Contents.
MemoirTheDesertedBrideTheMain—Truck;Or，ALeapForLifePoetryTheCrotonOdeFragmentofanIndianPoemLand—Ho！
Woodman，SparethatTreeTheCottager’sWelcomeLandofWashingtonTheFlagofOurUnionLinesAftertheMannerofOldenTimeTheDreamofLoveI’mWithYouOnceAgainOh，WouldThatSheWereHereTheSwordandtheStaffTheChieftain’sDaughterThyWillBeDoneLifeintheWestSongofMarion’sMenJanetMoreaLisetteMyMother’sBibleTheDog—StarRagesLegendoftheMohawkTheBall—RoomBelleWeWereBoysTogetherOh，Boatman，HasteFuneralHymnO’ertheMountainsWomanRosabelThyTyrantSwayAHerooftheRevolutionRhymeandReason：AnApologueStarlightRecollectionsWeariesMyLoveofMyLetters？
FareTheeWell，LoveThouHastWoventheSpellBessieBellTheDayisNowDawning，LoveWhenOtherFriendsareRoundTheeSilentGriefLoveThee，Dearest？
ILovetheNightTheMiniatureTheRetortLinesonaPoetTheBacchanalTwentyYearsAgoNationalAnthemILoveTheeStillLookFromThyLattice，LoveSheLovedHimTheSuitorsSt.Agnes’ShrineWesternRefrainThePrairieonFireTheEvergreenTheMay—QueenVenetianSerenadeTheWhip—Poor—WillTheExiletoHisSisterNeartheLakeWhereDroopedtheWillowThePastor’sDaughterMargarettaTheColonelTheSweep’sCarolTheSeasonsofLoveMyWoodlandBrideOh，ThinkofMeMyBarkisOutUpontheSeaWillNobodyMarryMe？
TheStarofLoveWell—A—DayNotMarriedYetLadyofEnglandOh，ThisLoveMaryTheBeamofDevotionTheWelcomeandFarewell’TisNowthePromisedHourTheSongsofHomeMasonicHymnTheDismissedLordoftheCastleTheFallenBraveSongoftheTroubadourChampionsofLibertyTheHunter’sCarolWashington’sMonumentTheSister’sAppealSongoftheReapersWalterGayGroundsForDivorceTemperanceSongBoat—SongWillieTheRockofthePilgrimsYearsAgoTheSoldier’sWelcomeHomeTheOriginofYankeeDoodleLinesontheBurialofMrs.MaryL.WardNew—Yorkin1826
TheHero’sLegacyWhatCanItMeanWhereHudson’sWaveAuRevoirToMyAbsentDaughterSongoftheSewingMachineMyLadyWaitsForMeMusicTheMillionaireInMemoryofCharlesH.SandfordSeventy—SixAParodyTheStag—HuntDeliverUsFromEvilUnionWePartForEverCometoMeinCherryTimeOntheDeathofMrs.JessieWillisThankGodforPleasantWeatherTheMaster’sSongTheMissingShipJeannieMarshLucyEpitaphInMemoryofJohnW.Francis，JrNature’sNoblemenAWall—StreetLyricKingCottonWordsAdaptedtoaSpanishMelodyLoveinExileTotheEveningStarWelcomeHomeTheSycamoreShadeUptheHudsonOnlyThineEpigramonReadingGrim’sAttackuponClintonOnHearingthatMorseDidNotInventtheTelegraphAddressfortheBenefitofWilliamDunlopAddressfortheBenefitofJ.SheridanKnowlesAddressfortheBenefitofHenryPlacideTheMaidofSaxony：Or，Who’stheTraitor？
Ho！Hans！——Why，Hans！
Rejoice！Rejoice！We’reSafeandSoundTheLifeForMeisaSoldier’sLifeConfusion！AgainRejected！
WhenIbeholdthatLoweringBrow’TisaSoldier’sRigidDutyTheSpring—TimeofLoveisBothHappyandGayFromMyFateThere’sNoRetreatingLadsandLassesTripAwayAllHailtheKing！
HomeSky，Stream，Moorland，andMountainDaredTheseLipsMySadStoryImpartFieryMars，ThyVotaryHearAh！LoveisnotaGarden—FlowerTheKing，ThePrincesoftheCourtVictoria！Victoria！
ThisGloomyCellismyAbodeatLastHark！’TistheDeep—TonedMidnightBellOnce，MildandGentlewasmyHeartTheGentleBirdonYonderSprayThatLaw’sthePerfectionofReasonWithMercyLetJusticeWhatOutrageMore？——AtWhoseCommandTheJavelinFromanUnseenHandRejoice！OurLoyalHeartsWeBringOurHeartsareBoundingwithDelightNotesTheDesertedBrideTheCrotonOdeWoodman，SpareThatTreeTheChieftain’sDaughterSongofMarion’sMenJanetMcReaTheDog—StarRagesThePrairieonFireTheSweep’sCarolTheFallenBraveofMexicoTheChampionsofLibertyTheRockofthePilgrimsTheSoldier’sWelcomeHomeTheOriginofYankeeDoodleNew—Yorkin1826
TheMaidofSaxonyMemoirofGeorgeP.Morris.
ByHoraceBinneyWallace.
Blessthouthylot;thysimplestrainshaveledThehigh—bornmusetobethepoorman’sguest，Andwaftedonthewingsofsong，havespedTheirwaytomanyarude，unletteredbreast.
——Beranger.
Morrishashungthemostbeautifulthoughtsintheworlduponhingesof[illegible];andhissongsaredestinedtorolloverbrightlipsenoughtoforma[sonnet？illegible].Hissentimentsaresimple，honest，truthful，andfamiliar;hislanguageispureandeminentlymusical，andheisprodigallyfullofthepoetryofevery—dayliving.
——Willis.
ThedistinctionwithwhichthenameofGeneralMorrisisnowassociatedinapermanentconnectionwithwhatisleastfactitiousorfugitiveinAmericanArt，isadmittedandknown;buttheclassofyoungmenoflettersinthiscountry，atpresent，canhardlyappreciatetheextenttowhichthey，andtheprofessiontowhichtheybelong，areindebtedtohisanimatedexertions，hisvariedtalents，hisadmirableresourcesoftemper，duringaperiodoftwentyyears，andatatimewhenthecharacterofAmericanliterature，bothathomeandabroadwasyettobeformed.Thefirstgreatservicewhichtheliterarytasteofthiscountryreceived，wasrenderedbyDennie;aremarkableman;qualifiedbynatureandattainmentstobealeaderinnewcircumstances;fittotakepartintheformationofanationalliterature;asavindicatorofindependenceinthought，abletoestablishfreedomwithoutdisturbingtheobligationsoflaw;asaconservativeintaste，skilfultokeepthetoneofthegreatmodelswithwhichhisstudieswerefamiliar，withoutcopyingtheirstyle;bybothcapacitiessuccessfulindevelopingtheone，unchangeablespiritofArt，underanewformandwithneweffects.
Inthisofficeoffield—marshalofournativeforces，GeneralMorrissucceededhimunderincreasedadvantages，insomerespectwithhigherpowers，inadifferent，andcertainlyavastlymoreextendedsphereofinfluence.Themanifoldandlastingbenefitswhich，aseditorof\"TheMirror，\"GeneralMorrisconferredonartandartistsofeverykind，byhistact，hisliberality，thesuperiorityofhisjudgement，andthevigorofhisabilities;bytheperseveranceandaddresswithwhichhedisciplinedacorpsofyouthfulwriters，inthepresenceofaconstantandheavyfirefromthebatteriesofforeigncriticism;bytherarecombination，sovaluableindealingwiththenumerousaspirantsinauthorshipwithwhomhispositionbroughthimincontact;ofaquick，trueeyetodiscerninthemodestyofsomenamelessmanuscriptthefuturepromisesofapowerhardlyyetconsciousofitself;adiscretiontoguidebysoundadvice，andagenerositytoaidwiththemostimportantkindofassistance;thefirmandopentemperwhichhisexampletendedtoinspireintotherelationsofliterarymenwithoneanotherthroughouttheland;andmorethanall，perhaps，bytheharmonyandunion，ofsuchinappreciablevalue，especiallyinthebeginningofnationaleffort，betweentheseveralsisterartsofwriting，music，painting，anddramaticexhibition，whichthesingularvarietyanddiscursivenessofhisintellectualsympathiesledhimconstantlytomaintainandvindicate;these，inthemultiplicityoftheiroperation，andthefullpoweroftheirjointeffect，canbeperfectlyunderstoodonlybythosewhopossessedacontemporaneousknowledgeofthecircumstances，andwho，rememberingthestateofthingsatthecommencementoftheperiodalludedto，andobservingwhatexistedattheendofit，areabletolookbackoverthewholeinterval，andseetowhatinfluencesandwhatpersonstheextraordinarychangewhichhastakenplace，istobereferred.If，atthismoment，theliterarygeniusofAmerica，renewedinyouth，andquiveringlietheeagle’swingswithexcessofvigor，seemsabouttomakeanewflight，fromahighervantage—ground，intoloftierdepthsofairydistance，thecapacitytotakethatflightmust，toagreatdegree，beascribedtothosetwopersonswhomwehavenamed;withoutwhoseservicesthebrightererawhichappearsnowtobedawning，mightyetbedistantanddoubtful.
Besidestheseparticularsofpasteffort，whichoughttomakehiscountrymenlovethereputationofthesubjectofthisnotice，weregretthatourlimitsforbidustospeakatlargeofthosemoreintimatequalitiesofpersonalvalue，which，inourjudgment，formthegenuinelustreofonewho，admirableforotherattainments，istobeimitatedinthese.
Tousitisaninstinctivefeelingthatawrongisdonetothepropergrandeurofourcomplexnature——thataviolenceisofferedtothehigherconsciousnessofourimmortalbeing——wheneveranintellectualqualityisextolledtotheneglectofamoralone.
Moralexcellenceisthemostrealgenius;andatempertocopeandcalmlybafflethemultitudinousassaultsofthespiritualenmityofactivelife，isatalentwhichoutshinesallpraiseofmentalendowments.Unhappily，thebiographerofliterarycreatorsaffordsfewoccasionsinwhichafeelingofthiskindcanbeindulgedandgratified：thatsensibilityofmentalapprehensionswhichisthefameoftheauthor，isusuallyattendedbyasusceptibilityofpassionateimpressionwhichisthefateoftheman;andearthandsensedelighttowreaktheirdestructivevengencesuponthespiritualnatureofhim，ofwhoseintellectualbeingtheyaretheslavesandthesport.Inthepresentinstance，weareconcernedwiththecharacter——’totus，teres，atquerotundus;’whichmaybelookedupon，fromeveryside，withanequalsatisfaction.Searchthewideworldover，andyoushallnotfindamongtheliterarymenofanynation，oneonwhomthedignityofafreeandmanlyspiritsitswithagracemorenativeandfamiliar——whosespontaneoussentimentshaveatruertoneofnobleness——thecourseofwhoseusualfeelingsismoreexpandedandhonorable——whoseacts，whethercommonanddaily，ordeliberateandmuch—considered，arewontatalltimestobemorebeautifullyimpressedwiththosemarksofsincerity，ofmodesty，andofjustice，whichformtheverysealofworthinconduct.Thosejealousies，andlittlenesses，andenvyings，whichpreyuponthespiritsofmanymen，asthevultureontheheartthatchainedPrometheus——andwhosefiercebesetmenttheywhoWILLbemagnanimous，havetofightoff，asonedrivesawaytheeaglesfromtheirprey，withvoiceandgestures——seemnevertoassailhim.ItisthehappinessofhisnaturetohaveTHATonlyabsolutedeliverancefromevilwhichisimpliedinbeingrenderedinsensibletotemptation.
Whilethedutywhichislaiduponus，inthispaper，mainlyistoopenandsetforthhispoeticpraisesandclaimthelaurelforhisliterarymerits;whenthecrownofsongistobeconferreduponhim，weshallinterposetobegthatthechapletmaybeaccompaniedbysomemark，orsomeinscriptionwhichshalldeclare，\"Thisistherewardofmoralexcellence.\"
Forthesuccessofourspecialpurpose，inthisnotice，whichistoconsiderandmakeapparentthespecificcharacterwhichbelongstoGeneralMorrisasaliteraryartistandapoeticcreator，toexplainhisclaimstothattitlewhichthecommonvoiceofthecountryhasgiventohim——ofTheSong—WriterofAmerica——itwouldhaveprobablybeenmorejudicioushadwekeptoutofviewthemattersofwhichwehavejustspoken.ItisrecordedofaGrecianpainter，thathavingcompletedthepictureofasleepingnymph，headdedontheforegroundthefigureofasatyrgazinginamazementuponherbeauty;butfindingthatthesecondaryformattracteduniversalpraise，heeraseditasdivertingapplausefromthatwhichhedesiredtohaveregardedastheprincipalmonumentofhisskill.Thereisinthisanecdoteadoublewisdom;theworldisaslittlewillingtoyieldtoatwofoldsuperiorityasitisabletoappreciatetwodistinctobjectsatonce.
Inareviewofliteraryreputations，perhapsnothingisfittedtoraisemoresurprisethantheobviousinequalityintheextendandgreatnessofthelaborstowhichanequalrewardoffamehasbeenallotted.TheaboundingenergyandpicturesquevarietyofHomerareillustratedineight—and—fortybooks：theremainsofSapphomightbewrittenonthesurfaceofaleafofthelaurusnobilis.
Yetiftheoneexpandsbeforeuswiththemagnificentextent，thediversifiedsurface，theendlessdecorationsoftheearthitself，theotherhangsonhigh，likealone，clearstar——smallbutintense——flashinguponusthroughthenightofages，investedwithcircumstancesofdivinitynotlessunquestionablethanthosewhichattendthevenerablemajestyoftheAncientofSong.TherichandroseatelightthatshinesaroundthenameofMimnermus，isshedfromsomedozenortwentylines：theimmortalityofTyrtaeusrestsuponastanzaortwo，whichhavefloatedtouswiththeirpreciousfreight，overtheseaofcenturies，andwillfloatonunsubmergiblebyallthewavesofTime.ThesoulofSimonideslivestousinasinglecouplet;butthatistheverystuffofEternity，whichneitherfirewillassoil，nortempestperil，northewrathofyearsimpair.TheInfinitehasnodegrees;wherevertheworldseesinanyhumanbeingthefireoftheEverlasting，itbowswithequalawe，whetherthatfireisdisplayedbyonlyanoccasionalflash，orbyaprolongedanddiffusiveblaze.Thereisacertaintonewhich，hearitwhenwemay，andwherewemay，weknowtobetheaccentsofthegods;andwhetheritsqualitybeshowninasingleutterance，oritsvolumedisplayedinathousandburstsofmusic，wesurroundthebandofspiritswhomwetheredetectintheirmortaldisguise，withequalceremoniesofrespectandworship，hailingthemalikeasseraphsofabrightersphere——sonsofthemorning.
Thisisnatural，anditisreasonable.Geniusisnotadegreeofotherqualities，norisitaparticularwayorextentofdisplayingsuchqualities;itisafacultybyitself;itisamanner，ofwhichwemayjudgewiththesamecertaintyfromoneexhibition，asfrommany.Thepraiseofapoet，therefore，istobedeterminednotbythenatureoftheworkwhichheundertakes，butbythekindofmasterywhichheshows;notbythebreadthofsurfaceoverwhichhetoils，butbytheperfectnessoftheresultwhichheattains.
Mr.Wordsworthhasvindicatedthecapacityofthesonnettobeacasketoftherichestgemsoffame.Wehavenodoubtthatthesongmaygiveevidenceofageniuswhichshalldeservetoberankedwiththeconstructorofanepic.\"ScornnottheSONG.\"Wewouldgosofar，indeed，astosaythatsuccessinthesongimports，necessarily，amoreinbornandgenuinegiftofpoeticconception，thanthesameproportionofsuccessinotherlesssimplemodesofart.Therearesomesortsofcompositionwhichmaybewroughtoutofeagerfeelingandthefoamofexcitedpassions;andwhicharethereforetoalargeextentwithinthereachofearnestsensibilitiesandanambitiouswill;othersarethespontaneousoutflowoftheheart，towhoseperfection，turbulenceandeffortarefatal.Ofthelatterkindisthesong.Whiletheodeallowsofexertionandstrain，whatisdoneinitmustbeaccomplishedbynativeandinherentstrength.
Speakingwiththatconfidencewhichmaynotimproperlybeassumedbyonewho，havinglookedwithsomecareatthefoundationsoftheopinionwhichheexpresses，supposeshimselfable，ifcalleduponbydenial，tofurnishsuchdemonstrationofitstruthasthenatureofthematterallowsof，wesaythat，inourjudgment，thereisnoprofessedwriterofsongs，inthisday，whohasconceivedthetruecharacterofthisdelicateandpeculiarcreationofart，withgreaterprecisionandjustnessthanMr.Morris，orbeenmorefelicitousthanheindealingwiththesubtleandmultiformdifficultiesthatbesetitsexecution.Itiswellunderstoodbythosewhosethoughtsareusedtobeconversantwiththesuggestionsofadeeperanalysisthanbelongstopopularcriticism，thattheformsofliteraryartarenotindefiniteinnumber，variableintheircharacteristics，ordeterminedbythecasualtasteorarbitrarywillofauthors：
theyexistinnature;theyaredependentuponthosefixedlawsofintellectualbeing，ofspiritualaffection，andmoralchoice，whichconstitutetherationalityofman.Andtheactual，positivemeritofapoeticalproduction——thatrealmerit，whichconsistsinnativevitality，ininherentcapacitytolive——doesnotlieintheglitterorcostlinessofthedecorationswithwhichitisinvested——norintheforcewithwhichitismadetospringfromthemindofitscreatorintothemindsofothers——noryetinthescaleofmagnitudeuponwhichtheideasbelongingtothesubjectareillustratedinthework;butrather，aswesuppose，obviously，andinallcases，upontheintegrityandtruthwithwhichtheparticularformthathasbeencontemplatedbytheartist，isbroughtout，andthedistinctnesswithwhichthatonespecificimpressionwhichisappropriatetoit，isattained.ThisisthekindofexcellencewhichweascribetoMr.Morris;anexcellenceofaloftyorder;genuine，sincere，andincapableofquestion;morevaluableinthisclassofcompositionthaninanyother，becausebothmoreimportantandmoredifficult.
Forthesongappearstoustopossessadefinitenesspeculiarlyjealousandexclusive;tobelessflexibleincharacterandtopermitlessvarietyoftonethanmostotherclassesofcomposition.
Ifamanshallsay，\"Iwillputmoreforceintomysongthanyourmodelallows，Iwillchargeitwithagreatervarietyofimpressions，\"
itiswell;ifheisskilful，hemaymakesomethingthatisveryvaluable.Butinsofarashisworkismorethanasong，itisnotasong.InallworksofArt——whereverformisconcerned——excessiserror.
Thejustnotionandofficeofthemodernsong，aswethinkofit，istobetheembodimentandexpression，inbeauty，ofsomeoneofthosesentimentsorthoughts，gay，moral，pensive，joyous，ormelancholy，whichareasnaturalandappropriate，inparticularcircumstances，ortocertainoccasions，astheodortotheflower;
risingatsuchseasons，intothemindsofallclassesofpersons，instinctiveandunbidden，yetinobediencetosomelawofassociationwhichitisthegiftofthepoettoapprehend.Itsgracefulpurposeistoexhibitanincidentinthesubstanceofanemotion，tocommunicatewisdomintheformofsentiment;itistherefractedgleamofsomewanderingrayfromthefairorbofmoraltruth，whichglancingagainstsomeoccurrenceincommonlife，issurprisedintoasmileofquick—darting，manycoloredbeauty;itistheairyripplethatisthrownupwhenthecurrentoffeelinginhumanheartsaccidentallyencountersthecurrentofthoughtandbubblesforthwithagentlefretofsparklingfoam.Self—evolved，almost，andobedientinitsdevelopmentandshapingtosomeinwardsparkofbeautywhichappearstopossessandcontrolitscourse，itmightalmostseemthat，intheout—goinglovelinessofsuchproductions，sentimentmadesubstantialinlanguage，floatedabroadinnaturalself—delivery;asthatheatwhichisnotyetflame，givesforthinbluewreathsofvaporousgrace，whichunfoldtheirdelicatenessforamomentuponthetranquilair，andthenvanishaway.Itisnotanartificialstructurebuiltupbyintellectafteramodelforeshapedbyfancy，orforeshadowedbytheinstinctsofthepassions;itisasimpleemotion，crystalledintobeautybypassingforamomentthroughthecoolerairofthemind;itismerelyaneffluenceofcreativevigor;agracefulfeelingthickenedintowords.Itsproperdwellingisintheatmosphereofthesentiments，nothepassions;itwillnot，indeed，repelthesympathyofdeeperfeelings，butknowsthemratherundertheformoftheflowerthatfloatsuponthesurfaceofmeditation，thanofthedeeperrootthatliesbeneathitsstream.AndthisisthegrievousfaultofnearlyallLordByron’smelodies;thathepiercesthemtooprofoundly，andpassesbelowtheregionofgrace，charginghislyrewithfarmorevehemenceofpassionthanitsslightstringsaremeanttobear.Thebeautywhichbelongstothisproduction，shouldbeintheformofthethoughtratherthanthefashionofthesetting：thatgenuinenessandsimplicityofcharacterwhichconstitutealmostitsessence，aredestroyedbyanyappearanceofthecoldartificesofconstruction，palpablespringssetforouradmiration，wherebythebeginningisobviouslyarrangedinreferencetoaparticularending.Thisistheshort—reachingpowerofMoore——guilty，bydesign，ofthatdeparturefromsimplicity，bywhichhefascinatedonegenerationattheexpenseofbeingforgottenbyanother.Thesong，whileitisgeneralinitsimpression，shouldbeparticularinitsoccasion;
notanabstractionofthemind，butadefinitefeeling，specialtosomecertainsetofcircumstances.Risingfromoutthesurfaceofdailyexperience，likethewateryissuingsofafountain，itthrowsitselfupwardforamoment，thendescendsinasoft，glitteringshowertothelevelwhenceitrose.HereinresidesthechiefdefectofBayly’ssongs;thattheyaretoogeneralandvague——aspeciesofpatternsongs——beingembodimentsofsomegeneralfeeling，orreflection，butlackingthatsufficientreferencetosomeseasonoroccurrencewhichwouldjustifytheirappearing，andtakeawayfromthemtheaspectofpretensionanddisplay.
Theonlysatisfactorymethodofcriticismisbymeansofclinicallectures;andwefeelregretthatourlimitsdonotsufferus——toanygreatdegree——toillustratewhatwedeemthevigoroussimplicity，andgenuinegraceofMr.Morris，bythatmodeofexposition.Wemustrefertoafewcases，however，toshowwhatwehavebeenmeaningintheremarkswhichwemadeabove，uponthepropercharacterofthesong.Theballadof\"Woodman，sparethattree\"——oneofthoseaccidentsofgeniuswhich，however，neverhappenbuttoconsummateartists——issofamiliartoeverymindandheart，astoresentcitation.Take，then，\"MyMother’sBible.\"Weknowofnosimilarproductioninatruertaste，inapurerstyle，ormoredistinctlymarkedwiththecharacterofagoodschoolofcomposition.Ortake\"Wewereboystogether.\"Inmanlypathos，intendernessandtruth，whereshallitbeexcelled？\"TheMiniature\"possesthecaptivatingeleganceofVoiture.\"WhereHudson’sWave\"isagloriousburstofpoetry，modulatedintorefinementbythehandofamaster.
Wherewillyoufindanauticalsong，seeminglymorespontaneousinitsgenialoutbreak，reallymorecarefulinitsconstruction，than\"Land—ho！\"Howfullofthejoyousmadnessofabsoluteindependence，yetmadeharmoniousbyinstinctivegrace，is\"LifeintheWest！\"
Thatthesameheartwhosewildpulseisthrilledbytheadventurousinterestsofthehuntsmanandthewanderer，canbeatinunisonwiththegentlesttruthofdeepdevotion，isshownin\"WhenotherFriendsareroundThee.\"\"IlovetheNight\"hasthevoluptuouseleganceoftheSpanishmodels.Werewetomeetthelines\"Oh，thinkofme！\"inananthology，weshouldsupposetheywereSuckling’s——soadmirablyisthetoneoffeelingkeptdowntothelimitofprobablesincerity——whichisacharacteristicthatthecavalierstyleofcourtingneverloses.\"TheStarofLove\"mightstandasaselectedspecimenofallthatismostexquisiteinthesongsofthe\"Trouveurs.\"\"TheSeasonsofLove\"isacharmingeffusionofgay，yetthoughtfulsentiment.Thesong，\"Ineverhavebeenfalsetothee，\"is，ofitself，sufficienttoestablishGeneralMorris’sfameasagreatpoet——asa\"potensmagisteraffectuum\"——andasaliterarycreatorofahighorder.Itisathoroughlyfreshandeffectivepoemonasubjectashackneyedasthehighway;itisasdeepastruthitself，yetlightasthemovementofadance.Wehadalmostforgotten，whattheworldwillneverforget，thematchlesssoftnessandtransparentdelicacyof\"NeartheLake.\"Thoselines，ofthemselves，unconsciously，court\"thesoftpromoterofthepoet’sstrain，\"andalmostseemabouttobreakintomusic.Itisagreeabletofindthat，insteadofbeingseducedintoafalsestylebytheexcessivepopularitywhichmanyofhissongshaveacquired，GeneralMorris’slatereffortsareinaveinevenmoretrulyclassicthanhisearlierones，andshowadecidedadvance，bothinpowerandease.\"TheRockofthePilgrims，\"andthe\"IndianSongs，\"areaveryclearevidenceofthis.Wewouldwillinglygoonwithourreferences，asthereareseveralwhichhaveequalclaimswiththeseuponournotice，but——\"clauditejamrivos.\"
Sucharesomeofthecompositions，originalinstyle，naturalinspirit，beautifulwiththecharmofalmostfaultlessexecution，whichmaychallengefortheirauthorthetitleofthelauraeteofAmerica
Awriterin\"Howitt’sandthePeople’sJournal\"furnishesthefollowingsketchofGeneralMorrisandhisSongs，whichwascopiedandendorsedbythelateDr.RufusW.Griswold，inhisInternationalMagazine：——
\"Beforeusliesaheapofsongsandballads，theproductionoftherichfancyandwarmheartofGeorgeP.Morris.Notmanyweekssince，atapublicmeetinginLondon，agentlemanclaimedtobeheardspeakonthegroundofhisconnectionwiththepublicpressfromthetimewhenhewassevenyearsofage.WewillnotundertaketosaythatGeneralMorrisranhisjuvenilefingersoverthechordsofthelyreatsoveryearlyaperiod;butitiscertainhetriedhishandatwritingforthenewspaperswhenhewasyetbutamereboy.Whileinhisteens，hewasaconstantcontributortovariousperiodicals.Manyofhisarticlesattractednotice.Hebegantoacquirealiteraryreputation;andatlength，in1823，beingtheninhistwentiethyear，hebecameeditorofthe’NewYorkMirror.’
Thisresponsibleposthecontinuedtoholduntiltheterminationofthepaper’sexistencein1834.
\"Morrisaccomplishedaninfinityofgoodinthetwentyyearsduringwhichhewieldedtheeditorialpen.PerhapsnoothermanintheUnitedStateswassowellqualifiedforthenobletaskhesethimselfattheoutsetofhiscareeraseditor.Americanliteraturewasinitsinfancy，andsubjecttoalltheweaknessesofthatperiod.
Morrisresolvedtodohisutmosttowardformingacharacterforit，andlookedabroadanxiouslyforsuchascouldaidhiminhisendeavor.The’Mirror\"willeverbefondlyrememberedbytheAmericanliteraryman，forithasbeenthecradleofAmericangenius.
\"Tohimawriterin’Graham’sMagazine’attributesthepresentflourishingconditionandbrightprospectsoftransatlanticliterature.
HeevidentlypossessesapersonalknowledgeofGeneralMorris，anddiscoursesrighteloquentlyinhispraise.Nordowethinkthatheoverrateshismeritsintheleast.FromothersourceswehaveourselveslearnedmuchofthegenialnatureofGeorgeP.Morris，andhisgiganticlaborsasaliterarypioneer.Consideringitsjuvenilityasanation，republicanAmerica，indeed，hasbeenamazinglyprolificofgoodwriters.ThelargeshareMorrishashadinawakeningthelatenttalentofhiscountrymen，musteverbetohimahighsourceofgratulation.Andthen，asanoriginalwriter，hehaswonforhimselfahighplaceamongliteraryAmericans;heis，infact，knownthroughouttheStatesas’TheSongwriterofAmerica;’
andwehavetheauthorityofWillisforstatingthat’ninety—ninepeopleoutofahundred——takethemastheycomeinthecensus——wouldfindmoretoadmireinMorris’sSongsthaninthewritingsofanyotherAmericanpoet.’Willisalsotellsus，asproofoftheGeneral’spopularitywiththoseshrewddollar—lovingmen，thepublishers，that’hecan，atanytime，obtainfiftydollarsforasongunread，whenthewholeremainderoftheAmericanParnassuscouldnotsellonetothesamebuyerforasingleshilling！’Heisthebest—knownpoetofthecountrybyacclamation——notbycriticism.
\"Morrisseemstohavehadjusternotionsofwhatwasrequiredinasongthanmanywhohaveachievedcelebrityassong—writersinEngland.’Thejustofficeandnotionofthemodernsong’hasbeendefinedtobe，theembodimentandexpressioninbeautyofsomethoughtorsentiment——gay，pensive，moral，orsentimental——whichisasnaturalandappropriateincertaincircumstancesastheodortotheflower.Itsgracefulpurposeistoexhibitanincidentinthesubstanceofanemotion，tocommunicatewisdomintheformofsentiment.Asongshouldbetheembodimentofsomegeneralfeeling，andhavereferencetosomeseasonoroccurrence.
\"Itisnotadifficultthingtomakewordsrhyme;someofthemostunimaginativeintellectsweeverknewcoulddosowithsurprisingfacility.ItisraretofindasentimentalmissoralackadaisicalmasterwhocannotaccomplishthisINTELLECTUALfeat，withthehelpofWalker’sRhymingDictionary.Asforlove，why，everyonewritesaboutitnow—a—days.ThereissuchanabhorrenceofthesimpleSaxon——suchanoutrageousrunningafteroutlandishphraseology——thatwewonderfolksaresatisfiedwiththisplainterm.
\"WewondertheydonotseekforanequivalentinhighDutchorinlowDutch，inHungarian，orinHindostanee.Wewishtheywould，withallourheartandsoul.Wehavenoobjection，providedtheheartbetouched，thataheadshouldproducealittleofthestuffcalled’nonsenseverses’——thatthisarticleshouldbecommittedtoscentednote—paper，andcarefullysealedupwithskeweredheartsofamazingcorpulence.Godforbidthatweshouldbethoughtguiltyofasneeratrealaffection！——farfromit;suchevercommandsourreverence.Butwedonotfinditinthenoisytribeofgoslingsgreenwhowouldfainbethoughtofthenightingalespecies.Didthereaderevercontemplateachildengagedintheinterestingoperationofsuckingalollipop？——weassurehimthatthatactwasdictatedbyquiteasmuchoftruesentimentasputsinactionthefingersandwitsofthegeneralityofouryoungamatorypoetasters.
\"WeknowofnonewhohavewrittenmorecharminglyoflovethanGeorgeP.Morris.WouldtoApollothatourrhymsterswouldcondescendtoreadcarefullyhispoeticaleffusions！Buttheycontainnostrainingaftereffect——noextravagantmetaphors——nodrivelingconceits;andsothereislittlefearoftheirbeingtakenasmodelsbythosegentlemen.Letthereadermarkthesurprisingexcellenceofthelovesongs;theirperfectnaturalness;thequietbeautyofthesimiles;thefineblendingofgracefulthoughtandtenderfeelingwhichcharacterizethem.Morrisis，indeed，thepoetofhomejoys.
Nonehavedescribedmoreeloquentlythebeautyanddignityoftrueaffection——ofpassionbaseduponesteem;andhisfameiscertaintoendurewhiletheAnglo—Saxonwomanhasahearthstoneoverwhichtorepeathermostcherishedhouseholdwords.
\"Seldomhavethebenigneffectsofthepassionbeenmorefelicitouslypaintedthaninthe’SeasonsofLove’;andwhatsimpletendernessiscontainedintheballadof’Wewereboystogether.’Everywordinthatbeautifulmelodycomeshometotheheartofhimwhoseearlydayshavebeenhappy.Godhelpthoseinwhomthispoemawakensnofondremembrances！——thosewhosememoriesitdoesnotgetwanderingupthestreamoflife，towarditssource;beholdingateverystepthesunsmilingmorebrightly，theheavensassumingadeeperhue，thegrassafreshergreen，andtheflowersasweeterperfume.Howwondrousarenotitseffectsuponourselves！Thewrinkleshavedisappearedfromourbrow，andtheyearsfromourshoulder，andthemarksofthebranding—ironofexperiencefromourheart;andagainweareacarelesschild，gatheringprimroses，andchasingbutterflies，anddrinkingspring—waterfromoutthehollowofourhands.Aroundusarethehedges’withgoldengorsebrightblossoming，asnoneblossomnow—a—day.’Wehaveheardofdeath，butweknownotwhatitis;andthewordCHANGEhasnomeaningforus;andsummerandwinter，andseed—timeandharvest，haseachitsunutterablejoys.Alas！wecanneverremainlonginthishappydream—land.Nevertheless，wehaveprofitedgreatlybythejourney.
Thecowslipsandvioletsgatheredbyusinchildhood，shallbepotentinthehouroftemptation;andthecapofrusheswovenforusbykindhandsindaysgoneby，shallbeasurerdefencethanahelmetofsteelinthehourofbattle.No，no;wewillneverdisgraceourantecedents.
\"Thereisonequalityinhissongstowhichwecannotbutdirectattention——andthisistheiralmostfemininepurity.Thepropensitieshavehadtheirlaureates;andgenius，alas！hasoftendefileditsangelwingsbycontactwiththesensualandtheimpure;butMorrishasneverattemptedtorobeviceinbeauty;andashasbeenwellremarked，hislayscanbringtothecheekofpuritynoblushsavethatofpleasure.\"
Thefollowingletter，fromthepenofGraceGreenwood，isalady’stributetothegeniusofthepoet：——
\"Ihavereadoflate，withrenewedpleasureandhigherappreciation，thesongsandballadsofourgenial—heartedcountryman，Morris.I
hadpreviouslyworriedmyselfbyacourseofratherdryreading，andhispoetry，tender，musical，fresh，andnatural，cametomelikespring’sfirstsunshine，thesongofherfirstbirds，thebreathofherfirstviolets.
\"Whatacontrastisthispleasantvolumetothesoul—racking\"Festus，\"
whichhasbeenoneofmyrecentpassions.Thatremarkableworkhaspassagesofgreatbeautyandpower，linkedinunnaturalmarriagewithmuchthatispoorandweak.Itislikeastatelyruinedpalace，’MinglingitsmarblewiththedustofRome;’
oritislikeitsownfabledfirsttemplebuilttoGod，inthenewearth——amultitudeofgems，swallowedbyanearthquake，andscatteredthroughaworldofbasermatter.Thesoulofthereadernowfaintswithexcessofbeauty，nowshuddersattheterribleandtherevolting.theyoungpoet’smuseattimesgoeslikeProserpinetogatherflowers，butstraightwayisseizedbythelordoftheinfernalregions，anddisappearsinflameanddarkness.TheentirevolumeisapoeticalArchipelago——islesoflovelinesssprinklingadeadseaofunprofitablematter.
\"ItwereabsurdtocomparethelightandgracefulpoemsofMorriswiththework\"Festus\"——asimpleGrecianarchwithastupendousTurkishmosque——anEtruscanvasewithaGothictower.Yettherearedoubtlessmanywhowillprefertheperfectrealizationofmodestaspirations，togrand，butineffectualgraspingsafterglory’shighestandmostdivineguerdons——aquietwalkwithtruthandnature，toanIcarusflightofmagnificentabsurdities.
\"Ithasbeensaidthattheauthorof’Longtimeago’hasrungtoomanychangesonthesentimentandpassionofLOVE.Love，theinspirationofthegloriousbardsofold，’Whoplayupontheheartasonaharp，Andmakeoureyesbrightaswespeakofthem;’
’loveever—new，everlasting，fresh，andbeautiful，nowaswhenthesilenceofyoungEdenwasthrilled，butscarcebroken，bythevoiceofthefirstlover——ajoyandasourceofjoyforever.’
\"Iknowitismuchthefashionnow—a—days，toholdinlordlycontemptmanyofthosesweetandholyinfluenceswhichare——
’Asangelhands，enclosingours，LeadingusbacktoParadiseanbowers.’
\"Loveandlibertyarefastbecomingmereabstractionstotheenlightenedapprehensionofsomemodernwisemen.Itissadtoseehowsoonthosewhite—wingedvisitorssoiltheirplumageandchangetheirverynaturebyameredescentintothephilosophicatmosphereofsuchmind.OneisremindedofthewordsofSwedenborg——’Isawagreattruthletdownfromheavenintohell，anditTHEREBECAME
ALIE.’
\"Thiscynicalobjectiontothelaysofourminstrel，surelynevercouldhaveemanatedfromtheheartofWOMAN.SHEiseverloyaltolove——thattenderandyearningprincipleinthebosomoftheFather，fromwhichandbywhichthefemininenaturewascreated.
\"ThepoemsofMorrisareindeedlikethoseflowersofold，bornoftheblood—dropswhichoozedfromthewoundedfootofthequeenoflove——blushingcrimsontotheveryheart;yetthereisnot，tomyknowledge，inthewholerangeofEnglishliterature，solargeacollectionofamatorysongsinwhichsensualismandvoluptuousnessfindnovoice.Theselayscanbringtothecheekofpuritynoblush，savethatofpleasure——themothermaysingthemtoherchild，thebridetoheryounghusband.
\"’Festus’hasaneloquentreplytosuchasholdloveathemeunworthythetruebard：——
’Poetsareallwholove——whofeelgreattruths，Andtellthem;andthetruthoftruthsisLOVE.’
\"ThemuseofMorriswasPoesy’sown’summerchild.’Hope，love，andhappiness，sunny—wingedfanciesandgolden—huedimaginings，havenestedinhisheartlikebirds.
\"Hisversedoesnotcauseonetotrembleandturnpale——itcharmsandrefreshes.Itdoesnot’possesuslikeapassion’——itstealsuponuslikeaspell.Itdoesnotstormtheheartlikeanarmedhost——itislikethevisitationofgentlespirits，’Comingandgoingwithamusicallightness.’
Itisnotaturbulentmountain—torrent，hurlingitselfdownrockyplaces——itisasilverstream，glidingthroughquietvalleys，inwhosewavesthesweetstarsaremirrored，onwhosebosomthewater—liliessleep.
\"Nowandthentherestealsinastrainofsadness，liketheplaintofabereavedbirdinagardenofroses;butitisatender，notanOPPRESIVEsadness，andweknowthattherainbowbeautyoftheversecouldonlybeborninthewedlockofsmilesandtears.Inaword，hislaysarenot’nightandstormanddarkness’——theyaremorningandmusicandsunshine.
\"ItwereidleatthistimetoquoteorcommentuponallthosesongsofMorrisbestknownandoftenestsung.Itwouldbeintroducingtomyreadersoldfriendswhotooklodgingsintheirmemories’longtimeago.’Inreferencetothem，Iwouldonlyremarktheirpeculiaradaptednesstopopulartaste，thekeendiscrimination，thenicetact，or，touseoneofSirJamesMackintosh’shappyexpressions，the’FEELosophy’withwhichthepoethasinterlacedthemwiththeheart—stringsofanation.
\"’ARockintheWilderness’isanodethatanypoetmightbeproudtoown.ItismuchinthestyleofCampbell——chaste，devotional，’beautifulexceedingly.’Iknownothingofthekindmoremusicallysweetthantheserenade’’Tisnowthepromisedhour’——thefirstlineinespecial——
’Thefountainsserenadetheflowers，Upontheirsilverlute——
Andnestledintheirleafybowers，Theforestbirdsaremute.’
\"Manyanabsentlovermusthaveblessedourlyristforgivingvoicetohisownyearningaffection，halfsadwiththatdelicatejealousywhichisnowrongtothelovedone，inthesong’Whenotherfriendsareroundthee.’
\"’TheBacchanal’——ifourlanguageboastsalovelierballadthanthis，ithasnevermetmyeye.Thestoryofthewinning，thebetrayingandthebreakingofawoman’sheart，wasnevertoldmoretouchingly.
’TheDismissed’isinapeculiarveinofrichandquiethumor.I
wouldcommendittotheentireclassofrejectedloversascontainingthetruestphilosophy.’Linesafterthemanneroftheoldentime’remindoneofSirJohnSuckling.Theyare’sunnedo’erwithlove’——theirsubject，bytheway.’Ineverhavebeenfalsetothee’wasanemanationfromtheFEMININEnatureoftheminstrelalone.Whodoesnotbelievethepoetgiftedwithdualityofsoul？
’Thinkofme，myownbeloved，’and’Rosabel，’arethethrobbingsofalover’sbreast，settomusic;and’Onebalmysummernight，Mary，’’Theheartthatownsthytyrantsway，’and’WhenIwasinmyteens，’thedistillationofthesubtlestsweetslodgedintheinnermostcellsofallflowersdedicatedtolove.
\"Icomenowtomyfavorite，’WhereHudson’swave;’apoemwhichIneverreadbutthatitglowsuponmylipandheart，andleavestheairofmythoughtstremulouswithmusicalvibrations.Whatadeliciousgushofparentalfeeling！Howdaintilyanddelicatelymovethe’fitlychosewords，’trippingalonglikesilversandaledfairies.
\"’Land—Ho！’andthe’WesternRefrain’thrillonegloriously.’TheCottager’sWelcome’wouldofitselfcarrythepoet’snametothenextage，andthe’CrotonOde’keephisbaysgreenwithaperpetualbaptism.Thelast—mentionedisfreshandsparklingasitssubject，anddisplaysmuchoftheimaginativefaculty.
\"’Oh，amerrylifedoesthehunterlead，’rolledupthetenthwaveofMorris—ianpopularityattheWest.Itstirsthehunter’sheartlikeabugleblast——itringsoutclearasarifle—crackonahuntingmorning.
\"GeneralMorrishasrecentlypublishedsomesongs，whichhaveallthegrace，melody，andtouchingsweetnessofhisearlierlays.Butasthesehavebeenartisticallysettomusic，andareyetinthefirstseasonofpopularity——arelyingonthepianosand’rollingoverthebrightlip’ofallsong—dom，theycallfornofurthermentionhere.
\"IthinkIcannotbetterclosethissomewhatbrokenandimperfectnotice，thanbyreferringtooneoftheearliersongsofMorris，which，morethanallothers，perhaps，hasendearedhimtohisnativeland.’Homefromtravel’isasimple，hearty，manlyembodimentofthetruespiritofpatriotism，asentimentwhichthrobslikeastrongpulsebeneathourpoet’slightandgracefulverse，andneedsbuttheinspirationof’stirringtimes’toprompttodeedsofheroicvalor，likethelaysoftheancientbards，orthe’Chansons’ofBeranger.\"
ThebiographyofMorriswouldnotbecompletewithoutawordfromWillis.Wehaveadashofhispencilinthefollowinglettertotheeditorof\"Graham’sMagazine\"：——
\"MyDearSir：ToaskmeformyideaofGeneralMorris，islikeaskingthelefthand’sopinionofthedexterityoftheright.Ihavelivedsolongwiththe’Brigadier’——knowhimsointimately——workedsoconstantlyatthesamerope，andthoughtsolittleofeverseparatingfromhim（exceptbyprecedenceofferriageovertheStyx），thatitishardtoshovehimfrommetotheperspectivedistance——hardtoshutmyownpartialeyes，andlookathimthroughotherpeople’s.Iwilltry，however;and，asitisdonewithbutonefootofffromthetreadmillofmyceaselessvocation，youwillexcusebothabruptnessandbrevity.
\"Morrisisthebest—knownpoetofthecountry，byacclamation，notbycriticism.Heisjustwhatpoetswouldbeiftheysang，likebirds，withoutcriticism;anditisapeculiarityofhisfame，thatitseemsasregardlessofcriticism，asabirdintheair.Nothingcanstopasongofhis.Itisveryeasytosaythattheyareeasytodo.Theyhaveamomentum，somehow，thatitisdifficultforotherstogive，andthatspeedsthemtothefargoalofpopularity——thebestproofconsistinginthefactthathecan，atanymoment，getfiftydollarsforasongunread，whenthewholeremainderoftheAmericanParnassuscouldnotsellonetothesamebuyerforashilling.
\"Itmay，ormaynot，beonesecretofhispopularity，butitisthetruth——thatMorris’sheartisatthelevelofmostotherpeople’s，andhispoetryflowsoutbythatdoor.Hestandsbreast—highinthecommonstreamofsympathy，andthefineoilofhispoeticfeelinggoesfromhimuponanelementitisitsnaturetofloatupon，andwhichcarriesitsafetootherbosoms，withlittleneedofdeepdivingorhighflying.Hissentimentsaresimple，honest，truthful，andfamiliar;hislanguageispureandeminentlymusical，andheisprodigallyfullofthepoetryofevery—dayfeeling.Thesearedayswhenpoetstryexperiments;andwhileotherssucceedbytakingtheworld’sbreathawaywithflightsandplunges，Morrisuseshisfeettowalkquietlywithnature.Ninety—ninepeopleinahundred，takenastheycomeinthecensus，wouldfindmoretoadmireinMorris’ssongs，thaninthewritingsofanyotherAmericanpoet;
andthatisaparishinthepoeticalepiscopate，wellworthyawiseman’snurtureandprizing.
\"Asfortheman——Morris，myfriend——Icanhardlyventureto’burnincenseonhismoustache，’astheFrenchsay——writehispraisesunderhisverynose——butasfaroffasPhiladelphia，youmaypaythepropertributetohisloyalnatureandmanlyexcellencies.
Hispersonalqualitieshavemadehimuniversallypopular;butthisoverflowupontheworlddoesnotimpoverishhimforhisfriends.I
haveoutlinedatruepoet，andafinefellow——fillupthepicturetoyourliking.Yours，verytruly，\"N.P.Willis.\"
In1825，GeneralMorriswrotethedramaof\"Briercliff，\"aplay，infiveacts，foundeduponeventsoftheAmericanRevolution.Itwasperformedfortynightsinsuccession;andthemanagerpaidhimforit$3，500——asolidproofofitsattractivepopularity.Ithasneverbeenpublished.Prior，andsubsequenttothisperiod，hispenwasactivelyengageduponvariousliteraryanddramaticworks.
Hewroteanumberofthe\"WelcomestoLafayette，\"andsongsandballads，whichwereuniversallypopular，besidesmanyprologuesandaddresses.
In1842，hewroteanoperaforMr.C.E.Horn，calledthe\"MaidofSaxony，\"whichwasperformedfourteennights，withgreatsuccess，attheParkTheatre.Thepressofthecity，generally，awardedtothisoperathehighestcommendation.
FromtheperiodwhenGeneralMorriscommencedhiscareerasawriter，hispenhasbeenconstantlyemployedinwritingpoems，songs，ballads，andprosesketches.
In1840，theAppletonspublishedaneditionofhispoems，beautifullyillustratedbyWeir&Chapman;in1842，Paine&Burgesspublishedhissongsandballads;andin1853，Scribner’sedition，illustratedbyWeirandDarley，appeared.Thislastbeautifulworkhashadanimmensesale.
Theywerehighlycommendedbythepressthroughoutthecountry，andtheseandothereditionshavehadlargesales.Aportionofhisprosewritings，underthetitleof\"TheLittleFrenchmanandhisWater—Lots，\"werepublishedbyLea&Blanchard，whicheditionhasbeenfollowedbyothers，enlargedbytheauthor.
GeneralMorrishaseditedanumberofworks;amongthemarethe\"AtlanticClubBook，\"publishedbytheHarpers;\"TheSong—WritersofAmerica，\"byLinen&Ferin;\"NationalMelodies，\"byHorn&Davis;
and，inconnectionwithMr.Willis，\"TheProseandPoetryofEuropeandAmerica，\"astandardworkofgreatvalue.
In1844，inconnectionwithMr.Willis，heestablishedabeautifulweeklypaper，calledthe\"NewMirror，\"which，inconsequenceofthecoverandengravings，wastaxedbythepost—officedepartmentapostageequaltothesubscriptionprice;andnotbeingabletoobtainajustreductionfromMr.Wickliffe，thenpost—master—general，theproprietorsdiscontinueditspublication，afterayearandahalf，notwithstandingithadattainedacirculationoftenthousandcopies.
Thedaily\"EveningMirror\"wasnextcommenced，andcontinuedforoneyearbyMorris&Willis.
Afewmonthsafterwithdrawingfromthe\"EveningMirror，\"GeneralMorrisbeganthepublicationofthe\"NationalPressandHomeJournal;\"butasmanymistookitsobjectfromitsname，thefirstpartofitstitlewasdiscontinued;andinNovember，1846（Mr.
Willishavingagainjoinedhisoldfriendandassociate），appearedthefirstnumberofthe\"HomeJournal，\"aweeklypaper，publishedinNewYorkeverySaturday，whichiseditedwithtaste，spirit，andability，andwhichhasacirculationofmanythousandcopies.
GeneralMorrisisstillintheprimeandvigoroflife，anditisnotunlikelythatthepublicwillyethavemuchtoadmirefromhispen，andwhichwill，withoutdoubt，placehimstillhigherinthenicheoffame.HisresidenceischieflyatUndercliff，hiscountryseat，onthebanksoftheHudson，nearColdSpring，surroundedbythemostlovelyandbeautifulsceneryinnature，whichcannotfailtokeepthemusealivewithinhim，andtunetheminstreltofurtherandstillhigherefforts.
Althoughhepossessesabilitieswhicheminentlyqualifyhimforpublicstation，hisliterarytasteandhabitshave，inspiteofthestrenuoussolicitationsofhisfriends，ledhimtoprefertheretirementofprivatelife.This，however，doesnotpreventhistakinganactiveinterestinallquestionsofpublicgood;andthecityofNewYorkisgreatlyindebtedtohisvigorousaidformanyofhermostbeautifulandpermanentimprovements.
Wecannotclosethissketchwithoutadvertingtothefollowingincident，whichoccurredintheBritishHouseofCommons：——
\"Mr.Cagley，amemberfromYorkshire，\"saysthe\"LondonTimes，\"
\"Concludedalongspeechinfavorofprotection，byquotingtheballadof’Woodman，sparethattree’（whichwasreceivedwithapplauseofthewholehouse），the’tree’accordingtoMr.Cagley，beingthe’Constitution，’andSirRobertPeelthe’woodman，’abouttocutitdown.\"
Whatpoetcoulddesireamoregratifyingcomplimenttohisgenius？
PoemsandBallads.
Poems.
TheDesertedBride.[SeeNotes]
Suggestedbyasceneintheplayofthehunchback.
InscribedtoJamesSheridanKnowles.
\"Loveme！——No.——Heneverlovedme！\"
Elsehe’dsoonerdiethanstainOnesofondashehasprovedmeWiththehollowworld’sdisdain.
Falseone，go——mydoomisspoken，Andthespellthatboundmebroken.
Wedhim！——Never.——Hehaslostme！——
Tears！——Well，letthemflow！——Hisbride？
No.——Thestrugglelifemaycostme！
Buthe’llfindthatIhavepride！
Loveisnotanidleflower，Bloomsanddiestheself—samehour.
Title，land，andbroaddominion，Withhimselftomehegave;
Stoopedtoearthhisspirit’spinion，Andbecamemywillingslave！
Kneltandprayeduntilhewonme——
Lookshecoldlyuponme？
Ingrate！——NeversurewasmaidenDeeplywrongedasI.WithgriefMytruebreastisoverladen——
Tearsaffordmenorelief——
Everynerveisstrainedandaching，Andmyveryheartisbreaking！
LoveIhim？——Thusscornedandslighted——
Thrown，likeworthlessweed，apart——
Hopesandfeelingssearedandblighted——
Lovehim？——Yes，withallmyheart！
Withapassionsuperhuman——
Constancy，\"thynameiswoman.\"
Love，nortime，normood，canfashion——
Love？——Idolatry’sthewordTospeakthebroadest，deepestpassion，Everwoman’shearthathstirred！
Vaintostillthemind’sdesires，Whichconsumelikehiddenfires！
Wreckedandwretched，lostandlonely，Crushedbygrief’soppressiveweightWithaprayerforCliffordonly，Iresignmetomyfate.
ChainsthatbindthesoulI’veprovenStrongastheywereironwoven.
DeepthewothatfastissendingFrommycheekitshealthfulbloom;
SadmythoughtsaswillowsbendingO’erthebordersofthetomb！
WithoutClifford，notablessingIntheworldisworthpossessing.
Wealth！——astrawwithinthebalanceOpposedtolove，’twillstrikethebeam：
Kindred，friendship，beauty，talents？——
Alltoloveasnothingseem;
Weighloveagainstallelsetogether，Andsolidgoldagainstafeather.
Hopeisflown——awaydisguisesNaughtbutdeathreliefcangive——
ForthelovehelittleprizesCannotcease，andJulialive！
Soonmythreadoflifewillsever——
Clifford，faretheewell——forever！
TheMain—Truck;Or，ALeapforLifeANauticalBallad.
[Foundeduponawell—knowntalefromthepenofthelateWilliamLeggett，Esq.]
OldIronsidesatanchorlay，IntheharborofMahon;
Adeadcalmrestedonthebay——
Thewavestosleephadgone;
WhenlittleJack，thecaptain’sson，Withgallanthardihood，Climbedshroudandspar——andthenuponThemain—truckroseandstood！
Ashudderranthrougheveryvein——
Alleyeswereturnedonhigh！
Therestoodtheboy，withdizzybrain，Betweentheseaandsky！
Noholdhadheabove——below，Alonehestoodinair！
Atthatfarheightnonedaredtogo——
Noaidcouldreachhimthere.
Wegazed——butnotamancouldspeak！——
WithhorrorallaghastIngroups，withpallidbrowandcheek，Wewatchedthequiveringmast.
Theatmospheregrewthickandhot，Andofaluridhue，As，riveteduntothespot，Stoodofficersandcrew.
Thefathercameondeck——Hegasped，\"O，God，Thywillbedone！\"
Thensuddenlyariflegrasped，Andaimeditathisson！
\"Jumpfarout，boy！intothewave！
Jump，orIfire！\"hesaid：
\"Thatonlychanceyourlifecansave！
Jump——jump，boy！\"——Heobeyed.
Hesank——herose——helived——hemoved——
Hefortheshipstruckout！
OnboardwehailedtheladbelovedWithmanyamanlyshout.
Hisfatherdrew，insilentjoy，Thosewetarmsroundhisneck，ThenfoldedtohishearttheboyAndfaintedonthedeck！
Poetry.
Tometheworld’sanopenbookOfsweetandpleasantpoetry;
IreaditintherunningbrookThatsingsitswaytowardthesea.
Itwhispersintheleavesoftrees，Theswellinggrain，thewavinggrass，Andinthecool，fresheveningbreezeThatcrispsthewaveletsastheypass.
Theflowersbelow，thestarsabove，Inalltheirbloomandbrightnessgiven，Are，liketheattributesoflove，Thepoetryofearthandheaven.
ThusNature’svolume，readaright，Attunesthesoultominstrelsy，Tinginglife’scloudswithrosylight，Andalltheworldwithpoetry.
TheCrotonOde.[SeeNotes]
WrittenattherequestofthecorporationofthecityofNewYork.
Gushingfromthislivingfountain，Musicpoursafallingstrain，AsthegoddessofthemountainComeswithallhersparklingtrain.
Fromhergrotto—springsadvancing，Glitteringinherfeatheryspray，Woodlandfaysbesideherdancing，Shepursuesherwindingway.
Gentlyo’ertheripplingwater，Inhercoral—shallopbright，Glidestherock—king’sdove—eyeddaughter，Deckedinrobesofvirginwhite.
Nymphsandnaiads，sweetlysmiling，Urgeherbarkwithpearlyhand，MerrilythesylphbeguilingFromthenooksoffairy—land.
Swimmingonthesnow—curledbillow，Seetheriver—spiritsfairLaytheircheeks，asonapillow，Withthefoam—beadsintheirhair.
Thusattended，hitherwending，Floatsthelovelyoreadnow，Eden’sarchofpromisebendingOverhertranslucentbrow.
Hailthewandererfromafarland！
Bindherflowingtressesup！
Crownherwithafadelessgarland，Andwithcrystalbrimthecup.
Fromherhauntsofdeepseclusion，Letintemperancegreethertoo，AndtheheatofhisdelusionSprinklewiththismountain—dew.
Waterleapsasifdelighted，Whileherconqueredfoesretire！
PaleContagionfliesaffrightedWiththebaffleddemonFire！
Safetydwellsinherdominions，HealthandBeautywithhermove，AndentwinetheircirclingpinionsInasisterhoodoflove.
Watershoutsagladhosanna！
Bubblesuptheearthtobless！
CheersitlikethepreciousmannaInthebarrenwilderness.
Herewewonderinggaze，assembledLikethegratefulHebrewband，Whenthehiddenfountaintrembled，Andobeyedtheprophet’swand.
Roundtheaqueductsofstory，AsthemistsofLethethrong，Croton’swavesinalltheirgloryTroopinmelodyalong.
Eversparkling，bright，andsingle，Willthisrock—ribbedstreamappear，WhenposterityshallmingleLikethegatheredwatershere.
FragmentofanIndianPoem.
******
Theycome！——Befirm——insilencerally！
Thelong—knivesourretreathavefound！
Hark！——theirtrampisinthevalley，Andtheyhemtheforestround！
Theburdenedboughswithpalescoutsquiver，Theechoinghillstumultuousring，WhileacrosstheeddyingriverTheirbarks，likefoamingwar—steeds，spring！
Theblood—houndsdarkenlandandwater;
Theycome——likebuffaloesforslaughter！
Seetheirglitteringranksadvancing，SeeuponthefreewindsdancingPennonproudandgaudyplume.
Thestrangerscomeinevilhour，Inpomp，andpanoply，andpower！
But，whileuponourtribestheylower，ThinktheyourmanlyheartswillcowerTomeetawarrior’sdoom？
Righttheyforgetwhilestrengththeyfeel;
Ourveinstheydrain，ourlandtheysteal;
AndshouldthevanquishedIndiankneel，Theyspurnhimfromtheirsight！
BesetforeverindisgraceThegloryofthered—man’srace，Iffromthefoeweturnourface，Orsafetyseekinflight！
Theycome——Up，anduponthembraves！
Fightforyouraltersandyourgraves！
Drivebackthestern，invadingslaves，Infighttillnowvictorious！
Likelightningfromstorm—cloudsonhigh，Thehurtling，death—wingedarrowsfly，Andwind—rowsofpalewarriorsdie！——
Oh！neverwasthesun’sbrighteyeLookedfromhishill—topsintheskyUponafieldsoglorious！
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They’regone——againthered—menrally;
Withdanceandsongthewoodsresound：
Thehatchet’sburiedinthevalley;
Nofoeprofanesourhunting—ground！
Thegreenleavesontheblitheboughsquiver，Theverdanthillswithsong—birdsring，Whileourbark—canoestheriverSkimlikeswallowsonthewing.
Mirthpervadesthelandandwater，Freefromfamine，sword，andslaughter.
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Letus，bythisgentleriver，Blunttheaxeandbreakthequiver，While，asleavesuponthespray，Peacefulflowourcaresaway.
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Yet，alas！thehourisbriefLeftforeitherjoyorgrief！
AllonearththatweinheritFromthehandsoftheGreatSpirit——
Wigwam，hill，plain，lake，andfield——
Tothewhite—manmustweyield;
For，likesun—downonthewaves，Wearesinkingtoourgraves！
FromthiswildernessofwoLikethecaravanwego，LeavingallourgrovesandstreamsForthefar—offlandofdreams.
Thereareprairieswavinghigh，Boundlessasthesheetedsky，Whereourfathers’spiritsroam，Andthered—manhasahome.
Lettraditiontellourstory.
Aswefadeincloudlessglory，AsweseekthelandofrestBeyondthebordersofthewest，Noeyebutoursmaylookupon——
WEARETHECHILDRENOFTHESUN.
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Land—Ho！
UP，UPWITHTHESIGNAL！——Thelandisinsight！
We’llbehappy，ifneveragain，boys，to—night！
Thecoldcheerlessoceaninsafetywe’vepassed，Andthewarmgenialearthgladsourvisionatlast.
Inthelandofthestrangertrueheartsweshallfind，Tosootheusinabsenceofthoseleftbehind.
Land！——land—ho！——Allheartsglowwithjoyatthesight！
We’llbehappy，ifneveragain，boys，to—night！
THESIGNALISWAVING！——Tillmornwe’llremain，Thenpartinthehopetomeetonedayagain！
Roundthehearth—stoneofhomeinthelandofourbirth，Theholiestspotonthefaceoftheearth！
Dearcountry！ourthoughtsareasconstanttotheeAsthesteeltothestar，orthestreamtothesea.
Ho！——land—ho！——Wenearit！——Weboundatthesight！
Thenbehappy，ifneveragain，boys，to—night！
THESIGNALISANSWERED！——Thefoam—sparklesriseLiketearsfromthefountainofjoytotheeyes！
Mayrain—dropsthatfallfromthestorm—cloudsofcare，Meltawayinthesun—beamingsmilesofthefair！
Onehealth，aschimegailythenauticalbells：
Towoman——Godblessher！——wherevershedwells！
THEPILOT’SONBOARD！——thankheaven，all’sright！
Sobehappy，ifneveragain，boys，to—night！
Woodman，SparethatTree！[SeeNotes]
Woodman，sparethattree！
Touchnotasinglebough！
Inyouthitshelteredme，AndI’llprotectitnow.
’Twasmyforefather’shandThatplaceditnearhiscot;
There，woodman，letitstand，Thyaxeshallharmitnot.
Thatoldfamiliartree，WhosegloryandrenownArespreado’erlandandsea——
Andwouldstthouhewitdown？
Woodman，forebearthystroke！
Cutnotitsearth—boundties;
Oh，sparethatagedoak，Nowtoweringtotheskies！
Whenbutanidleboy，Isoughtitsgratefulshade;
InalltheirgushingjoyHere，too，mysistersplayed.
Mymotherkissedmehere;
Myfatherpressedmyhand——
Forgivethisfoolishtear，Butletthatoldoakstand.
Myheart—stringsroundtheecling，Closeasthybark，oldfriend！
Hereshallthewild—birdsing，Andstillthybranchesbend.
Oldtree！thestormstillbrave！
And，woodman，leavethespot;
WhileI’veahandtosave，thyaxeshallharmitnot.
TheCottager’sWelcome.
HardbyI’veacottagethatstandsnearthewood——
Astreamglidesinpeaceatthedoor——
Whereallwhowilltarry，’tiswellunderstood，Receivehospitality’sstore.
Tocheerthatthebrookandthethicketafford，Thestrangerweeverinvite：
You’rewelcometofreelypartakeattheboard，Andafterwardsrestforthenight.
Thebirdsinthemorningwillsingfromthetrees，Andheraldtheyounggodofday;
Then，withhimuprising，departifyouplease——
We’llsetyourefreshedontheway：
You’recoinforourservicewesternlyreject;
Notrafficforgainwepursue，AndalltherewardthatwewishorexpectWetakeinthegoodthatwedo.
Mankindareallpilgrimsonlife’swearyroad，AndmanywouldwanderastrayInseekingEternity’ssilentabode，DidMercynotpointouttheway！
IfallwouldtheirdutydischargeastheyshouldTothosewhoarefriendlessandpoor，Theworldwouldresemblemycotnearthewood，Andlifethesweetstreamatmydoor.
TheLandofWashington.
IgloryinthesagesWho，inthedaysofyore，Incombatmetthefoemen，Anddrovethemfromourshore.
Whoflungourbanner’sstarryfieldIntriumphtothebreeze，AndspreadbroadmapsofcitieswhereOncewavedtheforest—trees.
——Hurrah！——
IgloryinthespiritWhichgoadedthemtoriseAndfoundamightnationBeneaththewesternskies.
NoclimesobrightandbeautifulAsthatwheresetsthesun;
Nolandsofertile，fair，andfree，AsthatofWashington——Hurrah！——
TheFlagofourUnion.
\"Asongforourbanner？\"——ThewatchwordrecallWhichgavetheRepublicherstation：
\"Unitedwestand——dividedwefall！\"——
Itmadeandpreservesusanation！
Theunionoflakes——theunionoflands——
TheunionofStatesnonecansever——
Theunionofhearts——theunionofhands——
AndtheFlagoftheUnionforeverAndever！
TheFlagofourUnionforever！
WhatGodinhismercyandwisdomdesigned，Andarmedwithhisweaponsofthunder，Notalltheearth’sdespotsandfactionscombinedHavethepowertoconquerorsunder！
Theunionoflakes——theunionoflands——
Theunionofstatesnonecansever——
Theunionofhearts——theunionofhands——
AndtheFlagoftheUnionforeverAndever！
TheFlagofourUnionforever！
Oh，keepthatflagflying！——Theprideofthevan！
Toallothernationsdisplayit！
Theladiesforunionarealltoa——MAN！
Butnottothemanwho’dbetrayit.
Thentheunionoflakes——theunionoflands——
Theunionofstatesnonecansever——
Theunionofhearts——theunionofhands——
AndtheFlagoftheUnionforeverAndever！
TheFlagofourUnionforever！
LinesAftertheManneroftheOldenTime.
OLove！themischiefthouhastdone！
Thougodofpleasureandofpain！——
Nonecanescapethee——yesthere’sone——
Allothersfindtheeffortvain：
Thoucauseofallmysmilesandtears！
Thoublightandbloomofallmyyears！
Lovebatheshiminthemorningdews，Reclineshiminthelilybells，Reposesintherainbowhues，Andsparklesinthecrystalwells，Orhieshimtothecoral—caves，Wheresea—nymphssportbeneaththewaves.
Lovevibratesinthewind—harp’stune——
Withfaysandoreadslingershe——
Gleamsinth’ringofthewaterymoon，Ortreadsthepebblesofthesea.
Loverules\"thecourt，thecamp，thegrove\"——
Oh，everywherewemeetthee，Love！
Andeverywherehewelcomefinds，Fromcottage—doortopalace—porch——
Loveentersfreeasspicywinds，Withpurplewingsandlightedtorch，Withtrippingfeetandsilverytongue，Andbowanddartsbehindhimslung.
Hetinklesintheshepherd’sbellThevillagemaidenleanstohear——
Bylatticehighheweaveshisspell，Forladyfairandcavalier：
Likesun—burstsonthemountainsnow，Love’sgenialwarmthmeltshighandlow.
Thenwhy，yenymphsArcadian，why——
SinceLoveisgeneralastheair——
WhydoeshenottoLeliafly，Andsoftentheobduratefair？
Scornnervesherproud，disdainfulheart！
ShescoffsatLoveandallhisart！
Oh，boy—god，Love！——Anarcherthou！——
ThyutmostskillIfainwouldtest;
OnearrowaimatLelianow，Andletthytargetbeherbreast！
Herheartbindinthycaptivetrain，Orgivemebackmyownagain！
TheDreamofLove.
I’vehadtheheart—achemanytimes，AtthemerementionofanameI’veneverwoveninmyrhymes，Thoughfromitinspirationcame.
Itisintruthaholything，Life—cherishedfromtheworldapart——
Adovethatnevertriesitswing，Butbroodsandnestlesintheheart.
ThatnameofmelodyrecallsHergentlelookandwinningwaysWhoseportraithangsonmemory’swalls，Inthefondlightofotherdays.
Inthedream—landofPoetry，Reclininginitsleafybowers，HerbrighteyesinthestarsIsee，Andhersweetsemblanceintheflowers.
Herartlessdallianceandgrace——
Thejoythatlightedupherbrow——
Thesweetexpressionofherface——
Herform——itstandsbeforemenow！
AndIcanfancythatIhearThewoodlandsongssheusedtosing，Whichstoletomyattendingear，Likethefirstharbingersofspring.
Thebeautyoftheearthwashers，Andhersthepurityofheaven;
Alone，ofallherworshippers，Tomehermaidenvowsweregiven.
Theylittleknowthehumanheart，Whothinksuchlovewithtimeexpires;
Oncekindled，itwillne’erdepart，Butburnthroughlifewithallitsfires.
Weparted——doomednomoretomeet——
Theblowfellwithastunningpower——
AndyetmypulsewillstrangelybeatAttheremembranceofthathour！
Buttimeandchangetheirhealingbrought，Andyearshavepassedinseemingglee，ButstillaloneofherI’vethoughtWho’snowamemorytome.
TheremaybemanywhowilldeemThisstrainawayward，youthfulfolly，TobederidedasadreamBornofthepoet’smelancholy.
Thewealthofworlds，ifitweremine，Withallthatfollowsinitstrain，Iwouldwithgratituderesign，Todreamthatdreamofloveagain.
I’mWithYouOnceAgain.
I’mwithyouonceagain，myfriends，Nomoremyfootstepsroam;
Whereitbeganmyjourneyends，Amidthescenesofhome.
Nootherclimehasskiessoblue，Orstreamssobroadandclear，AndwhereareheartssowarmandtrueAsthosethatmeetmehere？
Sincelastwithspirits，wildandfree，Ipressedmynativestrand，I’vewanderedmanymilesatsea，Andmanymilesonland.
I’veseenfairrealmsoftheearthByrudecommotiontorn，WhichtaughtmehowtoprizetheworthOfthatwhereIwasborn.
Inothercountries，whenIheardThelanguageofmyown，HowfondlyeachfamiliarwordAwokeanansweringtone！
ButwhenourwoodlandsongsweresungUponaforeignmart，ThevowsthatfalteredonthetongueWithrapturethrilledtheheart！
Mynativeland，Iturntoyou，Withblessingandwithprayer，Wheremanisbraveandwomantrue，Andfreeasmountainair.
LongmayourflagintriumphwaveAgainsttheworldcombined，Andfriendsawelcome——foesagrave，Withinourbordersfind.
Oh，WouldthatShewereHere！
Oh，wouldthatshewerehere，Thesehillsanddalesamong，WherevocalgrovesaregaylymockedByEcho’sairytongue：
WherejocundnaturesmilesInallherboonattire，Androamsthedeeply—tangledwildsOfhawthornandsweet—brier.
Oh，wouldthatshewerehere——
ThegentlemaidIsing，WhosevoiceischeerfulasthesongsOfforest—birdsinspring！
Oh，wouldthatshewerehere，Wherethefreewatersleap，ShoutinginsportivejoyousnessAdowntherockysteep：
WherezephyrscrispandcoolThefountainsastheyplay，Withhealthupontheirwingsoflight，Andgladnessontheirway.
Oh，wouldthatshewerehere，Withthesebalm—breathingtrees，Thesylvandaughtersofthesun，Therain—cloud，andthebreeze！
Oh，wouldthatshewerehere，Whereglidetherosyhours，Murm’ringthedrowsyhumofbees，Andfragrantwiththeflowers：
WhereHeaven’sredeemingloveSpansearthinMercy’sbow——
ThepromiseoftheworldaboveUntotheworldbelow.
Oh，wouldthatshewerehere，Amidtheseshadesserene——
Oh，forthespellofwoman’slove，Toconsecratethescene！
TheSwordandtheStaffTheswordofthehero！
Thestaffofthesage！
WhosevalorandwisdomArestampedontheage！
Time—hallowedmementosOfthosewhohaverivenThesceptrefromtyrants，\"Thelightningfromheaven！\"
Thisweapon，OFreedom！
Wasdrawnbytheson，AnditneverwassheathedTillthebattlewaswon！
NostainofdishonorUponitwesee！
’Twasneversurrendered——
Excepttothefree！
WhileFameclaimstheheroAndpatriotsage，TheirnamestoemblazonOnHistory’spage，NoholierrelicsWilllibertyhoardThanFRANKLIN’sstaff，guardedByWASHINGTON’ssword.