as one can judge of it from a short fragment, the author intended to employ the same means of exciting interest, which were resorted to by our countryman Brown, who may possibly have taken some hints from Schiller, as he seems to have been acquainted with German literature. Besides the works we have mentioned, Schiller contributed a great number of fugitive pieces, in prose and verse, to a variety of literary journals, conducted by himself and others. Many of his shorter poems made their appearance in this way, and they are amongst the most highly finished and exquisite productions of the kind to be found in any language. The singular variety in the subjects and tones of them shows the extraordinary versatility of the author's genius. It would be difficult to point out a more animated serious lyric poem, than the Ode to Pleasure. The ballads, as for example, the Diver and Fridolin, are written with the most charming felicity of style. The Bell is quite an original poem, founded on an entirely new conception, wrought up and finished with extraordinary power and beauty in a few hundred lines. If a speculating bard of the present day had hit upon such a subject, he would have rung at least a dozen changes upon it through as many cantos. There are even two or three very pleasing specimens of the comic style, for which, however, Schiller had in general but little taste. All these pieces are known by heart through the whole educated portion of the German nation, and if their author had never written any thing else, would have given him a lasting rank among the greatest poets that have ever lived. One of the least atrractive to us of the minor poems, is the Walk, an Elegy, which the author himself mentions, in one of his letters above quoted, as among the very best of all his productions. The versification of this piece is imitated from the antique Hexameter and Pentameter, which to our taste has but little

charm for the ear, even in German, where it succeeds better than in other modern languages.

The literary activity of Schiller continued undiminished up to the time of his death, which happened at Weimar, on the ninth of May 1805, after a short illness, at the age of five and forty. Occurring in the full maturity of his intellectual powers, and when his countrymen expected so much pleasure from their farther exercise, it excited a strong sensation through the whole of Germany. The theatre at Weimar was closed upon this occasion, and was reopened after a while by a representation of the Maid of Orleans, accompanied by a solemn funeral ceremony in honor of the author. The anniversary of his death has been observed ever since at the same place by a repetition of his tragedy of Wallenstein. He left a widow and five children. The following particulars are given by the biographer respecting his manners, person,

and character:

'Schiller was tall and thin, though naturally of a powerful make. The activity of his mind had evidently checked the full development of his body. His face was pale, the expression of his eye mild and gentle; his forehead high and open; his cheeks hollow; his chin a little projecting, and his hair reddish. His exterior was not very attractive. In walking, his looks were always bent downwards; and he often passed his acquaintance without recognizing them, but when he perceived them, he greeted them with great kindness. In large companies, and especially at court, his manner was reserved and anxious. In the family circle, or among a few intimate friends, he was easy, cheerful, and talkative. He took particular pleasure in a literary society, which was formed at Weimar after he went to reside there, and of which Goethe was one of the principal members. His disposition was eminently kind and friendly, and he felt for others as warmly as for himself; often declaring, that he had no other wish than to see others happy and contented.

'He was not fond of public and noisy amusements, and fre

quented no places of general resort, except the theatre; to which he was naturally much attached. He also took delight in instructing the actors. The rehearsals of the new pieces were regularly held either at his house or Goethe's; and this circumstance often had a favorable influence on the talent of the players. Schiller's notions were very high in regard to good acting, and it was rather difficult to satisfy him. After the successful representation of any of his later dramatic works, he commonly gave an entertainment to the actors at the town-house, which passed off very pleasantly with songs, improvisations, and all sorts of gaiety.'

Having offered in the course of this article such critical remarks as had occurred, to us upon the writings of Schiller, it will not be necessary to dwell any longer upon his poetical character. It is much to his honor, that all his writings are distinguished by a pure morality, and an elevated tone of thought and feeling. In making this remark, we mean, of course, to except the Robbers, for reasons which we have already explained at length. Though not, strictly speaking, licentious, the moral of this play is certainly exceptionable. The rest of his works, whether in prose or verse, are uniformly fitted to encourage the noblest and most amiable sentiments. Few poets of any country, who have flourished at advanced periods in the progress of civilization, deserve this praise to the same extent. His two great contemporaries, Goethe and Wieland, for example, are by no means so pure as Schiller, though the tendency of their works is, in general, far from being absolutely vicious. In the infancy of letters and society, poetry speaks the language of the gods; but as luxury increases, it is too apt to leave its lofty heights and to dwell in preference on frivolous or sensual subjects. The most esteemed modern poets of England and France furnish many examples of the truth of this remark. It is therefore a great happiness for a

nation, when a writer like Schiller, whose talents secure him an unbounded popularity and influence, has the grace to exert them uniformly in the great cause of virtue and human happiness. No compensation in the power of subjects or sovereigns to bestow can be too great for such deserts:

'Quæ tibi, quæ tali reddam pro carmine dona?'

We may say with safety, that the patent of nobility in the degree of baron, which the grand duke of Weimar wrought out, as the biographer expresses it, auswirkte, for Schiller, of his own mere motion, was not an extravagant reward, though intended doubtless as a high distinction.

139

GEOFFROY ON FRENCH DRAMATIC LITERA

TURE.*

[North American Review, April, 1820.]

THIS work is a collection of theatrical articles, published successively in one of the French newspapers, from about the year 1800 to the year 1814. They were considered at the time so much superior to the ordinary ephemeral matter which appears in this form, that they gave a very great vogue to the Journal de l'Empire. It is said that twenty thousand copies were at that time circulated daily. An edition of about six thousand was and is the ordinary sale of the best French journals. The author, M. Geoffroy, had been Professor of Rhetoric at the Collège Mazarin at Paris before the revolution. Soon after the beginning of the troubles, his political orthodoxy was called in question, and he thought it expedient to retire for a time from his station and take refuge in the country. He offered himself to some parish committee, as a candidate for the office of village schoolmaster, having previously assumed a rustic tone and dress. His qualifications being found sufficient for the place, he entered upon it, and retained it till the return of Bonaparte had restored some degree of order at Paris. Soon after this he repaired to the capital and was immediately attached to the Journal des Debats, as it was then called, as editor of the theat

* Cours de littérature dramatique; ou Recueil, par ordre de matières, des feuilletons de Geoffroy, précédé d'une notice historique sur sa vie. 4 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1819. The fifth volume, completing the work, was published in 1820.