1806] 
for a time, and maintained an intimate 
conneétion with the Mufe of Hittory, to 
which we are indebted for his ‘* Revalt of 
the Netherlands from the Spanifh Govern- 
ment.’? The preceding hiftorians of 
Germany had been lefs. attentive to the 
beautiful Mufe of Hiftory than to the dull 
fpirit of chronicles: he united German 
indufiry with the elegance of the ancients. 
At Leipzig, or rather at Goblis, a 
charming village near that city, where he 
pafled a fammer with Mr. Golchen, he 
ecntinued and completed his Don Carlos. 
Jinger, a wri'er whole premature deceale 
Comedy ftill deplores, refided during the 
fame fummer at Gohlis, and they contract- 
ed a murual ftriendfhip for each other 5 
and probably the lively company of the 
comic had no fmall degree of influence 
ever our tragic poet, whofe tone of mind 
was at that time diltinguifhed by uncom- 
mon vivacity. 
The interruption he experienced in the 
compofition of Don Carlos had a pecuhar 
effect on that performance. Neither Don 
Carlos nor the Marquis Pofa were exactly 
what the author at firit intended they 
frould be. Don Carlos was depreciated 
in the eflimation of the poet, and the 
Marquis, who was to have been a model 
of friendfhip, becaze a character per- 
fectly ideal. On this fubje& the follawing 
is his own acknowledgment:—* Itis pof- 
fible that in’the firlt atts I may have ex- 
cited expeétafions which I have not ful- 
filled in the laft. St. Real’s novel, and 
perhaps my own. exprefiions, may have 
exhibited thé matter to the reader in a 
jight in whic’ it can no longer be confi- 
dered, During the time I was engaged 
upon it, which, on account of many inier- 
ruptions, was aconfideraole interval, many 
things in my own mind were changed.— 
My work was necefiarily influenced by 
the alterations which in this period tock 
place in my opinions and festimeats.— 
What had at firlt appeared particularly 
c*ptivating, afterwards produced a much 
weaker effect, and in the end [carcely any. 
New ideas which meanwhile arofe within 
me, fupplanted former ones; Carlos him- — 
felf had funk in my eltimation, perhaps 
on no other account but becaui‘e I fo far 
furpafled him in years ; and for a contra- 
ry reafon the Marquis Pola had ftepped 
into his place. In confequence of thts f 
brought with me into the fourth and fitth 
act avery different heart. But the three 
fark acis were before the public ; the plot 
of the whole could not be altered: I had 
no other atternative bet to fupprefs the 
piece entirely, or to adapt the fecond part 
2 
Memoirs of Schiller, the German Dramati/?. 
\ 
ee 
to the firt as well as Tcould. The prin. 
cipal defect was that I had it too long im 
hand ; adramatic work ought to be the 
bloflom of a fingle fummer. The pian, 
l:-kewile, was too extenfive for the jimits 
ans the rules of a dramatic compofition. 
This plan, for example,’ required that 
Marquis Pofa fhould have continued to 
poliefs the moft unlimited confidence of 
Philip ; but to produce this extraordinary 
effect, the arrangement of the piece allowed 
me but afingle fcene.””? . 
But to return to the circumftances of 
his jite. From Leipzig Schiler removed 
to Weimar, the celebrated Weimar, the 
refidence of fo many men of genius who 
were the ornament and the pride of their 
nation, and who will perpetuate the glory 
of Weimar emong remote pofterity. With 
thefe geniules Schiller had a right to affo. 
ciate, and {uflicient reafon to hope that he 
would be acknowledged as one of their 
nuaiber. Accordingly Wieland, whom 
he for a time affiited in the publication of 
the German Mercury, received him with 
his acculvomed cordiality, and the minif- 
ter Von Gorhe with flattering condefcea- 
fon. At Weimar Scniller likewile ac- 
quired the friendfhip of M. Von Wollzo- 
“gen, on whote eftates in Meiningen he re. 
fided for feveral years, and whole fitter he 
afterwards. married. - She was Schiler’s. 
choice, and that is faying quite fufficient 
in her praife. 
Some years afterwards Schiiler was ap- 
pointed piofeffor of hitory at Jena, an@ 
he taught that icience wich almott unex~ 
amp'ed applaufe. At a later period he 
likewile held Jegtures on withetics. Were 
we to cefcride the fcholar Ativing with 
the utmoft zeak to atrain the highett pof~ 
fibie degree of perfeétion, it woul be ne. 
ceilary to fhew bow he learned Greek of 
Schitz 5 how, initigated by Reinhold, he 
indefatigably ftudicd the Crivicifm of 
Kant, and made himflf intimately acs 
quainted with the be& poets of all ages 
and of all mations. During thele oceupa- 
tions he was engaged in the compofition 
of lectures, which he might have feat ta 
the prefs without any diminution of his 
reputation, and was befides extiemely ac- 
tive as en auinor, 
That he might be able to Rudy and to . 
labour with lefs interruption, he reverfed 
the order of nature. Night, when all the 
buftle of life 1s over, when univer{al 
filence prevails, when the attention is not 
drawn off by exterior objects, and all the 
energies of the mind may be exerted with 
undivided force—Night, with its profound 
repofe, its facred ftillnefs and iublime 
tranquilliy, 
