GROWTH AND DIFFUSION OF CRITICAL SPIRIT. 129 



literary spirit, the " Hainbund," 1 having been founded 

 in its midst. During the last third of the eighteenth 

 century the University of Gottingen launched into 

 existence the methodical treatment of classical, historical, 

 theological, legal, and economic studies in such a way 

 that in all these five branches the great teachers of 

 Gottingen became the founders of definite schools which 

 gradually spread over the whole of Germany and of the 

 German - speaking countries. Criticism which before 

 that, and in other countries, had frequently degenerated 

 into scepticism or wasted itself in polemics, lowering 

 itself not infrequently to personal invective, became in 

 the hands of the great Gottingen professors and their 

 pupils an academic method and an instrument of 



Gervinus and Hettner, give full 

 information on this subject. The 

 migration of the centre of German 

 literature, as distinguished from 

 science and learning, from Gottingen 

 to Weimar, was followed by inde- 

 pendent growth on both sides. 

 The literary and poetical genius of 

 the nation liberated itself from the 

 oppressive influence which academic 

 learning or scientific ideas have 

 frequently exerted in other litera- 

 tures. On the other side, science 

 and criticism were for a consider- 

 able period thrown upon their 

 own resources, which led to much 

 original work of the highest order, 

 but also to a deterioration of style 

 and a greater estrangement from 

 polite literature than has been 

 the case either in this country 

 or in France. To mention, how- 

 ever, one instance in which the 

 Gottingen school made a lasting 

 impression on German literature, 

 we need only refer to J. H. Voss, 

 who, much influenced by Heyne's 

 teaching, betook himself to the 

 translation of Homer. His work 

 VOL. III. 



has become a classic, much more 

 than translations in any other 

 country, and has domiciled the hexa- 

 meter as a form of poetic diction 

 in Germany. Voss's ' Luise ' and 

 Goethe's ' Hermann and Dorothea ' 

 are other examples. 



1 Founded 1777 by Boie. The 

 term ' ' Hain " the forest, copse, or 

 grove plays a great part in Ger- 

 man mythology, and in the Ger- 

 manising school, of which Klopstock 

 in the later part of his life became 

 a centre. This term, as expressive 

 of the religious and poetical cult of 

 the Ancient Teutons, was opposed 

 to Parnassus as the home of the 

 Greek Muses, and was chosen as the 

 name of the school of German 

 poetry which originally exalted 

 Klopstock and opposed the Franco- 

 classical style represented by Wie- 

 land. % 0n the occasion of their 

 early gatherings they decorated 

 Klopstock's portrait and works 

 with laurels, while they burnt and 

 otherwise defaced the writings of 

 Wieland. 



1 



