34 , DESCRIPTIONS OF NATURAL SCENERY 



magnificent residence of a powerful king. In neither poet 

 is the description of nature a primary or independent 

 object." 



" Opposed to these simple popular epics, are the more 

 varied and artificial narrations of the chivalrous poets of the 

 thirteenth century; among whom, Hartmann von Aue, 

 Wolfram von Eschenbach, and Gottfried von Strasburg ( 54 ), 

 in the early part of the century, are so much distinguished 

 above the rest, that they may be called great and classical. 

 It would be easy to bring together from their extensive 

 writings sufficient proof of their deep feeling for nature, as 

 it breaks forth in similitudes ; but distinct and independent 

 descriptions of natural scenes are never found in their pages ; 

 they never arrest the progress of the action to contemplate 

 the tranquil life of nature. How different is this from the 

 writers of modern poetic compositions ! Bernardin de St.- 

 Pierre uses the occurrences of his narratives only as frames for 

 his pictures. The lyric poets of the 13th century, especially 

 when singing of love, (which is not, however, their constant 

 theme), speak, indeed, often of ' gentle May/ of the 'song 

 of the nightingale/ and ' the dew glistening on the bells of 

 heather/ but always in connection with sentiments springing 

 from other sources, which these outward images serve to 

 reflect. Thus, when feelings of sadness are to be indicated, 

 mention is made of fading leaves, birds whose songs are 

 mute, and the fruits of the field buried in snow. The same 

 thoughts recur incessantly, not indeed without considerable 

 variety as well as beauty in the manner in which they are 

 expressed. Walther von der Yogelweide, and Wolfram von 

 Eschenbach, the former characterised by tenderness and the 

 latter by deep thought have left us some lyric pieces, 



