YEARS AND DEATH OF CARLYLE

In presence of the pathetically tragic spectacle of Carlyle in his old
age, who can have the heart to enter into his domestic life and weigh
with pedantic scales the old man's blameworthiness? Carlyle survived his
wife fifteen years. His brother John, himself a widower, was anxious
that they should live together, but it was otherwise arranged. John
returned to Scotland, and Carlyle remained alone in Cheyne Row. He was
prevailed on to visit Ripple Court, near Walmer, and on his return to
London he wrote, 'My home is very gaunt and lonesome; but such is my
allotment henceforth in this world. I have taken loyally to my vacant
circumstances, and will try to do my best with them.'

Carlyle's first public appearance after his sore bereavement was as
chairman of the Eyre Committee as a protest against Governor Eyre's
recall. 'Poor Eyre!' he wrote to a correspondent, 'I am heartily sorry
for him, and for the English nation, which makes such a dismal fool of
itself. Eyre, it seems, has fallen suddenly from L6000 a year into
almost zero, and has a large family and needy kindred dependent on him.
Such his reward for saving the West Indies, and hanging one incendiary
mulatto, well worth the gallows, if I can judge.'

Carlyle accepted a pressing invitation to stay with the Ashburtons at
Mentone, and on the 22nd of December he started thither with Professor
Tyndall. He was greatly benefited in health, and at intervals made some
progress with his _Reminiscences_. He returned to London in March, and
on the 4th of April 1867 he writes in his journal: 'Idle! Idle! My
employments mere trifles of business, and that of dwelling on the days
that culminated on the 21st of last year.' About this time his thoughts
were directed to the estate of Craigenputtock, of which he became
absolute owner at his wife's death. All her relations on the father's
side were dead, and as Carlyle thought that it ought not to lapse to his
own family, he determined to leave it to the University of Edinburgh,
'the rents of it to be laid out in supporting poor and meritorious
students there, under the title of "the John Welsh Bursaries." Her name
he could not give, because she had taken his own. Therefore he gave her
father's.'

On June 22nd, he writes in his journal: 'Finished off on Thursday last,
at three p.m. 20th of June, my poor _bequest_ of Craigenputtock to
Edinburgh University for bursaries. All quite ready there, Forster and