Klopstock here given, are, it is believed, now translated for the first time in the original metre. Criticism will doubtless find in the translations sufficient cause for blame, without cavilling at occasional imperfections in the rhymes, it is, therefore, perhaps scarcely necessary to repeat the words of Lord Mahon, “I would rather bear a faulty rhyme than lose a noble thought. כל Should the meed of public praise be denied him, the Author will endeavour to console himself with the pleasure which the execution of the work itself has afforded him. From his scholastic duties he has turned into any other modern language. Germany's great poets have clothed sublime thoughts in hexameter verse, but they have not succeeded in rendering it popular, in the true sense of the word. What German schoolboy, when he has to learn a piece of poetry, chooses one in hexameters? And how many millions know the long ballads of Schiller, Bürger and others by heart? Perhaps the best reason for not making too frequent a use of them is given by Schlegel : "Hexameter zu machen, Die weder hinken noch krachen, Das sind nicht Jedermanns Sachen." Diffident of our own powers, we have ventured to give in this metre only one short elegy of Goethe. aside to revel awhile in the fairy regions of poetry, and has derived from its lofty inspirations a gratification so exquisite that he will scarcely regret having committed the error of mistaking his vocation. To conclude, the Author returns his sincere thanks to the able corrector of the press, Dr. Felix Flügel, Junr. of Leipzig, to whose elegant taste and just criticisms he has been frequently and greatly indebted. Marienburg, near Cologne, December 26. 1853. CONTENTS. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE AUTHORS. Arndt, Ernst Moritz, born December 26. 1769, at Schoritz, Arnim, Ludwig Achim von, born January 26. 1781, at Berlin, died January 21. 1831 at Wiepersdorf. Auersperg, Anton Alexander, Count of, better known by the name of Anastasius Grün, born April 11. 1806, at Lai- Brentano, Clemens, born September 9. 1778, at Ehrenbreit- stein, died at Aschaffenburg June 28. 1842. Bürger, Gottfried August, born at Wolmerswende near Hal- berstadt, January 1. 1748, Professor of Philosophy at Göttingen, where he died in poverty June 8. 1794. Chamisso, Adelbert von, Son of a French count, born Janu- ary 27. 1781, at the family seat of Boncourt in Cham- pagne, emigrated to Germany in 1790, became member Claudius, Matthias, known also by the name of Asmus, or August 15. 1740, died January 21. 1815, at Hamburg. Dingelstedt, Franz, born at Halsdorf in Upper Hesse, June 30. 1814, resides at Munich as Superintendent of the Droste-Hülshof, Annette Elizabeth Baroness of, born at Hüls- hof, near Münster, January 12. 1798, died in Switzer- Eichendorff, Joseph Baron von, born at Lubowitz near Rati- |