'The Layman's Legacy.'—This is a well-printed volume, of four hundred pages, from the press of Mr. P. Price, Fulton-street, and contains 'twenty-five sermons, on important subjects, by Henry Fitz.' It will be admitted, even by those who oppose his doctrines, that the style of the author is clear and vigorous, and that he writes with fearlessness and candor. 'Having shown no respect for the errors of others,' he says, 'equal justice demands that no respect shall be shown to mine. If I have offered error under the garb of truth, strip the monster, and show him in his true colors. No one can rejoice more than myself at such an exposure.' A portrait of the author forms the frontispiece of the volume.
Explanatory.—It has been rendered proper, we may suppose, indeed, important, for us to state, that the elegiac stanzas in our March number, from the pen of D. D. Barnard, Esq., of Albany, were sent us by a personal friend of the writer; himself a poet, and a very model of care and correctness; who assured us, in an accompanying note, that they were faithfully transcribed from the original copy, which we were left to infer was a recent production. It is scarcely necessary to say, that the lines were wholly unsolicited. We have little inclination, and less occasion, to mendicant poetical contributions, of a kindred stamp, from any quarter. It remains, therefore, but to affirm, that the stanzas in question were printed verbatim from the signally legible MS. of our correspondent; if we except, in a few of the earlier impressions of a large edition, a typographical error of a single letter, in one short word, made in correcting the final revise, after the proof-sheet had passed from the hands of the editor; an error, it should be added, so palpably accidental, that any reader, of common sense, could not fail to detect and correct it, in a moment. Since the foregoing was in type, we have been authorized to state, that the lines referred to, were copied without the slightest alteration or omission, of any kind, from the author's Ms.
To Correspondents, Literary and Private.—We must crave the indulgence of many correspondents, several of them, as they are well aware, favorites with us, and with our readers. Previous arrangement, an aim at variety and contrast, with unexpected circumstances often, known only to the editor, serve to retard the publication of articles which have been gladly accepted. Our private correspondents, likewise, must bear with us yet a little. We have found it impossible, owing to most pressing avocations, as well as temporary illness, to answer a moiety of the letters, some from old and highly-valued friends, which we have received during the last two months.
General Woodhull.—Those of our readers who are interested in the story of our revolution, will receive with pleasure an exculpation of one of its heroes and martyrs from a serious charge, which had its origin in misapprehension, and not injustice. We have been shown a letter from Chief Justice Marshall, upon whose testimony the accusation in question was based—namely, neglect in guarding the Bedford Road, at the battle of Long Island—wherein the distinguished author of the Life of Washington expresses his sincere regret that he had been led into error in a matter of so much importance. This letter, with relevant matters of interest, will appear in the Knickerbocker for June.
The Engraving, executed on steel, which accompanies the present number, will not escape the attention, nor fail, as we think, to elicit the admiration, of the reader. The artists, to whose skill must be awarded the praise due to its production, are too well known to require praise at our hands. Although we do not promise, yet we have great pleasure in giving, such specimens of art to our readers; even while we rely upon excellence in other and more important respects, to maintain and enhance the reputation of the Knickerbocker.
⁂ Brief notices of the following works, although in type, are necessarily omitted: 'The Virginia Lyceum,' 'Coghlan's Latin Grammar,' 'Percy,' 'Gems from the Mount,' 'Dictionary of the Church,' 'The Cabinet Minister,' 'Paschal Bruno,' 'Combe's Lectures,' 'Idler in Italy,' etc.
