FROUDE AND CARLYLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1540, 15 January 1887, Page 4

FROUDE AND CARLYLE.

In view of Mr Fronde’s departure for, the West Indies on December 3pth, he has. prepared a complete statement of, his conduct in regard to the Carlyle, papers, written by Sir James Stephen, executor with? /Mr Froude, under Carlyle’s will. It gives-in the form of a letter to Mr Froude the whole story. Sir James writes that so far as the'will made in 1873 was concerned no legal difficulty arose, but after making his will-Carlyle dealt with his papers in a matiner that caused much embarrassment. The will saysj “As for the express biography of me I would really rather that there should be none,” but Carlyle changed his mind, and sent Froude a great mass of papers, manuscripts, and books, without written directions of any, sort. .-Verbally, he told Froude to do as he pleased, ; adding that he was te burn freely. Some months after her uncle’s death Mrs Alexander Carlyle informed the executors that hi 3876 he made a verbal gift to her of all his papers. Of this he wrote a memo, in her presence. This will gave no hint of any papers, and Mrs Carlyle never disclaimed its correctness when a copy was sent to hef. In summing up',* Sir James says;—- “ You (Froude) appear to me to have' acted in a'quite straightforward way throughout. You gave Mrs Carlyle above £ISOO, which she could not have compelled you to givd her. She took a view of the publication of the" Carlyle reminiscences which many people take, and tried to stop the ‘ publication of the biography on what she believed to be valid grounds. I think she was erroneously advised, but the question is one of mere curiosity, which c»n never how be decided io an authoritative way. ! The whole of the d fficulty ! in this matter arose from the feebleness and iodecisidb," ''natural enough in extreme old age, which prevented Carlyle from making up his mind conclusively as to ;what he' wished to be done about his papers and having his decision put into writing.” The i statement of Sir G. Stephens many will 'regard as final in regard to all charges brought against Froude by. Mrs Alexander Carlyle. A London correspondent adds that he is enabled to say that at no distant day a revelation of deep interest physiologically may be expected which will throw a plain though painful light upon the mystery of Carlyle’s married life. It is almost an open secret in literary and medical .circles that he errod.in getting married, and the remorseful conviction of this gnawed at his heart for year, and explains much that is dark and sad in his story of domestic life.