Duncan's Travels through part of the United States, and Canada. The Quarterly Review, No. 57. The Edinburgh Review, No. 77. Adam's Roman Antiquities, revised, by P. Wilson, Professor of Languages in Columbia College. Practical Education, by Miss Edgeworth. 1 vol. 8vo. M. Tullii Ciceronis de Re Publica Librorum Reliquiæ e Palimpsesto ab Angelo Maio nuper erute, ad editionem Romanam diligentissime express Edetio prima Americana, 1 vol. 12mo. Elements of the Chaldee language, by the Rev. William Harris. L. L. D. Marriages. On the 28th December, by the Rev. Dr. Sargent, Mr. Samuel E. Riessier, of Savannah, Geo. to Miss Elizabeth Brown, of Philadelphia, Northern Libertes. On Monday evening, the 5th ult, by the Rev. Mr. Thatcher, Mr. John Etris, to Mas Mary Elizabeth Stief, both of this city.-On Wednesday evening, the 31st December, by the Rev. Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Nathaniel Mullekin, of Georgetown, D. C. to Miss Elizabeth A. Hall, of Philadelphia.-On Saturday evening, the 3d ult. by the Rev. Dr. Abercrombie, Mr. Edward P. Lescure, to Miss Sarah Ferguson, all of this city.—On Thusday, the 8th ult, by the Right Rev. Bishop White, Mr. William C. Graham, Merchant, to Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Captain Azel Howard, all of this city. On the 5th ult. by the Rev, Richard D. Hall, at Christiana Mills, Delaware, Thomas Jefferson Charles Ringgold, Esq. to Miss Sarah Israel, daughter of Joseph Israel, Esq. of New Castle County, Delaware.On Thursday even. 8th ult. by Rev. G. T. Bedell, Thomas Wetherill, M. 1). of England, to Miss Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Mr. Andrew Fisher, late of New York. On the 14th ult. in Christ Church, by the Right Rev. Bishop White, Mr. John Pennington to Miss Lucetta Davis. On Thursday the 8th ult. by the Rev. Dr. Potts, Mr. Andrew Miller, of Maryland, to Miss Susannah S. daughter of the late Richard Macartney, of Germantown.-On Wednesday evening, the 7th ult, by the Rev. Dr. Schaffer, Mr. George R. Harmstad, to Miss Ann Brown, all of this city.-On Thursday evening, the 1st ult. by the Rev. Mr. O'Mealy, Mr. James Palmer to Miss Ann Amelia, youngest daughter of the late Thomas Ash, merchant, all of this city.-On Thursday evening, the 1st ult. by the Right Rev. Bishop White, Mr. William Wagner, to Miss Caroline M. daughter of the late Dr. Benjamin Say-On the evening of the 25th ult. by the Rev. James Taylor, Mr. Samuel Vaughan Merrick, to Miss Sarah Thomas, all of this city.-On the 25th December, by the Rev. Mr. Boyd, Mr. George Trites, to Miss Louisa Davis, daughter of Mr. George Davis, of Ridley Township, Delaware County. - On the 25th of December, by the Rev, Mr. Holcombe, David B. Lee, Esq. of Philadel phia, to Miss Sarah, daughter of Capt James Cassel, of Boston, Mass.-On the 21st ult. by the Right Rev. Dr. Conwell, Cato Patrieus OʻMadden, to Miss Isabel Editha, daughter of M. J. O'Conway, of this city, Interpreter.-On Thursday evening, the 1st ult. by the Rev. George C. Potts, Mr. Alexander Bell, of Moyamensing, to Miss Elizabeth M'Itheny, of the District of Southwark. Deaths. On Thursday afternoon, the 1st ult. Mr. William Schneider, aged 70.—On Friday morning William S. Coats aged 14, eldest son of Thomas Coats, jun. of the Northern Liberties.-On the 27th ult. Anthony P. Shaw, aged 19, late of the U. S. Navy, and nephew of the late Com. John Shaw.-On the afternoon of the 27th December, Miss Christiana M. Galley, after a painful illness.On the evening of the 27th December, Mr. Shubert Armitage, aged 67, after a short and severe illness. On the morning of the 29th December, after a short illness, Mrs. Margaret Burden, wife of Henry R. Burden.-On the 29th December, after a long and painful illness, Mrs. Elizabeth, widow of the late Benjamin Severn, aged 77. -On the evening of the 28th December, Israel Elliott, Esq. aged 60, of the County of Philadelphia.-On Wednesday evening the 31st December, Mrs. Rebecca Keen, aged 63, after a lingering illness.- On Thursday the 1st ult. after a short illness, David Ellis, of Birmingham, England; aged 50, brother to Hugh Ellis of this city.-On Monday evening, the 5th ult. Mrs. Frances Snyder, daughter of George Ingels.-On Monday the 5th ult. Mr. Lambert Smyth, in the 53d year of his age.--On Monday the 5th ult. after a short, but severe illness, Mr. Seth Price.-On Sunday, the 4th ult. Martha, wife of Mr. Joseph Donaldson,— On Wednesday Morning, the 7th ult. in the 58th year of his age, Mr. James Mefit.-On Tuesday evening, the 13th ult. Mrs. Mary Love, consort of Mr. Thomas Love, aged 32.-On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Elizabeth S. Luberg, aged 50, widow of the late Capt. F. S. Luberg,-Departed this life on Wednes day evening, the 10th ult. John P. Fisher, silver-plater.—On Tuesday afternoon, the 13th ult. John W. Rehn, son of George Rehn, aged 27.-On Tuesday evening the 13th ult. Miss Charlotte Elizabeth Durang, aged 20. TO CORRESPONDENTS. We request the gentleman from whom we expect the Biography of Mr. Calhoun, to reccollect that its appearance in out next number, depends on its timely reception. The remarks on "Duncan's Travels," "The Annals of the late War," "The Story of Banca." and "The Valley of the Mississippi," are set apart for the next number. "The Duel list" will also appear, if we can find room for it. "The Plea for Celibacy," and the tale of "The Woodlands," are under consideration. The Poem by Cornelia, will appear in our next. We propose to make a few alterations in the verses relative to GREECE, in which if the author acquiesces, we shall give them insertion. The stanzas "To Hope," and the address "intended for the opening of a Theatre," are too inaccurate for publication. The latter will be put into the Post-Office, according to its author's direction, on Wednesday. If X. Z. will favour us with one of his promised "Morning Visits," at an early hour, we shall give it a suitable welcome, and treat it with all possible respect. ERRATA. In several parts of the article entitled "Good Versification essential to good Poetry," for ILLIAD, read ILIAD; and in the extract from "Eloisa to Abelard," in the same article, for PAST, read PART. THE AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE. VOL. I. MARCH, 1824. No. 3. On perusing the last number of this Magazine, after publication, it was with much pain that the editor perceived the typographical errors it contains. His readers, he trusts, will receive as an apology, the assurance that the month was considerably elapsed before any of the work went to press; and that, for the purpose of preserving punctuality in respect to the time of its appearance, it was printed with a haste altogether unsuited to a careful revision of the proofs. The causes of the delay alluded to, were incidental to the infancy of the establishment, and such as it is hoped will not again occur. NOVELS WITHOUT PLOTS. There is, perhaps, nothing from which a bad taste in literature is so apt to arise, as the respect so generally paid to the faults of popular writers. Indiscriminating critics are too ready to look upon popularity as a criterion of uniform excellence, whereas it is only a proof of excellence in some attractive particulars. Hence the blemishes of good writers, although they can be sanctioned by neither natural feeling nor good sense, often become canonized by superficial reviewers, tolerated by light and desultory readers, and, what is worse, imitated by writers of inferior talents, who finding it easier to commit faults than produce beauties, gladly avail themselves of any fashion that may arise in favour of bad writing. These inferior authors, conscious that on the prevalence of bad taste alone, whatever success their productions may meet with, depends, industriously exert themselves in trumpeting the infallibility of the writer they select as their model, and in making every effort to convert even his errors, into perfections; nay, it is his errors, that they, and those over whom they have VOL. I.No. III. 25 any influence, are particularly careful to applaud. They entitle them improvements in literature, and hold them forth as marks of a mighty genius which disdains to be limited in its career, by the ordinary laws of propriety and good writing. In this manner, inattention is characterized as a manly assertion of literary freedom, slovenliness of composition is termed ease, and impropriety of thinking and expresssion dignified with the title of bold originality. Thus it becomes the peculiar lot of a successful writer, never to commit a fault. He has obtained a name, and that is enough. He may be as absurd as he pleases; he may blunder on through whole tomes of nonsense and insipidity; and although every page he writes, should be loaded with absurdities as thick and glaring as clouds on a mountain's brow, no one will be hardy enough to accuse him of a single mistake. The popular voice being at first, perhaps accidentally, excited in his favour by some real or imagined excellence, is kept up by the industry of the small authors, who have their own ends to answer by the corruption of the public taste, Having thus become a model of literary excellence, he continues writing with as much carelessness and impunity, as a caressed and spoiled child displays stubbornness and commits mischief. Every expression, good or bad, that he ut ters, is noted by the deluded parents as something clever, and quoted triumphantly as a decisive proof of uncommon genius. In vain, do less prejudiced people at first whisper doubts on the subject. If they do, they are immediately accused of jealousy and envy at hearing the praises of another. They soon become silent, not wishing to expose themselves to such a charge. Many at length, begin to doubt the correctness of their own judgment, and believe it their duty to yield acquiescence in the justice of praises so often repeated, however much their own unbiased views of the matter may tell them they are unfounded. It is by this process, that new fashions in literature, unsanctioned by either nature, feeling or reason, are established, and enabled to keep their footing for a time, until some other whim happens to seize the public mind. Every deformity becomes then apparent, neglect follows, and the new favourite, in his turn, reigns for a season, lord of the ascendant. There is a species of excellence, however, the approbation of which is not induced by any compliance with temporary fashion, but arises from the unperverted feelings of our nature, and is sanctioned by the spontaneous exercise of our individual judgments on the subject of right and wrong. This description of excellence may not, at its first appearance, have the aid of any interested faction, or cabal, to blazon its claims to admiration. Hence it may not become suddenly popular; but, like the immortal poem of Milton, it will soon gain, silently perhaps, but unchangeably, the favour of the discerning and the candid; and, in the end, work its way, in spite of all obstacles, to universal and interminable fame. This is the species of literary excellence which true genius alone can produce, and which will always command applause from the unprejudiced and intelligent portion of mankind. This excellence constitutes the quality which should be exclusively called classical. It is characterized more by accuracy of thinking and expression, than by eccentricity, novelty or pungency. It is always consistent with its purposes, and faithful to its promise. It never gives poetry for prose, nor prose for poetry, as is the present fashion. It gives not lectures on politics and the belleslettres, when it should give sermons, like the Caledonian preacher of Hatton Garden; nor does it substitute bathos and rodomontade, for eloquence and persuasion, in congressional speeches, like some of our present representatives. In criticism, it does not, like most of the reviewers of these times, mistake popularity for perfection; and, in consequence, applaud where it should condemn, and condemn where it should applaud. We shall also add, that it does not write novels without stories, nor contrive stories without plots. The strange phenomenon in literary taste, on which we animadverted in the first article of our last number, namely, the preference given to the coarseness of Byron's verses over the harmonious poetry of Pope, can be accounted for only by a consideration of the influence exerted on the public mind by those interested in getting up a fashion in favour of bad versification. In the same way only, can we account for the faults of the Waverly author being looked upon as instances of excellence in |