and we insist upon it now, over and over again.  It is bad—­it is wretched—­and what then?  We wrote it at ten years of age—­had it been worth even a pumpkin-pie, undoubtedly we should not have ‘delivered’ it to them.  To demonstrate its utter worthlessness, The Boston Star has copied the poem in full, with two or three columns of criticism (we suppose), by way of explaining that we should have been hanged for its perpetration.  There is no doubt of it whatever—­we should.  The Star, however, (a dull luminary,) has done us more honor than it intended; it has copied our third edition of the poem, revised and improved.  We considered this too good for the occasion by one-half, and so ‘delivered’ our first edition with all its imperfections on its head.  It is the first—­the original edition—­the delivered edition—­which we now republish in our collection of Poems.”

When he accepted the invitation of the Lyceum he intended to write an original poem, upon a subject which he said had haunted his imagination for years; but cares, anxieties, and feebleness of will, prevented; and a week before the appointed night he wrote to a friend imploring assistance.  “You compose with such astonishing facility,” he urged in his letter, “that you can easily furnish me, quite soon enough, a poem that shall be equal to my reputation.  For the love of God I beseech you to help me in this extremity.”  The lady wrote him kindly, advising him judiciously, but promising to attempt the fulfillment of his wishes She was, however, an invalid, and so failed.[C] At last, instead of pleading illness himself, as he had previously done on a similar occasion, he determined to read his poem of “Al Aaraaf,” the original publication of which, in 1829, has already been stated.

The last number of the Broadway Journal was published on the third of January,1846, and Poe soon after commenced the series of papers entitled “The Literati of New-York City,” which was published in The Lady’s Book in six numbers, from May to October.  Their spirit, boldness, and occasional causticity caused them to be much talked about, and three editions were necessary to supply the demand for some numbers of the magazine containing them.  They however led to a disgraceful quarrel, and this to a premature conclusion.  Dr. Thomas Dunn English, who had at one time sustained the most intimate relations with Poe, chose to evince his resentment of the critic’s unfairness by the publication of a card in which he painted strongly the infirmities of Poe’s life and character, and alleged that he had on several occasions inflicted upon him personal chastisement.  This was not a wise confession, for a gentleman never appeals to his physical abilities except for defense.  But the entire publication, even if every word of it were true, was unworthy of Dr. English, unnecessary, and not called for by Poe’s article, though that, as every one acquainted with the parties might have