the design, not only in all the different governments
on this continent, but likewise in most of the _West India_ Islands."

At the head of each issue of the magazine is a vignette in which the
French and English treatment of the Indian are contrasted. In the middle
of the picture an Indian leans upon his gun; on the left is a Briton
reading from the Bible, beneath his arm is a roll of cloth, symbolizing
the dress and manufactures of civilized life; on the right is a
Frenchman, extravagantly dressed, offering to the savage a tomahawk and
purse of gold. The vignette has the inferior motto: _Praevalebit
aequior_, and the title-page the further legend: _Veritatis cultores,
Fraudis inimici_.

The first number (October, 1757) gave a variety of pleasing and
extraordinary information to curious readers: Indians, "broods of French
savages;" earthquakes, St. Helmo's fire, phosphorescence, aurora
borealis, mermen and mermaids, sea-snakes, _krakens_, etc., were jostled
together in charming confusion.

The editor of the new magazine was the Rev. William Smith, first provost
of the College of Philadelphia. He was born near Aberdeen, Scotland, in
1727, and was invited to take charge of the Seminary of Philadelphia in
1752. His personality made the magazine a very fair representative of
the culture and refinement of Philadelphia society, when already through
the influence of the college and library the city was becoming "the
Athens of America," as, at a later date, it was frequently called.

Smith published in eight successive numbers of the magazine a series of
papers called "The Hermit," and signed "Theodore." He desired these
contributions to be considered in the nature of a monthly sermon.... "In
composing these occasional lectures, I shall be animated with the
thoughts that they are not to be delivered to a single auditory, and in
the presence of persons among whom there might be many of my enemies,
but to this whole continent, and in a manner that can never create
prejudices against my person or performances, as I am to be forever
concealed" (Vol. I, p. 43).

The earliest reference to the genius of Benjamin West is in the
_American Magazine_, p. 237, where of the 19-year-old Chester County boy
it is said, "We are glad of this opportunity of making known to the
world the name of so extraordinary a genius as Mr. West. He was born in
Chester County, in this province, and, without the assistance of any
master, has acquired such