422 
depends that commerce, the continuance 
of which only can enable this nation to 
maintain the awful conteft in which it is 
at prefent engaged. Let it not then be 
amagined, that women are wanting Ia 
pubic ipirit, or in individual prudesce, 
Memoirs of Klopftock, the German Poet. 
[June 1, 
becaufe they are content to rifk for the. 
national welfare thofe lives they are not 
permitted to devote to their country in 
ithe field. 
March xo, CI. 2. 
CAMILLA. 
MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
MEMOIRS of the late FREDERIC THEO- 
PHILUS KLOPSTOCK, AUTHOR of the 
MESSIAH and clber POEMS. 
4 LOPSTOCK, the firft ard greateft 
aLSS poet of Germany, was born at 
nediinburg, onthe 2d of July, 1724. 
e was the eldeft of eleven children, fix 
brothers-and five filers. His father was 
at firt in the commiffien as magitirate of . 
Quedlinburg, and afterwards farmed the 
batliwic of Fricdeburg, in the Branden- 
burg part of Mansfeld. He was a man 
of an original caft, extreme uprightnefs 
and good-nature, noble firmnefs, and un- 
daunted refolution. In the number of 
his peculiarities it is neceffary to diftin- 
guith the extreme tenacity with which he 
maintained the truth of all prefentiments, 
perticularly thofe he often projefied to 
have huntelf; as alfo the firm faith he 
had in the corporeal prefence of the D-.vil, 
with whom he had many ftout combats in 
the night-time. 
Thefe whimfies of his father had how- 
ever no ferious influence on the educetion 
of young Klopfteck.. He left the powers 
both of his body and mind to unfold 
themfelves freely, and thackled him neither 
with the exercife of authority or the adhe- 
rence to fyfiem. The fon accordingly dif- 
covered early indications of a character no 
lefs original and happy than that of his 
father, although very aifferent in its bias. 
His boyifh years flowed on in one uninter- 
rupted fiream of happinefs, {uch as would 
naturally refult from a proper diftribution 
of his time betwixt butineis and pleafure. 
He was employed fome hours every day 
at home in learning the elements of the 
languages ; and devoted the remaining 
part cf his time with youthful ardour to 
athletic exercifes. When proneunced to 
be fit for a public fchool, bis father took 
him to the gymnafium at Quedlinburg, 
where he held the firft rank ne lefs in their 
fe'entific labours than in their gymnaftic 
games; the latter however loft their inte- 
reft for him confiderably as he grew older. 
Zn his fixteenth year he proceeded from 
the gymnafium to the college, where his 
character as aman and a poet difplayed 
itfelf more potitively and advamegeoufly 
to view. Tne rector Freitag, a profound 
philologift, d:ferves particular notice 
among his teachers. He elucidated the 
ancients with a precifion aad tafte very 
rare at that time: he fought to make hrs 
feholars familiar,-not only with the lan- 
guage, but the fpirir of the writer, Un- 
der this gentleman Klopfeck acquired a 
perfect maftery over the claffi¢s, entered 
into all the beauties of the ancien: authors, 
and, while breathing in the fire of their 
origiaality and genius, fed a flame within 
himlelf, that was, ere long, to burft forth 
in ‘full luttre. He applied himfelf very 
diligently to compofitions, in profe and 
verfe, and made, among other poetical 
effiys, fome paftorals, which-were the fa- 
vourite fubjeéts of the youthful Mufe in 
the German univerfities. He read but 
_few hooks, and thofe of the choiceft kind, 
which he ftudied withthe moft fixed atten- 
tion and minutenefs of inveitigation. His 
principal tudy, however,—the book which 
he peruied the coftenett, and with the great- 
eft pleafure,—was man. His {chool-fel- 
lows were the interefting pages that fup- 
plied his obferying mind with the richeft 
materials for reflection. 
At fo early a period as the prefent he 
took the refolution of writing an epic po- 
e7, which had. hitherto not ex:fted in 
the German ianguage. The high opinion 
he had of Virgil, his favourite poet amongft 
the ancients; the honour he promifed 
himfelt in being the firft who thouid offer 
the German public a work like the Afne- 
id ; the warmth of patriotifm that early 
animated him toraife thé fame of German 
literature in this particular to a level with 
that of other European countries; the juft 
indignation he felt in reading the book of 
a Frenchman, who had denied the Ger- 
mans every talent for poetry ;—all com- 
bined with the confcioufnefs of his own 
fwperior powers, to {pur him on to the exe- 
eution of hisexalted purpafe. He was how. 
' Mies. ee 
