parents are to be discovered in several of the productions of the author of The Sketch-Book and Bracebridge Hall.

After some attention to the

The earliest of Mr. Irving's contributions to the Republic of Letters-a number of letters on the drama, the social customs of New York, &c.,-were published, in 1802 (under the nom de plume of Jonathan Oldstyle), in the Morning Chronicle, a Democratic journal, edited by the author's brother, Dr. Peter Irving. These epistles appeared in pamphlet form, without the author's consent, in the year 1824. study of Coke and Blackstone, the state of Mr. Irving's health caused him in 1804 to seek for that physical benefit which a change of scene and climate might naturally be expected to afford. After an absence of two years in Italy, Switzerland, France, and England, &c., he returned home in 1806, resumed his legal studies, and was admitted to the bar. In January, 1807, appeared, to the great delight of the wits of the good city of Gotham, the first number of a semi-monthly magazine, the joint production of Washington Irving, William Irving, (who contributed the poetry, and hints and sketches for some of the essays,) and James K. Paulding. This was the since-famous Salmagundi; or, The Whim-Whams and Opinions of Launcelot Langstaff and others. The amusing character of this periodical rendered it exceedingly agreeable to the town, and its popularity promised a long and profitable life; but for some reason or other it was discontinued, after the issue of the twentieth number. In 1809 was published the famous History of New York, by Diedrich Knickerbocker. The first part of this work was sketched in company with Dr. Peter Irving, who, on his departure for Europe, confided the whole to Washington, by whose humorous genius it was expanded to its present shape. Though this was one of the

first-fruits of his inventive talent, it is risking but little to affirm that in its peculiar qualities it has not been surpassed by any later efforts successful as they have been-of its accomplished author. In 1810, Washington Irving-who had never found sufficient attraction in his legal studies to induce him to practise the profession was admitted as a partner, with two of his brothers, in the extensive commercial establishment which they conducted at New York and Liverpool. The failure of this house in 1817, consequent upon the pecuniary difficulties which followed the treaty of peace between England and the United States, occurred when Washington was in Europe, and this reverse of fortune induced the already popular author to determine to follow literature as a profession. He had of late employed his pen but seldom a series of naval biographies contributed to Moses Thomas's (of Philadelphia) Analectic Magazine, (of which Irving was in 1813-14 the editor,) and a biographical sketch of Thomas Campbell, prefixed to a Philadelphia edition of the works of the latter, are all of Irving's productions with which the world seems to have been favored, from the date of the publication of The Knickerbocker, in 1809, to the time of the appearance of the Sketch-Book, in 1819. The numbers of the last-named work (composed in London) were transmitted to New York for publication, were read with avidity on both sides of the water, and several of the series were soon copied by Jerdan in the London Literary Gazette, and by the editors of other periodicals.

"We are greatly at a loss [remarks the formidable Blackwood in the number for February, 1820] to comprehend for what reason Mr. Irving has thought fit to publish his Sketch-Book in America earlier than in Britain; but at all events he is doing himself great injustice by not having an edition printed here of

every number, after it has appeared in New York.

Nothing has been written for a long time, for which it would be more safe to promise great and eager acceptance."-Vol. vi. 557, (by J. G. Lockhart.)

This is the article referred to by Sir Walter Scott in the letter quoted by Irving in the Preface to his revised edition of the Sketch-Book.

This was encouragement indeed, encouragement such as many a British aspirant for literary fame would have given the copy-right of his best work to have secured. In the same month in which the above eulogy appeared, Irving published in London, under the nom de plume of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent", the first volume of the Sketch-Book. It was printed by John Miller, but at the author's expense; Murray, the Great Mogul of the book-trade, having declined the enterprise. The failure of Miller within a few weeks after the publication threw Irving again on the town for a publisher, and, through the friendly offices of Sir Walter Scott, Murray was induced to act in the premises. He gave the author £200, which he soon felt justified by the sale of the work in increasing to £400. The Sketch-Book was originally published in February, 1820, in one volume, but in July of the same year it appeared in two volumes,—a second edition of the first, together with a new volume. The author had now attained an extended literary reputation, both at home and abroad; and so far was he from having any difficulty in procuring a publisher, that when Bracebridge Hall or the Humorists was ready for the press in 1822, Mr. Murray was ready to offer 1,000 guineas for the copy-right without having seen the MS. He obtained the coveted prize at his offer, and subsequently gave the same author nearly twice as much (£2,000) for the Chronicle of

the Conquest of Granada, and quite three times as much (3,000 guineas) for the History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus. But we anticipate. The dates of the publications of Irving's succeeding works, given to the world between the appearance of the Sketch-Book in London, in 1820, and his return to the United States in May, 1832, were as follows:

Bracebridge Hall, or, the Humorists; a Medley, by Geoffrey Crayon, Gent", Lon., 1822, 2 vols. 8vo. ; N. York, 1822, 2 vols. 8vo.

Tales of a Traveller, by Geoffrey Crayon, Gentn, Lon., 1824, 2 vols. 8vo.; N. York, 1824, 4 Pts. Sold to Murray (without his having seen the MS.) for 1500 guineas.

The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, 1828, 4 vols. 8vo.; N. York, 1828, 3 vols. 8vo.

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, Lon., 1829, 2 vols. p. 8vo.; Phila., 1829, 2 vols. 12mo.

Voyages of the Companions of Columbus, 1 vol. Lon., Paris and Phila., 1831.

The Alhambra, Lon., 1832, 2 vols. 8vo.; Phila., 1832, 2 vols. 12mo.

In May, 1832, as above stated, Mr. Irving returned home, after an absence of seventeen years. During this long period he had been an extensive traveller. We left him at London, superintending the publication of The Sketch-Book, in 1820. A portion of this year and of the following was spent in the city of Paris: the winter of 1822 was passed at Dresden, and that of 1825 in the south of France. In the winter of 1825-26, at the earnest request of Mr. Alexander H. Everett, American Minister to Spain, to whom the idea was first suggested by O. Rich, Esq., American Consul at Madrid,—Mr. Irving visited Madrid for the

purpose of translating into English the valuable compilation of Navarrete, Coleccion de los Viages y Descubrimientos, &c., published at Madrid in 1825, (after Mr. Irving's arrival,) in 2 vols. 4to. Mr. Rich, indeed, had from the first set his heart—not upon a mere translation of this collection, but-upon a Life of Columbus from the pen of Washington Irving. This darling desire he was so happy as to see realized, and to him, therefore, is the world indebted for the publication of this work. Mr. Irving was the guest of this eminent bibliographer, whose name has long been honored by students in both hemispheres; and, says he,

"In his extensive and curious library I found one of the best collections extant of Spanish colonial history, containing many documents for which I might, elsewhere search in vain. This he put at my absolute command, with a frankness and unreserve seldom to be met with among the possessors of such rare and valuable works; and his library has been my main resource throughout the whole of my labors."

We shall have more to quote to Mr. Rich's credit when we reach his patronymic in the future pages of our Dictionary. In this year (1826) and the following, as also in the spring of 1829, Mr. Irving made profitable journeys in the south of Spain, the results of which were given to the world in 1829, in the Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada; in 1832, in the picturesque pages of the Alhambra; in 1835, in the Legends of the Conquest of Spain; and in 1849-50, in Mahomet and his Suc

cessors.

Mr. Irving left Spain in July, 1829, and returned to London to discharge the duties connected with the Secretaryship of Legation to the American Embassy, which had been conferred upon