On this page

• Departments (1)
  • 
• Text (5)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    No. 436, Jui/r 31,1858.] THE LEADEB, 747

  • 

    < 3T*fftV»*rffii-r i iv JLlUlUUltU

  • 

    ^ Critics are not the legislators, but t...

  • 

    THE GERMAN CLASSICS. The German Classics...

  • 

    THE DOCTRINE OF SACRIFICE. Strictures on...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    No. 436, Jui/R 31,1858.] The Leadeb, 747

    No . 436 , Jui / r 31 , 1858 . ] THE LEADEB , 747

    ≪ 3t*Fftv»*Rffii-R I Iv Jlluluultu

    JCntrnitttt .

    ^ Critics Are Not The Legislators, But T...

    ^ Critics are not the legislators , but the judges and police of literature . They do not make laws—thej- interpret and try to enforce them . —Edmburyh Review . * . ' .

    The German Classics. The German Classics...

    THE GERMAN CLASSICS . The German Classics , -from the Fourth to the , Nineteenth Century . A German Reading-Book , arranged chronologically ' . By Max Muller . Longman and Co . History of German Literature . Based on the German work of Vilmar . By Rev . Frederick Metcalfe . Longman and Co . There have been marry selections of German literature for the-use of English students , but few of systematic treatment . The Heading-Book of

    Professor Muller will supply a decided want . As lie points out in . the preface to his volume , tlie attention of Englishmen has been confined almost exclusively to the literature of the last , fifty years . Of the etymology and growth of the German language they ' are almost totally * ignorant . It is time that this neglect should be atoned for . It is not sufficient that . English , students should have a conversational acquaintance with German ; they should at least possess some information on the origin and progress of the literature .

    The history of Mr . Metcalfe forms a comp anion volume to the Reading-Book of the Professor . Whilst the labours of the latter are conflned to a most judicious selection of extracts , ¦ which are chosen not simply for their literary-excellence , but as a running commentary on the political and intellectual history' of Germany , the ¦ work of Mr . Metcalfe supplies a connected account of the growth of the language and literature from

    the Gothic of TJlfilas down to the latest times . The basis of the " work , is tlie German treatise of "VUmar . ; "but Mr . ¦ Metcalfe , instead of giving a mere translation of that treatise , ' -vrhich would he most unpalatable to English tastes , has rearranged the topics , and harmonised the style in accordance with English requirements . We shall endeavour to give some account of the more interesting subjects which he treats in his volume .

    Vilmar divides the whole history into three periods : the oldest period , from the middle of the fourth century to the year 1150 ; the old period , from 1150 to 3624- ; and the new period , from 1624 to the death of Goethe . There-are various- ' subdivisions of these periods , which we need not , however , notice here . The oldest monuments of German literature now in existence are some fragments of a translation of the Bible into Gothic , by Bishop Ulnlas , who died in 388 . The parts preserved comprise tlie Gospels , the Epistles of St . Paul , and some lines only of the Old Testament . This translation was hichlv nrized

    by the Yisigotlis , and was in use as late as the ninth century , but was then lost . The Gospels were subsequently discovercd in the sixteenth century in the abbey , of Werden , and the Epistles in ISIS , in the monastery of Bobbio , in Lombardy . Those manuscripts have l ) een of most essential service in the study of the German language . From the death of Ulfilas to the commencement of the eighth century , there is n perfect void . Yet we know that the Germans were in possession of national songs . Julian the Apostate had himself heard them on the baiiks of the lihinc ; and Tacitus had previously noted the strains in honour of Tuisco and Mannus , and the song which commemorated the victory of Arminius over Vams . To the earlier part of this

    period may be referred the Hcroic-Ssiga of Sigfricd the Dragon-shyer , and the Animal-Saga of Reynard the Fox , both of which , after passing from mouth to mouth through many gencititions , have been worked into form by later poets . With the migration of the nations other heroes appear upon t he scene—Dietrich of Berne ; Ilildcbrand and Hadubrand , the Burgundian kings ; Gunthcr , Gicselhcr , and Gcrnot ,, with tlieir sister Kricmhild j Attila , king of the Huns , who appears under tlie name of Etzel ; Hettel , kingof the Frisians , and his daughter Gudrun ; and many others . The lays which celebrated these heroes were suns in the halls of

    kings , and many were committed to writing by the monks ; but in the course of time they were irrevocably lost . There are three other poems , belonging to tho oldest period , of which ono alono is in old high German , the second being preserved in Latin , and tho third in Anglo-Saxon . Tho first relates how Ilildcbrand , the companion of Dietrich , returns irom the great contest with tho Huns , and flnds

    the son , whom lie had left an infant on his departure , grown up to man ' s estate . Hildebrand recognises his son , and seeks to deter him from the attack ; but in vain . " Dead is Hildebrand , my sire , the son of Heriband , " replies the youth ; " sailors have told me so who came over the Wendelsee . " HildeDrand unwinds his golden armlets , the fairest and most coveted ornaments of -a German warrior , and offers them to his son . But the stripling answers , defiantlyj " With , the lance must thy gifts fee received : swordpoint to sword-point . Thou art a sly old Hun , who seekest to

    entrap me to my ruin . " " Alas ! great God , " cries Hildebrand , " woe is me ! Sixty summers and winieTS have I been a wanderer from home , and now shall my dear son hew me with his sword , or else I be his murderer . Tet craven were hex , most craven of the men of Ostland , -who should withhold thee from the strife thou so lastest for . " Hereupon father and son first hurled their lances of ash , fixing them deeply the one into the other ' s shield . Then the shield-splitters rush on each other , hewing so fiercely -with , their brands that the linden-wood shields grow smaller and smaller at each stroke .

    The story is , unfortunately , only a fragment , and here breaks off abruptly . The second poem , to which we referred as existing in a Latin translation , relates the history of Walther of Aquitaine , and his deadly contest with the King of the Burgundians in the passes of the Vosges . The remaining poem , in Anglo-Saxon , describes the heroic deeds of Beovulf , King of the Jutes . All these poems were regulated by ¦ rhythm , and not by quantity . Tlieir distinguishing characteristic was the alliterative system . It would not be easy to form an opinion of this from the original of the " Hildebraudslied , " but some idea maj be derived from' the following verses of Fouque ' s " Thiodolf , " which is constructed on the same model : —

    Weit im Weinberg , Wohnen zwei Schwestern , Kiihn zwei Klingen Zwischen Klippen stairen . Wenn die Schwestern wohnen "Wirtlich an einetn . Heerd , Wenn die Klingen klirren Itraftig in einer Hand , & c . As Christianity was disseminated amongst the Germans , the old songs which celebrated heathen divinities fell under the censure of the ecclesiastical authorities . Gradually the spirit of the old poetry died aw ^ ay , and was replaced by a degenerate j ^ oetry on sacred subjects . Amongst the most remarkable

    products of the new inspiration was the " Wessobrunner Gebet , " which begins in this fashion :- —• " This have I found to be the greatest human wisdom : when the earth was not , nor the heavens above ; neither hills nor trees ; when the sun shone not , and the moon gave no light ; when there was no ocean , no end nor boundary , then was there an Almighty God . " Another poem was the " Muspilli , " in which , according to Mr . Metcalfe , the sublimity of description stands second only to Holy Writ . There were also two poems constructed from the materials contained in tlie Gospels , one of which was the "Heliand , " or Saviour , and the

    otlier a Harmony , composed by Otfrid , a Benedictine monk , of Wcissenburg , in Alsace . The second period of German literature took its rise with the Crusades . " It was the manifesta ^ tion of the old Western heroic character , blended with , and sanctified by , the spirit of Christianity . " For live centuries the Germans had lived apart , retired within themselves . But with the Crusades a new life began . The French passing in glittering cavalcades along the high roads of Germany revealed to them a new world . " Sweet love of home and irresistible desire to roam , bitter regret at parting , and joyous wish to travel , such were the emotions that rent the youth of Germany , and which all the poems of the day do not fail to dwell upon . " Tlie poetry of this epoch may be divided into two

    classes—the national and the art poetry . The former was principally manifested in an epic form . It 8 chief species was one in which there was no hero towering above the others . The cause of this was probably due to the manner in which the epic was constructed . It was a composition of various detached fragments in honour of different heroes . A second species was the epic which celebrated the exploits of a single hero , such as " Ecken Ausfart , " " Dietrich ' s Fluclit zu der Hunnen , " " Rabenschlacht , " and others . A third species comprised tliose poems which ¦ were supplementary to the genuine heroic songs . The various Sagas on which tho national heroic poetry was based may bo divided into distinct groups . 1 . Tlie Lower lthcnish , or Frankish , of which Sigfricd is tho hero . 2 . The Burgundian , in which the principal characters' arc

    Gunther , Gernofr , and Giselher , with , tlieir sister Kriemhild , and Gunter ' s wife , Brunhild . 3 . Toe-East Gothic , where the hero is Dietrich . 4 > . Tie-Hungarian , wiich celebrates Attila or EtzeL 5 w The North German , ot the Frisian-X > anish-Norman * which describes' the maritime life of northern Germany . [ Finally , the Lombardic group , whose heroes are Rother , Otnit , Hugdietrich , and Wolfdietrich . The first four groups of Sagas were combined into the great national epic ot the Niebelungenlied ,. which is too well known to English readers to ie * quire a lengthened descriptioa in this place . Bat amongst the North Sea Sagas one of the most remarkable is the poem of Gudrun , which is comparatively little known , and of -which

    -wemay give a sketch . Hagen , King of Ireland * had a daughter , Hilde . She was wooed and , won by Hettel , a Frisian king . The offspring of the marriage were two children , Ortwin and GudruB . Two rivals , Hartrnut , son of a Norman king , and Hervrig , King of Seeland , are suitors for the hand of the daughter . But Hartmut , by surprise , carries off Gndrun , and is pursued by her friends . In tie battle which ensues , the Normansare victorious , and escape with their prize , whilst one generation of Frisians perishes in the terribleconflict . When the next generation has risen , torn anhood , they undertake a tresh expedition to liberate Gudrun . This time they are successful , and a general reconciliation takes place , in which the lcngfeud between the Normans and ^ Frisians is healed

    for ever . The Art-epie may be divided into different cycles in a similar manner ^ One cycle "will comprise the > French Sagas of Charlemagne . Another the legends in connexion with the " Heilige Ghraal . " A third ,, the Celtic traditions in relation to King Artlrur . A fourth , stories of antiquarian interest , such asthe Trojan war , and Alexander the Great . Lastly , should be mentioned the various legends of saints . ¦ - . It will be impossible to give a detailed description of the various forms of poetry which characterise this second period . But we must give a few words to the Minnesingers . TVIinne is a ¦ word .

    which signifies " the silent longing thought on the beloved one , sweet reminiscences of her whose name the lover does not venture to pronounce . " The songs of the Minnesingers contrast strongly vitb those of the Troubadours . In . the former , " the tenderness arid purity of woman ' s mind are touchingly painted . " Woman , too , is " hopeful and unalterably true . " But in the poetry of the Troubadours , jealousy , inconstancy , doubt , all the passions which can ag-itate the breast , form favourite topics of song . Tne one has been described to be essentially a feminine , tke other a masculine style of poetry .

    With the fall of the House of Hob . enstau . ffen ,, literature ag-ain begins to decline . The Yolksliedv or nationaUwng , still exists ; but the expression of thought is principally confined to prose . By-andbye comes tlie age of the Hefornaers , the pregnant wit of Hans Sachs , of Brandt , of HvLtten , a . ud ^ above all , Luther ' s translation of the Bible , which effected a transformation of the German , language . When the next epoch commences , we are on the threshold of a . literature-which is already familiar to Englishmen , and which we need not here attempt to discuss .

    The Doctrine Of Sacrifice. Strictures On...

    THE DOCTRINE OF SACRIFICE . Strictures on JAfauriae ^ s Doctrine of Sacrifice . By Thomas Barker , M . A .., of Queen ' s College , Oxford , late Tutor of Codrington College , Barbadoes . J . II . and J . Parker . The publication before us consists of a scries of " Strictures upon some recent sermons of : the llev . F . D . Maurice , on the true scriptural doctrine of sacrifice . Of the sermons , nineteen in number , eighteen are examined in detail , and the statements contained in them compared , or rather contrasted , with the recordod events which they ptofess to explain and illustratet It is not the first time that Mr . Maurice has been

    brought to book . Our readers may xecolloot the controversy that passed between him and . Mr . Jclf on the scriptural meaning of the word " eternal , " ia which , the manner of argument , on both sides , wa » very similar to that now employed . Mr . Maurice's sermons profess to deduce from the Bible a number of moral lessons . These , though very true , perhaps , and very beautiful , might , for any connexion , they may have with tho original , havo been as well founded upon tho Vcdas or the Koran ; and the author has been met , and fairly knocked down , by

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 31, 1858, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31071858/page/19/