114 LITERARY JUSTICE. 



in other countries with like conscientiousness. Hence 

 it has hitherto been the peculiar glory of the Germans 

 to recognise more than other nations the services of 

 foreigners, and always to connect their own achieve- 

 ments with those of their precursors. This has been 

 essentially facilitated by the knowledge, more diffused 

 in Germany than in other countries, of foreign lan- 

 guages; but even apart from that German science has 

 always regarded it as a point of honour to practise 

 literary justice equally towards natives and foreigners, 

 and let us hope that this will be so also in future, 

 and that we shall thereby be spared the literary piracy 

 which unhappily threatens to become prevalent even 

 among ourselves. 



As however the practice has recently come into 

 vogue of leaving each individual to settle and defend 

 his own real or supposed claims . this being too 

 laborious for others. I intend to follow it in these 

 pages. At the end of .each period I shall accordingly 

 give a summary of technical developments, important 

 in my judgment, where the priority of discovery, in- 

 vention, or first application demonstrably appertains 

 to me. That in so doing I may here and there re- 

 peat what has been already adduced in another con- 

 nection will certainly be unavoidable. Should I now 

 and then make mistakes and pay insufficient regard 

 to the claims of others. I must hope for the indulgence 

 of the reader. 



I shall be able to review with great brevity the 

 period terminating with the publication of my "Memoire 



