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These extravagant reveries, fo unfavourable to regularity and 

 corrednefs, in literary compofition, and human condudi were ob- 

 ferved, with fecret complacency, by certain men, of philofophical 

 minds, and profound views, who had long been unfriendly to the 

 fubfifting eftablifhments in Germany, (a fentiment which the pre- 

 vailing abufes rendered, in fome degree, exciifeable) and who 

 looked, with folicitude, for fome general movement of the people, 

 which might bring them onward, to a nearer profped, of reach- 

 ing their ideas of platonic perfedion in government. Thefe meri 

 were not ignorant, of the influence of poetry, and the flage. 

 They knew alfo that Germany fwarmed with produdions of the 

 prefs ; and were fenfible, that, by taking pofleffion of the theatre, 

 and the printing-houfe, they gained two moft powerful auxilia- 

 ries, two moft operative inftruments, for the advancemeht of their 

 aims, and the diffemination of i\ie\r propaganda, through the ge- 

 neral mind. They hoped, by encouraging the fvv^ay of feeling and 

 paflion, and dIfFufing wild and paradoxical notions, to fap the 

 foundations of antient authority, and received opinion, and to in- 

 fpire an ambitious love of novelty, a fceptical impatience, df pre- 

 cedent, and tradition, and an hardy fpirit of infubordinaticn, 

 which were calculated to unfettle the minds of men, to lead them 

 to extraordinary enterprifes, and to fit them for ading a part in 

 revolutionary movements. The fupinenefs of the different go- 

 vernments, in over-looking the obvious tendency of fuch pro- 

 dudions, is furprifing ; and it is yet more ftrange, that many of 

 Vol. VIII. ( I ) the 



