Supplement [pp. 133-140]

SOUTHERN LITE'RARY MESSENGE-R.
the Charleston Courier,' delights in the creation of strange possibilities, and in ii-vesti ng the most intangible romances in an ar
of perfect verisimilitude." We have heard the MS. found in e
Bottle, called the best of his Tales —but prefer his Lionizing and
Morela. —Tle highest praise, however, and fromn the very highest
quarters, has been awarded to all lie has written. The Specin
of Lore Letters in the reign of Edward IV. is ani excellent alticle. The Editorial department, under the modest head of Critical Notices, embraces no less than 56 colunims of liberal and
well-digested Reviews of new publications. Among these, are
Notices of Dr. Bird's last novel —Miss Sedgwick's Linwoo(is —
Glass' Life ofWashington-The Edinburgh, London Quarterly,
Westminister, and N. A?erican Reviews —The Criyon Miscel]any —Godwin's Nlecromancy —Legends of a Log Cabin —Mrs.
Hale's traits ofAmerican Life —Hall's Western Sketches —Clinton Bradshaw —and many others —not forgetting N(orinan Lesli e,
whichs is tterly torn to pieces in a long and detailed Review ofthe
most bitter and unsparing sarcasm. These Reviews speak well
for the future prosperity of the Messenger. Let its Editor aim at
making the Mas,azine a vehicle for liberal and independent criticisms, and hle will not fail to receive a proper encouragemnent
from every lover of literature.
The p)oet iy is ve y excellent. October by Eliza is beautiful —
and also some lies upon the same page by the same writer.
Among (,th e tis we must particularly nienti(in Mlarcelia —1
Sonnet, and anotfither Sonnet, entitled Ruins, just above it. The
Lines on the Blapsk Leaf —and the Scenes from ant unpublisehed
Dranta by Edgar 1. Poe.
From the Charlottesville Jeffersonian.
The Southern Literary Messenger. —We have been favored by
the politeness of Mr. White, with the first number of the second
volume of this interesting periodical, and take pleasure in adding
our mite to the many well meritled praises which his work lhas already received from oithel ournals; and We aree with Mr.
White in his bright anticipations of the future. This periodical
must be sustained for the literary credit (f the Old Domnirnion and
the honor of the South. Some of our -Northern coteDporaries
have alleady declared it the best literaty periodical in America,
and we deem this praise not so high as when they say it is (decidedly good.'This number contains sufficient variety to gratify
diversity oef taste.
The MS. found in a bottle. By Edgar A. Poe, is good, —it is
original arid well told. Its wild impossibilities are pictured to the
imaairnation with all the detail of circumstances, which truth aiid
the fearful reality mnight be supposed to present. Whilst we do
not agree to the justness of the praise Nwhich has been bestowed
upon some of Mr. Pe's pieces, we conticur in the general conniendation wh ch he has received as a writer ol great originality,
and one who promises well.
The prose article which mnost pleasesus in this number, is Mr.
Minor's Address on Education. It is too valuable and upon a stcbject of too nmuch importance to the State, to be passed with this
cursory notice of the Messenger; we shall recur to the subject
again and again. We perceive that the Georgetown Metrolpolitani has censured the Messenger, for publishing Mr. Garnett's
Introductory Lecture on the subtject of Education, thinking it unsuitable to the Magazine. Mr. White acted properly in disregarding such an objection. Variety is the very life of a literary
periodical, and it is' never less agreeable for being useful.
There is a pretty thought in the following lines —written on one
of the blank leaves of a book sent to a friend in England.
As he who sails afar on southern seas,
Catches rich odor on the evening breeze,
Turns to the shore whence comes the perfumed air,
Anrd knows, though all unseen, some flower is there Thus-when o'er ocean's wave these pages greet
Thineeye, with many a line from minstrel sweet,
Th Vi_. Virginia's clime far off and fair,
Andt, thiough all unseen, a friend is there.-Imogene.
The editorial criticisms are many, and in the riglit vein. They
are caustic but just. The Review of Mr. Fay's novel Nornman
Leslie, is amusing and will be read, though we think some paseages in it are in bad taste. The author is flayed, or to use a term
more congenial with his taste, aid with the Reviewer's article —
blistered.
Halley's Comet-1760. By Miss E. Draper. This poem gives
a good accounit of the great ones of our planet, at the last visit of
the toesse, e of the spheres. The versification too is easy, and
the contrasts strikig. The same pen has written before, and
oughlt to write again.
From the Waslington Telegraph.
The Southern Literary Messenger.-In glancingour eyes over
the numerous papers which are daily laid before us, i, quest of
matter appropriate to otur own, they fIequently lightoti notices of
this periodical. lTo such things our peculiar avocations do not
often afford us time to attend. We have only indulged our curiosity so far as to see that they are all commendatory; and we
have laid aside the papers with nothing more than a passing
sense of pleasure at praises which indirectly redound to the honor
of the honored home of our fathers. Of late, such notices have
so frequently engaged our attention, that we at last determined,
for once, to play the truant, and give an attentive perusal to the
next number. We have just ltil dowt that for December, 1835,
after experiencing a pleasure in the perusal, for which we feel
inclined to make such po(or return us'ne can.
In our judgment this number deserves all the praise that has
been bestowed upon the work; and this remark we particularly
apply to certain " continued" articles, of which we are constrained to judge by the specimtens heregivei. We speak of the
' Tripliine Sketches, and " Lionel Granby." If the preceding
parts of these works are of equal mnerit with those before us,
they have not been praised too highly. We are sorry that we
cannot exactly includte the "Mexican Journal" in the same category. It is well enough.
The Address of Mr. Lucian Minor before the Institute of Edu.
cation of Hampden Sidney College, is a paper of very great
merit. We confess that we have not full faith in the efficacy of
Mr. M.'s panacea for the distempers ofthe State; partly because
we are afraid the patient cannot be got to take enough of it to do
hint good; and partly because we are not sure it would not meet
with somewhat in his stomach of what medical men call " incompatible substances," which might neutralise or decompose it,
or turn it to poison. But we leave these things to the political
doctors; and are content to record our praise and thanks for the
strong sense and manly frankness displayed by Mr. M. in calling
boldly on the people to secure and deserve the blessings of freedom by qualifying themselves for self-government.
The literary notices in this number are highly piquant and
amusing. We do not agree with the reviewer it, condemning
every thing under the name of a " Review," to which that
name, ill its strictest sense, does not properly apply. He who
under this nia e gives an essay on thle subject of the article professed to be reviewed, does not break faith with the puiblic, because, for more than thirty years, the word has been understood
to include such essays. Now he who gives a good essay, gives
a good thing, and when lie does this, still keeping within the
spirit and meaning of his engagement, we have no right, nor
mindl to complain.
There is an occasional severity in some of these strictures
which we highly approve. Not that we presume to decide on the
justice of the judltgments pronounced. VWe have not read the
works; but judgment r,oust be folilowed by execution; and the
critic in lis owo executioner. The self sufficiency of authors
cares nothinge for praise. They rarely leceive so much as coines
up to their own estinate of their merits. To make them value
it, they should be put ill fear of censure. The number of works
reviewed in this monthly periodical, shows how mich the cacoethes scribendi needs to be restrained. We dare not flatter ourselves that even halfthepraise bestowed is due, except according
to a very low standard of excellence. When a very hiiih place
in the scale is awarded to a "bad initation" of Walter Sc(tt's
" wtorst manner," the scale cannot be graduated very far above
" temperate." There can be no such thing as blood heat, or
fever heat, upon it.
The longest of the metrical pieces, indeed, deserves less lenie0t treatment, and we shall do Mr. White a service, by defending
him fiom the future coitribtitions of one whom hie may not
choose to offend. We mean the author of " The Dream." In
this, there is no one poetical thought, at first, or second hand. The
verse is smooth, for the writer has a good ear; but the ideas are
dull prose. To make the matter worse, it is a palpable imitation;
not larcenous, indeed; for there is no attempt at concealmient; so
that it is more ofthe nature of a mere trespass. But it is an undisguised imitation of Byron! and what is worse, of' Byron's
most wonderful poem " The Dr-ean!!!" It is such an imitation
as a boy would make who should paint a rose with pokeberryjuice.
We were disappointed in a "Dramatic Extract" from the pen
of Mr. Edgar A. Poe. He had taught us to expect much, for his
prose is very often high wrought poetry; but his poetry is prose,
not in thought, but in measure. This is a defect of ear alone
which can only be corrected by more study than the thing is
worth. As he has a large interest in all the praise that we have
bestowed on the Messenger, we hope he will take this slight
hint as kindly as it is meant.
Fromi the Richmond Religious Herald.
Southern Literary ilfessenger.-The pull ication
of the second volume of this work commences with
the present number for December. The work
was comnmernced as an experiment to test the practicability of sustaining a literary work in the
South. The experiiment has been successful. The
Messenger has taken a high stand as one of the
first literary publications in our country. It has
called into existence several gifted pens. It is now
established on a pIermanent basis, and commences
its second year with increasing prospects of success, and we hope will yield a fair remuneration to
its enterprizing and worthy proprietor. In point
of typographical execution it is unequalled by any
similar work in the United States.
From t!ie Bct,it's Lick Desocrat.
WVe have received the Southern Literary Messenger, published monthly at Richmond, Virgi
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