to his subject. He
reads very closely, which, indeed, must be expected, considering
the nature of the topics which he undertakes to discuss. He is not
prodigal of gesture with his arms or body; but there is something in
his eye and countenance which indicates great earnestness of purpose,
and the most intense interest in his subject. _You can almost fancy,
in some of his more enthusiastic and energetic moments, that you
see his inmost soul in his face_. At times, indeed very often, he so
unnaturally distorts his features, as to give to his countenance a
very unpleasant expression. On such occasions, you would imagine that
he was suddenly seized with some violent paroxysms of pain. _He is
one of the most ungraceful speakers I have ever heard address a public
assemblage of persons_. In addition to the awkwardness of his general
manner, he 'makes mouths,' which would of themselves be sufficient to
mar the agreeableness of his delivery. And his manner of speaking, and
the ungracefulness of his gesticulation, are greatly aggravated by
his strong Scotch accent. Even to the generality of Scotchmen his
pronunciation is harsh in no ordinary degree. Need I say, then, what
it must be to an English ear?

[Footnote A: Shade of Mr. Turveydrop senior, hear this man!]

"I was present some months ago, during the delivery of a speech by Mr.
Carlyle at a meeting held in the Freemasons' Tavern, for the purpose
of forming a metropolitan library; and though that speech did not
occupy in its delivery more than five minutes, he made use of some of
the most extraordinary phraseology I ever heard employed by a
human being. He made use of the expression 'this London,' which he
pronounced 'this Loondun,' four or five times--a phrase which grated
grievously on the ears even of those of Mr. Carlyle's own countrymen
who were present, and which must have sounded doubly harsh in the ears
of an Englishman, considering the singularly broad Scotch accent with
which he spoke.

"A good deal of uncertainty exists as to Mr. Carlyle's religious
opinions. I have heard him represented as a firm and entire believer
in revelation, and I have heard it affirmed with equal confidence that
he is a decided Deist. My own impression is," &c.[A]

[Footnote A: "Portraits of Public Characters," by the author of
"Random Recollections of the Lords and Commons." Vol. ii. pp.
152-158.]

In 1841 Carlyle superintended the publication of the English
edition of his friend Em