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A CHAPTER ON AUTOGRAPHY.
BY
Edgar A. Poe
UNDER
this head,
some
years ago, there appeared, in the Southern Literary Messenger, an
article
which attracted very general attention, not less from the nature of its
subject than from the peculiar manner in which it was handled.
The
editor introduces his readers to a certain Mr. Joseph Miller, who, it
is
hinted, is not merely a descendant of the illustrious Joe, of Jest-Book
notoriety, but that identical individual in proper person. Upon
this
point, however, an air of uncertainty is thrown by means of an
equivoque,
maintained throughout the paper, in respect to Mr. Miller's
middle
name. This equivoque is put into the mouth of Mr. M.
himself.
He gives his name, in the first instance, as Joseph A. Miller ;
but,
in the course of conversation, shifts it to Joseph B., then to Joseph
C.,
and so on through the whole alphabet, until he concludes by desiring a
copy of the Magazine to be sent to his address as Joseph Z. Miller,
Esquire.
The object of his visit to the
editor is to
place in his hands the autographs of certain distinguished American literati.
To these persons he had written rigmarole letters on
various
topics,
and in all cases had been successful in eliciting a reply. The
replies
only (which it is scarcely necessary to say are all fictitious) are
given
in the Magazine, with a genuine autograph fac-simile appended, and are
either burlesques of the supposed writer's usual style, or rendered
otherwise
absurd by reference to the nonsensical questions imagined to have been
propounded by Mr. Miller. The autographs thus given are
twenty-six
in all — corresponding to the twenty-six variations in the initial
letter
of the hoaxer's middle name.
With the public this article
took amazingly
well, and many of our principal papers were at the expense of
re-printing
it with the wood-cut autographs. Even those whose names had been
introduced, and whose style had been burlesqued, took the joke,
generally
speaking, in good part. Some of them were at a loss what to make
of the matter. Dr. W. E. Channing, of Boston, was at some
trouble,
it is said, in calling to mind whether he had or had not actually
written
to some Mr. Joseph Miller the letter attributed to [column 2:]
him in the article. This letter was nothing more than what follows
:
—
BOSTON, ——— .
DEAR SIR,
No such person as Philip Philpot has ever
been in my employ as a coachman, or otherwise. The name is an odd
one, and not likely to be forgotten. The man must have reference
to some other Doctor Channing. It would be as well to question
him
closely.
Respectfully yours,
W. E. CHANNING.
TO JOSEPH X. MILLER,
ESQ.
The precise and brief
sententiousness of
the
divine is here, it will be seen, very truly adopted, or "hit off."
In one instance only was the jeu-d'esprit taken
in serious dudgeon. Colonel Stone and the
Messenger had
not been upon the best of terms. Some one of the Colonel's little
brochures had been severely treated by that journal, which declared
that
the work would have been far more properly published among the quack
advertisements
in a spare corner of the Commercial. The colonel had retaliated
by
wholesale vituperation of the Messenger. This being the state of
affairs, it was not to be wondered at that the following epistle was
not
quietly received on the part of him to whom it was attributed : —
NEW YORK,
———
.
DEAR SIR,
I am exceedingly and excessively sorry that
it is out of my power to comply with your rational and reasonable
request.
The subject you mention is one with which I am utterly
unacquainted.
Moreover it is one about which I know very little.
Respectfully,
W. L. STONE.
JOSEPH V. MILLER, ESQ.
These tautologies and
anti-climaces were
too
much for the colonel, and we are ashamed to say that he committed
himself
by publishing in the Commercial an indignant denial of ever having
indited
such an epistle.
The principal feature of this
autograph
article,
although perhaps the least interesting, was that of the editorial
comment
upon the supposed MSS., regarding them as indicative of
character.
In these [page 225:] comments the design was never
more than semi-serious. At times, too, the writer was evidently
led
into error or injustice through the desire of being pungent — not
unfrequently
sacrificing truth for the sake of a bon-mot. In the
manner
qualities were often attributed to individuals, which were not so much
indicated by their hand-writing, as suggested by the spleen of the
commentator.
But that a strong analogy does generally and naturally exist
between
every man's chirography and character, will be denied by none but the
unreflecting.
It is not our purpose, however, to enter into the philosophy of
this subject, either in this portion of the present paper, or in the
abstract.
What we may have to say will be introduced elsewhere, and in connection
with particular MSS. The practical application of the theory will
thus go hand in hand with the theory itself.
Our design is three-fold
: — In the
first
place, seriously to illustrate our position that the mental features
are
indicated (with certain exceptions) by the hand-writing ;
secondly,
to indulge in a little literary gossip ; and, thirdly, to furnish
our readers with a more accurate and at the same time a more general
collection
of the autographs of our literati than is to be found
elsewhere.
Of the first portion of this design we have already spoken. The
second
speaks for itself. Of the third it is only necessary to say that
we are confident of its interest for all lovers of literature.
Next
to the person of a distinguished man-of-letters, we desire to see his
portrait
— next to his portrait, his autograph. In the latter, especially,
[column 2:] there is something which
seems to bring
him before us in his true idiosyncrasy — in his character of scribe.
The feeling which prompts to the collection of
autographs is a
natural
and rational one. But complete, or even extensive collections,
are
beyond the reach of those who themselves do not dabble in the waters of
literature. The writer of this article has had opportunities, in
this way, enjoyed by few. The MSS. now lying before him are a
motley
mass indeed. Here are letters, or other compositions, from every
individual in America who has the slightest pretension to literary
celebrity.
From these we propose to select the most eminent names — as to give all
would be a work of supererogation. Unquestionably,
among those
whose
claims we are forced to postpone, are several whose high merit might
justly demand a different treatment; but the rule applicable in a case
like this seems to be that of celebrity, rather than that of true
worth.
It will be understood that, in the necessity of selection which
circumstances
impose upon us, we confine ourselves to the most noted among the
living
literati of the country. The article above alluded to,
embraced,
as we have already stated, only twenty-six names, and was not occupied exclusively
either with living persons, or,
properly speaking,
with
literary ones. In fact the whole paper seemed to acknowledge no
law
beyond that of whim. Our present essay will be found to include one
hundred autographs. We have thought it unnecessary to
preserve
any particular order in their arrangement.
Chas.
Anthon
Professor CHARLES
ANTHON,
of Columbia College, New York, is well known as the most erudite of our
classical scholars; and, although still a young man, there are few, if
any, even in Europe, who surpass him in his peculiar path of
knowledge.
In England his supremacy has been tacitly acknowledged by the immediate
re-publication of his editions of Cæsar, Sallust, and Cicero,
with
other works, and their adoption as text-books at Oxford and
Cambridge.
His amplification of Lempriére did him high honor, but, of late,
has been entirely superseded by a Classical Dictionary of his own — a
work
most remarkable for the extent and comprehensiveness of its details, as
well as for its historical, chronological, mythological, and
philological accuracy. It has at once completely
overshadowed every
thing
of its kind. It follows, as a matter of course, that Mr.
Anthon
has many little enemies, among the inditers of merely big books.
He has not been unassailed, yet has assuredly remained uninjured in the
estimation of all those whose opinion he would be likely to
value.
We do not mean to say that he is altogether without faults, but a
certain
antique Johnsonism of style is perhaps one of his worst. He was
mainly
instrumental (with Professor Henry and Dr. Hawks) in setting on foot
the
New York Review, a journal of [column 2:] which he is the most
efficient
literary support, and whose most erudite papers have always been
furnished
by his pen.
The chirography of Professor
Anthon is the
most regularly beautiful of any in our collection. We see the
most
scrupulous precision, finish, and neatness about every portion of it —
in the formation of individual letters, as well as in the tout-ensemble.
The perfect symmetry of the MS. gives it, to a casual
glance, the
appearance
of Italic print. The lines are quite straight, and at exactly
equal
distances, yet are written without black rules, or other artificial
aid.
There is not the slightest superfluity, in the way of flourish or
otherwise,
with the exception of the twirl in the C of the signature. Yet
the
whole is rather neat and graceful than forcible. Of four letters
now lying before us, one is written on pink, one on a faint blue, one
on
green, and one on yellow paper — all of the finest quality. The
seal
is of green wax, with an impression of the head of Cæsar.
It is in the chirography of
such men as
Professor
Anthon that we look with certainty for indication of character.
The
life of a scholar is mostly undisturbed by those adventitious events
which
distort the natural disposition of the man of the world, preventing his
real nature from manifesting itself in his MS. [page 226:]
The lawyer, who, pressed for time, is often forced to embody a world of
heterogeneous memoranda, on scraps of paper, with the stumps of all
varieties
of pen, will soon find the fair characters of his boyhood degenerate
into
hieroglyphics which would puzzle Doctor Wallis or Champollion ;
and
from chirography so disturbed it is nearly impossible to decide any
thing.
In a similar manner, men who pass through many striking vicissitudes of
life, acquire in each change of circumstance a temporary inflection of
the hand-writing ; the whole resulting, after many years, in an
unformed
or variable MS., scarcely to be recognised by themselves from one day
to
the other. In the case of literary men generally, we may expect
some
decisive token of the mental influence upon the MS., and in the
instance
of the classical devotee we [column 2:] may look
with especial certainty for such token. We see,
accordingly,
in
Professor Anthon's autography, each and all of the known idiosyncrasies
of his taste and intellect. We recognise at once the scrupulous
precision
and finish of his scholarship and of his style — the love of elegance
which
prompts him to surround himself, in his private study, with gems of
sculptural
art, and beautifully bound volumes, all arranged with elaborate
attention
to form, and in the very pedantry of neatness. We perceive, too,
the disdain of superfluous embellishment which distinguishes his
compilations,
and which gives to their exterior appearance so marked an air of
Quakerism.
We must not forget to observe that the "want of force" is a want as
perceptible
in the whole character of the man, as in that of the MS.
Washington Irving
The MS. of Mr. IRVING
has little about it indicative of his genius. Certainly, no one
could
suspect from it any nice finish in the writer's compositions
;
nor is this nice finish to be found. The letters now before us
vary
remarkably in appearance; and those of late date are not nearly so well
written as the more antique. Mr. Irving has travelled much, has seen
many
vicissitudes, and has been so thoroughly satiated with [column
2:] fame as to grow slovenly in the performance of his
literary
tasks. This slovenliness has affected his hand-writing. But even
from his earlier MSS. there is little to be gleaned, except the
ideas
of simplicity and precision. It must be admitted, however, that
this
fact, in itself, is characteristic of the literary manner, which,
however
excellent, has no prominent or very remarkable features.
Park Benjamin
For the last six or seven
years, few men
have
occupied a more desirable position among us than Mr. BENJAMIN.
As the editor of the American Monthly Magazine, of the New Yorker, and
more lately of the Signal, and New World, he has exerted an influence
scarcely
second to that of any editor in the country. This influence Mr.
B.
owes to no single cause, but to his combined ability, activity,
causticity,
fearlessness, and independence. We use the latter term, however, with
some
mental reservation. The editor of the World is independent so far
as the word implies unshaken resolution to follow the bent of one's own
will, let the consequences be what they may. He is no respecter
of
persons, and his vituperation as often assails the powerful as the
powerless
— indeed the latter fall rarely under his censure. But we cannot
call his independence, at all times, that of principle. We can never be
sure that he will defend a cause merely because it is the cause of
truth
— or even because he regards it as such. He is too frequently
biassed
by personal feelings — feelings now of friendship, and again of
vindictiveness.
He is a warm friend, and a bitter, but not implacable enemy. His
judgment
in literary matters should not be questioned, but there is some
difficulty
in getting at his real opinion. As a prose writer, his style is [column
2:] lucid, terse, and pungent. He is often witty,
often
cuttingly sarcastic, but seldom humorous. He frequently injures
the
force of his fiercest attacks by an indulgence in merely vituperative
epithets.
As a poet, he is entitled to far higher consideration than that in
which
he is ordinarily held. He is skilful and passionate, as well as
imaginative.
His sonnets have not been surpassed. In short, it is as a poet
that
his better genius is evinced — it is in poetry that his noble spirit
breaks
forth, showing what the man is, and what, but for unhappy
circumstances,
he would invariably appear.
Mr. Benjamin's MS. is not very
dissimilar
to
Mr. Irving's, and, like his, it has no doubt been greatly modified by
the
excitements of life, and by the necessity of writing much and hastily
;
so that we can predicate but little respecting it. It speaks of
his
exquisite sensibility and passion. These betray themselves in the
nervous variation of the MS. as the subject is diversified. When
the theme is an ordinary one, the writing is legible and has force
;
but when it verges upon any thing which may be supposed to excite, we
see
the characters falter as they proceed. In the MSS. of some of his
best poems this peculiarity is very remarkable. The signature
conveys
the idea of his usual chirography. [page 227:]
John P. Kennedy
Mr. KENNEDY
is well
known
as the author of "Swallow Barn," "Horse-Shoe Robinson," and "Rob of the
Bowl," three works whose features are strongly and decidedly
marked.
These features are boldness and force of thought, (disdaining ordinary
embellishment, and depending for its effect upon masses rather than
upon
details) with a predominant sense of the picturesque pervading
and
giving color to the whole. His "Swallow Barn," in especial (and
it
is by the first effort of an author that we form the truest idea of his
mental bias), is but a rich succession of picturesque still-life
pieces.
Mr. Kennedy is well to do in the world, and has always taken the world
easily. We may therefore expect to find in his chirography, if
ever
in any, a full indication of the chief feature of his literary style —
especially as this chief feature is so remarkably prominent. A
glance
at his signature will convince any one that the indication is
to
be found. A painter called upon to designate [column 2:]
the main peculiarity of this MS. would speak at once of the picturesque.
This character is given it by the absence of
hair-strokes, and by
the
abrupt termination of every letter without tapering; also in great
measure
by varying the size and slope of the letters. Great uniformity is
preserved in the whole air of the MS., with great variety in the
constituent
parts. Every character has the clearness, boldness and precision
of a wood-cut. The long letters do not rise or fall in an undue
degree
above the others. Upon the whole, this is a hand which pleases us
much, although its bizarrerie is rather too piquant for the
general
taste. Should its writer devote himself more exclusively to light
letters, we predict his future eminence. The paper on which our
epistles
are written is very fine, clear, and white, with gilt
edges.
The seal is neat, and just sufficient wax has been used for the
impression.
All this betokens a love of the elegant without effeminacy.
G. Mellen
The hand-writing of GRENVILLE
MELLEN is somewhat peculiar, and partakes
largely
of the character of his signature as seen above. The whole is
highly
indicative of the poet's flighty, hyper-fanciful character, with his
unsettled
and often erroneous ideas of the [column 2:]
beautiful.
His straining after effect is well paralleled in the formation of the
preposterous
G in the signature, with the two dots by its side. Mr. Mellen has
genius unquestionably, but there is something in his temperament which
obscures it. *
*
Since
this article was prepared for the press, we have been grieved to hear
of
the death of Mr. Mellen. [This footnote appears at the bottom of page
227.]
J. K. Paulding
No correct notion of Mr. PAULDING'S
literary peculiarities can be obtained from an inspection of his MS.,
which
no doubt, has been strongly modified by adventitious
circumstances.
His small as, ts, and cs are all alike,
and
the style of the characters generally [column 2:]
is
French, although the entire MS. has much the appearance of Greek
text. The paper which he ordinarily uses is of a very fine glossy
texture, and of a blue tint, with gilt edges. His signature is a
good specimen of his general hand.
L. H. Sigourney
Mrs. SIGOURNEY
seems
to
take much pains with her MSS. Apparently she employs black
lines. Every t is crossed, and every i
dotted,
with
precision,
while the punctuation is faultless. Yet the whole has nothing of
effeminacy or formality. The individual characters are large,
well
and freely formed, and preserve a perfect uniformity throughout.
Something
in her hand-writing puts us in mind of Mr. Paulding's. In both
MSS.
perfect regularity exists, and [column 2:] in both
the style is formed or decided. Both are
beautiful
; yet Mrs. Sigourney's is the most legible, and Mr. Paulding's
nearly
the most illegible in the world. From that of Mrs. S. we might
easily
form a true estimate of her compositions. Freedom, dignity,
precision,
and grace, without originality, may be properly attributed to
her.
She has fine taste, without genius. Her paper is usually good —
the
seal small, of green and gold wax, and without impression.
Robert Walsh
Mr. WALSH'S
MS. is
peculiar,
from its large, sprawling and irregular appearance — rather rotund than
[column 2:] angular. It always
seems to have
been hurriedly written. The t's are crossed with a
sweeping
scratch [page 228:] of the pen, which gives to his
epistles a somewhat droll appearance. A dictatorial air
pervades
the whole. His paper is of ordinary quality. His seal is
commonly
of brown wax mingled with gold, and bears a Latin motto, of which only
the words trans and mortuus are legible. [column
2:]
Mr. Walsh cannot be
denied talent
;
but his reputation, which has been bolstered into being by a clique,
is not a thing to live. A blustering self-conceit
betrays
itself
in his chirography, which upon the whole, is not very dissimilar to
that
of Mr. E. Everett, of whom we shall speak hereafter.
J. H. Ingraham
Mr. INGRAHAM,
or
Ingrahame,
(for he writes his name sometimes with, and sometimes without the e,)
is one of our most popular novelists, if not one of our
best.
He appeals always to the taste of the ultra-romanticists, (as a matter,
we believe, rather of pecuniary policy than of choice) and thus is
obnoxious
to [column 2:] the charge of a certain
cut-and-thrust,
blue-fire, melodramaticism. Still, he is capable of better
things.
His chirography is very unequal ; at times, sufficiently clear
and
flowing, at others, shockingly scratchy and uncouth. From it
nothing
whatever can be predicated, except an uneasy vacillation of temper and
of purpose.
W. C. Bryant
Mr. BRYANT'S
MS.
puts
us entirely at fault. It is one of the most common-place clerk's
hands which we ever encountered, and has no character about it beyond
that
of the day-book and ledger. He writes, in short, what mercantile
men and professional penmen call a fair hand, but what artists would
term
an [column 2:] abominable one. Among its
regular
up and down strokes, waving lines and hair-lines, systematic taperings
and flourishes, we look in vain for the force, polish, and decision of
the poet. The picturesque, to be sure, is equally
deficient
in his chirography and in his poetical productions.
Fitz-Greene Halleck
Mr. HALLECK'S
hand
is
strikingly indicative of his genius. We see in it some force,
more
grace, and little of the picturesque. There is a great deal of
freedom
about it, and his MSS. seem to be written [column 2:] currente
calamo, but without hurry. His
flourishes, which
are not many, look as if thoughtfully planned, and deliberately, yet
firmly
executed. His paper is very good, and of a blueish tint — his
seal
of red wax.
N. P. Willis
Mr. WILLIS,
when
writing
carefully, would write a hand nearly resembling that of Mr. Halleck
;
although no similarity is perceptible in the signatures. His
usual
chirography is dashing, free, and not ungraceful, but is sadly
deficient
in force and picturesqueness.
It has been the fate of this
gentleman to
be
alternately condemned ad infinitum, and lauded ad nauseam
— a
fact which speaks much in his praise. We know of no American
writer
who has evinced greater [column 2:] versatility of
talent ; that is to say, of high talent, often amounting to
genius
; and we know of none who has more narrowly missed placing
himself
at the head of our letters.
The paper of Mr. Willis's
epistles is
always
fine and glossy. At present, he employs a somewhat large seal,
with
a dove, or carrier-pigeon, at the top, the word "Glenmary" at bottom,
and
the initials "N. P. W." in the middle.
Rufus Dawes
Mr. DAWES
has been
long
known as a poet ; but his claims are scarcely yet settled — his
friends
giving him rank with Bryant and Halleck, while his opponents [column
2:] treat his pretensions with contempt. The truth is,
that the author of "Geraldine" and "Athenia of Damascus" has written
occasional
verses very well — [page 229:] so well, that some
of
his minor pieces may be considered equal to any of the minor pieces of
either of the two gentlemen above-mentioned. His longer poems,
however,
will not bear examination. "Athenia of Damascus" is pompous nonsense,
and
"Geraldine" a most ridiculous imitation of Don Juan, in which the
beauties
of the original have been as sedulously avoided, as the blemishes have
been blunderingly culled. In style, he is, perhaps, the most inflated [column
2:] involved, and falsely-figurative, of any of our
more
noted poets. This defect, of course, is only fully appreciable in
what are termed his "sustained efforts," and thus his shorter pieces
are
often exceedingly good. His apparent erudition is mere verbiage,
and, were it real, would be lamentably out of place where we see
it.
He seems to have been infected with a blind admiration of Coleridge —
especially
of his mysticism and cant.
H. W. Longfellow
H. W. LONGFELLOW,
(Professor
of Moral Philosophy at Harvard,) is entitled to the first place among
the
poets of America — certainly to the first place among those who have
put
themselves prominently forth as poets. His good qualities are all
of the highest order, while his sins are chiefly those of affectation
and
imitation — an imitation sometimes verging upon downright theft.
His MS. is remarkably good, and
is fairly
exemplified
in the signature. We see here plain indications of the force,
vigor,
and glowing richness of his [column 2:] literary
style
; the deliberate and steady finish of his
compositions.
The man who writes thus may not accomplish much, but what he does, will
always be thoroughly done. The main beauty, or at least one great
beauty of his poetry, is that of proportion ; another,
is
a freedom from extraneous embellishment. He oftener runs into
affectation
through his endeavors at simplicity than through any other cause.
Now this rigid simplicity, and proportion are easily perceptible in the
MS., which, altogether, is a very excellent one.
J. Pierpont
The Rev. J. PIERPONT,
who, of late, has attracted so much of the public attention, is one of
the most accomplished poets in America. His "Airs of Palestine"
is
distinguished by the sweetness and vigor of its versification, and by
the
grace of its sentiments. Some of his shorter pieces are
exceedingly
terse and forcible, and none of our readers can have forgotten his
Lines
on Napoleon. His rhythm is at least equal in strength and
modulation
to that of any poet in America. Here he resembles Milman and
Croly. [column 2:]
His chirography, nevertheless,
indicates
nothing
beyond the common-place. It is an ordinary clerk's hand — one
which
is met with more frequently than any other. It is decidedly formed
; and we have no doubt that he never writes
otherwise
than thus. The MS. of his school-days has probably been persisted
in to the last. If so, the fact is in full consonance with the
steady
precision of his style. The flourish at the end of the signature
is but a part of the writer's general enthusiasm.
W. Gilmore Simms
Mr. SIMMS
is the
author
of "Martin Faber," "Atalantis," "Guy Rivers," "The Partisan,"
"Mellichampe,"
"The Yemassee," "The Damsel of Darien," "The Black Riders of the
Congaree,"
and one or two other productions, among which we must not forget to
mention
several fine poems. As a poet, indeed, we like him far better
than
as a novelist. His qualities in this latter respect resemble those
of Mr. Kennedy, although he equals him in no particular, [column
2:] except in his appreciation of the graceful. In his
sense of beauty he is Mr. K.'s superior, but falls behind him in
force, and the other attributes of the author of
[["]]Swallow-Barn.[["]]
These differences and resemblances are well shown in the MSS.
That
of Mr. S. has more slope, and more uniformity in detail,
with
less in the mass — while it has also less of the picturesque, although
still much. The middle name is Gilmore; in the cut it
looks
like Gilmere. [page 230:]
O. A. Brownson
The Rev. ORESTES
A. BROWNSON
is chiefly known to the literary world as the editor of the "Boston
Quarterly
Review," a work to which he contributes, each quarter, at least
two-thirds
of the matter. He has published little in book-form — his principal
works
being "Charles Elwood," and "New Views." Of these, the former
production
is, in many respects, one of the highest merit. In logical
accuracy,
in comprehensiveness of thought, and in the evident frankness and
desire
for truth in which it is composed, we know of few theological treatises
which can be compared with it. Its conclusion, however, bears
about
it a species of hesitation and inconsequence, which betray the fact
that
the writer has not altogether succeeded in convincing himself of those
important truths which he is so anxious to impress upon his
readers. [column 2:] We must bear in
mind, however,
that
this is the fault of Mr. Brownson's subject, and not of Mr.
Brownson. However well a man may reason on the great topics of God
and immortality, he will be forced to admit tacitly in the end, that
God
and immortality are things to be felt, rather than demonstrated.
On subjects less indefinite,
Mr.
B.
reasons with the calm and convincing force of a Combe. He is, in
every respect, an extraordinary man, and with the more extensive
resources
which would have been afforded him by early education, could not have
failed
to bring about important results.
His MS. indicates, in the most
striking
manner,
the unpretending simplicity, directness, and especially, the indefatigability
of his mental character. His signature is more petite than
his general chirography.
B. Tucker
Judge BEVERLEY
TUCKER,
of the College of William and Mary, Virginia, is the author of one of
the
best novels ever published in America — "George Balcombe" — although,
for
some reason, the book was never a popular favorite. It was,
perhaps,
somewhat too didactic for the general taste.
He has written a great deal,
also, for the
"Southern Literary Messenger" at different times ; and, at one
period,
acted in part, if not altogether, as editor of that Magazine, which is
indebted to him for some very racy articles, in the way of criticism
especially.
He is apt, however, to be led away by personal feelings, and is more
given
to vituperation for the mere sake of point or pungency, than
is
altogether consonant with his character as judge. Some five years
ago there appeared in the "Messenger," under the editorial head, an
article
on the subject of the "Pickwick Papers" and some other productions of
Mr.
Dickens. This article, which abounded in well-written but
extravagant
denunciation of everything composed by the author of "The Curiosity
Shop," [column 2:] and which prophesied his
immediate
downfall,
we have reason to believe was from the pen of Judge Beverley
Tucker.
We take this opportunity of mentioning the subject, because the odium
of
the paper in question fell altogether upon our shoulders, and it is a
burthen
we are not disposed and never intended to bear. The review
appeared
in March, we think, and we had retired from the Messenger in the
January
preceding. About eighteen months previously, and when Mr. Dickens
was scarcely known to the public at all, except as the author of some
brief
tales and essays, the writer of this article took occasion to predict,
in the Messenger, and in the most emphatic manner, that high and just
distinction
which the author in question has attained. Judge Tucker's MS. is
diminutive, but neat and legible, and has much force and precision,
with
little of the picturesque. The care which he bestows upon his
literary
compositions makes itself manifest also in his chirography. The
signature
is more florid than the general hand.
John Sanderson
Mr. SANDERSON,
Professor
of the Greek and Latin languages in the High School of Philadelphia, is
well known as the author of a series of letters, entitled "The American
in Paris." These are distinguished by ease and vivacity of style, with
occasional profundity of observation, and, above all, by the frequency
of [column 2:] their illustrative anecdotes, and
figures.
In all these particulars, Professor Sanderson is the precise
counterpart
of Judge Beverly Tucker, author of "George Balcombe." The MSS. of
the two gentlemen are nearly identical. Both are neat, clear and
legible. Mr. Sanderson's is somewhat the more crowded.
H. F. Gould
About Miss GOULD'S
MS.
there is great neatness, picturesqueness, and finish, without
over-effeminacy.
The literary style of one who writes thus will always [column
2:] be remarkable for sententiousness and epigrammatism
;
and these are the leading features of Miss Gould's poetry. [page
231:]
C. S. Henry
Prof. HENRY,
of
Bristol
College, is chiefly known by his contributions to our Quarterlies, and
as one of the originators of the New-York Review, in conjunction with
Dr.
Hawks and Professor Anthon. His chirography is now neat and
picturesque,
(much resembling that of Judge Tucker,) and now excessively scratchy, clerky,
and slovenly — so that it is nearly [column
2:]
impossible to say anything respecting it, except that it indicates a
vacillating
disposition, with unsettled ideas of the beautiful. None of his
epistles,
in regard to their chirography, end as well as they begin. This
trait
denotes fatigability. His signature, which is bold and
decided,
conveys not the faintest idea of the general MS.
Emma C. Embury
Mrs. EMBURY
is
chiefly
known by her contributions to the Periodicals of the country. She
is one of the most nervous of our female writers, and is not destitute
of originality — that rarest of all qualities in a woman, and
especially
in an American woman. [column 2:]
Her MS. evinces a strong
disposition to fly
off at a tangent from the old formulæ ; of the Boarding
Academies.
Both in it, and in her literary style, it would be well that she should
no longer hesitate to discard the absurdities of mere fashion.
Wm. Landor
Mr. LANDOR
acquired
much
reputation as the author of "Stanley," a work which was warmly
commended
by the press throughout the country. He has also written many
excellent
papers for the Magazines. His chirography is usually petite, without
hair-lines, close, and somewhat stiff. Many words are carefully [column
2:] erased. His epistles have always a rigorous
formality
about them. The whole is strongly indicative of his literary
qualities.
He is an elaborately careful, stiff, and pedantic writer, with much
affectation
and great talent. Should he devote himself ultimately to letters,
he cannot fail of high success.
Eliza Leslie
Miss LESLIE
is
celebrated
for the homely naturalness of her stories and for the broad satire of
her
comic style. She has written much for the Magazines. Her
chirography
is distinguished for neatness and finish, without
over-effeminacy.
It is rotund, and somewhat diminutive; the letters being separate, and
the words always finished with an inward twirl. [column 2:]
She is never particular about the quality of her paper or the other
externals
of epistolary correspondence. From her MSS. in general, we
might suppose her solicitous rather about the effect of her
compositions
as a whole, than about the polishing of the constituent parts.
There
is much of the picturesque both in her chirography and in her literary
style.
Joseph C. Neal
Mr. NEAL
has
acquired
a very extensive reputation through his "Charcoal Sketches," a series
of
papers originally written for the "Saturday News," of this city, and
afterwards
published in book form, with illustrations by Johnston. The whole
design of the "Charcoal Sketches" may be stated as the depicting of the
wharf and street loafer; but this design has been executed
altogether
in caricature. The extreme of burlesque runs throughout the work,
which is, also, chargeable with a tedious repetition of slang and
incident.
The loafer always declaims the same nonsense, in the same style, gets
drunk
in the same way, and is taken to the watch-house after the same
fashion.
Reading one chapter of the book, we read all. Any single
description
would have been an original idea well executed, but the dose is
repeated ad nauseam, and betrays a woful poverty of
invention. The [column 2:] manner in which Mr. Neal's
book was
belauded
by his personal friends of the Philadelphia press, speaks little for
their
independence, or less for their taste. To dub the author of these
"Charcoal Sketches" (which are really very excellent police-reports)
with
the title of "the American Boz," is either outrageous nonsense, or
malevolent
irony.
In other respects, Mr.
N. has
evinced
talents which cannot be questioned. He has conducted the
"Pennsylvanian"
with credit, and, as a political writer, he stands deservedly
high.
His MS. is simple and legible, with much space between the
words.
It has force, but little grace. Altogether, his chirography is
good
; but as he belongs to the editorial corps, it would not be just
to suppose that any deductions, in respect to character, could be
gleaned
from it. His signature conveys the general MS. with
accuracy. [page 232:]
Seba Smith
Mr. SEBA
SMITH
has become somewhat widely celebrated as the author, in part, of the
"Letters
of Major Jack Downing." These were very clever productions ;
coarse,
but full of fun, wit, sarcasm and sense. Their manner rendered
them
exceedingly popular, until their success tempted into the field a host
of brainless imitators. Mr. S. is also the author of several
poems
; among others, of "Powhatan, a Metrical Romance," which we do
not
very particularly admire. His MS. is legible, and has much
simplicity [column 2:] about it. At times it
vacillates, and appears unformed. Upon the whole, it is much such
a MS. as David Crockett wrote, and precisely such a one as we
might
imagine would be written by a veritable Jack Downing ;
by
Jack Downing himself, had this creature of Mr. Smith's fancy been
endowed with a real entity. The fact is, that "The Major" is not all
a creation ; at least one half of his
character
actually
exists in the bosom of his originator. It was the Jack Downing
half
that composed "Powhatan."
Jos. Hopkinson
Judge HOPKINSON'S
hand
is forcible, neat, legible, and devoid of superfluity. The
characters
have much slope, and whole words are frequently run together. The
lines are at equal distances, and a broad margin is at the left of the
page, as is the case [column 2:] with the MSS. of
Judge
Marshall, and other jurists. The whole is too uniform to be
picturesque.
The writing is always as good at the conclusion, as at the commencement
of the epistles — a rare quality in MSS., evincing indefatigability
in the writer.
Alexander Slidell
Lieutenant SLIDELL,
some
years ago, took the additional name of Mackenzie. His reputation,
at one period, was extravagantly high — a circumstance owing, in some
measure,
to the esprit de corps of the navy, of which he is a member,
and
to his private influence, through his family, with the
Review-cliques.
Yet his fame was not altogether undeserved; although it cannot be
denied
that his first book, "A Year in Spain," was in some danger of being
overlooked
by his countrymen, until a benignant star directed the attention of the
London Bookseller, Murray, to its merits. Cockney octavos prevailed
;
and the clever young writer who was cut dead in his [column
2:]
Yankee habiliments, met with bows innumerable in the gala dress of an
English imprimatur. The work now ran through several
editions,
and
prepared the public for the kind reception of "The American in
England,"
which exalted his reputation to its highest pinnacle. Both these
books abound in racy description ; but are chiefly remarkable for
their gross deficiencies in grammatical construction
Lieut. Slidell's MS. is
peculiarly neat and
even — quite legible, but altogether too petite and effeminate.
Few
tokens of his literary character are to be found, beyond the petiteness,
which is exactly analogous with the minute detail of
his
descriptions.
Francis Lieber
Francis LIEBER
is
Professor
of History and Political Economy in the College of South Carolina, and
has published many works distinguished by acumen and erudition.
Among
these we may notice a "Journal of a Residence in Greece," written at
the
instigation of the historian Niebuhr ; "The Stranger in America,"
a piquant book abounding in various information relative to the United
States ; a treatise on "Education;" "Reminiscences of an
intercourse
with Niebuhr;" and an "Essay on International Copy-Right" — this last a
valuable work. [column 2:]
Professor Lieber's personal
character is
that
of the frankest and most unpretending bonhommie, while his
erudition
is rather massive than minute. We may therefore expect his MS. to
differ widely from that of his brother scholar, Professor Anthon
;
and so in truth it does. His chirography is careless, heavy,
black,
and forcible, without the slightest attempt at ornament — very similar,
upon the whole to the well-known chirography of Chief Justice
Marshall.
His letters have the peculiarity of a wide margin left at the top of
each
page.
Sarah J. Hale
Mrs. HALE is well known for her
masculine
style
of thought. This is clearly expressed in her chirography, which
is
far larger, heavier, and altogether [column 2:]
bolder
than that of her sex generally. It resembles in a great degree
that
of Professor Lieber, and is not easily deciphered. [page 233:]
Edward Everett
Mr. EVERETT'S
MS. is
a
noble one. It has about it an air of deliberate precision
emblematic
of the statesman, and a mingled grace and solidity betokening the
scholar.
Nothing can be more legible, and nothing need be more uniform.
The
man who writes thus will never grossly err in judgment, [column
2:] or otherwise ; but we may also venture to say that
he will never attain the loftiest pinnacle of renown. The letters
before us have a seal of red wax, with an oval device bearing the
initials
E. E. and surrounded with a scroll, inscribed with some
Latin
words which are illegible.
Robert M. Bird
Dr. BIRD
is well
known
as the author of "The Gladiator," "Calavar," "The Infidel," "Nick of
the
Woods," and some other works — Calavar being, we think, by far the best
of them, and beyond doubt one of the best of American novels.
His chirography resembles that
of Mr.
Benjamin [column 2:] very closely ; the
chief
difference
being in a curl of the final letters in Dr. B.'s. The characters,
too, have the air of not being able to keep pace with the thought, and
an uneasy want of finish seems to have been the consequence. A vivid
imagination
might easily be deduced from such a MS.
John Neal
Mr. JOHN
NEAL'S
MS. is exceedingly illegible and careless. Many of his epistles
are
perfect enigmas, and we doubt whether he could read them himself in
half
an hour after they are penned. Sometimes [column 2:]
four or five words are run together. Any one, from Mr.
Neal's
penmanship, might suppose his mind to be what it really is —
excessively
flighty and irregular, but active and energetic.
C. M. Sedgwick
The penmanship of Miss SEDGWICK
is excellent. The characters are well sized, distinct, elegantly
but not ostentatiously formed, and with perfect freedom of manner, are
still sufficiently feminine. The hairstrokes differ little from
the
downward ones, and the MSS. have thus a uniformity they might not
otherwise [column 2:] have. The paper she
generally
uses is good, blue, and machine-ruled. Miss Sedgwick's
handwriting
points unequivocally to the traits of her literary style — which are
strong
common sense, and a masculine disdain of mere ornament. The
signature
conveys the general chirography.
J. Fenimore Cooper
Mr. COOPER'S
MS. is
very
bad — unformed, with little of distinctive character about it,
and
varying greatly in different epistles. In most of those before us
a steel pen has been employed, the lines are crooked, and the whole
chirography
has a constrained and school-boyish air. The paper is fine, and
of
a [column 2:] bluish tint. A wafer is always
used. Without appearing ill-natured, we could scarcely draw any
inferences
from such a MS. Mr. Cooper has seen many vicissitudes, and
it is probable that he has not always written thus. Whatever are
his faults, his genius cannot be doubted.
F. L. Hawks
Dr. HAWKS
is one of
the
originators of the "New York Review," to which journal he has furnished
many articles. He is also known as the author of the "History of
the Episcopal Church of Virginia," and one or two minor works. He
now edits the [column 2:] "Church Record." His
style,
both as a writer and as a preacher, is characterized rather by a
perfect fluency than by any more lofty quality, and this
trait is
strikingly
indicated in his chirography, of which the signature is a fair
specimen. [page 234:]
Henry Wm. Herbert
This gentleman is the author of
"Cromwell,"
"The Brothers," "Ringwood, the Rover," and some other minor
productions.
He at one time edited the "American Monthly Magazine," in connection
with
Mr. Hoffman. In his compositions for the Magazines, Mr. HERBERT
is in the habit of doing both them and himself gross injustice, by
neglect
and hurry. His longer works evince much ability, although he is rarely
entitled to be called original. His MS. is exceedingly [column
2:] neat, clear, and forcible ; the signature
affording
a just idea of it. It resembles that of Mr. Kennedy very
nearly
; but has more slope and uniformity, with, of course, less
spirit,
and less of the picturesque. He who writes as Mr. Herbert,
will be found always to depend chiefly upon his merits of style for
a literary reputation, and will not be unapt to fall into a pompous
grandiloquence.
The author of "Cromwell" is sometimes wofully turgid.
C. H. Waterman
Mrs. ESLING,
formerly
Miss Waterman, has attracted much attention, of late years, by the
tenderness
and melody of her short poems. She deserves nearly all
the
commendation which she has received. Her [column 2:]
MS. would generally be considered beautiful ; but formed, like
that
of most of her sex, upon a regular school-model, it is, of course, not
in the slightest degree indicative of character.
E. F. Ellet
Mrs. E. F. ELLET
has
published
one or two books, exclusively of a volume of poems, but is chiefly
known
to the literary world by her numerous contributions to the
Magazines.
As a translator from the Italian, she has acquired an enviable
reputation.
Her hand, of which the signature above scarcely conveys a full [column
2:] idea, is clear, neat, forcible and legible ; just
such a hand as one would desire for copying MSS. of importance. We have
observed that the writers of such epistles as those before us, are
often
known as translators, but seldom evince high originality or very
eminent
talent of any kind.
M. M. Noah
Judge NOAH
has
written
several plays which took very well in their time, and also several
essays
and other works, giving evidence of no ordinary learning and
penetration
on certain topics — chiefly connected with Israelitish history.
He
is better known, however, from the wit and universal bonhommie of
his editorial paragraphs. His peculiar traits of character may be
traced in his writing, which has about it [column 2:]
a free, rolling, and open air. His lines are never straight, and
the letters taper too much to please the eye of an artist, and have now
and then a twirl, like the tail of a pig, which gives to the whole
MS.
an indescribably quizzical appearance, and one altogether in consonance
with the general notion respecting the quondam Major, and present
Judge,
than whom no man has more friends or fewer enemies.
J. G. Palfrey
Professor PALFREY
is
known
to the public principally through his editorship of the "North American
Review." He has a reputation for scholarship ; and many of the
articles
which are attributed to his pen evince that his reputation is well
based,
so far as the common notion of scholarship extends. For the rest,
he seems to dwell altogether within the narrow world of his own conceptions
; imprisoning them by the very barrier which he has erected
against
the conceptions of others. [column 2:]
His MS. shows a total deficiency in the
sense
of the beautiful. It has great pretension — great straining after
effect ; but is altogether one of the most miserable MSS. in the
world — forceless, graceless, tawdry, vacillating and
unpicturesque.
The signature conveys but a faint idea of its extravagance.
However
much we may admire the mere knowledge of the man who writes
thus,
it will not do to place any dependence upon his wisdom or upon his
taste.
[column 1:]
This article will be concluded in our next number,
and
will embrace the autograph of every writer of note in America. |
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