Supplement [pp. 341-348]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
number; which neither in quantity or quality is equal to the last
three or four.
In the " Editorial" department, we recognise the powerful
discrimination of Mr. Poe. The dissection of " Paul Ulric,"
though well deserved, is perfectly savage. Morrii Mattson, Esq.
will hardly write again. This article will as surely kill him as
one not half so scalpingly written did poor Keats, in the London
Quarterly. The notice of Lieutenant Slidell's " American in
England" we were glad to see. It is a fair offset to the coxcombical article (probably written by Norman Leslie Fay) which
lately appeared in the New York Mirror, in reference to our
couritryman's really agreeable work. Bulwter's " Rienzi" is
ably reviewed, and in a style to beget in him who reads it a
strong desire to possess himself immnediately of the book itself.
There is also an interesting notice of Matthew Carey's Autobiography, and two or three other works lately published.
Under this head, thiere is, in the number before us, the best
sketch of the character and life of Chief Justice Marshall we
have as yet seen. This alone would make a volume of the Messenger valuable beyond the terms of subscription. It purports to
be a Review of Story's, Binney's, and Snowden's Eulogies upon
that distinguished jurist, while, in reality, it is a rich and pregnant Biography of " The Expounder of the Constitution."
The number closes with a most amusing paper containing
twenty.five admirably executed fac simile autoeraphs of some
of the most distinguislihed of our literati. The equivoque of Mr.
Joseph,. B. C. D. E. F. G. &c. Miller is admirably kept up,
and the whimsical character of the pretended letters to which
the signatures are attached is well preserved. Of almost all the
autographs we can speak on our own authority, and are able to
pronounce them capital.
Upon the whole, the number before us (entirely original) may
be set down as one of the very best that has yet been issued.
From the Pennsylvanian.
The Southern Literary Messenger, published in Richmond,
maintains its high chlaracter. The March number, however,
which hlas just come to hand, would have been the better had
the solid articles been relieved, as in the previous numbers, by a
greater variety of contributions of a lighter cast. It is comparatively heavy, a fault which should be carefully avoided in a magazine intended for all sorts of readlers. Sinning in the opposite
direction would be much more excusable.
From the Georgetown Metropolitan.
We have taken time to go through the last number of the
Southern Literary Messenger, and fild it, with some slight exceptions, in the articles of its correspondents, worthy, in every
respect, of the high reputation of the series. The edlitorial articles are vigorous and original, as usual, and there are papers
not easily to be surpassed in any periodical. Suich a one is that
on the Classics, which is not the saucy and fliplpaut thing we
were half afraid to find it, but an essay of great wisdom, learning, and strength,-and what we generally see combined with
it, —playfutlnes of mind.
Another such article is the splendid address prepared by Professor Dew, for delivery before the Historical and Philosophical
Society of Virginia. Its eloquence, vast compass, and subtlety
of thought, will amply and richly repay the attention.
We have time to-day for but a brief notice of the other articles.
Sketches of the Barbary States,-continues tie description of
the French conquest, with the same clearness and ability which
we have before frequently coirmmnended.
" Epimanes" displays a rich, but extravagant fancy.
" To Helen," is pretty and classic, from the same hand-we
will give it in our next.
"Change" has many lines in it, of sweet, and what we like
best, of thoughtful poetry; we will publish it in our next.
" Manual Labor Schools."-Anothesr "address," but practical
and sensible. We suggest, with deference, to the very able editor of the Southern Litera y Messenger, that the less frequently
he admits articles of this description into his columns, the better. Except in rare circumstances, such for example as Professor Dew's, we think they are unfit for a magazine, —the subject
of the present one, is, however, of great importance. " Georgia Scenes" makes a capital article, and has excited, in our
mind, a great curiosity to see the book.
From the Georgetown Metropolitan.
The Southern Literary Messenger, for the present month, is
unusually rich. The articles evince depth, talent and taste, and
there is all the eastern vigor and maturity of learning, with all
the southern spirit of imagination. It is, in fact, nobly edited
and supported, well worthy of being considered the representative and organ of Southern talent.
Of the articles in the present number, the general list as may
be seen by looking at the advertisement in another column, is
very attractive, and aperusal will not "unbeseemthe promise."
We have not time to go over each as we would wish; but the
historical sketch of Algiers, which is brought down to the enibarkation of the French expedition, will command attention. "A
Lay of Ruin," by Miss Draper, has some lines of exquisite poetry, and Edgar A. Poe's Sketch "The Duc de L'Omelette," is
the best thing of the kind we have seen from him yet. "Living
Alone" by Timothy Flint, greatly interested us. That this patriarch of Amnierican literature, in his green andl fresh old age,
can write verses so full of the amaranthine vigor of youth, is a
delightful picture. We are sorry we cannot find room for these
pleasant verses. Among other attractions of the number, we
come upon a Drinking Song, by Major Noah, in which the most
agreeable and witty of editors, proves himself one of the most
moral and fasciiatingoflyrists. It is ananacreontic of the right
stamp, and does its author more credit than all the anti-Van
Buren articles he ever penned.
Timhe Critical Notices are better by far, than those in any other
magazine in the country. Paul Ulric is too small game for the
tremendous deliolition he has received-a club of iron has been
used to smash a fly. The article on Judge Marshall is an able
and faithful epitome of that great jurist's character; in fact, the
best which the press has yet given to the public. We agree with
all the other critiques except that of Bulwer's Rienzi. The
most extraordinary article in the book and the one which will
excite most attention, is its tail piece, in which an American edition of Frazer's celebrated Miller hoax has been played off on
the American Literati with great success-and better than all,
an accurate fac simile of each autograph given along with it.
This article is extremely amusing, and will excite more attention than probably any thing of the kind yet published in an
American periodical. It is quite new in this part of the world.
We commend this excellent magazine to our readers, as in a
high degree deserving of encouragemient, and as one which will
reward it.
From the Baltimore American.
The Southern Literary JMessenger for February is, we think,
the best of the fifteen numbers that have been published. Most
of its articles, prose and verse, are of good Magazine quality,
sprightly and diversified. The first, on " Selection in Readirsg," contains in a brief space a useful lesson in these bookabounding times, when many people take whatever publishers
please to give them, or surrender their right of selection to the
self-complacent and shallow editors of cheap " Libraries." Of
the interesting " Sketches of the History and present condition
of Tripoli, with some account of the other Barbary States," we
have here No. 10, which concludes with the preparations of the
attack on Algiers by the French in S1830. " The Cousin of the
Married" and the " Cousin of the Dead" are two capital comic
pictures from the French. "The Duc de L'Omielette, by Edgar
A. Poe" is one of those light, spirited, fantastic inventions, of
which we have had specimens before in the Messenger, betokening a fertility of imagination and power of execution, that with
discipline could, under a sustained effort, produce creations of
an enduring character. " Rustic Courtship in New England"
is of a class that should not get higher than the first page of a
country newspaper,-we mean no disrespect to any ofour " cotemporaries,"-for it has no literary capabilities.
The best and also the largest portion of the present number of
the Messenger is the department of critical notices of books.
These are the work of a vigorous, sportive, keen pen, that,
whether you approve the judgments or not it records, takes
captive your attention by the spirit with which it moves. The
number ends with the amusing Miller correspondence, of which
we have already spoken.
From the Petersburg Constellation.
We briefly announced a few days ago, the receipt of the
February number of the Southern Literary Mcssenger. It is one
of the richest and raciest numbers of that Journal yet issued
from the Press. The judicious introductory article on the necessity of select reading; the continuation of the Historical sketches
of the Barbary States; Palestine; the Biographical notice of the
late Professor Cushing of Hampden Sidney College; the Review
of the Eulogies on, and Reminiscenses of the late ChiefJustice
Marshall, are among the solid treasures of the Messenger of this
month. Sketches ot' Lake Superior in a series of Letters which
are "' to be continued;" the Cousin of the Married and the Cousin
of the Dead, a translation from the Frernch; Lionel Granby,
Chapter 8S; the Castle Builier turned Farmer, and Rustic Courtship in New Englan(l, have each thieir beauties, excellences
and peculiarities. Of the lighter contributions, of the diamonds
which sparkle beside the more sombre gems, commend us, thou
spirit of eccentricity! forever and a day to our favorite Edgar
A. Poe's Duc de LIOmelette —tIhe best thing of the kind we ever
have or ever expect to read. The idea of " dying of an Ortolan;". the waking up in the palace of Pluto; of that mysterious chain of " blood red metal" hung "parini les nues," at the
nether extremity of which was attached a " cresset," pouring
forth a light more " intense, still and terrible" tharr " Persia
ever worshipped, Gheber imagined, or Mussulman dreamed
of;" the paintings and statuary of that mysterious hall, whose
solitary uncurtained window looked upon blazing Tartarus, and
whose ceiling was lost in a mass of "fiery-colored clouds;" the
nonchalance of the Duc in challenging " Hils Majesty" to a pass
with the points; his imperturbable, self-confident assurance dlurilg the playing of a game of ecarte; his adroitness in slipping a
card while his Infernal Ilighness "took wine" (atrick which won
the Duc his game by the by,) and finally his characteristic compliment to the Deity of the Place of" que s'il n'etait pas de L'Omelette, il n'aurait point d'objection d'etre le Diable," are conceptions which for peculiar eccentricity and graphic quaintness,
are perfectly inimitable. Of the criticisms, the most are good;
that on Mr. Morris Mattson's novel of " Paul Ulric," like a fortner criticism from the same pen on Fay's " Norman Leslie" is
a literal " flaying alive!" a carving up into " ten thousand
atoms.' a complete literary annihilation - If Mr. Morris Matt
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