INTRODUCTION:

In the preceding Book Carlyle has been talking of the twelfth century i.e. the Past. In this
Book he talks of the Present and its most outstanding fact, namely the Modern Worker or
the rise of Labour.

CHAPTER # 1:
PHENOMENA

THEME: England is rushing towards destruction because of the worship of Mammonism

and Dilettantism. True religion is gone; true Christianity is dead and universal heroism
lies in grave, but the Roman Catholic Church keeps up the remembrance of that which
once was.

CHAPTER # 2:
GOSPEL OF MAMMONISM

THEME: Modern society is held together by only one bond – cash payment.

CHAPTER # 3:
GOSPEL OF DILETTANTISM

THEME: The gospel of Dilettantism is more hopeless than that of Mammonism.

Insincere, lazy and canting aristocrats have no earnestness about them at all. They are like
the dwellers of the Dead Sea.

CHAPTER # 4:
HAPPY

THEME: Men are wrong in claiming to be happy, that is not their destiny; they can only
claim the blessedness of work.

CHAPTER # 5:
THE ENGLISH

THEME: Of all the nations, the English are the stupidest in speech, the wisest in action.
In their unconsciousness lies their strength.

CHAPTER # 6:
TWO CENTURIES

THEME: The one voice of GOD heard in the two atheistic centuries is the practical
labour and it must become a seeing rational giant.
CHAPTER # 7:
OVER-PRODUCTION

THEME: The over-production is the result of over-work by the labourers. Wealth is

accumulated in few hands. The whole benefit goes to the parasitic Landowners who do
not produce anything.

CHAPTER # 8:
UNWORKING ARISTOCRACY

THEME: The Unworking aristocracy, parasitic and pampered race, must find its duties
and do them; otherwise it will have to be abolished. These noblemen not only do not help
but they actually make mischief.

CHAPTER # 9:
WORKING ARISTOCRACY

THEME: The working Aristocrats of England is in a bad position now, mainly because it
is given to Mammon worship. It must take its stand upon honest work.

CHAPTER # 10:
PLUGSON OF UNDERSHOT

THEME: Cash payment can not be the supreme bond between one man and another.
There is a higher Gospel than cash Gospel which must be followed.

CHAPTER # 11:
LABOUR

THEME: There is a perennial nobleness and even sacredness in work. The old Gospels of
“know thyself” are exploded, now the latest Gospel is “know thy work and do it”. Man’s
true blessedness is in work.

CHAPTER # 12:
REWARD

THEME: Work is worship. The worker’s true wages can be paid only in Heaven. Money
wages can not compensate work. The worker should have the consolation that he is doing
worship and let him silently do his work.

CHAPTER # 13:
DEMOCRACY

THEME: Democracy is really something equivalent to Atheism, for it despairs of finding

Heroes. It is only liberty to die by starvation.
CHAPTER # 14:

SIR JABESH WINDBAG

THEME: A true governor is that whose priority is to do service of public rather than
getting fame.

CHAPTER # 15:
MORRISON AGAIN

THEME: England has become atheistic and irreligious. Religion is no Morrison’s Pill to
be gulped down. Rituals and liturgies do not make religion. Religion in its true sense is a
belief in unseen powers.