174 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part II. 



CHARACTER OF BOOKS. 



MAGAZINES, 



Of the theological and metaphysical 

 works in the above list, we shall ex- 

 press no opinion. Each person will doubt- 

 less try them by the standard of his own 

 views and creed, and his judgment will 

 be fashioned accordingly. The work of 

 Dr. Burton is, however, thought by many 

 to evince considerable acumen and depth 

 of thought. Of the political writings of 

 Ethan Allen we have already spoken. 

 They served their purpose and have pass- 

 ed away. Dr. William's History of Ver- 

 mont, though diffuse in style and embra- 

 cing much foreign matter, will long con- 

 tinue our standard work. Graham's work 

 upon Vermont has very little to recom- 

 mend it, excepting the excellent paper 

 and fair type upon which it is printed 

 It contains few facts worth remembering. 

 Ira Allen, being himself an actor in most 

 of the affairs which he narrates, has in- 

 fused into his history much of the spirit 

 of the times of which he wrote, but as he 

 wrote principally from memory there is 

 some confusion in the order of events. 

 Mr. Slade's Vermont State Papers is an 

 invaluable repository of our documentary 

 history. Judge Chipman's work on the 

 principles of government will be read and 

 admired for its sound views long after its 

 venerable author has gone down to the 

 grave, upon the confines of which he is 

 now lingering at the age of 90 years. The 

 work on contracts, by Daniel Chipman,is 

 regarded as a standard authority. Dr. 

 Gallup's work on Epidemics embraces 

 many interesting and valuable facts, and 

 many sound and judicious observations, 

 and, together with his recent and more 

 elaborate work. The Institutes of Medi- 

 cine, is calculated long to sustain his high 

 reputation as a practitioner and lecturer. 

 The Missionary Gazetteer, by Mr.Chapin, 

 was a valuable work of much research 

 and labor — poorly requited. Leonard's 

 huge Spelling Book, and Stevens' more 

 huge Arithmetic — still standing on the 

 shelves of our old bookstores — monuments 

 of folly. Of the other school books in the 

 above list, their limited use speaks not 

 very highly, — no sure criterion, however, 

 of their merits ; for we have long since 

 learned that the popularity of school books 

 depends rather upon the caprice of teach- 

 ers and the puffing and energy of book- 

 sellers than upon their intrinsic merits. 



In poets and writers of fiction, Vermont 

 has not been prolific. The Silent Harp 

 and the Gift contain some very crood arti- 

 cles, but, were it otherwise, compassion 

 for the fair, but afflicted, writers, would 

 create a local interest in their works. 

 Many fugitive pieces of poetry of consid- 

 erable merit have originated in Vermont. 



The author of the Algerine Captive seema 

 to have been our pioneer in the field of 

 fiction, in which our respected namesake, 

 the author of the Green Mountain Boys, 

 has at present no competitor. The work 

 last mentioned is one of much interest, 

 and, in general, exhibits a fair view of the 

 characters and the period to which it re- 

 lates. 



Magazines. Attempts have been made 

 at various times to establish and sustain 

 monthly and semi-monthly magazines, 

 devoted to literary, scientific, religious 

 and miscellaneous subjects, but these 

 have, generally, been attended with little 

 success. The earliest work of this kind, 

 of which we have any particular knowl- 

 edge, was the Rural Magazine, or Ver- 

 mont Repository, published at Rutland, 

 in monthly numbers of .56 pages each, 

 during the years 17U5 and 17'J6. It was 

 edited by Dr. Samuel Williams, and con- 

 tains, besides other interesting matters, a 

 valuable collection of documents relating 

 to the early history of this state. The 

 numbers form two octavo volumes of 650 

 pages each, but entire copies of it are now 

 seldom met with. The next magazine of 

 any consequence was the Adviser, pub- 

 lished at Middlebury, under the direction 

 of the convention of the Congregational 

 churches. It was commenced in January, 

 1809, was published in monthly numbers 

 of 32 pages each, and was continued sev- 

 en years. It contains much valuable 

 matter, particularly, in relation to the 

 Congregational church in this state. The 

 Repertory was published at JMiddlebury, 

 by an association of gentlemen. It was 

 devoted to literary and scientific subjects, 

 was commenced in 1812, and numbers 

 issued occasionally till 1817. The Chris- 

 tian Repository was published at Wood- 

 stock, by the Rev. Samuel C. Loveland, 

 and was devoted to tJie support of the 

 doctrines of Universalism. It was issued 

 in monthly numbers of duodecimo form, 

 was commenced in the year 1820, and 

 was continued several years. • The Epis- 

 copal Register, a monthly periodical, de- 

 voted to the support of the doctrines of 

 the Episcopal church, was commenced at 

 Middlebury, in January, 1826, and con- 

 tinued four years. The Mother's and 

 Ladies' Book was commenced at Chelsea 

 in 1839, and is still continued. It is ed- 

 ited by Miss Sophia A. Hewes. Besides 

 these, a magazine called the Iris was 

 published at Burlington, by Mr. Guy C. 

 Worth, in 1828 and part of 1829, and the 

 Green Mountain Repository, edited by 

 the Author, was published at the same 

 place during the year 1832. Several oth- 



