Dryasdust was an imaginary and tediously thorough literary authority cited by Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

to present background information in his novels; thereafter, a derisory term for anyone who presents historical facts with no feeling for the personalities involved. “Dryasdust” is mentioned in a whole introductory chapter of

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

’s ''

Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches ''Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches: with Elucidations'' is a book by the Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle. It "remains one of the most important works of British history published in the nineteenth and twentieth ...

'', this chapter being entitled “Anti-Dryasdust.” It is continually referenced, as Carlyle depicts history being surrendered to Dryasdust:

To Dryasdust, who wishes merely to compile torpedo Histories of the philosophical or other sorts, and gain immortal
laurels ''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cookin ...
for himself by writing about it and about it, all this is sport; but to us who struggle piously, passionately, to behold, but in glimpses, the faces of our vanished Fathers, it is death! - Oh, Dryasdust, my voluminous friend, had Human Stupidity continued in the diligent state, think you it might have ever come to this? Surely at least you might have made an Index for these huge books!Carlyle, Thomas, ''Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, with Elucidations", p.5, P.F. Collier & Sons NY 1900''

References

Thomas Carlyle Characters in British novels {{novel-char-stub

See also

References