Sect. II.] Germany. 177 



toiy, the most corrupt and poisonous principles, 

 both in religion and morals. 



No less remarkable has been the progress of 

 the German literati in Poetry, within the last fifty 

 years. The history of literature in that country 

 presents us with no specimens of poetry to which 

 any high degree of excellence can be ascribed, 

 before those of Hagedorn and Haller, who were 

 both born in 1708, and who are justly considered 

 as the founders of the modern poetical school in 

 Germany. Between 1740 and 17-50, an associa- 

 tion was formed by a set of young poets, pos- 

 sessed of eminent talents ; many of whose com- 

 positions were published in the Belustigungen des 

 Verstandes und Witzes, and in the Neuen Beytrd^ 

 gen zum Vergniigen des Verslandes und Witzes. 

 The most eminent members of this society were 

 Cramer, Gellert, Gleim, Klopstock and Kabner. 

 Among these, the works of Gellert and Klop- 

 stock had the most extensive and the most happy 

 influence on the poetic taste of their countrymen. 

 The Messiah of the latter * introduced a great 

 and very useful reform both in the diction and 

 versification of German poetry. So that the 

 period of their association may be considered as 

 forming a grand epocha in the history of this de- 

 partment of German literature. 



Beside the poets already mentioned, a number 

 of others have been long celebrated throughout 

 Europe. Among these are Gesner and Wieland, 

 distinguished in epic poetry j Kastner, Uz, and 



* Klopstock published the first Canto of his Messiah m 1748 ; 

 but it was not completed till the year 1773. 

 Vol. Ill, N 



