writing, without looking at a single MS. of any other competitor. When the story, it may be added, was brought to the notice of Mr. Latrobe and the honourable John P. Kennedy, the two surviving adjudicators, they at once denied its truth.

Mr. Kennedy, the well-known author, was so interested in the successful but unknown competitor, that he invited him to his house, and Poe's response, written in his usual beautiful and distinct calligraphy, proves the depth of misery to which he had sunk. How his heart bled to pen these lines few probably can imagine :

"Your invitation to dinner has wounded me to the quick. I cannot come for reasons of the most humiliating nature-my personal appearance. You may imagine my mortification in making this disclosure to you, but it is necessary."

Urged by the noblest feelings, Mr. Kennedy at once sought out the unfortunate youth, and found him, as he declares, almost starving. Poe's wretched condition inspired the unselfish author with pity, as his genius did with admiration, and from henceforth he became his firm friend. It is interesting to learn that to the last Poe retained his benefactor's friendship and respect, as Mr. Kennedy acknow ledged when informed of the poet's decease; and no better disproof of the calumnies heaped by Griswold on the dead man's head could be given, than by repeating the testimonies of all those with whom Poe lived and laboured. So far from contenting himself with mere courtesies, Mr. Kennedy assisted his new protégé to re-establish himself in the outward garb of respectability, and in many respects treated him more like a dear relative than a chance acquaintance. In his diary he records, "I gave him clothing, free access to my table, and the use of a horse for exercise whenever he chose; in fact, brought him up from the very verge of despair." Aided by such a friend, Poe's affairs could not but mend.

In the spring of 1834 Mr. Allan died, and if his godson still retained any expectations of inheriting any portion of his wealth he was at last undeceived, as, in the language of Griswold, "not a mill was bequeathed to Poe;" In Angust of this same year a Mr. White, an energetic and accomplished man, in opposition to the advice of his friends, commenced the publication of the Southern Literary Messenger, in Richmond, Virginia. This magazine was a very daring speculation at such a time and place, and but for a fortunate accident might have placed its promoter completely hors de combat. Amongst the wellknown writers whose aid he solicited was Mr. Kennedy, and he, being fully engaged, advised Poe to send something. Our poet did so, and Mr. White, greatly pleased with his contributions, spoke of them in very flattering terms, in March, 1835, publishing "Berenice." Henceforth Poe became a regular monthly contributor to the Messenger. Mr. Kennedy had now had a year and a halt's experience of Poe, without finding anything in his conduct to alter the good opinion he had formed of him; and the following letter is quoted by Griswold as having been written at this period by Mr. Kennedy to Mr. White. As it is apparently authentic, we quote it :

"Baltimore, April 13, 1835.

Dear Sir-Poe did right in referring to me. He is very clever with his pen-classical and scholarlike. He wants experience and direction, but I have no doubt he can be made very useful to you. And, poor fellow! he is very poor. I told him to write something for every number of your magazine, and that you might find it to your advantage to give him some permanent employ. He has a volume of very bizarre tales in the hands of, in Philadelphia, who for a year past has been promising to publish them. This young fellow is highly imaginative, and a little given to the terrific. He is at work upon a tragedy, but I have turned him to drudging upon whatever may make money, and I have no doubt you and he will find your account in each other."

Mr. White undoubtedly found his "account" in his new contributor, and every month called the attention of his readers to the beauties of the current tale by the young author.

In the June number of the magazine appeared Poe's tale of "Hans Pfaall," and three weeks later there appeared in the New York Sun Mr. Locke's famous "Moon Hoax" story. Griswold alludes to the former being "in some respects very similar to Mr. Locke's celebrated account," in a way to make his readers believe our poet the copier instead of the copied. Poe's reputation was now increasing so rapidly that Mr. White became desirous of retaining his services exclusively for his magazine, and having sounded. his contributor, and found him only too willing, engaged him to assist in the editorial duties of the Messenger at a salary of about one hundred guineas (520 dollars) per annum. In consequence of this appointment Poe at once removed from Baltimore to Richmond, Virginia, where the magazine was published. Griswold, in order to suit dates to one of his allegations against Poe, states that he was appointed editor of the Messenger in May, whereas he only became assistant editor in September, and did not assume the full control of the publication until December, 1835. The unfavourable notice of Mr. Laughton Osborne's "Confessions of a Poet," which appeared in the April number, and which Griswold, in order to support his charge of inconsistency, ascribed to Poe, was obviously never written by the poet at all. Its style is a sufficient disproof of the allegation.

The following letter, which Poe wrote to his friend Kennedy to tell him of his appointment on the Messenger, affords a sad picture of the terrible melancholia under which the poet so frequently suffered-an affliction not merely the result of privations and grief, but undoubtedly, to some extent, inherited :—

"Richmond, September 11, 1835. Dear Sir-I received a letter from Dr. Miller, in which he tells me you are in town. I hasten, therefore, to write you, and express by letter what I have always found it impossible to express orally--my deep sense of gratitude for your frequent and ineffectual assistance and kindness. Through your influence Mr. White has been induced to employ me in assisting him with the editorial duties of his magazine, at a salary of five hundred and twenty dollars per annum. The situation is agrecable to me for many reasons, but, alas! it appears tɔ me that nothing can give me pleasure or the slightest gratification. Excuse me, my dear sir, if in this letter you find much incoherency. My feelings at this moment are pitiable indeed. I am suffering under a depression of spirits such as I have never felt before. I have struggled in vain against the influence of this melancholy; you will believe me when I say that I am still miserable in spite of the great improvement in my circumstances. I say you will believe me, and for this simple reason, that a man who is writing for effect does not write thus. My heart is open before you; if it be worth reading, read it. I am wretched and know not why. Console me-for you can. But let it be quickly, or it will be too late. Write me immediately; convince me that it is worth one's while-that it is at all necessary to live, and you will prove yourself indeed my friend. Persuade me to do what is right. I do mean this. I do not mean that you should consider what I now write you a jest. Oh, pity me! for I feel that my words are incoherent; but I will recover myself. You will not fail to see that I am suffering under a depression of spirits which will ruin me shouid it be long continued. Write me then and quickly; urge me to do what is right. Your words will have more weight with me than the words of others, for you were my friend when no one else was. Fail not, as you value your peace of mind hereafter.

E. A. POE.

To this wail of despair Mr. Kennedy sent the following kindly if commonplace reply :

"I am sorry to see you in such a plight as your letter shows you in. It is strange that just at this time, when everybody is praising you, and when fortune is beginning to smile upon your hitherto wretched circumstances, you should be invaded by these blue devils. It belongs, however, to your age and temper to be thus buffeted--but be assured, it only wants a little resolution to master the adversary for ever. You will doubtless do well henceforth in literature, and add to your comforts, as well as to your reputation, which it gives me great pleasure to asure you is everywhere rising in popular esteem."

Notwithstanding his "blue devils," as Mr. Kennedy styled it, the new editor worked wonders with the Messenger. "His talents made that periodical quite brilliant while he was connected with it," records this friend, and indeed in little more than a twelvemonth Poe raised its circulation from seven hundred to nearly five thousand. This success was partially due to the originality and fascination of Poe's stories, and partially owing to the fearlessness of his trenchant critiques. He could not be made, either by flattery or abuse, a respecter of persons. In the December number of the Messenger he began that system of literary scarification that crucial dissection of bookmaking mediocrities, which, whilst it created throughout the length and breadth of the States a terror of his powerful pen, at the same time raised up against him a host of implacable, though unknown, enemies, who were only too glad, from that time, to seize upon and repeat any story, however improbable, to his discredit. Far better would it have been for his future welfare if, instead of affording contemporary nonentities a chance of literary immortality by impaling them upon his pen's sharp point, he had devoted his whole time to the production of his wonderful stories, or still more wonderful poems. Why could he not have left the task of crushing or puffing the works of his Lilliputian contemporaries to the ordinary "disappointed authors?"

During the whole of 1836 Poe devoted his entire attention to the Messenger, producing tales, poems, essays, and reviews in profusion, indeed, apparently at Mr. White's suggestion, frittering away his genius over these last. Early in the year a gleam of hope seemed to break in upon his chequered career. In Richmond, once more among his kindred, he met and married his cousin Virginia, the daughter of his father's sister Maria. Miss Clemm was but a girl in years, and already manifested symptoms of the family complaint, consumption, but, undeterred by this or