1862.] giy [Dunglison. 



cals, as the North American, the American Quarterly, the Southern, 

 and the Democratic Reviews, and at an earlier period, to the Port- 

 folio of Philadelphia; and when his colleague, Professor George 

 Long, left the University of Virginia, to occupy a professorship in 

 the University of London, and became editor of the London Journal 

 of Education, and of the Penny Cyclopaedia, Professor Tucker was, 

 at his request, the author of various educational articles in the 

 former, and in the latter, of sundry biographical notices, as of Presi- 

 dents Jefferson and Madison, and of geographical contributions in 

 regard to the United States. 



From the first opening of the University of Virginia, it had been 

 thought by many of its most intelligent friends, that it presented a 

 favorable occasion for the establishment of a literary journal. It was 

 presumed that eight or nine professors, who were daily occupied in 

 communicating the fruits of their studies to others, would be quali- 

 fied to make such a work at once useful and interesting to the public. 

 It was known that the plan of the Institution was principally the 

 work of Mr. Jefferson, and that important innovations had been made 

 in its discipline and course of instruction, whence it was inferred 

 that a lively curiosity would be felt to learn the progress of an experi- 

 ment, made by one of the most popular and most philosophical states- 

 men of his age. It was not, however, until the year 1829, after the 

 University had been visited by an endemic disease, from which no 

 locality, however healthy, is exempt, and the feeling of the faculty, 

 that if such a medium of communication had been in existence, they 

 might have been able to allay popular apprehension, and prove from 

 unquestionable evidence the general salubrity of the place, that they 

 determined on the establishment of a weekly periodical, entitled 

 " The Virginia Literary Museum, and Journal of Belles-Lettres, 

 Arts, Sciences, &c.," the editorial charge of which was assigned to 

 Professor Tucker and the writer. The first number appeared on the 

 17th of June, 1829; but although its contents were diversified and 

 interesting, it was discontinued at the end of the year, and mainly 

 for causes which have proved fatal to so many undertakings of the 

 kind, — the failure of the contributors to afford the aid they had 

 profusely promised, and hence the editors found, that to furnish the 

 requisite materials from their own resources, demanded more of their 

 time than was consistent with their other duties and engagements. 

 The contributions of Professor Tucker were numerous and varied, but 

 were, generally, popular essays on the subjects that appertained 

 directly or indirectly to the chair he held in the University. 



