Last words of Thomas Carlyle - Warburg Institute

;50 WOTTON BEINFEEDAll this is not without effect on thinking minds ;in Wotton it co-operated with much that he alreadyfelt ; for the incident of last night, though as if bytacit consent it was not spoken of, still lurked inhis thoughts, predisposing him to vague wondrousimaginations and all high feeling. Bernard was fullof eloquence; praising the beauty of nature, thebenignity of Providence, and the happiness of menWotton the while answered him, as a stout sceptic,indeed, but as a sceptic that grieved, not rejoiced to beso ; and thus for both parties the conversation wasentertaining, for with both such topics, and so treated,were chief favourites. They were in the bottom of arude solitary glen, engaged so pleasantly, when thetramp of a horse was heard on the left, and presentlya rider was observed issuing by a steep side path froma sort of break in the hills, and seemed as if advancinglike themselves, though from a different point, towardthe head of the valley.The horseman, in fact, soon joined them, and hiscourteous salutation being as courteously returned,the commonplace introductions to talk ere long gaveplace to more interesting topics, and a pleasant feelingof companionship diffused itself over the party. Thestranger seemed a man of some fifty years ;of a staid,determinate, yet, at the same time, winning manner ;at once polished, intelligent, and sociably frank : tolook at him and listen to him you felt inclined toassign the man a higher rank than his equipment