Author: Thomas Carlyle

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2017-12-05

Total Pages: 372

ISBN-13: 9780332434230

Excerpt from Historical Sketches of Notable Persons and Events in the Reigns of James I: And Charles I In October 1843, after certain earlier attempts had proved abortive, a practical commencement was made. He chose the period of James I. As the starting-point, judging that the seeds of the Civil Wars were sown in this king's reign. He proceeded with the work for some months, evidently following the plan he had sketched in 1822. But as the writing went on, his esteem for Cromwell rose ever higher and higher, till by the time he had reached the Long Parliament, Oliver had become the one object of highest interest to him, the most noteworthy and noblest of all the actors in the great drama. Carlyle had, however, almost from the commencement of the writing, entertained doubts as to whether he had taken the best plan for representing Cromwell in his true character, or at least, for convincing the public that his high estimate of Cromwell was undoubtedly the correct one. He foresaw, for one thing, that his view of Oliver, so startlingly at variance with that hitherto almost universally entertained, would require, for its general acceptance, to be accompanied and supported by unquestionable evidence. The evidence wanted lay chiefly in Cromwell's own Letters and Speeches. Carlyle, there fore, changed his plan, early in 1844, laid aside what he had already written, and began to collect and edit with the necessary elucidations these Letters and Speeches. It is from the Manuscript, written and laid aside under the circumstances explained, that the materials have been selected for this little Book, which, for want of a better name, I have called Historical Sketches. Carlyle in his Will (1873) refers to these Papers as 'a set of fragments about James L, which were loyally fished out for me from much other Cromwellian rubbish, and doubtless carefully copied more than twenty years ago, by the late John Chorley who was always so good to me.' Mr. Chorley, on returning the Manuscript and his transcript of a large part of it, wrote, March 1851: 'i believe that I have sifted out all that is sufficiently written-out to take its place at once in a series of chapters. As it is, the collection is fit, I venture to say, with very little care from your hand (via, rounding off, introducing, and here and there crossing out what is given elsewhere) to make a most inviting little volume. That you will not allow so much of what is good, the fruit of so much labour, to moulder in a box, I most earnestly beg. In copying my part, I have found only new reasons to desire this, for the profit of all who would fain come nearer to the Life of English History, - as well as for my own comfort and pleasure.' About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.