Critical and Miscellaneous Essays

Collected and republished by THOMAS Carlyle. In Four Volumes. Boston: Brown and Taggard. 1860.

CARLYLE’S Essays need at the present day no introduction or commendation to American readers. Their place is established, and they will hold it permanently, in spite of the wild philosophy, and in spite of characteristics of style which would ruin weaker writings. As Ben Jonson said of a volume of poems, now quite forgotten, by his friend Sir John Beaumont,—

There is no fear that these Essays will be forgotten; for, beside their intrinsic merits and interest, they are at once introductory and supplementary to their author’s more important works,— to his “French Revolution ” and his “ Life of Frederic the Great.”

This new edition of the Essays is a reprint of the last English edition revised by the author, and both printer and publisher deserve high credit for the beauty of the volumes. The paper, press-work, and binding are all excellent, and of a sort not only to please the general public, but to satisfy the demands of the exacting lover of good books. We are glad to welcome Messrs. Brown and Taggard among our publishing houses, on occasion of the issue of a book so creditable alike to their taste and to their judgment, and we hope that the success of this edition of these Essays may be such as to encourage them to follow it with a reprint of the other volumes of the revised edition of Mr. Carlyle’s works.

We trust, that, though the words '‘Author’s Edition ” are not found upon the back of the title-page, it is not because the moral, if not legal rights which the author possesses have been disregarded.