Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-09-25

Imagination, fancy, humor, pa,hos- controlled, in
every case, by the incest taste But how many are
familiar with his works how many Of our draw
ing-room critics are acquainted even with his
name His Wedding knell was almost unknown
in America until il came back from England as
the production Of some author there who had cho-
sen to make our country the Of his creations
His Celestial Railroad-the most exquisite allego-
ry since the Pilgrims Progrcss-was printed in the
Democratic Review, and received hardly passing
notice from our newspaper critics. until by the JUS
ter appreciation in Europe its claims were recog-
Missed. 1t was republished in numberless editions
in England, and translated in a few weeks into the
principal languages Of the continent The copy
before while this is written is one of the stand
ard series of the London Religious Tract Society,
which adopted it before the American readers of
BeRtiey's Miscellany and the Metropolitan knew Of
its existence.
Any person who has read the stories | have al
luded to, or Wakefield. or the Gentle Boy. or The
Hollow Tree of the Three Hills, or The Gray
Champion, or Tales of the Province House. will
agree with me that it would be difficult to praise
NATHANIEL HAwTHoRNE overmuch.
The characteristics of Mr. Willis are likewise
very striking OF their sort his tales are equal to
any produced in this age. But they such an
Engshman, Of equal genius, would have written
as readily as an American. His style is exceeding
ly lellctous, his language IS varied aud rich, his
fancy exuberant and brilliant, and his wit Of the
finest quality. No author has described contempo-
rary society wirtfsd mich yvacity, and | doubt
whether in certain Of its phases, any have surpass
ed him in iruthlulness Of delineaton.
HOFFMAN, in his shorter tales, has given US ira
ditons Of the French dominion in the Niagara re-
gion, sketches Of life in the West and traits and
stories of the Aborigines. In reading his works,
one might fancy him an indolent sportsman, who
had become secretary TO a club OF boatmen and sa-
gamores, and reused himself occasionally, while
writing down their legends and adventures, to tell
his strange companions tales of the metropolitan
society he had deserted for the woods.
The tales OF EDGAR A. Poe are unlike any ] have
mentioned and in some respects are different from
any others with which | am acquainted lie be-
longs to the first class Of tale writers who have ap-
peared since the marye-oving Arabian first attempts
ed fabulous history. lie has great deal Of imag-
nation and fancy, and his mind is in the highest
degree analytical He is deficient in humor, but
hnmor is quality Of different sort of minds, and
its absence were to him slight disadvantage, but
for his occasional forgeifulness that he does not
possess it,
The reader of Mr. PoEs tales is compelled. al
most at the outset to surrender his mind his au-
thors control. As he goes forward. mpalpabie
shadows constantly darling upon the confines of
his thought. Unlike that Of the greater number Of
suggestive authors, his narrative IS most minute f:
and unlike most who attend so carefully TO detail,
he has nothing superluous-nothing which does
not tend 10 the common centre-nothing which Is
not absolutely necessary TO the production Of the
desired result His stories seem TO be written cur
rents eaiamO, but, if examined, will he found 10 be
the results of consummate art. No Mosaics were
ever piled with greater deliberation. In paint
ing was ever conception developed with more bold.
ness and apparent freedom. Mr. Poe resembles
BRocKDEN BRowN in his intimacy with mental pa
thology, but surpasses that author in delinealon--
No one evei delighted more, or was more success
/ full, in depressing the brain with anxiety, or start
| ling il with images of horror GEORGE WALKER
ANNE RADCLIFFE, MARIA Roche, could alarm
with dire chimeras, cond lead their characters in
to difficulties aud perils-but they extricated them
so clumsy as to destroy every impression Of reai
IT, Mr. PoEs scenes ali seem to be actual. Taking
into view the chief fact, and the characteristics o
the drdmGtiS persona, we cannot understand how
any Of the subordinate incidents Of his tales coulc
have failed to happen.
| | shall but REFER in support ofwhat have sale
ofthis author, to The Fate of the House of Usher
The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Pur
Joined Letter
have time to speak Of Mrs SEBA SMITH only a
woman of most original and poetcal mind, Wit
has succeeded, perhaps, better than any other per
son. in approaching and developing the fitness o
aboriginal tradition and mythology, for the purpose
of romantic fiction
am, respectfully, yonr obedient servant,
RUFUS w. GRISWOLD