LK88INQ, QOTTHOLD BPHRAIM. 



L'ESTKANGE, SIR ROGER. 



648 



sufficient idea may be formed whrn it u stated that while t the 

 school a Meiaten he perused a number of classic author* betides those 

 which entered into the course then adopted, and further translated 

 the third and fourth books of Euclid, and drew up a history of mathe- 

 matics, He continual at that seminary till the middle of 1746, when, 

 on taking leave of it, he delivered a disooune ' De Mathematica 

 Barbarorum.' From Ueissen he was tent to the University of Leipzig, 

 where, though he attended many courses of lectures on various 

 branch** of learning, his application wat not very regular, his attention 

 now beginning to be directed to other pursuits. He began here to 

 form several literary friendship* and connections, and acquired a 

 decided taste for the theatre, much to the dissatisfaction of bis parents 

 anil bit sister, who warned him against it as being not only trifling 

 bat sinful ; while it was alto with the extremes! difficulty that the 

 family could contribute any allowance for his support. This latter 

 circumitance convinced Letting that it was time for him to think of 

 shifting for himself. Accordingly he determined to devote his talents 

 to pot-try, criticism, and belles-lettres, as that field of literature which 

 had ben leant of all cultivated by his countrymen, and where, betides 

 having few rivals, he might employ his peu with gr.ater advantage 

 to others an well at to himself. His first productions were one or two 

 minor dramatic pieces, which were printed in a journal entitled 

 ' Krtnunterungen cum Vergnugen.' 



The departure of his friend Mylius for Berlin determined Leasing to 

 follow him thither, as he hoped there to find himself more favoured 

 by opportunities for literary undertakings. In conjunction with Mylius 

 lie began a quarterly publication, ' Beitrnge zur Historic dcs Theaters,' 

 wherein they intended to take an historical aud critical view of the 

 drama throughout Europe, a subject then hardly touched upon. The 

 work however was not carried on beyond its fourth number. About 

 the rame time he published some of his early poems, and set about 

 studying Spanish, from which be shortly after translated Huarta's 

 ' Kxamen de los Ingeniot;' but he might easily have selected something 

 more likely to fix public attention. Perhaps he showed still less judg- 

 ment when, in conjunction with his younger brother, Johann Gottlieb, 

 he commenced a Latin translation of Klopstock's ' Messiah,' as if he 

 should be rendering his mother tongue and his countrymen a service 

 by diverting them from the original poem one that forma an epoch 

 in and gave such an impulse to the German language. Fortunately 

 the brothers learned that a similar translation was undertaken by the 

 Danish chaplain at Madrid, on which they abandoned the task. At 

 this time Leasing was residing at Wittenberg, where his brother was 

 pursuing his studies ; but he again returned to Berlin, and formed a 

 close intimacy with Moses Mendelssohn and Nicolai, which had a highly 

 beneficial influence upon all the three. Six eyes, as one of his bio- 

 graphers expresses it, see more than two, especially when one pair ol 

 them is fixed upon what is at a distance, another upon what is close 

 by, and the third upon what lies between those extremes. It is not 

 always that such literary partnerships are successful, but in this case 

 there wan sympathy of minds aud dispositions, together with unity ol 

 purpose. One of the first results of Leading's and Mendelssohn's joinl 

 studies was the dissertation ' Pope ala Metaphysiker ' (1754), the object 

 of which was to show that the English poet had no fixed philosophical 

 system. 



Omitting mention of his other literary connections, among whom 

 Rainier stood high in bin private esteem, and also of his various trans 

 lations and leas important productions, belonging to this period, we 

 past on to his ' Miss Sara Sampson,' the first specimen of domestic 

 tragedy in German literature. In vain did the critics object to it 

 that it was a dramatic nondescript, and that it waa made up of remi 

 niscencet of English novels and tragedies. Little cared the public how 

 it had been produced : it wat enough for them that they felt its power 

 and its beauties : it accordingly not only excited a great sensation in 

 Germany, but waa translated in other countries. Between this am 

 hit next dramatic masterpieces, ' Minna von Barahelm ' and ' Kmilia 

 Galotti,' which latter, though composed iu 1763, was not ultimate!; 

 duii.is.-etl from the hands of its author till 1772, was an interva 

 which, to far from have been passed unoccupied, astonishes us by thi 

 multitude and variety of the subjects on which Leasing then employe< 

 his pen. 



In 1757 be and his friends Mendelssohn and NicoUi undertook tli 

 ' Bibliotbek der Schoneu Wissenschaften,' which may fairly be said tc 

 have been the best literary journal Germany could then boast, an< 

 even now it may be referred to with both pleasure and profit for th 

 valuable information and pieces of criticism which it contains. Tc 

 this period, from 1753 to 1760, during which he resided at Berlin 

 belong hit ' Fables' and his ' Litteraturbriefe,' or ' Letters on Litera 

 ture' (1759), a life of Sophocles, after the manner of Bayle, and 

 trau-lation of Diderot's dramatic puces. From 1760 to 1765 Breslai 

 was his residence, he having accepted the appointment of govornmen 

 secretary to General Von Tauenzien. Here he found himself quite i 

 a new sphere, very advantageous in some respects but in others tl 

 reverse; for, greatly to the astonishment of all, be began to addic 

 himself to play with an eagerness quite at variance with a philosophic! 



himself to play with an eagerness quite at variance with a philosop 

 temperament. If he seldom sufiYred in pocket, being generally 

 cesaful at the faro-table, he probably suffered in health, for such 

 hit agitation even while winning, that the perspiration would dro 

 from his forehead. He did not however neglect his studies and b: 



sue 

 wus 



m, but employed the latter on several antiquarian and literary subjects 

 and topics of criticism. 



At length he gave up faro and his appointment; returned to Berlin, 

 and the following year published his celebrated ' Laocoon,' the most 

 nisbed of his prose works, although in itself incomplete. The follow- 

 ng year w*s marked by another literary triumph, namely, his ' Minna 

 on Baruheltn,' and the succeeding one by his ' Dramaturgic ' and the 

 AntiquarUcbe Briufe.' After this be was preparing to put into 

 xecution his long-meditated journey to Italy, when his friend Ebert 

 Qtaiued for him the situation of keeper at the Wolfenbii ttel Library 

 ,770), of which celebrated and extensive collection, comprising about 

 0,000 manuscripts, and 200,000 printed volumes, be published an 

 ccouut entitled ' Wolfenbuttelscheu Fragment*,' 1773. Hit ' Kmilia 

 alotti,' which, after long remaining in an unfinished state, was com- 

 Uted and published in 1772, has been criticised at manifesting more 

 f psychological study than of poetical impulse. His last drama, 

 Nathan,' which was translated many years ago by the late William 

 'aylor of Norwich, was also almost the last of all his literary pro- 

 notions. From that time, 1779, his health and spirits visibly declined 

 ery fast ; ho became subject to attacks of somnolency in such a 

 egree that he was unable to rouse himself, or even keep awake in 

 lie society of his most agreeable friends; thus affording another 

 Inking instance of great mental power succeeded by complete 

 xhauBtion, and that prematurely, for ho bad entered only into his 

 fty-third year when he died, February 15, 1781. 

 Few writers who have written so much have written so carefully ; 

 nd considered with regard to style alone Leading's works had a most 

 Beneficial influence upon German literature. Among them are several 

 nsterpieces of various kinds, including his admirable Fables ; yet it 

 s not so much for these as for what ho did for their literature gene- 

 rally that hit countrymen are indebted to him. He waa the tir.-t to 

 lestow upon it those graces aud those Esthetic qualities in which it 

 iad till then been deficient. 



His brother KARL GOTTHBLT LESSI.NG (born 10th July 1740), who 

 .mbli-hed his biography and some posthumous pieces, in 1793, wrote 

 everal comedies, which, although now almost forgotten, were not 

 without merit for their humour and liveliness and also exhibited 

 considerable dramatic talent. 



* LESS1NQ, KARL FKIEDKICH, was born at Breslau, February 8, 

 .808. Ilia father (a nephew of the poet Leasing), wishing bis sou to 

 >ecome an architect, sent him to Berlin in 1S21 for the purpose of 

 studying architecture. Young Leasing however had set his heart on 

 being a painter, and by the advice of Professor Kosel directed his 

 attention to landscape, which he studied to such purpose that his 

 irst picture, ' The Churchyard,' produced a great impression. But 

 attracted to Dii.-seldorf by Wilhelm Schadow, he there turned to 

 Historical painting, and soon came to be regarded as one of the most 

 promising of the young painters who were looking up to Schadow as 

 ;heir guide. Among the more important works which he produced 

 u this hi* first manner, as it is termed, are the cartoon of the ' Battle 

 of Iconium ; ' ' The Castle by the Sea-side ; ' ' The Court-yard of the 

 Convent a Snow scene ' (now in the Museum at Cologne), a singu- 

 larly poetical work which became very popular ; ' The Death of 

 Frederick II.;' a 'Scene from Lenore;' 'The Kobber,' a very 

 striking genre picture, with a remarkably rich landscape ; and above 

 all his ' lioyal Mourners,' first exhibited at Berlin in 1830 a work of 

 great purity and elevation of style and powerful expression ; for the 

 head of the king it may be noticed Schadow sat as a model. He now 

 again for awhile studied landscape amidst some of the wilder scenery 

 of Germany, and produced some very striking forest and mountain 

 views, and a grand 'Scene in the Eifel,' which waa greatly admired. 

 But again, in 1S38, Let-sing returned to history, but this time adopting 

 a bolder, richer, and less severe manner. His first picture wai the 

 ' Tyrant Ezzelin in Captivity refusing the exhortations of the Monks.' 

 His grand work, ' HUBS before the Council of Constance,' was finished 

 iu 1842, and at once took its place as one of the most important pro- 

 ductions of the school of Diiaeeldorf. It was followed by the 'Capture 

 of Pope Paschal II. by the Emperor Henry 1L' The choice of these eub- 

 jecte, and the earnest treatment of them completed the rupture, which 

 bad for some time been imminent, between Leasing and that section 

 of the modern German school of painting which boasted itself strictly 

 Roman Catholic, and which had adhered with inflexible rigidity to 

 the severe style of art inaugurated by Veil, Schadow, Ac. As in 

 theology so in art Leasing had been gradually breaking away from this 

 school, and adopting the freer and more dramatic style, which has 

 distinguished all his later works ; and under his influence the younger 

 DiiBseldorf painters have likewise adopted a similarly free and varied 

 manner. Of his later works may bo mentioned the ' Buttle of tho 

 Mongols (1241) near LieguiU,' ' A Scene in the Hussite War,' ' Passage 

 of the Crusaders to the Holy Sepulchre,' ' Knight by the Well,' &c. 

 Leasing is a painter of great original power, of a thoroughly poetical 

 turn of mind, and possesses much mental vivacity and an earnet-t love 

 of nature : and he is well-fitted to be the leader in tho reaction from 

 that style which at first was of the greatest value in its elevation and 

 purity, but seemed to be fast merging into formality and mannerism. 



L'ESTRANUE, SIK ROQEK, was born iu Norfolk in 1616. Like 

 his father, he was a royalist, and he accompanied Charles I. to Scot- 

 land in 1639. He was arrested by the emissaries of tho parliament 



