Are come from heaven to claim your brotherhood Ye traced in ancient days with glorious thought Ye love to watch the inspiration caught, Ye come to nerve the soul Like him who near the ATONER stood, when HE, The wrathful potents of Gethsemane, Still keep! O, keep me near you, LINES WRITTEN ON SERING TORWALDSEN'S BAS-RELIEF REPRESENTING NIGHT. YES! bear them to their rest; The rosy babe, tired with the glare of day, The prattler fallen asleep e'en in his play, Clasp them to thy soft breast, O Night, Bless them in dreams with a deep hush'd delight. Yet must they wake again, Wake soon to all the bitterness of life, Aye, to the conscience-pain- Canst thou not take with them a longer flight? Canst thou not bear them far E'en now all innocent-before they know To some ethereal, holier, happier height? Canst thou not bear them up The cup of wrath for hearts in faith contrite? To Him, for them who slept A babe all lowly on His mother's knee, In all our sorrows wept, [light. AFAR from thee! the morning breaks, To know I am afar from thee. And to mine own thy heart was press'd. Afar from thee! 'tis solitude! Though smiling crowds around me be, The kind, the beautiful, the good, For I can only think of thee; Of thee, the kindest, loveliest, best, My earliest and my only one! Without thee I am all unbless'd, And wholly bless'd with thee alone. Afar from thee! the words of praise My listless ear unheeded greet; What sweetest seem'd, in better days, Without thee seems no longer sweet. The dearest joy fame can bestow Is in thy moisten'd eye to see, And in thy cheek's unusual glow, Thou deem'st me not unworthy thee. Afar from thee! the night is come, But slumbers from my pillow flee; No distance can our hearts divide; WILLIAM LEGGETT. [Born, 1802. Died, 1840.] In Tais distinguished political and miscellaneous writer was born in the city of New York, in the summer of 1802, and was educated at the Georgetown College, in the District of Columbia. 1822 he entered the navy of the United States as a midshipman; but in consequence of the arbitrary conduct of his commander, Captain JOHN ORDE CREIGHTON, he retired from the service in 1826, after which time he devoted himself mainly to literary pursuits. His first publication was entitled "Leisure Hours at Sea," and was composed of various short poems written while he was in the navy. In 1828 he established, in New York, "The Critic," a weekly literary gazette, which he conducted with much ability for seven or eight months, at the end of which time it was united with the Mirror," to which he became a regular contributor. In "The Critic" and "The Mirror," he first published "The Rifle," The Main Truck, or the Leap for Life," "White Hands, or Not Quite in Character," and other stories, afterward embraced in the volumes entitled "Tales by a Country Schoolmaster," and "Sketches of the Sea." These tales and sketches are probably the most spirited and ingenious productions of their kind ever written in this country. In 1829 Mr. LEGGETT became associated with Mr. BRYANT, in the editorship of the " Evening Post," and on the departure of that gentleman for Europe, in 1834, the entire direction of that able journal was devolved to him. A severe illness, which commenced near the close of the succeeding year, induced him to relinquish his connexion with the "Post;" and on his recovery, in 1836, he commenced "The Plaindealer," a weekly periodical devoted to politics and literature, for which he obtained great reputation by his independent and fearless assertion of doctrines, and the vigorous eloquence and powerful reasoning by which he maintained them. It was discontinued, in consequence of the failure of his publisher, before the close of the year; and his health, after that period, prevented his connexion with any other journal. In 1828 he had been married to Miss ELMIRA WARING, daughter of Mr. JONA. WARING, of New Rochelle; and to that pleasant village he now retired, with his family. He occasionally visited his friends in the city, and a large portion of the democratic party there proposed to nominate him for a seat in Congress; but as he had acted independently of a majority of the party in regard to certain important political questions, his formal nomination was prevented. In April, 1840, he was appointed by Mr. VAN BUREN, then President of the United States, a diplomatic agent* from our * Soon after the death of Mr. LEGGETT, Mr. JOHN L. STEPHENS, whose "Travels in Central America" have been since published, was appointed his successor as diplomatic agent to that country. government to the Republic of Guatemala. He was preparing to depart for that country, when he suddenly expired, on the twenty-ninth day of following month, in the thirty-eighth year of his age. A few months after his death, a collection of his political writings, in two large duodecimo volumes, was published, under the direction of his friend, Mr. THEODORE SEDGWICK. Besides the works already mentioned, he wrote much in various periodicals, and was one of the authors of "The Tales of Glauber Spa," published in 1832. In the maturity of his powers, his time and energies were devoted to political writing. His poems are the poorest of his productions, and were written while he was in the naval service, or during his editorship of "The Critic." In addition to his Melodieswhich are generally ingenious and well versifiedhe wrote one or two prize addresses for the theatres, and some other pieces, which have considerable merit. His death was deeply and generally deplored, especially by the members of the democratic party, who regarded him as one of the ablest champions of their principles. Mr. BRYANT, with whom he was for several years intimately associated, published in the "Democratic Review" the following tribute to his character : "The earth may ring from shore to shore, Upon that warm and mighty heart, "The words of fire that from his pen Were flung upon the lucid page, "His love of Truth, too warm-too strong Burn in the breasts he kindled still." Mr. SEDGWICK, in the preface to his political writings, remarks that " every year was softening his prejudices, and calming his passions; enlarging his charities, and widening the bounds of his liberality. Had a more genial clime invigorated his constitution, and enabled him to return to his labours, a brilliant and honourable future might have been predicted of him. It is not the suggestion of a too fond affection, but the voice of a calm judgment, which declares that, whatever public career he had pursued, he must have raised to his memory an imperishable monument, and that as no name is now dearer to his friends, so few could have been more honourably associated with the history of his country, than that of WILLIAM LEGGETT." A SACRED MELODY. Ir yon bright stars which gem the night Whom death has torn asunder here; And leave this blighted orb afarMixed soul with soul, to cleave the sky, And soar away from star to star. But, O! how dark, how drear, how lone Would seem the brightest world of bliss, If, wandering through each radiant one, We fail'd to find the loved of this! If there no more the ties should twine, Which death's cold hand alone can sever, Ah! then these stars in mockery shine, More hateful, as they shine forever. It cannot be! each hope and fear That lights the eye or clouds the brow, Proclaims there is a happier sphere Than this bleak world that holds us now! There is a voice which sorrow hears, When heaviest weighs life's galling chain; "Tis heaven that whispers, "Dry thy tears: The pure in heart shall meet again!" LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP. THE birds, when winter shades the sky, Where laughing isles in sunshine lie, And thus the friends that flutter near While fortune's sun is warm, Are startled if a cloud appear, And fly before the storm. But when from winter's howling plains Each other warbler's past, The little snow-bird still remains, And chirrups midst the blast. Love, like that bird, when friendship's throng SONG. I TRUST the frown thy features wear I would not that a face so fair As thine, beloved, should look so stern. The chain of ice that winter twines, Holds not for aye the sparkling rill, It melts away when summer shines, And leave the waters sparkling still. Thus let thy cheek resume the smile That shed such sunny light before; And though I left thee for a while, I'll swear to leave thee, love, no more. As he who, doomed o'er waves to roam, Like bees by varied sweets, to rove, Return, like bees, by close of day, And leave them all for thee, my love. Then let thy cheek resume the smile That shed such sunny light before, And though I left thee for a while, I swear to leave thee, love, no more. LIFE'S GUIDING STAR. THE youth whose bark is guided o'er On imaged skies that glow beneath. To shade a while the watery way, Quick lifts to heaven his anxious eyes, And speeds to reach some sheltering bay, "Tis thus, down time's eventful tide, While prosperous breezes gently blow, In life's frail bark we gayly glide, Our hopes, our thoughts all fix'd below. But let one cloud the prospect dim, The wind its quiet stillness mar, At once we raise our prayer to Him Whose light is life's best guiding star. TO ELMIRA. WRITTEN WITH FRENCH CHALK* ON A PANE OF GLASS IN THE HOUSE OF A FRIEND. On this frail glass, to others' view, A single breath bestow, At once the record starts to sight Thus, like this glass, to strangers' gaze When breathed upon by thee. The substance usually called French chalk has this singular property, that what is written on glass, though easily rubbed out again, so that no trace remains visible, by being breathed on becomes immediately distinctly legible. EDWARD C. PINKNEY. [Born 1802. Died 1828.] "A sense it was, that I could see The angel leave my sideThat thenceforth my prosperity Must be a falling tide; EDWARD COATE PINKNEY was born in London, | survive; but he had no wish to live. His feelings in October, 1802, while his father, the Honourable at this period are described in one of his poems:WILLIAM PINKNEY, was the American Minister at the court of St. James'. Soon after the return of his family to Baltimore, in 1811, he entered St. Mary's College, in that city, and remained there until he was fourteen years old, when he was appointed a midshipman in the navy. He continued in the service nine years, and in that period visited the Mediterranean and several other foreign stations, and acquired much general knowledge and acquaintance with mankind. The death of his father, and other circumstances, induced him, in 1824, to resign his place in the navy; and in the same year he was married, and admitted to the Maryland bar. His career as a lawyer was brief and unfortunate. He opened an office in Baltimore, and applied himself earnestly to his profession; but though his legal acquirements and forensic abilities were respectable, his rooms were seldom visited by a client; and after two years had passed, disheartened by neglect, and with a prospect of poverty before him, he suddenly determined to enter the naval service of Mexico, in which a number of our officers had already won distinction and fortune. When, however, he presented himself before Commodore PORTER, then commanding the sea-forces of that country, the situation he solicited was refused, and he was compelled reluctantly to return to the United States. He reappeared in Baltimore, poor and dejected. He turned his attention again to the law, but in his vigorous days he had been unable to support himself by his profession; and now, when he was suffering from disease and a settled melancholy, it was not reasonable to anticipate success. The erroneous idea that a man of a poetical mind cannot transact business requiring patience and habits of careful investigation, was undoubtedly one of the principal causes of his failure as a lawyer; for that he was respected, and that his fellow-citizens were willing to confer upon him honours, is evident from the fact that, in 1826, he was appointed one of the professors in the University of Maryland. This office, however, was one of honour only: it yielded no profit. PINKNEY now became sensible that his constitution was broken, and that he could not long It has been said that Commodore PORTER refused to give PINKNEY a commission, because he was known to be a warm adherent of an administration to which he was himself opposed; but it is more reasonable to believe, as was alleged at the time, that the navy of Mexico was full, and that the citizens of that republic had begun to regard with jealousy the too frequent admission of foreigners into the service. A strange and ominous belief, Had fallen on my hours; And that all hope must be most vain, Its former vanish'd flowers." Near the close of the year 1827, a political gazette, entitled "The Marylander,' was established in Baltimore, and, in compliance with the general wish of the proprietors, Mr. PINKNEY undertook to conduct it. He displayed much sagacity and candour, and in a few weeks won increasing illness compelled him to leave it, and he a high reputation in his new vocation; but his died on the eleventh of April, 1828, at the early age of twenty-five years and six months. He was a man of genius, and had all the qualities of to greatness, except HOPE and ENERGY. mind and heart that win regard and usually lead A small volume containing "Rodolph," and other poems, was published by PINKNEY in 1825. "Rodolph" is his longest work. It was first published, anonymously, soon after he left the navy, and was probably written while he was in the Mediterranean. It is in two cantos. The first begins, "The summer's heir on land and sea His waste inheritance. There is no novelty in the story, and not much can be said for its morality. The hero, in the season described in the above lines, arrives at his own domain, after many years of wandering in foreign lands, during which he had "grown old in loved-the wife of another—and his passion had heart, and infirm of frame." In his youth he had been returned. "At an untimely tide," he had met the husband, and, in encounter, slain him. The wife goes into a convent, and her paramour seeks refuge from remorse in distant countries. In the beginning of the second canto, he is once more in his own castle; but, feeling some dark presentiment, he wanders to a cemetery, where, in the morning, he is found by his vassals, "senseless beside his lady's urn." In the delirium which follows, he raves of many crimes, but most "Of one too dearly loved, By murder done in vain." He dies in madness, and the story ends abruptly and coldly. It has more faults than PINKNEY'S other works; in many passages it is obscure; its beauty is marred by the use of obsolete words; and the author seems to delight in drawing his comparisons from the least known portions of ancient literature. Some of his lighter pieces are very beautiful. "A Health," "The Picture-Song," and 66 A Serenade," have not often been equalled; and "Italy,"-an imitation of GOETHE'S Kennst du das Land-has some noble lines. Where is there a finer passage than this: "The winds are awed, nor dare to breathe aloud; The air seems never to have borne a cloud, Save where volcanoes send to heaven their curl'd And solemn smokes, like altars of the world!" PINKNEY'S is the first instance in this country in which we have to lament the prostitution of true poetical genius to unworthy purposes. Per vading much that he wrote there is a selfish melancholy and sullen pride; dissatisfaction with the present, and doubts in regard to the future life. The great distinguishing characteristic of Ameri can poetry is its pure and high morality. May it ever be so! ITALY. KNOW'ST thou the land which lovers ought to choose? Beloved!-speed we from this sullen strand, Until thy light feet press that green shore's yellow sand. [eye Look seaward thence, and naught shall meet thine It looks a dimple on the face of earth, THE INDIAN'S BRIDE. I. Why is that graceful female here Her candid brow, disclose And summer's earliest rose; But not a flower lies breathing there Sweet as herself, or half so fair. Exchanging lustre with the sun, A part of day she straysA glancing, living, human smile On Nature's face she plays. Can none instruct me what are these Companions of the lofty trees? II. Intent to blend her with his lot, Their hearts, from very difference, caught The household goddess here to be To ramble at his side; |