model. But he endeavoured also to mix up all the tastes of different ages and countries, Grecian, Roman, classical, romantic, Chinese, French, Indian, Christian and Heathen in one heterogeneous whole. This produces such a dashing of elements, that the charm of unity and the force of poetry is lost, and a modern tasteless style, without enthusiasm or fancy has been the consequence.

The drama in Germany had been freed by Lessing from the servile imitation, which his predecessors had given to the productions of the French stage. It had been relieved from the strict rules of the unities, and allowed to range freely into the realms of imagination. The other extreme was very soon afterwards reached; all sorts of extravagancies and absurdities were brought upon the stage, whose dignity was often outraged by scenes of low life, and vulgar representations. In this state of corruption Goethe found it; he undertook to remedy the defects and to exalt the national theatre. His "Goetz von Berlichingen," a drama of the 16th century in the time of Maximilian, a picture of true chivalrous manner and nobility, had a strong effect in improving the taste of the age; "Egmont' had a like tendency. To bring back the spirit of the period from the extravagances of romanticism he composed the "Iphigenie en Taunide," a tragedy of the purest classicality. Herein consists his great superiority over the compositions of Kotzebue and Schiller, who surpass him in other pieces of modern subjects, such as "The Death of Rolla" of the former and the "Robbers" of the latter. Goethe's pieces intended for the stage are not in fact of nearly as great an excellence as those which cannot be represented. The bounds which were put to the exercise of his talents in the one case seem to have weighed on and depresed them much below those of inferior minds. One of his strangest productions is the "Natural Daughter," in which the personages are designated under general names such as the king, the father, daughter &c. without any personal appellation."Faust," his masterpiece, may be said to contain within itself every species of poetry, dramatic, lyric, romantic &c.; the variety of its subjects is endles, but its moral is bad, and as has been before said a sneering contempt for female virtue, reigns throughout it. This is the main evil tendency of Goethe's poems.

Schiller in his youth had been destined for the church, but his ideas were turned from it by some theatrical representation,

which produced a prodigious effect on him. He afterwards attempted the military life and the study of the law with the same effect. The works of Klopstock, Goethe and Lessing, had at this time somewhat purified the taste of Germany in literature. He commenced his career of letters in the University of Stuttgard, where he also took a medical degree and shewed a great taste for the study of physchology. In 1781, he published his "Robbers," the electrical effect of which rung throughout Germany. This is one of the most remark. able dramas in the language. The rapidity of the dialogue, the horror of the scenes, the dreadful character of the hero, raised the excitement of the piece to the highest pitch. But there are many defects in it,-improbable situations, confusion of scenes, extravagant often gross language, and manners of the eighteenth carried into the 16th century. The moral tendency of the piece was so bad that it was forbidden in many of the states in Germany. His "Conspiracy of Fiesco" and "Love and Intrigue" are open to nearly the same objections, and do not possess the same stirring interest as the former tragedy. At Dresden he wrote "Don Carlos," and made the acquaintance of Wieland, Goethe and others at Weimar, where he was appointed professor extraordinary of history. Shortly after appeared his "History of the Insurrection of the Netherlands" and many historical treatises. He married in 1790 a Mlle. de Lengefeld, whom he had often seen at Rudolstadt, and the same year brought out his "History of the Thirty Years' War," which has more scope, development, description and freedom than his former work. He received pensions from the hereditary prince and from the Prime Minister of Denmark, which enabled him to carry on his literary labors without interruption. The Duke of Weimar also favored and supported him, he commenced the drama of Wallenstein in 1792, and published the magazine, called " die Horen" "The Hours" in 1795, and a series of epigrammatic distichs in common with Goethe in the "Musen Almanack" of 1797. His constant study and weakness of constitution brought on a disease of the chest which never was entirely cured. This prevented him from following up his writings as he desired. Many princes and states endeavoured to secure his presence, but the Duke of Weimar who obtained for him patents of nobility and lucrative offices fixed him at his capital, where he enjoyed the society of his friend Goethe, and an opportunity of superintending the

theatre there. His last pieces were for the stage, "Mary Queen of Scots," "Joan of Arc," "William Tell," and the "Bride of Mesina." He expired in 1805 in the 46th year of his age of a malignant fever."

Schiller is accused of having given to his plays a romantic coarseness, which does not distinguish between the elegance of literature and of common life. But it must be said of him, that he represented nothing but great and noble characters, that the dignity of his pieces is well sustained, without the immoral tendency of Goethe's writing, or the mysticism of Kotzebue and Werner. Schiller was more popular with the lower classes, Goethe with the higher, because the first delineated the true German character from its originals, the latter only from an ideal perfection of aristocracy and fashion. The minor poetry of Schiller is also full of a youthful, energetic spirit, which purified and invigorated the taste of his fellow-countrymen. There are so many, and so good translations from his works, that it would be waste of space to give any of them here. They contain so much of the philosophy of life, that they work upon the consciences of men, opposing everything evil and commonplace. His ideal characters are particularly distinguished by their purity, nobleness, and the fire of passion which they contain. Schiller may be called the Euripides of the German drama. He is not so varied, so vast in his conceptions, or so striking in his characters as Goethe, but the generosity and nobleness of his own soul pervades all his productions, and engender an enthusiasm for virtue, liberty and greatness in his readers and audience.

During nearly a period of fifty years the popularity of these two great dramatists, Goethe and Schiller, was eclipsed by that of a much inferior writer Kotzebue. His merits were at one time most ridiculously exaggerated, and since have been as unjustly depreciated. Many of his pieces are certainly open to the charge of frivolity and tediousness, but it must be also allowed that they possess several passages of great power and beauty. The greater number of them, "The Two Brothers," "Misanthropy and Repentance," "The Hussites," "The Death of Rolla, or Pizarro," have been translated into English and other languages, so that it is unnecessary to do more than allude to them here. His greatest faults are these, a morbid sensibility and straining after effect, not sufficient attention to the morals, manners, and national characters of his personages,

but a lively interest pervades all his pieces, and has made them be very popular wherever they have been represented.

Romanticisin had a very powerful effect upon the drama, as well as upon lyric poetry in Germany. It tended to produce an exaggerated and absurd style of performance, full of strong and exciting incidents mixed up with mysterious and supernatural horrors scarcely fit for the stage. The principal authors of this style were Müllner, Werner, Grillparzer, and Kleist. The first began his career in an extraordinary manner, by rivalling his elder brother for the hand of a young lady, against the will of his own mother. It was not until the brother and mother died, that he obtained the accomplishment of his wishes. This however did not give him continued happiness. His wife was more inclined to dance, than to listen to his verses or enjoy his conversation, so that the union turned out to be anything but well assorted. In 1812 he brought out a dramatic poem, "Schuld," (Crime,) in which there is great melody of verse and vivid imagery, but the extravagant idea of a presiding fate, or overpowering destiny, something like the "Deus ex Machina" of the Greek tragedies, reigns throughout the action. The interest of the piece turns on the fulfilment of a fearful prophecy, by which the hero kills his brother; then torn with remorse destroys himself, which example the heroine imitates, producing a horrible fascination on the mind of the reader. The reputation of this drama was so great, that the Empress Elizabeth of Russia had it played before her, and presented the author with a diamond ring in token of her admiration. Müllner did not long survive the breach of his domestic happiness; he died rather suddenly in the year 1829.

After Schiller and Goethe, no man's plays have been so popular in Germany, as those of Weruer. His life was one of extraordinary vicissitudes, beginning by the bed-side of his insane mother. He married three wives, the two first of which are altogether lost sight of; the third a Polish girl named Maria, was obliged to get a divorce from him on account of his extravagance and licentiousness, but strange to say, she and her second husband lived on terms of intimacy with him for a long period afterwards. He also was a companion of Mme. de Staël at Coppet, along with Schlegel, Chamisso, &c. Suddenly he went to Rome, joined the Roman Catholic Church, studied Theology, was made priest at Aschaffenburg, and for

a series of years preached to admiring audiences in Vienna, As an author he has shown great boldness and richness of fancy, strong and abundant fluency of language, kindness of feeling, and appreciation of all that is excellent. He has certainly some confusion of thought, mingling the romantic with the real, a confusion of the offspring of imagination with the facts of everyday life. His drama "Luther,' was hailed through Germany with a burst of enthusiasm, although the characters are too ideal and fantastic. "Attila" is not so much darkened by mysticism, the personages approach nearer to those of actual history. It is founded on the tale of Hildegunda, Attila's last wife, whose father and brothers he had caused to be murdered. He then forced the maiden to become his wife, but the next morning the conqueror was found weltering in his blood, his bride seated beside his bed, bathed in tears and wrapt in her long veil. The "29th of February," the most striking and popular of Werner's dramas, is constructed from very simple but horrible materials. The scene is laid in an Alpine cottage between the cotter, his wife, and his son. The old man had slain his father in his youth, and the curse of Cain followed him. His own son slew his young sister, then fled into foreign service, and now returns to his father's roof without being recognised. The father, who has made a practice of murdering strangers under his roof, stabs his son while asleep for some gold he carried about him, and learns from his dying lips the relationship which exists between them. The plot and incidents are of the most distressing character, heightened very much by the situation and mode of life of the personages who enact it.

Another member of the romantic school of a visionary, though powerful mind, was Kleist. He began his career in the army, then studied at Frankfort for a professorship, then repaired to Berlin to endeavour to advance himself in life. He met successively with two young ladies, who returned his affection, but his wayward and extravagant procrastination and absurd ideas about domestic happiness, compelled them to give up their engagements with him. He met Wieland's son in Switzerland, through whom he obtained an intimacy with the father, and afterwards with Goethe and Schiller. At Konigsberg where he settled for some time he composed several tales, and dramas, the "Schroffenstein Family," in which two fathers kill their own children, and a comedy, "The Broken Jug," on ac