''Critical and Miscellaneous Essays'' is the title of a collection of reprinted reviews and other magazine pieces by the

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

essayist,

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian, and philosopher. Known as the "Sage writing, sage of Chelsea, London, Chelsea", his writings strongly influenced the intellectual and artistic culture of the V ...

. Along with ''

Sartor Resartus ''Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh in Three Books'' is a novel by the Scottish people, Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle, first published as a serial in ''Fraser's Magazine'' in November 1833 ...

'' and '' The French Revolution'' it was one of the books that made his name. Its subject matter ranges from literary criticism (especially of German literature) to biography, history and social commentary. These essays have been described as "Intriguing in their own right as specimens of graphic and original nonfiction prose…indispensable for understanding the development of Carlyle's mind and literary career", and the scholar Angus Ross has noted that the review-form displays in the highest degree Carlyle's "discursiveness, allusiveness, argumentativeness, and his sense of playing the prophet's part."

Publication

Carlyle earned his living during the late 1820s and early 1830s as a reviewer and essayist, contributing to the ''

Edinburgh Review The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural magazines. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929. ''Edinburgh Review'', ...

'', the ''Foreign Review'', ''

Fraser's Magazine ''Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country'' was a general and literary journal published in London from 1830 to 1882, which initially took a strong Tory line in politics. It was founded by Hugh Fraser and William Maginn in 1830 and loosely direc ...

'', and other journals. As early as 1830 he thought about collecting these pieces in book form, but it was not until 1837 that he seriously prepared for such an edition, when with the help of his friends

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionism, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalism, Transcendentalist movement of th ...

Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau (12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist.Hill, Michael R. (2002''Harriet Martineau: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives'' Routledge. She wrote from a sociological, holism, holistic, religious and ...

and others, he entered into negotiations with the

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

publisher James Munroe. The ''Critical and Miscellaneous Essays'' were duly published by him in four volumes, the first two being issued on 14 July 1838, with a preface by Emerson, and the last two on 1 July 1839. 250 copies of the Munroe edition were sent to the London publisher James Fraser, who first sold them under his own imprint and then, in 1840, produced a second edition. A third edition followed in 1847, and a fourth in 1857, each published by the firm of

Chapman & Hall Chapman & Hall is an imprint owned by CRC Press, originally founded as a British publishing house in London in the first half of the 19th century by Edward Chapman and William Hall. Chapman & Hall were publishers for Charles Dickens (from 1840 ...

, and each incorporating additions from Carlyle's continuing journalistic output.

Reception

American Unitarian minister

James Freeman Clarke James Freeman Clarke (April 4, 1810 – June 8, 1888) was an American minister, theologian and author. Biography Born in Hanover, New Hampshire, on April 4, 1810, James Freeman Clarke was the son of Samuel Clarke and Rebecca Parker Hull, though ...

recalled in 1864 that "especially to the younger men, this new writer came, opening up unknown worlds of beauty and wonder. A strange influence, unlike any other, attracted us to his writing. Before we knew his name, we knew ''him''. We could recognize an article by our new author as soon as we opened the pages of the Foreign Review,

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, or

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, and read a few paragraphs." In the preface to the Boston edition, Emerson reminded American readers of "pages which, in the scattered anonymous sheets of the British magazines, spoke to their youthful mind with an emphasis that hindered them from sleep."

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

referenced "Novalis" in his essay "On Poetry and Composition" (1879). Doctor and

theosophist Theosophy is a religious movement established in the United States in the late 19th century. Founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and based largely on her writings, it draws heavily from both older European philosophies such as Neo ...

William Ashton Ellis quoted from "Novalis" in a lecture delivered at a meeting of the Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts on 3 February 1887.

List of essays

The following is a list of the contents of the ''Critical and Miscellaneous'' ''Essays'' as they appear in the ''Centenary Edition'' (originally published 1896–1899), being the standard edition of the works of Thomas Carlyle. Volume I Christian Gottlob Heyne - Imagines philologorum

Christian Gottlob Heyne - Imagines philologorum

* INTRODUCTION by

Henry Duff Traill Henry Duff Traill (14 August 1842 – 21 February 1900) was a British writer and journalist. Life Born at Blackheath, he belonged to an old Caithness family, the Traills of Rattar, and his father, James Traill, was the stipendiary magistrate ...

* Jean Paul Friedrich Richter

827 __FORCETOC__ Year 827 ( DCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * June 14 – Euphemius, exiled Byzantine admiral, asks for the help of North African Arabs, to ret ...

*# ''

'', No. 91. * State of

German Literature German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...

*# ''Edinburgh Review'', No. 92. * Life and Writings of Werner 828*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 1. *

Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

's Helena 828*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 2. * Goethe 828*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 3. *

Burns Burns may refer to: Astronomy * 2708 Burns, an asteroid * Burns (crater), on Mercury People * Burns (surname), list of people and characters named Burns ** Burns (musician), Scottish record producer Places in the United States * Burns, ...

828*# ''Edinburgh Review'', No. 96. * The Life of Heyne 828*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 4. *German Playwrights 829*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 6. *

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

829*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 6. * Appendix I ** Fractions 823-1833**# The Tragedy of the Night-Moth **#

Cui Bono ''Cui bono?'' (), in English "to whom is it a benefit?", is a Latin phrase about identifying crime suspects. It depends on the fact that crimes are often committed to benefit their perpetrators; especially financially. Use The phrase is a dou ...

**# Four Fables **# The Sower's Song **# Adieu **# The Beetle **# Today **# Fortuna * Appendix II *# Jean Paul Friedrich Richter's Review of

Madame de Staël Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...

's ' Allemagne.' 830*## ''

'', Nos. 1 and 4. *#

Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

, Goethe, and Madame de Staël 832*## ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 26. * Summary Volume II Novalis

Novalis Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg (2 May 1772 – 25 March 1801), pen name Novalis (; ), was a German nobility, German aristocrat and polymath, who was a poet, novelist, philosopher and Mysticism, mystic. He is regarded as an inf ...

829*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 7. * Signs of the Times 829*# ''Edinburgh Review'', No. 98. * On History 830*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 10. * Jean Paul Friedrich Richter Again 830*# ''Foreign Review'', No. 9. * Luther's Psalm

831 __NOTOC__ Year 831 (Roman numerals, DCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Abbasid Empire and Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Arab wars (780–1180)#Period of 780–842, Byzantine–Arab W ...

*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 12. *

*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 14. * The Nibelungen Lied

*# ''

Westminster Review The ''Westminster Review'' was a quarterly United Kingdom, British publication. Established in 1823 as the official organ of the Philosophical Radicals, it was published from 1824 to 1914. James Mill was one of the driving forces behind the libe ...

'', No. 29. * German Literature of the XIV. and XV. Centuries

*# ''Foreign Quarterly Review'', No. 16. *

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) ** List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) ...

's Historic Survey of German Poetry

*# ''Edinburgh Review'', No. 105. * Goethe's Portrait 832*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 26. * Death of Goethe 832*# '' New Monthly Magazine'', No. 138. * Goethe's Works 832*# ''Foreign Quarterly Review'', No. 19. * Appendix *#

The Tale ''The Tale'' is a 2018 American drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Jennifer Fox (documentary filmmaker), Jennifer Fox and starring Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Ritter, Elizabeth Debicki, Isabelle Nélisse, Common ...

832*## ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 33. *# Novelle 832*## ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 34. * Summary Volume III Giuseppe Balsamo Cagliostro

* Characteristics

*# ''Edinburgh Review'', No. 108. *

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

832*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 27 (for April). * Boswell's Life of Johnson 832*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 28. * Corn-Law Rhymes 832*# ''Edinburgh Review'', No. 110. * On History Again 833*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 41. *

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during t ...

833*# ''Foreign Quarterly Review'', No. 22. * Count Cagliostro 833*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', Nos. 43, 44 (July and August). * Death of

Edward Irving Edward Irving (4 August 17927 December 1834) was a Scottish clergyman, generally regarded as the main figure behind the foundation of the Catholic Apostolic Church. Early life Edward Irving was born at Annan, Annandale, the second son of G ...

835*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 61. * The Diamond Necklace

837 __NOTOC__ Year 837 ( DCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Arab War: Emperor Theophilos leads a massive Byzantine expeditionary force into Mesopotamia. ...

*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', Nos. 85 and 86. * Mirabeau

** '' London and Westminster Review'', No. 8. * Summary Volume IV * Parliamentary History of the French Revolution

*# ''London and Westminster Review'', No. 9. * Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

838*# ''London and Westminster Review'', No. 12. * Varnhagen von Ense's Memoirs 838*# ''London and Westminster Review'', No. 62. *

Chartism Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of ...

839 __NOTOC__ Year 839 ( DCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Prince Sicard of Benevento is assassinated by a conspiracy among the nobility. He is succeeded by Radelchis I, c ...

* Petition on the Copyright Bill

*# '' The Examiner'', April 7, 1839. * On the Sinking of the Vengeur

*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 115. *

Baillie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...

the

Covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...

841 __NOTOC__ Year 841 (Roman numerals, DCCCXLI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * June 25 – Battle of Fontenay (841), Battle of Fontenay: Frankish forces of Emperor Lothair I, a ...

*# ''London and Westminster Review'', No. 72. * Dr. Francia 843*# ''Foreign Quarterly Review'', No. 62. * An Election to the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

844*# ''Fraser's Magazine'', No. 178. * The Nigger Question 849*# First printed in ''Fraser's Magazine'', December 1849; reprinted in the form of a separate Pamphlet, London, 1853. * Two Hundred and Fifty Years Ago 850*# Found recently in ''

Leigh Hunt James Henry Leigh Hunt (19 October 178428 August 1859), best known as Leigh Hunt, was an English critic, essayist and poet. Hunt co-founded '' The Examiner'', a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles. He was the centre ...

's Journal'', Nos. 1, 3, 6 (Saturday 7 December 1850 et seqq.). Said there to be 'from a Waste-paper Bag' of mine. Apparently some fraction of a certain ''History'' (Failure of a History) ''of James I.'', of which I have indistinct recollections. (''Note'' of 1857.) * The

Opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

** '' Keepsake'' for 1852. * Project of a National Exhibition of Scottish Portraits 854*# Printed in ''Proceedings of the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usu ...

'', vol. i. part 3 (4to, Edinburgh, 1855). * The Prinzenraub

855 __NOTOC__ Year 855 (Roman numerals, DCCCLV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * November 20 – Theoktistos, co-regent of the Empire on behalf of 15-year old Emperor Mi ...

** ''Westminster Review'', No. 123, January 1855. * Inaugural Address at

, 2 April 1866 * Summary Volume V Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

* Shooting Niagara: And After? ugust 1867** Reprinted from '' Macmillan's Magazine'', for August 1867. With some additions and corrections. * Latter Stage of the French-German War, 1870–71 ** Summary * Papers Collected for the First Time **

Montaigne Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne ( ; ; ; 28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592), commonly known as Michel de Montaigne, was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularising the essay as ...

**# ''

Edinburgh Encyclopædia The ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'' is an encyclopaedia in 18 volumes, printed and published by William Blackwood and edited by David Brewster between 1808 and 1830. In competition with the Edinburgh-published ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', the ''Ed ...

'', vol. xiv. **

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (née Pierrepont; 15 May 168921 August 1762) was an English aristocrat, medical pioneer, writer, and poet. Born in 1689, Lady Mary spent her early life in England. In 1712, Lady Mary married Edward Wortley Montagu, ...

**# ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'', vol. xiv. **

Montesquieu Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (18 January 168910 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher. He is the principal so ...

**# ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'', vol. xiv. ** Necker **# ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'', vol. xv. **

The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

**# ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'', vol. xv. **

William Pitt, Earl of Chatham William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British people, British British Whig Party, Whig politician, statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pit ...

**# ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'', vol. xvi. ** William Pitt, the Younger **# ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'', vol. xvi. ** Cruthers and Jonson; or the Outskirts of Life *** ''Fraser's Magazine'', January 1831. ** Early Kings of Norway **# Harald Haarfagr **# Eric Blood-axe and Brothers **# Hakon the Good **# Harald Greyfell and Brothers **# Hakon Jarl **# Olaf Tryggveson **# Reign of Olaf Tryggveson **# Jarls

Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...

and Svein **# King Olaf the Thick-set's Viking Days **# Reign of King Olaf the Saint **#

Magnus the Good Magnus Olafsson (; Norwegian and Danish: ''Magnus Olavsson''; – 25 October 1047), better known as Magnus the Good (; Norwegian and Danish: ''Magnus den gode''), was King of Norway from 1035 and King of Denmark from 1042 until his death in ...

and Others **# Olaf the Tranquil,

Magnus Barefoot Magnus III Olafsson (Old Norse: ''Magnús Óláfsson'', Norwegian: ''Magnus Olavsson''; 1073 – 24 August 1103), better known as Magnus Barefoot (Old Norse: ''Magnús berfœttr'', Norwegian: ''Magnus Berrføtt''), was the King of Norway ...

, and

Sigurd the Crusader Sigurd the Crusader (; ; 1089 – 26 March 1130), also known as Sigurd Magnusson and Sigurd I, was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his half-brother Øystein (until Øystein died in 1123), has been regarded by historian ...

**# Magnus the Blind, Harald Gylle, and mutual Extinction of the Haarfagrs **# Sverrir and Descendants, to Hakon the Old **# Hakon the Old at

Largs Largs () is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town markets itself on its histor ...

**# Epilogue ** The Portraits of

John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...

** Index

Bibliography

Notes

References

External links

* Volume I of ''Critical and Miscellaneous Essays'' at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

* Volume II * Volume III * Volume IV * Volume V {{Authority control British essays Essay collections Essays about literature Essays in literary criticism Books of literary criticism 1838 books Works by Thomas Carlyle Chapman & Hall books 1838 essays