SHORT ARTICLE.-The Apple Girl, 128.

POETRY.-Maides and Widowes, 133-The Christian Woman; Patience, 143.

PROSPECTUS. This work is conducted in the spirit cf | now becomes every intelligent American to be informeu Littell's Museum of Foreign Literature, (which was favor- of the condition and changes of foreign countries. And ably received by the public for twenty years,) but as it is this not only because of their nearer connection with ourtwice as large, and appears so often, we not only give selves, but because the nations seem to be hastening, spirit and freshness to it by many things which were ex- through a rapid process of change, to some new state of cluded by a month's delay, but while thus extending our things, which the merely political prophet cannot compute scope and gathering a greater and more attractive variety, or foresee. are able so to increase the solid and substantial part of our literary, historical, and political harvest, as fully to satisfy the wants of the American reader.

Geographical Discoveries, the progress of Colonization, (which is extending over the whole world,) and Voyages and Travels, will be favorite matter for our selections; and, in general, we shall systematically and very ully acquaint our readers with the great department of Foreign affairs, without entirely neglecting our own.

The elaborate and stately Essays of the Edinburgh, Quarterly, and other Reviews; and Blackwood's noble criticisms on Poetry, his keen political Commentaries, highly wrought Tales, and vivid descriptions of rural and While we aspire to make the Living Age desirable to mountain Scenery; and the contributions to Literature, all who wish to keep themselves informed of the rapid History, and Common Life, by the sagacious Spectator, progress of the movement-to Statesmen, Divines, Lawthe sparkling Examiner, the judicious Athenæum, the yers, and Physicians-to men of business and men of busy and industrious Literary Gazette, the sensible and leisure-it is still a stronger object to make it attractive comprehensive Britannia, the sober and respectable Chris- and useful to their Wives and Children. We believe that tian Observer; these are intermixed with the Military we can thus do some good in our day and generation; and and Naval reminiscences of the United Service, and with hope to make the work indispensable in every well-inthe best articles of the Dublin University, New Monthly, formed family. We say indispensable, because in this Fraser's, Tail's, Ainsworth's, Hood's, and Sporting Mag-day of cheap literature it is not possible to guard against azines, and of Chambers' admirable Journal. We do not the influx of what is bad in taste and vicious in morals, consider it beneath our dignity to borrow wit and wisdom in any other way than by furnishing a sufficient supply from Punch; and, when we think it good enough, make of a healthy character. The mental and moral appetite use of the thunder of The Times. We shall increase our must be gratified. variety by importations from the continent of Europe, and from the new growth of the British colonies.

The steamship has brought Europe, Asia, and Africa, into our neighborhood; and will greatly multiply our connections, as Merchants, Travellers, and Politicians, with all parts of the world; so that much more than ever it

We hope that, by "winnowing the wheat from the chaff," by providing abundantly for the imagination, and by a large collection of Biography, Voyages and Travels, History, and more solid matter, we may produce a work which shall be popular, while at the same time it will aspire to raise the standard of public taste.

tion of this work-and for doing this a liberal commission will be allowed to gentlemen who will interest themselves in the business. And we will gladly correspond on this subject with any agent who will send us undoubted refer

TERMS. The LIVING AGE is published every Satur- Agencies. We are desirous of making arrangements day, by E. LITTELL & Co., corner of Tremont and Brom-in all parts of North America, for increasing the circula field sts., Boston; Price 124 cents a number, or six dollars a year in advance. Remittances for any period will be thankfully received and promptly attended to. To insure regularity in mailing the work, orders should be addressed to the office of publication, as above. Clubs, paying a year in advance, will be supplied as follows:

ences.

Postage.-When sent with the cover on, the Living Age consists of three sheets, and is rated as a pamphlet, at 44 cents. But when sent without the cover, it comes within the definition of a newspaper given in the law, and cannot legally be charged with more than newspaper postage, (14 cts.) We add the definition alluded to:

A newspaper is "any printed publication, issued in numbers, consisting of not more than two sheets, and published at short, stated intervals of not more than one month, conveying intelligence of passing events."

Monthly parts.-For such as prefer it in that form, the Living Age is put up in monthly parts, containing four or five weekly numbers. In this shape it shows to great advantage in comparison with other works, containing in each part double the matter of any of the quarterlies. But we recommend the weekly numbers, as fresher and fuller of life. Postage on the monthly parts is about 14 cents. The volumes are published quarterly, each volume containing as much matter as a quarterly review gives in eighteen months.

WASHINGTON, 27 DEC., 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.

LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 232.-28 OCTOBER, 1848.

From the Dublin University Magazine.
COLDSMITH AND HIS BIOGRAPHERS.*

this complaint. Our edition of Goldsmith's Works we are sorry to say is not Prior's, which we have no doubt is the best, but it professes to give matter not in former editions. Are we, when we wish to make use of a passage of Goldsmith for any purpose, to examine whether it has been for the first time printed in the volume before us, or

A CONTROVERSY of no great importance has been occasioned by Mr. Forster's "Life and Adventures of Oliver Goldsmith." In 1837, Mr. Prior, who had, for several years before, been occupied in collecting materials for the life of Gold-not? Has the person, whose claim on public smith, published what Mr. Forster justly calls his gratitude is the having rendered more easily accesmost careful biography of the poet. He, about sible a passage of a great author that but for him the same time, edited his "Miscellaneous Works," would lie unknown in the dust of libraries, a right incorporating with the old collection much matter to deprive the public of all use of that which he gleaned from the reviews and magazines with has rendered accessible? Has Forster used anywhich Goldsmith was connected; notices of books thing that it was unfair to use, in these labors of and essays, which had either been overlooked by Mr. Prior? Has there been any ungenerous conformer editors, or regarded as undeserving a place cealment of the merits of a former laborer in the among his more permanent works. This task same field, as far as their field of occupation is the was performed diligently, and with great love of same? If it were true, as Mr. Prior says, that the subject in which he was engaged, by Mr. there is no fact in Mr. Forster's book which is not Prior, and both his books are of exceeding value. also in his, is not this of but little moment when Of these books Mr. Forster has made considerable the question is not as to the facts themselves, but use, and they must have, in some respects, as to the view taken of them? A little examinaabridged his labor, when he undertook his own tion would leave a good many of these facts in work. This, for the most part, is often enough rather a shattered condition; and, as far as Mr. acknowledged by Mr. Forster, and, to say the Forster's work is concerned, we really think it truth, we are by no means sure that had Mr. Pri- would be, in every respect, improved by the omisor's work never existed, Mr. Forster's work would sion of several of them, to which, whatever be the have been materially different from what it is. test applied, we think a little examination will The character of Goldsmith, as deduced by Mr. show he has given too easy credence. The disForster, from all existing materials, including those putes as to Goldsmith's birth-place have been rewhich the diligence of Mr. Prior has added to moved by a reference to the family Bible, which those previously accessible to all, is not essentially determines it to have been at Pallas, in the county different from the view taken of it by Scott, by of Longford. In three lives of Goldsmith, pubCampbell, and by a writer who, had life been lished before Mr. Prior's, that are on our shelves, spared, would have ranked as an authority on such Pallas is stated to be his birth-place. It was statsubjects with either Scott or Campbell-the late ed also on his monument in Westminster Abbey. Professor Butler,†-all of whose essays on the This was thought to have been disproved, and life and genius of Goldsmith were published before other places were successively assigned, on what the appearance of Mr. Prior's book. Minute ac- seemed sufficient authority. Mr. Forster states curacy or inaccuracy, in such a view of the sub-the fact as it truly was; but we think that, as it ject as Forster takes, is of but little comparative moment. He has adopted—perhaps sometimes silently—Mr. Prior's correction of some name of place or date, and he has-silently-corrected Mr. Prior's mistakes-the matters being, for his purposes, almost indifferent, and in our mind, to say the truth, of small account. He has-which Mr. Prior seems unreasonably angry with-transcribed Mr. Prior's transcripts, instead of transcribing from the old books which are in every library-and this without, in all cases, referring to Mr. Prior. We protest we cannot understand the meaning of

had been a matter of dispute, and as without the evidence which Mr. Prior was, we believe, the first to produce, it would have been impossible for any person to decide between the conflicting claims, it was scarcely reasonable not to have stated that the point was fixed beyond controversy by Mr. Prior. The inscription on his monument misstates the year of his birth. Biographers who lived before Mr. Prior stated the true date, but to Mr. Prior is due the merit of establishing it; and, were it of much importance, we think a foot-note, indicating this, ought to have been given; but, through Mr. Forster's beautifully-printed volume, no one foot-note occurs; and we almost fall out with a symmetry which interferes with convenience to such an extent, as to deprive author and readers of what, to both author and readers, is calculated

to present a great advantage. In this controversy, | times called "Percy's Life of Goldsmith" and his which has extended to several lengthy letters, that other biographers-as for want of a better name have been published in the weekly literary journals, we must call them-have formed a strange ideal we differ from both the combatants. Forster's use of the man-forgetting that in this, as in other of Mr. Prior's work we think perfectly fair-but cases, the poet lives two distinct and wholly diswe think it ought to have been more distinctly parate lives-that his world of imagination is most stated than it is-as for instance, in the case which often one entirely in contrast with that forced on we have mentioned. We feel that there ought to him by the realities of the world; that his walk have been words of the very strongest acknowl- on earth is not among the scenes which his fancy edgment of a debt to Mr. Prior, which not only creates; that anything more utterly prosaic, more Forster, but every man who shall ever write on inconsistent with truth and nature, than the effort, the subject of Goldsmith, must be contented to owe which some persons have been engaged in, to reto a biographer, whose researches have led him to create what they call his "Auburn," by clipping every accessible source of information, at a time hawthorns, and putting up, in village ale-houses, when they were still accessible. On the other copies ofhaud, we cannot agree with Mr. Prior in thinking The twelve good rules the royal martyr drew, that Mr. Forster, or any other writer, is precluded from a statement of the facts of Goldsmith's life, can scarcely be conceived. In the same spirit, all because he, Prior, has succeeded in verifying or the adventures of "Moses" and "Tony Lumprefuting former narratives. It would have been kin," were told of Goldsmith himself; and it is impossible for Mr. Forster to build his superstruc- really hard to disconnect the mingled web of ficture of interesting comment on the character of tion and fact, so zealously has it been woven toGoldsmith and the literature of his era, without gether. The biography of Goldsmith, in the nardetailing the facts of his life. Had Prior's account ratives prefixed to the different editions of his of them been less loaded with the production of works, is manufactured from his own works of evidence necessary for his purpose of establishing imagination. All the droll stories he has inventthe facts themselves, but unnecessary and only ed, of simplicity or shrewdness, are ascribed to cumbersome for Mr. Forster's, where the facts himself as the hero; and tradition is engaged in themselves are treated but as evidence of something its work of moulding anew the materials supplied more important, we should have thought Forster's to its hand. No person has travelled in the Higheasier and more natural course would have been to lands of Scotland, who has not been amused by quote, more frequently than he does, Mr. Prior's the guides pointing out not only the actual localivery words. The ascertainment of the actual facts ties of the incidents created by Scott, but also exof Goldsmith's life has been Mr. Prior's peculiar hibiting their skill in ascribing to some well-known province. The inferences to be deduced from individual the traits of his " Meg Merrilies" and these facts are, properly speaking, the sole object" Edie Ochiltree." Fairy legends, invented by of Mr. Forster's book. Each work is, in its own the genius of Crofton Croker, are told by the boatway, valuable. Each book is, for its own pur- men at Killarney, and affirmed by them to be beposes, best. We think Mr. Forster's acknowl- lieved in the neighborhood-nay, are believed. edgments ought to have been far more distinct, as The enthusiast who resided at one of the localihis necessary obligations to Mr. Prior are coëxten- ties, which claims to be the original Auburn, sive with the whole life of Goldsmith, and not confined to the incidents first mentioned by Prior. We think, too, that a juster appreciation of the proper merits of Mr. Forster's book will, when the excitement of this controversy is over, make Mr. Prior feel that, for Forster's purposes, the minute Ranged o'er the chimney, glistening in a row. accuracy of information which his book has given to Mr. Forster, in common with every person who And believing visitors were so satisfied of the studies the subject, was not essential--and is there- genuineness of the tea-cups, that they were stolen fore not, perhaps, spoken of with all the gratitude as relics of the poet, and memorials of the visit. to which Mr. Prior thinks himself entitled. The And, genuine as the tea-cups, are the anecdotes character of Goldsmith is Forster's sole subject- told in each locality of Goldsmith and his family. it is but one of Mr. Prior's-for Forster assumes The inquiries of each successive traveller are ansthe facts which Mr. Prior investigates; but to say wered in the neighborhood by the inhabitants of the truth, the facts are rather inconvenient to both, the district repeating what they have heard from and not quite reconcilable with either Prior's his- the last, and thus stories are made. The writer, tory, or Forster's romance. But for the interrup- who takes the trouble of sifting and examining tion of these facts, as they are called, there is no the story, told as Goldsmith's life, by his biogsaying to what extent the idolatries of these wor- raphers one and all, will find that there is scarcely shippers of Goldsmith would have gone. From a single fact of what is called his early life, that the works and the life of Goldsmith taken together, is supported by any evidence whatever-will also not only Mr. Prior and Mr. Forster, but the wri- find that much of it that seems sustained by eviters who have put together what has been some- dence, was not believed by Goldsmith's own fam

bought some cracked tea-cups to adorn an alehouse, on which he had exhibited the sign of the Three Jolly Pigeons," that the visitor might be reminded of the

Broken tea-cups, wisely kept for show,

smith, and, with his works, will suggest a more adequate idea of him and his times, than can be given by any cumbrous addition of the lumber of Hawkins, and Craddock, and Cumberland, and such men, from whom, after all, these big books are made.

ily; that the incidents, for instance, of his journey to Cork, and the humorous adventures anong his acquaintances when they found he was penniless and troublesome, were regarded as a mere extravaganza, in which there was not one word of truth, and from the first not intended to impose on any one, nor indeed even now calculated to impose on An author, however, must consider the taste of any one but a biographer in desperate want of ma- the age for which he writes, and Mr. Forster has terials; that the letters to his uncle Contarine, done something in recalling public attention to one telling of hair-breadth 'scapes, imprisonment for of our true classics. His book is divided into four suspected treason, and for actual debt, incurred by parts, and each part has its interest. The first becoming security for a friend, were every word relates to the first twenty-nine years of Goldsmith's of them false, and modes of concealing from his life. His family were of the gentry; his father benevolent uncle the loss of money, given for the a clergyman of the Church of England, poorly purpose of pursuing his studies, in idleness or dis- beneficed, and having to bring up a large family. sipation. In short, we are inclined to think that His eldest son had been educated in Trinity Colwhen the life of Goldsmith is hereafter written, lege, Dublin, obtained some academic distinctions, the biographer's task will be omission, not ad- and was established as curate and tutor in his dition; that Mr. Hogan's paradise of Lissoy will father's neighborhood. One of his pupils married fade away, and leave not a single trace behind; a sister of Goldsmith's, and the means of the rest that a few notes of time and place, with what of the family were disproportionately diminished Boswell, and Cumberland, and Perry have jotted by her father giving her a portion larger than he down, will comprise the whole narrative. People could properly afford. This delayed his sending will cease to believe every drollery in Goldsmith's Oliver to college, and compelled his entering col"Comedies" to have been borrowed from his own lege in an humbler grade than his brother had life; every reference to authorship in his "Es- done. The incident is adverted to painfully by says" to be a record of his own experience. Both Goldsmith, who had at all times a good deal of Mr. Prior and Mr. Forster have, we think, some-sensitive false pride. The habits of idleness, thing to answer for in confusing matter so entirely however, formed by his loitering at home after his distinct as the poet's actual life among men, and school education was completed, were probably the fictitious, though no less real life which he the worst consequence of this. In Goldsmith's has given to the creations of his imagination. No immediate neighborhood, for the first ten years of man sees into the heart of another-no language, the poet's childhood, the blind harper, Carolan, even supposing on the part of the speaker perfect wandered from place to place. "He had been sincerity, and on the part of the hearer entire at- brought up at Carrick-on-Shannon, where the untention, succeeds in perfectly revealing to one hu- cle of Goldsmith, the Rev. Mr. Contarine, first man being the mysteries of another's bosom; and settled, and expired in the county of Roscommon, this effort to present before us, as the hero of a to which that gentleman afterwards removed." romance, the Oliver Goldsmith of real life, is a vi- Goldsmith is said to have been carried to visit olation of the first conditions of Art. To have him, and we have evidence in his own works how placed such a character as Goldsmith's among much his imagination was affected by the recollecimaginary scenes, would have been almost less tions of Carolan, and by the floating traditions fabulous than this effort to create again, with our which preserved his memory. We dwell on this imperfect materials, the actual incidents of his life, the more, because it seems to have escaped Mr. and from them to infer his character. If biog- Forster's attention, and seems to us more likely to raphy once becomes romance, farewell to any true have influenced the young dreamer both for good statement of any incident-farewell to truth of and evil, than almost any of the causes that are character in the persons likely to become the sub-enumerated to account for the strange vagrant life, jects of biography-farewell to veracity in those which seems to have been from the first his taste. who may abuse the opportunities of social inter-In his " Essays"-Essay Twentieth-we have a course to framing a record of the life of those picture of Carolan, introduced by some mention with whom they have been allowed to move in of the bards of the Irish :unsuspecting confidence. Evil enough has been done in the publication of the letters and the journals, and even the prayers of persons whose names have, by any accident, been prominent enough to attract the notice of the public. If this continues, no man will venture to speak, or to write, or to think aloud, which conversation among friends is always felt as being, without the fear of the biographer. Our own conviction is, that the shortest biographies are the best, and that a few sentences -a dozen dates of time and place, will be felt as a more appropriate appendix to the works of Gold

Their bards are still held in great veneration among them; those traditional heralds are invited to every funeral, in order to fill up the intervals of the howl with their songs and harps. In these they rehearse the actions of the ancestors of the deceased, bewail the bondage of their country under the English government, and generally conmake the best use of their time, for they will soon, clude with advising the young men and maidens to for all their pleasant bloom, be stretched under the table, like the dead body before them.

Of all the bards this country ever produced, the last and greatest was CAROLAN THE BLIND. He