crowned hills of Jersey were disclosed, every feature of the lovely landscape harmonizing together, with a softness superior to the artist's pencil; and the whole, as it were, smiling in its proud consciousness of beauty, as it was seen in that pearly clearness of atmosphere, which, in our own delightful climate, blends the blue beauty of the Italian sky, with the dazzling splendour of the tropic sunshine. Nature was before me in her most touching beauty, the magnificence of repose. There was a golden glory in the sky, and a dreamy stillness in the air, as if soul and life were trembling into delicious slumber, and there was nought but love and loveliness awake.

Our spirit, thrilling with the influence of the scene and hour, had sank like all around into a state of unconscious vitality, when our attention was arrested by a gentle tap on the shoulder. We looked up, and great was our emotion, at finding ourselves-yes, reader-in the very presence of the venerable Knickerbocker. There could be no possible mistake in his identity. From the adjusted air of his cocked hat, to the "bright pair of square silver shoe buckles," his dress was exactly as described by the circumstantial landlord, and would have announced his quality, even without the ponderous volume which he carried under his arm, or the peculiar and characteristic twinkle of satisfaction in his eye, strongly indicating the historian of New Amsterdam. As thou mayest suppose, reader, our reverence, in his presence, was We started to our feet, and, after a profound salutation, remained modestly uncovered, gazing, in admiration, on this illustrious genius.

extreme.

The little gentleman seemed pleased at our undisguised respect, and with the cordiality of true greatness, motioned us to sit down; himself, with peculiar dignity, assuming the same position. We confess his gracious manner dissipated a tinge of fear which his august presence had thrown over us, not unaccompanied with some slight misgivings as to his expected disapprobation of our labours; but soon, won by his complacency, we found words to say, "Thy presence, illustrious historian, now that the first timidity consequent upon being in the actual presence of such greatness, is overcome, gives us genuine satisfaction, inasmuch as it affords an opportunity, mingled with some degree of apprehension, to present you with the first volume of a work, which we have essayed to link with immortality, by the effectual stamp of thy name." So saying, we drew from the ample pocket of our editorial surtout, the first volume of the Knickerbacker, handsomely bound in the Dutch colors of orange and silver, and reverently laid it at the feet of the shade. He put back his hat gently from his forehead, and we could plainly see that the benevolent expanse of his brow was brightened with a passing glow of pleasure. "I receive," said he, with a pause duly adjusted to his dignity, "this first substantial offering to my memory, with

pleasure; and though it does not as yet comport in its matter, with the wide celebrity of my name, yet I feel, in sooth, well disposed to encourage it as containing at least the germ of what may be excellent." "Truly, father," said we, much gratified with his condescension, "our Magazine has not yet attained either the character or condition we would wish. Our standard for the excellence of such things is high. When the Knickerbacker shall be purely American, -when its pages, to apply a beautiful expression of Shelley's shall reflect the genius and feelings of "the inheritors of unfulfilled renown" in our country-when its articles, of whatever description they may be, whether

"Gay or grave, or lively, or serene,"

shall bear the tracery of the genius of this mighty land—when, in fact, our periodical, reflecting the pure, the indigenous feelings of our country, SHALL BECOME THE MIRROR OF OUR NATIONAL LITERATURE―then, and not till then, will its destiny be complete; and: our object and our wishes be fulfilled, in giving to America a native.. Magazine." We felt warmed by our subject, which feeling was not a little increased by the complacent smile of satisfaction with which the old gentleman heard us; and continued, "At present, we must owe our success to the spirit and fidelity with which pictures, essen; tially foreign, are executed. An article, to be what is called 'good,'. or, in other words, that will please, must comport with the habits, the taste, of the time,-both foreign; and our Magazine, taking its complexion from circumstances, must, like the passive lake, be tinged with the colour of the clouds above. These, at present, owe their form, their beauty, to a foreign sun. The god of light in our own clime has not yet arisen; but the dawn is coming, the far horizon is already streaked with its radiance; distant it is true, but intense, glowing, splendid, and giving glorious promise of brightness, when it comes. We cannot take time by the forelock-we must wait." "My son," said the venerable sage, assuming that oracular air which so well became him, and gently smoothing down his 'olive velvet pantaloons' with his hand, "my son, thou art falling, I perceive, into the prevalent error of the time. A national literature is indeed the noblest glory of any country, but in America it is, at present, unattainable; not because we speak the language of a literature already formed, but because we want the impregnated character to mould it to our purpose. When the mind of this land, springing from its myriad sources, shall, like the mists from the different springs, in the Persian story, that wreathed themselves into the invincible and stupendous Genius, have attained the full measure of its stature, it will, with the giant's form, have the giant's might, and will, what nothing else can effect, fashion an according language." "Most erudite sir,"

"

said we, while our countenance strongly evinced our respect for his vast learning, "your remark has in it very forcible truth. It is not language which forms a literature, but the inverse. If we might use a more homely illustration than thine, language is nothing more than the water which must take its figure as it fills the vase. Our vase has, as yet, but a few drops at the bottom; besides, we have an example to the point in the different character in the very language which we speak, which the warm and wild imagination of Ireland has impressed upon those productions, which emanate peculiarly from itself. This, too, is what we long to see in America, and is to be effected, not by the absurd folly, as attempted by that unwise divine in the east, of clipping up and altering its orthography, but by tincturing it with the national genius. This is practicable, and this will take place. Even we ourselves do not despair of witnessing the time when, in this country, the noble language which we speak, shall, in structure indeed be English, but in tone, in character, in power, purely and decidedly American." "My child," resumed the venerable Diedrich, "thy remarks are just; the past exploits and contemplated achievements of that eastern divine you have mentioned, resemble that wise man mentioned by Joannes of Basle, who thought whitewashing the rugged mountain would much improve its appearance." "Or rather," returned we, "the indiscreet wife of the Virtuoso, who, as Winckelman tells us, had such a passion for every thing new, that one morning she scoured off all the incomparable rust of ages from the medals of her spouse, though the horrified antiquary lost his senses with distraction at the sight." The sage seemed not displeased with us for our interruption, and continued, "Thy warmth, my son, in this cause is very commendable; but let me hope thou wilt not countenance this miserable innovation, by following it in the illustrious leader of American literature."

"NEVER!"

"While we are upon the topic of orthography," continued the sage, with an emotion which evinced the deep importance of the subject, "I have repented of the permission given to thy esteemed predecessor in the curule chair, as to altering my name, and wish thee to restore it to its original spelling, as it stands in my celebrated History. It is but ill repaying Fame, for extending my celebrity to the uttermost corners of the earth, to thus find fault with her scholarship. Thou hast heard of the ingenious shipwrecked felon, who so effectually persuaded the simple king and courtiers of Siam, that his manacles were badges of the highest distinction, and himself a grandee of such eminence, that all the fashionables in Bancok were presently arrayed in handcuffs. So as Fortune has generously given immortal glory to what some would consider a discreditable mistake, I will even take it as it came and adopt the O to the end of time, forever and ever.

Besides," continued he, with gravity, and at the same time carefully brushing some specks from his 'rusty black coat,' and adjusting his hat to a more consequential air, "my particular friends, Thucidides and Xenophon, Livy, Tacitus, and Polybius, Diodorus and Gibbon, know me by no other name, and if it was rumoured in the shades, that I had altered its orthography, I have little doubt that Rhadamanthus would take it up very warmly." "Your decision is wise, most illustrious sir," said we, "your request shall be immediately attended to. Immortality is certainly an ample recompense for incorrectness; nor would any one think of altering the name of Cæsar, though Scaliger wrote a learned and long disquisition in Latin, to prove it ought to be written with an O."

"A precisely similar case," said the little gentleman, mightily tickled at the coincidence, "your erudition has furnished a precedent which most effectually decides the question. I shall certainly speak to Julius on the subject."

"To return, venerable father, to our original discourse, wilt thou deign to favour us with thy most sage advice, as to the means we must employ to annihilate the long epidemic, in this clime, for English literature, and to effect the wholesome substitution of our own?"

"My son," said he, with a tone in which his kindness was slightly mingled with austerity, " for the present it is impossible; I little like the prevalent fashion, so much in vogue among the conceited and shallow scribblers of our day, of decrying English literature. Although that nation did wrongfully wrest New Amsterdam from my venerated ancestors, in spite of the valorous Stuyvesant, (whose grim visage it mightily pleaseth us to see thou hast put forth to guard thy outworks) as I have circumstantially recorded in my veritable History, and which, after the manner of Homer, I have judiciously closed at that period, as if nothing were worth recording after. Yet still they are a mighty people; and though it grieves me to say it, the ancient musical and euphonious Dutch, is fast fading away, while their language in this country, is likely to be everlasting; and wherever that language is spoken, its great classical authors, such as Shakspeare, Milton, and Myself, will be read and imitated, whether in America or England. Indeed I was told by George the Fourth, the other day, that my History was as popular in his dominions as it is in my native country." "But, sir," "Sir," continued he, rather piqued at my attempt to interrupt him, "English literature is already formed-her excellence in every branch of art, and every walk of science, is greater than ever was attained by any nation. At this day she abounds with learned and illustrious authors, whose works always will be popular, and besides, their literature is so intimately blended with our own, that leave out the advertisements, and you will find two-thirds of every newspaper in this country,

has appeared originally there; and while we are thus largely indebted to them, it argues but little for the generosity or gratitude of Americans, to make a system of abusing the literature of England; and resembles the conduct of one who, though continually eating at a gentleman's table, takes every occasion to tell him that his viands are despicable, and his cookery of the worst." We shrewdly suspected, though we did not dare to give birth to our surmise, that the worthy old gentleman's warmth in the cause of English literature, arose from the great popularity of his own works in that empire. He continued, "The literati of England have a strong partiality for the genius of this young America,' and invariably approve and applaud any work of merit that appears among us. It is a place to which our men of talent resort, and where they are welcomed and encouraged. It is a home where our artists are instructed, and cherished, and rewarded; and my young friend, you should make it your endeavour, as far as in your power, to promote a reciprocal feeling in this country."

Struck with the justice of his observations, and willing to restore his complacency, we answered him, "Yes, venerable sir, England is, indeed, a proud and mighty land, and the sublimest praise ever won by a nation arises from the fact that Britain still retains, by her intellect and her intelligence, that ascendency over the minds of a vast and powerful nation, which her arms politically were unable to preserve. Yet apart from all such ungenerous feelings as you have justly denounced, the formation of a literature of our own-a National American literature-is the dearest idol of our heart. What signifies it that our dominions stretch from the rising to the setting sun--what availeth all the lavish magnificence which nature has displayed in this her favourite region, if no Mind of our own, arises to give life to the deep sublimities of thought, which tremble into existence at their contemplation? It is not unnumbered trophies that give splendour to a nation-no extent of empire, nor grandeur of achievement, can confer the inestimable glory of intellectual greatness-else had the Parthians been renowned, and the Assyrians immortal. No-this To xav of eternal Fame, is to be found only in the native-the impregnated genius of the land. The fame of Greece, as the Roman orator truly observed, rests not on her heroes and her legislators, but on her historians and her bards; and its value receives its most glorious illustration in the history of those wondrous countries, whose memories, through its influence, have survived their existence, and whose temples have survived their gods."

"I can easily pardon your enthusiasm, my child," said the venerable sage, "since it is at once so natural and so just. Schlegel indeed was right when he said, 'National recollections, the noblest inheritance a people can possess, bestow an advantage which no other