inued to be, the finest representative of true
literature among periodicals. In 1864 he joined his friend, Professor
Norton, in the editorship of the _North American Review_, to which he
gave much of the distinction for which this periodical was once so
worthily famous. In this first appeared his masterly essays on the
great poets, Chaucer, Dante, Shakespeare, Spenser, Milton, Dryden, and
the others, which were gathered into the three volumes, _Among My
Books_, first and second series, and _My Study Windows_. Variety was
given to this critical writing by such charming essays as _A Good Word
for Winter_ and the deliciously caustic paper _On a Certain
Condescension in Foreigners_.

One of the strongest elements of Lowell's character was patriotism.
His love of country and his native soil was not merely a principle, it
was a passion. No American author has done so much to enlarge and
exalt the ideals of democracy. An intense interest in the welfare of
the nation broadened the scope of his literary work and led him at
times into active public life. During the Civil War he published a
second series of _Biglow Papers_, in which, says Mr. Greenslet, "we
feel the vital stirring of the mind of Lowell as it was moved by the
great war; and if they never had quite the popular reverberation of
the first series, they made deeper impression, and are a more
priceless possession of our literature." When peace was declared in
April, 1865, he wrote to Professor Norton: "The news, my dear Charles,
is from Heaven. I felt a strange and tender exaltation. I wanted to
laugh and I wanted to cry, and ended by holding my peace and feeling
devoutly thankful. There is something magnificent in having a country
to love." On July 21 a solemn service was held at Harvard College in
memory of her sons who had died in the war, in which Lowell gave the
_Commemoration Ode_, a poem which is now regarded, not as popular, but
as marking the highest reach of his poetic power. The famous passage
characterizing Lincoln is unquestionably the finest tribute ever paid
to Lincoln by an American author.

In the presidential campaign of 1876 Lowell was active, making
speeches, serving as delegate to the Republican Convention, and later
as Presidential Elector. There was even much talk of sending him to
Congress. Through the friendly offices of Mr. Howells, who was in
intimate personal relations with President Hayes, he was appointed
Minister to Spain. This honor was