[Footnote A: Diary of Thomas Moore. (Lond. 1856.) Vol. vii., p. 224]

In 1835, after the publication of "Sartor Resartus," Carlyle received
an invitation from some American admirers of his writings, to visit
their country, and he contemplated doing so, but his labours in
examining and collecting materials for his great work on "The French
Revolution," then hastening towards completion, prevented him.

We may say that, for many reasons, it is to be regretted that this
design was never carried into execution. Had Carlyle witnessed with
his own eyes the admirable working of democratic institutions in the
United States, he might have done more justice to our Transatlantic
brethren, who were always his first and foremost admirers, and he
might also have acquired more faith in the future destinies of his own
countrymen.

In December, 1837, Carlyle wrote a very remarkable letter to a
correspondent in India, which has never been printed in his works,
and which we are enabled to give here entire. It is addressed to Major
David Lester Richardson, in acknowledgment of his "Literary Leaves,
or Prose and Verse," published at Calcutta in 1836. These "Literary
Leaves" contain among other things an article on the Italian Opera
(taking much the same view of it as Carlyle does), and a sketch of
Edward Irving. These papers no doubt pleased Carlyle, and perhaps led
him to entertain a rather exaggeratedly high opinion of the rest of
the book.

THOMAS CARLYLE TO DAVID LESTER RICHARDSON.

"5, Cheyne Row, Chelsea, London,