Woman! bright, beautiful and gentle in all whose steps is grace, and in every gesture dignity and love! Woman! pure as beautiful; kind as dignified; virtuous and noble, with fair religion emparadised in form of that

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sweet flesh," is it possible you do not know, and yet we are sure you do not, that every birthday dress ball at Almack's has driven a sister to the streets.

I have the honour to be, dear sir,

Your humble servant,

C. EDWARDS LESTER.

C 2

To Fitz-Greene Halleck, Esq.

London, July

-, 1840.

SIR,

1 WISH that in addressing to you a letter about Thomas Campbell, I could render some worthy tribute to your genius; for I consider literary men the glory of their country. But I trust you will accept this from an obscure individual as an expression of his regard for one who has done so much to bear a knowledge of our literature to other lands.

It has been my happiness often to meet the illustrious author of " Wyoming," during my residence in the metropolis; and I shall always remember his conversations and society as among the brightest spots of my life in England. I can remember no author I read with so much enthusiasm in early years; no one who exerted so powerful an influence upon my taste and character. How many long summer days

have I whiled away under the large elms, which fling their green arms over the shining river that rolls its gentle current by my childhood's home, with the "Pleasures of Hope" and my "faithful dog" alone "to bear me company!"

How often did I then long for boyhood's years to pass, and bring the time when I could dash into the wide world, and roam, free as the "wild bird in his native wild-wood." It was one of my brightest dreams then, and ever has been since, that I should one day see Thomas Campbell. Whenever I thought of England I thought of him: there was a charm in his

name.

The first time I saw Campbell was at a meeting of the Convention. He came into the Hall with Dr. Beattie, and was immediately recognised by several gentlemen, who announced his name. He was called for from every quarter. One of the American delegation who was then speaking gave way, and the poet was received with the most enthusiastic applause.

He said he did not wish to make a speech;

but, as one of the literary men of England, he was proud to enrol his name on the records of a Convention assembled for so magnificent a He considered this Convention one

purpose. of the noblest bodies of men which the great interests of civilization and humanity had ever brought together. The philanthropists of the world had gathered here to sympathize with the suffering and oppressed of all nations, and to devise means for the universal diffusion of liberty. They had proposed for themselves the most sublime object that ever entered the human mind-the emancipation of man everywhere from the thraldom of man. He hoped these guardians of humanity would believe that he felt the deepest interest in all their movements; and his earnest prayer was for God to bless them.

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"Friends of humanity," said he, “ I extend to you the fellowship and co-operation of the literary men of England. The poetry of the world has always been on the side of liberty; and it always will be there. I am glad to see, too, the representatives of the great American Republic mingling in your councils. We greet

them warmly as brothers to our shores; and I trust when they return, they will tell the literary men of America, that in refusing to lift up their voice fearlessly against slavery, they have no sympathy from us. I am rejoiced to see so many men here from America. It does my

heart good to see you.

"Freedom! I know not whether to call thee the parent or the child of the press;

but

certain it is, that blissful freedom lives, and moves, and has its being only in the liberty of the press. (Cheers.) The press of this country is a very good press in many respects, but it has not done its full duty on this question; and, Americans, I tell you frankly, if we are deficient in this respect, you are much more so. There are some splendid exceptions; and no one can hear me without having his recollection called to Channing. But, generally, the literary men of America have shirked the question. I wish to avoid everything like personal allusions, otherwise I could name those to whom I refer, and with whom I am displeased. If there be a diversity of opinion upon the subject of slavery among them; if any one of them