“The true glory of a nation” — this is his final attitude— “is moral and intellectual preëminence;” thus distinctly foreshadowing the title of his friend Charles Sumner’s later oration, “The True Grandeur of Nations.” American literature had undoubtedly begun to exist before this claim was made, as in the prose of Irving and Cooper, the poetry of Dana and Bryant. But it had awaited the arrival of some one to formulate its claims, and this it found in Longfellow.
CHAPTER VIII. APPOINTMENT AT HARVARD AND SECOND VISIT TO EUROPE
While he was thus occupied with thoughts and studies which proved to be more far-seeing than he knew, the young professor was embarrassed by financial difficulties in which the college found itself; and he began after three years to consider the possibility of a transfer to other scenes, perhaps to some professorship in New York or Virginia.
The following letter, hitherto unpublished, gives us the view taken in the Longfellow house of another project, namely, that of his succeeding to the charge of the then famous Round Hill School at Northampton, about to be abandoned by its projector, Joseph G. Cogswell. The quiet judgment of the young wife thus sums it up in writing to her sister-in-law: —
Sunday afternoon [February, 1834].
... Henry left us Friday noon in the mail for Boston, as George will tell you. I do not like the idea of his going to Northampton at all — although it would be a most beautiful place to reside in. Still I feel sure he would not like the care of a school, and such an extensive establishment as that is too. He heard that Mr. Cogswell was to leave them for Raleigh and wrote him — in answer to which he received a long letter, wishing him much to take the place, &c.; which determined him to go immediately to Northampton. He requires $1600 to be advanced, and it would be incurring a certain expense upon a great uncertainty of gaining more than a living there. I do not think Henry calculated at all for such a situation. If he dislikes so much the care of such a little family as ours, how can he expect to like the multifarious cares of such a large one! He has promised not to decide upon anything till he returns, and I feel so confident that all uninterested persons will dissuade him from it, that I rest quite at ease. I wished him to go to satisfy himself, he was so very sanguine as to the result of it. We expect him home the last of next week. This Northampton business is a profound secret and is not mentioned out of the family!
Another extract from the same correspondent shows us how Longfellow was temporarily influenced at Brunswick, like Lowell afterwards at Cambridge, by the marked hygienic and even ascetic atmosphere of the period; an influence apparently encouraged in both cases by their young wives, yet leaving no permanent trace upon the habits of either poet, — habits always moderate, in both cases, but never in the literal sense abstemious.
Friday evening [April, 1834].
... He has gone to a Temperance Lecture this evening. He intends becoming a member of the Temperance Society; indeed I do not know but he has signed the paper already. He is a good little dear, and I approve of everything (almost smoking) he does. He is becoming an advocate of vegetable diet, Dr. Mussey’s hobby; and Clara and I have nothing but lectures from him and Alexander, upon corsets.
The following extract gives us a glimpse of his literary work: —
BRUNSWICK, Nov. 2, 1834.
Henry comes on famously with Outre Mer. The No. on Spain is finished and that on Italy will be before Thanksgiving. It is by far more interesting than any of the other No’s. Henry thinks himself it is much superior in point of interest and in style. I presume he will have the remaining No’s published together in N. Y. this winter.
In the midst of such literary and household cares he received the following letter: —
CAMBRIDGE, December 1, 1834.
DEAR SIR, — Professor Ticknor has given notice that it is his intention to resign his office of Smith Professor of Modern Languages in Harvard University, as soon as the Corporation shall have fixed upon a successor.
The duty of nominating to that office devolves upon me; and after great deliberation and inquiry my determination is made to nominate you for that office under circumstances which render your appointment not doubtful, — provided I receive a previous assurance from you of your acceptance of it. To ascertain this is the object of the present letter.
The salary will be fifteen hundred dollars a year. Residence in Cambridge will be required. The duties of the professorship will be of course those which are required from the occupant of a full professorship, and such as the Corporation and the Overseers may appoint. If a relation such as I suggest with this university be acceptable to you, I shall be obliged by an early answer.
Should it be your wish, previously to entering upon the duties of the office, to reside in Europe, at your own expense, a year or eighteen months for the purpose of a more perfect attainment of the German, Mr. Ticknor will retain his office till your return.
Very respectfully, I am Yours, etc., etc.,
JOSIAH QUINCY.
“Good fortune comes at last and I certainly shall not reject it,” the young Longfellow wrote to his father. “The last paragraph of the letter,” he adds, “though put in the form of a permission, seems to imply a request. I think I shall accept that also.” Some additional correspondence, however, proved necessary, such as follows: —
HON. JOSIAH QUINCY:
SIR, — Your letter of to-day inclosing the Vote of the President and Fellows of Har’d University in relation to the Professorship of Mod’n Lang’s has been received, and in expressing anew my desire to meet your wishes fully in the matter before us, I beg leave to defer an official answer until my return from the South, in about three weeks hence.
In the mean time may I take the liberty of calling your attention once more to the subject of our last conversation? I feel it important that I should be regularly appointed before sailing for Europe. Otherwise I present myself as any private individual whatever. But if I go as one of your professors, I carry with me in that very circumstance my best letter of recommendation. It gives me a character — and a greater claim to attention abroad, than I can otherwise take with me. Judge Story is ready to consent to this arrangement — so is Mr. Gray — so is Mr. Ticknor. If you could bring the subject once more before the corporation, I think the objections suggested by you when I saw you this morning will be found to give way before the good results, which I think may be reasonably anticipated from change in your vote where respectfully suggested.
Very respect’y y’r. Ob’e. Ser’t.
HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
BOSTON, Jan’y 1, 1834. [Error for 1835.]
HON. JOSIAH QUINCY:
SIR, — Placing entire confidence in the assurances of the President and Fellows of Harvard University in reference to my election to the Smith Professorship of Modern Languages and Belles Lettres in that institution, which assurances were communicated to me in y’r favor of 1st January, together with their Vote upon the subject, — I have the honor to inform you, that I shall sail for Europe in the month of April next, and remain there till the summer of 1836.
Very respectfully
HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
PORTLAND, February 3, 1835.
His first book, in a strict sense, published before his departure, was his translation of the “Coplas of Jorge Manrique” (1833), in which were added to the main poem a few translations of sonnets, the whole being prefaced with an article from “The North American Review” on the “Moral and Devotional Poetry of Spain.” It was these works which had attracted the attention of Professor Ticknor, and had led to results so important. The young professor sailed at the time mentioned, accompanied by his wife and two young ladies, her friends.
His first aim was Sweden, but he spent a few weeks in London, where he met, among others, Carlyle. So little has hitherto been recorded of this part of Longfellow’s life or of his early married life in any way, that I am glad to be able to describe it from the original letters of the young wife, which are now in my possession, and are address
ed mainly to Mrs. Longfellow, her mother-in-law. She seems to have enjoyed her travelling experiences very thoroughly, and writes in one case, “We are generally taken for French ... and I am always believed to be Henry’s sister. They say to me, ‘What a resemblance between your brother and self!’”
Sunday afternoon, May 31, 1835.
MY DEAR MOTHER, — I wrote you a very few lines, in great haste, in Henry’s letter to his Father, acknowledging the receipt of your kind letter. I hope that you will write us as often as your many cares will permit, & be assured that even a few lines will always be welcomed with delight by your absent children. We have passed our time very delightfully in London. The only difficulty is — there is so much to be seen & so little time to see it in. We have, however, seen many of the principal points. Last Monday we passed very delightfully at Shirley Park, near the little village of Croydon. The ride is through a very beautiful country. We passed several gipsy encampments, in the most picturesque situations. Shirley Park is a truly delightful place. The house, which is a very fine one, is placed on a beautiful spot, & there are fine views from all sides of it. Mrs. Skinner, the lady of the place, is a very agreeable amiable lady — She took us all over the grounds in her carriage, & was very kind & attentive to us. Her house is thronged with visitors, the great, the fashionable, & the literati all pay their court to her. She is a great admirer of Willis’s, & thinks his writings superior to Irving’s! — On Wednesday we visited the National Gallery, the finest collection of old paintings in the city. We saw while we were there, the Queen pass into the city, attended by the horse-guards in their beautiful uniforms. Five or six carriages passed with a coachman & two footmen to each, lost almost in the quantity of gold lace which covered them. Last of all came her Majesty’s carriage with two coachmen & four footmen in the same magnificent livery. Thursday was the king’s birth day. The drawing room was the most splendid one that had ever been seen — so Willis says. In the eve’g there was a grand illumination. About ten Henry and Mr. Frazer went out to see it. The crowd was so immense, that it was with the greatest difficulty they made their way home. Four women from St. Giles’s armed with large clubs pointed with iron, passed through the crowd striking in all directions. We took a carriage & drove to see the illuminations. It was after eleven & the crowd had nearly dispersed. There were brilliant crowns & a variety of pretty devices formed with coloured lamps & some very fine gas ones. I suspect however there was very little true rejoicing in all this show & splendour. The Queen is very unpopular among the people. Friday morn’g — Willis called. He had been to breakfast with the beautiful Mrs. Wadsworth, & was on his way, to breakfast at 3 in the aft. with the Duchess of St. Albans. Mrs. Wadsworth, from Genesseo, was a Philadelphia lady & has been greatly admired on the continent & here. She returns in a few days to America. Yesterday morning Mr. Barnard a young lawyer from Connecticut called upon me. He arrived but a month before us, & takes much the same route as we do, though a more extensive one. He will be in Stockholm in the course of the summer. Mr. Carlyle of Craigenputtock was soon after announced, & passed an half hour with us much to our delight. He has very unpolished manners, & broad Scottish accent, but such fine language & beautiful thoughts that it is truly delightful to listen to him. Perhaps you have read some of his articles in the Edinburgh Review. He invited us to take tea with him at Chelsea, where they now reside. We were as much charmed with Mrs. C[arlyle] as with her husband. She is a lovely woman with very simple & pleasing manners. She is also very talented & accomplished, & how delightful it is to see such modesty combined with such power to please. On Tuesday we visit Chantrey’s study with them. This morning Mr. Bentham, a nephew of Jeremy’s, called, & invited us to dine with them on Wednesday — We may see the great potentate appear. Henry is petitioning for room to write, & saying that I must retire, but I must tell you my dreams. A few nights since I heard Samuel [Longfellow] preach for Dr. Nichols. Last night I dreamt I was with my father & sisters, telling them of all I had seen. I only went to America to make a call & tell you all we had safely arrived, & was to return immediately. You will give very much love to all for me. They must all write me, & their letters shall be answered as speedily as possible. We leave here the last of this week. I shall leave letters to be sent by the first opportunity. George & Ann must not forget us.
Your ever affectionate
MARY.
The Carlyles are again mentioned in a letter written while crossing the German Ocean.
STEAM SHIP, GERMAN OCEAN, Thursday, June 11 .
... We have some very pleasant passengers. A German lady with her father and little girl. What a strange idea foreigners have of America! This lady who appears very intelligent asked us if America was anything like London!! Then we have a German Prince with huge mustachios; Clara played whist with him last evening! Oh dear! I do not know as I shall be able to speak to you when I return, I see so many lords and ladies! but in reality these lords and ladies are not half as agreeable people as some of Henry’s literary friends. Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle have more genuine worth and talent than half of the nobility in London. Mr. Carlyle’s literary fame is very high, and she is a very talented woman — but they are people after my own heart — not the least pretension about them. Mrs. Carlyle has a pin with Goethe’s head upon it, which that great author sent her himself. She is very proud of it I assure you. They live very retired, not wishing to mix with fashionable society, which they regard in its true light; still they have some friends among the nobility who know how to value them.
STOCKHOLM, August 5, 1835.
MY DEAR MOTHER, — I hope you have received my letter to you from London ere this. We sent letters home from here July 21st by Capt. Symons directly to Boston — it was as soon as possible after our arrival; among them Henry sent a letter to his father, & I to Mary, Sam & Anne. I was quite delighted to receive a letter from Mary & Sam — hope they will write me often. Since our last letters we have removed our lodgings to “No. 5. Clara Södra Kyko Gatan.” We have more rooms but not as good ones as in the Droteninggatan. We have made some very pleasant acquaintances here. July 15th we dined at Mr. Arfwedson’s — the father of the gentleman who married an American lady. Mr. A —— resides at Liston Hill in the Park — he has a little English cottage, built by Sir Robert Liston, formerly English minister to this court. It is a sweet spot — the Mäler flows almost directly beneath the windows of the cottage — a little flower garden is upon its banks, & a fine grove of trees in the rear of the cottage. Mr. Arfwedson is a fine old man — his wife has been dead several years. The only ladies present were our countrywoman Mrs. A —— & the eldest daughter of Mr. Arfwedson — the wife of Baron S —— . She is a very delicate and graceful lady, was dressed very tastefully & altogether unlike the Swedish ladies we had before seen. Mr. A’s second daughter is just married to a brother of her sister’s husband who is also a Baron. They went immediately to Copenhagen, we have not therefore seen her, but have heard much of her great beauty. There were a number of gentlemen present at dinner, several of which were English. The dinner table was by far the prettiest we have seen in Sweden.... The dessert plates were very beautiful, white china — upon each of which was a different flower elegantly painted. After coffee the gentleman proposed a drive to Rosendale, a little palace in the park. It is the favorite spot of king Bernadotte. We first went to the splendid porphyry vase, which stands in the centre of the flower garden back of the palace. The top of this celebrated & immense vase is cut from a single block of porphyry. Sweden is very celebrated for its fine porphyry. The lower rooms of the palace are handsomely furnished, but the upper ones are quite splendid. All the rooms were carpeted with beautiful carpets — the walls were hung with silk damask — each room a different color, with curtains, sofas & chairs to correspond. One room was hung with white damask, & the chairs & sofa were covered with beautiful embroidery — the ground of which was white, wrought by the Queen & her maids of honor. There was a great profusion of this beautiful embroidery — fire scre
ens, ottomans, &c. — The chandeliers, mirrors & candelabras were very elegant. In one room was a portrait of the king, which was very like him. In another that of the Queen — much flattered. She was a daughter of a merchant of Marseilles. There are no bed-chambers in this palace. The king very rarely sleeps out of his palace in town. We returned to Mr. Arfwedson’s & took tea. Mrs. A —— is very accomplished, she speaks nearly all the modern languages. She invited us to dine with them on the next Sabbath.
July 16th. We dined at Mr. Stockoe’s, a partner of Mr. Erskine’s. We met quite a large & pleasant party there. The Stockoe’s are excellent, kind-hearted people. They have paid us every attention. Mrs. S —— sends us presents of fruits & flowers, & all those little attentions which it is so agreeable to receive. — I was quite unwell on Sunday, on account of a very long walk the evening previous. I did not therefore go to young Arfwedson’s. Clara & H —— went & had a very pleasant visit. They met there Baron Stackelberg, who was Swedish minister in America fourteen years. He returned but two years since. He has called upon us several times since, & is a jovial old man with perfectly white hair & whiskers. July 22nd. The Stockoe’s invited us to drive out to Haga with them. We went out at six in the evening. This palace is about two English miles from town. It was built by Gustavus the 3rd, & was his favorite residence. The furniture was very old, but there is one fine room lined with mirrors. In the drawing room is a centre table with a deep top & pots of flowers placed in it. This top was covered entirely with moss, this had a very pretty effect, especially as there were a variety of flowers all in bloom. The table was on castors & could be placed in any position.... We were shown three very small chambers, where Gustavus the 4th was imprisoned after he was dethroned. His queen lived with him there. In another building, a pavilion, were some rooms furnished in more modern style. The Queen sleeps in these rooms when she comes to Haga, [but] the royal family rarely visit this palace. The grounds are very beautiful. We walked round the Park to the famous palace which Gustavus 3d commenced building after his return from Italy. Here he expended two millions, & the foundations were but laid & the stones in readiness for the walls when he was assassinated. The work was then immediately stopped as the people were much opposed to the undertaking. We saw the model of this building which was to have been a very extensive one. A row of columns all around it, to have been built in the Italian style. The model was more like a temple than a palace. We took tea at a little inn in Hagalund & returned home late in the evening — The king has a great number of palaces round Stockholm, there are seven or eight, & as many it is said in every province.
Delphi Complete Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Delphi Poets Series Book 13) Page 209
