Last words of Thomas Carlyle - Warburg Institute

WOTTON REINFRED 105expectedly before us, like the gift of some highergenius.'*Some such process,' said Maurice, * some suchinfluence as this of Phidias' s, in one manner oranother, most poets seem to have felt. What else isitthat they call their inspiration ? '' 'Well ! cried EHzabeth, the sun ' is going downhere also ;our groves on such a night are little worsethan those of Elis. If I should sing you some songto my harp, we might have the scene of this samePhidias moderately realised ; and then,' added shearchly, ' if any of you geniuses had a heart, whoknows but you might make somewhat yourselves bywinds of inspu'ation ? ''Do let us try, Elizabeth ! ' cried several voices.Elizabeth, complying, sang handsomely enough,with sweet accompanying harp-tones, a not ungracefulsong to evening ; but none of our friends, as wouldappear, played Phidias to it, but retired to the house,and by degrees to their rooms, without creation ofany sort ; nay, rather, with destruction, for certain ofthem consumed some supper.