that of its Southern regions upon nor do we regard this influence as in any degree the less important because a Mr. William A. Jones "regards slightingly the mass of his romantic and poetical efforts.” We shall speak again of "The Cabin and the Wigwam," and in the meantime we quote a passage from "Murder Will Out." Our readers must bear in mind, however, the absolute impossibility of conveying by extract, any just conception of a story whose main element is its skilful adaptation of parts:

THE BROKEN VOW AND OTHER POEMS. BY AMANDA GOULD, KENDALL &

EDMOND.

M.
LINCOLN.

BOSTON

[Text: Broadway Journal, Oct. 11, 1845.]

AN octavo of more than 320 pages, beautifully printed on fine paper, " embellished" with six expensive steel engravings (including a portrait of the authoress,) and showily as well as substantially bound. The name - Amanda M. Edmond is quite unknown to us: although if we may judge from the number of poems contained in the volume (110) the fair poetess must have been for several years before the public. Perhaps, however, she may have employed a nom-de-plume, or written altogether anonymously. We do not remember having before seen any one poem of the collection. They are by no means impressive. The subjects, generally, are such as find favor in boarding schools. Many of the pieces are on

66

abolition topics. Some of them, from their character, have no right to the title of poem, and should not have been included in the volume: we refer to such things as Washing-Day" and "Illi cui Carmina applicent" - mere doggrel. In the minor merits Miss Edmond is not particularly deficient. Her English, her versification, and her imagery, are at least respectable- but in the virtues of the Muse in the loftier and distinctive attributes, we are pained to say that she is totally wanting. We look in vain throughout her volume for one spark of poetic fire. In justice, we cull what we consider the best specimen of her powers:

THE MOON.

Beautiful moon! oh, how I love to hail
Thy glorious coming in the eastern sky,
When starry gems along thy pathway lie,
Trembling and turning in thy presence pale;
Brightest adorner of Night's pensive brow,
Fairest of all her radiant jewels, thou!
Wreathing with light the fleecy cloud that veils
With its thin mantle, for a little space,
The full-orbed lustre of thy beaming face

Casting thy splendor on the sleeping dales,
Fields, woods and waters that beneath thee rest,
With Night's dark shadows on thy peaceful breast
Oh, I do love thee! but the most, sweet moon,
In the still hour of midnight's sacred noon;
Calm then are spirits that with day have striven,
And Earth's repose seems kin to that of Heaven.

We have said that the English of Miss Edmond is generally respectable; but in the very first sentence of the Preface there is an ambiguity which, in a second

edition, should be cleared up. "A poetical contribution" says the poetess, offered to the public, presupposes in the author the existence of the true spirit of song. Now a poetical contribution, so offered, presupposes in the author only about the ten thousandth part of what Miss Edmond (no doubt through mere grammatical inadvertence) has maintained it to presuppose. The " poetical contribution presupposes in the author not the existence but the conviction of the existence, of the "true spirit of song❞— and here there is about the same difference as between Peter Schlemihl and his Shadow.

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE SECOND WAR BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND GREAT BRITAIN, DECLARED BY ACT OF CONGRESS, THE 18TH OF JUNE, 1812, AND CONCLUDED BY PEACE, THE 15TH OF FEBRUARY, 1815. BY CHARLES J. INGERSOLL. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. EMBRACING THE EVENTS OF 1812–13. PHILADELPHIA. LEA AND BLANCHARD.

[Text: Broadway Journal, Oct. 11, 1845.]

A VOLUME of more than 500 pages of octavo. It is rather a series of vivid pictures on the subject of the late war, than an Historical Sketch of it. Force and novelty abound, and we are never permitted to doubt the honesty of the narration, but there is a slight tinge of the whimsical about the book which may operate, in the first instance, to prevent a very general appreci

ation of its merits which are undoubtedly great. By way of exemplifying our meaning we quote a brief passage from an account of Timothy Pickering.

His reputation was that of a consistent upright man, who lived and died firm to the conviction he cherished; hard but honest. On a great field day debate in 1841, on the Loan Bill, when the House, in committee of the whole, gave six weeks to those speeches for political capital at home and abroad, which are among the ways and means of free countries with a free press — much preferable to more serious combats - Mr. Pickering, in the course of his harangue, looking through his spectacles full in the chairman's face, said, with great emphasis, swinging his long arm aloft, that he stood on a rock. "I stand on a rock," said he "from which all democracy'

then raising his voice and repeating it—"not all deImocracy and hell to boot, can move me- - the rock of integrity and truth.'

"These things are more honored in the breach than in the observance - by silence than by historical record. The passage, too, will afford some idea of Mr. Ingersoll's style which, like Mr. Pickering's character, is hard but honest " as well as (more definitely) of his mere English, which is loose and uncouth to a very reprehensible degree. Take, for instance, the first paragraph of the volume :

In this historical sketch I shall endeavor to submit the truth in an account of the contest between Great Britain and the United States of America, declared by Act of Congress, approved the 18th of June, 1812. It enacted that war was already declared to exist between the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Dependencies thereof, and the U.S. of America and their ter

ritories; and that the President of the U.S. was thereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the U.S., to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the U.S., commissions, or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he should think proper, and under the seal of the U.S. against the vessels, goods and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the subjects thereof.

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Here a "" "' contest is declared.' Whether the thereby" in "thereby unauthorized" refers to the territories, the war, or the act, it is difficult to deteris equally ambiguous as regards seems to be the Seal of the against the vessels, goods and The whole paragraph is

mine.
The same
its reference, and it
U.S." which is set 66
effects" of the British.
awkward in the extreme.

But happily the value of the book does not depend upon trifles such as these. It gives a plain, discerning and evidently faithful view of the events of the war, and will be received with favor by all who are competent to decide upon the worth of an historical treatise.

THE SONGS OF OUR LAND AND OTHER POEMS. BY MARY E. HEWITT. BOSTON. WILLIAM D. TICKNOR & Co.

[Text: Broadway Journal, Oct. 25, 1845.]

In point of external taste, this is the most exquisite volume of poems published in America since The 1 Cf. the review from Godey's, Vol. XIII., p. 98. — ED.