thing must not be omitted: The account of Ben Bannaker, the negro astronomer of Maryland.
Mr. Thompson's own work is conspicuous. Besides his notices of new works and his lively and instructive Editor's Table, he gives us another batch of his "Notes of European Travel," his "Reminiscences of Rome" and two special poems. One, on "Patriotism," was spoken before the convention of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, in Carusi's Saloon, Washington, January 3, 1856. It is largely satirical. The other, on Virginia, was delivered before the Virginia Alpha of the Phi Beta Society, in the chapel of William and Mary, July 3, 1856, and was published by order of that Society. The society was inaugurated at William and Mary, suspended by the Revolution and revived at the same place, when Wm. Short, of Philadelphia, its only surviving member and its last president, was present.
In heralding his 24th volume (New Series, Volume III.) Mr. Thompson says: "The New Year opens well for Southern Letters. There are gratifying evidences, in many quarters of our beautiful and genial section of the country, of a rich blossoming of thought, a quickening of latent genius, a gushing forth of the bright waters of poetry from what has so long been thought a sterile and unsympathizing soil."
