The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-21

MY robe has INT OF amOeI now,
And sit by my anthracite;
And the locks that Wed with glossy wren
Have passed to the Elver grey;
But the love that decked them with flowers then
Is holier love to-day.
LITERARY.
gcHuLKR's COMPLETE WoRKs-Edited, with careful
Translahons, by Charles j. Hempel, NJ. d. In vols.
Philadelphia: j. Kohler No. 202 North Fourth street.
We are indebted to Messrs. ZoaBAuM, YOUNG d
Co., in King street, for a handsome copy Of new
trsnslation of ScH1LER's complete works. While
we are not emllous of the fame as critic Of the
country editor who gravely reviewed SHAKESPEARE,
and patronizingly "allowed" there WAS great deal
Of hard good sense IN those plays and poems, We
nevertheless think that q brief reference to this,
the most widely read and best beloved German
post, may not be out Of place; the more 30, as he
isshn but very imperfec,ly known to English and
American readers. In 1859, whom the centennial
anniversary Of the birthday of SCHILLER was cele-
brated among Germans all over the world, great
interest was everywhere manifested in all thai re-
lated to the poet, his life and times, his writings,
the estimate they are held in by his countrymen,
and the great influence they have exercised in
German thought and life during the present con-
tury. But nearly eight years have transpired since
and affairs material and more pressing have again
ohiiArated that spasmodc interest, and it may not
be amiss, therefore, to refresh the memory, as the
opportunity is afforded to us by the appearance OF
this translation.
JoHN. .GHRIsToPH FRIEDRICH SCHILLER was born
inaMarbaeh in Wurtemburg, November II, 1853.
His early years were full Of trouble. The Grand
10 Ia oo11iar while
hisrs father had destined him for the church; to
which indeed at that time his own inclnations also
directed him. Tho struggle ended at last-after
countless suerings and sorrows to the young poet,
which il is needless here to enter upon in detail
by his adopting neithing profession, but following
his own bent-wooing the muses.. Poetry had
eva- been his leading passion. He drank carly
and deep at the fountain where HOMER and VIRGIL
dispensed divinest strains. KLoPsToCK and GOETHE
HeTe his later masters. He had found his voca-
tion, and threw himself into it with all the ardor
and enthusiasm Of his fiery nature. The drama
WAS specially attractive to him, and he was still
but mere youth when he astounded the world
with his ssRobbers." This remarkable play was
begun in his nineteenth year. CARLYLE says OF it:
st is the production Of strong untutored spirit,
consumed by an activity for which there Is no
outlet indignant at the barriers which restralns
It, and graphing darkly with the 'phantoms to
which itGsCwn energy, thus painfully impris-
oned, gives being. ..E rude simplicity, combined
With q gloomy and ioyerpowering force, are it's
cafef fthsfactetistcs. :. They remind us Of the de-
Sect1e ealHvatoa, as well as Of the fervid and
hsrassed feelings Of it's suthor." q, - :
ezAs Ro5oers proved immensely popular, but the
doctrine inoulcated proved unpalatable to the
Grand Duke, ard young sMnLER had to fee the
country to save himself from s.prison. "Fiesco'
and: :s:Ioye and Intrigue" were his next plays. He
went to Mannheim in 17s4 as poet to the theatre,
1hsro he had . moderate income, but was safe,
free, and surrounded by congenial friends. "Don
Carlos" one Of his best tragedies was written for
thu stage oAt this time he also wrote the History
Of the Revolt Of the Netherlands. lni7ss, he was
.tpoilted Professor Of History in the University
ofsJena;t q few miles from weimar. Here his ac-
qIaintance With GOETHE, dating back some years.
ripsaed dintohiendship. In 1870 he married.
,1&t lena he wrote his t..History Of the Thirty
XssrsaMars. His grand tragedy of ssWallenstein"
(thrSS separate dramss) occupied his. attention
during the next years. ssMaria Stuart" 1.-THE
Htsd of Orleans, /" d'The Bride Of Messina" and
ian .sTell, p are: the: names: OF the great
tragedies which he produced neIt, and with which
his, fame ,ia indissolnbly connected. His career
hnwsvdtcsNas .ssshort one, for ia 1905, Mays the
6aG destroyer claimed his brilliant prize, and the
yodnshEsrso fnl OF hope, 80 fairawith promise,
era Il had passed its noon.
sCAHxrE, satEouos the most competent and ap-
pseeistiye Of his English critics, thus sums up
ScHnIE's character =" He had mind OF the high
est orderS grand by nature, and cultivated by the
assiduous stpapf life AiueSIt is not the predom-
mating force q anY 1aGulty thatimpresses Us
In soHn1KR, but the general force Of all. Every
paae6f bis writings bears the. stamp Of internal
yiscE n&m Huths, new aspects. Of known truth,
bold thought, happy imagery, lofty emotion. His
tendencyHas rather, to adore the grand and the
lofty, thai tol deepise the little. and the mean.
Pehsps; his greatest faculty was . half-poetical
hilkphdo doaophical imagination, . faculty teeming
NM nlAguiAcence and brilianey; now adorning,
ossi9ing ta erect astately pyramid of scientific
speculations; now brooding over the abysses OF
thenght and feeling, till thoughts and feelings,
else unutterable, were embodied in expressive
fofrfs;; snd palaces and landscapes, glowing in
gsharei beauty, rose like exhallations from tho
bosom Of the Deep" -.
In the enumeration of his works, we omitted
mentioning i1his so-called minor pieces, many of
which are eveff Better known, and more popular
than any or ali .ot his dramas. These have been
often translated, butby none better than by Bull
WEB, whose version retained the eclectic trans
lation Of the poet; now!befme ua. S The Robbers
=. l..,,Ioka5 bv uv,,pv G RouN Fan who
safurpished the Fiesco and Loue and Intrigue.
al yeEgopd.; Don Qartosis translated by R D.
BouAN, ESQ.,, and his version eminently success
fnl. sThe Camp of Wallenstein" is by JAMES
CHURCHILL the " Piccolomini" and the Death
Of WsIlenstein,n by MIR. Oo1ERDaE. This version
Is 90 well known that it is needless to say anything
Of it. It is rarely the good fortune Of poet to
find 80 genuine poet willing to do the laborious
yekhumble work Of translation.
aWaham Tell" is translated by THEODORE MAR
tn 5 St.Mary Stuart by JOSEPH ME1IIsH. ''The
Msid Of Orleans" was contributed by Miss ANNA
EwANw1W.
Thus the editor has succeeded in procuring the
best extant translation Of each separate produc-
ton Of: SCHILLER, and those Of our readers who
have heard their German friends speak with rap
ture Of soHnLER, and have regretted that the
pleasure Of reading him is denied them, can now
gratty 30 hndsble curiosity and make them
selves acquainted with the thoughts of tho i'm
mortal bard even though they cannot read his
original Germ an words
COMMERCIAL.