Miscellanies. BY THE AUTHOR OF "LETTERS ON THE EASTERN STATES." William Judor. BOSTON: WELLS AND LILLY,-COURT-STREET. 1821. PREFACE. To give a formal account of a collection of trifles like those contained in this little volume, would be making a very inexpedient addition to their number; but the author may be indulged with a few words, by way of introduction. Having had some connection with the Monthly Anthology, and the North American Review, which will be works of considerable moment in the annals of American literature, he was desirous of stating a few facts, relating to the origin and conduct of those two journals; and to be furnished with an excuse was the prevailing motive for selecting a few light papers, from among the articles he contributed to their pages. As neither of these journals were at the time in very exten sive circulation, the pieces taken will be new to most readers. On perusing them again to make the present selection, it seemed expedient to change or omit some sentences; but on reflection they appeared too slight to bear repairing, and they are therefore reprinted verbatim "with all their imperfections on their head." Several of these papers are in the form of Memoirs, the satire of which is general and without any individual reference. The idea of assuming this manner was first suggested by the vexation of having waded through a very tedious, pompous and jejune memoir of a Frenchman, who was seeking by its compilation to pay his court to Napoleon. The wide diffusion of science is one of the advantages of our times; yet it tends to produce a great deal of ostentation from writers of very shallow pretensions, and is apt to lead even those who possess solid acquirements, into a misplaced and ridiculous pedantry. Some persons now a days can hardly speak of a field of Indian Corn, without talking about Triticum Indicum; and if they describe the Venus de Medicis, as made of Parian marble, [carbonate of lime] is sure to be added between brackets. -The remaining articles were the occupation of a few idle hours, and if they give any amusement to the "courteous reader," the author will be ready to believe, that they could not have been "better spent." |