/ opinions; 
645 
own coifage; and branded every one 
who found them unteliigible, as a man 
of only common fenfe, as a blockhead: 
but themfelves and their difciples they 
exalted into a fuperior order of beings. 
This was fufficient to acquire the ap- 
plaufe of the whole tribe of vain, 1 weak- 
minded, would-be, pi hilofophers, who 
had only to hint that they underftood 
the jargon of the idealiits, and imme- 
diately found themfelves puffed up into 
an equality, “pay, far above, the et 
eft writers of the nation. 
By fuch meafures and 
wholly calculated’, 
among the literary and non-literary 
vulgar: thefe myftical anarchifts and 
agitators had been able to bring ona 
period, to which Germany will long 
look back with fhaime; a period, whea 
the flatteft nontenfe paifed for iublime 
poetry; a period, when it was the 
fathion to make fport of every thing 
that was greatand fublime in literature ; 
a period, in which a number of ftrip- 
lings, who had fcarcely efcaped from 
the nurfery, raifed their fhrill voices 
from onéend of Germany to the other, 
and croaked torth calumniating pafqui- 
nades againft every one who refufed to 
. {peak in their favour; a period, infine, 
Sreat- 
a ene 
intrigues, 
in which the writers, of whom the Ger- 
man nation had hitherto fo juftly been 
proud, retired from the {cene of action, 
and were filent, left they fhould become 
objects of wanton fport and derifion. 
At laft, however, when the evil had be- 
come quite unfupportable, a couple of 
energetic champions entered the lifts 
againft them, and, undaunted by the 
number of enemies who attacked them 
en all fides, continued to wield with 
force and addrefs' the weapons of 
reafoning, Irony, and farcafm, in thé 
caufe of truth and good tafte. The 
conteft was flarpeft ore the year 
3802; but, at prefent; a Gecilive victory 
feems to have beéw gained over the li- 
terary fans-culoties. Their 
fcarcely ever mentioned but in derifion: 
wany of their former mof zealous par- 
tizans now laugh at them; and affirm, 
that.they had enlifted under their ban- 
1€rs, mereiy becaufe it had become the 
fafiion. ‘They themfelves feem to con- 
tinue weakly to defend their caufe, only 
that their fall may be lefs ftriking and 
precipitous. They appear to be in a 
fair way to renounce their ridiculous 
therefore it Is not necef- 
faery to draw forth their names from 
the eb{surity into wiich they are 
to delude the weak. 
‘E035 
Hames are 
Retrofpect of German ‘Literature Epic Poetry. 
Ghkeie: though we thought that a 
fhort.account of the revolution in lite- 
rature, which they attempted to bring 
about, would not be uninterefting even 
to an Englifh reader. We now proceed 
to give a fhort review of various poeti- 
cal works which have been publifhed in 
Germany in the courfe of laft year. 
The Epic Mufe feems, at prefent, to 
be moft eagerly wooed by tHe young 
German poets of genius; but .almoft 
none of them has been eminently fuc- 
cefsrul. The following are the moft re- 
markable attempts in this department of 
EPIC POETRY. 
«< Athenor, a Poem, in Fifteen Can- 
A romantic court-intrigue is the 
ground work of this poem; but the 
narrative is fo conducted, that it is be- 
comes in an ‘equal degree tedious and 
unintelligible, The verfification is 
faulty and inharmonious; and the de-. 
{criptions void of fancy and truth. 
The public took no notice of this work; 
and even the Reviewers cenfured ie 
only in a general curfory way. The 
author, however, who is faid to be a 
man of wealth and rank, nowife abafh 
ed, fends forth a fplendid ciligiont 
adorned with beautitul copper-plates ; 
and at length, when he found that even 
this manceuvre did not produce the de- 
fired effect upon the public mind, he in- - 
ferted_an advertifement in the newt 
papers, offering a premium of fifteen 
ducats for the beft Review of this Gar- 
ling emanation of his brain. But let 
us hope, for the honour of learning, 
ae no man of talents or reputation 
‘ll fo far demean himfelf as to accept 
ine pitiful bribe. The circumftance 
deferves, however, to be taken notice 
of, as a proof to what length the vanity 
and effrontery of wealthy rimetters wil] 
fometimes go. 
2. ** Thuifkon, ein Helden- Jecdichit: ” 
—Thuifcon, an Heroical Poem, by Big- 
LEREL BD? ta) 
This work gives us an account of a 
fabulous journey of the progenitor of 
the German nation, from Natolia to 
Holttein: a tale, bordering too much 
upon the romantic aad “marvellous, 
ever to excite a national intereft. In 
this work, the ancient deities of the 
North are introduced 2s the machinery. 
As they were never before fo employed — 
in a large poem, perhaps this novelty 
might have had fome charm for the 
reader, if the Poet had conceived a~~ 
better plan, and made more ufe of the 
file: He evidently poffeffes a very lively 
ea 3 
7 
