Text: Edgar Allan Poe (?), Literary, Broadway Journal (New York), April 26, 1845, vol. 1, no. 17, p. ???-???

[page 268, column 1, continued:]

THE MAGAZINES.

THE LADY’S BOOK for May has several very excellent papers — among which the most valuable if not altogether the most interesting is the “European Correspondence” by Grand. Mr. Grund is one of the moat remarkable men we ever met, — possessing a wonderful faculty of observation, and a memory which stands in little need of Professor Gouraud. His analytical power is also great, and as a critic few men are entitled to greater consideration. Take as a specimen his account of Kaulbach's “Destruction of Jerusalem.”

“Kaulbach, in his Destruction of Jerusalem,’ seizes not only on an historical moment or catastrophe in the downfall of the Jews, but on its poetical signification and its connection and relation to the human mind, which, after all, is the great laboratory of history. The most accurate description of an event by an eyewitness is yet far from being an herodical account of the same, and so is the representation of an historical event far from being an historical picture. Kaul-bach shows us the awful calamity of the destruction of the holy city in its historical signification, in its relation to our religious consciousness and to ourselves. The figures which he presents to the eye of the beholder were never in life thus grouped together, and yet — his painting is eminently historical.

“In the middle of the picture you see a group of dead bodies, dying men and women, and some who, in their despair, attempt to destroy themselves. This is the high priest, with his family; on both sides and behind him you behold the cause of their distraction — the sources of these rivers of blood. The Roman imperator enters in triumph the holy city: the horrors of heathenism are planted on the altar of the only living God; the daughters of Zion are lobbed; mothers, in despair, attack their own flesh and blood; and the people, in wild dismay, throng the streets leading to the temple of Jehovah, whose burning columns threaten to bury them under its burning ruins. But the painter, in producing this wild contusion, has introduced the unity of design by the higher religious source from which these evils spring. The religious faith of the world saw in the destruction of Jerusalem a visitation of Divine Providence, which was expected as it was proplie• sled. Tills idea is introduced into the picture by the angels with burning swords which descend from!leaven, and the holy prophets which are there enthroned. The destruction of the holy city, therefore, is an act of poetic justice — the last art of the Jewish drama which reconciles the beholder to her fate. But, also, the relation of the catastrophe to our own times is admirably indicated. It deprived [column 2:] the people of Israel of their home: what remained of their faith was doomed to endure the yoke of perpetual slavery. This fact the middle ages have dressed into the story of ‘The Wandering Jew;’ and him, scourged by demons the artist has introduced into his picture. But what of the people of Israel belongs to the New Testament. destined in the name of the Saviour to possess the world, our Christian ancestors leave, under the guidance of angels, the burning town. This group concludes the picture.

“The design is, as you may conclude from this description, conceived in the most elevated and philosophical sense. It is, as regards that conception, unique and unsurpassed by any work of art, ancient or modern. The whole is. as it were, a picture in motion.”

Miss Leslie continues her “Bloxhams and Mayfields,” which loses nothing of its interest as it proceeds. “La Cabana,” by the Poor Scholar, has some passages of glowing poetry, intermingled with some that are any thing else. “The Gazelle of the Menagerie,” by Miss Gould is particularly happy, and so is the “Horse Otiosae.” The engravings are a mezzotint by Sadd, (Charles I. taking leave of his children,) and a Mountish-looking design entitled “The Recruit” — engraved by Ellis.

In the “Editors’ Book Table” there are some very just remarks on the subject of taking out copyright for Magazines. It is really very difficult to see how any one can, in conscience, object to such a course on the part of Mess. Godey and Graham. To our apprehension a mere statement of the facts of the case should stand in lieu of all argument. It has been long the custom among the newspapers — the weeklies especially — to copy Magazine articles in full, and circulate them all over the country — sometimes in advance of the magazines themselves. In other words Godey and Graham have been at all the cost, while the papers hare enjoyed, if not all the advantage — at least the most important item of it — the origination of the articles. To such au extent had this piracy been carried, that many magazine subscribers ceased to be inch, because they could procure all that was valuable in these works from the newspapers very little later and often at less cost, than from the magazines themselves.

Graham's Magazine for May is peculiarly rich in contributions. Cooper's sketch of Preble is worthy the best days of its author. Mrs. Stephens’ “Zuleica” is, also, an excellent article, and Grand's Foreign Literary News” will be rend with interest by all: — it is sadly disfigured, however, by typographical mistakes. We venture to correct one or two of these, in copying the annexed exquisite ballad. It is quoted by Mr. Grund from “La Normandie Romanesque, Traditions, Legendes et Superstitions Populaires de Cette Province.”

Besides the articles above noticed, there are papers from Headley. Whipple, Fanny Forrester, Mrs, Seba Smith, Tuckerman, Lowell, Mrs. Caroline Butler, and others.

In Mr. Lowell's poem, “An Incident of the Fire at Hamburgh,” there are some very noble images. For example:

The engravings are “The Proposal,” by Cowperthawait, from a drawing by Miss Corbould, and a very excellent view of the Cut-Off [page 269:] River (a Branch of the Wabash) engraved by Smillie from a design by Bodmer.

The Columbian opens with a very good domestic tale by Fanny Forrester. “The Double Rose,” by Mrs. Caroline Butler, is perhaps equally good in a different way. “Thoughts on the Poets” by Tuckerman, is especially well written. The other prose contributors are Mrs. Ellet, John Brougham, Miss Browne. Arthur. Miss Brawner, E. J. Porter, and Rob. A. West. Of the poems the best, by very far, is Mrs. Osgood's “Golden Rules in Rhyme.” We fancy, however, that we perceive in it some misprints.

should be undoubtedly

should as undoubtedly read

The engravings are “The Wedding” by Forrest from a drawing by Morton, “The Idle Servant” mezzotinted by Sadd from a painting by Maes, and a “Fashion Plate,” with three figures, colored. There are also two pages of original music by Saroni.

The present number of The Southern Quarterly Review contains a greater amount of subjects interesting to the South, than any other that we have seen. There is an article on the Union of Races, one on Mr. Hoar's mission, and another on South Carolina politics. Besides these subjects of sectional interest, there are several of general literary interest, which we shall notice more fully hereafter.

In the review of the” Spirit of the Age.’ althougH [[although]] “Orion” is heartily appreciated (and it is indeed one of the noblest poems of this or any age) some injustice is, upon the whole, done to its author. Mr. Horne is not, as supposed, the writer of all the papers in the “Spirit of the Age,” Very many of them are neither his, nor worthy him.