Hearty appreciation of earnestness and ability in the young is a characteristic of this _American Magazine_ and of its editor, who, with the true teacher's instinct, freely awarded superb and splendid praise to the humble and obscure for good work done. Among the young men who received recognition was Francis Hopkinson, whose first poem appeared in the first number (p. 44), "Ode on Music, written at Philadelphia, by a young gentleman of seventeen, on his beginning to learn the harpsichord." In the following month Hopkinson contributed two poems in imitation of Milton, "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso," the first dedicated to B. C--w, Esq. (Benjamin Chew), under whom the author studied law, and the latter a tribute of affection to William Smith. "And thou, O S--th! my more than friend, To whom these artless lines I send, Once more thy wonted candor bring, And hear the muse you taught to sing; The muse that strives to win your ear, By themes your soul delights to hear, And loves like you, in sober mood, To meditate of _just_ and _good_. Exalted themes! divinest maid! Sweet Melancholy, raise thy head; With languid look, oh quickly come, And lead me to thy _Hermit home_. Then let my frequent feet be seen On yonder steep romantic green, Along whose yellow gravelly side, _Schuylkill_ sweeps his gentle tide. Rude, rough and rugged rocks surrounding, And clash of broken waves resounding, Where waters fall with loud'ning roar Rebellowing down the hilly shore."[1] [1] Alluding to William Smith's home at Falls of Schuylkill. There is a further description in prose of Smith's summer home upon page 123 of the magazine. The other poems by Hopkinson in the _American Magazine_ are, "Ode on the Morning" (page 187), "On the taking of Cape Breton" (page 552) and "Verses inscribed to Mr. Wollaston" (the portrait painter). The most remarkable poem in the magazine appeared in March, 1758. It occupied seven octavo pages, and drew in its wake three closely-printed pages of learned notes. It set forth its subject "On the Invention of Letters and the Art of Printing. Addrest to Mr. Richardson, in London, the Author and Printer of Sir Charles Grandison and other works for the promotion of Religion, Virtue and Polite Manners, in a corrupted age." The anonymous author lived in Kent County, Maryland. "His intimacy with Mr. Pope," he says, "obliged him to tell that great Poet, above twenty years ago, that it was peculiarly ungrateful in him not to celebrate such a subject as the INVENTION OF LETTERS, or to suffer it to be disgraced by a meaner hand." It may not be amiss to note that the author credits Koster with the glory of the invention of printing. "Ah! let not Faustus rob great Koster's name Like him, who since usurp'd Columbus' fame. Pierian laurels flourish round his tomb; And ever-living roses breathe your bloom!"[2] [2] Which reminds us of Sandys's translation of a fifteenth century epitaph: