52S 
G E R 
Literature and tlte liberal fciences have of late years 
made a rapid progrefs in Germany ; a l\apj)y confe- 
quence of the meliorating reign of Jofeph II. the 
friend of ietters,*” and of fcientific men ; inanifefted by 
opening a literary correfpondence with the learned fo- 
cieties in England and France. I'he Germ,.ns excel 
modly in profe; though tliat ftyle of wridng is tar 
from having reached tiie perfedtion of wliich it is ca¬ 
pable ; particularly fublime or religious fubjedls. Lu- 
, tiler confelfedly introduced into his profe greater exaiif- 
nefs, eafe, and Itrength, than any writer either before 
him, or for a long time after him. At his deceafe, it 
again began to decline, and continued gradually to grow 
vi'orfe and worfe, till, in the earlier part of the eigh¬ 
teenth century, it was almofi: reduced to a mere jargon 
ot words out of foreign languages. Whoever was then 
defiroiis of writing what migiit be worth reading, w’as 
compelled to liave recourfe either to the Latin or to the 
French. Thomafius was tlie firlt of the later modern 
Germans who endeavoured to reform his native tongue : 
Vvolf followed his ftens, and gave to its expreilions tiie 
precifion of philofopliical exactnefs ; Moflieim added 
clearnefs, grace, and harmoii)’ ; Bodmer, Breitinger, 
Gellert, Rabener, and others, contributed farti.erto its 
iniprovemeiu, more efpecially by dripping it of its bor¬ 
rowed tinfel, and by refloring its proper native powers 
and riclinefs. This may be llyled the firlt period* in 
the progrefs of German profe. Thefecond period may 
be dated from about the year 1760, wlien firlt the Ger¬ 
man writer.', Lelling, Mendelllohn, &c. began to be ge¬ 
nerally acquainted witli the beauties of Britilh litera¬ 
ture. Since that time, the number of German authors 
who have diftinguiflied tlientlelves in every fpecies of 
profaic compolltion, is altogether aftonilliing, and highly 
worthy of praife. 
In works of fancy, poetry, wit, and humour, the 
German writers have as yet had but little luccel's ; a 
brilliancy of imagination, though doubtlels to be found 
in lomc individuals, is by no means prevalent among 
them. In dramatic writings tliey feem ciiiefiy to have 
failed. Comedy appears not to be much their objetf, 
and tragedy, vvliich oftener employs the pens of their 
ivritcrs, is commonly compofed in a bad talfe, the cha¬ 
racters often unnatural, or extravagant, and tiie plots 
frequently bearing a tincture of native barbarilni. 'I'he 
caufe of this failure is probably the want of encourage¬ 
ment ; the l''rench language prevailing in all the courts, 
and French plays are exhibited in preference to Ger¬ 
man. In hiltory, the Germans dilplay far lefs of ani¬ 
mation than of accuracy and method, and contribute 
little to the pleafure, but much to the information, of 
their readers ; their compofitions on this lubjecf con- 
fitting moftly of dry matter of facb, without thole plea- 
fmg.reSections, and elegant deferiptions, which to much 
enliven the works of fome hiftorians, particularly the 
Englifli. In general we may allow that where laboidous 
invelligation, tteady perleverance, and cool judgment, 
are necelfary, the Geimans are hardly furpalfed by any 
people; as in jurifpfiulence, and experimental philofo- 
p!iy., particularly chemiitry; for the difeoveries and 
improvements in which tlie w'orld is highly indebted to 
German indufiry. 
The feminaries of learning in Germany have long 
been in high repute. There are no lefs than thirty-eight 
univertities ; nineteen of which are protellant, feven- 
teen are catholic, and tvv'o of them receive Ifudents in- 
difcriminately of both perfuafrons. There are all'o a 
number of literary focieties and academical inltitutions; 
and education is particularly attended to even in the 
very lowelt ranks. 
The Germans are in general tall and well-made ; the 
women are modelf and well-looking; and many of them 
will rival the greatclt beauties in other countries. Both 
fexes afi'cct to drefs in rich clothes, according to the 
falhion of England or France. Many of the principal 
G E R 
people wear a great deal of gold and filver lace ; the , 
ladies of the Aullrian court d.o not differ nuich in their 
drefs from thofe of the fame rank in England and France. 
In feme of 'he courts of th.e inferior dates they appear 
in furs, decorated with as many diamonds ps they can 
procure. The burghers and inhabitants of feveral ci¬ 
ties in Genminy drefs in a maimer extremely fiilf and 
antique; though their appearance of late years has 
much improved. The artifans and labourers, as in the 
other pirts of Europe, wear thoic fort of clothes that 
are beit adapted to their vuVious occupations. 
Tlie peculiar turn of mind of the Germans feems to 
be ror philofophy ; they are diftinguiflied from all the 
nations ot Europe for a cool, and generally a juft, judg¬ 
ment, united with extreme induftry. V'/e have before 
obferved, that the charatter and diipofitions of men de¬ 
pend much on the government under which they live. 
That of the Germans is in general inert and phlegmatic; 
they have therefore little of the fire and national pride 
by which the Spaniards are diftinguifhed. Their pride 
and patriotic fentirnepts only extend to the part of Ger¬ 
many in which they-are born ; to the reft of their coun¬ 
trymen they are as ftrange as to any foreigners. This 
is owing to their organization under leoarate and dif- 
tiniif ftates, where perhaps different culloms and falhions 
prevail. 
Though the cliaracter of the Germans be not fo bril¬ 
liant as that of fome few other nations, ftiit it is not 
deftitute of peculiar excellencies. Tlie German is the 
man of the world ; he lives under every Iky, and con¬ 
quers every natural obft.-cle to his happinef's. ilis in¬ 
duftry is inexhauftibl'e. Poland, Hungary, and Ruftia, 
are indebted for moft of their improvements to German 
emigrants. Reirfitude is an almoft univerfal charaCter- 
iftic of the people of this country ; nor are the manners 
of the peafunts, and thofe of the inhabitants of the 
fmall towms, by any means fo corrupt as th.ofc of I'evc- 
ral of the neiglibouring countries: it is perhaps owing 
to tliis, that, notwithftandiiig the great emigrations, tlie 
country is ftill fo w'ell peopled. Upon tlie whole, 
Chriftian forbearance on the fide of the proteftants, ami 
franknefs and good-!ieartednels on the fide of the catho¬ 
lics, are the charadferillics with lelpeft to religion, 
which are productive of much national happinefs.—For 
the particular hiftory of each I'cparate ftate, fee under 
their refpeChive titles in this Encyclop;edia. 
GER'MANY, a townfiiip of the American ftates, ip 
York county, Pennfylvania. ' 
GER'MEN,/'. [Latin.] A bud ; a fhoot. 
GER'MERSHJtlM, a town of Germany, in the cir¬ 
cle of the Lower Rhine, and palatinate of the Rhine, 
lituated at the conflux of the Queich and the .Rhine ; 
erected into a town by the emperor Rodclphus I. who 
died here in 1390. In January 1794, this town was 
taken by the French lepubiicans; and on the 29th of 
May, near tliis place, the French were defeated by the 
Aufirians, having four hundred men killed, and fix 
liundrcd taken pnfoners. It is five miles fouth of Spire, 
and lixieen I’outh-welt of Heidelberg, Lat. 49. 10. N. 
Ion. 25. 5. FL Ferro. 
GER'MIGNY, a town of France, in the department 
of tlie Yonne : one league i'outh-eaft of St. Florentin. 
GER'MIGNY, a town of France, in the department 
of the Seine and Marne : one league eaft of Meaux. 
GER'AIIN,y. [.gemen, Lat.] A ftiooting or fprout- 
ing feed. Out of ufe. 
1 hou all-fhaking thunder. 
Strike flat the thick rotundity the world ; 
Crack nature’s mould, all genmns fplll at once 
I'hat make ungrateful man. Shakfpeare. 
GILR'MINANT, adj. Shooting ; fprouting. 
Ta GFfR'MlNATE, o. ?i, {^germino, 'lofprout; 
to Ilioot ; to bud ; to put forth.—The feeds of all 
kinds of vegetables being planted near the I'urface of 
the 
