Edgar Allan Poe: His Life, Letters, and Opinions — John H. Ingram, 1880, volume II — reading text

circulated as widely as possible the prospectus of his projected magazine, the Stylus, sending copies to all his friends and acquaintances in various parts of the States, and, generally, with an explanatory letter, This prospectus, which slightly varied, from time to time, at every reprint, is extremely interesting, as showing what were the poet’s real views with respect to his life-long project, and what ideas he had formed as to the beau ideal of a journal. The prospectus reads: — “THE STYLUS. A Monthly Journal of Literature Proper, the Fine Arts, and the Drama. To be Edited by EDGAR A. POE. “To the Public. — Since resigning the conduct of the Southern Literary Messenger at the beginning of its third year, and more especially since retiring from the Editorship of Graham’s Mazagine soon after the commencement of its second, I have had always in view the establishment of a monthly journal which should retain one or two of the chief features of the work first mentioned, abandoning or greatly modifying its general character; — but not until now have I felt at liberty to attempt the execution of this design. “I shall be pardoned for speaking more directly of the two magazines in question. Having in neither of them any proprietary right; the objects of their worthy owners, too, being at variance with my own; I found it not only impossible to effect anything, on the score of taste, for their mechanical appearance, but difficult to stamp upon them internally that individuality which I believed essential to their success. In regard to the permanent influence of such publications, it appears to me that continuity and a marked certainty of purpose are requisites of vital importance; but attainable only where one mind alone has at least the general control. Experience, to be brief, has shown me that in founding a journal of my own, lies my sole chance of carrying out to completion whatever peculiar intentions I may have entertained. “These intentions are now as heretofore. It shall be the chief purpose of the magazine proposed, to become known as one wherein may be found at all times, on all topics within its legitimate reach, a sincere and a fearless opinion. It shall be a leading object to assert in precept and to maintain in practice the rights, while in effect it demonstrates the advantages, of an absolutely independent criticism: a criticism self-sustained; guiding itself only by intelligible laws of art; analysing these laws as it applies them; holding itself aloof from all personal bias, and acknowledging no fear save that of the Right. “In the first number of the Stylus the Editor will commence the publication of a work on which he has been employed unremittingly for the last two years. It will be called I Literary America,’ and will endeavour to present, much in detail, that great desideratum, a faithful account of the literary productions, literary people, and literary affairs of the United States. “There is no design, however, to make the journal a critical one solely, or even very especially. It will aim. at something more than the usual magazine variety, and at affording a fair field for the true talent of the land, without reference to the mere prestige of name or the advantages of worldly position. But since the efficiency of the work must in great measure depend upon its defanitiveness, the STYLUS will limit itself to Literature Proper, the Fine Arts, and the Drama. “In regard to what is going on, within the limits assigned, throughout the civilised world, it will be a principal object of the magazine to keep its readers really au courant. For this end, accurate arrangements have been made at London, Paris, Rome and Vienna. The most distinguished of American scholars has agreed to superintend the department of classical letters.* At all points the moat effective aid is secured.” The remainder of the prospectus is devoted to the more technical portion of the project, being chiefly concerned with the matters of the journal’s mechanical execution — which was promised to be far superior to the ordinary magazine style — with the quality of the paper, the rate of subscription, and so forth. Engravings, it may be noted, were promised not only to be of the highest art, but to be “only in obvious illustration of the text,” which was in contradiction of the custom then pretty prevalent in America, of “cooking up” some kind of text, or the other, to illustrate the illustration. Altogether, if this prospectus — dated “New York City, January 1848,” and signed by the poet — promised much, it only propounded a feasible scheme that, an more practical and more worldly-wise hands, should have and must have succeeded, when backed by so renowned and fascinating a reputation as was Poe’s. At this period the poet was so sa amume of the success of his project, that his conversation and correspondence both were filled with the subject. He wrote to all his friends to assist him, forwarding them — the prospectus and endeavouring to galvanise them into enthusiasm. From a letter to an old and long-neglected correspondent he wrote on the 4th of January in these terms: — “GOOD FRIEND: — Your last, dated July 26th, ends with — ‘Write, will you not?’ I have been living ever since in a constant state of intention to write, and finally concluded not to write at all, until I could say something definite about the Stylus and other matters. You perceive that I now send you a Prospectus. But before I speak farther on this topic, let me succinctly reply to various points in your letter. “1. ‘Hawthorne’ is out. How do you like it? “2. ‘The Rationale of Verse’ was found to come down too heavily (as I forewarned you it did) upon some of poor Colton’s friends in Frogpondium — the ‘pundits,’ you know; so I gave him ‘a song’ for it and took it back. The song was ‘Ulalume — a Ballad,’ published in the December number of the American Review. I enclose it, as copied by the Home Journal (Willis’s paper, with the editor’s remarks. Please let me know how you like ‘Ulaume.’ As for the ‘Rat. of Verse,’ I sold it to ‘Graham’ at a round advance on Colton’s price, and in Graham’s hands it is still but not to remain even there; for I paean to get it back, revise or rewrite it (since ‘Evangeline’ has been published), and deliver it as a lecture when I go South and West on my Magazine expedition. “3. I have been ’so still’ on account of preparation for the Magazine campaign; also, have been working at my book — nevertheless I have written some trifles not yet published — same which have been. “4. My heath is better — best. I have never been so well. “6. The ‘common friend’ alluded to is Mrs. Frances S. Osgood, the poetess. “7. I agree with you only in part, as regards Miss Fuller.* She has some general, but no particular, critical powers. She belongs to a school of criticism — the Göthean, aesthetic, eulogistic. The creed of this school is that, in criticising an author, you must imitate hire, ape him, out Herod - Herod. . . . For example, she abuses Lowell (the best of our poets, perhaps) on account of a personal quarrel . with him. She has omitted all mention of me, for the same reason — although, a short time before the issue of her book, she praised me highly in the Tribune. I enclose you her criticism, that you may judge for yourself. She praised ‘Witchcraft,’ because Mathews . . . wrote it. In a word, she is an ill-tempered and very inconsistent Old Maid — avoid her. “And now, having replied to all your queries, let me refer to the Stylus. I am resolved to be my own publisher. To be controlled is to be ruined. My ambition is great. If I succeed, I put myself (within two years) in possession of a fortune and infinitely more. My plan is to go through the South and West, and endeavor to interest my friends so as to commence with a list of at least five hundred subscribers. With this list, I can take the matter into my own hands. There are some of my friends who have sufficient confidence in me to advance their subscription — but, at all events, succeed I will. Can you or will you help me? I have room to say no more. Truly yours, E. A. POE.” If the poet expected his many acquaintances, and still more numerous admirers, to send him’ their dollars in advance, he speedily discovered his mistake, and saw that some other means must be adopted towards raising the amount requisite to defray his preliminary expenses. In order, therefore, to obtain sufficient capital to start him upon his tour in search of subscribers, he determined to deliver a series of lectures, and, in the subjoined letter to Mr. H. D. Chapin, thus expresses his ideas on the subject, and the helplessness of his position: — “FORDHAM — Jan 17 — 48. “MY DEAR SIR, — Mrs. Shew intimated to me, not long ago, that you would, perhaps, lend me your aid in my endeavour to re-establish myself in the literary world; and I now venture to ask your assistance. When I last spoke with you, I mentioned my design of going to see Mr. Neal at Portland, and there, with his influence, deliver a Lecture — the proceeds of which might enable me to take the first steps towards my proposed Magazine: — that is to say, put, perhaps, $100 in my pocket; which would give me the necessary outfit and start me on my tour. But, since our conversation, I have been thinking that a better course would be to make interest among my friends here — in N. Y. city — and deliver a Lecture, in the first instance, at the ’Society Library. With this object in view, may I beg of you so far to assist me as to procure for me the use of the Lecture Room? The difficulty with me is that payment for the Room is demanded in advance and I have no money. I believe the price is $15. I think that, without being too sanguine, I may count upon an audience of some 3 or 4 hundreds — and if even goo are present, I shall be enabled to proceed with my plans. “Should you be so kind as to grant me the aid I request, I should like to engage the Room for the first Thursday in February. — Gratefully yours, EDGAR A. POE. “I am deeply obliged to you for your note of introduction to Col Webb. As yet I have not found an opportunity of presenting it — thinking it best to do so when I speak to him about the Lecture.” Mr. Chapin, or some other friend, apparently smoothed down all difficulties, for Poe made his definite arrangement for delivering the initial lecture of his campaign. Matters being thus far arranged, it became necessary to make the affair as public as possible, and in pursuance of this plan the aid of friendly editors had to be enlisted. N. P. Willis was, of course, applied to, and in these terms: — “FORDHAM, January 22, 1848. “MY DEAR MR. WILLIS, — I am about to make an effort at re-establishing myself in the literary world, and feel that I may depend upon your aid. “My general aim is to start a Magazine, to be called the Stylus; but it would be useless to me, even when established, if not entirely out of the control of a publisher. I mean, therefore, to get up a Journal which shall be my own, at all points. With this end in view, I must get a list of, at least, five hundred subscribers to begin with: — nearly two hundred I have already. I propose, however, to go South and West, among my personal and literary friends — old College and West Point acquaintances — and see what I can do. In order to get the means of taking the first step, I propose to lecture at the Society Library, on Thursday, the 3rd of February — and, that there may be no cause of squabbling, my subject shall not be literary at all. I have chosen a broad text — ‘The Universe.’ “Having thus given you the facts of the case, I leave all the rest to the suggestions of your own tact and generosity. — Gratefully, most gratefully, your friend always, — “EDGAR A. POE.” Upon receipt of this communication, or rather upon a reminder that he had not alluded to Poe’s intimation, Willis announced in the Home Journal that he had “by