would imitate the sun and the stars, which poured their warmth and radiance over the spring. And many a little gnat and beetle burst the narrow cell in which it was enclosed, and crept out slowly and half asleep, unfolded and shook its tender wings, and soon gained strength, and flew off to untried delights.

"And as the butterflies came forth from their chrysalids in all their gayety and splendor, so did every humbled and suppressed aspiration and hope free itself, and boldly launch into the open and flowing spring."

We are very glad to hear that this little work is to be republished in Boston. With all our books for the young, we have very few which address the faculty of imagination by giving words to nature herself. Thus children are rather turned aside by their own appropriated literature from that teacher, whose instructions it is the highest office of literature to turn into " thoughts that breathe and words that burn." This deficiency may be traced to that distrust of the soul and of nature, which, growing out of a superficial philosophy, for a long time has dried up the fresh waters of English literature in their fountains; - together with the fact, that the change of dialect and orthography which has taken place since the morning of our literature, has thrown its freshest products out of the reach of the young. Were Spenser in as plain English as Bunyan, it would probably be quite as much of a favorite with the young, as that masterly work, which has educated so many great men. As it is, "The Fairy Queen" is in a foreign tongue to them. Yet when it finds an interpreter, the effect on the intellect is so great, as to be another of the many proofs that none can speak to childhood more effectively than those gifted with the highest poetic genius. On poetic genius the forms of nature make the liveliest and deepest impression, and, pre-occupying the mind, prevent its being swayed by the conventional and factitious, even when the latter come to be perceived. And thus, through the laws of natural association, all the thoughts are symbolized, in forms and colors which mean the same thing to all human hearts and minds, and the more certainly in proportion to their youth and freshness. It is true that of such works, and especially of so subtile an allegory as this " Story without an End," children may not be able to give in their own words so distinct an account, as of an experiment in natural philosophy, or a narrative of historical events; but, on the other hand, they will need much less stimulus to take hold of them, and the impulse of pleasure will supersede that of duty; to say nothing of the fact, that there are other faculties of the intellect to be cherished into life, besides the mere understanding, and there are certainly qualities of the

heart and great moral powers, which may be reached and cultivated by the mysterious language of allegory, which are too much neglected in our common methods of education.

The English edition of the work that is before us, is beautifully printed, and illustrated by the designs of William Harvey, Esq., who seems to have caught the very spirit of the German author. We have seen children gaze on the dear little child as he sits wrapt in the quietness of primeval happiness; as he kneels to the instructive water-drop; as he sleeps in the moonlight with dreams hovering over him; as he walks among the sociable flowers; as the lilies and the notes of the nightingale sing their nuptial song in his heart; as, with the sincere attention of unsuspecting youthful inquiry, he listens to the utilitarian mouse and the sensually selfish lizard; as he wanders into the deep shades of evening, and sits down amid sweets that fill his imagination and senses; as he gossips with the fire-flies, and worships the stars; as he stands in the light of his innocence, unable to understand the deceiver and envious; as he gazes on the sunrise, and gives himself up to the song of the lark; and as he at last ascends into heaven. And again and again they would have them explained, and "would have been glad to hear more and more and for ever." We trust that the publishers of the book will not omit these pictures.

A History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent to the Present Time. By GEORGE BANCROFT. Vol. I. Boston: Charles Bowen. 1834. 8vo. pp. 508. This first volume brings down our history to the restoration of the Stuarts. We trust that we shall receive from some one of our contributors such a review of it as its importance demands. In the mean while we feel it to be our duty, briefly to express our approbation of it, and delight in it. We have not perused it yet with that critical attention, which would qualify us to pronounce decidedly and comprehensively on its merits; but it appears to be executed with great fidelity and accuracy, and we are certain of the sprightliness and manliness of the style, and the deep interest which is kept up through the narrative. It is impossible to read the volume laggingly. It is impossible to read it without having our minds brought up closely and constantly to some of the highest questions which concern our country and all humanity. A fine spirit of philosophy pervades the book; a spirit equally of liberty and order, of universal charity and of serious faith. We think that at length Americans are to have a HISTORY. We hope that Mr. Bancroft will VOL. XVII. N. S. VOL. XII. NO. II. 36

be spared to complete his noble design. We are anxious to see the volumes which he promises, but we would not hurry him a moment. He is building a monument for himself, and for his country. For such a work he must take his time.

Rev. Samuel J. May's Letter to the Editors of the Christian Examiner, published in "The Liberator" for October, 1834. We bear willing testimony to the eloquence, and what is still better, the good spirit of this Letter, although circumstances obliged us to decline publishing it ourselves. Mr. May was induced to write it by a paragraph which appeared in our July number of the present year, in a review of Professor Palfrey's Sermons, which charged the Abolitionists with interfering, in their ardent but mistaken philanthropy, "with the constitutions of civil government, and the personal rights of individuals." Against this charge, Mr. May defends himself and his coadjutors in the anti-slavery cause. Perhaps our paragraph was too hastily written, and too hastily admitted. Of the purity of Mr. May's motives in pursuit of his object, we never had the least shadow of a doubt. If we have done him and his friends any wrong, there is at present no other way for us to repair it, than to advise our readers to procure and read his Letter, and the documents to which it refers.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. It may readily be supposed, what is really the case, that among the articles which are offered by our friends for publication in this work, some will be, or appear to us, unsuited to our purposes, or not so well suited as others, and must therefore be, however unwillingly on our part, rejected. The authors of such articles will very naturally desire to know our reasons for not accepting them; but, occupied as our time is, it is impossible for us always or often to comply with that desire. We intend in future, to deposit those articles against the insertion of which we have decided, at the office of our publisher, Mr. Bowen, as soon as possible after our decision is made; where they may be had on application. If a writer should not find his article there, after a number of the Christian Examiner has been published without it, he may conclude, either that it has not yet been perused by the Editors, or that it has been accepted, and is awaiting its turn for publication.