Supplement [pp. 341-348]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
first who has employed it. His Autobiography, pub- From the Richmond Compiler.
lished a few years ago, and which by the way, ought to
have been re-published a few years ago, and which byof the way, ughmost interestto The writer of the following judicious article, has performed a
have been re-*published here as one of the most interest- task for which he is entitled to our thanks. A want of time and
ing and singular works of the time, contains it often a lack of the proper talent for criticism, have prevented us from
enough to prove some feeling towards it in the author's giving our opinion at length upon the last number of the Mesbreast akin to that of paternal affection. senger; and this sketch saves us the labor. We accord with
As the review of the book which appeared in the most of the writer's positions, and are pleased with the good
A- the. reviw of te bk wh ad sense, moderation and delicacy with which he has discharged
Edinburgh Quarterly, was attributed to Bulwer, it is the office of censor. Criticism, to be useful, must be just and
very probable that he fell in love with it when engaged impartial. This is both.
in the tasl of criticism-a moment when, it ought to be " The Southetn Literary Messenger."-Virginia has cause of
exultation that her chief literary periodical bearing the above
inferred he was particularly alive to the correctness or title, has already attained a respectable rank in the United
incorrectness of any intrusion upon the pretnises of the States, and has won "golden opinions" from some of the highest
King's English. The word is unquestionably a good dignitaries in the empire of criticism. Whilst I do not think that
and expressive one and has quite as much inheent the February number which has just appeared, is superior to all
and exp r e ssiveone, and. as.ites its predecessors, yet it may be considered a fair specimen of the
right to be incorporated with our language as anry other genera] ability with which the work is conducted. Its contents
Latin excrescence. It is only "Hebrew roots," we are are copious-various in their style and character, and, in candor
informed by high authority, that " flourish most in bar- be it spoken, of very unequal merit. Whilst some articles are
ren gdroud:" No imputation, therefore, rests upon the highly interesting-the readers of the Messenger would have
n1it 1 * 1 1 * X T. X 1 *. lost but little, if others had been omitted. This remark is not
soil from which this sprang. Upon the subiect of coin- made in the spirit of fault finding the Messenger has always
ing words, as upon so many others, old Flaccus has enoagh in its pages to admire, without coveting an indiscriminate
spoken best: and unqualified praise of all which it contains.
Lictit semperque licebit The very first article in the February number, on the import Licuit, semperque licebit, ance of Selection in Reading, though short, contains much mat Signatum presente not& procudere nomet. ter for grave reflection. The writer states, and states truly,.that
if a man has forty years to employ in reading, and reads fifty
From the North Carolina Standard. pages a day, he will only be able in that period of time, to ac complish about sixteen hundred volumes of 500 pages each.
The Southern Literary,Messenger.-We have received Highly favored as such a man would be, beyonrlthe mass of his
the March No. of this valuable montthly. It is as rich fellow creatures, how insignificant the number of volumes read
in matter and its pieces are as varied and iterestin by him, compared with the millions which fill the libraries of
the world, and the thousands and tens of thousand that conas any previous numyber; and we have before said, that tinually drop from the press. How vastly important is it, therebut tew periodicals in the Union, and none South of the fore, to be well directed in the choice of books!-and I may add,
~Potolriac, are superior to it. how great is the responsibility of those whose province it is so
to direct; to whom the task has been confided of selecting our
literary food, and of separating what is healthful and nutritious
From the Washngton Sun. from what is poisonous and hurtful. A well established maga zine, or periodical, undoubtedly exercises great influence on the
Sother Literary esse erh foreceiFeb. Its tens literary taste, as well as the literary morality of the circle of its
Southern LiteraryMessenger fr February.. Its contents readers. Hence good taste, good feeling-just discrimination and
are rich, varied and interesting. The critiques are par- high rectitude, are essential qualities in the conduction of such
ticularly gfood, and evidence a mind feelingly alive to a work. That Mr. Poe, the reputed editor of the Messenger, is
th ierr eptto ucuty The collec a gentleman ofbrilliant genius and endowments, is a truth which
the literary reputation of our country. Tecollection
I believe, will not be controverted by a large majority of its reaof autographs viill be examined with much interest,. ders. For one, however, I confess, that there are occasionally
Wre can safely recommend this periodical to the pa- manifested some errors ofjudgment-or faults in taste-or what ~~tr~~on~age of the public. ever they may be called, which I should be glad to see corrected.
I do not think, for example, that such an article as "the Duc
De L'Omelette," in the number under consideration, ought to
From the Tuscaloosa Flag of the Union. have appeared. That kind of writing, I know, may plead hiah
Sother Literary essener. —We have received the precedents in its favor; but that it is calculated to produce effects
oher Liter.ar,es e.- e h e permanently injurious to sound morals, I think will notbe doubtlast number of this beautiful and valuable Mvagazine, ed by those who reflect seriously upon the subject. Mr. Poe is
and take great pleasure in expressing the delight with too fond of the wild —unnatural and horrible! Why will he not
which we have perused its contents. It is certainly the permit his fine genius to soar into purer, brighter, and happier
regions? Why will he not disenthral himselffrom the spells of
best Magazine now published in the Union, and is an German enchantment and supernatural imagery? There is
honor to Southern literature and talent. The present room enough for the exercise of the highest powers, upon the
number like its predecessors, is replete with' pearls, and multiform relations of human life, without descending into the
ges and loes' and flly sustains the elevated cha dark mysterious and unutterable creations of licentious fancy.
When Mr. Poe passes from the region of shadows, into the plain
racter of the work. The -ritical Notices are peculiarly practical dissecting room of criticism, h e manifes ts treat dextenle:ritoriotis and senisibe. Tile Messernger is now under rity and power. He exposes the imbecility and rottenness of our
the editorial guidance of Edgar A. Poe, a gentleman ad captandum popular literature, with the hand of a master.
The public I believe was much delighted with the admirablo
highly distinguished for his literary taste and talent. sapnof"omnLsi,inhgDcmenume,an
scalping of " Norman Leslie," in the December number, and
likewise ofMr. Simms' "Partisan," in the number for January;
From-the Fincastle Democrat. and it will be no less pleased at the caustic severity with which
the puerile abortion of "Paul Ulric" is exposed in the present
Sotern Lterary esseger. —We have been fur number.-These miserable attempts at fiction, will bring all ficnished, by the worthy publisher, with the February titiotis writing i nto utter disrepute, unless indeed the stern renumber of this " best of American periodicals," as it is bukes which shall came from our chairs of criticism, shall rec said to be by a distinguished Nother contemporary. tify the public taste, and preserve the purity of public feeling.
It would be tedious to pronounce upon the merits and demerits
This number is pronounced, in all of the many notices of the several articles in the number uder review. Dr. Green -
which we have seen, to be the best of the fifteen that how's continuation of the Tripolitan Sketches is worthy of his
have been ublished of this e are not co etent to calm and philosoplhical pen. The re-appearance of" Nugator"
in the pages of the Messenger after a long interval of silence will be hailed by its readers with great pleasure; his "Castelbets; but, be i[ as it may, we cheerfully coincide In the lanust is excellent. The article on "L iberian Literature,"
the annexed sentiment of the editor o~f the Pennsylva- will attract much attention. It presents a very vivid picture of
the wonderful progress which that colony has made in most of
a the arts, and in many of the refinements of life. Lionel Granby,he South, no fait is obe plaedineir setionalfee-the sketch of the lamented Cushing,-and the sketches of Lake
ing; it is vox et proeterea sighi." Superior, have each their peculiar merits, and will be read with
interest; of the CriticalNotices, the sarcastic power of the review
of Paul Ulric, has been already spoken of. The Review of" Ri enzi," too, the last novel of Bulwer, is written in Mr. Poe's best
The Southern Literary Messenger for March, full of good style, —but I must be permitted to dissent toso cawlo from his opimatter, is at hand —delayed with a view of giving the whole of nion, that the author of that work is unsurpassed as a novelist
Professor Dew's address. We miss the racy and condemnator y by any writer living or dead. —There is no disputing about tastes,
criticism that distinguishes the work, and which has been faro- but according to my poor judgment, a single work might be serble to the production of good books. We who publish no vo- leected from among the voluminous labors of Walter Scott, worth
bumes, look with comp lace ncy upon severe criticism. all that Bulwr has ever written or ever will write-hand this I
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