the one which first sat in judgment on the early fruits of his lit

1. SALMAGUNDI; OR, THE WHIM-WHAMS AND OPINIONS OF LAUNCELOT LANGSTAFF, ESQ., AND OTHERS, January, 1807, to January, 1808:

"We all remember the success of Salmagundi, to which he was a large and distinguished contributor; with what rapidity and to what extent it circulated through America; how familiar it made us with the local pleasantry and the personal humors of New York, and what an abiding influence it has had in that city, by forming a sort of school of wit of a character somewhat marked and peculiar, and superior to every thing our country has witnessed, except, perhaps, that of the wits of The Anarchiad in Connecticut."-EDWARD EVERETT: N. Amer. Rev., xv. 206, July, 1822.

"We have no hesitation in saying at the outset, that we consider the good papers of Salmagundi, and the greater part of Knickerbocker, superior to the Sketch-Book.... It [Salmagundi] was exceedingly pleasant morning or after-dinner reading, never taking up too much of a gentleman's time from his business and pleasures, nor so exalted and spiritualized as to seem mystical to his far-reaching vision. . . . Though its wit is sometimes forced, and its serious style sometimes false, upon looking it over we have found it full of entertainment, with an infinite variety of characters and circumstances, and with that amiable, good-natured wit and pathos which shows that the heart has not grown hard while making merry of the world."-RICHARD H. DANA, SR.: N. Amer. Rev., ix. 323, 334, 344-345, Sept. 1819.

"The better pieces are written in Mr. Irving's best manner. Take it altogether, it was certainly a production of extraordinary merit, and was instantaneously and universally recognized as such by the public. It wants, of course, the graver merits of the modern British Collections of Essays; but for spirit, effect, and

actual literary value, we doubt whether any publication of the class since The Spectator, upon which it is directly modelled, can fairly be put in competition with it."-ALEXANDER H. EVERETT: N. Amer. Rev., xxviii. 116, Jan. 1829.

"It was in form and method of publication imitated from The Spectator, but, in details, spirit, and aim, so exquisitely adapted to the latitude of New York, that its appearance was hailed with a delight hitherto unknown: it was, in fact, a complete triumph of local genius."-HENRY T. TUCKERMAN: Sketch of Amer. Lit.

"In this work we are introduced to the watering-places, balls, elections, reviews, and coteries of the daughter-country, and particularly of New York, the centre of its fashion, in a style of unsparing and broad humor, infinitely outdoing any liberties which Mathews thought fit to take with his hospitable entertainers, and reflecting some credit on the good temper which was shown by its reception. . . . That Salmagundi owes its principal pretensions to Mr. Irving's exertions, we are the more inclined to conclude from the evidence of a work in which, not very long afterwards, he tried his strength single-handed, under the title of Knickerbocker's Humorous History of New York."-Lon. Quar. Rev., xxxi. 474, 475, March, 1825.

"The production of Paulding, Irving, Verplanck,* and perhaps of others, in partnership: the papers of Paulding are more sarcastic, ill-natured, acrimonious,-bitter,-than those of Irving; but quite as able: those by Verplanck we do not know: we have only heard of him as one of the writers: it is a work in two volumes duodecimo; essays, after the manner of Goldsmith,- -a downright, secret, labored, continual imitation of him,—abounding, too, in plagiarisms: the title is from our English FLIMFLAMS: oriental papers, the little man in black, &c. &c., from the Citizen of the World: parts are capital: as a whole, the work is quite superior to any thing of the kind which this age has produced."-Blackw. Mag., xvii. 61, Jan. 1825.

* An error: Mr. Verplanck had no part in the work.-Ed.

2. KNICKERBOCKER'S HISTORY OF NEW YORK, 1809.

It was to this work that Irving owed his fortunate introduction to Sir Walter Scott. Campbell was aware of the delight with which it was read by the Great Unknown, and therefore gave the author a letter to Abbotsford. The young American arrived at Selkirk on the 29th of August, 1817.

"I had come down from Edinburgh," he tells us, "partly to visit Melrose Abbey and its vicinity, but chiefly to get a sight of the mighty minstrel of the North.' I had a letter of introduction to him from Thomas Campbell, the poet, and had reason to think, from the interest he had taken in some of my earlier scribblings, that a visit from me would not be deemed an intrusion. On the following morning, after an early breakfast, I set off in a post-chaise for the Abbey. On the way thither I stopped at the gate of Abbotsford, and sent the postillion to the house with the letter of introduction and my card, on which I had written that I was on my way to the ruins of Melrose Abbey, and wished to know whether it would be agreeable to Mr. Scott (he had not yet been made a baronet) to receive a visit from me in the course of the morning."-Irving's Abbotsford.

Mr. Lockhart shall tell us in what spirit this "modest approach" was received:

"Scott's family well remember the delight with which he received this announcement: he was at breakfast, and sallied forth instantly, dogs and children after him as usual, to greet the guest and conduct him in person from the highway to the door."Lockhart's Life of Scott.

Mr. Irving must be permitted to take up the thread:

"Before Scott had reached the gate, he called out to me in a hearty tone, welcoming me to Abbotsford, and asking news of Campbell. Arrived at the door of the chaise, he grasped me

warmly by the hand: 'Come, drive down, drive down to the house,' said he; 'ye're just in time for breakfast, and afterwards ye shall see all the wonders of the Abbey.'

"I would have excused myself on the plea of having already made my breakfast. 'Hout, man!' cried he; 'a ride in the morning in the keen air of the Scotch hills is warrant enough for a second breakfast!' - Ubi supra.

Thus graphically is sketched, by the gratified stranger, his first interview with the tried and loving friend of many years; and this lifelike description is familiar, or should be so, to all. But it has been the happy lot of the writer of these pages to hear from Irving's own lips-while the generous tear of affection quivered in his eye-the pathetic account of his last interview with his friend, a few months before the lamentations of nations over

his grave testified to the strong hold which he had gained upon the hearts of his readers in every land. But we are anticipating here: should we ever record the deeply-interesting narration to which we refer, it will be more appropriately introduced in our life of the author of Waverley. It is worth mentioning in this connection, that in a letter from Scott to John Richardson, dated 22d Sept. 1817, he remarks:

"When you see Tom Campbell, tell him with my best love that I have to thank him for making me known to Mr. Washington Irving, who is one of the best and pleasantest acquaintances I have made this many a day."

Every American who has been abroad, and mingled at all in the polite circles of Europe, can testify that Sir Walter Scott here speaks that only which thousands will gladly endorse. We quote one instance which we find recorded in Mr. N. P. Willis's agreeable Pencillings by the Way. He is describing an evening party at the Countess of Blessington's:

"Nearest me sat Smith, the author of Rejected Addresses,a hale, handsome man, apparently fifty, with white hair, and a very nobly-formed head and physiognomy. . . . Among other things, he talked a great deal of America, and asked me if I knew our distinguished countryman, Washington Irving. I had never been so fortunate as to meet him. 'You have lost a great deal,' he said, 'for never was so delightful a fellow. I was once taken down with him into the country by a merchant to dinner. Our friend stopped his carriage at the gate of his park, and asked us if we would walk through his grounds to the house. Irving refused, and held me down by the coat, so that we drove on to the house together, leaving our host to follow on foot. "I make it a principle," said Irving, "never to walk with a man through his own grounds. I have no idea of praising a thing whether I like it or not. You and I will do them to-morrow morning by ourselves." The rest of the company had turned their attention to Smith as he began his story, and there was a universal inquiry after Mr. Irving. Indeed, the first questions on the lips of every one to whom I am introduced as an American are of him and Cooper."

Tom Moore's warm affection for the author of the SketchBook is no secret to those who have read the entertaining Diary of the former, recently published by Lord John Russell. We quote from one of the poet's entries a bon mot of Irving's, which has amused us not a little :

"April 10, 1830.-Forgot to mention in its place Irving's description of the evening at Horace Twiss's, (the evening of the day he wanted me to meet the Duke of Wellington.) But few people had come; and 'there was Twiss,' said Irving, 'with his two great men, the Duke and the Chancellor, just like a spider that has got two big flies, and does not know what to do with them.""

But, the reader will query, how had Scott become acquainted