I wish it every success; and my only fear is, that it may not meet as full success with the public as it deserves. I shall be glad to be a subscriber. I am, very truly and respectfully, yours, JOSEPH STORY.

Cambridge, April 24, 1844.

DEAR SIR,-I approve very much of the plan of your work, to be published weekly, under the title of the "Living Age:" and if it be conducted with the intelligence, spirit and taste that the prospectus indicates, (of which I have no reason to doubt,) it will be one of the most instructive and popular periodicals of the day.

I wish it abundant success, and that my name be added to the list of subscribers. Yours, very respectfully, JAMES KENT.

New York, 7th May, 1844.

It seems to me that a selection from the highest foreign journals, if conducted with discrimination and taste, might have a very favorable influence on our reading community, deluged as it is, with periodical and other publications, which have little to recommend them but their cheapness. I have looked occasionally into the Magazine formerly conducted by Mr. Littell, and I have little doubt, from the capacity he showed in that selection, that he would compile a magazine, from the sources indicated in his prospectus, that would furnish a healthy and most agreeable banquet to the reader. Believe me, Dear Sir, your obedient servant, WM. H. PRESCOTT.

Boston, May, 1844. From the specimens that the public has seen, it cannot be doubted that Mr. Littell is able to make, from the mass of contemporary literature, instructive and interesting selections. I wish you success, with all my heart. Yours, very truly,

GEORGE BANCROFT.

DEAR SIR,-I have never seen any similar publication of equal merit; and I heartily wish for it that wide success it deserves, as a most agreeable and useful selection from that vast mass of the current periodical literature of our time, which has grown to such importance that none are beyond the reach of its influence, and few can safely be ignorant of what it is constantly sending forth to the world. Be pleased, therefore, to consider me a regular subscriber to the Living Age from the beginning. Very truly yours,

Boston, 5th August, 1844.

GEO. TICKNOR.

MY DEAR SIR,-I have much pleasure in congratulating you upon the success of the Living Age, which has been well deserved by the great cleverness shown in its management. It has been a welcome visiter to my family, always giving us a variety of instructive and pleasant reading. Indeed, the only fault I have to find with it, is that it gives too much weekly-a fault which those of more leisure than myself, will not be likely to find. Yours, very truly,

Philadelphia, October 29th, 1844.

GEO. W. BETHUNE,

WASHINGTON, 27TH DECEMBER, 1845.

Of all the Periodical Journals devoted to literature and science which abound in Europe and in this country, this has appeared to me to be the most useful. It contains indeed the exposition only of the current literature of the English language, but this by its immense extent and comprehension includes a portraiture of the human mind in the utmost expansion of the present age.

J. Q. ADAMS.

To insure regularity in mailing the work, all orders should be addressed to

E. LITTELL & CO., BOSTON.

THE NEW SERIES OF THE

WESTERN CONTINENT, A SOUTHERN FAMILY NEWSPAPER,

DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO LITERATURE & GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. STRICTLY NEUTRAL UPON ALL POLITICAL AND SECTARIAN QUESTIONS.. Published Weekly, in the City of Baltimore, by H. M. GARLAND, Jr. & JOHN DONALDSON, Editors and Proprietors.

Terms, Two Dollars a Year, in Advance.

"For terms to Clubs, and the PREMIUMS offered to Subscribers, see the paper itself. SPECIMEN NUMBERS may be had gratis by addressing (post paid,) EDITORS WESTERN CONTINENT, Baltimore, Maryland."

September, 1848.

AGENTS.

JOHN P. WRIGHT, Lynchburg, Virginia.

THIS WORK IS PUBLISHED IN MONTHLY NUMBERS AVERAGING SIXTY-FOUR PAGES EACH, AT FIVE DOLLARS, PER ANNUM, INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.

RICHMOND, VA.

MACFARLANE & FERGUSSON.

In our present number, we commence the publication of

AN ORIGINAL NOVEL,

from the pen of a Southern gentleman of high literary qualifications. Persons intending to subscribe on the first of July next, will be furnished with the June number, containing the commencement of the Novel, gratuitously. It will be well for them to send in their names at once.

Editors friendly to the Messenger, will confer a favor by giving this notice one conspicuous insertion in their columns.

GENERAL COLLECTORS FOR THE LITERARY MESSENGER.

Wm. Gouldin, General Agent and Collector for Virginia.

Thomas L. Jones is our General Collector for the States of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana. Israel E. James, is our General Travelling Agent, for the following States, District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas-assisted by James K. Whipple, Wm. H. Weld, O. H. P. Stem, John B. Weld, T. S. Waterman, R. A. Henry, John Collins, James Deering, and Isaac D. Guyer.

Henry M. Lewis, is our General Agent, for Alabama and Tennessee.

C. W. James, is our General Collector, for Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Missouri; Wisconsin and Iowa-assisted by James R. Smith, J. T. Dent, E. Y. Jennings, T. G. Smith, and Frederick J. Hawse. Mr. C. W. James also makes a Fall trip to the Eastern States, and the District of Columbia.

Eli M. Stevenson, General Collector for Kentucky, and specially authorised to solicit new subscriptions.
Wm. Wertenbaker of the University of Virginia is our authorised agent for the county of Albemarle, Va.
Addison A. Bell, of Ala., is authorised to procure New Subscribers.

J. F. Stanton is authorised to procure New Subscribers for the Messenger, generally.

R. Morris & Co., Jackson, Miss., are authorised to Collect and procure New Subscribers for the Messenger.

J. W. B. Garrett, is authorised to procure New Subscribers for the Messenge.

Baalis Davis is duly authorised to Collect Money and procure New Subscribers or the Messenger.

W. Ramsay, Frankfort, Ky., is authorised to procure new subscribers for the Messenger.

NASH & WOODHOUSE,

No. 139 Main Street, Richmond, Virginia,

Deal extensively in School, Medical, Law, Theological, Classical and Miscellaneous Books; Paper, Blank Books and Stationery of every description. They are agents for the American reprints of Blackwood's Magazine, the London Quarterly, Westminster, Edinburgh and North British Reviews, and furnish, besides, nearly every respectable periodical published in the United States.

PIANO FORTES.

They are sole agents in Virginia for the sale of the Superb Piano Fortes, made by Messrs. Stodart & Dunham, New York, whose instruments have received the unqualified approbation of some of the most distinguished Composers, Professors and Amateurs in this country and Europeand from those who have bought and tried them. They are largely engaged in this branch of trade. They publish Charles Campbell's Introduction to the History of Virginia, in one volume, 8vo. Price $150.

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM―JNO. R. THOMPSON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.

VOL. XV.

RICHMOND, JUNE, 1849.

NO. 6.

| officer boards her and patiently has she to wait

GLIMPSES AT EUROPE DURING 1848. for Denmark's pleasure. A Frenchman follows,

er's axe.

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN.

several Swedish schooners running down before the wind are close upon his heels and a clumsy, old-fashioned Dane comes slowly, majestiFar up in the north of Europe stands the cally to join the crowd. But all, the moment grim, old castle of Cronenberg. Its lofty, ele- they reach the ominous passage, haul up their gant towers rise high above the massive build-fore course and let their top-sails settle on the ings at their feet and the white cross of Denmark caps, until they also are boarded. A fleet is looks proudly down upon land and sea. It is a assembled; the flags of all nations are run up to strange, mysterious castle, the palace of Cronen- salute the Danebrog, and without murmur, they berg, and a thousand dark stories hover around heave to and let go their anchors. But what are its drawbridges, its gloomy archways and silent, those sharp, low clipper-built vessels that come deserted walls. Here mourned for a long, dreary coursing down from the north-west, the jibboom winter the unhappy queen, Carolina Matilda of of the second almost touching the stern boat of England, whose only fault was that none could the first? How they dash the foam from their behold her without admiration, none know her sharp sides; how gallantly they come on under and not love her. And poor, brilliant Struensee a cloud of canvass with studding sails alow and who, from a low-born, humble physician, rose to aloft! But see, they have reached the first gunbe a king's master and Denmark's true sove- boat lying across the passage and they dart past reign, Struensee, whose lofty ambition soared it, unmindful of the stern command with which higher yet, knew her and loved her. A woman's they are ordered to heave to. Not a sound jealousy—all queen that she was-betrayed their is heard on board the bold vessels. A white secret, and the same day saw the fair queen hum-cloud rises on the ramparts of the old castle, a bled, disgraced, a prisoner in the dark, old castle, strange whizzing noise is heard and a heavy and the young count lay his head on the block cannon ball falls a few fathoms beyond the foreand breathe her name even under the execution- most. Still no sign of life. A second shot nearly touches the bowsprit. The strangers see Across a dreary common, close to the palace, the firing is in earnest and, as if by magic, a large there is an old, deserted garden; a house stands, flag is run up, the breeze quickly unfolds it and tenantless, in the centre; a few broken defaced the star-spangled banner floats proudly over statues lie in utter desolation about, whilst the Denmark's waters. Almost at the same time soft moss oozes in patches from the broken ter- the second schooner comes up, nearly abreast of race-steps, and on a high bank there smile a few the bark, and as their ensign greets the eyes of the stray flowers, entwined with graceful vines. A crew, three cheers rise in the clear air until the willow stands there alone; its delicate leaves walls of the fortress echo the sound and send it tremble in the evening breeze and the long, weep- across to the Swedish coast. ing branches gently kiss the humble grave which And they do not heave to; they pass the Engthey tenderly shroud. Beneath it lies Hamlet. lish and the French vessels; they pass the fortiThere are the ramparts, too, which he paced fications of the Danes, bristling with cannon, and to and fro, musing or waiting for him whom he the low, black man of war that lies threatening alone not feared. There are the proud walls of on the opposite side; they sail down towards the Elsinoer, there also the dark-blue waters of the city of Copenhagen and, with wonder in their Sound, and in the distance the dim line of the eyes, the astonished Danes turn around and ask Swedish coast with the huge fortress of Helsing- who the bold strangers can be, that dare pass the borg in the background. A breeze has sprung Sound when Denmark has closed the Baltic to up and sail after sail rises above the horizon, and the nations of the earth? But before an answer vessel after vessel passes close under the guns of is given, a small but beautiful yacht glides gracethe old castle. A gigantic full-rigged ship, the fully out from a narrow bay under the very ramcross of England flying from its mizzen-mast, parts of the castle; her white sides glisten brilbears down through the narrow passage; sud- liantly in the golden light of the setting sun and denly, her head off shore, she heaves to with her with her sails loosened and her ensign streaming fore-topsail aback, a small cutter approaches, an she skims over the waves and hastens to rejoin

VOL. XV-40

the strange vessels. They know her, however, | successively her German provinces, Sweden, and the good Danes, they recognize now the stars finally even her much beloved daughter, rugged, and stripes that have so often covered the fine, spacious deck of the hospitable yacht, when, under America's flag, her generous owner drank the health of Denmark, whose fair daughters loved to dance as their fathers loved to sail on board the fastest vessel that ever passed the Sound.

And how were such most precious privileges obtained? Not by the tortuous policy, the cunning devices, the skilful negotiations of European diplomats, but by the plain, straight forward, but determined declarations of a representative of the Great Republic. A simple citizen of the Union, her minister, had represented to the Danish Cabinet the injustice of imposing the same restrictions upon the continental powers of Europe and the far-distant republic, who by her ships and her intercourse could but benefit the small islands, and who had no interest in the struggle with the rebellious provinces. And such had been the force of his arguments-such the influence which the name of his country and the respect entertained for his personal character had brought to bear on the subject, that the proud flag of the Union alone of all the maritime nations of the earth passed unmolested through the waters of Denmark.

stern, but affectionate Norway-if England has burned her fleet and Sweden robbed her of her commerce, her children at least have lost none of their virtues, and a brave and noble race, they have proved themselves worthy of their timehonored name and the proud renown of their fathers.

This war, it is true, is not one of mere national pride, or of unimportant interests; they have given their fortunes and laid down their lives not merely for the recovery of one or two fertile provinces: the Danes fight for their very existence. They cannot exist without the socalled duchies of Schleswig and Holstein; the crown of Denmark loses its brightest jewels in those rich, fair lands, that have been to Denmark what Java has been to Holland; one half of her inhabitants, nearly three-fourths of her revenue, are at stake, and with the loss of those rebellious provinces falls the great wall which alone has prevented the German element from invading the peninsula and from destroying forever the nationality of the Danes.

For here also, in this fearless struggle of a small, but bold and determined people against the great Empire, we see the question of naThey were closed to all others, for Denmark, tionality mixed up with the desire of freedom. small, insular Denmark, was at war with great, Here also, the rights of the race and the rights powerful Germany. A noble sight, indeed they of the individual have been joined in a common were, these bold islanders, as, few in numbers, cause, and the principle that Germany ought to unsupported by friends or allies, trusting alone in extend wherever the German tongue is spoken, the God of their forefathers and the sacred right has proved itself as strong as the loudest clamor of their cause, they hesitated not to risk their for Liberty and Independence. Here also, we lives and their fortunes in a war against the forty- must not forget, the conflict is not of yesterday, four millions of Germans, who spoke of crush-rising with the first gusts of the revolutionary ing them in a few months and threatened to blot tempest and subsiding as its last dying sighs pass their kingdom from the maps of Europe. But over the fearful traces it has left on Europe. It they are a bold and stubborn race; the undaunt- is not a new movement; it is one of long duraed courage of the Northman animates even now tion, sedulously fanned by ambitious politicians, the bold Dane, and the hot blood and the fear-carefully nursed by the interested sympathy and less spirit of the Viking of old has been proved well-calculated cooperation of Germany, which even in our day by many a bold exploit and dates as far back as the earliest, ever ready ammany a bravely fought battle. Can we withhold bition of her great Emperors to extend her limour admiration when we see a kingdom, the its to the uttermost boundaries of the firm land. smallest of the small, poor in soil, but thinly in- What else was it that eight hundred years ago habited, cursed with a cruel climate and fearful brought the great Emperor with his most restorms, and strong only in faith and in courage, nowned knights, his most famous warriors, their occupied at the same time with the consolida-lances in rest and their hands on their swords, tion of its national liberty and engaged with all across the Dannevirke, there to display their lofty its might in the defence of its right, its territo-valor in vain and to leave their bright renown ries, its own children,—struggling hard, but ever on that great bulwark of Scandinavia? What honorably in sustaining a foreign war abroad and else was it that carried the proud Otho, one of subduing reckless insurrection at home? If Den- Germany's greatest sons, with his swarm of mark is no longer, as she has been for centuries, priests and monks, singing their holy chants in the powerful state of the North, giving kings to the shade of a thousand crosses and Christian England, holding half of Germany in subjection, banners, across the small stream that, a second ruling all Sweden and Norway-if she has lost Rubicon, has for a thousand years divided the