echoes of foreign models little better than themselves. No Shakspeare, no Milton appears there; such, indeed, would have appeared earlier, if at all, in the current of German history; but instead, they have only at best Opitzes, Flemmings, Logans, as we had our Queen Anne Wits; or, in their Lohensteines, Gryphs, Hoffmannswaldaus, though in inverse order, an unintentional parody of our Drydens and Lees.

young Wonder, and an enthusiasm for which | nently prosaic; its few Singers are feeble Chivalry was still the fit exponent, there succeeds, as was natural, a period of Inquiry, a Didactic period; wherein, among the Germans, as elsewhere, many a Hugo von Trimberg delivers wise saws, and moral apothegms, to the general edification: later, a Town-clerk of Strasburg sees his Ship of fools translated into all living languages, twice into Latin, and read by Kings; the Apologue of Reynard the Fox gathering itself together, from sources remote | and near, assumes its Low-German vesture; and becomes the darling of high and low, nay still lives with us, in rude genial vigour, as one of the most remarkable indigenous productions of the Middle Ages. Nor is acted poetry of this kind wanting; the Spirit of Inquiry translates itself into Deeds which are poetical, as well as into words: already at the opening of the fourteenth century, Germany witnesses the first assertion of political right, the first vindication of Man against Nobleman; in the early history of the German Swiss. And again, two centuries later, the first assertion of intellectual right, the first vindication of Man against Clergyman; in the history of Luther's Reformation. Meanwhile the Press has begun its incalculable task; the indigenous Fiction of the Germans, what we have called their inarticulate Poetry, issues in innumerable Volks-Eücher, (People's-Books,) the progeny and kindred of which still live in all European countries: the People have their Tragedy and their Comedy; Tyll Eulenspiegel shakes every diaphragm with laughter; the rudest heart quails with awe at the wild my-pered without aid: Lessing's announcement thus of Faust.

With Luther, however, the Didactic Tendency has reached its poetic acme; and now we must see it assume a prosaic character, and Poetry for a long while decline. The Spirit of Inquiry, of Criticism, is pushed beyond the limits, or two exclusively cultivated: what had done so much, is capable of doing all; Under- | standing is alone listened to, while Fancy and Imagination languish inactive, or are forcibly stifled; and all poetic culture gradually dies away. As if with the high resolute genius, and noble achievements, of its Luthers and Huttens, the genius of the country had exhausted itself, we behold generation after generation of mere Prosaists succeed these high Psalmists. Science indeed advances, practical manipulation in all kinds improves; Germany has its Copernics, Hevels, Guerickes, Keplers; later, a Leibnitz opens the path of true Logic, and teaches. the mysteries of Figure and Number: but the finer Education of mankind seems at a stand. Instead of Poetic recognition and worship, we have stolid Theologic controversy, or still shallower Freethinking; pedantry, servility, mode-hunting, every species of Idolatry and Affectation holds sway. The World has lost its beauty, Life its infinite majesty, as if the Author of it were no longer divine: instead of admiration and creation of the True, there is at best criticism and denial of the False; to Luther there has succeeded Thomasius. In this era, so unpoetical for all Europe, Germany torn in pieces by a Thirty Year's War, and its consequences, is pre-emi

Nevertheless from every moral death there is a new birth; in this wondrous course of his, man may indeed linger but cannot retrograde or stand still. In the middle of last century, from among the Parisian Erotics, rickety Sentimentalism, Court aperies, and hollow Dulness, striving in all hopeless courses, we behold the giant spirit of Germany awaken as from long slumber; shake away these worthless fetters, and by its Lessings and Klopstocks, announce, in true German dialect, that the Germans also are men. Singular enough in its circumstances was this rescuscitation; the work as of a spirit on the waters,? -a movement agitating the great popular mass; for it was favoured by no court or king: all sovereignties, even the pettiest, had abandoned their native Literature, their native language, as if to irreclaim, able barbarism. The greatest King produced in Germany since Barbarossa's time, Frederick the Second, looked coldly on the native endeavour, and saw no hope but in aid from France. However, the native endeavour pros

did not die away with him, but took clearer utterance, and more inspired modulation from his followers; in whose works it now speaks, not to Germany alone, but to the whole world. The results of this last Period of German Literature are of deep significance, the depth of which is perhaps but now becoming visible. Here, too, it may be, as in other cases, the Want of the Age has first taken voice and shape in Germany; that change from Negation to Affirmation, from Destruction to Reconstruction, for which all thinkers in every country are now prepared, is perhaps already in action there. In the nobler Literature of the Germans, say some, lie the rudiments of a new spiritual era, which it is for this, and for succeeding generations to work out and realize. The ancient creative Inspiration, it would seem, is still possible in these ages; at a time when Skepticism, Frivolity, Sensuality, had withered Life into a sand desert, and our gayest prospect was but the false mirage, and even our Byrons could utter but a death-song or despairing howl, the Moses'-wand has again smote from that Horeb refreshing streams, towards which the better spirits of all nations. are hastening, if not to drink, yet wistfully and hopefully to examine. If the older Literary History of Germany has the common attractions, which in a greater or a less degree belong to the successive epochs of other such Histories; its newer Literature, and the historical delineation of this, has an interest such as belongs to no other.

It is somewhat in this way, as appears to

tre, of a Life of Kotzebue, concerning whom, or whose life, death, or burial, there is now no curiosity extant among men. If in that "English Temple of Fame," with its hewn and sculptured stones, those Biographical-Dictionary fragments and fractions are so much dry rubble-work of whinstone, is not this quite despicable Autobiography of Kotzebue a rood or two of mere turf, which, as ready-cut, our ar

us, that the growth of German Poetry must be | us that it is by a nameless writer, and worth construed and represented by the historian: nothing. Not only Mr. Taylor's own Translathese are the general phenomena and vicissi- tions, which are generally good, but contributudes, which, if elucidated by proper indivi- tions from a whole body of labourers in that dual instances, by specimens fitly chosen, pre- department, are given: for example, near sented in natural sequence, and worked by sixty pages, very ill rendered by a Miss Plumphilosophy into union, would make a valuable book; on any and all of which the observations and researches of so able an inquirer as Mr. Taylor would have been welcome. Sorry are we to declare that of all this, which constitutes the essence of any thing calling itself Historic Survey, there is scarcely a vestige in the book before us. The question, What is the German mind; what is the culture of the German mind; what course has Germany fol-chitect, to make up measure, has packed in lowed in that matter; what are its national among his marble ashlar, whereby the whole characteristics as manifested therein appears wall will the sooner bulge? But indeed, genot to have presented itself to the author's nerally speaking, symmetry is not one of his thought. No theorem of Germany and its in- architectural rules. Thus, in volume First, tellectual progress, not even a false one, has we have a long story translated from a Gerhe been at pains to construct for himself. We man Magazine, about certain antique Hyperbelieve, it is impossible for the most assidu- borean Baresarks, amusing enough, but with ous reader to gather from these three Volumes no more reference to Germany than to Engany portraiture of the national mind of Ger- land; while, in return, the Nibelungen Lied is many,-not to say in its successive phases despatched in something less than one line, and the historical sequence of these, but in and comes no more to light. Tyll Eulenspieany one phase or condition. The work is gel, who was not an " anonymous Satire, entimade up of critical, biographical, bibliogra- tled the Mirror of Owls," but a real flesh-andphical dissertations, and notices concerning blood hero of that name, whose tombstone is this and the other individual poet; inter- standing to this day near Lubeck, has some spersed with large masses of translation: and four lines for his share; Reineke de Vos about except that all these are strung together in the as many, which also are inaccurate. Again, order of time, has no historical feature what-if Wieland have his half-volume, and poor ever. Many literary lives as we read, the nature of literary life in Germany,-what sort of moral, economical, intellectual element it is that a German writer lives in and works in,—will nowhere manifest itself. Indeed, far from depicting Germany, scarcely on more than one or two occasions does our author even look at it, or so much as remind us that it were capable of being depicted. On these rare occasions, too, we were treated with such philosophic insight as the following: "The Germans are not an imitative, but they are a listening people: they can do nothing without directions, and any thing with them. As soon as Gottsched's rules for writing German correctly had made their appearance, everybody began to write German." Or we have theoretic hints, resting on no basis, about some new tribunal of taste which at one time had formed itself" in the mess-rooms of the Prussian officers!"

In a word, the "connecting sections," or indeed by what alchymy such a congeries could be connected into an Historic Survey, have not become plain to us. Considerable part of it consists of quite detached little Notices, mostly of altogether insignificant men; heaped together as separate fragments; fit, had they been unexceptionable in other respects, for a Biographical Dictionary, but nowise for an Historic Survey. Then we have dense masses of Translation, sometimes good, but seldom of the characteristic pieces; an entire Iphigenia, an entire Nathan the Wise: nay worse, a Sequel to Nathan, which when we have conscientiously struggled to pursue, the Author turns round, without any apparent smile and tells

Ernest Schulze, poor Zacharias Werner, and numerous other poor men, each his chapter; Luther also has his two sentences, and is in these weighed against-Dr. Isaac Watts. Ulrich Hutten does not occur here; Hans Sachs and his Master-singers escape notice, or even do worse; the poetry of the Reformation is not alluded to. The name of Jean Paul Friedrich Richter appears not to be known to Mr. Taylor; or if want of Rhyme was to be the test of a Prosaist, how comes Salomon Gesner here? Stranger still, Ludwig Tieck is not once mentioned; neither is Novalis ; neither is Maler Müller. But why dwell on these omissions and commissions? is not all included in this one well-nigh incredible fact, that one of the largest articles in the Book, a tenth part of the whole Historic Survey of German Poetry, treats of that delectable genius, August von Kotzebue?

The truth is, this Historic Survey has not any thing historical in it; but is a mere aggregate of Dissertations, Translations, Notices, and Notes, bound together indeed by the circumstance that they are all about German Poetry, "about it and about it;" also by the sequence of time, and still more strongly by the Bookbinder's packthread; but by no other sufficient tie whatever. The authentic title, were not some mercantile varnish allowable in such cases, might be: "General Jail-delivery of all Publications and Manuscripts, original or translated, composed or borrowed, on the subject of German Poetry; by," &c.

To such Jail-delivery, at least when it is from the prison of Mr. Taylor's Desk at Norwich, and relates to a subject in the actual

like an Earthborn Atlas; but in the poetical Heaven, Wieland and Klopstock burn fainter, as new and more radiant luminaries have arisen. Within the last forty years, German Literature has become national, idiomatic, distinct from all others; by its productions during that period, it is either something or nothing.

The truth is, Mr. Taylor, though a man of talent, as we have often admitted, and as the world well knows, though a downright, independent, and to all appearance most praiseworthy man, is one of the most peculiar critics to be found in our times. As we construe him from these volumes, the basis of his nature seems to be polemical; his whole view of the world, of its Poetry, and whatever else it holds, has a militant character. Ac

Nevertheless it is still at the distance of forty years, sometimes we think it must be fifty, that Mr. Taylor stands. "The fine Lite-cording to this philosophy, the whole duty of rature of Germany," no doubt, he has "im- man, it would almost appear, is to lay aside ported;" yet only with the eyes of 1780 does the opinion of his grandfather. Doubtless, it he read it. Thus Sulzer's Universal Theory is natural, it is indispensable, for a man to lay continues still to be his roadbook to the temple aside the opinion of his grandfather, when it of German taste; almost as if the German will no longer hold together on him; but we critic should undertake to measure Waverley and had imagined that the great and infinitely Manfred by the scale of Blair's Lectures. Sulzer | harder duty was-To turn the opinion that was an estimable man, who did good service does hold together, to some account. Howin his day; but about forty years ago sunk ever, it is not in receiving the New, and into a repose, from which it would now be im- creating good with it, but solely in pulling to possible to rouse him. The superannuation pieces the Old, that Mr. Taylor will have us of Sulzer appears not once to be suspected by employed. Often, in the course of these pages, our Author; as indeed little of all the great might the British reader sorrowfully exclaim: work that has been done or undone, in Literary "Alas! is this the year of grace 1831, and are Germany within that period, has become clear we still here? Armed with the hatchet and to him. The far-famed Xenien of Schiller's tinder-box; still no symptom of the sower'sMusenalmanach are once mentioned, in some sheet and plough?" These latter, for our half-dozen lines, wherein also there are more Author, are implements of the dark ages; the than half-a-dozen inaccuracies, and one rather ground is full of thistles and jungle; cut down egregious error. Óf the results that followed and spare not. A singular aversion to Priests, from these Xenien; of Tieck, Wackenroder, something like a natural horror and hydrophethe two Schlegels, and Novalis, whose critical bia, gives him no rest night nor day: the gist Union, and its works, filled all Germany with of all his speculations is to drive down more tumult, discussion, and at length with new or less effectual palisades against that class conviction, no whisper transpires here. The of persons; nothing that he does but they New School, with all that it taught, un taught, and interfere with or threaten; the first question mistaught, is not so much as alluded to. he asks of every passer-by, be it German Schiller and Goethe, with all the poetic world Poet, Philosopher, Farce-writer, is, “Arian or they created, remain invisible, or dimly seen: Trinitarian? Wilt thou help me or not?" Kant is a sort of Political Reformer. It must Long as he has now laboured, and though callbe stated with all distinctness, that of the ing himself Philosopher, Mr. Taylor has not newer and higher German Literature, no reader yet succeeded in sweeping this arena clear; but will obtain the smallest understanding from still painfully struggles in the questions of these Volumes. Naturalism and Supernaturalism, Liberalism and Servilism.

Indeed, quite apart from his inacquaintance with actual Germany, there is that in the structure or habit of Mr. Taylor's mind, which singularly unfits him for judging of such matters well. We must complain that he reads German Poetry, from first to last, with English eyes; will not accommodate himself to the spirit of the Literature he is investigating, and do his utmost, by loving endeavour, to win its secret from it; but plunges in headlong, and silently assuming that all this was written for him and for his objects, makes short work with it, and innumerable false conclusions. It is sad to see an honest traveller confidently gauging all foreign objects with a measure that will not mete them; trying German Sacred Oaks by their fitness for British shipbuilding; walking from Dan to Beersheba, and finding so little that he did not bring with him. This, we are too well aware, is the commonest of all errors, both with vulgar readers, and with vulgar critics; but from Mr. Taylor we had expected something better; nay, let us confess, he himself now and then seems to attempt something better, but too imperfectly succeeds in it.

Agitated by this zeal, with its fitful hope and fear, it is that he goes through Germany; scenting out Infidelity with the nose of an ancient Heresy-hunter, though for opposite purposes; and, like a recruiting sergeant, beating aloud for recruits; nay, where in any corner he can spy a tall man, clutching at him, to crimp him or impress him. Goethe's and Schiller s creed we saw specified above; those of Lessing and Herder are scarcely less edifying; but take rather this sagacious exposition of Kant's Philosophy:

"The Alexandrian writings do not differ so widely as is commonly apprehended from those of the Königsberg School, for they abound with passages, which, while they seem to flatter the popular credulity, resolve into allegory the stories of the gods, and into an illustrative. personification the soul of the world; thus in sinuating to the more alert and penetrating, the speculative rejection of opinions with which they are encouraged and commanded in action to comply. With analogous spirit, Professor Kant studiously introduces a distinction be tween Practical and Theoretical Reason; and