of law, Dennie wrote, "In the infancy of a profession 'tis chimerical to
talk of undeviating integrity. Let hair-brained enthusiasts prate in
their closets as loudly as they please to the contrary, a young
adventurer in any walk of life must take advantage of the events and
weaknesses of his fellow-mortals, or be content to munch turnip in a
cell amidst want and obscurity." Of course, all this is very outrageous,
but altogether what we should expect from such "unimproved mettle, hot
and full." He abandoned the law, and was among the first men in America
to devote himself to literature.

[9] When British reviewers styled Dennie "the American Addison," the
_Aurora Gazette_ broke forth into the following horse-laugh: "Exult, ye
white hills of New Hampshire, redoubtable Monadnock and Tuckaway! Laugh,
ye waters of the Winiseopee and Umbagog Lakes! Flow smooth in heroic
verse, ye streams of Amorioosack and Androscoggin, Cockhoko and
Coritocook! And you, merry Merrimack, be now more merry!"

His first experience in journalism was as editor of the _Tablet_ in
Boston, May 19, 1795. The paper lived just thirteen weeks.

Dennie next tried his Bohemian fortunes in Walpole, N. H., and
contributed to the _Farmer's Weekly Museum_, a good and popular journal
that had been founded in 1790, the papers entitled "The Lay Preacher,"
upon which rests his literary fame. Of this magazine he became editor
in 1796, and at once gathered about him a number of noble swelling
spirits who contributed racy and original reading to the "Farmer's"
subscribers.[10]

[10] Dennie always remained faithful to his New England friends. T. G.
Fessenden had been one of the contributors to the _Farmer's Museum_;
when his "Terrible Tractoration" appeared, Dennie wrote to the _Port
Folio_, "To Connecticut men studious either of Hudibrastic or solemn
poetry, we look with eager eyes for the most successful specimens of the
inspiration of the Muse." Fessenden was the last to maintain the fame of
the "Hartford Wits;" and the glory of "McFingal," and "The Conquest of
Canaan" and the "Anarchiad," and the "Political Green house" and "The
Echo" faded with the failing of the _Farmer's Museum_.

The publisher became bankrupt in 1798, and Dennie pilgrimaged to
Philadelphia, without fortune and without a patron. His service under
Pickering was of short duration.

In connection with Asbury Dickins, a son of John Dickins of the
_Methodist Magazine_, he began, January 3, 18