Maurice, but * allhope is not therefore lost. Fit audience he will findthough few, let him speak where he will ; and if hiswords are sure and well-ordered they will last from ageto age, and the hearing ear and the understandingheart will not be wanting. Cast thy bread upon theumters, thou shalt find it after many days ! So it iswith true poetry and all good and noble things. Thewheat is sown amid autumnal vapours, and lies longburied under snow, yet the field waves yellow insummer, and the reaper goes down to it rejoicing.'said Wotton.'Then it is not the poet's chief end to please ? '*His means not his end,' replied Maurice ;'on the