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The Nemesis of Froude: A Rejoinder to James Anthony Froude's "My Relations with Carlyle"
The Nemesis of Froude A Rejoinder to James Anthony Froude's My Relations with Carlyle Author:Alexander Carlyle, James Crichton-Browne Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: APPENDIX I THE CARLYLE PAPERS In a pamphlet which was printed for private circulation in 1886, and which has been given to the public as an Appendix to " ... more »My Relations with Carlyle," Sir James Stephen's view of Froude's dealings with Carlyle's papers is very fully set forth. Sir James was co-executor with Froude under the codicil to Carlyle's will, was aware of everything that took place during the negotiations after Carlyle's death, and was a man of high intellectual endowments and of judicial training, so that great weight naturally attaches to his opinion in the case. That opinion amounts to a vindication of Froude's conduct, to which is added a warm eulogium on the integrity and purity of his motives. At first sight it seems to justify all that Froude did and to re-establish his reputation, at least in as far as the use of the Carlyle papers was concerned; but a closer examination will, we believe, convince the open- minded that as it was founded on evidence, much of which has been proved to be erroneous, and is not altogether free from partizan bias, it does not possess the authoritative character that Froude ascribes to it, and cannot be regarded as a final award. It was, of course, not a judicial opinion, but that of Froude's advocate in the case. Sir James Stephen had somehow formed an exalted estimate of Froude's ability and character and would not listen to anything reflecting on either. He stood aloof from what Froude has himself described as the storm of censure and indignation with which the " Reminiscences " was received, and legitimately prided himself on having defeated the attempt made to prevent him from writing Carlyle's Life. He entertained towards him feelings of deep personal attachment, so that in reply to a conciliatory letter from Mrs. Alexander C...« less