cd 
Retrofpect of German Literature—Drama. 
imagination, but little judgment; and 
he has therefore written down every 
thing that paffed acrofs his mind. His 
hexameters are, for the moft part, 
fmooth and harmonious: but as their 
contents are crude and indigefted, who 
could have patience to perufe the 5000 
which are contained in the firft volume, 
theonly one that has yet appeared? In 
fhort, it has fallen ftill-born from the 
ptefs, and will probably never be fi- 
nifhed. 
*“* Siama and Galmory, in Two 
Cantos.” 
This excellent little Poem is founded 
upon a very affecting event, related in 
the Hiftory of the Conqueft of Peru by 
the Spaniards. ‘The hexameters are 
well conftructed ; and a foft and melan- 
choly tone, fuitable to the fubject, per- 
vades the whole. The Author has not 
called in the aid of the marvellous; buc, 
with his florid imagination, and tender 
fenfibility, he fftood not in need of fue 
per-natural machinery. This work firit 
appeared in 1801: but as it met with 
general approbation, the publifher has 
given, lait year, a fplendid edition, 
containing many happy Improvements 
from the pen of the Author. The or- 
namental part is executed with great 
taite. 
s¢ Des Pfarrers Sohn von Cola, 
&c—The Son of the Parfon of Cola, in 
Five Books, by GRAMBERG. 
This work is written in hexameter 
werfe. The Author has jong been 
juftly efteemed one of the beft Lyric 
Poets of Germany; and the prefent at- 
tempt in Epic Poetry is not unworthy 
of his former reputation, ‘The fubject, 
as may be conjectured from the title, is 
taken from real life; and the character 
of the poem approaches nearer to the 
Idyllic thantothe Epic. The merit of 
it confifts more in a charming depictur- 
ing of events, than in the conduct and 
development of a well-contrived plot. 
‘< Parthenais, oder die Alpenreife,’* 
&c.—Parthenais; or a Journey to the 
Alps, an Idyllic Epic Poem, in Hexa- 
meter Verfe, in nine Cantos, by J. 
BAGGESEN. : 
The author is a Dane, and one of 
the mofl celebrated poets of his coun- 
try: and by the prefent work. he has 
proved, that he is likewife intitled toa 
very honourable place among the poets 
of Germany. ‘This poem is a defcrip- 
tion of a pedefirian excurfion, in com- 
pany with three ladies, to ene of the 
highelt mountains of Switzerland; and 
049 
is replete with genius, humour, and the 
effufions of a playful imagination. Mr. 
B. has very happily introduced the 
Grecian mythology, and interfperfed 
the whole with f{ketches from Nature, | 
and politico-fentimental declamations 
on the prefent ftate of Swifferland. 
** Wannem Ymanta,” &c.—Wan-« 
nem Ymanta, a Lettian Tale, by G. 
MERKEL.—(In Poetical Profe.) 
The author, a Livonian by birth, 
left his native country inthe year 1796, 
and went to Germany to publifh a 
work, intitled ** The Letti in Livo- 
nia,” in which he gave a ftriking picture 
of the prefent ftate of the peafants in 
that province, who are ftill ferfs inthe 
fulleft fenfe of the word, and mal- 
treated by the Nebles (who are of 
German extraction) ‘with as much 
fhocking cruelty as the negro flaves 
are 1n the Weft-Indian Colonies. His 
book attracted confiderable attentions ~ 
and hopes began to be entertained of 
its producing the moit beneficial effects, 
when the great Catherine fuddenly 
died: and, under the reign of the ca- 
pricious Paul, no one ventured even to 
think of, much lefs attempt, any re- 
form. The author, however, by feveral 
other pieces, kept the fubject frefhin 
the public mind. After the death of 
Paul, he wrote the prefent poem, and 
dedicated it to the philanthropic Em- 
peror Alexander. It is founded upon 
an interefting and important event that - 
happened in the twelfth century, when 
the Germans came into Livonia, con- ~ 
verted the natives to Chriftianity, ‘and 
then made flaves of them. ‘The prin- 
cipal and moft interefting part of this 
poem, is an awful vifion feen by the 
hero of the piece: in this vifion, a view 
is given of the hiftory, and prefent con- 
dition of the Letti, or original inhabi- 
tants of Livonia; and the Emperor 
Alexander appears as the benevolent 
Genius of Humanity, and as the Saviour 
of that wretched raceof men. But as 
the Emperor has not yet found an op- 
portunity to take decifive fteps.in favour 
of the oppreffed, the vifion clofes the 
interefting moment, when the Genius 
‘of Humanity lifts up his hand to confer 
his blefling: a proof, at leaft, that the 
author was no flatterer. This poem 
has not hitherto produced any effea, 
except that the poet’s enemies decried 
it with muchanimolity, and his friends 
praifed it with equal zeal. 
THE DRAMA, 
Dramatic Poetry, and, in particular 
Tragedy - 
