The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 17, March, 1859: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics

In Short

This volume of The Atlantic Monthly gathers a diverse collection of mid-nineteenth-century American essays, serialized fiction, historical studies, and literary reviews. Between its covers, art historians dissect medieval allegory, novelists trace small-town romances and financial swindles, naturalists celebrate forgotten songbirds, and theologians clash over moral duty. The issue endures because it captures a vibrant moment in American intellectual life, reflecting a culture eagerly wrestling with art, ethics, nature, and political tension on the eve of massive nationalA vibrant 1859 literary miscellany captures an evolving mid-century world through historical reflections, romantic fiction, natural philosophy, and pressing political conflicts.

In Short

This issue of The Atlantic Monthly brings together a rich collection of nineteenth-century American writing, ranging from historical and art critique to serialized fiction, biographical sketches, and political commentary. The issue explores Swiss history and Hans Holbein’s Dance of Death, romantic trials in rural New England, a minister's principled anti-slavery stance, the natural habits of songbirds, the military standoff between the United States government and Mormon settlers in Utah, and philosophical ruminations on human anatomy. It endures as a vivid snapshot of intellectual life, cultural debates, and artistic taste on the eve of the American Civil War.

The Story

The volume opens in the Swiss border town of Bâle, examining its ancient Roman origins, its long history of war and plague, and the famed Grand Ecclesiastical Council of 1431. This historical tour leads directly into an artistic analysis of the medieval and Renaissance motif of the Dance of Death. The text details how Hans Holbein’s woodcuts depicted Death claiming individuals across all societal strata—knights, brides, impoverished families, and battle-hardened soldiers. This grand equalizer served as a scathing, democratic satire that resonated across Europe, reminding commoners and monarchs alike of their ultimate parity before the grave.

Shifting from historical critique to contemporary narrative, the volume follows Lizzy Griswold and her suitor, John, in Greenfield. John returns home after securing a prestigious position as the head of a public school in Boston. After he reveals that he has already leased a small home overlooking Boston Harbor, Lizzy quickly dresses, wraps herself in warm shawls, and joins him in a horse-drawn buggy to travel to Coventry for a joyful Thanksgiving gathering with Uncle Boynton and her father.

The issue then moves to historical biography, examining the inner conflict of Sydney Smith as he navigated his clerical calling while resisting the temptation to become a mere social ornament or a dogmatic theologian. In stark contrast to Smith's quiet spiritual struggle, a contemporary urban drama unfolds around Walter Monroe. Monroe confronts a predatory broker named Tonsor and his associate Bullion after his agent, Mr. Sandford, illegally pledges Monroe's notes to raise eight thousand dollars. When Monroe demands his property back, Tonsor insists the transaction is valid, leaving Monroe to face financial ruin. Meanwhile, Sandford's home is overrun by a crude sheriff's officer enforcing an attachment on the furniture, leaving Sandford's wife and sister, Marcia, suffocating in humiliation and dread.

The focus shifts to natural history and science, celebrating the tiny Hair-Bird (or Chipping-Sparrow) for its essential role in morning choruses, before transitioning into a translation and analysis of Dante’s Vita Nuova. The narrative highlights Dante's participation in the Battle of Campaldino in 1289, his reflections on pilgrims traveling to Rome to see the Veronica, and his profound grief over the death of Beatrice.

A sudden philosophical turn brings the Autocrat's musings on human anatomy, revealing that sixty-five billion microscopic red blood cells circulate through the human body. This scientific reflection gives way to a grim political report on the Mormon community in Utah. It details Brigham Young's early settlement around the Great Salt Lake, the secret practice of polygamy, and the 1857 military expedition led by Colonel Alexander. Faced with Mormon blockades in Echo Cañon and winter blizzards, the U.S. Army is forced into an agonizing, slow march along Ham's Fork.

Finally, the volume turns to New England domestic life in The Minister's Wooing. The narrative explores the nature of romantic devotion before focusing on a resolute minister, Dr. H., who decides to preach against the slave trade. Despite warnings from Mrs. Scudder that his primary benefactor, Simeon Brown, will be offended and withdraw his support—endangering the publication of the minister's System of Theology—the Doctor refuses to compromise his moral duty for financial security.

How It Unfolds

The dance of mortality The narrative begins with a study of the Swiss town of Bâle and an exploration of the popular Renaissance Dance of Death art series. Through vivid depictions of Death taking knights, brides, and poor children, the text illustrates how mortality acts as the ultimate democratic leveller across all social ranks.

A Thanksgiving journey In Greenfield, John tells Lizzy Griswold about his new appointment as a school headmaster in Boston and the small house he has leased. Lizzy eagerly prepares for the trip, and the two set off by buggy to join family in Coventry for Thanksgiving night.

Financial betrayal and distress Walter Monroe discovers that his agent, Sandford, has illegally pledged his financial notes to raise cash from a cynical broker named Tonsor. While Monroe asserts his rights, Sandford's household is invaded by a unyielding debt collector, leaving Marcia and Mrs. Sandford facing social and financial ruin.

Reflections on song and spirit The text turns to nature and literature, praising the delicate morning song of the Hair-Bird before examining Dante’s historical military service at Campaldino and his poetic sorrow over Beatrice in the Vita Nuova.

Marching through the wilderness A political and historical account outlines the U.S. military expedition to Utah, where Colonel Alexander's troops navigate rugged cañons, clear roads through wild sage, and dodge Mormon marauders while struggling through harsh winter weather.

A minister's moral stand In a New England village, Dr. H. resolves to deliver a sermon condemning the slave trade. He firmly rejects Mrs. Scudder's warning that taking a stand will alienate his wealthy benefactor and derail the publication of his theological treatise.

The People

• John: A capable and ambitious educator who accepts a lucrative offer to lead a public school in Boston. He hires a tiny home near the harbor and returns to take Lizzy Griswold to his family's Thanksgiving gathering.
• Lizzy Griswold: A spirited young woman who eagerly accepts John's proposal to leave Greenfield, dressing in her best merino frock to ride with him to Coventry.
• Walter Monroe: An honest young man who attempts to recover stolen financial notes. He stands up to corrupt financial brokers in order to protect his employer's interest and his own property.
• Tonsor: A calculating money broker who accepts Monroe's notes as collateral for a questionable loan to Sandford, callously telling Monroe that possession equals right.
• Marcia Sandford: A proud woman who suffers intense shame when a debt collector invades her family's home to seize their furniture following her brother's financial collapse.
• Dante Alighieri: The Florentine poet featured in historical commentary, depicted both as a soldier fighting at the Battle of Campaldino and as a grieving lover composing verses on the death of Beatrice.
• Colonel Alexander: A United States military commander in Utah forced to lead his snowbound army through treacherous mountain passes while defending his supply trains from Mormon raiders.
• Dr. H.: A deeply principled New England minister who insists on preaching against the evils of slavery, prioritizing moral duty over the financial backing needed to publish his life's theological work.
• Mrs. Scudder: A pragmatic parishioner who tries to dissuade Dr. H. from preaching against slavery, fearing he will alienate wealthy patrons who fund the church and his writing.

In Its Own Voice

"Death has ever been, and ever will be, the greatest leveller; and at a time when rank had an importance and bestowed advantages of which we can form little idea... such a satire as this Dance of Death... satisfied an eager craving in the breast of poor, envious, self-asserting human nature."

Context: The author explains why Hans Holbein's depictions of Death striking down both monarchs and peasants gained immense European popularity.

"I have the possession, which will answer as well as the right. And let me advise you,--don't get excited and conclude that everything is wrong."

Context: The broker Tonsor smoothly dismisses Walter Monroe's rightful claim to his stolen financial notes.

"Madam," said the Doctor, "I'd sooner my system should be sunk in the sea than it should be a millstone round my neck to keep me from my duty."

Context: Dr. H. rejects Mrs. Scudder's plea to protect his publishing funds by staying silent on the slave trade.

What It's Really About

This collection centers on the eternal tension between moral duty and practical compromise, framed by the inevitability of human mortality. Whether analyzing medieval woodcuts that render popes and peasants equal in the grave, or recounting a New England minister risking his career to denounce human bondage, the text consistently asks what endures when worldly status is stripped away. It contrasts predatory commercial greed and political rebellion with private integrity and devotion. Through its scientific, historical, and fictional pieces, the issue argues that true human dignity lies in standing by one's convictions, honoring love and spiritual truth, and recognizing the shared vulnerability that unites all people across time and social standing.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers an illuminating portal into nineteenth-century American thought during a moment of intense cultural and political transition. Readers who enjoy literary history, period essays, and serialized Victorian-era fiction will appreciate the sheer variety of voices and topics compiled here. The text captures the intellectual rhythm of 1850s readers, blending lighthearted romantic sketches with heavy theological debates and urgent news from the Western frontier.

The reading experience requires some patience. Readers must navigate mid-century prose styles, including lengthy period descriptions, occasional Latin quotations, and detailed summaries of obscure geographical and political conflicts. The fictional selections employ regional idioms and romantic tropes characteristic of the era, while the non-fiction entries assume a well-read audience familiar with European history and classical literature.

Despite these historical distance markers, the issue remains remarkably engaging. The prose is sharp, articulate, and frequently humorous. The fiery ethical stand of Dr. H. against slavery, the striking art criticism of Holbein's woodcuts, and the quiet beauty of the natural history essays feel as alive today as when they were first printed.