PAYMENTS FOR THE SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER, Crosby, William.. Cameron, J. B. R.. Catron, Judge John.. Cook, Col. E. G..Oct. 19 Dunn, Dr. David A.. Clemm, John.... Dobyrs, William K. Freeman, Thornton H... ..Washington City.... vol 5 McMahon, J. V. L. .Tennessee....vol 5' Nicholl, James.. wfrtp). Mississippi....vol 5 Phi Kappa Society,. Guion, Judge J..(Oct. 19 wfrtp). Mississippi....vol 5 Hubard, Mrs Ro. T.. Ilspallum, Simon W. Jeffries, Thomas.. Jeffries, J. S... ..Baltimore....vol 5 6 Page, F. N.. ...Alabama....vol 6 Army...Florida ...vol 5 Vick, William....(Oct. 19 wfrtp). Mississippi. .vol 5 ADVERTISEMENTS. Why go to New York to purchase a Piano, when you can do as well, or better in Petersburg, Va.? The subscriber believes, that in a majority of cases, persons, would do better to purchase their Pianos in Petersburg than to send to New York for them. Here I keep constantly on hand from fifteen to twenty well selected and choice Instruments; and in no one store in Norfolk, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, or New York, will be found at one time more than half that quantity-so that so far as assortment goes, I hold out the greater inducement; and as respects prices, it will be found by reference to several letters which I have published from gentle men who are in the habit of Visiting the North twice a year, that I have sold them on at least as good terms as they were offered elsewhere; in fact, I believe that a great many persons pay a great deal more at the North for a pretty looking, indif ferent instrument, than they would in this place for a beautiful fine-toned one, because they have not the same advantage in buying a single instrument that others have who purchase fifty or sixty a year, whose custom is retained by being supplied with the very finest instruments and upon the very best terms. Besides these advantages, those who purchase Pianos here have not half the trouble and risk that they would be forced to have in purchasing at the North. If an individual purchases a Piano of me, and by chance it should turn out badly, (which thing I am pleased to say has never yet happened, although I have sold nearly one hundred and forty Pianos,) I bind myself to exchange or take it back. This I proclaim high and loud. Those who want really fine Pianos shall not be disappointed if they favor ine with their orders, either to make choice myBelf for them, or have it done by some one else. E. P. NASH, ..Florida....vol 5 .....Arkansas....vol 4 5 SAMUEL PUTNEY, Dealer in Boots, Shoes, Travelling Trunks, Carpet bags, &c. He respectfully solicits an examination of his As they import their goods DIRECT from the ENGLISH and FRENCH MANUFACTORIES, they are Book and Piano Forte Seller, Petersburg, Va. enabled to sell them at as LOW (if not lower) prices as they can be purchased elsewhere in this country. Their assortment of MILITARY Goods is very com plete, and comprises every requisite for Military purposes. Military companies equipped. THOMAS GHOLSON, Attorney at Law, Columbus, (Mi.) will practice in the Circuit courts of Lowndes and the adjoining counties, in the Supreme court at Jackson, and in the United States District court, at Pontotoc. WILLIAM F. RITCHIE, Late of Richmond, Virginia, Attorney at Law, Vicksburg, Mississippi. N. B. All watches sold by them are warranted to B. W. HUNTINGTON, 1. A Legend of the Mountain of the Burning Stone: a Story of the First Montezuma. By the author of "La fitte." Part I. the Mountain of the Burning Stone; Ulyd and his daughter Eylla; Montezuma, the netmaker's son; the procession, the tumult and the massacre; Love at a glance; the Confidante; Kindlings of rebellion; The interview and the confession. Part II. the discovery and arrest; Gleams of Hope; the hall of justice and the sentence; the Sorceress ; the march to the mountain; the ascent; the talisman; the nuptials interrupted; Montezuma's return; the consummation... PAGE ORIGINAL PROSE ARTICLES-(CONTINUED.) PAGE 9. The Smithsonian Institute. A letter in relation to Mr. Smithson; The duty of Government in this matter; Mr. Smithson's scientific character; His passion for Chemistry; Letter of Dr. Black; Mr. S. a contributor to Nicholson's Magazine and to the Annals of Philosophy; Particulars respecting his Philosophical opinions; Narrative in regard to Mr. Tennant; List of different papers published by Mr. S.; Extracts embodying some of his physio-theological opinions....... 823 10. The Aurora..... 832 781 2. The History of Virginia. Speculations; Cromlechs, 6. Letters from out the Old Oak, No. III. Changes; Re- 7. Machiavel's Political Discourses upon the First Decade of Livy; Being remarks upon the Policy of the Roman Republic: Its feigned origin; Means of growth; Encouragement held out to virtue and talent; Punishments; Popular love of liberty; The appointment of Dictators; The Decemvirs; The martial spirit of the Republic; Some of the rules of its policy; Compacts; The Census; Rotation in office; Limitation of the term of office, &c. &c. Interspersed with various reflections............... ............. 799 815 819 8. Medical College, at Richmond, Va. Notice of this Institution, the recent Introductory Lectures, &c..... 827 THIS WORK IS PUBLISHED IN MONTHLY NUMBERS, AVERAGING SIXTY-FOUR PAGES EACH, AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM, INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. RICHMOND, VA. T. W. WHITE, PRINTER, OPPOSITE THE BELL TAVERN. THE CASE PLAINLY STATED TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS. 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Jett, John F.. .h&d. ..Philadelphia....vol 4 5 Washington City....vol 3 4 5 6 ..New York....voi 6 W.........Massachusetts....vol 4 5 ..Boydton, Va....vol 6 .Richmond Va....vol. 5 .Brandon, Miss....vol 5 6 F...h&d....Wytheville, Va....vol 5 .Caroline, Va....vol 6 ...Tennessee....vol 6 ......North Carolina....vol 5 .North Carolina....vol 5 North Carolina....vol 5 .wbw....North Carolina....vol 5 Kinsman, Israel........ .Richmond, Va....vol 5 6 Charlottsville, Va....vol 5 6 .....Maryland....vol 5 6 Washington City....vol 5 6 .......Franklin, Va....vol 5 New York....vol 4 5 .h&d..Montgomery, Va....vol 5 .New Hampshire....vol 6 .Richmond. Va....vol 56 .Richmond, Va....vol 5 6 .......Georgia....vol 5 6 .Kentucky....vol 5 ..h&d......Bedfo Va....vol 5 .whw....North Carona....vol 5 L...whw....North Carolina....vol 5 AGENTS FOR THE SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER. VIRGINIA. J. D. Murrell, P. M. Lynchburg. NORTH CAROLINA. Dr. Wm. H. Williams, General Agent. Wm. H. Owen, Chapel Hill George W. Granbery, Sunsbury C. W. Everest, Fayetteville. SOUTH CAROLINA. PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM-THOMAS W. WHITE, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. VOL. V. RICHMOND, DECEMBER, 1839. TO A FRIEND ON HIS MARRIAGE. BY PARK BENJAMIN. 'Tis said that marriage is a lottery And if the simile be true as wise, My friend, how happy must that lover be, A prize indeed! richer than Ophir's gold! Like vine and tree, may you together grow, A LEGEND OF No. XII. majestic towers, through which, dividing it into two parts, flowed a stately river which, for more than a league, reflected from either shore, on its silver bosom, two continuous lines of temples, palaces and edifices of costly grandeur. On the throne of this glorious empire sat ULYD, the last monarch of his race. He was haughty, imperious and cruel. His foot rested upon the necks of his subjects, and his sceptre was converted into a sword, which hourly drank human blood. But Eylla, the only daughter of Ulyd, was gentle as the dove in spirit; as beautiful as LYN, the Angel of the Flowers, and graceful as the antelope that runs upon the mountains. The tyrant loved his daughter, and that love was all that humanized his nature. II. In one of the lesser streets of this gorgeous capital lived a poor net-maker, whose sole merit was his honesty, and whose only income was the daily pittance earned by the toil of his hands. He was a widower; but Heaven had tempered its judgments with mercy, and left him a son to share his labors and solace his old age. Montezuma, the name of this youth, was now twenty years of age. His stature was lofty and his port noble; while grace and beauty were stamped upon his face and person. His dignity was that of virtue; his beauty that of a gentle temper and cheerful heart. He THE MOUNTAIN OF THE BURNING STONE; was beloved and idolised by all of his rank, doated on In the centre of the present empire of Mexico, and within the borders of the beautiful country once inhabited by the ancestors of those wild and splendid savages, the Comanchees, lies a chain of elevated mountains whose snowy peaks pierce the skies, leaving the vast fields of clouds floating midway between them and the plains. Towards the south, they make a majestic curve and enclose within their embrace a circle twelve leagues in diameter, in the midst of which sleeps like a fair garden the valley of Alcolo (itself enclosed by a lake) and the loveliest gem on the breast of earth. One of these mountains is loftier than the rest, and on its summit burns a star-like blaze, which is said to be a single diamond, but inaccessible to human reach. This peak is hence called the Mountain of the Burning Stone.' By day, the shining apex glows with all the dyes of the rainbow; at night its light is like pale moonshine. At the time of our story this valley was the centre of an empire now no more. Here was the palace and throne of the emperors, and the centre of wealth, power and magnificence. In its midst rose a proud city, gorgeous with swelling domes, needle-like pinnacles and VOL. V.-99 by his father, and despised, so closely had nature allied him to them, by the nobles. Such was Montezuma, at the period of our story. III. "Stand aside, serf!" were the stern tones of an officer, addressed to a youth who, with a thousand others was watching the procession of the emperor, his nobles and the priests of the Sun on their way to offer sacrifices at each gate of the city, to propitiate the wrath of their deity-for, rain had not fallen on the earth in the space of four months, and the fierce sun had burned up the harvests. The eyes of this youth seemed to be fixed more particularly on the princess Eylla, than on the spectacle. "Stand aside, serf!" and a glittering spear-point at the same instant pricked the breast of the youth, who caught it in his hand, and ere it could penetrate, wrested it from the noble's grasp, broke it in twain, and cast the pieces disdainfully at his feet. "Ha! 'tis the slave Montezuma !" cried the infuriated officer. "He has mocked us full long. Cut him down!" But ere the guard which were about the emperor and his daughter, and which the officer commanded, could obey this command, the crowd opened to the right and left and received the destined victim into their bosom. "Hew your way to him!" cried the noble. "Cut the slaves in pieces!" "Nay, my sire, will you let blood be spilled on this sacred time?" plead the sweet and carnest voice of the |