derstood by English churchmen. Bishop White was personally acquainted in his younger days with Goldsmith and Dr. Johnson, when a visitor from the colonies in England, and, for the last forty years of his life, was the presiding bishop of the Anglican Church in the United States.

Historians, both national and local, belong to this era of American literature. Abel Holmes, a painstaking compiler, produced his Annals of the United States, now a standard authority; and David Ramsay wrote a History of the Revolution, a Life of Washington, and other works of more merit than any previous American productions of the kind. And in 1797, Robert Proud published a reliable History of Pennsylvania, which has never been rivalled.

It may be remarked that objects of special historical interest were not disregarded. The Art of Printing, so much practised in the United States, and where its progress has been so marked, found an intelligent chronicler in Isaiah Thomas, a New England printer. His work is exceedingly valuable for its narrative-record of the art in America.

Several biographical works followed the subsidence of the waves of the Revolution. It was natural the men of the times should find historians. Chief Justice Marshall wrote a Life of Washington, in a clear and unpretending style, not usual to such works, and possessing more literary merit than many books of loftier pretensions. Other writers treated the same subject with varied success; but Marshall's Life held its ground until lately superseded by Washington Irving's more purely literary and personal production.

That there were many good if not able American writers, who embellished biography as well as miscellaneous literature, from 1770 to 1820, is shown by the publications of the period. In 1811, a small dingy volume entitled Memoirs of a Life chiefly passed in Pennsylvania, appeared at Harrisburg, in the State named, which must ever command admiration for its literary worth. It was written by Alexander Graydon, an officer in the American revolutionary army, the trials of which it, to some extent, describes, and was republished in Edinburgh, in 1822, under the editorship of the well-known John Galt. That gentleman, in speaking of it, says, "it is remarkable, that a production so rich in the various excellencies of style, description and impartiality, should not have been known to the collectors of American books in this country," and adds that the volume "will probably obtain for the author no mean place among those who have added permanent lustre to the English language."

Some time before Mr. Graydon's work was published, William Wirt, of Virginia, whose celebrated speech at the trial of Aaron Burr, for treason, will ever stand as a monument to his genius, printed a series of papers in the manner of Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, under the title of Letters of the British Spy. The style is polished and forcible. The work was most successful, and was early republished in England. In the preface to the first English edition, it is observed, as an evidence of the low estimate in which American literature was then held in this country, that "the people of the United States of America have so very small a claim on the world for any particular mark of distinction for honours in the field of literature, that it is feared the present demand on the English reader may be considered more as a call on British courtesy and benevolence than one of right and equity." And concludes by saying, in a tone of solicitation, "that the publishers have been in

duced, from a conviction of the merit of the work, to furnish an impression of the British Spy "-a kind of appeal no longer necessary, we are glad to say, to induce Englishmen to purchase American books.

Mr. Wirt published in 1817 his most important literary achievement-The Life and Character of Patrick Henry. As a finished piece of biography it stands alone in American literature; and but few European works of a similar nature surpass it in elegance of style and force of narrative.

Not a few of the truly important works of travel produced in the United States are the result of expeditions planned by the Government. This encouragement to exploration is not new. As early as 1805, Zebulon Montgomery Pike was despatched on a surveying expedition, which led him into New Mexico; and to this we are indebted for one of the first, if not the very first, books ever published upon the country between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains. It is written with spirit, contains much information, and may be regarded as the forerunner of many similar literary works since given to the world by Americans. It was first printed in 1810.

That love of adventure, for which the American character is so remarkable, has contributed much to the gratification of mankind through its literature. John Ledyard, a native of Connecticut, whose death occurred in Egypt while prosecuting an enterprise for the exploration of Central Africa, was the first important contributor to this department of American letters. His journals, which abound in pleasing descriptions and truthful narrations, have more than once been published in Great Britain, and may usually be found in standard libraries. Ledyard's works belong deservedly to the classic literature of travel, being altogether free from that idle gossip which forms the web of the narrative of the mere tourist.

A racy, captivating book of travels in France, by Lieut. Pinkney, of Baltimore, was published in London in 1809, which Leigh Hunt, in his admirable "Book for a Corner," tells us created a sensation in England, and set all the idle world going to France to live on the Loire. The fact of its having had such an influence on the minds of the denizens of London, is a high compliment to the author's capacity to draw fascinating pictures, and indicates something masterly either in style or manner, or, possibly, in both.

That love of poetry which distinguished alike the Puritans of New England and the Cavaliers of Virginia, was not extinguished by the Revolution. On the contrary, the excitement incident to the contest, seems rather to have increased than to have diminished this spirit; and many of the rhythmical compositions of the era rise to the standard of tolerable poetry, a character not belonging to any previous specimens of American verse. Philip Freneau, a native of New York, and graduate of the College of Princeton, is the most distinguished of these writers. He possessed a loftier imagination than any of his predecessors, and will always hold a conspicuous place among the early American poets. One or two successful verse-writers preceded him; but their merits do not place them before him. John Trumbull, a revolutionary officer of note, wrote a very successful satirical poem in the style of Hudibras, entitled Me Fingal, which was a decided improvement upon all previous American rhythmical productions of length. Trumbull was the associate of Joel Barlow and other scholars of the time; who, if they did not add anything brilliant to

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American literature, at least contributed much to improve the style of American authors generally. Barlow wrote a heavy epic of indifferent worth, called The Columbiad; and a pleasing poem, which describes, in an easy-flowing verse, the virtues of a New England dish, known as Hasty Pudding. His works are all inferior to those of William Clifton, a young Philadelphian, who wrote a few songs imbued with the true spirit of lyric poetry. Timothy Dwight, before referred to as a theological writer, was the author of a number of miscellaneous poems, one of which received the praise of Cowper.

As a curious fact in American literature, it is not inappropriate to mention, that one of the best poetical satires of this period was written in London under circumstances of distress. Thomas Green Fessenden, a native of New Hampshire, visited the capital of Great Britain, in 1801, for the purpose of introducing a new hydraulic machine; but failing in his aims, was reduced to want. With that tact so eminently possessed by his countrymen when thrown upon their own resources in desperate cases, he conceived the idea of writing a satire, and took for his subject the Medical Profession and the Metallic Tractors of Perkins, a galvanic application for the cure of all diseases, then much in vogue, and much ridiculed by the profession. His work—The Terrible Tractoration-doubtless still fresh in the memory of many now living — was a decided success, brought relief to its author, and passed through several editions in London, besides being republished in New York.

No American devoted himself exclusively to literature as a profession until 1793; and this fact, in fairness, should not be lost sight of when criticising the literature of America prior to that date. Charles Brockden Brown was the first purely professional American author. He wrote well on all subjects connected with Belles Lettres; but his chief productions, and those on which his fame mainly rests, are two works of fiction, entitled Wieland and Arthur Mervyn. They are written with considerable elegance and taste. As the first of American creations in the world of romance, they early attracted attention in England, where they were favourably received, and now constitute a part of Bentley's Library of Standard Romance. Many of Mr. Brown's descriptions of American forest life and scenery, are equal to anything of the kind in Mr. Cooper's writings; and his works are so honourable to the American novel literature of this period, as to make it unnecessary to refer to other in the same department of letters.

It is within our power to name other writers of this period, whose works in the various branches of literature confer honour on themselves and country; but we regard the above enumeration as sufficiently indicating the advance of American literature, in the fifty years under consideration, to make it a work of supererogation in us to extend the list.

Before concluding our observations, however, we offer, in support of our arrangement of American literature into four distinct eras, and more particularly in support of our theory that American national literature properly dates from about the Revolution, the opinion of Charles Brockden Brown on the power of English books on American thought during the time of the Colonies. In speaking of this, he in substance says, that English prejudices then possessed an unusual degree of strength; but that many of the views imbibed from English works during the days of the Colonies were completely re

moved by the Revolution. That such was the case in a few instances is quite apparent; but the mass of the people did not participate in the movement. Still they were prepared for it in some degree, and a small number of authors, who early had hopes of building up a national literature, took advantage of the auspicious moment, and, by creating a style of thought entirely American, although they acted individually, succeeded in laying the foundation of a structure destined to become, at no distant period, a beautiful temple of mental delights. At first these pioneers had immense difficulties to encounter, from a want of appreciation at home and from ridicule abroad; but they accomplished their commendable and laborious undertaking, and had fairly launched American literature upon its national career at the dawn of the year 1820. By that time they had dispelled the clouds of doubt as to the capability of the American mind for achievements in literature, and to some extent diverted public thought from Europe as an exclusive source of mental supplies. Subsequent writers have taken up authorship as a profession, and in our next chapter we purpose to examine and state the progress of American literature from that time to the present.

CHAPTER IV.

SECOND AMERICAN PERIOD.

BRIEF as is our survey of American literature as set forth in the preceding chapters, enough, we conceive, has been said to exhibit the gradual advancement of Americans in this important science during the period from 1620 to 1820, or from the earliest settlements made by Englishmen in America down to the end of what we consider the first period of American national literature. The decided progress from 1770 to the last-named date, raised hopes of further achievements already fulfilled, and the era we are now about to consider will be found prolific in works of worth designed to enrich, instruct, or amuse the mind of man.

From the above date until now, American literature has made wonderful advances towards excellence, forcing itself into notice and challenging respect throughout the world. In the thirty-seven years constituting this period the expansion of mind has been commensurate with the political, social, and commercial progress of the nation; and American literature may now be regarded as having a permanent existence. No subject of human knowledge has been ́ overlooked. Many European works have been elucidated by the fresh light of American mind. A new style of thought has been developed, new scenes have been opened to the world, and Europe is receiving compensation in kind for the intellectual treasures she heretofore sent to America.

An examination of the works of American authors who have written since 1820, shows an exemption from puerility not to be expected by those who are in the habit of forming their opinions of American literature from the criticism:s which embellish most Reviews.

Great have been the achievements of American historical writers in the period under consideration. Prescott and Bancroft at once attained rank among the ablest historians of the age. Their works are among the most captivating compositions of the present century, and have added to the character and permanency of their country's literature.

Several local histories of more or less value appeared between 1820 and 1830, together with one or more historical works of a national character. In the decade under consideration Washington Irving first essayed history; and, in 1828, published his pleasing narrative of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus. The elegance with which the story of the great navigator is told, procured it immediate popularity, and encouraged the author to further exertions of the kind. Soon after he produced The Voyages and Discoveries of the Companions of Columbus, written in the same delightful style; and so widely was this work read in England, that its author received three thousand guineas for it from his London publishers, who, it may be remarked, a few years before declined the Sketch Book, on the ground that it did not possess sufficient merit to insure its success as a publication.

Another work, not so meritorious however in a literary point, but historically valuable, was published in 1832. Samuel G. Drake, of New Hampshire, who had edited, in 1824, an edition of Captain Church's History of King Philip's War, produced at the period named a comprehensive Indian Biography. This was followed, in 1833, by his Book of the Indians of North America—a work exhibiting vast research as well as great familiarity with the subject. As it was the first attempt to give an impartial account of the North American Indians, without respect to any one tribe, it rises to the dignity of history; and, having passed through eleven editions, it has just claims to be ranked among standard works, notwithstanding the unambitious style in which it is written.

As early as 1826, Jared Sparks, whose name is honourably connected with American literature, began to collect the Writings of Washington, which were subsequently published, and are now so valuable as a contribution to American history; and in 1828, he published the Life of John Ledyard, the American traveller, that being the first of his American Biographies. It soon passed through several editions, was translated into German, and published both in England and Germany. Mr. Sparks by these works became a pioneer in American literature of this description; and it is to his credit, as a narrator of history, that his Biographies are mainly drawn from the writings of the persons whose lives he has written. Since he turned his attention to this branch of letters he has enriched American literature by the publication of the Diplomatic Correspondence of the Revolution, the Biographies (written by himself) of Gouverneur Morris, Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, Father Marquette, De la Salle, Count Pulaski, John Ribault, and Charles Lee. And to many undertakings of great worth, may be added the Life and Works of Benjamin Franklin, published in 1840; and, in 1854, the Correspondence of the American Revolution, edited from the original manuscripts. His writings are distinguished by clearness and force, and exemption from extravagance of fancy and redundancy of words.

As a worthy companion to the Biographies by Mr. Sparks, the Life of Elbridge Gerry, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, by