Of these most brisk and giddy paced times
are forgotten, and other songs and ballads of our Revolution will in the next century be prized more highly than the richest gems of Percy or Motherwell. They are the very mirrors of the times in which they were sung. As may have been observed, we have given none of the lyrics of Freneau. We shall, perhaps, review the “American Körner” in a future number. Free, daring, honest, and with sarcastic powers which made his pen as terrible to the Tories and the British officers as that of Coleridge was to Napoleon, he did as good service to the great cause from his obscure printing office, as many a more celebrated patriot did in camp or legislature. The energy and exultation with which he recounted, in rapidly written songs, the successes of the Whigs, were equaled only by the keenness of his wit, and the appositeness of his humor. Nor was it in satire and song alone that he excelled. Though we claim not for him, superior as he was to his American cotemporaries, the praise due to a true poet, some of his pieces are distinguished for a directness of expression, a manliness, fervor, and fine vein of poetical feeling, that will secure for them a permanent place in our literature. Yet Freneau—the patriot, poet, soldier—died miserably poor, within the last ten years, while the national legislature was anxiously debating what should be done with the “surplus money in the treasury.”
To Readers and Correspondents.—It affords us great pleasure to be able to state that this work will hereafter be enriched with papers from the pen of RICHARD H. DANA, the author of “The Buccaneers,” “The Idle Man,” etc. It will not, we think, be doubted that, with Bryant, Cooper, Dana, Hoffman, Longfellow, etc., we have now a better corps of contributors than any other magazine in the English language. Mr. Dana’s first article will grace our pages for November.
“A Night at Haddon Hall,” in this number is from the pen of a venerable, but enthusiastic antiquary, as its manner may bear witness. Mrs. Anne Radcliffe’s ingenious “situations” for her heroines were never more “horrible” than that of Miss Chamberlain in the tapestried chamber, and the tale of Haddon Hall has the rare merit of being true.
It will be observed that our present number contains a story by Mrs. “Mary Clavers,” the clever author of “A New Home” and “Forest Life.”
Several articles prepared for our present issue are, unavoidably, postponed. Correspondents who had reason to suppose their favors would appear in October, will find them inserted in our next number.
Table of Contents has been added for reader convenience. Archaic spellings and hyphenation have been retained. Obvious punctuation and typesetting errors have been corrected without note.