Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-25
G0itOr's Gable.
The ATLANTIC MONTHLY. March, 1853. Phil
lips, Sampson & Co., Boston.

The ATLANTIC MONTHLY. March, 1853. Phil
lips, Sampson & Co., Boston.
As ship which sails from port on stormy
Friday, on some Arctic expedition, the Atlantic
Monthly started almost at the ag end of dig
astrous year, when "one never did, like mo.
lestation view, of the enchafed elements."-
! Why not have begun with the beginning, when
all faces glow with anticipation, and every one
is disposed to promote new enterprise Such
defiance was the augury of success which has
been 50 far justified The character of criti-
cism provoked has differed somewhat from the
old stereotyped phrases of approval which
mean nothing. The severest structures from
high quarters, have at least been indirectly
complimentary to the literary character of
work which is not mere omaiu,n gatherum.
but actuated by some principles, however het-
erodox may be the school, On this point we
will say, that after due allowance for liberty of
thought, and free expression of opinion given
through the press by all editors who would not
cramp their writers, and without putting
on slectacles to detect any lurking animos-
ity to to the modes of our individual think
ing, wei have been able to discovernothlng pos
itively shocking" or Extensively said and no
prevalent hue of any bad philosophy of the
day. Whether the Magazine will exhibit any
such bias, will be seen when its character has
become more fully developed by age, but from
the expressions dropped by it in four or FIVE in
terviews, VIC would harbor no suspicious of the
kind.
Of the papers which have appeared in past
numbers, those written by Parke Goodwin, on
the Financial Furry, and the Financial crisis
for vigor of style, and general interest in hand
ling, as well as tmcliness, strike us as among
the best, though they are upon an involved and
intricate subject, alike battling to the practical
man, or the mere theorst The Autocrat has
taken his seat at the breakast-table, and dis
coursed after his peculiar fashion, in unhack-
neyed phrase, with rare wit, and delicious
genality. Winter does not freeze him, and
summer will not dry him up. His CONVERSE
ton meanders like stream through fair mead
ows, sometimes stopped, OF turned aside by
an obstruction, but clear, bright, refreshing
and abundant in sport throughout. There
=, are very few homes--where these oompo-
sitions are not read
"The Diamond Lens" beautiful concep-
ton of Fitz-James O'Brien, has stirred up
famous controversy in the columns of the Eren-
ing Post. Charges of plagiarism with regard
to any well-wrought work, stamped with the
individuality of the writer, are worse than
thrown away. long newspaper defense of
ones claims to originality, which the public
are not inclined to dispute, is also disadvan-
geous to an author. All which Mr. North has
written worth publishing, is before the public,
and no beams of his genius are at least reflected
through the Diamond Lens He was one of
those men who was much distinguished for
what he might hare DONE
The first article in the March number, The
Catacombs of Rome" ROMA SoTTERANEA-the
underground Rome of the dead-the buried
city of graves, lis one of much interest, and
suggested by the researches and discoveries of
modern years Being in possession of several
minor works on the subject, and having had
the privilege not long since of examining the
magnificent folios published by the French Com
mission, we have read it with qualification for
the facts and information it contains, and which
bear upon the Christian origin of the Cata-
combs. An immense city of the dead excavated
out of the volcanic rocks, and radating from
all the gateways Of ancient Rome is filed with
millions of Christian dead. In its dark and
labyrinthine streets, in its chapels and vaults,
how many have sought temporary retreat
while the persecution of the Church went on -
In its mural paintings, some rude, others of
artistic merit, in its emblems and Inscriptions,
what suggestive study That the glass vases
sometimes found in these sepulchres tinged with
a red matter contained the blood of martyrs, as
stated by the writer of this article, is however
more than doubtful. This is the convenient n.y.
pothesis IL Bosio, which was received with en-
thusiasm, and confirmed in decree by the
Congregation of relics" Though the letters
SANG, were inscribed on some of these vessels,
they probably stood for Sanctus or the vessels
were intended as sacramental cups, inscribed
with the word blood, a fgurative expression for
wine, the dry lees Of which furnishes the organ
ic matter of the analysis. So SAYS Maitland. in
his work called the 50 Church of the Cata-
cambs."
Passing from this gloomy subject, we next
come upon little balmy poem, called g The
Nest and Palnode
/ Then from the honeysuckle gray,
\ The orole with experienced quest
/ Witches the ibrous bark away,
The cOrdagc of his hammock nest,-
| Cheering his labor with note
Rich as the orange of his throat"
We will italicise no lines. That poetry is a
drug, is in one sense true, but that the same
recognition of any TRULY poetic expression Of
thought is not found now even more than in
. the days of Homer, we deny in toto. Many
beautiful little gems have already appeared in
the Atlantic, exhibiting not only genuine in.
spiration, but practice and Judgment in the
use of poetic words and imagery which coult
be looked for in no crude authors, however eb
ullient might be their genius.
Our limits will not permit us to enumerat,
the several papers, but there is rasping criti
cism on Parton's Life of Aaron Burr, which
Will not prove very pleasant magazine-reading
to the biographer, who like all who enter upo,
such tasks is disposed to glorify his subject