225 
JS21.] The German Student 
tailed; but we shall transcribe it at 
full length from the original edition of 
1781, as singularly characteristic of this 
powerful poet. 
FRANCIS and DANIEL. 
Daniel, [brings in a light. ] Sir. 
Francis. No, 1 do not tremble—it was 
but a dream. The dead are not rising— 
yet, at least. I am very well. 
Daniel. You are as pale as death, your 
voice faulters. 
Francis. 1 have something of fever. 
When the pastor comes, say that 1 am in a 
fever, and am to be bled to-morrow. 
Daniel. Shall I drop you a few drops 
of cordial upon some sugar. 
Francis. Yes, on sugar. The pastor w ill 
not be here yet. My voice is not quite 
returned. Get the cordial. 
Daniel. Give me then the key of the 
cupboard in the other room. 
Francis. No, stay ; or I’ll go with you. 
I cannot bear to be alone. I might faint 
if I was left alone. 
Daniel. You are really ill. 
, Francis. Yes—in fact—that’s all. Sick¬ 
ness racks the brain, and breeds wild 
dreams. Dreams portend nothing, dp they, 
Daniel? They arise from the stomach, 
and mean nothing. I had just now a ri¬ 
diculous dream.— [He faints away.] 
Daniel. Jesus Christ! what is the mat¬ 
ter ? Conrade, Martin, help here ! [shak¬ 
ing his master.'] Recover yourself. Holy 
Mary save us ; it will be thought I have 
murdered him. Lord have mercy upon me ! 
Francis, [confused.] Away, loathsome 
skeleton, why dost thou grapple me-—do 
the dead rise ? 
Daniel. He is out of his head. 
Francis, [recovering ] Where am I ? 
Daniel, what did I say ? Do not heed it i 
’twas false, whatever it was.—Help me up 
—this is only a fit of vertigo—because, 
I did not rest quiet. 
Daniel. Let me go, and call Conrade, 
and send for a physician—you want sup¬ 
port. 
Francis. Stay—put me on the sotk—and 
sit down by me. You are a discreet man, 
and I must tell you— 
Daniel. Better not now—take your rest 
first. 
Francis. No: I beg you to hear all— and 
laugh me in the face aloud. I thought I 
had been feasting like a prince, my heart 
was full of good things, and I laid me down 
in high glee on one of the grass-banks in 
the castle garden, when on a sudden—it 
was about noon— on a sudden; but do 
laugh at my absurdity. 
Daniel. Ou a sudden—what ? 
Francis. On a sudden a monstrous clap 
of thunder burst on my slumbering ear. I 
got on my feet staggering and trembling. 
When lo ! the whole horizon seemed to be- 
Monti«.y Mag. No. 359. 
, No. XX.—Chiller. 
come one sheet of fire. Mountains, towns, 
and forests melted like wax in a furnace" 
Howling winds arose which swept heaven, 
earth, and sea. Then resounded as from 
brazen trumpets : 44 Earth give up thy 
dead, thy dead, o’ sea.’ ; And the naked 
ground began to crack, and to cast up 
skulls, skeletons, and bones, which clus¬ 
tered into human shapes, and streamed in 
immense throngs, a living deluge. I 
looked up, and saw myself at the foot 
of a thundering Sinai, toward which the 
crowds above and behind me were press¬ 
ing ; and on the summit of the mountain, 
on three smoaking eminences, sat three 
persons, from whose countenances every 
created being must shudder back with 
awe. 
Daniel. This was the last judgment. 
Francis. Ay—is it not absurd enough ? 
Then came forward one, whose counten¬ 
ance was as the stars, who had in his hand 
an iron seal, which he held between the 
east and the west, saying: 44 Eternal, 
Holy, Just, Immutable, there is but One 
Truth and One Virtue, wo to the doubting 
worm." Then stepped forward a seeond, 
who held in his hand a mirror, which he 
spread between the east and the west; 
and I was affrighted, and all the people; 
for we saw ourselves reflected in it, as 
snakes, and tigers, and leopards. Then 
stepped forward a third, who lifted a bra¬ 
zen balance, and said : 44 Como hither ye 
children of Adam, I weigh your thoughts 
in the balance of my wrath, and your 
works with the weights of my anger." 
Daniel. God have mercy upon me. 
Francis. Pale as snow we all stood; 
and anxious expectation throbbed in our 
bosoms. And I thought I heard my name 
named first from the thunders of the moun¬ 
tain $ my teeth chattered, and my inmost 
marrow froze. Now the balance began to 
ring, and the rock to thunder; and the 
hours flew past one after another, and each 
dropped into the left hand scale of the ba¬ 
lance a deadly sin. 
Daniel. The Lord forgive you. 
Francis. He did not forgive me. The 
scale swelled to a mountain : and for a 
while the precious blood of redemption 
flowed into the other, aud kept it even. At 
last came an old man,# bent down with 
sorrow, who had bitteu the flesh from his 
own arm with raging hunger, and all eyes 
turned away with horror. I knew the man. 
He plucked a grey lock from his temples, 
and cast it into the scale of guilt, which at 
once sunk to the abyss : and the other 
kicked the beam, and scattered in the air 
the squandered blood of redemption. Then 
I heard a voice issue from the smoke of the 
* It is, perhaps, unnecessary to say 
that this figure represents bis father, whom 
he supposes he had starved to death. 
2 F mountain ; 
