THE

Knickerbocker Magazine,

EDITED BY LOUIS GAYLORD CLARK,

commenced its THIRTY-NINTH VOLUME with the number for January, 1852. The subscription price for the KNICKERBOCKER is now reduced from FIVE DOLLARS to THREE DOLLARS, per annum in advance.

With this reduction there is no change in the form, size, character or quality, except a change always continued for the better; for it will improve on the past, maintaining the position so long awarded to it.

TERMS:

THREE DOLLARS A YEAR, STRICTLY IN ADVANCE.

THERE WILL BE NO DEVIATION FROM THIS CONDITION.

To Clubs of Ten, $2.50 each.

Booksellers and Postmasters are requested to act as agents. Those who will undertake to procure subscribers will receive favorable terms. Specimen numbers will be sent gratis on application post-paid.

All remittances and all business communications must be addressed to SAMUEL HUESTON, 139 Nassau street, New-York, POST-PAID.

BACK VOLUMES.-The years 1845, '46, 47, 48, 49, '50 and '51, will be sold in Numbers for $2.50 a year.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Publisher of the KNICKERBOCKER takes much pleasure in informing his readers and the public, that the

SEQUEL TO ST. LEGER

AND

MEISTER KARL'S SKETCH-BOOK,

will be continued regularly through the coming year. In addition to these, and a host of highly esteemed contributors,

'I K

MARVEL,'

THE POPULAR AUTHOR OF THE

'REVERIES OF A BACHELOR,'

has engaged to furnish a new and original work, which will be given in every number of the KNICKERBOCKER during the year 1852. It will be entitled

THE FUDGE PAPERS,

BEING THE OBSERVATIONS AT HOME AND ABROAD OF DIVERS MEMBERS
OF THE FUDGE FAMILY; RENDERED INTO WRITING

BY TONY FUDGE.

The contributors' department of this Magazine will be more interesting

and valuable than it has ever been.

ART.I. A TALK UPON ANTIQUITY. BY E. KENNEDY,

II. THE LITTLE SLEEPER. BY J. CLEMENT,

III. STANZAS: 'LAST NIGHT I SAW THEE IN MY DREAM,'

IV. THE LUNATIC ASYLUM OF BORESKO. By A. B. JOHNSON,.

V. THOUGHTS AFTER A STORM. BY A NEW 'IONE,'

VI. THE LOYALIST OF THE VENDEE,

205

212

213

214

219

220

VII. LOST IN THE TULE: AN INCIDENT OF CALIFORNIA,

221

VIII. LINES: THE DEAR ONES GONE BEFORE US.' BY E. R. CAMPBELL,.
IX. THE POETRY OF PRAED. BY A NEW CONTRIBUTOR,

228

999

X. HYMN ON LAYING THE CORNER-STONE OF A CHURCH,

235

XI. THE TIMIDITY OF AFFECTION: A TRIBUTE,

236

XII. SKETCH-BOOK OF ME, MEISTER KARL. BY CHARLES G. LELAND,
XIII. THE SAPLING'S APOLOGY,

XIV. ST. GEORGE'S KNIGHT. FROM THE FRENCH OF DE LA MOTTE FOUQUE,
XV. EDITH: AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. BY FRANCIS COPCUTT,.
XVI. KE-UKA REVISITED. By W. H. C. HOSMER,

XVII. NOTES FROM THE JOURNAL OF A STUDENT,

255

XVIII. TO MY OLD CLOCK. BY R. W. Wier,

362

. 263

263

268

269

270

272

273

.274

. 275

278 280

XIX. LINES TO A. M. BY PAUL SIOGVOLK,

XX. A REVERIE OF HORSEMANSHIP,

XXI. STANZAS: TRUST IN GOD.' BY THOMAS MACKELLAR,"

LITERARY NOTICES :

1. HISTORIES OF HERODOTUS AND OF ANCIENT GREECE,

2. THE PODESTA'S DAUGHTER, AND OTHER POEMS. SECOND NOTICE, 3. PUTNAM'S SEMI-MONTHLY LIBRARY: HOOD,

.

4. A FAGGOT OF FRENCH STICKS. BY SIR FRANCIS HEAD,

5. FIVE YEARS IN AN ENGLISH UNIVERSITY. BY CHAS. ASTOR BRISTED,

EDITOR'S TABLE:

1. AN EPISTLE TO THE EDITOR FROM THE AUTHOR OF 'ALBAN,'
2. A PAIR OF MISSIVES FROM A ‘GRAHAMITE' AND A ‘GOURMET,'
3. GOSSIP WITH READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS,

1. LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR OF REVERIES OF A BACHELOR,' ON BEHALF OF
TONY FUDGE.' 2. MURMURS OF THE DISCARDED.' 3. HENRY CLAY AND THE
FEUDAL SYSTEM: TREMENDOUS NATIONAL DEBT OF GREAT BRITAIN. 4. 'So
MUCH FOR WINE: FROM THE GERMAN. 5. AN INFLUENTIAL JUROR. 6. DUE
FABULA: OR TWO FABLES: BY PROFESSOR GILBERT SPHINX: 'THE LITTLE BOY
WHO WOULD' PLAY WITH THE WHALES:' AND 'HOW A CERTAIN PHILOSOPHER
DIDN'T GET DROWNED.' 7. THE IMAGERY OF SCRIPTURE. 8. TRAVELLING
BORES: A YANKEE 'PAUL PRY' WITH A LIVE WIDOW' IN A RAIL-ROAD CAR.
9. WASHING BY THE BROOK:' A BALLAD BY THE PEASANT BARD:' 'THE
HARP AND THE PLOUGH.' 10. A REMINISCENCE OF DOYLESTOWN (PENN.)
11. 'MY GREAT UNCLE, OR THE ANCIENT WAG. 12. BOARDING-HOUSE LODG-
ERS 'EXPOGED' BY Miss E. TIDDIVATE. 13. THE MIGHT-HAVE-BEEN, AND
ITS INFLUENCE. 14. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE BRITISH ARMY, ON THE MORN-
ING THEY EVACUATED NEW-YORK. 15. THE CAPTAIN'S GAME OF CHESS: AN
"UNKNOWN TONGUE.' 16. THINGS GETTING AWAY.' 17. 'A RowLAND FOR AN
OLIVER THE BEAU OF TONTINE. 18. A TRIP TO ALBANY: HUDSON-RIVER
WINTER SCENES AND THOUGHTS. 19. A LEARNED GERMAN DOCTOR' IN THE
SOUTH. 20. A TRIBUTE OF GRATITUDE TO ONE UNKNOWN. 21. THE LESSONS
OF LIFE. 22. BREMEN GEESE: RARE EGG-BREEDERS. 23. A CURIOUS BLUN-
DER. 24. SUSPENDED AIR-HOLES,' FOR BANK-SWALLOWS. 25. RECIPE FOR
MAKING A SAILOR-DRAMA. 26. RAIL-ROAD PRECAUTIONS. 27. VERBAL SONG"-
INTERPOLATIONS: THE COBBLER'S DITTY. 28. KISSING IN THE DARK.' 29. A
YANKEE CRITIC UPON ART. 30. GRAHAM'S MAGAZINE' AND THE KNICKER-
BOCKER. 31. ICHTHYOLOGIA: HARD 'FISH-STORIES.' 32. 'SOLILOQUIUM FRESH-
HOMINES, WITH EXTRACTS. 33. THE LAW vs. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: A
DUTCH RECORD. 34. LAPIDENTIUM,' A NEW AND IMPORTANT DENTIST'S MA-
TERIAL. 35. ANECDOTE OF OLD HAYS. 36. CONGRESS HALL,' ALBANY.
37. COMPLAINT OF A POET. 38. GIBSON'S STAINED GLASS DEPOSITORY, BROAD-
WAY. 39. WHAT HEAVEN IS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLES.' 40. A COLLOQUY WITH
A BOBO'LINK. 41. TAKING THE STARCH OUT OF A PARISIAN DANDY. 42. A
NOVEL MARKET-REPORT.' 43. MRS. JONES'S SCHOOL FOR YOUNG LADIES AT
RAVENSWOOD. 44. POE-POETRY' OF 'THE SPIRIT-KNOCKERS,' WITH AN IMITA-
TION. 45. MRS. EMMA GILLINGHAM BOSTWICK'S CONCERTS. 46. THE 'ST.
NICHOLAS HOTEL,' IN BROADWAY: GENIN. 47. ESTIMATE OF EXCLUSIVE
SOUTHERN LITERATURE' AT HOME. 48. A DAY AMONG SOME OF OUR ARTISTS.
49. IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN SHIP-RIGGING. 50. LIFE IN CALIFORNIA: INVI-
TATION TO A HANGING.' 51. MRS. HUNTER'S SCHOOL IN TWENTY-SECOND-
STREET. 52. A SHORT REMONSTRANCE AGAINST LONG POETRY. 53. LITTELL'S
"LIVING AGE. 54. THE 'COURIER DES ETATS UNIS' FRENCH JOURNAL. 55. AR-
TICLES FILED FOR INSERTION, NEW PUBLICATIONS, ETC., ETC.

ENTERED, ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1859, BY

SAMUEL HUESTON,

IN THE CIERK'S OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR TUE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW-YORK.

JOHN A. GRAY, PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER, 54 GOLD STREET, N. Y.

DON'T turn aside, reader, nor pass on to something else, because so unpromising a topic awaits your meditations. I mean to be very popular, not theological.

The Fathers of the Church!' Who has not heard of them? 'Every body.'

And who has much definiteness of idea respecting them? No answer? Then I say: 'Very few-very.'

For myself, until I took up the subject to examine it, my own ideas were very much afloat in regard to these 'potent, grave, and reverend signiors. Even now, perhaps, I may only 'report progress;' and yet my investigation of the subject has been very patient, and of long continuance. Certain it is, that the world has a vagueness of idea in regard to these worthies that is truly remarkable.

Did any body, except philosophers appointed for that purpose, ever have the curiosity to search into the 'moving why' of their conception of things? As, for instance, in the admission of great ideas into the mind. Let me illustrate what I mean:

In my boyhood, being 'raised' in a country town where there was an ancient mill, and an equally ancient mill-dam, I was accustomed to associate the idea of Niagara Falls with this same mill-dam, tumbling over its rocky precipice a fearful distance of some six or eight feet, and roaring tremendously of a still night, in the cool fall of the year.

This statement may excite the risibles of some readers; and yet there was philosophy in the rationale of it. I was an unsophisticated youth, living remote from cities,' and had never been beyond the smoke of my good grand-mother's cottage; in a word, I had never seen either great bodies of water or vast elevations of land; and it was very reasonable