Ivi 



Inhabitants of Lord Northh Island, presented to the American 

 Academy during the last year of his life, — a memoir as touching- 

 ly interesting as it is beautifully written, — affords ample evidence 

 of the noble manner in which, had his life been spared, he would 

 have performed his part in this great literary enterprise. 



But I must forbear. To do justice to Mr. Pickering's learned 

 labors would require abundant time, with a genius and a pen kin- 

 dred to his own. In the cursory view we have taken of them, 

 many of his valuable writings have been wholly overlooked ; some 

 of which demand at least a respectful allusion. Of his article, in 

 the New York Revieiv, upon the elegant History of Ferdinand and 

 Isabella, it is sufficient praise to say that it is worthy of its subject. 

 The comprehensive Introductory Essay to Newhall's Letters on Ju- 

 nius gives us, in a more concise and pleasing manner than is else- 

 where to be found, the history and literature pertaining to the 

 Junius controversy. His biographical sketches of Bowditch, Spurz- 

 heim, Du Ponceau, and Peirce, published in the daily journals, 

 are marked by the various excellence of his just, delicate, discrim- 

 inating pen.* The mention of the last-named friend reminds us 

 of the estimable History of Harvard University, which was left un- 

 finished at the lamented author's death, and completed for publica- 

 tion by Mr. Pickering ; whose own article on the subject, in the 

 North American Review, contains one of the most graphic as well 

 as most just views which have ever appeared of Harvard College. 



We must add as a supplementary or eighth class of Mr. Picker- 

 ing's works, his numerous and important letters, addressed to various 

 learned men in this country and in Europe. " For many years," says 

 a well-informed friend, " he maintained a copious correspondence on 



* Note M. 



