Text: Edgar Allan Poe (?), Literary, Broadway Journal (New York), September 6, 1845, vol. 2, no. 9, p. ???, col. ?

[page 142, column 2, continued:]

Editorial Miscellany.

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ADVERTISEMENTS, this week, have trenched rather more than we could wish upon our space for literary matter. For this very “flattering ill” however, we shall speedily find a remedy in the enlargement of our “Journal” by one half. We propose to give, very shortly, new type and eight additional pages.

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BOLLES’ Phonographic Dictionary has “controvertible” and not — “controvertibility” — “self-conceited” and not “self-conceitedly” — “worldly-minded” and not “worldly-mindedly.” Are these omissions intentional? We presume not. Some of its definitions are inaccurate, if not odd — whether these are adopted from other works, we have not leisure to ascertain. For example; “jealousy” is defined as “suspicion in love” — but is it not rather the passion aroused by suspicion in love? “Museum” is defined “a collection of learned curiosities” — but neither Tom Thumb, nor the Anaconda are particularly “learned.” A printer is said to be “one who prints books;” then one who merely prints handbills is no printer at all. A regicide is described as a “murderer of one's king” — and yet the murderer of anybody's king is still a regicide. [page 143:]

In a Dictionary, if anywhere, we look for rigorous accuracy of definition. We are not finding fault with Mr. Bolles’ work in especial. He is no worse than his predecessors.

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THE SUBJOINED jeu d’esprit has been “going the rounds of the papers” for some time, and we had intended to copy it before — but in some manner it escaped us. The editorial prefix (very generally published with it) is that of “The Morning News” — with which paper we thoroughly agree as to the cleverness of the verses.

THE RETORT.

The Rev. Arthur Coxe's Saul, a Mystery, having been condemned in no measured terms by Poe of the Broadway Journal, and Green of the Emporium, a writer in the Hartford Columbian retorts as follows, which strikes us as being very clever:

A REVERSAL.

An entertaining history

Entitled “Saul a mystery,”

Has recently been published by the Rev. Arthur Coxe.

The poem is dramatic,

And the wit of it is attic,

And its teachings are emphatic of the doctrines orthodox.

 

But Mr. Poe, the poet,

Declares he cannot go it —

That the book is very stupid — or something of that sort:

And Green of the Empori

Um, tells a kindred story,

And “swears like any tory” that it isn’t worth a groat.

 

But maugre all their croaking,

Of the “raven” — and the joking

Of the verdant little fellow of the used to be review,

The PEOPLE, in derision

Of their impudent decision,

Have declared without division, that the “Mystery will do.”

The truth, of course, rather injures an epigram than otherwise; and nobody will think the worse of the one above when we say that we have expressed no opinion whatever of “Saul.” Give a dog a bad name, &c. Whenever a book is abused, it is taken for granted that it is we who have been abusing it. Mr. Coxe has written some very beautiful poems, and “Saul” may be one of them for anything that we know to the contrary. As yet we have not found time to read the poem — which, to say the truth, is an unconscionably long one.

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MR. J. S. REDFIELD, of this city, has in press “The Prose and Poetical Works of N. P. Willis” — complete in one large volume, octavo. The Harpers have nearly ready a beautiful octavo entitled “Biographical and Critical Miscellanies, by William H. Prescott.” It will be uniform with the “Ferdinand and Isabella.” The Contents are Charles Brockden Brown , the Novelist; Asylum for the Blind; Irving's “Conquest of Granada;” Cervantes; Sir Waller Scott; Chateaubriand's English Literature; Bancroft's United States; Mad. Calderou's Life in Mexico; Moliere; Italian Imaginative Poetry; Scottish Song; Da Ponte's Observations; Poetry and Romance of the Italians, &c. The same publishers will soon issue General Green's “Journal of the Texian Expedition aganst [[against]] Mier,” &c., with 13 illustrations.

Messrs. Wiley & Putnam have a variety of works in preparation. The “Library of Choice Reading,” and “The Library of American Books” have met with the most unequivocal success, and have induced various imitations. In the latter series will soon be issued “The Wigwam and The Cabin” by Simms the novelist — who is now in town. Mess. W. and P. have just published a new edition of “Norton's Astronomy.”

Samuel Coleman, of Boston, announces “The Flower Alphabet” [column 2:] by Mrs. Frances S. Osgood, in which each letter of the alphabet is illustrated with a verse, and a flower printed in gold and colors: — also “The Floral Year,” an entirely original work in verse by “one of our poetesses.” This book will have eight bouquets, forming excellent studies.

A “History of New Netherland, or New York under the Dutch,” by E. B. O’Callaghan, is nearly ready.

John P. Jewett & Co., of Salem, have in press “The Legal Rights, Liabilities and Duties of Women.” By Edward D. Mansfield , A. M.

“Puritanism, or a Churchman's Defence against its Aspersions,” by Dr. Coitt, will soon appear.

The publication of Dr. Rufus W. Griswold's “Prose Authors of America” is postponed for the present — probably until next year.

William Wallace, author of the fine poem “The Gods of Old” is getting out a collection of his poems.

“The New York Illustrated Magazine,” a weekly publication edited by Lawrence Labree, is announced as forthcoming — the first number on the 20th Sept. It is to have steel and wood engravings.

Dr. Bush's work on the Resurrection is highly successful.

From Appleton's Bulletin

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[From Appleton's Bulletin.] A new edition of the “Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation,” with an introductory Essay by Prof. Stow, of Lane Seminary, has attracted considerable attention in this country and in England.

Ollendorff's New Method of Learning to Read, Write, and Speak the German language, has had an extensive circulation in England, and its demand in this country also has constantly been increasing of late. Nor is its popularity undeserved: for it supplies a deficiency which has been long and deeply felt by all those who have engaged in either teaching or learning the German. Though the richness, flexibility and beauty of the language itself have fully sustained its claim of superiority, and though the numberless works in Philology, History, Physics, Chemistry, and in every possible department of Science and Art, with which Germany is constantly teeming, have long since made the knowledge of the language an indispensable accomplishment of every scholar, yet it is strange to say that the want of the necessity facilities has chilled the ardor of many in their attempt of acquiring it. The best German Grammar on the old plan has unquestionably been that of Becker (London, 1830).

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TO CORRESPONDENTS. — “Hope” is on file. Will our friend L. I. C. of Cincinnati, be so kind as to mail us the Cincinnati Gazette of the 29th ult? “Blanche” in our next. “The Village Street” in our next.