146 
and inftru&ted by them: but the many 
ftare with open mouths, as they would at. 
fome uncommon phenomenon in the hea- 
vens, which they view with wonder, with- 
out knowing any thing about the nature 
of it. Now -and then, indeed, fome 
‘golden intelligible fentence defcends upon 
the heart of the hearer; as, according to 
the fuperftitious notions of fome fimple 
folks, a golden key is faid to. fall down 
from the rainbow. Herder’s meritorious 
exertions to promote the good of the church 
‘and,fchools under his {uperintendence are 
well known: and his noble and amiable 
difpoftion have acquired him the love and 
efteem of all who have the happinefs to be 
acquainted with him. . 
Herder poffefles a mind amply ftored 
with various erudition, and underftands 
12 languages. 
to thefe dry ftudies, as but too often is 
the cafe, blunted the acutenefs of his judg- 
ment in matters. of tafte, or extinguifhed 
the poetic fire which pervades his writings. 
His principal work, Ideen xur Gefchichte 
der Menfchbeit,* in four parts, exhibits ex- 
cellent views of the organization and hiftory 
ef man in every age and in every clime, 
written in a ftyle inimitably energetic. 
Indeed Leffing, Klopftock, and our Her- 
“Ger, are reputed to excel all other German 
writers in a profound knowledge of their 
Native language. His Briefe zur Befor 
derung der Humanitatt, in ten volumes, 
‘are excellent fragments toward the hiftory 
of literature. Of late he has contended 
‘with uncommon force and acutenefs againft 
“the phantoms of the Kantian philofophy. 
His laft controverfial publication againft 
‘Kant, entitled Kal/zgone, abounds with 
new views of criticifm and the arts. 
_. Herder has the felicity of poffeffing a 
wife diftinguifhed for fingular ftrength of 
“enderftanding and goodnefs of heart ; 
and he is the happy father of an amiable 
daughter and of fix meft hopeful fons. It 
is a moft delichtful {peétacle to thofe who 
have the good-fortune to be introduced to 
his houfe, to-fee this blooming circle 
affembled réund their parents. ~ Herder is 
very hofpitable, and delights his guefts 
~ with the honeyed words which flow: from 
vhis eloquent lips, expreffive of the fenti- 
ments of his noble heart, glowing with 
» zeal for the welfare of mankind. 
°JOHN PAUL FRED. RICHTER, 
Who has lately been appointed Secre- 
* tary of Legation by the Duke of Hilburg- 
o 
: 
“~ 
* “ Tdeas towards a-Hiftory of Man.” | 5 
+.¢6 Letters tawards promoting theStudy.of 
«Fine Literature.’’ 
w 
Account of the Literati of Weimar. 
Nor has his application — 
[March 1; 
haufen. This celebrated poet with two 
heads, one of which has the phyfiognomy 
of a Cherub, and the other that of a Satyr, 
has but lately joined the poetic band who 
ftray among the fertile and tuneful meads 
and groves of Weimar. ‘The free and 
charming Mule of that place feems to have 
allured him from the noife and buftle of 
commercial Leipzig, where he before re- 
fided. Richter was born at Hoff, in the 
Marquifate of Bayreuth, where in his ear- 
lier years he was employed as a dometftic 
tutor, and where his genius was gradually 
developed under circumftances not the 
moft favourable, till at laft he rofe with 
the flight of an eagle before the wondering 
eyes of the literary world. ‘The work in 
which his talents firft fhone forth and at- 
traéted applaufe and admiration, was a 
humourous romance, in three volumes, 
entitled Hefperus. His preceding publi- 
cations are pofleffed of very inferior merit, 
and he himfelf confiders his He/perus to be 
his mafter-piece. When Wieland firft 
read this work, he exclaimed, “ There | 
comes one with one of Shakefpeare’s 
wings !”? . 
The moft lively fprightlinefs, and a 
mien which notices whatever is ridicu- 
lous, are depicted in his expreffive counte- 
nance. In his ever-moving eye glows 
that fublime ideal fire and life—that. in- 
toxication of foul, which feizes us in per- 
ufing his works. He is indeed all foul. 
His converfation as well as his writings 
abounds with wit and humour. It may 
be remarked of him, as it was of Voltaire, 
that he never opened his mouth-without 
faying fomething witty. His literary ce- 
lebrity paved him the way to the court of 
the Duchefs Amelia, mother of the pre- 
fent Duke of Weimar, and to many other 
feleét circles, of which he became the foul 
and delight. His ftudies are a delicious 
feaft to his mind,. from which ‘he tears 
himfelf with the greateft reluétance. So 
great is his thirft of knowledge, that he 
has ftudied every fcience methodically; 
and even yet he daily reads whatever fails 
in his way, from Gothe and Swift, his 
idol, down to the Leipzig Addrefs-Calen- 
dar, with great attention, and from them 
makes excerpts, of which from early youth 
hehas colle&tedwhole piles. Thereis nothing 
in the world which he hates more than the 
Kantian Philofophers, becaufe to him they 
-feem to with to banifh love frem among 
‘mankind. He even goes fo far as to pro- 
pole in his writings the employing of rat’s- 
bane to deftroy that fect; and has lately 
written a bitter bock againft Fichte, en- 
tithéd Clavis Fichtiana,.. Herder and.J . 
cobi 
