[ '9 3 



and, too frequently, not only immoral but impious ; the characters, 

 extravagant caricatures, unlike any thing in nature, or if the re- 

 femblances ever did or do exift, that the prototypes are to be 

 found only in Bedlam. The incidents are as in^.probable, as the 

 charadiers are monftrous. They are introduced with little prepa- 

 ration, and thrown together, without order, and without connex- 

 ion and mutual dependency. Meantime, by the courtefy of Eng- 

 ' land, horror muft rank as pathos, wildnefs of charader and im- 

 probability of incident as originality of genius, bombaft and rant 

 as fublimity, far-fetched and unnatural fentiment as ftrength of 

 thought and boldnefs of conception. — If, indeed, to produce fuch 

 fentiments as never were entertained or uttered by a rational being, 

 if to exhibit fuch perfonages as never yet appeared in real life, if 

 to invert the ufual order of nature and art, and to explode all that 

 common men confider as facred and venerable, if to make a 

 fhambles and a charnel houfe of the ftage — if all this be Origina- 

 lity, then it muft be confeft, that the writers of the German Ro- 

 mance and Drama are moft truly original. But, left I fhould be 

 thought to deal in rafh and general cenfure, and to produce rather 

 a prejudiced invedive againft the writings of this new fchool, than 

 a fair examination and eftimate of their merits, let u^ proceed to 

 confider foilie of the more ftriking peculiarities of the high Dutch 

 Mufe, as we find them exemplified in the writings of Gathe, 

 Schiller, Kotzebue and Burger. 



( C 2 ) The 



