It is needless to comment on the two last lines; there is a

world of fear in the simple attitude.

of

a

We must give one more instance of the felicitous power few words, naturally placed, to produce a great idea. Alluding to the fate of Richard the Second, who was starved to death,

Gray says:

:

"Close by the regal chair

Fell Thirst and Famine scowl

A baleful smile upon their baffled guest."

Our space will not allow us to analyse "The Women of the Nineteenth Century." It is the less necessary, as it displays the same characteristics as Miss Fuller's other writings.

It is an additional evidence of her freshness of mind, and fearlessness of testifying to the truth, as it appears to her. However unpalatable and strange the opinions she advocates now appear, we feel pretty certain every year will bring the world nearer to their recognition, and the wonder then will be how any rational being could have doubted them.

We should not be giving a complete portrait of Miss Fuller if we were to omit noticing her capabilities as a traveller, and an observant visitor of foreign lands; in this respect her letters to the “Tribune" are admirable specimens of observation. We were much amused at the humorous hints she occasionally throws out on the distribution of labor between the sexes. Lamb had the same notion that mankind never could pretend to any "gallantry," so long as they allowed the housemaids to do all the work. Miss Fuller seems inclined to turn the lords of creation into washerwomen.

“The Reform Club was the only one of those splendid establishments that I visited. Certainly the force of comfort can no further go, nor can anything be better contrived to make dressing, eating, news-getting, and even sleeping (for there are bed-rooms as well as dressing-rooms for those who will), be got through with as glibly as possible. Yet to me this palace of so many single gentlemen rolled into one,' seemed stupidly comfortable in the absence of that elegant arrangement and vivacious atmosphere which only Women can inspire. In the kitchen, indeed, I met them, and on that account it seemed the pleasantest part of the building—though, even there they are but the servants of servants. There reigned supreme a genius in his way, who has published a work on Cookery, and around him his pupils—young men who pay a handsome yearly fee for novitiate under his instruction. I am not sorry, however, to see men predominant in the cooking department, as I hope to see that and washing transferred to their care in the progress of things, since they are the stronger sex.'

"The arrangements of this kitchen were very fine, combining great convenience with neatness, and even elegance. Fourier himself might have taken pleasure in them. Thence we passed into the private apartments of the artist, and found them full of pictures by his wife, an artist in another walk. One or two of them had been engraved. She was an Englishwoman.

"We also get a glimpse, returning from a John Gilpin pilgrimage to Edmonton, of the residence of the German poet Freiligrath.

66 6

'Returning, we passed the house where Freiligrath finds a temporary home, earning the bread of himself and his family in a commercial house. England houses the exile, but not without house-tax, window-tax, and head-tax. Where is the Arcadia that dares invite all genius to her arms, and change her golden wheat for their green laurels and immortal flowers? Arcadia-would the name were America!"

Whenever a man of genius speaks to the public, in proportion as he is true to his own nature he must offend theirs. It is not possible to serve God and mammon: equally impossible is it to preach against the prevalence of error, and not to rouse the priests of Baal, and their crowds of believers. This has been the history of the human mind. As the poet says:

"The truth for which some great-souled martyr died

In the past age, burned and crucified,

Becomes in time the bigot's sacred creed,

And bids in turn the future doubter bleed!"

Any book that rouses no discussion is needless; it is in fact an impertinence. Why stop the public in Broadway to tell them what they know, or echo some old opinion?

It is evidently the wish of Miss Fuller to join issue with the common-place, and to speak out her own nature firmly, though with a becoming deference to the old worn-out creeds of humanity. It is a striking proof of the blindness of the world, that, although it owes every blessing to those men who boldly in bygone times spoke out new opinions, it nevertheless precisely imitates the conduct of those persecutors, whom they are in the constant habit of branding as bigoted and sanguinary fiends. Do these shortsighted human bats never reflect that in a few years their own children will be compelled to regard them in the same odious light? Let the public reflect ere they draw down the anathema of posterity.

These remarks have been forced from us by the charge we have heard brought against our gifted authoress of being a socialist and a sceptic! Of all egotisms that which denies to an

other the right of forming and holding an opinion either in morals, politics, religion, or taste, is the most ignorant and diabolical. Were it not for the fatal effects of such arrogance, it would be too ludicrous for anything save contempt; but it unfortunately happens that the innate love of cruelty which so marks man from the rest of the brute creation, is enabled, by appealing to this egotism, to select some of the noblest of God's creatures for victims. Man is cruel by nature; it is reflection that modifies him into humanity. A modern poet, in some verses, has made a parallel between a cruel boy and the grown-up world. Alluding to the favorite pastime of youth to impale an insect on a pin, and then enjoy its flutterings, he says:

"I hardly know, dear reader, which is safer,
To be a genius or a cockchafer !"

The slightest reflection must convince the most bigoted person that it is the height of profanity and danger to deny to any man his birthright of thought. In the first place, who gave the bigot a patent to act the Omniscient on earth? He is as likely to be wrong as his fellow-man! For every one is equally certain that he is right! It is dangerous, for the bigot becomes responsible for the faith of the man he coerces! It is profane, because the bigot usurps the throne of God, to whom we are alone responsible for our conscience! We shall not dwell on this point, for those who refuse assent to the first arti cle of freedom, will not be persuaded though "one rise from the dead!" We cannot, however, help one closing remark that of all nations the American ought to be the most tolerant

since it owes its existence to those noble-minded men who fled from persecution to find freedom and toleration in the New World; and who, in after years, when tyranny followed them to their new home, went forth to battle, and with the pebble of Truth in the sling of Freedom laid low at their feet the giant Goliah of the world.

We conclude our notice of Miss Fuller by confessing that she is one of those few authors who have written too little. We hope to read more of her prose, so thoughtful and vigorous; and of her poetry, at once so graceful, yet so strong and simple.

We regret that the scope of this volume will not allow us to consider her as a politician. In this character, however, she is familiar to all those who read the "Tribune”—a journal which has of late sullied its high reputation for dignity and forbearance by indulging in personal attacks, and suffering itself to be converted from a great organ of truth to a vehicle of individual malignity.