our decree that thou instantly deliver up the reins of government to our minister, JANUARY, who, with his double face, can exercise double vigilance in correcting the evils thou hast brought on the earth, and gradually and not too hastily restore order and peace in my path over its broad and fair domains.' So saying, the scythe-king instantly changed the ministration of his power, and dissolved the council. ... Hail to thy softened though still stern reign, thou Son of Janus, the Double-faced! What sweet duplicity, to cheat us into the hope of returning serenity and peace, as thou sendest forth the bright sun in the clear east, and spreadest for his course an expanse of the deepest blue! How glorious, even if delusive, to step forth upon the crisp snow, that rings out clear beneath the feet like tiny bells; to inhale the fresh, dry, frosty air, that gives its own elasticity to the spirits; to mark the smoke from thousands of happy fire-sides, curling with gentle gyrations far up the pure blue sky, whitening as it advances, as if to grow more pure, to mingle in that pure element; and to look from some little eminence across the calm, bright waters, upon the curving bay and swelling bank, sleeping sweetly in the sunshine and the haze; while, in the blue distance, the undulating outline of wooded upland and swelling hill reposes as soft and tranquil upon the glowing horizon, as when summer clothed them in her richest verdure and her brightest sunbeams! If by such charming delusions, O January! thou provest thy lineage, we could almost wish that thy power should be perpetual, at least while TIME reigneth. But no! changeful satrap of a stern tyrant! While one face is beaming with smiles, dark frowns are gathering on the other. We dare not trust thee. We are not Romans enough to worship thee, nor build thee a temple; and we bid thee God-speed, with all our hearts!'

THE NEW-YORK REVIEW, for the January quarter, well sustains its reputation for scholarship and critical acumen. Its first article is a very long and very able review of HALLAM'S 'Introduction to the Literature of Europe.' Its merits would insure a ready perusal, but for its unreasonable length. Fifty pages are too much for a continuous paper; and if the subjects were too weighty, as they were, to be treated in less space, two numbers should have been devoted to the work. 'Politics and the Puritans,' 'France and the Argentine Republic,' 'Prison Discipline in New-York and Pennsylvania,' follow next, and are succeeded by a paper upon English and French Travellers in America,' embracing reviews of MARRYAT's Diary, MURRAY's Travels, DE TOCQUEVILLE'S Demoeracy in America,' and CHEVALIER's 'Lettres sur l' Amerique du Nord.' This is a capital article, and inferior to none in the number. We can help the reviewer, let us inform him, in passing, to one or two older diaries than that of the 'respectable Mr. JOSSELYN,' over which he gloats with such exceeding great unction. The papers upon ' MILLER'S Rural Sketches,' and the Oxford Tracts, we have not found leisure to read. Some score of brief reviews, under the general head of 'Critical Notices,' close the number. Among these, is a notice, not very flattering, of Mr. WILLIAM THOMPSON BACON's poems. The reviewer charges the author with numerous and gross grammatical errors, and with frequent violations of common metrical rules. Moreover, as we ventured recently to fear would be the case, he accuses Mr. BACON of plagiarism. 'We cannot say,' observes the reviewer, 'that the poems display an originality in their general tone and thought, such as might make up for these particular faults. Here we bow to HALLECK, there to BRYANT; now to BYRON, (no poet, according to Mr. Bacon,) now to YOUNG, presently to TALFOURD, and during the intervals, chiefly to WORDSWORTH. We must do the author the justice, however, to observe, that he admits these thefts, in a most gentleman-like manner, in his notes!'... 'What is chiefly commendable in the book, is the amiable and correct moral spirit in which the author seems to have composed it; beside which, there is a good deal of genuine feeling for nature, such as, with more cultivation, may become the basis of creative excellence.'

INTERNATIONAL COPY-RIGHT LAW. - We have great pleasure in commending the subjoined letter to the attention of the public; and are glad of an opportunity to communicate to our readers, what we have for many months known, that an international copy-right law the advocacy of which originated in, and has been strenuously urged from time to time by, this Magazine - has found a warm and disinterested supporter in Mr. IRVING. We say 'disinterested,' because there will not be wanting really interested parties, who will bring against GEOFFREY CRAYON the charge of self-interest in this matter; since, being the most popular author of our country, on both sides of the Atlantic, he may naturally be supposed to have an eye to his own literary rewards. But independent of the declaration, in the annexed 'confession of faith,' touching a matter of duty, our readers will remember the writer's abdication, near a twelvemonth since, of the veritable author's throne, in the first paper in which he introduced himself as a permanent contributor to these pages: 'I have hitherto sought,' says he, 'to ease off a plethora of the mind, or surcharge of the intellect, by means of my pen; and hence have inflicted divers gossipping volumes upon the patience of the public. I am tired, however, of writing volumes; they do not afford exactly the relief I require. There is too much preparation, arrangement, and parade, in this set form of coming before the public. I am growing too indolent and unambitious, for any thing that requires labor or display.' Hence it was, the reader will remember, that he 'secured a snug corner' in this periodical,' where, during the remainder of his literary career, he might, as it were, loll at ease in his elbowchair, and chat sociably with the public, as with an old friend, on any chance subject that might pop into his brain.' But we are keeping the reader from the letter.

То THE EDITOR OF THE KNICKERBOCKER.

SIR: Having seen it stated, more than once, in the public papers, that I declined subscribing my name to the petition, presented to Congress during a former session, for an act of international copy-right, I beg leave, through your pages, to say, in explanation, that I declined, not from any hostility or indifference to the object of the petition, in favor of which my sentiments have always been openly expressed, but merely because I did not relish the phraseology of the petition, and because I expected to see the measure pressed from another quarter. I wrote about the same time, however, to members of Congress in support of the application.

As no other petition has been sent to me for signature, and as silence on my part may be misconstrued, I now, as far as my name may be thought of any value, enrol it among those who pray most earnestly to Congress for this act of international equity. I consider it due, not merely to foreign authors, to whose lucubrations we are so deeply indebted for constant instruction and delight, but to our own native authors, who are implicated in the effects of the wrong done by our present laws.

For myself, my literary career, as an author, is drawing to a close, and cannot be much affected by any disposition of this question; but we have a young literature springing up, and daily unfolding itself with wonderful energy and luxuriance, which, as it promises to shed a grace and lustre upon the nation, deserves all its fostering care. How much this growing literature may be retarded by the present state of our copy-right law, I had recently an instance, in the cavalier treatment of a work of merit, written by an American, who had not yet established a commanding name in the literary market. I undertook, as a friend, to dispose of it for him, but found it impossible to get an offer from any of our principal publishers. They even declined to publish it at the author's cost, alleging that it was not worth their while to trouble themselves about native works, of doubtful success, while they could pick and choose among the successful works daily poured out by the British press, for which they had nothing to pay for copy-right. This simple fact spoke volumes to me, as I trust it will do to all who peruse these

lines. I do not mean to enter into the discussion of a subject that has already been treated so voluminously. I will barely observe, that I have seen few arguments advanced against the proposed act, that ought to weigh with intelligent and high-minded men ; while I have noticed some that have been urged, so sordid and selfish in their nature, and so narrow in the scope of their policy, as almost to be insulting to those to whom they are addressed.

I trust that, whenever this question comes before Congress, it will at once receive an action prompt and decided; and will be carried by an overwhelming, if not unanimous, vote, worthy of an enlightened, a just, and a generous nation.

Your ob. Servt.,

WASHINGTON IRVING.

་

LAMENT OF THE BEREAVED.-The following lines, from one who only occasionally throws a faltering and unpractised hand across the lyre, will commend themselves to the susceptible reader, by their fervor and pure affection. They were written at two o'clock of a stormy morning in November, while the author was sitting by his lonely fire-side, thinking of his wife and two children, then upon the sea.' 'We have seen,' says he, in a note to the editor, 'seven of our little cherubs go down, one by one, to the voiceless grave; and all that are left of a dear family of nine, are now upon the ocean wave. None but A MOTHER Would have had the courage and fortitude to brave the dangers of the sea, in a voyage of two thousand miles, with the faint hope of recovering the failing health of a darling child.'

THE 'SUMMER ISLES.'-It was a pleasant coincidence, that, a few moments before the Ms. of Mr. IRVING's 'Bermudas, a Shaksperian Research,' elsewhere in the present number, was laid before us, we had closed a rare and antique volume, which treated, in most amusing detail, of the Summer Isles, and their poetical history. It is entitled 'The Generall Historie of the Bermvdas, now called the Summer Iles, from their Beginninge, in the Yeere of our Lord 1593, to this present 1623, with their Proceedings, Accidents, and Present Estate.' Nothing could exceed the natural richness of the islands at this period, according to our historian. Such a temperate and fertile clime; such trees and fruits; such treasures of the land, the sea, and the air! 'Concerning,' (says 'Captaine IoHN SMITH, Sometуmes Governour in those Countryes, Admirall of NewEngland,' and author of the book from which we quote,) 'concerning the serenity and beauty of the skie, it may as truly be said of those ilands as ever it was of Rhodes, there is no one daye thoroughout the xii moneths, but that in some houre thereof the sun lookes singularly and cleere vpon them.' In short, it was literally a land flowing with milk and honey; every where alive with the choicest gifts of Providence. Surely Mr. CRAYON does not exaggerate the abundance of that favored region; for we are told, after an elaborate description of the natural productions:

'Now besides these naturall productions, prouidences and paines since the Plantation, haue offered diuers other seeds and plants, which the soile hath greedily imbraced and cherished, so that at this present 1623, there are great abundance of white, red and yellow coloured Potatoes, Tobacco, Sugarcanes, Iudicos, Parsnips, exceeding large Radishes, the American bread, the Cassada root, the Indian Pumpian, the Water-millon, Musk-milion, and the most delicate Pine-apples, Plantans, and Papawes, also the English Artichoke, Pease, &c.; briefly, whatsoeuer else may be expected.

Neither hath the aire for her part been wanting with due supplies of many sorts of Fowles, as the gray and white Hearne, the gray and greene Plouer, some wilde Ducks and Malards, Cootes and Red-shaukes, Sea-wigions, Gray-bitterns, Cormorants, numbers of small Birds like Sparrowes and Robins, which haue lately beene destroyed by the wilde Cats, Wood-pickars, very many Crowes, which since this Plantation are kild, the rest fled or seldome seene except in the most vninhabited places, from whence they are obserued to take their flight about sun-set, directing their course towards the North-west, which makes many coniecture there are some more Ilands not far off that way. Sometimes are also seene Falcons and Iar-falcons, Ospraies, a Bird like a Hobby, but because they come seldome, they are held but as passengers; but aboue all these, most deseruing obseruation and respect, are those two sorts of Birds, the one for the tune of his voice, the other for the effect, called the Cahow, and Egge-bird, which on the first of May, a day constantly obserued, fall a laying infinite store of Eggs neere as big as Hens, vpon certaine small sandie baies, especially in Couper's Ile; and although men sit down amongst them when hundreds baue bin gathered in a morning, yet there it hath stayed amongst them till they haue gathered as many more: they continue this course till Midsummer, and so tanie and fearles, you must thrust them off from their Eggs with your hand; then they grow so faint with laying, they suffer them to breed, and take infinite numbers of their young to eat, which are very excellent meat.

The Cahow is a bird of the night, for all the day she lies hid in holes in the Rocks, where they and their young are also taken with as much ease as may be, but in the night if you but whoop and hollow, they will light vpon you, that with your hands you may chuse the fat and leaue the leane; those they haue only in the winter their Eggs are as big as hens, but they are speckled, the other white. Mr. Norwood hath taken twenty dozen of them in three or four houres.'

Would that we could quote the quaint typography of this dingy tome; but that would defy any type-founder or paper-maker of this era. We find the annexed passage in that portion of the description which treats of the vermin of the islands; and quote it for the benefit of those who are engaged in cultivating morus multicaulis trees, and insinuating themselves into the good graces of silk-worms. It would not be a difficult matter, one would think, with a supply of able-bodied spinners, to establish silk rope-walks :

⚫ Certaine Spiders also of very large size are found hanging vpon trees, but instead of being any way dangerous as in other places, they are here of a most pleasing aspect, all ouer drest, as it were with Siluer, Gold, and Pearle, and their Webs in the Summer wouen from tree to tree, are generally a perfect raw silke, and that as well in regard of substance as colour, and so strong withall, that diuers Birds bigger than Black-birds, being like Snipes, are often taken and snared in them as a Net: then what would the Silke-worme doe were shee there to feede vpon the continuall green Mulbery?' The entire volume teems with poetry and romance; and we hope to be able to condense a portion of these characteristics for the KNICKERBOCKER, at some future day. It is proper to add, here, that the substance of so much of Mr. IRVING's essay as relates to SHAKSPEARE, was communicated by him, some years since, to the Rev. WILLIAM HARNESS, when that gentleman was preparing his elegant edition of SHAKSPEARE. He has made use of the hints, in his introduction to the play of the Tempest.

THE NORTH AMERICAN QUARTERLY REVIEW for January, came to hand at a late hour. We are unable, therefore, to refer to but a few of the articles which it contains. Its papers are, 'National Music,' 'Steamboat Disasters,' 'Italy in the Middle Ages,' 'Discovery beyond the Rocky Mountains,' 'Hyperion,' BACON's 'Historical Discourses,' SPENSER'S Poetical works, 'CLAVERS' Glimpses of Western Life,' 'Manufactures of Massachusetts,' 'Hillhouse's Poems and Discourses,' and eight Critical Notices. Most of the works here reviewed, have already been noticed in the KNICKERBOCKER; and we are especially gratified to find the praise which has been bestowed in these pages upon 'A New Home, Who 'll Follow,' 'Hyperion,' PARKER's and TOWNSEND's Travels beyond the Rocky Mountains, and Mr. LONGFELLOW's 'Voices of the Night,' rëechoed in the deliberate verdict of the 'North American.' Mrs. CLAVER'S 'New Home' is deservedly commended, as 'one of the most spirited and original works which have yet been produced in this country.' The reviewer says of the several 'Psalms of Life,' written by Professor LONGFELLOW for the KNICKERBOCKER, that 'they are among the most remarkable poetical compositions which have ever appeared in the United States. They are filled with solemn pathos, uttered in the most melodious and picturesque language.' We shall refer again to this number of the 'North American;' but we cannot close even this hurried glance at its contents, without cordially thanking the critic of 'Pebblebrook and the Harding Family,' for assisting our feeble endeavors to lash the stupidity and folly of the second-hand imitators-(and by 'second-hand' we mean miserable imitators of poor imitations,) of THOMAS CARLYLE'S German-English style. Very transient, as the reviewer prophetically observes, will be this latest literary humbug. The smallest mind can hide a mysterious no-meaning under a mass of be-capital'd and compounded words; but the feeble intellects who strive to please, without being able to inform, will never have any but once-readers. Therefore, O, twaddling imitator of a bad model! wheresoever thou abidest, strike out from the turbid eddy-current of the Wishy-washy and All-misty, and by Clear-thought be guided Senseward! Rest not long, dreaming such dreams as thou callest reflection, but by independent action, straightway bring about a rise-up and a get-out of the marshes and pools of Stagnation! We have essayed to address CARLYLE's small-beer copyists in language kindred with their own, word-painting to them the life-threads of the Ridiculous, which are as the ever-present Visible, in their foggy compositions!

SIR WALTER SCOTT'S AUTOGRAPHS. We find the following paragraph in a late number of the 'London Athenæum' literary journal:

'TO THE EDITOR OF THE ATHENÆUM.

'DEAR SIR: It has reached me by hearsay, that a writer in some American periodical has complained of the costliness of autographs in England, seeing that he had just given eight dollars for a letter from SIR WALTER SCOTT to THOMAS HOOD.' As such a statement implies that I am capable of selling such literary treasures, I beg to say that, on referring to my own collection, I am firmly persuaded that I possess every letter or note I ever received from Sir Walter Scott, except one, which, by the express desire of the writer, I handed over to Mr. COOPER, the Royal Academician, as containing the original Ms. poem, The Death of Keeldar,' in illustration of a picture by that very able painter. I have said, 'ever received by me,' because I can imagine how such a letter may have been diverted from its proper destination; and should this meet the eye of the American gentleman, he would greatly oblige me by a copy of what may be perfectly new to

The 'American periodical' to which Mr. Hoop refers, is the KNICKERBOCKER; and in relation to the subject matter of his communication to our London contemporary, we have received the following letter from the 'American gentleman' who possesses the autograph in question. His name is at the service of Mr. HOOD, or the editors of the Athenæum. It is only necessary for us to add, that he is a gentleman, of known character and standing, and altogether above deception, or any other mean action; and that the extracts from his communication to us, which have given rise to the present 11

VOL. XV.