But the visions quicker pass The lovely bride of WALTER SCOTT? But they shall not shade our song. Oh, long may such glad visions beam Over earth's perturbed stream, The darkness of a winter's night! XIII. But we've wandered from our theme away; Let us seek the scene again, Where the gathered Brave and Beauteous pay Now the trump and drum are blent Onward speeds the circling dance! See with gay and graceful charm Where the hand of love might play! It would pour sweet songs alway! Glows not the famed Madonna's grace? Far down in their fountains deep,- Where the nestling Cupids sleep! The Roman chief, though stern and brave, XIV. The dance goes on to merry measure, Light hearts speed the hours of pleasure, Oh, how many shapes are here, That shine in beauty's loftiest sphere !— And what charms of form and mien Shed their witchery o'er the scene!— Never have mine eyes beheld A scene of bliss that, this, excelled! XV. I do remember me that once, Its sculptured walls were famed in story; The scene was witchery !—and yet XVI. But soft!-amid the sparkling train, XVII. Sweet lady fair!-I need not tell I stood beside thee in the dance; While glowed the west with sheets of flame, And from the shore the soft wind came, Lifting the curls upon thy neck, I strove in vain my love to speak!- XVIII. LOVE'S METAPHORS. Thou art a star, lady, thou art a star! Then deign, oh deign, on my path to shine, Thou art a rose, lady, thou art a rose ! Those lips, those lips,-those rosy lips! Thou art a lute, lady, thou art a lute! XIX. Our gallant Steamer now had reached And proudly paused awhile to view The glorious scene that round us lay! Stained by the colors of the sunset sky, A road of gold, the river rippled by; Far as the eye could reach, it gleamed away, That evening, robed the Western sky!- Flinging Apollo's parting rays As though the God still loved to view The shrines which once, his worship knew!- VOL. VII-87 How lovely too, the scene around!- On! with thy bride, nor pause for breath, The vengeful warhoop echoes near! There's no escape!-Shall that fair child, By heartless fury be defiled? Shall that young warrior, for her sake, Die by the faggot and the stake? There's no escape! Yes, heavens !-they leap From off the summit of the steep! Pale gazer on yon lofty cliff, Tell me the fate of that bold chief! Ah, yes in safety o'er the tide, He proudly bore his hard-won bride !-- For TUSCALOOSA was that warrior's name! XXI. But now the scenes around grow dimmer: Whose names have shed a halo round the scene,- Hark, from the cliff, what echoes thunder! The opposing banks reply in wonder: The wild deer startled from his sleep, Dashes along the lofty steep: The eagle screaming soars around, Scared by the rude, unwelcome sound. Such sounds those hills have never heard,- By such their quietude been stirred,— Since famed DE SOTO, that wild Spanish rover, With his fierce band, this gentle stream crossed over! XXII. Now, up the stream, our graceful steamer Listens to Beauty's witching song! In festive mirth, dance on the hours, All hearts are wreathed with hope and bliss ; And some,-the sterner sex,-in showers,Partook the goblet's beaded kiss! Ab, bright CHAMPAGNE !--the golden nectar, The elixir fit for realms divine!Not Hebé, in her dalliance, decked her Goblets, with brighter waves than thine! "Tis said, and I believe the story, That Bacchus, when he rose from earth, Thy recipe,-sweet source of mirth! Of Lillery's best star-champagne ! XXIII. In mirth, we said, flew on the hours,-- The scattered wanderers home resort,- FAREWELL: 1. Farewell! to the Barque, that has borne us to-day, In gladness over the rolling wave; Oh, long, on the stream, may her bright pennons play, Endeared to the hearts of the Fair and Brave! And back when we turn from the shadows of time, To gaze on the stars that brightened youth's sky, The hours we past, In her bosom, will last,- The brightest and best, on the age-faded eye! 2. Farewell! to the Bride!--who, in life's rosy hour, O'er the deep waters float, With Hope at the prow, and Love at the helm! 3. Farewell to the Bridegroom!--the honored, the blest!-- As the dying swan sings,Pour the gladdest of music while life shall remain! 4. Farewell unto all, who have wandered to-day!-- Oh, long, in each heart, The memory live of the NUPTIAL FETE! ON NEWSPAPERS. "Est natura hominun novitatis avida."-Pliny. As a distinguishing trait between the present age and past years, we can find none more marked, than the increased number of newspapers. We have so many now, and they have become such an accustomed and daily comfort and convenience, that considering their absence in former times, we al most wonder how they continued to do without them: or at least, it appears strange that they did not come into general use at an earlier period. There are few individuals now-a-days, who can resist the fascinations of this sort of reading, however averse they may be to reading in general. And newspapers, on this account, serve a useful purpose; for they lead persons to read, who per haps, but for them, would never do so at all: most of us have, in the circle of our acquaintance, many of such a class. A taste for reading may thus be oftentimes created. To serve such a purpose as this, they are more admirably suited, than any | it; and indeed, most of Life's pleasures consist in other kind of publication; for by reason of their this very expectation, rather than in the fruition. In convenient form, they can be carried everywhere, their style, taken generally, there is much uniforin situations where there would be little else to oc- mity, which is remarkable, considering the various cupy the mind, and where a book would be incon- kinds and degrees of talent, which their different venient and troublesome: a book we are anxious editors must possess: this shows the influence of not to lose, in travelling for instance, but a news-habit and example. The style of most of their paper once read, nobody cares about; and even if direct editorials, to my mind, resembles very much it were otherwise, it could be easily stowed away. that tone of half badinage, half earnest, in which On account too of the great variety of their con- Washington Irving's works are written; and his tents, they offer something interesting to persons writings have, in some measure, contributed to the of every turn of mind, and every sort of pursuit. general adoption of this manner; and they may By reason of this same variety, they have a cer- owe some portion of their great popularity to the tain peculiar use to readers generally, and par- same source. The similar effects of the writings ticularly to students of one subject; and perhaps of Boz on the periodical press is quite evident : the preponderance of errors in the minds of scho- indeed writers who have seen much of mankind, lars of former times, as compared with the pre- who understand human nature, and who therefore, sent, may be, in some measure, traced to their in their writings, are rather practical; I think, as a want. The cause and effect to which I allude, are general rule, are apt to assume this tone. Another the following:-by fixing our attention too much uniformity which they possess, is, the facility of upon one particular subject, we are apt to observe comprehension which they impress upon all subits presence where many see it not; and we are jects: every thing however abstruse naturally, is apt to imagine its sway and influence in the world, so modified in their all-changing crucible, that it to be far more extensive than they really are: and is made suitable to the most ordinary comprehenthis will not only cause us to undervalue other sion. It is on account of this facility of being unthings, but will tend to lead into strange errors, derstood, that newspapers are the best kind of by the want of that correction to the imagination, reading after a meal, or when we feel little inclined which a knowledge of not only analogous, but also to study: most of those accustomed to read them of things not directly connected with it, frequently can recall many an agreeable hour which they gives. The eye is fixed with such intensity on have thus afforded. By requiring no study, they one particular object, that other things, though impart information to many individuals who would within the sphere of vision, are not perceived: not have the energy or the mind to seek it in other many a life within the walls of European univer- forms; they are thus well adapted to the habits of sities, has thus been passed in cloud-land. News- the people of this country; and hence, their numpapers, by perpetually showing to such persons, ber is larger here than elsewhere. For, in the that in the great world around them, there are first place, those who love reading, have not time many other things occupying an important place, to read any thing requiring much application; and besides their favorite pursuit, tend at least to coun- secondly, we cannot, for the same reason, pursue teract visionary ideas, founded upon such a basis. with ease any settled course of study; but are, in I confess that there are many strange errors in the general, obliged to acquire information only by world still; but generally they are different from desultory reading, such as is furnished by newsthose to which I allude. papers. The pleasure they afford is of considerable ex- To our country they are of great use, as regards tent-all persons delight in news of one sort or its size and political state; for, from its vast exanother, and to many persons not actively engaged, tent, were it not for newspapers, before the news it furnishes a subject of thought and attention, of any political event reached one portion of the which it would be otherwise difficult to find; it is Union, it would be quite stale in another. Now, from this principle that all the evils of gossipping since the people rule in a Democratic country, it is and scandal-love spring; and newspapers furnish very necessary that their opinions should be known; food for this feeling, and far more wholesome food, and at present, immediately upon the occurrence than gossipping-but of this more anon. What a of such an event, by means of the press, it is sent pleasing expectation is every day, or day or two, oc- to every part of the Union; and through the press, curring to those who take a paper; the expectation which as to politics, in this respect, is but the peoof the messenger sent for it; and then the moment ple's voice, the sentiments of the democracy are at of opening it, is free from all care. It has been once given upon it; and their representatives know said that no one ever opened a newspaper without exactly in what manner to vote. On account of disappointment in its contents; but this only fol- their constant interchange of paragraphs, they furlows the general rule applying to most hopes and nish to the men of great mind throughout the counwishes; for how seldom does the object, when ob- try, a very valuable and quick mode of communitained, give the pleasure which we anticipated from cating their thoughts to the whole nation, so soon them; and the habitual reader, when any thing new comes out in one of them, as for instance, of the humorous, can almost foretell whether it will be copied or not. As a sequence of what I have be fore remarked, as to the simplicity of their contents, we might presume that they would rarely copy the really abstruse; and such is in fact, the case: but they seem to relish very much the insertion of articles, which, though at first blush abstruse, yet whose sense, the reader can easily disentangle. I was forcibly struck with this idea on reading, a year or two ago, some pieces in as a great event occurs; and from such a combi- coming up to the most popular standards of critination of talent, the true view of things is much cism. Thus for instance, because critics have more likely to be taken, than would be the case if placed their seal of condemnation upon any thing facilities of this kind did not exist. This is also florid; however beautiful an idea may be, in other the case with what is said in legislative assemblies, respects, however true and noble, the newspapers through the reporters; and although our govern- will rarely venture to copy it. In most things ment greatly differs from the ancient little Repub- falling in the department of literature, they have a lics, in the respect that we perform by representa- peculiar taste, which is common to nearly all of tives, what the people were then accustomed to do personally; still, through the debates, as reported in the newspapers, the orators yet speak (you may almost say,) to the whole population. As to the transmission of news and moral impressions generally, newspapers, with the assistance of railroads and steamboats almost annihilate distance: and thus is the "go-a-head" principle, so conspicuous in the United States, aided very much; for the whole Union moves together. May we not also attribute, in a great degree, to these three things, above mentioned in conjunction, that sameness of language, and to a great degree, of character, pervading our Blackwood's Magazine, written under the heading whole country, although so differing in many things, as climate, &c. -a sameness which we can find in no other country of such extensive limits. Newspapers may thus do more than we might imagine, in binding together the several parts of our Union. Nothing keeps up with, and coincides so much with the spirit of the times, as newspapers; and the next age to get the best idea of the present, need not turn to histories, but to a file of old newspapers: if they do not get the facts altogether ungarbled, nevertheless, they will get the tone, the under-current of feeling, which is essential to understanding fully any history, and which will teach far more, than the mere detail of facts. They will thus serve, in the future, the same purpose, as respects this age, as the Private Journals of the last several centuries, now serve as respects those times. of "Our New Contributor." Amongst them, there was one entitled the " Moss Rose," which had that slight air of mysticism, but facility of interpreta tion, to which I have just referred; and hence, being a pretty good piece, it was inserted in many of the newspapers. There was another entitled, "Wail for Dædalus;" which the editor of Blackwood said was superior to any of Shelley's. This piece I never met with elsewhere; and it is probable, that scarcely a newspaper in the country extracted it-owing, not to the seeming, but real mysticism, in which its meaning was involved. Taken as a whole, each newspaper is a picture of the world as it is now: there lie the shadows and the sunny places: misery and happiness, crime and virtue; and not only these, but things which pertain not to them, aye besides in the religious and moral; also whatever is new in the literary, Quite remarkable is the continual habit which the scientific, and chiefly in the commercial world; they have, of quoting every piece seemingly good, showing how far aloft, in point of consideration, whether prose or verse, whatever be the cir- commerce towers amidst the many objects in the cumstances attending it for instance, it is fre- tumultuous world around. Indeed after all, this quently the case, that from some book of poems, is the cause of their great number in the United lately published, there will be an extract made by States; for we are essentially, the most business one of them, which will be copied by a large num- people on the globe: look at the large portion of ber; then it will lie dormant for some years; then, nearly every one of them, filled with advertisein order to illustrate something, or on account of ments. This is the kind of news, in which most its striking his fancy, or from some other reason, of us are interested, and therefore, there are more an editor will come out with it again; and imme- of them but what a variety of readers! Some diately, as many of his brother-editors will follow never look at the advertisements or prices-cursuit, as if the piece were perfectly new. But fre- rent; only reading the poetry and light anecdotes, quently in old newspapers, we may pick up beau- also passing over the politics. To others bow tiful remarks, both prose and poetry, which have delightful are the politics! This class chiefly comperhaps, never been seen elsewhere, because they posed of middle-aged gentlemen; persons who have never been copied for the taste of the edi-think themselves wiser than any of the remaining tors is not always of the best kind; and although portion of the human race: and nothing can be highly independent in some things, yet here, they more childish than the accounts which please them are quite the contrary, and often seem to shrink legislative bodies consuming several weeks in defrom publishing an article, because of its not bating abolition questions, expunging resolutions, |