at in point of
style the tale was "much better" than the "House of Usher," which, he
says, "might be improved by relieving the style from some of the
epithets: there is no danger of destroying the graphic effect, which
is powerful." There is not a word in _italics_ in Mr. Irving's letter,
the meaning of which is quite changed by Mr. Poe's alterations. And this
letter was not only published in the face of an implied prohibition, but
made to seem like a deliberately-expressed judgment in a public reviewal.
In the same way Mr. Poe published the following sentence as an extract
from a letter by Miss Barrett:

"Our great poet, Mr. Browning, the author of 'Paracelsus,' etc., _is
enthusiastic in his admiration_ of the rhythm."

But on turning to Miss Barrett's letter, I find that she wrote:

"Our great poet, Mr. Browning, author of 'Paracelsus,' and 'Bells and
Pomegranates,' was struck much by the rhythm of that poem."

The piece alluded to is "The Raven."

It is not true, as has been frequently alleged since Mr. Poe's death,
that his writings were above the popular taste, and therefore without a
suitable market in this country. His poems were worth as much to
magazines as those of Bryant or Longfellow, (though none of the
publishers paid him half as large a price for them,) and his tales were
as popular as those of Willis, who has been commonly regarded as the best
magazinist of his time. He ceased to write for _The Lady's Book_ in
consequence of a quarrel induced by Mr. Godey's justifiable refusal to
print in that miscellany his "Reply to Dr. English," and though in the
poor fustian published under the signature of "George R. Graham," in
answer to some remarks upon Poe's character in _The Tribune_, that
individual is made to assume a passionate friendship for the deceased
author that would have become a Pythias, it is known that the personal
ill-will on both sides was such that for some four or five years _not a
line by Poe was purchased for Graham's Magazine_. To quote again the
"Defense of Mr. Poe" in the _Southern Literary Messenger_:

"His changeable humors, his irregularities, his caprices, his total
disregard of everything and body, save the fancy in his head, prevented
him from doing well in the world. The evils and sufferings that poverty
brought upon him, soured his nature, and deprived him of faith in human
beings. This was evident to the eye--he believed in nobody, and cared for
nobody. Such a mental condit