Account of Frederick AuguJIus Efchen. 16$ 



lifted alfo various fpecimens of original poetry, many of 

 which, of the Idyl kind, met with the approbation of 

 Schiller and Goethe, the former of whom inferted one of 

 them in the Almanac of the Mufes, of which he is the 

 editor. .Another of them, entitled Die Lehre der Befchie- 

 denbeit, The Leflbn of Modeftv, deferves to be known on 

 account of the ingenious manner in which the author treats 

 a trifling fubject Jittle fufceptible of poetical ornaments. 

 Efchen wrote alfo feveral eflays and diiTertations on different 

 points of antient literature, which appeared in fome of the 

 German journals, and which procured him an acquaintance 

 with feveral men of eminence in the republic of letters. It 

 is no little recommendation of Efchen's character, than we 

 can mention among thefe Schlegel and Humboldt. 



In the fpring of the year 1798, Efchen undertook a journey 

 to Swiflerland in order tofuperintend the education of a young 

 man, chiefly with a view that he might improve his own; 

 and for that purpofe fettled at Berne, where one of his coun- 

 trymen had been before engaged in the fame occupation. 

 Others foon followed him ; and fome young inhabitants of 

 Berne, who had been the companions of his ftudies at the 

 univerfity, joined themfelves to the circle of his friends. In 

 the enjoyment of their company, with the charms of friend- 

 fhip and (ludy, though amidfl the ftorms of the revolution, 

 he faw two years glide away in peace, and diftinguifhed by 

 labours which might have done honour to a longer life. His 

 tranflation of the Odes of Horace had juft appeared a little 

 before the fatal event which matched him from letters and 

 from his friends. This production may be reproached 

 with containing too many Latinifms and bold expreffions 

 little fuited to the genius of the German language; but with 

 all thefe faults it will ftill remain a claflic work worthy of 

 bting ranked among the real treafures of German literature, 

 and which ought to have fnfpired the greateft hopes of a 

 young man, who, at twenty-three years of age, could ven- 

 ture to undertake a talk fo difficult. 



The unfortunate cataftrophe which terminated the life of 

 this interefting young man has beea already detailed in this 



journal. 



