Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-06-02
THE NEW GAzETTEER.

The poetic cast of mind must always he taxi
en- as the most signiftative type of the inteller-
tual powers of people. The earliest literature
of all countries assumes the poetic stamp. The
great pUet of nation, or an age, seems to be
the germ from which the literary qualities of
that nation or age are developed; or he may
he compared to the impetus of the globe when
launched into space, its original motion and di-
rection determining its whole future character.
The history of people, therefore, with respect
to its poetical genius cannot fail to be possessed
of a high order of interest and deep, philo-
sophcal instruction. Who that reads the great
poem of Milton-Paradise Lost-will fail to
perceive in it the outlines of the Anglo Saxon
mind at period Of its development when, un-
der new impetus of civil and religious liberty,
it was proceeding to its greatest expansion-to
its most unlimited growthP The great warfare
between Coon and EVIL is portrayed in all those
colossal proportions in which it seems destined
to affect the mind of the Saxon race and
amidst all we have gmpses and hopes of the
final supremacy of the good, and of the charms
of that Eden which all our energies are bent to
regain. 1t is poem which in its scope is as
broad as liberty and as lengthy as time
OF the inhabitants of the United States there
are none who have received the impress of
Cromwellian times more deeply than those of
New England 1t is here that that civil liberty
of which Miltons verse was the music of its
advent, has taken the deepest hold. 1t is here,
amidst crystalline streams, granite rock, flower
bespangled fields, the cool, salubrious fir, and
such bird-music as might have charmed Eden
itself that the songs of Milton were the music
of the opening scene and it is here, therefore,
that it would be of the most interest to trace
the throbbings of the poetic brain. 1t would
seem to be some such train Of thought as this
that has led to the collection of Vermont poetry
which has recently been published by Miss
Hemenway. 1t shows an order of mind that
is indeed credtable to the State, and gives one
a feeling of gratitude towards the editor for the
unwearied efforts which were necessary to its
compilation. The verse of Vermont poets is
scattered like the leaves of the Sibyl; it sparkles
like May-dews upon her meads it lies, we may
say, like the morning mama upon the desert,
and unless it is collected as an intellectual food
now, it is to be feared that it would be lost for
ever.
We are happy to say that Miss Hemenway
has not ceased from her labors with the first
and second edition of "Vermont Poets" She
is now engaged npon book which will give
specimens of verse of the present times as well
as of the past. We alude to the new Gazet-
teer of which we have heretofore sivon tho
prospectus with an appeal for cooperation from
the editor. The work proposed is history of
the State, given in the only way that it could be
with due regard to perfectness, that is, by
townships. A work of such magnitude cannot
be accomplished without extraordinary labor
and assduity; and it behooves every one, we
think, 10 give the editress all the assistance in
their power towards faithful history of their
respective towns. No false modesty should de-
ter one from contributing specimens of his verse
and short sketch of his history.