Will nobody republish “A Tour in Search of the Picturesque?” Will nobody print it and give us the original pictures, colored engravings of the richest sort—none of your meager outlines—your skeletons of sketches—but the rotund figures in full of the veritable hero of that glorious poem, and all the scenes and adventures through which he passed?

Darling old Dr. Syntax! How many a sad, long year has droned away since I, a merry boy, used to read thy most fascinating of Tours! Nothing ever so captivated my young imagination as thy solitary rambles on thy faithful steed through town and hamlet—now taking up thy abode with some lordly proprietor, and now sleeping contentedly beneath the roof of some sturdy yeoman—now kissing the squire’s wife and sister, and now giving sympathizing advice to the dairy-maid, who was, like poor Ophelia, disappointed in love. Oh, Doctor! thou wast never above humanity. Though never frail thyself, yet wast thou no inexorable judge over the frailties of others.

I long, most patient and peculiar of travelers, I long sincerely to accompany thee once more in thy rambles. Most charitable of divines, most lenient of pedagogues, “take thee for all in all, I shall not look upon thy like again!” Interestingest of all authors, I would enter into thy feelings once more. I would feel the joy thou feltest in quitting thy spouse (no dulcis uxor) and mounting thy famous mare, Grizzle, and setting forth on thy most speculative and picturesque expedition. You were a creature of the brain, Doctor, I suppose—but to me you are a reality. I remember you perfectly. I loved you when a boy at school with all my heart. Orthography, Etymology and Prosody I hated—but I loved Syntax.

Which of you generous and gentlemenly booksellers will immediately send me a copy (bound or unbound, but it must have the pictures,) of Dr. Syntax’s Tour in Search of the Picturesque? Speak not all at once! I will promise you “a first-rate notice in the Boston Post.” It would afford me “a wonderful sight” of fun, as they say in Androscoggin, to read that book. I should be rejuvenesced. Kind Mr. Hart, be so obliging as to ransack your shelves and transmit an old English copy, directed To the Recluse, aux soins du redacteur en chef de Graham’s Magazine.

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