nr, 



Tue Gennan Student, Noi A /'///. — Herder. 



[Feb. 



Ilfider the ofFor of a situation as super- 

 intcrulant, or bisliop, of IIk! clmrch in 

 his toiritoiy. This flattering and con- 

 venient preferment was eagerly accept- 

 ed ; and was industriously deserved by 

 a revisal of the psalters and liturgic 

 books used in the diocese, by tlie aboli- 

 tion of tests' by the promotion of libei-al 

 preachers, and by the foundation and 

 improvement of various schools. Wie- 

 land had perhaps suggested this nomi- 

 nation, ;'.nd became ihe intimate friend 

 of Herder, whose majestic e3o(|iicnce, 

 whose tolerant creed, wi o.e mild bene- 

 ficence, were alike admire<l, and rank 

 him as a [irofeslant Fenelou. In 17S!), 

 he became pi-cside'-.t of the consistory : 

 anil was ennobled by the Elector of 

 IJivaria in 1791. Ho died in 1S03, 

 while he was composing a liymn to the 

 great One and All ; for ])antlieism is 

 understood to have been bis tlieology. 

 Herder won, in 1770, a prize at the 

 academy of Berlin for a dissertation on 

 the Origin of Language, and another in 

 1775^ for a dissertation on the Influence 

 of Government ov(^i' liiterature. Criti- 

 cal, metapliysical, and t'leol-'gical wri- 

 tings form tlie mass of liis comiiosiiions, 

 but his poems include numerous trans- 

 lations frou! orienfai laiigiiagc-, and 

 from llie (ireek antlidogy, and provide 

 analogous s!u)rt oi-iginal German efl'ii- 

 sions. Negro-idyls, odes, allegories, 

 b:illad ■ occur, but no Vi-here any work 

 of compass, "ierder produced poetry 

 as a relaxation t'l-om severer studies, 

 not as the native cillorescence of his 

 growtli : and that wliich he entitled 

 Pdrfimjithifu is perlu'.ps the most inte- 

 resting. His verse l:as an attic simpli- 

 city, ids prose an oriental bloated ob- 

 scurity ; wherefore it has epigrajumati- 

 cally been said, that his jr/ose was 

 poetiy, ai'd his poe(ry was prose. 



Paramytiiinu means a pastiuic, and 

 mi dern Greeks still call the tales and 

 pi^ems, witli wbich they amuse their 

 leisuie, Fanimytb.ia : under tiiis well- 

 choseu title. Herder has collected seve- 

 ral sliort mythological allegories, re- 

 markalde for the gracefnli;rss of garb 

 under which they veil t!)C' form of in- 

 sf ruction. A specinicii or two will not 

 displease the reader. 



SliEKP. 



Among the choir of co>-,ntIess Genii, 

 Tvhora .Jupiter created for men, in order 

 to supcrinterid and to bless t'se short 

 period of a painful exis'ence, was the 

 <nm Sleep. What have I to do, said he, 

 surveying his dusky form, in the midst 

 of my dazzling brctJiren ? How sadly 



I look in the band of the Kports, of the 

 •Joys, and <if ihe Loves. It may be (hat 

 I am welcome to the unhappy, whom 1 

 lull to oblivion of their cares; it may 

 be that I am Avelcome to the weary, 

 wliom I do but strengthen to new toil; 

 but to those, who are nei tiler weai-y nor 

 woe-b(\gone, whom I only interrupt in 

 the circle of their joys 



Thou errest, sail the father of genii 

 and of m;'n ; t!mu in thy dusky I'orm 

 s'lall b(^ a (ienius dear to all the world. 

 Dust thou not think (hat Sports and 

 Joys fatigue? In truth they tire 

 sooner than care and want, ;>u;l bequealli 

 to their pampered host the most irk- 

 some sloiii. And (!veu thou, continued 

 Jupiter, shall not b > v/ithout thy plea- 

 sures, but shall often sui-p;i<is therein 

 the whole esnnpany of tiiy brothers. 

 With these words he reached out the 

 grey liorn full of pleasing d realms : — 

 Hence, added he, scatter thy poppy- 

 seeds, and the happy no less than the 

 miserable of nuxukind will M'ish for 

 thee, and love thee above all thy bie- 

 thren. The hopes, the sjwrts, and the 

 jays, herein contained, were c;).;!ght by 

 the charmed iingers of thy sisters the 

 (irace;;. on the redolent ntcads of para- 

 dise. Tlie eiherial dews that glitter ua 

 them will iuuige to evciy one. wiiom 

 thou Wiuildst bless, bis own >vish ; and 

 as tlie (Goddess of Love has sprinkle*] 

 them willi ceiesdal nectar, tht-ir forms 

 will lie radiant witli a glowing gritoe, 

 wliicii the cold reJiliti( s of earth cannot 

 attain. From amid the rosy band of 

 the pleasures, gladly will men hasten 

 to thy arms. Poefs will sirg of thee, 

 and strive to rival thy enchantments iu 

 their songs. Even tiie innocent maid 

 sliall wish fi>r t'.ieo, and thou wilt iiang 

 on her ej'clids a swee!. a welcome god. 



The complaint of Sleep was ciianged 

 into thankfulness, and triim)p!i, ami he 

 was uniieil to tiie loveliest of the 

 graces, to Pasiiliea. 



THE trOICE OF FliORA. 



Wliile Jupiier was summoning the 

 creation, which he meditateil, in ideal ^ 

 forms before him, he i",e.ckone.l, and 

 Flora ajipeared auiong {\\v. rest. Who 

 can deseriiie her ciiaruis, wiio can image 

 forth he)- beauty? Wiiat(;ver the ejiith 

 shtwers from her virgin lap was mingled 

 in her shape, her coloui-, her drajxTv. 

 All the gods gazed on her delighted, 

 all the goddesses envied lier Ijeauty. 



Choose for thyself a paramour, said 

 .Tupiter. out of tiiis numerous band of 

 divinities and genii ; but bewaj-e not t(» 

 choo-iC idly. 



Flora 



