Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-20
HEINRICH HEINE.

Heinrich Hene was one OF the
wittiest of men, and the most un-
German of Germans. 1t is remark
able, considering the influence and
unquestioned force of his writings,
how little is known in this country
either of them or him. His name
and certain sharp sayings Of his are
familiar enough; but what manner
of mortal he was, and what the ma
ture of his work, very few are in.
formed. Nor\ is England much
better acquainted with him. Tue
scholars there read him; many dis
like him; most condemn him. The
bulk of its educated people, how
ever, if not ignorant of, are malevo-
lent to him from his warm disap-
proval of their manners and insti-
tutions. Carlyle, who has done so
much to interpret the German
mind to the English-speaking race,
has omitted Heine from his literary
conservation; is dumb in print re-
specting him; and Heine, there
fore, is accounted little by the wor-
shippers of the rude iconoclast,
Hene also is q breaker Of idols;
| but as the idols he breaks are not
the idols Carlyle breaks, there is no
sympathy between them. We must
have the same enmities to be united
in spirit. In order to love another
we must have hatreds in common,
1t may be that the critic did not
regard the poet as representatively
German--and he was not, by any
means-or, as is more probable, he
did not rightly measure his intel
lect and its plastic power. The
critic gloriiied Tieck, Novalis,
Richter, and others of the romantic
school. The poet detested the 70,
mantle school; satirized it ruth
lessly; ridicnled it to death.
Heine's position was singular,
and his character eccentric to the
last degree. lie was a German,
and he (1ospised the Germans,
though he hoHored Germany.
Without a. drop of French blood,
he loved France and the French.
He admired English literature, and
abhorred the English. He was
born q Jew, and abandoned the
Jewish faith. He turned Christian,
and wholly rejected Christianity.
! He scoifed at sentiment, and beauty
melted him to tears. He sneered
at generosity, and opened his heart
and purse to all who needed SYM
pathy or aid. He delighted in the
world, and waged incessant battle
with it. lie abused women, and
was chivalrousiy tender TO his wife
and mother. He had q sting fol
every virtue, and compassion foi
every suffering. 4 thorough skep.
tic as to faith, he was 3 Febgionist
in art. Irritable and mOrbidiy SEN
sitive through life, he bore years ol
absolute helplessness and supreme
pain With heroic fortitude. He SC
defed and derided death that il
seemed afraid to teke him. When
saints might have murHured and
moaned, this brilliant sinner was
cheerful and joeose, and fairly con.
quered Fate by omRipotence q
will. Entirely without hope, hC
had a patience beyond hope, and.
scoRning resignation, he was mort
resigned. Believing nothing, and
expecting nothing, spiritually, ht
supplied the place Of belief ant
expectation with a mystic vbiloso
} phy and o sublime egotism as meas
ureless as it was imperturbable,
It's as hard to say what he was a
it is easy to say what he was not
for he was stuffed with antagon
isms, and his numberless kind act
were sarcasms on the egpicism h
professed. His nature embraoet
the remotest eraS in soul he wa
an early Hebrew; in spirit an an
cient Greek; in mind a repablie2l
of the nineteenth century. III
misunderstood himself, and misin
] terpreted life often, but he say
truths which better men could no
. see, and was one Of the 6rst :