erroneous impressions of the author's mean-and-Pencil's notions on theology," and that he was or have obscured it. For example: In the desirous "to provoke the reader to a comparison olumn, page 229, the critic professes to quote between Gibbon and himself," we perceive no warMr. Lossing's Preface, to show his offenses of rant for such a conclusion. Nor can we find a sinHe takes a part of the first sentence, and gle sentence giving the color of truth to the puerg out sufficient to make it appear absurd, ile charge that Mr. Lossing "has given us frequent the whole of another, and then begins in the assurances of his orthodoxy, by insisting more than e of a third sentence, and gives the last moiety. once upon his rigid adherence to the apostolic sucbing almost half a page, he takes up another cession, and having no attachment to dissenters." ace, changes the tense so as to make nonsense whole matter, and thus constructs the paraalluded to! Such a course is not only bethe dignity of fair criticism, but is positively nest. It is proper to remark here that simifairness characterizes all of the writer's critiof Mr. Lossing's style, and the plan of his asserts that "the actual history to be found e two ponderous volumes bears about the proportion to their magnitude as the gold the counterfeiter finds it necessary to embears to the mass of base metal." As the r has evidently read the whole work of Mr. ng as far as published, (for it lacked more two hundred pages of completion when he ,) this must be regarded as intentional missentation. An examination of the work will y the reader that at least eight tenths of the r is purely historical. Mr. Lossing appears ve made his personal narrative as brief as ble, and yet present the feature of a travelhotes in connection with the historic record. e critic puts forth the idea prominently that ossing assumes to "supply the omissions and et the mistakes of Botta, Ramsay, Marshall, oft, and Hildreth," and that he considers If infallible. Mr. Lossing claims no such ; on the contrary, he expressly says, in his ce, that he went out as a gleaner to carefully r up what others had left behind, and to add llection to their store. He went out to visit ocalities of the Revolution, make drawings notes of all the relics that might be left, and e these into the fabric of history already pub1, in such a pleasing way as to entice the to read the story of our war for independSpeaking of the accuracy of his work, he rks, that neither labor nor care has been d in the collection of materials, and in enors to produce a work as free from grave as possible;" and then observes: "It has rfections; it would be foolish egotism to ashe contrary. In the various histories of the events many discrepancies appear; these I endeavored to reconcile or correct by docuary and other reliable testimony; and if the is not more accurate than its predecessors, it ieved to be equally so with the most reliable." think our readers will agree with us in the on that if the reviewer, with his acuteness so awake in search of errors, and a disposition ger to expose them, could not find more and er blunders than he has pointed out, it cery is remarkably "free from grave errors."

The reviewer notices Mr. Lossing's avowed aim to avoid giving details of violence and horrid slaughter, and then charges him with "devoting page after page to the most sickening and revolting details, often of a very questionable character as to truth, and exhibiting a morbid delight in piling up horrors for the gratification of diseased appetites and imaginations." This assertion is wholly untrue-a malicious fabrication, without a shadow of justification; and his statement that Mr. Lossing "has entered into disgusting and loathsome details respecting Captain Molly," a bold camp-follower, is equally untrue. If Mr. Lossing's book has no other merit, it may challenge comparison with any other for its high-toned morality and sound principles, such as the youth of our land ought to be imbued with.

The reviewer says Mr. Lossing represents James the First, of England, as "of liberal and enlightened views, and a friend and champion of religious liberty." Mr. Lossing speaks of him in terms expressly the reverse,* and in language equally as strong as that of the reviewer himself; portrays him as a licentious, intolerant bigot, "a profligate dissembler, and imbecile coward, governed entirely by self-interest, vanity, and artful men," &c.

examining the context of the passages quoted e critic, upon which he predicates a charge ast Mr. Lossing of seeking "a pretext for sneerat religion, and giving to the world Mr. Pen

The reviewer says (page 226) that "the leading events of the war, though detailed with great verbiage and with little perspicuity, are in the main faithfully narrated." Forgetting this admission, he says, on page 238, that Mr. Lossing "is not to be relied upon in any of his statements." He then proceeds to fortify this last position by noting such historical inaccuracies as he was able to discover in carefully looking for them through a thousand pages of Mr. Lossing's work. He indicates about a dozen, and a large proportion of these are doubtful. The first "grave error" that he notices is the time of the arrival of D'Estaing at Newport. He thinks that Mr. Lossing has made a mistake of four days. The earliest and latest of "best authorities" (Gordon and Hildreth) agree with Mr. Lossing. He then labors to show that Mr. Lossing was ignorant of the true cause of the failure of the Americans at Germantown; and in correcting the author, the reviewer uses the same facts and inferences which Mr. Lossing himself has given. So with the battle at Monmouth. Precisely in the relation in which the reviewer places Washington, Lee, and Lafayette, on that occasion, Mr. Lossing had most distinctly placed them. It really appears that the reviewer, involved in the fog of misrepresentation which he had cast around his subject, had mistaken Mr. Lossing's facts, arguments, and inferences, for those of some "best authority," and adopted them as his own!

The reviewer lashes Mr. Lossing for his sup

• Vol. I., page 441.

posed want of reverence for the Continental Congress, in 1778, over which Henry Laurens presided; and because, as a faithful historian, he has pointed to the factions and corruptions of that body, when some of its members were leagued with army officers in attempts to blast the character of Washington. If the reviewer will read the letters of Henry Laurens himself, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, William Duer, and other in flexible patriots, all lamenting "the expiring reputation of Congress," he will perceive that Mr. Lossing's estimate of the character of a portion of that body is quite tolerant enough.

The reviewer dwells upon the apparent discrepancies in Mr. Lossing's statements concerning the interviews of Washington with Rochambeau, the escape of Arnold, and the character of the court by which André was condemned. These are all so easily reconcilable with facts, that the reviewer himself must have perceived that they involved no "grave error." So when chastising Mr. Lossing for rescuing the name of Erving from oblivion, and then burying it beneath that of Irvine, the reviewer seems ignorant of the fact that the latter was

I have not attempted a eulogy of Mr. Lossing's book, nor shall I say a word in its praise. It has been too long before the public, and too univer sally well spoken of by the press and by some of the most distinguished writers of our country, to need praise from me. I have simply endeavored to offer an antidote for the poison which the article in question may have instilled into the minds of your readers who may not have met with Mr. Lossing's work. With this remark I dismiss the subject. I shall engage in no controversy-there is no ground for one; because a reference to the book itself will settle the question of honor and veracity on the part of the reviewer.

MUSIC.

TRUTE.

ALBONI.-The greatest living contralto deserve a longer notice than we shall be able to afford her; but if our space was equal to our inclination, she would hardly have to complain of brevity. Ma dame Alboni has now given three concerts in this city, and each time she seems to have made a deeper impression upon the hearts of the public We have heard her in London and Paris, when another officer. And when he sneers at Mr. Los-upon the operatic boards she achieved her greatest sing because he speaks of West Point as "conse- triumphs; but it seems to us that in the lapse d crated ground," he appears to think that nothing time not one of those deep, thrilling, and majest can make a place sacred but a baptism of human notes with which she so satisfies the ear, has grow blood! older with the years. She is still the same luxu The misprint of a single word, ("latter" for "for-ous singer as when we heard her in the famou mer,") by which Barron is made to kill Decatur, calls forth the severest epithets upon Mr. Lossing; and when he discovers the only real, substantial blunder (the birth-day of King George) which the critic finds in the thousand pages, he occupies more than a column to prove Mr. Lossing an "ignorant," "immoral" "charlatan." Mr. Lossing is no doubt properly ashamed of that "grave error," for it is a downright careless blunder, which any " tolerably forward boy in New-England" would detect.

The reviewer intimates that Mr. Lossing has made "peculiar blunders and misapprehensions in relation to our history during the administrations of Washington and the elder Adams." Mr. Lossing's work covers only the ground of the Revolution and its antecedents, and has not a word about the Listory of the administrations referred to. As the work lacked more than two hundred pages of completion when the reviewer wrote, he doubtless supposed it would cover the ground of those administrations, and therefore he accuses Mr. Lossing of blunders in what he never wrote, with the same facility as he has misrepresented him in relation to what is published.

We might note many other unfair, ungenerous, and unmanly remarks, and positive misrepresent ations of the reviewer, but we think we have said enough to convince the reader that Mr. Lossing and his work have been most unjustly assailed, and that your confidence in the candor of the critic has been outrageously abused. I am sure that the critic himself, when he views the motives which prompted him, and the unfair disposition which he has displayed in his performance, will "hang his head and blush to call himself a man."

"Non, non," in the Huguenots.

On Friday evening, September 10th, we hear her for the first time in this conntry. Her pro gramme of songs was varied, and she did justice

to them all.

She opened with Mozart's cavatina of "Batti Batti," from Don Giovanni, a splendid specime of simple, unadorned melody. And though. from the severity of the strain, there was litte room for display, her complete and efficient res dering of the theme was a pleasing substitute §meretricious ornament. In the variations on a Sw air, composed by the plaintive Hummel, she too the house captive. But unquestionably the grea triumph of the evening was the well-known ron from the Sonnambula, "Ah! non Credea." Th she sang with more fire and expression than any her previous songs. Generally speaking, Alboc singing lacks dramatic power. She stands befor an audience and pours forth that beautiful vos of hers as if she could not help it; but here t triumphal character of the melody seemed to = spire her, and she sang it as we never heard it s before. All the inspired joy of satisfied love ind cated in the allegro, all the plaintive recollectio of past trials told in the preceding andante, we rendered so fully and without effort, that er American enthusiasm was silent until she ha finished. An encore was imperiously demande and as frankly given; and many a sober mercher went home that night with deep, rich tones rr: ing in his ears, that even the clatter of next day "Change" could not efface.

We regret to say that Madame Alboni is r well supported. The tenor, Signor Sangiovare has a sweet chamber voice, but which is utterly r

Vide William Duer's letter to Robert Morris, March 6, adequate to the requisitions of a building like the

1778.

Metropolitan Hall. He has also a very unsatis

ory habit of falling off in the concluding phrase, | This had the effect of drawing forth a summons for ch, though it probably arises from unavoidable her presence at the Imperial Court, and the very austion, is nevertheless very injurious to the next season she appeared at Vienna in German eral effect of the air, and leaves an impression opera. weakness upon the ear. Signor Rovere may tolerable buffo actor for a provincial theatre, he has no business to sing such songs as adamina" from the "Don." Those who have d the stupendous Lablache roll forth the same s redolent of mingled comic and sentimental er, will have little relish for Signor Rovere's ted vocalization and obtrusive humor.

We were much pleased with the way in which orchestra played the overture to William Tell. or Arditi did that magnificent work justice, it was pleasing to hear scenic music such as rendered so effectively by men who have been lenly called together for an occasion.

Here she attracted the notice of the great Barbaja, lessee of San Carlo, La Scala and the Italian Opera at Vienna, and, amazed at the genius of the débutante, he immediately offered her an engage ment at the San Carlo. This was unhesitatingly refused for her by her parents, who had a wholesome dread of the perils that would await a young and lovely girl in the luxurious land of Naples. Barbaja with considerable difficulty prevailed on them to allow her to appear on the boards of the Italian Opera at Vienna. Here she met Rubini and the great Lablache; here too she had the opportunity of studying the admirable style of Madame Fodon, whose dramatic powers were unsurpassed. She next ENRIETTE SONTAG, COUNTESS DE ROSSI.-There visited Leipzig and Berlin. At the latter place a some persons so fortunate as to have their bio- storm of indignation assailed her on her first ap hies as much linked with the history of na-pearance, and for an entire half hour she stood 3 as of art. With one side illumined by histori- alone upon the stage, braving the storm of abuse distinction, and the other gilded by genius, they which was showered upon her for forsaking her through life admired by all phases of society, fatherland for the brilliant French capital. The use they shine for all. Amongst this class of students, however, grew tired of attacking a resored individuals may be ranked Madame de lute but defenseless woman, and from that evening i, once world-famed as Henriette Sontag. forth the applause that greeted her more than lady's life has been as great a romance as compensated for the complimentary insults with of the mimic scenes in which she herself has which she had been first greeted. It was at Paris ed; and through grandeur and misfortune, that Sontag first met the great Malibran, and alerty and wealth, she has passed with a reputa- though she had there to compete besides with Pasta as faultless and unblemished as her genius and Pisaroni, she at once took her place as an equal ame de Rossi was born at Colbenz, in Prussia. of those wonderful artists. In the year 1828, the old parentage was humble, but she could claim King of Prussia, in whose favor Sontag stood high, satisfactory dignity of having sprung from a hearing that she was about to wed a Sardinian nobleof artists. The precocity of her musical man, and fearing that her humbleness of birth might us as a child gained for her an infantine re- throw some obstacle in the way, spontaneously n, and the banks of the Rhine rang with the bestowed upon her a patent of nobility and the name ses of the seven-year-old songstress. Her pa- of De Launstein. She however soon abandoned this s, however, wisely refused the production of name for that of the Countess de Rossi, but for prodigy in public, well knowing that infant phe- some considerable period her marriage was kept enons generally wither into mere medioc- private. Immediately after her wedding the as they grow up, unless their talents are al- Count de Rossi, she proceeded to England, where ed that repose necessary to a healthy maturity. she made her debut in a concert given at Devon er first appearance in public was at the age of shire House. Here she was face to face with all en, on the boards of the Darmstadt Theatre; and the beauty, nobility, and fashion of London, and now that dullest of German towns is perhaps her triumph was supreme. A few days after, she ed in her memory with bright reminiscences, made her appearance at the London Opera in the ciated as it is with her early and complete character of Rosina, in the Barber of Seville. In Her next promotion was to the musical this character she conquered public opinion with ol at Prague, to the head of which she speedily her wondrous ornamentation, her arpeggios and e her way. And at the age of fourteen her staccato passages, as completely as she afterwards iciency was so great that her parents felt bound captivated them with the chaste, simple sentiment of longer withhold her from the stage. Acci- her singing in Donna Anna. For two seasons she is the door-keeper to success, and accident sang in London,then in Berlin and St. Petersburg; ad wide the portals to the little Henriette. and then, the King of Sardinia having authorized Prima Donna of the Prague Opera was taken her husband to declare his marriage, she left the The despairing manager threw himself upon stage, as she thought, for ever. But in days when pity of the Sontags, and his supplications were kings are discarded, and constitutions annulled at led. Henriette was permitted to appear. There a few hours' notice, who shall presume to foretell something, however, quite as necessary to a his fate? For eighteen years Madame de Rossi er as voice, and that was height, a requisition adorned the various courts to which her husband ch, in Sontag's case, had to be supplied by four was accredited as ambassador. The Hague, Frankes of red cork heels. With the aid of these fort, St. Petersburg, Berlin, each in turn welcomed her incomparable voice, she went through the and cherished her. Then came the storm of 1848. of the Princess of Navarre, in the opera of Amid the convulsions of Europe, the spirit of de Paris, with the most wonderful success. anarchy respected neither nobility nor genius. Fund

ess.

ed securities were swallowed up, and with them Madame de Rossi's entire fortune. The Sardinian troubles threatened to overthrow her husband's diplomatic position, and the universal ruin of the continent gathered darkly around their home. Madame de Rossi accepted the sacrifice. She had children, and a duty to perform, and sinking all personal feelings, she forsook the aristocratic atmosphere in which she had so long existed, and went again upon the stage. Her second début was made in London, at Her Majesty's Theatre, under the direction of Mr. Lumley, who needed some such chance to enable him to retrieve his manifold losses. Public feeling previous to her appearance was more of a mournful enthusiasm than a joyous anticipation. The heyday of youth had fled from | Madame de Rossi, and old play-goers, who remembered her early triumphs, feared to deface the sacred lustre of such recollections by new and unfavorable impressions. But when the night came, all sad presentiments were dispelled, and the clearness, vigor, and finish of her style did not seem to have degenerated one jot since the time that she first took the town by storm at Devonshire House. Her terms then for twelve months' performances were fourteen thousand pounds sterling, and the large engagements which she has since concluded lead us to hope that Madame Sontag will ere long be enabled to build up a fortune sufficient to enable her to assume again that high position which she has so heroically forsaken.

SERENADES to distinguished artists may be divided into two kinds : introductory and parting-or how d'ye do, and good bye. Could we divest ourselves of the idea that the prime movers in these enterprises were impelled solely by self-interest, we should more heartily sympathize with them. This expression of homage to a noble artist, like SONTAG, could not fail of eliciting her warmest gratitude, if love of the art and devotion to her as a high exponent of its power were its moving causes. It is more than probable, however, that a large sum, in the shape of proceeds of a chari table concert, is expected from the amiable cantatrice, as a return for the torch-light musical greettng. Whatever might be her pleasure in thus contributing to the wants of poor musicians, one cannot but consider the SERENADE as shorn of its highest charm, this charitable contingency constituting the hopeful ultimatum of its abettors. The clannishness of certain skilful scrapers of catgut and blowers of wood and brass is the more notice able, on account of their palpable neglect of ALBONI. Now, the last named is a native of the land that gave the arts to Germany, and her voice and method are irreproachable. Moreover, her Euro pean reputation is second to none, and our staunch "musical majority" from Vaterland would have acted a more noble and disinterested part, could they have more duly honored the queen of contraltos, and used their powerful influence in secur ing a possible union of Sontag and Alboni in opera, before the latter leave our shores. It may not yet be too late. Pray, good musicians, let

"The spot where you were born"

land, we may all sing with renewed energy,

"Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, And this be our motto, In God is our trust.""

With respect to Madame Sontag's voice and talent, it is unnecessary to be diffuse. Few comprehend the jargon of contrapuntal criticism, and for those few ample food is supplied by dilettanti be occasionally forgotten, that you may adminis who affect such learning. Purity, sweetness, and ter in larger measure to our good, and so, reflexibility are the most prominent characteristics actively, to your own. Here, at least, let national of Madame Sontag's voice; her execution is won- animosities be consigned to complete forgetfulness derfully brilliant, correct, elegant, and supremely and, protected by the flag that floats this day in easy. No appearance of effort ever distresses her many a sea, and unfurls its significant "stars and audience, and she accomplishes the most astonish-stripes" from many a mount and vale of this fair ing tours de forces with marvellous facility. Her dramatic powers are considerable, and her performance of Amina and Elvira give her a high rank in the school of such characters; but if Madame Sontag excels in any thing, it is in those sweet, fresh, half comic, gay, and graceful characters, such as Rosina in the Barber, Susanna, and Norina. Here her elegant and lady-like person, and arch, vivacious style of acting, harmonize most perfectly with one of the purest and most limpid soprano voices ever heard upon a stage. Madame Sontag, we understand, gives a series of concerts in this city, to commence on the 18th. Afterwards she leaves for Philadelphia and Boston, and will return to us in the winter, when she will appear in a brilliant series of operatic characters. A life of Sontag, published by Stringer & Townsend, has just made its appearance, which is lively and well written. It is chiefly compiled from French and German sources. Among others, M. Scudo's articles on Sontag are pressed into the service; but as that gentleman is proverbially inaccurate in his details, we think they might have culled more safely from some other source.

In conclusion, we wish Madame Sontag every success which her great genius, her unblemished · fame and her noble sacrifice, entitle her to.

At NIBLO's, success is a necessity. There are no echoes to the music in his pleasant saloon, for echoes only attend upon empty benches. A ful house is the best tonic to the vocalist. Singing te Niblo's audiences, prima donnas are never hoarse, nor tenors capricious, nor choruses malcontent There is a double meaning in the magic of numbers; and if music has charms, it is no less tras that it is itself swayed by the magnetic influenc of multitude.

Niblo will probably furnish the only opera in New-York during the present winter. His com pany is efficient, and will be strongly reinforced It may be that we shall have Bosio and Steffanons again, for the former has met with more show! rivals abroad, and the latter will hardly know how to pass the winter without renewing her metropol itan triumphs as Norma and Leonora. Possibly the great form of Marini may walk once more upor the stage, and Salvi enchant us again with his sciver voice, just enough waned from its prime to infuse a deeper melancholy into its pathos, and im part a more subdued tone to its classic refinement.