Clintons, of Chancellor Livingston, Egbert Ben-historical and general library, no less than a son; a brief but suggestive inventory. The sec- favorite with all our countrymen. It is no supertion devoted to the Vetoes of the Council of ficial book, but one of most extensive, careful Revision is of great interest to members of the and conscientious research; every statement is bar. It exhibits the debates and arguments authenticated by references to authorities; and fully, from authentic records procured in the for more important battles, the various official office of the Secretary of State. In the words reports, and other contemporaneous accounts of Mr. Street, amply sustained by his documents, | are given. Mr. Dawson's style is nervous and "The distinguished men that composed the vigorous, with no false ornament or glitter; Council, anxious not only to vindicate their interesting in a high degree. The publishers vetoes to the public, but knowing they would have done justice to the subject and the work, encounter the objections and arguments of the and have made it a noble volume. Legislature, framed them with great care, and they consequently will be found marked by vigor, clearness and logical precision, both in thought and expression.' The profession will thank Mr. Street for his well directed labors. A Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors, living and deceased, from the earliest accounts to the middle of the nineteenth century. Containing thirty thousand biographies and literary notices, with forty indexes of subjects. By J. Austin Allibone. "The chief glory of every people arises from its authors."-Dr. Johnson. Vol. i. Philadelphia: Childs & Peterson. 1859. Royal 8vo., 1006 pp. MR. ALLIBONE has undertaken an immense work, and executed it as well as man could be expected to do it. How impossible it is for any one man to carry out the project of including all authors, we felt when, turning through for names known to us, we counted up over a hundred which had escaped his research. Other bookworms could doubtless give similar lists; but this detracts little from the value of the work, which is so far in advance of every other attempt of the kind, that we wonder rather at its success than its failures. The critical portion is extremely meritorious; and as the author embraces living writers, the work affords a critical history of English literature to the present time, invaluable to all. The ensuing volumes are now desired by every one who has become a habitual thumber of its accurate and most useful pages, and these are many; for it is the indispensable library companion of every reading man. Battles of the United States by Sea and Land. THIS elaborate work has entered on the second History of Independence Hall; from the earliest period to the present time. Embracing biographies of the immortal signers of the Declaration of Independence, with historical sketches of the sacred relics preserved in that sanctuary of American Freedom. By D. W. Belisle, Philadelphia: James Challen & Son, 1859. 12mo. 396 pp. THIS is intended rather as a popular work than as a closely historical contribution. It is not free from errors of fact and style, but contains in a brief compass, sketches of the lives of the Signers, and of some other men of '76. A smaller portion than the title would lead one to suppose, is devoted to the actual history of the Hall, and the description of its contents. The work is dedicated to Millard Fillmore. Historical and Literary Intelligence. THE NEW YORY HISTORICAL SOCIETY celebrated is fifty-fifth anniversary on Tuesday, the 22d of December, 1859. The Rev. Thomas De Witt, D.D., acted as chaplain on the occasion. The anniversary discourse was delivered by the Hon. George Folsom, and met with universal favor from all who listened to it. A resolution of thanks was offered by Rev. Dr. McVicar, of Columbia College, and unanimously adopted. The main subject of the discourse was the Whigs of the British Parliament at the time of the passage of the Stamp Act, and during the American Revolution; with special reference to Col. Isaac Barré, whose military and parliamentary career was illustrated at considerable length, but was listened to throughout with marked attention. THE old Raleigh tavern at Williamsburgh, Va., was destroyed by fire a short time since. The old Raleigh was famous as the place where Patrick Henry stopped when he made his début in the house of Burgesses; and it was in his chamber in this old tavern that he concocted his speeches. It was under the roof of this old tavern that the great and patriotic of Virgina's sons met in committee to deliberate in the darkest period of the nation's history; and it was from this house that those resolves emanated which made Virginia foremost in opposition to the arbitrary movements of Great Britain. MR. FRANK MOORE's newspaper "Diary of the Revolution" meets with continued favor. It carries one back to the very times it so well illustrates, and shows "the form and pressure" of the period that tried men's souls." No labored description can be half so graphic as the various extracts from the publications of the day, in all the simplicity and strength, and with the interesting details that belong to the productions of men in earnest, and thoroughly imbued with the spirit of independence. Mr. Moore's work cannot fail to become a household book throughout our country. It has already reached a second edition. In accordance with the suggestion in our last number, a list of "authorities" has been issued to subscribers on a separate sheet. THE Hakluyt Society announces "A Collection of Documents, forming a Monograph of the Voyages of Henry Hudson," edited, with an introduction, by George Archer. THE work of M. Mirelet, the recent French scientific explorer of Yucatan and the adjacent regions, is shortly to be published in a translation by Mrs. E. G. Squier, the wife of the traveller. It is entitled, "Itza, or Travels in the Unexplored Regions of Central America." THE first volume of "Lossing's Life of Philip Schuyler" is in press, and will soon be issued. The same author has also commenced a history of the war of 1812, to be illustrated and printed uniform with his "Field Book of the Revolution," which will probably be issued in numbers. MR. BUSHNEL has in preparation a second volume of his work on "American Tokens," which will be illustrated with plates. WE learn that the Rev. Frederic Denison, of Mystic Bridge, Ct., has nearly ready for the press the "Annals of Groton," Ct. WE conclude in the present number the republication of Mr. Tilden's poems. It is a very rare and curious tract. We have heard of but a sin gle copy of the original, that, namely in the possession of Mr. George Ticknor, of Boston, by whom the volume was kindly loaned for the illustration of our early American poetry, to the editors of "The Cyclopedia of American Literature." A portion only of the poems was printed in that work. The whole of this novel historical pamphlet of poems is now before the readers of the Historical Magazine. in the present and two preceding numbers, completed from Mr. Ticknor's copy. THE Bradford Club of this city (New York) will shortly issue another volume containing the poems known as the "Croakers," written by the late Joseph R. Drake and Fitz Greene Halleck. IRVINGIANA. A collection with this title of the papers brought out as tributes to the late Washington Irving, has been published at the office of the Historical Magazine, in uniform style with this periodical. It contains, in 64 pages, the proceedings in full of the Historical Societies of New York and Massachusetts, with the speeches and addresses of the Hon. Luther Bradish, President King, Dr. Bethune, the Hon. George Bancroft, Dr. J. W. Francis, Professor Longfellow, the Hon. Edward Everett, the letter of George Sumner, etc.; "Memoranda of the literary career of Washington Irving," by Evert A. Duyckinck; the pulpit remarks of the Rev. Dr. Creighton, of the Rev. Dr. Chapin, of the Rev. Dr. Morgan, of the Rev. Mr. Todd; a poem by II. T. Tuckerman; the essays and sketches of George William Curtis, Frederick S. Cozzens, etc.; accounts of visits to Sunnyside, by N. P. Willis, Theodore Tilton, Osmond Tiffany and others, with letters of Mr. Irving, etc., etc. It is illustrated by a new engraving from an original sketch of Mr. Irving at Sunnyside, in 1848, by F. O. C. Darley, and a fac simile page of the Sketch Book, from the original MS. in the possession of Mr. J. Carson Brevoort. The whole will, we trust, be thought a desirable addition to the Historical Magazine, well worth the moderate price asked scribers to the Historical Magazine, on the for it. It will be sent postage free to the subreceipt of fifty cents in postage stamps. The expense of the work, which contains the matter of a fair sized duodecimo volume, does not permit us to present it gratis to our readers; but we have, at some sacrifice of interest, issued it in a form convenient for preservation and binding with the magazine. Örders from the trade and others are solicited by CHARLES B. RICHARDSON, Obverse. Reverse. Seal. anarchy which surrounded them, and numbers of those who actually settled in Castorland belonged to the wealthier and better classes of French society. The stock of the company consisted of 2,000 shares at 800 livres each, and the domain was surveyed out into a city, named Castorvill, on Beaver River, four miles from Black River, and 4,000 farms, of 50 acres each. One farm and one city lot were to be assigned at once to each shareholder, and the remainder was to continue the common property of the concern until twenty-one years, when a final dissolution of the company, and division of the property, was to be made. An elaborate Constitution, embracing twelve Titles and ninety-two Articles, was drawn up, in which the government was vested in a Director, chosen by a general assembly of the shareholders, and to hold his office during the entire period of the society, and six Commissaries. Of the latter, four were to reside in Paris, and were charged with powers analogous to those of the directors of present stock companies. They were to hold frequent meetings, confer upon the interests of the society, audit all accounts, order payments, and, with the director, conduct the affairs of the company in all its details, even to the laying out of roads and subdivision of lands. They held their offices but little has been hitherto known, beyond what has been published by Mr. Ilickcox, in his book on American coins, and copied without acknowledgment into a more recent publication. His account, nearly correct as far as it goes, is still very imperfect. In tracing the operations of the Compagnie de New York, a Parisian stock company, formed June 28, 1793, for the purpose of settling a tract of 220,000 acres, which they named Castorland, chiefly in Lewis County, N. Y., in connection with a history of that county (now in press), we have met with a concise account of the origin and use of this piece. 5 HIST. MAG. VOL. IV. three years, and were also elected by a general assembly of the shareholders. The other two commissaries were to reside in America, one upon the tract, who received a salary, while the other was only honorary, and his duties were limited to giving advice. They were elected in like manner, and were to hold their offices until recalled. The director (Pierre Chassanis), was to receive a salary, but concerning his colleagues in Paris, the Constitution provided as follows: [Title V., Article ix.] "The Commissaries in Paris shall receive no salary, but in recognition of the care which they may bestow upon the common concerns, there shall be given them an attendance fee [droit de présence] for each Special or General Assembly where they may meet on the affairs of the Company. This fee is fixed at two jettons of silver, of the weight of four or five gros. They shall be made at the expense of the company, under the direction of the commissaries, who shall decide upon their form and design." They employed Duvivier, a well known coin and medal engraver, to execute the piece, which was, of course, not a coin, as it wanted the sanction of government, nor a token, as it was not to be redeemed. It was simply a jeton de présence, made to be given, as was the custom of that day among certain societies and companies, to each attending member at meetings, and doubtless was designed to be given away among families emigrating to Castorland, as a keepsake. Duvivier was a stockholder in the company, and drew 500 acres of land, as also did Mark Isambert Brunel, one of their first surveyors, and afterward the illustrious engineer of the Thames Tunnel. The legend on the reverse of this piece, quoted from Virgil, has interest in connection with the plans of this society, as illustrative of their views of settling a country of which they knew nothing, except that it lay somewhere between the Black River and the 44th degree of north latitude. With its context it reads as follows: "Si've magna parens frugum, Saturnia tellus, Migna virum.' GEOR. ii. 173. "Hail Saturnian Land, great Parent of Fruits; great Parent of Heroes!" * * The apostrophe thus addressed to Italy, they evidently intended to apply to Castorland, a country situated in nearly the same latitude, and, for aught these theorizing and speculating Parisians knew to the contrary, equally adapted to the vine and the olive. The insertion of a faucet into a maple-tree, for regulating the flow of sap, is a ludicrous illustration of their ideas of making sugar. The piece weighs 206 grains, and is intrinsically worth, in silver, about fifty cents. Copies have been taken in copper and white metal, and it is by no means rare, or at least quite a number are known to be in existence. ALBANY, Dec. 22, 1859. NEWPORT IN THE HANDS OF A DIARY OF THE REVOLUTION. 16 October, (1777.) This morning 200 soldiers, grenadiers and infantry, embarked on board of transports for a secret expedition, in consequence of which the fish boats were all stopped from fishing. The inhabitants who are friendly to Government are desired to repair to the printing-office to sign an association to defend the town by order of Gen. Pigot. 17. Several orders for the inhabitants that neglected working on the highways to work on the forts to-morrow. This afternoon the soldiers disembarked, Light infantry and grenadiers, those who remain are to proceed to Long Island with the wood fleet. The fishermen are allowed to fish. 18. This morning two fish boats left the island and went to the main. Not a night passes without an aların. The town appears in the utmost confusion in consequence of the provincials attacking the Island. This morning a boat belonging to the provincials with the oars muffled in consequence of which the women in the camp were sent to town. Mr. Thomas Peckham and a number of the inhabitants of Portsmouth committed to the Provost. October 20. Thursday. Last night a number of boats supposed to be about 50 passed through Howland's Ferry, which caused great consternation among the troops, in consequence of which the inhabitants who had signed the association were all night under arms. A number of Provincials landed on the south east part of the Island to soldiers belonging to the Light Dragoons with some Hessians and one Family. This afternoon a number of the inhabitants were committed to the Provost on suspicion, viz., Messrs. Benjamin and Edward Church, Benjamin Church, Jun., Shearman Clarke, Sam1 Billings, Joseph Gardner, John Arnold, Mr. Church's negro man. Arrived this morning a number of small freight vessels convoyed by the Ambuscade frigate. They have brought a hand-bill of Gen. Clinton's success up the North river; likewise confirm the account of Philadelphia being taken by Gen. Howe. 21. Yesterday a Hessian soldier was shot through the hand in attempting to desert at Howland's ferry. This morning two men came on from the Secunnet Island, after going on board the Kingfisher. A number of stores, ware-houses, etc., are taking down to build Barracks at Portsmouth. This afternoon, a prize ship came in laden with lumber, taken by the Diamond Frigate belonging to Boston. 21. Great numbers of the inhabitants up and sent on board Guard ship for refusing to sign the association and guard the town. Last night about 25 of the inhabitants were sent on board the prison ship. 22. This morning a number of carpenters were discharged from the King's work, for refusing to work on Sunday. This day was buried Mrs. Mary Turner of Portsmouth, who kept a noted Public house. 27. Great numbers of the inhabitants who are now imprisoned have left their families in great distress; upon application to the General for relief are treated with contempt and turned out. Arrived this morning a brig said to be continental brig Cabot taken. Tuesday 28. This evening a marine prisoner deserted from Providence to this island. 29. This evening Cartel sloop arrived from Providence that has been detained, by which we are informed that Gen. Burgoyne has surrendered himself prisoner with the whole army, and they are carried to Boston. 30. They continue taking up the inhabitants committing them to the Provost. November 1. This morning the train of artillery marched into town with their baggage, artillery, etc., and took up barracks at the point. 2. Arrived two frigates, the Lark and Diamond, from a cruise of Boston Bay. The smallpox is on board. A number of prisoners are put on board the guard ship taken out of the frigate from among the small-pox. 22. The Provost Marshal is employed in committing the inhabitants of Middletown and Portsmouth to the Provost. This morning 73 of the principal inhabitants were sent on board the Prison ship under Hessian guards followed by great numbers of women and children, who were not suffered to speak to their husbands and parents. 25 of the inhabitants that are left are ordered to work the engines. At four o'clock a firing is heard, the Provincials are said to be landing at Fogland Ferry, the inhabi-men-of-war in the Delaware river, destroyed by tants are in arms. 23. Arrived this afternoon, the Wood Fleet consisting of about 20 sail. The Privateer Schooner Admiral Parker that convoyed them was left engaged with a Privateer from New London, run ashore off Watch Hill. Report that Gen. Howe lost 180 Light Horse, drowned. The soldiers and sailors continue to steal potatoes, corn and other sauce from the inhabitants. 23. We hear the king's troops attempted to build a fort a little distance south of Fogland Ferry and were fired upon by the Provincials, killed 1 man belonging to the Light Infantry, 1 Hessian chessaur wounded another. 3 o'clock evening, the fire continues, heavy cannon. 24. Arrived the Cerberus, on board her the officers and men belonging to the Admiral Parker, which they burned. 25. Arrived a Cartell from New London with the prisoners belonging to the Wood Fleet, who inform us that Gen. Washington is defeated with a thousand men and artillery. 25. The Provost marshal continues to take up the inhabitants. This morning Wm. Dillingham was sent on board the prison ship. This day being the 16th year since His Majesty's ascension to the throne, a royal salute was fired from the men-of-war and transport. 3. A small fleet of provision vessels arrived here this morning from New York. They confirm the account of Burgoyne and army being made prisoners, that Gen. Clinton has come down Hudson river and embarked is troops on board transports, likewise of the loss of several the provincials. That Gen. Howe had taken Mud island with the loss of a great many men. Nov. 5. This evening 22 of the inhabitants are sent ashore from the prison ship. 6. This day at three o'clock sailed the fleet for Long Island for wood, convoyed by the Syren, frigate. A heavy cannonading is heard through the course of the whole day. At 4 o'clock sailed the Diamond and the Lark to the relief of part of the fleet which is supposed to have run on shore. 7. At 2 o'clock this afternoon returned the two frigates who inform that the Syren and the Sisters, transport, with a schooner had run on shore at Point Judith, and all the men made prisoners. 8. This afternoon was buried a Hessian major with the honors of war. The Presbyterian meeting-houses are taken up for barracks, all the pews pulled down. 10. The keys of the Baptist meeting-houses are taken by the barrack-master in order to quarter soldiers. 11. The 22 regiment marched into town and took up their quarters. Reported that liberty is given to the inhabitants to leave the island. 12. The remainder of the inhabitants were sent ashore this evening: Capt. John Hewings and Mr. Bradley. |