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THE

ATHENEUM;

OR

SPIRIT OF THE

ENGLISH MAGAZINES.

THIRD SERIES.

VOLUME I.

March

OCTOBER TO APRIL, 1828-9.

PERIODICAL LITERATURE on the one hand affords employment to the public mind, and favors its tendencies to the pursuit of science and intellectual improvement; and, on the other, it gives a more general and freer spirit to literature itself than it would otherwise have, by bringing together the productions of every class of mind, displaying the main points of consideration in almost every question that can be started, opening the door to every inquirer whose talents entitle him to respect, and, in addition to this, offering something, which even in its lightness is elegant, for those who, were it not for the resources it affords, would live in a state of perfect intellectual sloth.-Rev. Henry Stebbing.

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY JOHN COTTON,

(Corner of Washington Street and Franklin Street.)

SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE RECEIVED ALSO BY THE FOLLOWING AGENTS:-CHARLES S. FRANCIS, NEW-YORK; WHIPPLE & LAWRENCE, SALEM; WILLIAM HILLIARD, CAMBRIDGE; JOHN W. FOSTER, PORTSMOUTH PEARSON, LITTLE & ROBINSON, PORTLAND; CLARENDON HARRIS, WORCESTER; GEORGE DANA, PROVIDENCE; HEZEKIAH HOWE, NEW-HAVEN ; WEARE C. LITTLE, ALBANY; E. LITTELL, PHILADELPHIA; EDW. J. COALE, BALTIMORE ; J. THOMAS, GEORGETOWN; JOSEPH TARDIF, QUEBEC; E. B. WHITING, MONTREAL; W. T. WILLIAMS, SAVANNAH; WILLIAM H. COFFIN, HUDSON, N. Y.; WILLIAM HOW, NEWBEDFORD; EZRA COLLIER, PLYMOUTH; FARMER & BROWN, HINGHAM; WILLIAM H. BIGELOW, BROOKLYN, CONN.; and george w. ela, dover, N. H.

Price $3 stitched, or $3,50 bound, including six colored Plates of Female Fashions; without them, $ 2,50 and $ 3.

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ADVERTISEMENT.

THE First Volume of the Third Series of the ATHENEUM is now completed. It was commenced with the intention that its contents and mechanical execution should render it worthy of the object for which it was designed-of the respectable and intelligent class of persons which constitutes its patrons and of any increase of patronage which might be bestowed upon it. In looking back on our labors for the last six months, we flatter ourselves that we have been in some degree successful, and that our Miscellany has been acceptable and useful to its readers. The Editor has endeavored to furnish, as far as practicable, matter for the various tastes of readers,-to afford amusement to those who read for relaxation, and instruction to the inquiring mind, to supply "wit for the sportive, wisdom for the serious hour,—and at the same time to avoid everything coarse or immoral, and all interference with religious or political creeds.

The articles in the ATHENEUM are not the first feeble efforts of young and inexperienced writers, nor the worthless productions of the ignorant and imbecile; but they are by men of cultivated intellect,-the most popular writers of the age, and whose literary abilities are universally acknowledged. Although, therefore, we cannot recommend our work to public patronage as a production of American writers, and on that ground claim a support from the patriotism of the community-we can recommend it as a production of writers who are certainly in no respect inferior to those of this country, and whose location in another part of the world is not a sufficient objection to their writings, so long as they possess a quality of such paramount importance as that of intrinsic merit.-We are by no means unfavorable to the "encouraging and patronising of American genius"; but we do not think that in order to do this it is necessary to banish from the country all except American works. On the contrary, we conceive that the habit of reading, and the capacity of estimating the worth of literary productions, which will be produced and strengthened by the free circulation of English works of acknowledged merit, will be valuable assistants in promoting this object.

Of the Poetry with which we have been enabled to grace the present volume, some of the richest gems, it will be perceived, are from the highlygifted Muse of Mrs. Hemans. We have made use of many of her beautiful effusions, but not more, we think, than have pleased our readers.

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