WHICH THE EDITOR OF THIS MAGAZINE HAD WITH DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER, CONCERNING NATIONAL LITERATURE AND OTHER GRAVE TOPICS. OST courteous reader-once more, at the stated time of periodic revolve, appears that venerated form before you. The best chamber in the "Independent" has still about it that quiet air of secluded privacy, which comports so well with the staid appearance and vast undertakings of the important gentleman, who fills the most substantial of its antique chairs, with such subdued, yet conscious dignity. The hostess has not lately been "putting every thing to rights,"-the "old, mouldy books still lay about at sixes and sevens," the "saddle-bags," with their inestimable treasure, are exposed upon the table, before which-" no derangement in his ideas"-sits that "small, brisk-looking old gentle man," whose labours then and there concocted, have conferred such a lasting immortality on himself-and (a far more valuable consideration in the opinion of Seth Handaside)--such a wide-spread notoriety upon the Independent Columbian Hotel. Unlike his own renowned Van Twiller; the slight wreaths which curl from his consuming Virginian, seem pregnant with idea; and the light clouds hovering over his pleasant view of " the new grounds of the Collect," appear prophetic of that unparalleled blaze of glory which so soon and so permanently settled on his name. It is not enough for thee, gentle and highly privileged reader of the Knickerbacker, that thou hast before thee a resemblance so striking of our honoured patron. We, who lately have been admitted to the favour of holding actual converse with his embodied shade, shall make him more intimately known, by unfolding to thee the manner in which he appeared to us, and what little we recollect of the instructive conversation which we held with the learned phantom;and here, lest thou shouldst fall into an error, already extensively believed that we, in virtue of our office, hold a talisman, which we have only to rub, like the ring in the Arabian Nights, and we can command up the erudite spirit at our will-we have to inform thee, that we are indebted to no such power for the honour; and if the illustrious shade deigns to reveal himself more particularly to us, it is in such manner and time as he approves himself; and of which we have no intimation till under the influence of his dread presence. This thou wilt more particularly understand, when we recount the singular manner, and unexpected time of his last appearance on earth, viz. that which we are about to record. The fair city of the Knickerbocker's was glowing in the glorious sunset of June, when we, somewhat fatigued by the just finished toil of preparing our last number, took a walk towards the interior of this ancient Island of Manhattan, for the purpose of refreshing our wearied spirits with the cooler air of the country. We soon found ourselves on a little knoll, beautiful as the fabled arbour of the poet. It was a secluded and unobtrusive spot. Gigantic forest trees, so old and gnarled, that they might have witnessed the midnight dance of the aboriginal Delawares, shut it out from all contiguity with man, and threw over the silky and luxuriant verdure below, a twilight so shadowy and tempered, as "Made the very darkness there, Immediately before, glancing through the irregular trunks, rolled the lordly Hudson. Not a breath disturbed his bright and beautiful expanse, which looked in the summer splendour like a lake of sunshine; and far beyond, robed in all the enchantment of distance, the wood |