3-070-645 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

A Moonlight Night at Chelsea: a reminiscence of Thomas Carlyle, 1881. 'The house at Chelsea, in which this great author lived so long as forty-seven years, has often attracted the respectful curiosity of those visitors to London who had a taste for the current biographical anecdotes of contemporary men of letters. It stands in a retired and rather obscure situation, Great Cheyne-row, at the back of the west side of Oakley-street, and very near the Thames Embankment...It is said that Carlyle would never hear of removing to another house, and he was much averse to any change of his domestic or personal habits. He might often be seen, on a fine moonlight evening in summer, attired in his long overcoat and soft felt hat, with an old-fashioned clay pipe in his mouth, lounging for half an hour on the Chelsea Thames Embankment. A Sketch of the illustrious man, as he would appear at such times, is now presented to our readers, who will regard it, we are sure, in the spirit of reverent sympathy due to his age, his character and genius'. From "Illustrated London News", 1881.