A Chapter on Autography and An Appendix of Autographs — Poe, 1841–1842 — reading text

same fash- ion. 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 nau- seam, and betrays a woful poverty of invention. The both in her chirography and in her literary style. 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 “ Penn- sylvanian” with credit, and, as a political writer, he stands deservedly high. His MS. is simple and legi- ble, with much space between the words. It has force, but little grace. Altogether, hischirography 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. | 231 3 4 d oon CAA | nf 3 | 4 Bh ye | | [Source scan page 42] a af - qe iZ | kei. * 3 a a bs ; af a 4 + pe 2. it ; 2 3, , 4 tes i 4, “> 4 = By * ‘ : 4 ; 5 a J & kar OME > 4 84 ig: q Nay he = Ora; BS » mene je. A mA F 4 ORY ; d > Fs 3 ree : 2 *A a” Ne ‘ CRD “a re 4 « “<4. x 4 = 3 232 AUTOGRAPHY. Mr. SeBA SMITH has become somewhat widely cel- ebrated as the author, in part, of the “‘ Letters of Ma- _ jor Jack Downing.”” These were very clever produc- tions ; coarse, but full of fun, wit, sarcasmand 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 sev- eral poems; among others, of ‘“‘ Powhatan, a Metri- cal Romance,” which we do not very particularly admire. His MS. is legible, and has much simpli- city about it. At times it vacillates, and appears un- formed. 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 crea- ture of Mr. Smith’s fancy been endowed with a real entity. The fact is, that “‘The Major” is not all acreation ; at least one half of his character actually exists in the bosomof his originator. It was the Jack Downing half that composed ‘* Powhatan.” Judge Hopxrnson’s hand is forcible, neat, legible, and devoid of superfluity. The characters have much slope, and whole words are frequently run to- gether. The lines are at equal distances, and a broad margin is at the left of the page, as is the case | 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. Lieutenant SLIDELL, some years ago, took the addi- tional 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 undeserv- ed; 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 Francis Lreser is Professor of History and Politi- cal Economy in the College of South Carolina, and has published many works distinguished by acumen and erudition. Among these we may notice a ‘‘ Jour- nal of a Residence in Greece,”’ written at the insti- gation of the historian Niebuhr; ‘‘ The Stranger in America,” a piquant book abounding in various in- formation relative tothe United States; a treatise on ‘Education ;” ‘ Reminiscences of an intercourse with Niebubr 3? and an ‘‘Essay on International Copy-Right ’’ — this last a valuable work. 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 descrip- tion ; but are chiefly remarkable for their gross de- ficiencies in grammatical construction. Lieut. Slidell’s MS. is peculiarly neat and even — quite legible, but altogether too petite and effemi. nate. Few tokens of his literary character are to be found, beyond the petiteness, which is exactly analo- gous with the minute detail of his descriptions. 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 at- tempt at ornament —very similar, upon the whole to the well-known chirography of Chief Justice Mar- shall. His letters have the peculiarity of a wide margin left at the top of each page. Mrs. Haze is well known for her masculine style of thought. This is clearly expressed in her chiro- graphy, which is far larger, heavier, and altogether bolder than that of her sex generally. It resembles in a great degree that of Professor Lieber, and is not easily deciphered. if ~ rs 4 i¢ i { + + t if th ¥ j i [Source scan page 43] 3 ‘Vee ~ AUTOGRAPH Y. w Mr. Everetr’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 beto- kening the scholar. Nothing can be more legible, and nothing need be more uniform. The man who writes thus will never grossly err in Judgment, or | nope 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. Dr. Brrp is well known as the author of ‘‘ The Gladiator,” ‘“Calavar,” “The Infidel,” “ Nick of the Woods,” and some other works — Calayar 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 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. Mr. Joun Neat’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 —_ 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 irregu- lar, but active and energetic. The penmanship of Miss Sepewicx is excellent. The characters are well sized, distinct, elegantly but not ostentatiously formed, and with perfect freedom of manner, are still sufficiently feminine. The hair- strokes differ little from the downward ones, and the MSS. have thus a uniformity they might not other- wise have. The paper she generally uses is good, blue, and machine-ruled. Miss Sedgwick’s hand- writing points unequivocally to the traits of her literary style — which are strong common sense, and a masculine disdain of mere ornament. The signa- ture conveys the general chirography. Cofr— Mr. Coorrr’s MS. is very bad—wunformed, with little of distinctive character about it, and varying greatly in different epistles. In most of those hefore 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 bluish tint. A wafer is always used. Without ap- pearing ill-natured, we could scarcely draw any in- ferences 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. de, 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 20* ‘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, — ESE ia pet 4 | 12 4! a | i i K 4 4 ‘ 2 [Source scan page 44] & - AUTOGRAPH Y. This gentleman is the author of ‘‘ Cromwell,” ‘‘ The Brothers,” ‘“‘ Ringwood the Rover,”’ and some other minor productions. He at one time edited the “ Ameri- can Monthly Magazine,” in connection with Mr. Hoff- man. In his compositions for the Magazines, Mr. Herzen is in the habit of doing both them and him- self gross injustice, by neglect and hurry. His longer works evince much ability, although he is rarely ingly neat, clear, and forcible; the signature afford. ing a just idea of it. It resembles that of Mr. Ken- nedy very nearly ; but has more slope and uniformity, with, of course, less spirit, and less of the picturesque. He ho writes as Mr. Herbert, will be found al- ways 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 “ Crom. entitled to be called original. His MS. is exceed- | well” is sometimes wofully turgid. Mrs. Esx1ne, formerly Miss Waterman, has attract- ed 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 E. Mrs. E. F. Evret 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 a 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 mee de- gree indicative of character. idea, is clear, neat, forcible and legible ; just sucha hand as one would desire for copying MSS. of im- portance. We have observed that the writers of such epistles as those before us, are often known as trans lators, but seldom evince high originality or very eminent talent of any kind. — Judge Noan 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, how- ever, from the wit and universal bonhommie of his editorial paragraphs. His peculiar traits of charac- ter may be traced im fis writing, which has about it Professor Patrrey is known to the public princi- pally 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 this 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 lf has erected against the conceptions of others. 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