Newman had the intellect of a rabbit.

Herbert Spencer was "the most unending ass in Christendom." "Scribbling Sands and Eliots" were unfit to tie Mrs.Carlyle's shoe-strings.

Editing Keats was "currying dead dog." Ruskin could only point out the correggiosity of Correggio.

Political economy was the dismal science, or the gospel according to McCrowdie.* Carlyle's eloquent and humourous diatribes were wonderful, laughter-moving, awe-compelling.

They did not put his hearers at their ease, and Froude felt more admiration than sympathy.
-- * McCulloch, the editor of Adam Smith, was meant -- In 1861, when Froude had been settled in London about a year, he received a visit from the great author himself.