From the first he never came down to his audience." He had faith in the intelligence and ideals of Americans, and his lectures were well received, and called for again. The astonished curiosity about American audiences for such thoughts as his, expressed by both Carlyle and Sterling in their letters to him, is amusing. Herman Grimm says that Emerson preferred not to speak to those who read or had read, but to those that had ears to hear, and that he resembled Shakspeare in that he can be read without preparation.

In 1847 Emerson was invited to read lectures in England, and he went thither and remained abroad a year, seeing old friends and new. English Traits was the result. At that time he made also a short visit to France in her troublous times.

In writing to John Sterling in 1840, in acknowledgment of his volume of poems, Mr. Emerson had expressed his faith, founded on his ardent wish, "that one day I ask not where or when I shall attain to the speech of this splendid dialect; . . . and these wishes, I suppose, are ever only the buds of power, but up to

this hour I have never had a true success in such attempts."

From boyhood he had written verses, at first correct in metre and stilted in expression, on eighteenth-century models; but in the ten years preceding his visit to England his verse had shown the influence of his growth; indeed the thoughts in all the essays had been cast in poetic mould, many of them showing the influence of the Bardic poems, the thought roughly cast at white heat. Many of his poems first appeared in the Dial. The Poems were published in 1846. May-Day, a second collection, more mellowed and finished, followed in 1867. Both are now included in one volume, in which the history of some of the poems will be given in the notes. Emerson was primarily a poet, whether in prose or rhyme, though he struggled long to attain rhythmical expression. He said, "I like my poems best because it is not I who write them." He consoled himself for not having a musical ear in having "musical eyes." He said, "Good poetry must be affirmative. Thus saith the Lord should begin the song."

The reforms of the day were honored and helped by Emerson, but he would not "mistake others' chivalries for his own." He said: "My reforms include theirs"; and again, “I have quite other slaves to free than those negroes, to

wit, imprisoned spirits, imprisoned thoughts." But in times of doubt and danger he failed not to bring his lance to help as a brave volunteer. Early and always he spoke out for human freedom. In his ode at the celebration of the Fourth of July in 1856 were the lines as he would write them again to-day

United States! the ages plead,

Present and Past, in under-song,
Go put your creed into your deed,
Nor speak with double tongue.

For sea and land don't understand,
Nor skies without a frown

See rights for which the one hand fights
By the other cloven down.

As he was a good citizen of his village and a patriotic American, so he was a happy and trusting soul in the Universe, seeing everywhere, in Protean forms, the inseparable Trinity of Truth, Goodness and Beauty.

Mr. Emerson tells us that as a boy he pleased himself as he lay on his bed with the beauty of the Lord's equilibrium in the Universe, instead of shuddering at the terrors of his judgment, that all was so intelligible and sweet, instead of inscrutable and dire.

Tereses et dicet mi me muse I TILKEN festom, a me tands a despised jev. venet imoet opeless, te vi ses mese servers vinning md mer mangions Tonoret Ma John Abes in is Renenir mes of Emerion said: "I am impressed with me fact *at he tere made any mistakes mroughout dis career. He faced one way and continued to face mac way. He never had to recant, to máks & new var, to modify, or apologize." He said in his early manhood, “If the single man plans himself indomitably on his instincts, and mers abide, the huge world will come round to him."

The year after the end of the Civil War, in the triumph of freedom, Mr. Emerson was again invited to give the Phi Beta Kappa address at Harvard, and was shortly after chosen a member of the Board of Overseers. In 1870 and 1871 he delivered a course of lectures on Philosophy there, but the undertaking was too much for his Remembrances of Emerson, by John Albee.

strength, which had begun to fail. A friend carried him with a pleasure party to California for rest and recreation. Professor James B. Thayer, a member of the party, wrote the story of that trip. But Mr. Emerson's forces had failed more than was then realized, and the next year the exposure and fatigue incident to the accidental burning of his house prostrated him seriously. Loyal friends took upon themselves the gracious task of restoring his house completely, and meanwhile sent him to the Old World to recruit his forces. A winter with his daughter in Italy and on the Nile helped, but could not restore him. On his return he found himself unable to prepare a promised book of essays (Letters and Social Aims). This task was cheerfully accomplished by his trusted and valued friend, the late Mr. James Elliot Cabot, who afterward, at the desire of the family, wrote the admirable Memoir of Emerson, and in 1883 prepared the posthumous edition of the Works.

Mr. Emerson, unable to do active literary work, lived a quiet and happy life among his friends and his books, still going often to hear the song of the pines by Walden, until the last days of April,

▾ A Western Journey with Emerson, by James B. Thayer.