The Harvard Literary Monthly.

TO THE STUDENTS OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY:-

On the twenty-first of October next, and at intervals of one month following thereupon, the undersigned purpose to publish a magazine, with the aim of furnishing a means by which the best literary work of the college may be put into permanent form. This magazine will be called "The Harvard Literary Monthly." For a long time the need of such a magazine has been evident. While each of the present college papers is excellent in its own field, that field is necessarily a circumscribed and limited one. With all the merits of the Lampoon, the Advocate and the CRIMSON, none of these exist solely with the aim of putting in attractive and permanent form the best literary work of the college, nor of representing within its pages the strongest and soberest undergraduate thought. It is evident, also, that the efforts put forth of late by the instructors in English, coupled with a growing sense of the importance of the study, have succeeded in making the welfare of the English department one of the very greatest interest to every student. Only of recent years has the study of English assumed any prominence whatsoever. Fortunately, as the days of rigid curriculum work have become numbered, and as men have been allowed greater and greater freedom in shaping their work so as to supply the needs of to day, not of yesterday, the real and vital importance of this study has been recognized. That such a magazine as we propose to issue will be of value in preserving the best literary work here, and in exciting and stimulating interest in the composition of something of more than ephemeral worth, can hardly be doubted. The English department has assured us of their hearty co-operation, and have promised to aid us in every way possible; and appreciating fully the value of such aid, we have felt doubly encouraged to enter upon our undertaking.

We believe sincerely that literary work is done at Harvard which has a distinct merit of its own, and which is worthy to be put in permanent form. We do not, however, intend to conine ourselves in any strict sense to literary subjects. In the Finance Club, the Historical Club, the Philosophical Club, and the various other organizations of the college, as well as in the graduate schools, we believe that work is being done which, if written in clear and good form, is well worth publication. Our aim will be to represent the best thought of the university, as well as the best purely literary work. It may be well to add that while the Literary Monthly is founded primarily for undergraduates, we shall endeavor to publish in each issue an article by a professor or by some graduate of note. By this plan, we hope to make the magazine more valuable in itself, and to bring into closer connection those who represent the university in the world at large, and those undergraduates who are doing representative student work. Another feature of the magazine will be its book reviews. Whatever literary ability exists in Harvard to-day is distinctly critical in tone and spirit, and every effort will be made to have such reviews as may be published careful and exact, and based on sound principles of criticism.

In thus undertaking to found a maga-

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