G E R MAN L I T E R AT UR E ,

J O SEPH G OSTICK
'

AUT H O R o i
:~ “ T H E S P I R I T O F G E RM A N P O E T R Y ,

&c . &c .

E D I NB URG H

WI L L I AM AND ROBERT CH AMBERS .

 P RE F AC E .

TH E obj ec t o f the present volume is t o giv e in a concise and popular

,

form a general vie w o f the L iterature o f the G erman people fro m

,

the earl iest t o the l atest times T hough the study o f this l iterature
.

h as rapidly ad vanced durin g late years in E ngl and and S c o tlan d, i t

has been confined ch iefl y t o the works o f a fe w modern authors .

'

M any readers may st il l in quire concerning the characteristics o f

writers before the time o f Herder G oethe and S chil ler We em
, ,
.

p l oy e v ery day in o ur househo l d l ang u age the words o f t h e o l dest

, ,

T eutonic o r G erman ball ad-singers wh o sang o f the exploits o f T u i sco

before the C hristian era ; the words into which Bishop Ulph ilas
translated the Bible fo r the G oths o f the fourth century and which
were afterwards emp l oyed by the writer o f the o l d epic poem Th e ,

Nibelungen -L ied and the minstre l s o f the time o f Frederick II

’
,

yet o ur schoolboys can gi v e a better account o f o u r longest c o m

pound words de ri v ed fro m G reek and L a t in roots than o f the mos t
, ,

simp l e and familiar which form the stap l e o f al l o u r ordinary c o n

v ersation and which gi v e energy and bea uty t o o ur mos t popular
,

literature . It is hoped that this littl e work may serve in some

degree t o direct attention t o the language and other characteristic s
o f o u r T eutonic fore fathers .

T hough many critica l remarks may b e found in the following

pages the character o f the book was intended t o be chie fl y d e scrip
,

tiv e and fo r this purpose numerous specimens o f authors have been

,

introduced I n the translatio n o f these extracts a condensed style

.
,

has been empl oyed I t is well known that diffuseness is the pre
.

v ail ing fau l t o f many G erman authors I n specimens where c o n

.

si d e rabl e abridgment has been made the marks refer t o the

,

omitted passages Where the original sty l e i s marked by great

.

simplicity it has n o t been fal sified by any attempte d decorations I t

, .

may be added that all the translations are entirel y original In a

,
.

former work o n G erman L iterature, by the present author, a fe w

 PRE F ACE .

exceptions t o this r ul e were admitted and conse quently the whole

,

v o l ume was erroneousl y desc ri bed by some re viewers as a c o m

‘

p il at i o n
’
. With a v iew t o reference great c are has been taken t o
,

insure accuracy in the printing o f names an d dates .

Whil e we har dl y need say that the Opinions offered o n the merits
o f v arious authors have been impartiall y forme d w e readil y admit
,

that the general bias o f a writer must in some degree b e apparent

in every book I n the present case it will be seen that al l the
.
,

characteristic faul ts o f G erman l iterature are free l y acknowl edged

,

an d sometimes censured ; whil e we ha v e endea v oured t o show that

amid a ll these defects there is a store o f val uab l e ideas and ten

d e nc i e s o f mi nd o f v ast importance in the present age , when the

inte ll ectual productions o f various nations are so freel y inter
-changed .

S ep te mber 1 8 4 9 .
 CO NT ENTS .

I N TRO D U CT I O N ,

F I RS T P ERI OD .
-F R M O 36 0 To 1 1 5 0,

S ECO N D PERI OD — F R O M . 1 150 To 1 30 0,

T H E NI BEL U N G E N-L IE D ,

TH E R O MANCES O F CH IVAL RY ,

L YR I CA L PO ETR Y ,

D I D A CT I C VE RS I F I CAT I O N ,

T H I RD PERI O D —F R O M
. 1 30 0 To 1 5 1 7,
T H E D R A MA ,
PR OS E ,

FOU RT H PERI O D —FR O M . 15 17 To 1 6 24 ,

PO ET R Y,
T H E D R AM A ,
PR OS E ,

FI FT H PERI OD —FR OM . 1 6 24 To 1 7 2 0,
PO ETR Y ,

T H E D R A MA ,
PR O S E ,

S IXTH P ERI OD —FR O M 1 7 2 0

. To 1 77 0 ,
PO E T R Y ,

T H E D R A MA ,
C
M I S E LL A NE US O PR O S E ,
THE OL O G Y AND PH IL O S O PHY,

S EVENT H P ERI O D .
-
FR M O 1 770 To 1 84 8,
P O E TR Y ,

T H E D R A MA ,
N OVELS AND R O M ANCES ,

P O PU L A R L E G E N D S ,

H I STO R Y ,

E CCL ES I A ST I CAL H IST O R Y ,

B I O G R APHY ,

PH I L O S O PHY ,

TH E O L O G Y ,

L I TER A R Y H I S T O R Y AND C R I T I C I S M ,

V O YA GES AND T R AVE L S ,

M I S CE LLA NE O US W R ITI NGS ,

I ND EX
“

,
 G E R M AN L I T E R A T U R E .

I NTRO DU CTI ON .

C EN T RAL E UR O PE , from the A driatic to t h e B alti c , i s c c upie d o

by a people , who , however divided p oliti c all y into states , fo rm

soc i all y, and as respects race an d l anguag e , b ut one nation Th e .

name G ermans w hi c h w e assi gn to this great pe ople is t hat g ive n

, ,

t o th e m by t h e R omans : the d istinctive app e llat i o n whi c h the y appl y

t o t hemselves is D eutsch, a term derived from T euto nes, by whi ch
t he y were g enerall y k no wn , as als o by the name Goths , in the
e arl y histor y of E urope . A section of this Teutonic or Gothi c
people from S axony settled in E ngl and , and hence an affinit y
b etween the sp eech of the E nglish and their German ancestors .

S ome words in the lang uage of the Germans are tra c e d t o the
S anscrit one of the most ancient forms of speech , fro m which it is
,

reasonable t o conclude that the Teutones have an east ern o rigi n .

In its vast pro lificne ss of words , however , in its in dep en d ence of

Greek and L atin , or any modern tongue , and what ma y b e calle d
i t s b old originalit y, t h e German language is ex c ee dingl y remark
ab le. French , S panish , P ortug uese , Italian , are all b ro k en di al ect s
of the L atin ; E nglish is a compoun d of L atin and An gl o -S ax on ,
with modern draughts from Gree k and Fren c h The German is .

o ne and i ndivisib le ; exceptin g for its remote c onn e c tion w ith the
ancient S anscrit and for c ertain medi ae val improvements it might
, ,

b e called , as it stands a purel y original tong ue I t is of the lite

rature—the written thoughts—o f the great p eople who spea k this
.
,

language that we no w propose t o treat—a literature which has

b ecome one of the most varied and extensive i n E urope .

The H istor y of German L iterature ma y b e conveniently divide d

into S even P eriods The first e xtendin g fro m A D 3 60 to 1 1 50 ,
.
, . .

i nclu d es all the re mains of t h e Gothi c Lang uag e an d t h e O l d

10 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

H igh -German D iale c t The second ( 1 1 50- 1 300 ) contains the

.

romances and other poems of the A ge of C hival ry whi ch were ,

written in the M iddle H igh -German D ialect The third period .

,

i ncluding the fourtee nth and fifteenth cent uries ( 1 3 0 0 was

c hiefl y remark able for the popular and satirical v e rsifi cat i o n which

i t produced The tim e from 1 5 1 7 to 1 6 24 may b e styled the

.

L utheran E ra and was chiefly occupied with ecclesiastical co n

,

t ro ve rsi e s It was followed by a period of great dulness in litera

.

ture extending from 1 624 to 1 7 20 In the eighteenth century or

,
.
,

in the t ime b etween 1 7 20 and 1 7 7 0 many writers improved the ,

tone of literature though the y display ed no great and original

,

genius L astl y the seventh period extendin g from 1 7 7 0 or the

.
, , ,

time of H erder to the present day includes the volumi nous

, ,

modern literature of Germany .

It wo ul d have b een in convenient in this short and unpreten di ng ,

treatise to have referred to all the authorities which have been

,

consulted I n a maj ority O f instances critical opinions of authors

.

have b een foun ded on an entire or partial perusal of their writ

ings ; while among the secondary authorities to whom this little
book is indebted Jacob Grimm Wilhelm Wack ernagel George
, , ,

Gottfrie d G e rvinus and Gustavus S chwab , may b e named

,
.

FIRST PERIOD .

F R O M 3 60 To 1 1 50 .

U L P HI L AS
(b orn in 3 1 0 die d in the b ishop of the Western
,

Goths , translated the greater part of the S criptures into the

Gothic L anguage b etween the y ears 3 60 and 3 8 0 It is said .

that he omitted the books o f Ki ngs b ecause he feared that their ,

accounts of wars would stimulate the martial spirit of the Germans

o r Goths A c onsiderab le portion of this translation remains in

.

the present day as a solitary and invaluable relic of the An cient

,

Gothic L anguage This boo k tells indeed a wondrous tale of the

.

’
world s history S eventeen hun dred y ears ago when the R oman
.
,

world was fall ing into decay , a rude and primitive people were
liv ing amid the forests , mountains , and marshes of the north of
E urope D uring peace , the y were engaged in hunt ing deer, b isons ,
.

and wild b oars ; b ut war was their favourite occupation Y et .

their b arbarous condition was attended by such virtues as pre

pared them to b ecome the founders of a new world They pos .

sessed health , vig our, and great powers of endurance in b ody and
 F I RS T PER I O D . II

mind Their religion was a worship of nature ; ye t the y wer e

.

destined to spread the doctrine of C hristianit y over the world .

The y had no literature , b ut the hours of peace were sometimes

emplo y ed in the recital of rude songs of b attle ; and these old
b allads contained the primitive words of languages which have
spread their literature over the whole of the modern civi lised
w orld T h e same root -words which were emplo y ed before the
.
,

C hristian era , to celebrate the exploits of the German deit y T u isco , "

are now spoken by mill ions of civilised men from the b oundaries ,

of A ustria to the western shores of N orth Am erica F or the .

clearest eviden c e of this great fact we depend on the work of

B ishop Ulph il as .

The history of the preservation of this venerab le relic is curious .

After the n in th centur y it disappeared from the fi eld of histor y,

,

leaving no trace of its existence excepting in the pages of some ,

Greek ecclesiastical writers who preserved the fact , that Ulphilas, ,

‘

a G othic bishop had translated the S cript ures in the fourth cen
,

tury At the clos e of the sixteenth century Arnold M ercato r,

.
’
,

the geometer heard a rumour of a very old and unintelligible

,

version of the four Gospels wh ich had b een preserved in an ab b ey .

The rumour was confirmed , and this portion of the work of Ul

philas emerged into light after a burial of six centuries It was .

then preserved at P rague until the cit y was taken by C ount ,

Konigsmark in /1 6 4 8 when the relic was removed t o S weden

'

.
,

H ere it was b ound in massive silver and preserved at U psal I n ,

.

1 8 1 8 another part of the work containing the E pistles of S t P aul ,

, ,

was discovered in a monastery in L ombardy .

T h e lan guage employed b y Ulphilas was not a poor and b ar

b arous dialect , b ut possessed C opiousness and versatilit y M an y .

interesting phil ological spec ul ations are suggested by the stud y

O f this mother tongue An E nglish reader may Observe the Gothi c
.

roots of some of our most simple and indispensab le words— such as,
land a (land) , nahts ( night ) gva th ( quoth ) , baarg (b urgh , a t own ) ,
,

t ai lms (token) , Go th ( God ) hd u hzsyam (highest ) mannam (men );

’ ’ '

—
, ,

), fi w
’
’
g é d z s ( good vi l n s ( ill) in the follo wi ng short passag e
E XTR A CT F R O M T H E G OTH I C VE RS I O N O F T H E G OS PE L - L uke i i 8 —1 4 . .

8 J ah h ai rdj é s v ésun in thamma sa mt n la nd er t h ai rh v ak and ans

'

. . ,

j ah v i t an d ans v ah t v Om nahts u far h ai rd ai se i nai 9 Ith aggil u s . .

frauj i ns an aq vam i ns j ah v ul th u s frauj i ns bi sk ai n I ns jah 6 h t é d u n

, ,
a i sa mik i l am ma 1 0 J ah qva th d u 1 m sa aggi lu s ni 6 e i t h u nt é ‘

g . .
g ,

g
sai sp i110 i z v i s fah e i d miki l a se i va i rt hi t h al l ai mana e i n
’

, 1 1 t h at e i .

ga ba d m n 1 st I z vi s h i mm ad aga nasj an d s sae i i s t C hristus fr anja i n

‘

ba ct rg D av e i d is 1 2 J ah that a i z v i s tci t lcns : bi i t i t h barn bi vun d an

'

. .

g
j ah gal agi th in u z é t in 1 3 J ah anak s v arth m i t thamma aggil au
’
. .

ma nagez h arj is hi mi nakund zs h az j andan é G o th jah q vi t h an d an é : 1 4

’

.
12 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

V ul thu s i n hauhz stj am G otha, jah ana in manna m

‘ '

a i rthai av ai rthi ,
g
g ear
s

This language appears to have b een un derstood down to the

ninth century when we fin d it metamorphosed into that diale ct
,

whi ch has been styled the O ld H igh -German , in whi ch OT F R IE D a ,

monk , wrote a Gospel H armon y , or L ife of Chri st A D 8 63

‘ ’ ‘ ’
,
. . .

It may b e noticed tha t thi s was the first German work compose d
i n rh yme An other metrical version of the Gospel narrative was
.

written during the ninth century i n the L ow -S axon D ialect , ,

u nder the patronage of L ouis the P ious These two works , which .

have b een preserved , are most valuable specimens of the formation

o f Teutonic dialects N O TH ER a monk , who died in 1 0 22 trans .
, ,

lated the P salms of D avid H is version of the first psal m may .

serve as a sp e cM en of the O ld H igh -German

PS AL M I .

1D e r ma n i st sft l ig, d e r i n d e ro arg6n

. n e gegz e ng, nah an d e ro m '

s u nd i gdn u ué ge n e stu o nt, n o h an d emo su k tst u o le ne sa z 2 nube d er

’ '

i st sal ig, t es u u z ll o an G o te s é o ist, unde d er dara ana d e nclt e t tag

' ’ '

u nd e naht 3 U nde d er ge di e h e t al s 6 uuo l a $ 6 d er boum, d Er bi

' '

. .

d emo mnne nt e n u u az ere ge se z z e t ist, d er z i t igo si ne n u u u o c h e r gibet,

’

n o h si n l o ub n e riset, unde fram di u h e n t all i u diu d er boum b i ret

'

u ncl e bri n e t
g 4 S 6 u u o l a ne ge d i e h e nt aber d i e argon ; sone
. .

d i e h e nt sie nube sie z efare n t a l s 6 daz st u pp e d ero e rdo, daz t er

' ’ '

u u i n t fe ru u ah e t 5 P ed iu ne erst ant arge z é d ero u rt e ili d o 5 n o h

‘ '

. .

s un d i e n e si z z e n t danne i n d emo r a te d ro h t 6
‘

g e re n .

In this extract we may easil y recogni se the roots man ( man) ,

’
goi g nor d i ers wa y )
'

g ( ) b ( ) d i ( k
' ’

g eg zen n ,
no ,
sa n g n u neg e S nn su ts tuo le ,

( sitting -stool
) saz ( sat ) a nillo ( will ) G ates ( God) d encbe t tag u nde
, , , ,

n ak t (think s da y and night ) ri nnente n a uaz ere (running waters )

, ,
.

E ven a modern German , who had paid no attention t o the old

d ialects , would find little d iffi cul t y in understandi ng the above
version I n the twelfth centur y, we find another transition -dial ect
.

styled the M iddle H igh German in which the N ibelungen -L ied

- ‘
,

was written Thi s dialect was gradually changed in the thirteenth,

.

fourteenth , and fifteenth centuries until L uther by his t rans la , ,

t ion of the B ible established the M odern German L anguage ,

.

A s already stated one of the strikin g characteristics whi ch thi s ,

language has preserved in all ages is its origin alit y or independence .

In stead of b orrowing words from the Greek the L atin and other lan , ,

guages to fi nd expressions for n e w comb inations of ideas it has de

, ,

v e l o p e d its own reso urces b y manifold compositions of its own root

words and particles C onsequently it is a se lf-explaining languag e ; so.

T R A N S L AT N And t h r w r in t h me c o u nt r y sh e ph e rds ab iding in t h e

—1 4
IO . e e e e e sa ,

fi l d k p i n g w t h o r t he ir fl o k by n igh t
e s, ee a c ve c .
’
S ee Lu ke I i 8 . .
 F I RS T PER I O D . 13

that the mo d e m German who has had no classical edu c ation , c an easil y ,

trace the etymologic al formation of the long est c ompoun d words

which h e emplo y s The E nglishman , in order t o express one idea .

i n its various mo di fications emplo y s Teutonic , Greek , and L atin ,

roots , while the German unfolds all the varieties of the same i dea
by a series of compositive words founded up on one G othi c or
Teutonic root If we take a series of some twent y E nglish words ,
.

all related to t he same subj ect , we ma y fin d that , t o explain their

e t ymology we require a kn owledge o f al most as many distin ct

,

roots , wh ile the corresponding series o f German words spring s

from o ne root Thus we have a Gothic name of the S upreme
.

B eing, and another Gothic root t o lw rn or lo re ; b ut we cannot

u nite these two roots so as t o express tha t idea of reli gious k now
ledge which i s conve y ed by the use o f two Gree k roots in the
w ord theo lo gy Th i s contrast may b e o b served t hro ughout the
.

whole hi story of the two languages The German lan guage , there .

fore , while it i s far superior to our own in ori g inalit y and fle xi bi

li t y, does not admit the wide varieties whi c h ma y b e fo un d be
t ween some E nglis h authors who have cultivated a L at i ni sed dic
tion , lik e Gib b on and J ohnson, and others who have adhered
chi efl y to S axon phraseolo gy , lik e D ean S wift and B un yan *
.

The li terary remain s of this ancient perio d are as we have seen, ,

rich in phil ological interest ; b ut they give onl y scant y glimpses

o f the characte ristics of their t i mes Y et we must not suppose .

that the monks who were the chief writers of thi s p eriod were , ,

g enerall y idl e In li terature A great part of their time was spent .

i n cop ying L atin b ooks on religion D uring the reign of C harle .

magne ( 7 6 8 and that of his son L ouis the P ious , which ,

e xtended t o 8 4 0 , ab out one hun dred writers O f L atin flo urished ;

b ut the Teutonic di alects w ere generall y negle cted by ecclesiastics .

O tfried the monk , who has b een mentioned as the author of a

L ife of Christ in German rhym e s , c ompla ins of the neglect with
’

This di t in ct io n b t we en t h e E n gl i h an d t h G rm n f rm t i ns o f l angu g
s e s e e a o a o a e
m y b m d p l in t y n g r d r by t h f ll w in g l i t
a e a e a o l t
ou n l ti n f p
ea g e s e o o e ra ra s a o o a assa e

in J b G rim m G rm n Gr mm r
aco
’
s M n w hil i t n o w t d b f r my y
e a a a ea e s oo e o e e es
t h t w it h
a t t h G t hi t n gu
ou e g ou nd w k n t hin g
o c ul d b
o d n e w ll ; nd
e , as a r or , o co e o e a
l
a so th t a n th k ni tt i ng t g th r f t h t n g
e ve e Sp k n by t h H igh - D eu t h p t
o e f
e o e o ue o e e sc oe s o
t h t hi rt n t h h u nd r d y rs n d t h t S p k n t -
e ee d ym
e t f i l if t h i nfl owi ng s o f
ea a a o e o a us a , e
t h L ow r-
e D et h w y of sp e u sc ki ng w r n t t h ght f i n m y p l n
a ea e e o ou o a .
’

A n t h r r i n f t h m nt n m y Sh w t h t
o e ve s o o e r l L t in w rd s r r
sa e se e ce a o a se ve a a o a e e
q i re d t g i i t m n in g in m d rn E n gli h
u o ve s ea M n whil I p c i d p l in l y h t o e s ea e e r e ve a t a
I coul d n t w ll x o t m y d ig n w it h
e e t sp ct t
ecu e t h G t hi l ngu g es f n ou re e o e o c a a e as a ou

d ti o n
a nd l th t I
a l d n t f irl y xp l i n t h
a so a o nn ct i n b et w
cou n r p resento a e a e c e o ee ou .

l ang uag nd t h t
e a m p l y d by t h H igh -G rm n p t f t h t hirt n t h c n tu ry if
a e o e e e a oe s o e ee e ,

I n g lec t d t t ak in t o n i d e r ti o n t h i nfl n es f t h L w r-G m n l n g ag
’
e e o e o c s a e ue c o e o e er a a u e .

A ll t h i m pl nd i n di p n bl w rd s h
e s e a f th m th r
s e b th r
sa e o s, uc as a e r,
’
o e ,
’
ro e ,
’

‘
h o u se ,hm ’
br d w t o e ,
’
w hi h f m t h b iea f t h E gl i h l n gu g
,
’
a e r,
’
c or e as s o e n s a a e,
ar Te t o ni
eu A c l S wi
. w ri t r w il l b m nt i n d in t hi t r t i
s se v e ra w m y
ss e s e e o e s ea se , e a
O b r t h t S w it rl n d w
se ve a i gi n ll y a G rman c o n try t h gh no w t h Fr n h
z e a as o r a e u , ou e e c
l ang ua g i s p o k e n o n i t bo rd rs
e s s e .
14 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

which the ver acular language was treated and say s S om e

n , ,
‘

scholars call t his language coarse and boorish , but they will n o t

e ndeavour to cultivate it When they write L atin or Greek the y

.
,

take care even of particles ; but if they ever condescend to writ e

German , they write ra ndomly and care nothing about the greatest
,

I n fact the vernacular dialects were onl y used in the

’
mistakes .

intercourse of common life and all who possessed literary ambi

,

tion were engaged in writing L atin T his fact serves to explain .

the poverty of German p rose literature even down to the perio d ,

o f the R eformation

T h e literature of this ancient period consisted o f the work s of

the monks and a few popular b allads which give us some indi ,

c ation o f the character of such productions before the C hristian

era Tacitus informs us that t h e Germans celebrated in songs

.

the god T uisco and his son M a nn and mention s also their battle ,

s ongs which were rudely chanted b efore engagements

, We have .

n o t however an y evidence that the culture of poetr y was under

, ,

the care of any select class of bards Or priests , as it was among

the C eltic tribes If we had no direct evidence of the nature of
.

the ballads mentioned by T acitus we might still fairly c onclude , ,

that among a people divided into many tribes , and often engaged
i n confl icts the only poetry would b e such as chronicled the
,

names and exploits of celebrated chieftains B ut some specimens .

of the ancient ballads have been preserved O ne of these tells .

the adventures of H ild ebra nd and his S o n H ad u bra nd It was .

found written upon the blank pages o f a religious boo k of t h e

ninth century ; and its reduction to this written form appears t o
have been the work of two monks who found it necessary thus ,

t o study old legends in order to gain an acquaintance with the

use of v e rnaculan dialects In this rude b allad , the father Hilde
.
,

b rand returns to his home after an ab sence of sixty years an d

, ,

recognises a warlik e man H adubrand as his son B ut the son

,
.

refuses to acknowledge his father ; a quarrel ensues and a vi olent ,

duel is the result T his ballad is a fragment and breaks o ff,

.
,

leaving the father and his son in the heat of their contest I n .

another b allad , of Wa lter of A qui taine , we find strong marks of a

barbarous age S everal heroes after a battle sit down and j est
.
, ,

ab out the wounds which the y have receiv ed A third remnant .

of this early period is the tale of B eo wulf, which b elongs to the

‘ ’

history of E nglish literature , and is well known by students of the

Anglo -S axon dialect T h e partial destruction of the oldest tradi
.

tions of the Teutonic tribes may b e assigned to two causes T h e .

fi rst we find in the migrations and conflicts of these t ribes which

attended the fall of the R oman E mpire T hese great movements , .

which extended o v o r five centuries were sufli ci e nt ly import ant t o ,

 F I RS T PER I O D . 5

throw into O b livion all the comparatively insignific ant records

of old b all ads T h e Goths who had e ntered R ome with Alaric ,
.
,

and had witnessed the wonders of his career naturall y forg ot the ,

o l d tales of b attles with which the y had amused their leisure in

their native forests ; for the realities whi ch the y had seen were
more wonderful and impressive than all their ancient legends .

A second cause of the loss of the old ballads ma y b e found in

the influence of the C hurch B ishop Ulph ilas and many monk s
.

zealously endeavo ured to put C hristian traditions in the place of

tales of b attles In a later period we fin d the E mperor Charle
.
,

ma gne coll ecting and pr eserving these Teuto ni c tales ; b ut his

son L ouis the P ious , who was devoutly attached to the C h ristian
,

religion again consigned them t o neglect Y et it is not pro b able

,
.

that the y were entirely forgotten We may reasonably suppose .

t hat the y were still sometim es rec ited at the co urts of princes as ,

w ell as in the c ottag es of the people ; and that thus the y were
reserved at least in fr agments until the y were reproduced in the
p , ,

form of the N ibelungen-L ied by some unkn own writer in t h e

‘ ’

twelfth or the thirteenth century .

T h e E mperor C harlemagne was the greatest patron of literature

during these t M e s H e chose as his friends such men as the his
.

t orian E ginh ard and the l earned E nglishman Alcuin ; and not
,

o nly encouraged learned men but also recommended the sprea d

,

o f knowledge amon g the p e ople A s an instance of this he com

.
,

mand e d the monks to preach or at least t o read sermons , in t h e

,

v ernacular dialects of German y H is zeal in the service of lite

.

rature is shown by the fact , that even in advanced age he o ccu

pied himself during the sleepless hours of night in endeavouring
t o acquire the art of writing .

The prose written by the monk s does not claim any partic ul ar
notic e, as it was neither original nor na tional b ut consisted chi efl y ,

in versions and compilations of pray ers , hy mns , and sermons .

A curious version of a L atin b oo k on the nature of animals has

b een preserved It was written in the eleventh century , and is
.

full of fab ulous accounts of sirens mermaids , and other imagi ,

’ ‘ ’

nary creatures .The most important work s of the monks are thos e
u pon which we depend for our historical k nowledge of this period .

GRE G O R Y , bishop of Tours , who di ed in 5 9 5, was the principal

historian of his times The monk J O R D ANI S , a Goth , who live d
.

about the mid dl e of the sixth cent ury , wrote a H istory of t h e

‘

Goths and P AUL another monk wrote a H istory of the L on

,
‘
,

b d E
’
g o a r. s G I N H A RD wrote a L ife of C harlemagne , which con ’

t ain s many interesting notices ; an d T H E G ANU S b ishop of Treves , ,

wrote the L ife of L ouis the P ious

‘
These few L atin work s are
.
’

mention e d here as specimens of man y similar pro du ct ion s o f mo ~

16 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

n astic historians , and b ecause the y may serve t o expla i n the

late development of a German prose style .

We ma y in conclusion remark that this period was generall y

, , ,

marked by the gradual prevalence of Christianit y, as expounded

b y the monks , over the tradi tions of the German tribes D uring .

these ages two opposed elements— the martial spirit of old Ger
,

many , and the pacifi c doctrine of Christianity—were livin g to

g ether ; elements which we might suppose , could never unite : y et
,

we shall find their union accomplished in the sub sequent era of

the Crusades when the infl uence of C hristianit y strangely m i ngle d
, ,

with romance and a mart ial S pirit , gave t o chi valry its peculiar
character .

N ext to U lphilas, if any name in this earl y period deserves to

b e rememb ered , it is that of the monk O tfried , who wrote the
naF rat i v e of Christianit y in a style adapted well to the wants of

the people I f this import ant example had b een generall y fol
.
.

lowed the pro gress of German civilisation and literature would in

,

al l prob abili t y hav e b een more stead y and satisfactory than that
which we have to describe B ut even in thi s earl iest period we
.

find the b eginnin g of t hat separat ion of learned me n from t h e

general sym pathies of the p eople which was more remark able in
,

a later period L iterature was regarded rather as a world in

.

itself than in its relation to the real world S cholars , proud of .

their enl ightenment , concentrated it in monastic cells L earned .

men studied and wrote for their compeers rather than fo r the ,

p eople Wh ile the uneducated hardl y un derstood the S implest

.

ru di mm t s of moral truth , the scholastic di vin es of the middl e ag e s

multiplied subtleties and exercised their intellects in the finest
,

distin ctions of doctrine A barrier of language was raised b etween

.

these t wo classes L atin was the language of all respectable lite

.

rature for some centuries The romances and other poems pro ~
.

d uc e d during the ag e of chivalry form exceptions t o the rul e ; b ut

it was maintain ed , on the whole so strictly , that even at the clos e
,

of the seventeenth c entur y the prej udi ces of the middle age s
remained and the German language was then onl y b egin ning t o
,

assert its capab ili ties as a vehicle of elegant and refined literature .

These remarks may prepare the reader t o meet wi th int elle ct ual
b arrenness in some of the follo wing perio d s .
 SE C OND P ER I O D .

1 1 5 0 - 1 3 00 .

This perio d b e gins with t h e reign of Frederic k I , or B ar .

b arossa, and extends some few y ears b ey ond the death of E u

dolphus I of H apsb urg or almost to the time of Will iam Tell
.
,
.

We cann ot estimate fairl y the literary remain s of these time s

without some notice of their general charac t eristics To un der .

stand the singul ar romances of the p e riod , we must refer to the

order of chivalr y from which the y arose ; and t o give due prais e
t o the didactic writin g s which incul cated pure moral d octrine , we
must k now somethin g of the gross ignorance and superstition o f
the time s t o whi c h the y w ere opposed T hough the literary
.

remains of this perio d are numerous , we are surprise d when we

o b serve the p overt y of its literature , as contrasted with its poli
tical and social events This portion of the mid dl e ag es , whi ch ,
.

if j udge d by t h e p oetry which it produced , might b e regarded as

dul l and monotonous , was in reali t y full of the stir and enterprise
o f life. The pub lic measures of H enry I had encourage d t h e
.

growth of c itie s and t h e progress of civilisation The C rus ad e s .

fil led German y wi th religious and martial excitement T h e orde r .

o f chivalry was i n the height of its l ustre Frederic k II , of

. .

the H ohenstaufen d ynast y, flourished as a patron of scien c e , li te

rature , and the fin e arts T h e grand specimens of Gothi c archi
tecture produced d uring this period—such c athedrals as we se e
.

at U lm , S tras b ur g, and C olo gne— speak of great ideas , and great

p owers c all ed into exercise to fulfil them The se work s in stone ,
.

which redu c ed pil e s of ponderous matter t o forms of b eaut y , ma y

indeed b e re garded as the great p oems of the p eriod ; for in con ,

trast w ith them , all the written p oetr y appears small and feeble .

M en w ere no w engaged rather in p erformin g than in writing

roman c es , and realities be c am e more w onderful than all the poet s
’

fi ctions : it ma y be fairl y added that the y w ere often more ab surd

,
.

A German c rusader of this time was as sin g ular a mixtur e of

opp osite elements , and a creature of imagination as strang e as an y
’
that c an b e found in O vid s M etamorphose s
’
‘
.

M en are seldom , lik e C aesar , at once the ag ent s and t h e his

t o ri ans o f great events ; and thus t h e social activit y of these time s
may expla in their li terary p overt y T h e commercial wealth of
.

Germany was no w rapidl y develope d : thousands of serfs had

be c om e fre eme n : large c i t ie s w er e ari sin g, an d t hre at ening the
18 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

institutions of feudalism : mines had b een dis c overed : a taste for

luxury and ornament prevailed fE ne as S ylvius after wards .
,

P ope P ius II , says of the riches of German cities in this time ,

.

T h e k ings of S cotland might envy the state of the meaner

citizens o f Nuremberg Where is there a tavern among y ou where .

y ou do not dr ink out of silver ? What married woman ( I do not

say of rank b ut even t h e wife of a simple citizen ) do I fin d not
,

d ecorated with gold ? And what shall I say of the neck -chains
O f the men and the bridles of their horses , which are made of the
,

purest g old ? O r of y our spurs and sc abbards which are covered ,

with j ewels ? T here was pr o bably some exaggeration in this

’

picture b ut it was found e d on facts No w when we turn fro m

,
.

realit y to poetry hoping to find here some vivid pictures of the

, '

l ife adventure and splendour of a remarkable e ra, we are dis

, ,

a ppointed T h e monks who were the literati of this period lived

.
, ,

i n an ecclesiastical rather than a real world ; and the knights who

,

wrote romances were interested 1D the affa irs of a fantastic world ,

the creature of their o wn invention C onsequently for our histo .
,

ri cal kn owledge of thi s time we depend upon chronicles written in

L atin , which cannot be n o ticed here as literary productions .

The Germ an literature of the period may b e convenientl y

d ivided into four sections : the first will contai n the Nibelungen
‘

L ied and other ballads of ancient times , which are collectivel y

’

’
s tyled the
‘
Heldenbuch , or B ook of Heroes ; the second class wil l
‘

c omprise all the romances of chivalry which were not of G e r

man origin , b ut der ived from foreign traditions ; the collection of
s ongs and other short poems styled the
‘
Lays of the M innesingers ’

will occupy the third section ; and the fourth ma y c omprise all
the comic satirical and didactic productions of this period Al l
, , .

these writings are in verse Prose forms an in signifi cant portio n .

of German literature during the twelfth and thi rteenth centuries .

*
T H E NI B ELUN G EN L I ED - .

D uring this period there was a wide difference b etween the min
s t re l sy patronised by the no b ilit y and the old b allads preserved

b y popular memory H ence a remarkable contrast appeared in .

the twelfth or the thirteenth century when the Nibelungen-L ied ,

‘ ’

was reproduce d by some writer or rhapsodist whose name is ,

u nknown It is not in any degree pro b able that this s ingul ar

.

e pic poem was an original work of this period ; but several c ir

c umst ance s wer e favourable to its reproduction in an improved

form . AS the mi nstrels and ro mancist s had excited an i nterest in

N i b l ungen t h e n ame o f an a n c i nt ro yal race wh o po sse sse d gre at tre asures
e ,
e ,
o f go l d and ge ms ; L ie d a song or ball ad ,
.
20 G ERMAN LITERA TUR E .

A t every game and Spectacl e the hero w as d isp l aye d ,

Wh o carried in hi s heart the image o f the maid
And the maiden sti ll u nseen though he came her love
, , to win,
H ad kindly thou ghts fo r hi m her secret bosom in .

For when within the cour t the knights and s quires woul d pl ay
, , ,

With l ances spears and swor ds in battl e -like array

, , , ,

Kriemhil d e through her windo w woul d watch the pastime long ;

, ,

NO better pastime needed she if he was in the throng

A nd had he kno wn that she whom he carrie d in his breast

Was l ooking from her wind o w and marked him from the rest
, ,

O r had he met her eye there I v eri l y be l ie v e

,

He woul d have been as happy as a man may be and li v e

A t the end of the y ear the hero recommended himself to the
B urgundian king b y vanquishing a formidable enemy Afte r this .

exploit , he was introduced to Kriemhilde

S he came from her chamber ; so come s the morning red
o ut

Forth from the gl oomy c l ouds u pon her dress were S pread
Bright gems her gl owi ng cheeks her secre t l o v e confes sed ;
O f all the mai ds o n earth she the fairest was and best .

For as among the stars the full moon c l earl y gl eams

A nd scatters e v ery c l oud with her bright and silv er beams,
S O mid the other l adies Kri e mhil d e s beauty shone
’ ’

T h e hearts o f many heroes beat high as they looked o n .

Th e chamber l ains be fo re her wal ked, i n costl y garments dressed,

T o see the l o v e l y m aiden the warriors onward presse d ;
A s S iegfried stood exp ectin g t o l ook u pon h e r face,
By turns, d espair and l ove found within his bosom place .

T hus said he t o himse l f H o w coul d I e v er d eem

T hat I cou l d wi n the maid - twas but an idl e d ream ;
’

”
B u t if I c annot win her, then I were better dead .

An d with hi s thoughts hi s cheeks by turns were pale and re d .

Th e servants found the hero bol d S iegfried o f Netherl and

, ,

A nd bade him bol d l y come in front o f all the warriors ba nd ; ’

King G ii nth e r t o his presence is pl eased t o summon yo u ,

”
T hat hi s sister may salute yo u and give the honour due
,
.

His soul rose high withi n him when he saw K riemh ild e there,
A nd rosy flushed his cheeks as spoke the maiden fair ;
”
“
I bid yo u we l come S iegfri ed,a warrior good and bra ve l
,

T h e ki n dl y salutation ne w strength and courage gav e .

To thank her fo r her kindness the hero bowed hi s head ,

A nd all that he had l onged t o say was in a m oment said ;

F o r as he bowed hi s head a st o l en gl ance was cas t,
, ,

A nd suddenl y from eye t o eye th e tender secret passed .

 SEC OND PER I O D .
91

In all the summer season o r the ple asant month o f M ay

, ,

He ne v er had such p l easure as o n that happy day

When he walked beside the maiden whom h e came t o make hi s
bride ,

Wh en Kriemhilde whom he l Ove d was walk ing by hi s side .

Af ter this introduction , the hero p erformed another service for "

Ki ng Gunther by winn ing for him the hand of a powerful queen

,

named B runhil de There is somethin g of o b scurit y in thi s part

.

o f the poem , which allows us to suppose that S ie gfried had , by

his services to the kin g o ffended the pride of B runh ilde , no w queen
,

of B urgundy Wh atever the first cause of displeasure may have

.

b een , the queen expressed her enm it y against S ie gfried soon after
hi s marriage with the P rin cess Kriemhil de ; b ut some y ears passed
awa y b efore thi s ill -will pro d uced open dissension in the court of

Th e t wo queens sat together at the vesper hour o f d ay ,

A nd watched the warriors in the court engaged in martial play ;

T hen said Kriemhil de the beautiful “
If S iegfried h ad hi s righ t
, , ,
”
A ll the peop l e o f this ki ngdom shoul d be subj ect t o his might .

But then spoke o u t Q ueen Brunhilde Why say yo u such a thing ? ,

If none but yo u and he were li v in g then he might be king ; ,

But l ong as li v es King G ii nt h e r it shall never be ,

But Si e gfri e d mu st be vassal t o the court o f Burgu ndy

‘

A nd then again said K riemhil de But d o yo u see hi m stand ? ,

N o t o n e so state l y there amid all your warriors b and

’

He steps before them all as the moon in full array

,

S tands in front o f all the stars ; and hi s beauty makes me gay .

A nd thus rep lied Q ueen Brunhi l de How ever brave and fair ,
“
,

He cannot fo r a moment with the king hi msel f compare

, ,

T o the king yo u r nob l e brother gi v e the hi ghest honour due ;

, ,

He ranks above all other kings and that yo u know i s tr u e, .

The q uarrel thus b egun b etween the two queens was carried t o
such an ext remi t y that B runhil de secretly determined th at S iegfri ed
,

must die She therefore made an appeal t o the lo yalt y of H agen ,

.

the most notable hero under the king Thi s hero un dertoo k t o .

revenge the insult which he believed the queen had suffered and ,

i n o rder to prove his lo yal t y he practised treachery H avin g .

professed an intention to defend t h e rlife o f S iegfried in an ap '

p ro achi ng b attle he persuaded Kriemhilde t o mark the vuln erable

,

spot on h e r hus b and s coat

’ ’
‘
Thus , said he , I shall know how
‘
.

to protect him when he is in danger Kriemh ilde trusts in the .

’

good intentions of her uncle , Hagen and fixes the mark upon ,

S ie gfried s c oat
’
S oon afterwards, Ki ng Gunther, with Hag en,
.
22 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

S iegfried ,and other foll owers goes to hunt wild b oars in a forest
, .

Kriemh ilde had a foreboding of evil and intreated the hero not to ,

j oin in the chase

T hen said the hero S iegfried Kriemhil d e d o n o t mourn ;
, ,

N o e v il thi ng shall h appen me and soon I will ret urn ,

O f enemies abo ut the c ourt I know n o t I hav e o n e

”
Your brother owes me kindness sure fo r all that I hav e done I
But then again said Kriemhil de O h S iegfried keep away ! , , ,

I had another dream just before I woke t o -day

T wo rocks fe ll d own u pon yo u as yo u wal ked al ong the v al e ,
”
A nd hid yo u from my S ight as I woke with weeping pal e , ,
.

T hen S iegfrie d fol ded cl osely Kriemhilde in his arms,

A nd kissed her many times t o banish her al arms ; ,

T i ll she ga v e him l ea v e t o go ; then he hastened t o the chase

B ut ne v er more saw K riemhi l de her husband s l iv in g face
’

After slaying several wild animals , the heroes went together t o

S lake their thirst at a spring in the forest , and here S iegf ried was
t reacherousl y slain

The spring was c l ear and cool and sweet : King G unther stooped
, ,

t o drink
B esi d e the hero S iegfried wh o knee l ed upon the brink ;
,

A nd when the king had quenc hed his thi rst he rose and stood ,

But S iegfrie d, wh il e he bowed his hea d , by Hagen s hand was sl ain ’

.

First Hagen took the hero s bo w and fal chion from his S ide
,
’
,

A nd c arried them away mid the forest l eav es t o hide ;

’

T hen with j av e l in in h an d he l ooked u pon the c oat

, ,

Where the f a ta l sp o t was mark e d and then sud denl y he smote , .

’

After this event , Kriemh il de lived in deep melancholy at Worms

for thi rteen years Hagen during this time fearing that by her
.
, , ,

wealth she might raise a powerful party on her side carried away
, ,

all her Nibelungen treasure and buried it in the Rhine At the

,
.

end of the thirt een y ears , E tzel ( or Attil a) the king of the H uns , ,

sent one of his heroes Rii dige r into B urgundy to ask for the
, ,

hand O f S ie gfried s widow After some deliberation Kriemhil de

’
.
,

resolved to take a second husband in order to avenge the death o f ,

S iegfried H er marriage with Etzel soon took place in the land

.

of the Huns , where it was accompanied with great pomp and

festivit y
Kin g E tze l heard that K riemhil de in ri ch and proud array , ,

A ccompanied by Rudiger was has t ening o n her way

,

T hen he gathered soon around him a brave and nob l e ban d ,

And rode t o meet hi s chosen queen in Austria s ple as ant l and ’

.
 SEC O ND PER I O D . 23

Before him rode gay companies o f warriors brav e and true ,

Wh o spoke i n many l anguages t o pay the homage due

.

T o the queen o f a ll the Huns in a mar tial gl ittering throng

, ,

C hristian knights and hea then warriors together rode along .

Heroes were there from G reece ; fro m Russia others cam e ;

Fro m P ol and and Wall achia rode knights o f nob l e fame
E very knight l e d o n his fol lowers a bo l d and sp l endid band
, ,

A nd e v ery o ne was dressed in the cos t ume o f his l and .

T here s a c ity o n the D anube i t stands o n Austrian ground ;

’

Its anc ien t nam e is T ul na and here the queen was found
,

H o w l itt l e K riemhi l de thought when the host o f men came n igh

, ,

T hat so many heroes fo r her sake wou l d soon be doomed t o die

Th e vangu ard o f King E tzel first rode into the town

Here were four-and-twenty heroes an d princ es o f reno wn
Ramu ng duke o f the Wal l achians pressed forward in the throng
, , ,

A nd the m ighty prince G ibéck e l e d another host al ong .

surnamed the S wift soon hai l ed the nob l e d ame

H o rnbo g, ,

From D enmark nob l e B awar t and fear l ess Iri ng c am e

T here was I rn fri e d o f T huringia a great and nob l e man,

A nd no w a shout o f j o y arose from e v ery martial cl an .

Fo r rode o n King Etzel ( with D ietrich at his side

no w ,

A nd a countl es s host o f fo ll owers) t o gree t his chosen bri d e .

T hu s t o herse l f said K riemh i l de when she saw the endless ,

th ro n o '

T is we ll ? I shall have warriors no w wh o will avenge my

”
wrong !
T hen t o the queen spake Rudiger My l ady here we stay ,

K ing E tze l comes o f fol l o wers 10 ! what a vast array !

,

I wi ll name t o yo u the warriors most wor t hy o f a kiss ;

”
F o r yo u cannot gi v e t o al l in a company like this !

So saying nob l e Rudiger gav e t o the queen his han d

, ,

A nd from her steed she l ighted down upon the A ustrian l and
All the heroes stood aside whil e through the gl ittering throng
,

, ,

T o meet the bea uteous K riemhi l de King Etze l walked along ,

.

A nd no w her veil is l ift e d and her subj ects al l behold

,

Her beauty shining o u t as from a shrine o f go l d

,

T h e beauty o f her countenance a general pl easure spread

”
Q ueen He lk e was no t fairer ! all the Hunnish warriors sai d .

When E tze l had salu ted her S he turned at Rudiger s Sign

, ,
’
,

A nd gav e a kiss t o Bl Od e l wh o was in the royal l ine

’

A nd twe lv e mos t nob l e princes o f su ch fav our had a share

But she l o c k e d with grace and kindness o n all the heroes there .
“
4 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

And no w the ki ng commande d fo r th e pl e asu re Of hi s bride

, ,

T hat o e r th e p l ai n o f Tu l na hi s com pani es sh oul d ride

’

C hrist ian knights an d heathen warri o rs in many-co l oured dress ,

,

T o make a marti al Sp e c t ac l e tog e t her onward pre ss

, .

An d no w arose loud cl ango ur from meeting spear an d S hield ,

S oon m an y sp l intered l an c es were s catter e d o e r the field ’

H o w man y c o l ours g littere d t o ge t her in th e air

W hat so un d s o f arms an d batt l e-cries were loudl y ringing there
see the S plen di d to urnam ent forth went bo th lmng and queen ;
'

To
In the centre o f th e p l ain their p avili on was seen
I t w as d e c ked wi th gl o ri o us c o l o urs an d o n the grassy ground
,

A hundred t ents fo r nob l e kni ghts were s tationed all aroun d .

S O wi th many noble tourn ays th ey pass ed the merry day,

An d th e heroes went t o res t in th e e v eni n g c oo l and gray
T here w as st ill ness o n the p l ain until morning c l ear an d bright,
When Ki ng E tz e l soon d evis ed fo r hi s queen a n e w deli ght .

In pro cession to Yi e nn a he bade his heroes go

W i t h a ll th eir c l ans i n full arr ay—th ey ma d e a won drous show
,

But m o re beaute ous was the view o f Y i e nna fo r the queen

Here A ustria s faires t l adi es all in d re sses gay were seen
’

O f p e ople man y lands the c rowd was no w so great

o ut o f ,

T hey coul d n o t all be entertai ned wi thi n t h e c ity-gate

But E tz e l s kn ights an d warri o rs at Rudi g e r s command
’
,
’

D ispers ed th eir v arious c omp anies o e r all the neigh bo ur ing l an d

’
.

An d h e re in gay Y i e nn a o n the feast o f Whitsu n tide

'

, , ,

K riemhil d e w h o hi d h e r s o rrows all w as on c e again a bri de ;

, ,

When she beh e l d th e t h o u san d s wh o were all her su bj e c ts no w ,

T hou gh sorrow st i l l was in her h e art, pride ga th ered o n her

brow .

SO costl y were t h e j ewels whi ch t o manv knig hts sh e gav e ,

SO m an y were her gift s t o E tz e l s her o es brav e
'

Th ey d isbe lie v ed t h e st o ry Of her l ess so o ft en to l d

”
O ur queen said they , has sure l y brought the Nibel ungen
,
”
go l d I
A fe sti val o f se v ente en days w as in Y i e nn a he l d
T h e p ag ean t ry o f e v ery d ay all former d ays exce ll e d
I ca nno t te l l yo u hal f o f th e p l easures t hat were plann e d
T was remembere d as a wonder l o ng in all the A ustri an land .

No w Kriemhi l d e was a queen again Wi th E tz e l at her si d e ,

S he l ooke d upo n th e h os t o f m e n her fo ll owers with pri de

, ,

An d thus sh e whispered t o he rs e lf O er su ch a mi ghty b and

’

Ev en S iegfried in his day o f power did ne v er hol d command ! ”

, ,
 S E C O ND PER I O D . 25

Yet in the midst o f all this festiv al array -

,

T h e thoughts o f Kriemhil de oft en wou l d wander far away ,

A nd t o hide the tears u pon her face her head she would incline
F o r her heart was still with S iegfried in his castl e o n the Rhine
’
, .

S everal y ears passed away and then Kriemhilde determined to

,

c arry her plan of revenge in to execution A ccordingly, she per .

’
su ad e d E tzel to invite Gunther and his heroes ;
‘
for said she, ,
‘
what will our subj ects say of their new queen if none of m y
po werful k in smen visit me ? When this invitation was re c eived
’

at Worms H agen had a foreb oding of gloomy consequences , and

,

said to the king B e assured that the wife of E tzel will revenge
‘
,

the death of S iegfried Again there were b ad omens at the castle

.
’

of Worms The aged mother of the ki ng dreamt one night that

.

all the b irds of B urgundy lay dead in the fi elds B ut defying .

’

this omen , King Gunther with a splen di d retinue of knights and

,

o ther followers , pro c eeded on his j ourne y into the land of t h e

Huns When the y came to the b anks of the D anub e Hag en saw
.
,

two S irens ( or water-nymphs) b athing in the river As thes e .

c reatures were a b le to predict the future the hero required them ,

t o tell the fortune of his j ourne y The first flattered him ; but .

the second said , O nly one man of al l y o ur c ompany, the k ing s

‘ ’

’
c haplain will return to B urgun dy
,
At last b oats were found ; .

and as the heroes crosse d the river H agen , in order to fals ify t h e ,

siren s w ords , seii ed the chaplain and t hrew him overb oard The
’
,
.

chaplain however, proved himself a vigorous swimm & , soon

,

reached the shore and wandered b ack alone into B urgundy The
,
.

heroes after j ourneying for some day s arrived at the castle of

, ,

B e chl arn which b elonged to Rudiger the p owerful friend and

, ,

am b assador of Ki ng E tzel Rudiger received his guests wi th

.

warm hospitalit y, whi c h is pleasingl y describ ed in the poem .

Giselher, the y oung est b rother of Ki ng Gunther was here be ,

t rothed to the daughter of R udiger Wh en hi s guests departed .

,

the host presented his own sword to Gernot and the hostess gave ,

to Hagen the shi eld which her fath er had b orne in many b attles .

Welc ome my friends ! sai d Rudi ger t o G unther and hi s band

,
”

It gi v es me j o y t o see t h e king o f the Burgundian land ,

A nd t o hail once more bo l d Hagen a hero brav e and true , .

T hen Hagen gave t o Rudiger the thanks and homage due .

Alight and taste at once my lords my castle s heartiest cheer

, ,
’

F o r all your stee d s your arms your go l d yo u need no t ha v e a fear

, , ,

I hav e servants true and honest and such numbers at my ca ll , ,

”
T hat if your host was greater they cou l d wai t u pon yo u all
, .

And no w into the castle-yard al l Gii nth e r s heroes pass ’

,

While their followers sat do wn t o rest upon the pleasant grass

26 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

Th e servants o f the M argra v e came t o l ead the steeds away

F o r none o f G unther s company must trave l o n t o -d ay
’
.

T h e noble wife o f R u diger l ed o u t her dau ghter fair

T heir d ress was shi ning sil k go l d and gems were in their hair ;
A nd all their m aid s besi d e them stoo d, in beauti ful array,
Whil e with their gol den ringl ets the gentl e breezes pl ay .

And as Rudiger gav e orders his daughter gave her ha

,
nd
T o G ise lher the you ngest o f the prin c es o f his l and
,

Whil e the nob l e Margravine l ed King G unther to war d the hall ,

Where a ban quet was prepared fo r the bra v e Burgundians all .

Here many costl y gob l ets were fi ll ed with rosy wine ,

A nd the l adies o f t h e castl e in silk s and j ewe l s shine

In the midst o f that gay company the M argra v e s daughter fair ’

Was praise d by the Burgu ndians as the brightest j ewe l there .

But when the feast was ready she departe d with her band
,

O f you ng and beauteous m aidens ( twas the custom o f the lan d )

’

S he took away the l ight o f her beauty from t h e pl ace

All G unther s heroes l onged t o see once more her smil ing face
’
.

But when the feast was o v er with her m ai dens she appeared
,

Th e hearts o f al l the c ompany w ith rosy win e were cheered

T hen thus t o nob l e Rudiger the hero V o l ker said
We thank yo u fo r the ban quet so hospitab ly spread ;
Right happy are yo u M argra v e and heav en h as b l essed yo u wel l ;
, ,

Within your nob l e c astl e in a pl e asant l and yo u dwe ll ;

A nd if yo u had n o t such estates ye t such a nob l e wife
, ,

A nd such a daughter are enough t o make a happy life ;

,

But ( l et me dare t o tel l yo u ) if I sat upon a thro ne ,

Y o u shoul d no t call this maiden so beautiful your o wn ;

, ,

T e ll me Burgu ndian heroes all if I h a v e tru l y said ;

, ,
”
S houl d no t the M argrav e s daughter wear a crown upon her he ad 2
’

S aid Hagen, Here is Giselher the youngest o f o ur l ine

, ,

Will answer so o n that question if h i s choic e resemb l es mine ;

,

I cannot talk in wooing style but in the battl e -fi e l d

, , ,

F o r such a queen I wi ll ingl y would c arry sword and shie l d .

Th e saying pl eased young G iselher fo r well he lo v ed the maid

,

S aid G ern ot Wh y should the promise o f marriage be de l aye d

,
? ”

An d k ing G unther swore an oat h If my brother wins her han d ,

”
S he shal l have a castl e and estate in the Burgundian l an d .

S aid Rudiger, I c annot giv e li ke o ne o f r o yal l ine ;

But o f pure gol d and silv er a treasure l arge is min e ;
A nd more o f this I promise than a hundred stee ds c an c arry
, , ,
”
I wil l give unto my daughter if with Gise l her she marry .
28 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

”
“
Receiv e your frien d s and brothers well ! t o Kriemh ilde Etzel
said ;
”
Be merry with the living and forget fo r aye the dead 1
,

But Kriemhilde from a window looked with a gl oomy face ,

A s she saw once more the heroes o f the bol d B u rgun d ian ra c e ;
A nd whil e King E tze l smil ed with j o y as all the band c ame nigh
, ,

T h e queen l ooked o ut o n Hage n with a stem and c ruel eye .

T hen t o the Hun nish warriors wh o near her stood she said
“
Here come the me n beneath whose hands my hero S iegfried
b l ed
M y time o f vengeance n o w is ni gh—my story I have tol d
A nd all who fight fo r me shall share the Nibe l unge n gol d !
Wh en the queen received her kinsmen it was noticed that ,

sh e gave a kis s only to the youngest Giselher , who had taken ,

n o part in the death O f S ie gfried Wh en H agen Ob served this ,

‘
.

he bound his hel met more tightly on his b row After coldl y .
’

welcoming her guests , the queen in quired if her kinsmen had

NO , said Hagen ;
’
b rought with them the N ib elun gen treasure ‘
.

‘
we have had enough to do to b ring our swords and shi elds .
’

T h e queen next proposed (according to the custom of the times )

t o take the weapons of her guests and give them into faithful
custody ; b ut H agen refused to surrender hi s sword and advised
all hi s compan i ons to keep their armour on S ome t rait OI has
‘
.

’
warned them ! Kriemhilde exclaimed
’ ‘
Yes said D ietrich ; I
.
,
‘

forewarned these heroes that the y would fin d an unfriendl y recep

’
t ion here S ome days passed over without an out break of war,
.

when the queen persuaded her knights to mak e an attack on the

B urgundians A drea dful engagement foll owed and the Huns
.
,

w ere defeated M eanwhile R udiger, the faithful ally of Ki ng

.

E tzel , had arrived at the ro yal castle , expecting to find here a

s cene of festivit y Great was the surprise and sorrow of R udiger
.

when King E tzel turned to hi m and requested him to go with all

his followers and put an end to the contest by taki ng the life of
’
H agen There was a severe strife in R udiger s heart ; for loyalt y
.

t o the k ing no w demanded the sacrific e of many friends The .

follo wing passage from this part O f the sto ry may serve as a fair
S pec i men of its style

‘
T hen said the queen t o R u di ger, T hink only o f your v o w
”
T o ser v e and t o defend me I c l aim that service n o w .

A nd thus repli ed brav e Rudiger, I know I must be true

But O h, that I am here t o -day, h o w bitterl y I rue
T hen
said he t o the king , T ake back into your han d
Whate ver yo u have given to me my castl e and my lan d
, , ,
 SEC O ND PER I O D . 29

A nd let my life in po v erty and sorrow have an end ,

Before I go t o draw my sword again st my gues t and friend !

I hail ed them in thi s land with hearty cheer and wine ;
Be li e v ing they were Etz e l s friends I treated them as mine
’
,

T o G ise l her o f Burgu ndy my daughter fair I ga v e ,

A nd I was gl ad t o win a so n so loyal true, and brave , .

But no w again spoke Kriemhilde Al l that has passed awa y ,

T hi nk o nl y Of the duty which ye o we t o me t o -day

G O sum mon all your fo ll owers and e n d at once thi s strife
,
”
O r take ( and that will be enough) my u ncle Hagen s life ! ’

T hen said the hero R u di ger T his is a fatal d ay !

,

F o r all the king has gi v en t o me my l ife I n o w mus t pay .

M y daughter and my wife t o you r k indn ess I comm en d ;

Remember them, fo r I forebode th at no w my life must end .

So sayin g from the queen he went and call ed hi s followers round

, ,

Five hun dred men and twelve brave knights were in his service
found .

T hey buck led o n their armour s oon and o n t o battle pressed ; ,

But Rud iger before them walked with sorro w in hi s breast .

When Giselher beheld the band he smiled with j o y and cried

, , ,
”
A friend is coming Rudiger is surel y o n o u r side .

But V ol ker tu rned t o G isel her and bade his triumph cease
,
”
T hese men with swor d s and shi elds said he come n o t , ,
to tal k
”
Of peace 1

No w Rudiger came sl owly o n and hal ted with his band

, , ,

Before the hall and bade his men prepared fo r battl e stand
,
.

”
I come said he t o G unther s friends no words o f peace
,
“
,
’
to
bring
”
D efend yourselves Burgun d ians
,
I must Obey my king 1
”
“
But Heaven forbid said G unther then that I shoul d l ift my
, ,
“

hand
”
Against the friend wh o welcomed me i nto this foreign land I
”
A h that I e v er we l comed yo u I bitterl y repent ,
”
S aid Rudi ger but Et z e l s wife refuses t o re l ent
,
’
.

T he nsaid G ern ot
Ru diger I l o ved yo u as a friend ;
to ,

But if yo u fight against my king o u r friendship has an end

,

A nd with the sword yo u gav e me I must take away your l ife ,

”
Howe v er I may sorrow fo r your daughter and your wife 1
Heav en pity u s said Rudi ger then turning t o his b and ,

Wh o l ifted up their swords and shie l ds he gave the stern ,

co m
m and
T o rush o n the Burgundians within the castl e -hall ;
B ut Ha g en s t ayed the onset with a loud an d sudden call .
30 G ERMAN LIT ERA TUR E .

”
O ne moment wait ! said Hagen yo u see this battered s h ie l d

Has stopped the b l o ws o f many swords but n o w begins t o yie l d , .

I brought i t t o this c ountry as the present o f y o ur wife

”
Had I the shiel d yo u carry I cou l d we ll defend my l ife 1
,

T hen I giv e it yo u, said Ru d iger and yet if this is known , ,

I fear that I shal l seem u nfaithful t othe throne ;

B u t here at once bra v e Hagen I p l ac e it in y o u r han d
, , ,
”
A nd may yo u l iv e t o carry it t o Burgun d y s fair l an d 1 ’

In the comb at which followed this conversation , Gem ot R udi ,

ger , and many other heroes fell When D ietrich of B erne heard .

that Rudiger was slain he sent his ancient warrior H ildebrand

,

to at t ack the B urgundians A sanguinary engagement took place

.
,

and lasted unt il none remained of all the B urgundian c ompany

save G unther and Hagen who stood at the entrance of the castle
,

hall , which was filled with the dead bodies o f their friends and
foll owers D ietrich Of B erne no w asked the B urgundian king and
.

his hero to surrender ; b ut the y replied with scorn though the y ,

were now exhausted and al most fa inting D ietrich then challenged

,
.

each O f them to s ingle comb at H e overcame them , and bound

_
.

them fast as he wished to spare t h e ir lives Wh e n he led his

,
.

prisoners to the queen , he earnestl y intreated her to let them live .

The poem concludes with the following verses

Th e queen went first t o Hagen and l ooked o n him with hate ,
”
Re c eiv e my terms at onc e sai d she be fore it i s t o o late
, , .

M y Nibel ungen treasure t o me at l ast restore ,

T hen G unther and yourse l f may see fair Burgundy once more .

T hen spoke the fearl ess Hagen, Your tal king is i n vain
F o r I ha v e swor n that buried deep you r treasure shal l remain,
Whil e o ne o f Gunther s family still l ives t o cl aim the throne
’

— —
S o ce ase t o ask d o what yo u wi ll my secret is my o wn ”
.

T hen turning t o a foll ower Q ueen Kriemhil de bade him go

,

T O the ce ll where G unther l ay and strike the fata l b l o w

,

A nd Hagen cried with sorrow when he saw the ser vant bring
T h e hea d o f Kri e mh il d e s brother the brav e Burgun di an king
’
, .

He l ooked o n i t a moment then with bitterness he sai d

, ,

G unther G ern ot and Giselher thy brothers all are dead ;

, , , ,

But ne v er shal t thou kno w destroyer o f thy race, ,

W hat I alone can te l l — thy treasure s hiding-p l ace ’

.

T he n
be it so said Kriemhil de y o u ha v e at last restore d
”
T O m e o ne c o stl y treasure my S i c gfri e d s nob l e s word
’
.
,

She drew i t from its scabbar d struc k o ff the hero s head,

’
,

A nd E tzel cried aloud t o see the mighty Hagen d ead .

 SEC O ND PER I O D . 31

With out revenge he shall n o t die 1 said ancient Hil debrand ”

I will no t see a hero fall beneath a woman s hand ’

He d rew his swo rd against the queen and smote her in the side ,

S O Kriemhi l de fe ll beneath the blow and mid her kinsmen died

’
.
, , ,

T hus vainl y was the life -b l ood o f many heroes shed

D ietri c h and Etze l l eft al one l amented o e r the dead
, ,
’

A nd in dismal wail ings ended the ban quet o f the king

T hus love doth e v ermore its dole and sorrow bring .

I cannot te ll yo u more —h o w when the news was spread , ,

Fair l adies knights, and s quires were weeping fo r the dead

, ,

What afterwar d s befe ll ti s no t my task t o say ’

,

F o r here my story ends—the Ni be l u nge n lay

’
.

At the time Of
its reproduction this poem , lik e the romances ,

and the lyrics of the same period was written in that Teutonic ,
*
dialect which has b een st yled the M iddle H igh German
- .

We app e n d a sp e c i me n o f the or i gi nal , wt ih a t ransl at o n i n t o i M o de rn H igh

G man,
er and a i
l t e ral Engl i h ve rsio n s

I .

i
V o r e n e r v e sp e rz it e h q s c grOz u n e m ac , ih g h
g
d a z v o n m an e e m re c e n uf d e m o ve ge sch a c h k h .

S i pfl a g e n ri t e rsc h e ft e u rc k urz w i l e w an d h .

if d
d o l e e n d ar u rc sc o u we n m an c wi p u n e m an h h i d .

Ze samn e d o ge saz e n d i e k un i ginn e r c ,

'

ih
si g e d ah t e n z we e r re c ke n , d i e w are n l o b e l i c h
i .

h
d o sp rac d i u sc oe ne K ri e m h il t h
i ch h an e in en m an ,
d az e ll n i d i si u ri h c e z u o si n e n han d e n so l d n t an e s .
”

h
D O sprac d i u fro we B ru nh il t wi e u z e ? k n de da g si n
d i
O b a n e r n e m a n l e e t e wa n d i n u n e s i n , b d
ih
8 6 m Oh t e n i m d i u r c e wo l w ese n u n d e rt an
d i e wi l da z l e e t b G h
un t er, s o k u n e z D i mm e r e r am
”
d g .

M O D R N H I G H -G E R M A N
II . E .

E s war o r in r V sp r al s m an d n S ch al l
v e e rn ah m
e e e ve ,

D r o n m n h e m R e k n u f d m H o fe k am
e v a c c e a e

S i e st l l t e n R i t t e rsp ie l e K r we i l h al b r an
e u z e .

D a e il t e n e s u sch au e n vi e l F rau e n u n d man h e r M ann

z c .

D a sas e n b e i am me n d i e K n i gi nn n re i c h
z s o e
U n d g d h t n w i r R ck n d i w re n O h n e Gl i h
e ac e z e e e e , e a e c .

D sp ra h d i
a h On e Kri m hil d :
c e sc I ch h b i ne n M nn e e a e a
A ll e di s R e i h e w are n ih m bill ig u nt e rt h n
e e c a .

D a sp ra h F rau B ru nhil de
c W i e k nnt e d s wo hl se in ? : o a
W e nn An d rs N i m n d l bt e l d u u n d r al l i n
e a e e , a s e e
S o m o ht n ih m d i R i h w o h l u G b o t e st e h n
c e e e c e z e
S o lange G unt h e r l e be t so k ann e ni mme r g hehn , s e sc .

KA R L S I M R O C K .

L I T E R A L TR A N S L AT I O N
I II .
.

B e fo re t h e ve spe r h o ur t h e r was a gre t m o e me nt e a v

O f m ny k n igh t s wh o cam i nt o t h c o u rt yard
a e e ,
T o n g ag e i n a t o rn m n t as t h ir p ast im
e u a e e e .

M any wo me n and me n h ast e ne d t o b e h o l d i t .

 0
[ G ERMAN LI TERA TUR E .

TH E R O MANCES OF C HI VALR Y .

Wh ile the people were interested ballads of German origi n, in

th e patrons of romance and poetry among the nobili t y found mate
rials for their amusement in various foreign traditions This was .

no t an age of historical criticism ; all legends were accepted with

a dmiration if the y contain ed extraordinary and wonderful adv e n

tures C onsequentl y the mixture of the stories of many distinct

epochs , the confusion of facts and fables — o f Christianity and
.

heath enism , and o f the b eautiful with the ab surd— which we find
'

in the romances o f chi valry , makes a critical analy sis impossible .

T h e characteristics of these strange fi ctions would b e unintell igible

in the present times , if the g enial satirist C ervantes had not while ,

employing his humour upon them , preserved some of their feature s

in his D on Q uixote Y et these romance s —which were celebrate d
‘
.
’

in England, Spain , and France as well as in Germany—must not ,

be represented as wholly ridiculous , though th e y are remote from

a modern taste The character of chivalry itself had two sides
.

one serious and lofty in purpose the other a caricature ; and the ,

romances o f this period may b e regarded in the same way S ome .

had a symb olical purpose and a religious me ani ng, while others
were gay and l icentious B ut wi th regard even to the best o f
.

these fictions it must be Ob served that the legends of the M id dl e

,

Ages upon which they are fo unded, are so remote from the appre
,

h e nsi o n of modern readers that it i s diffi c ul t to explain the inte

,

rest which some German a dmirers of the antique and the my stical
,

still find in them .

T h e t wo favourite legends with which t hese romances inter

wove innumerable adventures , were the legend of Prince Art hur
‘ ’

’
and that of the H ol y Gral
‘
The former had prob ably a B ritish
.

origin Prince Art hur we are told reigned at the castl e of L eon
.
, , ,

by the river U sk in Wales T o his court hun dreds o f knight s .

repaired with their ladies and twelve elect knights of the brightest
,

reputation formed the centre of a bril liant assembl y From this .

home of chivalry manyk nigh t s went out to seek adventures— to con

tend against t yrants to dissolve enchantments and t o fight with
, ,

giants and my steriousl y-powerful dwarfs It may b e rememb ered .

And t h e re sat g he r t h e t wo we al t hy qu e e n s
t o et ,

A n d t h o u gh he ro e s wh o we re wo rt hy o f praise
t o f t wo .

Th e n said f Kri e m hil de I h ave a hu sban d

t h e ai r
[
,

S o n o bl e h his k ingdo m sho ul d be pl ace d in h is hands

t at ] all t .

i
' ‘
l h e n sa id t h e l ad y B ru n hi d e H o w c
l
an t,h a t c o me t o p ass ?

I f n o ne we re l i v ing sav e yo u an d y o ur m an ,

Th e n t hi s k ingdo m m ight be p l ace d u nde r hi m

B ut w l e hi G unt her l ives t hat can ne ver be .
 SEC O ND PERI O D . 33

th at even M ilton , in his y outh , loved to read such fictions , and

some tra c es of the o l d ro mancist s may b e found in his poems .

The legend of the H ol y Gral had a reli gious meani ng but its
‘ ’
,

origin is involved in my stery We may , however, find some .

analo gies to its meaning in the leg ends of many countries T h e .

Gral was a symb ol of the highest perfe ction to which man could
’

aspire Al l nations have had traditions , or imaginations , of a lost

.

paradise ; of a land where all wishes rest , all hopes are fulfill ed ,

and happ iness is realised The American In di an dreamed of t h e

.

happ y hunting-ground far away in the west Arab ian an d P er .

’

sian legends say that some glimpses o f a glorious garden , watered

by unfailing springs , filled with delicious f ruits and never -fading
roses , b ut s urro un ded on all sid es by a vast wi lderness , have b een
seen by some pil grims when perishing amid the sands The .

H in doos have their legend of the sacred forest of On d avano , the

'

home O f wise and happ y men The favourite representation o f .

t his paradise on ea rth during t h e Mi d dl e Ages was the Gral o f

‘ ’

which we gather the followi ng des cription from a roman c e entitle d

,

‘
Titurel
TH E G RAL-TE M PLE .

A stone o f inestimable value was mad e into a goblet by J oseph

o f Arimathea this was the cup used in the L ast S upper o f Christ
with his discipl es : O n this occasion it recei v ed miracul ou s po wers
and in foll owing years ange l s descended from heaven o n every G ood
,

Friday t o renew the san c tity o f the wonderful cup T o be e l ected as .

o n e o f the guar d ians o f the G ra l was the hi ghest honour which cou l d

b e attained by a kni ght in ancient times but it demanded the greates t ,

purity and nob il ity o f character F o r some ages none o n earth was .

foun d worthy o f this office and there fore ange l s hovered in the ai r
,

bearing the precious cup u ntil the re l igious knight T iturel founde d
,

a temp l e and an order o f templ ars fo r the preser vation o f the G ral
o n the m ountain call ed M o nt sal v age in Biscaya T h e l p e s o f this .

mountain were o f pol ished onyx and shone with a mil d sple ndour ,

like the moon Th e temple was situated o n the summit and h ad a

.
,

circul ar form being o n e hundred fathoms in diameter A round this

, .

central templ e stood se v enty-two octagon chapel s with a tower fo r ,

e v ery t wo chapel s ; and the central tower o f the great temp l e was
twice the height o f the others T h e in t erior roo fs o f al l the chapel s
.

were constructed o f b l ue sapphires and each roof had in its centre ,

a smaragdus o n which was engrav ed the emb l em o f the L amb bear

,

i ng the C ross All the al tar stones were made o f b l ue sapphire with
.
,

c o v erings o f green v e lv et and a ll precious gems b l ende d their ray s

,

in the decorations o f pill ars and altars I n the interior cupol a o f .

Ve rse s 31 1—
41 5 S e e l so B o i sse rée O n t h e D e sc ri pti o n o f th e G T mpl e ral - e
’
. a .

M u n i h : 1 8 34 Thi s qu t t i n i s b o rro w d from D r V il mar s L e ct ure s on G e rman

c . o a o e
’

N at i onal L it e rat ure S e co nd e d it i on 1 84 7

.
’
. .
34 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

th e tem ple the sun and the moon were represented in d iamond and
t o paz which gl ittere d so that there wa s d ay i n the shrine e ve n
, ,

d uri ng night ; fo r the l amps were al ways burning T h e wind o ws .

were o f c rystal and bery l ; the pav ement was al so transparent

c rysta l an d beneath it the fis hes o f the sea were represente d i n
,

o nyx . O n e v ery tower stood a cross o f c rystal and o n this a go l d e n ,

e agl e wi th w ings outspread O n the summit o f t h e main tower w as

.

fixed a l arge c arbun cl e which threw o u t its ra diance o v er a w i d e

,

circl e an d serv ed by night as a l amp t o guide pil grims t o the S an c

,

t uary . L astl y in the c entre o f the great temp l e j u st beneath the

, ,

c upo l a the wh o l e o f the buil d ing w as c opied in miniatu re and fo rmed

, ,

o f the most resp l endent gems ; and in this inmost shrine the Ho l y

G ral was preser v ed ’

.

WO L F RAM of E schenb ach and G O TTF R I ED of S trasburg the , ,

two most celeb rated authors of romances during thi s period were -
,

entirely opposed to each other in style and sent iment Wo lfram .

,

in his Parcival , related the adventures of an earnest and reli

‘ ’

gions hero who passed through many years of pilgrimage in search

,

of the S anctuary of the Gral Gottfried in his T ristan took a .

,
‘ ’
,

part of the legends of Prin ce Arthur and wrote a romance in a ,

light and licentious style b ut with fluency of v e rsifi cat i o n and

, ,

considerable power of poetic expression These t wo romances .

were written b efore the y ear 1 220 T h e opposite characteristics .

d isplayed in them were found in the institution of chi v alry which

they celebrated P arcival represents its religious aspect whi le
‘ ’
.
,

Tristan exposes its secular corru ption T h e light style of Gott

’
.

fried was continued and deteriorated by his followers until all the ,

serious character of chivalry di sappeared and the adventures o f ,

knights were related only to excite laughter Wolfram s romance .

’

is still regarded with admiration by some German antiquaries ,

who find in it as they suppose a deep religious meanin g A

, , .

slight sketch of its outlin es may be given here .

P arciv al who was a descendant of the first kin g of the Gral

,

Temple , T iturel was destin ed to hold the Office o f his renowned

,

ancestor ; but of this high destination he remained wholl y ignorant

for many y ears H e was educated in deep solitude so as to be
.
,

kept remote from all the follies of the world until he determined ,

to devote hi mself to the profession of chivalry H e passed several .

years in various advent ures , and gained renown by the purity and
b ravery of his career, b ut vainl y endeavoured t o find satisfact io n
i n worldly S plendour and applause He felt that he had some .

h igh destination and y et could not determin e its exact nature

,
.

At last he was led b y apparent accident , to the castle o f h i s

,

ancestor the Gral -Ki ng Here he was suddenl y introduced to a

,
.

scene o f the greatest splendour H e was led into a spacious hall .

,

lighted by a hundre d chandeliers ; and here four hundred knights

38 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

had b een predicted that this destined guardian wo ul d mak e him ~

self known by an in quiry respecting t h e health of the king and ,

the fut ure preser v ation of the Gral P arciv al no w understood that .

all the doubts and m y steries which had attended his career were

the 1 e sul t s of his having neglected to make an earnest inquiry

respecti ng the meani ng b
of the ceremonies which he had seen in
the castle He i s no w taught by the hermit that he must prepare
.

himself for his o ffi ce , not by martial courage and earthly ambition,

but b y deep repentance and humi li ation I n the end of the story .
,

P arcival g oes t o the castle where he asks the expected question ,

,
’
and is soon installed in hi s o ffi ce as the Guardian of the Gral .

This sin gul ar and my stical legend may serve as a specimen of

the serious romances of chi valry I n some parts it may receive .

a moral or reli gious interpretation ; b ut it wo ul d b e diffi cult t o

trace through all its adventures any consistent purp ose T h e .

same remark may b e applied t o other romances of this period ,

which are full of long descriptions numerous di gressions and com ,

plications of in cidents , without an intelligible plot .

S ome of the writers of romances fo und their materials in ancient

history and poetry T hus HE I NR I C H V O N V E L D E KI N made a ro
.

mance out of V irgil s ZEne i d ( 1 1 8 4

‘ ’
b ut it contains no V ir
’

gi lian taste or elegance KO NRAD V O N WURZ B UR G who di ed in

.
,

1 2 8 7 , wrote a romance on the Troj an War in a superior style ‘ ’

.

L AMPREC H T who lived probably in the twelfth cent ury wrote

, ,

( or p erhaps translated from some French original) 3 Li fe of .

Al exander the Great ’

I n thi s work we fin d some invention b ut
.
,

no consistenc y of plot S ome of its traits are amusin g The ex

.
.
~

tensive parts of the world still left undefined b y geographi c science ,

afforded for the ro manci st s convenient theatres wherein to displa y
, ,

t h e advent ures of supernatural knights , fain es and enchanters

’

, .

L amprecht could safely tell the wonders of remote India where he ,

prudently placed his hero b eyond the reach of contradi ction In .

this romance of Al exander the hero gives in a letter to his old

,
’
,

tutor Aristotle an account of some prodigies whi ch he has seen

,
.

This letter c ontains the foll o wing passag e of b eautiful fanc y

I N D I A N W OO D -N Y M PH S .

We entered here a s h ady wood ,

Where trees o f spreading fo lia g e s tood ,

A nd twined their branches so t ogether ,

A s t o shut o u t the sul try weather .

Be l ow coo l fountains bubb l ed o ut

, ,

A nd wi nding p l ayfull y about

, ,

M oistened the mossy roots and then ,

T ogether fl owed into a gl en

 SEC O ND PER I O D . 37

B eside the pleasant woo d , and here

Vas sprea d a l ake as crysta l c l ear
‘
w .

S hining birds, with tuneful throats ,

C heered the forest with their notes

A nd o n the mossy turf there gre w
L arge r o se -bu d s beau tiful t o view
,

S ome as wh ite as mountain-snow

O thers had a ruddy gl ow .

We gazed with won d er there be h o l din,

Each its fragrant l ea v es unfo l d ing ;

F o r o u t Of e v ery fl o we r-cup there
S tepped a maiden rosy-fair ,

R o sy as e v ening skies and bright

,

In youth and j o y as morning-li ght !

A mong the forest-trees they p l aye d ,

A nd danced together o n the gl ade ;

A nd when these fairy-damse l s sung ,

Within the wood their caro l s ru ng

M ore tun efu ll y than any bir d ,

O r in stru ment we e v er heard ;

A nd l ull ed by their me l odious strain ,

W e al l forgot o u r toi l and pain

O ur l ife was l ike a p l easant stream,
O r like a sweet enchanting dream ;
,

W e l onged fo r e v er there t o stay

Al as that j oys shou l d p ass away !
,

O ur forest -
brides, wh o rose from fl owers,
F aded with the fading bowers ;
Buds that were so bright in May ,

D ied when summer passed away

A nd, like the fl owers that once were bright,
O ur fairi es faded from o u r sight
M id withered l ea v es the bree z es sighed
’
,

T h e crystal fountains all were d rie d ,

T h e merry birds were dead o r banishe d ,

A nd all o u r forest-p l easure s v anished ! ’

Thi s romance does not conclude wi thout a moral Al exander .

,

havi ng conquered all the nations on earth is represented as arriv

,

i ng with hi s arm y at the gat e of P ara di s e , whi ch he in tends t o

take by storm ! B ut an angel appears and tells the hero that,

P aradi se cann ot b e won in such a wa y , and exhort s him to go b ac k

into hi s own country, and there to practise humili t y and other
vi rt ues The romance is here more favourab le to the V ictor s
.
’

character than hi story has b een Al exander returns t o M acedonia

.
,

where he rules his people with j ustice and clemenc y for twelve
38 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

years and then dies

, An d of all his dominions say s the poet ,
.
‘
,
’

there remained for him at last ,

S e ven feet earth and n o t a S p an

of ,

M ore than fo r a common man 1 ’

Inaddition t o these foreign romances the legen d s of the Church ,

supplied materials for many v e rsifi e d narratives ; but of these it

would be diffi cult to quote an y suited to a modern t aste Am o ng .

a few stories of popular origin and moral purport left by this p e

ri o d, D er Arme Heinrich P oor which was written by
H AR T MANN may be noticed, on acco unt of the simple pathos of
,

s ome passages .

L Y R I CAL P O E T R Y .

The practice of v e rsifi cat i o n was exceedingl y fashi onab le during

this time M an y knights and noblemen and even kings were
.
, , ,

c ompetitors in this exercise of ingenuity T wo kin gs of the .

H ohenstaufen H ouse , one king of B ohemia D uke Henry of ,

B reslau , and the M argrave O tto of B randenburg are included i n ,

t h e catalogue of one hun dred and sixty mi nstrels or M innesingers ,

.

Y et some of these titled m instrels could neither read nor write .

We fin d one of them U lrich (whose autobiography has been pre

,

ser v ed) carrying ab out a letter from his lady for a week and com
, ,

plaining that he could find no learned clerk to explain it The .

lays of these M innesingers were recited or sung in courtly assem

blies of knights and ladies and several co rut s were engaged ,

in ri valry for the h o no m s of p oetical genius S u ch was the pre

‘
.

valence O f the fashi on of v e rsifi cat i o n and so ready were royal and ,

n oble patrons t o reward mun ifi ce nt l y even feeble effo rts in poetry ,

that S tricker a satirical writer of this period tells us how some of

, ,

the kings of Austria mad e t h e msel v e s b ankrupts by their love of

minstrels y T h e sh ort lyrics or
. which won such ,

high prizes are generall y devoted t o the praise of fair ladies F e w

,
.

of them have remarkable poetical value though they are inte ,

resting as literary curiosities The authors of these amiable and .

harmless little songs were mil itar y men ; y et they did not write
one martial lyric T he y lived in a picturesque and romantic
.

epoch and had witnessed or heard of such events as the corona

,

tion of Frederic k I at R ome the conquest of M ilan the reconcilia

.
, ,

tionof the P ope and the Emperor at V enice and the Crusades ; ,

y et of all these movements we fin d scarcely a trace in their lyrics ,

which are generall y se nt h e nt al T heir lyre had only three strings .

one was tuned t o the praise of spring and pleasant weather ; an

M i nne , l o v e ; L i ed er, so n gs .
 SEC O ND PER I O D . 39

other thrilled to celebrate the b eaut y of no ble ladies ; and the

third was devoted t o the laments of disappoin ted a ffection The .

same degenerac y which too k place in the romances of ch ivahj r ma y

b e Ob served also in its lyrical p oetry .

NI T H AR T who died before 1 24 6 and whose verses show some

, ,

metrical tact ; F RAUENL O B ( 1 2 50 F R I EDR I C H V O N H AU S EN ,

wh o fell in a crusade in 1 1 9 0 and man y other minstrels might b e , ,

described here b ut we find little that is original or distin ctive in

,

their verses The feminine tone of their lyrics when contrasted

.
,

with their ma rtial profession must b e regarded as one of the sin,

s

gular caprices of fashi on ; but it ma y b e partl y explained b y the

fact that these lyrics were not composed t o b e read b ut t o b e sun g
, ,

or recited with a musical accompaniment I t is pro b able that the .

music of these lays was esteemed as of higher impo rt ance than

the meaning M odern O peras sho w that verses written for music
.

seldom rise ab ove mediocrit y in poetry We fin d a curious in .

stance of the taste of this period in a controvers y which was raised

amon g the M inn esingers on the question , whether the word we i b

( woman ) or the word fl a n (lad y ) was the more worth y t o b e used

in poetry . Frauenl ob g ain ed his name by the part whi ch he as
sum ed in t his contest and as a reward for hi s services his b ody
, , ,

was carried t o the grave in 1 3 1 8 by the ladies of M ay ence wh o ,

p oured copious libations of wine upon his tomb stone I t is onl y .

fair to add to thi sb rief sk etch that some part of the del icate re ,

spect still paid t o la di es in Germany and E ngland may b e fairl y

a scribed t o the i nfluence of t h e ro man ci st s of chivalr y and the

M inn esingers .

WA L T ER V O N DER V O G ELWE I DE ( 1 1 7 0 —1 2 2 7 ) must b e distin

g ui sh e d from all hi s contempor a ries on account of the moral and
,

religious purport of his lyrics He probably accompanied Frederick .

H in a crusade and passed the remainder of his life as a wand e ring

.
,

mi nstrel visiting several German courts H e wrote some senti

,
.

mental songs but was more remarkable as the author of some sh ort
,

p oems of a religious and di dactic p urport , in which he often v e n

t ure d to direct his satire again st the P ope Two or t hree speci .

’
mens of Walter s poems may b e subj oin ed T h e first seems t o .

a llude to the troublous t imes which followed the death of the

E mperor H enry V I in 1 1 9 7 when the conflict of the Guelfs with

.
,

the H ohenstaufen party produced great social miseries in German y

for several y ears T h e second p oem is curious as it appears t o b e
.
,

a sin cere personal co nfession of the motive which led many knights
to engage in the C rusades T h e third translation is a favourable
.

specimen of Walter s li ghter l yri c s ’

’

.
40 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

A ME D I TA T I O N .

‘
I sat o ne day u p o n a stone
, , ,

Rapt in a musing fi t al o ne , ,

A nd resting o n my hand my head ,

T hus t o myse l f in tho ught I s aid

, ,
“
H o w in these times o f care and strife,
,

S hal l I d irect my fl eetin g l ife ?

T hree precious j ewe l s I re quire
T o satisfy my heart s desire
’

T h e first is honour bright and clear ; ,

T h e next is weal th bu t ( far more dear ! )

”
T h e third is He av en s appro ving smil e ’
.

T hen aft er I had mused a whi le,

,

I saw that i t was vain t o pine

F o r these three pearl s in o ne small shrine ;
T o find withi n o n e heart a p l ace
F o r honour we al th and hea v en l y grace ;
, ,

F o r h o w can o n e in days like these

, ,

Heaven and the wor l d together p l ease 2 ’

A LAM E N T .

A h ! my best years ha v e fl ed away ,

L ike dreams o r l ike a minstre l s l ay ;

,
’

I see once more my nati v e ground

, , ,

A nd wonder as I look aroun d ;

F o r n o w I seem a stranger here ,

Where many faces once were d ear

M y pl aymates a ll are gray and o ld
T h e l and itse l f see ms d rear and co l d
T hey v e fe ll ed the trees o n yonder hi ll ;
’

T h e ri v er fl ows beside it stil l ;

But my best years hav e passed away
A s o n the sea the drops o f spray ,

O r l ike the wa v es upon the shore

”
I say al as ! fo r evermore .

T ime , like the earth with fl owers bespread

In youthful spring is d ark and dead ,

When age and cares are coming o n ,

A nd friends and pl easures all are gone .

O ne consol ation n o w remains

T O combat o n the hol y p l ains ,

N o t fo r riches n o r renown
, ,

But fo r an e v er l asting crown

F o r abso l ution fo r re l ease
,

From all my sins ; fo r rest an d peac e .

M ay I but tread that sacred shore

T hen will I say al as n o more !
“ ’

a P al e st i ne .
 SEC O ND PER I O D . 41

RM A N LA D I E S
GE .

G erman L adies ! I wi ll te ll
What wi ll sure ly pl ease yo u we ll .

T i s a minstre l s s w eetest task,

’ ’

A nd fo r no reward I ask
O nl y when my song is done
, ,

S mi l e, and so my priz e is wo n !
In many countries I ha v e been ,

A nd nob l e knights and l adies seen ;

But here al one I find my rest ;
O l d G ermany is sti ll the best !
S ome other l ands hav e p l eased me well ;
But here — tis here I choose t o dwell !
’

G erman men have v irtues rare ,

But G erman maids are ange l s fair !

If a nob l e knight woul d find
A lady pure and true and kin d
, ,

L e t him come t o o u r fair l and ,

A nd win a G erman maiden s hand ’

.

N o w reward me fo r my song ;
A nd may I l ive t o praise yo u long "
O ne of the pleasing features in the lay s of the Mirmcsinge rs is
the genuine delight with which the y hail the return of spring and ,
-
the b eauties of summer O ne stanza from a song for M ay da y , by
.

C ount C O NRAD of Kirchb erg is a fair specimen of many similar

,

ly rics
M AY -
D AY .

‘
M ay comes aft er April s rain
,
’
,

C hasing wintry cares away ;

Hasten chil dren ! o e r the p l ain
,
’
,

S ee young Spring his gems display .

From his rosy hand he showers

O er hi ll and v all ey l o v e l y fl owers
’
,

With herbs and p l easant grass between ;

A nd all the woods again are green ;
Whil e in the bosom o f the val e
, ,

T h e nightingal e pours o u t her tale .

Boys and maidens ! in a r i ng ,

D ance in honour Of the day ;

Whil e all wh o wi l l n o t dance must sing ; ,

Be b l essings o n the month Of M ay

The minst rels y which in its earl y period , was devoted t o such
,

pleasant themes , was in later times changed into satire The fol .

lowers of Walter wro t e moral and satiri c al verses , which g ive som e
42 G ERMAN L IT ERA T UR E .

glimpses into the character of their age Thus REI NM AR V O N .

ZWE T E R satirises the mixture of secul ar with sacred o ffi ces in t h e

foll owing lines :
M onastic beards and shav en crown s ,

A nd capes and ho o ds and friars gowns ,

’
,

I find eno ugh ; bu t must c onfess

F e w m e n are worthy o f their d ress .

I d o n o t l ike u pon o n e dish

, ,

A mixture strange o f fowl an d fish ;

N o r can I u nderstand aright
A knightl y monk o r monkish knight, .
’

To explai n the censure of Re in mar, we must refer to such a cha

ract e r as C hristian the Ar chbishop of M entz
,
who li ved in the ,

twelfth century, and of whom it is recorded that he we re un de r

‘
,
’
his sacerdotal rob e a coat of mail and that in various b attle s
,
‘
,

he had slain n in e enemies with his own hand .

’

D I DAC TI C VERS I F I CA TI O N .

T he moral and satirical verses of Walter produced an e ffect

extending far beyond the circle of courtly minstrels and estab ,

l i sh e d a school of didactic v e rsificat i o n whi ch had some impor ,

tant resul ts Walter was the first among the nobility who wrote
.

for the people ; who forgettin g the di stinctions of rank and

,

fashion spoke as a man t o his fell ow-men

,
.

I t is pro b ab le that he was the author of one of the earliest and

most popular of didactic b ooks which was entitled Fre i dank s
‘
,
’

M oderation and was written , as we are told by a Crusader in

,
’
,

S yria in 1 22 9 At least we are certain that the pure ethics o f

.

t his manual accord well with the sentiments found in l al t e r s

V ’

lyrics . T his little b ook quite unpretend ing as a literary p e r

,

fo rmance , served as a model for several other writ ings on mora ls ,

which main tain ed their popularit y down to the time o f L uther .

Indeed almost the onl y interest which can b e found in German

literature from 1 3 0 0 to 1 5 1 7 c onsists in the didactic purport of a
,

series of popular manuals which followed Freidank and were

‘ ’
,

p owerful enough to hasten such an event as the R eformation .

T h e writin gs of Walter T irk l e r S tricker and Hugo undoubtedly

, , , ,

prepared the people to receive the doctrines of L uther .

N ext t o the work of Freidank ( or Walter) a little b oo k

‘ ’
,

entitled D er Winsbek e ( 1 2 50 ) may b e mentioned It professes

‘
'
’
.

to contain t h e advi ce of an aged king of T yrol addressed t o his

son WI RNT one of the writers of romances is supposed t o have
.
, ,

b een the author of t his didactic work T hough writ ten in verse, .
4-4 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

the common peopl e the l ai tyf It is evident n o w tha t the peopl e

,
"

c annot safe l y fo ll ow the e x amp l es o f their s uperiors We hav e had .

,

ind ee d t o o mu ch foll owing o f fashion but t o o l ittl e c l e ar moral

, ,

teaching W e must no l onger worship rank A s t o the pretensions

. .

o f hi h descent we are all nob l e eno u gh in this respec t if w e wou l d

g ,

l i v e i n accordance with o u r ancestry ; fo r we a ll ha v e o ne Father ,

”
wh o is i n Hea v en T o d o right is the true ba d g e o f nobi l ity
. .

But t o proceed t o my principal topic A fter c o nsi d ering l ong the .

n umerous faul ts t o which men are pr o ne I ha v e found tha t they all ,

proceed from the want o f o n e the greatest o f all v ir tues — ,stea clf as t

mess . T his is indeed the mother o f a ll the other Virtues IVe are t o .

rul e the w or l d and no t t o be go v erned by i t ; fo r the worl d is full o f

,

c hanges ; but v irtue is firmness itse l f What are deceit doub l e .

,

mindedness a v arice arrogance luxury gamb ling and many other

, , , , ,

v ices but so many expressions o f an unstea d fast min d ?

,
O n the
o ther hand d o we n o t admire e v en the heroes o f o u r N ibe l ungen
,

L ie d in spite o f all their care l essness o f human l ife o n acco u nt o f

, ,

th eir stea df ast good faith t o each o ther ? T h e m an wh o is n o t

s teadfast in his purpose can bring n o good a c tion t o perfection
,
He . .

p l ays with the surfaces o f things l ike o ne wh o runs his eye o v er a

l ong l ine o f books ; whil e the scho l ar wh o is d etermined t o l earn ,

s omething fixes his attention o n o n e bo o k unti l he has m astered it

, .

M any men o f an unsteadfast character soon become weary o f the

pra ctice o f v irtue be c au se i t does n o t al ways appear t o hav e an i m
,

mediate reward i n this l ife S ome will e v en say that t h e care l ess
.

a n d v icious enjoy life more than the v irtuo u s ; but th is is a hasty and

fal se conc l usion Th e v irtuous man d eri v es good both from pain
.

a n d p l easure ; the vicious man deri v es rea l goo d from neither E v en .

the attacks o f e v i l men o n the good are o v erru l ed fo r the benefit o f

the l atter Yet let it n o t be supposed that this forms any excuse
.

fo r the e v il T hat wi ll b e judge d by its intention It wa s a just and

. .

who l es o me punishm ent fo r D av id when Absal om re v o l ted ne v er

t h e l e ss the young man was gu i l ty in that rebe ll ion Besides l et us .
,

n o t exaggerate in o ur views o f l ife E v en the v icious m e n whom we .

fi nd in prosperi ty may h av e some virtues and their temporary we l ,

fare may be the res u l t o f these v irtues F o r i nstance a s e lfish man .

,

may be industrious and may prosper n o t becau se he is se l fish but

, , ,

be c ause he is industrious But what are all the riches o f v icious

.

men when contrasted with the true inward prosperity o f the go od

man ? A ffl iction makes him ac quainted with patience ; i m po v erish
men t l eav es him in possession o f his deares t property ; when banishe d
from h i s home he has a home in his o wn s o u l t o which he c an
,

retire and e v en the d arkness o f a dungeon will be rel ie v ed by the

,

l igh t o f a goo d conscien c e He cares n o t h o w l o ng but h o w we ll he

.
, ,

may li v e ; and he cares n o t where he may die ; fo r o u t o f e v ery

c ountry there is a straight path t o hea v en T here is a wro ng noti o n .

a broad that the common peop l e cannot be wise and good because ,

*T h e w o rd Late (l ay man) i s st ill d

un erst o o d in G e rmany as th e Opposi te of Gelehrter
( a sch o l ar) .
 SEC O ND PER I O D . 45

they are no t learned c l erks No w I deplore the neglect o f learn

.

i ng
. I fear that if A ristotl e were l iving n o w he wou l d find n o ,

Al exander t o re v erence him But I say there is a sort o f learning

.

which e v ery man ought t o ha v e He wh o d irects his l ife wel l under

.
,

s tands the best sort o f grammar : t o speak from the heart and te l l ,

the truth is v ery good dial ectic and it wi ll ser v e very we ll fo r rhe
, ,

toric al so : he wh o runs up a l o ng score o f good actions succeed s ,

well in arithmetic and the man whose l ife is sta rry with virtues is ,

a famous astronomer T his is the kind o f education which all the

.

peop l e ought t o have ’

.

ST R I C K ER wrote a series of short tales and fables , conn ected by

mo ralising passages i n 1 23 0 To this b ook he gave the title D ie
,
.

Welt The I t is mark ed by a p opular and democrati c

tendenc y, and is full of severe censures upon the aristocrac y An .

other b oo k o f a similar character , b ut of greater harshness of satire ,

’
was entitled D er R enner , and was written by HU G O of Tri mberg at
‘

the close of the thirteenth centur y The writer appears to have .

b een a man of some learning H e tells us that he called his b oo k

.

’
D er R enn er ( The‘
b ecause he intended it to run through
the length and b readth of the country , and this in tention was fairly
fulfill ed ; for Fre idank s little b oo k and D er R enn er retain ed their
’ ‘ ’

places as favourites among the German people down to the sixteenth

centur y ; and S E B AS TI AN B RAND T a congenial writer , reproduce d ,

H ugo s satirical work in 1 5 4 9 This b o ok is characterised by the

’ -
.

greatest in dependence of thought and freedom of expres sion The .

o nl y moral authorit y which Hugo will admit is in the S criptures ,

and he complains that many of the higher classes i n his times k ne w

more of the adventures of Prince Arthur than of the B ib le We .

’

c an hardl y present one litera ry extract from this e arnest little b oo k ;

for it is so full of violent satire and i nvective against the aristocrac y

and the clergy , that its unimpeded circulation and p op ul arit y is a

c urious instance of the lenit y or the oversight of the ecclesiastical

authorities . I f H ug o had addressed his discourse me vo ce t o
a congregation of a fe w hundreds , he would pro b ab ly have b een
s ilenced ; b ut , through his b ook he was allowed t o ad dress tens of ,

thousands in the most effectual manner And such was the in .

’
flu e nce of The R unn er and similar b ooks that we may clearl y trace ,

from 1 3 00 to the era of the R eformation the progress of a school of

lay -doctrine which was opposed to a great part of the teaching of
the Church , and y et was allowed to preva il among the people T h e .

’
didactic contents of Hugo s b ook were varied by many humorous
and satirical fab les , of which the followin g is a specimen

C ON F E SS I O N .

S ly R eynard, with the Wol f, o ne d ay,

T ravelled to R ome, and on the ir way
48 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

They o v ertook the A ss and so ,

All three t o Rome together go .

A nd when they saw t h e c ity near ,

T h e Wo l f said t o his cousin dear

Reynar d my p l an I l l name t o yo u
,
’

T h e P ope we know has much t o d o

, ,

I doub t if he c an S p end hi s time

T o hear o u r catal og u e s o f crime .

’
T wi ll s p are some tr o ub l e fo r the P o pe
( And al so fo r ourse lv es I hope , ,

A s w e may s c ape with penance l e ss)

’
,

If t o each other we confess

L et each describe his greatest sin
S o without pre face I ll begi n
’
.
, ,

T o notice t ri fl e s I d isdain ;
But o ne fact gi v es my conscience pain .

’
T i s this — there dwe l t beside the Rhine
A man wh o l iv ed by feeding sw m e .

He had a so w w h o ramb l ed wide ,

Whi l e all her pigs with hu nger crie d .

A t l ast I l onged o n pork t o dine

I kill ed and ate that cru e l swine .

Her l ittl e ones d eserted n o w

, ,

O ft mo v e d my pity I ll a v ow ,
’

I ended all their woes o ne night

N o w l et my punishment be l ight
We ll said the F o x
”
,
your sin was ,

S mall ,

A nd hard l y c an fo r penance c all

F o r such a v enia l transgression
You v e made amen d s by this c onfessi o n
’
.

A nd n o w I ll d o as yo u hav e d o ne
’

O f al l my sin s I ll name but o n e

’

A man such noisy fowl s wou l d keep ,

T hat n o o n e near his house cou l d s l eep

Th e c ro wi ngs o f his C hanti c l eer
D isturbed the cou ntry far and near .

D istracted by the noise o n e night ,

I went and stopped his crowing quite

But this feat ended n o t the matter
T h e hens b e gan t o cro w and chatter
A nd so (the d eed I slightl y rue)
I ki ll ed them and their chi c k e ns t o o .

We ll said the l Vo lf t o hush that di n

”
, ,

I Vas sure l y n o a l arming S i n .

A bstain from pou l try fo r three days ,

And if yo u l ike amend your ways

, , .

But n o w the A ss must be confessed

D onkey h o w far have yo u transgr e ssed
 SEC O ND PER I O D . 47

”
A11 2said the A ss with dismal bray ,
“
Y o u kno w I ha v e n o t much t o say
F o r I ha v e toil ed from d ay t o d ay ,

A nd done fo r master ser vice good ,

I n carrying water cor n and wood

, ,

But once in winter-time tis tr u e

, ,
’
,

I did what I perhaps must rue

A countryman t o keep hi m warm
,

( W e had just,
then a snowy, storm ) ,

Had put some straw into his shoe s

T o bite it I cou l d n o t refuse ;
A nd so ( fo r hu nger was my l aw)
”
I took o r stol e a singl e straw
, ,
.

”
“
T here say n o more I the F o x excl aimed
F o r want o f straw that man was lamed ;
His feet were bitten by the frost
T i s probab l e his l ife was l ost
’
.

What shall be done t o such a sinner ?

T h e Wo l f must ha v e yo u fo r his d inner .

S uch simple and humorous fables often convey ing s ome sly ,

s atire against the clergy and the no b ilit y were the most popular ,

productions of the M iddle Ages B ut the most remark able satire

.

o f this perio d was the epic fa b le of R e ynard the F ox which ‘ ’

/
, ,

had a very e arly o rigin and has remained as a favourite of the

,

German people for several centuries T here is even some reaso n .

t o suppose that this long fable was popular in some form among
the Franks in the fifth century T h e heroes of the tale are all
.

a nimals I sengri m ( the wolf ) R egi nka rt ( the fox ) and B M W (the
, ,

b ear) and man y others were added as the origin al was altered and
e nlarged . I t is im possible t o assign the authorship of this fable
t o any particular name or date A L atin version, styled Isen
.
‘

g rim,
’
was written in the b eginnin g of the twelfth century A bout .

the middle of the same period H E I NR I C H DER G L E I SNER of Alsac e

,

reproduced the tale in an extended form in German and after ,

wards i t passed through several other versions In t h e fifteenth cen .

tury it was translated into L ow-German or D utch by B AUMANN , , ,

an d this version was for some t iI n e erroneously regarded as an

’
original work Again R e ynard reappeared as a popular work
.
‘

a t the era of the R eform ation E ven Go ethe amused his leisure
.

by writing a modernised version of this old fable German artists .

have b estowed upon it many illustrations The nature of t h e .

story ma y b e easil y imagined : R eynard s tricks in volve him in ’

many perplexities out of which he escapes b y ready wit : at l ast

,

he is tried at the court of King L ion where the wolf the b ear , ,

the ass , the do g—in sho rt , almost the whole famil y of quadrupeds
,
48 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

—appear as witnesses aga inst him , and their testim ony is so con
e lusive , that he is condemned to b e hanged immediatel y T he .

executioners—the bear and the cat—hurry the prisoner awa y t o

the scaffold where a great crowd is impatiently waiting to b e
,

e difi e d by the fin al scene .R eynard mounts the platform solemnl y ,

b ut does not even no w despair of l ife I now see death imme

.

d iat e ly b efore me says he and I only b eg permission to address

’
, ,

a few words of simple truth and penitence t o the people T hey .

may possibl y serve as a warning t o other o ffenders ‘

If he is .
’

allowed t o S peak fiv e words says the b ear , adj ustin g the cord on
’
,

the prisoner s neck he will escape even no w ! B ut the king

’
,
‘ ’

grants the request of R eynard , who thus b egin s his ver y humble
confession
R E YN A R D S LA S T T R I C K
’
.

I see n o t o n e in all this throng

T o who m I ha v e n o t done some wrong
A nd n o w upon the scaffo l d here
, ,

I wish t o make my conscience c l ear .

I will no t e v en o n e sin concea l

When but a cub I l earned t o steal
,
.

H o w we ll I reco ll ect the day

When first I saw young l ambs at play ,

A nd carried o ff my ear l iest prey !

From l ittl e crimes I passed t o great .

T h e W o l f soon chose me as his mate

”
O ur compact so he said was fated
Because o u r fam
, , ,
”
i l ies were rel ated .

I cannot te ll o u r murders all

He kill ed the great and I the small ,

But this ( with death so near) I ll say ’

He ne v er ga v e me hal f the prey !

With se l fishness and hunger keen ,

He Often l eft the bones t o o c l ean .

Yet hunger I ha v e ne v er known

I had a pantry all my o wn
O f booty such a p l enteous store ,
’
T wou l d ser v e me fo r my l ife and more
All stol en ’
T was a wicked thing ;
A nd yet—T H A T T H E F T P R E S E R VE D T H E KI NG
F o r there was at that time yo u see , ,

A v ery foul c o nsp iracy

T o ki ll the King ( With death so near ,

I ll te ll i t all I) T hese traitors here

’

Yet what o r me wi ll it a v ail

( f
T o te ll it ? T i s a frightful tal e
’

The curiosit y of the queen is excited b y these dark in sinuations ,

and she b e g s a respite for R eyn ard , who descends from the scaffold
 SEC O ND PER I O D . 49

in sl y triumph , t o give t o the k ing full particulars of the fab ulou s

consp irac y D uring the consequent investigation , R ey nard mak e s
.

his escape with impunit y .

C ollections of j okes and b urlesque anecdotes were ve ry popular

d uring this and the following period ST R I C K ER , alread y mentione d .

as a writer of satirical fab les was the author of a favourite b oo k ,

’
entitled Parson A mis which relates the exploits of a travelling
‘
,

impostor , who is said to have b een an E nglishman , and whos e

career was a continuous triumph of read y wit and cunn ing F o r .

instance , a b ishop having heard of the trick s of P arson Amis ,

,

pay s a Visit t o the delin quent , an d t h e foll o win g conversation

tak es place
PAR S O N AM I S
TH E T R I AL OF .

B i shop Y o u profess t o have great cunning ; but fo r your roguery

.

y o u deser v e t o l ose your l i v ing N o w I sha ll put t w o o r thre

. e
questions t o yo u and if yo u d o no t answer them correctl y, yo u mus t
,

l ose your parish .

A mi s V ery we l l my lord ; I hope I shall b e able to reply so as

.
,
t o p l ease yo u .

B i shop H o w many days have passed away since the time o f

.

A dam ?
A mi s O nly seve n my lor d but repeated many times
.
, , .

B i shop Where is the middl e o f the wor l d ?

.

A mi s M y par i sh church is situated exactl y o n the spot my lord

.
, .

If yo u d o no t be l ieve me yo u can send your servants t o measur e

,

the wor l d ; bu t o f course I shall keep my l ivi ng until they hav e

done it .

B i shop Y o u shal l no t escape in this way sir

. H o w far is it from , .

earth t o heaven ?
A mi s It is exactl y as far as my v oice can be heard my lord
. If , .

yo u wil l go up I wi ll stand here and shout and if yo u d o no t hear

,

me o f course I shall forfeit my church

,
.

B i shop I am determined t o puzzle yo u sir

. Y o u have boasted , .

that yo u coul d teach an ass t o read : n o w if yo u d o no t prove that ,

assertion true yo u shall lose your pl ace No w S ir

,
.
, .

A mi e V ery we ll my l ord
. I will d o what I hav e said but even
,
.

a c l e v er man re quires some twenty years t o master any science :

n o w t o teach an ass t o read I must have thirty years all owed and
, , ,
then I sha l l be ready t o l eave my parish if the task is no t done .

S uch were the j ok es of the thirteenth century All the produc .

tions which have b een mentioned in this section were written in

short and familiar verses O f G erman prose during this perio d.

little can b e said for it hardly existed The remain s which have
, .

b een preserved are chiefl y found in a collection of serm ons remark

ab le for their simplicit y and warmth of style I n these times
.
.

missionaries of the orders of M endi c ant Friars travel led through

50 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

the country preaching with zeal and great e ffect , Sometimes in

cathedrals and at other times u nder a tree in a vill age or on a
, ,

hill -side IVe read of B ER T H O LD one of the Franciscan friars , that

.
,

thousands of the people followed him from one place to another ,

and that his congregation was sometimes numbered at twent y

thousand I t is curious to find in one of the sermons of this friar

.
,

who died in 1 2 7 2 a passage like the followi ng which may remind

, ,

us O f the style of J e remy T aylor

‘
I will show by an exampl e h o w li ttl e we can say wor thil y o f
, ,

the gl ory o f G o d What can a chil d unborn know o f the gl ory o f

.

t his wor l d in w hich w e dwe ll ? O f the bright sun the S park l ing ,

s t ars the S pl endours o f j ewe l s o r the virtues o f p l ants and trees ;

, ,

o f the m u sic o f v arious instruments o r the me l o d i e s o f many birds ,

o r o f the sp l endid array o f go l d and si l k produced by the S ki ll o f

men ? What can the chil d say o f these things ? A nd thus w e are
incapab l e o f S peaking worthi ly o f the wonderful pl easures o f P ara
dise A s the moon the stars an d the pl anets borrow al l their l ight
.
, , ,

fr o m the sun so a ll the hea v enl y hosts o f saints and ange l s fro m
, ,

the highest t o the l owest recei v e a l l their gl a d ness brightness , , ,

h onour m ajesty and beauty from the countenance o f the L ord

, ,
It
, .

i s because they l ook upon Him that they become so beautiful

’
.

’
A short extract from another O f B erthold s sermons may serve
t o show the popularit y of v e rsificat i o n during this period
‘
I exhort yo u m y hearers t o be o n your gu ard against these
, ,

heretics But yo u say Brother Bertho l d h o w shall we disco ver

.
,
“
,

them as they are so much l ike good peop l e

,
We ll I wil l te ll yo u ,

h o w t o find them o u t by se v en wor d s ; and I S hou l d l ike these se v en

w ords t o be m ade into a song that so yo u might all S ing it and re , ,

m ember it unti l your d eath N o w if there is a ball ad-maker in my .

,

c o ngregation l et him mark these words and put them into a so n g

, , ,

a nd l e t i t be short and swee t and ring so pretti l y that e v en the l it t l e

, ,

c hi l d ren may l earn i t an d sin g it T here once l iv ed a bad heretic .

,

w h o put his fal se do c trines into songs and tau ght the chi l d ren t o si ng ,

them about the streets : and I S houl d l ike n o w t o use his o wn p l an

against him and all wh o are like him
’
.

I n concluding these notices of German poetry in the age of

chi valry we must o b serve that our specimens of vernacular pro
,

auctions do not give any j ust notion O f the learning of this period .

F rederick II was the patron of many scholars and favoured the

.
,

progress of universities I n his address which accompanied a pre .

s ent o f the works of Aristotle to the universit y of B ologna he ,

wrote S cience ( or literature ) must alway s attend the progress

o f legislation and the pursuit of war ; for without that learnin g

which enlightens and strengthens the mind all our plans of con ,

q uest and government ma y lead onl y to ignorance , sensual indo

’
l ence , and b arbarism .
52 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

wonder th at he fail ed as a poet when we have read the followin g

,

specimen of his verses

I mean t o wea v e fine l inen-c l oth n o more
Yet I am n o t ashamed o f my o ld trade
I t ser v ed me v ery we ll in d ays o f y ore ,

E re as a minstre l from my h o me I strayed

, , .

But no w ( I hope it wi ll n o t star v e me quite)

T h e other trade ( o f rhyme) I ha v e t o pl y
T o make good v erses n o w is my de ligh t ,

A nd must be I suppose unti l I die, , .

Yet two ul d be we ll t o throw all rhymes aside

’

With po v er t y I ha v e continua l strife ;

"

In search o f frien d s I wander far and wi de

I never was so ragged in my l ife ! ’

Anoth er p oor minstr e l of this t ime , named R E G EN B O G EN , makes

a similar confession ; but pleads that di stress first excited him t o
mak e verses H e says
.

I R egenboge n w as a s m ith and in my trade I toiled

, , , ,

Bu t po v er ty u pon me fe ll and all my e fforts foi l ed

,

T here fore I so u ght another trade an d turned t o m ak ing rhyme , ,

But heartil y I no w repent S uch was ting o f my time

These notices Show to what a low con di tion min strels y was re
d u ce d
. B ut some v e rsifi e rs who understood the tendenc y of their
times and wrote comic , didactic , and satirical pieces to suit the
, ,

p op ul ar taste , found considerable success A monk named B O NER .

,

for i nst an ce wrote , in 1 33 0 , a b ook of short stories and fables

, ,

wh ich b ecame very p opul ar I t was one of the first b ooks of

.

whi ch copies were multipl ied b y printin g as it was issued from ,

the pr e ss in 1 4 6 1 The followin g is a specimen of its contents :

.

TH E P A RISI AN S T UD E N T .

I v e re ad about a cert ain knight

’
,

t ose son s poor wits were ne v er bright

1 ’

B u t still t h e father was reso lv ed

T h e difficul ty S ho u l d be so lv e d ,

A nd that his so n so d u ll and dark , ,

S houl d pro v e a v ery l e arn ed c l erk

J ohn he determin e d sho ul d b e sent
, ,

T o P aris — S O the dar l in g went ,

A n d there su c ceeded v ery we ll

I n—s p en d ing m o re than I c an tell .

He drank and p l aye d bu t there s a d o ubt ’

Whether his books were we ll worn o u t

"

S ome years ( and fl o ri ns) passed away ,

A nd then the so n retu rned o n e d ay .

 T H I RD PER I O D . 53

T h e father spread his dainties t ch eer

F o r frien d s wh o came from far an d near ,

C ongratul ating sire and so n

F o r a ll the lore at P aris w o n .

J ohn dre w a l o ng and studious face

( F o r e v ery dunce may learn grimace)
He nodded we ll and shook his head
, ,

A nd wise l y very l ittle said

, ,
.

T hen when the dinner-time was o e r

’
, ,

He stood beside an Open door ,

A nd studiousl y behe l d the sky

T h e moon was shining full and high , .

T hen whispered some good friends together

He knows the l aws o f winds and weath e r .

A stronomy —h e knows i t all ,

A nd what t o -morrow wil l be fal l .

T h e father was a happy man

U ntil the so n t o tal k began
F o r Opening wide his m o nt h he said ,
“
O ne thing d o es p u z z l e my poor head
’
Ti s this — the moon that yo u see there
A nd that at P aris make a pair
S o much al ike I cannot see
,

T heir difference in the l east degree

A t this the father shook his head ,

A nd t O his friends in anger said

'

, ,

Be warned by I nc— don t send t o sch oo l ’

A bo y predestined fo r a fo o l .

M y fl o rins n o w I dearly rue

He comes a dunce from P aris t o o
, ,

S ome k nowledge of this ver y dull p erio d is necessary , in order

th at w e may form a j ust estimate of the L utheran era ; for all the
events of that era were consequences of the state of societ y in Ger
many during the fourteenth and fift eenth centuries The unhapp y .

domestic condition of the country had b een neglected during the

enthusiasm which had attended the C rusades ; b ut when this excite
ment had passed away discord enmit y and violence b egan to pre
, , ,

vail b etween the clergy the nobil it y and the lower classes of societ y
, ,
.

N ational li terature from 1 3 0 0 to 1 5 1 7 consisted in a great measure

in b itter satires In deed we might in accordance with facts pro
.
, ,

o e c d farther and say that , from the b eginnin g of the fourteenth

,

to the mid dle of the seventeenth centur y, the most remark able
literat ure was of a satirical description These three centuries and .

a- half of satire were also times of severe p olitical and ecclesias

tical contentions The intellectual world truly represented the c on
.

dition of societ y Wh en we read t h e V iolent and u npolishe d in

.

ve ct iVe s of an y one of the countless satirists of the se t i mes , w e are

54 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

dispo sed to suspect exaggeration in his censures ; b ut aft er read ~

i ng the same complaints expressed by many writers in various ,

t imes and places w e must b e convinced that they had real grounds
,

for their discontent IVAL T E R the minstrel began the satirical

.
, ,

style His moral poems are full of such passages as the following
—Faithlessness is in all our ways ; violence is in our streets ;
.

peace and j ustice are wounded I f I look through creation I find .

,

s igns of hatred and strife amo ng all creatures ; yet order is pre

s er v ed ; but among men we have anarchy R E I N M AR another

’
.
,

min strel emplo y s similar complaints

,
HU G O says R obberies .
,

m urders and burning of houses are the sacrifi ces we o ffer to Hea
, ,

ven O ur laws are all venal a righteous j udge is a white raven

. .
’

K O NRAD a monk wrote O n the necessity of ne w regulations between

, ,

t h e peasantry and their lords S U C H E NW I RT says T h e valour .

o f our knights is now displayed in the c ruel exto rtions which they

practise on the Jews and others R egenb ogen the rhym in g .

’
,

blacksmith not only complained bitterly but suggested a remedy

, ,

for the evils of his tim es He says T h e clergy , the nobil ity.
,

and the peasantry should unite for the good of the country ; b ut
,

these three classes are no w living in enmity L astly R O S E NP L U T .

’
,
’
wrote a satire in which he i ntroduced the Grand S ultan as t he ‘

‘
reformer of Christendom ’
.

Among the minstrels of this period one named O S W ALD may b e ,

noticed as his verses contain many cru i o u s details of a life of

,

strange adventure and also of the manners O f his tim es There

,
.

may b e some exaggeration in his statements but , on t h e whole , ,

they present a fair view of the career of an adventurer in the four

t e e nt h century O swald v o n Wolkenste in descended fro m a
.
,

noble family in the T yrol was born in 1 3 67 He tells us that , ,

.

during his boyhood he learned to ride t o sing to play on the ,

‘
, ,

violin , the harp the drum and the trumpet and also the science
, , ,
’ ‘

of cookery His i magination was so excited by the perusal of

.
’

romances that when ten y ears old he followed a company of

, , ,

knights who were travelling from Austria to P russia He was .

e mployed as a squire and gained favour b y his talents in min ,

st re l s
y S ubsequentl
. y he wandered over Germany and other
parts of t h e continent then travelled in E ngland and Ireland ; and ,

in 1 3 8 8 was engaged i n warfare in S cotland After his return t o

,
.

the north of G ermany he accompanied a mercantile expedition t o ,

t h e peni nsula O f C rimea , and visited Armenia and P ersia He .

then earned a passage t o C andia by acting as a cook in the v e s ‘

sel .After shipwreck battles and many other adventures he

’
, , ,

returned to his home when twenty -fiv e years old ; but his friends
d i d not kn ow him , as his face was sunb urnt and wrinkled his hair ,

was par tly gra y, an d he ha d lost an ey e These misfort unes, .

 TH I RD PER I O D . 55

’
however , he regarded as proofs of b old knighthood and no w ‘
,

paid his addresses to a fair lad y named S abina

‘
T his lady did .
’

n o t esteem his ser v ices as suffi cient to merit her hand b ut bade ,

hi m win it b y making a pilgrimage t o P alestine L ong b efore .

O swald arrived at Jerusalem S abina was married to another ,

knight I n 1 4 0 1 , O swald was fighting against the M oors in S pain

. .

To reward his merits as a knight and a minstrel , t h e queen of

Arragon with her own hand pierced his ears and decorated
,
‘
, ,

them with costly rings S oon afterwards he was in France where

.
’
,
’
‘
the queen suspended a fine diamond on his beard H e then .

accompanied the E mperor S igmun d in a campaign against the

H ussites in B ohemia , and made satirical verses on Jo h n Huss .

O swald was in fact a wandering mercenary soldier like D ugald

, ,
‘
, ,

D alge t t y and would either fight sing or pla y the harp or dre ss
’
, , , ,

a dinner , for any master who would pa y I n one of his verses he .

sums up all his adventures and accomplishm ents telli ng us that ,

he had travelled over E ru Op e and many parts of A sia , and had

' ‘

talked in ten languages including French , L atin Italian German

, , , ,

S pani sh and Ar abic

,
H e died in 1 4 4 5 S uch was the life of one
.
’
.

of that class of wandering minstrels which fell into deca y during

this period .

M any productions which passed under the name of p oetry i n

this time are not wo rt hy of particular description D octors no w .

wrote the rules of health and prescrib ed medicin es in proper metre

,

and rhym e T h e peasant despised his almanac if it did not contain

.

a fair proportion of verses P E T ER S UC H E NWI RT advertised the .

’
fact that he was ready for a c onsideration to make an y numb e r
,
‘
, ,
’
of verses upon any gentleman s coat of arms ! O ne writer reduced
all the laws and stratagems of the game of chess t o rhym e , and
another wrote a poem on C rockery !
In the fifteenth century , versifying club s were established in
many towns such as M ayence Nuremberg, and Uh ] , and b ecame
, ,

very popular M echani cs united themselves to serve the M uses

.

as well as the y co ul d At C olmar for instance the shoemakers

.
, ,

formed a club or singing -school for the exercise of pious versi

fi cat i o n ; whil e in another town , the weavers after putting aside ,

t heir shuttles in the evening repaired to the S inging -school and , ,

t here recited and sung the verses which they had composed while
employed in their looms T h e motives of these good and honest
.

men ma y screen even the homel y poetry which they produced from
ridicule ; for the y appear t o ha v e devoted their services to religion .

In a collection of the verses of one club which has b een preserved ,

we find the followin g simple lines
By making pious hym n s w e stri v e
C oarse ball ads from o ur streets t o dri v e ;
56 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

Fo r every nigh t we hear with shame

S uch songs as w e refuse t o n ame
T o S i l ence a ll these i d l e l ays ,

We meet and sing o u r M ak e r s praise

"
’ ’
.

There is indeed something very pleasin g in the conduct of these

, ,

poor people of the M id dl e Ages who in dark tim es , when there , ,

were few wholesome intellectual excitements met thus together, ,

and found solace , after their toil in reciting and sin ging verses , .

D evotional music was cultivated in these schools and the produc ,

t ion of n e w psalm -tunes amused the leisure of man y mechanics .

S trict rules were o b served with regard to the composition of these

tunes Thus in one club , it was laid down as a law that no
.
,
‘

memb er should b rin g forward as an original composition any tune

of which one lin e had b een heard b efore ! I n several clubs texts ’

from the S criptures were the only topics allowed for ve rsificat i o n .

These verses were sometimes recited in the churches after the

s er vices of S unda y T h e preacher announced th at all persons ‘
.

who wished to hear the poets recite their own pieces might remain
’
at the conclusion of service E ach club had a president and
.

s everal inferior o ffi cers T h e moral ort hodox y and metrical com

.

position o f the verses recited were strictly criticised ; the whole

busin ess was very solemn l y conducted and the v e rsifi e r to who m ,

the prize was awarded was disting uished by a b adge of hono ur .

These societies which supplied the want of such recreation as may

,

now b e found In o ur rea di n g rooms and literary institutions must ,

have b een well supported b y popular favour ; for we fin d that the

s chool at N uremb erg lived to 1 7 7 0 , and a Singin g and versifying

school of considerable antiquit y was solemnl y closed at U lm as

recently as the year 1 8 3 9 .

Apart from these schools , man y popular songs were produced

during this period , and have b een preserved to the present day .

These were productions o f the heart , so true and simple and so well ,

married to music O f a sim ilar character that when once heard , , ,

the y could not b e forgotten Indeed they b ecame so rooted in

.

the memory of the people that after the R eformation the writers
, , ,

and composers of hymns and psalm -tunes thought it expedient to

employ t he melodies , and , in some instances , even the w ords of the
old popular songs .

TH E DR AMA .

In this perio d we find the first s ymptoms of a German D rama

in rude attempts to perform religious pieces like the old mysteries
once popular in E ngland At first these dramatic readings fro m
.
,

the S cript ures w ere conducted i n churches under the supe rint e n
 T H IR D PER I O D . 57

d ence of the priests , and the L atin languag e was emplo y ed ; b ut

when the people i ntroduced burlesque digressions into sacred sub
j ects , exhibitions of this kind were forb idden in the churches T h e .

‘
consequence was the people removed their theatrical properties
,

i nto the Open fi eld and here assumed greater licenses

,
The v e r .

nacul ar language was no w employed , and solemn events re c orde d

in the S criptures were represented surrounded with grotesque cir
c umst ance s .The spectacles prepared for exhib ition on Shrove
Tuesday were exceedingly attractive S tudents from universities .

deli ghted to tak e part s in them ‘

P roperties of every d e scrip
.
’

tion were collected without an y regard for correctness of costume .

S o me t irne s the corp oration of a town would lend their ro b es t o

deck S criptural characters and thus Judas might b e seen in the
‘
,

dress of a German b urgomaster and even angels did not fin d b et

‘
,
’

ter treatment T hese strange exhibitions were contin ued after the
.

R eformation In 1 57 1 a great sp ectacle entitled S aul was per

.
‘

formed in fift y acts , requ iring one hundred play ers and fiv e hun
d red pantomim ists ; and in 1 5 9 3 one J O H AN N B RUMMER put into a
d ramatic form the whole of the A cts of the Ap ostles ! The stage
directions of some pieces which have b een preserved are curious .

In one of them , for instance , all the performers (more than a hun
dred) tak e their seats on the stage , and b egin the piece by singin g
a h ymn After this two angels appear and sing a response T h e
. .

manager then st eps forward and recites a prologue in which he ,

e xhorts the audience to preserve S ilence and attention during a

long series of dialo gues T h e pieces for Shrove -T uesday were

.

styled F ast nach t s i e l e

‘ ’
p and were generally intersp ersed with coarse
,

j ok es , for which ap ologies like the followi ng were o ffered

If aught O ffend yo u in o ur rhyme ,

R emember tis a merry time

’
,

A nd L ent is quickl y coming o n ,

When al l o u r fro l ics wi ll be gone .

’

An immoderate love of l o w humour and coarse sat ire was one

of the peculiarities of thi s t we T h e most pop ul ar tales wer e
.

such as we fin d in Parson Amis , E ulenspiegel, and other story

‘ ‘ ’ ’

b ooks in which the humour is generall y of a l o w character This

, .

pop ul ar taste was severel y censured by S E B AS TIAN B RAND T ( 1 4 58

1 5 21 ) in his or S hip of F ools , a v e rsifi e d satire , ’

which contains the following passage

Frivo lity and coarseness are canonised in o ur day He wh o can .

make the most absurd and unseem l y j est ( and espe c iall y if it is o n
s ome serious subj ec t
) is accounted the greatest geniu s T his l o w
, .

taste o f the pe o p l e may be partly as c ribed t o the negl ect o f o ur S O

c alled wise men, o r scholars wh o study everythi ng and are ready t o
, ,
58 G ERMAN LIT ERA T UR E .

te ac h anything sa v e good moral s and m anners fo r the peopl e C o n .

!

se q ue n t ly l e arn i n
, g i ts e l f is made t o appear worthl ess and ri d icu l ous ;
and whi l e o ur s c ho l ars are studying necromancy astrol ogy al chemy , , ,

and other quackeries the mul ti tude are l eft i n brutis h ignorance
, ,

and l augh at e v erything wise and good And this great in v entio n .

o f printing does n o t mend the matter ; fo r the power o f the press i s

a l ready grossl y abuse d T h e pri nters care n o t what kind Of book s

.

they send into society but circul ate fortune -tel ling pamphl ets scan
, ,

d al o u s satires anything that wi ll wi n a penny

,
A mid this e v er-i n .

creasing fl o od o f books the peo pl e are bewil dered rather than e d u

,

c at e d
, and aft er such confusing teaching as we ha v e it is no
, ,

wonder if all doctrine is despised .

’

T he numerous j est -b ooks comic stories and satires t o which

, , ,

B randt refers in the ab ove passage are not worthy of particular ,

description though they are curious as they give u s so me in sight

, , ‘

i nto the democratic spirit of the times when they appeared T he y .

also S how t h e exclusive and prej udicial tendency of an extrem e

taste for comic productions and satires which is generally foun d ,

connected with a neglect of better literature O ne specimen of t h e .

O l d j ocose tales to which we refer will su f fi ce T h e P arson of ‘

.

Kalenberg the hero of many stories delighted to sport wit h t h e

,
’
,

ignorance and credulit y of his par i shioners and told them that , ,

on a cert ain day he wo ul d fly from the steeple All the rustic s

,
.

assembled to witness the feat when t h e parson appeared and , ,

ask ed if they had heard that such a flight had ever been mad e
‘

with safet y ? N o was the reply T hen said he how coul d

‘ ’ ’ ‘ ’ ‘
.
, , ,

u wish y our priest to do such a foolish thi ng ?

’
y o

P RO S E .

E ncouraged b y the productions of the pri nti ng press men o f ,

learn ing were no w chie fly engaged in the study of philology and ,

this fact will accoun t in a great measure for the po v erty of writings
, ,

in German prose during this period T h e higher classes of societ y .

were amused with romances but these were chiefly translations of ,

foreign stories which were now multiplied b y the press

, T wo of .

the translators of these romances NI C L A S who wrote b etween 1 4 6 0 , ,

and 1 4 8 0 and A L B REC H T V O N E Y B who wrote during the sam e

, ,

t ime ma y b e mentioned as having done something towards the

,

formation of a prose style B ut we find more interesting remains

.

o f these dark times in the works of several monastic chroniclers ,

who wrote very simple but graphic accounts of public events .

F R I EDR I C H CL O S E N E R a mo nk attached to the cathedral of S tras

,

b urg finished in 1 3 62 a chronicle whi ch has been prese rved and

, , ,

g ives some gloomy descriptions of his times In this old record we .

60 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

taste for mock ery and satire which prevailed among the people .

H is serm ons contain many low and ridic ul ous images , by whi ch h e
e ndeavoured to concili ate the taste of his c ongregations .

Geiler wrote a series of sermons entitled T h e C hristian P ilgri

mage to the E ternal Fatherland , which was pub lis hed in 1 5 1 2 ’
.

An other series of hi s sermons b ears the followin g singular title

A S piritual Interpretation of the H are , with Instructions how t o
P repare it in P epper ; giving clear I nformation how every M an
who wo ul d b ecome R eligious , avoid S in and lead a P enitential L ife , ,

must i mitate the qual ities of that tim 0 rous , insignifi cant , little
’
a nimal the Hare
,
The comparisons employed in this
s eries of sermons are ver y fanciful and ludicrous F or i nstance , .

the preacher says , A hare has long ears , whi ch are very quick in
receiving sounds , and these signify the attention with which we
s houl d listen to the S criptures Again , A hare can run more
‘ ’
.

nimbl y up a hill than down , and thi s shows that a C hristian shoul d
b e more ready t o ascend the hi ll of virtue than t o ri m down the
’
s teep of vice S uch were the materials employed by the most
.

p op ul ar divine of the fi ft eenth cent ury ; b ut we must add that ,

when Geiler turned t o plai n moral doctrine , he presented whole

s ome truths to his hearers .

J O H ANNE S P AUL I was by b irth a J e w, b ut b ecame a monk , and

c ollected and edited the sermons of Geiler H e also wrote a b oo k .

e ntitled Joke and E arnest for all T rades ; a work conta ining man y
P leasant and True S tories Amusing E xamples and R emark able
, ,

E vents ; by the V enerable Father and B rother J ohann es P aul i a ,

monk of the B arefooted O rder ’

The humour of t hese stories
i s often extravagant , b ut they generally carry obvious morals In .

o ne ,
an abb ot is accused of b eing defi cient in learning , and the
P op e therefore examines him in L atin grammar Wh at part of .

s peech is p ap a ? ( the P ope ) was the fir st question ; and the illi te

rate ab b ot j ocosel y replied H e is a participle ; for he tak es a
‘
,
’
part from the clerg y, and another part from the lait y Go .

” ’
a wa y said the P ope ; y ou know qu i te enough
,
T h e follo win g .

i s a sp ecim en of t h e laconi c and serio us style of P auli

A N E FF E CT U A L R E P RO O F .

‘
A father gav e all his property t o his so n A fter this the o ld man .

w as negl ecte d and at l ast when his co at was v ery ragged he begged
, , ,

his care l ess so n t o gi v e him a n e w o n e ; but the so n gav e onl y a piece

”
o f rag and said
,
P atch your o l d coat with that
,
“
No w the l ittl e .

grandson o f the o l d man hearing these wor d s begge d his father t o

, ,

g i v e t o him a l so an o ld rag W hen he re c ei v ed i t he went away

.
,

and hid it Th e father wh o saw the action asked the chi l d t o expl ain
.
, ,

h is moti v e and the b o y re p l ied

,
“
I shall wait until yo u are an o l d
,

man and then I will give it t o yo u t o patch your coat, as yo u have

,
 T H I RD PER I O D .

”
g iven the other rag t o my gran d father . T his reproof changed the
c onduct o f the undutifu l so n
’
.

P E T ERMANN E T T ERLI N wrote a C hronicle of the S wiss C o nfe de ‘

racy which was printed at B asel in 1 50 7 A short passage wil l

,
’
.

show the very simple style in which the work was written :

WI LL I A M T E LL .

Hermann G essler the V ogt ( o r go v e rn or) h ad ordered his ser

, ,

v an t s t o p l ace a h a t o n the t o p o f a stick which was stuck in the

roun d and a command w as gi v en that a ll the S wiss peasants whe n
g , ,

they passed by this h at must bo w before it No w there was in the

,
.

c ountry an honest man named Wi ll iam T e ll wh o had secret l y joined ,

the company o f S tauffacher and other patriots T his T e l l had often .

wal ked t o and fro before the hat o n the stick but had refused t o d o ,

homage t o it S o the sentine l s wh o guarded the hat comp l ained o f

.

T e ll s con d uct t o the governor G ess l er sent fo r T e ll and asked at

’
.
, ,

first in a friendl y way why he had refused t o bo w t o the hat accord

,

in g t o command T e l l.sai d G racious sir I d id,

n o t know that
y ou ,

inten d ed the l aw t o be understood so strictl y if I did my name is ,

n o t Wi ll iam T e ll
”
S o I hope yo u wi ll impute my fau l t t o ignorance
. .

NO W T e ll was as c l e v er a m arksman as yo u coul d find in the l and ;

'

a n d he had a fami l y o f pretty chi l dren wh o were a ll very dear t o him , .

S o the go v ernor wh o had a crue l min d secretl y sent o n e o f his

, ,

s er v ants t o bri n j l e l l s chi l dren : when they came he said t o t h e

‘ ’
g ,
”
father ,
T ell me which o f these is dearest t o yo u ? and T e ll repl ie d ,
”
I l o v e them all al ike T hen said G ess l er
. I hav e been to l d ,

that yo u are a very good marksman N o w I must see your ski ll I . .

shall put an app l e o n the head o f this bo y and if yo u can strike o ff ,

”
the app l e with your arro w I shall say yo u are a good archer
, T ell .

was shocked when he h e ard this and prayed that the V ogt woul d ,

n o t insist o n such a trial ; but G ess l er commanded that it shou l d b e

d one . S o T e ll t o o k t wo arrows and put o n e in his qui v er and , ,

fitted the other o n the string T hen he prayed t o G o d and the .

V irgin that they would spare the l ife o f the chi l d He d rew his bo w .

the arrow struck the appl e and the bo y escaped unhurt G ess l er was
, .

p l eased and said T e ll is a good shot

, ,
But then he asked Wh y ,
”
d i d yo u put the other arrow in your quiver l T e ll said It is a cus ,
”
t o m among archers B u t the governor would n o t take this answer
. .

S o n o w T e ll was in troub l e fo r none o f his comrades were near t o

,

d efend him .T hen G ess l er put the question again and sai d If , ,

yo u wi ll te ll me the truth I wi ll promise t o spare your life

, So
T e l l rep l ied A s yo u ha v e promised t o spare my l ife yo u shal l
, ,

know the truth If the first arrow had hurt m y bo y the secon d
.
,
”
woul d n o t ha v e missed yo u o r o n e o f your fo ll owers I ,
’

T he most remark ab le b ooks in German prose were the work s

o f some monks of the mystic school , who wrote in opposition t o

the scholastic divinit y of their t imes H E I NRI OH SEU S ZE ( 1 3 0 0 .

62 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

1 36 5) was a D ominican monk who wrote some sermons in a simpl e ,

and earnest style J O H ANN T AU L ER ( 1 2 9 0 —1 3 6 1 ) was the author

.

o f some m y stical discourses which L uther alr n o st t wo centuries

, ,

afte rw ards read with pleasure and recommended

, Wh ile the ,
.

scholastic divines who wrote in L atin introduced ab struse meta

physics into theology Tauler and the other mystic writers re pre ,

sented religion as consisting in t h e se nt irne nt s of the heart

rather than in doctrin es T heir main principle was that piet y.
,

depended not upon any ecclesiastical fo rms or ceremonies but ,

c onsisted in the abandonment of all selfi sh passions Yet these .

opposed parties the M ystics and the S cholastics did not engage
, ,

i n controvers y but left their doctrin es to produce contentions i n

,

another age T h e sentiments of the mystic writers were collected

.

and arranged b y some unknown author in a little b ook entitled ,

’
‘
German T heology L uther wrote a preface to this b ook in
.
,

which he expressed a dmiration of its contents and asserted that ,

he had found in it the doctrines of the R eformation After this .

it became so popular and was regarded by the R omish C hurch as

,

s o dangerous that i n 1 6 2 1 it was placed in the catalogue of pro

,
‘

h ibit e d b ooks
’
I t must b e ob served here that although L uther
.
,

found some principles in which he accorded with the mystic

writers he by no means maintained the exact opinions of T auler
,

and S e u sz e T h e fact was that when L uther expressed his

.
,

general admiration of the vi ews of T auler he did not understand ,

their essential tendency which was in favour of an extreme libert y ,

o f speculation and other principles which the R eformers did not

t olerate The divergency from the tenets of the R omish Churc h
.

was greater among the M ystics of the fourteenth than among the ,

L utherans and R eformers of the sixteenth century , and the tolera

tion or rather the neglect of the innovating tendencies of T auler
,

a nd his associates can b e explained only by the unpretending and

,

u ncontroversial character of their writings , which were probabl y

c ontemned by all scholastic divines .

Another b ook may b e mentioned here — the widel y -circulated

treatise on the Imitation of Christ which was written in L atin
‘ ’
,
.

S ome doubts have b een raised respecting the authorship of this

work ; b ut it has been generall y received as the production of
T H o M A s A K E M PI s a monk who died i n 1 4 7,
1 ,
aged ninety -t wo

y ears . It has passed through numberless editions and still main ,

t ains its place among the standard devotional works of Germany

and other cou ntries A translation of the B ible was issued in this
.

period and bears marks of the style of the mystic writers b eing
, ,

much inferior to the subsequent version by L uther in precisio n

and energy .

T h e s y stems of scholasti c theolo gy and met aphysics which

 T H I RD PER I O D . 63

p revailed in the M iddle A ges require no description here , as the y

did not especially b elong to Germany , and had no co mi e ct i o n

with its national literature T he y were developed in man y folio
.

volumes of L atin full of subtile reasonings upon subj ects which

,

lay far beyond the b ounds of the human understanding There .

is much significance in the contrast found between the scholastic

writings of the clergy and the l o w satirical literature of t h e
, ,

p eople during the M iddle Ages l Ve cannot describe wider ex

.

tremes of thought than are found here .

T h e researches of some students of philolo gy in the fi fteenth

century contributed t owards the advancement of learning A s o ne .

1
example of this class of writers J O H ANN WE S S EL ( 4 9 1 4 8 9 )
1 —
,

ma y b e mentioned T his zealous biblical student visited R ome ,

.

where P ope S ixtus I V o ffered him preferment ; b ut Wessel said

.
,
‘
I do not want a b ishopric , b ut shall b e happ y if I can obta in a
’
c op y of the B ible in Hebrew and Greek J O H AN N R EUC H L I N b orn .
,

in 1 4 50 , was one of the greatest scholars of this period H e wrot e

’

a lexicon and a grammar of the Greek language and was the tuto r ,

of M el anct h o n who b ecame celebrated among the R eformers

,
.

The preceding brief notices have shown that this period was
more interesting in a social and ecclesiastical , than in a literar y
p oin t of view T h e fourteenth and fi fteenth centuries were times
.

of transition and m ark e d b y that c onfusion which generally at

,

te nds the first growth o f democratic Opinions M any who could .

rudel y satirise existin g institutions had no clear ideas respecting

,

an y new order of society L o w comic and satirical productions

.

were the only p opular literature of these tim es M en of learni ng .

and taste were chiefl y occupied with classical studies and n e ,

gle e ted the literature of their native count ry S ociety was div ided .

into two classes—the educated and the uneducated ; and no whole

so me communication existed between these two extremes T h e .

li terati of this period had forgotten the doctrine of T irk l e r There

is an education which all the people ought t o have I f i nstead of
’
.
,

vulgar j ests and satires , such doctrine as we have quoted fro m

T irk l e r s b oo k had b een generall y circulated , the R eformatio n
’

might have taken place without b eing accompanied b y the ex

ce sses of popular ignorance which marked the sixteenth cent ury .

M ul titudes of the German peasantry were t hen foun d in such

ignorance that they interpreted the prophecies of S cripture in the
,

crudest style and attempted t o overthrow all civil societ y in order

,

to fulfi l supposed predictions .

Y et even in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries we fi nd

marks of progress L iterature , especiall y famili ar v e rsificat i o n,
.

t hough inferior in qualit y , was produced by and for the people ,

and no t for an y ex c lusive c lass ; opinions in favour of lib e rty and

64 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

j ust laws b e gan t o b e generall y diffused an d a preparation was ,

made for the i mp ortant events which we fin d in the sub sequent

period .

FO URTH PERI OD .

15 1 7—1 624 .

This may with propriet y b e st yled the L utheran P eriod ; for

M AR TIN L U T H ER (b orn in 1 4 8 3— died in 1 5 4 6) was the most promi
nent chara c ter in the general literature as well as in the theolog y,
,

of the sixteenth century I n several respects he may b e re

.

garded as the representative of the tendencies of Opinion whi ch

had manifested themselves in German y in the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries H e gave a distin ct shap e and utterance t o
.

thought s and dispositions which had b een p reviously expressed

i n an o b scure st yle H is influence was felt in al most every
.

department of life an d literature ; he was in realit y the ruler of , ,

German princes ; his opinions were received by multitudes as

laws ; the German literature of his time b ears strong marks of hi s
t astes
. A s he loved humour and satire p opular satirical fables ,

were the favourite li terature of this period A fe w words fro m .

L uther would have put down all dramatic exhib itions in some
parts of Germany ; but as he looked on these popular amusements
with toleration religious spectacles and secul ar plays were pro
,

d u c e d even during the excitement attendin g the R eformation .

The literary character of L uther has in some respects b een esti

mated too highl y in accordance with his general fame ; b ut hi s
,

great merit as the founder of the modern German language espe ,

c i al ly with regard t o prose , cannot b e denied Jacob Grimm a .

,
.

competent authorit y , say s T h e language of L uther on acco rmt

‘
, ,

o f its noble and almost wonderful purit y, and the p owerful in

,

fl ue nce which it had upon his followers may b e regarded as the ,

b asis of our modern H igh German T h e few deviations from

.

his standard have b een g enerall y deteriorations rather than im

provements . L uther s writings are remarkab le in another re
’ ’

spect , as the y show the migration of literature from the south to

the north of Germany, which had for some time b een in progress ,
b ut was hastened by the events of the R eformation The poetry .

of the M iddle Ages was produced in the south T h e favourite .

h aunts of the M inne sing ers and the ro manci st s of chivalry had
 F O UR T H PER I O D . 65

b een at the c ourts of A ustria and Thuringia ; b ut now in t h e ,

sixteenth century , the P rotestant north of German y acquired that

superiorit y in literatur e which it has mai ntained to the presen t
d ay. The greater part of modern German literature b elongs t o
P russia ; while the literature of Austria is remark ab l y poor whe n ,

c ompared with the extent and importance of the c ountry With .

out an y polemical meanin g , it ma y b e stated as a historical fact ,

that the C atholic part s of Germany have made ver y slight con
t ribut i o ns t o g eneral literature sin ce the times of L uther .

The most prominent part of literature in the sixteenth centur y

is of course found in its p olemical theolo gy which does not claim ,

any particular description here as it was chiefl y written in t h e

,

L atin lan guage The p overt y of German prose during this perio d
.

must surprise ever y E nglish reader who rememb ers the names o f
H oo k er R aleigh and B acon who flourished as writers in the sam e
, , ,

th e . Tw o causes t o which w e have no co u nterparts in E ng

,

lish literature wil l explain the slo w growth of a p olished st yle o f

,

prose in German y during the sixteenth and the seventeenth cen

t uri e s . The first of these causes may b e found in the disturb ed
condition of religion and social life and the civil and religiou s ,

war which afflicted the countr y from the times of L uther t o t h e

peace of Westphalia S ome notice o f the events of these times i s
.

nec e ssar y t o explai n the low condition of national literature A .

modern historian ( G e rvi nu s) rej ects the theory that a t irne of ,

war must b e unfavourable t o progress in art and literature b ut ,

’ ’
forgets t o o b serve that the Thirt y Y ears War was a civil an d ‘

religious contest .

O n the 3 1 st day of O ctob er in 1 5 1 7 , L uther read his nin et y

,

fiv e Theses again st Indulgences and thus opened the disput e

‘ ’
,

by which all Germany was excited In the following y ear h e .

was summoned to appear at R ome b ut gained permission to be ,

e xamined in his native country A ccordingl y in 1 5 1 9 , he ap .

,

p e are d in a d isputation with D r E e k ,

the R omish controvertist .

T his dispute lasted for sixteen da y s and , at the end the oppose d , ,

parties were as far apart as at the b eginn ing M eanwhil e .

’
‘ ’
L uther s Theses were distributed over Germany with a won
d e rful rapidity and in the course of a month were read in man y
,

parts of E urope In 1 520 L uther and his friends in Wittenb erg

.
,

b urned the papal b ull with the canon law and D r E ck s writ ’

i ngs ; thus mak ing all plans of conciliation hopeless The words .

’ ’
C hristian lib ert y and R eformation were proclaimed through
‘

o ut the country ; b ut were grossl y misunderstood not onl y b y ,

thousands of the peasantr y b ut also by many of the nobilit y, ,

who w ere read y t o maintain their new faith b y the use of t h e

sword . Francis of S ick ing en, a no bleman , raised an arm y of
66 G ERMAN L IT ER AT URE .

men and in O pposition to the advice of L uther made an

, , ,

attack on the Archbishop of T reves T h e princes of Germany .

were divided b y the ne w doctrines ; and the D iet of Worms which ,

was intended t o prevent further contests proved a failure T h e ,

.

emperor C harles V who could not understand the depth and

,
.
,

the extent of the movement determined to maintain the aut h o

,

rity O f R ome M eanwhile L uther ret ired to the castle of Wart

.

b urg where he was employed in translati ng the Ne w T estament

,

into German H e was soon called again into public l ife b y the
.

formidable insurrection of the peasantry , who had lo ng been

d iscontented in many parts of the country and who n o w turne d ,

t h e new doctrin e to their o wn advantage and proclaimed extreme ,

principles of social revolution L uther n o w came fo rward and

.
,

after charging the leaders of the peasantry with a gross perversion

of the doctrine of C hristian libert y, exhorted the German princes
t o unite and repress t h e i nsurrection b y the most se v ere meas ures .

As P rofessor R anke has observed , I t is impossible to tell what

‘

might have been the consequences with regard t o society and

civilisation if L uther had sympathised with the peasantry As .
’

it was the conflict between the nob ility and the p e asantry was
,

frightful and disastrous T h e banks of the Rhin e were lit up

.

with burning castles and monasteries and scores of thousands of ,

the misguided peasants perished in battle S everal of the princes .

n o w openl y professed L utheran doctrines ; while the C atholic

princes formed a league to st e p the progress of inn ovation The .

D iet of Augsburg in 1 5 30 , where the emperor was present was

, ,

a fruitless attempt at conciliation O n the 1 6 t h of F ebruary

.

1 54 6 L uther died aged 63 years

, ,
T h e emperor n o w resolved
.

t o reduce the Protestant princes t o submission b y the force of

arms ; but assigned political motives for his resolution to avoid ,

the appearance of engaging in a religious war General S ch art lin

'

.
,

on the side of the Protestant princes marched again st the royal ,

army , and thus was begun a series of sanguinary conflicts wh i ch

soon covered the country with mercenary troops called into ,

action the armies of Wallenstein and Gustavus A dolphus of

S weden stopped the progress of civilisation and spread miser y
, , ,

famine and demorali sation over Germany

,
S uch was the wretched .

c ondition O f the country , until the P eace of Westphalia was pro

claimed in 1 6 4 8 In the midst of the war the Emperor Charle s
.
,

retired to a monastery where he passed his days in meditation and

,

i nnocent recreations O ne anecdote of his studies in this retreat

.

is worthy of notice as it gives a useful comment on the a ffairs of

,

the Thirt y Years War I t is said that Charles amused his leisure
’
.

b y constructing t wo watches endeavouring to make them keep

,

ti me exactly to g ether ; but all his e fforts were unsu cc essful, an d

G8 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

creed, was by the instigation of C alvin seized and b urned at

, ,

Geneva in 1 5 5 3 T hese few notice s are suffi cient to show that it

.

woul d b e impossible to describe with an y interest t h e voluminous

theological writings of this period , wi thout in troducin g polemical
discussions , which have no place in general literature We there .

fore turn to the easier task of describing the works in German

prose and verse produced during these times The title of poetry
‘
.
’

can hardl y b e given to any of t hese writings excepting the hymns ,

whi ch L uther and others wrote for the services of the church .

O ther writings in verse consist chi efl y of lamp oons and familiar,

humorous s t ories .

PO E TRY .

The old poetry of Germ any was n o w in a great measure forg ot

t en Though the Heldenbuch , or C ollection of H eroic L egends
.
‘ ‘ ’
,
’

was printed durin g the sixteenth century it was regarded only as ,

a curious reli c of barb arian life and was despised b y the learned
,

critics who contrasted it wi th the epic p oems of H omer and V ir

g il . Y et it is unfair t o ascribe as some writers have done the
, ,

neglect of ancient national l it e rat ru e to the events of the L utheran

'

p eriod ; for we have seen that everyt hi ng deserving the name of

p oetry was neglected during the fo ru t e e nt h and fifteenth centuries '
.

C lassical studies n o w engaged the attention of all who loved ele

g ant literature ; and while H orace was admired the title of a ,
‘

German poet was generally appli ed as a b adge of ri di cul e We

’ ‘

shall not wonder at this fact when we consider the charm of ,

novelt y which in these t we s accompanied the readi n g of Gree k

and L at i n authors T h e printin g press had revi ved and circulated
.

widely the literature of Ancient Greece and R ome and men of ,

taste fo un d a new intellectu al world opened for their enj oyment .

C onsequently the vernacul ar language was condemn ed to be used

o nl y for vulgar purposes and thi s sentence w as , on the whole ,
,

strictl y carried in to execution .

A propensit y t o satire of the most violent and personal d e scrip

tion seems to have b een almost uni vers al in these excited and
p olemical times The first representative of the satirical writers
.

was T H O MA S MUR NER ( 1 4 7 5 a wanderin g monk o f an un

happ y disposition H e was , in the b eginning of his career num
.
,

b ered among the fri e nds of R euchli n the predecessor of L uther ; ,

b ut he b ecame one of the most bitter Opponents of the R eformers .

A t one t ime he translated some of L uther s writings but after ’

,

wards he exhort ed the people to burn them He might have .

b een styled a literary Ishm aelite , for his hand (o r pen) was
‘ ‘ ’

against every man O ne o f his satires was entitled Sch elnre n

.
’ ‘
 F O UR T H PER I O D . 69

z unf t , the R ogues C lub and was written in a ver y l o w and

’ ‘ ’
,
’

coarse st yle ; but he pleaded that the public taste wo ul d have it ‘

so.
’ ‘
S ome tell me he says , to rememb er m y sacred profession ,
‘ ’
,

and t o write seriousl y on reli gious t opics No w the fa c t is , that I .

have written some fift y of these serious b ooks b ut m y b ook sellers ,

wil l not even look at them , as the people do not love such work s ;
so I have locked up all m y di vin it y in a chest An d as it is no w .

counted as a degradation t o write German rh ymes , I must plead

that I cannot help it ; for when I t ry t o produce a piece of sober
prose I fin d m y pen runni ng into rhymes b efore I know what it
,

is doing T h e coarse satires of t hi s writer are not worth y of

’
.

particular description t hough the y mar k well the character of his

,

e p och H e spared nob ody b ut wrote a gains t b ishops , reformers ,

.
,

noblemen ladi es monk s nrms, and lawy ers in deed a gainst every
, , , ,

b ody alway s excepting Thomas Murner U lrich v o n Hutten was

,
.

also a satirist and agreed with Murne r in many points ; b ut the

,

monk would not spare even Ulrich The world must have b een .

very b ad if Murne r s censures were j ust ; and hi s temper c ould

’

hardl y mak e it b etter .

U L R I C H V O N HU TT EN ( 1 4 8 8—1 523 ) was a remark ab le man , in

whom man y of the characteri stics of hi s t imes were un it ed .

D escended from the no b ili t y , he retain ed the Spirit and the tra
d it i o ns of chi valry and was read y t o maintain the new doctrines
,

which he had embraced by the use of the sword as well as the

pen H e shared in the general excitement of the age , too k a part
.

in the revival of classical l iterature warml y defended the views ,

of L ut her and wrote some of the L etters of Ob scure M en whi ch

,
‘ ’

were celebrated in these tim es Th e parents of U lrich after .

,

giving him a classical education , des ired him t o devote himself

to a quiet and studi ous life remote from the confl ict of the age ;
b ut hi s temperament was too fi ery t o accept this prudent advi ce .

H e say s in one of hi s German poems

‘
Th e truth I ne v er more w ill lea v e ,

Howe v er all my friends m ay grie v e

Al though my parents weep at ho me ,

Whil e forth t o fight fo r tr uth I roam

( Heav en comfort them !) till truth is free ,

N o weapon raised sh all sil ence me ! ’

H e wrote a gain st the characters an d manners of the no b ilit y and ,

declared that his country required a true aristocrac y composed ,

of men distingui shed b y virt ue geni us , and b enevolence H is , .

activi t y was remarkab le ; for in the course of a short life he made

a considerab le progress in classic al studies revised and e di ted ,

ancient aut hors wrote some controversial works in L atin, and

,
 70 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE
‘

addressed many satirical pamphlets in verse and prose t o the

German people He complains in one of his writings that he
.

was compelled to flee from one city to another, his life being
always in danger on account of the numerous enemies excited
,

by his satires H e appeared never t o have settled in his own

.
,

mind the question whether the work of social reformation should

,

b e advanced with the sword or the pen .

HAN S S AC H S ( 1 4 9 4 a rhym ing shoemaker was the fa ,

v o urit e v e rsifi e r among the people His name has been covered .

with ridicule on account of the homely style of his prod uctions ;

,

but if we fairly regard the times i n which he live d we may ,

esteem him as a well -meaning and u seful writer When S ir .

al t e r S cott said tha t the greatest poetical writers had been t h e

I

most prolific he probably did not remember Hans S achs whose pro
, ,

d u ct iv e n e ss was surprising H e wrote in one third of a y ear some

.

thirty-five works in rhyme some of them of considerable lengt h , ,

and maintained his industr y t o his eighty -second year His .

works were publi shed in fi v e folio volumes Though his style .

was low he had good honest feelings and purposes and showed
, ,

modesty and self-knowledge in not meddling with questions which

he could not understand Whil e man y were e ngaged in writing
.

b itter satires and invectives Hans was contented to leave polemi ,

c al topics untouched , and employed his pen in writin g innumerabl e

tales and fables , containing common morality for common people .

After reading some of his v e rsi fie d stories , we laugh at the

homely poetaster , while we respect the man E ven the learned .

M e l anct h o n looked favourably on the verses of this shoemaker ;

for though Hans was a disciple of the R eformers he did not ,

write bitter satires He must have been a diligent reader as

.
,

he b orrowed materials for his tales and fables from H erodotus ,

P lutarch , Xenophon H omer L ivy V irgil and other classical
, , , ,

authors Hans was without doubt a man of shrewd observatio n,

.

genial humour and graphic talent , and his good influence on his
,

times was considerable Yet we can hardly present any fair speci
.

men o f his tales to modern readers for he generally contrived t o ,

draw wholesome morals from incongru ous narratives F or instance , .

in one of his fables he represents the apostle S t P eter as b eing

,

greatly perplexed b y the disorder and inj ustice prevailing in the

world P eter longs to have the reins of government in his o wn
.

hand and believes that he could soon reduce the world to order
,
.

Wh ile he is thinking thus a peasant girl comes to him and com ,

plains that she has to do a day s work in the fi eld , and at the same ’

time to k eep within b ounds a frolicsome young goat P eter kindly .

takes the goat into custody but it escapes i nto a wood and the , ,

apostle i s so much fatigued b y his e ffort s to recover the animal ,

 F O UR T H PERI O D . 7 1"

that he is led to this conclusion : If I am not competent t o ;

keep even one y oung goat in m y care it cannot b e m y proper ,

b us iness to perplex my self ab out the management of the whole

’
w orld .

T h e young goat had a S porti v e min d ,

A nd ne v er l iked t o be confined
S t P eter at his quickest pace
, ,

Must fo ll ow i n a desperate chase

O er the hill s and thro ugh t he briers
’
,

T h e goat runs o n and ne v er tires ,

Whil e P eter o n the grassy plai n

P ants and sighs and runs in v ain ,
.

All day beneath the scorching sun

,

T h e good apostle had t o run ,

T i ll e v ening came : the goat was caught ,

A nd safely t o the maiden brought .

T hen with a smi l e his M aster said

T o P eter Frien d h o w ha v e yo u S ped
, ,

A nd S imon with his toi l distresse d

, ,

His foll y with a sigh confessed

N 0 M aster tis no easy p l ay
’
, ,

T o keep o ne goat fo r o ne shor t day

T h e task my powers has sore l y tried
H o w could I keep the wor l d so wide 2
H is M ast e r said
'

Yo u r words are true,

L et ea ch his proper duty d o ,

An d l e av e the worl d in the command

”
O f o n e S upreme Al m ighty hand , .

It is curious that this epoch of grave controversies was also re

markable for its comic propensities The learned E RASMU S , whos e .

writings had served to introduce the R eformation , wrote a humo

’
rous satire on T h e P raise of F olly ; and L uther who knew the
‘
,

depths of serious thought , possessed a vein of comic humour which

he cared not to suppres s H e loved a droll satirical fable , and
.

e nj o y ed a broad j oke even in the midst of a serious controvers y .

H is familiar letters often show this love of humour as we find it ,

in the following extract from a note addressed to his wife ab out

three weeks b efore his death
D E AR K A T E —We arri v ed here at Halle abo u t eigh t o clock but
, ,
’

have n o t v entured t o go o n t o Eis l eben fo r we ha v e been stopped by ,

a great anabaptist ( I mean a fl ood) which has co v ered the roa d s ,

”
here and has threatened u s with no mere sprink l ing but with
,
“
,
”
“
immersion against o u r will F o r another reason we canno t tur n
,
.

back ; so here we hav e t o l ie at Hall e between the waters Howe v er .

,

o u may com fort you rse l f by being assured that we are n o t drinkin
y g
water, but have p l enty o f go o d beer and Rhenish wi ne with which ,
72 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

we che e r ourse lves in S p ite o f the o v erfl owi ng ri v e r E ven o ur dri v er .

was timid ; so we woul d no t v enture t o try a p as sage o v er the fl o o d ed

country as w e hav e a p rO p e r respe c t fo r the e vi l d emon wh o dwe lls
,

in the water fl oods and we d o n o t wish by o u r watery death t o m ake

,

a festi val fo r the P o p e and al l his friends I ne v er supposed that .

the riv er here coul d be so inso l ent as t o co v er all the paths in this
styl e We ll n o more n o w ; pray fo r us and be piou s I be l ie v e if
.
, , .

y o u h a d been wi th us
yo u wou l d h av e adv ised u s t o d o just as we
,

are d oing and I am sure we shoul d have t aken your advice

, .
’

H AL L E, J a nua ry 25, 1 5 46 .

The humorous taste of L uther was shared by many of his con

temporaries and next to earnest invectives and satires comic
, ,

stories and fables were the characteristic productions of these

times B UR K ARD WALD I S R O L LEN HA G EN , and E RAS MUS AL RE
.
,

R U S were not ed among the w

,
riters of popular fab les .

T h e b est lyrical poetry of this period was devoted to the services

of the Chru ch In the old times , the part which the people had
'

taken in these services had b een confined to a few short responses

t o L atin hymns and li tani es ; b ut L uther , who loved music and
p sa hn o dy enco uraged the
,
people to tak e a more prominent part
i n public worship and wrote for them several German hymns and
,

psalm s which soon b ecame exceedingly pop ul ar The melodies

,
.

and metres of many Ol d songs were now revived and devoted t o ,

religious services T hese h ymns had a great i nfluence in pro mo t

.

ing L uther s doctrines T h e suggestion of the old friar B erthold ,

’
.

who wished to spread his doctrin es by the aid of music , was amply
fulfill ed ; for L uther s hymns were soon sung in many parts of the
’

country and affected the min ds of thousands who k new little of

,

polemi cal doctrines L uther (who has been confounded by some

.

writers with the despisers of all that is grand and b eautiful in art ,

devoted to religion) said in the preface to a hymn b ook publishe d

i n 1 5 1 5 I b y no means agree wi th the opini on of some fanatical
‘
,

p ersons that C hristianity must destroy all the fine arts ; on the
,

contrary I wish to see all the arts , and especiall y music , devoted
,

to the service of their D ivine Author I n accordance with th i s .

’

principle he composed tunes adapted t o the hymn s he had written

,
.

RI N G W A L D E B ER , S C H AL LI NG and many other writers of hymns ,

, ,

fo llowed the st yle of L uther F e w of t hese sacred lyrics will b ear .

translation , as their merit consists not so much in the thoughts

which the y expressed as in their simple and energetic style of ,

language Such hymn s were now the favourite li t e rat ru e of the

.
°

p eople B ook s of psal mody were published containing sacred

.

lyrics to b e sung by mechanics and maid-serv ants while engaged

‘

in their work : even children were lull ed to sleep by the music of

’

’
hymns , inste ad o f t h e ol d c radle song s : L ut her s psalms were sung
 F O UR T H PER I O D . 73

in the streets and mar k et -places instea d of b all ads ; and one ,

writer publi shed a copious collection of short and popular hymn s

an d verses for mornin g and evening , to b e used b efore and after

meals ; some to b e used on a j ourne y , and many others suited t o

various avocations of life In conclusion , we may o b serve that
.

man y of the L utheran hymns of this perio d are simple and y et ,

powerful in their expressions ; b ut the qualities which characteris e

them are such as make the attempt to translate them fairl y
hopeless Their e ffect depends on their style , and even on the
.

German rhym es emplo y ed in them , for which the E ngl ish language
can suppl y no equivalents .

T HE DRAMA .

D ramatic writing during this period rose a li ttle ab ove the level
, ,

o f the precedin g two centuries S ome learned men translate d .

comedies from P lautus and Terence which were perfo rm ed by the ,

students in schools and universities ; b ut the people st ill foun d

amusement in religious My steries and S hrove -T uesda y Spec

‘ ’ ‘

tacles and defended such entertain ments by an appeal to t he

,
’

’
a uthorit y of D r L uther who had allowed students t o act L atin
‘
,

play s S ome parts of the old My steries were now altered or re

.

fo rm ed t o suit the new doctrines

,
The performan c es of such .

play s were generally conducted in the O pen air and the play -b ill s ,

wo ul d sometimes announce that the spectacle wil l certainl y tak e

place on the appointed day if the weather prove favourable .
’

A wet S hrove -Tuesda y must have b een a melanchol y da y for

thousands .

In 1 60 0 a troop of play ers who were st yled the E nglish ,

‘

C omedians (though we cannot find that they were natives of

E ngland or had even b een in E ngland) travelled t hrough Ger
, ,

many and introduced many new secular pieces After thi s inn o
, .

vation the German drama was no longer confin ed t o S criptural

,

subj ects tage machin ery was improved , spectacles were adorned
.

with such varieties as ro yal processions dances and firework s

‘
, , ,
’

and the pub lic were amused with man y new inventions F or .

i nstance one play of thi s period contain s a direction that in a

,

certain part the spectators must b e astonished b y a storm of rain ‘

,
’

‘
which may b e performed by the u se of plenty of water p oured
through many sieves which must b e suspended among the branches
o f the trees
’
H ANS S AC H S was ve ry dilig ent in writing n e w plays
.

for the people These productions have as may b e presumed no

.
, ,

li terary merit s H ans was so primitive in his notions of dramatic

.

a rt that he somet im es explained the whole plot of hi s piece in the

,

prolo gue O ne of his plays opens with the following l ac oni c and
.
74 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

straightforward passage which may serve as a specimen of his easy

,

style of v ersificat io n and his dramatic taste :

‘
TH E LA M E N T AB LE T RA G E D Y OF T H E P R I N CE C O N CR E T US .

Th e H era l d sp ea ks .

G ood-d ay t o yo u , my
masters all ,

A ssemb l e d in this royal hall ;

M ind you r beha v iour and be dumb ,

T h e Ki ng C o nc re t u s soon wil l c ome ,

A nd h o l d a pri vy-counci l here ,

C onsu l ting fo r h i s d aughter dear ,

H o w she shall l i v e in proper state ;

F o r she has l ate l y l ost her mate ,
T h e P ri nce o f C apua wh o died ,

S oon after she became his bride .

No w masters all your si l ence ho l d , ,

A nd a ll t h e res t will soon be tol d .

( CO N C E E T U S e nte rs , a t te n d e d by two of hi s P ri vy-Cou nc i l l o rs UI SC A . G RD O

e nte rs wi th two serva nts . C R
O N C E T U S take s a seat , a nd sp eak s ) .

G entl emen ! what must no w be said ?

T h e P rince o f C apua is d ead .

M y d aughter l ate l y as yo u see

, , ,

Has come from C apua t o me ;

F o r since her husband s dea th her state ’
,

Has been u nsafe without her mate ; ,

A nd therefore w e mu st c ou nse l take ,

H o w happy we her l ife may make .

F i rst Co unci l lo r .

M ost gracious king I humb l y say ,

Yo u r wisdom yo u will best displ ay ,

T o find fo r her soon as yo u can , ,

A nother hono u rab l e man ,

T hat she m ay be again a wi fe ,

A nd no t in sorrow waste her l ife ’

.

a a a a

JAC O B AY RE R , a dramatic writer , who flourished rather later

than H ans S achs displayed a coarse taste , and introduced the
,

most revolting circumstances into his pieces T h e D uke HENR Y .

JULI U S of B runswick wrote , b etween 1 60 2—1 6 1 0 , several comi c

pieces for the German stage .

PR O SE .

The only great work in prose produced in this period was the
translation of the B ible by M artin L uther In t hi s version L uther .

fused to g ether the diale c ts of N o rt hern and S outh e rn German y .

76 G ER MAN L IT ERA T URE .

s uit no t o nl y chi l dren but al so u pgrown peopl e fo r many o f these

,

w ill li sten t o good maxims d r o pped from the mouth o f a j ester whil e ,

they wil l turn away from the serious admoniti o ns o f a wise man .

F o r nothing is more unwe l come t o the wor l d than truth, espe c iall y
w he n it is practica ll y app l ied .

S o we may i m agi ne that the wise m e n wh o wro t e these fab l es said

t o themse lv es “
We ll wh at must be done i n this c ase— when t h e worl d
,

w i ll n o t l isten t o pl ain truth and yet mu st n o t b e l eft quite without

,

truth ? We must garn ish the truth with the sembl ance o f a l ie We .

w ill put o u r d octrines into the mouths o f animal s ; fo r the peop l e will
l isten t o bears wo lv es and foxes rather than t o phil osophers O ur
, , , .

four -footed wo lv es and foxes may giv e s o me home l y ad vi c e t o the i r

t wo -footed friends T hou gh such men will n o t h e ar their v ic e s re
.

pro v ed by preachers o r friends o r foes o ur fab ul ou s fo x m ay re ad

, , ,

s uch a l ecture t o the true fo x in hum an shap e as will ma ke hi s

c heeks burn whi l e he wishes that o ld E sop had been burned as a

,

heretic . Th e fab l e -writers ha v e said that E sop after a ll the ,

pain s he had t aken t o d isguise h i s doctrin e was put t o death at ,

l ast fo r speaki ng the truth t o o pl ainl y T his agrees with wh at I

hav e said and I repeat i t —T ruth is the mos t int ol erab l e thing in
.

the wor l d .

T herefore as i t must be presented in disgu ise I ha v e und e rtaken

, ,

the re v ision o f this book and hav e dressed it in a better sty l e than
,

b efore In doing this I hav e especia ll y cared fo r youn g peopl e

.
, ,

that they may receiv e instruction in a styl e suitab l e t o their age ,

whi ch i s naturall y fond o f pl ays and all kin ds o f fictions ; an d I

hav e wished t o gratify thi s natural taste withou t in dul gi ng anythin g
th at is bad F o r we ha v e seen wh at an obj ectionab l e book some
.

w riters hav e made and sent into the worl d under the titl e o f “ T h e
,
”
G erm an ES O p in whi ch the ori gina l fab l es are mixed with such
,

s can dal ous tal es as c all fo r punish ment o f their authors ; tal es
,

wri tten t o p l e as e the l owest characters and t o be recited in dis ,

o rder l y al ehouses and ta v erns E sop endeav oured t o introduce .

wisdom under an appearance o f foll y but these per verters o f E sop

woul d drown all wis dom in foll y and coarse l aughter T hese fab l es .

were no t written t o serve the purposes o f these debased characters .

T hey are s wine and they will remain swine so we m u st n o t cast

, ,

o ur pearls before them But we re quest all pious and well -meaning
.

m e n t o endea v our t o aboli sh u tterl y that scandal ous o ld G erm an

E sop and t o substitute in i ts p l ace t h e book n o w presented t o the
,

pub l ic— a book whi ch may b e used safel y and free l y in e v ery famil y
— a book whi ch a father may spread open u p on a table in the midst

o f his chi l d ren

’
.

"

The earnest polemi c al writing s of this perio d must b e passe d

o ver b riefl y, as the y b elong rather to ecclesiastical and political
than t o literary h i story Y et these are the most characteristic
.

productions of the times and display the effects of controvers y ,

in a very unfavourab le light The li c ense , personal ity, and acri .

 F O UR T H PER I O D . 77

m on y , not to mention the coarseness , of the invectives pub lishe d

in the s ixteenth century , can hardly b e imagin ed b y a modern
reader who has not read the origi nals ; for it is happily impossib le
t o fin d a writer who would u ndert ak e t o give a close translation
o f such writings The b ad temper found in these lamp oons
.

cannot b e fairly attrib uted especiall y to an y one sect or part y .

R at h e r in accordance with a t h e o 1y sugg ested by B ishop B utler

, ,

t hat nations as well as individuals , ma y b e subj ect t o mental

,

and moral epidemics , we may re gard the writin g s in question

a s s ymptoms of a general malad y A fe w facts will suffi cientl y

.

i ntimate the breadth or license of satire in thi s period O n one .

s ide , not o nl y the character of L uther b ut even that of his wife ,

,

was the obj ect of b itter and s c andalous reproaches Ingenuit y .

and mali ce were com b ined in the production o f man y curious

’
‘
anagrams and acrostics , whi ch were generally written in
’ ‘

L atin In one of these the initial letters of the lin es read per
.
, ,

p e n di cul arl
y comp
,
ose the name M artin L uther ( in its L atin form ),
whil e each line contains five words, all havi ng the same ini tial ,

and the whole comprises a careful selection of the most a b usiv e

t erms tha t co uld b e cull ed from the L atin di ctionary This .

c hoice pro duction of literar y s k ill is facetiousl y entitled,

‘
An
E ulo gium on M artin L uther, made out of hi s o wn Name , and ’

is a fair specim en of man y similar ana grams contained in a

‘ ’

’
li ttle b o ok style d E pigrams on H eretics , whi ch was publishe d
‘

in 1 59 6 Well -known facts were seldom all owed t o intercep t

.

t h e c ourse of a mali cious j oke Thus it was well known that

.

the remain s of L uther were interred in the vaul t of the ro y al

chapel of Wittenb erg C astle ; but this fact did not prevent the
c irc ul ation of the story that
‘
hi s b od y never received Christian
’
b urial b ut was carried awa y by demons
,
.

Turni ng from these low pasquinades , not wort hy t o b e st yle d

satires , we find b etter specimens of the polemical writing s of the
age in the remains of U hi ch v o n H utten ( whose character has

b een describ ed) , Ni claus M anuel , and Uh i ch Zwingle A s the '

name of L uther has b een associated wi th that of Hutten it is ,

o nl y fair t o the character of the former t o o b serve that he

,

e arnestl y endeavoured t o c orrect the impatient mili t al spirit

y
whi ch was manifested by H utten and other German knights
an d no b lemen , who did not understand the text
‘
M y k ingdo m
,

I s not of thi s world

’
The b old and 1 e st l e ss course of p ole mi c
.

a gitation in which Ul rich v o n H utten enga g ed in vol v ed him

,

in cont in ual strife and enmi ties The foll owing passage s e lecte d
.
,

from one of hi s writings , entitled a C omplaint addressed to t h e

‘

German P eople gi ves a fair sp e cimm o f many similaI instan c es

,
’

o f t h e ex c it ed t e mper of t h e t ime s
78 G ERMAN LIT ERA TUR E .

TH E C OM PLA I N T
U L R I C H V O N H U TT E N OF .

‘
I U l rich v o n Hutten poet and orator address this my c o m
, , , ,

pl aint and present my hum bl e respects t o all c l asses o f the G erm an

,

peopl e t o m e n i n e v ery station t o princes nob l emen and c itiz ens

, , , , ,

and t o the whol e body o f the peopl e Kin d masters and frien d s .
,

y o u kno w that at v arious times mo v ed by a l o v e o f C hristia

,
n truth ,

a nd earnes t desires fo r the we l fare o f o u r nation I hav e writte n ,

and spoken things whi c h hav e brought o n me the enmity o f all wh o

are in all iance with Rome I hav e been repeatedl y warned
.

that such measures are no w taken ag ainst me th at my l ife is no

l onger safe i n my o wn country When I came t o Brabant I waited .
,

there fo r some days at the cour t o f o ur most graci o us so v ereign

C harl es ; but here I w as to l d by good friends tha t if I woul d pre
ser v e my l ife I must fl ee from this pl ace without del ay as dange rous
, ,

foes were watchi ng my mo v ements A t first being conscious o f .

,

i nnocence I treated this warning l ightl y ; but afterwar d s when

, ,

all my friends conspired t o mo v e me I foll owe d their advic e and , ,

fl ed from the p l ace with all possib l e speed I cannot say wh o were .

m y enemies there When I asked my friends they to l d me t o be o n

.
‘

my guard agains t all persons i n the ser vice o f Rome : and this warn
i ng was soon confirmed ; fo r as I jo u rneyed u p the Rhine c ertai n , ,

p ersons w h o had l ate l y returned fro m Ita l y met me and a sured ,

s

m e that it was a c ommon repor t in Rome that L e o was bitterl y

d ispl ease d with me and had issued orders that I shoul d be punished
,

w i t h the utmost se v erity T he n I came t o M entz and here my

.
,

frien d s and patrons recei v ed me with great j o y and k i ndness and ,

e xpressed their wonder t o see m e again al i v e ; fo r they h ad heard

that I had fall en into the hands o f my enemies When I arriv ed .

at Frankfort I recei v ed l etters and messages from friends informing

, ,

m e that l etters had been sent by the P ope t o se v eral G erman princes ,

i nstructing them t o send me as a prisoner t o R ome and threatening ,

that if they refused t o obey this command they wo ul d no l onger be

, ,

regarde d as the friends o f L e o I had scarce l y heard this news .

,

when tidings came al so from the N etherl ands telling me that there ,

certain Roman emissaries were waiting fo r m e armed wi th full ,

authority t o empl oy against me the secul ar po wer

,
To
these dangers I am exposed o n accoun t o f my endea v ours fo r the
w e l fare o f o u r Father l and and fo r true faith and re l igion ; endea
,

v o u rs which all w h o l o v e the truth m u st appro v e A nd no w I hav e .

t o beg fo r my l ife that I may l i v e and continue the work i n whi ch

,

I hav e been engaged ; I pray yo u all my cou ntrymen t o gi v e me , ,

h e l p counsel and defence a g ainst my foes

, ,
T o whom shall I fl ee .

if no t t o yo u ? G racious m asters and kind friends fell ow-G ermans ,

al l ! I appeal t o yo u Wi ll yo u all ow o ne wh o h as d one good ser vi ce

.

t o his country t o be dri v en o u t o f i t l ike a crimina l ? Wi ll yo u

,

stand by quietl y and see an innocent m an punished ?

,
T hat be far
from yo u ! N ever l e t i t be said that the G ermans w h o hav e a l ways ,

been hospitable and kin d t o foreigners, were unmerciful t o o ne o f

 F O UR T H PER I O D .
79

th eir o w n kindred ! Where is the honour the v irtue o f o ur nation ,

in these times ? Where is the man l iness fo r which they ha v e been

ce l ebrated ? C ountrymen ! let all u nite t o protect e v en o ne if that ,

o n e h as d o n e good ser v ice fo r a ll I might hav e enj oyed t h e fa v our

.

o f Rome at this time if I had n o t desired abo v e al l o ther things the

, , ,

we l fare o f my country F o r this I ha v e l aboured and suffered F o r

. .

this I ha v e endured so many misfortunes ; l ong journeys by d ay

and night so m u ch want and care and such shamefu l po v erty ;
'

and all this i n the prime o f my l ife —ln the best b l ooming years
, ,

o f youth ! S urely fo r all my good intentio n s I hav e some c l aim

o n your assistance If I cannot mo v e yo u by my o wn case ,

b e mo v ed wi th pity fo r my friends and re l ati v es M y poor and .

aged father and mother my younger brother wh o is in great troub l e

, ,

abou t me all my re l ativ es and many wh o lo v e and respect me

, , ,

besi d es se v eral l earned men and some nob l emen ; all these j o in in
,

my petition If I ha v e added something t o the honour o f o ur Father

l and by my wri tings —if I ha v e endeav o u red t o ser v e my country
.

hel p me n o w ! M us t I be torn away from yo u my brethren ; fro m

—

this earth which has supported me from infancy ; from my nati v e

,

air ; from al l the friendl y and famil iar faces o f the peop l e ; from
my parental dwe ll ing from m y G erman home and a l tar and must
I be hurried away n o t t o spend my l i fe howe v er miserab l e abroa d
, , , ,

but t o crue l tortures and a sh amefu l death ? G ermans a ll ! my

bre thren ! hel p m e no w ! S tand by the persecuted man and d o ,

n o t suffer me t o be torn away from yo u

’
.

NI C L AU S M ANUEL ( 1 4 8 4—1 53 0 )
may b e noticed as an instance of
that versatilit y of talents whi ch was not u ncommon in this period .

M anuel was a statesman engaged in p olitical a ffairs at B ern e in

S witzerland ; but was also well kn own as a soldier, a p oet a pain ter, ,

a sculptor and a wo od -engraver S im ilar examples of versatilit y

,
.

may b e foun d in some of the great Italian artists : M ichael Angel o

wrote poems ; L eonardo da V inci was a scientifi c student ; and
M anuel resembled H utten in his polemical character and wrote ,

several satires and S hrove -Tuesday plays to expose the R omish ,

clergy in S witzerland t o ridicul e The b oldness and li cense of these

.

p roductions are far b eyond the b ounds of modern toleration .

U LR I C H Z WI N G L E the leading reformer in S wi tzerland , b orn in

,

1 4 8 7 resembled M anuel in the various engagements of his l ife ;

,

for he was not only a statesman and a theologian b ut also stu d ied ,

music and as a soldier fell in battle H is writ ings are chiefl y

, , ,
.

theological and polemical and show the earnestness of his cha

,

ract e r .

Another polemic writer , k nown by hi s L atinis ed name , WO L F

G AN G FA B R I C I US CAPI T o , wrote in the German language a severe
b ut j ust remonstrance again st the selfi sh plunder of ecclesiastical
prope rt y of whi ch many were g uilt y, who fav o m e d b y t he ex
, ,
'
80 G ERMAN LIT ERA TURE .

c it e me nt attending the R eformation in several places committed ,

robberies on a large scale The remonstrance of Fabricius i s

.

well wo rth y of notice , as he emplo y s argument instead of the

invectives so prevalent in his time He entirel y demolishes the .

pretence of religious motives for the plun der of churches and

other pub l ic institutions , as he argues that , however these in sti
t ut i o ns ma y have b een abused , it is clear that their founders
endowed them for public use and b enefit , and not for t h e
aggrandisement of individuals There was a time when such an
.

argument was urgently required in E ngland .

It is some relief to t urn from the controversial writings of thi s

century to lighter productions ; b ut in these we still fin d satire .

The most celebrated writer of prose satires was J O H ANN FI S C H AR T ,

b orn at M ay ence , who wrote in dustriousl y during the latter hal f of
the period His works are full of extravagant c omb inations of
.

words someth ing like the verb al exploits of Aristophanes ; but

,

the y seldom carry any meaning whi ch might not have b een ex
pressed in a few simple terms Thus in one of hi s satires he de
.
,

s cribes , with condemnation ,

‘
the innumerable -as — stars -in-the -hea
vens -o r-as -sands -o u -the -sea -shore impositions of the astrologers and
’
p rognosticators In this instance his satire was certain ly well
.

’
directed ; for the impostors who call ed themselves astrologers
,
‘
,

were some of the most prosperous l iterary men of these times as ,

they established a flourishing trade requirin g scarcely any capital ,

b eyond the dense ignorance of the people The Prophetic .

‘

Almanac was the selli n g-b ook at all fairs and markets and was
’
,

read wi th an excitement far exceeding that produced by all the

’
modern novels of the season
‘
The poorest farmer gla dl y laid
.

down hi s groat to carry home the wonderful b oo k which marked

all the lucky days for sowing wheat making b argains hair
‘ ’ ‘
, ,

cutting and blood -letting

‘
T h e events of the times , as well as
.
’

the ignorance of the people , were favourable to this trade in im

p osition ; for during the T hirt y Years War the almanac -makers ’
,

might safel y use commotions in Germany as a stereotyped pro

‘ ’

ph e cy . B ut even a thousand failures did not hurt the success of

these tradesmen : preachers and divines from the tim e of L uthe r ,

to the eighteenth century preached and wrote against the magi

,
‘

e iaus i n vain O ne of these absurd old almanacs ascribes all t h e

.

events of the R eformation to the fact , that L uther was bo rn

‘

u nder the planet Jupiter in C apricorn F ischart j ustly says I t‘ ’

.
,

is to o profane and presumptuous to involve Heaven itsel f in o ur

’
earthly di sputes We cannot literall y translate the strange title
.

of t h e book in which he caricatures the productions o f the imp o s ‘

t ors ; but it is somethi ng lik e the followi ng : T h e Grandmother

’

of all Almanacs , or the Pantagruelistic , thick -with -i mposition s,

 F O UR T H P ERI o D .
81
’
P hleb otomist s A dviser, Farmer s C ode of R ules and Weather
’
.

B ook suited for all times and every country ; by the accomplishe d
,

rat -catcher Winh o ld Al e o fri bas Wii st blut us

, ,
I n this caricatur e .
’

he endeavoured to recommend a safe style of prophes ying of whi ch ,

the following passag e is a specimen

AS T RO L O G I C A L P R E D I CT I O NS F OR TH E C OM I N G Y E AR .

In this year we may expect the planets t o be mo v eable ; but they

wi ll mo v e on l y in the courses appointed by their C reator Fro m .

certain aspec ts we may conclude that the co l ic and other signs o f a

,

disordered stomach wil l be pre v al ent in the summer among peopl e

wh o eat large quantities o f u nripe fru it especiall y plums and drink , ,

p l enty o f sour butter-mi l k C orn wi l l be t o o dear fo r poor men an d

.
,

t o o cheap fo r great l andowners V ines wi ll no t fl ourish in the B l ac k

.

Forest n o r in the Bohemian Forest ; but the best vineyards o n t h e

,

Rhine will produce wine strong enough t o throw many peop l e down
from chairs and stoo l s Beer al so wi ll be good this year if the
.
,

brewers will n o t u se t o o much water In short we may expect an .

,

abundant suppl y o f wine and corn if the wishes o f poor peop l e are ,

ful fi ll ed D airymen may take notice that b l ack cows wi ll gi v e white

.

milk With regard t o the affairs o f various nations we may venture

.
,

t o say that the Ba v arians and the S wabians wi ll prosper if noth in g ,

o ccur t o pre v ent it We ha v e t o notice dark aspects fo r the peop l e

.
“

o f M orocco and other h o t countries ; but the peop l e o f S weden wi l l

be tol erab l y fair s Al so we may promise that there wil l b e c o m i n

”

P o l an d many cows in S witz er l and fine oxen in Hungary goo d

, , ,

butter and cheese in Ho ll and and F l anders sal t fish in N or way , ,

fresh salmon in S cotland, and a plentiful supp l y o f ignorance and

fol l y in all coun tries ’
.

Fischart wrote an e xtravagant satirical and humorous b oo k

entitled G aragant ua ’
in which he b orrowed some of h i s
descriptions from R ab elais It is ful l of the uncouth and far .

fetched comb inations of w ords found in his other writings b ut ,

contain s many ludicrous c aricat ures of the foll ies of societ y in

the sixteenth century .

GE O R G E WI C K R AM was a writer or rather a collector of p opul ar , ,

stories and anecdotes and would hardly b e worth y of notice in a

,

history of literature if his works low as their st yle ma y b e did not , ,

fairly represent the popular taste of hi s t irne s O ne of his b ooks .

b ears in its title something lik e an anticipation of that class o f

very light literature which is now provided for the amusement of
rail wa y travellers It is describ ed by the author in the foll owin g
.

terms The Traveller s L ittle B oo k ( or a Bo o k for the C arriage )

’

containing man y P leasant Jok es and S tories for the Amusement

of V o yagers and Travellers and to drive away M elancholy fro m ,

L eisure H ours This writer g ives us a proof of the rud e

82 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

taste of his times as he assures us that he has carefully revised h is

,

b ook that it may contain nothing t o o ffend eit her young or old
,

readers though many of its j okes would be very obj ectionable t o

,

a modern taste The following j ocose anecdote is a fair specim en

.

not only of Wi ck ram s coarse little book but of many other

’
,

s imilar coll ections such as t h e Parson of Kalenberg P eter

‘ ‘ ’
, ,

L eu the L al e nbu eh and especially E ulenspiegel which can

,
‘’ ‘
,
’ ’
,

not b e particularly described here though they formed a promi ,

n ent part in the pop ul ar literature of this period :

O I S Y M ON K TH E N .

‘
A monk wh o had the cure o f soul s in the parish o f Po pp e nri e d
was renowned fo r his wonderful po wers o f v o c iferation ; fo r i n the
pul pit he woul d exert his v oi c e in such an extravagant sty l e that a ,

stranger might hav e thought that the preacher h ad l ost his senses .

O ne S unday afternoon whil e the monk was shouting at the t o p o f

,

h is v oice a poor wi d ow amid the c ongregation began t o wring her

,

hands and cry bitterl y T h e monk noticed this effe c t wi th pl easure

.
,

a n d after the ser vice he went t o the poor woman and asked wha t “

p ar t o f the serm on had affe c ted her mind so d ee p l y as he wished t o ,

” ”
o ff er some c onso l ation Al as good father ! said the wi d o w mine “
, ,
.

i s a heav y affl i c tion When my po o r husband d ie d he knew that a

.
,

great part o f his prop erty m u s t go t o his re l ativ e s ; so he be

q u e at h e d t o me t o he l p me t o find a l i v e l ihood a fine young d onkey ;
, ,

but no t l ong aft er my husband s death the ass al so d ie d I hav e ’

.

e ndea v oured t o o v er c ome m s o rrow but o h sir ! when I heard

y ;
—
,

y o u r v oice this aft ernoon it remin d e d me s o ,

i t was j u st the v oi c e o f
”
the poor ass Th e monk wh o had expected at l east a c ompl iment
.
, ,

a n d perhaps something m ore substantial was ob liged t o re l ish t h e ,

c o mparison as we ll as he c oul d
’
.

T helegend of D r Faustus was produced during this time and

‘
,

s oon became one of the most popular books in Germany T he .

Greek story of the Troj an war was hardly more fruitful in the
literature devoted to it than this legend of magi c and demonology .

T here are good reasons for believing that F aust the hero of this ,

tale was a real character who lived in S wabia or some part of

, , ,

S outhern Germany in the former part of the sixteenth century

,
.

M anlius Gessner Came rarius and the reformer B ullinger mention

, , , ,

Faust as a well -kn own character who had gained his cel ebrity by ,

t h e profession of magic T h e reality of such a profession was

.

admitted not only by the popul ace but b y many learned writers of ,

this period When L uther in the note which has been quote d,
.
,
’
alludes to the demon who dwell s in the water floods such ex
‘
,

pressions are b y no means to b e understood as merely playful and

im aginative ; b ut indicate the general belief in demon ology which
was distinctly expressed in the story of F aust ‘
T h e H istory of .
84 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

all e c clesiastical authorit y, and maintained that there is an int er

n al light in man which is b etter fitted t h an even the S cripture s
,

t o guide him aright in religious H e wrote a series

’
of P aradoxes
‘
which contain some extreme Opinions o n
theology ; and a coll ection of P roverbs , with co mments upon them ’

H is historical writing s were generall y read during the

sixteenth and seventeenth centuries especiall y his Chronicle o f ,

the German Nation , and his World B ook or M anual of U ni

- ’ ‘
,
’

’
versal H i st o 1y In these works he too k care t o conve y his moral
.

and religious doctrines and often wrote with b itterness an d

,

severit y though he seldom used the coarse st yle of i nvectiv e

,

which was common in his times The long title of his World ‘
.

’
B ook may b e given as an example of the crowded title -pages o f
many b ooks publi shed during this period : The World -B oo k ;
a M irror and Image of the whole E arth b y S E B AS TI AN FR ANC E ; ,

in F o ur B ooks on A sia , Africa E urope , and Am erica ; contain ,

ing A ccounts of all C ountries , Nations P rovi nces and Islands , , ,

with D escriptions of their P osition , L ength , Width Produce , P o pu ,

lation , Names Figures , M odes of L ife C haracteristics R eli

, , ,

gion Faith C eremonies , L aws , Government , P olic y, M orals

, , ,

C ustoms , Wars , C ommerce , Fruits , An imals C lothing, &c all ,

.

placed plainl y b efore the e y es of the reader : also some D e

s cription of the N ewly -discovered Islands , not C opied from B erosus ,

J oanne de M onte V illa , and such fabulous writers b ut gathered ,

out of the well -accepted and confirmed works of experienced

w orld -describ ers : the whole having b een collected with great
pains from many diffuse works , and condensed in one compact
and port able volume , forming su ch a work as has never b efor e
”
appeared in German C ome b ehold the work s of the L ord
—P sa lm 4 6 8 Printed at Tubingen by Ulrich M o rhart in
.
,
.

.
, ,

The following passages give some indications of t h e

m anners of the German people in old times

O C I E T Y I N G E RM ANY
C L AS SE S O F S .

T h e people o f G ermany are div ided into four c l asses o f which ,

the first contains al l the monks and other S piritual men Th e .

s econd c l ass inc l udes a ll the nobi l ity w h o in G od s good order

, ,
’
,

ought t o be the fathers o f the peopl e terrors t o e v i l-doers the sup , ,

por t and refuge o f the good and the defence o f widows and orp han s
,

( whom they n o w oppress and persecute ) O ur nob l emen oug

. h t t o

be the dogs t o guard the fl ock ; but they are wo lves and tear t h e ,

s heep .T hey ha v e l ost their ancient honour ( fo r their ancestors p o s

s essed some virtues) and are known on l y by their pride their riches
, , ,

their boast o f ancestry and their tyranny ,

Th e r e cent i nsu rre c .

S ee H ist ory of E ngl ish L it erat ure ( i n C H A M E E R s s E D U CAT I O N A L C o u R S E )

’ ’
,

p age 9 7 .
 F O UR T H PER I O D . 85

tion o f the peasants has shown h o w entirely all good feelings be

tween the nobil ity and their dependents ha v e been destroyed Noble .

m e n i n o l d times kept their v assal s faithful t o them by many acts o f

k indness which formed a wal l around all their property T hey c o n
,
.

sid e re d themse lv es rich when their dependents were in good cir

c u m st anc e s ; but n o w the who l e business o f the aristocracy is ro b

b e ry and extortion : they ha v e n o professions bu t hunting drinking , ,

and gamb l ing and live o n their rents in sup e rfl ui t y o f weal th T his .

aristocracy is powerfu l no t onl y in G ermany but al so in al l nations , ,

being distinguished everywh ere by S p l endid array arrogance, c o n ,

c e it
,
and insufferab l e oppression Yet these nob l emen wh o r ul e by
.

”
v iol ence l ike t o be call ed o ur G racious M asters
,
M any o f .

them foll o w their dukes and princes t o warfare that they may return ,

wi th rich booty fo r wea l th e l e v ates them above the common nobi

l i t y : indeed some farmers and tradesmen ha v e risen i nto the ranks
o f the nobi l i t y by money ; fo r p e cu ni a e o be d i u nt o mni a all things
”
are subservient t o gol d ) O ur nob l emen are in all things di s
t i ngu i sh e d from the other c l asses o f society : in c l othing houses , ,

gesture and carriage styl e o f tal k and e v en in their seats in churches

, , ,

and their funerals T heir carriage is l ofty their tal k is bold and
.
,

threatening their dress is fantastic and wor l dl y, their faces are full
,

o f assurance and their minds ( with fe w exceptions ) are into l erab l y

,

warl ike and revengeful Th e third class o f society includes

o ur citizens and tradesmen ; but these are subdivided into t wo
c l asses . O f these the former comprehends al l o u r common citi
z ens wh o are engaged in trade ; whi l e the l atter contains all the
ri ch men wh o ha v e ac quired a sor t o f nobi l ity by money T hese .

latter gentl emen form an excl usiv e c l ass fo r they live o n their ,

rents o r interest o f property and wi l l neither associate n o r interm arry

,

with the fami l ies o f common citiz ens wh o are engaged in trade h o w ,

ever rich these may be Howe v er in law both these classes are e qual
.
, ,

and enjoy the same measure o f freedom T h e costume o f o u r ric h .

c itizens is always n e w and fashionab l e as it often changes its m o d e , .

S ome o l d men stil l l iving can remember the days when the citiz ens
wore pointed shoes with l ong and tapering beaks short and tight ,

garments and tasse l ed caps ; but all these fashions ha v e passed away
, ,

and n o w their clothes are wide and roomy and their shoes are broa d ,

and short T h e dress o f the l adies is no w costl y enough but neat l y

.
,

arranged and with the exception o f a fe w su p e rflui ti e s we d o n o t find ,

much t o b l ame in it T hese rich citiz ens are very re l igious in their
.

way T hey attend the servi ces o f the Romish C hurch with grea t
.

punctuality and cal l up their men-ser v ants an d maid-servants earl y

,

in the morning t o attend matins T hey are also very charitab l e .

,

e speciall y toward the monks and others o f the c l ergy o f whi ch we

,

fi nd sufficient proo fs in the number o f churches which have been

foun ded and a ll the choristers canons bishops prelates abbots
, , , , , ,

pro v osts and deans wh o are supported by the citizens T hey al s o

, , .

support hospita l s and train poor scholars fo r the priesthood

, Th e .

fourth class includes all t he peasan t s, min e r s, shepherds, and o ther

86 G ERMAN L IT ERA T UR E .

labourers whos edress dwel lings mode , , of life and customs are well
, ,

known t o a ll my readers ’
.

P O PU LAR C UST OM S IN F RA NC O N I A .

Franconia is bounded o n the south by Bavari a o n the wes t by ,

the Rhine o n the east by Bohemia and by Hesse and T huringia t o

, ,

w ard the n or th I t is a l and we l l en c l osed and defended by hil l s bu t

.
,

is l e v e l in t h e interior T h e Franks ha v e many singu l ar customs ,

which I will describe here in order that the facts I hav e rel ated
,

concerning the strange custo m s o f J ews T urks and Pagans may , , ,

appear m ore credib l e t o my readers Wh y shoul d w e regard the s e .

fore igners as fool s o n a c count Of their m anners and ceremonies when ,

w e find thi ngs e qua ll y strange and ri d icul ous at home and among ,

peop l e wh o call themse lv es C hristian s ? O n the three T hurs d ays be

fore Christmas -day the boys and girl s go about from house t o hous e
,

i n the towns and v ill ages announ c i ng that the birth o f the L ord i s
,

near at h and and wish ing fo r all the peopl e a happy N e w-Year F o r
, .

this ser vice they recei v e presents o f app l es pears nuts and smal l , , ,

coins T hen when C hristmas comes they ce l ebrate the birth o f

.
, ,

C hris t in this fashion — T hey p l ace u pon the a l tar in t h e church a

c rad l e containing a wooden do ll dressed l ike an infant and befor e ,

this cradl e the you ng peopl e d an ce and sing whil e the o l d peop l e ,

gaze and join in singi ng such strange songs tha t the scene may re
, ,

mind o ne o f the C orybantes cel ebrating the birth o f J o v e in M ount

Ida In the same festi v e season the men-ser vants an d other young
.

fe ll ows go through the to wns and v ill ages in the ni ght-time singing
songs t o the peop l e wi th t h e greatest hypocrisy and co v ering e v ery
, ,

househo l der ( wh o c an afford t o giv e anythin g) with praises from the

so l e o f his foot t o the crown o f his head ; an d thus these serenaders
c o ll ec t a good sum o f money O ther compani es o f singers tra v el
.

thro ugh the co untry annou n c ing their arriva l in e v ery town by ring
,

ing a be ll ; then they go into the church and there sing fo r the ,

amusement o f the peopl e : aft er this they o f course mak a a co ll ection ,

and often retu rn home with a considerab l e booty O n the festiva l .

”
o f the T hree Ki ngs e v ery househol der mak es cakes and sweet
,

meats ; a penny is kneaded in with the d ou gh whi ch is di vided into ,

cakes accor di ng t o the nu mber o f the famil y O ne cake is presented .

t o the V irgin M ary an d each o f the T hree Ki ngs has his c ake ; but
,

the chil d wh o receiv es the cake containing the penny is sty l ed the
Ki ng and is then l ifted up o n the shoul ders o f the famil y When
”
, .

he is l ifted he takes a piece o f chal k and makes a cross o n the ce iling

, ,

o r o n o n e o f the beams and th is cross is regarded a s a grand pre

,

se rvat i v e agai nst ghos t s and mis fortunes fo r the foll owin g year .

D uring the twe lv e d ays between C hristmas and the Festiv al o f the
T hree Kings the peop l e burn incense in their houses as a charm t o
,

dri v e away all e vi l spirits and wit chcraft T hey al so attend t o the .

s tate o f the weather during these twe lv e d ays as they be l ie v e that ,

the twel v e months o f the n e w year will corresp ond with them T hus .
,

if i t rains o n the second day, they expe ct a rain y February; and so o n .

 F O U R T H PER I O D . 87

Th e manner in which they spend the three d ays be fore L ent shows
the char ac ter o f their rel igion T hey act as if they al l thought L e t
.
,

u s eat and d rink fo r t o -

,
morrow we die o r as if they expected
n e v er t o ha v e another opportunity o f merriment S ome o f the .

y oung peop l e dress themse lv es in masks and stra nge disguises t o re ,

present demons ; and many o f their wild tricks remind u s o f the

”
ancient R omans in their Lu percal ia A t this time in Franconi a .
, ,

and i n many pl aces o n the Rhine the young men yoke a number o f
,

young maidens t o a p l ou gh o n which a fiddl er o r piper is seate d wh o

, ,

p l ays a merry tu ne whi l e the girl s draw him into the water In other .

pl ac es they draw about a pl ough with a bonfire upon it Im t i l it i s ,

burn t t o pieces A nother o f their games is this four young fel l ows
.

take ho l d o f a sheet by its corners in which they toss a wooden e ffigy

,

made and dressed t o resemb l e a d ead man T his game they exhibit .

in many towns ; and I might describe many other tricks and di v er

sions o f these Romish-heathen C hristians In some p l aces abou t .
,

the middl e o f L ent they make a man o f straw and l ay him o u t l ike
, ,

a corpse and the young peopl e carry this figure thro ugh the ne igh
,

bo uri ng v ill ages . S ome peop l e take the j oke we ll and treat the ,

bearers with dried fruits mil k an d peas ; but others regard the
, ,

ceremony as a bad omen o f death o r some other cal amity and drive ,

away the procession wi t h hard words and sometimes b l ows , .

’

ZE G I D T S CH U D I —
( 1 50 5 1 5 7 2) wrote a History of S witzerland ,
‘ ’

his native country whi ch was pub lished in 1 5 38 T sch u di was

, .

noted as a sta tesman and a man of a mild disposition who em ,

ployed concili ator y measures in the contests of the P rotestan t

with the C atholic cantons of his country H e also advocated the .

c ul tivation of the vernacular language and complained that in ,

his times preachers and theologians would not write a lin e with
‘

’
out using some L atin words His historical work is written in
.

a very plain and unpretendin g st yle and in modern t i mes has b een ,

c ommended b y the celebrated historian J ohann es von M iill e r .

S E B AS TI AN M UN S T ER was the author of a C osmograph y, or ‘ ’

‘
D escription of all C ountries which was published in 1 5 4 3 and
,
’

was extensively read J O H ANN S T UMPFF wr ote in G e n nan a his

.

tory of Henry IV , which was published in 1 55 6 T h e materials

. .

of this work were collected from various L atin writers C H R I S .

T O P H L E H MAN a man of some learning and ab ili ty wrote a

, ,

C hronicle of the Free C it y of Spires (published in which

conta ins some disquisitions on the relative merits of monarch y,
ari stocrac y , and democrac y L ehman argued that democrac y
.

was Opposed t o reason and the order of nature and that it co ul d ,

not b e successfull y realised even in one family , much less in a

nation H e wrote in favour of aristocracy b ut understood the
.
,

word in a strict etym ological sense as denoting a government ,

in the hands of the b est men F ew readers wi ll dissent from the

.
 8 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

conclusion of his argument , where he say s That is the b est

government where the b es t men in the nation have authorit y,
’ ’
and there we ma y live most happily L ehman s work contains
.

several humorous anecdotes of the honest and economical German

emperor R udolph I , who condescended t o mend hi s own doublet
,
. .

T w o or three of the theological writers who emplo y ed the ir

mother tongue deserve notice here as the y contributed t o the ,

c ul t i y at i o n of the German language B ER T H O L D , a b ishop of the

.

R omish C hurch wrote in a plain and good style a work entitled

,
’
‘
German Theolo gy , which was printed in 1 5 27 O ne of the .

obj ects of this b ook was t o call b ack wanderers from the ancient
church and to counteract the popul ar li terature of the P rotestants
, .

B erthold say s T hese times have made manifest that secret

hatred of the C atholic C hurch and its clergy which has long
remained hi dden in the hearts of unrighteous men H e argues .
’

in the usual style again st all innovations of doctrine , by poin t ing

t o the variety of Op ini ons found in such reforme1 s as L uther,
C a1 o l st adt Z wi ngle , and CEc o lamp adi u s
,
The p1 act i cal and un .

controversial parts of the bo o k a1 e written in an earnest an d

p op ul ar style .

J O H ANN MAT H E SIU S was a popul ar preacher and writer, wh o

in some respects imi tated the st yle of L uther There were som e .

pleasing feat ures in hi s character A s he lived in the midst of

.

a minin g district , he adapted his ministry to the wants and the

characters of the people H e wrote hymns and songs which the
.
,

min ers s ung whi le engaged in their subterraneous toil ; and his
sermons which were full of pop ul ar anecdotes and pr o verb s were
, ,

w ell adapted to the practical interests and pursuits of his con

r
g ge a t i o n .In one of hi s discourses entitled a S
,
ermon to M iners ‘

( published in he collects all the passages in the B ible which

h ave an y 1 e al or supposed reference to m i nes and metals and ,

e mploys considerable learnin g and ingenuity to prove that mi ne 1 s

w ere recognised In t h e B ible as an honourable class of men .

T h e writin gs of J O H ANN AR ND T may b e classed with the b est

t heological productions of this period H is treatise entitled F o ur
.
‘

B ooks on T rue Christianit y which was publi shed in 1 6 2 9 passed

’
, ,

through uncounted editions in Germany and was translated into ,

E nglish It is read and esteemed in the present da y Arndt

. .

wrote on mystic or theosophic principles in some respects similar ,

t o the views of T auler Franck , and other M ystics ; but he stated

,

hi s sentiments with clearness and moderation ; and the pious and

practical chara c ter of hi s b oo k made it a favourite amon g religiou s
men of various sects .

We find a curious instance of the m ystical genius of German y

in J AC O B B OH ME , who was b orn in S iles ia in 1 57 5 Though he .
 F O UR T H PER I O D .
9

was a p oor shoemak er, and had no advantag e s of education h e ,

d evoted his mi nd to the most a b struse studies H e professe d .

that his doctri nes were derived not from any process of reasoning,
b ut from M ediate revelation F or a time he was silenced by .

e cclesiasti c al authorit y ; b ut a ga i n he resumed authorshi p and ,

produced a series of my stical work s on theolog y and physical

s cience in a style of which we can g ive no adequate description
,
.

O ne of his chief work s written in 1 6 1 2 , was entitled A urora ;

,
‘

the M orning -R edn ess in the E ast , or t h e R oot and M other of

’
P hilosophy , A strology , and Theolo gy In the b eg inning of t hi s .
‘

s trange b oo k he says Ki nd reader I admonish y ou that y ou ,

ma y put a wa y all sel f-conceit and all love of heathenish wi sdom ,

,

a n d that y ou ma y not b e o ffended by the simplicit y of the author

o f this b oo k ; for I assure y ou that it is no t the production of

his reason , b ut the work of imme di ate inspiration An other of .

’

B Oh me s works was the M y sterium M agnum or an E xp osition of

’ ‘ ’
,

t h e F irst B oo k of M oses , whi ch he wrote in 1 6 22 T hi s wor k

’
.

professes t o give an explanation of the whole physical and spiritual

universe The writer tells us that in his intellectual vi sion he saw
.

h o w plants trees stones , metals , and other creatures were origi

, ,

nall y produced B Ohm e s writin gs were coll ected and pub lished in
.
’

twent y-one octavo volum es in 1 7 3 0 S everal of them were trans .

lated in to E nglish by Will iam L aw, a clergyman of the C hurch

o f E ngland Th ough the assertion may appear im proba b le we
.
,

have clear evidence that the celebrated modern philosophers of

Germany S chelli ng and H egel have b orrowed some of their
, ,

ideas from Jaco b B ohme H is writin gs contain amid man y

'

.
,

curious theories , some remarkable asse rtions F or instance , he .

says , There is nothin g in the un iverse purel y evil b ut every

‘
,

t hin g contain s some g oo dn ess ; which coincides w ith Shak sp e are s

’

lin e
There is a soul o f goo d ness in thi ngs evil ’
.

In a confused st yle Jaco b B ohme predicted some of the ten

,

d e nci e s of recent German S peculations D r Johns on gave a .

c riticism on the
‘
revelations of this theosopher, whi ch some
‘ ’
readers ma y rememb er If Jaco b said the doctor saw in his
.
‘
, ,

v ision li k e S t P aul , un utterable thin gs he had not the goo d sense

, ,
’
o f the apostle or he would not have attempted to utter them
,
.

In concluding our scanty notices of theological writers it is ,

proper t o o b serve that we have passed over work s of rel igio us

i mportance in th is depa rtment wi thout selecting an y extracts ; ,

b ecause their topics wo ul d not harmonise with other productions

which must b e noticed in a treat ise on general literature .

F or the history of this period we depend chi efly on the w orks

 90 G ERMAN LI T ERA T URE .

of L atin writers The miscellaneous writings of L uther M elane

.
,

thon and Zw ingle contain many notices of public events G E O R G E

, , .

S PALA TI N ( 1 4 8 2—1 5 4 5) wrote in L atin An nals of the R eformation ‘

.
’

J C H ANNE S SL E I D ANUS ( 1 5 0 6—1 5 5 6 ) wrote in the same language A ‘

C ommentary on the S tate of R eligion and Government in the

R eign of Charles V J O AC H I M CAM ER ARI U S ( 1 50 0 —1 5 4 7 ) wrote the
.
’

memoirs of his friend M e lanct h o n and a L ife o f the Elector ,

‘

M aurice of S axony A History of the C onfession of Augsburg

.
’ ‘

was written b y D AVI D C H I T R AE U S ( 1 5 3 0

T h e preced ing notices and extracts have S ho wn that fe w pro
d u ct i o ns of this perio d deserve a place in general o r elegant
literature Yet there were signs of progress even amid all the
.

unfavourab le circumstances of the L utheran e ra T h e hymns .

for pop ul ar use written by L uther and his friends were welcome
substitutes for the l o w satirical pieces of the fifteenth century ;
and the prose style of L uther s version of the B ible supplied 3
’
.

model to which writers ma y even now refer with pro fit .

FI FTH PERI OD .

1 624 —1 720 .

This period will probably di sappoint the expectation of the

reader T h e L utheran era with all its rudeness and acrimony ,
.
,

was a tim e of intellectual excitement which extended over a great ,

part o f the cont inent and in E ngland was soon followed by the
,

noble literature of the E lizabethan era B ut in G e Im any thi s .

excitement found expression chie fly in civi l and ecclesiastical

strife , and left fe w good impressions o n national literature T h e .

p oetry of the seventeenth century was t ame and imitative while ,

its prose writings display ed little of the vigour and originalit y

of L uther s style This declension may b e partl y explained b y
’
.

reference to t wo causes In the first place after the popular

.
,

e xcitement attending the R eformation had sub sided the clerg y ,

continued their controversies in numerous L atin works and pai d ,

no attention to the cul tivation of national literature O ther edu .

c at e d men , who had some acquaintance with classic literature ,

wished to cul tivate their native language F or this p urp ose the y .

formed li terary associations and in these societies man y poetical

‘
,
’

works were produced B ut as style was t h e chief obj ect regarded

.

by the writers of this period , t heir produ c tions in verse are gene
 92 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE
‘

t hough it was remark ab l y unproductive O ne l i t erary association

.

had 8 0 6 members ; and among these were one k ing t hree prince ,
-
e lectors , fort y - nine duk es fo ur ma rgraves ten landgra v es eight
, , ,

c ounts palatine nin eteen prin ces sixty earls and thirty -
, fi v e barons ,
, ,

b esides 600 inferior nobilit y and literati ; y et t h e sole result o f

all this formidable arra y was mediocrit y ! M an y ladies were
m embers of literary unions and although German y has never
,

b een very favourable t o the development of feminin e genius ,

s everal p oetesses obtain ed with ease a respectable share of con

v e nt i o nal approbation .There were some advantages in these

s ocieties ; for as the people would not read p oetry of the ne w

s tyle poetasters kin dly agreed to read for one another

, Thus , if .

M artin O pitz submitted to read patiently the odes of o ne of

‘ ’

h i s admirers , it was reasonably expected that the latter would not

refuse to read through D ap hn e ; an Arcad ian P astoral L yrical
‘
, ,

D rama , b y Martin O pitz The name of this writer wil l serv e

.
’

t o mark the character of his epoch M AR TI N O PIT Z ( 1 5 9 7 —1 6 3 9 )

.

was perhap s the only man who ever gained a lasting name b y
m ediocrit y . H is name will not b e entirely forgotten , for it serves
a necessary purpose . T h e literary historian must give some
a ccount of the poetry of the seventeenth century and he ca nnot ,

d o this more concisely than by say ing ‘

T his was the time when
,
“
O pitz was e steemed as the V irgil of The mediocrit y
o f this cold v e rsifie r was perfect in its kind A D utch landscape .
,

t h e neighb ourhood of B erlin or the road from B erlin to Hamburg

, ,

w ill hardl y supply an adequate symb ol of the flatness of O pit z .

H is verses are seldom b ad en ough t o raise a laugh and never ,

good enough t o excite admiration An un fortunate man con

.
,

d e mn e d t o read th rough the works of H ans S achs might have ,

s ome moments of amusement ; but to read through o n e volume

o f O pitz is a dreary task His life partly explains the celebrity

.

which he enj o y ed in his day A s he had no p oetical genius it

.
,

may be o b served in his favour , that we find no p oetical licenses

i n his conduct . To appear correct and a-la -mo d e was the sole
aim of his literary pursuits and his practical career H e travelled .

frequentl y, and found many friends and patrons ; for he was an

a ccomplished s y cophant At P aris he was received and admired
.

by many as the great German p oet who had redeemed his

‘

’
native country from the reproach of barbarism T his charac .

t e ri st i c P arisian eulogium on O pitz was pronounced b y literary

g entlemen who had not read one lin e of his poems and who ,

c ould not even spell one German word ! O pitz was engaged in
d iplomac y b ecame ac q uainted with man y prin ces and was
, ,

e levated to the rank of nobility O n one occasion he wa s em

.

lo y ed in a militar y expedition , when be di spla y ed pitia b le

p
 F I F T H PER I O D . 93

c o war d i c e ; but he c onsoled himself by re fle ct ing t h at in this ‘

r espect ’
a lso he was ‘
li k e his model -poet H orace ! In othe r ’

respects he had a happier fate than man y men of g enius , for h e

lived surrounded by contemporary fame , was an honoure d guest
in high cir0 1e S , and received with great enj o yment many panegy
ri cal addresses in verse and prose The poems which gained such
.

honours are really inferior to the averag e qualit y of verses fo un d

in the provincial newspapers of the present da y We ma y select .

a fair spe c imen fro m a piece writ t en t o c o mmen d medi ocrit y in

t h e follo wing st yle

C O NT E NT ME N T .

H appy the man , and trul y wise ,

Wh o careth n o t t o c limb at al l !
F o r he whose mind wou l d proud l y rise ,

Is most in danger o f a fall .

L et each his chosen maiden praise

T o P hy l lis I devote my lays .

Th e lofty turret in its pride ,

M ust meet the stroke o f thunder strong ,

A nd those wh o tra v e l far and wide ,

M ay lose their w ay and wander l o ng

,
.

L et each his chosen maiden praise

T o P hyllis I devote my lays
’
.

This notice of O pitz will fairl y explain the nature of that

fi ci al school of ve rsifi cat i o n of which he was the head master , and
we need not describ e the qualities of his numerous imitators A .

few writers of verse who displa y ed some in dependent genius and

taste may b e b riefl y mentioned S everal of these authors produced
.

h ymns for the services of the church , which are almost the o nl y
p oems of this period mar k ed by an y g enuin e thought and feeling .

P AUL F LEMMI N G ( 1 609 —1 64 0 ) is rememb ered as the writer of a

hym n which is still sung in many churches ANDREAS GR Y P HI US .

( 1 6 1 6 —1 664 ) displa y ed more poetical genius than an y other writer

o f the seventeenth century ; b ut his p oems , especiall y his Church
’
y ar d Thoughts are full of gloomy sentiments H e say s in .

o ne of his so nnets

S ince firs t I the sun s fair l i ght no day

saw
’
,

F o r me without some grief has passed away .

Happy the chi l d wh o from his mother s breast

,
’
,

Ear l y departs in P aradise t o rest !

,
’

T his gloom y tone appears t o have b een unaffected , and was t h e

result pro b abl y, of man y unhapp y circumstances in the life o f
,

G ryp hius .H is h ymns show t h e same characteristi c O ne o f .

94 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

them which 1 3 well known

, In the present da y , open s with the fol
lowin g verse .

The gl o ries o f this earthl y ball

In sm o ke and ash e s soon must fall .

Th e so l id rocks m u st m e l t away .

O ur treas u res and o u r p l e asures ,

M ust fade as d reams before the d ay .

’

A Jesuit named FR I EDR I C H S PEE ( 1 59 5—1 6 3 5) may b e mentioned

among the writers of acceptable hymns ; but especiall y on account
of his benevolent character H e wrote an e a1 ne st boo k to oppose
.

the dark and mu d s y stem of burn ing women for the supposed
’
‘
crime of witchcraft An ecclesiastical sup e ri o 1 once asked S pee
.
'

why his hair was so gra y when he was only fort y years old S pee
, .

replied It is because I have accompanied so many poor women

,

to the stake there to suffer for the crime called witchcraft of which
, ,

I never knew one of them to b e guilt y J O H AN N S C H E FF L ER ( 1 6 24 .

’

1 6 7 7 ) was a writer of some mystical hymns in accordance with

the doctrines of Jacob B ohme the theosophist which were spread
'

, ,

in S ch e fll e r s native country S ilesia P AU L GER HARD ( 1 60 6- 1 6 7 6 )

‘ ’
,
.

may b e esteemed as the best writer of hymns durin g this period .

While other writers imagin ed that all religious poetry must b e

dismal Gerhard understood that cheerfuln ess must accompany
,

goodness An un affected pious character appears in all his poems

. .

H is h ymn b eginn ing with the line C ommit thy cares to God is ,
’
,

still remembered and sung b y many congregations in England as

well as in Germany It is generally, b ut e i ro ne o usly, attrib uted
.

t o L uther .

Passing over many insignificant names we arrive almost at the ,

close of this century without a trace of poetical improvement .

C H RI S TI AN GR Y PHI US ( 1 6 4 9 the son o f Andreas wrote ,

several poems of little merit , in which he imitated the melanchol y

strain of thought which characterises his father s productions ; but , ’

l ik e all imitators , he was inferior to his model .

FR I EDRI C H CANI T z ( 1 6 54—1 6 9 9 ) copied the French style of B oi

leau in several satires His poems are cold and artifi cial but he
.
,

wrote neatly and politely and thus contributed some infl uence to
wards refinement of language J O H ANN B E S S ER ( 1 6 54 —
,

. 1 7 2 9 ) was a
v e rsifi e r of an order which an E nglish reader can hardl y understand .

H e was a laureate and master of ceremonies at a G erman

‘ ‘ ’ ’

court , and devoted to these o ffi ces the studies of his life His .

verses a1 e adulat 0 1 y and w0 1 t hl e ss but his name may have a place ,

here , as he fairly 1 e p1 e se nt e d the ch a1 act e 1 1 st 1 cs o f a tribe of small

laureates who cannot be part i culaI Iy noticed B EN J AMI N NE U
K I RC H ( 1 6 6 5—
.

1 7 29 ) c an b e mentioned onl y as one of man y in

 F I F T H PER I O D . 5

s tan c es of a c onsiderable cele b rit y gained by slight poetical

talents .

The preceding notices of poetical writers must appear remark

ab l y scant y , as man y names , such as D AC H , RI S T D I L H E R R , an d ,

N EUMAR K , have b een omitted These are hardly equivalent even t o

.

such obscure names as VVe l st e d West , H arte , Jago and L o v i bo nd ,

, ,

i n the E nglish literature of the eighteenth century C H R I S TI AN .

G UN T H ER ( 1 6 9 5— 1 7 23 ) ma y b e distinguished from many of t h e

rh ymers of this period by the natural and livel y character of som e
of his poems ; but he is remembered chiefl y on account of his un
happy life I n his y outh he wrote several coarse satires chiefl y
.
,

on the pedantic and mercenary studies of the age These satire s .

awakened the displeasure of his father , who refuse d to ack nowledge

such a scandalous writer as his son Gun ther having neither .
,

friends nor prospects in the world abandoned h imself to a career of

,

dissipation After an attempt at reformation , he was introduced as

.

a poet -laureate t o the court of S axon y where he made his appear ,

ance in a state of intoxication and seriousl y o ffended the king

,
At .

la st he repented sincerely of his fo lly , and wrote man y verses t o

his father , prayi ng for forgiveness I n these supplications he say s
.

he can have no hea 1t to reform his conduct until he is assured

o f paternal
’

p ardon and,
promises to make restitution to all who
have b een o fi e nd e d by his satires With this petition he v e n
.
’

t ure d to return t o his home ; b ut his fa t her drove him from the
door , and soon afterwards he died in miserable circumstances .

This b rief and sad b iography has c ontributed some interest to

’
G un ther s poems , and has been perhaps the chief cause of their
preservation .

The poetr y of this period may b e closed with a short notice of

B AR T H O LD B R O O K ES ( 1 6 8 0 —1 7 whose descriptive poems showe d
s ome real o b s ervation of nature , and served to introduce the poems

o f H aller and other writers of the eighteenth century B ro o kes .

appears t o have had a true unaffected deli ght in the b eauties of

,

nat ure , and conse quentl y his descriptive verses , though having no
great merit , are genuine A flower garden would supply him
.

with materials for the poetry of a lifetime A present of a rare .

tulip was sure to produce an ode or a sonnet H e seems t o have .

b een happ y in his mediocrit y, as he alway s wrote congratulatory

verses to himsel f on his b irthda y H is greatest merit consiste d
.

in his translations which introduced Thomson s S easons and ‘ ’ ’

P ope s E ssa y on M an to many German rea ders These and

’ ‘ ’
.

many other work s , introduced into Germany during t hi s century ,

d iffused a taste for the stud y of natural theology , and prepared
the minds o f man y t o receive the D e istic philosoph y o f Kant ,
_

M en d elssohn , and L e ssing , in t h e foll o wing perio d .

96 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

T HE DRAMA .

The literary aspect of this period does not improve when we

turn our attention to the drama ANDREAS GR Y PH I US wrote seve .

ral tragedies L eo Arme ni us

‘
, Papini an and Karl
’
‘ ’

S tuart which was foun ded on the fate of C harles I of E ngland

,
’
. .

These dramas have b een regarded as havin g some i mportance on ,

account of some improvements which the y introduced in plot and

c onstruction ; b ut the ir literary character is low, and the y are full
o f the gloom y sent i ments which have b een noticed in the occa

s i o nal poems of the same author Y et through all the disguise of .

false taste , we see in this writer some evidences of rude , undis

c ipl in e d power I n his Charles S tuart he introduces choruses ’
.

i n which R eligion and other p e rso nifi cat i o ns speak M an y of t h e

‘ ’
.

e xtravagant sentim ents put in to the mouths of these imaginary

characters are u nj ust and b etray the writer s ignorance of the stat e
,
’

o f parties in E ngland ; b ut some of the declamations emplo y ed

have force and point , as we fin d in the foll o win g passag e

Religi o n sp eak s .

Being S upreme 1 whose eye a ll soul s can see

Whose ser vice is pure se l f-denying l o v e ; ,

Wh y in this wor l d hast thou commanded me

'

T o stay ? R ecei v e m e in yo n rea l ms above

Wh y mid the sons o f M esech must I dwe ll ?
’

Al as that I in K e d ar s tents abide ’

Where e vi l-minded men woul d me compel

T o aid them and their traitorous schemes t o hide
,
.

Al as that e er from hea v en I hither came

.
’

M y robes are stained with earthl y spots my face

N 0 l onger with pure brightness shines my name
Is used fo r fal sehoo d co v ered with disgrace ,
.

it 66

O pen ye clou d s
,
recei v e me no w ye skies ,

I fl y from earth and l ea v e my robe behin d , ,

Which still may ser v e some traitors fo r d isgui se

Ti s but a shadow o f myse l f they ll find
’ ’
.

(Re l igi o nfi tcsf rom th e earth , a nd d rop s h er ro be .

)

F i rst Ze alo t S tay, fairest maid why hasten yo u away ?

.

S eco nd I ho l d yo u fast
. I l o v e your bright array
. .

T hi rd Nay she is gone

. Her empty robe yo u hold !
S eco nd W e l l this is mine
’
. It s worth can ne er be told !
’
.

F o u rth S ome portion o f it fairly mine I cal l

.

F i rst Your strife is vain fo r I must have it al l

.
.

F if th Th e robe is torn
. .

S i xth
. No par t o f it i s t hine !
Fo r i t is mine .
 F I F T H PERI O D . 97

S eventh . A nd mine
A nd mine
A nd mine
D AN I EL L O HENS T E I N ( 1 6 38—1 6 8 3) deserves a place in literar y
histor y onl y in c onnection with a warning on the tendenc y of a
,
’
b ad theatrical taste H is productions I b rahim B assa (pub lishe d
.
,

in Cleopatra and E pi ch aris are strang e signs of

’ ’ ’

the condition of pub li c taste during the times when the y wer e
applauded even by educated p eople The st yle of these trag edie s .

is extremel y b omb astic and the b arb arities which the y introduce d
,

on the stage are quite unfit for description I t is a curious fact .

,

that the writer of these b arb arous dramas was an educated man ,
and was re garded in private life as a correct and respectable charac
ter J O H ANN KLA Y C H R I S TI AN H O FF MANN J O H ANN H AL L M ANN
.
, , ,

and C H R I S TI AN WE I SE might b e describ ed as dramatic writers in

,

this period ; b ut their productions have no literary merits T h e .

favourite theatrical spectacles of these tim es were operas full o f

gaudy displa y and unreal characters Allegorical and religiou s .

’
pieces and so -called moralities were also exhib ited on the sta g e
, ,

in a very a b surd style T h e multitude of theatrical productio ns

.

d uring this time though quite unworth y of notice wi th regard t o

,

their literature are curious as instances of the degradation and

, ,

folly to which the stage may b e reduced A s the y contained neithe r .

poetical nor moral interest the y endeavoured to k eep awake public

,
’
attention by such curiosities as fire -work s cannonades regi ,
’
,
’
ments of soldiers in the c ostumes of various nations and capital ,

p un i shrne nt executed on the sta g e M ars V enus A pollo F ame .

, , , ,

P eace Vi rtue , V ice France S pain and Ital y were introduced as

, , , , ,
‘
dra matic characters In one piece Judas hangs himself on the
.

stage , while S atan sin gs an ari a In another opera Ne bu ch ad .

’

’
I n S emira
’
n e z z ar exhi b its himself dressed in eagles feathers .

mis the roses in the ro y al garden are metamorphosed into ladies

’
.

In Jason the ship Argo is raised into the heavens and changed
" ’
,

i nto a constell ation

’
E cho was a favourite theatrical character
. .

In one of L o h e nst e in s pieces the contin ent of A sia is introduced

‘ ’ ’

as a person deplorin g her calamities in the follo wing st le

y
A S IA , i n a fema l e d ress, i s bo und by th e V I C E s , a nd bro ugh t up on th e stage

W0 t o me A sia ! Wo,

O n the wor l d s stage I had the highest place ;

’

I once was crowned with every earthl y honour .

a as +4

L ightnings . destroy the V ices wh o thus bind me !

T hunders ! c rush down these monsters " .

It ma y safel y b e pre d ic t e d t hat dramat i c ent ert ainm ent s w ill

98 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

never fall b elow the tone of the German theatre in thi s time In .

’
P rince H e nry s words , it sounded the lowest b ase -string of Immi
‘

l it y
’
.

A slight comic piece by C hristian Weise , thou gh it contains

little wit and humour , g ives a fair caricature of the low dramatic
writers of his time

TH E C O M I C CAND I DAT E S .

R o be rt T his amusemen t
. is l ikely t o be attended wi th some vexa
t ion .I recommended t h e P rince at this time o f festiv ity t o am u se , ,

himsel f by laughing at some ru stic comedy as I thought that s o me ,

v i ll age schoo l master wou l d soon produce a piece ridicu l o u s enough

fo r o u r pu rpose But n o w so many can didates in dram ati c compo

.

s i t i o n appear that I kn ow n o t h o w we can p l ease a ll

,
Ho w e v er I .
,

m ay ca ll o v er their names and titl es and hear what they ha v e t o ,

say . Here S tephen the be ll ows-b l ower .

’

S tep he n Here I am sir. I b l ow the bell ows fo r the organist at

,
.

L e mm e rsw ald e .

S i gha rt W e ll , what is the subj ect o f your comedy ?

.

S tep he n It is a con v ersation bet w een the four winds,

. nor th south , ,

e ast and west contendi ng together about tearing the c l oak away fro m
,

a poor trave l ler A t the end o f the piece t h e sun appears and c o n
.
,

s o l es the poor ma n fo r the l oss Of his garment .

Curs i V ery we ll
. N o w M r V eit H abe rmu ss bal lad-sing er and
.
,
‘
,

news-reporter .
’

Ve i t Here I am sir
.
,
.

R o bert H o w ha v e yo u found l e isure t o write a comedy ?

.

Ve i t T o confess the truth sir we are n o w reprintin g news from

.
, ,

o l d papers I t ser v es v ery we ll fo r there is nothing n e w under the

.
,
‘

s un ?

R o be rt ha v e an easy trade
. You ?

Ve i t Yes ; but it re quires some tact

. I empl oy an experienced .

beggar, wh o begs his w ay e v ery year as far as V enice and br ings ,

back as m any wonderful tales and prodigies as wi ll feed o ur papers

fo r ten years .

R o be rt W e ll what is the theme Of your comedy ?

.
,

Ve i t S ir i t must n o t be regarded as a l igh t come d y

.
,
It is a piece .

o n the T reaty o f the T urks with the M usco v ites

’
.

C u rsi T h e next name o n the l ist o f candidates is that o f M r

.

G o at st ail bagpiper and birdcatcher at Pl um p e nau N o w,

’
.
,

M r G o at st ail what is your com edy ? ,

’
G o atsta i l S ir it is a music al Opera o f the E namoured P rin c ess
.
, ,

and con tain s se v en dramatis p e rso nm but I can perform the who l e
piece without any assistance excepting my b agpipe whi ch will take
, , ,

the par t o f the orchestra

O u rsi Th e nex t c andida t e is M r W eathercock be l l ri nge r a t
. ,

Ru mp e l s c hurch What is yo u r pl ay ? .
’

We a thercock S ir I have put into verse the tragical history o f a

.
,
 1 00 G ERMAN L IT ERA TURE .

A s M AR TIN O PIT Z has been described in unfavourabl e t erm s as

the model poetaster o f this time it is a pleasure to give to him the ,

credit that is due for his endeavours in prose and verse to culti , ,

vate his native language H e wrote in prose , a work on German .

,
‘

in which the laws o f poetic composition and the

’
P oetry
mechanism of v e rsifrcat i o n are explain ed A Pastoral T ale , .
‘ ’

which he pub lis hed in 1 6 3 0 , does not merit notice except on ao

c ount O f its style .

Instead of the direct satires and invectives of the sixteenth cen

tury satirical novels form prominent features in the prose literature
,

of this period H ANS MI C H AEL M O SC H E R O SC H ( 1 600 —1 6 69 ) wrote

.

a novel entitled The Wonderful and T rue History o f Philander o f

‘

S it t e wal d
’
The satire of this story is generally coarse and man y
.
,

of its attempts at humour are t edious This novel shows the p e .

d ant i c taste of the t ime when it was written ; for its pages are
crowded with L atin French , and Itali an quotations apparently
, ,

given for no purpose but to display the author s learning An other ’

.

satirical novelist S AMU EL G R E IF E N S O N wrote a tale of adventure

, ,

e ntitled S implicissimus
‘
which in some respects resembles
t h e story of Gil B las T hough rude and coarse in its style and
‘ ’
.

c onstruction it gives a varie d and vivi d picture of life in Germany

,

d urin g the T hirty Y ears War The hero is a character who un de r

’
.
,

t h e di sguise of a ffected ignorance and simp l icit y expresses hi s ,

s atire on the fashions of societ y and the vices of t he tim es espe

, ,

c i all the l icense and demoralisation of mi li tary men T h e follow

y .

ing passag e wil l give some notion of his humo ur

I M PL I C I S S I MU S B O A S T S O F H I S A N C E S T R Y
S .

T here is in o u r times ( which as some te ll u s are the l ast times “

, ,

a certain disease pre val ent among poor peopl e and these are its ,

symp toms : When the unhappy patients ha v e s c raped a fe w farthings

i nto their purses they attire them se lv es in a m ockery o f fashion

, ,

wear innumerab l e u se l ess sil k bands o n their dres s ape the manners ,

Of the aristocracy and begin t o t alk about their ance stry ; though
, ,

after a strict in v esti gation o f their l ineage we find amo ng t heir mal e ,

ancestors such heroes as chimney-sweepers ju ggl ers and ro pe-d an , ,

”
c ers and am ong t he l adies in their tab l es o f pe di gree charwo men
“
, , , ,

besom-binders and e v en witches I woul d n o t exac tl y imitate the

,
.

conduct n o r catch the disease o f the se peopl e ; ye t o n e must n o t be

, ,

al together o u t Of fa shion ; and t o confess the t rut h I hav e sometime s

, ,

suspected that I must hav e d e s c e d e d from the nobil ity be c ause I

p l ,

have such an innate prop ensity t o all kinds o f foppery and idl eness .

But putting all j okes asi d e my parentage will be fo und in se v eral

, ,
.

p oints l ike that o f the great est princes i f the reader wi ll be s o kind
, ,

a s t o o v er l ook all the points o f d i fference M y father s m ansion in .

’

S p es sart was b u il t by his o wn hands whi ch is more than c an be said ,

O f the palaces o f many princes In some d etail s o f architecture my

.
 F I F T H PER I O D . 1 01

father had a pe culiar taste F o r ins t ance b e decorated the ext erior
.
,

Of his buil ding with common pl aster and fo r the roo f ins te ad o f , ,

barren til es l ead o r copper he u sed a good thatch Of straw thus dis
, , , ,

p l aying his l o v e o f agricul ture I n a styl e worthy o f a des cendan t from

the first nob l eman wh o ti ll ed the groun d A dam A cc o rding t o the ,
.

same anti que taste the fence around o ur mansion was made n o t Of
, ,

stones which may be found e v erywhere n o r o f bricks m ade o f commo n

, ,

clay and baked I n a short time b

,
u t o f o ak -pal ings cut from a noble ,

tree which had re quired a h u n d re d years t o attain its full stature and
, ,

fo r some centuries had dropped its a corns t o feed swine and produce
fat hams and sa v oury sausages In t he painting o f the interior the .

same anti qu e taste was manifest as my father all owed his wall s to ,

become s l owl y darkened with the smoke from o u r wood fire T here .

was an aristocratic reason fo r this ; fo r i n the first p l ace this co l our , ,

o r shade re quires a long time t o produce it in its fu ll tone ; and when

this is gained it is certainl y o ne o f the most permanent sty l es o f

,

painting T h e tapestry o n o u r wall s w as a fabric Of the most de l icate

.

make fo r it was all t h e work o f that cunning artist A rachne ( the

,

spider) wh o contended even with Miner v a I n this department o f art

, .

O ur windows were all de d icated t o S t N o gl ass ; fo r as it takes a

longer time t o grow horn than t o make gl ass my father preferred ,

the former I har d l y need t o remind the reader that this preference
.

was in strict accor d ance with that refi ned aristocratic taste whic h
values t ri fl e s according t o the time an d troub l e re quired t o produ c e
them M y father kept n o t l ackeys page s and grooms but was a l ways
.
, , ,

surrounded by faithfu l and u se fu l d ependents su c h as sheep goats an d , , ,

s wine a ll d ressed 1 11 the ir natural and becoming suits o f l i v ery

, ”

In o u r armoury we had the weapons which my fathe r had O ften bo l dly

carried t o the fie l d ; mattocks hoes sho v e l s and hay-forks s u ch w e a , , , ,

pons as historians te ll us were emp l oyed e v en by the ancient Roman s

, ,

d uring times o f peace M y father was a great mil itary man and h ad
.
,

the command o f a regiment o f oxen He was noted fo r his ex c e ll en t .

science in fortification ( against his great enemy hu nger) whic h , ,

w as disp l ayed in his distribution o f the contents o f the farmyard o n

the l and Fo r gentee l exercise and amusement he liked wood-cutting
.
,

o r c l eaning o u t the sta ll s o f the catt l e A nd wi th these and simi l ar .

m easures he carried o n l ike a true nob l e m an a warfare against a ll

, ,

the worl d (a s far as he cou l d reach) and often retu rned gl oriou sl y ,

from the fie l d at the c l ose o f a campaign ( o r har v est) l aden with a

, ,

good booty I tell these things t o show that I can be I n fashion and
.
, ,

tal k l ike other peopl e when I l ike ; but I assure the reader that I am
n o t pu ffed u p and v ain o f my gl orious anc e stry ; and t o prove this I ,

n o w l ea v e a ll aristocratic pretension and condescend t o u se a c o m ,

m o n sty l e In p l ain words I was born in Spessart, and my father

.
,

was a poor farmer ’

.

L O H ENS T E IN the dramatist wrot e a long pedantic romance e u

t itled Arminius and Thusnelda
’
‘
which was praised extra
v aga nt l y in its da y , though we ma y doub t whether its admirers had
1 02 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

performed the task of reading it ; for it fill ed four quarto volumes .

It is noticed here as a fair specimen of several heroic romances

publis hed in this period and because it had some merit in its style
, .

C H R I S T I AN WE I S E ( 1 6 4 2—1 7 0 8 ) wrote in a very plain and unpre ,

tending style several tame romances of good moral tendency

, .

N o work O f fi ction produced such an excitement during these

t imes as the
‘
R obin son C rusoe of D AN I E L D E F O E which was ’

written in 1 7 1 9 and appeared in a Germ

,

,
an translation in 1 7 21 .

It was read in Germany with the greatest avidity and in the space ,

of ab out thirty years after its appearance more than forty imitati v e ,

novels appeared each bearing the sell ing word R obinson on its
,

title -page Am ong these imitations we find the G erman R ob i n

.
‘

son ,
’
the Italian R obin son the S ilesian R obinson t h e M oral
‘
,
’ ‘ ’
,
‘

R obin son the M edi cal R obinson the Invisible R obinson

‘ ’
,
‘
In ’
,
.
’

some novels a variet y was introduced b y chan gi ng old C rusoe into ,

a heroine ; for in stance under the title of the E uropean R obin,

‘

so ne t t a O ne of these i mitations written by an author named

.
’
,

S C H NA B EL b etween 1 7 3 1 and 1 7 4 3 was permanently successful and

, , , ,

under the title O f the Island of F elsenburg is read wi th pleasure

‘
,
’

in the present day .

T h e other prose writers of this time are not numerous enough

t o require classifi cation T hey wrote chiefl y either satires or
.

moral and religious discourses ;

J O H ANN RI EMER a preacher at Hamb urg and the friend o f B al
, ,

thasar S chupp pub l ished in 1 6 7 3 a prose satire on the poetasters

,

of his times It describes t heir characteristics so well that a fe w

.
,

sentences may b e given here T h e author in the following pas .

,

sage professes to give useful advice t o an incipient poetaster

,

named H ans Wurst

AD VI C E TO A P OE T A STE R .

L earning is quite u nnecessary in the trade intend t o foll ow yo u

but if yo u wis h t o read a fe w books a void all so -c all ed c l assi c ,

w riters and read the j est-b o oks o f M A R C O L P H C LA US N A RR an d

, , ,

E U LE N S P I E G E L T hese w ill teach yo u the wh ol e art o f poetry in a

.

fortnight i f yo u are n o t a hope l ess dunc e I will gi v e yo u a fe w use

, .

ful recei pts from whi ch yo u m ay concoct suc h things as congratul atory
v erses fo r weddings and other occasions without number But in d eed .

a littl e exerc ise in biting your pen and gaz ing u p at the ceiling wi ll , ,

gener all y produce all the ide as re quired in such o c casional p o ems .

T o at t ain facil i t y howe v er yo u must keep your wits in prac ti c e by

, ,

continually making v erses o n all kind s o f triv ial subje c ts ; fo r i n

”
stance a sonnet o n L isette s n e w stra w bonnet o r a canzonet o n
,
’
,
”
D uran d ul a s bodi c e C orde l ia s night c ap may suggest m ateria l s
’ ’
.

enough t o fi ll a l ong o d e A c quire the art o f producing rhymes fo r

.

the most uncouth words and if yo u are ob liged t o use nonsense ,

1 04 G ERM AN LIT ERA T URE .

N ot onl y C icero but all sensible men have agreed in saying that
,

H isto ria is M agistra S cho la q ue vi tae F or even the S tulti as wel l .

,

as the S ap ie ntes may pro fit by thi s stud y

, T h e latter may gain .

b y it ; for the y can never be so wise as not to b e able to become

wiser and especiall y a t ca ve ant a b art ificii s stu lto rum quae de teg i t
, ,

ap eri tqu e H isto ri a I t als o supplies practice for logic : e ersatur

.

e ni m ci rca d isti ng u e nd a ve ro si mi li a a e ero d issi mi li bus T hi s pas

’
.

sage almost equals the feat of Hudibras who coul d pronoun ce ,

‘

A leash of l anguages at once ’

.

In opposition t o such j argon , Balthasar S chupp wrote in a plain

and unaffected German style O ur second extract from his writ.

ings may serve to show that the popular ignorance of whi ch Fis
chart complain ed in 1 5 7 3 was still flourishing in the seventeenth
century
O N T H E U S E O F T H E G E RM A N LA N G U A G E .

‘
Foreign words ha v e n o w become so fashi onabl e that e v en o ur ,

peasants u nderstand many thi ngs better un der their L atin than
th eir T eutoni c titl es ; and if a writer woul d take the pains t o
transl ate all the L atin wor d s into G erman he woul d onl y m ake h is ,

styl e u nin telligib l e F o r instance if yo u mention the co mma nd a nt

.
,
”
at Rost o ck e v erybody understands your meaning ; but ask o u r pea
,
- ”
sants e 0 is the o be rge bi e t iger ( o v er r ul er) at Rostock and yo u
“ ?

wi ll get n o better answer than that whi ch o u r weak-mi nded schoo l

master gav e t o the insp ector s question Wh o w as the father o f
’

”
Shem Ham an d J aph e t the chi l dren o f N oah ? T h e pu zz l ed p e d a
, , , f

gogue went ho me and compl ain e d t o his wife that the in spector had
”
asked an unre as onab l e question D oes he suppose sai d h e that
.
“ “
, ,
”
I hav e spent ten years like himse l f at a u ni v ersity ? A nd coul d
”
o u n o t answer ? s aid his wife l au ghin g at him T hen te ll me
“
y , .

wh o is the father o f J oa chi m J ohn and P eter the sons Of o ur neigh

, , ,
” ”
bour L o x the m ill er ? “
L o x the mi ll er said the s cho o l master , .

S o the next day he agai n met the in sp e ctor w h o re p eated the ques ,

tion Wh o was the father o f S hem Ham and J ap h e t t h e c hil d re n

,
“
, , ,
”
o f N oah ? ” “
L o x t h e mill er said the poor schoo lm aster Y o u
, .

woul d n o t get a better an swer if yo u asked o u r p e asants Wh o is “

the o be rgebi e ti ge r a t Rosto ck

‘
But I assure yo u that o ur l anguag e does n o t re qui re fo r its beauty
an d impro v emen t any o f these for e ign importati o ns Wh y shoul d .

w e hav e t wo words t o d o the work whic h o n e can d o v ery we ll ? T o

all th o se wh o l o v e affectati o ns I woul d recommend the exa mpl e o f
,

an O ffi c ial gentl eman in Hesse wh o is generall y styl ed Fat L aw,

“

”
rence and wh o has shown that e v en o ur homel y mother-tongue can
,

be turned t o v ery poli te u ses fo r those wh o d o n o t l ike a p l ain way

o f speaking T hey te ll me that when he wants a knife he says t o
.
,
”
his bo y Page convey t o me the bread di vi d ing i nstrument
“
, ,
- At .

another time when he wishe d t o tell hi s wife that the c l ock had
,
 F IF TH PER IO D . 1 05

s truck nine and it was time fo r l adies t o go t o bed he pro v ed him

sel f a Hessian C icero by saying He l p o f my sou l —desire o f my
, ,
“

e yes l —
,

my s u perior se lf the metallic ho ll o w has resounded t o nine

i nfl i c t i o ns Rise therefore o n the co l umns intended t o s upport thy
, ,
”
b ody and repair t o the bed rep l ete with feathers !
,
A simil ar sty l e
m ay be found in a book l ate l y pub lished by a promising phil o l ogist ,

w h o says i n o ne p assage Th e v ariegated chil dren o f the atmosphere

,
” ”
begi n t o musi ciz e 1 T his simpl y means the birds begin t o sing
“
, .

O ur mother-tongue is injured by a ll such affectations E v ery l anguage .

has its pecul iar genius as o u r wise King Char l es knew when he said
,

that he wo ul d tal k i n French t o l adies in Ital ian o r Spanish t o kings

, ,

and wou l d reser v e G erman t o threaten his enemies H ow

e v er wisdom is n o t c onfined t o any l anguage ; and therefore I ask
, ,

why may I no t l earn in G erman h o w t o kno w l o v e and ser v e G o d

—that is theol ogy ? O r if I wish t o study medicine why may I n o t
, ,

learn h o w t o discern and cure diseases as we ll in G erman as in Greek

an d A rabic ? T h e French and the Ital ians em pl oy their nati v e l an
guages in teaching all the arts and sciences T here are many great .

c ardinal s and pre l ates in R ome wh o cannot S p eak L atin ; and wh

y
may n o t a man though ignorant o f L atin and G reek become a good
, ,

G erman preacher ? I kno w he may ; fo r when I studied at L eyden ,

a ne w preacher w as appointed t o the pul pit o f the L u theran con r e

g
g at i o n there He had been a painter and had no advantages o f
.
,

c l assical education ; so many o f the gentee l students o f l aw made

j ests o n this preacher because he v entured t o ascend the pul p it before
,

he had m astered L ati n Ho we v er he understood the S criptures

.
,

we ll and I was more e d ifi e d by his pl ain homi l ies than by th e

,

s ermons o f many learned and L atinised professors

’
.

ON P RO PH E T I C A L MAN A CS .

I kn ew a cav al ier ( a mil itary man) wh o had been persuaded by

‘

o n e o f these fabricators o f fal se prophe t ic al manacs that in t wo years ,

there woul d be a great battl e at Nuremberg and that he ( the ,

cav ali er) woul d dri v e the roya l forces from the fie l d T h e caval ier .

went with his troops t o a campaign and fi v e months afterward s I ,

heard the news o f his death but I ha v e n o t heard any news o f the
”
great battl e o f Nuremberg N o w Hans P u c k e l o f t hat p l ace is fre
.

quentl y here ( in Hamburg) and l odges at the White S wan L et any

, .

o e ask the l an d l ord o r the

n “
boots at tha t inn if Hans Pu ck e l has
e v er said anything abou t the d efeat o f the r o yal forces at Nuremberg ,
o r o f any battl e there Yet I know many persons hol ding respect
.
,

ab l e stations i n society wh o still bel ie v e that P ro vidence must regu

'
,

l ate the afl airs o f natio ns and in di vidual s according t o the pre

s umptuous s ayings o f the al manac -makers I n v ain hav e many o f .

o ur best di v ines protested against these v anities GE OR G E A L B R E C H T .

says o f the prognosticators T heir professed expl anations o f war s

“
, ,
pestil ences and other e vil s by the s upposed aspect and influence s
, ,

o f the p l anets are Opposed t o the doctrine o f the G ospe l ”

, L UT H E R .

says d istinctl y “ A strolo gy is no science fo r it h as neither well ~

, ,
1 06 G E RMAN L IT ERA TURE .

found ed prin cipl es n o r d emonstrations but i s a mere quackery , ,

- ”
d epen ding o n c hances fo r o cc asio nal good l uck T h e l ogic o f the .

astro l ogers is nothing more than this S uch an e v en t has happene d ,

twice o r thri c e and may possibl y happen again so w e will pre d ic t

, ,
”
it D R J A C O B A N D R E A S another go o d di vi ne in a sermon pr in t ed
in 1 5 78 thunders agains t the fal se prophe ts in these words z— Un
.
, ,
“
,
”
happil y he says there are many pe o pl e wh o ha v e more faith
, ,
“

i n the a l manac than i n the Bib l e With regard t o the changes o f

.

the seasons and the affairs o f human life they c o nstantl y refer no t ,

t o the S crip tures but t o the so -call ed prophetic c al en d ar and if

, ,

they find it right in o ne instan c e , they say o f course it wi ll be right

”
in another T h e onl y predi c tio n o f weather o n which a Christian
.

shoul d depend is that which was written by Moses ; B ut no w as ,

peopl e take the fal se prophecies o f vain men i nstead o f the S c ripture ,

we need no t wonder that w e hav e such strange weather— summe r

,
—
in winter and wi nter in summer as we see in these times ”
S u ch .

is the a dmonition o f this div ine and still the same ignorance and
,

fo ll y is pre val ent When we preach t o the peopl e and tell them
.
, ,

in l angu age like that o f J eremiah that unl ess they repent they ,

wi ll sure l y be punished wh o be l ie v es o ur message ?

,
H o w many
conv erts d o we make ? H o w fe w ! B ut when an astro l o ger pre
d i e t s that a great c al amity wil l happen o n a cer tain d ay what dismal ,

forebodings fi ll your minds ! H o w firml y yo u be l ie v e in the i d l e

wor d s o f an impostor ! T here was a notab l e exampl e o f this in the
year 1 63 8 when an astrol oger at V enice v entured t o pro phesy that
, ,

o n the 2 3 d day o f J ul y i n that year all the countries lying unde r

,

the sign o f L e o woul d be afi ic t e d with ear th quakes fl oo ds wondrous , ,

signs fl am ing comets and c o nfl a rati o ns What terrors seiz ed t h e

, ,
g .

minds o f the peo ple ! Many wh o were call ed C hristians l ooked fo r

ward t o the coming day with drea d and some o f the m woul d hav e ,

sol d their possessions and l eft the country bu t their pastors and ,

teachers with d ifli c ul t y restrained them I will giv e yo u an

other fac t A friend a respec tab l e di vine paid his add resses t o a
.
, ,

young lady ; but an astro l oger assured him t hat the unfortunate
maiden was d oomed by the stars t o m arry an o ld man and t o ha v e
’

n o fami ly Howe ver my frien d by the fav our o f Pro vidence fal
.
, , ,

sifi e d the predictio n v ery soon fo r befo re he was twenty-four year s

,

o l d he married the maiden, an d t h ey ha v e no w a famil y o f nine boy s

and girls ’
.

Th ese extracts from the dis c ursive and familiar writings of

,

S chupp are given not as specimens of any remarkable literary

,

skill but because they may convey some j ust ideas of t h e state
,

of literature and pop ul ar intelligence in his times F or the same .

reason we may notice here the l o w productions of AB RAH A M

A S ANC T A C L ARA ( 1 64 2 who was a monk and a popular
preacher in this period He wrote and published sermons full
.

o f pun s, j ok es , an d famili ar an e c dotes I f a modern rea d er can .

 1 08 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

I mean that course o f de v el opment in which o ne is unfol ded in bar

mony with a ll the others ( fo r instance a physical power in harmony ,

wi t h the mora l power o f conscience ) T his rul e o f unity in v ariety .

pro d uc es in human and al so in external nature that harmony and

, ,

o rder whi c h w e de light t o beho l d From this fair order beauty .

s prings and beauty awakens l o v e

,
T hus we find a c l ose conne ction .

between all the ideas which w e represent by such words as h ap “

”“ ”“ ” “ ” ” ” ”
p i n e ss j oy,
l o v e perfection
,
power freedom
,
harmony , , , ,
” ”
a nd
“
beauty as they all impl y that unity in v ariety which we
,
“

regard as the l aw o f nature N o w when the facul ties o f the hu man .

s ou l are de v e l oped in accordance with this l aw there is a fee l ing o f ,

c onsistency order free d om power and comp l etenes s whi ch p ro

, , , , ,

d uces an abi di ng happiness : this is distinct from all sensuou s

p l easures as it is constant d oes no t de c ei v e us and cannot produ c e
, , ,

future unhappiness as par t i al pl easures m ay : it may therefore be

,

termed a pure j o y It is al ways attended by an e nl ightened reason

.
,

a n d an imp u l se toward a ll goodn ess and v irtue S ensuous t ransi .

,

tory o r partial p l easures ( that is p l easures no t in accordance wi th

, ,

the who le o f o u r nature which is rationa l as we ll as physi c al ) may

,

e asi l y be mistaken fo r happiness ; but they may be c l ear l y distin

u i sh e d by this mark that whi l e they gratify the senses they d o

g , ,

n o t s atisfy reason A n u nwise indulgence in such p l easures may

.

introduce discord in o ur nature and thus produce many e vi l s , .

P l easure therefore must no t be regarded as an e nd but may be

, , ,

e mp l oyed as o n e o f the m e a ns o f happiness It shoul d be vi ewed .

a s a de l iciou s cate with a susp i c ion that it may contain something

,

poisonous I n short p l easures l ike o ur dai l y diet must be r e gu

.
, , ,

l ate d by reason But rational enjoyment arising o ut o f a general

.

harmonious we ll being o f o ur nature has in itse l f an e vidence that ,

i t is pure l y good and can produce no e v i l in the future

, Th e c hief .

means o f promoting such j o y must be the en lightenmen t o f reason ,

and the exercise o f the wi ll in a c ti ng in accordance with reason .

If external ad vantages and p l easures c oul d p roduce the happiness

I hav e described it woul d certainl y b e found in the possessi o n o f
,

grea t and rich men But C hrist himse l f has said it is v ery d ifli c u l t
.
‘

”
fo r rich men “
t o e nter the Kingdom o f Heav en o r in other , ,

words t o attain true happiness Having around them an abundance

,
.

o f sensuous l uxuries they are disposed t o seek satisfaction in j oy s

,

which must be transitory ; o r when they rise abo v e physical ,

pl easures they generall y depend o n an ambition t o gain honour and

,

a ppl ause B u t sickness and age wi ll sure l y take away all sensuous
.

d e lights,and misfortunes may ruin all the obj e c ts o f ambition T hus .

all external p l easures fai l and those wh o ha v e depended upon the m ,

find that they hav e been deceiv e d as they no w possess no permanen t ,

internal enj o yment

It is no t so with the j o y which springs fr o m internal harmony and
order an enlightened reason and a l o v e o f goodness T his harmony
,
.

i n o u r o wn nature prepares u s t o e njoy the genera l harmony an d

beauty o f t h e universe We explore the fountain, trace the course, .
 F I F TH PER I O D . 1 09

a nd see the end o f all creation We rise above earthl y cares and .

fears and l ook down as from a station amo ng the stars o n a ll mean
, , ,

p l easures A s we u nderstand the harmony o f that great system o f

.

nature in which we form parts we rejoice over a ll the goodness ,

manifested in the past cheerfu ll y anticipate the future and gl ad l y

, ,

take o u r part in promoting the uni v ersal we llbe i ng and bar

mo n
I ii s ch concord with oursel v es and with the uni v erse in whic h
u ,

we l i v e true happiness is found ; and therefore thou gh ( as I have

, ,

s aid
) rich and fa v oured indi v idua l s ge n era ll y fail t o attain it it is ,

s ti ll true that they ha v e the greatest powers fo r producing happin es s

no t on l y fo r themse lv es but fo r others T hey may c o —

,
Operate in the .

g e nera l design o f the uni v erse o n a l arge scal e O ne rich and power .

ful man may l i v e and act ( in contras t with l ess fav oured men) as i f
he had a thousand hands o r a thousand l i v es O ur onl y tru e and .

w orthy l ife m u s t be measured by the amount o f good which w e d o .

If o ne man in the course o f a short l ife does as muc h good as others

, ,

d o in a thousand years his l ife howe v er short is worth a thous and

, , ,

years o f ordinary activ ity

‘
Th e beauty o f the uni v erse ( thus regarded) is so great i t s c o n ,

t e mp l at i o n has such sweetness t h e l ight in the mind and the j o y in ,

the hear t awakened by it hav e such exce ll ence even in this l ife that , ,

those wh o ha v e tasted this tru e happiness will esteem it abo v e all

transitory de l ights A nd when w e remember that the sou l is i m
.

mortal and that all goo d ness i n this wor l d wi ll sure l y produce fruits
,

in the l ife t o come w e shall at once see that the happiness which
,

s prings from w is do m and goodness is indescribab l y great and gl o

rious ’
.

O ur notices have shown fe w marks of progress in the seven ~

t e e nt h century Yet the literary associations of this time ‘

.
,

t hough they produced no works of genius had some good in fluence ,

o n the cul tivation of the language The fi ct ions of t hi s time .

,

though rude in an artistic point of view were b etter than the per ,

sonal invectives of the preceding century T h e translations fro m .

E nglish writers supplied models of style which were emplo y e d

with advantage by German authors in the eighteenth centur y .

L astly the writin gs of L eibnitz threw some intellectual radiance

,

o ver his t irne s We no w proceed to the times of HALLER G E L

.
,

LER T KL O P sT O C K and L ESS IN G , in whi ch improvement will b e

, ,

more clearly visible .

S o me f rt h r n t i
u e o ce o f the p hil o so p hi cal wr t i in gs of L e ibnit z will be fo un d i n a
succ e e din g se t i o n n m
c o e t ap hy i s cal l i t e rat u re .
1 10 G ERMAN LIT ERAT URE .

SIXTH PERI OD .

1 720 —1 770 .

T his period was marked by improvement in prose as well as

poetry T h e E nglish essayists Addison S teele and others had
.
, , ,

supplied models of neat and clear prose which German author s ,

were glad to imitate Accordingly we fi nd an E nglish tone in the

.
,

essay s of GE LL ER T , GARVE and several other prose writers of the

,

eighteenth century who were distinguished rather by good j udg

,

ment than great abilities Another feature of their writings i s

.

their constant regard t o moral utilit y O n t his account the y have

.

b een exposed to the ridicule of some recent critics T here was a .

remarkable tendenc y in t h e earl ier part of this period to j udge

literature and philosophy by the standard of common sense and ,

even poetry was submitted to logical analy sis , and subordinated t o

moral purposes .

P O E TRY .

T he prevailing taste in poet ry during this time is displayed in

a work on the C ritical S tudy of P oetic Art which was produced
‘ ’
,

by J O H ANN JAC O B BR E I T I N G ER in 1 7 4 0 T his b ook is written in

.

a correct and sensible style ; but the author regarded poetry as

consisting chiefly in d e scription and maintained that it shoul d
,

b e limited to the inculcation of moral precepts C onsequently the .

fables o f Gellert and H age d o m were regarded as productions of

poetic genius though the y did not rise ab ove the mediocrity gene
,

rally found in such compositions B ut even these simple and un

.

pretending pieces of v e rsificat i o n were naturally received as sign s

of progress b eyond the meani ngless rhymes of O pitz and the
b ombast of L ohenstein .

A controversy regarding the nature of poetry was opened durin g

this period and may b e briefly noticed here , as it produced some
,

considerable results in the writings of L essing J O H ANN C HR I S .

T O PH G O TT S C H ED ( 1 7 0 0—1 7 6 6) was one of the heroes in this lite

rary warfare and became notable as a man of pedantic taste It
,
.

may b e said however i n his favour that he was reasonabl y

, , ,

o ffended b y the dramatic productions of his day, and zealously e n

d e av o ure d to reform the German stage H e wrote a paraphrase of
.

A ddison s C ato and several critical essay s which prove that h e

’ ‘ ’
, ,

knew little of poetry b ey ond its forms JAC O B B O DMER ( 1 69 8 .

1 12 G ERM AN L IT ERAT URE .

FR I EDR I C H G O TT L IE B KL O P S T O C K was b orn in 1 7 24 Though .

the enthusiasm which Once ranked hi m as an epic poet wi th , ,

H omer and M ilton has for ever passed awa y his name is still asso
, ,

c iat e d with pleasant recoll ections Ami d the cold and imitative .

v e rsi fi cat i o n of his times his poems appeared as the results o f true
,

i nspiration . The idea of his epic poem The M essiah was no ‘ ’

doubt derived from M ilton ; y et it was not a mechanical imitation ,

but a work of the heart as well as th e mind B ut Klopstock .

attempted to perform a task in whi ch Milton failed The simple .

realit y of the Gospel naIr at iv e is so complete in itself an d so ,

deepl y interesting that all additions of supernatural and myt h o l o

,

g i c al incidents can only d etract from its digni t y I t is a moral .

,

not an epic subj ect and the poet can add nothing t o its interest
,

and importan ce Klopstock must have felt the impropriety of inter

.

weavi ng such a hi story with poetical fi ct ions or he would not ha ve ,

resorted to the expedient of fil ling so many pages of hi s p oem

with conversations and descriptions Th ese interp olations mak e .

the work so te di ous t hat it may b e safely said fe w persons have

,

read through T h e M essiah

‘
.
’
Goethe s ays that one of hi s father s ’

friends read through the first ten cantos once in every year ;
‘ ’

b ut it may b e added that this a dmi rer of Klopstock read hardl y ‘

other author and consequently devoted to hi s annual task an

’
an
y ,

u nimpaired faculty of attention T hese first ten cantos are con .

si d e rabl
y superior to the remainder of the poem which appears to ,

have been in a great measure the result o f mechani cal labour .

The first three cantos appeared in 1 7 4 8 but the poem was not ,
’ ’
concluded until 1 7 7 3 Kl opstock s O des are sentimental but
.
‘
,

marked with sin cerit y and show the true characteristics of t h e

,

writer— piety friendship and gentleness

,
After a life of pros
,
.

p e ri t y cheered with the societ y of many genial friends he died at

, ,

Ham burg in 1 8 03 .

J O H ANN G L E I M ( 1 7 9 3—1 8 03) was rather remarkable as the friend

of Kl opstock than as a poet H e li ved a b achelor at Halberstadt .
, , ,

e nj o yin g a comfortable income and gatheri ng around him a numbe r ,

o f li terary friends who regarded hi m as a patron combinin g in hi m

,

self the qualities of Anacreon and Me caenas H i s performance s .

i n poetry were small

E W AL D KL E I S T ( 1 7 1 5—
.

1 7 59 ) who was patro nised by Gle im wrot e ,

a descriptive p oem on Spring whi ch soon b ecame popular though , ,

i t was o nl y o ne of several im itations of T homson s

’
S easons ’
.

JAC O RI S C H MID T G O T z and U z may b e menti oned as fair speci

, , , ,

mens of many v e rsifi e rs of thi s period who did not ri se above me

di o cri t y
. P oetry was regarded by Gleim and hi s associates as an
e xp ression of friendship an d other simple pleasures o f hum an life
,
.

C o nsequently the y addressed t o each other a great numb er of fami

 IX T H PER I O D 1 13
‘

S .

l iar lyrics and occasional verses and the y must not b e Condemned
for thus find ing i n the c ul tivation of moderate poetical talents a
s ource of innocent and social enj o ym ent : their error c onsisted in

pub lishing all their li ght , occasional verses in whi ch impartial ,

readers found monoton y and medi ocrit y T hi s remark ma y b e .

fairl y applied to a great number of the occasional poems pro

d u ce d during this period A s a favourable specimen of such pro
.

du ct i o ns, one of the shorter odes of Klopstoc k ma y b e given

here
E A R LY G R A VE S .

Welcome o h moon with silv er light

, , , ,

S il ent companion o f the night

Friend o f my l one l y me d itati o ns stay , ,

While c l ou d l ets deck thy face and pass away , .

S til l fairer than this summer night

Is young M ay-morning gl ad and bright , ,

W hen sparkl ing d e w-dro p s from his tresses fl o w,

And all the eastern hi ll s l ike roses gl ow .

D eparted friends dust is sleeping whose

N eath stones o e r which brown moss is creeping
’ ’

O ft I enjoyed in days gone by with yo u

, , ,

Night s so l emn cal m and morning s sparkli ng d e w

’ ’ ’
.
,

AN NA L U I SE K SC H 22—1 9 1 was a poetess whose verse

AR ( 1 7 7 ) s ,

derived their interest part ly from the circumstances of her life ,

which were very unfavourable She was b orn in povert y and had
.
,

no advantages of education ; but married unh appily , and lived in

destitution KARL R AML ER ( 1 7 2 5—1 7 9 8 ) was a follo wer of Kl op
.

stock , noted chiefly as havi ng introduced wi th some success the an

tique metres of Horace into German p oet ry C HR I S T O P H T I E D G E .

1 5 2 —1 84 1 was celeb rated in his day for hi s didactic poe m

( 7
’
)
U rania on the i mmortalit y of the so ul ; b ut Goethe laughed at
,

its formal and abstract style and it is now almost forgotten ,

.

C ASPAR L AVA T ER , who wrote some pious lyrics , was chiefly known
as an eccentric P ietist and a writer on physiognomy HE INR I C H .

J UN G ( 1 7 4 0—1 8 1 7 ) als o wrote verses but became celebrated b y t h e,

autobiography and sev eral religious tales which he wrote un der the
assumed name of S TIL L I N G M any other names of minor poets might
.

b e added ; but it woul d be diffi cul t to fin d partic ul ar marks o f

excellence in their writings Aft er all the rul es and critique s
.

which have b een written the estimation of poetry depends so much

,

up on national and individual tastes that we can o nl y explain o ur ,

j udgment of p oetical works by reference to some well -known

models . T hus if we regard as models of true poetry accordin g t o ,
’
the decision of E nglish taste , such productions as M ilton s C omus , ’
1 14 G E RMAN LIT ERA T URE .

’
G oldsmith s D eserted V ill age and Gray s E le gy we may fairly
‘ ’
,
’ ‘ ’
,

s tate that fe w spec i mens of German poetry can be cl assed with

t hese and similar E nglish poems .

P erhaps it may b e convenient to mention here t wo writers whose

p oems partl y b elo ng to our next period D AN I EL S C H U B AR T ( 1.7 3 9
1 7 9 1 ) is stil l rememb ered not for the value of his poems but
, ,

c hiefl y on account of the mise r y of his life H e was a school .

master and organ i st at Geisli ngen b ut lost his situation by reck ,

less conduct He then wandered about the co untry and gained a

.
,

subsistence as a teacher of music ; but while his o wn li fe was b adly

regulated he indulged his propensit y t o satirise the conduct of
,

o thers . In E ngland his satires would have excited li ttle attention ;

b ut in Germany the y were regarded as so dangerous that the des ,
~

potie D uke of Wiirt e mbe rg seized the miserable poet and impri ,

s o n e d him for ten years ! D uring this confinement his poems were
p ublished and derived in terest from the hard fate of their author
,
.

H i s satires are coarse and worthl ess ; but there is a pop ul ar force
i n some of his verses The following may serve as a specimen
.

VAULT O F T H E P R I N CE S
T HE .

And here they l ie — these ashes o f proud prin c es ,

O nce cl ad in proud array .

Here l ie their bones i n the me l anchol y gl immer

O f the pal e d ying day .

A nd their o ld coffins from the v aul t are gl eaming

L ike rotten timbe r side by side , ,

And silv er famil y sh iel d s are faintl y beaming

T heir l as t displ ay o f pride

H ere v ani ty rec l ining o n a bier

, ,

L ooks o u t from holl o w sockets sti l l ,

Q uenched are the fiery ball s that from these skul ls

C oul d l ook and ki ll .

Here m arb l e angel s weep beside their urns ,

C ol d tears o f stone fo r aye

Th e Ital ian scul ptor (smi l i ng a ll the whi le )
C ar v ed o u t their fal se array .

T h e mighty hand is but a moul dering bone

T hat once he l d l ife and death
S ee that frail breast-bone, heav ing once s o high
Brigh t stars and gol d beneath
Oh wake th em n o t but l et them soundl y sl eep
, ,

F o r crue l was their re ign

B ut s c are yo n rav ens l est their croakings wake
Wu tli e mch t o l ife again
'

.
116 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

S chil ler C HR I S TI AN F EL IX WE I SSE ( 1 7 2 6

. prompted by t h e
encouragement of L essin g wrot e several comedies and imitations
,

of English pieces in such a free and careless style that the old ,

critic Gottsched was enraged by finding all his pedantic maxims

thus contemned H e even wrote t o the civi l authorities of
.

D resden telling them that the public taste was in danger and re
, ,

questing them to prohibit the performance of these new-fashione d

dramas F or O nce Gottsched and B odm er a greed in their opi
.

nions for the latter also protested again st the dramas of Weisse .

T h e comedies which thus excited the in dignation of critics of the

old school were remarkable o nl y as S igns of progress toward a .

natural and lively st yle of writing The t ra gedi es of the sam e .

writer har dl y rose ab ove the commonplace style whi ch had b een
fashionable The same remark may b e applied t o the trag ed y
.

’
of C o drus written b y F R I EDR I C H CR O NE G X in 1 7 57
,
.

We now turn from the productions of inferior min ds and find a ,

preparation for a new era in literature in the writings of G O TT H O L D

E PH RAI M L ESS IN G ( 1 7 2 9 —1 7 who was equally emin ent as a dra
mat ist and a critic German literature as we have seen had lon g
.
, ,

required the servi ces of an accomplished and severe critic and in ,

L essing it found one who would spare neither friends nor foes in
his endeavours to maintain a standard of literary excellence H is .

life was characterised b y remarkable activit y H e lived at variou s .

times in B erlin L eipsic B reslau Hamb urg and W olfenbuttel and

, , , , ,

was engaged not o nl y in producing original works but al so in cri ,

t i ci sing can di dly and fearlessl y the writings of his contemporaries

, ,
.

The num erous obj ect s upon which his attention was divided pre
vented him from bringin g to perfection any one great work worth y
of his abili ties B ut his acute philosophical and severe criticism
.
, ,

was probabl y of more importance than any origin al work H e .

ab ly exposed the pedantry of Gottsched the failure of Klopstoc k ,

as an epic poet the false i mitations of the ancient classics which

,

had b een fashionable the unp oetic fables of Gellert and others
, ,

an d the falsit y of that st yle of descriptive poetry which had at

tempted t o do wi th the pen the work of the painter This last .

error was ful l y criticised in his L aokoon which appeared in 1 7 6 6

‘ ’
,
.

H is L iterary L etters ( 1 7 5 9 —1 7 6 5) produced go od effects H e

‘ ’
.

maintained a high standard of p oetry demandi ng creative imagina ,

t ion from all who would claim the poet s title H is style produced ’
.

a reformation in Ge rm an prose o nl y second t o that effected b y

L U T H ER The fe w lyrical pieces which he wrote in y outh are of
.

no importance ; it was in the drama that his services were most

remarkable H is S ara S ampson was an attempt t o produce o n
.
‘ ’

the G erm an stage a piece in the English taste ; but his traged y
‘
M inna v o n Barnh elm was far superior Its subj ect was national,
’
.
 S IX T H PERI O D . 1 17

’
from the history of the S even Y ears War, and its success
t aken
’
was complete Another traged y E milie G al o tt i presented a
‘

wonder t o the public —a la co nic German drama B ut , late in life

.
, ,

.
,

L essing app e ared to have partly forgotten hi s own good rul es of

dramatic writing when he produced a didactic drama entitled
,

Nathan t h e Wise ; for in this work the action is suspended for

’

the sake o f the d octrine of universal religious t oleration which

Nathan inculcates This drama , however, has b een admired b y
.

man y chiefl y on account of its didactic purport , and it certainl y

,

c ontains some p owe rful and excellent writing I t also reminds us .

of a very imp ortant change in the tone of German li terat ure fro m
the national and C hristian character which we fin d in Klopstock ,

t o t h e cosmop olitan character which prevail s in the writings of

Goethe S chil ler and other modern p oets L essing s writing s pro
, ,
.
’

duce d in a great measure this transition .

MI SCELLANE O US PR O SE .

The prose writers of this peri od were not numerous and distin ct
enough t o adm it accurate classifi cation N eatness and propriet y of .

style were studied , b ut were not attended by an y strik i ng di sp la y

o f origin al ge ni us .

The writing s of C H R I S TIAN WO L F ( 1 67 9 —1 7 59 ) repre s e nt the st at e

of philosoph y in Germany in the earlier part of the eighte enth
century A t this t me li bert y of thought was not tolerated in
.

P russia whi ch was governed b y Frederic k -William a semi -b ar

, ,

b arian despot Wolf, whose ponderous Sy stem of P hilosoph y

.
‘ ’

was little more than a collection of metaphysical de finitions wi thout

true unity and originali t y , was accused of holdi ng heterodox views ,
and expell ed from his professorship at H alle in the most coutu
me li o us style . Frederic k treated with contempt all speculation s
which rose ab ove the common necessities of life H e esteemed t h e .

‘ ’
R eady R eck oner as the masterpie ce of science and maintaine d ,

that all philosoph y shoul d b e devoted to solve the problem how t o

make a groat serve i nstead of a shil ling In this sort of p hi losophy .

the king was an adept We cann ot guess t o what pun ishment he

.

woul d have sentenced such a writer as Immanuel Kant M an y .

who have ridiculed the pedantry of Wolf s philosophical writings , ’

have not fairly considered the unfavourab le circumstances of the

t imes in whi ch he li ved H e wrote a treatise on the L aw o f
.
‘

Nature and Nations .

’

C O UN T ZINZEND O R F ( 1 7 00—1 7 60 ) may b e noticed here as t he

representative of a class of writers whose work s are remarkab l e
rather for their religious tendencies than t heir literar y merits
Z inzend orf was a b ishop of the U nit e d B rethren—a sec t o f P ietists
.
1 18 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

who established themselves at Herrnhut S ome of the tea chers of .

this societ y visited E ngland and their doctrines were received by

,

the celebrated J O H N WE S L E Y wh o disseminated them with such

,

zeal and activit y that they are now spread over a considerable pa rt
O f the world This fact affords an instance of great r
. esults pro
d uce d b y o b scure means for the P ietistic writin gs which had such ,

important relations to societ y never acquired any di stinguished

,

position in general literature Y et their extensive i nfl uence ma y

.

be easily explained T hey appealed t o the hearts of the people

.
,

i n a style which had been long neglected b y the established

c hurches i n Germany and E ngland I n the fourteenth century ,
.

while the greatest scholars in the R omish church were engaged in

writing on abstruse metaphysical questions a sect called M ystics ,

arose who S implifi ed doctrin es and promul gated a religion founded

, ,

on the affections The doctrines of the P ietists substantially

.

agree with those of other P rotestant sect s and must not b e con ,

founded with the views of the My stics ; yet it is true that a con
n e ct i o n may b e traced b etween Johann T a ul er , in the fo urt eenth ,
and C ount Z inzendorf in the eighteenth century .

T h e writ ings of B ufi o n and other naturalists directed the minds

of several German authors of this period to the study of natural
theology AL B REC H T H AL L ER who has b een noticed as a didactic
.
,

poet may als o be mentioned as the writer of several essays on the

,

physical sciences , especially b otan y and medicin e T h e foll owing .

’
passage is extracted from Haller s preface to a translation of
B utfo n s Natural H istory ( 1 7 50)
‘ ’

H YP O T H E S I S AN D I ND U CT I O N .

Fashi on pre v ails i n the Opinions as well as the costumes o f man

k in d and e v en nations l ike indi vidual s fo ll ow customs o f thinking
, , , ,

fo r which they can gi v e n o good reasons S uc h modes o f tho ught .

are changeab l e be cause they hav e n o real groun d i n natu re P e r

,
.

m an e nc e is the singular char acteristic o f truth A bout t wo hu n d red .

y e ars h av e passed away since hypotheses o r im ag inati v e exp l ana ,

tions o f nature were the favourite oc cupations o f l earned m e n

,
.

D escartes in v ented a mechanism o f the uni v erse a cribing t o i n ,

s

visib l e atoms such figures and mo tions as suited hi s arbitrary pl an ,

and Europe hail ed the theory as a pr oof o f the highes t phil os o phi ca l
g enius M e n began t o tal k confidentl y o f imaginary e l ements

v ortices an d sp iral s —
.

” “
and regarded it as a triumph o f s ci e n c e
wh en some small par t o f nature could be probab l y expl ained by the
method o f D escartes .

But the disputes o f hypothetical thin kers soon exposed the fal
l a cies o f their systems A mere fashi on o f thinking c ou l d no t l as t
.

l ong T heir i nventions were l ike fal se imitations o f the precio u s

.

metal, which have the glitt er, but no t t h e density and d urabil rt y, o f
1 20 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

facts, is the present fashion which I count among th e numerous

,

instances o f want o f moderation T his mode o f s tudy I be l ie v e

.
, ,

wil l be as inj u rious as the o l d method o f resting in hypotheses If .

we mus t lim it o ur science so c l ose l y ; if we must mere l y percei v e

phenomena and despair o f finding their internal nature ; if we sup
,

pose that tru th l ies I n an abyss far beyond all o ur researches — what
wil l be the conse quence ? N atura l s c ience w ill b e regarded as a
barren region and as we shall ha v e n o hope o f findin g in it t h e
,

weal th o r the beauty whi ch we desire, we Shall refuse t o culti

vate it ’
.

G O TT L IE B R AR E R ER ( 1 7 1 4—1 77 1 ) was a very mil d satirist , who

d eclared , with perfect truth , that his writ in gs had never inj ured the
c haracter of any individual They were not l ik ely to do it , for the y
.

w ere never personal ; and the y were hardly able to do it as they are ,

very tame H is satire was di rected again st conventional foibles

. .

In one i nstance he had at least a good obj ect in view, whi ch was t o ,

e xpose the tedious and digressive style of some German historical

b ooks To do this he gives a revi e w of an imaginary volumin ous

.
,

hi story of an obscure haml et called Q u e rl e qu it sch The supposed

—
.

author ( a kindred sp irit wi th the P P Parish C lerk , described

. .

by P ope ) b egins his b ook with this sentence : If we carry b ac k

'

o ur researches to the b eginn ing of the world we shall find that ,

i t was at first inhabited b y only one married couple named re ,

sp e ct iv e ly A dam and E ve H e then goes on with insuffera b le

’
.
,

tediousness through the history of the C haldeans the As syrians

, , ,

the Egyptians , the Jews , the Greek s , and the R omans , not for
g ettin g the L ongo b ards (b ut here he run s into a long digression
o n the question whether the name of thi s people was derived

from their long ‘

and at last he piously expresses hi s
thankfuln ess that he has found his wa y b ack to his subj ect , the
O b scure hamlet of Q u e rl e qu it sch .

G O E T HE in his recollections of the literature of this time gives

, ,

a pleasing and very favourab le character of Rabe n e r, which is

c onfirmed by som e traits in the writin gs of the latter Whi le .

he was engaged in an o ffi ce under government , hi s house was

b urned do wn in the siege of D resden in 1 7 6 0 H e di splay ed .

some good -humour and equanimi t y by writing the follo win g

a c count of his losses
TO A F R I E ND .

D R E S D E N, A ug ust 1 2, 1 7 6 0 .

‘
I fear that yo u are beginn ing t o imagine that e v en my esteem fo r
y o u must ha v e been consumed i n the c o nfl a rat i o n as I ha v e de
g ,

l ayed so long t o wri te and make yo u ac quainted with all my mis

,

fortunes But be as sured that e v en i n the midst o f my cal amities,

.
,

I hav e fo und consol ation I n knowing that o u r friendship remain s .

 S IX T H PER I O D . 1 21

We have interchanged many

pl e asant and j ocose letters and no w
[
,

I must write o n e o n a gl oomy subj ect the S iege ] yet I hav e d eter
min ed that i t shall no t be v ery me l anchol y T o te ll th e simp l e truth .

-without c l aiming any cre d i t as a stoic o r a phil osopher— I ha v e

e ndured my share o f cal amity ha v e seen my ho u se burned t o the ,

g round ha v e heard
,
the news o f the destruction o f a l l my property ,

a nd ha v e n o t shed a tear Hea v en enab l ed me thus t o bear my

.

troub l e with tran quil l ity

‘
O n the 1 9 th o f last month the c o nflagrat i o n began M y h ouse .

was in great danger o n the 1 4 th and at eight o c l ock in the morning

’
,

a grenade fell in the c h amber o f my ser v ant ; but we contri v ed t o

q uench the fi re which it soon kin dl ed I then packed up all my pro .

perty and deposited it in the ce ll ar and another part o f the ho u se

,

which I considered to l erab l y safe AS t h e danger increase d I left .

,

my hou se in the care o f my ser vant ( as he was quite wil ling t o re

m ain there) and paid a visit t o my friend D
,
at N e u st ad t .

But here I di d n o t escape from the bombar d ment T h e next d ay .

t wo twe lv e -pound b al l s passed through o n e o f the rooms in my

friend s house In the midst o f the danger w e had some comic
’
.

s ituations A grenade destroyed a ll my wigs which I had carefully

.
,

brought with me I had just receiv ed the news o f this disaster

.
,

when a goo d we ll-meaning l ady the widow o f a c l ergym an came

, , ,

t o me an d reminded me that I mus t bear all incon v enience patientl y ,

“
because o ur good Ki ng Frederick had a rel igious motive in thu s
”
bombar di ng o ur town .

“ -
Th e remark was no doubt well intended but S O miserab l y ill ,

timed jus t at the moment when my wi gs with a ll the apparatus

, ,

b e l onging t o them were burning ! What wou l d the good moti v es

,

O f the king o f P ru ssia d o fo r my peruke ! Howe v er with t wo good ,

friends I retired t o a quiet apartment and we endeav oured t o S pend ,

the time as p l easantl y as was possib l e In the afternoon o f the .

1 9 th the church the town-hall and my dwe lli ng were wrapt in

, , , ,

fl am es I went t o the front o f the G o v ern ment House and there

.
,

looked o n the desol ation which was spreading A fter a short time .
,

my ser vant came and informed me that my house was burned down ,

that part o f my property had been destroyed by bombshe ll s and ,

that the remain ing portion ( in the ce ll ar) had been p lundered by
the sol diers wh o had been sen t t o quench the fire S ad news ! A ll
my property furni ture clothin g books manuscripts—all the p l e a
.

, , , , ,

sant l etters from yourse l f and o ther friends which I had preserved so
c areful l y—all destroyed ! O f property worth as I counted it some , ,

three thousand doll ars scarcel y the v al ue o f ten d oll ars remainin g !
,

M y wardrobe is thus suddenl y reduced t o an o ld stuff frock and

a n obso l ete peruke ( which I had put o n when I went t o quench the

fire in my servant s room) — i t e m a bedgown ! All my witty manu

’
,

s crip ts which as I Once expected wou l d make such a sensation

after my de c ease —al l turned t o smoke R eall y I ha v e no w ( as an
, , ,

a uthor n o motive fo r dying and S hall therefore live as long and as

) ,

well as I can ! ’
1 22 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

C H RI S TI AN GE LL ER T ( 1 7 1 5—1 7 6 9 ) enj oyed in his day a gr e at

share of public esteem on account of his didactic writings A fter .

being educated in theology he was professor of philosophy at ,

L eipsic where he read lectures on poetry rhetoric and ethics

, , , ,

to large and admiring audiences He wrote moral essays and .

sketches of character in a pleasing style but without any remark ,

able originalit y We may o b serv e here that Gelle rt and several

.

other prose writers o f this period are perfectly free from the
mysticism found in later German authors Gellert also wrote .

many fables in verse His personal character must have con

.

tributed a considerable share to his wide reputation for he was ,

honoured b y all classes while living and his death was generally ,

deplored The following is a specimen of his plain and sobe r

.

style
I D LE R TH E .

‘
Erast whose n atural disposition is quiet and retiring li v es fo r
, ,

himse l f and m an ages his property economicall y so as t o be al ways

, ,

free from anxiety He has n o famil y n o hou sehol d cares and as

.
, ,

he does n o t l ike troub l e it is o nl y fair t o ad d that he giv es troub l e

,

t o nobody F o r ten ye ars he has l iv ed in su c h a unifo rm sty l e tha t

.
,

yo u can har d l y distinguish o n e d ay o f his e x istence fro m anothe r .

He rises pu nctuall y at eight o c l o c k Breakfast a news paper an d ’

.
, ,

gazing o u t o f his window ser v e as pastimes u ntil ten o c l ock remind s

,
’

him that he mu st attend t o business T his howe v er is soon d one .

, , ,

fo r it co n sists in mere l y entering an account o f yester d ay s expens e s ’

i n his d ay-book T hen wri t ing a l etter if po l iten e ss d em ands i t

.
, ,

skimming o v er the p ages o f a n e w no v el just sent from the l ibrary ,

and perhaps a tune o n the harpsichor d furnish all the empl oymen t ,

re quired t o fi ll the inter v al between business and dressing fo r dinner .

He dines comfortab l y and enjoys a gl ass o r t wo o f go o d wine bu t

, ,

i t is ten years sinc e he indul ged beyond moderation A fter d inner .

,

bill iar d s cl aim o n e ho u r and a visit either paid o r recei v e d o c c upi e s

, , ,

anothe r T hen comes the aft ernoon nap o n the couch by whi ch he i s
.
,

suffi cien t l y refreshed t o endure o ne hour s l ight read ing beside the ’

c o ffee tab l e A constitutional wal k n o w e mpl oys his facul ties if the
.
,

sky is quite fa v o u rabl e T his p l easantly intro d uces s upper and thi s
.
,

again prepares him fo r bed t o which he retires e v ery e v ening at ,

t e n o c l ock precise l y N o wonder tha t E rast h as a good ch aracte r

’
.

fo r quietness and sobriety ! S omething more may be a d d ed t o the

credit-si d e o f his account He is a perfectl y harm l ess nei ghbo u r
.
,

wh o n e v er giv es himse l f the troub l e t o S l ander anybody He pays .

h i s d ebts and l i v es indeed as we ll as any man can l i v e mer e l y fo r

, , ,

h imse l f . But is this c on v enient mode o f l ife attended with true

i nternal contentment ? C an Erast be l ie v e that he was sent into t h e
worl d t o l iv e thus ? What i n the wor l d is he with all hi s vir tues , ,

m ore than a neat piece o f use l ess furniture ? When he re fl e c ts

and he c an hardl y a v oid the troub l e o f re fl ection n o w and th e n )
( ,
1 24 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

mt ri e s
c or and all ag es ; and a vast p ortion of this b ook worl d may
b e said to b elong rather to the literature for studies , muse ums and ,

l ib raries , than to the literature of l ife Through a long period .

,

Germany was noted for that corruption of learning or general intel ,

lectual c ul ture , that arb itrary and b arren separation of thought

from real l ife , whi ch is styled p ed antry It is therefore a remark
.

a ble and a hopeful sign of modern days which we fin d in the

Greci an enthusiasm manifested in the work s of Muller, J aco b s ,

a nd other writers ; an d we may even hope that the Germans will

proceed b ey ond disquisitions on the excellence of Grecian lite

rature and art , to genial imitation , or rather emulation Wh atever .

s uc c ess ma y attend their progress in this direction , it will b e re

memb ered that Winkelmann p o inted out the wa y The following .

p as s age s ma y at least i ndicate the tone of his writings

G RE C I A N AR T .

‘
The study o f G recian art is as rich and various as that o f G recian
l iterature fo r i n the forms which the ancient G reeks gav e t o their
marb l es w e find the same p liabil ity and variety o f genius which is
,

m anifested in their literature When we in quire regarding the

.

c auses which contributed t o produce the exce ll ence o f G recian

w orks o f art we shall e asil y find se v era l ; but the fo ll owing may b e
,

e s t eemed as t h e mos t important — ( )

l T h e in fl uence o f a fine c l i
m ate ; the mode o f go v ernment an d , the conn ection o f art
,

with pub l ic festi val s and re l igious c e 1 e m o ni e s .

‘
In the first p l ace we must asmibe some part o f the cheerful
,

d e v e l opment o f l ife an d genius among the G reeks t o the infl uence

o f a beautiful clime . G reece appears t o hav e been a l and e l ecte d
by Heav en fo r the unfo l ding o f beauty : its geographi ca l situation
a n d its temperature were fa v ourab l e t o this purpose T hou gh it .

d i d n o t enj oy a perpetual S pring ( fo r we read that snow fe ll so

thickl y in Sparta once o n the e v e o f an insurrection that the peopl e
, ,

c o ul d n o t lea v e their houses) yet its genera l character was fa v our

,

a b l e t o the life in the open air and the pub l ic games and festi
,

v a l s in which the peop l e de l ighted . N ext t o the infl uence

o f c l imate we must consider as anoth er cause ( but stil l united with
, ,

the former) the cheerful and bene v olent d isposition o f the peopl e
,
.

O f this history supp l ies many proo fs O ne poet te ll s u s that the

.

s ym pathetic d i sposition o f the A thenians was noted O utcasts and .

refu gees
t,
from other countries found in A thens an asy l um as we ,

m ay o bse rv e e v en in the earl y times o f the war between the A rgi ves
a nd the T hebans . T h e j oyo u s A thenian sp i1 i t pro d u ced theatric al
a n d other amusements
“
t o preser v e li fe from the in fl uence o f d ul
,
”
n ess and me l ancho l y , as P eric l es says O f the bene vo l ent sp i 1 i t o f
.

the A thenians we find a striking proof when we contrast their pub l ic

ames with the sanguinary spe c tac l es o f gl adiat o rs and wil d beasts
g
fi ghting togethe r i n th e amp hitheatres o f Rom e T h e Gre cians in
.
,
 S I XT H PER I O D . 1 25

t heir best days turned away with horror from such exhibitions
,

o f crue l ty When in the times o f the e mperors a gl adiatorial

.
, ,

spectac l e was appointed t o be gi v en at C orinth the G reeks sai d , ,

We must throw down o ur al tars sacred t o pi t y before we can find

”
a musement in such a spectac l e B ut under the in fl uence o f R ome,
.

this S pirit o f humanity was debased, and at last a fight o f gl adiators

was presented at A thens .

T h e free go v ernment o f A thens was the nurse o f genius and art .

E v en in the o l d times o f the kings before the G reeks aspired t o se l f

,

go v ernment we may be l ieve that a considerab l e degree o f freedo m

,

was enj oyed under monarchy Homer indicates the mi l d and p a .

tern a l rul e o f A gamemnon by sty l ing him the shepherd o f the

“

”
peop l e . T hou gh tyrants arose in some states the who l e He ll enic ,

n ation was ne v er under the sway o f any o ne despot U ntil the c o n .

q u est o f the is l and o f Naxos by the A thenians, n o city was subj ect t o
another—each enj oyed its o wn institutions T h e A thenians were .

j ealous o f e v erything like a monopo l ising o f greatness and honour .

T heir institutions encouraged a ll t o stri v e toward that nobi l ity whic h

g enius ,
wisdom and v,
i rtue cou l d c l aim ; and their works o f art

were the resu l ts o f the same free S pirit o f emulation A statue .

m ight be erected in o n e o f their pub l ic p l aces t o commemorate the

beauty the swift ness o r the physical strength o f any indiv idual
, , ,

though he had arisen from the lowest rank P arents might erect .

s tatues o f their chi l dren in the temp l es : o f this we find an instance

in the mother o f Agathoc l es T h e honour o f a statue in A thens was

.
,

i ndeed al most as common as a mere titl e o r a badge such as a cross

, ,

t o be worn o n the breast in o u r o wn times ,

When the poet P indar .

a ll uded t o the renown o f the A thenians tho u gh i t was o n l y in a fe w

,

wor d s in o n e o f his odes the men o f A thens did n o t express their

,

pleasure and gratitude in mere words according t o o u r modern ,

s tyl e but erected a noble statue o f the poet in front o f the temple
,

o f M ars

T h e ear l iest G reeks esteemed e v ery beautifu l development o f the

powers o f human natu re l ong before they d isco v ered the val ue o f
eru d ition o r the cul ti vation o f the abstract inte ll ect ; and accord
, ,

i ngl y the most ancient scul ptures were produced in honour o f phy
,

s i c al o r ath l etic qu alities T hus we read an account o f a statue o f

.

Eu t e lid e s a S partan wrestler which was erected at E l is in the 38 t h

, , ,

O lympiad and probab l y this was n o t the first statue made fo r such a
,

purpo se In the inferior pub l ic games as at M egara a stone in

.
, ,

s cribed with the vi ctor s name was used instead o f a statue

’
G reat .

was the honou r o f success in these pub lic ath l etic exercises fo r the
e ar l ier G reeks had n o tho u ght o f that negl ect and degradation o f t h e

physical powers which be l ongs t o modern times Bo d il y excell ence .

,

a s we l l as inte l lectual power often gained fo r its possessor the

,
”
honour which art could bestow and e v en the appe ll ation di vine , .

M en o f genius endea v oured t o win the pal m in athl eti c exercises .

T hus C hrysippus and C l eanthes were we ll known as v i ctoriou s ath

letes be fore th ey b e came renowne d as philosophers Th e p rofound .
 1 26 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

an d e l o qu ent P l ato appeared among the wrestl ers in the I sthmi arz
games at C orinth and al so i n the Pythian games at S icyon E ve n
, .

the m e d itativ e Pythagor as gained a priz e at E l is and gav e instru o ,

tio ns fo r athl etic training t o Eurym e ne s wh o afterward s gained a ,

prize at the same pl ace .

‘
Th e st atue o f a v ic t or erected in some s acr e d o r p u b l i c p l a c e
, ,

and a d mired by the who l e n ation w as a powerfu l stimul us t o t h e ,

ambition o f the athl ete and the sculptor S o great was the hono u r .

o f an O lympian vi ctor that his na t i v e city w as regarded as par

,

t i c ip at in g in h is renown : he w as suppor t ed by the p u bli c an d ,

w hen he die d re c ei v ed the homage o f the peop l e i n a pub li c

,

burial E u t h ym u s o f L ocri in Ital y wh o h ad with onl y o n e , ,

exception b e e n regul arl y the v ictor at Eli s was no t o nl y honoure d

, ,

w i t h a statue but by the command o f an orac l e e v en during t h e

, , ,

l i fetime o f the v ictor homage was paid t o the statue , Th e

moral virtues howe v er were no t forgotten in the mi d st o f this
, ,

enthusiastic admiration o f physical power an d beauty S tatues were .

erected t o preser v e the memory o f worthy citiz ens D ionysius tell s .

u s o f the statue o f a good citi z en at C uma in Ital y which w as ,

thrown d own and otherwise di shono ured by the tyrant A ristodemu s .

T h e way t o honour w as open t o a ll wh o possessed superio r

powers o f mind o r body T h e phi lo sopher o r the wisest man in a
to wn was honoured as we n o w esteem the ri c hes t man—the mill i o n
.
,

a i re . A nd v arious facul ties o f a superior order migh t be h armo

n i o u sl y de v e l oped by o n e indi vidua l fo r the restriction o f t h e mind
t o o n e pro vince o r department o f intell ect o r art which we find so ,

commonl y among modern painters and mu sicians was no t thou gh t ,

necessary by the G reeks A scu lptor might be a m ora l phil osopher

.
,

o r l ike other citizens might rise t o command the arm y o f a state

, , .

T hus i n l ater times the E mperor M arcus A ure l ius acknowl e d ges
, ,

that he recei v ed some l essons in moral phi l osophy from D i o gne t u s

the painter O ne great conse quence o f the general appreciatio n
o f beauty among the G reeks w as that the artist w as n o t condemned ,

t o work t o gratify the pride , v anity o r caprice o f any o ne nob l e ,

patron ; but was supported and encouraged in the e fforts o f geniu s

by the general v oice o f the peop l e A nd this peop l e was no t a rude .
,

u ntau ght democracy but was under the direction o f the wises t
,

m inds Th e honours which were awarded by pub l ic assemblies t o

.

competitors in art were generall y fairl y and inte ll igentl y d istributed ;

In the time o f Phidias th ere was at C orin th as al so at D e lphos a
, , ,

pub l ic exhibition o f paintings o v er which the most competent ju d ge s ,

presided Here Panae nu s the re l ativ e o f Phid ias contended fo r a

.
, ,

priz e with Tim ago ras o f C halcis when the latter pro v ed v ictorious ,
.

Before such comp etent a djudicators Ae t i o n produced his painting o f

”
Al exander s M arriage with Roxane and Pro x e ni d e s the judg e
’
, ,

wh o pronounced the decision was so we l l p l eased with the work , ,

that he gav e his dau ghter t o be m arried t o the painter Uni v ersa l .

fame di d n o t u nfair l y pre v ail o v er rising merit A t S am o s i n the .

,

painting o f the Weapons o f A chi ll es, the renowned Parrh asi us

”
1 28 G ERMAN L IT ERA TU RE .

must employ t o produce their distinc t e ffects P oetry narrate s .

e v ents in a successi v e order : painting describes c o -exist e nt Obj ects .

T h e former ( in its primiti v e state wh en it was reci t e d no t written) , ,

empl oyed tones Of the v oice whic h passed away i n succession : the ,

latter used permanent marks and co l ours P ainti ng imitates sta~ .

t i o nary bodies and hues : poetry d escribes mo v ements o r e v ents .

O bj ects exist in space and time Any moment may produce a .

change in them But e v ery momentary transition is the e ffect Of a

.

pre vi ous condition and m ay al so be the cause o f another effect

, .

C onse quentl y paintin g may i nd i ca te actions T O d o this the painter .

, ,

whose picture is t o be l imited by o ne moment o f time must choos e ,

that point Of an action which is most fruitful in suggestions o f a pre

ceding action and a conse quent resul t In this way painting may be .

said t o te ll a story and thus t o resemb l e poetry A nd o n the othe r

, .
,

side as the actions narrated in poetry are dependent o n bodies t h e

, ,

poet mus t touch o n the province o f the painter when he mention s

these bodies and app l ies t o them descripti v e epithets But still it is
, .

c l ear l y unartistic when the poet attempts t o d o that which cou l d b e

far more e ffectuall y done by the painter T hough the provinces O f .

these t wo artists meet they must n o t be confounded P oetry mus t

, .

k eep in view its o wn pecul iar nature ; an d in order t o in d icate the ,

nature o f Objects without impeding action by d e scription mus t ,

emp l oy brief and graphic epithets .

‘
I S houl d have no firm faith in this theory if I di d n o t find i t ,

fu ll y confirmed by the practice Of Homer But whoe v er wi ll study .

the subj ect wil l find h o w faithful the great epi c poet was t o h i s
— ,

obj ect n arration W e shall find in the I liad the best il l ustration s
.
”

o f the distinction which I ha v e exp l ained and whi c h is so Often ,

overlooked by modern v e rsifi e rs wh o attempt t o d o the work o f t h e ,

brush with a pen Homer re l ates progressive e v ents describing

.
,

obj ects here and there as they were imp l icated in e v ents ; and this
, ,

he does genera ll y in the sh o rtest way by the u se o f singl e epithets

, , , .

F o r instance a ship in Homer s styl e i s genera lly mentioned as the “

’
, , ,
” ”
b l ack ship o r the holl ow ship o r e v en in his ampl er sty l e as , , ,
“
the we ll-rowed b l ack ship O f the ship as a stationary obj ect he
s ays no more ; whil e Of an a cti o n c o nnected with a ship such as ,

rowing e mbaI k i ng o r l anding he giv es yo u an account so full that

, b , , ,

if a p ai nt e i wo uld p ortray the whol e o f it he must di vide it into fi v e ,

o r six pictures When Homer thinks it proper t o giv e consi derab l e

.

at t ention t o an Obj ect he contri v es with true taste t o un ite de scrip

, , ,

tion and action We have an exampl e o f this proc e ss in the ac c ount

.

giv en Of J un o s chariot T h e p oet introduces u s t o t he maki ng o f

’
.

that vehicl e : we see the wheel s the ax l e t h e pol e trac es and , , , ,

reins in the p1 o ce ss o f being arranged t o ge t h e i by the goddess

,

Heb e When the poet woul d gi v e u s a notion o f the d ress o f Aga

.

memnon he makes the king c l o the himse l f putting o n o n e garment

, ,

aft er another ; and when he is in full array he grasps his s c eptre ,

.

H ow is this sceptre describ e d ? D oes Homer try t o p ai n t i n words , ,

its golden studs and carved head ? N0 ; but he gives the history o f
 S IX T H PERIO D . 1 29

the sceptre and tells us h o w it c ame from the workshop Of Vulcan

, ,

h o w it was honoured in the grasp o f J o v e and then h o w i t was ,

passed by M ercury and P elops, into the hand o f the peaceable King
,

A treus .
’

Am on g the fe w writers who meddled with political topics in this

p eriod , KARL V O N M SER ( O 1 7 23 —1 7 9 8 ) ma y b e noticed H e wrot e .

i n a free and patriotic spirit b ut in a provincial and inelegant st yle , .

KAR L F R I EDR I C H , Grand -D uke of B aden ( 1 7 2 8—1 8 1 may b e men

t i o ne d here , b ecaus e the slight spec i men which we have of hi s l ite
rary abili t y display s in a very amiable l ight , his character as a rul er
, .

Thi s is an A d d ress t o his subj ects , which he circ ul ated among

‘

the people O f B aden in 1 7 8 3 — a document full of j ust and no b le

sentiments , and which ma y still b e seen suspended in a frame o n ,

the walls of many vill age t averns in B aden where the memory o f ,
’
‘
the good duk e is still cherished The sentiments of piety j us .
,

tice and k in dness contained in this address were not mere senti
,

ments Karl Friedrich relieved his people from the b urthen o f

.

p u b li c de b t ,
ab olished the feudal s y stem of b onda g e and the des
p oti e mode of trial by torture protected the po or , and advance d ,

education H ere we ma y notice as a li terary man who was re

.
,

garded also as a public b enefactor J O H ANN B USC H ( 1 7 2 8 , a

teacher of mathematics at H amb urg In this place he introduce d .

fire -in surance (which H amburg has , since then , so remarka b l y

required) private hosp itals and great improvements in the super
, ,

vision of the p oor H e was a man O f a practical and utili tari an

.

character and wrote some works on the in terests of t rade and t he

,

circul ation O f mone y HE L F R I C H ST U R z ( 1 7 3 6 —1 7 7 9 ) was a p oliti

.

cian and a moralist Af t er visiting the E nglish co urt in an em

.
,

b ass y, he wrote in L ondon a v e i y favourable description of t h e

character of Georg e III H is other writing s S how some g ood .

taste and humour .

J O H ANN ZI MME RMANN ( 1 7 2 8 the court ph y sician in H a

nover was an eccentric man who wrote a me dit at iv e b oo k on S oli
, ,
’
tude whi ch gained an extensive popularit y and was translated int o
, ,

several languag es S AL O M O N GE S SNER ( 1 7 30—1 7 8 6 ) might have

.

b een named in the C uriosities of L iterature

‘
for, with S light
t alent he gained a E uropean cele b rit y
, His D eath of Ab el ,
‘
.
’

a feeble imitation O f Klopstock s manner, may still b e foun d in ’

some old -fashioned E nglish b ook -cases I t ma y b e added , as .

’
s omething t o Gessner s credit , that he knew more of l andscape
pain tin g than of p oetry The following ext rac t is t ak en fro m
.

’
o ne O f Gessner s essay s
M Y WI SH .

‘
If Heaven would fulfil the wish so long cherished in my heart I ,

woul d escape into the country, far away from the snares and t he
13 0 G E R M AN L IT ERA TURE .

artificial fashions Of town s Y o u sho ul d find me hidd e n from the.

w o r l d and c o ntented in a l ittl e cottage embowered among haz e l s

, ,

and other tre e s with a tre ll ised vi ne in the front and a co o l spring
, ,

b u bb l ing near my d oor O n the l ittl e grass-pl o t my d o ves wo u l d

.

Oft e n alight and p l ease me with their gra c eful mo v ements o r re ce iv e ,

fro m my hand the crumbs l eft at my tab l e T here C hanti c l e e r t o o .

sho ul d proudl y strut at the head o f his famil y And in a she l te r e d .

c o rner I wou l d ha v e my hi v es o f bees that the sweetness Of my ,

fl o wers m ight be treas ured u p an d that I might h e often remind e d ,

th at e ven in sol itu d e I must be industriou s Behind the cottage yo u .

shoul d find my garden fo r fruit and fl owers surrounded with a hedge ,

o f haze l s and with a bower at ea ch corner

,
Here I wo u l d em pl o y .

a rt n o t t o cut nature into grotes que forms but gentl y t o c o -

,
operate ,

w ith her workings and t o unfo l d her beauty

, Here woul d be my .

p l ace in p l easant weather where I coul d enjoy al ternate l y exer c ise

,

and meditation T hen imagine a l ittl e green pasture near the garde n
.
,

an d a g ent l e ri ll fl owing beside my p l antation and sprea d

n at o ne ,

poin t in its course into a miniature l ake hav ing an isl and and a ,

p l e asant bower in the midd l e ; and ad d t o this rural in v entory a

littl e vineyar d and o ne l ittl e fie l d o f ye ll ow corn ; and then wha t
,

k ing wo u l d be richer than I ? But e v en in the country I mu s t

hav e a care o f my n eighbo u rs Far from my dwe ll ing be the .

c o u ntry- h ouse o f the tal kativ e D orant e s ! If nea r he woul d s u rel y ,

c o me e v ery morning t o te ll me th at France was ( o r was no t) abou t

“

t o pro cl aim w ar o r woul d describe at full l ength all th at M r M O p s

wo u ld d o if he was the king o f E ngl and then he woul d stay s o me
t i mes t o dine with me and w oul d spoi l my dishes by ta l king o f all
,
”
the corruptions Of all the courts o f G ermany A nd at an e qual di s .

tance woul d I dwell from O rontes w h o has chosen a country-house ,

c hie fl y be c ause i t has a good wine - ce ll ar where he stores his choices t ,

b eauties Of nature — M osell e Hock and C hampagne O rontes admires

, , .

the country because it abounds with game T h e air is de l ightful fo r .

,

d e l i c ate tit-bits fl y about in i t : the woo d s are sub l ime fo r they har ,

bour fine pheasants ; an d the riv ers are beautiful if they conta i n ,

t rout . O ront e s d oes n o t retire t o his c ountry -seat t o enjoy so l i tu d

a n d me d itation A day w ithout company wou l d be fo r him a pen
.

a nc e . He l o v es t o see the fe w congenia l guests wh o come fre quentl y

t o praise and drink his win e s and con v erse o n l o w t o pi c s , In
preference t o having a seat at his tab l e I woul d walk beside the ,

p l o u ghman o r l isten t o the reapers e v eni ng so ng ; o r v isit the grape

,
’

atherers an d see them bri nging home the ripe c l u s t ers with singing ;
g ,
”
o r I wo u l d t ake a par t in the m erry making at har v est home and
- -
,

hear hones t Hans te lling his o l d story h o w he once went o n a l o ng

“

j ourney into S wabia and saw pri vate houses larger than the vill age
,
”
c hu r c h and a carriage with gl ass windows drawn by six hor s es
,
.

I n rainy o r wintry weather I would dwe l l in my stu d y n o t i n s o l i ,

t u de but in the be st so ciety surrounded by the great sp iri t s wh o

, ,

hav e l eft their wis d om i n books Here I woul d l earn the l ore o f .

many nati ons, would read o f t h e wonders o f na t ure in distan t lands,

1 82 G ERMAN L IT ERA TUR E .

there might be an annual physiogn omical A u to d a F e I onc e

l i ved i n a house Where o n e o f the Windows l ooked into a dark l ane ,

r unning from o n e pub l ic stree t t o another Here I notic ed that .

passengers o n ste ppin g o u t o f the pub l ic street into the dusky li ttl e
,

thoro ughfare sud d enl y change d their exp ressions o f countenance

, .

T h e m an w h o had worn a gay smi l e in the s treet woul d l ook gra v e

as he entered the l ane an d vi ce ve rsta a sol emn tradesman wou l d
,
‘

i n d ul ge in a s l y smi l e as if he had just made some cunning bargain

, .

Here was a puz z l e fo r L av ater Wo ul d he trust the street face o r

.

t h e l ane face ? T here are some sign s quite as good as any mark s
i n the face ; fo r instance I wou l d n o t trust a man wh o attempts t o
,

confirm his assertions by l aying his right hand o v er his heart .

T h ere are m any peop l e wh o wou l d be perfectl y happy if they wo u l d

bestow as l ittl e thought o n the duties and the fail ings o f oth er peop l e
as they d o upon their o wn We often ascribe o ur knowl edge t o
wrong causes : when w e k no w that a man is b l in d we may imagine ,

that we disco v er it e v en when we walk behi nd h im A n hour

gl ass is a good monitor remindin g u s at once o f the flight o f time
, ,

and o f the dust into which we must fall ’

.

B O O KS .

T here is a c l ass o f books ( Of which we hav e great numbers in

G ermany) which possess an in sidious and gradua l se p o ri fi c tendency .

A t first s ight they may n o t appear absol ute l y unreadab l e ; no r hav e

,

they that s u dden and irresistib l e power o f i nducing s l eep which i s

found in some l iterary m o rph i at e s ; but if yo u persist in rea di ng
them they sl owl y but sure l y produce that heav iness which is fe l t in
, , ,

v ery sul try weather and in the dull ca lm preceding a thunder-storm

, .

T his du lness is e v identl y contagious fo r after readin g a book o f thi s

, ,

c l ass if yo u attempt t o write yo u will find your o wn sty l e drowsy ; o r

, ,

if yo u read a good author e v en his pages wil l seem sl eepy In such

, .

a c ase I hav e generall y found it e xpe di ent t o take a strong c u p o f

coffee o r perhap s a pip e o f tobacco
,
H O W sound is the ju d gment
.

o f the pub l ic when w e ha v e written a successful b o o k ! When w e ha v e

fai l ed what does the pub l ic know o f l iterary matters ?

,
Many rea d ,

mere ly t o a v oid the troub l e o f thinking If any o n e woul d be

con vinced o f the infl uence o f l ittl e external things l et him endeav our ,

t o write a series o f fine sentiments in a fl uent styl e with a spirtin g

, ,

pen o r o ne that scratches the paper It wi ll certainl y be a fail ure

,
. .
’

C H R I S TI AN GARVE ( 1 7 4 2—1 7 9 8) was a man Of amiable character ,

remarkable for the patience with whi ch he endured a long and

most painful affliction and also for the grace and clearness Of styl e
,

found in his essays E ven Goethe perhaps learned somethin g

.

from his style whi ch he compared with a clear refreshing stream

,
‘
.
’

Garve translated C icero s O ffice s and wrote a pleasant essay on

’
,
’

‘
T h e S cenery O f M ountain ous C o un tries From another o f h is .
’

essays we extract the following short argum ent

 S IX T H PER I O D . 1 33

B E L IE F A S UP R E ME I N T E LL I G E N C E
IN .

‘
Th e greates t encouragement to inte l lectual progress arises from
o ur be l ief in o n e s u preme fountain o f Wisdom toward which we may ,

continuall y ad vance whil e as we re v erentl y approach that source o f

, ,

m ental l ight the obs curities hangi ng about o u r present defecti v e

,

vision wil l graduall y pass away Without such a faith I must look
.
,

u pon the wor l d from a me l ancholy point o f v iew I beho l d aroun d

.

me a vast univ erse crowded with innum erab l e Obj ects Of interest all ,

possessing powers and qual ities o f whi ch myse l f and my fe ll ow-crea

t ures can on l y understand a minute part Is there no t a S upreme
.

M ind which c omprehends the who l e more perfectl y than we under

stand e v en the mi n utest portion o f it If I doubt this h o w hope l ess ,

must appear my e fforts toward in te l l ectu al satisfaction ! F o r h o w

can I in my short l ife hope t o gain by the sl ow process o f e xp e ri
, , ,

mental I n qui ry a k nowl edge Of this vast worl d around me o r t o an

, ,

swer the deepes t questions whi ch my o wn rational nature su ggests ?

If myse l f and other fin ite creatures like myse l f are the onl y i n
, ,

t e ll e c t u al be i ngs h o w littl e can w e e v er know o f oursel v es and o f

,

the universe !
Is it n o t more cheering t o believe that the rays o f light in o ur o wn
mi n d s all descend from o n e central S un, than t o imagine that o ur
fini te minds are the onl y il lumin ed spots amid a wide creation l eft in
darkness ? T hought o r intelli gence is the light the sun o f the uni
, , ,

v erse But when we are tol d that thi s l ight o f inte ll ect exists onl y
.

in a fe w fini t e creature s u pon this earth what a gl oomy suggestion

,

is presented t o o ur minds ! We must n o w l ook o n the infinitely

greater part o f creation as destined t o remai n in darkn ess — ne v er to
be understood ! W e see the wor l d al mos t entire l y buried in night ,

though here an d there a littl e space is feeb l y i ll umined by a small

lamp which burns o nl y long enough t o communi cate its gl immer to
,

another l amp o f a simil ar small capacity If this picture o f the .

wor l d were tr ue what prop ortion wou l d there b e b etween the

,

massiv e and innumerab l e Objects o f material nature and the fe w ,

inte ll ectua l beings call ed mankind ? In such a cas e h o w coul d we

reas onab l y hope fo r the vi ctory o f the inte ll ectual o v er the mate
rial worl d ? L et u s turn o ur view o n the other side L et us be l ie v e .

in o ne supreme and omniscient M ind surveyi ng and comprehen di ng

the who l e o f nature L et u s beli e v e that as o ur feeb l e corporeal
.
,

frames are surrounded and supported by a vast material worl d so ,

o u r fi nite minds are under the sway Of an infinite Inte ll ectual P ower .

W e shal l n o w see a just proportion between mind and matter T h e .

wor l d no w becomes a nob l e Obj ect o f unceasin g study T h e attain .

ment Of truth appears at l east possib l e ; and there will n o w b e fai th

and hope in o ur endeav ours t o promote the dominion o f the intell ect
o v er the material world ’
.

ISAAC ISEL I N , the author of a H istory Of M ankin d , d eser ves

‘ ’

to b e numb ered among the writers of clear and go o d prose during

“
1 34 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

this period H is b ook merits more commendation t han can b e

.

given to some recent works of greater pretension on the same

s ubj ect In the following fe w sentences he gives an exp lanation
.

of the rapid d e cay o f prosperit y in ancient Greece and R ome

‘

T he short duration o f t h e fl ourishi ng peri o d s o f G recian an d

Ro m an history d eser v es particul ar attention H o w shal l we e x .

pl ain the fact that the grea t vir tues which e x cited a d mirati o n in the
,

na t ions o f anti qu ity speedil y decaye d and l eft behind them fe w goo d
, ,

resul ts O r h o w coul d the nation s which had b een e l e vated by

those virtues fall so rapi d ly and so deepl y in pol itical and mora l
d egradation ? I bel ie v e that the true reason Of their fall m ay be
fo und in the fact that their v irtues were i n a great measure arbi
,

t rary and con v entional rather than uni v ersa l and permanent
, Pa .

t ri o t i c and enthusiastic im p u l ses endeav oured i n v ain t o s upp l y t h e

w ant o f enl ightened reason and nob l e prin c ipl es o f hum anity Uni .

v ersal justice se l dom gui d ed the conduct o f the hero e s Of anti quity .

T hey knew l itt l e o f the nob l e d esire t o e x tend happiness t o the

greatest possib l e number o f m ankind o r o f the princip l e o f respec t
d u e t o all human bei ngs without regard t o nationa l pe cul iarities an d
prejudices .
’

DR J O H ANN J AO O R MAS OO U wrote a History of the German ‘

Nation to the Close O f the M erovingi an Dyn ast y which was ,

’

{published in 1 7 5 7
JU S T US M OS ER ( 1 7 2 0—1 7 9 4 ) wrote sh Oi t essays and tales de v oted
t o utili tarian purposes He was a decided enemy of all the
.

French fashi ons which were gain ing groun d in his time hated the ,

p hrase d -la -mo d e and recommended all Ol d German virtues T h e

,
.

outlin e O f one of his stories will give the purport O f all hi s writ
ings S elinde the heroine was an industrious German maiden
.
, , ,

educated in the ancient homely fashion Her evenin gs were .

passed in t h e spinnin g-room where all her father s famil y and ,

’

s er v ants were assembled and constant occupation left no room

,

for such a word as e nnui B ut a y oung neighbour Arist who .

, ,

pays his addresses to S elin de is an adm irer O f refin ement and ,

fashion and loves t o indulge in ridicule against the antiquated

,

spinnin g -room He marries S elin de and improves her taste

.
,
.

T h e y oung couple bec o me very fashionable neglect the concerns ,

of their household and endeavour t o amuse themselves wi th

,

meaningless t rifle s B ut time passes now more tediously than in

.

the spinning -room Arist sees that his wife i s unh appy though
.
,

S h e wil l not confess it At last he confesses that there is more

.

happiness in useful occupation than in frivolity S elinde hears .

this confession with delight : the sp inning -room is restored ; and

t h e Ol d style trium phs over the ne w
J O H ANN MUSAEUS ( 1 7 3 5—
.

1 7 8 7 ) was another writer of sh OIt and

136 G ERMAN L IT ERAT UR E .

and had at last succeeded in hi s way He had done i t duri ng the .

inter va l s o f his empl oyment as a maker Of charcoal He had

foun d that the same l ength o f string wou l d en c l ose his round—
.

belli ed
beer-jug and a s quare piece o f wood T his sure l y must be the .

quadrature o f the circ l e and the O l d man l au ghed at the round

”
,

about ways O f l earned men wh o had made a mystery o f a v ery ,

simpl e thing J ohann soon checked this triumph by saying

.
,

Father the prob l e m is n o t t o make a s quare bo x ho l d as muc h

,

corn as a round tub ; bu t here it is : t o find the exact side o f a

s quare whose conten t s shal l precise l y e qual those o f the gi v en circ l e .

A nd this e qual ity mus t be demonstrated without the s lightest frac

”
tion o f a re main d er Here the o ld man l ost all the shame o f his
.

defeat in his admiration o f hi s son s genius and l earning It is Of

“ ’
.

n o u se t o argue with l earned men said he with a smil e ’’

.
,
‘
A t thi s time the poor v ill age pars o n M oritz paid a visit t o hi s , ,

dau ghter D o rt ch e n at T iefenbach : he appeared t o be much de

, ,

pressed in mind In the e v enin g he s ai d C hil dren l et us wa lk

.
, ,
”
together up t o the ruins o f the O l d c astl e A ccordin gl y they went .
,

and as they ascended the hill under the shadows Of the fine beech ,

trees o ld M oritz sai d T hi s free ai r does me good A s we c l imb

, ,
.

hi gher I fee l better I hav e Wished t o te ll yo u that I hav e fel t

,
.

late l y that this wor l d is no l onger my home and very probab l y this ,

will be the last autumn in my l ife ”

When they had gained the t o p .

Of the hill they seated themse lv es o n the ruins Of the O l d castl e

, ,

whence they coul d gaz e o v er a wide expanse o f country bounded in ,

the d istance by the Rhine T h e sun was no w going d own behin d .

the h ill s A fter o ld M oritz had l ooked o n thi s s c ene fo r some t iI ne

.

in si l ence he said Th e though t that grie v es me chil dren is that

, , , , ,

I must S O On die and leav e nothing behind me fo r yo u I ha v e

,
.

passed my l ife i n an unprofitab l e way and ha ve made nobody ,

h appy . O h yes father ! s aid Wil he l m

”
, yo u ha v e been v ery ,
”
kind t o us D o n o t t al k so . Chi l dren M oritz rep lied I , ,

woul d earnestl y warn yo u against bein g led by your inclin ations .

E v en what we may esteem as a nob l e disposition m ay l ead u s int o

mi sery H o w much good I might ha v e done if I had n o t de vote d
.

mysel f t o the frui tl ess stu d y o f al chym y in which I once thought ,

I had found a nob l e obj ect Of ambition ! No w hear my adv i c e

whatever your inc linations may be gi v e your firs t attention t o such ,

thi ngs as will certainl y be useful t o yourse lv es and others I ha v e .

li ve d in vain have lost myse l f in vain studies and nobo d y will miss
, ,

m e when I am gone ”
A s they walked back t o T iefenbach Wil
.
,

he l m and D o rt ch e n tried in vain t o driv e away the O l d man s me ’

l anch o l y A fter this vi sit he endea v oured t o d o good by going

.
,

about among the poor peop l e giving them all he h ad t o giv e ,

advice and conso lation He al so worked and supported himself .

by watchmaking I n the fol l owing wi nter he l eft hi s home o n

.

bus iness duri ng very se v ere weather and di d no t return H i s

, ,
.

fi i e nds went o u t t o se ai ch fo i him and after thr e e days, found hi s ,

body, dead and frozen, i n a snow-drift .

 S IXT H PER I O D . 13

T H E O D O R HI PPEL ( 1 7 4 1 —1 7 9 6 ) wrote a novel founded on the

i ncidents of his o wn life , and marked by a mi xture O f pathos and
humour This author was a man of sin gul ar character, and the
.

i nterest O f his writing s , which contain some pleasing passages ,

d epends rather on the sentiments and anecdotes O f a personal

character with whi ch the y are interspersed , than on their value as
productions of literar y Sk ill H ippel wrote a b oo k in praise of
.

matri mo ny, and laid down some excellent rules for the conduct of
wives and hu sbands ; y et he remained a b achelor all hi s life ,
apparentl y preferring rather to propo un d such rul es in their

a bstract b eauty , tha n to attempt t he more di fficult tas k of reducing

t hem to practice
”
.

J AC O B E N G EL ( 1 7 4 1 —1 8 0 2) was another of the writers O f tales

with practical purposes H is st yle is remark abl y clear and plain
. .

His P hilosophy for the World ( 1 7 7 5) c ontain s many good ’

maxims , and L orenz S tark , a domestic novel

‘ ’
was onc e
e steemed as the German
‘
V icar of Wak efi eld b ut though it con
ve y s , in a homely style , a g ood purp ort and some pleasin g pictures
o f common life it wil l not b ear a comparison wi th O liver Gold
,

T h e follo wi ng is a sp e c imen Of E ngel s

’ ’
s mith s beautiful tale .

homely st yle
T O B I A S WI TT S P HI L O S O PH Y
’
.

‘
M r T obias Witt was born in a l ittl e town and ne v er tra v e ll ed ,

beyond its neighbouring vill ages Yet he had seen more Of the .

worl d than some gentl emen wh o hav e spent fortunes in Paris and
N apl es ; fo r he had l i v ed with his eyes and mind open and had de ,

riv ed good l essons from common l ife He was n o pro lix phil osopher .
,
”
but was fond o f tell ing S hort stories founded o n facts
“
T hese .

a necdotes were general l y arranged in coup l es Y o u must hear t wo .

O f them t o find o u t the O l d man s purpose F o r in stance a young

’
.
,

friend named T i l l was o ne day praising the pecul iar good sense Of
M r Witt .
”
H a indeed ! said T obias
,
“
yo u fl atter me
”
,
.

”
Al l the wor l d says S O Ti ll repl ied ; and as I S houl d like t o
“
,

l earn a littl e o f your wisdo m

,
”
O h yo u wish t o be a phil osopher ? said T obias We ll the way .
,

is pl ain First let me advise yo u t o study the c onduct o f hal f

.
,
”
w itt ed peopl e .

“ - ”
Ha l f witted people ! T ill exc l aimed ; m ust I foll ow the i r
“

”
e xamp l e ?

O h no said Witt ; but I wil l S how yo u h o w two such peop l e may

,

t each a man h o w t o be wise When I was a youth there liv ed in

.
,
t his town an o l d gentleman call ed V eit wh o was a great student o f ,

arithmetic He was a l ank and sour -looking man extremel y re

.
,

s er v ed in his beha vi our and woul d con v erse with nobody but mu t
, ,

t e re d t o himse l f as he wal ked along the street What d o yo u Sup .

”
pose the people said o f hi m ?
1 38 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

O h, perhaps they would say he w as a deep thinker

“
NO ; they call ed him hal f witted N o w said I t o myse l f I - .
‘
,
’
,
‘

wil l be warned by this exampl e I will n o t mutter t o myse l f l ike .

M r V ei t but will chatter with my townsme n at all times B ut I

, .
’

had onl y l earned ha lf a lesson T here was another Odd chara c ter .

i n o u r town a M r F l ink a dan c ing-m aster w h o was al ways ready t o

, , ,

c hatter t o anybody wh o woul d l isten What think yo u di d o ur .

, ,
”
peopl e say o f him ?
”
Pl easant sociab l e said T ill , , .

O h no said Wi tt ; he was h al f-witted t o o S o common sense

” “
,
.

said t o me T obias yo u must n o t be an imitator either o f M r V ei t

, , ,

o r M r F l ink bu t yo u mus t be sociab l e like the l atter and al so

, ,

re fl ecti v e l ike the former T his was my way o f l earning phil o .

’

S ophy
”
. A nother day M r Will s a young begin ner in busi ne ss, ,

came t o borrow money fro m T obias .

H o w much d o yo u want ? said Witt

”
.

”
W
A mere tri fl e said ill s ; a hundred dol l ars ”
, .

Y o u shall ha v e them said Witt ; and t o S ho w that I Wish yo u

” “
,

S uccess in your trade I wi ll g i ve yo u somethi ng worth more than a ,

“
Ha are t o o kind said Will s
yo u
”
, .

I t is onl y a l i t tl e anec d ote said Wi t t

”
“
IVh e n I was young , .
,

M r G rel l a wine -merchant was my neighbour He had a curio u s

, , .

”
s ty l e o f tal king whi ch r uined him , .

Ruined by a sty l e o f tal king ! said Wi ll s

”
How ? ”
.

Oh when I asked him h o w is trade ? o r did yo u gain by tha t

,
‘ ’

bargain M r G re ll ? he woul d say A trifl e ? S ome fifty d o ll ars ! O r

,
’
,
’

when I asked Hav e yo u l e st money M r G re ll by the failure o f M r

, , ,

M . he woul d rep l y A trifl e sir S ome hundred do ll ars ! T hi s , ,

’

m ode o f tal king and thinking ruined neighbour G re ll B u t let m e .

,

see what is the sum yo u re quire M r Wi ll s ?

,
”
,
“
I asked yo u t o be so kind as t o l end me o ne hundred rix-d o l
l ars my dear M r Witt
,
”
.

O h yes said Witt ; but I was thinki ng Of another Ol d neighbo ur

”
, ,

M r T omm the corn-deal er wh o had another s tyl e o f talking He , .

oft en spoke Of considerab l e sums o f money especiall y if h e had

‘
,
’

l ost some fifty do ll ars I f yo u then met him and said Why S O dull .
, ,

t o -d ay M r T omm ? he wou l d rep l y S ir I hav e l os t a c o n-sid-e r-ab l e

’
, , ,

s um o f money
’
Howe v er M r T omm became rich and b u i l t a fi n e
.
, ,

house wi th extensi v e warehouses near it His sty l e did n o t al way s

, .

pl eas e me ; fo r when he w as re quested t o contribute towar d s t h e

re l ief o f the poor o r the impro v emen t o f o ur town he woul d s till
, ,

compl ain about the expenditure o f considerab l e sums But n o w t o .

’

business M r T i ll I must l end yo u

,
.

“
A c o n-sid-e r-ab l e S um my dear M r Witt : I must beg the l o an
o f n o t l ess than o n e hun d red ri x —
,

d oll ars .

“
V ery good M r Wi ll s : yo u are facetious said T obias
,
“
He re ,
.

i s t h e money ; but l et me add a word : when yo u borro w yo u may ,

 1 40 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

e vening I accepted his in vitation Whil e we were wal king t o the

, .

h ote l he to l d me that P rofess o r B wh o was paying a v isit at

,
.
,

B l aubeuren woul d be happy t o see me I p l eaded as an excuse

,
.

— ”
that I was busy in writing my C hronicl e and that I had previousl y ,

kno wn P rofessor B at S tuttgart ; but u l timate l y I agreed t o go

.

w ith S choll t o his house a t B l aubeure n o n the fo ll owing day T hus .

-I was l ed into the snares whi c h had been prepared fo r me My .

e nemies wou l d n o t v enture t o l ay hands upon me in U l m Where I ,

had many friends ; and therefore S cho ll had bee n commissioned t o

e ntice me o u t o f the city L ittl e thinking o f such a design I gave
.
,

m y concert in the e v en ing and then went home with my wi fe ,

I .

r emember h o w I repro v ed her me l anch o l y as w e wa l ked together ,

”
w hen she shed tears and said I know n o t wh y but I am v ery sad
“
, , , .

I sl ept soundl y all night Heav en gav e me this refreshment that I

.
,

m ight endure the sorrows o f the coming day E arl y in the morning .

S cho l l dro v e t o my door in a S l edge t o take me t o B l aubeuren

‘

, .

”
G ood by wife ! said I ; and she rep l ied with an anxious l ook
-
, ,

g i v ing her hand “

Wh y cannot ,
the gent l em an see yo u here ?
”
T hese
were the l ast words which I was destined t o hear from my dear Wife
fo r a l ong l ong time M y bo y l o o ked o u t o f the window and cri ed
,
.
,
”
P ap a come back soon ! and thus I was t aken from my famil y
“
,

w ithout ha v ing the conso l ation Of press ing them t o my heart and ,

s hedding o v er them the tears o f separation T o l ea v e behind

m e — perhaps fo r e v er — my dear widow and her orphans and stil l ,

t o l i v e but ne v er more t o fond l e my chil dren o n my knee and

,
.
,

hear their innocent prattl ing ! J u d ge o f the wor l d ! is there i n the

c u p o f sorrows a drop more bitter than this wh ich I hav e tasted ?

M y conductor dro v e me o u t o f U lm away from all my good friends , , .

I sat S il ent beside him in the sl edge and he did n o t seem disposed ,

t o tal k ; so w e rode o v er the snow -co v ered road t o B l aubeuren .

N ear this p l ace two o ld castl es o n the hill s excited my imagination ,

a nd I was musing o n the ancient times o f G ermany when the Sl edge ,

s topped at the door o f S c ho ll s house He inv ited me t o wal k into a

’
.

c hamber and I fo ll owed him

,
Here he l eft me with a maiden wh o
.
,

was engaged in S pinning with a distaff S he seemed t o gl ance at me .

n e w and then with a l ook o f pity and I began t o fee l anxious when , ,

s udden l y the door was Opene d and S cho ll entered bringing with hi m , ,

M ajor V arnbii hl e r and C o unt S p o n e k We arrest yo u u nder the .

”
a uthority o f the duke said the major A t first I receiv ed this as a
,
.

j oke fo,
r I had been wel l ac qu ainted with the maj or ; but his seriou s

l ook soon con vinced me Of my mistake I then said in as manl y .

a tone as co ul d be mustered I trust that the duke will no t ,

”
t hro w me into a dungeon without first giv ing me a trial ? Th e
m ajor gav e n o rep l y but seemed mo v ed with pity ; S cho ll wal ked
,

t o and fro in the chamber muttering

“
T i s a sad case ! T rul y I
, ,
’

a m v ery sorry ; whil e the p oor maiden hid her face i nher apron ,

a n d l eft the room C ount S p o n e k looked o n co l dly

. AS he was .

a high warden Of the forest an arrest was no moving inciden t fo r ,

 S I XT H PER I O D . 1

‘
M eanwhi le the vehicl e was ready t o take me t o my prison I was .

t old that I might write t o my wi fe but my hand refused t o ho l d the ,

pen A dinner was pro vided but I coul d eat nothing I stepped
.
,
.

i nto the c arriage whil e the vi ll agers were gazing and pointing t o me
”
as
“
a great criminal A s the major drove me away I exc l aimed
.
,

M y wife ! my chil dren ! T hey are beggars : I hav e n o t left enou gh

”
t o sustai n them t o morrow- T h e maj or tried t o console me and
.
,

promised t o recommend the case o f my famil y t o the duke He .

kept his promise and I trust that G o d h as rewarded him fo r it We

,
.

travell ed this day as far as K irchheim where we stayed al l night , .

Here I was p l aced under a guard o f stupid fel lows wh o disturbed my ,

rest by muttering o n e t o another T his is S chubart ! a great mal e

“
,
”
factor ! The duke wil l treat him se v erely n o doubt A courier .

had been despatched t o l earn the further pleasure o f the duke c o n

c erning me A t first it had been determined that I should be c o n
.

fi ned at Hohentwie l ; but I learned in the morning that this purpose

was changed and that I must be imprisoned in the fortress o f A s
,

b erg . I was n o w benumbed with despair and coul d fee l n o more , .

T his day we hal ted at noon at K annstadt where I took my dinner ,

with some appetite and wrote t o my friend M ii l l e r in Ul m these fe w

,

w ords : T ake care o f my wife and chi l dren fo r I can d o no mor e

“
,
”
f o r them I am a prisoner
. T h e poor school master o f K annstadt
.

a wakened my fee l ings by his sympathy He begged the major to .

a l l ow him t o bring fo r me a fl ask o f wine ; and when the major d e

c l i n e d this o ffer the poor man turned t o me with tears in his eyes
, ,

and endeavoured t o console me by speaking o f the mercy o f G o d ,

”
an d te ll ing me that e v ery troub l e must ha v e an end Fro m .

K an nstadt we rode al ong until a co l d shudder passed o v er me as I

,

saw the tower o f A sberg rising in the horizon

“
What awaits me .

”
here ! said a v oice withi n me ; and I was meditating o n my destiny ,

when the carriage stopped beside the fortress T h e duke was here .
,

a n d pointed t o t he dungeon in which I mus t be confined I felt as .

i f a co l d hand was laid upon my heart Th e commandant Rieger .

, ,
l e d me t o my ce ll and I commended myself my wi fe and chi l dren
, , , ,

t o his pity He l eft me fo r a fe w moments and returne d with the

.
,

i nforma tion that the d uk e woul d a ll o w t o my wi fe t wo hu ndred

g ui l ders per annum and that my ,
chi l dren shou l d be taken into the
S tuttgart academy O ne burthen was thus removed from my heart
. .

But no w the comman dant l eft me the door o f my prison was closed ,

u pon me and I found myse l f in the gloomy dungeon—alone !

,
I
s tood ice - bound with horror l ike o n e wh o has been swallowed up by
,

the waves and awaking finds himse l f in Hades T h e prison the

, , .
,

o nly earthly i n f e rno no w c l osed its portal upon me involved me i n

, ,

i ts gloom and surrounded me with its torments

, .
’

C HR I S T O P H F R IE DR I C H NI C O LAI ( 1 7 33 a b oo k seller in
B erli n and the friend of L essing and M endels sohn , was noted rather
,

fo r his narrow min d and polemic disposition than for his literar y
ab ili t ie s H e wro t e so m e sat iri cal no vel s o f l o w humour, an d de s
.
1 42 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

p i se d every thing which s urpassed his o wn commonplace style .

T h e writings of Herder , Goethe s poetry and the ph ilosophy o f ’

,

Kant were the obj ects of his ridicule C H R I S T O P H M AR TI N V VI E

,
.

LAND ( 1 7 3 3—1 8 1 3 ) resembled Nicolai in the l e y it yand materialistic

tendenc y of his writings but possessed sup e i i o r talents I n his
,
.

y outh he had been the friend of Kl opstock and woul d tolerate ,

nothing but religious p o e t I y ; b ut he turned suddenly to the o p

o sit e extreme and b egan t o write epicurean romances as vehicles
p ,

of his new views of human life and happiness In his moral .

doctrine and phil osophy he was a Frenchman of t h e age of L ouis

,

XV rather than a German I n 1 7 6 4 he produced the tale of

. .

‘
Agathon , which was followed in 1 7 6 8 b y Musari o n
’
T he ‘
.
’

‘
Abderites appeared in 1 7 7 4 and his best romance , Aristippus ,
‘ ’
,

was completed in 1 7 9 4 I n all these writings his purpose was t o

.

represent pleasure or utilit y as the only criterion of truth and

, , ,

to make all further inquiries appear ridiculous H e was t h e .

obj ect of much applause and censure i n his day His opponent s .

called his philosophy shallow and frivolous while his admirers ,

praised with some reason t h e cl e ar and lively style in which h e

, ,

expressed his op inions T h e followin g short passage may conve y

.

some notion b oth of his style and his philosophy

O G M ATISM D .

‘
Abo v e all my d e ar brethren l et us guard agains t the fo ll y o f
, ,

procl aiming o u r opinions as indisputab l e a x ioms It is in d ee d ri d i .

, ,

cul o n s t o hear a morta l giving expression t o his con victions as i f

they we re o racl e s d el i v ered from the sacred trip o ds If we cou l d find
‘

a man as o l d as N estor and se v en times as wise as the se v en wise

,
'

m e n together he woul d sure l y te ll u s (just becau se he w as so o ld

,

and so wise) tha t in proportion as h e h ad exten d ed his in qu irie s h e ,

had bec o me con vin c ed o f the pro p riety o f modest doub t He wo ul d .

confe ss that fo r e v ery spot o f light in the fiel d o f nature th e re are ,

ten tho u sand l eft in obs c urity Yes if we coul d e l e vate our se lv e s
.
,

abo v e this e ar thl y ball which w e c all t h e worl d an d take a s tatio n

, ,

in t h e sun and view in his l ight the whol e sol ar system as c l earl y as
,
'

we can behol d from a terrace t h e p l an o f a l it t le fl ower gar d e n e v en ,

th e n this pl anetary system woul d be bu t o ne l ittl e spot o f bright

ne ss amid an un meas u red u ni v erse still l eft in obscurity T he n .

again when this o ld and wise man had obser v ed that the i n co mp re
,

h e nsibl e nature o f the wor l d o n a l arge sc al e is al s o found o n a s m all

sc al e e v en in the minutest parti cl e ; when he had considered h o w
m any v ai io u s in flue nc es and re l ations may meet e v en in o n e at o n ,

and h o w impossib l e it is t o a c count satis factoril y fo r t h e l east p h e

n o me n o n o r m o v e ment without c omprehending the whol e sys t e m o f
,

nature then I humb l y suggest th at the great res ul t o f all o ur s age s

, , t, ,
’

c o ntemp l atio n s wou l d b e mo d e sty and I shoul d no t wonder if I ,

“

h e ard him d e liver his opinions in a tone o f caution which migh t

 1 44 G ERMAN L IT ERA TURE .

o ur nature In fe w words the tho ughts and desires o f men natu

.
,

rall y l ook beyond all the boundaries o f the present l ife into
eternity .

T his is an instinct which chie fl y distinguishes us from surrounding

animated nature Th e facul ties o f irrati o na l creatures are fair l y
.

and harmoniously un fo l ded in this l ife W e see no sign s that they .

are ac c ompanied by a d esire fo r immortal ity and a state o f p e rfe c

'

tio n T hey appear t o find full s atis faction in physical enjoyments ;

.

they pay the d ebt o f nature without suffering under gl oomy fore ,

bo d ings o r restl ess thoughts and desires respecting the future ; in

,

short they seem t o find a comp l ete sphere o f de v e l opment in this

,

life But o n the other side w e can certainl y conceiv e the thought
.
, ,

o f a better wor l d than this In vain we endea vour t o fi nd sat isfac

.

tion either in sensual o r in te ll ectual p l easures ; we l ook forward t o

death with re l uctance and fear and we cannot contempl ate the ,

grav e with contentment unti l we see beyond it the prospect o f a

,

better future l ife .

A s this in stincti v e desire o f immortal ity is thus shown t o be in

‘

accordance with o ur mora l and in te ll ectual nature it cannot be ,

c l assified with visionary theories o r mere dreams T hese are re .

j e c t e d because it can be easil y pro v ed that they are i n opposition

t o the ru l es o f reason and the constitution o f nature But as o ur .

w i ll mus t seek happiness ac c ording t o the wi dest v iews o f reason o ur ,

d esires must transcend the bounds o f the present l i fe as o u r re ason ,

d oes E v en the fal se and earthl y desires o f men pro v e by their

.
,

c ontinua l disappointments that the true object o f rational d esire

,

must be infinite .

It is as natural in us t o l ook forward beyond this worl d as it is in ,

the l ower animal s t o remain satisfied with theirpresent l ife ; as the ir

n ature is confined within certain bounds o ur o wn is d istinguished by ,

its capacity o f continual de v e l opment A desire fo r such deve l op .

ment has been pl anted in u s by o u r C reator .

‘
No w where d o we find instincts fal sified in the pl an o f nature ?
Where d o we see an instance o f a creature endowed with an instinc t
c ra ving a certain kind o f food in a wor l d where n o such fo od can be

fo und ? A re the swall ows d ecei v ed by their instinct when they fl y

away from c l ouds and storm s t o find a warmer c ountry ? D o they
no t find a mi l der c l ima t e beyond the water ? When the M ay-fli e s
and other a quatic insects l ea v e their husks expand their wings and , ,

soar from the water into the air d o they n o t find an atmosphere ,

fi tted t o sustain them in a n e w stage o f l ife C ertainl y T h e v oice .

o f nature does n o t utter fal se prophecies It is the call the invitation .

,

o f the C reator addressed t o hi s creatures And if this is true with .

regard t o t h e i mp ul se s o f physical l ife wh y shoul d it n o t be true

'

with regard t o the superior instincts o f the human soul ? ’

The reader wil l probabl y ob serve that even in the serious and
theological writings of thi s period we fin d no traces of that in
v olved and m y sti c al style which is found in several modern Ger
 S IXT H PER I O D . 145 .

man authors The writing s of M O S H E I M H ALLER , GELLER T

.
, ,

GARVE I S EL I N , and RE I MAR U s are perfectl y free from my sticism

, , .

E ven Kant , who perhaps may b e regarded as a verb ose and com
plex writer , emplo y ed a style which appears clear in compariso n
with the works of such authors as H E G EL and S C H L I ER M AC H E R .

I t ma y b e said that the range of modern philosoph y and theolo gy

has b een greatl y extended b y recent writings but with regard t o
clearness and order in prose many modern authors might even ,

n o w refer with pro fi t to the works of writers described in this .

section We may no w notice two writers who w ere alik e in their

.

lowly pretensions and practical character .

J O H ANN T I EDE ( 1 7 3 2—1 7 9 5) was a preacher and inspector o f

schools H e did not med dl e with ab struse speculations b ut wrot e
.
,

a series of M e di tations on C hildhood and other practical sub

‘
,
’

j e ct
,
s in a tone of simple and earnest piet y ,
which found man y
admi rers T H O MAS ABB T also ( 1 7 38—1 7 66 ) wrote moral essay s in
.

an earnest and practical style In one of these essays he argue s

.

that no elab orate sy stems of divin ity are required ; for t o under
stand these , and the controversies arising out of them , woul d re
quire a great share of the interest which sho ul d b e devoted t o
practical life H e advises the rich t o sub scrib e to put a li ttl e
.

li b rary of pious and use ful b ooks into the house of every p oor '

couple newl y married .

T u rning to the subj ect of P hil osoph y , we may Ob serve here that
this title in Germany is not applied exclusively to the study of t h e
physical sciences , b ut comprehends all the investigations known
i n E ngland and S cotland under the names of moral philosophy
and metaphysics T h e intellectual and moral constitution of man,
.

his relations with the external world with hi s fello w -men , and ,

with the S upreme B eing, the questions of libert y and necessit y,

and indeed all the highest problems which have occupied reflective
minds from the day s of Plato down to the present tim e are com
, ,

prehended under the term ph ilosoph y To the stud y of this phi .

l O S O ph y IMMANUEL KAN T ( 1 7 2 4— 1 8 0 4 ) contributed a strong impuls e

b y the publication of his C ritique of P ure R eason in 1 7 8 1 We ’
.

shall not attempt to give here an analysis of this work as it will ,

b e more convenient to classify the leading philosophers of Ger

many in an other section At present Kant may b e noticed merel y
.
,

with regard to his general character as a writer H e was b orn at .

K onigsberg and studied theology there In 1 7 7 0 he was elevate d

, .

to the rank of professor of logic and metaphysics In 1 7 8 7 he .

produced , as a companion t o his first great work , The C ritique o f

’
Practical R eason and in 1 7 9 0 his C riticism of the Facult y o f
,
’
Judgm ent This work whi ch contain s an analy sis of the senti
.
,

ments of the sublime and the b eautiful , is p erhap s the most favour
146 G ERMAN L IT ERA TURE .

able spec imen of Kant s style which is rather prec ise and j udicious’

t h an concise and clear T h e Op i nions of Kant are by no means so.

mysterious as his o wn style somet imes and still more the style O f ,

s ome of his interpreters would make them appear In many points ,

.

he approached very closely to the clear and modest S cottish philo

s 0 pher R eid and some of his moral doctrines may b e found in the
,

sermons of B ishop B utler , which show the authoritative character

of the moral principle in man and distinguish it from mere in stin cts ,

and inclinations This was reall y all that Kant end e avoured t o
.

explain by the use of his crabbed term the categoric imperative ,

‘
.
’

T wo things said Kant

’
excite my wonder : first that system of
, , ,

planets which moves in eternal order in the heavens ; and secondly

( but stil l more wonderful l) that sy stem of moral laws which I fi nd ,

within my self The life of this phil osopher was marked by fe w

.
’

external incidents H e lived in a metaphysical sphere and t hi nk

'

.
,

ing was his mode of action D uring hi s life of eight y years he .

remained a bachelor T hough hi s bodily constitution was delicate

.
,

by care and regularity Of regim en he contrived to enj o y a remark ,

able degree o f he alth He tells us in h is writ ings that by the .

,

e xertion of thought and will he could Often suppress the sense of ,

b od ily pain H is memory was remarkably retentive T h e fol

. .

l owing passa ges will afford some indication of his style

ON T H E S UB L I M E .

M ere terror in whate v er degree mu s t no t be mistaken fo r the

, ,

t rue sentime nt o f sub l imity ; fo r the man wh o is reall y subj e cted t o

the infl uence o f terror is n o t in a condi tion Of mind t o appreciate the
s ub l ime Besides there is nothing attractiv e in a merel y terrib l e
.
,

Obj ect and this suffi c ientl y d istinguishes i t from sub l imity fo r t o
, ,

w ard the l atter we fee l an attra c tion B o l d o v erhanging and .

, ,

threatening rocks thunder cl o u d s pil ed together and b u rsting i n

, ,

l ightnings fier y v o l canoes d e vas tating hurri c anes and the s t o rmy
, , ,

O c e an may be Objec t s o f mere terror when w e find ourse lv es within

, ,

th e i grasp fo r we h av e n o physical power that can dare t o resist

r

t h em But they may al so become o bjects Of sub l ime emotion G i v e

. .

u s a secure p l a c e whence w e m ay beho l d these t e rrors and w e n o w

, ,

ca ll them su bli me Wh y ? T heir character is no t changed T h e

. .

change i s in ourse lves l Ve n o w see that o u r physical powers are a

.

m ere n oth ing when contrasted with these powers aro und us B ut .

this re fl ectio n c an excite n o s ub l ime emotion ; rather it must p ro

d uce a sense o f humil iation and d epression Bu t we al s o fee l t h at .

we ha v e a po wer within u s ( a moral power) which is firmer and

stronger th an all nature and wi ll n o t qu ai l be fore the terrors o f the ,

external worl d T his is the true emotion Of sub l imi ty and the
.
,

Obje c ts which excite this emotion are accounted by u s ( though no t

c orrectly as being sub l ime in the ms e lv es
)
’
.
148 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

I ha v e supposed the more simpl y w e regard the man as acting wi th

,

a pu re regard t o m ora l recti tude without the pride o f heroism o r , ,

regard fo r worl dl y renown the higher hi s conduct must rise in o u r ,

e stimation .

‘
It i s necessary t o dwe ll o n these simpl e facts o f man s moral c o n ’

sti t u t i o n i n the present age wh en men h O p e t o d o more by the use

,

o f fine sentiments and pompous heroica l d e c l am ations o n greatness ”

, ,
” ”
fame and honour than by the simpl e and se v ere exhibition o f
,
“
,

the moral l aw T o set before the min ds o f chil dren great and nob l e
.

a ctions t o show the honour and d ignity t o wh ich such actions ten d
, ,

and t o stimu l ate young minds t o imitation by a h O p e o f honour and

renown—this is a mode opposed t o the true pl an o f mora l teaching .

Whi l e young minds are ignorant o f the nature o f so many d uties ,

it is v ain t o endeav our t o suppl y the want Of c l ear knowl e dge by

raising a v ague enthusiasm A nd al so among adu l t and educated .
,

persons the sentimental s ty l e o f excitement t o mora l action cann o t

,

hav e true success It is n o t by excitin g the fee l ings but by de v e l op

.
,

i ng the pure reason that the true e ffect must be produced ,

M oral .

e motions which are in tended t o produce great practical resul ts must

no t be a ll owed t o exp l o de in sentimental excitement but must pro ,

c e e d immediate l y t o action Fee l ing accompanyin g moral action .

may strengthen virtuous princip l e ; but mere excitement raise d ,

aga i n and again and a ll owed t o d i e away without a pra c tica l resul t
, ,

c an on l y l ead t o mora l debi l ity In short mor al action mu st be re .

,

garded in itse l f without respect t o the characteristics Of m agnani

m ity honour o r p l easurab l e emotions by wh ich it may be u s u all y
, ,

a ttended T o estimate it thus we must l ook n o t on l y o n the ex

.
,

t erna l action but al so o n the i ntern al moti v e ; fo r e v en a good

,

a ction proceedin g from a l o v e o f some mora l beau ty o r perfection

, ,

mus t be i n some degree mistru sted as it is the resul t o f inc l ination, ,

whil e pu re morality is a simp l e ful fil ment o f duty .

‘
It m ay be said that this is a harsh sty l e Of teaching which t ake s ,

away from virtue a ll such sentimental helps as a regard fo r gene

ro si t y m agnanimity and the praise which accompanies great acti o ns
, , .

But l et u s see if the mode o f tea chi ng whi ch we recommend is n o t

c l earer and more e ffectual than that t o which we are Opposed T ak e .

another exampl e — A bra v e m an at the risk o f his o wn l ife sav es , ,

the l iv es o f other men from a shipwreck T his action may in cer .

,

tain circu mstances be regarded as a simpl e d u ty o f humani ty and

, ,

then there is n o question about it but when we regard i t mere l y as

a n act o f herois m and generosity o u r approbation o f these qua l ities ,

may be tempered by some doubts regarding the duty which the man
o wes t o him se l f Again the heroism Of the man wh o sacrifices hi s
.
,

li fe fo r the w el fare Of his country may raise some doubts and s c ru p l e s

e v en in the mids t o f o ur a d miration so l ong as we d o no t see c l earl y ,

that it was his absol ute duty so t o d o But when w e see in an action .

a sacrifice o f h onour o r hap piness o r life t o the ful fi l ment o f an u n

, , ,

d oubted d uty the negl ect Of whi c h wou l d be a vi o l ation o f d iv ine and
h uman l aw—when there is no choice save between duty performed
,
 S IXTH PER I O D . 1 49

at the cos t o f life and life preserv ed by an immoral ac tion and when
, ,

the former course is reso lu te l y taken here there is no scrup l e no , ,

”
reser v e in o u r approbation : we say at once i t is good ! and are
“

proud that human nature can thus l ift itse l f far abo v e all the inc l ina
tions and passions o f the sensuous worl d T h e Roman satirist J u v e .

n al gi v es the maxims o f such a virtue where he says D are t o b e a

good so l dier a good teacher a just judge If the brazen h ul l o f
, , .

P hal aris be brought forward t o compe l yo u t o gi v e a fal se testimony ,

still disdain t o prefer life t o honesty o r fo r the sake o f l ife t o sacri , , ,

”
fi c e all that makes l i fe tru l y v al u ab l e .

c
Wh e n from this S imp l e v iew Of moral ity as a duty we turn t o ,

think o f o ur merit o u r happiness o u r m agn animity we mingl e se l f

, , ,

worship with o u r moral actions But when w e pl ace all other things .

far be l ow the ho l iness o f duty ; when we regard the l aw Of pure

reason simpl y as a l aw and n o t as an Obj ec t o f choice o r inclination
—then only we lift ourse lv es abo v e the worl d o f the senses and onl y
,

by reso l ute continuance in such practice can we confirm o u r reaso n

in that sovereignty o v er all inferior powers whi ch it l egitimately
demands .
’

The name of MO S E S M ENDELSS O H N ( 1 7 29 ) dese rves honourable

o

notice H e was the son of Jewish parents , and so poor that h i s

.
,

education depended on the charit y of some wealth y Jews in B erlin .

H ere he was i nstructed in the legends of the T alm ud ; b ut thes e

traditions did not satisfy his inquiring min d H e lab oriousl y edu .

cat e d himself b ecame acquain ted with general literature , especiall y

,

the philosophical works of L eib nitz and studied the doctrines of ,

S ocrates as explain ed by Plato A s the fruit O f these studies he .

,

wrote an ab le exposition of the argument on the Immo rtalit y of

,
’
the S oul contained in Plato s Phae d o n
‘
H e formed an intim ate ’
.
’

friendship with L essing the writer of Nathan After the death

,
.
’

of L essin g , another phil osophical writer Jaco b i , with more zeal ,

than good taste , wrote a work in which he accused the deceased

author of having held P antheistic opin ions To this charge .

M endelssohn replied , and warml y defended the character of his

departed friend B ut Jacobi either h ad, or appeared t o have the
.
,

ad v antage in some p oints of the argument ; and this controvers y

had such an effect on the delicate health of M endelssohn , as t o
hasten his death which took place in B erlin in 1 7 86 This writer,
,
.

who has b een styled the Jewish S ocrat es , was evi dently a S in
‘ ’
~

cere and ardent inquirer after truth ; and as his opinions w ere
Th e n e rvo u s l angu a e o f t h e g
R o man sat iri st c anno t be e a il y t ransl at e d s

st o b o n u m il e s t t o r b o nu s arb i t e r id e m
s , u ,

t ge r ; a m b i g
e si q nd i t b r t t is
u ae ua o e a e e es
I n e rt q c re i P h l ari l i
ae ue t i mp re t u t si s
, a s ce e
F al su s , e t a d m o t o d i c t e t p e rj uri a t au ro ,
d f
S u mm u m c re e n e as an m am p rmfe rre p u do r i i
E t p ro pt e r t am vi
ve n vi
pe r ere c au ssas di’
d .
1 50 G ERMAN LIT ERA T UR E .

the res ults O f earnest investigations he naturall y held them very ,

fi rmly A n extract from one of his essay s is subj oined

.

ON C ON T E MPT OF PH I L O S O PH Y .

‘
I cannot read w i thout pity the Op inion o f a Fren c h writer
( P l u che
) that the e,
fforts Of R e au mur t o pr e ser v e carpe t s an d
t apestry fr o m the ravages o f mo ths were more wo rthy o f a d miratio n ,

tha n all the moral spe cul ations Of L eibnitz Is no t this saying
that e v en the v ain l u x uries o f o u r houses are o f more importanc e
than o ur o w n so ul s o r e v en th an the h o n o u r Of the D iv in e charac
,

t e r whi c h may be misrepresented by a fal se phi l os o phy ? 0 11 the

,

other sid e I wo u l d assert that e v en if the al c h ym ists h ad s u c c ee d ed

, ,

in their e fforts and had turned e v ery stone o n the ear th s su r face
,
’

i nto go l d they wo u l d ha v e m ade an absurd mistake if they had re

,

gar d ed such a fea t as the compl etion an d final triu mp h Of phil o

s o phy Yet I d o n o t despise util itarian stu d ies i n th e ir p rope r
. .

pl a c e When men were withou t the ph ysi c al c onv enien c es o f l ife

.
,

t o d isco v er these w as a worthy Obj ect o f natura l phi l osophy an d i n ,

v entors in this d ep artment d eser v e their fame But inv entions Of .

thi s kind when on c e made d o n o t re q uire re p etition T h e externa l

, ,
.
_

man ( th e bo d y) is n o w more sumptuou sl y attended than e v er b e fo re .

E v ery m an is born into an impro v ed physica l worl d an d fin d s a ,

great par t o f the w ork o f civilisation al r e a d y d o ne fo r him We .

e njoy e v ery day t h e resul ts o f c e nturies o f i n v enti o ns I t i s n o t so .

i n t h e m ora l and inte ll ectua l sphere E v ery genera t ion brings its .

c rowd o f n e w and raw p u p i l s into the s choo l o f mora l p hil os o phy .

Here none can res t entire l y o n the l abours o f another E v ery man .

i s born t o search fo r truth and t o make free his o wn moral nature

,

from confusion and doubt Is no t the endea v ou r t o satisfy thi s

.

necessity o f o u r nature Of greater import ance than the cul ti vation o f

sensuo u s l uxuries ? E v en if w e accept the princip l e that happiness ,

in this l ife shoul d be the s o l e Obj e c t and end o f a ll wisdom we m ay ,

still ask mu st n o t this happiness rest O II interna l pea c e ? an d will

,

n o t the conte m pl ati o n o f truth O p en the w idest fie l d o f rati o n al

e nj oy men t ? I am n o t w rit ing a c ol d treatis e but sp e aking fr o m ,

e xperi en c e and fro m my hear t ,

F o r o nce I l ost my fo o t ing o n the
.

way t o truth and fe ll among terrib l e doubts and perp l e x ities

,
I .

e v en despaired o f all attempts toward a virtuous l ife No w in ,

s uch a state o f menta l bewi l derment as I ha v e just d e scribe d what ,

h e l p what comfort cou l d your co l d worl dly maxims afford t o me

, ,

Here I am in doubt and darkness T i s v ain t o say t o me C are

’
,

nothing about it Hel p me sh al l o w fl ippant S ophists ! Al as yo u

, ,

h a v e n o hel p t o gi v e : yo u l ea v e me in my misery But thanks t o .

be tter guides true phi l osop h ers wh o l ed me ba ck t o confiden c e in

, ,

truth and faith in virtue T hanks t o L o cke and Wo l f an d to th ee

.
,

immortal L eibnitz ! I have erected a monument o f thankful ness in

my heart .
’

FRI EDR I C H J AC O BI ( 1 7 4 3 already mention e d as th e o p

1 52 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

account o f its useful qu al ities Happiness is at once felt and val ued
.
,
and in the same way v irtue mus t be e s t eemed i n itse l f and no t ,

as a m eans o f attaining any other obj ect F o r why shoul d vir tue be .

rewarded if it is n o t in itse l f good and praisewor thy ? If n o t the n ,

the S upre m e G o v ernor mus t be regarded as ha v ing n o estim atio n

Of v irtue except o n account o f the rewards which he has appende d
t o it ; and rewards and punishments mus t make the who l e di s
tinction between vi rtue and vice
S uch was Jacobi s mode of reasoni ng—a ver y impe rfect method
’

of treating a momentous question I t will b e seen that hi s moral

.

doctrine mainl y coin cides with that of Kant already quoted and ,

that it is directly O pposed t o the moral phil osoph y O f the E nglish

utilitarian Jeremy B entham ; while Jacobi imagined that there
c ould b e no third way of viewing the same subj ect It must be .

allo wed that b oth the theory of m o ral in stinct and that of uti
‘

’
l it y or the greatest happin ess of the greatest numbe r are ex
,
‘
,

p osed to serious obj ections when each is set up as a self-suffi ci e nt

,

and perfect standard of moralit y Against the former theory it .

may be urged that it would make all moral teach ing i mpos sible ,
except b y a S imple appeal to a supposed moral in stinct ; and that,
when this is defi cient or erroneous no hop e is given of c orrection,

or improvement O n the other side when B entham assert s that

.
,

virtue has no realit y apart fro m the rational pursuit of happiness ,

it may b e Observed that by the common consent of mank ind v ir ,

t u o u s principle is esteemed most highl y when it acts disinterestedl y .

Another o bj ection to the same doctrine is that the word happin ess ,

b ears an un certain meaning and that the experience which o ne

,

man regards as pleas ure would b e pain for another man In the .

next section (where modern German philosophy is more fully

t reated ) it will b e seen that there is a thi rd method o f treating
,

moral questions which is free from the Obj ections raised again st
,

the Opposite doctrines of Jacobi and B entham T his third doctrine .

( which ma y b e b riefly noticed here ) is fo u nded on a philosophy

which describ es reason as impersonal In other words it asserts .

,

that the same reason whi ch is displayed on a wide scale in the

external world in societ y and history is also present in the indi
, ,

vidual conscience T h e internal and the external testimony a1 e

.

S impl y two modes O f manifes tation of the same subj ect ; and con

sequentl y where the former mode I s defective it may b e enlarged

, ,

and corrected by a reference to universal reason The main tainer .

O f this vi ew without den y ing the validit y O f in ternal impressions

, ,

would I at h e r appeal to the l aw of that unity and order which pre

vails throughout the u niv e I se and which none can deny without
,

denying t he value of all law order and society T o make clear

, ,
.

the important difference of these three moral doctrines , we must

 S I XT H PER I O D . 53

t ak e an inst an c e o f their application S uppose that the vice o f

’

falsehood is to b e exposed : Jaco b i would sa y , I t is opposed t o

‘

t h e moral instinct ; b ut if some hardened O ffender denies the

’

e xistence of such an instinct , all further arg ument is imp ossible .

B entham would S how that falsehood is opposed t o common happi ~

ness ; but the question still remains , By what rule are we to fix

’
t h e meaning of this word
‘
happiness ? The modern German
idealist endeavours t o put aside these doub ts by explaining t h e
imp ersonal nature of that reason which preserves order through
o u t the world b y maintaining uni t y in variet y H e would thus
.

a ttempt t o treat a moral subj ect such as falsehood , in a purel y

,

s cienti fi c st yle . F irst , he wo ul d S how that a h e b reak s the natu

ral and rational unit y b etween thought and speech , and als o

between speech and confi dence ; and ( even supp osing any one t o
b e S O b lind as not t o see evil in this ) he wo ul d proceed to S ho w
that societ y must b e founded on trust , and trust up on truth ; and
S O on until every one who values society , or the common privi
,

l eges O f existence , must see and admit the destructive nat ure of
falsehood .The advantage whi ch this doctrin e has over t h e
instinctive principle of Jaco b i, and the greatest happiness prin
‘ a

c ipl e of B entham , lies in its clearer and more o bj ective character,

which is not subj ect t o personal mistak es , b ut ma y be explained t o
e ver y reasoning mind . It may b e added , that this doctrine con
t ains all the positive truth of the views of Jaco b i and B entham ,
a s the idealist admits that universal law or reason is sp ontaneousl y

o r ins t inctivel y manifested in the conscience of the in dividual and ,

also that the result , general happ i ness , is another manifestation of

t h e same l aw when consistentl y o b eyed The earnest writ i ngs of

.

Jacobi gave an impulse to the controversies and in quiries which

have alread y produced great results and will probabl y lead t o
,

g reater .I n this fact his chief merit as

,
an author consists
,
.

’
J aco bi s friend , J O H ANN GE O R G E HAMANN ( 1 7 3 0 ma y b e
mentioned here , though not on account O f his literary merits for ,

he wrote in a st yle of studied oddity Y et in this strange styl e

.

it was his pleasure to wrap up ideas which exercised a great in

fl u e nce on such contemporaries as H erder and Goethe He was
.

t h e opponent of w hat he called system -building in phi l osoph y ;

'
‘

b ut was more remarkable for his views O f poet ry H e laughed .

at cold arti fi cial verse -making

, ,
and asse rted that all poetry of
true value must b e the expression O f the heart , and must have
an intimate relation with actual life . H e applied the same views
t o religious doctrines .

J O H ANN E B ER H ARD ( 1 7 3 9 the friend of M endelssohn was ,

a theologian , and also a professor of ph ilosoph y at Halle M any .

o f hi s views w ere derived from the writing s of L eib nitz He .

1 54 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

wrote the ‘
Ne w Apology
of S ocrates and a sy stem of R ational ’
,
‘

E thics . In another of his works the T he o ry of the Fine A rts

’
,
‘
,
’

he endeavoured to place all productions of genius and art und e r

cert ain moral regulations His style was precise and Clear
. .

Again we may observe that as this treatise is confined t o

German literature the names o f many L atin writers are left um
,

mentioned I n this sixth period many learned critics and phil o

.

l o gi st s acquired celebrity J O H ANN B RUC K ER ( 1 6 9 6—1 7 7 0 ) wrote

.

‘
Historia Critica P hilosophise ( a Critical History of Phil osophy )
J OH AN N C H RI S T O P H AD E LUN G ( 1 73 4—
.

1 8 0 6 ) wrote a C ritical D ic ‘

’
t i o nary of the German L anguage and another philological work ,
’
entitled M ithridates
‘
B O DE B EN G E L and B AC H, were name s
.
, ,

celebrated in philology and biblical exegesis .

T hough this period produced no writer of great power and

originalit y (if we except L essing) , it was a time marke d b y great
progress in German literature and served to intr o d uce the epoch
,

of Goethe Herder and S chiller It is not easy to determine in

, ,
.

what degree German authors in the beginning and middle of t h e

eighteenth century were indebted to E nglish literature but ther e ,

is no doubt that they derived from its study considerab l e benefit .

And now toward the close of this period the dramas of SHA K
, ,

S PEARE were i ntroduced and recommended to the attention of

many students by the writings Of L essin g Herder and Goethe , ,
.

A ne w world of poetry was opened and the third period o f re ,

markable intellectual excitement b egan in Germany and pro ,

d u ce d a literature richer more voluminous and more important

, , ,

than that of all the prece di ng periods taken collectively .

SE VENTH PE RIOD .

1 77 0 — 1 8 4 8 .

T his remarkab le period comprehends the modern l iterature of

Germany which arose in the day s o f L essing and Herder and ,

has already extended its influence over a great part O f the civil ised
world M any O f its productions are valuable and important ; but
.
‘

the rapid growth of this lit e rat i n e especially its poetry h as , ,

b een regarded with exaggerated admiration T h e account which .

h as b een given O f the slow progress or rather the l o w condi tion , ,

O f poetry and general literature from the time o f L uther t o t h e

,

ap pearanc e o f L essin g, will supply an explanation of that exalte d

1 56 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

writing s of Temple L ocke A ddison and S teele , were c ircul ated

, , ,

in E ngland , Friedrich Wilhelm the semi barbarian ki ng of

- -
,

P russia regarded all the literature and ph ilosophy of his subj ects
,

w ith a contempt which it deserved in a great measure , on accoun t

o f its unreal and pedantic character About twent y years later .
,

when Klopstoc k , excited t o imitative e ffort b y M ilton s grea t ’

’
p oem , b egan to write the M essiah this work was esteemed as
‘
,

su ffi cientl y remarkable t o make an epoch in p oetry T h e im .

provement in German literature about thi s time may b e chiefl y

a ttributed to E nglish influence Y et Frederick II of Prussia
. .

b elieved that hi s people were wholl y destitute of literar y geniu s

and taste , and imp orted all literature and philosophy for hi s own

a musement from F rance Thi s contempt was certa i nly unj ust i
.

fi abl e as at this time an important revival of German literature

,

was b eginning ; b ut the fact shows to what a l o w condition na

t i o nal genius had b een reduced ; for Frederick though a shallow ,

man in ph il osophy , and under the gui dance of V oltaire , had some
literary talent and taste .

From this low point of view the improved productions of the

e ighteenth century were regarded and it must be allowed that the ,

d isposition of German readers t o overrate their new a uthors — such

m e n as Kant L essing Herder, and Goethe —was perfectly natural ,
, ,

and i ndeed har dl y avoidable F or Kant , though he wrote in a

.

prolix and abstruse style ventured to think for himself and was
, ,

c ertainl y a remark able philosophical writer when j udged b y a com ,

parison with hi s pedantic predecessor Christian Wolf An d it is ,

.

no wonder that L essing s M inna v o n Barnh e l m and other dramatic

‘ ’
,
’

works were regarded as good productions when contrasted with

,

the b omb astic dramas of Gryphius and L ohenstein T h e sp on .

t ane o u s and natural lyrics of Goethe might well shine as gems of

poetry b eside the paste of O pitz and other poetasters I n short .
,

t here was at this tim e a remarkable revival o f poetry and general

literature and German critics naturally regarded it with reference
,

t o the past literature of their own country Kant was therefore .

e steemed as
‘
a modern Aristotle Jacobi was styled the German
,
’ ‘

P lato and not onl y Goethe but even J ean Paul R ichter also was
,
’
, ,

c ompared with Shak sp e are ! I n this enthusiastic style of est ima

tion there was gross exaggeration T h e comparison of Goethe .

and S h ak spe are , for instance , must appear ri di culous to every

reader who is well acquai n ted with the opposite characteri stics of
t hese two authors Goethe was great not in comparison wi th the
.
,

E nglish dramatist but in relation t o the poetical writers of Ger

,

many in the seventeenth century .

The exaggerated estimate which has thus been easily explained ,

was re c eived by some E nglish authors who had a partial acquaint
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 1 57

a n c e wit h German li t erature , and has b een maintain e d by their

i nfluence to the present da y The charm of novelt y , a nat ural .

tendenc y to put a hi gh value on subj ects to which we have devote d

considerab le study and a disposition to admit , without due exa
,

mination the assertions of foreign c ritics , have probabl y b een the

,
*
c auses of the too favour a b le estimate of modern Germa n literature .

P O E TR Y .

The t h e e xt ending b etween 1 1 50 and 1 300 has b een st yled t h e

F irst C lassic P erio d of German poetr y, and that which we have
now to describe ha s b een esteemed as the second Obj ections ma y .

’
b e raised again st the application of such a word as classic t o ‘

t hese ti mes ; b ut it is c ertain that these two ep ochs have resemb le d

e ach other in their productiveness An other similarit y may be .

o b served be tween them , in the fail ure of all attempts to main tain a
di st i nct national school of poetry In the thirteenth cent ury, the .

national epic appeared , b ut was soon neglected , and almost for

g otten , among the foreign legends and sentimental verses of the
‘
R o manci st s an d ‘
M innesingers In the eighteenth cent ury, .
’

when L essing had made a path for origin al genius by clearing awa y
the French pedantry and afle ct at i o ns which had prevailed too long,
’

there appeared some hope of a revi val of true national literature .

B ut H erder, who exercised considerab le in fluence on his y ounger con

temporaries , Goethe and S chi ller directed the literary enthus iasm ,

of his times toward foreign p oetry and universal studies P oetic .

t aste was now expan ded and improved esp eciall y by the stud y o f ,

S hak sp e are s dramas ; b ut Goethe after producing one drama ,

’
,
‘
t
’
z , in a national st yle turned to write reflective poetry ; an d
,

S chill er, who was in some respects the most national of German
p oets , was l e d by the prevaili ng tendenc y of his t h es t o stud y t h e
general rather than the particular —the cosmopolitan rather than
t h e national style Wh atever the advantages of universal studies
.

may be in other departments of literature , their influence appears

t o have had an inj urious effect upon the qualities of energy and
o riginali ty which b elong to poetry of the highest class I t appears .

reasonab le and desirable that ever y nation , while cul tivating an

a cqu ai ntance with foreign literature sho uld prese rve its own di s
,
t inct national st yle Thi s is the mode of fulfil ling the great law of
.

Th e abo ve re mark s are

i d hi fl y t o t h g n r l r p t i l l it r t ur f t his
ap p l e c e e e e a o oe ca e a e o
se vent h p ri d e I n t in i l
o . nd x rll n f t yl m t b
s c va u e a n it d i n
e l i l
ce e ce o s e us e u e c ass c a

p ro d ct i n ; b t i t i g n r l l y
u o s u nf d t h t n r p t bl G rm n t h rs
s e e a co e sse a e ve es ec a e e a au o
ha st i ll m n y t hi n g t l rn r g din g t yl At t he m ti m w m t r di l y
ve a s o ea e ar s e. sa e e , e os ea
adm it t h t f r t h ght ful n
a , o nd in i t y f r t h n m b r f i m p t nt id
ou e ss a s c er , o e u e o or a e as
whi h it h
c b ght i nt o ir u l at io n mo d rn G rm an l it rat ure m y j t l y l aim
as ro u c c , e e e a us c
t h e highe st h o n ur o .
1 58 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

n ature , which prese rve s unit y and at the same time develops a
,

rich variet y Wh y should the expressions O f poetic genius in

.

various countries be less diversifi e d than their climates and orders

o f vegetation ? We neither expect nor wish to find in India t h e
trees and grasses of our E nglish valleys T hese remarks will b e .

found especiall y applicable to modern German poetry The Open .

and receptive character o f Ge rm an geni us which has been so ,

favourable t o the development of a comprehensive philosophy

and extensive historical knowledg e , has prevailed over energy
and originalit y in poetry .

It wo uld be difficult to find a fairer example of the German lite

rary character than J O H ANN G O TTF RI ED HERDER ( 1 7 4 4
After receiving an education in medicine he studied philosophy ,

under Kant at Konigsberg in 1 7 6 2 H e was subsequently engaged .

in several places as a teacher and a clergyman until he was invited ,

t o j o in the circle O f poets and other literary men at Weimar under ,

‘

the patronage O f the D uke Karl Augustus Here Herder displayed .

his universal interest in literature b y producing a seri es of works “

on various subj ects but all marked by a noble and kindly spirit of
,

humanit y A treatise on the O rigin of L anguage ( 1 7 7 ’ '

. an

essay on Hebrew P oetry

‘
and a work entitled Ideas fo r
’ ‘

the Philosophy O f Humanit y ( 1 7 8 4— 17 besides many poetical

’

pieces and critical writings showed that Herder was prepared

,

rather to comprehend and expound the thoughts O f other authors ,

than to produce any work O f striking origin al genius Yet h i s .

s ervices in literature were considerable He di ffused through all .

.

his writings the infl uence of a kind hopeful , and aspiring spirit , ,
'

and found in literature no idle pastime , but a fi eld for the exercise
of all his humane s ympathies Whatever our Opinion of H erder s
.
’

genius may b e we must derive from his works a favourable i m

,

pression of his personal character and this will be confirmed by ,

the memoirs of his life In poetry Herder s collections of popular

.
,
’

b allads and translations from seve ra l languages are more remark

’
able than his original productions In his V oices of the P eople ,
‘
.

or P opular B allads of M any Nations

‘
he showed his powe r ’

of sympathising with and appreciat ing, the various national tone s

,

O f poetry The ballads of S pain S candinavian legends S cottish

.
, ,

songs , and Hindoo fables found in H e rde ra genial interpreter ; and

his numerous versions and criticisms of foreign works encouraged
that love of universal history which has produced many remark
able results i n Germany His original poems consist chiefl y of
.

parables fables and versions of old legends and traditions ; b ut

, ,
.

’
seldom rise above mediocrity T h e most noble feature in Herder s
.

chara c ter was his constant striving according to his belief for all , ,

the highest interests of mankind He did not emplo y literatur e .

1 60 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

plot is clear and simple and the fe w characters introduced are well
,

described in an indirect style A humorous parody on the styl e .

O f H omer sometimes characterises the v e rsifi cat i o n It may b e .

O b served , as an in stance of diversit y O f tastes that while thi s ,

p oem has been admired as a classical production by man y Germa n

critics , some translations have failed to please E nglish readers .

We may assign as a reason t hat not o nl y in thi s poem , b ut al so in

, ,

the other writings O f Goethe , there is a want of those adventure s

and vivid interests to which the E nglish taste is accustomed in
*
work s of fi ction O n this defect a modern critic mak es the fol ~
.

lowing O b servations :
The absence o f e v erything l ike an energetic practical l ife in G er
many duri ng o ur times has n o doubt occasioned the specul ativ e ten
,

d en e y o f o u r writers G oethe the c l eares t and mos t com prehensi v e

.
,

gen ius which o u r country has produce d appears t o hav e been so e h ,

dowed by nature that he had onl y t o choose in what department o f

,

art l iterature o r science he woul d exce l He chose poetry as the

, , .

best mode o f expression fo r his uni v ersal sympathies ; and if he had

found in his country an Obj ect o n which t o exercise hi s imagination,
a vigorous nationa l l i fe and character worthy Of poetic cel ebration , ,

he woul d hav e co ntinued t o write in the popul ar d ramatic styl e which

”
is found in his G Otz v o n Ber l ichingen But o ur times afforded n o .

material s fo r such poetry and conse quentl y e v en G oethe fe ll into a

,

re fl ecti v e s train F o r this reason he stands so far belo w S hak

.

speare in variety o f material s and energy o f sty l e

’
.

This passage b y no means gives an adequate explanation of t h e

wide di stinction between the E nglish dramatist and Goethe ; b ut
i t partly accounts for the reflective character of the latter poet .

T h e first part of Faust is the p oem b y which the fame o f thi s

‘ ’

author has been most widely extended Though in complete , .

it is remarkably Original and suggests imp o rtant reflections on ,

human character and dest in y T h e narrative is partl y founded on .

the Ol d lege n d of Faust the M agician ‘

We are introduced to the .
’

hero at the moment when he expresses his despair Of arriving at

any valuable results after years of abstruse study H e condemns .

his b ooks and phil osophical instruments in bitter terms H e has no .

longer any delight in the pursuits of intellectual li fe In this mood .

of m i nd he is lifting a cup of poison to hi s lips when the sound

, ,

O f ch urch -bells and the voices of choristers haili ng the morning of

,

E ast er S unday recall to his mind recollections of childhood and

,

its innocent j o y s H e puts aside the p oison cup , and exclaims

.

‘
S ound o ut, sweet bell s ! ye cal l me back to li fe
This is th e turning p oint in the history of Faus t
- . H e has se ne
P A Pfi z e r
. . .
 S EVEN T H PER I O D . 1 61

the error of his previous my stical studies , and no w wishe s t o b egin

a new career of life ; b ut is dubious respecting its nature At this .

crisis he un happil y meets his evi l genius , M ephistopheles , wh o

p ersuades him to abandon all philosophy , and to enj o y the sen
suons pleasures of the world F aust y ields to this advice and after
.
,

passing t hrough many fantasti c adventures , ends his career in crim e

and misery M any part s of this p oem are written in such a m y s
.

tical vein rather in timating than distinctl y expressing reflections

, ,

that vario us readers may derive from it various lessons It teache s .

that clear intellectual views are a great support Of virtue and hap
i
p e ss ; that , on the other side , a mind full of vague amb ition and
n
i mmoderate desires ma y easily b e led i nto moral evil ; and that
true freedom can b e found only in subj ection to reasonable laws .

These thoughts are frequently expressed in various forms in

’
Goethe s writings The second part of Faust is remarkable
.
‘ ’

o nl y as a specimen of varied and harmonious v e rsifi cat i o n o f ,

whi ch a c onsiderab le part was written when the po e t was more

than eight y y ears Ol d In t hi s respect it may b e regarded as a
.

literary c uriosit y A passag e from the op ening Of this poem i s

.

subj oined :

S UNR I SE
‘
F ccust T h e
. pulses o f my life beat freshl y n o w ,

Whil e mi l d ethereal dawn enfo l ds my bro w ,

T h e earth with quiet s l ee p refreshed a ll night

, ,

T hrou gh Open pores breathes o u t a n e w de light .

H o w all thin gs l ong t o l i v e ! and keen desire

A wakes in me fo r e v er t o aspire
,

In gl immering S heen the wor l d is wrapt aroun d ,

With thousand-v oic ed l ife the forests sound ;

Al ong the v al e the misty streaks are drawn ,

A nd l ight darts do wn where mountain chasms yawn ;

A nd l eafy twigs from misty c l efts b l oom o u t ,

O n buds and b l ooms fresh pearl s are dropped about ,

Hue aft er hue gl eams from the dusky ground

, ,

A nd paradise is Opened al l around

Upwards my gl ance ! the mountain-peaks are glowing,

Fo r us the signs o f gl orious day-birth S howing !
G l ad sooner t o enj oy the eterna l l ight ,

T hat l ater beams o n o ur enraptured sight ;

N O W a bright gl ance awakes the mountain-green,
With gradu al S pread fi ll s all the v al es between ,

A nd n o w bursts forth ! and dazz l ed at the day, ,

W ith aching eyes I tu rn myse l f away .

S O tis with us when fond hopes cherished long

’
, ,

Upheld through storms Of contrad iction strong,

£ 62 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

To ripe fulfil men t suddenl y are grown ,

A nd gates o f para d ise are open thrown .

-
x as

S O le t the sun behind me b l aze a wh il e ,

A s here I meet his fair re fl e c ted smi l e ;

Y o n wa t erfall with genia l gl adness see
, ,

Burst through the ro cky c l eft in rapturous gl ee

From l eap t o l eap a thousand streams outpouring
, ,

M id foam-c l ouds o v er foam-c l ouds lightl y soaring .

H O W gl orio u s beaming thro u gh the mis ty air

, ,

T h e changeful -du ri ng rainbow s co l ours there ! ’

NO W c l ear outshining n o w they softl y fade, ,

L ost fo r a moment in the misty sha d e

W e ll p aints the v arying bo w o u r l ife S endeav our
c
’
,

F o r e v er changing ye t t h e same fo r e v e r .

In attempting t o give a fair general estimate O f this versat ile

a uthor we encounter a curious di fficult y T wo facts appear which .

a t first sight are not easily reconcilable It rs certain that Goethe.

h as long been esteemed b y the most i ntell ectual of h i s c o unt ry

, _

men as a man of remarkable and extensive geniu s If proof of

,

this fact were required , it would b e found in numerous volumes O f

comments and criticisms on his writings O n the other side it is .
,
’
well known that several fair translations O f Goethe s principal
p oems have appeared i n E ngland without making any great and
p ermanent impression T h e E nglish reader naturally asks Where
.
‘
,

i s the work which display s t h e greatness of this celebrated author ?

Wh ere is the drama that can be placed fairly beside H amlet ? or
where is the prose fi ction that may b e ranked with the works of
S cott ? We presume that the German critic will not pretend t o
’

meet these demands ; yet he still maintains that Goethe was a

g reat man in literature Here is a diffi cult y ; for it would evidently
.

b e presumptuous to say either that German critics have made a

m ountain of a molehill or that E nglish readers are altogether
,

wrong in taste T o solve the contradiction it must be Observed

.
,

that Goethe was a voluminous writer and that he extended hi s

.
,

s ympathies over almost every department of literature ; but did not

c oncentrate his faculties in an y S ingle work which can be named as

a full illustration of his genius T h e German critic and the E ng

.

lish reader form their j udgments from t wo different points of view .

The latter looks for one distinct work on which t o found an

’
a uthor s fame while the former makes a survey of the manifold
,

proofs of genius contained in a shelf-ful of b ooks , b eside man y

letters and conversations He finds scattered through all these
.

writings a series of original and re fined views Of life society , and ,

literature , an d from these he concludes that the author was a man

1 64 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

O n l y your motto, T asso , I woul d change ,

An d r ather say : “
L iv e trul y as yo u o ugh t ! ”

AN 1 M AG I N A T
IVE C H A R A CT E R .

I know him we ll ; fo r he is easi ly known

T O O proud t o hi d e him se lf t o -d ay perhaps fi

, ,

He sinks into himse l f as if the worl d ,

Were all encl o sed with in his S i ngl e bosom ,

Whil e all things round him v anish fr o m hi s sigh t .

T hen su d d enl y as if some secre t spark

,

O f grie f o r j o y o r anger l it the mine

, , , ,

He breaks for t h t o reform the worl d about hi m .

T hen wi ll he seiz e o n all and m as t e r all

,

T he worl d m u s t mo v e a c cordan t wit h hi s thoughts

‘

An d in a m oment t o perfection come

, ,

T h e gradua l growt h o f many cent u ries

Whil e e vil s that re qu ire the pati e nt hand
,

O f l abour fo r l ong years fo r their remo val

, , ,

M ust v anish in the l ightning o f his eye .

He Of h imse l f deman d s the impossibl e ,

T hat he m ay next d emand the same fr o m others .

T h e fina l cause o f all t hings in a gl an c e

He l ongs t o c o mprehend : what scar c e can come
T o o n e mind i n a mill ion he woul d hav e ,

But he is n o t the man— h e fall s at l a t ,

s
,

J ust as he was into hi mse l f again

,
’
.

FR I EDR I C H S C HI L L ER was b orn at M arb ach in 1 7 59 O f t h e .

’
poet s father we have nothing remarkable to tell ; b ut his mother
was an amiable and i rnaginat i v e woman T h e most import ant .

event of his youth which was destin ed to have great influence

,

u p on his career was hi s admission

,
at the age of fourteen int o , ,

the M ili tary A cademy estab l ished at St ut t gard b y the D uke of

Wii rt e mbe rg T his was an institution O f dry and rigid di sci p
.

lin e against which S chi ller rebelled H e read Wieland s S hak

,
.
’

speare and solaced himself in the world O f poetry revealing itself

, ,

to hi m in startling contrast with the dul l rout ine to which he was

b oun d H e was secretl y educating himself as a poet and prepar
.
,
’
ing t o astonish the German world with his tragedy T h e R obbers ‘
.

At the age O f twenty -two he gave to the world this wild drama
, ,

in whi ch his o wn longings for intellectual li b erty had found a tur

b ulent and exaggerated expression T h e drama found a public .

ready t o receive it with all its wildness and crudity as the pro
, ,

duction of a vigorous and revolutionary genius ; but it brought

u p on the head of its youthful writer the censure o f the pedanti c
and arbitrary D uke O f Wii rt e mbe rg who was naturally grieved ,

t o se e his orderl y A cadem y produce su c h an unclassic al w ork .

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 1 65

There is some exc use for the duk e s censure ; for the drama is
’

full of the exaggeratio n and bad taste which might b e expected

from an ardent y oung poet ed uca ted as S chiller had b een But .

S ch ill er had visited the theatre at M annheim , and had see n

his play represented and received with the greatest enthusiasm .

This success prompted him to make an escape from the A cadem y,

and to try his fortune as a theatrical author A ccompanied by a .

y oung musician named S treicher and with onl y twent y -three flo rins
,

i n his p ocket , he set out one night for M annheim T h e Gran d .

D uke P a ul of R ussia paid a visit to St ut t gard, and all the

authorities of the place were too full of the excitement of
ro yal preparations and illum inations t o Ob serve the departure o f
an Ob sc ure y oung poet H ow little did the p eople of S t ut t gard
.

dream that night that one was leavi ng the c it y -gate , then o nl y a .

romantic y outh , a mere student at the A cadem y , of whom the y

would one day b ecome far prouder than Of the glittering vi sit of
the Grand D uke ! Y et so it has come to pass—that ro yal entrance
is chiefl y remembered at St ut t gard becaus e on that night y o ung
S chiller ran a wa y : and now the St ut t gard man, when he S hows the
lions of the pla c e , points firs t of all t o the statue of F riedri ch

Wh en he a rrive d at M annheim , which ha d b een the scene of hi s

theatrical glor y , be alarmed the manager of the theatre b y con
fessing that he had fled from St ut t gard, and had set the d uke at
defiance and that his sole hope O f making a new step onward in li fe
,

lay in a manuscript p1ay F iesco M eier the manag er listened

.
’
, ,

t o this pla y , read b y the y oung poet , and in amazement ask ed

S treicher I S S chill er reall y the author O f The
“
It
seems that S ch iller , at that time li ke our o wn Thomson read his
, ,

O wn productions in a disadvantageous st yle It required som e .

t M e to fi t this new pla y for the stage M eanwhile , S chiller s ’

.

purse was shrinking and he had left some de b ts b ehind him at

,

S t ut t gard. H e thought it prudent t o remove farther from t h e

forsaken capital of Wurt e mbe rg ; and accordi ngl y again set out
on travel with his faithful friend the y oung musician O n the .

j ourney S chill er s strength was exhausted and he lay down , sick

’

and weary in a wood while his friend equally p oor and prospect
, , ,

less wat ched beside him R eiterated disapp ointments vexed him
, .

w ith regard to his t h eatrical prospects ; but j ust when he was

feeling the bitterness of a world without a friend he recei ved a ’
,

w elcome invitation from a lad y who deserves to b e honourabl y

mentioned in his biography M adame v o n Wo lz o ge n o ffered for the
.

S helter of the y oung poet a house which she possessed at B auer

b ach , a vill age near M ein ingen S oon afterwards the o ffende d
.
,

d uk e left the p oet unmolested t o foll o w his self-chosen caree r,

1 66 G ER MAN LIT ERAT URE .

and S chiller was appointed P oet to the Theatre at M annheim .

N ow he had gained a station in the world comparatively satis

factory T h e c i rcumstances o f the material man act upon the
.

i ntellectual man in a greater degree than can b e imagined b y

those whose lives have kno wn no great changes S chil ler no w .
,

settled with a salary however small regu lar and with a way t o
, , , ,

farther success Open before him felt no longer that p olemic e nt hu ,

s iasm from which T h e R obbers had started forth to frighten the

world T h e next important step in S chill er s life was h is visit to
.
’

Weim ar the residence O f Goethe H erder and Wieland H e was

, , ,
.

s oon S O much delighted with the societ y of t hi s li ttle German

Athens that he determined t o make it his home
,
Here he be .

c ame acquainted with his future wife , C harlotte von L engefeld ,

who resided with her mother at R udolstadt and sometimes visited ,

Weimar In the S pring O f the next year he chose a residence i n

.

the valley of R udolstadt near the house of the L e nge fe l ds This .

was a happy part O f his l ife His mornings were g iven to study.
,

and his evenings were S pent in a circle of friends .

N ow also by slow steps that friendship was formed between

, ,

S chill er and Goethe which had a highl y favourable infl uence on

-

the development O f their respective characters T hey were not .

t oo much alike t o b e friends T he y had pursued the same o bj ect.

by different roads Goethe had travelled along a very smooth

.

’
road and the soft scenery of his l ife s j ourney had given an ex
,

pression of contentment and repose t o his fine face S chiller had .

b een the striving man and his worn features told Of the tim e whe n
,
’
the world was not his friend These two remarkable men wh o.
,

had hitherto b elonged t o different schools b ecame sincere friends , ,

and generousl y helped each other in their literary designs Their .

c orrespondence has been published and is interesting to the ,

’
student It was partly through Goethe s i nterest that S ch iller re
.

c e iv e d the appointment to the chair Of History at the universit y

O f Jena ; to whi ch he had recommended him se lf by his H istory ‘

’
of the R evolt O f the N etherlands O n entering upon thi s ne w .

o ffi ce the poet was received wi th the warmest enthusiasm by the

,

students of Jena He had now found his place—the very st atio n

.

fo r which h is genius fitted him—and a prospect of happin ess was

O pened b efore hi m H e enj oyed his lab ours at Jena and still
.
, ,

more his holidays at R udolstadt B ut soon afterwards his health

,
.
,

fail ed . I n one O f his letters t o Goethe he says— And no w ,

‘
,

when I have attained as I b elieve to such a degree O f intellectual

, ,

clearness and have estab l ished in m y mind such principles of art

, ,

that if I might b e spared I could perhaps do somethi ng great

, ,

and good my bodily constitution is threatened with decay

,
.
’

It may be well t o ment ion (as a warning to other stude nts ) that
 1 68 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE
‘

from the drama upon which his mind was still engaged ! In the
evening of the next day when his sister-in-law asked h im h o w he ,

felt he answered Cahne r and cal mer

,
‘
Then he longed to behold .
’

O nce more the setting sun ; they drew aside the c urta ins , and he
looked for the last t ime with a poet s sympathy , on the great light
, ,
’
.

The next day he was exhausted and S peechless and in the evening ,

he expired S o died Frederick S chill er , aged 4 5 years His life

. .

was short ; but it was a life — not a sleep He had devoted himself .

t o a great O bj ect to win a high place among the p o ets and int e ll e c
,

t ual heroes of his country ; he used the means of attaining this

e nd ; he studied long and felt deeply esteeming his vocation more
, ,

than hi s earthly life and he gain ed hi s Obj ect—h e was crowned

—
with more than the admiration with the love of h is people and , ,

died as he touched the goal In the night of the 1 1 t h of M ay the .

,

p oet s mortal remain s were carried to the grave b y twelve yo ung

’

men of the cit y ; b ut several young artists and students says

‘ ’
,

D oering out of reverence for the dead claim ed a S hare in the

,
‘
,

c eremony ’
It is pleasant to mention in connection wi th Goe the
.
,

and S chiller their generous friend and patron KAR L AU G US T the

, , ,

D uke of Weimar ( 1 7 5 6 a man o f refin ed taste, who found

his greatest deli ght in the societ y of men of genius .

T h e po e tical works of S chill er consist of several graphi c ballads ,

didactic poems dramas and lyrical pieces The celebrated S ong
, ,
.
‘

O f the B ell ( 1 stands al most alone as a successful attempt t o

’
7 9 9 )
unite poetry with the interests of da ily life and industry The .

p o et describes the castin g o f a church -bell and gives spirited out ,

lines O f various scenes in human life such as a marriage a funeral , , ,

a c o nflagrat i o n, the outbreak O f war and the celebration O f peace , .

This original and remarkable poem has b een frequently translated

i nto E nglish and may b e regarded as a fair specimen of the
,

author s genius In his didactic poem T h e Artists S chill er

’
.
,
‘
,
’

recommends the study of the beautiful in poetry S culpture and , ,

paintin g O ne O f the purposes of this v e rsi fie d essay is to correct

.

the notion that the lo v e of beauty and c ul tivation of the fin e art s

must be opposed to utili ty It requires no great penetration t o .

see that if human elevation and improvement is the end to which

the useful is devoted the fine arts must be esteemed as im me ,

d iat ely tending to produce that result The argument of the poe m .

traces the ideas of goodness truth and beauty to one founta in, , ,

and describes them as all mingling in one result T he Wa lk is .

‘

another didactic and descriptive poem in which the writer gives ,

the discursive meditations suggested by a walk in the country and

the View of a cit y He strays in to the fields and exults in the
.
,

b eauty of nature After tracing the relations of man with nature,

.

and describ ing the progress Of civilisation, he is depressed by

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 169

t houghts of the conflicts and disorders of societ y From these re .

fle ct i o ns he returns to the contemplation of nature , and the poem

c loses wit- h t h e following passage

TH E C O N S T AN C Y
N A T URE OF .

‘ But
where am I ? M y path is l ost I find .

Myse l f al one o n wi l d and ro c ky ground

G ardens and hedge-rows all are l e ft b e hind ;
No trace Of human l ife o r toi l is found ;
But rude u n c ul tured hi ll s abou t me stan d
, ,

And basal t pil es wait fo r the scul ptor s hand ’

.

The torrent from t h e mountain s m el ted sno w ’

,

Foams o v er rocks and roots o f trees l aid bare

, ,

A nd pours its waters in the d e ll be l o w ;

Whil e o e r the desol ate pl ace in the l one arr
’
, ,

Th e eagl e hangs with outspread wings o n high

, , ,

A nd knits the savage l andscape t o the S k y .

NO wind s can hither wai t the faintes t sound

O f hum an joys o r cares Al one I seem .
,

A nd yet am n o t al one Th y ar m s surround .

Th y chi l d maternal N ature ! T was a d ream ’

,

O f human woes that l ed me far astray ;

B ut n o w thy presence dri v es my fears away .

From thee I drink once more a purer l ife ;

T h e ho p es Of youth re v i v e within my breast .

T h e nri n d s o f men in a perpetu a l strife

, ,

Re v o lv e from age t o age and find n o rest ; ,

Whi l e nature in u n fading youth and beauty,

,

O beys o ne e v erl asting rul e o f duty .

Upon her constant bosom e v er green, ,

Beneath her sky o f ne v er-fading b lue ,

L iv ed all the generations w h o hav e been ,

A nd s till her chil dren find her fresh an d n e w .

A nd the same sun that o e r some G recian hill ,

’
,

Homer behe l d is shini ng o n us still !

,
’

In hi s lyrical b allads and romances S chiller rise s ab ove the ,

didactic and descriptive st yle ‘

The C ranes O f I by cus , and the
.
’

’
F ight with the D ragon ma y b e especially noticed as in st ances O f
,

graphic metrical narratives inspire d with no ble purpose s S chi l .

ler was an interest ing man , a philosopher, an historian, and a

c ritic , as well as a poet . He has Often been spoken of in a c olle e
tive st yle , rather than criticis e d distinctly as a poet F or this .

reason , perhaps , several of his poems , if strictly examined as pro

d uct i o ns o f art , will b e fo un d inferior t o the g eneral estimat e o f
1 70 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

’
S chiller s genius and de ficient in simplicit y graphi c clearness and
, , ,

variety M r C ARLY L E has observed that in the general praise of

.

this poet some of his particular merits have been overlooked O n .

the other side it may b e said that the poet s character has S hed a
,
’

lustre over his writings which must fade in some degree when we
,

review them critically Are his dramas laying aside their poeti c
.
,

b eauties and good sent iments excellent as dramatic productions ? ,

Are his lyrics pure and clear in their style ? S uch are the ques
tions which must be answered in order to form a true estimate o f ,

S chiller as a poet In his personal character he display ed fine

.

qualities H is aspirations in literature were noble and benevolent

. .

H e regarded poetry especially as something far b etter than a

trivial amusement —as the companion and cherisher of the b est
hopes and affections that can b e developed in human life In h i s .

‘
S ong of the B ell and other poems of similar tendency he gave
’
,

examples O f pure poetry associated with the highest interests in

a style which if it had found successful followers would have
, ,

elevated the poetical literat ure O f Germany ab ove the rank which
it no w occupies .

B ut since the day s of Goethe and S chiller the movement in

, ,

German poetry has b een o n t h e whole retrograde and fe w recent ,

productions can claim particular notice It is impossible t o de .

scribe here all the contemporaries and successors of S chiller who

have written pleasing verses but have not produced poems o f ,

remarkable originality A few selections will be sufficient to S how

.

the want of distinct character and interest in many modern versi

fi e rs Though p oetry is so far an O bj ect O f taste that the criticism
.
,

of any writer may appear arbitrary to some readers there are rul e s ,

for the formation of j udgment which are founded in nature , and

have b een approved by impartial public Opin ion T h e compara .

t iv e l y fe w poetical works which have been marked and preserved

as classical productions will b e fo rmd generally to possess three
,

united qualities— power of imagination beauty o f style and in , ,

t e re st ing import In the last Of these qualities recent German

.

poetry is peculiarl y de fi cient , as several of the following b rief

notices wi ll S how .

J O H ANN H E I NR I C H V O S S ( 1 7 5 1 -1 8 26) was far more respectab le

as a self-educated man and a translator Of H omer and V irgil than
, ,

as an original poet He delighted in writing descriptions of

.

homel y and commonplace obj ects such as fowls in a farmyard or , ,

even household cats in long and tedious hexameter verses In

,
.

this style he produced a domestic idyl L uise which was received ,

‘ ’
,

by some with admiration b ut by others with laughter A fe w ,

.

li n es describing a pi c -ni c part y, will give an idea of its ver y

,

homely chara ct er
1 72 G ERMAN LIT ERAT URE .

S h ak sp eare , than as an original poet H is antique drama I .

,
‘
o n,
’

l ike the Al arco s

’
‘
of his brother possesses no true interest for
,

modern times F R I EDR I C H S C HLE G E L wrote several elegant poems ;

.

b ut his fame rests o n hi s great services as an hi stori an of litera

ture T h e unfortunate poet F R I E DR I C H H O L D E R L IN ( 1 7 7 0
.
,

reproduced in a style Often marked with clearness and beauty the

, ,

ideas and images of antique Greek poetry Hi s character pre .

sented an extreme instance of the results O f vis ionary spec ul ation

for not o nl y in his verses but in hi s serious Opinions he rej ected
, ,

the religion , the manners and custom s and the l iterat ure of hi s ,

native country and attached himself to the ancient Grecians whom

, ,

he regarded as the models of mankind H o ld e rl in fell into a con .

dition of intell ectual debility in whi ch he lived for the long space
,

o f fort y -one years E RN S T S C HULZE ( 1 7 89 —1 8 1 7 ) was remarkable

.

chi efl y for the melody of hi s language ; but devoted hi mself to a

melancholy and monotonous strain of sentim ent fatal to t h e pro ,

duction of Vigorous poetry After losing b y early death , the

.
,

y oung lady on whom he had placed hi s affections he devoted hi s

imagin ative reveries t o immortalis e her nam e —C ecil ia—ih a long
,

p oem conta ining twent y cantos .

In melody of v e rsifi cat i o n FR I EDR I C H RU C K ERT ( 1 7 89 ) is supe

,

rior to all his contemporaries ; but his numerous poems Show that
want O f di tin ct interest whi ch is found in many re cent productions
s

in verse Rii ck e rt is not o nl y a poet but also an enthusiastic

.
,

O riental student , and has made the German language flow in the
metres and styles of the P ersian poets with remarkable facility .

H e has also succeeded in didactic verse giving t h e maxims of the ,

ancient B rahmins of India in a laconic style He accepts and ver .

sifi e s the legends of many foreign countries as if hi s native land ,

was worn out as a p oetical subj ect and co ul d supply no more ,

materials on which t o exercise invention T his part iality for .

foreign subj ects is found in a great part of recent German poetry,

t hough lately poli t ical and patriotic lyrics have become fashion
able The merit of Ru ck e rt s poems is so Oft en confin ed to their
.
’

external form that many O f them wil l not b ear translation ; but
,

the foll o wing l ines may give some idea of their flowin g st yle
A P O E T S UT O P IA ’
.

I l ong t o buil d a city fair

U nder hea v en s serenest air
’
,

Ernb o so m e d in a b l oom ing wood ,

A nd l av ed by some transp arent fl o o d

T h e fo cus whence l ife s gl a d deni ng be am
’

T hro u gh all the l an d shoul d free l y stre am ;

Where l ife as in a circl e fl owing
, ,

From centre t o circumfe rence going ,

 SEVEN TH PER I O D . 173

T hence t o the middl e -point agai n

S houl d fl o w as ri v ers t o the main .

Within the mids t a kingly hand

S houl d hol d in unity the l and ,

A king with nob l es ro u n d him spread ,

L ike b l ossoms round a rose s head ’

Whil e through the kingd om e v ery soul

S houl d share the gl ory o f the who l e ,

C ontented but a l eaf t o be

Upon a heal thy b l ooming tree
, .

From the throne a b l essing streaming ,

O er the l and the king s smi l e beami ng

’ ’
,

J o y t o e v ery home rs bringing

L abour bears his burthen si nging ;
Fo r e v ery o n e throughout the l and
G i v es e v ery o n e a he l pi ng h and .

Each is happy in his part ;

T h e reaper sings with merry heart ,

A nd from the throne a l ustre shines

Upon the dresser o f the v ines .

T hen the gentl e arts shall come ,

A nd in my city find th eir home ,

N o t dwe ll in dull sec l usion l one ,

But i n the streets and round the

“

throne ,

A s frien d s o f e v ery o n e shal l stan d, ,

An d throw their magic o e r the l and

’
.

A nd no t t o p l eas e a pedant s taste ’

T h e artis t S hall his l abo u r waste ,

But in the peop l e s gl addened eye

’

Find his l abours richest priz e

’
.

T here shall musi c s tem p l e rise

’
,

A nd fi ll with harmony the skies

An d pa laces where art di v ine
,

M akes earth in hea v en l y col ours shi ne .

T h e poets shall n o t te ll their tal es

T o moonl it woods l ike nightingal es ,

No r gi v e the cheerfu l lyric strain

T o O l d- wor l d fab l es dull and vain ,

O f knights and saints in ancient days ,

No r fi ll wi t h id l e d reams their l ays ;
But m the city bards shall dwe ll ,

Byk i ng and peop l e honoured well ;

A nd poetry n o idl e art
, ,

S hall c heer the uni v ersal he art .

T here o n e S hall S how with tragic han d,

,

T h e hero S death fo r Father l and ;

’

A nother with a comic grace

, ,

Will show the people their o wn face,

1 74 G ERMAN L IT ERA TURE .

A nd l yric poets with the l ay ,

Shall gl ad d en e v ery festiv e d ay .

’

AU G US T US V ONP LA T EN ( 1 7 9 6—1 8 3 5) resembl ed his frien d

Rii ck e rt in his partiality for foreign themes and in the care with ,

which he polished the style of his poems He professed a contempt .

of his native co unt ry and celebrated the beaut y of R ome V enice

, , ,

and Naples If the human interest O f his poems had e qualled

.

their fin ish and gracefuln ess they would b e excellent productions ;

,

b ut the chief merit of Platen consists in his imitation not o nl y o f

t h e metres but also of the style and S pirit of O l d classical poets
, , ,

especially H orace .T h e following is a translation O f a poe m

founded on an anecdote in the life of a great painter

LU CA I NOR E LL I
S G .

T was at the hour o f evening prayer

Th e painter from his ease l rose,
A nd gaz e d u pon the picture there
H o w l ife l ike e very aspect gl ows

Hark — what c an mean these su d den cries

A pupil comes with hasty tread ,

E nters the painter s room and sighs ’

, ,

Master your onl y so n is d ead !

,

Al as his beauty br o u ght his doom

He fe ll beneath a ri va l s han d ’

A nd yonder in the minster s gl o om

,
’
,

T h e praying monks around him stand .

T hen L uca cried O h, misery !

T hu s h av e I l i v e d , and t o i l e d in vain
T his m o ment takes away from me
Th e fruit o f all my l ab o ur s pain !
’

What c are I that my paintings gl ow ’

With j o y C o rtona s peop l e hail ? ’

O r that O r vieto s ch urch c an S ho w

’

M y J u dgment making gazers pale ! ’

,

“
No r fame , no r laurels ro u nd my bro w,
C an bind this woun d , and hea l my smart ;
T h y l ast, best conso l ation n o w,
Bestow on me be l oved art
,

S traight church the master wen t

to the
He shed no tears— h e said no more
His pupil guessing his intent
, ,

B e side hi m brush and palette bore .

176 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

A nd in th e pal ace outer-co u r t sat beggars b l ithe an d gay ,

Wh o l o v ed far more t h e m e a t and d ri nk than all t h e minstrel s ’

p l ay .

The king l ooked throu gh the Open d o or u pon t h e beggars there

A nd fro m the ragged crowd c ame fo r t h a s t ri pl ing b o l d and fair .

was c l ad in m o tl ey rags but had a n o b l e face ;

T h e bo y ,

He pushed his way am o ng the crowd t o rea ch the d ining-pl ace ,

.

He stepped into the prin c el y hall as carel ess as i n p l ay ,

T hence took a di sh Of d ain ty meat and carried it away , .

T hen tho u ght the king, a d ari ng trick ! as o n t h e bo y he gazed ;

Bu t sil entl y he let hi m go —hi s courtiers were amazed .

A l ittle whil e had p assed away—agai n the bo y came up ,

E v en t o t h e p l ace where sat the k ing an d seized the roya l cup ,

.

” ”
Ha ! cri ed the king the tric k is h o l d yo u l ittl e dari ng thing !
,
“
,

But R ol and he l d the go l d en cup and l ooked up at the kin g,

.

Th e king at firs t l ooked dark enough then laughed in merry

, , ,

mood
“
Y o u wa lk i nto my gil ded hall as if into a wood .

Y o u take the dainty d ishes , b o y, l ike app l es from a tree ,

”
An d wine as yo u wo ul d water t ake fro m any fountain free !
“
country maid may water d rin k o n appl es she may d ine
Th e ,
”
My mother must have royal fare and drink the rosy wine ,
.

“
Ha ! is Sh e , then, a noble dame ? Where liv es S he l —tell me
where ;
S he has a castl e I suppose and many ser vants there !
, ,

T e ll
me wh o is her Chamberl ain ? wh o is her butl er te ll
, ,

M y right hand is her Chamberl ain ; my l eft hand serves as we ll .

“
Wh o is the warder on her tower ? ” “
My eyes h ave that em
pl oy .

“
Wh o is the minstrel of her court ? ” “
My m outh ”
,
rep lied th e
bo y .

“
You r lady has a ser vant brav e in motl ey li v ery dight ; ,

F o r l i ke a rainbow is yo u r dress yo u l ittl e daring Wi ght , , .

“
S ure such a nob l e dame as you rs the king m u st l ong to se e
”
T hree gentl emen and l adies , too, this l ady brin g to me !
Young Rol and with the gol den c up wal ked quickl y from
, ,
th e
court
A nd knights and ladies fol l owed him—(the king wo ul d have
,

his
Sport) .
 SEVEN TH PER I O D . 1 77

T hen in a littl e time returne d the kn i,ghts and ladies c ame

, ,

A nd wi t h the m wal ked into the c our t the royal banished d ame ,
.

”
“ G ood h ea v en ! wh o comes ? the king exc l aimed in strangely
al tered m o od
An d ha v e I mocked in Open hall my o wn —the royal blood ?
G ood h eav en ! my sister Berta pal e in pil grim s mantl e gray,
, ,
’

”
To come into my r o yal court in beggar ly array !
T hen Berta, S peechl ess , faint , and pal e , beside his feet fe ll down
T h e roya l anger rose again, his forehead wore a frown ;
A nd Berta knee l ed u pon t h e ground amid the gazing ring ,

Whil e Ro land with a fear l ess bro w said Unc l e t o the king
,
”
,
.

T hen poke the king W i t h mil der tone Rise Berta ! tremb l e
S , ,
no t !
”
S ince fo r the sake o f this brav e bo y o u r quarre l is forgot !
, ,

”
T hen up rose Bert a in her j o y ,
“
T hank s, brother ! thanks ! said
She ;
“
A nd this bra v e bo y S hal l pay yo u we l l fo r al l your grace to me !
he shall grow u p l ike the king a hero in his day
Fo r , ,

A nd banners many-co l oured bring from van quished l ands away ;

“
S hall take the Spo il s from many kings, with strong and dari ng
hand ,

A nd riches, honour ,
an d renown, wi n fo r hi s mother -l and

GUS T AVUS S C HWAB ( 1 7 9 2) ma y b e named as one of many asso

ciates of U hland who have celebrated in their ballads the local
traditions Of their native country S uch ballads , having som e .

p opular associations , have b een received with favo ur in German y ,

b ut have li ttle of g eneral and permanent interest We know n o t .

where to loo k for a German p oet who gives t he trait s o f real life
among the people and especially the peasantry , of his country,
,

in the style O f George Crabbe or R obert B urns .

T h e writers of patriotic songs may b e mentioned next t o

’
U hland s school o f poetry with which the y are conn ected b y
,

their national tone Among these none h ave equalled the martial
.
,

lyrics of M O R IT Z ARND T which are clear and spirited and ,

may b e trul y called songs for soldiers B ut the celeb rated gle e .
’

’
of Fatherland by the same writer is more worth y of a lasting
‘
, ,

reputation A few verses will S how its character

.

F AT H E RLA N D .

Where is the G erman s Fatherl and ? ’

Is t Prussia, o r the S wabian l and ?

’
 1 78 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE
‘

Where by the Rhine the grapes are growing ?

O r where the Bal ti c wa ves are fl owing ?
“
O h no ! O h n o !
”
Far wider is o u r Fatherland !
Where is the G erman s Fatherl and ?
’

D ecl are t o u s where is that l and .

I S it the soi l o f Wi ll iam T e ll ?

T hat l an d that peop l e p l e as e me we ll ;
,

B u t no ! O h n o !
”
F ar wider is o ur Fatherl an d !

Where is the G erman s Fatherl and ?

’

D ec l are t o us where is that l and .

A s far as n eath the S preading S kies

’

O ur G erman hymns t o G o d arise

All that wide l an d ,

Brav e brothers call o u r Fatherl an d !

,

All G erm any we call o u r o wn !

M ay G o d beho l d it from his throne ;
And giv e t o a ll wh o in it dwe ll
T rue hear t s t o l o v e and c herish we ll
A ll this wide l and
All G ermany o u r Fatherl and
,

Amo ng patriotic poets , T H E O D O R KORNER must not b e forgotten .

H ewas born at D resden in 1 7 9 1 , and after receiving a favourable

e ducation , resided at V ienna , where he wrote with remarkable

fac ilit y several dramatic pieces entitled Zriny, R osamun d

‘ ‘ ’ ’
,

Hedwig and E xpiation His circum stances and prospects were

,
’ ‘
.
’

fl attering but he sacrificed them in favour of what h e believed t o

,
:

b e the sacred interest of his country L eaving his pleasant studi es

.
,

he j oined a troop of volunteers and animated his comrades by

,

h is martial songs O f which the most remarkable T h e S ong of

, ,
‘

the S word was written only a few hours before t h e y oung p oet s
’
,
’

death H e was S hot during a Skirmish with an amb uscade in

.

A ugust 1 8 1 3 His name is remembered with affection in his

native country M AXI M IL I AN S C HE NK EN D O R F ( 1 7 8 3—
.

. 1 8 1 9 ) wrote
several patriotic l yrics , which may b e ranked with Arndt s songs
’
.

The only novelty of any importance in poetry during late y ears ,

is found in the political songs of H ER W E G H , H O FF MANN , and other

v ersifi e rs. B ut these lyrics are more remarkable as signs of poli
tical tendencies than as poetical productions T heir tone is gene .

rally Violent and expresses the impatience of young minds who

, ,

have no faith in any gradual and pac ific progress of liberty and
s o c ial improvement , and who t herefo re writ e martial so ngs , and
1 80 G ERMAN LI TERA TURE .

Why wan derers must yo u leav e your land ?

, ,

T h e Ne ck e rval e h as wine and corn :

T all firs in o ur B l ack Forest stand ;
In Spessart sounds the Al per s horn
’
.

Mid foreign woo ds you ll l ong in v ain

’ ’

F o r your paternal mountain s green ,

F o r D eu t schl and s ye ll ow fie l d s o f grain

’

An d hi lls Of vi nes with purp l e sheen !

Th e Vision o f your olden time ,

O f all yo u l ea v e so far behin d ,

L ike some O l d l egendary rhyme ,

Will ris e in dreams and haunt your min d ,

.

Th e boatm an cal l s dep art in peac e !

G o d keep yo u , m an, and wife , and chil d !
J o y dwe ll with yo u , an d fast increas e
Your rice and m aiz e in yonder wil d

C O UN T A UERSPER G GEIB EL DIN G ELS TE D T B EC K and

, , , ,

may b e mentioned as poetical writers who have enj oyed c o n

si d e rabl e p op ul arity M an y other names mi ght b e added here
.
,

and some of them perhap s are not inferior in value t o several

which hav e b een not iced ; b ut the p op ul arity of recent p oetr y
has depended so much upon accidental excitements and temp orary
t astes that , in givin g a ful l account of p oetical li terature during
,

the last t en y ears it would b e necessary t o mention many pro

,

duct i o ns which will probabl y b e soon forg ott en This section .

may however b e extended by a b rief notic e of one poetical

, ,

writer whose style i s p ecul iar L E O P O LD S CHE PE R ( 1 7 8 4 ) is one

.

of the few who have gained p op ul arity by di dact ic verse H is .

‘
L ayman s B reviary and V i gils c ontain t h e doctrines derived
’ ’ ‘ ’

from phi losophi cal S peculations man y of which woul d b e con ,

d e mn e d as extravagant and Vi sionary by an English j udgment .

Th e y are however occasionall y interspersed with di dactic passages

, , ,

i n whi ch good lessons are convey ed in an enthus iasti c s t yle , as in

t h e follo win g li nes

A PLA I N AN SWE R .

T his dull , d ark strife with uni ll umin ed souls,

E ndi ng no t wi th the day, but e v ery morn
A fresh returni ng fo r another day
S uch warfare m akes at l as t the noblest mi nd
Heavy and hope l ess Earnestly I wish .

”
’
Tw ere done , that I might r e st, and sil ent be !
S o spe ak yo u But distingui s h we ll the truth
. .

T h e co nflict is no t gl oomy G rieved yo u see .

 S EVEN T H PER I O D . 1 81

A round yo u but a dul l distracted house ,

T h e o ld fal se world with e v il deeds wron g wor d s, ,

Heavil y pressing o n all noble minds .

T h e confl ict is right c l ear in dayl ight waged , ,

Wi th brightness ever pressing o n the gl oom '

N o r is your con fl ict with irrationals
( F o r a ll wou l d wiser be and e v ery o ne

Has faculties fo r better—wise r—growing)

,

S ee then your onl y con fl ict is with men

, , ,

A nd your so l e s trife is t o de fend and teach

T h e u ni llumined wh o without such care
, , ,

M ust perish E v ery unenlightened man

.

C ommends himse l f t o yo u e v en as your chi l d ,

.

H o w easi l y fo r h im and fo r yourse l f

L ife s burthen may be lightened by your words
’
,

O pening the Spring o f truth in his o wn breast ,

A nd c l eansing o u t the roots o f all his errors

D es t ro yi ng even with a S ingl e word
, ,

A coming harvest o f injuri o us weeds !

If then the Better ne v er must grow we ary
, , ,

But a l way s think o f better and ful fil it , ,

H o w shal l the Wise be weary o f his task

T o S how the right and fo r the truth contend ?
,

H o w S hal l the heart o f the good man grow weary ,

T hough hand and tongue are worn o u t in his work ?

A nd h o w can gent l eness be e v er weary ?

all tr ue l ove is gentl e fall ing o n
( F o r ,

M en s soul s as gentle rains upon the earth)

’
.

H o w c an yo u e er grow weary o f the truth ?

’

W eary o f gentleness and genuine lo v e ?

Be firm and happy therefore in the strife ! , ,

A nd keep lo v e in your heart all l ife s day long ’

,

T ill l ike the eternal st ars its beams are spread

’
.

The impossib ilit y of noti c ing here all the writers of v e rse wh o
have gained temporary reputations from the b eginning of Goethe s ’

career to the present time , i s at once explain ed by the fact , that

t heir num b er would amount t o two or three hundred P erhap s .

t h e name of L UD WIG I , ex -k in g of B avaria , Sho ul d b e adde d

.

t o the ab ove notices of minor poets ; b ut the k ing wi ll b e re

memb ered rather for his munifi cent patronag e o f artists than on
account of the three or four volumes o f his smooth and amiab l e
verses whi ch have b een pub lished Am ong these poems we find a .

series of epigrams addressed t o the seventeen b est artists of Ba ‘

varia such men as C ornelius , S chn orr , Kaulb ach , and S chwan
thaler—a pleasing instance of ro yalt y paying homage to genius .

O n the general merit of the ki ng s verses w e may accept h is o wn ’

j udgment , as g iven in an epigram a ddre sse d t o himsel f

1 82 G ERMAN LIT ERA TU RE .

O f al l your verses ,
woul d hav e been read
fe w ,

Had yo u n o t worn a crown upon your head .

’

Y et in one point of View these p oems are noticeable A melan .

ch o ly tone pervades them : the writer predicts a general decay of

poetry and other imagi native pleasures ; he feels that the life and
interest of old t irne s cannot be revived and at the same time is un , , ,

able t o keep pace with the movements of the present age T hi s i s .

the condition of many other minds Arno ng the unpoetical features.

O f o ur time the ex -k in g especiall y notices rail way s as destin ed ‘ ’

, ,

t o S pread prose duln ess and civil equalit y over the whole world
, ,

Th e saying that the world must end in smoke

S eems true in these l ast days o f steam and coke ,

When the l oud engine o n the iron rail s , ,

O er ancient ties and sympathies pre v ail s

’
.

Homel ess and c ounting l o v e o f home a d ream

, ,

From l an d t o l and we pass in c l ouds o f steam ,

F o r e v er o n the same du ll l e v e l grou n d

, , ,
With univ ersal sameness a ll around ’
.

It must b e admitted that the o l d scenery of German poetry , c on

sist ing of ru ined castles abb ey s the armour and costumes of chi
, ,

valry , and ot her relics of the M iddle Ages seems t o b e worn out ,

while few attempts t o introdu c e new features have b een successful .

I t must require some time before the old traditional and poetical
sympathies which have b elonged to undisturbed nature— the sea ,

the mountains legendary valleys , and gray remain s of antiquity

,

b ecome firml y attached t o rails locomotives and stations T h e

, ,
.

human heart does not alway s move in accordance wi th the mi nd .

O ur own P oet of the L ak es does not love to think of Am bleside

as
‘
a station , and would not share in the enthusiasm (perhaps arti
’

fi cial ) with which C ount Auersperg a modern Austrian poet , thus ,

c eleb rates railway s

S TE AM .

I hear sad hymns and do wncas t faces see

,

O ur p ro ph e t bard s ha v e had a boding dream ,

A mournful vision o f dear poetry

For ever banished from the earth — by steam .

What ! had your crooked roads then such a grace , , ,

T hat l ong straight l in es must grie v e a poet s eye ?

’

Is just fi v e mil es an hour the poet s pace ? ’

A nd must n o t P egasus attempt t o fly ?

O ut with your c oach as in a happier day
, ,

Harness again your gall ed and spavined team

But keep w i thi n the o l d ruts all the way)
( ,

A nd chase the goddess borne away by s t eam !

 1 84 G ERMAN L ITE RA T URE .

employed b y D uk e Al phonso From this d ispute the writer de

.

rives a useful lesson , which is conveyed to the reader in an elegant

style We learn from the errors of T asso that the man endowed
.

with poetical geni us cannot live happily if he cultivates o nl y his

i magination , neglecting to exercise patience self-possession , and ,

s ound j udgment Goethe s representation of the relation existing

’
.

b etween the unfortunate Tasso and his patron Al phonso , differs

very much from that given in the indignant stanzas of Chil de ‘

’
H arold .

O ne of the favourite maxims of our author was , that a poet ,

lik e every other artist for his due and true development , needs
,

ed uca tio n ; and this truth is il lustrated in the drama now b efore

us In his correspondence with Z elter the musician the author

.
,

gives us the following observations whi ch deserve consideration :

,

T o have cultivated our natural gifts in an artist -like manner

remain s one of our most satisfactory feelings ; b ut at the present ,

tim e it has a greater merit than in former day s when b eginners

, ,

still b eli eved in such thi ngs as schoo ls rul es and mastership and
, , ,

modestly submitted themselves to the grammar of their art and

S cience , of which the youthful aspirants of our da y wi ll not hear

a word O ur artists have for thirty years b een under the il lusion
.

that a natural genius can form itself and a swarm of passionate ,

amateurs encourage them in this idle notion A hun dred times .

have I heard artists b oast that they owed everything to the m

“

se lves . I generally listen t o this wi th patience ; b ut sometimes

I am provoked to add, Y es ; and the result is j ust what might
“

”
b e expected What , let me ask is a man in and of himself ?
.
,
’

The lesson of the drama is thi s— that the poet cann ot fulfil
his dut y b y c ul tivating merely his i magi natio n however splendi d ,

and powerful it may b e L ike all other men who would be good
.

and great , he must exercise patience and moderation , must learn

the value of self-denial (a vi rtue b etter styled self-possession) ,

must endure hardships and contra di ctions of the real world con ,

t ent e dl y occup y his place wi th its pleasures and its pain s as a

, ,

part in the great whole , and patiently wait to see the element of
beaut y and b rightness which flows from his mind win its wa y
through the o b stacles presented by human societ y All this great
lesson is deduced from a trivi al circumstance—a dispute b etween
.

Tasso the fervid poet , and An tonio , the cool , correct , and prudent
,
’
gentleman The drama opens with a scene in the duke s garden at
.

B e lrigu ard o , where the princess and her companion L eonora , are ,

e n gaged in ent winin g wreaths of flowers , with which the y dec k

the b usts of V irgil and Ariosto O f course , d uring thi s occupa

.

tion of their hands their tongues are not sil ent ; and in the current
o f th e ir plea san t c onversation , L eonora g ives an ex c ellent de scrip
 SEVEN TH PER I O D . 1 85

t ion of the poet whose g enius b reathes e n chant m e nt over t he

s cene
TH E C OR O NAT I ON OF T AS S O .

‘
L e o no ra . His eye sc arc e seems t o tarry o n the earth ;
H is ear rec ei v es all nature s harmonies ;
’

And all that life and hi story can gi v e

Is treasured u p in hi s capacious breast .

His mind collects the S cattered rays o f li ght ;

His sou l can ani mate the life l ess c l ay .

T hi ngs that t o us seem common he ex al ts ,

A nd what we prize t o hi m seems vanity

, .

T hus i n a magic circ l e wanders o n

T hi s won dr ou s m an and draws us after him ;
,

S ee ms t o approach us yet remains apart ,

A nd often seems t o fix his gaz e upon us ,

While S pirits, in o u r likeness, stand before hi m .

( A L P H O N S O e nters ) .

A lp ho nso . I seek fo r T asso and he is no t here

, .

C an yo u gi v e me n o tid ings o f o u r poet ?

P ri ncess . I saw but l ittl e o f him yesterday
T o d ay I ha v e n o t caught a gli mpse o f hi m .

Alp ho nso .
’
Tis hi s o ld faul t ; he c l ea v es t o solitude :
A nd I forgi v e him when he shuns the crowd
O f i dl e men and with him se l f converses
,

But c annot praise his wisdom when he shuns

T h e true and cordia l circ l e o f his friends .

L eono ra . If I mistake n o t yo u wi ll change the tone

,

O f your comp l aint ere l ong t o cheerful praise .

T o -day I saw h im in the distance wal king

, , ,

With book and tab l ets writing n o w and then ,

And a chance word he u ttered yester d ay ,

S eems t o imp l y hi s work is al most done :

He tarries but t o change a fe w stray l ines ,

A nd then t o put compl e t e into your hand

A n Offering worthy o f your gracious fav our .

A lp ho nso . He shal l b e we l come when he brings the work ,

A nd gi v e his mind a l ong bright ho l id ay.

, .

E v en as my interest in his l abour grows ,

Increase s my impatience da y by d ay .

”
He cannot end it will n o t say tis done !
,
“ ’

But e v er-changing fo r perfec tion striving

, , ,

Puts o ut o f reach the crown o f all his toi l .

P ri ncess . I cannot b l ame the modesty and care

T hat l ead him step by step t o crown his work
, , .

T h e M us es must gi v e fav ourab l e hours

T o fo l d so man y l abours into o ne .

He longs t o see his work a fin ished who le ,

And no t a string o f fables t o amus e

1 86 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

A whil e then fall l ike scattered wor d s asunder

, , , .

All ow him time good brother fo r his work

, ,

T hat future times with u s may share the j o y

,
In patienc e we must l et the work mature .

Alp ho nso . D ear sister yo u and I m u st act together

, .

Wh en I am hasty yo u mu st temper me , ,

A nd when yo u are t o o patient I must urge ,

T hus we S hall bring him t o the hoped-fo r c los e .

T hen Fatherland and all the worl d S hall wond er ;

A nd I Sh al l hav e some portion o f the fame ,

A nd T asso Shall be l ed into the worl d .

A noble ma n can ne v er reach per fection

K ept in a narro w circ l e He must bear .

Both praise and b l ame and find himse l f constrained ,

T o know himse l f by meas u ring with others .

T here s ol itude shall fl atter him no more ;

H is fo e wi ll no t and his friend d a re no t spare him
, .

In the wor l d s strife the youth puts forth his powers

’
,

Finds wh at he is and fee l s himself a man

,

L eonora . S o yo u will fini sh al l your work in him .

O ne tal en t may unfo l d in so l itude

In the wo rl d s stream a character is formed
’
.

O h that his mind and temper l ike his art , ,

Inspired by y o ur exampl e may be taught ,

N 0 l onger t o a v oid the haunts o f men ,

L est his suspi c ions turn t o fear and h ate .

Alp ho nso . He onl y d reads mankind wh o knows them no t ,

A nd he wh o shuns men easil y mistakes them ,

A s T asso does and thu s by sure degrees

, , ,

His nob l e mind is darkened and ensl av ed .

T hu s is he o ft t o o anxious o f my fa v our ,
A nd cherishe s suspicion in his breast
’
G ainst many wh o wo u l d ne v er d o him wrong .

If but a l etter miss its way a paper ,

Be missing from its pl ac e he thinks o f treason , ,

O f mal ice that woul d b l as t his happiness .

Yes : bu t my brother we must no t forge t

, ,

T hat from himse l f the man can never go ;

A nd if a friend whil e wal king at o ur S ide
, ,

S tumb l es and l ames himself we lend o ur hand ,

T o lead him gentl y o n .

But it were better

If we could cure him and with good advice , ,

M ak e h im right sound agai n and then procee d , .

But I wi ll no t dear sister h e t o o hard ;

, ,

I onl y wou l d i nst il i nt o his mind

G ood faith and confidence in those about him .

O ft in the presence o f the court I gi v e him

, ,

Marks o f my favour T o his long comp l aints .

1 88 G ERMAN LIT ERAT UR E .

M ethinks I hear o l d Virgil saying no w

Why d e ck with v erdant coronal s the dead ?
, ,

M y marb l e image is adorned enou gh .

T h e l i ving crown be c omes the l i v ing poet .

( A L P H O N S b ko n hi i ter who t k s the rown f m Vi rgi l s bust

’
O ec s ss s , a e c ro ,

nd pp oa he TA S S
a a h rtep b k )
c s O; e s s ac .

L e o nora Wh y hesitate ? Whose h an d bestows the c rown ?

.

T asso H o w after such a moment shall I li v e !

.
, ,

P ri ncess Y o u wi ll all ow me T asso the d e l ight

.
, ,

T o te ll yo u without wor d s all — a ll I think

, ,
.

( H e kne els d o wn wh i l th P R C S S p l
,
e th e crown up o n h i s h e d
e IN E a ces a ,

nd L R A pp l d )
a E ONO a au s .

T a sso O h take it o ff ye gods ! and gl orified

.
, , ,

The re l et it hang suspended in the hea v ens

, ,

High inaccessib l e — l et all my l ife

,

Be a continua l aim ing at that mark ! ’

A b right world now expands itsel f b efore the poet , who se e s

a ll thi ngs coloured by the radiance of hi s own genius A ssured .

o f the affectionate regard which the prin cess cherishes towards

him he feels restored to confi dence and good-wil l He i s ready
,
.

t o embrace even hi s suspected foes B ut though a splendid poet , .

he is st ill an uneducated man H e kn ows not h o w to make pru .

d ence the friend and supporter of genius Whatever he does he .

must do as he writes p oetry by in spiration di sregarding the cold ,

, ,

harsh rul es and habits of actual l ife He forgets h o w man y mi nds .

he has still ab out him not accordant with his o wn ; that all me n
a re not j ust n o w in t h e glow of enthusiasm wh ich he feels after

the completion of his p oem and his conversation with the princess .

D etermined to obe y her desires he resolves to mak e an o ffer of ,

friendship t o Antonio , the courtier , the p olitician and the gentle ,

man B ut what the p oet does he must do quickly ; no t im e can

.

he allow for mutual esteem graduall y and truly to unfold D eli .

b eration in the warmth of his passion , he feels to b e an insult .

An toni o s mind is quite in another t one He has not j ust come .

from a tender interview with a princess , b ut from the details of

p olitical arrangements with the prin ce H e receives the poet .

c oldl y hesitates to return the o ffer of friendship and refuses the

, ,

hand stretched out Tasso s feelings are outraged b y this cold

.
’

reception ; and , after the interchange of some satirical remarks ,

the poet who so latel y vowed devotion to the princess draws
, ,

his sword upon her friend, when Al phons o steps forward and
p revents the duel .

‘
The singul ar merit of this dramatic poem is this : t hat it is
t h e fruit of genuine experience adorned with the hues of a beau ,

t i ful imagination , and clothed in classical language It is a wor k .

writt en for the few: b ut it sets t h e example of a style of poetr y,

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 1 89

b ased upon reali t y which may b e addressed to the many S ome

,
.

will regard the p oet as a merel y imaginative man ; b ut here the

’
poet speaks we have no doub t , from true experience
,
Tis true .

the work does not go very far : it onl y acquaints us wi th some

of the peculia rities and dangers t o which the constitution of the
poet s mind and temp erament is liable— b ut so far as it goes it
’
,

is in the t rue di rection L et us onl y have the various characters

.

i nto which human nature divides itself as trul y and as b eautifull y

d escrib ed and that will b e t h e school of p oetry which is wanted
,

in these times ; and the poet will again tak e his place where he ,

o ught t o b e in the foremost rank of those mi nds who enlighten

,

and guide the human race T h e poet must b e a man of observa .

tion and genial wisdom , not sacrifi cing the ideal excel lence which he
a ims at in hi s conversation w i th the realities of human li fe nor , ,

o n the other hand leavin g the world of realities to in d ul ge in the

,

flights of imagination The higher and more beautiful sentiments

.

o f our nature which are flattered by the descriptions of p o e t i y

, ,

are not intended t o b e thus immediatel y grat i fi ed b y ne glect of

” ’
the stern reali ties of li fe but b y triumph over them ,
.

‘
Iphi genie ( 1 7 8 7 ) is a fine imi tation of the antique Gree k st yle
b ut is marked by few events and contains no modern interest , .

‘
Egm o nt ( 1 7 88) h as some pleasin g scenes but is defi cient in
’
,

s everal respects as a drama T h e Nat ural D aughter ( 1 8 0 4 ) was

‘
.

another failure and several other pieces in the dramatic form ma y

,

b e described as contain ing some pleasant poetry and little dramatic

interest While Goethe refused to write dramas for the p eople
.
,

t h e l o w pla ywright KO T ZE B UE , found it eas y to delight the public

,

with frivolous productions .

’
Th e violent tone of S chi ller s first trag ed y The R o bb ers was
‘ ’
, ,

n o t o ri ginal b ut was su ggested b y the style of several dramatic

writers of whom M A XI M ILI AN KL I N G ER ( 1 7 53—
,

,
1 8 3 1 ) was the most
remark ab le In the time when S chi ller b egan to wri te wi ldness
.
,

and ab surdit y were esteemed as the chief characteristics of poetical

geni us Kl inger possessed these qualities In ab un dance Wieland

. .

describes him as a st I ang e man , who walked ab out in Weimar m

‘

a very scanty and ragged suit of clothes and display ed a total ,

’

neglect of h is personal appearance which some persons regarded as ,

a proof of original geni us H e wrote several dismal and ab sur d .

t ragedies whi c h are b eneath criticism Afterwards he b ecame a .

practical man in the service of the E mperor of R ussia , and wrote

,

n ovels to convey hi s vi ews of human life whi ch were very gloom y .

,

H e is still remembered by the Germans as one of the h ei o e s o f

‘ ’
their storm y period of intellectual excitement .

Th e S p i ri t of G e rman P oe try : by J o se p h G ost i ck .

1 90 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

S chiller gave to his dramatic works more movement and pop ul ar

’
interest than can b e found in Goethe s dramas ; b ut y ielded t o o
much to the sentimental tone so prevalent in German poetry H e .

maintain ed a noble prin ciple respecting the moral influence of t h e

stage ; b ut b rought forward his didactic pu rposes in a style inj u

ri o u s to dramatic interest H e often gave to his characters either

.

an ideal virtue or an unredeemed propensit y to vice ; thus sho wing

,

that he was more acquainted with ab stract qualities than with real
life.
‘
Fiesco ( 1 7 8 2) was written in a b etter style than The
’ ‘

R ob b ers and for this reason was less suited t o please the l o w
’
,

theat rical taste of the time The manager of the theatre at Mann.

heim woul d hardl y b elieve that S chi ller could c ondescend to writ e
such a tame peace as F iesco defi cient in all the points of co nsum ’
,

mate b ad taste whi ch the publi c required D on C arlos .

‘ ’

though defective in dramatic art showed improvement in the poet s ,

’

ideas and style Wallenstein ( 1 7 9 8) was the res ul t of long and

.

careful stud y, an d won for the p oet a uni versal reputation in his
native la nd It contains passages of grandeur and b eaut y ; b ut
.

when critically reviewed it must b e acknowledged that it is di s

,
’
figured by long digressions and other defects ‘
M aria S tuart .

’
The M aid of O rleans and The B ride of M essina ‘

were indeb ted to the fame of Wallenstein for a great part

o f their success ; b ut the last of these three dramas is perhaps the
’
hi ghest spec imen of the aut h o r s p o e t i c d iction ’
‘
Wilhelm Tell .

( 1 8 0 4 ) wa s the most popular o f S ch il ler s plays and is stil l e s ,

t eemed by many readers as his b est production Here the love .

‘
of li b ert y which was so widel y expressed in The R ob b ers
, ,
’

appears in its true and refined character B ut in this play and .

,

in deed in all the dramas of S chi ller we find many instances of ,

strained sentiments and endeavours to produce merel y theatric al

,

e ffects . These faul ts may b e found perhaps in the followin g

chara c teristic s c ene from Wilh elm Tell ‘

TH E DE AT H O F G E SS LE R .

( SCE N E —T h e narro w p ass of K ussnach t . On th e ro ck TE L L app ears , m

ar e d
wi th a cro ss-
bow ) .

‘
Al ong this close defi l e the V ogt must ride
T here is no other way t o Kii ssnac h t Here .

I end my work fo r whi ch the p l ace seems made

,
.

T his al der-bush wi l l screen me from hi s v ie w ,

A nd hence my arrow can be sure l y pointed .

T h e rocky c l eft wi ll hinder al l pursuers .

N o w G ess l er bal ance your ac c o u nts with Heaven

, ,

Your l atest hour has sounded Y o u must go .

I once li ved harm l essl y and onl y pointed ,

M y shafts against the creatures o f the for e s t

1 92 G ERMAN LIT ERAT URE .

G essle r .Woman h o w dare yo u thus obstruct the pass !

,

A rmgart M y l ord ! my husband in a d ungeon l ies

.

All hi s poor orphans scream fo r bread Hav e mer cy ! .

Hav e pity go v ernor o n o u r distress !

—
, ,

l
R ud o p h W . hat is your name l wh o i s your husband woman ! ,

A rmgart He was a peasant o n the Rigi hill s

.
,

A nd mowe d fo r l ife the scanty grass that grows

, ,

O v er the mouths o f fearfu l chasms and S ides

O f rocks where e v en wi l d cattl e dare n o t c l imb
,
.

Ru d o lp h ( to G essle r) G ood Heav en ! a poor and mis erab l e life !

.

I pray yo u l et this wretched man b e free :

Whate v er his transgr ession may have been ,

His life is a sufficient chastisement .

To AR M G A R T .
)
You shal l be heard ; but this is n o t the pl ace
Appl y t o us when we arri v e at K ii ssnach t .

A rmgart . N o n o ! I will no t mo v e S ir from this S pot

, , ,

Unti l my prayer is granted Free my husband ! .

S ix moons ha v e o e r his dungeon passed away,

’

A nd still he l ies there asking fo r a trial ,

.

G e ssle r . Woman n o more o f this M ake cl ear the path !

, .

A rmga rt . J ustice fo r me my l ord ! Y o u are o u r ju dge !

,

Th e ser v ant o f the E mperor and o f G o d :

P erform your duty If yo u hav e a hope.

T hat Hea v en may l isten t o your prayer s hear mine ! ,

G essler . A way I te ll yo u ! T his audacious peop l e !

,

{A R M G A R T se i z es th e rei ns o f hi s h orse ) .

A rmga rt No , . I have nothing n o w t o l ose

no , S i r ! .

Y o u go no t through this narro w pass until

M y prayer is heard ! Ay, yo u may knit your bro w
And roll your eyes in anger—I care no t
,

I tel l yo u that we are so wretched no w,

We care n o t fo r your fury !
G essler . Woman move ! ,

O r o v er yo u I soon S hal l find a way .

( AR M G A se i z es h er ch i ld re n a nd th ro ws th em i n th e p ath befo re G E S S L R )
RT , E .

A rmgart Ride o n then ! Here I l ie with al l my chil dren

.
, .

N o w tramp l e o n us wi th yo ur iron hoo fs ; ‘

It will no t be the worst deed yo u have done !

R u d o lp h S ure l y the woman s mad !
’
.

A rmgart . F o r years you ve trod d en ’

Upon the Emperor s peopl e in this l and ’

.

I m but a woman ; if I were a man

’

I woul d d o something better—n o t l ie here

,

D own in the dust be fore yo u N o w ride o n .

( Th e musi c of th e wed d i ng -
p arty i s h eard ) .

G essle r . Where are my ser van ts my foll owers C all

T o drag this wret ched c reature from the pa t h
O r I may d o what I perhaps S hall rue .
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 1 93

Rud o lp h .
Your followers are all detaine d my lord ,

A marriage c ompany fi ll s u p the way .

G essler .
I see i t —I hav e been t o o mil d a rul er
O v er thi s peopl e No w I know my error . .

Th e cords t o bind them must be stronger still .

I wil l break down these rude presumptuous minds ,

A n e w l aw S hal l be issued i n the l and .

I will
( An arrow stri kes h i m . H e p laces h i s h and on h i s h ea rt ) .

O h, Heaven be merciful me to
Ru d o lp h M y l ord What sudden horror Whence cam e tha t !
Armgart He fall s—h e dies T h e go v ernor is sl ain !
d i smo u nts H aste—c all fo r he l p !
.

R u d o lp h . P urs u e the man ! M y

lord ,

C on fess your sins and pray : your time is S hort

,
.

T h a t was T ell s arrow !

’
Gessle r .

( T E L L app ears on th e su mmi t of th e ro ck ) .

T e ll Y o u
. know the marksman ! S eek n o t fo r another .

Free are o ur huts and innocence is safe ,

Th e tyrant s han d S hall vex o ur land no more !

’ ’

L ittle can b e said in favour of the dramatic writers wh o followe d

L essing Goethe and S chi ller German geniu s has failed mor e
, ,
.

remark abl y in the drama than in any other department of litera

ture ; and consequentl y while some caterers for the theat rical ,

taste have endeavoured to suppl y the want of a national drama

by revivin g the tragedies of S ophocles others have fil led the stage ,

with extravagant spectacles that the e y e at least may b e am u sed , ,

while the heart and the mind are neglect ed The natural ten .

deney of a theatrical tast e seems to b e toward extravagance and

false excitement and the e fforts of man y writers wh o have at
,

tempted to blend moral and artistic excellence with dramatic inte

rest app ear to have b een wasted P LA T EN said trul y of the Ger .

man drama dur ing hi s tim e O ther theatres have declin ed after ,

enj oy ing a s eason of respectab ili t y , but ours was a failure even in
’
its beginn ing The national st yle of drama which L essing had in
.

t ro duce d was de grade d to commonpla ce in the writing s of I FF LAND

and KO T ZE BUE T he name of AU G U S T US KO T ZE BUE ( 1 7 6 1 —
,

. 1 81 9)
might b e passed over i n S ilence b y all who care for t he honour
of German literature ; b ut the p op ula rit y whi ch his production s
once enj o y ed demands some notice H e w rote 2 1 1 dramati c .

pieces generall y worthless b oth i n a p oetic and a moral sense ;

,

and their temporary success c an o nl y b e expla ined by the th e a ~

t ri cal tact of the author and the l o w condition of pub lic t aste ,

which demanded mere novelt y and excitement and was carele ss ,

o f all othe r quali t ie s The drama s o f M A TT HAUS V O N C O LLI N

.
1 94 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

( 1 7 7 9 —1 8 2 4) rose ab ove t h e frivolities of Kotzeb ue in p urpose ,

b ut were defi cient in action and interest H E I NRI C H KLE I S T .

(1777 a mil itary Offi cer who died b y his own hand , wrote
,

dramas which d isplay considerable but undi scipl ined talent , .

Z AC HAR I AS WERNER introduced a series of dramas which he called ,

‘
tragedi es of fate ; and HO W ALD M U LL NER and GR IL LPARZER ,
’
, ,

wrote in a S imilar style ; but almost the best thing that can be
said of these writers is that for a time they drove the pieces of
,

Kotzeb ue from the stage The dramatic works of P LA T EN RAU

.
,

PAC H O E H L E NSC H L E G E R (a D ane) I M M ER M AN N JUL IU S M O SEN ,

, , ,

and P RU T Z are more respectable than the pieces j ust mentioned

, ;
b ut have failed to maintain interest on the stage I n Germany , .

even more distin ctl y than in E ngland during the same period a ,

separation has tak en place between the theatre and all respect
able l iterature Ne w pieces o f scenery have been considered as
.

of far mor e importance than poetical geni us P laywrights have .

found that a displa y of tinsel wi ll serve their purpose b etter than

solid gold ; and the a dmi ration with which unmeaning operas and
spectacles have b een received shows a state of public taste not ,

e ssentiall y superior to that whi ch preva iled even i n the fifteenth

c entury A recent writer R C P RU T Z in his Histo ry o f the
.
,
‘
. .
,
’
Germ an Theatre speaks wi th some hope of the good e ffect which
,

an improved national drama might exercise upon the people ; b ut

he reasons in a circle as he admits that pop ul ar taste must b e

,

refined b efore such a drama can b e supported N early all that .

c an b e said either against or in favour of dramatic entertainments

may b e foun d in the clear and eloquent lecture delivered b y the

p oet S chi ll er at Mannheim in 1 7 8 4 and in the essay b y I G NA TI US ,

WES S EN B ER G on the M oral Infl uence of the S tage The lecture .

’

is one of the best O f S chill er s prose writing s Among the argu ’

.

ments which he employs in favour of theatrical representations

we ma y notice the following and leave the reader to weigh them ,

against the one serious obj ection on which Wessenberg chiefl y

d wells . S chill er contends that the natural thirst for intellectual

‘

an d moral excitement b eyond all that is found in the ordin ary

c ircumstances of li fe must b e supplied If superior excitements .

and amusements are discouraged the popular taste will find lower ,

g rat ifi cat i o n s .Th i

’
s S chiller uses as the lowest ar g ument and ,

t hen proceeds t o Observe that a superior drama may powerfull y ,

though indirectly, assist even the laws of a country in t h e sup
port o f moral it y ‘
E ven if religious and moral sentim ents were
.

almost entirely de fi cient in the minds of spectators , st ill o n the ,

impulse O f self-preservation the y must feel a wholesome dread of

,

crime when the great poet brings the murderess , L ady M acbeth ,

upon the stag e , walking in her p e rt urbe d sl e e p , and muttering ,

1 96 G ERMAN L IT ERA T UR E .

a ppear in every part T his would spoil the drama as a work o f

.

“
art I t must rather result from a fair View of the whole Here
. .

is the fo rm idable diffi culty C an we h Op e even if a drama is i n

.
,

itself good that all the Spectators wi ll take a fair View of t h e

,

whole M ay it not b e good for some and evil for others ? O ne ,

b ook is not addressed to all classes ages or characters ; b ut the , ,

theatre is Open t o the whole public , invites the attention Of all ,

and must concili ate the taste of the maj orit y If a rogue is intro .

d u ce d on the stage , he must b e made interesting t o the S pectators ;

hi s good -hum our and his cleverness his temporary successes must , ,

b e fairl y exhi bited Thi s will not lead a cultivated and di scrimi
.

nat ing min d in to error ; b ut in the audience you may fin d man y

y oung and untrain ed minds who wi ll admire the hero and almost ,

forget that he i s a rogue His cleverness and success may cap

.

t i vat e their attention ; the i r s ympathi es are enlis ted on his S ide ,
and the y ma y feel not satisfaction but regret when the y see the
, ,

failure of his cunning plot I see no way of avoidi ng this evil ;

.

for if you would make the drama a school for pop ul ar in struction ,
y ou must i nj ure its character as a work of art A piece which .

presented its lessons in a direct style without fair and full exp o ,

s i t i o ns of character , mi ght b e well -meaning , but must forfeit all

dramati c value .
’

N O VELS AN D R O MANCES .

The numerous prose -fict i o ns of the Germans ma y be couve

ni e nt l y arranged in four classes T h e first wil l comprehend .

historical romances F ew productions in thi s department will

.

b ear a comparison with the writings of S cott In the second .

class contain ing novels whi ch profess to describ e characters and

,

scenes in real life German fi ction is comparatively poor A thi r d

,
.

c lass may comprise all the fi ctions marked by particular tendencies

respecting art , literature or societ y Writings in thi s style have
,
.

b een received wi th more favo ur in Germany than in England .

G O E T HE S Wilh el m M eister and VVAG NE R S novels ma y b e men

’ ‘ ’
,
’
,

t i o ne d as specim ens In the fourth class , in cluding ima gi native

.

an d poetical tales , German literature is especiall y rich T o thi s .

d epartment of fi ction , in which the imagination i s all owed t o

wander far b eyond the b ounds of real life and probabilit y, the
’
Germans apply distinctively the term poetical ‘
The extrem e .

m e ani ng attached to this term ma y b e explained by a shor t

q uo t ation from a li terary critic GUS T AVU S S C HW A B who gives
, ,

t h e following estimate o f S ir Walter S cott s fi ctions

’
In E ngland ,

t hes e novels an d romances are still generall y read and admired

 SEVEN TH PER I O D . 1 97

as classical productions ; while in our co rmt ry, where the y were

o nce ver y fashi onab le , the y are now perhaps too much neglected .

Their style is generally p ro saic in the extreme though sometimes ,

it approaches ver y near t o p o e try An E nglish reader will natu

.
’

“ ”
rally ask What can b e the meaning of the word poetry in this
‘

passage ? and will b e surprised to fi nd that whi le he regards

’
,
’
such romances as Waverle y and Ivanh oe as sufficientl y p oe
‘ ‘ ‘

tical the German critic refuse s to apply this term to S cott and
,
’
,

reserves it for such writers as JEAN P AUL RI C H T ER , T I EC K ,

F O U Q U E and A RN I M .

Al l the M agm
,

at iv e and m y stical fi ctions of these and other

authors must not b e confused t o g ether There is an import ant .

distinction b etween such tales as conve y some substantial moral

truth and interest under an arra y of v isionar y adventures and ,

others which are merel y fantastic , and almost destitute of meanin g .

The tales of F ouqu e b elong to the former sub division wh ile many ,

o f the stories of H o flmann b elong to the latter , and woul d not

‘

demand notice here if they had not enj o y ed a considerable p o pu

l ari t y in German y T h e different effects produced on the minds
.

of readers by these two varieties of imagin ative fi ction will clearl y

distinguish one from t h e other I n the former st yle the M a gi
.
,

nation is for a t ime occupied with Vi sionary images and charac

ters ; b ut at t h e conclusion of the story its moral meaning leaves ,

a satisfactory impression and all the fantastic incidents which

,

have served to excite attention are forgotten : the y melt awa y

in the light of moral truth , as the uncert ain images of night are
lost in the morning Thus something may b e said in favour of
.

visionary and s ymbolical fi ctions , or at least the y ma y b e di stin

g ui s h e d from merel y fantastic stories .

’
Goethe s novel of Wilhel m M eister s Apprenticeship ( 1 7 9 5)
‘ ’ ’

may be classed with fi ctions i ntended t o conve y certain views of

life B ut though it contain s the results of experience and re fle c
.

tion , it cannot b e esteemed as a perfect work of its k in d for the ,

o bj ect of the writer remains in a mist even at the end of the story , .

Wilhelm is an imaginative y outh, who meets the circumstances

of real l ife with ideal expectations S ome of the disapp oin tments .

which he encounters are narrated graphicall y, and with a pe o u

liar quiet humour especiall y where h e j oins a b and of theatrical
,

adventurers and fin ds a painful contrast b etween his notions of

,

d ramatic dignit y and the actual miseries of a wandering actor .

Wh atever the latent meaning of this S ingul ar novel may b e , its

s cenes and adventures are often marked with s u ch t raits that
,
i t cannot b e generall y recommended The sequel , entitled .

‘
Wilh elm M eister s Y ears of Travel
’
convey s or rather ’
,

con c eals, i t s d o c trines in a my stical st yle Another novel by .

1 98 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

Goethe b ears a title , Wahlverwandtschaften ‘

whi ch
cann ot b e clearly translated It has many beauties as a work of .

art , but has b een severely censured b y some critics on account of ,

its supposed immoral tendency ; while others have regarded it as

a fair representation of the consequences of unhapp y matrimony .

The follo wing passag e is extracted fro m Wilh elm M eister

‘

P O E T R Y AN D
R E A L LI FE .

‘
O ur young poe t had preser v ed all his productions up t o this
time when a great change suddenl y passed o v er his views o f l ife
, .

His poems l ay neatl y bound together in a bo x ; fo r he had intended

t o take them with h i m when he started t o try his fortunes i n the
great wor l d But no w he u nl ocke d the bo x wi th another purp ose
. .

He gl anced o v er the poetry o f his youth l ike a person wh o rea d s ,

in his o wn letters his sentiments recorded in past years and is ,

surprised t o find himsel f an al tered chara c ter He thre w the first .

packet o f poems into the fire A t this moment his o ld friend W erner .

stepped into the room and was surprised t o see the c o nfi agrat i o n
,

o f pap ers What can yo u be doing said he

.
? ” “
I wi ll S how yo u ”
.
,

s aid Wi lhe l m tha t I am i n earnes t when I tal k o f renoun c ing a

“
,
”
profession in which I despair o f attaining exce ll ence S o sayin g .
,

he threw the second packet o f poems into the fl ames and wou l d no t ,

all o w W erner t o sav e it from destruc t ion “

Reall y I can see n o .
,
”
reason i n this c o ndu c t said the o l d book keeper ; w e don t act so
,
- “ ’

in business S upposing
. yo u r poems are n o t fi rst -rate yet why shoul d
,

they be turned into smoke ? E very artic l e has a certain val ue .

“
Your rul es o f business Werner will no t pass i n poetry said ,
”
, ,

W i l he l m :
“
here n o mediocrity n o feeb l e imitatio n must be to l e ,

rated Y o u hav e seen after a rope-d ancer has pe rf ormed in a to wn

.
, ,

al l the boys making caricatures o f his c l e v er tric ks o n the tops o f

gates and rai l ings A nd when a musical artis t has de lighted the
.

pub l ic wi th his fine execution o n some instrument many persons ,

be come amateurs o n this instrument S o it is in the highes t art . .

O ne true poet excites m any youthful imitators t o fruitl ess c o m

petition I t is well when they l earn i n earl y l ife the foll y o f Such
.

a ttempts
”
S till I cannot understand your reasoning said Werner :
.
,
”
,

“ why mus t u ru n from o ne extreme t o another ? NV h burn these

yo y
poems which if as yo u say they are no t fi rst-rate yet h av e cos t
, , , , ,

y o u some study ? I say nothing shou l d be wasted IV h y may yo u .

n o t devote yourse l f t o business and sti ll write a fe w v erses n o w and ,

”
then as a pretty amusement fo r an idl e hour ?
,
P oetry must no t
be treate d in such a styl e said Wilhe l m indignantl y ; it demand s
”
,
“

the de v otion o f a l ife Th e genius wh o has a worl d o f weal th in

.
‘

h is o wn bosom mus t l i v e in the enj oyment o f his inte ll ectua l trea

,

s ures and mus t n o t be disturbed by the cares and t rifl e s o f thi s

,

c o mmonp l ace wor l d ! ( Here W i l he l m broke into a rha p sody on

oetry t o which o l d W erner l istene d wi t h bl ank astonishment )

p .
,

Thi s compound word means st ri ctl y ,

E l ecti ve Afi ni t i es f
o r re el y , Congeni ali ty
.
2 00 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

that glance d a cross the receptive min d of thi s writer w ere h o

no ure d with a place in his pages apparentl y with little care about ,

their real value C onsequently , there is a S how of rich M agery

.

in his writings ; b ut it is in a great measure the gaudiness of an

u nweeded fl o we r-garden His works are so destitute of artistic . .

form and b eaut y, and so full of repetitions of ideas , that a small

collection of remarkable passages would b e as valuable as t h e
whole series A s b ooks are multiplie d rapidl y , while leisure be
.

comes scanty in these modern d ays the i nterest of literature seems ,

t o require that severe criticism sho ul d b e exercised upon authors

who cover an immense space of paper with diffuse tautological ,

writing Jean P aul was an arch -offender of this class H e ex

. .

a n d e d to sixt y -five volumes the few ideas which an artistic

p
writer co ul d have developed in t wo or three stories H is hu .

morons pictures of quiet domestic life are his most successful

productions , and in this style he might perhaps have b ecome a
classic author if he could have wisely limited his ambition B ut
,
.

he filled his pages with the results of multifarious reading so that ,

s o me t irne s to understand one of his stories simple enough in its

, ,

outlines the reader must have some acquaintance with geology

, ,

chemistr y astronomy and other sciences If an author woul d

, ,
.

c ollect some hun dreds of similes and all usions from works of
science Ol d histories and newspapers then throw them together,
, , ,

and shak e them well in a bag and lastly write a story to emplo y , ,

them all as the y came to hand he would make some approach t o ,

the style of Jean P aul who actually prepared his works on a plan ,

n o t unlike that j ust sugg ested These serious faults , and others , .

have b een overlooked b y many readers , who admire the be ne v o

lent character o f R ichter, as it is di splay ed in his fi ct i o ns *
The .

censure of this author s style b y no means implies a disposition ’

to undervalue the b eautiful thoughts and sentiments whi ch are

scattered through his writings ; but these beauties make us regret
that they have not b een display ed in clear language T he follow .

ing is a condensed version of one of J ean Pa ul s shorter tales ’

MORNI N G AND T H E E VE N I N G O F L I F E
TH E .

S ugge st t o me some gre at t h o u gh t t o re fresh my min d H E R D E R .

’
(on h is
d eath bed ) t o hi s so n .

Hartmann liv ed with his father an aged clergyman

G o t t re i ch , ,

i n the l ittl e vi llage o f Heim Happy were the o l d man s de clining ’

.

A S R i ht e r h as e nj o y d gre at c el e brit y i n E ngl and a s w l l as in Ge rm ny t h e

c e e a ,

ab o e v cri t i i m o n h i
c s st yl m y b r garde d by so m e r ade rs as bo l d an d
s e a e e re e se v e
—
.

B u t whil i t i s i n d p n d n t i t
, e c rd s w i t h t h
e e e j u d
,
g m e n t s o f
act how ll kn o wn l it e e e e

rary hi t o ri n- G e r i n u an d Vil m r
s a S, v T h e l t t e r say s
s A r d r wh h nj y d
a . a : ea e o as e o e

th ro - t yl
se s of l a s i l an t i qui t y o r su c h p ro s a s was writ t e n by L ut h r r
e c s ca e e o
e p , ,

L ing o r G e th e o r S chill e r mu st soo n t urn away wit h i mp at ie nce fro m st yl e

e ss , o , ,
a

l ik e t h at o f Je an P aul
’
.
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 20 1

ye ars ; fo r as hi s strength fail ed his so n stepped into his pl ace and

, , ,

ful fi ll ed his duties and trul y edifying were the homi l ies o f the youn g
preacher t o the father s heart’
If it is painful t o differ in Opinio n
. .

from o ne who m we l o v e t o turn away the hea d from o ne t o whom

,

the hear t is always inc l ined i t is doub l y S weet at once t o lo v e and

,

be l ie v e in accordance with o n e in whom we find o u r o wn better self

sustained and perpetuated with youthful energy T hus l ife is l ik e .

a fair starry night when n o star sets unti l another has arisen
,
.

G o t t re i ch had a paradi se about him in which he he l d the post o f

,

ardener fo r h i s father enj oying a ll its fruits whi l e he laboure d

g , ,

chie fl y fo r the gratifi c ation o f the o l d man E very S unday brought .

a n e w de light in a ne w homil y prepared t o gl adden the father s ’

hear t. Th e moistened eye o f the o l d c l ergym an his hands fo l de d ,

no w and then in si l ent thanksgi ving during the sermon m ade fo r t h e ,

young preacher an A scension festival o u t o f e v ery Sunday T hos e ,

.

wh o imagine that the preparation and de l i v ery o f a course o f homi

lies throu ghout a year must be a dry task S houl d have heard this ,

father and his so n conversing o n the last o r consu l ting o n the next , ,

d iscourse fo r the l ittl e congregatio n at Heim A n e w member was .

a dded t o this congregati o n J usta a young maiden o f con siderab l e

.
,

weal th and an orphan l eft her residence in a neighbouring town t o

, ,

find rural happiness in the l i ttl e village where G o t t re i ch l ived with '

his father T wo may be happy together but three may be sti ll

.
,

happier ; fo r t wo may tal k o n the merits o f the third and so t h e ,

harm o nic triad o f friendship will all ow se v eral p l easing variations .

T his re quired third person was found in J usta ; fo r after she h ad ,

heard four o r fiv e o f the young preacher s homil ies she consente d

’
,

t o l isten a l so v ery pa t ient l y t o his addresses and reso lv ed t o with

, , ,

hold her hand on l y until the disturbances o f the country ( fo r it was

then the time o f o ur war with the French) S hou l d subside int o
peace . In the fresh de light o f this M ay morning o f hi s l ife ,

G o t t re i c h coul d no t a v oid thinking that his morning star must some

day shine as his e v ening star He said t o himse lf M y prospects
are c l ear and j oyous n o w—the h appiness o f l i fe the beauty o f t h e
.

universe the gl ory o f the C reator the conste ll ations o f eternal

, ,

truths—I see and fee l them all c l earl y and warml y B ut i t may be .

o therwise with me in the latest hours o f my l ife ; fo r approac hing

death sometimes ho l ds an in v erted telescope before the eye and ,

then nothing is seen but a drear v oid sp ac e extending between u s

, ,

and a ll who m we l o v e But shou l d this mere Optica l deception be

.

taken as the truth ? N0 ; thi s is the truth which I see and fee l n o w ,
’

in the youth and vigour o f my l ife L et me remember it we ll that

.
,
”
the l ight o f my morning may appear ag ain in my eveni n g sky .

With this intention he opened a diary and wrote do wn his best ,

sentiments under this ti t l e Recoll ecti ons o f the Fairest Hours

P reserved t o cheer the L atest Hours o f L i fe ” From .

these happy occupations G o tt re i ch was call e d away by the d e ~

man d s o f his country during the war fare o f l iberation He left .

his father under the care o f J usta and took a place in a regiment o f
, . .
2 02 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

volunteers He c l osed his campaign after some activ e service but

.
, ,
somewhat to his di sappointment without a wound A nd no w as , .
,

peace agai n brooded o v er the rescued country the young sol dier ,

trav e ll ed homeward through to wns and v i ll ages full o f festi vity but ,

knowing that none were happier than hi mse l f A s he approache d .

hi s nati v e p l ace the little church tower o f Heim seemed t o grow u p

,

o u t o f the earth and as he went down into the v al l ey the l owl y par
, ,

s o n age again m e t his eye whil e all its windows were shining i n ,

e v ening radiance But when he entered the house he was surprised

.
,

t o find the l ower rooms emp ty A sl igh t noise call ed his attention .

t o his father s cha mber

’
He entered it and found Justa beside t h e
.
,

bed o f the o l d c l ergyman wh o sat propped up by pill ows whil e hi s , ,

pal e wasted face gl eamed strangel y in the rosy light o f e v ening .

J usta rel ated in fe w words h o w the fa ther had o v erwro ught hi m

, ,

se l f i n attention t o hi s duties and had remai ned n o w fo r some d ays ,

hal f-sunk in l ethargy taking n o interes t in a ll that had once been dear
,

t o him . A s she spoke the o l d man heard n o t but sat gazing o n the
, ,

setting sun surrounded with crimson and go l den c l ouds A ft er a

,
.

l ittl e time the sky w as o vercast a dead calm l as t ed fo r a fe w m i ,

nu t e s and then a hea v y shower fe ll accompanied with l ightni ng

, ,
.

T his d isturbance o f the e l ements see m ed t o waken the d ying fathe r

”
from his stupor “
S ee ! said he pointing t o the S k y ; see t h e
.
“
,

gl orious works o f G o d ! A nd n o w my so n te ll me fo r my c om fort , , , ,

something o f the goodness o f the Al mighty O ne as yo u tol d us in ,

”
your sermons in the spring G o tt re i c h wept as he thought that the .
,

l ittl e manual whi ch he had written fo r his o wn consol ation must first
b e read at his father s deathbed He drew o u t hi s l ittl e b o ok o f
’
.

”
Recol l ections and read a p as sage with a fal teri ng v oice whil e the
, ,

o ld man fo l ded hi s hands in sil ent prayer Hav e yo u n o t known

“
.

”
and fe l t said G o t t re i ch the presence o f that Being whose i nfin i
,
“
,

tude is n o t onl y displ ayed i n power and wisdom but al so in l o v e ? ,

Remember no w the sweet hours o f chi l dhood when the c l ear bl ue ,

sky o f day and the dark b l ue sky o f night opened upon yo u l ike
, , ,

the eyes o f your preserving Ange l T hi nk h o w a thousan d re fl e c .

tions o f the E ternal G oodness hav e pl ayed around yo u from hear t ,

t o heart from eye t o eye o f mank i nd as o ne l ight shi nes from sun
, ,

t o sun and from wor l d t o wo rl d througho u t the uni v erse

, ,
.

G o tt re i ch read o ther passages fro m his manual and administered ,

C hristian consolation t o his father T h e o l d man drank in t h e .

wor d s o f his so n and seemed t o be refreshed with the recoll ections

,

o f hi s o wn l i fe as he whispered n o w an d then with fai l ing brea th , ,

—
,
”
“
All is good all is good ! A t l ast the brightness o f al l thes e
v iews o f l ife was l ost no t in the darkness o f death but in the supe
, ,

rior l ight o f another l i fe .

He is gone said G o ttre i ch Th e sun h as set and risen at

‘

“ ’’ “
.
, .

once and he knows n o w that the same light makes gl orious both the
,
”
morning and the evening .

As J e an Paul has b een c eleb rated for the humour as well as the .
 2 04 G ERMAN L ITE RA T URE .

fingers from the snuffers fo r fi v e minutes A s S i e be nk as expressed .

‘
‘

his thanks fo r her attentiv eness by fre quent no d s she ima gined that ,

she coul d n o t be t o o activ e and was thus led into an extreme Her , .

”
husband obser v ed this and sai d T ry t o preser v e a just me d ium , , .

”
But ag ain L enette was t o o hasty Real l y exc laimed S i e be nk as .
,
‘

,
”
was there any need o f snuflin g then 1 L enette n o w tried t o find
” ”
the just medium but was t o o l ate No w n o w 1 said the author
,
.
, .

”
“
Yes yes 1 she responded im mediatel y performing the re quire d
, ,

amputation A t l ength S i e be nk as became deepl y engaged in hi s

‘

writing and L enette bein g l eft without a prompter thou ght so , ,

much o f her nee dl ework that the forgotten wick rose a gain in di s ,

mal b l ackness as a witness against her S i e be nk as fi x ed a despair

‘

i n g l ook u pon i t ; then threw down his pen and exc l aime d T his , ,

i s a miserab l e l ife fo r a poor author 1 I ha v e n o t in a ll the wor l d a

”
friend wh o wi ll even snu ff a candl e fo r me 1 S o saying he hastil y ,

s nufl e d it o u t
'

.
.

In the inter val o f darkness which followe d he walked t o and fro

‘
, ,

an d expressed some un fa v ourab l e views o f feminin e characteristics .

Women said he ha v e n o j ust sense o f moderation ; but wil l

”
, ,
”
a l ways d o either t o o much o r t o o l ittl e 1 A s this abstrac t theory
pro v oked no answer he proceeded t o app l y his remarks and c o m , ,

l ain ed that his wife had a lways been unwi lli ng t o perform fo r hi m
p
e v en the most trifli ng ser vices E v en thi s extorted n o rep l y . .

”
Indeed he exc laimed r i sing t o a dec l am atory tone wh e n
, , ,

have I re qui red any save the sl ightest ser vices ? A nd when ha v e
e v en these been paid t o me ? N o w I deman d an an swer Sp eak ! .

‘
L enette said nothing but lighted the can d l e and p l aced it o n t h e
, ,

tab l e whi l e S i e be nk as saw team in her eyes fo r the first time sinc e
‘

their marriage A t the s ame moment he saw something more—hi s

,

o wn besetting sin o f impatience ; and without de lay he expe ll ed t h e ,

o ffendi ng A dam o f bad t e mper from hi s bosom L enette re c ei v ed .

his confession with a reconciling smil e S o light and peace were at .

o nce restored
’
.

TH E L O TT E R Y T I CKE T ; NO

‘
could p urchase a trifl e with more in difference than I
Nobody
m anifested when I paid t o the l ott e ag ent here I n Bayreuth ( He rr
G u nz enhaus er) the sum o f twe lv e Rhenish fl O I i ns and re c ei ve d as , ,

an acknowl e d gment o f my cash the ticket marked No To , .

te ll the truth I fe l t l ik e o n e wh o has foolis hl y thrown away a fe w

,

fl o ri ns rather th an l ike a man enj oying a prospec t o f enormou s

,

we al th And yet it is true I may be s uccessful ; and if N 0

.
, , .

ro v e the win n in g card in this gam e what a destiny wi ll be m i ne !

p ,

A ccording t o the procl amation m ade under royal authority at

M uni ch I shall possess in the first p l ace all those most desirab l e
,
“
, ,

e states named respecti v e l y W al ch e rn and L i z e l be rg in the district ,

o f H au sru c k vi e rt e l charm ingl y and beautiful l y situated between

,

S al z burg and L inz ; estates which e v en in the year 1 75 0 were val ued , ,

at 2 3 1 9 0 0 Rhe nish fl o ri ns ; i tem, the saw-mi ll in exce ll ent repair,

,
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 205

and the compl ete brewery situ ated at Li z e l be rg ( these t wo buil d ings
hav e been v al u ed at fl o ri n s) ; i te m guil ders which ha ve
, ,

been accumul ating such an interest as will at l east suffice t o c l ear

”
the estates from a ll mortgages S uch is the gol d mine o f which I
.

shall be the possessor if my ticket ( o n e o u t o f 3 6 00 0 ) pro v e fo rtu

nate o f which I am strongl y dispose d t o hope
,
Yet with this p ro
S pec t b e fore me I remained ca l m and patient unti l the l ast day i n
,

l as t year which had been fi x ed u pon as the d rawing-day and again

,

I wait e d patientl y unti l the 1 8 th o f February when the a u thorities ,

o f M unich determined that the drawi n g shall certain l y take p l ace o n

the l ast d ay in the coming J une S o n o w I can put my finger o n the

.

spot in my a l manac marking the day when l ike an a l oe sudden l y ,

bursting into b l oom after for ty years without fl owers I shall expand ,

my go l den b l oss o ms and fl ourish as the G erman C r oe sus o f o ur

,

times Whi l e meditating thus I did n o t dream fo r a moment o f any

.
,

formi dab l e danger attending my go l den expectati o ns until I recei v ed ,

a letter from my o ld friend the poor schoo l master S eemaus wh o h ad

.
, ,

al so bought a l ottery ticket and h ad become quite hypochondriacal

,

With anx iety and suspense A rector o f a schoo l in o n e o f o u r sm al l

.

market-towns is a like l y subj ect fo r hypochon d riasis and the temp

t at i o n o f a l ottery ticket T h e who l e interest whic h p o or S eemau s
.

h as hitherto had in the money- market consists in a fe w petty debts,

o f which various memoranda are no w and then presented t o hi m

by c han dl ers and other small shopkeepers T h e respectabi l ity o f .

being respons ib l e fo r heavy debts has ne v er been the l o t o f my

friend owing t o a difli c u l t y in finding creditors
, In short his cir .
,

c um st an c e s ha v e been e x actl y suitabl e as go v ernment seems t o

(
think) t o his scho las tic profession When M oses was preparin g t o
.

become the teacher and the l awgi v er o f the J ewish peop l e he fasted ,

forty days upon a mountain ; and from this sub l ime example o ur
legisl ature seems t o hav e deduced the conc l usion that the man who ,

woul d be the gui d e and teacher o f the rising generation mu st prove ,

his capabilities by his endurance o f fasting A star ving school master .

is conse quentl y o n e o f the features o f o ur ci vi l isation and my friend ,

S eemaus is a perfectl y norm al specimen o f hi s c l ass Under the .

e xcitement o f a l ottery ticket hi s frail nerves are qui v eri ng and i n ,

a l etter which he has sent t o me he expresses an apprehensi o n that

,

if he finds himsel f o n the 3 0 th o f J une owner o f the prince l y

,
“
,
e states Of Wal c h e rn and L i z e l be r peop l ed by fami l ies
g 1 0 0 0 ; i te m,
’
,

the n e w and spacious mansion with the brewery and the 700 acre s
, ,
o f forest with shooting and fishin — h e sha ll die fo r o 1 H i s
, g j y
letter contain s the foll owing paragraph
“
In my excited con d ition I hav e been so injudicious as t o
,

read se v eral chap ters o f a transl ation o f T issot o n N er v ous D is

’
orders i n whi ch I hav e found se v eral accounts o f persons wh o have
,

died under the in fluence o f sudden j o y F o r inst ance w e read o f a .

,

pope dying in hi s de light o n hearing o f a victory gained by his friends ,

and o f a b o u nd which died in the j o y with which i t hail ed its m as ter
after a l ong absence Weber ( another author) tell s a story o f a man
.
206 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

whose nerves were so much affected by a sudden shower o f goo d

fortu n e , that he became paral ytic, and w as afli i c t e d with s tammerin g .

T he Nuremberg C orrespon d ent h as l ate l y giv en an a c c ount o f

’

t wo great bankers wh o both d ied suddenl y i n o n e d ay, o n e in j o y o n

receiving a l arge profit, and the other in sorrow fo r a heavy l o ss I .

h a v e al so read o f a poor re l ation o f L eibnitz , w h o heard with c al m

ness the news o f a rich l egacy be queathed t o her ; but when the rea l
pro p e rty- the costl y l inen and val uab l e silv er p l ate were spread o ut —
be fore her eyes, she gaze d u pon them fo r a moment in sil en t e c s tasy,
and imme diate l y expired ! What, then , m u st I e xpe c t t o fee l when
I l ook u pon the princel y estates o f Wal ch e rn and L i z e lbe rg, &c .

&c 85 0 and real ise the fact that they are mi ne !

. .

‘
ca lm the fears o f my worthy friend S eemaus I
TO ,
a ddressed to
him the foll owing l etter
M Y D E A R S E E MAUS— I assure yo u I can full y sympathise with
your excited fee l ings ; fo r I am n o w in circ u mstan c es exactl y l ik e
your o wn I hav e taken N 0 an d am n o w l ooking forward t o

the day o f doom J une 3 0 which happens t o be my name-day —S t

. .

, ,

P aul s festi val M any others around me here are h O p ing and fearing
’
.

t o e v ap orate in j o y o n that d ay and such is the bene v o l ent fee ling

,

pre vail ing here just no w that e v ery o n e is perfectl y will ing t o becom e
a martyr fo r the benefit o f his fell ow ticket-hol ders—wil li ng among
,

men t o be the o n e man doomed t o die !

,
Howe v er as yo u ,

w ish t o cherish your hope o f gaining Wal ch e rn Li z e l be rg the ex , ,

c e l l e n t saw -m i ll and the comp l ete brewery &c 8 0 without gi v in

5

, g , . .

u p beside your twe lv e fl o rins a ll hope o f l i fe I wi ll gi v e u som e

( ) y o ,

means o f c al ming your fears All ow me t o recomm en d t o yo u an

.

u mbre ll a t o d e fend your head again st the sudden thunder- shower o f

gol d ; o r ( if yo u l ike this figure better) a paraso l t o gu ard yo u from
the co up d e so le i l o f good fortune It appears t o m e that the rea l .

d anger t o be app rehended when we ste p sudden l y in to the possession

o f such enormous w eal th is that o u r minds w i ll be u nprep ared t o
, ,

cope with o ur external circumstances We shall be u tterl y bewil .

d ered .A thousand sch emes and s uggestions o f e xpen d iture and

enj oyment will at once present themse lves Whi l e o u r ner v es are .

tingli ng with de l igh t and o u r v eins are throbbing the brain will be
, ,

Oppressed and confused by ide as t o o vast t o o n e w and t o o nu merou s , ,

t o be com p rehende d and e ven the fata l exp l osion whi ch yo u appre
,

hend m ay take pl ace T o pre v ent su ch a cal amity we mu st n o w

.
,

c al m l y prepare ourse lv es fo r the great cr i sis We mu s t familiaris e .

o ur imagination with the conte m p l ation o f enorm ous we al th D uring

’

the fe w weeks which m u st el apse be fore t h e d ecisiv e d rawing yo u ,

will d o we ll t o imitate the pl an which I hav e n o w c ompl eted fo r my

o wn u se In the first pl ace I hav e m ad e m yse l f perfectl y fam iliar
.
,

with the supposition that I am n o w Baron o f Wal ch e rn and L i z e l ‘

berg I hav e co v ered hal f a quire o f paper wi th an in v ent ory o f

.
’

my property a valuation o f the rental and p l ans o f e xpen d iture I

, ,
.

kno w exactl y what I shall d o with the 700 acres o f fo rest, the game ,
208 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

is no regul ar development of poetic genius t o b e traced through

his career : a humorist indeed can have no such development ;
, ,

for if he could once attain a true clearness of style or artistic per ,

fe ct i o n i n writing fi ction he would cease t o b e a humorist

, T he .

characteristics of all R ichter s works may b e summed up in the ’

”
word youthful ness H e was the favourite romancist for y outh
.
,

appealing chiefl y to y oung minds ful l of happ y dreams mysteriou s ,

doubts imaginative delights and great vague thoughts strangel y

, ,

mingled with the S portiv eness of b oyhood ; and readers who have
stood still in intellect and have retai ned the taste the y had in
,

their minority may still find delight i n Jean P aul s page s ; while
,
’

others who have advanced t o a manl y taste can no longer relish

’
t heir former favourite .

T H ERESE H U B ER ( 1 7 64 —1 8 29 ) was the authoress of several

p op ul ar and pleasing fi ctions which app eared under the name of,

her husband .T h e F amil y S e ld o rf ( 1 7 9 5) and The Judgment

’
of the World ( 1 8 0 5 ) S how considerable kn owledge of characters .

F RI EDR I C H JAC O B S ( 1 7 6 4 ) is b etter kno wn as a philologist than

as a nove l ist ; b ut has stooped from his classical studies t o write

many S hort tales for y oung people in an elegan t style and with ,

unexceptionable tendencies GE O R G E R E I N B EC K ( 1 7 6 6) affords a

.

simil ar i nstance of a literary hi storian and critic who has written

several tales in good taste , and in opposition to the frivoli ty whi ch

,

has unfortunatel y prevailed lately in both German and E nglish

works of fi ction T his frivoli t y he say s tr ul y in one of hi s pre
’
.
,

faces is never an attribute of p oetic genius b ut is rather a miser

,
‘
,
’
ab le expedient O f inferior minds S eeking for p opularit y ,
.

E RN S T WA G NER ( 1 7 6 8—1 8 1 2) wrote s e eral romantic narratives , v

such as T h e T ravelli ng P ainter and Willi bald ( 1 8 06)

’ ’

which are part ly imitations of Goethe s st yle in Wilhel m M eister ’

.

The hi storical romances of BE NE D I C T E NAUB ERT T hek la ,

’

and H ermann v o n Unn a ( 1 7 are mentioned by Sir Walter

S cott as sources from whi ch he had derived some suggestions .

The unpretendin g authoress who published them anonymousl y, ,

had the pleas ure of receiving her own works as a present from her
husband who was unacquainted with the ir origin
,
.

A U GUS T US L AF O N T AI NE was the writer of numerous sentiment al

’
novels , once very popular especiall y his D omestic Narratives
,

( 1 8 03 C AR O L INE PI C HLER was another novelist of very

fruitful invention , whose tales of L eonore O livier T he ,
’
,
’

S wedes in Prague and man y others ( 1 8 1 2 were accounted

’
,

among the b est fi ctions of her t imes .

F R I EDR I C H H OLD E R LIN ( 1 7 7 0 ) wrote Hyp 6 1 10 n ; 0 1 the H ermit

‘

as a vehicle for h is imaginat i ve view s of human

0
’
in Gree c e
 SEVEN T H PER I O D .
20 9

life It display s an enthusiastic a dmiration of the l ife , p oe t ry, and

.

even the reli gion of ancient Athens

H E I NR I C H ZS CH O K K E ( 1 7 7 1 —
.

1 8 4 7 was remark ab le as a man and

an author H is literary activit y extended over more than half a
.

c e nt m y, and hi s tales and miscellaneous writings , chiefl y of a .

utilitarian ch aract e I enj oyed considerab le popul arit y H is studies

,
.

we I e g e ne I all y diI e ct e d t owards hu man improvement , as we find

G o l dmak e rs V il lage where he describes the pI o gre ss o f
’ ’
i n his ,

industry and civi lisation among a degraded p o pulat i o n fi

L UD W IG T IEC K ( 1 7 7 3 ) has resembled Zsch o k k e in the length o f

his literar y career b ut in no other respect B etween Will iam
,
‘
.

L ovell ( 1 7 9 5) and V ittoria Acco ro mbo na ( 1 839 ) a great numb e r

’ ‘ ’

O f novels and tales of various s tyles , fantastic V isionary , humo ,

rous and satirical have b een produced b y thi s author though h e

, , ,

has been an invalid during the greater part of the time H i s .

writings form a library of romance , more likely to excite and con

fuse than t o clear and re fin e the mind of a y oung reader T h e .

short tales collected un der the title of P hantasus ( 1 8 1 2) present

’

’
the most favourable and p op ul ar specimens of Tieck s imaginative
style H is narratives are oft en interspersed with reflections on art
.

and literature T h e following passage contain s some j ust remarks

.

o n a life devoted t o sensuous music and imagi native pleas ures ; but
it S ho ul d b e premised that these censures are o nl y appli cab le t o
poetry and the fine arts when cul tivated merely as selfi sh luxuries
,
.

The truly great artist who kn ows how t o unite hi s creations with
,

human interests , and the literar y man in spired with noble purp oses ,
are not t o be rank ed among i dl e dreamers , b ut rather with the
greatest b enefactors of societ y B ut unhappil y there is a clas s .

of frivolous amate urs in art and literat ure t o whom the following
remark s may b e fairly applied

T H E SE D U CT I ON S O F ART .

S urely it is a nob l e endeav our in man create a work o f art to

transce nding all the l o w and common util ities o f l ife—a work inde
,

pendent compl ete in itse l f subservient t o n o util itarian purpose

, ,

a beautifu l obj ec t shining in its o wn S p l endour Th e instinct t o pro .

duce such a work seems t o point more direct l y t o a higher world

than any other impul se o f o u r nature
. A nd yet this beautiful
art is a seducti v e and forbidden fruit ; and he wh o has once been
intoxicated with its sweetness may be regarded as a l ost man i n ,

practical life He becomes more and more absorbed in hi s o wn

.

i nterna l p l easures and at l ength finds that he has no heart t o fee l

, ,

no hand t o l abour fo r hi s fe l low-

men Is no t such a de v otion t o art .

An b ridge d t ran sl at i o n o f T h e G o l dm ak e rs V ill age m ay be fo und

a
’
in Ch am
bers s M i sc e ll an y o f Use ful and E nt e rt ain ing Tract s
’

(No
’
. .
 2 10 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE
‘
.

su perstition ? l Ve take o ne o f the works o f man the mere produc t

a ,

o f se l f-pl e asing imagination and in o u r ad miration o f this obj ect w e

, ,

f orget the who l e t o which it o ugh t t o be l ong : w e forget huma nity

i ts e l f F o r my part I am shocked at my o wn fo ll y when I re fl e c t o n
.
,

my who l e l ife de voted t o the l uxury o f music ! Here I ha v e sat a ,

se l f-indulging hermit drawing sensations o f sweetness from h arm o

,

n ions tones ; w hi l e all around me the great wor l d o f mank in d t o

w hich I be l ong an d fo r which I d o nothing i s in v o lv ed i n the care
, ,

a n d strife that must attend its progress I cannot a v oid kno wing .

tha t thousands are suffering u nder as many varieties o f affliction : I

know that e v ery vibration o f the pendul um is li ke the stroke o f a .

s word fo r some fe ll ow- creature and that the wor l d is cryi ng loudl y
,

fo r a ll possib l e he l p and stil l here I S i t amusing myse l f with l uxu ,

ri o u s music as care l ess l y as a child p l aying wi th bubb l es ; as if I

,

k new nothi ng o f the earnestness either o f the l ife around me o r the

d eath that awai ts me Here is e videntl y a seductiv e poison in
the apparentl y innocent l o v e o f art T h e lu x urious emotions o f the
.

artist may o v ercome the common fe e l ings and interests o f humanity .

In striving t o be an artist I may forget that I am a m an I may

,
.
“

b ecome l ike a mere theatri cal hero wh o fancies his stage t o be the ,

real wor l d l ooks o n the worl d round h i s theatre as a v ery dull piece
, ,

and onl y regar d s the actions and sorrows o f mankind as crude ma

t e ri al s o u t o f whi ch dramas may be manufactured
’
.

’
We subj o i n a short specimen of T ieck s satirical humour which ,

i s ce rtainl y legitimatel y emplo y ed in this case

O C I AL I N T E R C OURSE
S .

”
It re quires some art and good taste said L othario t o make a “
, ,
” ”
d inner o r a supper party agreeab l e
- “
T here must be harmony .
,

said A ntonio “
Whatever the provisions and the display may be
.
,

t hey S hou l d correspond I d o no t l ike indifferent vi ands and bad

.

wine with costl y s e i c e s And the case is still worse when your
.

host insis ts o n making yo u ac quainted with the ful l val ue o f hi s h o s

p i t al i t y ; when he wi ll n o t l e t yo u empty a fl ask o f wi ne withou t

d rinking in at the same time the information that it cost so much

per butt o r so much per dozen in bottl es T hi s naturall y l eads t o a
,
.

val uation o f the S pl endid sideboard But if your host possesses pic .

tures and rarities o f art al as fo r yo u ! He will l ead yo u al l o v er the

,

house wi ll tell the structure and cost o f e v ery picture-frame and

, ,

will gi v e yo u n o rest unti l he fin ds that he has produced in yo u a

”
profound sense o f your comparati v e po v erty .

”
T hen in another party said L othario
, yo u may always expec t
, ,

the grand maternal scene t o c l ose the performances Th e dear littl e .

c hildren are introduced though w e have no t had the p l easure o f

,

their company during dinner o r tea No w w e hav e the mos t touch .

i ng narrati v es o f their ideal v irtues and the pathos o f the scene ,

s ometimes draws tears from the good mother B ut these are tri .

vial errors What shall we say o f the terrible gre at assembli es no w

.
212 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

but display a fine poetical imagination and a fluent style In t h e .

former there are passages which S how that this writer might have
succeeded in fi ctions more accordant with the facts of real li fe .

F or instance in the C ountess D olores A rnim gives an excellent

,
’
,

sketch of the character generall y known b y the name se nt im e n

’
t al i st
.
’‘
Wall er , the S O -called poet is a man who deludes him ,

s elf wi th a notion that he possesses genius cul tivates no fac ul t y ,

o f the min d except imagination , neglects all the common duties

o f li fe and as far as he is ab le makes all such names as

, ,
genius ,

and
‘
poetry contemptible AS we ha v e given several extract s
’
.

from portions of literature connected wi th the in terests of real

life we may as a contrast , give the following sketch of a literar y
, ,

man of the purel y fantastic order

W A LL E R, T H E S E N T III E N T AL I S T .

The count h ad n o t been gaz ing o ut o f the window many min utes ,

before he call ed the attention o f his l ady t o a v ery picture s que group
o f figures s l owl y coming a l ong the carriage -road towards the m ansion .

A man in respectab l e d ress was l eading a s l ow-paced nag whi ch ,

c arried a l ady wh o app eared t o be an i n v a l id fo r sh e was sup ,

ported in her saddl e by se v era l cushions and pill ows Besi d e these .

t wo figu res t wo boys were riding o n goats o f an unusua l l arge S iz e

, ,

with l ong horns A s this group approached the hou se the coun t
.
,

and his l ady went o u t t o meet them Th e strange gentl eman whos e .
,

s unburnt and wrink l ed face S howed an e x pression Of inte ll igence ,

imme di ate l y addressed the count and expl ain ed that the l ady wh o , ,

had been an i n val id fo r some time had undertaken this rural journey ,

t o restore her strength but had found n o benefit in it and was n o w

, ,

s o much exhausted that she m u st beg fo r permission t o res t awhile

, .

T h e count instantl y assured the stranger that a ll the pro visions o f

the house were at his ser vice T h e nag was l ed beside a green .

bank near the garden-hou se so that the l ady coul d d ismount with,

o u t ste p s ; and her husband l ed her into the garden-h o use wher e ,

sh e rec lined o n a so fa A s S h e raised her v eil she disp l ayed a

.
,

c ountenance ha v ing some beauty but v ery pa l e and l anguid S he ,

.

n o w addressed the co u nt and after thankin g him fo r his kindn ess

, ,

as sured him that in th is instance his hospita l ity was we ll besto wed ;

fo r he had n o w the honour o f entertaining in his mansion the ce l e

brat e d poet Wal l er whom t o call her husband was her highes t
”
,

p ride and de l ight Hereupon v arious comp l iments were exchanged

.
,

bu t n o t without some awkwardness ; fo r the co unt and h i s l ady

d iffered in their opinions o f the poet whose productions they had ,

l ate l y read T h e c ount coul d n o t say that he regarded all Wa ll er s

’
.

v erses as counterfei t coin and the coun t ess durst n o t say h o w much
,

sh e adm ired them Wall er at first receiv ed their compliments in

.

a quiet sty l e and onl y rep l ied with t wo o r three j o c ose remarks
,
.

He t h e n re mi nd e d his wife that S h e must n o t hu rt her chest by

~

t alking t o o much ; and accordingl y S h e to o k up he r portfoli o and

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 2 13

crayons and began t o sketch the l andscape M eanwhile the t wo

,
.

boys wh o were named T raugott and Al on z o mil ked the goats and
, , ,

bro u ght a gl ass o f the mil k t o their mother wh o d rank i t A s a ,

.

reward fo r this attention she tol d them that n o w they might pl ay

,

where they p l eased ; and trul y they soon began t o e nj oy this

l iberty in an extreme sense T aking sundry p l aythings from their
.

pocke t s they bounded away and soon began t o p l ay at hide -and

, ,

s eek . T hey ran into the hall exp l ored se v era l rooms in the man ,
'

sion an d p l undered the garden and the pantry as if they had no

, ,

more kno wl edge o f any rights o f property than young monkeys .

T h e ser v ants were o fi e nd e d and began t o comp l ain ; but the coun t
,

was highl y amused when the father o f these ill-bred boys smil e d ,

and co o ll y said Ha ! they are training t o become such men as the

“

future will re quire ( 1) —they are ac quainted with want and know
,

h o w t o he l p themse lv es T hey can soon adapt themselves t o any

.

”
n e w circumstances .

A s the l ady n o w re quired rest the count retired and l ed his ne w , ,

ac quaintance into the house Here W al l er soon became so c o nfi .

d ential that with l it t l e inv itation he began t o gi v e in an animate d

, , , ,

styl e various detail s o f his personal history We must condense

,
.

his narrati v e as i t was in fl ated with many passages o f questionabl e

,

s entiment and numerous quotations from his o wn poems

,
He first .

expl ained h o w like other men o f genius he had been poor but h ad
, , ,

found a wife wh o possessed some property A s the l ady was .

deep l y in l o v e with him he coul d n o t make her u nhappy so he

, ,

married her though he confessed that he had found ( t o u se his o wn

,

w ords ) “ a fatal po ssession in a wife ; fo r the cares o f matrimony

disturbed the de v e l opment o f poeti c genius He had persuaded .

his wife t o se ll her house i n town in order t o purchase a rural ,

c otta e and a garden which had c h armed his fancy once as he rode
g
through a l one l y part o f the c o rmt ry T h e lady had at once c o n .

s ented ; fo r
“
in all things she obey s my p l easure ( said Wall er) ,
and he had tra v e ll ed down t o the romantic cottage t o prepare it fo r

her reception He spread the bedding and the l inen i n the sunny
.

garden arranged fl o we r-pots in the windows and made a triu mphal

, ,

arch o f green bou ghs and fl owers o v er the porch He then sat in .

the bower and whil e waiting fo r his l ady wrote an inscription fo r

, ,

the arch containing the foll owing verses and a few more o f e qual
,

poetic val ue
H e re n o w a p o e t l e ave s
Al l e art hl y c are s and fears ;
I n q u i e t n e ss h e wa i t s
Unt il h is bride app ears .

h
A nd w e n sh e c o m e s , sh e re a ds
Th e se w o r s , n sc r b e
d i abo ei d v
O ur l o wl y , ru st c p o rc i h
W e l c o me , my l if my l ove !
e,
’

Bu t this S peedy arrival was merely imaginary ; fo r o ne o f the wheels

o f his l ady s carriage was broken o n t h e road and her coming was
’
,
2 14 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

until Wal ler s patience was exhausted Besides i n his zeal

”
d elayed
’
.
,

about the fl owers he had forgotten t o pro vi d e food ; so the firs t rura l
,

d e l i c acy which he enjoyed i n the country was a dinner o f brown

bread and mil k A t l ast he became so impatient that he thre w
.
,

d own the pre t ty arch tore the inscription and receiv ed hi s wi fe

, ,

w ith reproaches Howe v er she spoke kin dly expl ained the cause
.
, ,

o f her de l ay and he was soon restored t o good-

,
humour T h e next .

morning he had reso lv ed t o begin t o write a great poem He had .

l ong waited fo r fine weather and rura l soli tude t o produce poe t ic
inspiration and n o w his desires were granted He went into hi s
,
.

s tudy . T h e day was fin e with a soft south wind and a b l ue S k y but , ,

he could n o t fix his at t ention o n his subj ect but sat all the morning ,

gazing from the window into the garden where t wo hens were ,

s cratching the ground and a stout maid-ser vant was d igging up

,

po tatoes S o o ne day was passed after ano ther in v ain attempts t o

.

be romantic and happy He had d eterm i ned that his wife shoul d .

be li ke himse l f an enthusiasti c admirer o f nature ; so he led her

, ,

o v er the damp pastures and through p l antations o f firs in the ear l y

, ,

m orning t o see the sun rising ; but this practica l poetry w as a e com
,

p a n i e d with such unromantic rea l ities as w e t stockings co l ds and , ,

c o ughs Wal l er was surprised t o find that real nature was n o t so

.

pleasant as she had appeared i n the v erses which he wrote when in

town and that the ru stics wh o l iv ed near hi s cottage were n o t o f
,

the Arca d ian kind He read his v erses t o some o f them bu t they
.
,

c oul d n o t u nderstand suc h poetry and still preferred their o wn ,

v ulgar stories and j est- books T his was i n the s u mmer b ut i n the .
,

winter rural happiness w as sad in deed fo r Wall er He wrote t o .

all his friends begging them t o come and see

,
a poor poet in a
”
wilderness ; but the roads were deep in snow and n o friend ,

woul d undertake the journey Th e poe t was there fore l eft i n .

d omestic quietude u nt il he became quite weary o f the company o f

,

his wife and expresse d his unamiab l e sentiments in such v erses

,

a s the following

I n t h i s my l o n e l y n e t , s ,

I se e n o we l c o m e gu e st
In va n i m y l e t t e rs go
Th e wa ys are de e p in sn o w .

My h e art i s re st l e ss a s an asp e n -
,
t ree
Ah , wh y did f rt n l in k my wif n d m
o u e e a e ?

S h wh m I c ll d m y b rid
’
e o a e e,

S it p in n i n g t m y id ;
s s a s e

F r m h m I l ng t t y
o o e o o s ra ,

B ut sn o w y is t h e w ay .

M y h e art i s re st l e ss a s an a sp e n -
t re e
A h , wh y did fort un l in k my w if e e an d me ?

My dear friend Wa ll er continued after reciting the abo v e touc h

,
”
,

ing v erses I know n o t h o w I cou l d ha v e sur vi v ed t hat d ull wi nter ;

,

but my wife meanwhil e presented t o me this bo y Al onz o and thus , ,

o ur cottage was enliv e ned with the company o f nurses and the
 216 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

ro manci st s,
while they show little power in the construction of pro
b able plots or the development of real characters S uch exercises
, .

of the imagination must hold a sub ordinate place in li terature as ,

the highest class o f poetry and fi ction is mark ed by the union

( not the confusion) of the real with the ideal The follo wing is .

one of the pictures in words drawn by B ett ina

S UN D AY .

Here is a little circul ar ch ape l A S pl endid altar almost fi lls t h e .

interior and at the opposite side an c i gan proj ects from the wal l
, .

O ver the al tar a l arge go l den pel ican with e xpanded win gs i s feed , ,
i ng a brood o f twe lv e young ones A s I entered the l ight was beam .
,

i ng thro u gh the d ark-red and bright-ye ll ow panes o f the pai nted

windows and spreadi ng l ike a hal o o v er the go l den pe lican and t h e
,

al tar co v ered with rich decorations and dressed wi th fresh roses and
, ,

ye ll ow lil ies A young Franciscan monk from the mon astery at

.

Rauenthal was preaching and I heard the conc l u ding passage in hi s

,

serm o n which I remember

, T h e foxes hav e ho l es and the birds o f ,

the air ha v e nests but the S o n o f Man hath n o t where t o l ay h i s

,
”
head . I think o f these words when I hear C hr i stians compl aining .

He wh o in the ful ness o f his l o v e said S uffer l ittl e chil d re n t o

, , ,
‘

come u nto me wh o cradl ed o n his bosom the head o f S t J ohn

,
’
,

foun d no p l ace wherein t o rest in this wor l d much l ess o ne friend ,

wh o coul d sympathise wi th and share a ll h i s deep sorrows Yet his .

lo v e which found n o return o f gratitude u pon earth did n o t utter

, ,

itse l f in compl aints but was transmuted into the di vine fire o f sel f
,

sac ri fi c e With such an exampl e before u s shall w e when , ,

affl icted by the l oss o f a friend o r any other cal amity hang down o ur
, ,

heads and refuse t o bear o ur burthens and fulfi l o u r duties ? N ay

, ,

rather l et us fo ll ow the steps o f o u r G uide wh o o v ercame sorro w ,

”
and death ! T hese conc l uding words o f the sermon accompanied
me throughout the d ay l ike ce l estial music o r the cal m radi an ce o f
,

a S abb ath morning I went down from the upper church into the
.

round chape l where another priest had cel ebrated the mass Here
,
.

an aged d ame was n o w extinguishing the candl es o n the altar I .

asked A re yo u the sacristan

,
and she to l d me that her so n wh o ,

he l d that o ffice was t o day paying a vi sit t o some friends

-
,
“
A nd .

where d o yo u find all these beautiful fl owers said I pointin g t o ,

the roses and l il ies o n the al tar S he sai d T hey are all gathered .
,

o ut o f o u r garden here c l ose beside the church my so n cul ti vates

”
them A t my re quest she soon l ed me into the beautiful and pe ace
.

ful l ittl e nook beside the san ctuary and we sat down together o n a ,

l ittl e wooden bench in front o f her cottage and under a canopy o f ,

mingl ed vine-l ea v es and roses Th e seat was e videntl y intended t o

.

accommodate onl y o n e p e I so n ; so I he l d the hand o f the o l d l ad y t o

support my se l f I noticed that her hand seemed t o be har d ened
.

” “
with toil “
Yes said she I n a tone o f perfect contentment I c an
.
, , ,
”
still dig a lit tle ; but the soil here is hard and ro cky Before u s .
 SEVE NT H PERI O D . 217

l ay the little garden basking in sunshine : it seemed like o ne o f

nature s sanctuaries pl aced beside the gray wall s o f the church ;
’
,

a nd here nature o n her simp l e turf a l tar o ffered up fruits and

, ,

fl owers as her most beautiful productions t o Hea v en T h e pebb l e d

, , .

wa l ks o f the garden were trim l y bordered with bo x I l o v e thi s .

S imp l e l owl y S hrub ; fo r i n the summer it is the companion o f bright

,

fl owers and e v e n in winter it keeps its greenness under the sno w

, .

”
T h e o ld l ady repl ied t o this sentiment in her o wn sty l e Ah said .
,
”
sh e,
the bo x is a hardy thing and hid e s all kinds o f weather On
, .

t h e l eft S ide o f the v ine -covered cottage the garden - wal l was decke d
with j essamine T all l il ies grew besi d e the gate and near them was
.
,

a S preading honeysuck l e A mu l berry -

tree fl ourished in o ne corner,
and i n another t wo fig—
.

trees S pread o u t their broad gl ossy l eav es , .

In a shady nook a fountain o f c l ear water was bubb l ing into a stone
trough Th e centre o f the l ittl e p l ot o f ground was gay with t h e
.

c o l ours o f hyacinths pinks gil l yfl o we rs and l ark-

,
S purs and the air
, , ,

was fragrant with l av ender C anaries were S inging in the cottage . .

I fe l t th at I coul d stay long in this home o f S abbath quietness A nd .

n o w the kind dame S hook down some ri pe mu l berries and brought

them t o me upon a large fig—
,

l eaf Whi l e I was eating them S h e .

,

c u ll ed fo r me a nosegay o f carnations and lark-spurs A s I was .

admiring my bou quet the door o f the cottage was opened and the
'

, ,

young priest ( wh o had been taking a humb l e break fast prepared fo r

hi m by the o ld dame) came into the garden and spoke t o me in a ,
” ”
friendl y tone “
Ah said he hav e yo u ripe mul berries al ready
.
“
, ,
?

I presented the fruit t o him and he took t wo o r three and in my , ,

c onfusion ( I know n o t why) it seems I al so ga v e him my nosegay ;

fo r I did n o t kno w that I had done so u ntil I saw him p l acing it o n

his sl ee v e S uch were my l ittl e adv entures o n thi s quiet S unday,
.

which l eft such an impression o n my memory .

’

Two writers may b e mentioned i n contrast here , t o explain the

d istinction b etween s ymbolical and merel y fantastic romances In
the latter style , T H E O D O R H O FF MANN ( 1 7 7 6 —1 8 24 ) surpassed
.

R ichter Tieck , and F ouqu e in inventin g marvell ous incidents , b ut

,

was far inferior to the m in poetical genius H is stories mingle .

the circumstances of real modern life with grotesque and visionar y

adventures N o description can b e given here of such tales as
—
.

the N ight P ieces

‘
S e rap i o n s B rothers Kater
‘ ’ ‘ ’ ’

’
M urr and the Princess B ramb il la
‘
any further ’

than b y say ing that the y o ffer deleterio us excitements to the ima
in at i o ns of y oung readers
g .

F R I EDR I C H DE L A M O TT E F O U Q UE ( 1 7 7 7 ) rose far a b ove t h e

st yle of his friend H o ffmann though both emplo y ed fantastic mate ,

rials F ouqu e leads his readers among my sterious knights gnomes

.
, ,

elfs fairies , enchanted forests and talkin g waterfalls H e uses all

, , .

t h e means of producing mysterious excitement which are foun d m

the romances o f Mrs Radcliffe , but wi thout g iving natural solu
21 8 G ERMAN LIT ERA T UR E .

tions of his wonders in the ing enious mode of this E nglis h auth o
ress Instead of thi s he generall y gives a moral solution His
.
, .

style is clear and fluent ; his descriptions are p oetical ; and it is

often his pleasure to wrap a deep and true moral in the disguise of
wonderful and supernatural i magery His works were once much .

admired especially by young readers b ut are no w comparatively

, ,

neglected The Magic R ing

.
‘ ’
and
‘
U ndine are the most favo urable sp e cM e ns It may b e .

q uestioned whether novels which represent false and romanti c

characters and events as parts of real life , are not more o bj ection
ab le than these fi ctions o f F ouqu e in which the incidents are so
,

visionary, that they cannot b e mistaken for realities : It is certa inl y

desirable that novels and romances should b e more clearly d istin
g u i sh e d than we fi n d them in man y instances W h at name sh all .

we fin d for b ooks whi ch give us neither the truth and real it y

of life , nor the b eaut y of poetic imagination ? A s a S pecimen of
F o uqué s m y sterious and s ymb olical style and also of a class of
’
,

fi ctions very numerous in German li terature , we ma y give the

foll owing tale H ere under the disguise of a ghost story o ur
.
, ,

author tell s us that an evil passion such as avarice (presented ,

to us as personi fi ed in the old man with the red ‘

cannot be overcome by the use of its o wn weapons The story .

will conve y it s o wn moral

R E D M ANT L E .

Berthold was a G erman commerc ial man and in o ne o f hi s sol itary ,

journeys he encountered the fo ll owin g adv enture —O ne e v ening he

-

h ad l ost his way in o ne o f the mountainous and thi c kl y-woo d ed parts

o f o u r country : and as he w as tra v e ll ing al one o n horseback and ,

carried in his po rtmanteau a considerab l e quantity o f go l d and pre

cions ar ticl es o f trade he began t o be anxious if n o t fear ful when
, , ,

the twilight gathered o v er th e o ak -trees around him whil e no path ,

was visibl e He was n o w assured that he had wandered into a v ery

.

lone l y par t o f the country ; fo r e v en the wil d animal s which n o w ,

came o u t fro m the thickets did no t l ook upon him with fear : they
,

seemed indeed al together u nac quainted with the dangerous powers

, ,

o f man whil e the gray owl s wi th their me l anchol y h o o t i ngs

, ,

fl uttered about his shoul ders so nearl y that he often bowed his head ,

t o pre v ent their fl ying in hi s face Bertho l d fel t so l one l y i n this

.

woodl and so litude that the face o f any honest man woul d ha v e been
,

the most p l easant sight in the worl d and great was his p l easur e ,

when h e saw o n the forest-side a man dressed in the humb l e garb o f

a charcoal-burner In repl y t o Bertho l d s questions the strange r
.
’
,

pointed the way t o his l one l y hut in the forest and o ffered t o the ,

trave ll er a night s secure rest and guidance o n his way in the morn
’

ing T ho u gh Bertho l d coul d n o t di stinctl y see the face o f h is

.

friend, he followed him until he came t o his lonel y hut Here the .
2 20 G ERMAN L IT ERATUR E .

Howe v er after taking up his portmanteau his pistol s and a cutlas s,

, , ,

he fo ll owed his host u p a v ery narro w stairc ase int o a l o w ruinous ,

littl e chamber through which the night-wind whis tl ed T h e host

, .
,
after l ighting a l amp and suspending it from the roof said good
, ,
”
night and Ber t hol d was l eft t o dream o f the day s adv entures He
,
’
.

threw himsel f upon the l owl y bed ; but cou l d n o t s l eep soundl y no r ,

c oul d he remain proper l y awake S ometimes he fancied tha t h i s .

p ortmanteau was n o t p l aced securel y o n the bed ; sometimes that

his pistol s were no t near his hand ; then a gus t o f wind suddenl y
startl ed him up from his p ill ow ; then he l ay down again and fe ll into ,

c ommercia l S pecul ations which were strange l y mingl ed with thoughts

,

o f the forest the charcoal - burner and his family the e v ening-prayer,
, ,

a n d the strange o ld m an .

It was n o w mi d night and though he cou l d n o t s l eep his eye l ids

, ,

were t o o hea vy t o be kept open when he imagined that he heard a ,

l ight sound o f footsteps in the chamber He l ooked but saw nothin g .

,
”
d istinctl y T i s my fancy . said he as he c l osed his eyes again
’
, , .

But again and again the noise disturbed hi m until he arose and saw , ,

in the dying glimmer Of the l amp the gray-headed dwarf wh o , ,

”
s eemed t o ha v e design s o n the portmanteau Robber l exclaimed .

”
Berthol d dare n o t t o touch my proper ty 1 A t this the intruder
s eemed t o be terrified : he fo l ded his hands assumed a devotional ,

a spect and q uick l y gl ided o u t o f the chamber

,
.

”
O h he cannot be a robber said Berthol d ; he is crazy as my
, , ,

host tol d me but howe v er I must see that the contents o f my port
, ,
”
manteau are all right S O saying he un fastened the straps and
.
, ,

b egan t o turn o v er the gol den treasure whi ch was so dear t o him .

Whil e thus engaged he fe lt that somebody was breathi ng cl ose

,
”
beside the bed I t is the wind .said he ; the window is no t ,
”
tight .But agai n he fe l t the breath upon hi s cheek and turning his ,

face he suddenl y met the aspect o f the o l d man wh o had been al so

, ,

g azin g into the portmanteau A t first Bertho l d was terrified ; but

.

he co ll ected his courage and said What d o yo u want here

,

G o t o bed and warm yourse l f O l d man ,

.

”
Ah my bed is co l d enough said the strange vi sitor ; but I love
, ,

t o see such shini ng go l d as yo u have here Yet I know where there

— — —
is far more o f i t go l d heaps o f go l d plenty I ”

”
Is this all a dream ? said the trav e ll er i nwardl y : am I asl eep
o r awake ? What d o yo u mean O l d man ?
”
A nd S O ready were the ,

thoughts o f Berthold t o turn t o profit e v ery ad v enture that he e v en ,

enter t ained the supposition that in this strange way he might hear
tidings o f some hoard o f go l d “
What mean yo u Old man ? said ”
.
,

he . Where is the go l d o f whi ch yo u sp eak ? ”

”
I will show yo u if yo u wil l come with me said the dwarf It .

—
,

18 —
under the earth in the forest under the moorland ”
Th e .

speaker s face showed strange excitement

’
.

We ll ; if I v enture t o go with yo u said Berthol d .

”
I will be back i n a minute said the O l d man, go ing o u t o f the ,
”
chamber I must put o n my mantle
. .
 22 1
’

SEVEN T H PER I O D .

He had no t been o u t o f the chamber more than a minute whe n ,

a nother figure entered T his seemed tal ler than the former o n e and .
,

was co v ered from head t o foot in a b l ood-red mantle He he l d a .

”
d rawn sword in o ne hand and a musket i n the other Ne w said .
,
”
Re d mant l e come al ong ! L et us hasten t o the forest !
,

Bertho l d seized his weapons “

With yo u ! he excl aimed : I
”
.

wil l n o t l eave the house with yo u Where is the l ittl e o l d man ? ”

”
Ha ! yo u d o no t kno w me in this dress ! said Re d man tl e ,

throwing back the red c l oak from his face Berthol d recognised .

the features Of the dwarf ; but their quiet aspect was n o w changed
into a fierce and eager expression
. .

”
“
I te ll yo u I wi ll n o t go with yo u said Berthold fir mly still , ,

ho l ding his weapons ready fo r action .

“
B ut yo u sha ll 7
said Re dmantl e stretching o u t his arms t o seiz e
’
,

Bertho l d wh o at that moment fired a pisto l at the strange figure

,
.

S udden l y noises were heard in the house : the host was has t ening i n
a larm toward the chamber o f his guest and the unwe l come visitor ,

left the chamber throwing back an a ngry gl ance o n Bertho l d ,

.

”
“
G ood sir exc l aimed the poor charcoal-burner as he entered
, ,

t h e chamber what hav e yo u done ? Y o u ha v e roused u p o u r

,

k o bo ld o u r house -gob l in wh o has been quiet so l ong

,
O n the stairs ,
.

I met him in his red mantl e bearing a s word, and l ooking very ,

an ry
gYour kobold ! your house-go bl in ! is What can yo u mean ?”
.

s aid the bewildered trave ll er .

”
“
I wil l te ll yo u al l about it said the host if yo u wi ll come
“
, ,

d own t o the li ving-room ; fo r my wife and the chi l dren are there ,
”
and I must remo v e their fears .

‘
Bertho l d was ready t o go down stairs as he did no t like t o remain ,

alone in the narro w chamber He took his weapons and the .

por tmanteau, and went down t o the room where the famil y was
a ssemb l ed T h e chi l dren were tremb l ing and looked no w u p o n
.
,

o u r trave l ler with suspicious glances whi l e their father to l d the ,

fo l lowing strange tal e

S ir when first I came t o li v e in this cottage the unearthl y b eing
, ,

wh o haunts this neighbourhood always appeared in the terrib l e for m

in which yo u hav e just n o w seen him NO charcoal -burner woul d .

live in this part Of the forest ; fo r the wande rings o f the un quiet
S pirit extended over a wide circ l e It is said that in his former .
,

state o f existence he was a weal thy but v ery se l fish man wh o liv ed
,

o n this S pot and that he buried treasures o f gold in a secret par t o f

,

Th e de mo nol gy f G rm ny i s v ry xt n i and h as be n in t rwo n i n so

o o e a e e e s ve , e e ve
m an y p m nd p
oe -fi ti n th t
s a n unt
ro se f G rm n l i t r t r w l d b
c o s, a a ac c o o e a e a u e ou e
im p rf t if i t did n t nt i n m p im n Of h n rr t i
e ec o co aTh k b ld r
so e s ec e su c a a ve s . e o o ,
’
o ,

h git w
au s e s gh t f d m t i h b i t n d t t h d t o m l l i t y H w s
,
’
as a os o o es c a s, a a ac e so e o ca . e a
so m t ime h ml esnd n ar f l b t t t h r t i m Sp it f l n d d m n ding
e ss , a e ve u se u , u a o e es e u , a e a
ve ry r p t f l t r t m nt
es ec In th u pr nt t l
ea whi h
e n t in. m r l t he e e se a e , c co a s a o a ,

k o b l d ym b o l i t h p i i t f
o s ri whi h h d b n s b d d by t h
se s e s r nt nt
o a va ce , c a ee u ue e co e
m nt n d p i t y o f t h
e a h r l -b n r nd h i f mil y but was wak e ne d and
e e c a co a ur e a s a ,
a
e xc i t e d by t h e pre se n e o f a si mi lar sp i ri t i n B e rt h ol d
c .
222 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

the forest I t is al so said that t o frighten strangers and trav ellers

.
,

from the S pot he sometimes appeare d whil e l i ving in the garb and
, , ,

with the weapons which yo u h av e seen t o -night He died and l eft .

,

n o sign Of the p l ace where his go l d w as buried Indeed it seems .

that he had l os t his reason and forgotten his o wn secret ; fo r he was

seen nightl y prowl ing through the forest and uttering cries l ik e o ne ,

wh o seeks what he canno t find S uch was the tal e t o l d t o me whe n

.

I came t o d we ll here bu t I said L et me pray and li v e piousl y and ,

‘
, ,

the e vi l o ne can d o me n o harm B ut I assure yo u that fo r som e ’

.
,

time after o u r arri val my wi fe an d the chil dren were sore ly terrifie d
,
”
by the nightl y visits o f the o l d man in the red mantl e .

”
A h ! said the wife ; and n o w we shall ha v e the o l d troub l e
“

”
o v er again .

A t this moment the door o f the bu t w as shaken viol entl y and t h e ,

chi l dren began t o cry ; but the father stepped t o the door and sai d
”
in a l oud and firm v oice Hence e vi l o ne and v ex u s n o longer !
, , ,

T h e sound o f a rush ing wind fo ll owed this exorcism and then al l ,

w as qui et again and the father proceeded in his story

,
“
We continued t o u se the best means o f prayers an d pious l iving
t o subdue the v iol ence o f o ur ghostl y disturber unti l we succeede d ,

s o far that he l aid aside his red mantl e came gentl y t o o u r doo r
, ,

e v ery e v ening at the hour Of prayer and seemed disposed t o b e ,

friendl y His aspect was composed and quie t and e v en his statur e
.
,

seemed less than that o f the figure in the red mantl e But n o w in .
,

some way which I cannot u nderstan d your appearance here sir , , ,

has awakened in him a ll his former vio l ence and we shall re quir e ,

some pai ns and patience before we again subdue him Howe v er .

,

chil dren be no t a fraid P rayers and patience hav e a v ail ed onc e

, .

i n this troub l e and we must n o w emp l oy them again

,
D on t fear . _
’

him my good wife We S hall subdue Re dm antl e once more

, .
”
.

‘
With this assurance the wife and the chi ldren were c omforte d
, ,

and l ooked cheerfully at the father ; but Bertho l d still fe l t l ike a

man wh o awakes in the night and c annot shake O ff the impression ,

o f a frightful dream —
He said t o himse l f I must hav e a fe v e r
.
“

which has affected my head and all the strange ad ventures o f this,
”
night must be de l usions T hen he suspected that the apparent l y
.

honest host must be the all y o f some band Of robbers and that Red ,

mantl e woul d soon return ( perhaps with some accomp l ices) t o seiz e
the portmanteau With these thoughts Bertho l d became so excite d
.
, ,

tha t he could rest no l onger in the cottage He call ed fo r his steed .

,

and the e l dest b o y instantl y ran t o the door t o ful fi l the stranger s
’

orders T h e father said Y o u wi ll d o better t o stay unti l dayl ight

.
“
,
.

I cannot say wha t yo u may meet in the forest during the night .

But o ur tra v e ll er imagined tha t this invitation was col dl y o r i n

s incere l y gi v en and he co u l d read in the faces Of a ll the fami l y that
,

they wished the stranger t o leav e their dwe ll ing When his horse .

w as s addl ed and the portmanteau w as fixed i n its p l ace he o ffered

, ,

money t o the charcoal -burner wh o firml y refused t o accept it A ,

.

cold farewell was exchanged, and Bertho l d rode away in a state o f

224 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

and secreted gol d in the forest T h e red m antl e streamed i n t h e .

air the figure o f the spectre rose higher and h igher an d assumed
, ,

v io l ent and threatening attitudes u nti l — Bertho l d caught a gl imps e

,

o f m m ning-l ight and heard the co c k c ro w and the morning-

, be ll
to ll ing in a neighbourin g v ill age R e d m ant l e was seen n o more by
o
.

o ur tra v e ll er wh o soon foun d his steed and I ode away n o t bein

, g , ,

ab l e t o determi ne whether he had been awake o r (11 e ami ng during

the night
S e v eral years p assed away during which tim e Berthol d was ,

emp l oyed in mercantil e transactions in foreign countries ; but when

he returned towards hi s home an d found that his road l ed him near ,

the mysterious forest he fe l t a l ongi ng which he c oul d n o t resist to

, , ,

vi sit once more the cottage o f the charcoal -burner an d t o hear t h e ,

s e que l o f R e d mant l e s his t ory A ccordingl y l ate o ne e v ening h e

’
.
,

a rri v ed at the hut where he was soon recognised by a ll the fami l y

, .

T h e children were tall er than before but all things besides in thi s ,

lonel y hut in the forest remained un ch anged T h e contrast between .

this sameness and the changing business o f the great wor l d in which
o u r tra v e ll er had been engaged w as striking A gain the charcoal .

burner brou ght o u t a bottl e o f home -made perry t o refresh h i s

gues t ; again the c h il dren were assemb l ed around the tab l e at t h e
h our o f prayer and Bertho l d saw with some dread the same l o w
, , ,

s too l l eft v acant fo r the unearthl y v isitor His host seemed t o guess .

the thou ghts which were pass ing in hi s mind and at once disp erse d ,

his fears by saying S ir I know n o t what p as sed between yo u and

,

o u r strange visitor when yo u l odged here some ye a rs ago but I can ,

a ssure yo u that we h av e had since then a ll o u r troub l es re v i v ed again .

T h e restl ess spirit o f Re d m an t l e was excited by s o me encourage

m ent which your presence afforded and fo r s o me months after yo u ,

w ent away he was roaming in the forest and disturbing o ur house

, ,

e v ery night But that is a ll o v er n o w and he is again subdued

.
, .

Y o u are we l come S i r ; yet I woul d no t invite yo u t o stay with us i f

,

I d id n o t trust that yo u wi ll S ho w whate v er may happen a pious and , ,

humb l e disposition ; fo r i t i s whe n o u r o wn mi nds a re i ll-regu la te d

t ha t we a re mo st su bj ect t o the d i s tu rba nce of e vi l p o we rs It is o ur .

time fo r prayer and I hope yo u will join in o u r d e votion

,
.

T hen the father began the hy mn and all the ch ildren and ,

Berthold joined i n singing

N o w all t h e w o o d s are l p in g s ee ,

P a o e r ll i s pre d ;
e ce v a s a

A ng l s t h e ir w t c h are k p i ng
e a ee

O r ve ry n um b e re d h ad
’ ”
e e e .

While they were si ngi ng a mi l d radiance gl eamed suddenl y through

,

the apar t ment and a me l odious soft soun d l ik e that produced by

, , ,

mu sical gl asses was heard at the window When the chil dren had
,
.

retire d t o rest Bertho l d in quired the meaning o f this phen o me n on

,
.

”
T hat,
said the host is the onl y way in which o u r nightl y
“
,

visitor n o w makes u s aware o f his presence Yo u see tha t humi li ty .

”
a nd p raye r ca n su bd u e e ven the mo st restless sp i ri ts .
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 2 25

‘Berthold rode away in a meditati v e mood and saw no mor e

, ,

alarming apparitions in the fores t H o w far his ad v entures may be

.

a ttributed t o the p l ay o f imagination i t is impossib l e t o say trul y at

this distance o f time but if his experience i n the bu t o f the poor '

charcoa l-burner must be regarded as a dream it was certainl y a ,

’
dream possessing some signi ficance .

H E I NR I C H ST E FF ENS , a N orwegian is kno wn chiefly as a

writer on philosoph y and natural histor y H is fi ctions Walseth‘
.

and L eith
’
T h e F our N orwegians and M alcolm ’

are de fi cient in unit y and narrative interest , as the y are

O ften in terrupted by reflections o n various pub lic events ; b ut the y
contain some good descriptions of scenes and mann ers in N or wa y .

O LD S C AND I NAV I AN L E G E ND S .

‘
Remnants o f those ancient and chil d-l ike fancies and superstitious
legends which hav e been dri v en away by the con v entiona l tastes o f
modern times are still found i n the more l one l y and romantic dis
,

t ri c t s o f D enmark and N or w ay T ame scenery and tame poetry

.
,

cul tivated fie l ds and educated minds orderl y rectangu l ar streets , ,

and l ogi cal notions are naturall y found together whil e if we woul d
, , ,

d isco v er any re l ics o f the wi l d and beautifu l fantasies o f earl y times ,

we must turn aside from the abodes o f ci vi l isation and wander ,

among uncu l tured mount ains and sec l uded v all eys T hese o l d l e .

ge nd s arose i n the days when rude nature in her prime v a l mystery

l ay all around the haunts o f men whi l e her phenomena sometime s
,

excited terrors and at other times inspired de l ight We l l might o ur

, .

ancestors wh o had t o contend fo r existence with the v ast powers o f

,

nature conceive o f such adventures as combats wi th giants and

,

genii ; fo r such tal es indeed were symbol s o f the condition o f human

, ,

s ociety. T h e unmeasured forests wore a threatening aspect and t h e ,

wi l d animal s whi ch came o u t from their gl oomy recesses sometime s

seemed t o be united in a l eague against mankind ; rocks impende d
o v er the trave ll er in the narrow v al l ey ; l oud waterfall s with voice s ,

o f thunder proc l aimed the power o f nature and fe w and feeble wer e
, ,

the contrivances o f art t o re l ie v e the gl oom and mystery o f l ong and

stormy night s in winter S u ch were the external circumstances fa
. r

v o urabl e t o the gro wth o f a romantic imagination

; and we may als o
obser v e that the fee l ings o f men no t yet soft ened and re l axed by eas e
,

and indulgence were more intense in hope o r fear o r j o y than we

, , , ,

can expect t o find them in highl y-ci vil ised s o c iety But with stem .

and strong fee l ings o ur S candina vian ancestors united some gentl e
,

v ir tues Resignation t o want and suff ering was often found c o n

.

n e c t e d with courage and energy in the hour o f peri l

‘
A mid my researche s in natural history I had al ways a great ,
.

curiosity i n expl oring what I may cal l the physiognomy o f the l e

g e n d s o f v arious districts o r in other words the resemb l ance whic h
, , ,

these legends bear t o the natural scenery amid which they h ad their
2 26 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

birth V arious districts are marked by the prevalence o f various

.

kin d s o f p l ants an d grasses ; granite l imestone and other rocks , ,

giv e pec ul iar formations t o ch asms hill s and va ll eys and these dis
, , ,

t i n c ti o ns affec t the v arieties o f trees T h e e ffects o f light and S hade

.

i n the morning and the e v ening the aspects o f waters and tones o f
, ,

waterfall s are various in various districts A nd as I hav e oft e n

, .
,

imagi ned the natural characteris tics o f a district may be recognised

,

i n its l egen d s I know n o better instances t o support my supp o si

.

t ion than su ch as may be found o n the northern side o f the Har tz

M o u n tai ns wh e re a marked d ifference may be noted between the
, ,

legends o f the granite district and those o f a neighbouring district o f

a nother formation T h e o ld stories that may be co ll ected between
.

the Il se and the O cker certainl y differ in their col ouring from the
tal es preser v ed among the peasantry in Bu d e thal o r S e lk e t hal ; whil e
the l egend o f Hans Heil ing in Bohemia is a genuine pr o duction o f a
granite district T urning t o the fl at districts in D enmark we fin d
.
,

o ld stories bearing the impress o f the coun try S ee l and the isl and .
,

l i o me o f my chi l dhood is o n the who l e a l e v e l country and onl y

, , , ,

here and there hil l y ; but in some parts i t can S how prospects o f sur
passing beauty T h e hill s are rounded with an indescribab l e grace
.

ful ness ; there is a charm in the fresh greenness o f the pastures ; the
beech-woods have an imposing and v enerab l e aspect ; the sea winds
i t s arms about amid the verdure o f these woo dl and so litudes and ,

l akes o f S i lver brightness l ie encirc l ed by gra c eful trees T h e l ea v es .

rustl ing brooks murmuring the sounds o f many i nsects the p l ain
, , ,

tiv e notes o f birds and the gentl e p l ashing o f wav es u p on the l one l y
,

s hore are the on l y sounds which break the S i l ence

,
Whil e I write o f .

s uch a scene I feel a l onging t o return t o the quiet home o f my

,

c hil dhood . In such a sol itude I hav e sometimes fe l t as if I had ap

r h d the sacred resting -p l ace f n e o f the O l d northern deities
p o ac e o o ,

a nd ha v e al most feared l est I shou l d disturb his l ong s l eep Here is .

the h iding-pl ace o f the o l d l egends and in such a sol itude we stil l
,

m ay feel their power When twilight gathers over woods l akes and
.
, ,

pastu res w e may see once more the phantom-S hips guided by d e
, ,

parted spirits o f the o l den times sailing among the green islands ; we
,

may hear the mel anchol y dirges fo r fa ll en heroes ; o r the pl aintiv e

s ong o f the forsaken maid ; and whe n the storm is bend ing a ll the

boughs o f the bee ch-wood w e may hear b l ended in the gal e, the
, ,

loud cries o f the wil d huntsman an d his foll owers ’

.

OR W E G I AN H OME S TE A D
A N .

‘
T h e v all ey was bounded o n the east side by abrupt wall s o f rock ,

c o v ered with dark and l ofty fi r trees

- O n the wes t the hill s rose
.
,

graduall y and were marked here and there wi th l owl y homesteads

,
.

Bet ween these boundaries an irregul arl y-shaped l ake e x tended al ong
the v all ey T owards the north a rude l y -c onstructed bri dge o f
. ,

t wenty arches stretched across the narrowes t part o f the l ake an d ,

fo rmed a path t o the o l d stone -buil t c hurch which stoo d o n a l ittl e ,

l ull n o w covered with l e afl ess trees Another church o f modern

.
228 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

dent meets him , and exclaims , My dear S ir do y ou not recognis e ,

y our friend ? I am y our o l d walking-stick O ne of the professors

took me un der his care and has made me such a scholar , that I am
,

now employed in writing reviews ! O ne of the great inventions ’

for which the universit y of M it t el sal z was famed is worthy of

notice on account of its benevolent intention
,
It is described by .

Kerner in the following passage

A SURRO G A T E F OR S O LD I E R S .

‘
Th e artis t ( wh o had been engaged in p ai nting) n o w descended
from his sc affo l d and aft er compl imenting me as an admirer o f
,

genius i nv ited me t o step i nto hi s house and beho l d a great i nv e n

,

tion which he had al mos t brought t o perfe c tion I and my companion .

accepted this invit ation an d as we wal ked toward his house the
, , ,

artist said t o me S ir if the worl d co ntinues t o impro v e ( as I trust

, ,

it will ) this in v ention o f which I am so proud wi ll i n the c ourse o f

, ,

time entirel y abo l ish the o ld p l an o f empl oying li v ing and intell igent
,

beings t o c arry weapons Y o u shall see that I can d o their busi ness
.

with wood work- S tep in gentl emen

.
”
When we had entered his
, .

- ”
hou se the great artist carefully bol ted the front door
,
“
fo r said he , ,

my disco v ery is at present a mystery and I d o n o t wish any prema ,

ture descriptions o f it t o go abroad N o w yo u must be prepared t o .

s e e in this surrogate fo r so l diers that S impl icity which as yo u

‘ ’
,
”
know we ll characterises all trul y great inventions My companion
, .
,

M oses was n o w v ery ner v ous and l o o ked anxiousl y at the bol ted
, ,

door as he expected that some tremendous engine o f warfare woul d

,

be soon brought into p l ay Th e artist noticed the al arm o f my .

friend and said

,
Y o u may be quite easy as there is n o danger ; fo r
, ,

u must know that my in v ention has t wo S ides o f whi ch o n e re p re

y o ,

s ents a so l di er in time o f peace ( which is done) whil e the war- side ,

”
i s no t quite finished Y o u sha ll n o w see my mode l mil itary man
. .

S o saying he stoope d and drew from its hi d ing-p l ace under a bed
, , , ,

the wonderful machine which was nothing more than a fl at boar d

, ,

cut into the l ikeness o f a human figu re He turned it and w e saw .

,

a front View o f a so l dier painted as in ful l un i form and standing o n ,

guar d but fast as l eep O f course M oses was at once rel ie v ed from
, .

a ll his fears and I l ooked l ike a disappointed man Th e artist

,
.

noticed my d ull l ook and said I daresay yo u d o no t see all the

“
, ,

m erits o f this invention at once It is n o t probab l e that yo u will . .

T hey are sim p l e and yet recondite B ut I wi l l exp l ain a fe w o f them

,
. .

P l ease t o obser v e then that this humb l e surrogate has the foll owi ng
, ,

a d vantages o v er the l i v ing so l diers wh o are a t p resent em p l oyed by

the pub lic at such a vas t e xpense — I n the first p l ace if yo u say , ,
‘
T his so l dier will d o n o usefu l work granted— but yo u must al s o
remember that as he wi ll n o t work so he wil l neither eat n o r drink ;
, ,

a nd with regard t o the artic l e o f d ress he wil l re quire o nl y abou t , ,

o nce in ten years a n e w coat o f paint ,

S econdly I will warrant .
,

that h e shall stand against bullets and bayonets better than any
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 2 29

troops that can be named ; and lastl y—and what an ad vantage this
must be —this so l d ier will ne v er thi nk ! ”

I c o u ld n o t refuse t o acknowl e d ge that there were some very

\

good points in this invention .

’

‘ ’
The well -known tale of P eter S chlemihl by AD ALB ER T ,

C H AM I sso ma y b e classed with fantastic tales as it relates the

, ,

advent ures of a man who sold his shadow for a large sum of
mone y and found afterwards that he had made a bad bargain A
,
.

short extract from

‘
P eter S chlemihl will b e a fair S pecimen of ’

the wild and fantastic adventures found in many German fi ctions .

T h e o nl y in terest or merit of such tales must lie in the natural

development of character after a writer has taken the libert y of
,

placing his hero in supernatural circumstances I f any moral can b e .

extorted from such an adventure as the followi ng it must b e that , ,

g old is not to b e esteemed in itself, and that it is dearly obta ined

’
at the cost of an y part , y ea , or even the
‘
shadow of humanity
A SHAD O W
T H E M AN W I T H OU T .

P eter S chl emihl after being introduced t o a strange man in a

,

gray coat wh o appears t o h av e an unbounded command o f wea lth

, ,

i s S urprised by a very singu l ar proposal Th e stranger possesses a .

curious l ittl e bag which has the property o f being al ways fil l ed with
,

go l d : it is indeed an unfail ing purse—an inexhaustib l e fountain ,

from which gol d pieces may be poured o u t a d li bi tum T his w o n .

d e rfu l bag the stranger offers t o give in exchange fo r P eter s ’

”
sha d ow and after some hesitation the bargain is mad e ] D one !
, ,

s aid I takin g the bag

,
F o r this good purse yo u shal l ha v e my
”
shadow ! T h e man in the gray frock instantl y struck the bargain ,

and knee l ing down before me he with admirab l e dexterity ro ll ed , , ,

u p my shado w from hea d t o foot o n the grass then took i t u

p and , ,

put it into his pocket A s he wal ked away I fancied that I heard
.
,

h i m inward l y chuckl ing as if he had outwitted me I ne v er reali sed

, .

the conse quences o f my bargain before it was d one But no w I .

stood astonished and bewi l dered in the fu ll gl are o f sunshine and

, , ,

without a shadow ! When I reco v ered my senses I hastened t o ,

lea v e the pl ace Hav ing fi ll ed my pockets with go l d pieces I pu t

.
,

the cord o f the purse round my neck and hid it i n my bosom , .

Hav ing escaped u nnoticed from the park I found the pub l ic road , ,
and wal ked towar d s the town I was l ost in a reverie until I ap .

p ro a c h e d the gate when I h eard a scream behind me and l ooking

, ,

round saw an o ld woman wh o fo ll owed me and cried o u t “ Wh y

, , , , ,
S ir — sir yo u hav e l ost your shadow !
,
”
I was reall y ob l iged t o the
o l d dame fo r her remin di ng me o f my case
; so I threw t o her a fe w
gol d pieces and then stepped into the deep S hade under some trees
, .

But when I arrived at the town-gate my memory o f the strange ,

bargain was again refreshed as I heard the sentry mutter Whe re ,

has the gentl e man left his shadow ? ”

A s I hastene d along t h e
23 0 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

street I passed
, women o ne o f whom exclaime d B l essed Mary
t wo , ,
“
,
”
preser v e u s ! that man has n o shadow I hastened away from .

them and contri v ed t o keep under the sh ade o f the houses unti l I
,

came t o a wide par t o f the street which I must cross in order t o

arriv e at my l odgings ; but most unhappil y jus t as I passed into
the broad gl are o f the sunshine a day—
, ,

schoo l was turning o ut its ,

crowd o f unrul y boys and a wic ked high-shoul dered littl e imp ( I
, ,

remember him we ll ) immediate l y detected my imperfection Ha .

,
”
ha ! he shouted mal iciou sl y here s a curiosi ty ! M e n generall y
“
,
’

ha v e shadows when the sun S hines L ook boys— l ook at the gentl e .
,
”
man with n o shadow ! E nrage d I thre w about me a han dful o f ,

money t o disperse the crowd o f boys and then call ed a hackney

, ,

c oach into which I l eapt t o hide myse l f from my fel l ow-

, , creatures .

”
“
S o said I t o myse l f
,
“
I have bartered away my conscience fo r
,
”
g old ; and n o w I woul d forfeit all my go l d t o reco v er a sh adow !
M y feel ings o v ercame me and hiding my face in my hands I wept
, , .

When the coach arriv ed at my lo dgings I woul d no t get o u t but , ,

ordered all my packages t o be put inside and aft er paying my o l d ,

landl ord we ll to l d the coachman t o dri v e t o the principal hotel i n

,

the town which l uckil y had a north aspect Here I escaped from
, .

the pub l ic gaz e and aft er hiring o n e o f the front rooms I tol d the
, ,

waiter that I must be c l ose l y engaged fo r se v era l hours S o he .

c l osed the door u p on me promising that I shou l d n o t be disturbed

, .

A nd n o w what d i d I d o ? I am ashamed t o confess my weakness

and fo ll y e v en t o a friend I endeav oured t o conso l e my sensation
.

o f l oss by making a disp l ay o f my wonderfu l weal th I took the .

p urse from my bosom and scattered gol d pieces u pon the fl oor
, ,

and stared at them in wi l d excitement and then scattered more ,

go l d u pon them and conjured up v isions o f all the schemes I might

,

real ise with thi s weal th and endea v oured t o co unt my l oss o f a
,

shadow as nothing until exhausted by many thoughts and strong

, ,

fee l ings I l ay d own and fe ll as l eep upon my riches When I

a woke the hote l was si l ent—n o ser v ants were mo ving and I found
.
,

, ,

that it w as earl y in the morning N o w I did n o t know what t o d o .

with the gol d that l ay thickl y about me fo r the purse woul d n o t ,

hol d it After some perp l exity I conceal ed it in a l arge c upboar d

.
, ,

and putting a fe w pieces into my pockets I returned the purse t o its ,

hiding-pl ace under my waistcoat AS soon as I heard the ser vants .

stirring I ordered break fast ( fo r I was n o w v ery hungry) and whi l e

, ,

taking this meal my con v ersation with the l andl ord indu c ed me t o
,

hire as a ser vant a man call ed Bende l I l iked his hones t face and .
,

i t has n o t decei v ed me fo r his kind and trusty ser vices ha v e Often

c onso l ed m e in my troub l es o n account o f my v ery serious l oss .

Bende l went o u t t o exe cute my orders and in the course o f the ,

day my chamber ( where l uckil y n o t o n e direct ray o f sunshine i n

t ru d e d ) was crowded with shoemakers tai l ors and all kinds o f , ,

tradesmen fo r whose commodities I was gl ad t o pay in read y money

, ,

i n or d er t o dim i nish the store o f go l d pieces in the c up board I II .

the evening I commanded Bendel t o l igh t a number o f -

wax c andles,
2 32 G ERMAN L IT ERA TUR E .

H E I NR I C H KLE I S T another military man wrote a r emarkabl e

, ,

sto ry enti t led Kohlh aas contain ing the experience o f a man ,
‘
,
’

once honest and industrious who was driven to desperation b y ,

the oppressive treatment of a nobleman and exercised his ven ,

g e an c e upon g eneral S ociet y The numerous short tales and .

novels of L E O P O L D SC H E F E R who has been mentioned as a writer ,

of didactic p oetry are chiefly intended to convey the same lessons

,

of mystical philosophy and benevolent morality which are found

in his poems GER H AR D S T RAU S S ( 1 7 8 6 ) wrote a tale T h e Auto
.
,
‘

b iography O f a Y oung Clergyman in a di da ctic and sentimental ,

’

tone which has b een admired b y many and frequently translated

, ,
.

The romances of P HI L IPP RE H EU E S S cipio C icala ‘

‘
T h e C astle of Gozzo and T h e Ne w M edea are su
’ ‘ ’
,

p erior t o many modern fi ctions in liveliness O f description an d

elegant style .

KA RL I M M ER M ANN ( 1 7 9 6—1 8 4 0 ) wrote two romances D ie E pi

gonen ’
which contains man y descriptions of modern cha
ract e rs and M un chausen
,
‘
which cons i sts of two dissim ilar
’

parts T h e first contain s many remarks on modern literat ure

.
,

mixed with personalities ; while the second gives some beautiful

and poetical pictures of rural li fe in Westphali a T his work ma y .

p erhap s b e classed with the writings of the ro manci st s as i t s ,

interest depends rather on its p oetic character than on its plot

and construction T h e same remark will apply to the romance s
.

of J O S EP H EI C H E ND O R FF ( 1 7 whi ch whil e they disappo i nt t h e ,

novel -reader b y their want of plot and development are suited t o ,

delight persons O f an im agin ative disposition O ne of these tales .

is entitled T h e L ife of a Good—

‘
for-Nothing and is full of
t h e nat ural b uoyanc y and careless hum our wh ich characterise t h e
hero T h e followi ng passage wil l give some idea of the st O Iy
.
°

W A N D E R I N G S TUD E N TS
TH E .

I t h pl
se e e nt n t ry— h il
e a sa cou a
A t i n w d nd b i d nd t r m
us r a oo s a r s a s ea s !
Th D n b gl it t e
e a fr m t h l
u e rs o e va e ,
S t S t ph n t p l y n d r gl m s
’
e e s s ee e o e ea

O r th
ve hil l f r w y
e s so a a a ,

A s i f i t w l m d m t -d y !
e co e e o a
V i t A t ria ! va ,
us
’

‘
I was singing the last verse o f the song as I stood o n the hill ,

w hich commands the first prospect o f A ustri a when suddenl y a ,

trio o f wind-instruments sounded o u t sweetl y from the wood behind

me and accompanied my v oice I turn ed round an d saw three
,
.
,

young men in l ong b l ue mantl es O ne b l ew an oboe another a .

,

c l arionet an d the third with a S ingul ar cap o n his head pl ayed the
, , ,

French horn T o mend the concert I pu ll ed o u t my fiddl e and pl ayed

.
,

away with them, singing heartil y t o o A t thi s they seemed amaze d, .

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 233

a nd looked at another l ike m e n wh o hav e made a great mis

o ne ,
.

take T h e French Horn ( the p l ayer I mean) all owed his p u ffe d -o u t
.

cheeks t o co llapse and l ooked v ery earne stl y at me whil e I ci v ill y

, ,

returned the stare He stepped nearer t o me and said

. T h e fac t ,

is w e guesse d by your frock tha t yo u were an E ngl ishman and

, , , ,

though t we migh t win a trifl e as a vi a t i cu m from yo u but it se e m s, ,

”
y o u t o o are a musician I confessed . that this w as the better gues s

o f the t w o and that I had just returned from R ome and had foun d
, ,

it necessary t o scrape my way o v er the country with a fiddl e .

”
“
Ha ! said he a S ingl e fidd l e cannot d o much n o w-a-d ays : here
“
,

h e ste p ped t o a l ittl e fire o n the ground beside the wood and began ,

t o fan it with his cap the wind-instruments d o the work far better
y o u see W
. hen we p p
o o n a respectab l e fami l y at dinne r -time,
we jus t step quietl y into the po rtico and b l o w as hard as we can , ,

until o ne o f the ser vants comes o u t gl ad t o gi v e money o r victual s , , ,

a nything t o stop o u r noise But the coff ee is h o t n o w Won t yo u

. .
’

take breakfast with u s ? ”

I readil y accepted this in vitation We .

s at near the fir e o n a green bank and the t wo musicians began t o ,

untie l ittl e bun dl es and took o u t some s lices o f bread A p o t o f

,
.

coffee and mil k was soon prepared o f which the O boe and the ,

C l arionet drank al ternate l y ; but the French Horn sai d as he ,

handed t o me hal f a buttered ro ll I don t l ike that b l ack mix

“
,
’

”
ture : this is better he added drawing o u t a fl ask o f wine which
, , ,

he presented t o me I drank bo l dl y ; but as I took the fl ask from

.

my mouth I cou l d no t suppress a sl ight di stortion o f my face

,
Ha ! .

”
i t is on l y home brewed s tuff said he
- o u ha v e l ost your G erman
y ,
”
taste in Ital y I suppose ? He n o w drew from his pocket an o l d
tattered map o f A ustria which he spread o u t upon the grass and
, ,

his companions j oined their heads o v er it pointin g t heir fingers o v er ,

various routes “
.
”
V acation en d s soon said o n e “
We must turn ,
.

a way from L inz here o n the l eft h and so as t o get back t o P rague ,
” ”
in good time Ridicu l ous ! said the French Horn ; that road wil l
.

o n l y l e ad yo u among woods and igno r a nt peasants Y o u wi ll n o t .

” ”
find a man o f refined taste o n that road Fine taste ! N onsense ! .

said the O boe ; the peasants are good-natured and wi ll n o t c o m

“
,
”
plai n o f o ur fal se notes “
Y o u hav e n o t the proper pride o f an
.

” ”
a rt ist ,said the French Horn ; Od i p rof a na m vu lgus e t a rceo
“
.

”
“
T here must be many vi ll age churches in that way said the ,

C l arionet and the parsons wi l hel p us o n t o P rague

“
l “
T hey .

”
will gi v e l ittl e money said the Horn but p l enty o f sermons o n
, ,

the fo ll y o f a wandering li fe Howe v er we are in n o great hurry .

, .

O ur professors are stil l I daresay at C ar l sbad and will no t be

, , ,
”
v ery pun c tual o n term day - “
D i st i ngu e nd u m e st said the O boe,
.
,
“
qu o d li ce t J o vi no n li ce t bo vi .

‘
T hese scrap s o f L ati n, and other remarks,
made me understand
that m y n e w friends were P r ag ue students I
fe l t me l ancho l y when .

I thought that three young men wh o coul d talk in L atin so fl uentl y , ,

shoul d remai n so poor Th e F rench Horn seemed t o g uess my

.

thoughts fo r he sai d Y o u see we have no rich friends : S O whe n

,
“
, ,
2 34 G ER MAN LIT ERA T URE .

the other students return home we p u t these ins truments under ,

o u r c l oaks stro ll away fro m P ragu e and find the wide worl d at
, ,

o u r ser v ice O urs is the bes t mode o f trav e lling I woul d no t be

. .

a tame tourist with my be d warmed and my night c ap l ai d in a

,

certain hote l e v ery e v ening T i s the beauty o f o u r way o f l ife .

’

tha t w e go o u t e v ery morning l ike the birds o v er o ur head s n o t , ,

”
knowing under what chimney we shall eat o ur supper “
Ay l .

said the O boe and we hav e some merry times F o r instance we

“
, .
,

find a kind hearty famil y at d inner We are invited into the hall . .

T h e maidens dance whil e w e p l ay a wal tz T hen w e see a good

, .

omen—the master has ordered t h e dining-room door t o be Opene d

that he may hear us W e catch the scent o f roast meat ; and better
.
, ,
”
the ser vants bring full pl ates fo r us ! T hese remarks dispersed
all my me l ancho l y O ne o f the s tudents n o w put his C l arionet
.

together and began t o practise a difficul t passage in a mass i n which

,

he had t o take a par t when he returned t o P rague ; bu t the French

Horn soon interrupted the sol o by striking his fist o n the map and ,

exc l aiming in his deep bass v oice D one ! I hav e i t ! Here yo u

“
,

see no t far from V ienna is a castl e near the D anube Th e porter

, ,
.

there is my unc l e My dear Co nd i scip u li ! w e wi ll go and pay o ur

.

”
compliments t o him and I am sure he will he lp us o n o u r j ourney
, .

A t this I star ted u p and exc l aimed G ood ! D oes your unc l e p l ay
”
the bassoon ? and has he a large aristo c ratic n o se ? T h e French
”
Horn nodded assent “
T hen I know hi m very we ll said I
.
“
an d , ,

I know the countess at the castl e t o o I shall be gl ad t o go with .

y o u
”
. O ur p l an was soon com p l eted W e reso lv ed t o go by t h e .

nex t packe t down the D anube and accordingly hastened t o the pl ac e ,

o f embarkation Here stood the stout lan d l ord fi ll ing u p the d o or

.
,

way o f the hotel whil e the m ai dens were l ooking o u t o f the wi n d ows
,

a t the passengers and sai l ors A mong these stood an o ld gentl eman .

wearing a gray frock and a b l ack cra vat I and my friends emptied .

o u r pockets and the s t eward smi l ed satiric all y when he saw that
,

a ll o u r fare s were paid in copper But I c ared nothing fo r his scorn . .

Th e morning was bri ll iant and I was enraptured t o fin d myse l f once ,

more o n the D anube A s w e steamed rapi dl y al ong between pas .

tures and hill s the birds were singing vill age c l o c ks were chiming
, , ,

and a caged canary bel onging t o a pretty maiden among the pas,

se nge rs began t o whistl e charmingl y

,
I guessed the o l d gentl eman .

in the gray frock t o be a c l ergyman as he was reading in a brevi ary ,

with a sp l endidly-gil ded and decorated titl e page and I found that
my guess was true fo r he soon began t o tal k with the students i n
,

L atin M eanwhil e I wal ked t o the h o w o f the packet and stood

.
, ,

there gazing into the b lue distance whil e towers and spires arose ,

o ne after another o v er the green banks o f the D anube I took o ut .

my fiddl e and began t o p l ay some o l d tunes S uddenl y I fe l t a tap

, .

o n my shoul der and turning ro u nd saw the o ld gent l eman

,
Ha ! ,
.

”
L u d i M agi ste r said he “
d o yo u pre fer fiddl ing ? C ome and joi n
, ,
”
us at l unch I expressed my thanks putting u p the fidd l e and
.
, ,

followed my ho st under a littl e c anopy o f birch and fir b oughs,

2 36 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

is a specimen , contain pleasant sketches of pop ular manners in his

n ative co u ntry S wabia
,
.

GE O R G E HAR I N G who wrote un der the name ALE XI S ,

produced a romance entitled Wall adm o r ‘

which professed ’

t o be a translation from an origin al by S ir Walter S cott T he .

trick was so far successful that many b ought and read the book ,
,

b elieving it to b e the production of the S cottish noveli st H arin g .

’
i mitated S cott s historical style in several other romances H is .

b est work is R oland of B erlin ’

T h e names of a fe w ladies who have written fi ctions ma y b e

n oticed , as feminin e genius is a greater rarit y in Germany than in
E ngland : at least it is less frequently d i splayed in literature .

F R I EDER I K E L O H MANN wrote many short tales of good tendenc y ,

a nd suitable to young readers The same praise may be given
.
,

and perhaps in a higher degree to the domestic narratives of

,

H ENR I E TT E H AN K E which are too numerous to b e particul arised ,

,

a s the y fil l eight y eight small volumes M any of the stori es of this .

a utho ress were written to explain her views of the im portant sub

j e ct of female education with reference to its influence on domestic

,

life In Germany , the education of ladies has b een generall y nar

.

ro w i n its range I t I s not un common t o fin d as the wife of some

.
,

learned professor or author an amiable and industrious lady whose

, ,

e rudition hardl y extends b eyond the rudiments of learning and

t h e coo k ery -b ook In suggestin g remedies for this defect som e

.
,

writers have advanced extreme opinions have forgotten the ,

n atural distin ctions of constitution and dut y , and have pleaded

i n favour of a style of education which would wi th draw woman
from her proper domestic sphere and make her the rival rather ,

t han the companion of man This error is exposed in the novels

.

'

o f Henriette Hanke , and also in the educational writin gs of

C AR O L I NE RU D O L P H I S ome novels written by the C o uN T E ss
.

H A H N -HAH N are ful l of expressions of discontent with the social

p osi t ion of woman and ,
develop the tendencies of the F renc h
n ovelist M adame D udevant ( George S and) while they show ,

little of the genius of this writer AU G US TE V O N P AA L ZO W is .

the authoress of G o d wi e C astle , S t R o ch é and T homas

‘ ‘ ’ ’
,
‘

Tyrnau novels of aristocratic societ y marked by descriptions of

’
’

, ,

costume and c i rcumstances rather than by good deli neations of

c haracter .

L AU B E K UR T z , B RU NNO W GU T Z K O W HA G EN KO EN IG R ELL
, , , , ,

. S T A B and KDH N E may be ranked among the best of recent Ger

, ,

man novelists , whose writings are too numerous to b e particularly

d escribed here .F ew of these writers have devoted their powers
-o f observation to ill ustrate the realities of life in their native

c ountry .Too many authors , instead of attempting to fil l up the

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 23 7

vacant places which ma y still b e found in literature re garded as a ,

mirror of life waste their ti me in doing again what has been done
,

i n describing scenes which have b een well described C ouse .

quently amid all the fi ctions of Germany , we can hardly p o i nt t o

,

one which contains a faithful portrait of the real condition of

s ociet y in that country though several novels give some glimpse s
,

of realit y The approbation which such fi ctions have gaine d,

.

proves that works of the same nature b ut of greater compass , ,

would b e w ell received T h e T ales of JEREMI A H G O TT H EL F ,

‘
.
’

ill ustrating popular life , have b een admired B ER T H O LD AUER .

B AC H in his V illage T ales of the B lack F orest has given

‘ ’
, ,

s o me pleasing s k etches of rural manners , b ut not without poetical

e mbellishment .

WI L H E L M M EI NH O L D is k nown as the author of a sin gular

fi ction ,
M aria S chwe i dl e r, or The A mber Witch
‘ ’
H avin g .
’

careful ly studied the processes of trials for supposed wi tchcraft ,

whi ch were the disgrace of German civilisation in the seventeenth
c entury , M e inh o l d wrote his story and published it as a tru e
,

narrative , founded on a document preserved in an old church .

And such was the accurac y of its descriptions of costume ,

’

manners and language that it was received by many as au

, ,

t h e nt i c histor y T hough the true origin of the tale is no w di s

.

c overed it ma y still b e read with interest as it gives a faithful

, ,

a ccount of a superstition to which man y hundreds of l ives wer e

sacrifi ced .

T h e novels and romances of B EC K S T E I N S CH U C K I NG , S P I NDLE R,

,

H E E R I N G E N and S T ERN B ER G , rise ab ove the mediocrit y of German

,

fi ction b ut do not require particular descriptions

, T here has .

b een some doubt respecting the authorship of a series of remark

a ble novels , portraying natural scenery and human societ y in

America and published as the works O f C H AR L E S SE AL S FI E L D

, .

These fi ctions d isplay a strong imagination in their pictures of

forests , prairies , and other great features of the western hemi
S phere which are interspersed with man y reflections on the c on
,

di tion and prospects of American societ y ‘

P ict ures of L ife in.

t h e Western Hemisphere N orth and S outh

’
and
M orton may b e mentioned as sp e cim m s of these novels ,
which in some points resemble the writings of the American
n ovelist F enimore C O Op e r .

In this fe rt ile department of prose -fi ct i o n numerous sho rt

stories and simple narrati v es for j uvenil e readers have b een left
un noticed B ut , as a favourable specimen of many sho rt and
.

popular tales the following, by J O H ANN P E T ER H E B EL (1 7 630

,

may b e quoted
238 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

"
K AN N I T V E R S T A N J

A man may be led t o a whol esome truth by a mistake O f this .

we find an instance in the case o f a poor G erman j ourneyman wh o

was l ed t o some good re fl ections by mistaking the meaning o f three
D utch words O ur friend was wandering about in A msterdam
.
,

amusing himsel f by gazin g o n fine houses c rowds o f busy men and , ,

v esse l s I n the harbour A t l ast he was especia lly attracted by the

.

appearance o f a l arge and nob l e house He admired its six .

chimneys its cornice an d the tall windows in which tulips and

, , ,

ill fl o w e rs disp l ayed their beauties He had n t seen such a

g y o .

house in all his tra v e l s Wil l yo u be s o kind as t o te ll me the

.

name o f the gentl eman wh o l i v es in this fine house said o u r friend

-
t o a p asse r by K anni t v e rst an
.
”
I can t understand yo u — was ’

the hasty rep l y o f the stranger wh o kne w no more o f High-G erm an ,

”
than o ur friend k new o f D utch A h ! said the j ourneym an I “
.
,

wi ll remember hi s name fo r n o doubt this Kanni t v e rst an is o n e ’

”
o f the wea l thi est men in A msterdam Re fl ecting o n the wide .

di ff erence between his o wn l o t and that o f the great milli onaire o u r ,

friend wa lked o n until he arri v ed at the harbour which was crowde d ,

with shipping Here his attention was soon fixed upon o ne l arge
.

v esse l l ate l y arri v ed from the E ast Indies and full o f sugar coffee
, , , ,

rice and spices T here seemed t o be no end t o the we al th which sh e

,
.

c ontained O ur friend asked o n e o f the porters wh o had a cask o f

.
,

sugar in his hands What may be the name o f the merch ant wh o
,
”
Owns this cargo ? T h e porter qui c kl y rep l ied K anni t v e rst an ,

and n o w o ur friend s wonder about the fine house w as l ost in h is

’

a d miration o f the v esse l and its rich cargo Ah said he this “

.
,

merchant K anni t v e rst an may wel l l i v e in a l arge house if he h as

, ,

such a trade ! But what an une qual worl d is this ? He seems t o

possess e v erything whi l e I ha v e no thing I Wi th such meditations
,
”

he l eft the harbour and returned into the town A s he turned a

,
.

c orner he met a l ong funera l procession

,
Four b l ack horses drew .

t h e dark p l umed hearse al ong s l owl y A sol emn array o f re l ati v e s .

and friends fo ll owed Th e grea t bell o f A mster d am was to ll ing

.

he avil y O ur friend wh o was in a serious mood fo ll owed the p ro

.
, ,

cession to wards the chur ch and asked o n e o f the attendants ( wh o ,

was just at this moment sil entl y cal cul ating h o w much he shoul d gain
by the impro v ed price o f raw cotton) C an yo u te ll me the nam e ,
”
o f the deceased ? K anni t v e rst an was the hasty rep l y o f the
stranger and tears rose suddenl y in the eyes o f o ur honest G erman
, .

Ah said he t o hi mse l f here is a history P oor K anni t v e rstan

“
,

what remains fo r thee n o w o f all thy weal th but a shroud ? T o die ,

and t o l ea v e fo r e v er that beautifu l house that sp l en d id v esse l that , ,

”
rich cargo I see that death makes all men e qu al .

He entered the churchyard saw the coffin o f the great Kanni t ,

Thi s t it l e i s co mp o se d o f t hre e D ut h words whi ch

c , mean , I d
c anno t un e rst an d
n h at yo u say
’
.
240 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

titles of these b ooks show h o w far the y are remote from the lite ~
rature of cultivated societ y T h e C urious and Wonderful His
.
‘

tory of T ill E ulenspiegel is a collection of rustic j ests which h as

’
,

b een a favourite among the people for some centuries The legend .

of
‘
S iegfried with the H orny S kin may b e traced back beyond ’

’
the epoch of the N ibelungen-L ied ; while the tale of D r Faustus ,

the necromancer, has enj oyed such long life and pop ul arit y that ,

the following anecdote respecting it may b e easily believed — In

a vill age library of legendary fi ctions the copy of F austus had ‘
,

b een worn out b y frequent perusals and some innovator suggested ,

that , as all the vi llagers had read through this wonderful story
many times , some ne w b ook might no w supply its place B ut thi s .

proposition was in dignantly rej ected b y a large maj ority of rustic

readers who voted for another cop y O f D r Faustus
,
‘
T h e fol .
’

low ing may serve as one sp e ch en of a great numb er of popular

legends
F A I T HF U L E C KA R T .

A mo ng all the heroes wh o fo ll owed the D uke o f Burgundy ther e ,

was n o t o ne l ik e E c kart in go o d faith and courage He had ser v ed .

u nder Burgun d y in many batt l es and once when the duke was , ,

al most o v ercome by his foes E ckart sudde n l y appeared o n the fie l d

, ,

with his s o n and fo ll owers when the duke s e n emies were s o on ,

’

routed A ft er the battl e E ckar t l ift ed the dead body o f hi s so n

.
,

from the gro rm d and c arried it before the d u ke wh o shed te ars and
, , ,
”
said ,
Y o u h av e p aid a de ar price fo r my de l i v erance E c kart A fte r ,
.

this e v ent true E ckar t became the most noted man in Burgundy and
, ,

peopl e wh o wished t o gain fa v ours applied t o hi m rather than t o t h e ,

duke himse l f F o r some time this state o f things had n o bad effect ;
.

but gra d ual ly enemies arose against E ckart and spoke e v il o f him , ,

saying that he was making himse l f master o f Burg undy until at l as t ,

e v en the duke l ooked o n the hero with envy and regar d ed him as a ,

ri val T wo o f the remaining three sons o f E c kar t were accused o f

.

treason and imprisoned in o ne o f Burgundy s castl es T heir fathe r

,
’
.

i n v ai n dem anded t o know what they had done and where they were ,

confined N 0 answer was gi v en ; and E c kart wh o had sworn t o be

.
,

faithfu l t o the d u ke was n o w very unhappy,

He cou l d n o t del i ve r .

his dear sons without rising agai nst B urgundy and this he wou l d no t ,

do. At l ast the third so n C onrad de t ermined against his father s

, , ,
’

advice t o go t o the duke s c astl e and t o demand that hi s brother s

,
’
,

shoul d be ma d e free He went but returned n o more T h e duk e

.
,
.

accused C onra d al so o f treason and E ckart s three sons were put t o ,

’

d eath .

When E ckart heard that his sons were sl ain he was so torn wi th ,

grief and rage tha t he l ost his senses He l eft hi s fo rtress and
, .
,

w andered into a v as t wood where he roame d abou t l ike a wi l d ,

beas t and satisfied hi s hunger with roo t s and herbs Wh en some

,
.

times light brok e i n upon his mind, and he re membered the d e ath
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . I

of his children he tore hi s gray hair from his head and cried aloud
, , ,
“ M y sons A fter he had li v ed thus in the wood som e
! my sons .

time his countenance became so changed by despair that e v en h i s

, ,

friends wou l d n o t hav e known him if they had found him M ean .

whil e the duke was very uneasy when he heard that Eckart h ad
escap e d and that no man knew his hiding-place O ne morning al l
,
.

the duke s fo ll owers and huntsmen were summoned t o go in many

’

par t ies and t o expl ore the forest and all the neighbouring hill s B ur
,
.
~

gundy attended by his s quire Wol fram rode at the head o f o ne

, , ,

par ty Th e day was S pent in endeav ours t o find E ckart ; but t h e

.

d uke wou l d no t l eav e the forest even when the sun was going down ,

fo r he said that he cou l d no t s l eep secure l y in his cast l e until t h e

traitor E ckart was fo und and imprisoned S o the fo ll owers o f B ur .
!

gundy remained in the forest l ate in the evening Bu t aft er sunse t .

the sky was overc l ouded and a b l ack thunder-storm lowered o v e r ,

the wood T h e wind howl ed among the trees the rain fe ll fast and
.
, ,

lightnings gl ittered among the branches o f the oaks T h e duke rode .

as fast as he coul d through the twil ight and lost hi mse l f in the hear t ,

o f the forest whi l e the S quire Wo l fram l ost a ll trace o f his mas t er
,
.

A nd no w the exhausted steed whi ch carried Burgundy stumb l ed o v er

a fall en o ak and was lamed All the huntsmen and fo ll owers wer e
,
.

far beyond the sound o f t h eir master s cries He called lou d l y fo r ’ '

he lp until his voice fai l ed and he was faint and despairing when a
, , ,

strange face sudden l y appeared before him A tall man with .

,

long gray hair made his way through a thi cket and coming near t h e
, ,

d uke stood and ga z ed earnestl y upon him

,
Burgundy prayed the .

s tranger t o show pity an d t o guide him o u t o f the wood ; but the o l d

,

man drew his sword and raised it o v er the head o f the tremb l ing
,

duke In another moment the sword was put back into its sheath
.
,

the o l d man grasped the hand o f Burgundy and l ed him along until ,

he fe ll t o the ground exhausted with fatigue and terror T h e o l d .

man l ift ed his companion and carried him T hey had proceeded .

some distance in this w ay when Wo l fram the s quire found them and , ,

gav e his assistance He climbed t o the t o p o f a lofty fi r-tree ( T a n

.

n e nba u m and was gl ad t o d iscover the l ight o f a cottage twink l in

) , g
n o t very far o ff He then descended and pointed o u t the way t o t h e
.
,

skir t s o f the forest whil e the o l d man sti ll carrying Burgundy o n

, ,

his back fo ll owe d but S poke no t A t l ast they reached the cottage
, ,
.
,

where an o l d dame recei v ed them kin dl y T h e stranger gentl y p l aced .

h i s burthen o n the fl oor and Burgu ndy reco v e ri ng from his faintness
, , ,

knee l ed and o ffered sincere thanks t o Heav en fo r his de l i v erance

from danger He then turned t o thank his friends ; but the o ld m an
.

”
had conceal ed his face in a dark corner “
I am very i ll said B ur .
,

gundy and fee l that I shall n o t l iv e l ong after this night o f terror
, .

I ha v e suff ered more o n account o f the sins o f which I am gui l ty than

from the vio l ence o f the storm L et me d o what good I can be fore .

I die Wo l fram I gi v e yo u my t wo castl es o n the hill and in m e

.
, , ,
!

mory o f this night yo u shall change your name and be call ed T a n

, ,

ne nhatzser A nd ne w, o l d man, l e t me see your face, and reward

.
24 2 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

o
y ,u fo ryo u
ha v e saved me from perishing in the wood ; though at
firs t yo u drew your sword upon me —I know no t why—but I kno w
o ne wh o might ha v e s l ain me justl y fo r I s l ew his sons , .

‘
T h e o l d man stepped from the corner and stood in the light but , ,

s aid n o t a word T h e duke gazed o n his sorrowful face , and recog

.

n i se d his ancient hero He then fe ll upon his knees tremb l ing

.

before E ckart and said D o I o we my l ife t o the man whom I have

, ,
” ”
m ade chi l dl ess ? S ay n o more said the o ld man “
it is enough , .

”
Y o u know no w and all the wor l d wi ll kno w that E ckart was tru e
, , .

T h e night passed away and the i l l ness o f the duke increased

,
In .

the morning Wo l fram summoned attendants and Burgundy was ,

c arried t o his cas t l e ho l ding the hand o f E ckart wh o wal ked beside
, ,

him and sometimes pressing it t o his bosom A t l ast as they came

,
.
,

near the castl e E ckart returned the pressure o f the hand and spoke
,

a fe w kind words which comforted the d ying man

,
A fe w m o
ments be fore Burgundy died he said t o his foll owers whil e E ckar t , ,

stood beside the be d I l ea v e my house and my chil dren in the

“
,
”
hands o f E ckar t fo r I know he is T RUE
,
.

These scanty notices of the prolifi c department of prose -fict i o n

wi ll s uffice to show that this is one of the weak est parts of Ger
man literature Y et we have selected the best novels and ro
.

mance s as the obj ects of our remarks and have left almost um ,

noticed a multitude of inferior fi ctions which b elong to the Pariah

c aste in the world of b ooks S ome readers may think that such .

b oo k s are altogether b eneath the notice of phil osophi cal criticism ,

o r that a valuation of prose —

fi ct i o ns must b e referred to the taste of
c irculating libraries where the b ook most worn must b e esteemed
,

a s the b est B ut a department of literature still having so many

.

readers must have some importance T o avoid the evils arising .

from false and unwholesome fi ctions , some well -meaning persons

would suppress entirely all imaginative tales , novels and romances , ,

good , bad and indifferent ; b ut the e fforts of such reformers ap

,

p ear to b e altogether hopeless , and i ndeed unreasonable ; for

poetry and prose -fi ct i o n arise from natural and permanent i m
pulses o f the min d, and have always held the most prominent
place in popular literature If respectable authors do not supply .

good excitements of imagination , inferior writers will certainl y

t ak e the vacant place .

To determin e the legitimac y and imp ortance of any class of

literat ure we know no better way than to regard it as a part of
,

that general reflection of human life which should b e found i n

literature Thus it is an essential characteristic of our minds t o
.

rememb er past events and to induce from them general conclu

,

s ions ; and in this simple fact we fi nd the b asis of all historical

writing s Again, the o b servation of present phenom e na, e it h e r in

.
2 44 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

in t h e shape of a prin cely estate H ere also is the rival t h e .

,

h ero s foil and con t rast full of wickedness but employ i ng in hi s

’
, ,

schemes sagacit y and persevering energy which are doomed to b e ,

made fruitless b y a most arbitrary stroke of the novel -writer s ’

p en . Here also is the purely -innocent but most mischievou s ,

young lady who cannot take a step cannot even walk into a
, ,

garden t o pluck a rose , without occasioning most tragical or most

ridiculous adventures L astly (though the stock of absurdities is
.

by no means exhausted) , here we meet (too often) the strange ,

wandering gentleman without funds who travels everywhere with
, ,

n o meaning or purp ose who thinks nothing of leavi ng L ondon ,

,

and j ourneying over the continent (even without a railway ) in ,

order to have the pleasure of ab ruptly meeting the heroine and ,

saying a few commonplace words to her at V ienna ! S uch are

some of the b eauties of third -class fi ctions : t o expose their
darker features would require more than ridicule N o reader wh o .

has taken the pains to b ecome acquaint ed with the lower strata in
foreign li terature will think the ab ove description exaggerated .

To supply the defects in their native li brary of fi ction German ,

readers have largely imported foreign novels ; but many of thes e

are bad sub stitutes even for fairy tales and l e g ends of Rii be z ahl , ’

and other goblins M any articles from the notorious Parisian

.

manufactory of fi ctions b y Alexan dre D umas and ,

hav e
‘

b een imported E ven i nferior E nglish novels devoted to the ex

.
,

p l o i t s of h it

gh w a
y m e n and housebreakers ,
ar e read with pleasur e

i n German y It is amusing to find in a German revi ew of som e

.

E nglish novels (ful l of long -drawn -out descriptions and S enti

‘

mental digressions) a complaint that their st yle is rather verb ose

‘

o r to read i n ,
a critique on some extremely -exaggerated sketche s
of E nglish life and societ y, a statement that they are mark ed b y
‘

truthfulness Am ong the b etter writers of novels whose work s

.
’

are translated and read in Germany we may mention B ulwer M iss , ,

E dgeworth Washington Irving, C ooper and D ouglas Jerrold

, , .

The writin gs of Charles D ickens have gain ed in Germany a wide

popularit y, on acco un t of the same original qualities whi ch have
attracted E nglish readers We have even found allusions t o .

scenes in P ickwick and N icholas N ickleby Strangely em

‘ ‘

ployed to ill ustrate p oints in abstruse philosophical writings It .

is pleasant t o find a classical wOrk truly appreciated The fol .

’
lowing passage in a German review of O liver Goldsmith s V icar ‘

of Wakefield accords well with E nglish sentiments T h e re

’
.

v iewer says , T his li ttle work is a model of fi ction full of m il d

‘ ’

humour true humanity and practical wisdom while at the sam e

, , ,

t im e it is thoroughl y p oetical
’
.

Though w e have still t o treat of H istory, B iograph y, P hil osophy,

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 2 45

and Theology, We have alread y describ ed the w ork s of pop ular

interest ( chie fly found in poetry and prose -fict i o n) which form
the genera l literature of a nation I n every age and country ther e
.

has b een a literature of life , united with the habits , a ffections , and
i nterests of the people flowing on in accordance with the progress
,

O f humanit y , and thus distinguished from the literature of t h e

study or from sp eci al literature , which consists in a great measur e

,

of books produced for the use of distin ct classes or parties To .

describe the former kind of literature sho ul d b e the principal

task of the historian , excepting when he writes for some special
purpose H aving given as far as the limits of this treatise wo uld
.
,

allow, a fair account of the poetr y and other popular writings in

which German genius has expressed itself, we ma y in this plac e
g ive some explanation of the pr i nciples on which our comparativ e
e stimates of various works have b een founded In the preceding .

s ections on poetry and prose -fi ct i o n we have especiall y complained

,

o f the want of extensive and faithful portraitures of real life ; a

,

want which we must Observe when we glance over the numb erles s
romances visionary legends , and sentimental effusions foun d in
,

t h e librar y of German poetr y A ccordin g to the views already

.

stated respecting literature in its relation to life , the filling up of

the outlin es given in history should b e at least one principal p art
o f the emplo y ment of p oetry and prose -fi c t i o n If we admit this ,.

w e must esteem the old Nibelungen— ‘ ’

L ied with all its rudenes s
,

and simplicit y (not forgett ing its imperfect construction an d

tedious tautologies ) as a work of poetry entitled to hold a plac e
,

ab ove the greater part of modern fi ction .

The graphic narrative of the old N ib elungen -L ied is read with

‘

i nterest , despite its povert y of sentiment ; and great industr y is em

ployed in co llecting and reproducin g the Ol d legends of the M inn e
singers and the ir times If some porin g boo k -worm could discover,
.

among old -world records the manuscript of some pilgrim-

, min
S t re l , telling partic ul arly and graphicall y in language however
, ,

rude the very lives and manners o f the people fro m the gay court
, ,

to the mud -built cottage , in all the lands through which he t ra

v e ll e d how great would b e the pleasure not o nl y of antiquarie s
,

b ut of general readers ! In some old b ooks of travels or history,

how we are disappointed when we loo k for accounts of life in
ancient t imes , and find onl y records of visits to courts monoton

o usl y ga y or pil grimages to s h rin es where the dry b ones O f saint s

,

w ere preserved ! The same curiosit y will exist fiv e hundred y ears

hence , and readers will then turn away from en dl ess addresses to
‘
L aura , l ibert y and the moon to seek for t h e poet who Will
’ ‘
,
’ ‘ ’
,

t ell h o w the German people were livin g and what the y were doing,
,

in the nineteenth century A s the poetry of an in di vidual life

.
2 46 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

should at least b e equal i n interest to the real events o f that life ,

so the poetry of a country should b e a wo rt hy companion to its
history B ut German poetry reveals to us but faint traces of that
.

land whose ancient people overthrew the R oman Empire—the

land of the C arlovi ngians—the theatre where the M id dl e Ages
displayed their wonde rs and te rrors castles cathedrals steel clad
, , ,

barons hooded m onk s and c rusade rs ; whe re the dreaded V ehm

, ,

gericht was founded ; where Jews were persecuted with sword and
fire and t-
,
roops of wild fanatics such as the B rothers of the S courge ,
,

roamed ab ou t : the land of Charles V ; the land of L uther -what

.

d oes German poetry tell of its history ? H ere it must b e allowed , ,

i s a great defect and those who write for the pres ent may learn
,

something from the errors of the past We want a more vivi d .

and particularisin g narrative of life in Olden t iI ne s than the his

torian has given us : this want the poet should have supplied .

P osterity will perhaps feel the same want relative to our own
times ; for where are the classical works which give a faithful
p ortraiture of the life of the people ? History speaks of men as
if they were the creatures of politics ; it explores not their true
nat ure it considers man apart from all the influences of nature :
,

history is thus ful l of half -truths : poetry should supply this

defect . T h e true poet should be the interpreter and the ill us
trator of life a companion to the historian but doing more than
, ,

the historian does Wh ile the historian notices the b odies O f

.

e ve nts ,
the p oet tells of the spirit that moves in them ; while
the historian describes the outward life of man the poet pene ,
~

trates into h is inner l ife ; the historian records facts , the poet
reveals feelings thoughts , hopes and desires ; the historian por
, ,

trays the actual man the poet also keeps in view the ideal man ;
,

the historian tell s us of what man has been the p oet rem inds us , ,

e ither in his dreams of the past or in his visions of the future of

, ,

what man can be ; the true poet who fulfils such a duty is as
necessary to the development and education of mankin d as the
h istorian .

These Views of poetry and of general imaginative literature

, ,

afford a suffi cient explanation of the comparatively l o w estimates o f

many authors given in the preceding pages of this work T hese .

e stimates have not been hastil y made accordin g to individual taste ,

b ut have b een carefully formed with a regard to the principles

o f criticism j ust explained Thus , among the poets we have given
.
,

the greatest space to the name of S C HI LL ER b ecause (as his ,

countrymen generally allow) he I S t h e most national of their poets .

To j ustify our neglect of many minor authors of poems novels , ,

and romances we have only to say that the tole ration of common
,

place literature is one of the most mischievous measures for

24 8 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

during the last fift y years ; y et fe w classical works have b een

produced in this department M an y historical writ ings marked
.

by great research exhi bit little of clearness and beauty in the i r

,

arrangement and style S ome historians neglect proportion in the

.

c onstruction of their works and fall into the error whi ch the y
,

would condemn in an artist who marred the general e ffect of a

wi de la ndscape by introducing insignifi cant details L earned and .

diligent collectors of historical materials are more numerous in

Germany than in any other coun try but accomplished historians
are alm ost as rare as great poets The defects of st yle found in .

many historical works are h in drances to the spread of kn owledge .

If s i ncere and useful bo oks , explaining the progress of mankind ,

and inculcatin g the profound lessons derived from experience ,

are intended to b e widely circul ated, the y must b e written in a

popular style .

J O H ANN M ii L L E R ( 1 7 52—1 a native of S witzerland d isplay e d ,

a true historical genius and extensive erudition His L ectures on .

U niversal History delivered at Geneva in 1 7 9 9 and published in

,
’
,

1 8 1 0 are written i n a style which sometimes looks like an imitation

,

of T acitus D i ni n g the French invasion M iill e r wrote eloquent

.
,

and patriotic P hili ppics against France but his conduct excited a
general wonder , when in 1 80 7 , he accepted a min isterial o ffi ce under
,

N apoleon It is o nl y fair to add that his repentance was speed y

.

and bitter , as he soon resigned his place and passed the short ,

remainder of his life in deep dej ection KARL RO T T E C K ( 1 77 5 .

1 8 4 0 ) wrote a ‘
U niversal H istory in six volumes ( 1 8 1 2 ,
’

which was extended to the y ear 1 8 4 0 b y K H HERME S This . . .

work is marked by lib eral p olitical Views ; but opinions and

criticisms often fill the space required by clear statements of facts ,
and the rhetorical style of R o t t e ck must b e tedious to many
’
readers T h e History of the World by K F B EC K ER
.
,
. .

has reached a se v enth edition and may b e commended as one of,

the best b oo k s of its kind K W B OT TI C H E S H istory of the

.
‘
. .
’

World in B iographical N arratives ( 1 8 39 ’

may b e mentioned
’
as a work of considerable interest H E I NR I C H D IT T M AR S work .

on the same vast subj ect has an especial reference to the progress
O f C hristianity ; while another compendium by KARL V EH S E ,
which was published in 1 8 42 describ es chi efly the process of ,

civilisation and intellectual culture .

Am ong works on general ancient history F R I EDR I C H SC H L O S ,

SER S Histo ry of the Ancient World and its C ulture ( 1 8 2 6

’ ‘ ’

1 83 4 ) must hold a prominent p osition T his learned historian has .

corrected the arbitrar y style of confin ing history to descriptions o f

military and political movements and has paid great attention t o ,

t h e li t e rat i u e and humane culture of ancient times

'

S chlosser, .
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 24 9

who was b orn i n 1 7 7 6 may b e ranked amo ng the b est modern

,

historians His works are the results of laborious and c o nsci e n

.

tious researches to which he has devoted his life I t is said that

,
.

he had read three thousand books before he was fifteen y ears

O ld. A RN O LD H EEREN ( 1 7 60 —1 8 4 2 ) opened a new view o f an .

c ient history in his learned work on the C ommercial R elations

o f An tiquit y ( 1 7 9 3
’
W h ile other historians have b een
a ttracted b y the sword of the conqueror , Heeren followed the

merchant s caravan la den with corn wine oil , silks , and spices
’
, , .

H is work is a valuable contribution to the true history of huma

ni t y .KARL RITT ER , who was born in 1 7 7 9 , has united the
s tudies of geography and histor y in his work on Geograph y
‘

V iewed in its R elations to Nature and H istor y T his

’

g reat work ma y b e regarded as the result of a l ife devoted to

industrious research .

Turning to the histories of particular nations , three works on

Grecian history may be mentioned here WI L H E L M S C H O E N S .
’

H istory of Greece ( 1 8 33 ) extends from the fE t o li an and A chaian

’

’
Treaty to the Fall of C ori nth ; KAR L L AC H M ANN S work ( 1 839 )
d escribes t h e events between the close of the P e l o p p o ne sian War
and the era of Al exander the Great ; and J O H ANN D R O Y SEN has

written the li fe of Alexander in a good st yle .

I n R oman histor y , B AR T H O L D NI E B U H R who was b orn at ,

C openhagen in 1 7 7 6 stands alone as the founder of a new school

,

o f research b y which the fi ctions which were mingled with the

,

e arly histor y of R ome , and copied from book t o book , and fro m

o ne centur y t o another , have been finall y exploded T his fact .

affords a remarkable instance of the work which may b e done b y

a life devoted to study wi th one prevail ing purpose T hrough .

the labours of this historian , modern readers know the ancient

R omans far b etter than the y were known b y nations who stoo d
i n close contact with them N ieb uhr made great preparations
.

for his work and too k good care not to dissipate his powers by
,

appearing too soon as an author D uring his y outh he Visited

.

L ondon and E din burgh In the latter city he was acquain ted
.

w ith the S cott famil y and mentioned in one of his letters , with an
,

e xpression of pit y , the eldest son , dull in appearance and intel

’ ’
lect This dull b oy was afterwards the celebrated SI R WA L T ER
.

S C O TT N iebuhr was emplo y ed in several political o ffi ces durin g

.

the remainder of his life , unt il 1 8 23 when he retired to B onn and , ,

here devoted himself to the task of arranging t h e ce p i o u s mate

'

rials of his R oman history T h e French R evolution of July 1 830

.

had such an effect on the min d of Niebuhr that it hastened h i s ,

death , which too k place at B onn January 2 1 8 3 1 T h e followin g, ,

.

pa ssag e explains the purpose of this great historian

 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

I NT RO D UCT I O N T O RO M A N H I S T OR Y .

I hav e undertaken t o wri t e the history o f Rome from it s earl ies t

peri o d t o the time wh e n C aes ar Augu stus was a c knowl edge d as t h e
so ve reign o f the who l e Roman w orl d I must begin at that time .

w hen se t t l ers from v arious na t ions united together and fo un d e d a

n e w peop l e ; and my o a l wi ll n o t be rea c he d u nti l I arri v e at t h e
g
period when this p e op l e h ad subjected millions t o its s way impar t ,

ing t o the m its l anguage and l aws when Rome was mistress o f the
worl d from the rising t o the going down o f the sun an d when
the l as t o f the king d oms arising o ut o f Al ex an d er s con quests had ’

become a R oman pr o vi nc e I n t h e e arly period so firm l y e s t ab lished

.
,

were Roman ins t itu tio n s and so faithfull y m aintaine d fro m age t o
,

a e tha t a l though fe w tr u stworthy noti c es o f heroic indi v idu al s ha v e

g ,

been preser v ed we stil l possess material s from whi ch we m ay induce

,

ce r t ain gener al conc lusio n s resp e cting the so c i al e c onomy o f the

na tion : but in t h e l atter p e rio d w e shall fi nd this once compac t

an d p o werful s t ate d isso lv i ng i n t o a confu se d asse mb l age o f many

peopl es an d has t ened towar d e n t ir e disorgani z at io n Th e changes

,
.

t hro ugh whi c h t h e n a t ion p a ssed from o n e o f t h ese ex tr e mes t o t h e

other were innu nre rabl e G rea t e v ents and migh ty action s o f men
.

wor thy t o estab l ish a wide d o minio n w e re preser v ed in mem o ry ,

e v en d uring the mo st ign o ran t times ; but a v ei l o f poetry was

t hrown o v er ear l y r e co rd s and fiction supplied the want o f i nteres t
,

foun d i n d ry o l d chronicl es Among n o pe o p l e d o w e find faith ful

”

hi s t orical wri tin g de v el oped a t a l ater period t han among the

Romans Yet we are n o t compe ll e d by thi s fact t o l e av e their earl y
.

history in hope l ess obscurity T hough we cann o t expl ore all its
.

partic ul ar fac t s w e may in duce fro m the records o f Ro rn e s earl y

, ,
’

days conc lusions as s afe an d j u st as t hose which we hav e formed

,

respecting the state o f t h e G recian pe o p l e d uring their e arl ies t

epo ch Indeed the in te rnal his t ory o f Rome may be m o re c ertainl y
.

exp l o red than the archaeo l ogy o f G reece ; fo r fe w nations ha v e

resemb l ed Rome i n l ong preser vation o f the ir ins t itutions free fro m
all foreign infl uen c e Its soci al organiz ati o n w as preser v e d in i n
.

dependence and ste adil y de v e l o p e d fr o m the e arli e s t t o the l at e st

,

p e riod and i t fe ll no t suddenl y u nder the attacks o f foreign powers

, ,

but s l owl y by an internal decay S o firmly had its l aws and c ustoms
.

been kni t t ogether an d maintained from age t o age that e v en with

, , ,

regar d t o the m o st obscure times by the obser v ation o f certain fa c t s

,

we m ay sa fel y arri v e at a knowl e d ge o f others as we may ju dge o f ,

the styl e o f an o ld b u il ding by some fragments o f i t s ru ins o r as in ,

m a t h e matics we m ay deriv e from a fe w d ata o f proportion the sam e

,

l arge resu lts wh i c h wo u l d be found by an actual me asurement o f

space
‘
L i vy en d eav oured t o fo rge t the degeneracy o f the age in whi c h
he l i ved and t o refresh an d e l e vate the minds o f his c o n t emp o rari e s
,

by presen t ing t o the m a v ivid p i c tu re o f tho se gl o ri e s o f anc i e n t

d ays whi c h had been feeb l y re c or d ed by t h e o l d c h ro nrcl e rs He .
2 52 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

L eo has also written a History of the Italian C ities and

‘ ’

o ther historical works H is earlier writings betrayed a tendenc y

.

t o extreme scepticism b ut this has been corrected in his later ,

productions The foll owing passage is taken fro m L eo s work

.
’

o n Ital y

TH E ITA LI ANS .

‘
G er many and Italy a d vanced together the same course o f ,
1n

i nte ll ectua l de v e l opment and freedom unti l the era o f the B efor ,

mation T h e great Ital ian artists in their paintings and scul p tures
.
, ,

worked as trul y fo r the l iberation o f the human mind as o ur G erman

s cho l ars in the re vi v a l o f c l assica l studies Withou t such prepar a .

tions o u r Reformation wo ul d ha v e been a mere eccl esiastical schism

, ,

having n o great influence 0 11 general inte ll ectual pr o gress B u t .

a fter the R eformation G ermany and Ital y were separated in their

,

interests ; fo r whi l e the l atter remaine d de v o t ed t o the fine arts the

, ,

former emp l oyed its best m inds i n phi l osophy T his separation w as .

1 m h app fo r G erman thought di v ided fro m the poetica l and bean

y ; ,

tiful produced onl y dry me t aphysical systems ; whil e o n the other

, ,

s ide the Ita l ian passion fo r the fine arts degenerated into a fri v o l ous

a musement fo r d i ll e t ta nt i —a mere sensuous

,

l uxury destitute o f ,

e very nob l e o r re ligious purp o se But the gl ory o f Italy sti ll re .

m ains in its works o f art When we l ook upon the actua l condi t io n .

o f the coun try w e see in its po l iti c a l feeb l eness and submi ssion t o
!

, ,

f oreign authority that nature and circumstances ha v e pre va i l ed

,

o v er the Ital ians ; but when we tu rn o u r attention t o the wor l d o f

a rt ,
we find the Ital ians great and v ictorious A nd this praise .

must n o t be confi ned to a fe w great painters T hese men o f genius .

woul d n o t ha v e produced their masterpieces if they h ad n o t been

e ncouraged by that taste fo r the beautiful whi ch per v ades generall y
the peop l e o f Ital y G reat works re quire pub l ic interest fo r their
.

c onsumm ation T h e fine c limate and the fruitful soil o f the country
.

ha v e been fav ourab l e t o the phy sical comfort o f the pe o pl e and ,

c onse quentl y t o the cul ti v ation o f t he fine arts It is v ai n to expec t .

that a peopl e worn down by oppressi ve toil can e v ince a taste fo r

the beautiful L eisure is the friend o f the Muses
. .

‘
O f the truth o f these remarks we may find proofs in Ital y in
a lmost e v ery peas ant s homestead i n the granaries b u il t u pon p ill ars
’
, ,
a n d the other o u t - bui l di ngs with their neat fl at roofs an d i n the ,

l itt l e fie l d with its rows o f trees as we ll as in the dresses o f the ,

peasant women which show tasteful arrangements o f co l our and

, ,

in the come l y fashion in which the hair is worn A thou sand .

s igns i n common l ife manifest the l o v e o f beauty which pe rv ades

the peopl e But wh o shall describe the spl endour o f the v iew o v er
.

T uscany s metrop o l is o f art and its surrounding gardens ? Wh o

’

can paint tho se beautiful boundaries extending from the poin t where ,

the p l easant towers o f Fieso l e are sh ining t o the b l ue ri dges o f the ,

hills o f L ucca rising in the go l den background o f the west e rn sky ?

 S EV E NT H PER I O D . 2 53

T he whole prospect bears the marks o f the l abours o f many genera

tions o f men endowed with the l o v e o f beauty A nd in the centre .

o f this lo v e l iness F l orence still more l o v e l y lies l ike a beautiful

, , ,

fl ower From the bo l d airy tower o f the pal ace to the wonderful
.
,

work o f Br unell eschi the cupo l a o f the cathedral e v ery s t reet o f

, ,

F l orence contains beauties o f art A nd this F l orence is on l y o ne

.
,

thou gh the brightest o f many gems in that diadem o f beauty with

,

whic h the Ital ian s ha v e crowned their l and It is surrounded by .

o ther S p l endours o f which it is worthy t o be regarded as the centre

, .

S urel y we must be b l inded with prejudi c es and he lp l essl y narrow in ,

min d if we refuse t o acknowl edge the greatness o f the Italians in

,

the worl d o f art ’

.

F R I EDR I C H K O R T U M S H istor y of the M iddle Ages ( 1 8 36)

’ ‘ ’

is dist inguished b y its notices of the development of civil libert y .

The work of F R I E D R I C H R E H M on the same subj ect published ,

b etween 1 8 20 and 1 8 3 9 must b e considered rather as a magazine

,

o f raw materials than as a fi nished production This criticism .

may also b e applied t o H UL L M ANN S C ities of t h e M id dl e Ages ’ ‘

( 1 8 2 5 though this work Opens some n e w views and is ,

full of curious information A History of the C rusades by

.
‘
,
’

F R I EDR I C H VVI L K E N which was published b etween 1 8 0 8 and

,

1 8 32 ma y b e described as one of the great magazines of historical

,

facts which ma y b e advantageousl y consulted b y scholars while

, ,

it does not deserve a place among well -written b ooks The .

a uthors of such vast magazin es may b e compare d with a dis

o rderl y antiquary who introduces us to a large room which he

,
’
is pleased t o call his museum where we fin d the in congruous
‘
,

relics of many ages confusedly p iled t ogether and mingled with ,

rubb ish This is not a caricature but a fair illustration of the

.
,

c h aracter of several historical collections which ma y excite won ,

d e r by their displa y of erudition while the y are al most totall y ,

d estitute of artistic arrangement .

The historical writings of L E O PO LD R AN K E b orn in 1 7 9 5 c on , ,

ne ct the events of the M id dl e A ges with modern times and espe ,

c iall y give valuable notices of p oli tical interests i n the period of

the R eformation T h e Histor y of the P apac y in the S ixteenth

.

and S eventeenth C enturies

’
( 1 8 34 ) is generally esteemed as an ex
c e ll e nt work ; b ut R oman C atholic critics have raised o bj ections
against some of its statements F R I EDR I C H B AUMER b orn in
.
,

1 7 8 1 is an accomplished historian and writes in an interes t in g

, ,

style H is History of E urope from the Close of the Fifteent h

.
‘

C e nt 1u y is marked by the conciliatory st yle in which it describ es

~ ’

the contentions of various religious and p olitical parties A work .

on t h e C o urts and C a binets of E urope in the E ighteenth C ent u ry, ’

by F R I EDR I C H F oR S T E R , contain s many c urious parti c ular s .

2 54 G ERMAN L IT ERA TURE .

WAC H SMU T H S PITT LER H EEREN S C H L O SSER and GA G ERN

’

, , , , ,
may
b e mentioned among the best writers on the period extending
from the R eformation to our times S PI T T L E R S History of .
’ ‘

’
E uropean S tates (third edition 1 8 23 ) deserves especial notice as a ,

concise and useful work .

A Histor y of the German P eople

‘
b y WO LF G AN G ’

M ENZ E L is one of the best and most readable b ooks on the sub
,

j e ct I
. t has been correctly said that M enzel writes like an ‘

’
E nglishman H is plain and manly style may certainl y supply a
.

useful model t o some of his learned contemporaries T h e follow .

ing unfavourable est imate of R oman institutions is extracted

from M enzel s S pirit of History published in 1 83 5
’

,
’

ROM A N S THE .

T h e gr eatness o f the Roman peop l e consisted al mos t s o l e l y in

their mar t ia l career T here are some nations— fo r ins tance t h e
.
,

Hindoos — which are known rather by their re ligion s c ien c e and , ,

poetry than by their actions ; bu t among the Romans we find l ittl e

,

that can be call ed gre at and original excepting their mil itary ex ,

pl o i t s . T hey borrowed their education and th eir l iteratur e fr o m the

G reeks and if they cul ti vated re l igion science and t h e fine ar t s it , , ,

w as n o t with a pure de v otion bu t c h ie fl y wi t h reference t o the gl o ry

,

o f the state T his was the gre at obj ec t o f a ll R oman amb i tion— t o
.

extend the gl ory o f the Repub l ic F o r this many heroes s acrificed .

their l i v es in b attl e B u t wh e n we ask

“
in wha t d id the gl ory o f
.
,
”
the nation consist 2 we find that the professed me a ns o f a d ding t o
n ationa l greatn e ss were in real i t y regarded as the great e nd and
objec t o f the nation A s heroes died t o defend the Repub l ic so t h e
.
,

Republic l iv ed onl y t o produce hero e s 1 In shor t therefore m il itary , ,

gl ory was the grand ido l o f Roman worship Heroes fought— in .

,

order t o fight again ! In this respect we m ay say that the his tory
o f R ome resemb l es the progress o f u ni v ersa l hum anity fo r all men
are born t o t ake their p arts in an u nceasing warfare wi th natu re
and circumstances and e v ery victory opens a n e w fiel d o f s t rife
,
.

But Rome l o v ed warfare in itse l f without regard t o any higher ,

o bj ec t tha n the gl ory o f the R epub l ic which i ndee d was onl y , , ,

another name fo r warfare T h e who l e n at ion stood forth in the .

,

mids t o f t h e worl d l ike a gl adiator l iv ing onl y t o figh t o r l ike t h e

, , ,

m odern Nap o l eon throwing d own a uni v ersa l chall enge

,
F o r wha t .

p u rpose ? What nob l e mora l moti v e can w e find united wit h this
,

l o v e o f c ontest and victory ? It is true that some material ci vil isa

”
t ion o f se v era l c ountries foll owed Roman con ques ts but v ictory ,
”
gl ory was the gr e at obj ec t n o t the cul ti vat ion o f humanity ; n o t
the permanen t extensio n o f peace Rome was a great egotist —a
,

robber—a tyran t o n a v ast scal e ! S he attem pted t o o v errul e the

.

d i vine p l an o f a gradu a l progress in the worl d by an arbitrary

sc heme o f con quest but she fe ll under her o wn pride and p re sum p
tion t ile l onging fo r externa l greatness she n e gl e cted t o guard
.
,
 2 56 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

as the sol diers were forbidden t o sing t h e y amused themselv es by ,o

muttering o v er o l d tal es In the mi d s t o f this app ar e nt tran qui ll ity

.

,
all were rea d y at any m o ment fo r a sangu inary engagemen t T h e
, , .

king s u rrou nded by his o ffi cers sat u p o n a d r um an d gaz e d earnestl y

, , ,

o v er the scene o f en c am pment S o the night passed away and .

,

morning d awned M eanwhil e L and o n with

. men was m aking , ,

his way towar d s the heights o f P ufi e n d o rf intending t o attac k t h e ,

left wing o f the P russian army ; bu t at d aybreak he found t o his ,

astonishment tha t he confronted the who l e o f Fre d eri ck s forces

,
’
.

He had re l ied o n the support o f G eneral D aun wh o was no w ,

movi ng o n t o att ac k the right wing o f the P russian s in their enc amp
ment L and o n howe v er wo ul d n o t attempt a retreat but bo l dl y
.
, , ,

made an attack rel ying o n the brav ery o f his tr o o ps and the good
,

fortune which had hitherto atten d ed him He al s o hoped that the .

noise o f the artill ery woul d s o on call D au n t o the u nexpected

battl e -fi e l d ; but a vio l ent win d whi ch arose soon after d aybreak , ,

pre v en t ed the fulfi l ment o f this hope He first l ed o n his ca val ry t o .

attack that o f the P russians but was soon d ri v en back into a morass,
from which his men with difficu l t y extricated themse lv es The .

P russian in fantry n o w entered into the engagement an d after a , ,

severe contest dro v e b ack L an don s tro o p s Again the Au strian s

,
’
.

endea voured t o find a pa ssage thro ugh the v ill age o f Panten so as t o ,

break the centre o f their opponents but the vil lage was soon wr ap t
in fl ames by howitz ers an d gr ena d es and thu s the c ontes t w as sti ll ,

confined t o the l eft wing M eanwhil e G eneral D aun had arriv ed at

.

the forsaken encampment and t o hi s surprise had found n o enemy

, , ,

there A fter a fat al l oss o f time he came t o the scene o f action and
.
, ,

attemp t ed an attack with great disa d vantage o n account o f the ,

nature o f the l ocal ity L an d o n wh o had fear l ess l y exposed himse l f

.
,

t o the heat o f the battl e and had done all that coul d be done in such
,

u ntoward circumstances was n o w compe ll ed t o retreat l eav in g be

, ,

hind him men o f whom 4 0 00 were wounde d o r s lain and

, , ,

6 0 00 were taken as prisoners T h e dead and wounded o f t h e.

P russian army were numbered at 1 8 0 0 .

It was a beautifu l morn ing and the sun whi ch threw his rays o v er
, ,

the b l oody fie l d co v ered with the wounded and the d yi ng ga v e l ight

, ,

t o o ne p l easing scene T h e regiment o f Bernburg w hich h ad l ost

.
,

i t s cas te by its conduct at D res d en had entered into thi s batt l e with ,

a determination ei ther t o win back its honour o r t o di e in the ,

at t em pt ; and this reso lutio n had excited both o ffi cers and men t o
deeds o f val our which had been noticed by the ki ng A s he r o de in .

front o f this regiment after the action the o fficers stood in sil ence , ,

h Op i ng that some sign o f a restoration o f the king s fav our wo u l d be

’

gi v en whil e four o l d sol diers v ent ured t o seiz e the bri dl e o f hi s

,

h orse and in treated that the king wou l d l ook once more fa v ou rab l y
,
”
upon them Yes 1 said Frederick o u sha ll ha v e al l yo u r
.
y ,

honours agai n— and the past shall b e forgotten T his battl e o f .

L iegnitz l asted onl y t wo h ours Whi l e all the l uxurious c l as ses o f

.

society were as l eep throughout E urope, and whil e l abourers wer e

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 2 57

oing t o their scenes o f toil the P russians gained this remarkabl e

g ,

vi ctory which pre v ented the union o f the Russi an with the Austrian
,

forces and frustrated all the designs o f the latter u pon S i l esia
,
’
.

’
S C H I L LER the poet wrote a H istory o f the Thirt y Y ears
, ,
‘

War ’
An other work on the same ep och by F R I EDR I C H ,

B AR T H O LD shows research and is written in a lively st yle

, ,
.

—
L UD W IG P O S SE L T ( 1 7 63 1 8 0 4 ) wrote a H istory of the German
‘

P eople but thi s author was a warm poli tician rather than ,

an impartial historian KAR L V O N W L T MANN (

O 1 7 7 0 —
.1 8 1 7)
gained a considerable reputation by his historical works which ,

extend to fourteen volumes ( 1 8 1 7 and contain a Histor y ‘

of France a History of Great B ritain and a H istory of B ohe

,
’ ‘ ’
,
‘

mia .J O SEP H V O N H O RM AY R ( 1 7 8 1 ) has written T h e Austrian

’ ‘

P lutarch ( 1 8 0 7 a H istor y of V ienna

’
and other ‘ ’

works chiefl y relating to the south of Germany and the Tyrol

,
.

’
A History of the H ohenstaufen Dyn ast y
‘
by F R I EDR I C H
RAU M E R deserves praise for its interesting narrative of the event s
,

of a romantic period S ome of its accounts ampl y confirm t h e .

co mmonplace observation that truth is stranger than fict i o n ,

‘
.
’

The foll o wing passage taken from Raume r s work presents t o us ,

’
,

one of the terrible events which mark ed the era of the C rusades

TH E S T ORM I N G
I N A D 1 09 9 OF J E RU S AL E M . . .

‘
Immediate l y after their pil grimage t o the M ount o f O li v es t h e ,

C hris t ian army began t o make further prepara tions t o besiege t h e

Ho ly C ity T h e D uke o f L orraine R ober t o f F l an d ers and Robert
.
, , ,

D uke o f N ormandy h ad obser v ed that that part o f the city whi c h

,

c onfronted their encampment was n o t on l y defended by higher wa ll s ,

but had al so a stronger mil itary array than wou l d be found in other
parts A ccordingl y these captains remo v ed their troops and took
.
, ,

t o pieces their preparations fo r the siege which were quiet l y carried ,

away during the night and reconstructed opposite ano ther part o f ,

the city where the wa ll s were l ower and the ground was more e v en
, , .

A four-cornered tower o v erl ooking the V al l ey o f J e h o sh aph at stood

, ,

n o w o n the l eft hand o f the in v aders whi l e o n the other side they ,

behe l d S tephen s G ate A t the break o f day the M oham medans

’
.
, ,

wh o were guarding the part which had been at first threatened wer e ,

astonished t o find that the duke s encampmen t had disappeared and ’

,

hoped tha t he had retreated ; but they soon discovered that he was
acti v el y preparing t o storm a weaker part o f their fortifications A t .

the same time the E ar l o f T oul ouse h ad emp l oyed his fo ll owers i n
,

fi ll ing u p a ca vity which l ay between the city wal l and the wooden
tower which he had erected so that the engine cou l d no w b e re ,

mo v ed nearer t o the ci t y T h e towers bui lt by the D uke o f L o r .

raine and E ar l Raymund were o f a simi l ar construction four -side d , ,

protected from fire -balls and other missiles by a coverin g o f hi des,

2 58 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

an d having in the front a second co ering m ade o f strong timber v

,

w hich cou l d be l et d o wn so as t o form a bridge bet wee n the tower

and the wall o f the city .

A nd no w the storming began A t firs t the invaders dis charged .

arrows and hur l ed l arge stones against the wall ; but the force o f
,

these missil es was broken o n the bags o f s traw and chaff and the
b asket-work which the besiege d had emp l o yed t o protect themse lves .

Th e pil grims wh o bol dl y approached the wall s were repul sed by

, ,

s howers o f hea v y stones and pieces o f timber B u rning arrows .

i gnited their engines V esse l s fi ll ed with fl amin g o il and sul phur

.

w ere hur l ed into the towers and after s t renuous e fforts during some
,

h ours the fire was onl y partiall y subdued

,
T hus passed the day .

w ithout producing any serious adv an t age o n o ne side o r the oth er

bu t in the e v ening the superstitious minds o f the pil grims were
,

a nimated by a certain so call ed

- good omen -Th e Ho l y C ross
“

u pon the tower o f G o d o fro y o f Boui ll on had escaped un hurt by al l

the fiery missil es o f the S ara c ens T his was unanimousl y regar d ed .

a s a sufficient proof o f the approbation o f Hea v en and a sure si n

g ,

o f v i c tory N o w night interrupted the contest ; but o n both si d es

.

the hours were passed in wakefulness as fresh attacks were ex ,

p e cte d .

When the morning opene d the siege w as renewe d with i n c reased

,

determination by the C hristi ans whil e the S ara c ens defe n ded them ,

selv es l ike des p erate men wh o expect i f de feate d t o find no mer cy

, , , .

O ne o f the formidab l e engines emp l oyed by the besieged w as a l arge

b eam o f timber fil l ed with nail s an d hooks and wrapped in straw ,

a n d other combustib l es saturated with pitch o il an d wax : when this

, , ,

was l ighted it was thrown into the tower o f the D uke o f L orrain e
, ,

which was soon co v ered with flames A t first the i nvaders had e n .

d e av o u re d t o hur l the i gni t ed timber from the tower ; but their e ffo rts
were vain as the S ara c ens he l d it in its pl ace with a strong chain
,
.

Water and vinegar were poured into the tower and after some time ,

the c o n flagrat io n w as subdued T hus some se v en hours were em .

p l oyed ; and n o w the pilgrims fatigued and d iscou rage d were gl ad

, ,

t o make a temporary retreat Th e D uke o f N orman d y and the E ar l

.

o f F l anders despairing o f a speedy fa v ourab l e issue

,
ad ised t heir ,
v

c ompanies t o rest unti l the fo ll owing day whi l e the D uke o f L orraine ,

with difficul ty he l d his foll owers together But in this moment o f .

depression an appeal t o the fanati c ism o f the pilgrims suddenl y

,

a roused their courage again A knight w as seen u pon the M ount

.

o f O l i v es ho l ding up hi s gl ittering shie l d and pointing t o the Hol y ,

”
C ity . S ee ! exc l aimed the duke ; behol d the ce l estial sign Ou
”
w ar d and ful fi l the purpose o f Heav en !
, A t this summ o ns the
in vaders rushe d forward once more toward the wall s ; e v en the
women seiz ed we ap ons and shared i n the danger o f the siege T h e
,
.

engines o f the Franks succeeded in hurl ing l arge masses o f stone

o v er the wall s T h e S aracens astounded by the fury o f the att ac k
.
, ,

n o w sou ght fo r the supernatura l aid o f magi c T wo prophetesses .

,

o r fema l e professors o f m agic were l e d o u t t o perform their charms,

,
2 60 G ERMAN L IT ERA TURE .

No dwell ing-house was Spared : gray-h eaded men women d o mestic , ,

s ervants and chi l dren were no t mere l y s l ain but barbarous l y t o rture d
, , , ,

and hewn in pieces S ome were compe ll ed t o l eap from towers ;

.

o thers were thrown from w in d ows chil dren were torn fr o m the
bosoms o f their mothers and dashed against the wall s S ome V i c
,
.

tims were burned by s l ow fires ; the bodies o f others were cut Open ,

because it was suspected t hat they had swall owed pieces o f gol d O f .

S aracens ( o r as O riental hi sto rians write

,
there wer e ,

n o t l eft enough t o bury the d ead Th e meaner c l asses o f pil grims

.
,

therefore assisted in the work o f burial ; whil e many p il es o f bodies

, .

w ere burned partl y t o pre v ent the infection o f the air and partl y
, ,

b ecause there was a h O p e o f finding go l d in their ashes .

A nd no w the work was done and the host o f pil grims fatigu e d ,

with massacre and pill age washed themse lv es and marched in a l ong
, ,

p r o c e ssi o ni wi t h bare heads and feet and chanting hymns o f triumph , ,

t o the C hurch o f the Resurrection Here they were recei v ed by the .

c l ergy with great so l emnity and t h e highest homage was paid t o

,

P eter the Hermi t the instigator o f the C rusades

,
Th e pil grim s .

wept in the extra vagance o f their j o y touched o r kissed all the ho l y , _

re l ics c onfesse d their sins and recei v ed p l enary in dul gence

, ,
S uch .

w as the height o f their fanaticism that many dec l ared that they had ,

s een the S pectres o f the C rusaders wh o had fall en in pre v ious battl e s

e ngaged in the recent siege and performing pro digies o f v al our

, .

A mong others the d e c eased bishop A d emar o f Puy had appeared

, , ,

an d when questione d by a pil grim had rep l ied N o t onl y I but all
, ,

t h e deceased C rusaders ha v e arisen fr o m the grav e t o take a part in

,
”
this gl orious Victory T hat t h e fa v our o f Hea v en w as n o w gaine d
.
,

that e v erl asting happiness was insured t o all wh o had been engaged
i n the massacre o f the S aracens was the firm conviction o f all t h e ,

pil grims .

T hus aft g a siege o f thirty-nine d ays J er usalem was taken by

, ,

t h e C rusaders o n the 1 5 th o f J u l y A D .

An other work on the same period , by F R I EDR I C H L O H ER, supplie s

s ome important additions to the narrative of B aumer A His
‘
.

’
t ory of Friedrich I V and his son M aximil ian , by J O S EP H C H ME L
.

is a good production HA G EN S Spirit of the R eformation

.
’ ‘

( 1 8 4 1 and the writings of O EC H S L E B E N S EN and ZI MMER , ,

M ANN o n the
,
‘
P easants War supply useful additions to the
’
,
’

materials coll ected by L eopold R ank e T h e History of Austria .

‘

( 1 834 by J O H ANN V O N MAI L AT H , is characteri sed by Au s

t rian and R oman C atholic tendencies in pol itics and religion Fo r .

a ccounts of modern P russia we must again refer to the writings of

,

F R I EDR I C H S C H L O S S ER especially to his H istory of the Eigh

,
‘

t e e nt h and Nineteenth C enturies A s a specimen of the fairness .

’

and caution of this historian we ma y quote his summary o f the ,

c haracter of that singular and despoti c monarc h, Frederi ck Wil

l iam I of Prussia
.
 SEVEN T H PER I OD .

F RE D E R I CK W I LL I AM I . OF P RUS S I A
‘
Th e satire o f some writers o f the French school h as presented
t o us such a picture o f the dark side o f Fre d erick s character that
’
,

it is n o w diffi cul t t o l ay aside prejudice and regard the conduct o f ,

this stern despot in connection with the circumstances o f his times .

V o l taire said everything that cou l d be re quired t o make the

P russian king an obj ect o f ridicule ; P o l ni tz added some traits t o
the caricature ; and the Princess o f Bayreuth in accordance with ,

t h e taste o f her friend V o l taire wrote a fri v o l ous satire o n the cha
“

r
,

rac t e r o f her o wn father ! Yet w e may affirm that an unprejudiced

mind after readi ng this satire will rather commend the rude but
, ,

honest barbarism o f the father than the fal se and fl ippant character ,

o f the dau ghter Th e extreme parsimony o f the king was indeed

.

ridicul ous but we must recall t o mind his times when extrav agance ,

was the fashion in S O many courts and remember that Frederick s ,

’

enurious habi s enab l ed hi m l eave his so n in a respectab l e

'

p t t o
’

position A nd the king s conduct gave a whol esome examp l e t o

.
’

his subjects He ac quired his wealth n o t by Specul ation and bank

.
,

ing but by m anaging a scanty income with rigid economy ; and thus
,

h e taught his peopl e that as they w e 1 e poor and c o u l d no t enjoy

, ,

the c ommercial advantages o f the E ngl ish o r the D ut ch their onl y ,

way t o prosperity must be I n making the best possib l e u se o f small

m eans and despising costl y luxuries
,
C onse quentl y no t a W o l d .

was whispered in Ber lin o f fashionable dissipations no t a d o ll ar

wou l d the king all ow t o be expended in bacchanal ian feasts o r o n ,

foreign S ingers dancers and fi ddl e rs fo r whom he entertained a

, , ,

hearty contempt T his was good ; but o n the other side we are
.
, ,

ready t o admit that Frederick s economy was l o w in its purp ose ’

.

L earning and all t h e fine arts were c l assed with the d ancers and
“

fi ddl e rs and no t a word was said in favour o f any study which

,

rose above the common necessities o f li fe Yet we may apo r

l o gi se even fo r this contempt o f literature and science when we ,

remember that in Frederick s time pedantic learn ing had e nt i I e l y

’

s eparated itself from all the interests o f human life If the king .

looked o n the performances o f li te rati m his day he found no results ,

s av e books made o u t o f books and fi ll ed with pedantry Frederick s ’

.

common se nse saw the frivolity o f such l earning and he said “

I ,

want t o hear nothing o f these men wh o can make verses in some

thirty l anguages o r wh o can count al l the books in al l the sciences
, .

G ive me me n who think fo r themselves and study fo r some good ,

”
purpose . T h e king had no more knowl edge o f phi l osophy o r
poetry than h i s rudest subj ects ; he coul d n o t even spell G erman
words ; but he could see the necessity o f paying attention t o the
p ractical sciences at a time when G erman scho l ars generall y ad
hered t o the pedantry o f the Middl e Ages We find the in
e xcusab l e part o f Frederick s conduct i n his intermeddl ing with
’

t h e a dministration o f justice Th e pr o perty and the lives o f hi s

.

subjects were absolute ly un der the cont rol o f this ste m an d i gno~
2 62 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

rant despot He observ ed trul y that many o f the form s o f l aw were

.

absurdl y compl icate d and that when there was a d ispute between
,

t wo peas ants about an acre o f P russian groun d it was v exati o us t o ,

refer ba c k t o J us tinian an d so kee p the c l ients i n suspense fo r a

,

year Bu t whe n he took the l aw into his o wn hands his subj ects
.
,

l earne d t o their sorrow that e ven tedious l itigation was more to l er

, ,

ab l e than d espo tism He soon solved the most knotty questi o ns

. .

N o rul er e v er exercised a more abso l ute authority e v en amo ng

T urks o r barbarians He first made the l aws and then admin istered
.
,

them i n a rapid e x t emp ore styl e wi t hout regard t o trad ition c ustom
, , ,

o r an y authority beyon d his o wn despoti c wi ll Th e punishments .

w hich he infl icte d e v en o n small del in quents were often terrib l y

, ,

s e v ere and he woul d stand by the p o or c riminal and see him suffer , ,

o r wo ul d e v en c ondescend t o execute with hi s o wn hand the senten c es

which he had in v ented and pronounced ! T h e king s wal k ing-stick

’

was a terror t o the women an d c hil dren o f Ber l in ; fo r he woul d

beat se v ere ly the subj ects wh o h ad offended him if he met them
i n the street P oor women and boys and girl s tremb l ed when they
.
, , ,

s aw the ki ng ap p roachin g fo r he wou l d catec hi se them se v ere l y

,

respecting their c l oth i ng o r their ho u sehol d man agement ; and if

,

any o f their answers displ eased hi m the walking-stick was imme ,

d iate l y appl ied t o their shou l ders And it was se l dom advi sab l e
.

t o run away fo r he wo ul d send his ser v ants t o p ursue the u n l ucky

fugiti v e wh o onl y gai ned an ad d itional beating by his attempted
,

e scap e It is onl y fair t o ad d that the ki ng maintained in his o wn

.

famil y the same rigid d is c i p l ine whi ch he en for c ed u pon hi s subjects .

He e v en prescribed fashions in dress and commanded his sub ,

”
j e c t s t o wear their h ai r in the
“
cue sty l e T o in dul ge a ma li c ious .

j oke, he took the French ambassad or an d hi s company ( wh o h ad

their h ai r dressed i n the bag fashi on t o a review o f the P ru ssian
“

army where they obser v ed with surprise and v e x ation that all the
,

pro v osts ( o r army executioners) w ere sati ricall y decorated d -Ia ,

mo d e with l arge P arisian hair bags

,

It seems natural to turn from the ab ove S ingul ar sketch o f a

d espot to the department of T urkish or M oslem History
,
T he .

works of the learned O rientalist J O SEPH V O N HAMMER -P UR G ,

S T A L L b orn i n 1 7 7 4 (o n e of the fe w celebrated writers produced

,

by Austria) are valuable as they give the results of extensive

, ,

reading of O riental manuscripts T h e History of the Caliphs

‘
.
,
’

and a L ife of M ohammed b y G WE I L ma y also be mentioned ’

,
.
,

with commendation as work s of original research .

S ome historical works di stingui shed by particular purposes may

b e noticed here WIL H E L M WAC H S M UT H has written a H i st OIy
.
‘

of E uropean M orals and Manners (in 5 volumes— 1 83 1 ’

T he
s cheme of thi s work is comprehensive ; but the author has fill ed a

reat part of it with notices of l iterat e and i ui s ru d e nc e instead

g ur j p ,

o f givin g d et ail s on the impo rtant t opi c s so stran gel y ne glected by

2 64 G ERMAN LIT ERAT URE .

B I O G RAP HY .

'

I n t his pleasant and useful department mo dern German litera

t ure is comparativel y poor M any b ooks have been produced but
.
,

few combine literary excellence with narrative interest G O E THE S .

’

auto b io graphy, entitled P oetry and T ruth contains inte ’

resting notices O f hi s early life , mingled with Observations and

criticisms on literature T h e foll owing passag e ma y serve as a
.

sp e cimm O f Goethe s h umorous st yle

’

KL O PS T O C K AN D TH E B A R BE R .

A t this time the name o f a n e w p oet Kl opstock was cel ebrate d , , .

A t first we wondered h o w any man o f genius coul d hav e such a

,

name ; but after a l it tl e c onsideration we agreed that the t wo queer

, ,

syll ab l es might pass as the name o f a great poet My father h o w .

,

ever had a more serious obj ection against the n e w writer fo r he

,
”
had heard that the M essiah was written in l ong l ines call ed hexa
meters and without any rhyme ! T his app eared monstrous ; fo r all
,

o u r standard poets C anitz Hagedorn G e ll ert and others had used

, , , , ,

rhyme without which my father m aintained that no true poem

,

c ou l d exis t He w as therefo re imp atient when he heard hi s neigh

.

bours praising the b l ank v erses o f Kl opstock and determined ne v er ,

t o buy such an inno v ation as the M essiah But Al derm an .

S chneider a friend o f o ur fami ly and a man o f business w h o read

, , ,

v ery fe w books had been smitten with the pre vai ling admiration o f
,

Kl opstock s work ’
Its pious sentiments and fl o w o f language had
.

made such an impression o n the heart o f o ur friend that he ha d ,

made it a principl e t o read through the firs t ten cantos once i n e very
year during the week before E aster And suc h was hi s enthusiasm .
,

that he even attempted t o bring o v er my father t o the side o f Klop

stock ; but all hi s e fforts were vain ; and aft er some rather angry
arguments he prudentl y resolv ed t o l eav e i n sil ence the name o f h is
,

fa v ourite author rather than alienate an Ol d frien d and l ose a good ,

supper e v ery S unday e v ening S O my father was all owed t o res t in

.

his preju di ce against the rhyme l ess p o et .

But e v ery m an desires t o make prose l ytes and as S chneider

c ou l d d o nothing with the head o f the famil y he insidious l y mad e ,

con v erts o f the mother and the chil dren A s he ne v er opened his .

fa v ourite book excepting d uring o ne week in the year he p l aced i t ,

in the cust o dy o f my mother wh o preser ved it as a secret treasure

,
.

Whene v er I coul d safe l y d o it I took the book into some sl y corner, ,

where my sister and mysel f coul d enj o y its contents We soon c o m .

witted t o memory some o f its most striking and pathetic dial ogues .

P orcia s D ream was o n e Of o ur fav ouri te passages A nother was

’
.

”
the impassioned d ial ogue between S atan and A dramel e ch in whi ch ,

I took the first part because it contained the greater am o un t o f

,

energy wh il e my sister s part was exceedingl y patheti c We were

,
’
.

de l ighted with the vio l en t reproaches and retorts which we thus

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 26 5

l earned t o hurl agains t each other ; and whenever we had an o pp o r

”
t uni ty, we interchanged such comp l iments as monster ! and
“

traitor in the styl e o f A drame l ech But at l as t o u r dramatic e n .

t h u si asm carried us beyond the b o unds o f pru d ence O ne S aturday .

e vening my father sat down t o be shaved by cand l e l ight, that h e

might appear, as he usuall y d id, wi th a c l ean chin at church o n
S un day morning T h e barber was appl ying the soap, whil e my
.

sister and myse l f sat near the sto ve amusing Ourselv es by mut ,

tering o ver o ur favourite dial ogue We arrived at the crisis where .

A drame l ech attacks his opponent My sister recited in a l o w tone, .

, .

but with strong fee l ing

He l p me ! I p ray—I k nee l —if yo u re qu ire i t
M o nst e r ! b e fo re t hee —d ark o ffe nding t rai t o r
,

S O far, we had performed with success but as the passage rose t o

its c l imax my sister yie l ded t o o far t o her tragic excitement, and
,

s uddenl y dec l aimed a l oud in a tone o f wi l d despair ,

O h h o w am I c rush e d d o wn !,

“
What can be the matte r exc l aime d the terrified barber ,

d ropping his l ather- bo x o n my father s waistc oat What ca n be t h e ’

.

”
matter 1 echoed my father starting up from his chair My sister s ,
.
’

thrilli ng pathos had been t o o e ffe c tiv e and a domestic scene no w ,

took pl ace which became v ery affecting when my father suggested

,

what mi ght hav e happened if the barber had been us ing his razor
j ust at the c l imax o f A drame l ech I and my sister made a full c o n .

fe ssi o n and l aid all the b l ame upon Kl opstock O f course my fathe r
,
.

was confirme d in his Opinion that no good coul d come o u t o f hexa

meters and o ur ne w poet was laid under an addi tional ban
,
’
.

H E I NRI C H D O R I N G has written b iographies of Klopstock , V oss,

R ichter H erder and other li terary men T he Life of Schill er
, ,
‘
.

b y GU S T AVUS S C HW A B is an interesting b ook C AR O L IN E , .

’
P I C H L E R S Autobiography contains some curious notices of t h e
’ ‘

manners of her times and the same remark may b e applied t o t h e

’
—
M emoirs of another lady J O H ANNA SOH O P E NH AU E R R A HEL , .

the wi fe of Varnhagen wrote R ecollections Of her L ife b ut in a

,
‘
,
’
.

meditative rather than a b iographical style The Autobiography

‘
.
’

O f H E I NR I C H ZS C H O KK E the philanthropic author contains man y

, ,

i nterestin g passages Am ong other memoirs O f l iterary men ma y

.

’
b e mentioned a L ife of L eibnitz ‘
b y G E G UH R AUE R ; . .

the L ife o f the Phil osopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte by his son ; ’
,

Jean P aul R ichter s M emoirs and C orrespondence ( 1 82 6—1 8 33 )

’

and the Autobiography O f Heinrich S teffens the novelist

‘
, .

S everal works contain contributions to ecclesiastical history in

the form of b iography NEANDER has written M emoirs of St .
‘

B ernard and his T imes ; and MAY ERH O FF S L ife and T iIne s o f
’ ’ ‘

J ohann R euchl in is another work O f the same character T h e

’
.
266 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

’
‘
L ife of L uther by GUS TAV PF I ZER may als o b e mentioned
, ,

h ere .

V ARN H A G EN V O N E N S E b orn in 1 7 8 5 is o ne of the best modern

, ,

b iographers and has written the L ife o f General Winterfeldt

,
‘ ’

the L ife of Field-M arshal S chwerin

‘
and other ’

memoirs of military heroes .

PHIL O S O P HY .

Though it is impossible in the lim its of this work , to give a

,

full and fair accoun t o f the philosophical systems which have

prevailed in Germany from the t un e of L eibnitz to t h e present
day, we may briefly indicate their leading characte ristics S ome .

account has b een given o f the writings of IMMANUEL KAN T and

FRI EDR I C H JAC O B I ; but without regard to their metaphysical
doctrines , which must b e noticed here as the y are necessary t o ,

i ntroduce the Views of later writers .

Kant b egan hi s theories with the scepticism O f D aV i d Hume ;

b ut did not rest in the doubts O f the S cottish phi losopher L ike .

H ume , he b egins by denying the possibili ty o f a real knowledge

O f the external world He admits tha t we receive all the materials
.

o f o ur kn owledge through the senses , and that from t hese ma

t e rial s we induce general laws in accordance wi th the nature of

the human understanding ; but the question remains—Are thes e
laws or conclusions (which result from the constitution o f our
,

min d) in accordance with external truth o r reality ? Kant assert s

,

tha t no proof can b e given in reply to this question A moder n .

writer ( CH ALY BAE U S ) h as aptly ill ustrated Kant s doctrin e b y

’

comparing the mind to a kaleidoscope ‘

‘
The world he says .
’ ’
, ,
‘
supplies t h e Obj ects we behold (lik e the fragments O f glass in
the toy ) but the facul ties o f the min d are the slides o f the inst ru
,
’
ment by whi ch those fragments are a rr anged in various designs .

Kant , therefore , endeavoured to close many controversies b y re

du cing philosophy to a criticism of reason O ne of his -argu
‘ ’
.

ments will indicate the nature o f his system R especting a bel ief .

in a supreme moral Governor of the world and the immortali t y ,

o f the soul he argues that we have no absolute demonstration

,

o n such topics b ut that such a belief is necessary to the harmon y

,

and satisfaction of the mind and must , therefore be admitted

, ,
.

Jacobi was displeased with the scepticism o f Hume and Kant ,

and endeavoured to escape from it b y a simple appeal to c o n

science Or innate sentim ents In fact he used t h e method by

, .

which D r S amuel Johnson Once closed a debate o n the freedom

o f t h e will : We feel that we are free and that is enough As ,
.
’

the talent of J acob i consisted rather in declamation than in logical

2 68 G ER MAN LIT ERAT UR E .

t ens ive to b e described here even in outlines We may observe

,
.

that C oleridge adopted many of the Views and expressions of thi s

philosopher and some of h is ideas may be foun d in the conte m
,

p l at i v e poems O f Wordswo rth It is generall y admi tted that hi s

.

w orks display mult ifarious kn owledge and many Obse rvations ,

marked b y depth and acuteness ; but several of hi s opponents

have argued that there is no consistent logical style main ta ined
throughout his theories The leading principle of S chelling is
.

’
found in a supposed intuition , which he describes as superior
‘ ‘

t o all reasoning, and admitting neither doubt nor explanation

’ ‘
.
’

GE O R G E WI LH ELM FR I EDR I C H H E G E L ( 1 7 7 0—1 8 3 1 ) was an as

s ociate in the early phil osop hi cal system of S chelling His nume .

rous writings are exceedingly abstruse and it ma y with great ,

p robabili ty be conj ectured that very few persons in E ngland

have read even one of the eighteen volumes in which they are
c ontained He studied at Tub ingen an d was afterwards engaged
.
,

a s a private tutor in S witzerland and at Jena In the latter place .

h e was noticed b y Goethe and S chiller as a man of extraordinar y

p owers of thought T h i s Opinion
. was con fi rm ed by his writings
T h e P henomenology Of M ind an original b ut very ’

a bstruse work ; L ogic an E ncyclop ae dia of the P hil o so

p hi cal S ciences
’
and the Philosophy O f L aw ‘
In ’

these and other works the author attempted t o reduce all the
d epartments of k nowledge t o one science foun ded o n a method ,

which is expoun ded in hi s work o n L ogic The writings of .

H egel including reports O f his lect ures were collected by his

, ,

friends and pupils , and publi shed i n eighteen volum es ( 1 83 2

T h e L ectures on E sthetics ( or on B e auty and the Fin e Arts)
’
,

are more generall y intelli gible than the other productions O f thi s

author The notes appended to hi s O utli nes of the Philosoph y

.

O f L aw and Government contain some origi nal and important re

’

marks on the interests of society T h e theories O f S chelli ng and .

H egel have ah e ady produced an extensive library Of philosophical

°

c o nt ro V e rsy which cann ot be explained here

,
Wh il e the followers .

O f these writers ha ve attributed to their l abo urs the highest i m

or t ance and value many other German w riters refuse to ad mit
p ,

t hat the Identit y -S ystem of S chelli ng or the Absolute L ogic of ,

H egel have i n realit y made any additions to true science T h e

,
.

c onclusion of t hi s controversy must b e left for a future t ime .

Al ready we may Observe that the indirect infl uence of German

s chools O f philosophy has a ffected the tone of literature in France ,

E ngland America D enmark and S weden We may here refer

, , ,
.

t h e reader to t hree recent publications which give compara

t iv e l y clear and readable accounts o f modern spec ulations A .

work by H E INR I C H CH AL Y BAE U S , entitled an Historical D e

‘
 SEVEN T H PERI O D . 2 69

me nt
’
v e l Op Speculative Philosophy gives the outlines of
of ,

various sy stems in an impart ial style T h e H istory of P hilo .

‘

S oph y b y H C SIG W AR T has an extens ive plan as it traces

’
,
. .
, ,

the progress of specul ation from the S chools of Athens to the

s y stems of modern da y s The work of KARL BI EDERMANN on.

German P hil osophy from Kant to the present tim e regards

s y stems and theories chi efly in their social and p olitical relations .

German philosophy from the time of L eibnitz to the present

,

d ay, has been marked b y its Ideali sm T h e writings O f L oc k e ,

‘ ’
.

C ondill ac and others led to the conclusion there is nothing in

, ,
‘
,
’
the understanding whi ch has not arrived there through the senses .

T o this L eibnitz replied by say ing Yes ; there is the u nderstand ,

‘

ing itself The whole Of Kant s sy stem was simply an exposition

.
’ ’

o f all that was implied in the remark O f L eibnitz Kant explain ed .

the laws of the understanding B ut are these laws accordant with .

e xternal truth or realit y ? S chelling and Hegel have endeavoured

t o answer this question The former professes to solve it b y an
.

ap peal to a spontaneo us intui tion which discovers that the huma n ’

,

mind and externa l nature are essentially o ne ; o r in other words , ,

that the same intelligence whi ch exists in a conscious state in man,

li ves in an unconscious condition throughout the un iverse , p e rvad
ing all thinkn beings and all Obj ects O f all thought
‘
,
H egel .
’

professes to solve the same question (left Open by Kant ) in a more

scientifi c style b y a method of thought which he styles ab solute
,
‘

logic a process O f reason which (as he shows) is foun d not o nl y

in the human mind but throughout external nature,
The heavens .

and the earth and all things within their compass all the events
, ,

O f hi story the facts O f the present and the developments of the

, ,

future must b e (according to H egel s doctrine ) o nl y so many step s

,
’

i n one eternal process O f creative thought T h e leading principle .

o f this process is found in the development of a series of opposi

tions which are at once produced and resolved by reason Truth .

is represented as cons isting in the j ust relation of obj ects to e ach ‘

o ther U ni ty perva di ng apparent Opposition and variet y is the

.
, ,

mark of truth in all systems b oth nat ural and intellectual I t is ,

.

seen in the most minute insect as well as in a vast system O f cos ,

m o go ny ; it appears in grande ur in a well -ordered commonwealth ,

an d in its beauty in a ha rmonious fam i ly I t finds s ymb ols .

throughout nature and in all the art s ; it builds up nations and

, ,

maintain s t h e order of t h e moral as of the physical world It is .

the rul e of the whole universe and apparent deviations from thi s ,

r ul e only serve ul timately to extend its swa y A fe w examples Of .

its application to various subj ects wi ll be plainer than abstract

defini tion With regard to history it is represented as contain ing
.
,

a n eternal or permanent element among all the chang es of finite

27 0 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

and transient e ve nts It is a progressive enunciation o f truth

.

through a series Of imperfect interpreters T hrough all the errors .

of all times the process O f truth may be traced Individuals and .

communities and even nations may fall as sacrifices to error ; but

, ,

even this error is a part of the process by which truth reveal s

i tself. With regard to government , truth is not confined to any
o ne side of any ( sin cere ) opposition ; for this wo uld make the
other side purely false , wilful and irrational ‘
False Views or
, .

Opinions are defective one -sided , or erroneous b ut must not be

, ,

treated as ab solutely false T hus if monarchy b e ma intain ed as

.
’
,
’
an absolutely true principle , then there can b e no trut h in its
‘
“
w

opposite—republicanism T h e latter must be in every age and

(

.
,

country utterly groundless and false which none will affirm Al l

, , .

forms of government are so many finite and imperfect attempts to

emb ody the true idea of developing in unity the greatest and best
faculties of mankind Any one form of government may contain
.

more or less truth or j ustice accord ing to circumstances A true

,
.

reformation o r improvement in societ y should preserve all that

was good in the preceding condit ion T houghts ideas , or prin .
,

c ipl e s alone are absolutely true M en and parties o f men are .

, ,

only imperfect symbols A maj orit y or democracy in any co untry

.

may rule as oppressively as an oligarchy T h e true tendency is .

toward the dominion o f j ust thoughts or principles T he same .

guiding thought prevails throughout the treatment of ethics ;

moralit y rs catholic consistent with the whole nature o f man and
, ,

the whole plan of the universe (T his was the doctrine of L eib .

V ice is partial inconsistent and contradictory If frau

, ,
.

d ul e nt parties unite to inj ure society here is a unit y O f several ,

parties in one plot ; but it is only a weak temp orary unity ; for it ,

is opposed to the general unit y and order of society T he union .

of the bad cannot end ure long It must fail : the plot must be .

discovered and destroyed ; for the general is stronger than any

particular or private interest All the ingenuity and activity of
.

men bestowed upon a false or unj ust scheme cannot make it per
mane nt l y successful ; for it contains in itself the contradiction
which is the cause of its defeat I t is a part refusing to be sub .

j e ct to the whole but

,
ultimatel y it must b e made subservient True .

freedom is a will in g and rational accordance with the interests O f

the whole S lavery is an unwilling or compulsory Obedience T h e .

v ulgar notion of freedom implies only a release from constraint ;

b ut this is very defective as a definition ; for true li berty is found

only in the union of the internal with the external l aw T he .

application of this mode of philosophising to theological topics

S ee t h e e xt ract from an e s ay by Le ibnit s z , on ge

pa 1 07.
27 2 G ERMAN LITERA T URE .

would b e no place for the exercise of faith firmn ess patience , , ,

and magnanimity In the same style all the oppositions or ap .

,

parent contra dictions foun d in the world o f thought as also in the ,

external world are treated with regard to the essential rmit y from
,

which they proceed Yet they must not be confused together .

,

but must b e regarded as at once di stinct and united These fe w .

instances may give some notion of the style of Hegel s lo gic but ’

it wo ul d b e vain t o attempt t o give in a few pages any adequate

account of a system which was expo unded in volumin ous writings ,
and extends itself over the whole range of the sciences In con .

cl u si o n we may notice H egel s statement , that hi s method cann ot

’
,

b e opposed to any other mode of phil osophy ; b ecause it includes

‘

all other modes To explain this assertion by an exampl e —if .

’

s ome moral law or doctrin e is t o be established the disciples o f ,

one school wi ll appeal t o the conscienc e o f the indivi dual Th e .

Idealist adm its the propriety of such an appeal ; for he regards

the in divi dual conscience in its normal state as b eing a summary o r
c ompendium of u niversal l aw ; but he also say s Th e individual
mind may b e defective and therefore such an ap pe al t o its testi ,

mony is not sufli ci e nt to establish the law ! A gain the di sciple ‘ ’

,

of another school will distru st t h e in div idual conscience and will ,

rather make an appeal to the conclusions in duced from history .

Again the Idealist admits the validity of the appeal as he regards

, ,

large b odies of men &c the event s of hi story as being pe rvaded ,

.
‘

by the same reason whi ch is manifested in the i ndividual ! Ac ’

cording to his doctri ne one l iving min d or so ul pe rvades all ,

nature rules throughout all the events of hi story an d mani fests

, ,

itself in an infinite series of individual forms displaying its in e x ,

h au st ibl e riches b y producing all the oppositions and varieties of

qualities fo un d in the universe , and y et ever maintaining its o wn
i
e ssential uni t fi
y

In t h e b
hi h m y p rh p b r g d e d
a o ve p assa ge n at te m p t t
,
w do c a e a s e e ar as a o
wh t i a l m t im p s a i b l ( t gi os m b i f n d i nt ll ig ibl r
o ss elt f ol m in v e so e r e a e e e su s o a vo u ous

a nd bt a p hil phy ) i t m
s ru se t b b d t h t t h r i n i t n t i n it h r t
o so ,
us e O se rv e a e e s o n e o e e o
m in t i n r t di p t t h t r t h f t h prin i pl
a a o o s u e t t d T f rm e rr t u t im t e o e c es s a e . o o a co ec es a
o f t h t nd n ie e nd l t im te ul t
c es a f t hi p hil p h y i t w l d in t h fi t p l
u a e re s s o s o so , ou , e rs a ce ,

ry t d t m in t h q t i n wh t h r i t m d r t r i t xt r m ’
b n e e c e ssa o e er e e ue s o , e e s o e a e o s e e e
di i pl g i t h t d l p m n t f i t p ri n i pl
sc es ve e ru e Of th xt m p art y (wh o
e ve o e o s c e s. e e re e

m yb r pa n t d by
e e h wri t
re se L U D W G F U R A C H ) l it t l
e su c ul d b a id e r as I E E B e co e sa

wi t h p p i t y i n ro w k n g n
r e l l it t a ; b t w m yh or in di te t h n
o e e ra e ra u re u e a e re ca e a
t r u e f t h i r d t in
o by e yi n g t h t t h y
oc r n m
es l ti n y th n th
sa a e are e v e o re re v o u o ar a e
d o t rin p l t i n F n t w rd t h l
c es re v a e n f th ight nt h n t y W it h
ra ce o a e c o se o e e ee ce ur .

re g rd t i t i n di
a t infl
o n s t h m o d n p hil
re c phy i rt muely n f th m t
c e s, e er o so s ce a o e o e os
i mp rt ant p rt
o f G rm n l it a t r s o nd m l ik l y t e ff t t h a rr nt fe ra u e , a se e s e o a ec e cu e o

pin i n th gh o t t h w l d A i n t n of i t in dir t infl n w m y ce s a

f ll w ing f t —T h r i g o d r n f
o o s ro u u e or . s s a s ec ue ce , e

n ot i th ce e o o p p ing t h t
ac s ll t h m st e e s o e aso o r su os a a e o

r m rk bl and inn
e a a t in g id
e f n d i n t h p hil p hi l w it in g f C L R D G
o va e as ou e o so ca r s o O E I E

w r d i d fr m h i s p r
e e e r ve l f t h w rk o f K nt J b i n d S h lli n g Th
e u sa o e o s o a , ac o , a c e . e se

id m y b f n d i n S h l l i n g w k n t h Phil phy f N t r nd t h e
e as a e ou c e
’
s or s o e o so o a u e ,
’
a

S o l f t h e W o rl d whi ch w re p b l i h e d i n 1 797 nd 1 7 98 Many of t h re mark

’
u o e u s a . e
,
 SEVEN TH PER I O D . 27 3

T HE O L O G Y .

The theological work s which have appeared s ince 1 7 7 0 are t o o

numerous and important t o b e adequatel y described i n a short
treatise on general literature ; our attention must therefore be
confin ed t o a fe w writers who represent the tendencies of variou s
schools of doctrine The wide diversities of b elief still existing in .

Germany — a country which has b een the principal source o f

religious controversies for more than two cent uries— may b e in
ferred from the following fa ct s — T h e R oman C atholic C hurch
prevails chi efly in the southern states O rt hodox Protestants are .

disting uished by their adherence t o the doctrines defin ed in the

C onfession of Augsburg Th ese doctrines have also b een
essentially maintained b y the P ietists who have formed separat e ,

comm unities T h e M ystics ceased to exi st as a part y at the e ra

.

of the R eformation ; but t h e influence of their writings survived,

an d ma y still be found in the works of modern authors Th e N eo .

l ogi st s or R ationalists have rej ected the supern atural po rtions o f

, ,

S c ripture O ther writers who may be deno min ated as Idealists

.
, ,

regard the same passages as symbolical expressions of certain

abstract doctrines L astl y the German C atholics hav e separated .
,

themselves from the R omish Church and have endeavoured t o ,

estab l ish a communi on on the b asis of a few general articles o f

faith .

J O H ANN MI C H AE L S AI LER ( 1 7 5 1 b ishop of R egensb urg ,

and a memb er of the societ y o f J e sui t s; wrote a M anual o f ‘

’
C hristian E thics D iscourses on R e li gion and many other pra o
,
‘ ’
,

tical and devotional works which contain some li b eral Views , ,

and were condemn ed by certain parties in the R omish Church .

F RANZ V O L K MAR R E I N H ARD ( 1 7 5 3 —1 8 1 2 ) appeared in e arly lif e as

an acute sceptic ; b ut after a great change had taken place in h i s
Opini ons he b ecame the most celebrated preacher o f hi s tim e H i s
,
f
.

‘
S ermons which have b een published in thi rt y -ni n e volumes
,
’

di splay earnestness and unaffected solemnit y of style .

F R IE DR I C H SCHL IE R MAC H ER ( 1 7 68 — 1 834 ) was educated among

the U nited B rethren but left their societ y in 1 7 87 and studied , ,

theolo gy in conn ection wi th the philosophical s y stem whi ch pre

vailed at that tim & He b ecame celebrated as a preacher at B erli n
abl e an d so -
c all e d myst i l xpr io n s r g rdin g xt rn l nat ure f un d i n W R D
ca e e ss e a e e a o O s
W R T H S E x r i n ( 1 8 1 4 ) n d t h r p m m y b f n d n d n d n d gi n
O
’
cu s o a o e oe s a e ou co e se a ve

m r b l dl y i n
o e o h rt p m whi h S h ll in g p bl i h d i n t h J rn l f S p l
a s o oe c c e u s e e ou a o e cu a
ti veP hy i i n 1 8 00 Th sin g l r wri t in g o f M r C A R L L r full f t h t n
s cs . e u a s Y E a e o e e
d n i f F i h t s p h il p h y A l l t h m t r m rk b l p ul t i ns i n t h l t ic
’
e c es o c e o so . e os e a a e s ec a o e ec ec
sy t m f V CT R C U S N t h
s e o I F n h p hil ph r r nf d l y b rro w d from
O O I , e re c o so e , a e co e sse o e
S h ll in g n d H g l
c e a Th d t ri ne f t h Am i n
e . y i t n d l ct r r E M R
e oc es o e e r ca e ssa s a e u e , E
S ON r , im pl y r pro d ct ion o f t h e ideas o f F i cht e i n a ne w dress M ny o t her
a e s a e u . a
i nst n c e s mi gh t be gi ve n
a .
2 74 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

( 796
1 and wrote a series of reli gious meditations entitled
H is Critique on S ystems of M orality appeared
’
M onologues .
’

i n 1 8 03 ; and in the followi ng year he began wi th the assistanc e ,

of Friedrich S chlegel a translation o f the works of Plato A b out

, .

the same t ime he wrote his D iscourses o n R eligion , addressed t o

’
E ducated S ceptics H is singular religious views arising o ut o f
.
,

hi s endeavour t o reconcil e the recognised doctrines of P rotestants

with certain philosophi cal speculations are contained in hi s work ,

o n the C hristian Faith which is written in an abstruse

and complicated style His practical sermons and some other
.

writings display an earnest character and an acute intellect

s eriousl y inj ured by devotion to metaphysical abstractions It .

is rather remarkable that Goethe who looked on all the phil o so ,

p hi c al speculations of his contemporaries with great di strust fore ,

t old that the i r endeavours t o reduce theology to a metaphysical

system wo ul d lead t o confusion and controversy T his pre d iction .

was fulfil led in the works of S chl i e rmach e r and other writers .

WI L HE L M DE WE TT E born in 1 7 8 0 was the friend of S chlier

, ,

macher, and may be described as one of the most learned and

able representatives o f the rationalistic school His p rin cipal .

work an E xegetical M anual of the N ew T estament ( 1 8 3 6

,
‘

is a production of great erudition and labour Besides this he .

,

h as publi s hed a ne w T ranslation o f the S criptures , in three

‘ ’

volumes and many other works .

L UDWI G F R I ED R I C H T H EREMI N , born in 1 7 83 was celebrated ,

as a public orator in B erl in His S ermons collected in thirt y

‘
.
’
,

nine volumes are imaginative and eloquent H e also .

wrote Adalbert s C onfessions

‘ ’
and a work entitled E ven ‘

i ng Hours J O H AN N WIL H E L M NEANDER , b orn in 1 7 8 9 ,

who has been mentioned as the author of an extensive history

of the Christian Church has als o written several works on distinct
,

features in church hi story Among these Jul ian . St ,

‘ ’ ‘

B ernard and S t Chry sostom

‘
may b e mentioned .

KARL U LL MANN born in 1 7 9 6 attain ed a prominent place among

, ,

theologians by his writings on the side of the orthodox Protestant

C onfession during a t ime of controversy T hese works li ke many .
,

others of the same period are so intimately connected with ,

polemics that no interesting description could be given o f them

,

without trespassing beyond the bounds of this treatise T h e .

same remark may be applied to several of the works o f FRI EDR I C H

T H O L U C K born in 1 7 9 9 who is celebrated as a learned exegetical
—
, ,

writer His S ermons ( 1 8 3 4 1 8 3 9 ) and Hours o f C hristian

.
‘ ’

’
D evotion are his most popular works .

Among the most p o pul arc o mm e nt ari e s o n the S acred Writings

‘
may b e mentione d the work of FR I EDRI C H Lrso o , entitled The
27 6 G ERMA N L IT ERA TURE .

O n the other side S trauss and h is associates argue that such a

,

d istinction can b e clearly drawn that a multiplication o f tenets ,

and doctrines requiring for their proof long and careful historical
,

i nvestigations has pro duced unbelief and discord in opin ions and
m
, ,

that a more sim e and liberal exposition of Christianit y is no w

required .

L IT ERAR Y HI S T O R Y AND CR ITI C I SM .

M odern Germa n literature has been singul arly rich in this de

p art m e nt T.h e circum st an ces of thoughtful and spec ul ative men

which have been described as favourable to the study o f uni versal

history have also promoted the investigat ion of ancie nt and
,

mode rn l it e rat ru e I n the literary republic students ha ve foun d

'

.
,

t h e libert y whi ch they co ul d not enj oy in actual life P oets .

,

hi storians philosophers and other writers have been stu died an d

, , ,

criticised not merely as authors but with especial reference to ,

the ir respective contributions to t h e progress o f ideas and the

m ovements o f society F or inst ance FR IEDR I C H S C HLE G E L , in
.
,

h i s comprehensive course o f lectures on the literary production s

o f many ages did not write merely as an artistic critic but als o
, ,

as the apologist of ce rtain reli gious and poli tical principles It .

must b e notic e d that a great number o f ingenious works o f li te

r ary history and criticism have been written rather for the use
of studious scholars than fo r the public Many German writers .

appear t o despair o f comm un icating their thoughts in a style

intelligible to the common sens e of the people H ence there still .

remain s a great part of that distinction between a pop ul ar and

a scholastic style which we have obse rved in the M id dl e Ages ,

when the literati separated their thoughts from all popul ar i nt e lli
gence b y writing in L atin It may b e said that in some depart
.

ments of philosophy it is necessary to maintain a scholastic style ;

b ut o n the other side it may b e remarked that the habit of writing
,

fo r the general reading public t hough it is attend e d with its,

p eculiar temptations to shallowness and flipp an c

y is the b es t ,

corrective of all tendencies to pedantry and over -re fin e me nt In .

G ermany learned men write in a great measure for one another

, ,

and it is a distin guishing mark o f clearness o f style in certain

’
works when they are said to b e written for the lait y ; that i s, ‘

the p eople T h e necessity of such a mark may b e explained b y

.

the fact , that many p h ilosophical works , though written purely

i n German, are so techn ical or schola stic in style that p eo ple o f ,

a go od co mmon educatio n and well acquain ted with t he i r mother

,

t ongue cann ot understand one sentence

, In literary his t ory also.
, ,

t h e o bj ect o f man y writers appears to b e rather to accum ul at e

 SEV EN T H PER I O D . 27 7

than to diffuse information C onsequently in this department

.
,

we fin d many learned but fe w generally useful b ooks T h e

,
.

li terature of past ages which is in itsel f too diffuse to b e com

,

prehended b y men of scant y leisure in mode rn times is compli ,

cat e d and extended rather t han simpli fi ed and compressed into

,

a readable form If the labour s of learned historians and critics

.

had been directed to p opularise without falsifying the results of ,

soun d and extensive scholarship , we might have p ossessed at

t hi s t M e a useful series of manuals ; and even readers with out ,

much time for study need not have remained without a fair general
,

acquain tance with universal literature B ut while concise and .

masterly summaries are required many scholars love t o wander ,

i n never -endin g disquisitions T h e consequence is that in Ger

.
,

many as well as in E ngland the greater number of readers

, ,

acquire nothin g more than a fragmentary and accidental know

ledge o f books , and often neglect the best whil e they read the ,

worst Hence we find such strange exaggerations and mist akes

.

regarding the characteristics of various writers S ome German .

readers for instance as we have already noticed , called Jean

, ,
’
P aul a S econd S hak sp e are an d mistakes of the same k ind,
‘
,

though seldom so egregious sometimes occur in E nglish literature

,
.

As all o ur j udgments must b e c o mparative it is essential to a ,

fair appreciation o f the present that the li terature of the past

should not b e forgotten Without some fair idea of the whole ,
.

we cannot j ustly e st irnat e the value o f a part A mere poetaster .

might pass as a true p oet with readers who had no knowledge

of such minds as H omer and Shak sp e are B esides , many b ooks
'
.

contain features of int e re st , whil e they are not sui table for general
reading T here is also an interest in t h e study of li terature as
.

a progressive whole which cannot b e foun d in fragmentary read

,

i ng
. T hese remarks , we t hi nk , indicate the duties of the li terary
historian , whi ch have b een neglected by many able and learned
German writers .

T h e critical writin gs of H ERDER , which have b een mentioned in

their relation to poetry do not requi re any further anal y si s , as
,

the y were more remarkable for the impulses whi ch the y gave to
the studies o f other authors than for their i ntrin sic merits .

G O E T HE and S C HI L LER ma y be mentioned among the writers of

criticism the former , especially on account o f the cando ur and
, ,

moderation of his opinions , and the elegance of hi s prose style .

These qualities are di splayed in hi s D iscourse in C ommemora ‘

tion of Wieland ’
In all his prose writings , Goethe showed
that the Ge rman language might b e written wi th grace pre crsro n, ,

and clearness There is no apparent effort , no affectation in his

.

st le
y . I t is g enui n e ,
natural ,
and b eautiful Goethe foun d great .
2 78 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

d elight in studyi ng and describ ing the characteristics of Shak

s peare .

T he series o f letters written by S chill er o n the fine art s and

p oetical literature are pervaded by a loft y and ideal tone o f
’

t hought partl y derived from the study o f Kant s philosophy

'

.
,

T h e true p oet or artist says S chil ler must remember hi s

’ ‘
, , ,

relation t o the times in whi ch he lives ; but he must not b e the

creature of hi s t ime s His endeavour should b e not onl y t o
a
.

please but to correct and re fin e the minds of his contemporaries

,
.

T o do this he must contemn mere conventional and accidental

,

tastes He must look upward t o the laws o f truth and ideal

.

b eaut y and not downward t o p op ul ar applause

,
S chill er was .
’

c onfirmed in this mode of thinking b y t h e conversations and

letters of his friend WI L H ELM V O N H U M RO L D T ( 1 7 6 7 who .

was an accomplished phi lologist and wrote se v eral works on lan ,

g uage and literat u re H is views of poetr

. y were rather p hil o s o

p hi c al t han pop ul a r .

T h e B rothers S chlegel develope d that t aste for universal lite

rature which He rder had in troduced A ugustus the elder ( 1 7 6 7 .
,

first acquired fame by some specimens of a Translation of

D ante and extended hi s reputation by a T ranslation of Shak
,
’ ‘

s peare He was afterwards united with his brother in t h e pro

’
.

d uction of a critical j ournal T h e Athenaeum and in writ ’

,

ing a series of Characteristics and Criti ques He issued ’

a translation of f C alderon s D ramas in 1 8 0 3 and Garlands of

’ ’
,

Italian S panish , and P ortuguese P oetry in 1 8 0 4 H is L ectures

,
’
,
.

o n D ramatic Art and L iterature were given at V ienn a i n 1 8 0 8 . .

H e then devoted his studies with ent husiasm to O riental , and

e speciall y ancient S anscrit literature .

In all these writings AU G U S TU S S C HLE G EL displayed a mind

e ndowed rather wi th comprehensive intell igence than original

c reative genius H is poems are elegant but not remarkable H e

.
,
.

shared in the antipathy against rationalism and logical phi ‘ ’ ‘

l o so ph y whi ch was expressed b y his youn ger brother and may ,

b e regarded as one of the founders of the so called R omantic

- ‘
’

S chool Of poetry which has been describ ed i n the section on

’ -
’

prose -fi ct i o n FR I EDR I C H S C H L E G E L t h e younger brother ( 1 7 7 2

.
,
’
wrote his work on the P oetry of the Greeks and R omans
in 1 7 98 He was even more decided than his b rother in opposi
.

tion to the sceptical character of some phil osophi cal theories in

hi s da y His mind had a stro ng predilection towards all that was
.

w onderful and mysterious in literature as in religion ; and t h e

result of his studies was that he entered the R oman Catholic
,

church at C ologne in 1 80 3 whi ch produced some excitement i n ,

t h e litera ry world After thi s conversion, S chlegel made even his

.
28 0 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

contrast the styles of literat ure prevailing in Catholic and Protes

tant countries after the R eformation and expresses great admira , ,

t ion of C alderon and C amo e ns T h e religious prej u di ces o f the .

writer become clearly manifest in his criticisms on modern litera

ture as we see i n the foll owing passage
,
England still retain ed
more o f the influence of the ancient church than other Protestant
countries and therefo re here we find that poetry again appeared
, .

sim ilar in its nature to the romantic poetry of the southern Catholic
countries Shak sp e are S penser , and Mi lton derived a consider
.
, ,
~

able part o f their poetic inspirations from their romantic prede

’
c e sso rs especiall y the Italians
,
In t his style S chl egel attempts to .

prove that true p oetry has flourished chiefly under the infl uenc e
of the R omish Ch urch He observes two facts which are qui te .
,

correct ; namely that the Re fo rmat i o n in Germany was foll owed by

,

a dreary period in poetic literature while in E ngland poetic geni us ,

was developed in abundance B ut he forgets two explanatory .

facts first that in Germany ecclesiastical and social dist urbances

,

occupied the nrinds of all classes ; and secondly that in Engla nd ,

society soon enj oyed a restoration of order and prosperit y under

E lizabeth In sho rt this History of L iterature affords a remark
.
,

able instance o f a work written with a purpose N o obj ection .

can b e raised against it o n this groun d ; but in the prosecution of

his purpose the author employs sometimes unfair or erroneous
,

reasonings T his characteristic requires particular observation ;

.

fo r if there is any o ne faul t whi ch especi all y detracts from the

val ue o f many learned German works it is the sacrifi ce of facts ,

t o favourite theories O n the other side , when facts appear t o

.

support an author s theory he is tempted to exaggerate them : of

’
,

thi s we find an apposite instance in S chlegel s deduction of the ’

French R evolution from the French Phil osophy of the eighteenth

century He appears to have forgotten the previous histor y of
.

the court of L ouis XIV where a German duchess the mother of .

, ,

the regent clearly predicted that a terrible social revolution

,
‘

must be the result o f the evi ls which she witnessed in the

’

seve ntee nth century O n the whole it may be said that these
.
,

lectures display great ability and strong prej udices .

F RAN Z H O RN ( 1 7 8 1 though far inferior to the B rothers

S chlegel in compass o f knowledge may be mentioned as t h e ,

writer o f se v eral works which directed attention to German

li terary his t ory and also as a commentator on Shak sp e are
,
.

WI LH E L M SO L G E R ( 1 7 8 0 —1 8 1 9 ) was an acute critical writer in

ZE st h e t i cs o r the sci e nc e o f the sublim e and beautiful in art
‘ ’
,

and literature fo r which we have no E ngli sh name

,
‘
Erwin .

o n B eauty and Art and Philosophical C onversations

’ ‘

'

are the chief productions of t ln s writer .

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 28 1

Wh ile the B rothers S chlegel and many other writers followe d

the tendencies of Herder in universal literature a national Ge rm an ,

s chool of research an d criticism was founded and supported by the

B rothers JAC O B an d WI L H ELM GR I MM with many able associates ,

.

Jacob the elder brother , devoted his researches to the German

,

literature of the M iddl e Ages and collected the scattered rem,

nants of old popul ar legends In conj unction with hi s brother

.
,
’
he published his C hildren s Fables or H ousehold T ales
’
,

in 1 8 1 2 These are marked b y a st yle of great s implicit y and

.
,

o ften convey pleas ing sentiments and good morals , mingled gene

rally with fantastic and supernatural adventures Another col .

lection of German L egends was produced in 1 8 1 6 M eanwhil e

‘ ’
.

Jacob G rimm studied industriously the old dialect s and other

.

a ntiquities of hi s co u ntry esp eciall y the old s y stem of laws

,
T he .

re s ul ts of these researches appeared in a profoun d and compre

h e nsiv e Gramm ar of the German L anguage ( 1 8 1 8 a work
o n the L egal Antiqui ties of Germany
‘
and the German ‘

M ythology T hese works have secure d for the author

’

t h e highest position among national phil ologists and antiquaries .

Wilhelm followed the same course of studies T hese brothers , .

i ndeed may b e styled intellectual twi ns insepara b le in their sym

, ,

pathics as in their li terary pursuits ; and all the characteristics of

t h e elder Jacob , may be also ascribed to the y ounger Wilhelm
, ,
.

Th eir example gave a strong impul se t o the study O f G erm an

archaeolo gy and many writers n o w entered the fi eld of inqui ry
,
.

T h e results o f their studies have been hailed with enthusia sm ;

.

a nd it is onl y natural that exaggerated admiration has been excite d

b y the recovery of many relics of old literature T hese remains .

are no w so abundant as to form a considerable lib rary of literary

a ntiquities .

L UD WIG U H LAND ( 1 7 87 wh o has b een mentioned as one o f

t he most national and popul ar of modern poets is also well kn o wn ,

as a student of old literature H e wrote an interesting b ook o n

.

the character of Walter von der V ogelweide , the min strel and
morali st o f the twelfth centur y of whom some account is given in
,

t h e present work An other writer alli ed with Jaco b Grimm in

.
,

the national tone of his productions was J O SEP H G OR E ES ( 1 7 7 6,

He also resembled Friedrich S chlegel in hi s zeal for t h e

R omish C hurch b ut in every other respect was i nferior as an
,

author He p ossessed neither the calmness nor the clearness of

.

style which the historian requires but wrote generally in a p ole ,

mical tone In his political and religious Views he b elonged to t h e

.

U ltramontane part y .

WO L F G AN G M ENZEL ( 1 7 9 8) well kn own as a critical and p ole

mical writer of t he national school, has written a ‘ H istory o f G e r
 28 2 G ERMAN LIT ERAT URE .

r nan L iterature ( 1 8 28 ) The Spirit of H istory

‘
and Eu ’ ‘

rope in the Year 1 8 40 A s the editor o f the L iterat ur Blatt

.
‘
,

he has warml y Opposed the extreme revolutionary tendencies o f

recent philosophical and social theories It may be added that .

M enzel is o ne of the clearest and best writers of German prose .

The writ ings and translations of HA G EN L AC H MANN GRAF F , , ,

GRA S S E and many others might be mentioned as important contri

, ,

butions to l iterature and archaeolo gy ; but works in this department

are peculiarly national in their interest and too numerous to be ,

specified T o mention o ne work by E G GRAFF will be sufficient

. . .

t o show that the phil ological works o f this school are too compre
’
h e nsi v e to b e fairly described in a short treatise G rafl s T h e .
‘

Sauru s of the O ld High -German L anguage ( 1 8 30— 1 8 4 3 ) extends t o

six quarto volumes , containing all the words o f this language with ,

numerous notes on the analogies found in t h e Gothic O ld High ,

German , S anscrit Greek , R oman Anglo -S axon D utch D anish

, , , , ,

S wedish , and E ngli sh languages I t is a valuable work A His . .

tory of the P oetical National L iterature of the Germans ( 1 835 ’

b y GE O R G E G O TTF R I ED G E RV I NU S presents a remarkabl e ,

instance o f patience and industry T h e author must have read .

not merely many volumes but rather whole libraries of wo rt hl es s

,

b ooks in order to arrive at his results T o avoid the appearance

,
.

o f do gmatic assertion he condescends to give details of works

,

whi ch he has prono un ced to be generall y contemptible T hi s .

minute and lab orious style , whi ch di splay s the sound learn ing of
the author is b y no means attractive to the general reader who
, ,

wishes to arrive at resul ts b y a short and easy process Yet G e r .

V in u s is no pedantic writer His attention is not confined to t h e

.

world o f b ooks but he studies literature chiefly in its relations t o

,

the progress of societ y H is Views o n this subj ect are di rectly

.

O pposed to the doctrines of Friedrich S chl egel The foll owing .

short passage may indi cate his Opini ons respecting t h e duties of
critics and literary historians
C R I T I C I SM .

I cannot hope that my mode o f treatment wil l pl e ase all readers .

M any will say perhaps that my judgment is t o o se v ere and my pr aise ,

t o o scanty T his d isagreement canno t be a voi d ed ; but I mus t

.

re quest that the reader wi ll n o t c ensure my judgment in any o n e

,
.
"

particul ar point until he has c onsidered it in re l ation t o the whol e to

,

which it bel ongs as particul ar judgments ough t t o resul t from exten

,

s i v e comparison Whil e some may think that I hav e re d u ce d t h e

.

works worthy o f remembrance in o u r l it erature t o a scan t y numb e r ,

I am c onvinced that my mode o f treatment is essential fo r the b e s t

i nt erests o f l iterature In these modern times whi c h inherit the
.
,

writings o f thousands o f years, we ought I think, t o becom e mor e ,

2 84 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

it as a species o f pride o r sel f-suffi ci e n cy though i t arose from

’

e ntire l y opposite prin c ip l es Another sign o f his heal thful character

.

a s a l iterary man may be fo u n d in his d e l ight in natura l stu d ies .

He ne v er l iv ed in a monastic styl e c o nfine d among bo o ks in a ,

s tu d y ; but found mater ial s fo r th o u ght an d poetry in c ommun io n

w ith nature con v ersation with his frien d s and obser v ations o n
, ,

popular l ife He knew h o w t o sh un an extreme l y se d entary life

.
,

a n d o v er -
re fl e c t i v e studies w hi c h tend t o produ c e an unwho l es o me
,

tone o f thought T hus when he fo und that h i s l ong resid ence at

.
,

t h e cou rt o f W eim ar w as l ike l y t o c o ntract his views an d observ a

tions he regar d ed his j ourney t o Ital y as a necessary recreation
, .

His stu d ies o f natural scien c e were pu rsued o n the same prin c ipl e
'
.

In these he foun d a we l c ome refreshment and genial o c c upation

o f min d when we ary with at t ention t o books an d hum an li fe
,
A nd .

it is we ll fo r e v ery l iterary m an when after toil ing ami d the , ,

c ontradictions o f human so c iety and o pinions he can retire a whi l e , ,

an d find so l ace as G oethe sai d in genial an d intimate c on v er se

“
, ,

w ith nature It is good sometimes after we hav e been l ong oc e n

7,
.
,

ied with the thoughts and wor d s o f o u r fe ll ow-men t o stray among

p ,

the mountai ns and e njoy sil ent discourse e v en with rocks and
,

trees ?
A s historians and critics of Ancient C lassical L it e rature , German
’

s cholars have maintained the highest position i n modern t irn e s,

a nd their works are too comprehensive to b e fairly described

h ere , too numerous als o to b e even mentioned severally T he .

c haracteristics of many learned works in thi s depart ment will

b e in dicated by a definition of the obj ect for which the study of

a ncient literature should be pursued T his de finition is found .

i n the L ect ures o n the S tudy o f An tiquity

’
‘
by FR I EDR I C H
A WO L F ( 1 7 5 9
. o n e o f the greatest philologists of his

t imes He says
. O ur Obj ect in t h e study of antiquity shoul d
b e to gain a kn owledge of men as they existed in ancient tim es .

T hi s kn owledge must be foun ded on o ur study o f li terary and

o ther remain s of anti q uity ; and from this study we m ust induce
g eneral observations on the organic development and impo rtance
o f ancient national culture T his defin ition which is generally
’
.
,

received by the learned men of Germany evidently opens a most ,

spacious fi eld for in quiry and speculation T h e id e a o f classical .

e rudition is extended far b eyond its common lim itation , and is

c onn ected with researches respecting not the languages only , b ut

also the reli gion philosophy social economy and art s and sciences
, , ,

o f ancient nations GE O R G E F CR E U ZE R ( 1 7 7 1
. is one of many.

s cholars who have adopted the de fin ition of Wolf and is cele ,

brat e d as the writer o f a remarkable book on the S ymbolism ‘

a nd M ytholo gy of the An cients especially the Greeks ’

,

In this work the author maintain s that the mythology of the

 .
‘

SEVEN T H PER I O D . 28 5

Greek s was a series of p erso nifi cat io ns of the powers and Opera
tions of nature as the y were understood in ancie nt times A
,
. .

’
sh ort extract wil l show the char acter of this writer s theory

G RE C IA N M Y T H O L OG Y .

All the various forms and sym bol s which we find i n the myth o
l ogy o f the G recian peopl e may be redu ced t o o n e simpl e p incipl e r

—the d e ificat i o n o f material nature T h e “ l iving e l ements ” as

,

the G reeks esteeme d them—ai r fire earth and water with all their
.
,

, , , ,

v arious infl uences o n mankind all the mos t remarkab l e creatu res
in the ani ma l and v egetab l e kingdoms—the sun the moon pl anets
,

and some o f the fixe d stars ; fo r instance S irius —these were the
, , ,

real obj ects o f adoration among the G reeks and were ce l ebra ted ,

in a thousand fab l es Th e p ub l ic as we ll as the pri va t e re l igion

.

o f this peop l e was founded o n physical obser v ations and dec o rate d ,

by imagination T h e tim es o f light and o f darkness the seasons

.
,

o f the year the periodic phenomena o f the sun an d the moon with
, ,

their e ffects seed-time and harvest these formed a cycl e o f re ligious

, ,

festi val s T his rel igion was physical in its origin an d the obj ect s
.
,

o f worship were mul tiplied t o thous ands by poetic al fantasy

’
.

KARL OTT F R IE D M UL L ER ( 1 7 9 7 —1 8 40 ) must b e mentioned as an

a ccomplished scholar , and the author of an excell ent wor k, a H i s
‘

tory o f Grecian L iterature to the time of Al exander the Great

T hi s work was unfort u nately left b y the author in an
incomplete state , but contains much i nformation , conveyed i n a
p op ul ar st yle An other work by the same writer , a M anual of
.
‘

G recian Art and Archaeology deserves similar commendation

’
, .

A mong many works whi ch may b e recommended to classical stu

d ents we may mention the writin gs o f F R I EDR I C H WE L C K ER on
,

t h e T rag e di es of fE sch yl u s f the R eal E ncyclop aedia of Clas~

‘ ‘

si cal Antiquities edited b y P AUL Y, WAL z and T E UF F EL ( 1 84 1

,
’
,

and the L ife and Works of S ophocles by AD O L P HU S ’

,

S C H OLL O the r works may b e reco mmended to the gene

’
ral reader F or instance Hell as and R ome b y K F RO R B ER G
.
,
‘
,
. .

( 1 8 4 1 is an excell ent manual ,

containing good selections
from Greek and R oman writers in prose and verse with suitable ,

introductions and critical notes T h e Grecian An tiqui ties , by .

’

WIL H E L M WAC H S M U T H ( 1 8 4 3 and a H istory of R oman

‘

’
Li terature by J C F B AH R
,
. deserve praise It may b e
. . .

generally remarked wi th regard to these and many s i milar works ,

,

that while the greatest German scholars have extended their re

s earches into the widest fi elds of classical antiquit y their work s ,

are l e ss p e dant i c , in the strict sense of the term than the writing s ,
s

of some English scholars who seem to have studied nothi ng b ut ,

Words As j ustice has required us to admit the inferiorit y of Ger

'

.
286 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

man wri ters in several departments it is a pleasure here to ackno w ,

ledge the vast superiority o f such men asWO L F MUL L E R WE L C K E R , , ,

and JAC O B S over all such verbal pedants as are represented by

,

the once -celebrated J O S H UA B ARNE S o f C ambridge T h e obj ect of .

classical erudition as defin ed by “ o lf is something infinitely higher

T
, ,

than turning the contents of a newspaper into Greek h e xame

‘

t ers in the st yle of B arnes and others

’
,
It wo ul d be ungraciou s .

not to acknowledge—which we do with much pleasure —that not

only C entral E urope but the worl d generally has been prodigiously
, ,

in debted to the erudite and p at n o t i c studies of German scholars

'

Into the obscurities of Greek and R oman literature the Germans

have made the most laborious researches and th eir critical edition s ,

and recensions o f the classics are a marvel o f enlightened and often ,

p oorly -rewarded industry T h e enthusiasm wi th which this branch

.

of learning has been pursued by them bears a remarkable contrast ,

t o the generally calculating indi fference of scholarship in Great

B ritain where it may b e said that little time is spent o n what doe s
,

not promise handsome pecun iary or professional rewards T h e .

pursuit of learnin g for learning s sake is in the present state o f ’

things found scarcely anywhere o u t of Germany T h e deal ing in

,
.

t houghts and words at seco n d-hand now so common in E ngland , ,

and much more so in S cotland and the verbal and routine studies ,
.

of o ur schools and universities are spoken of by Germans un der ,

t h e contemptuous term P hi listere i a word not t ransl at e abl e but , ,

implying every species of small confined pedantry and mechanical

learning P erhaps thi s is too strong a phrase and yet where are
.
,

we to fin d series after series of volumin ous editions of the classics ,

based on original examination and criticism except from the pens ,

o f the scholars of German y ? O ne of the latest of these great men

was D R C ARL G ZU M P T , of the university of B erlin , who died in
.

No German writer has excelled FR I EDR I C H JAC O B S ( 1 7 6 4 ) in

c onvey ing in an elegant and pleasing style the information gathered
by extensive classical learning His writings show an enthusiastic .

admiration of the literature and fin e arts of the Greeks which he ,

has studied in their relations t o the social circumstances and natu

ral characteristics of this people He has especially described t h e .

cheerful influence of the fine arts on public and private life during
the flouri shing days of Athens and has shown cle arly that in these ,

times literature did not exist in that state of abstract ion fI o m the
e n e i al i nt e I e st s of t h e people in which we fin d it durin g the
g
M id dl e Ages and even in mode m times T h e value which F
,
. .

Jacob s ascribes t o the in flu ence of Grecian phil osophy i s perhap s

Zum p t s e
’
di t i o n f t h e R m n l i h ve bee n reprint e d in a fo rm s itabl e f r
s o o a c a ss cs a u o

sch o o l s by t h e M e ssrs Ch mbe rs o f Edin b rgh

a u .
 G E RMAN L IT ERAT URE
'

28 8 .

p u re and n ob l e pub l i c t aste was sav ed from the d e gradation o f ,

ha ving t o pl e as e the fal se and ac c i d en tal taste s o f mere ind i vi d u al s .

C onse que n tl y as l ong as this j o yo u s p ub l ic l ife o f the At h enians

,

fl ouri sh e d t h e fi ne ar t s retained t h eir e x ce ll e n ce but began t o d ecay

, ,

as s o o n as G re c ian liber ty su fi e re d T h e M ac e d o nian prin c e s re f

.

sp e c t e d the cities o f G ree c e as the fo rmer ab o d es o f m any v irtues

, ,

a n d accor dingl y l eft them generall y in the e nj o yment o f their o wn

modes o f go v ernment Y e t the d e feat at C her o nea pro v ed a fatal

.

b l o w t o G reece T h e gl ad ness an d enthusiasm o f pub l ic l ife v anished ;

.

the free spirit o f the ci t iz ens was broken F e w sp arks o f hope n o w .

gl immered among the recoll e cti o n s o f better d ays T h e pri vate cha .

ra ct e rs o f the peop l e degenerated T h e l ower p assions o f human .

n ature had been in a great measure o v errul e d by the enthusi asm

atten d ing great national i d eas bu t as these d e c aye d the baser dis ,

positions gained ground A s pub l ic virtue fa d ed poetry an d t h e

.
,

fine arts al so l ost their former l ustre M ere riches coul d n o t

suppl y th at encouragement t o n o b l e p roductions whi ch had been
found i n a free national spirit Weal th al one ne v er produced any .

trul y great work E ven as a hel p it is onl y v al uab l e when su bo rd i

.
,

nate t o a nob l e purp o se T h e T hess al ians were ri ch but what great

.
,

work d id they pro d uce ? Yet e ve n i n the d ecl ining d ays o f ,

G reece the works o f art which h ad been produced by publ i c spiri t

, ,

inspiring genius were sti ll sacre d l y preser ved by the peopl e as their
,

dearest m o nu ments o f fo rm er gl o ry A s C icero tell s u s there was .

,

n o instance o f a G re ci an city v o l untari l y r e signin g its s c ul ptu res and

paintings ”
When Ni c o m e d e s o f Bithynia re queste d the p eopl e o f
.

G uidos t o surren d er the statue o f Aphr o d ite by P raxitel e s an d pro , ,

mi se d t o take o ff the burthen o f pub l ic debt if they woul d compl y ,

the citi zens answered that they wou l d rather suffer the greates t
“

”
incon v eniences than resign their ch oicest treasure Again when .
,

D emetrius besieged Rhodes the inhabitants o f this p l ace sent a mes ,

sage t o their enemy re questing that he woul d all ow them t o pre

ser v e the picture o f Ial ysus by P rotogenes and the besiege r rep l ie d
,

that he wou l d rathe r b u rn the portrait o f his o wn father than

“

d estr o y that beautiful work o f art .

S everal works on the modern literature of France Ital y and , ,

E ngland have been published recent ly in Germany ; but these do

,

not require particul ar notices h a s A bibli o gi aph e r and critic

( S C H W A B ) observes in a work published in 1 8 4 7 we have no , ,
‘

complete history of English literature e it h e I in the English or

’
the German language T his shows that t h e writer was unac
.

quaint e d with the work on that subj ect publi shed in C HAM ‘

B RE S S E DUCA TI O NA L C O UR S E in 1 83 5 or with t h e subsequent

’ ’
,

and larger work C yclop aedia of E ngli sh L iterature prepared

,
‘ ’
,

b y R C H AM B ER S
. .

Industry and research are displayed in the numerous works

produced in Germany on the C riticism o f the Fine Arts T h e .
 S EVEN TH PER I O D .
2 89

principles found in the writings of Wink elmann , and L essing s ’

‘
L aokoon have been developed by later authors wh o have
’
, ,

written excellent historical and critical works o n the progress o f

the plastic arts —architecture sculpture and paintin g T h e writ , ,
.

ings of T H I ERSC H HI R T and S EMPE R on ancient art contai n

, , ,

valuable notices A History of the Plastic Arts b y K

.
‘
,
’
.

S C H NAA S E ( 1 8 4 3 i s distinguished by its comprehensive cha

ract e r and elegant style This writer studies art as Wolf and hi s
.
,

followers studied philology in co nnection with the physical moral , , ,

and intellectual characteristics of various nations and epochs T h e .

‘
History of Paint ing b y F KU G LER ,
’
is an able work .
,

which extends its notices over t h e period from the time of C on

st ant ine the Great to the present century A History of the
‘
.

P lastic Arts in C hristian Nations b y G O TT F R I ED KI NK E L ’

,

is wort hy of a place b eside the work of S ch naase on account o f ,

its i nformation and clear language With regard to Gothic .

architect ure the writin gs of KALLEN B AC H H O F S T AD T M O L LE R

, , , ,

B UNSEN and especially SU L PI Z B O IS S E R E E might b e part icul arly

, ,

described and commended b ut o ur lim its will o nl y allow a ,

general notice T h e same remark will apply to the critical works

.

o n paintin g by P ASSAVAN T , WAA G EN F ERN B AC H , H o T H o , and ,

o thers .

M usic is so far an o bj ect of sensation rather than intelligenc e ,

that all attempts t o reduce it to scientifi c principles can only suc
o e c d to a certain extent Y et , if it is to b e rank ed with t h e
.

in tell ectual arts it must sub mit to the philosophical analogies and
,

laws which prevail in poetry paint ing sculpture and architecture , , , .

S ome importance therefore , must b e ascribed to the endeavours

,

of several writers who have subj ected music to philosophical

criticism The Elements of a U niversal T heory of M usic by
.
‘
,
’

FR I EDR I C H KRAU S E are worthy of notice A Hist ory o f .

E uropean Music by R G KI E SE W E TT ER gives a clear account

’
,
. .
,

of t h e progress of the art through various styles of composition ,

from the first ecclesiastical music to that of the present day A .

work by JU S T U S T HI B AU T O n the P urity of M usic which was ,

’
.

written in 1 8 2 5 still deserves notice for its j udicious remarks on the

,

distin ction between the secular and sacred styles o f composition .

A considerable part of the literary criticism of Germany de

serves high commendation for its candour carefulness and phi l o so , ,
‘

p hi cal consistenc y A German critic of

. the hi ghest class generally
writes wi th such a consistent adherenc e to certain principles o f
taste and j udgment that while we may di ssent from his conclu
, ,

sions we cannot call them arbitrary His first care is t o un der

,
.

stand fairl y the meaning of an author and to this task he will ,

often devote an amo un t of attention which would b e regarded by

2 90 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

a flippant or mercenary reviewer as wasted lab our The t ru e .

critic will not c ondemn any work on the ground of mere i ndividual
taste or distaste and therefore fi nds it necessary to have a basis
,

for all his j udgments in some consistent and comprehensive phi lo

s ophy . His system of principles may b e defective ; but at least ,

a s it gives reasons for conclusions and is open to amendm ents , it

,

i s far better than dogmatism In these respects the instances of

.

l earning and industry devoted to criticism in German y cannot be

estimated too highl y as good examples which , if followed may ,

e levate the tone of general literature If that order of literat ure

.

which i s the symbol of the best thoughts and the hi ghest interests
o f men is to b e preserved as distinct from the ephemeral produc
,

tions which s urro und i t ; if one of the highest occupations o f mind

a nd soul is to be distin guished from an i dl e and tri v ial pastime ,

the critic who undertakes the important task o f making such dis
t inct i o ns mus t b e prepared for his duties b y profound phil o so
,

p h i cal vi ews .

VO YA G E S AN D T RAVE L S .

Narratives of V oyages and Travels supply a considerable

part o f the light literature of Germany ; but comparatively fe w
p roductions in this department possess remarkable literary merit
o r permanent interest Y et some German travellers such as
.
,

H UM B O L D T M AR TI U S M UH L E NP EO R D T and T S C H U D I well quali

, , , ,

fi e d for their tasks by scientifi c at t aM e nt s have produced as , ,

the res ul ts of their researches works o f considerable value ; espe

,

c iall y on the natural history and the social condition of various

c ountries i n S outh Am erica .

C AR S T EN NI E B U H R the father of the historian of R ome dis

, ,

played in his enterprise as a traveller S omething of the same spirit

which hi s distinguished son devoted to historical investigations .

H e published an interesting narrative of his T ravels in Arabia ‘

and the S urro unding C ountries ( 1 7 7 4 and later researches

i n the same districts have confirmed hi s statements GE O R G E .

F O R S T ER ( 1 7 54 —1 7 9 4 ) accompanied his father in C ook s voyage ’

round the world Afterwards he resided at Paris and b ecam e

.
,

involved in the events of the French R evolution H is travels .

,
’
e ntitled V iews in Holland E ngland and F rance
‘
,
sti ll
,

retain their interest chi efly on account of their notices of works

,

o f art .

Q ualities rarely united in one i ndi vidual meet in the character

of A L XANDER V O N HUMB O LD T born in 7 69 an enterprising
E 1 —
,

traveller a man of extensive science and a poetic writer In

, ,
.

1 7 9 9 accompanied by his friend B O NPLAND , he left E urope t o visit

,
292 G ERMAN L IT ERA TURE .

and other grazin g animal s clothed with delicat e wool invite t h e , ,

appetite o f the v oracious bir d When we descend from thes e

a e ria l a l t itu d es we find a di fficu l ty in answering the question
' ‘

, ,
whether the unfathomab l e depth o f the ocean o r the sur fac e o f t h e ,

lan d contains the greater abundance o f l ife T h e wav es o f the se a

, .

are often l ighted u p o v er a space o f many s quare mil es with the

, ,

S park l ing phosphorescence o f myriads o f marine ge l atinous insects 5 ,

s o that the surface o f the sea is c hanged into the appearance o f an

o cean o f fire I shal l ne v er forget the spectac l e presented by this
.

ph enomenon during the tropical nights which I enjoyed o n the

s outhern ocean ; when the conste ll ations o f the ship and the cross

were radiant in the sky whi l e dolphin s shooting past and pl ayi ng , ,

a round o u r vesse l l eft behind them l ong fl ashes o f light o n the

,

foaming water A nd no t onl y in the sea but al so in o u r inland

.
,

lakes and standing wa ters we find countless insects marked by most ,

si ng ul ar forms .

But l et u s turn o ur attention fo r the present t o the processes o f

‘

vegetation which furnish the support o f all animal l ife Even in

, .

the mos t minute l ichens and mosses we see the beginning o f that ,
o rganic process which d raws from the earth and the air that nutri

ment which in a more a d vanced stage o f l ife will circul ate through
, ,

the ner v es and v eins o f intelligent beings T h e co v ering which .

F l ora d raws o v er the earth is richl y varied in texture and co l ours ,

we find its greatest density beneath the uncl ouded sun gl owing in
the tropic al sky ; whil e it is scanty in the regions where po lar frost
i mprisons o r d estroys the germs o f v egetab l e l ife But e v erywhere .

the endeav ours o f nature t o extend l ife are manifested If a sub .

marine v o l cano sudden l y throws up an is l and abo ve the l e v el o f the

s e a ; o r t o emp l oy a more p l easing phenomenon) when the myriad s
(
o f cora l insects after the labours o f thous an d s o f their generations
, ,

h av e reared their structure abo v e the waves we find the powers o f ,

n ature ready t o propagate l ife o n thi s n e w isl and o f the S outh S ea ,

and t o draw o v er its coral sur face a co v ering o f l i ving green .

Wandering se a bi rd s, the winds and the bill ows are probabl y the
r ,

a gents emp l oyed t o carry the germs o f l ife t o the barren is l and .

E ven in o u r northern c l imate the surfaces o f rocks exposed t o the ,

air are soon co v ered with sma ll stains whi c h o n examination are , , ,

found t o be de l icate l ichens in se v era l varieties ; some having the ,

m ost simpl e forms whi l e others S how their forked branches As

,
.

t hey advance in age their co l ours c hange from bright yell ow t o

,

brown o r from a b luish -gray t o a dusky h ue T hese spots and

,
.

c irc l es exten d and j oin each other ; and no w upon this first cover
, ,

i ng another v ariety o f l ichens grows up in shini ng white circ l es

,
.

A n d so we find successi v e orders o f v egetation arranging themse lv e s

i n strata as in human l ife we find a n e w co l ony graduall y peop l ed
,

by v arious cl asses o f society T hus the primiti v e foun d ations o f t h e

.

l oftiest trees that wa v e their crests o v er the forest may be found

i n tiny lichens o r scarce l y v isib l e specks o f v egetation o n stones
,
.

B e tween the se t wo extremes, mo sses, grasses, leafy pl agts, and

 SEVE NTH PER I OD . 29 3

s hrubs have filled the unmeasured inter val with their successiv e
,

d eve l opments I n the tropic s this proces s is carried o n more

.

rapidl y by v arieties o f vegetab l e life no t known in o u r northern e li

mate ; but e v erywhere the green co v ering o f the earth has h ad its
epochs l ike the hi s to ry o f the latter human race
,
.

the gl ow o f the tropical sun the v egetab l e wor l d unfol d s its mos t
S p l endid productions Here whil e in o u r co l d north the bark o f
.
, ,

trees is decorate d onl y with l ichens and mosses beautiful fl owers ,

grow al ong the trunks o f forest-trees ; cymbi d i um and the fragrant

vani ll a deck the stems o f the a na ca rd i a and the gi gantic fi g—
, tree
the fresh green o f the leav es o f various trees is contrasted with the
many-col oured b l ossoms o f the o rchi d e oe l uxuriant c l imbing-pl ants ,

suc h as p assion -fl o we rs and ye ll ow ba ni ste ri ce are twin e d about the ,

stems ; and de l i cate fl owers S prin g o u t o f the roots o f the the o bro maz ,

and from the rind o f the cresce ntz ce and the gus tc wioe A nd so dense
’

is the intermin gl ing o f trees shrubs and cl i mbing-plants in a tropical

, ,

forest that it is often d ifficul t t o d iscover t o what stems the various

,

fl owers be l ong Here p l ants and trees are fed wi th a more e xube
.

rant sap and put forth more luxuriant fol iage o f brighter hues than
, ,

we see in the north T h e uniform grasses whi ch m onopo lise so

.

much space in co l der c l imates are here l ost amid richer varieties o f
,

v eget ation T rees rising t o al most twice the height o f o ur o aks are
.

profusel y gar l anded with fl owers O n the woody bank s o f the ri v er.

M agdal ene ( in S outh A merica) the a ri st o lo chi a l uxuriates produc .

,

i ng fl owers each four feet in circumference whi ch the In di an boys

, , ,

in sport sometimes d raw o v er their heads ; and in the Indi an

, ,

A rchipe l ago the fl ower o f the mfi esz a grows t o be near l y three

’

feet i n diameter and weighs fourteen pounds

, Yet in the tropics .

some tracts o f l and are so e l e v ate d as t o suit the productions o f ,

o ur northern c l imate ; so that while pa lms and P isang - shrubs are

fl ourishing in the v al l eys cypresses pines oaks and alder -trees
, , , ,
wave their branches o n the sides o f the hill s ’
.

PHIL I PP M AR TIUS (b orn in 1 7 9 4) is a writer on the sc enery

of S outh Am erica , who may b e classed with H umb oldt o n account ,

o f t h e scientifi c contents of his works and the poetical style of ,

his descriptions H e was associated with a friend J O H ANN

.
,

V O N S PIX , in the researches of whi ch he gives the results in

his Travels in B razil ( 1 8 23
‘
A passage from this inte
’

resting work will b e a pleasant sequel to the ab ov e quotation

from H umb oldt .

A B R A ZI L I AN F OR E S T
L IFE IN .

‘
Th e student o f nature wh o enters o ne o f the pri me val forests
o f Braz il is surprised by the co u ntl ess v arieties o f forms co l o u rs
, , ,

and sounds o f animal l ife whi ch here surround h im E very hou r '
.

o f the day seems t o call into acti vity some distinct c l ass o f creatures ,

e xcep ting at noon, wh en all animals seek repos e and shelt e rfrom
29 4 G ERMAN LIT ERAT URE .

the heat while a maj estic sil ence rests o n the tropical l ands cape
, ,

bathed in brilliant sunshi ne A s soon as morning d awn s the noises .

,

o f companies o f howl ing apes the bass tones o f the green frog , ,

and the ch i rp ings o f innu merab l e gr as shoppe rs hai l t h e approachi ng ,

d ay When the sun has dispersed the m i sts o f night all animal life in
.
,

the fo rest is awakened and e x cited T h e wasps l ea v e their pendent .

n ests o n the boughs swarms o f ants issue from their mud houses
, ,

a n d begin their dail y tra v el s in their acc u stomed roa d s and the fo r ,

m i dabl e t ermi te s come o u t o f their hill ocks Butterfl ies d e cked wi t h .

all the hues o f the rainbow but especiall y countl ess hesp eri d es flutter
, ,

from fl ower t o fl ower o r al ong the sandy banks o f some ri vul et

;
.

T h e b l ue gl istening mi ene la us nesto r a d o ni s l a e rte s the b l u e

, , , , ,

whi t e i d e a and the l arge and c uriousl y-

,
painted e uri lo chus am o ng ,

o ther butterfl ies ho v e i lik e b irds in the moist vall eys and am o ng
,

the green bushes Th e f ero ni a wi th rustl ing wings fl ies from tree
bu t t e rfli e s—t h e
.
, ,

t o tree ; whi l e the l argest o f the m oth s o r night-

'

h awk-moth—res ts with outspread wings o n the rin d o f a tree waiting

,

fo r his time o f pl ay in the e venin g Myriads o f beetl es and cock .

chafers shining l ike gems among the green l eav es and fl owers are
, ,

bu z zing in the air Lizards o f remarkab l e size and o f singul ar form s

.
,

and c o l ours ; dusky and poisonous snakes o r bright-col oured and ,

harm l ess reptiles with painted skins surpassing al l the surroun d ing
,

fl owers i n brightness c o me forth from their hol es i n the grou n d

, ,

o r from hol l ow trees t o bask i n the sun and t o prey u pon bir d s
, ,

and insects A s the morn ing a d vances in warmth and spl endour
.
,

l ife awakens up throughout the forest S qu irre l s l eap from bough .

t o bough ; so ciab l e apes swing from the bran ches uttering their ,

c h at t e I i ng and s c reaming no i ses and then u nite to gethe r in c o m ,

p a n i e s t o go and c ommit their s l y depredations I n the neighbouring

pl antations ; birds o f t h e pheasant tribe such as j aciis and ho ccos , , ,

and many d o v es seek their food o n the ground ; whil e others

, ,

marked with brilliant hu es gl ance by hither and thi ther among the ,

green fol iage ; b lu e green and rose-coloured parrots cl imb up the

, ,

trees and fi ll the air wi th their screams ; whi l e the t o ucan assist s
,

i n the chorus by striking his l arge ho ll ow bill o n the branches and ,

uttering no w and then his l oud and mel anchol y note ; the busy
p i ro les l ea v e their lo ng pendent nests ( which hang l ike l arge
purses o n the boughs) t o v isit the orange-trees ; bu t some stay at
home t o watch o v er their young an d utter shrill angry c ries when ,

a hu man foot treads near their nests ; the fly-cat chers snap at the
butterfl ies the thrush is hidden in some thi cket but makes known ,

his j o y by pouring o u t a c l ear stream o f mel ody ; pipers are chatter

ing n o w here n o w there so as t o l ead the most cunning S ports
, ,
- ”
man astray ; the tap tap tap o f the woodpecker i s heard d is
“ -

t i nc t l y among all the other sounds ; but the l oudest o f all the
’

musicians in this forest orchestra is the a rap o nga wh o perche s ,

o n the t o p o f some high tree and there produces h i s l oud meta ll i c ,

notes which s o und almost l ik e the strokes o f a hammer o n an

,

a nvi l ! M eanwhil e the beautiful humming-birds are darting about

29 6 . G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

’
‘
T ravelsin Kordofan , by I G NA TI U S P AL L M E , conta in valuable
c ontributions to our knowledge of interior Af rica and suggest a ,

northern route of exploration of that continent , from E gyp t

through Kordofan and D arfur ; but the climate o f these latter
countries is enough to postpone such an enterprise for a long time .

Another African traveller HE I NR I C H LI C HT EN S T E I N in his T ra

, ,
‘

vels in S outhern Africa in the Years 1 8 0 3 published in

1 8 1 1 - 1 8 1 2 gives valuable notices of the various tribes by whi ch
,

t hat part of the world is p eopled T h e T ravels in Abyssinia b y

‘ ’
.
,

E DUAR D RUP P E LL ( 1 838 ‘

Travel s in Al giers , by M O R IT Z ’

WA G N E R and the work of the CH E VA L IER B UN S E N on

‘
The P osition of E gypt in the H istory o f t h e World ’

may b e commended T he last w ork is not a book of travel s but

.
,

a learned dissertation on the antiquities and especially t h e primi ,

tive language of E gyp t T h e learned Chevalier is very hopeful

,
.

respectin g the d scoveries which may still be made regarding this

'
i

ancient language , as he believes that fiv e hun dred of its root

words have already b een found It may b e added that he rej ect s
.
,

the theory that the C optic language was that employed in monu
,

mental inscriptions .

It might be supposed that E ngland would have supplied a sufli

cient number of writers on the natural history the ethn ology the , ,

langu ages and the myt hology of B ritish India ; but in Germany
,

these subj ects have excited more attention and study than amon g
t h e p eople wh o possess and rule the country It Is a curious fact .
,

that a sequestered student In B erlin o r B onn should possess more

k n owledge of the antiquities , the language the laws and traditions ,

of the caste of B rahm ins than the people who li ve near them , and
,

see them dail y ; but that such is the case a reference to such a ,
’
work as the Indi an Antiquities b y C L A S SEN ,
may prove
. .

O ther German writers have given the resul ts of their travels in

H ind o o st an T h e work of K AR L V O N HU G E L o n Cashmere and
.

the C ountry of the S ikhs ( 1 8 4 0 ’

I s inte rest in g and full of
,

good sentiments An other work , Travels In the E ast Indies , by

.
‘ ’

L E O PO L D V O N O R L I C H merits s imi l ar b ut hi gher o ommen

dation .

S ome German travellers have favoured us with their observa

tions and opinions o n E ngland and the Engli sh pe ople The .

works o f P R IN CE BUC K L ER M U S K AU J G KO HL , and D R ,

. .

C ARU S may be mentioned here , but do not require particul ar

,

description as they have b een translated and frequently revi ewed

, ,

Wh ile their o bse w at i o ns of facts are interestin g their speculations ,

on E nglish characteristics are sometimes amusing on account of ,

their in correctness A German 1 5 often disposed to theorise e x

.

t e nsiv e ly b efore he has well examined his d ata or facts .

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 297

A great numb er of flippant tourists who have publ ished trivial

n otes o f adventures , sometimes real , and often fi ctitious may b e ,

l eft unnoticed here S uch frivolous writers are as common In

.

Germany as in E ngland I t is a fact requiring especial remark in

.

these times that it by no means foll ows that b ecause a gentleman

,

has travelled through a country , he is qualifi ed to write a b ook

ab out it Though the c ountry may b e as rich in curiosities as
.

C hin a and Japan , unl ess he carries t o it scient ifi c at t aini nent s

and hab its of true observation and reflection, he can b ring b ac k
nothing worth rea di ng .

Thi s section may b e closed by a reference to t h e gr eat ge o gra

’
p hi cal work ,
A U niversal D escription
‘
of C o un tries and Nations ,

by D R B ER G H AUS ( 1 8 8 6 German literature is also e n

’
riched with several extensive L ib raries of V oyag es and Travel s ,
i n cluding w ork s translated fro m man y lan guag es .

MI S C ELLANE O U S WRITI N G S .

In every attempt to classify literature , we find many work s

which must b e collectively styled miscellaneous Thus although .
,

H ERDER has b een d es cribed as a poetical writer and a critic ,

s everal of his essa y s seem to b elong to the present section He .

must therefore b e again noticed here especiall y in connection With ,

s ome other writers who are united with h im b y a common interes t

in the progress of general education The follo wing pass age .

hi
’

g ives some of H erder s ideas on t s subj ect

L E A RN I N G FOR LIFE .

‘
Wh at is the true meani ng this phrase learning fo r li fe ? It
of ,

i mp lies the d irection o f o ur attention t o suc h studies as may be u se

ful l y appl ied t o practica l l ife But thi s must no t be understood in
.

a ny narrow sense Li fe is manifol d in its re quisitions and none c an

.
,

tell exactl y What aid s his future circumstances Wil l re quire It must .

also be remembered that all knowl edge is n o t immediate l y appli c

abl e and that o n e portion o f education must be founded upon
,

a nother He wh o woul d in quire o f e v ery particul ar study proposed

.

”
t o him o f what use wi ll thi s be t o me i n l ife 2
, wou l d ha v e a mi s
taken v ie w o f o ur meanin g Th e merchant when he coll ects money
.
,

fo r future outl ay does n o t ask o f e v ery do ll ar “ t o What particu l ar

, ,
”
u se shall I app l y thi s coin ? T h e admonition l earn fo r l ife
mu st bear a wider sense than this T o de v e l op o ur facu l ties in fair
.

p roportion o ne t o another ; t o exercise as we ll as circumstances will ,

a ll ow the powers o f body and mind with which we are endowed so

, ,

that the re quirements o f society may find us as far as possib l e pre ,

*

pared and educated fo r o ur duties this is the mode o f l earning fo r ,

l ife . Thi s true sty l e o f education may be eas il y ill ustrated by c o n;

29 8 G ERMAN LIT ERA T UR E .

tras t with a partial and erroneous styl e O ne student treats hi mself .

as if he was under a de l usion and imagined hi mse l f t o be a pure

, ,

i ncorpore al intel l igence ; he ben ds o v er his desk and read s o ld ,

,

authors unti l he becomes an in vali d an d perhaps a hypo chond riac ,

another cul ti vates his memory and his imagination but negl ects the ,

po wers o f u nderstanding and judgment ; a third becomes a great

thinker but during the process appears t o hav e forgotten that he
, ,

once had a hear t ; another despises this col d mode o f study and pre ,

fers enthusiasm and fine sentiment but h as n o t o n e c l ear i d ea in h i s

,
”
h ead : these v arieties o f error are all opposed t o l e arning fo r l ife ;
“

fo r l ife re quires the energy o f the undivi d ed man with heart an d

head thought will and action and these all exercised in no mere
, , , ,

pastime but i n earnest occupation Where is the man who doe s

, .

n o t fee l his deficiency when tried by this standard o f education ? !

When we l ook back o n o ur stud ies h o w many ne c essary prepara ,

tions fo r l ife ha v e we negl ected ! Youth be warned and ins tructed ,

by o ur errors ! T he times in which yo u wi ll probab l y li v e will re

quire something more than merel y nominal l earning M e n will h e .

w anted ; men o f true insight and sound understan d ing ; scho l ars
ac quainted n o t onl y with books but al so with nature the wor l d
, , ,

and the c ircumstances an d ne c essities o f society ; T h e days when

V irgil ian pastoral s o r A nacreontic o d es were a c cepted as proo fs o f
consummate education hav e passed away ’
.

It is remarkable that in Germany , which is generall y regarded

as the home o f ab struse studies , several modern writers have zea
l o u sly contended in favour of a practical education wi th regard to
the circumstances of actual life J O H ANN HE I NR I C H PE S T A L O ZZI
.

( 1 7 4 5—1 8 2 7 ) applied to the education of the poor the principles

found in our quotation from Herder The writings of R ousseau .

first directed t h e attention of P estalozzi to the necessity o f an im

proved method o f education ; but it must b e regretted that h e
founded his plans on some extreme doctrines respecting human
nature which excited opposition He did not , however rest long
,
.
,

in theories b ut proceeded to make an experiment in education ,

,

by taking the chil dren of vagrants into his house in 1 7 7 5 The .

results of the phy sical and mental disciplin e exercised on these un

promising pupils were so far encouragin g that P estalozzi extended ,

his educational in stitution in 1 7 8 1 ; b ut the failure of his funds

compelled him to abandon it in 1 7 9 7 H e afterwards found patron .

age and united in an educational enterprise with F ell e nbe rg a man

, ,

of congenial principles The important maxim of this writer was,

.

t hat a true education must include a training of the physi cal as

well as the mental and moral powers wi th a constant reference to ,

the real circumstances o f life H e says wi th especial regard t o

.
,

the training of the children of the poor These children have no

e arthly possessio ns Their o wn facul ties of b ody and mind are
.
 3 00 G ERMAN L IT E RAT URE .

h umanistic studies and exercises in all schools and uni versities .

T h e writings and lectures of Jahn and Klumpp had considerable

influence in extend ing wholesome V iews o f the obj ects o f education ,

.
and h ave contributed to reduce classical and verbal studies fro m
their supremacy to a j ust and reasonable position in relation t o
human life KAR L V O N B AUMER
. a writer in several de
rt me nt s of l iterature produced a H istory of the S cience of
‘
p a ,

E ducation ( 1 8 4 3 ’
In the following passage he charac ,

t e rise s the tendencies of exclusive modes o f education :

S C H O LA R S
M E C HA N I CS AND .

‘
A fter receiving a common rudimental edu c ation o ur chil d ren are ,

di vided into t wo c l as ses d estined t o fo ll o w e x treme l y opposite av o

!
, ,

c ations O ne c l ass is de v ote d t o me chanism the other t o s cho l ar

.
,

ship Pupil s o f the first cl ass l eav e the e l ementary s chool and
.
,

i mmediate l y go into the worksh o p ; whil e youths o f the second c l ass

g o t o comp l ete their stu d ies in o ur uni v ersities A fter this di vi sion .
,

they meet n o more but proceed in opposite directions o n e being

'

, ,

d e v oted t o pra c ti c e the other t o l earnin g

,
Th e youth wh o is t o
e njoy a l earned edu c ation negl e c ts the training o f his li mbs and
,

s e n ses He sits and rea d s bo o ks o r l istens t o l e c tures He mus t

.
,
.

d eri v e hi s knowl edge o f the wor l d from wor d s and therefo re a great ,

p o rtion o f his time is spent in the a c quisi tion o f l anguages G e o .

raph y an d history gi v e him a the o reti c al ac quaintan c e with many

g ‘

n ations In pure mathematics he l earns the l aws o f the m aterial

.

wor l d but is n o t re quired t o pra c ti se the app l i cation o f these l aws

, .

He l iv es chie fl y in thou ght and his stu d y o r l ibrary is the onl y

,

w or l d with whi ch he is trul y a c quainted O f the ideas and the pro

.

gress o f society around him h e knows l ittl e and if re qu ired t o take , ,

s ome part in its affairs hi s theoretica l training woul d exhi bit its de
,

fe e ts He knows perhaps m o re o f A thens and Rome than o f his o wn

.

nati v e town and understan d s the A tti c the I o ni c and the D ori e
, , ,

di al e c t s bet t er than the distin c tions be tween H igh and L o w G erman

A
.

He c oul d describe the retreat o f Xenoph o n better than the way t o

s ome vi ll ag es in his o wn neighbourhoo d He has stu di ed pure .

m athemati c s an d c an gi v e a fair ac count o f the l aws o f me cha ni c s

, ,

but cannot giv e d irections fo r setting up a common hand-mi ll t o say ,

n othing about making o ne ,

T his is a description o f o u r mode l man o f l earning O n the other .

S ide we may exhibit o u r mo d e l mechanic He is entirel y c o nfined .

t o present reali ties He li v es no t in thought and intelligen c e but

.
,

rather as an animated machine fo r c ertain u ses C o ndemned t o .

s ome monotonou s t o i l fo r d ail y brea d he has n o inte ll ect t o exp l ore

,

l ife beyond hi s imme d iate ne ighbourh o o d H i s workshop his c o t .

,

tage and the town o r vil l ag e in w hi ch he l iv es constitute h i s worl d

, ,
.

He h as n o t l earned t o rel ie v e the toil and care o f common l ife by

e x panding his mind in the contemp l ation o f higher subj e c ts He .

d oes no t even in quire h o w the art which h e prac tis es origina t ed, bu t
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 30 1

u ses i t as mechanicall y as if he was a par t o f a machi ne and cannot ,

e v en exp l ain what he does in inte lligib l e l anguage T hese are fair .

s ketches o f o u r exc l usi v e men o f scho l arship and ignorant mechanics ,

b u t happil y suc h extreme c haracters are n o w diminishing in num

ber P ractical l ife no w enforces its cla ims o n the attentio n o f men
.

o f l earning . M en wh o l eav e o ur univ ersities and enter i nto actual ,

life as doct ors o r preachers o r local authorities fin d a necessity o f

, , ,

opening their eyes t o present realities and adapting themse lv es t o ,

the c ircumstances o f the peopl e O ur l iterary men ha v e l ong n e

.

gl e e ted t o c ul ti vate the powers whi ch practical society urgentl y de

mand s ; but l ate l y there hav e been S igns o f an approachin g union
between l earning and li fe E v en o ur mechanics hav e made some
.

a d van ces in inte ll ec tual cu l ture and we may n o w h Op e that the t wo

,

e xtremes o f education whi ch w e have described may be brought

into a reasonab l e i ntercourse with each other .

’

Amo ng the letters of NIE B U H R , the historian , we find one on

’
E ducation whi ch contains such soun d and valuable advice to a
,

y oung student that a portion of it well deserves a place here I t

, .

i s one of the most sin cere and b enevolent reproofs of shallowness

and presumption that can be foun d in li terature It may b e pre .

mi se d that the student had mentioned to N ie b uhr two j uvenil e

‘ ’

’
e ssays one on
,
‘
R oman colonisation , and the other on a philo
s op hi cal topic The historian refers t o these essay s in the fol
.

lowi ng letter
TO A S T UD E N T OF PH I L O L O G Y .

‘
It is well that yo u hav e n o t for warded t o me the t wo essays
mentioned in your l etter as it is impossib l e fo r o ne o f your age t o
,

write anything o f val ue o n su ch subj ects T here are many par

[
.

t i cul ar topics in history ] whi ch cannot be understood without a

c omprehensi v e know l e d ge o f the who l e t o whi ch they be l ong I t is .

true that yo u must ad vance towards a knowl edge o f the whol e by

many careful studies o f its distinct parts ; but when yo u hav e thu s
s tudied a ll the particul ar pe ri ods o f a history yo u mus t n o t imagine ,

that yo u know ful l y e v en o ne o f them u nti l yo u comprehend all the ,

mutual re l ations which unite them together in a system If yo u .

keep this truth in View yo u will n o t regard your particul ar studie s

,

as c omp l ete in themse lv es but as c onduc i ng t o a good fina l resul t

, .

I began my o wn studies in ancient history by reading P olybius and ,

thus gained a considerab l e ac quaintance with the era o f Cl e o m e ne s

before I understood much o f the l ife and times o f P eric l es bu t I di d
n o t fall into the error o f supposin g that I had gained from P o l ybius
a fair knowl edge o f G recian history o r e v en a full ac quaintance with
,

o n e portion o f it I knew that my knowl edge was a mere fragment

.

broken from a great who l e and felt convinced th at I must no t pre

,

tend t o u nderstand and criticise e v en this fragment u ntil I had

s tu di ed the who l e S o I continued my reading l abouring o n, and
.
,
30 2 G ERMAN LI T ERA TU RE .

l earning more and more as I still d o e v ery day ( when I c an fi nd

,

leisure) i n order t o gain a c l ear and vi vid insight into anc ient life
,

and his tory Y o u te ll me that yo u hav e commenced writing an

.

”
E ssay o n the Roman C ol onies and their Infl uence o n the S ta t e , .

But yo u c annot hav e e v en hal f a right n o tion o f su ch a subje ct as

”
Ro man col onies and t o write anythi ng wel l about their i nflu “

en c e o n the state yo u mu st possess n o t onl y a deep insight into

,

Roman institutions and his t ory but a l so a comprehens iv e knowl e d ge ,

o f po l itics and p o l i tica l hi story S uc h attainments are impossibl e at

.

your season o f l ife I d o no t under value your tal en t s fo r I assure

.
,

y o u that we o f ripe years wh o n e w v enture t o sty l e ourselves phi l o

l e gers— nay e v e n G rotius o r S c aliger o r S al masius ( though they
, , ,

were precocious in schol arship) coul d no t hav e w ritten we ll o n suc h ,

a subject as Roman co l onisation a t your age With regard t o

“ ”

[
.

your second philosophical ] essay its subj ec t is still more unsuitab l e ,

fo r the pen o f a neo phyte Your knowl edge o f history mus t c ontain
.

the fac t that in ancien t times the study o f phi l osophy fo r youths
, ,

e v en beyond your years consisted in s i l ent and m odes t listening t o

,

the do ctrines o f their mas ter A t your age I d o no t expect that yo u .

w i ll understand full y e v en single facts T o measure degrees o f pro .

,

h abili ty and t o re as on correctly o n the an alogies o f facts these are

, ,

d uties far beyond your present c apabil ities T o l ea rn my dear M ar .

cus—t o l earn conscientiousl y going o n dail y patientl y increasing o ur

,

, , ,

knowl edge an d carefull y testing it al so thi s i s the true vocation o f

, ,

o u r inte ll ectual l ife especially during youth when we can de v o te

, ,

ourse l ves t o study without the interruptions o f care and business .

T h e youth wh o writes an essay steps o u t o f his p l ac e as a l earner and ,

as sumes t o teach But the o fli ce o f a teacher re quires matu re wis

.

d o m whi ch I neither expect no r wish t o find in youth

,
M ature and .

sound phil osophy is the precious recompense which G o d gi ves t o i n

d u st ri o u s stri vi ng students but no t be fore the days o f youth ha v e
, ,

p assed away I d o no t wish to see su ch a pro di gy as a matur e

.

phil osopher and a youth i n o ne

Abo ve all l e t us maintain a strict conscientiousnes s in all o ur
l ite rary l abO Iirs L et us avoid fal se S h ow and insincerity o f e v ery
,

k ind and in e v ery degree We must no t write in a tone o f cer tain ty

.

e v en o ne l i ne o f wh ich we hav e any d oubt If we gi v e a supposition .

,

let it appear in its o wn true character and l et n o t a word he adde d ,

t o make it appear more than it reall y is T o be sincere w e mus t be .

,

read y n o t on l y t o ad mi t but e v en t o p o i nt o u t defects in o ur o wn

, ,

w orks when it is n o t like l y that others wi ll di sco v er them If a

—
.
,

w riter cannot sol emnl y a v er when he l ays his pen aside ,

“
I hav e
n o t writ te n knowingl y o n e untru e l ine
,
I hav e n o t represented the
,

vi ews o f m y opp onent in any false sty l e which I shall regret in my ,

dying hour — if he cannot say this all hi s stu di es and attainments in ,

literatur e hav e ser v e d t o corrupt rather than t o ennob l e hi s m ora l ,

n at ure I woul d no t recommend this strict test o f honesty t o other

. s
,

if c onscience coul d ac cuse me o f having negl ecte d to apply it t o my

o wn conduct C onscientious s e l f-suspicion, unite d wi t h my v iews
.
3 04 G ERMAN LITE RA TUR E .

many didactic tales wrote also , and published anonymously a

, ,

meditative work entitled H ours O f D evotion which was exceed

‘
,
’

i ngly popular in Germany The following may serve as a speci .

men Of numerous miscellaneous essay s by this writer

TH E P E R P E T U A L PA R T I E S .

Th ehistory o f o ur o wn times is only a short passage in a great

drama performed o n the stage o f the wor l d where hu manity d i vide s ,

itse l f into t wo parties T h e c ontentions o f these t wo parties form

.

the pl ot T here are t wo great tendencies in humanity : o ne

.

toward the earth o r in other words toward se lfish and tempor al

, , ,

possessions and enjoyments ; the other toward spiritual and etern al '

truth freedom and justic e H orn these t wo tendencies t w o partie s

, , .

hav e arisen and hav e maintained from age t o age the same c onflic t
,

under a variety o f names banners and battl e-cries AS far as we can

, , .

carry back o ur researches in history we shall find that the greatest ,

e v ents in a ll times h av e resul ted from o ne perpetual confl ict between

the temporal an d eternal partial and general earthl y and S piritual
, ,

i n terests Whil e o n e side has stri v en t o defend and maintain such

.

possessions as d istingu ishin g v estments stars o f honour mitres bags , , ,

o f go l d and t a
,
b l es o f ancestry the o ther h as contended fo r suc h
,

seemingl y abstruse matters as re ligion tru th and univ ersal e quity , , .

T h e temp ora l party wou l d confine l aw within a fe w con v entional

rul es dictated i n a great me asure by selfish interests : the eternal
,

party woul d see l aws bas ed upon suc h princip l es o f justice as may be
m ade pl ain t o e v ery cons cience In O pposition t o thi s party many
.

dungeons hav e been bui l t t o imprison i d e as ; but in vain ; fo r e v en ,

when its supporte rs ha v e fall en the ide a h as escaped unhurt by all,

the persecutions t o whi ch it h as been exposed T ruth is a fl ame .

whi ch will consume e verythi ng that is thrown u pon it t o quench it .

T h e t wo parties are still engaged in open o r secret contention at

this present hour In e v ery a g e some men o f nob l e mi n d s have
.
,

de v oted themse lves t o general and e tern al interests in Opposition ,

t o the p l ans Of the sel fish and shortsighted m ortals wh o ha v e stig

”
mat i se d the l o v ers o f truth with such names as vis ionaries ,
” ”
“
heretics an d dreamers
,
In ancient and barbarous times t h e
.
,

number o f these so call ed visionaries was small but they increased

- “
,

under the influence Of G recian and Roman cul ture and far more ,

after the promulgation o f C hristianity A t present their number i s .

,

considerab l e though they mus t still be accou nted as a small minority

,

when contrasted with the masses o f earthl y-minded men T hey are .

scattered thro ughout all c o untries yet they form a society bound ,

together by invisib l e ties When they mee t they can recognise each
.
,

o ther as brother - spirits wi thout the use o f any secret symbol s

,
.

T heir d istinctions o f nati v e c ountry c i vi l rank and re l igious pro , ,

fe ssi o n d o no t di vide the members o f this society ; fo r whi l e eac h

,

knows h o w t o val ue his country hi s station and hi s cree d he al s o , , ,

k nows h o w t o subordinate all other things t o the interests o f uni

 SE V EN TH PER I O D .

versal humanity T hou gh the men o f thi s society hav e been trained
.

in v arious schoo l s they are all studying the same questions all pur
, ,

su ing the same Obj ects A nd what are these obj ects 2 T h e same i n
G erman y Engl and Spain Ital y Fran ce and America—the domin ion
.

, , , , ,

o f soun d reas on and eternal justice instead o f the cunn ing po l icy o f ,

conv enience fair contracts between peop l e and go v ernors as al s o ,

between various nations instead o f m i litary o r eccl esiastical des

,

t i m a materna l state with n o pets and n o step -children—i n

p o s

short n o more se l fish policy but rel igious truth and justice in all
, ,

public measures ’
.

K ARL WAN G EN HE IM ( 1 77 3) is the author of several edu c ational

and political essays of good purp ort I G NA TI US WESSEN B ER G .

a vicar of the R omi sh Church has written a calm and argu ,

menta t ive essay on the M oral Influence of the S tage , in which

‘ ’

some serious Obj ections are raised again st theatrical performances .

’
The V iews of H uman L ife , and other essay s and tales by
‘
,

FRI EDR I C H BU HR L E IN are good in style and tendenc y .

KARL B AR O N V O N R UM O HR author of a S chool Of C our

‘

tes y ’
and KAR L G R UN EI S O N may b e num bere d
among the Writers of pleasant essays .

T wo or three writers of the M ystic or V isionary S chool may b e

noti c ed here as some of their works have found many readers i n
,

Germany , and have b een translated an d circ ul ated in E ngland .

J US TINU S KERNE R ( 1 7 8 6 ) may se rve as one example of several

’
authors who have written o n such topics as mesmerism and
‘

somnambul ism O ne of hi s b ooks bears the title , Incursions Of

.
’ ‘

the Ghostl y World o n our World Kerner also publishe d

a perio di cal styled Magik o n ’
t o explain hi s vi sionary
doctrines J O H ANN KARL P ASSAVAN T ( 1 7 90 ) may b e classe d
.

among the advocates O f Ani mal Magnetism on whi ch he wrote a ,

b ook in 1 8 21 H e is also the author of an essa y on the F reedom

.
‘

of the Will
Germany has so long b een noted for the production of my stic al
b oo ks that a fe w remarks may b e necessary here t o explain the
,

char acteristics of such writings The term mystic is strictl y ap

‘
.

plicable to the theological doctrines of such writers as TAU L ER in

t h e fo urteenth , and B OH ME in th e sixteenth c entury ; b ut man y
o ther works , including several on phi losophy and even o n natural ,

Science may b e fairl y d escribed as m y stical

,
M y sticism b egin s .

where inductive science ends ; or , in other words , when a writer ,

n o t satis fi ed with the imperfections of reasonin g from facts e n ,

,
’
d e av o urs to form theories on the ground of so called intuition s
'
- ‘

o r se nt M e nt s O ne example of this style will explain its nature

.

b etter than any defini tion H E INR I C H ST E FF ENS , who has been
.

mentioned as a writer of fict ion, has also writ t en on natural p h ilo

3 06 G ERMAN LIT ERA T URE .

s ophy Though he is not generally esteemed as a my stical writer

.
,

a passag e in one O f his works will aptl y ill ustrate t h e preceding

remarks respecting unnumbered b ooks marked by the mystic as

O pposed to the in ductive style of reasoning T h e obj ect of the .

writer in the passage to which we refer is to S how that commo ,

‘

t ions or revolutions in human societ y have been frequently or

generall y attended with extraordinary phenomena in nature It .
’

may b e O b served by the reader that St e ti e ns does not appeal t o

‘

facts and chronolo gy to support his t heo ry b ut to human belief ,

and sentiments He says Every one must acknowledge the fact

.
,
‘

t hat man , as an in dividual , is intimately connected with the s y ste m

O f nature ; that his existence indeed depends , as a part , on t h e , ,

whole to which it belongs B ut we assert more than this We

. .

m aintain that history , as a whole , or as a total organisation O f al l

human events and relations and nature or the external world , , ,

h ave always existed in mysterious and intimate union An d as .

man was ordained to be the regulative principle in nature so when ,

his influence has not been dul y exercised the restless and violent ,

e lements of nature have displayed their ascendanc y T his asser .

tion is founded on the general convictions of mankind , which re

main even i n the present age T hat a general sentim ent i n
a ccordance wi th our assertion has pervaded all nations and that i n ,

every age of the world during times O f co mmotion in human so

,

c i e t y the people have expected with dread some extraordin ary or

,
“
destru ctive movements in nature is too well known to b e denied ) ,

S t e tfe ns proceeds to argue on this hyp othesis in a mode which

would represent the superstition O f N o rma (in S cott s Pirate as ’ ‘

o nl y a particular mistake of a general truth It is remarka ble .

that in Germany, where so many sceptical b ooks have b een writ

t en the ab ove style O f reasoning has b een very common Many
,
.

writers who are not styled visionaries have S hown a tendency in ‘

favour O f mysterious guesses and theories F or instance ZS C H O K K E .

, ,

who has b een generall y described as a so b er and utilitarian writer ,

t ells us in his Autobio graph y that he once was endowed with

‘ ’

’
‘
the power of seeing past and distant events I n another passage .

in the same b ook he expresses a firm belief in the theory of the

divining rod , 1 as propounded by D r D o ust e rswi vel in the AI I t i
’ ‘ ‘

’
q uary .

Among the writers of P olitical E ssay s few claim notice on

‘
,
’

acco unt of literary merit GU S T AVUS C ount of S c hl ab rendorf

.
, ,

who wrote an essay on Napoleon and the French P eople

‘

was a man of remarkable character H e was b orn in 1 7 50, lived .

Ant h ro p o l o gy by H inri h e c fl-
S t e cn s
‘

f A f rk d t wi g o f h
o e l w hi h wh n h l d i n t h e h an ds
az e , c , e e i
of ce rt a n p e rso ns , h as
be e n sup po se d t o indi c at e subte rrane an p ri n gs o f at e r s .
3 08 G ERMAN L IT ER A T URE .

sil l y dreamers ? S hall all the d u ll soul s wh o onl y awake from a

s l eepy l ife l ike tha t o f p l ants and anima l s
, t o dire c t t h eir s c or n ,

agains t e v e ry nob l e purpose be tri u mphant i n their mo ckery ? Y o u

,

must answer these questions by your prac ti c al c areer .

Th e O l d R oman worl d with all its gran d eur and gl ory fe ll un d er t h e

, ,

burthen Of its o wn u nwor t h iness and the power o f o u r forefathers .

A nd if my reasoning has been c orrec t yo u the d es c en d ants o f those , ,

heroes wh o triumphed o v er corrupted Rome are n o w the p e o p l e to ,

W hose care the great interes t s o f hum anity are confided T h e h o pes .

o f humanity fo r de l i v erance o u t o f the de p t hs o f e v il d e pend u p o n yo u I

If yo u fall humanity fall s with yo u
,
D O n o t fl atter y o urse lv es wi th
a vai n consol ation imagining that future e vents if n o t better wil l
, , ,

b e no t worse than the e v ents o f past ages If the m o d ern ci vilise d .

worl d S inks l ike o l d R ome into c o rruption yo u m ay sup p o se tha t

, , ,

s ome hal f-barbarian but energeti c race like the an c ien t G ermans
, , ,

may arise and estab l ish a n e w order o f society o n the ruins o f t h e

o ld . But where wil l yo u fi n d su c h a peopl e n o w ? T h e surfa c e
o f the earth has been e x p l ored E v ery n ation is known Is ther e
. .

any ha l f- barbarous race n o w existing and prepared t o d o the wo rk

o f restoration as o u r an cestors did it ? E v ery o n e must answer
”
“
NO . T he n my conc l usion is estab l ished If yo u wh o cons titut e .
,

the centre o f modern civi l ised so c iety fall into sl av ery and m oral ,

c orruption then humanity must fa l l with yo u — and without any

,

hope o f a restoration .
’

J O H ANN G O TT F R I ED S H UME ( 1 7 6 3—1 8 1 0 ) was remark ab le in his

d ay as a soldier, a warm patriot , a political writer , and a cyni cal
sat irist A s a soldier , he narrowly escaped the punishment o f
.

d eath for desertion He travelled in a lowly pedestrian style

.

t hrough Ital y and S icily , and published , in 1 8 03 an account o f ,

h i s tour , which was well received ; but it contain s chi efly d e scrip
t ions O f himself and his Opin ions for which Ital y and S icil y se rve ,

o nly as suggestions AS a satirist , S e um e was to o b itter t o b e

.

a musing H is temper may b e indicated b y the following recip e

.

fo r satire which we fin d among his aphorisms

,
With regard t o
man y of the phases of societ y I wo ul d say describe them care , ,

full y exactl y as the y are , and y ou will surel y produce a good

s atire
’
.

KARL Z AC H AR I A , b orn in 1 7 69 , acquired reputation b y his work

on
‘
T h e U nity of the S tate and the Church and h as ’

also written O utlines of a S ystem O f P enal L aw

‘
and ’

I n the second
’
F o rty B ooks (o r Chapters) on the S tate
e dition ( 1 8 3 9 this work extends to seven volumes It has .

b een regarded in German y as a work of considerable value .

F R I EDR I C H V O N G E N T z ( 1 7 64 —1 83 2) was a political writer ,

wh o earnestly O pposed t h e tendencies of the French R e v olution .

H is L etter t o Frederick -Wil liam III of P ru ssia, conta ins t h e

‘ ’
.
 SEVEN TH PER I O D . 3 09

following passag e on a topic which has excited many discussions

i n Germany .

F R E E D OM OF TH E P R E SS .

O ne fact, without reference any other is su fli c i e nt to condemn

to
the l aw o f censorship o f the press : and it is this —such a l aw can
,

ne v er be fairl y administered It woul d re quire a tribunal l ike that

.

o f the In quisition t o maintain the consistency o f such a l aw The .

pub l ication o f Opinions h as such facil ities that all attempts t o pre ,

vent its free course must appear idl e and ridicul ous In short .
,

a l aw agains t the freedom o f the press may be v exatious but ,

c annot be e ffectua l I t cannot pre v ent e v i l but i t is sure t o excite

.
,

bad fee l ings and e v en t o produce the mischief which it is intended

,

t o counteract T h e poorest productions Of the press whi ch ha v e

.
,

scarce l y a t wo hours vital ity in their contents become prodigies

’
,

o f genius and boldness when they appear in opposition t o royal

authority ! T ame writers and shall ow thinkers become martyrs “

”
fo r the truth and hav e t o thank the c e ns0 1 sh ip fo r all their fame
,
.

A thousand noxious insects which might be destroyed by o n e sun

,

beam creep for th in the darkness I n pl ain word s the most fri
,
.
,

v o l o n s and worthless books are pi quant just because they are c o n

, ,

t raband ar tic l es ; wh i l e better books are negl ected because they ,

d o n o t possess the attr ac tion o f ill egal ity It is a m atter o f slight .

import t o determine that the press shall produce some thousan ds,
more o r less o f books and pamphl ets in these times ; but it i s a
,

subj ect o f serious regret that your maj esty shoul d c ondescend to
carry o n an ineffec t ual warfare and there fore I woul d earnestl y re
,

commend that perfect freedom o f the mess shou l d be estab l ished

as o n e o f the princip l es o f your government
’
.

F R IE DR I C H KO LLE a writer who has b een emplo y e d

i n several political o ffi ces has gained some reputation b y his work
,
’
e ntitled
‘
C onsiderations on D iplomac y Two satirical
writers wh o meddled with political topics may b e mentione d
h ere as their produc t ions once enj o y ed notoriet y t hough the y
, ,

have no permanent val ue L UD WI G B ORNE the son of Jewi sh

.
,

parents ( 1 7 86 wrote man y satirical and political essa y s ,

marked with b itter humour He ridicul es the slowness and

.

—
patience O f some O f hi s countrymen b y saying If a Ge rman i s
‘

required to act he first goes back to the creation of the world ,

,

and studies the relations of the proposed action with all t h e facts

o f history ; b ut b efore he has completed his great theory t h e ,

O pport unit y O f action has passed awa y H E I NR I C H H E I NE ( 1 7 ’

.

t h e son of Jewi sh parents is well kn o wn as a satirical writer of

,

p rose and verse H is hum our is Often coarse and li centious

. .

The notoriet y which the productions of B erne and H ein e on c e

e nj o y ed ampl y c o nfirms t h e remarks o f Gent z on t h e c ensorship

o f the press .
3 10 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

Am ong the more important political and stat istical work s

latel y published a fe w ma y b e noticed The P olitical C y clo
, .
‘

d 1 4 6 y H
’
p ae i a ( 8 edited b KA RL V O N R O T T E C K and T E O D O RE
WELC K ER extends to twelve volumes cont ain ing articles b y
, ,

several writers on various p olitical topics all treated in a liberal ,

style . The G erman P olitical and L egal History by K ARL

‘
,
’

F R I EDR I C H EI C H O RN , which was first publ i shed in 1 8 0 8 is still ,

esteemed as a valuable work on political science The R esults ‘

.

of M oral History, by H L V O N GA G ERN ( 1 8 3 5

’
. . contains
comparative estimates of the influences of monarchy , aristocracy ,

and democrac y , founded on extensive historical kn owledge M an y .

other works in this department have merits but can hardl y claim ,

a place in general literature While some political writers show .

a polemical spirit , others , prepared for their task by a compre

h e nsiv e stud y of history earnestl y endeavour to introduce the
,

rules of strict science int o the dis c ussion of political and so c ial
questions .

While many work s on the Phy sical S ciences are dis figured by
ungrounded speculat ions and hazardous conj ectures , others displa y
i ndustrious Obse rvation and sound inductive philosoph y
,
Alex
,
.

ander v o n Humb oldt alread y described as a scientifi c and enter

,

prising traveller has given some of the most interesting results Of

,

his travels and studies in his work entitled V iews Of Nature‘ ’

,

c ontain ing ani mated descriptions O f natural phenomena with

scientifi c explanations
S everal German writers On A stronomy h ave mingle d vague
.

speculations with the results Of this sub lime science A s a speci .

men O f this unhappy confusion O f truth wi th dreamery we ma y ,

point to a Natural H istory of the S tarry Heavens ( 1 83 6) b y

‘ ’

F R I EDR I C H GRU IT HU I SEN This work is written in a pop ul ar and

.

interesting style , b ut contains instead O f astronomical facts mere , ,

speculations on the origin and fo rmation the meteorology the , ,

vegetation , and even the zoolo gy of the stars and planets Wh at

ever the ingenuity O f the author may b e it is Obvious that s uch a ,

w ork sho ul d b e classed rather among dream -books than works on

science Yet it deserves a notice here , as a fair specimen of many
.

similar work s .

Hundreds O f volumes are produced in German y upon con

t ro v e rsi e s which arise out Of unfounded theories T h e well -
.
,

kn own anecdote of a discussion on the false supposition that a

living fish if put into a b owl of water would not change the level
, ,

of the fluid is a good exposure of many so -called philosophical

,

d isputes . E ven in case s wh e re theory begins on the ground of

'

c e rt ai n fact s, we often fi nd instead O f a careful appreciation of

,
-

these fa ct s , and a patient scientific waiting for fi ut h e r disclosures

312 G ERMAN L IT ERA T URE .

val ue O f L i e big s application of chemical pro c esses to a gricultur e

’

is universall y acknowledged ; b ut against some O f hi s explanation s

of physiological processes by chemistry several serious obj ection s
have been raised especially in an E ssay on P hysiological Ch e
,
‘

’
mis try by G J M U L DER a D utch chemist I t is all owed tha t
,
. .
, .

L iebig has thrown light on some processes of animal l ife ; for

i nstance the suppo rt of vital warmth by carb onised di et ; b ut on
, ,

the other side it is maintain ed that the animal system modifi es

,

o r suspends the processes of chemistry as chemistry modifi es ,

the O peration o f the mechanical laws ; and that therefore , such ,

processes as di gestion respiration and circulation cann ot b e , , ,

fully explained b y chemical laws The cont rovers y of L iebig .

and hi s Opponents on this interesting subj ect has been carried

on with a warmth of temper whi ch sho ul d be avoided by men

of science T he Phy siological L etters for General R eaders
.
‘

by KARL VO GT , may b e commended here as pop ul ar and

interesting .

T h e geolo gical works of F R I EDR I C H H O FF MANN a ‘ P hysical , .

’
Geography a History of Geognosy and V olcanic Pheno
‘

mena ’
and L ectures D elivered in B erlin ( 1 8 234 ‘ ’

m ay b e noticed as the y combine scientifi c information wi th p o pu

,

l ari t y of style .

E very department of literature and science is repre sented in

periodical publications Am ong j ournals o f general literature the .
,
‘
L iterary T imes of H all e the L iterary T h es of Jena and
‘ ’
,
’
,

another j ournal bearing the same name and publi shed at B erlin, ,

may b e mentioned S everal perio di cals are devoted to historical

.

researches T heology is represented in the L iterary Adv e r

.
‘

tis er edited b y D r T h o l u ck the E cclesiastical T imes edited b y

’
,
‘
,
’
,

B re t schn e i d e r and Z immermann and several other j ournals T he , .

O rient represents Jewi sh history and literature E ven such

’
.

an abstruse topic as spec ul ative philosophy is periodicall y dis

c ussed in the J ournal O f P hilosophy and Spec ul ative T heology
‘
,
’
,

edited by D r F ichte P olitical econom y j urisprudence the phy .

, ,

si cal sciences architecture archaeology and music have their

, , , ,

respective periodicals The organi sts O f Germany have a j ournal .

devoted to their interest ; and the chess -player has his chronicle
of games and problems F or further accounts of periodi cal lit e .

rature , we may refer to the H istory of Journalism in Germany , ’

by R C P R U T z
. . .

A b rief analysis of one of the quarterly b ibli ographical c at a v

l ognes of L eipsic the g re at bo o k —

market of Germany
,
will give ,

some notion of the literary productiveness O f this country In .

t he follo wing estimate , periodicals , ne w edi tions and c ollections of

 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 3 13

wo rk s , are in cluded The first section of the quarterl y catalo gue

.

o f ne w publications is d evoted to E ncyclop aed ias and C ollecte d ‘ ’

Works , and contains about fift y ne w b ooks and ne w editions

’
.

T h e second section Theolo gy contains about three hundred work s ,

‘ ’
, ,

o f which upwards of a hundred or nearl y hal f the number, are ,

R oman C atholic publications In this section some curious con .

t rast s ma y b e observed in the titles of bo oks which stand togethe r

i n alphabetical order F or instance a R oman C atholic b ook , con
.
,

taining a narrative of some supposed modern miracle such as ,

The Appe arance of the V irgin M ary to T wo S hepherd -B o y s on

a H ill in F rance in A utumn ma y b e found near some ne o l o
g i cal work of an extremel y sceptical character It ma y b e o b served ,
.

g enerall y that
,
while P rotestant works are chiefl y critical and argu
me nt at iv e writings of a devotional tone preva il among the works
,
—
d istinguished by the R omish sign T T h e next section on P olitics ‘
.
,
’

a nd S ocial E conom y general ly comprehends ab out three hundre d

,
’

b ook s This large numb er seems to confi rm the statement of a

.

German writer who sa y s of his countrymen that the y wi ll no t

,

make one movement in p olitics un til the y have written a whol e

l ibrary about it In the section on M edicine and S urger y we
.
’ ’

find upwards of one hundred publications ; and a b out one hundre d

’
a nd fort y are devoted to Natural History C hemistry , and
‘ ’
,
"
‘ P harmac y It is rather sin gular that b ooks on P hilosoph y
.
’

’
are classed in one section with b ooks on Freemasonr y as i f ‘
,

t hese t wo subj ects had b een associated in the min d of the b iblio
grapher under the common idea of mystery This mysterious sec .

t ion contains ab out t wenty works In the next section works o n .

,
’
E ducation ‘
S chool b ooks and Juvenile Works amount t o
,
- ‘ ’
,
’
,

ab out one hundred and fi ft y The eighth section contains ab out

.

’
o ne hun dred philological works on the ancient C lassical and t h e
O riental L anguages Myt hology and other Antiquities whil e
‘
,
’ ‘ ’
,

a nother hundred b oo k s are devoted to the stud y of M odern

’ ’
L anguages ‘
H istory and B iography are represented by ab ou t
.
‘ ’

o ne hundred and fi ft y publications ; and a similar numb er will be

g enerally found in the section of Geograph y , including V o y ‘ ’

ag es and Travels M athematics and Astronom y produce ab out

fort y or fift y publications ; and nearl y an equal number ma y be
so me t irne s found in the next section which is devoted to M ilitar y ,

S cience , or the Art of War H ere we fin d such titles as Instruo .

’ ‘

tions for the U se of S hells and R ockets or E rnst -F e u e i w e r

‘

k erei , which means li terall y, F ireworks in earnest

’ ‘
It is pleasant , .
’

a fter noticing such formida b le productions to fi nd that the nex t .

,
‘
section on Trade and M anufactures contains nearly a hundre d ’

work s, devo t e d to pea c eable an d useful o c cupat ions , whil e som e

31 4 G ERMAN LI T ERA TURE .

fort y or fifty b ook s represent the interests of M achinery an d ‘ ’

Railway s The next section contain s about twent y publication s

.
’

on F orest Manag ement , M ini ng and F ield-S ports

- ’
(Th e ex ,
’ ‘
.
’
.

tensive forests of Germany form an important part of the wealth

O f the coun try , and their preservation employs many o fficials ) .

Ab out fift y or sixt y b ooks appear under the titles of D omestic ‘

’ ’
E conomy , Farming and Gardeni ng We pass , rather abruptly
,
.
’
,

from b ooks on cookery and the growth of potatoes to the section ,

’
of B elles L ettres , includin g all original works of fancy and
‘

imagination , novels romances and poetry with a considerable

, , ,

number of translations from French and E nglish authors T h e .

publications in this division generally amoun t to two hundred and

u pwards . Ab out one hun dred and fift y books are devoted to t h e
Fi ne Arts After this enumeration it might be supposed that
.
’
,

the public must b e well suppli ed with reading for one quarter ; b ut
’
the people have still to b e provided with suitable books , of
‘

’
which we find a list in the last section , entitled P op ul ar and
‘

M iscellaneous Works H ere among several useful and enter

.
’
,

t ainin g b ooks , we fin d some indications of the l o w literature of

German y in such titles as the followin g : The Wh ole Art of
‘

F ortune -T elli ng b y the C ountess of B or T h e D ream -I n

t e rpre t e r by Jamin B e naral —
, ,
’
,
T amir H ere one author with ex .
,

c e ssiv e benevolence o ffers t o the public for half a dollar a ‘

, , ,

number of import ant recipes by the use of which he (the author) ,

’
h as alread y realised a large fortune H ere we find collections of .

j okes , conun drums and rid dl es for chil dren of all ages anecdotes
, , ,
’

t o b eguile time on the railwa y and other specim ens of literature so

’
,

l ight , as not to Oppress the most feeble mental constitution O r we .

o b serve some republications of curious old b ooks ; for ins t ance ,

‘
H o w t o L ive to the Age of O ne H undred and Fifteen Years or ,
’
‘
O n the U se of the Whip in the C ure of C ertain D isorders .

’ ’
U nder the title of The P eople s L ibrary cheap translations of
‘
,

the novels of E ugene S ue and other French writers are widely

circulated H owever severe the German censorship of the press
.

may have b een in p olitical affairs it has overlooked , or regarded ,

very lenientl y , many of the productions advertised as b ooks for

’
t h e people .

The l iterature of the world ancient and modern, passes t hrough ,

the b ook -fair o f L eipsic H ere may be found translations not .

O nl y of the best works of all co u nt ries and ages from the day s ,

o f H omer t o the present time but also o f the lightest modern ,

productions We may especially notice that translations Of

.

recent French fi ctions of questionable t endenc y have b een very

, ,

widel y c ircul ated ; while the E nglish novel ists , from Fieldi ng
13 1 6 G ERMAN L IT ERAT URE .

which we refer extends from 1 7 4 0 to 1 8 40 O f these writers .

who have acquired general reputations in literature , the D uchy

O f B aden has produced four or fi v e B avaria may be represented .

b y about the same number incl uding RI C H T ER the novelist T h e , .

free cit y of Frankfort is the b irthplace of eight authors including ,

G O E T H E O ther states may be represented in literature by the

.

f ollowing numbers — Hanover 4 ; the Hanseatic T owns 4 ; ! !

H essen -D armstadt 3 ; M ecklenburg 2 ; Nassau

!
1 ; O lden ! !

burg 2 ; S axony
!
8 ; The D uchies of S axony !
6 ; S witzer !

land 6 ; Wii rt e mbe rg

:
19 I t is a remarkable fact that .

A ustria , with its numerous and di versified p op ul ation has not ,

produced one great writer or even a modern author of establishe d ,

reputation in any department if we except H AMMER -P UR G S T AL L , ,

the O riental historian M odern German literature is chiefly the .

p roduce of P russia , which is represented by sixty authors O f con

si d e rabl e celebrity Am ong t h e fe w foreigners who have b een
.

i ncluded in o ur notices of German writers , we ma y mention two

n atives of F rance HU B ER and C H AM I S S O ; one N orwegian ST EP
, ,

P E N s ; and three D anes C LAUD I U S C O UN T S T O L B ER G and NI E B U H R , , ,

the historian S ome brief notices of the professions O f authors

.

may present a contrast wi th English literary annals Among the .

s ame one hundred and seventy modern writers we find three of ,

t h e rulers O f Germany K AR L F R I EDR I C H the good D uke o f

‘ ’
, ,
.

B aden ; J O SEP H II of Austria ; and KAR L A U G U S T of Weimar

.
,

t he patron O f Goethe and S ch iller T wenty -two statesmen may .

“
b e numbered among aut h o rsfi T hirt een clergymen including three ,

R omish priests , have obtained reputations in gene ra l literature .

T h e remaining number comprehends eight school masters or pri ,

~

vate tutors ; thirty -one authors by profession includi ng such ,

n ames as S C H I L L ER RI C H T ER T I EC K U H L AND , and M ENZEL ; , , ,

six librarians ; three or four medical men ; three artists ; ten in

f e ri o r o ffi cers of government ; nine diplomatists ; and nine mili
t ary men M ENDEL S S O H N the Je wish philosopher and NI C O L AI
.
, , ,

t h e satirist , were booksellers T h e greatest number of authors .

is found among academical professors In this department we .

fi nd fort y-two remarka ble names in cluding the pri ncipal histo ,

ri cal and philosophical writers T hi s fact may serve to in di cate .

t h e important influence which the un iversities of German y exercise

o n its national literature .

”
We u se t h e wo r d G rm n s n d no t in g ll t h e s p ri r
st at e sm e n In its e a e se , e a u e o
o ffice rs o f g n m nt m n g wh m w fi n d t h n m
o ve r e , a f G th Jo bi M o r o e e a es o oe e , aco , se ,

M l l r ( t h hi t i n ) V m S t in A l x n d r n H m b l d t n d N i b h r
u e e s or a , o die , e a e vo u o , a e u , as s

t i ng u i h d f m t h n m
s e rof h writ
e a R b n r Cl es o di W gn r W k nsu c e rs as a e e , au u s,
'

a e ,
ac e

ro d r
e nd N o al is wh o h l d in f ri r o ffi
, a v ,
s un d r go v rn m nt e e o ce e e e .
 SEVEN T H PER I O D . 17

T he foll owing b rief notices of the parentage of authors ma y

serve to con firm certain views of an interesting branch of statistics .

Ab out twent y modern authors are the descendants of aristocratic

fa milies while we can hardly fin d a dozen who have immediatel y
,

arisen from the ranks of peasants and mechanics Am ong these .

fe w we ma y mention WI N K ELMANN the son o f a shoemaker ; ,

FI C H T E the son of a weaver ; and T I EC K , whose father was a

,

mechanic The greatest number of authors including the b est ,

.
,

has b een produced by the middle -classes It may be added tha t .

,

although Jews are numerous in P russia and other parts of

Germany we fin d hardly more than half-a-dozen Jewish names
,

a mong celebrated modern writers T h e lives of literar y men in

.

Germany have b een seldom marked with many interesting inci

dents The path from Ob scurit y to eminence has b een so uni form ,
.

t hat the following outlin e of b iograph y might serve for man y

authors N the son of a country clergyman was born in
.
,

t h e villag e of H and received the first elements of education

.

from his fath er , afterwards at the school in the neighb ouring

,

t o wn of H A t the age of eighteen he went to the universit y

.
,

of L where he studied phil osophy and law Afterwards he was

.
, .
,

e ngaged for four y ears as a private tutor in the famil y of Herr B , .

a gentleman holding an O ffice under government D ur ing this .

time he wrote his work on ,

and gained such notice ,
that
he re ce iv e d an appointment as extraordinar y professor at t h e
un iversity of W where he was afterwards appointed as professor
He soon b ecame celebrated b y his work on
.

o f philosoph y .

’
and was promoted to the o ffi ce of privy -councillor It may b e .

noticed here that literary men have in Germany , oppo rtunities ,

o f rising in societ y far more numerous than are a fforded t o the

*
same class of intellectual labourers i n E ngland .

We have noticed in this b rief histo ry of German literature

t hree principal epochs of intellectual excitement T h e first , or .

the era of the Crusades was marked chiefl y by its i maginative

,

and poetical character : the second or the L utheran era was

, ,

chiefly occupied with political religious and ecclesiastical interests

, ,

t h e th ir d or the M odern P eriod ( 1 7 7 0

,
has been more pro
d u ct i v e than all precedin g times and has united the literature of
,

Germany with the general li terature of the world Wh ile we ma y .

understand the past , we are unable to give a clear and fair analysis
o f the present ; and still more hopeless wo ul d b e the task of form

i ng j ust opinions of the future A fe w important facts are evi

.

d ent
. The present age is mark ed by a decay of orig inalit y an d

Thi s re mark d o e s no t appl y t o we al t h , but t o i

re cogn se d rank o r st at o n i .
318 G ERMAN LIT ERA TURE .

p ower in poetry Imaginative literature is still veryvol uminous ,

.

but it grows rather in width than in height It may be questioned

.

whether a great poetical genius , if he appeared in the present

time would devote his powers to poetry Germ any is full o f
,
.

undetermined questions of the highest importance respecting so

c i e t y reli gion , and gove rnment
,
. M aterials for long controversie s
are abundant and many symptoms would lead us t o suppose that
,

the next period must be an age of newspapers Yet as we have

.
,

b een able to trace a sure progress in the intellectual life of the

past we have reason to hope that , in some way whi ch we cannot
,

understand the movements of the future will b e favourab le to t he

,

progress of a sin c ere an d elevating li terature .

3 20 I ND E x .

PA G E PA G E
i
C o m c c an did at e s, ro m W e se , 98 f C . i G arve , Ch ri t i an e ssay i t ( 1 742 s , s 1 32
f i f R
C o n e ss o n , ro m D e r e nn e r, 45 G i l r w ri t e r o f e rm o n
e e , s s 59
f M
C o n t e nt m e nt , ro m art i n O p t z , 93 i G ll rt
e C hri st ian m i c ll ne o u s
e , , s e a
F hi
G re nz e r, G i p l o l o st , 28 4 writ r
g 111
. . e ,

iii
C r t c sm , 2 76 G e nt F V o n p ol it i cal wri t r
z ,
.
, e , 3 08
F i di h d
C ro ne gk , i
re rc , ram at st , 1 16 G rh rd J h nn p t ( 1 60 6
e a , o a , oe 94
d h y by i k
C ru sa e s , i st o r o f, W l en , 25 3 G gr p hy R i t t r gr t wo rk n
eo a , e
’
s ea o , 249
C d f i
ru sa e s , t h e , e fe c t o f, o n l t e rat ure , 17 G g r p h y B rgh u s s w o rk s
eo a , e a
’

, 29 7
G o l o g i c l an d g o g r p hi c l w rk s
e a e a a o , 3 12
D id ct ic ve rsifi cat i on o f t h e S e co nd
a G rm n l n g
e g n t h e u se o f fro m
a a ua e , o ,
P rio d
e ,
42 B al t h as r S h u p p a c ,

D i t t m r He i nri c h hi st o ri an
a , , , 24 8 ri g i n o f o ,

D o gm at i m fro m M rt in W ie l and
s ,
a ,
1 42
D o ring H i nri c h b io graph r
, e , e , 265 G er man l i t e rat u re , m o d e rn , c h ara c
Dr ma t h e
a , 5 6 96 1 1 5 , , , , 1 83 t e r o f, 1 55
D ro y se n J o h nn b i o grap h r
,
a , ddr t e , 24 9 G e I man n at i on , a e ss o, 3 07
D ru mann W il h e lm hist o ri an , M hi t ry f
, , 25 1 , asc o u 8
’
s o o ,
1 34
G rm n p pl M n l hi to ry f e a eo e, e ze
’
s s o , 254
E be r writ r o f h ymn s
, e 72 G r i n G G p hil l g i t , e v u s, . . o o s , 28 2
E b rh rd J o h nn t h e l o gi an ( 1 739
e a , G l a d t h f fr m S hill r s
, o e ss e r, ea o , o c e
’

W ill i m T l l a e ,
’

E b t A rn o l d p oe t ( 1 723
er , G n r C nr d ( 1 5 1 6
, e ss e , o a
E l i t i l H i t ry
c c e s as ca G n r S l omon s o y i t & c ( 1 730
, e ss e , a , e ssa s , .

Ed u ca t i o n and d at io n l wri t
2 9 7—
e uc a
i ng s, 306 G l i m J h n n p t ( 1 793 e , o a , oe
E g i n h rd b i o gr ph r
a , 1 5 G l i n r H i n ri h d r f A l
a e e, e s e , e c e , o sac ,
E i ch nd rfl J o e p h wri t e r o f fi G e k in g L H
‘

e o , s p t ( 1 7 48 , c c , . .
, oe
t ion , G th J h n n W l fg n g p t oe e , o a o a , oe ,

E i h rn F p l it i l wri t r
c o , .
, d m t i t nd p hil ph r ( 1 74 9
o ca e ,
ra a s , a o so e
E m i gr n t G rm n
a fro m P re il i
s, e a 1 5 9 1 8 4 26 4
, , ,

gr t h p m 1 7 9 G t h s m d o f t u d y f m Vi l m r 28 3
’ ’
a s oe s, oe e o e s , ro a ,
E ng l J b t l -writ r ( 1 74 1 1 37 G l d n A g th fr m G t h e ’
e , ac o , a e e o e e, e, o oe s
E r smu t iri t T ‘
71
’
a a s, a s sa s , 1 63 asso ,
E p F bl L t h r pr f to 7 5 G t hi l n g g p im n f
’ ’
so s a e s, u e s ll e ace ,
o c a ua e , s ec e o ,

E t t l i n P t rm n n h r n i l r
er , e e 61 G t t f i d f S t ab g ro m n i t , c 34 o c e ,
o r e o ra s ur , a c s ,

E r p C o urt s and C ab in t o f by G t t h l f J r m i h wri t r o f t l s

G t t he d C h ri t p h p t ( 1 7 0 0—
u o e , 23 7 e s , o e , e e a , e a e ,

F or t r s e , 1 76 6 ) 1 1 0 o sc , s o , oe
E ur p an S t at s S p i t t l r s H i t r G t r ifi r
’
1 12 o z ve s e
y
o e s o
z e e , , ,

0t Gr th f m G t h s Ta so 1 63 ac e s , e , ro oe e
’
s ,
’

E yb A l b r ht V o n
, pros writ r
ec G r ff E G p hil l g i t , 282 e e a , . .
, o o s ,

( 14 60 G r l -t mpl d ipt i n o f 33 a e e , e sc r o ,

G mm r o f t h G rm n l n gu ge ra a e e a a a ,

F ai t hf l E k rt l e g n d f
u c 2 40 aG ri m m , e 28 1 o ,
’
s,
F t h rl n d fr m A rn d t p oe ms 1 77 G r rl y fro m K l p t k s od s 1 13
’ ’
a e a , o s ,
ave s , e a , o s oc e ,

F u t J hn
a s , l y p i nt r
o 9 G r i n rt fr m W i nk lm n n
, e ar r 1 24e , ec a a , o e a ,

F t D r l nd f
au s u s , 83 G
,
i n myt h l gy f m G n r 28 5
eg e o re c a o o , ro re z e ,

F i ht
c G t t l i b p hil
e, o p hi l write r 26 7 G r e i t y nd t h fi n art i n
, o so ca , ee ce , so c e a e e s ,
F i t i n G rm n h
c o , t er f
e 24 2 fr m J ba , c arac o , o aco s,
F i h rt J h n n
sc a , ti i t o 8 0 G r g y b i h o p f To urs
a , sa hi to r s ,
e or , s o s

F l mm i n g P ul writ r o f h ymns
e ,
ri na , 15e a ,

( 1 609 G if n on S m l n li t 1 00 re e s , a ue , o ve s ,

F or t r F hi t ori c l writ r
s e ,
.
,
G im m J s nd W it i l wri t rs 28 1
a e , r , . a .
, cr ca e ,

F q e F d la M o t t e wri t er f
ou u , . G r n i n K rl
e yi t 305 , o u e so , a , e ssa s ,

fi ti n
c o G yp hi An dr p t ( 1 6 1 6 r u s, e as, oe

m i s l l an o u s
,

Fr n k
a c S b t ian
, e G y p hi
as C hri t i n p t ( 1 66 9
, 94 ce e r u s, s a , oe
writ r e ,
G ik H E F cl i t i al ue r e , . . .
, ec e s as c
F r n c n i p p l r c t o m in fr m
a o a, writ
o u a us s , o e r,

Th W rl d -B k
e f S b ti n
o G n d l ng N i l oo hi t ri n ’
o e as a u u , co au s , s o a ,

Fr n k a c ,
G un t h C hri t i n rhym t r ( 1 6 95 e r, s a , es e

F r nl b l yri p t ( 1 250
au e o ,
1” 23 c oe
F r d ri k W l l i m I f Pr
e e c i h I G t t nb rg J h n i n n t r f pri nt
a o u ss a , c a u e e , o , ve o o
r ac e t r f by S h l o r ,
26 1 ng c o sse 59 ,
i ,

F r i l i gr t h F rdi n n d p t ( 1 8 1 0 )
e a ,
1 7 9 G ymn a t i s as b r
e an h o f e d
a t i n 29 9
, oe s c , a c uca o ,

F ri d nk
e a M o d rat i n writ t n i n
’
s e o , e
1 229 , Hah n -H hn C o unt ss n ve l ist 2 36 a ,
e ,
o ,
 I NDEX . 21

PA G E PA G E
H all e r, Al bre cht V o n , p oe t and K ann i t v e rst an , from H e be l s
’
t al e s , 238
e ssa y ist ( 1 7 08 I m m n l m t ph y i i n 1 1 1 , 1 18 K an t , a ue , e a s c a
H m nn J G rg p hil p hi l
a a , .
( 1 7 24 eo e ,
o so ca

writ r ( 1 7130 e K h A nn L u i e po t ( 1 7 22 a rsc , a s , e e ss

H m m -P g t ll t h O rie nt l i t 26 2
a er ur s a , e1 13 a s ,
H nk H nri t t e n l i t
a e , e 23 6 K m p i e Th o mas a p r se -writ r
, o ve 62 s ,
e s, , o e ,

H rd n b rg F writ r o f fi t i o n
a e e 2 1 1 K rn
, . J t in
,
w ri t e f fi ti n
e 227 c ,
e e r, us us, ro c o ,

H ar i n g G g writ r f fi t i n
,
23 6 K l i t E w l d p t ( 1 7 1 5
e or e , e 1 12
o c o , e s , a , oe
H rt m nn t h r f P r H n ry
a a ,
38 K l i t
au H i n ri h dr m t i t ( 1 777
o o oo e ,
’
e s , e c , a a s
H fi W l h l m writ r f fi t i n 235
‘

au , i e , e o c o ,

H au se n F i d i h V n l y ri c p
, t r e 3 9 K l i t H i nri h wri te r o f t l e s
r c o , oe , e s , e c , a ,

H e b l J P t r w it r f t l
e , . 237 K l mm G
e e ,
t s hi t ri n
r e o a e s, e , u s avu , s o a ,

H r n A rn l d hi t o ri l wri t r
ee e ,
24 9 K l ing r M
o ,
dr m t i p o t ( 1 753
s ca e , e , , a a c e
H g l G W F p hi l
e e , p hi l writ r 268
. . .
, o so ca e ,

H i n ri h
e n V l d k in
c ro m n i st vo K l p t o k F G t t l ie b p t ( 1 724
e e , a c o s c , . o , oe

( 1 1 84
H l d n b h ( c ll t ion o f h e ro i c i s
e e uc Kl p t k nd t h e barbe r fro m
o ec o s oc a ,

g nd )
e s ,
G t he 26 4 oe ,

H rd r J G o t t fri e d p o e t n d ri t i
e e , . Kl mpp F n t rain in g , 29 9 a c c u , .
, o ,

K n ig n l i t
l

( 1 744 236 oe , o ve s ,

H rm s K H hi t ri n
e e , . K hl r .
, h F hi st ri n
s o a255 ,
o au s c , .
, o a ,

H rw gh p o l i t i l
e e n g -wri t r ,
1 78 K l l F p l it i c l writ r
ca so 3 09 e , o e , .
, o a e
H i pp l Th d r n
e , l i t ( 1 74 1 1 37 K e n r T h d r p o t ( 1 7 9 1
eo o , o ve 1 78
s r e , eo o , e
H i t i al w rk
s or c m d rn 24 7 K o rt m F ri d ri h hi t ri n
o s, o 25 1 2 5 3
e ,
u , e c , s o a , ,

H i t ry
s o 24 7 K t b A g t s dr m t i writ r o z e ue , u us u a a c e
H fl m nn C hri t ian dr m t i t
, ,

97
‘

o a , s , 1 93 a a s ,
H ff m nn p l it i l n g -w ri t r 1 78 K gl r H i t ry o f P a int in g
’
o a , o ca so 28 9 e ,
u e s s o
H fi m nn T h d r wri t r f fi t i n 2 1 7 K uhn n v l i st 236
‘

o a , eo o , e o c o , e, o e ,

H fi m n n W il h l m hi t ri n 26 3
'

o a , e ,
s o a ,

H e l d l i n F ri d i h p o t
er nd n
, L h m nn K rl hi t o ri an
e r c , e a o ac a , a , s ,

ve l i t ( 1 770
s 1 7 2 208 L di G rman fr m Vo g l w id s ,
a e s, e , o e e e
’

H l m p l it i l s n g -writ r
a , o 1 80 ca ly i o e ,
r c s,
H l t y L dwi g p t ( 1 7 48
o , u 1 1 5 L f nt i n e A u gu t s n o l i t
, oe a o a , s u , ve s ,
H n F n rit i l writ r
or , Ia 28 0 L m n t
z , c fr m V g l we id
ca e ,
a e , a, o o e e,
H b r Th
u e n , l i t ( 1 7 64 2 08 L m p
e re se , h t bi g p h ro ve s a re c , o 1a e ,

H g f T r nb rg did t i writ r
u o o u 45 L ne I n di n A nt i q i t i e s
, ac c e ,
a sse
’
8 a u ,
H ll m n n hi t ri l wri t r
u a , 25 3 L b n li t
s o ca e ,
au e, o ve s ,

H m b l dt Al x n d r V n t r vel s L t e r C sp r po e t and ph ysi o gn o

’
u o s, e a e o , a ava , a a ,

a nd w k o r s, 29 0 mi t s ,

H t t n U lri h V n p t ( 1 48 8
u e , 69 L rn in g f r l if fr m H e rd r
c o , oe297 ea o e, o e ,

L h m n C hri t p h hi t i n 87 e a , s o , s or a ,
Hyp t h i and In d ct i on (H ll r) 1 1 8 L ib n i t G o t t frie d W il h l m ( 1 646
o es s u a e ,
e z , e

Id l i m h o l f
ea s , sc L ip i b o k f i r
o o ,
e s c o a ,

Idl r t h f m R b n r
e , e ,
1 23 L
ro H i nri h hi t o ri c l writ r
u e e , eo, e c , s a e ,

I mm m n n K rl writ e r o f fi t i n
er a 232 L , i ng E phrai m dr m at ist nd
a , c o , e ss , , a a
I mm t l it y f m H rm nn R im
OI a , it i
ro e a e a Cl c,
r u s, L i h t n b rg G e O g p ro se wri t r c e e , I e, e
I ndi n Ant i q it i s by L s n
a 2 96 ( 1 74 2
u e , 1 31 a se ,

I ndi n w d ”nym ph fr m L mpr cht s L i h t n t in t r v l o f in A fri ca

a oo s 2 96 o a e
’
c e s e , a e s , ,

L if f Al x n d r t h G r t
e o 36 L i h t w r m i n r p t
e a e 111
e ea ,
’
c e , o oe , ;
I n di E t by V n O rl i h
e s, as 296 L i b i g D r J t
, h e m i c l writ r 3 1 1
o c , e , u s u s, c a e ,

I n d t i n nd Hyp t h i s ( H ll r) 1 1 8 L i gn i t b t t l o f ( Ar h nh l t )
uc o a o es 25 5 a e , e z , a e c e o z ,

I l in I
se hi t i n saac , L if di ff i o n f ( H m b l d t )
s OI a 29 1 e us o u o
m m L s I t al i n
, , , ,

It li n
a a th s, L if m rn i ng an d e ve n in g o f fro m
e, eo
’
a e , o ,
C it i s R i ht r s T l s
’
20 0
’
e , c e a e ,

Li F S ript ur l o mm n t t o r 27 4 sco , .
, c a c e a ,

J ac b i F ri dri h p hil so p h e r ( 1 74 3
o , e L i t r ry hi t ry nd crit i i m
c , 276
o e a s o a c s ,
‘

L g i w rk n 268 o c, o s o ,

J aco b F ri d ri h n ov l i t
s, 208 L h r F i d i h hi st ri n
e c , e 2 60 s o e , r e r c , o a ,

J hn F i d i h
a r e L h n t i n D n i l dram at ist & c
r c , o e s e , a e , , .

J r
e l m th
u sa e t rm i n g o f n 1 099 , 257 ( 1 6 38
e s o 9 7 1 01 , I , ,
J rd n i
o a hi t i n s 1 5 L h m n n F ri d rik e writ r o f t l
s or a 236 , o a , e e , e a e s,
J urn l
o nd o t h r p
a s, a i di l 3 1 2 L t t y -Ti k t t h ( R i h t r)
e er o 20 4 ca s , o er c e , e c e ,

J ung H inri c h p o e t ( 1 7 40
, e 1 1 3 1 35 L u ca S ign re ll i fro m A von P lat e n
, 1 74 , o , .
,
32 2 I NDEX .

PA G E PA G E
I ut h e r, M art in t he ol o g i an ( 1 48 3 , 64 N au b e rt , B e n e d i c t e , wr t e r o f ct o n , 2 08 i fi i
e an e r, J W , t e o l o g c al wr t e r,
N d h i . 274 . i
F a bl e s N i h i
e uk rc , B e nj am n , p o e t 1 665
—
, ( 95
L yri cal p o e t ry fro m 1 1 50 t o 1 300 , Ni g id
be l u n e n -L e , t h e , 1 8 31
Ni c l as , p ro se -i
w r t e r ( 1 460 58
M adl e r D r t h e ast ro no m e r
, , , Ni i C F i d i h
co la , r e r c , no ve l i st ( 1 7 3 3
.

M aga in an d r i wsz es ev e ,

M agn t i m n im l writ ings n

e s , a a , o , N i b hr B art h l d hi t orian
e u , o , s ,
M il t h J V o n hi t o ri al wri t r
a a ,
.
, s c e , N i bu hr C t r l l r
e , , av e e ,

M ank i n d I l in s hi t o ry o f , se
’
s , N i t h art l yri p o t , c e
M n w it h ut a sh ado w t h e fro m
a o , , N o rw g ian h o m t ad a fro m
e es e , ,

Ch mi a sso , S te fi e n s
‘

226 ,

M anu e l , N i cl au s ( 1 48 4 N l i ( F H rde nb rg ) fi t i o ns o f 21 1
o va s . a e , c ,

M art i n s , P V o n , t rave ll e r . an d bo t a N o e ls and ro mance s mo de rn

v 1 96 , ,
n st , i
M asc o u , D r J J ac o b , . hi st o r an , i ( E c o l am p ad i u s , t e o l o a n ( 1 48 2 h gi 67
M at h e s i u s , J o h an n , i p ro se wr t e r O e h l e n sc hl e g e r, ram at c wr t e r, d i i 1 94
O l e ari u s , am , p ro se - Ad
wr t e r ( 1 600 i
M t t hi o n F ri e d i h p o t ( 1 76 1
a s ,
I c , e
O lh au se n , D r, S c r p t ural o o mm e n i
M y -d y by C un t C nr d f Ki r h
a a , o o a o c t at o r,
b g er , i M
Op tz , art i n , ve rsifi e r, & c ( 1 597 .

M dit t i n
e fr m V g l w id
a o , a, o o e e e, 92 , 1 00
M i nh l d t W il h l m wri t r o f fi
e o ,
e , e c ih ’
E I di
O rl c s t rav e l s I n t h e ast n e s, 2 96
ti n o , O swal vo n W o l e n st e i n , m i n st re l ,
d k 54
M nd l
e hn M oe sso p hil o o p h r , se s , s e fid i Fi P i
O t r e , wr t e r i n t h e rs t e r od , 16
1 49
M nt l S i n
e a c e ce , 2 68 P l w A gu t V n n l i t
aa z o , u s e o , o ve s ,

M n 1 \V l fg ng hi t ri n
e z e , 2 54
o a , s o a , , 28 1 P in t in g n d p t ry fr m W ink l
a a oe , o e
M m i m wri t r n
es er s , e s o , 3 05 m nn a , 1 27
M t p hy i l h l f Ka n t
e a s ca sc oo o , 146 P i nt i ng K gl r hi t y f
a , u e
’
s s or o , 28 9
M t p hy i l w o k s
e a s ca r , 268 P ll m
a t l e f in K d f n
, rav e s o , or o a , 29 6
M iddl g it i f by H ll m nn
e a e s, c es o , u a , 25 3 P arae u s , D id t h l gi n ( 1 584 av , eo o a 67
M iddl g hi t ry f by K o rt ii m
e a e s, s o o , , 2 53 P i
arc v a l r m n f , o a ce o , 34
M in n l i d r o r h rt l yri
e e e , s o c s, 38 P ri i n t d nt t h f m B n r
a s a s u e , e , ro o e , 52
M i nn in g r t h es e s, e , 38 P n Am i t ri l f fr m S t ri k r
arso s, a o , o c e , 49
M nk t h N o i y fr m W i k r m
o , e s , o c a , 82 P l i J h nn p -writ r &
au , o a e s, ro se e , c. 60
M r l ct i n s o u r t im t o f fro m
o a a o , es a e , P ri o di l l it t r
e ca e ra u e , 3 12
K nt a ,
P t al i J H
es oz z , .
, 2 98
M r l i mp r i n s p ri m ry ( F J Pf fl l m i n r p t
‘

o a e ss o , a . a e e , o oe , 1 11
bi) Phil l gy t t d nt f by N i buh 30 1
H n Mi h l n
co ,
o o , o a s u e o , e I ,

M h r
o sc h e o sc , a s c ae , o Phi l p hi l y t m f G m n y
o so ca s s e s o er a , 266
veli t s Phil p hy o nt e mp t f fr m M n
o so , c o , o e

M o se
'

r J t ,
y ist nd t l e u s u s, e ssa , a a d l hn
e s so ,

writ r ( 1 7 20 e Ph y i l i n s
s ca sc e ce ,

M o r K rl V o n p o l i t i l writ r
se , a , ca e Phy i gn o my fr m L i ht nb rg
s o , o c e e ,

( 1 723 Phy i l gy w it r n
s o o , r e s o ,

M h im J o h nn hi t o ri n ( 1 6 9 4
os e , a , s a P i hl r C r l in n l i st
c e , a o e , o ve ,

Pl t n A g t V n p t ( 1 796
a e , u u s us o , oe
M ldu G J h mi t
e r, . .
, c e s ,

M ll r F ri d ri h writ r f fi t i n
u e e c , e o c o , P t te r d i t f m R i m r
o e as , a v ce o, Io e e ,

M ll r J h n n hi t ri n
u e , o a ,
s o a , P t ry nd p i nt ing fr m I Vi nk l
oe a a , o
’
e
M ull r K rl O t t f i d p hil l g i t
e a r e o o s m nn a
P t y nd r l li f fro m G t h s
, , , ,

M n t r S b ti n
u s e m g ph r
, e as a , cos o ra e , oe r a ea e , oe e
’

M rn Th m t iri l writ r W il h l m M i t
'

1 98
’
u e r, o a s, sa ca e e e s e r,
( 1 475 P t y l i p ri d f
oe r , c as s c e o o , 1 57
M u sae u J oh nn t al e -wri t r ( 1 7 35
s, a , e P t y l yri l f m 1 1 5 0 t 1 3 00
oe r , ca , ro o , 38
P t y
oe r , 68 9 1 1 1 0 , , , 1 57
I l u si c , wo r ks o n , P l it i l Cy l op di a (R o t t e k n d
o ca c ae c a
i
M y m p r so n m e n t , i fro m S ch u bart
’
s VV l k rt )
e c e ,

au t ob io graphy , P l i t i l writ r
o ca e s,
Myst i c w o rk s , P pp ig E d w d t
o l, f ar ,
rav e s o ,

M y t h o l o gy G e rm an G ri mm s P p l r l eg n d o r V lk sb h r
’

, , , o u a e s, o uc e ,

Pr di t i ns a t r l ogi l f o m F i s
e c o , s o ca , r
Na t ure , c o nst anc y of fro m S ch il l e r
, , 1 69 Ch art ’
3 24 I NDE .

PA G E
Tasso , co ro n at o n o f, i fro m G oe t h e , W ac sm u t , W , i st o r an ,
h h
26 4 , 28 6 . h i
T au l e r, J o h ann , p r -wri t r 1 29 0
o se ( e W a e n e m , K , m sce ll an e o us wr t e r, 305
g h i . i i
I V ag ne r, E
rn st , wr t e r o f c t o n , 208 i fi i
Te ac hin g p l i n f r t h pe p l , a , o e o e ,
W al s , ur ar , wr t e r o f a l e s ,
di B k d i 72 fb
Te l l W ill i m xt r t f o m E t te l in
, a , e ac r r
’
s W al l e r, t h e se n t m e nt al st , no m B re n
i i '

C h o n i l f t h S wi C nfed
r c e o e ss o e t na o ,

r y ac ,
’
VV il G hi t i l writ r
e , s o r ca e ,

Th t re G rm n Pr t h i to ry o f
ea , e a , u z 8
’
s , 1 94 W i e se C hri t i n d r m t i t
, s a , a a s ,

Th e g n u ab i gr ph r s, o a e ,
15 W i e sse C h ri t i n F l ix dr m t i t
, s a e , a a s
T h l gyeo o ,
27 3 ( 1 7 26
T h rm i n L F h i
e rm n , . . s se o s, 274 W l t D i ( T h W rl d ) S t ri k r
e , e , e o c e
’
s
Thirt y Y ear IV r t h S hill r h i s s
’
a , e , c e
’
5 W n r Z h ri
er e dram t i t
, ac a as, a s ,

t ry f
o o ,
VV e ssel J h n n p hi l o l gi t ( 1 4 1 9
, o a , o s

Th l o uck F ie dri h t h l g i n , r c , eo o a ,
1 48 9 )
Ti k L d w g writ r f fi t io n
ec , u 1 , e o c ,
\V t t
e W il h l m D t h l g i n
e , e e , eo o a ,

T ie d J h n n r l ig i
e , writ e r ( 1 7 32
o a , e ous W i k r m G rg m i ll n
c a , eo e, sc e a e o us
wri t r e
W i l n d C M rt in n o l i t ( 1 733
,

T i dg
e C hri to ph p t ( 1 752-1 841 )
e , s , oe 113 e a , . a , ve s
T i rk l Th m
e r, did t i writ r o as , ac c e
W ilk in F rie dri h hi t i n , c , s or a ,

T b ia W it t p hil phy f m E
o s
’
8 o so , ro u W ink l m nn J h nn it i l wri t e r
e a , o a , cr ca

g l t l ( 1 71 7
’
e 8 a e s,
Tr d H fi m n n hi to ry f
a e , o
‘

a
’
s s o , 263 W i n b k D r xt r t fr m
s e e, e , e ac o ,

T l nd V y g
rav e s a o a es, W i rn t t h r f D r W in b k
, au o o e s e e ,
’

T h di E g i d hi t i n ( 1 50 5
sc u , , s or a 87 W i d m p r t i l fr m L ibn it
s o , ac ca , o e z ,

J V n t l f, . o , rave s o , 2 95 W i h m y fr m S l m o n G n r
s , , o a o e ss e ,

T u rm yr J ha nn hi t ri n
a , o , s o a ,
W it h c t i ls nd
e s, x ti n f r a a e e cu o s o ,

fr m S l d n
o o a
w i t e ( 1 67 9
,

Uhl an d L dwig po t nd rit i l , u , e a c ca W lf C h i t i n p

o ,
- r s a ,
ro se r r
wri t r e 1 75 , 28 1 1 17
Ul lm n K l t h l gian
a , ar , eo o ,
W l f F A p hi l l g i t
o , . 28 4
.
, o o s ,

Ul p h il B i h p ( 3 10
a s, s o W l fr m f E h n b h r m n i t
o a o 34 sc e ac ,
o a c s ,

U t ri M rt i n p t
s e , a , oe ,
W l t m nn K e
o n hi t
a i l w it r 25 7 ,
a o s o r ca r e ,

Ut p i a p t fr m R ck rt
o a, oe
’
s, o u e ,
W r b rg K nrad V o n
u z u m n i t , o ,
ro a c s

V i n S t di fr m Jun g ( S t il l i ng )
a u e s, o , 1 35
V h e K l hi t ri n
se , ar , s o a , 24 8 Y o u ng R o l an d fro m U hla n d , ,

V l d k in H inri h V o n r m n i t
e e , e c , o a c s

( 1 1 84 36 Z h
ac ari a, K , p o l t cal wr t e r,
“

308 . ii i
V r i fyin g l b f t h 1 5t h n t ry
e s c u s o e ce u , 55 Zi
m m e rm ann , J o an n ( 1 7 28 1 29 h
Vil m r A F C crit i l t r 283
a , . . .
, ca e e , ,
i d f C
284 Z n z e n o r , o u n t , p ro se -wr t e r ( 1 700 i
V g l w id W l t e r v n d r l yri
o e e e , a o e , c

p t ( 1 1 70
oe 39 Zsch o k k e , H e in ri c h , m isc e ll an e o u s
V gt K l p hy i l g i t
o , ar , s o o s , 31 2 wri t e r 41 7 7 1
V o lk b i h r s P p ul r L e g nd
Ic e , or o a e s, 2 39 Zu m p t , G , l n u i st and C . i g . gramm a
V o ss , J H inri h p t ( 1 7 5 1. e c , oe 1 70 i
r an ,
Vo yage s and t rave ls , 290 Z i g
w n l e , lr c , th e o l o an U ih gi

T H E E ND .

E D I N BU R G H : IV A N D R
. . C HAM B E R S .