mistake.
He has tried to paint _me_ for you; but cannot, he says!

---------
* "Life of Jean Paul Frederic Richter. Compiled from various
Sources. Together with his Autobiography. Translated from the
German." In Two Volumes. Boston, 1842. This book, which is one
of the best in English concerning Jean Paul, was the work of the
late Mrs. Thomas (Eliza Buckminster) Lee.

** In the _Dial,_ for January, 1842, is an article by Miss Fuller
on "Bettine Brentano and Gunderode,"--a decided weariness. The
Canoness Gunderode was a friend of Bettine's, older and not much
wiser than herself.
---------

LXXXI. Carlyle to Emerson

Chelsea, London, 11 March, 1848

Dear Emerson,--I know not whose turn it is to write; though a
suspicion has long attended me that it was yours, and above all
an indisputable wish that you would do it: but this present is a
cursory line, all on business,--and as usual all on business of
my own.

I have finished a Book, and just set the Printer to it; one
solid volume (rather bigger than one of the _French Revolution_
Volumes, as I compute); it is a somewhat fiery and questionable
"Tract for the Times," _not_ by a Puseyite, which the terrible
aspect of things here has forced from me,--I know not whether as
preliminary to _Oliver_ or not; but it had gradually grown to be
the preliminary of anything possible for me: so there it is
written; and I am a very sick, but withal a comparatively very
free man. The Title of the thing is to be _Past and Present:_
it is divided into Four Books, "Book I. Proem," "Book II. The
Ancient Monk," "Book III. The Modern Worker," and "Book IV.
Horoscope" (or some such thing):--the size of it I guessed
at above.

The practical business, accordingly, is: How to cut out that New
York scoundrel, who fancies that because there is no gallows it
is permitted to steal? I have a distinct desire to do that;--
altogether apart from the money to be gained thereby. A friend's
goodness ought not to be frustrated by a scoundrel destitute of
gallows.--You told me long since how to do the operation; and
here, according to the best way I had of fitting your scheme into
my materials, is my way of attempting it.

The Book will not be out here for six good weeks from this date;
it could be kept back for a week or two longer, if that were
indispensable: but I hope it may not. In three weeks, half of
it will be printed; I, in the meanwhile, get a correct
manusc