riches of the giver are not diminished, though they are indeed increased, yet the poverty of the receivers is diminished in a more than like proportion. Their taste is become more fastidious; their curiosity less eager; and if he who would cater for them be deficient in variety and novelty, they discharge the unprofitable servant and take an independent stand upon their own resources. We say their own resources, for we mean the resources of the general mind, the many hoarded individual stores which should be general and public"

"But which too often," observed the sage, "are buried in the bosom of their miser-like owners, as if mind as well as money did not owe its chief value to active circulation; leaving it too for others to dig as much at random for their treasures, as those industrious vagrants whose researches after 'Captain Kidd's money,' have disturbed every mound upon the coast, and even troubled the repose of my own bones."

"Yet these," we resumed, "these private accumulations of the general wealth are the only coffers adequate to the supply of an enlightened and still advancing community, and upon these shall we repose, trusting fully to the active principle of the present age for the effect-variety of design, and what the political œconomist calls division of labor.' There is probably no man living who cannot do something well, and the man of our age who has caused the greatest things to be done, was he who possessed a power, that seemed like inspiration, of divining and putting into action the talents of those who were most capable of effecting his purposes. That was his arm of conquest and the staff of his strength, and there is none to wield it after him. But still the example of his success is there to prompt us, as far as we may, to fashion our little weapons in our narrower sphere upon the art he has revealed to us.”

"Aye, indeed I have heard much of that great captain's doings, even in those shadowy realms, where many a lofty soul like his moves in the dim crowd of disembodied spirits, undistinguished from those who in life would have quailed beneath their glance. But touching those weapons,' my son, of which thou spakest but now, surely thou meanest not to encourage the vile spirit of satire in thy publication."

"It was but metaphorically we used the term; nor do we mean that our work shall be the vehicle of bitterness or malice in any shape; yet, while we well know that the prevailing fondness for speaking with levity on the gravest subjects, with ridicule of the noblest sentiments, and be-littling every thing

that is great and glorious, has done incalculable mischief, not only in leveling weak minds to one mean standard, but in chilling the fervid aspirations of loftier ones, repressing wholesome enthusiasm, and even frittering away manly independence and force of character-while we duly appreciate this malign influence, and shall be on the watch to guard against it, -we do not mean the less on that account to spare the lash of satire where its discipline is required. Like all people, however sensible, our ingenious countrymen have yet their follies and extravagances. And you must know, immortal sir, that, promising as matters were in your day, the moment your influence over them was withdrawn, they relapsed into a worse condition than formerly. In manners, for instance, it is still the prevailing weakness to adopt the absurdities of others, instead, if such things must be had, of originating them for ourselves. In literature, young, fresh, and unhacknied as we are, we are already, by some strange fatuity, grievously given to twaddle; and-where one has a right to look for that wildness and exuberance, that almost savageness of invention, which so much in the German literature requires training and repression, while it betrays all the richness and vigour of a new mental soil-we find, to the neglect of our own few original models, a dotard fondness, a sickly longing for all the absurd trash of driveling sentimentality and pseudo-fashion, with which the shelves of our circulating libraries are filled from the London press. The taste, thus engendered, acts and re-acts in a thousand ways, till our writings and our approval of writings are both second-hand. We imitate the most flimsy productions which appear abroad, and then approve of these imitations as American,' while critics, afraid to be accused of a want of patriotism, sanction where they despise, and approve when they ought to condemn. But the mischief extends still further. Where originality is not required, every one may become a writer. The names of people, clever enough in their way, but by no means more deserving of distinction than hundreds of others equally accomplished, are trumpeted abroad with those of which the country has most reason to be proud, and our national standard of merit is brought into disgrace by having these raw conscripts reviewed side by side with the few tried warriors, who alone we are willing should challenge European criticism, as the champions of our new literature. Now, sir, dangerous as the attempt may be, and difficult as its execution necessarily is, we design in this publication to assume

riches of the giver are not diminished, though they are indee increased, yet the poverty of the receivers is diminished in more than like proportion. Their taste is become more fast dious; their curiosity less eager; and if he who would cater fo them be deficient in variety and novelty, they discharge th unprofitable servant and take an independent stand upon the own resources. We say their own resources, for we me the resources of the general mind, the many hoarded individ al stores which should be general and public"

"But which too often," observed the sage, "are buried the bosom of their miser-like owners, as if mind as well money did not owe its chief value to active cireulation; leavi it too for others to dig as much at random for their treasu as those industrious vagrants whose researches after Cap Kidd's money,' have disturbed every mound upon the co and even troubled the repose of my own bones."

"Yet these," we resumed, "these private accumula of the general wealth are the only coffers adequate to the ply of an enlightened and still advancing community, an on these shall we repose, trusting fully to the active prin of the present age for the effect-variety of design, and the political œconomist calls division of labor. Th probably no man living who cannot do something well, an man of our age who has caused the greatest things to be was he who possessed a power, that seemed like inspira divining and putting into action the talents of those whe most capable of effecting his purposes. That was his conquest and the staff of his strength, and there is m wield it after him. But still the example of his success to prompt us, as far as we may, to fashion our little in our narrower sphere upon the art he has revealed to

"Aye, indeed I have heard much of that great capt ings, even in those shadowy realms, where many a like his moves in the dim crowd of disembodied spiri tinguished from those who in life would have quaile their glance. But touching those weapons,' my son thou spakest but now, surely thou meanest not to the vile spirit of satire in thy publication."

"It was but metaphorically we used the terms mean that our work shall be the vehicle of bitternes in any shape; yet, while well know that the m ness for speaking with le on the gravest icule of the noblest se nts, and

13

ed miniature portrait ble, its animated eye through the gathering of the bold engraving on the cover of the Maspected, while marking arrior, that he beheld an id of genius has invested antic. Upon comparing nto our possession, with ERSANT that has long, rs of New-York, graced act resemblance was at sent upon the occasion; regret to us, that almost had transferred its lineathis valuable picture myssince then be no where t, however, has made all possible neglect of his in lizing with his pencil the Not a feature of which, exversight presents the same hat upon which we are now hed painting, from whichsenting our part in the conTo this account was copied.

bly, yet sincerely and earnengrossing so much of his atmatters upon so brief an aclong upon the best method of on of the footing we are hereined that there was nothing ir study, and talking over all nce, leaving it for future occapowers of entertainment. Once wever, we could not for the life ent among the most striking in tionably has some mysterious and he future success of this Magazine, sooner or later have taken wind in when, if those wayward wags, the

and sustain a system of rigid and uncompromising criticism, unbiassed by any feeling of national prejudice, any consideration of personal popularity, by the partiality of private circles, or the favor of general society. It shall also be our aim, when recommending works of merit, to exercise as much discrimination as possible, in so relatively estimating and classing them, that injustice may not be done to those of rare merit, by sharing the praise, which is only their due, with writings that have a feebler claim to favor. And this in defiance of the economical custom of having but one standard of praise amongst us, and dubbing every clever writer 'a Bryant,' or 'an Irving.'"

We know not whether the last word, when it escaped our lips, operated suddenly like the presence of a talisman upon the enchanted objects around us; or whether the spell had been gradually breaking, and while, with our eyes cast upon the table, we were thus tasking the indulgence of our illustrious hearer with these egotistical details, he had slipped away, and withdrawn with him the mystic influence that so unaccountably changed the aspect of every thing around him. But upon looking up, as usual, in the pauses of our conversation, for his customary nod of encouragement to proceed, those never to be forgotten features were no longer there. The phantom-guest had gone more mysteriously even than he came. His place-his chair-was vacant. His chair?-it was no longer his chair. What! could that meagre, miserable, spindleshanked thing, have ever supported a form of his dignity? Could-but how did he withdraw? Through a carved panel, as is the wont of ordinary ghosts? There was none therethe sombre shining oak had again given place to tawdry paper. Did he take the favorite road of his patron, St. Nicholas, and vanish up the chimney? Alas! that noble fire-place was gone, and a patent sweep alone could perforate the cramped vent of the narrow grate by which it was superseded. Through the window? Who ever heard of a spectre passing out of a window? No-sufficient for us that he was gonegone entirely-gone we fear forever: and so completely had each object around us recovered its vulgar every day appearance, that we might, without much difficulty, have convinced ourselves that the whole affair was but a dream, if not some grosser illusion-such as is said to assail the waking senses of persons of a melancholy temperament, living much in retirement-but that, upon examining the apartment for some trace