shall be obliged to ask very elementary questions. Shall you have patience to answer them? PHRENOLOGON. There is nothing I like so well. But I must take another opportunity; for the hour is come for our lecture. I will meet you here again at the hour and the day you will appoint. SOCRATES. I am always to be found by those who seek me. when you come, be prepared to tell me,-what is the Soul? But TO THE RIVER HUDSON. EY T. H. HOWARD. OH Hudson! by thy margin, I, In boyhood's fond and fervid dreams River, that rollest by the walls Of that great city, which hath cast River, whose crested billows sweep, By her abode whose name doth waken Of hours, ere she was yet forsaken; River, oh wildly rolling river! What scenes of beauty match with thine; Not the famed Po, nor Gaudelquiver, Nor rock-ribbed Rhone, nor classic Rhine; River, oh let me speak thy name Once more with hers whose name to me, Hallowed alike to her and thee; Of bliss, by youth's decaying bowers,― MOBILE, July 25th, 1837. NAPOLEON IN EXILE. I LIVE, to breathe the breath of pain, My only care,-to hide my feeling! I am alone!-The waves go by, And mock me with their reckless roll, Alone! and it is fit and well; For this I thank my coward foe; Though chained, among the weak and low! Ay! 'tis a fitting fate for one, Who, 'mid their haughtiest, lonely stood; And still they fear me;—even I, The feeblest, loneliest of them all, Yet unforgotten, too;-no breast, The chained, the weak, the desolate! What though no titles yet remain ? As they, to rob my fatal name FLORENCE. but one WASHINGTON yet ten men worship the glory of the Corsican conqueror; where one cherishes the memory of the American Patriot. And so with the fame of" the good Lafayette," which Napoleon, though he would have scorned to emulate, did not disdain to slur with his sneers. How far the reputation of Lafayette for talent may be raised by the publication of this work we are not prepared to say until we see the second volume. What especially strikes us in the present one, however, is a certain precocity of character, which leads him to reason and act for himself, while yet a mere youth, with a degree of good sense that rarely accompanies so zealous a disposition in early life. We commence our quotations with some extracts, which portray the delightful relations existing between the young hero and the different members of his family, at the time when he first sacrificed the enjoyments of home to the promptings of a spirit in which chivalry and philanthropy were ever most beautifully blended. LETTER FROM LAFAYETTE TO HIS FATHER, ET. TWENTY. "London, March 9, 1777. "You will be astonished, my dear father, at the news I am on the point of giving you: it has cost me far more than I can express not to consult you. My respect and affection for you, as well as my great confidence in you, must convince you of the truth of this assertion; but my word was given, and you would not have esteemed me had I broken it; the step I am now taking will at least prove to you, I hope, the goodness of my intentions. I have found a peculiar opportu nity of distinguishing myself, and of learning a soldier's trade: I am a general officer in the army of the United States of America. The frankness of my conduct, and my zeal in their service, have completely won their confidence. I have done, on my side, all I could do for them, and their interest will ever be dearer to me than my own. In short, my dear father, I am at this moment in London, anxiously awaiting letters from my friends; upon receiving them, I shall set off from hence, and, without stopping at Paris, I shall embark in a vessel that I have myself purchased and chartered. My travelling companions are the Baron de Kalb, a very distinguished officer, brigadier in the King's service, and majorgeneral, as well as myself, in the United States' army; and some other excellent officers, who have kindly consented to share the chances of my fate. I rejoice at having found such a glorious opportunity of occupying myself, and of acquiring knowledge. I am conscious that I am making an immense sacrifice, and that to quit my family, my friends, and you, my dearest father, costs me more than it could do any other person, because I love you all far more tenderly than any other person ever loved his friends. But this voyage will not be a very long one; we see every day far longer journeys taken for amusement only; and I hope also to return more worthy of all those who are kind enough to regret my absence. Adieu, my dear father, I hope I shall soon see you again. Retain your affection for me; I ardently desire to merit it-nay, I do merit it already, from my warm affection towards you, and from the respect that, during the remainder of his life, will be felt for you by "Your affectionate son, (( TO MADAME DE LAFAYETTE. "LAFAYETTE." "On board the Victory, May 30th, 1777. "I am writing to you from a great distance, my dearest love, and, in addition to this painful circumstance, I feel also the still more dreadful uncertainty of the time in which I may receive any news of you. I hope, however, soon to have a letter from you; and, amongst the various reasons which render me so desirous of a speedy arrival, this is the one which excites in me the greatest degree of impatience. How many fears and anxieties enhance the keen anguish I feel at being separated from all that I love most fondly in the world! How have you borne my second departure? have you loved me less? have you pardoned me? have you reflected that, at all events, I must equally have been parted from you,-wandering about in Italy, dragging on an inglorious life, surrounded by the persons most opposed to my projects and to my manner of thinking? All these reflections did not prevent my experiencing the most bitter grief when the moment arrived for quitting my native shore. Your sorrow, that of my friends, Henrietta, all rushed upon my thoughts, and my heart was torn by a thousand painful feelings. I could not at that instant find any excuse for my own conduct. If you could know all that I have suffered, and the melancholy days that I have passed, whilst thus flying from all that I love best in the world! Must 1 join to this affliction the grief of hearing that you do not pardon me? 1 should, in truth, my love, be too unhappy. But I am not speaking to you of myself and of my health, and I well know that these details will deeply interest you. "Adieu; night obliges me to discontinue my letter, as I have forbidden, some days since, any candles being used in my vessel: see how prudent I have become ! Once more, adieu; if my fingers be at all guided by my heart, it is not necessary to see clearly to tell you that I love you, and that I shall love you all my life." These letters depict well the ingenuous feelings of a youth of twenty. In the memoir of himself, which prefaces the volume, the general describes, in a few words, the circumstances under which he first arrived in America. After having encountered various perils and chances by sea, his vessel made the port of Georgetown, in Carolina, whence he hastened to Charleston; ascending the river in a canoe, and landing by midnight at the house of Major Huger, where his foot first touched the American soil. Proceeding thence to Philadelphia with six officers in company, he travelled nearly nine hundred miles on horseback before reaching the capital of Pennsylvania, where congress was then sitting. Washington at that time expecting some secret blow from the enemy, and not knowing where it might fall, was encamped within reach of the city. ARRIVAL OF LAFAYETTE IN THE UNITED STATES. "It was under these circumstances that M. de Lafayette first arrived in America; but the moment, although important to the common cause, was peculiarly unfavorable to strangers. The Americans were displeased with the pretensions, and disgusted with the conduct, of many Frenchmen; the imprudent selections they had in some cases made, the extreme boldness of some foreign adventurers, the jealousy of the army, and strong national prejudices, all contributed to confound disinterested zeal with private ambition, and talents with quackery. Supported by the promises which had been given by Mr. Deane, a numerous band of foreigners besieged the congress; their chief was a clever but very imprudent man, and although a good officer, his excessive vanity amounted almost to madness. With M. de Lafayette, Mr. Deane had sent out a fresh detachment, and every day such crowds arrived, that the congress had finally adopted the plan of not listening to any stranger. When he arrived at Philadelphia, M. de Lafayette delivered his letters to Mr. Lovell, president of the committee for foreign affairs. The next day he proceeded to congress: Mr. Lovell came out of the meeting, and told him there was but little hope of his request being acceded to. Suspecting that his letters had not been read, M. de Lafayette wrote the note which will be found in the text. The resolution of the congress concerning him, deliberated the 31st of July, is expressed in the following manner: "Seeing that the Marquis de Lafayette, on account of his great zeal in the cause of liberty in which the United States are engaged, has quited his family and country, and has come to offer his services to the United States, without demanding either pay or private indemnity, and that he desires to expose his life in our cause,—resolved, that his services be accepted, and that, on account of his zeal, illustrious family and connexions, he shall have the rank and commission of major-general in the army of the United States." The real intention of this resolution was to give a rank to M. de Lafayette, and to leave to General Washington the right and care of confiding to him a command in unison with that rank. The coldness with which M. de Lafayette was received, might have been taken as a dismissal; but, without appearing disconcerted by the manner in which the deputies addressed him, he entreated them to return to congress, and read the following note: After the sacrifices I have made, I have the right to exact two favors: one is, to serve at my own expense, the other is, to serve at first as volunteer.' "This style, to which they were so little accustomed, awakened their attention; the despatches from the envoys were read over, and, in a very flattering resolution, the rank of major general was granted to M. de Lafayette." The condition of the American army, when the young major-general came to claim his rank, is described in the following passage. APPEARANCE OF THE ARMY. "The American army, stationed some miles from Philadelphia, was waiting until the movements of the hostile army should be decided: the General himself reviewed the troops; M. de Lafayette arrived there the same day. About eleven thousand men, ill armed and still worse clothed, presented a strange spectacle to the eye of the young Frenchman: their clothes were parti-colored, and many of them were almost naked; the best clad wore hunting shirts, large grey linen coats which were much used in Carolina. As to their military tactics, it will be sufficient to say that, for a regiment ranged in order of battle to move forward on the right of its line, it was necessary for the left to make a continued counter march. They were always arranged in two lines, the smallest men in the first line; no other distinction as to height was ever observed. In spite of these disadvantages, the soldiers were fine and the officers zealous; virtue stood in place of science, and each day added both to experience and discipline. Lord Stirling, more courageous than judicious, another general, who was often intoxicated, and Greene, whose talents were only then known to his immediate friends, commanded as majors-general. General Knox, who had changed the profession of bookseller to that of artillery officer, was there also, and had himself formed other officers, and created an artillery. "We must feel embarrassed," said General Washington, on his arrival," to exhibit ourselves before an officer who has just quitted French troops." "It is to learn, and not to teach, that I come hither," replied M. de Lafayette; and that modest tone, which was not common in Europeans, produced a very good effect." Washington seems almost at once to have conceived the affection of a father for his youthful follower; and when their friendship could date but little more than a year of existence, we find Lafayette consulting his commander about an affair of honor, with all the insouciance of a Frenchman, blended with the utmost respect toward the personage whom he addresses. "TO GENERAL WASHINGTON. Camp, near Warren, 24th September, 1778. My Dear General,-I am going to consult your excellency upon a point in which I not only want your leave and opinion, as the commander-in-chief, but also your candid advice, as the man whom I have the happiness to call my friend. In an address from British commissaries to congress, the first after Johnstone was excluded, they speak in the most disrespectful terms of my nation and country. The whole is undersigned by them, and more particularly by the president, Lord Carlisle. I am the first French officer, in rank, of the American army; am not unknown to the British, and if somebody must take notice of such expressions, that advantage does, I believe, belong to me. Don't you think, my dear general, that I should do well to write a letter on the subject to Lord Carlisle, wherein I should notice his expressions conveyed in an unfriendly manner? I have mentioned something of this design to the Count d'Estaing, but wish entirely to fix my opinion by yours, which I instantly beg, as soon as you may find it convenient. I "As every thing is perfectly quiet, and General Sullivan is persuaded that I may, with all safety, go to Boston, I am going to undertake a short journey towards that place. The admiral has several times expressed a desire of conversing with me; he has also thrown out some wishes that something might be done towards securing Boston, but it seems he always refers to a conversation for further explanation. My stay will be short, as I don't like towns in time of war, when I may be about a camp. If your excellency answers me immediately, I may soon receive your letter. "I want much to see you, my dear general, and consult' you about many points, part of them are respecting myself. If you approve of my writing to |