426 
Copenhagen his ufual place of refidence ; 
but after that time he lived moftly in 
Hamburg, in the charafter of royal Da- 
nifh legate, and counfellor from the Court 
of the Margrave of Baden. This latter 
title, together with a penfion, was the 
grant of the prefent Eleétor Fredevic of 
Baden, whofe invitation to our poet was 
fo preffing, that he fpent the year 1775 
at the Court of Carlfruhe. 
Notwithftanding the ferious caft that 
pervaded the writings of Klopftock, he 
was in his focial intercourfe lively and 
good-humoured ; a gentle ftream of attic 
mirth flowed through all his words and 
aétions. It wasa very rare cafe for him 
to be clouded by fpleen, or any gloomy 
fentiment. ‘* Klopftock (wrote sturz, 
in 1775,) is chearful in every company, 
and’ poffeffes an unabating vivacity, that 
gives a pleafure and importance to the mi- 
nor concerns of life. He enlarges fome- 
times with all the exuberance of his poetic 
invention on a trivial idea, that grows un- 
der his formation into a vat aflemblage of 
images. He is never fevere in ridicule, 
nor pofitive in argument, but oppofes 
with modefty, and. liftens attentively to 
the oppofite fentiments of others. Equally 
remote from the groveling character of 
the courtier, or the fupercilioufnefs of 
vulcar pride, he never lofes fight of the 
man in the fpiendour of his fituation : he 
efeems birth highly, but real merit {till 
more. The difparity of condition be- 
tween him and others makes him diftant in 
his intercourfe with his fuperiors, and 
frequently leads him to difcern in the cold 
condefcenfions and patronage of the great 
a reproach rather than an honour to the 
perfon obliged. He requires therefore 
many advances on their part, proportioned 
to the fuperiority of their rank, before he 
makes any particular approach himfelf, 
In the polite circles of infipidly fine poople, 
unmarked by any ftamp of charaéter, 
Kiopftock is never to be found. He pre- 
fers the humb!er and more fubftantial en- 
joyment eh oom ate age heightened 
by the furroundinggcharms of nature, in 
rural feclufion. :He is always encompafi- 
ed by youth ; And I have often been de- 
lighted with feeing him pafs by amidft a 
crowd of young people, all feemingly gra- 
tified at being in his company. In patnt- 
ing he loves only what delineates life, 
thought, and feeling. H< is in‘erefted by 
that kind of mufic which reaches the 
heart, but not by thofe violent tones 
which overpower the voice. 
“¢ The pleafanteit feafon for Klopftock 
(continued Sturz,) is the wimer, on 
Memoirs of Klopftock, the German Poet, [June 3, 
account of the fkating. He is enthu- 
fiattically attached to this amufement, and 
recommends it to every one with warmth 
of perfuafion. His life was however once 
expofed to avery ferious danger on theice.”” 
To the very clofe of life did the hely 
harp of our bard found forth notes equal. 
ly fwblime and full of divine infpiration. 
While finking into the grave, be was en- 
gaged to prefent pofterity with a collec- 
tion of his works, fuch as would be wor. 
thy the great poet. From the year 1798 
they pafled through the office of the fa- 
mous Go‘chen three different times, and 
evince the ‘high veneration in which the. 
poet was held by his cotemporaries; a 
veneration that will keep pace - with the 
ages of the world. 
Klopftock died as he had lived. He 
retained the facred character which his 
religious principles had imprinted on him. 
The fame convi&tions and hopes as had 
yielded to his foul ferenity and exalted 
peace, continued unfhaken to his laft mo- 
meats. Of death he fpoke with the moft 
chearful compofure: the confoling repre- 
fentations of a departure from this world; 
the pleafing images. of death and immor- 
tality, fung by his own lofty Mute, recur- 
red to his mind in the moment of ‘trial, 
and wnifpered corofort te his fpirit as it 
fled. His difpaffionate foul was undifmay- 
ed at the fymptoms of decay which in. 
creafed every year. His bodily powers were 
viilbly diminifhed in the winter of 1802. 
He was however well pleafed with the vi- 
fits of his frieads, particularly in the 
evening. If they ftaid away for feveral 
days, he reproached them for their ab- 
fence ina gentle manner. He frequently 
read in later times in the Méeffiah. 
‘© Think not (faid the medeft man,) that 
Tread it as a poet: 1 merely occupy my- 
felf with the ideas it contains.”” In con- 
verfation his chearfulnefgs never forfcok 
him: he retained even the {prightlinefs of 
his youth ; and entered alfo with the fame 
vivacity and intereft into all the domeftic 
concerns and individual welfare of his 
friends. He fuffered greatly from. the 
cholic and the hemorrhoidical complaint 
by turns; but when any abgtement of the 
pain allowed him to receive the. vifits of 
his friends, he forgot his ailments, regained 
his chearful mood, and, waving the faub- 
ject of health, invited his cue& to drink 
with him a glafs of the excellent old wine 
which his friends from far and near had 
fent to comfort him. He found this 
alfo a much greater ftrengthener than 
any fort of medicine. Of the modern 
events which have been lately difturb- 
i: ing 
