Harvard Magazine - 1 Author:Harvard University Volume: 1 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1855 Original Publisher: J. Bartlett Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where ... more »you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: EDITORS' TABLE. Prospero. " I mnst, Once in a month, recount what th. on hast been." The Tempest. " Home-keeping youth," says Valentine, " have ever homely wits "; the little stars move in little orbits; the little drumming husband is perfectly contented in the narrow limits of his domestic pint-pot; and thus, as our humble watch-tower stands at no very majestic height among the literary observatories of the day, it is not to be expected that our monthly review of strange things done and wonders seen on this our earth should be crowded very full of marvellous discovery, deep thought, or shrewd, sharp-eyed political wisdom. " Two months ago," as the King says in Hamlet, "here came a gentleman." Two months ago it was our privilege to pour into the bosoms of our friends our New-Year's torrent of milk and honey, wit and wisdom. According, then, to Prospero's plan, we are in debt for the record of two months' share of the world's actions and passions. We perhaps have done little enough even of our little share of earth's great work; but the months themselves, at least, have been very busy, panting and fainting with their toil. They have been going to and fro, keeping the world's wheels always oiled and running, giving the monstrous machinery not a moment's rest, now putting a hand to the workman's hammer to build up society strongly and firmly, and now madly lending their strength to some vagrant whirlwind to tear it away again, and sink it lower than before ; and now they come back and spread before us their report. They tell a sad story of a wretched army away...« less