resists the national action. Take from it the wild Irish element, imported in the last twenty-five years into this country, and led by Romish priests, who sympathise of course with despotism, and you would bereave it of ali its numerical strength. A man intelligent and virtuous is not to be found on that side.

"Ah! how gladly I would enlist you with your thunderbolt on our part! How gladly enlist the wise, thoughtful, efficient pens and voices of England! We want England and Europe to hold our people staunch to their best tendency. Are English of this day incapable of a great sentiment? Can they not leave cavilling at petty failures and bad manners, and at the dunce part (always the largest part in human affairs), and leap to the suggestions and fingerpointing of the gods, which, above the understanding, feed the hopes and guide the wills of men? This war has been conducted over the heads of all the actors in it, and the foolish terrors,-'What shall we do with the negro?' 'the entire black population is coming North to be fed,' &c., have strangely ended in the fact that the black refuses to leave his climate; gets his living and the living of his employer there, as he has always done; is the natural ally and soldier of the Republic in that climate; now takes the place of 200,000 white soldiers; and will be, as the conquest of the country proceeds, its garrison, till Peace without Slavery

Slaveholders in London have filled English ears with their wishes and perhaps beliefs; and our people, generals and politicians, have carried the like, at first, to the war, until corrected by irresistible experience. I shall always respect War hereafter. The cost of life, the dreary havoc of comfort and time, are overpaid by the vistas it opens of eternal life, eternal law, reconstructing and uplifting Society,-breaks up the old horizon, and we see through the rifts a wider. The dismal Malthus, the dismal De Bow, have had their night. Our Census of 1860, and the war, are poems which will, in the next age, inspire a genius like your own.

"I hate to write you a newspaper, but, in these times, 'tis wonderful what sublime lessons I have once and again read.. on the bulletin boards in the streets. Everybody has been wrong in his guess, except good women, who never despair of the ideal right."

LETTERS TO A. IRELAND.

"Liverpool, 30th August, 1833" (before sailing for America).— Extracts from this letter, describing his first interviews with Carlyle and Wordsworth, will be found at page 53, "Recollections."

"Concord, 28th Dec., 1846.-I was very glad to be reminded by your concise note, written on shipboard and conveyed to me by Mr. Garrison, of our brief intercourse thirteen years ago, and which it seems has not yet quite ended. Your affectionate expressions towards me and my friends are very grateful to me; and, indeed, what better thing do men or angels know of than an enduring kindness? In regard to your inquiry whether I shall visit England now or soon, the suggestion is new and unlooked for, yet opens to me at once so many flattering possibilities that I shall cheerfully entertain it, and, perhaps, we may both see it ripen one day to a fact. Certainly it would be much more practicable and pleasant to me to answer an invitation, than to come into your cities and challenge an audience. You have been slower to visit Mr. Wordsworth than I was, but, according to all testimonies, he retains his vigour and his social accomplishments. He could not now remember me in. my short and unconnected visit, or I might easily send him assurances, from me and many others also unknown to him, of a regard that could not fail to gratify him.-With the best wishes of these days, &c."

The next letter from him (Concord, 28th February, 1847,) ..will be found at page 57 in "Recollections."

"Concord, 1st April, 1847.-My townsman, E. Rockwood Hoar, Esq., is ordered by his physicians to quit his professional duties for a time, and to travel for his health. Mr. Hoar is an eminent practitioner at the Massachusetts Bar, and was lately a member of our State Senate. As he proposes to visit Manchester in his route, I use the opportunity to beg you to introduce him to the Athenæum, and to give him any local information that you may think may be useful to him. Yours with great regard."

Concord, 31st July, 1847.—I owe you hearty thanks for your effective attention to my affair, which was attractive enough to me in the first proposition, and certainly assumes in your hands a feasible shape. I have a good deal of domestic immoveableness-being fastened down by wife and children, by books and studies, by pear trees and apple trees-but after much hesitation can find no sufficient resistance to this animating invitation, and I decide to go to England in the autumn. I think to leave home about the 1st October, perhaps in the steamer, but more probably in the sailing packet which leaves Boston for Liverpool on the 5th of each month; and, at any rate, shall expect to be in England before the 1st November. From the 1st November, I will take your advice as to the best order of fulfilling those engagements you offer me at Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds. In regard to the subjects of my lectures, I hope to send you by the next steamer some programme or sketch of programme that may serve a general purpose. I could more easily furnish myself for so 'numerous' a course as seems to offer itself if there were any means of preventing your newspaper reporters from publishing such ample transcripts as I notice (in the 'Examiner' you were so good as to send me) of Mr. Marston's lectures. But I will see what I

have to say. Meantime, I beg you not to give yourself any further pains in this matter, which I fear has already cost you much. It will give me pleasure to speak to bodies of your English people, but I am sure it will give me much more to meet with yourself and other honoured individuals in private'; and I see well that, if there were no lecturing, I should not fail to find a solid benefit in the visit.-With great regard."

Concord, 30th Sept., 1847.—I have decided, after a little hesitation and advising with better sailors than myself, to follow my inclination in taking passage in a ship, and not in the steamer. I have engaged a berth in the 'Washington Irving,' which leaves Boston for Liverpool next Tuesday, 5th October. The owners are confident that, with ordinary fortune, we shall arrive in Liverpool in twenty days. But I shall not complain if the voyage should be a little longer. I shall probably think it best to go directly to Manchester to meet yourself, and to settle with you the plan of my little campaign. I suppose that I shall be ready to read lectures at once as soon as the proper notices can be given; or, if more time is required by the institutes, I can go to London, and make a short visit before I begin. I know that I ought to have sent you some synopsis long ago, but it has never been quite certain to me what I could promise, as I have been endeavouring to complete some lectures not even yet quite finished. I think I will now reserve my table of contents until I see you.-Yours, with great regard."

"“Edinburgh, 17th February, 1848.-Some friends here with me to read my lecture on Plato to the Phil. Society, on Saturday night, at half-past eight o'clock. It lies in one of my bureau drawers at Mrs. Massey's. Now will you proceed with beneficent action at once to Fenny-street, demand a candle, and open the various newspaper envelopes in my drawers until you eliminate and extort 'Plato,' and send it by post immediately to me, care of Dr. Brown, 1, Cuthbert's Glebe

Edinbro'? The good Misses Massey will assist your search, and yourself will reward your pains. I have seen your father and mother, and Mr. Chambers, and others your friends, and all your despatches and benefits have safely arrived.-Ever yours."

“Ambleside, 29th Feby, 1848.—Here am I for one day more at Miss Martineau's house. I had fully intended to set out for Manchester this morning; but let myself be over-persuaded by some hospitable friends yesterday, to stay to-day and see the mountains. I had the best visit at Edinburgh, where I parted with your kindest mother last Sunday p.m.; and on Monday, with Dr. Brown and De Quincey, at the station on my way northward. Yesterday I spent a valuable hour, and perhaps a half more, with Mr. Wordsworth, who is in sound health at seventy-seven years, and was full of talk. He would even have walked on my way with me towards Miss Martineau's, but it began to rain, and I would not suffer it.-Ever, with best wishes."

.

"London, 142, Strand, 7th March, 1848-I am well enough domiciliated here, and am awaiting your visit. I am beginning to see London shows, but, as everywhere, find the morning too precious to go abroad in, and am prone to lengthen the morning till three o'clock. I have seen Carlyle one good day, and, as you ask it, I will send you some good token of him, of this day or a better. But now for another change. .-Yours affectionately."

"142, Strand, London, 9th March, 1848-I find him (Carlyle) full of strong discourse. He is in the best humour at the events in France. For the first time in his life

he takes in a daily paper-the Times-and yet I think he has not much confidence in the ability of the French to carry such great points as they have to carry. He interests himself a