New-York tribune., 1879-10-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
pAyAPp TAyLoR'y GERMAN LITERATURE

thesaal calamity 20 the world Of letters oCcasoncd
bv the premature loss of Bayard TAYLOR. Without
having received the last touches Of the authors
hand il is conspicuous for the modest learning. adj
mirablc Judgment profound insight, and wise clt'-
cIsm, which were among his prominent Characters
tics Mr. Taylor was equally remarkable for the
compass and versatility of ms genius. and for the
sanity of its action and the symmetry Of its fruits
His originality was free from every crratic ten
dcncv; BIZ holiness was without audaoitv and ms
freedom without license; no taint OF pcdantry min-
plcd with his learning; his style possessed the SIM
pie purity of his thought; and with his SinegIaIl'
oxuberant vitality. he was always master of his
faculties, with no temptation 10 Wild experiment
no indulgence of seductive fancics. The contents
of this volume comprise a general view OF German
literature from .he earliest fines, hut treating only
of the eminent names which have created distinct
landmarks ia thc literary history Of their country.
Passing over thc authors luminous sketch ol the
intellectual progress of Germany pIior to the he-
formation We come 20 that fruitful period OF cica-
tive thought and free research. which found iis
most significant expression IN the character of
Luther. The outlines of this wonderful epoch ln
the history of the world are Drawn with mn-tcIlv
touch The Reformation WIS partly herGci 10y
pamphlets ard poems as well a. ry sermons. All
The principal Rcformcrs rose at oncr a~ authors. far
above their Immediate literary predecessors That
daring and independent spirit which sIcw from
their strongest spiritual convictions extended t'el
g. everything which they spoke cor wrote In io'-
e''tlnS iAe c"hN'A'l"ltiil'S "i 900 ','''".'' az" -'
ING iheli "-'i' S""' "H" S.''.-.' '' ''
uttei1ncc ol tneh Views ucN uN'"'.N' i'''N Oh"
Qurcd "a higher literary si}ic IN singing N""'
they felt 10 he Nous lIii'' 1hrN 'I' N'' '''' '-'
Mnnesinr,Ts %, models or consider juc al ac'al
rules Of tie Masters; and so there came in." i'e
sone> urw. VortH"ic sweetness and N'I'li.''
drawn drectt uom the h'ari. Il was n' 'lnr ''i
purely aesthetic development; fancy or nnAtn.' "'
could no' soar iu tha' st'in disturbed ''i'~iri''
I.t thc bash, W., tieu Lid, on winch tA- lmno,''t
literature OF the .a>t century ls founded. bl iHc
f,low-.aborcls of Lut.cr, NJ. Idylor remarks.
Zviugu was po.cncai. Uric Non liu. jen sa,lliDal,
walc Iutl.rl..,clf ya, o.c tive. Iu point. .a,Io.
and rapid ease uf movement. Huttcns catalogues,
eurpss, aay German prose h.ioic him, iui Ih, ll
German prose rp o. that t.i.o tacv are marked hN
tie local dialect ot the author. Mr. Tav.or Dbl. h>
j. not goo strong an expression o. say tl, the man
who re-.roltcd the German language was Martin
Luther. THIS great 1eformer was equally great as
a man of acton. as teacher and preacher. and aS
an althor. NJ ouc before hm. and no one for
nearly 200 years alter him. saw tlut the German
tongue must De sought for n The mouths of the pec
ri. U..manrcr of translatlug the Bible was per-
f,etlv ORIGINAL and the result 90 a marvellous i'm
sf,u,,. "WihauAl,s scholarship. Luther dropped
IN, thcllo-lclf,trle. auI sought among the people
for phrase. as arilc>, and simple as those of the
Hebrew writers. lie ficqutnted ihe market place
the n,rry-makirr. tie house of birth, marriage or
doath among the common people. in order 70 catch
the ful.,.t N,i.,,ou OF their feelings iu the sIm-
ulr.t words. IT, enlisted LIS friends i'm the same
service. hce. ling th,m 10 note down for him any
peculiar Scntentious phrase; = for said ne. cam
,.ot Use th, words heard iu castles and at courts
Not a sentence of the Bible was tran slated until he
had sought for the briefe,t Cearc~t and strongest
German equivalent to H. lie writes. ia 1880: L
have cxcr,cd myself ln transiating. to give pnre
aud clear German. And II hl, verify happened.
that We have sought and questioned fortnight,
three four weeks, for a single word. and yet il was
not always found. In Job We so labored, Philip
MeIanchthon, Aurogallus and !, that IN four days
We sometimes barely finished three lines. q.
Ii Is well enough To PLOUGH, when the field is
cleared; but TO root out stock and stone.
and prepare the ground. j. what no one Will '
Luther translated the bi"ie eighN years before
the production OF The common English version, bui
III the fulnesN, the strength the tenderness the
vital power oil The language MI la}ior regards
I.nthcis bi"lc "H dc'o'"l5 superior 'o our o"h
lie was poet - wei as Il 'n''l"slh "." a.
poet h' ""' ""' d" l'''' - "' '"'"'"-'"" ''' '"'
intrinsic nn renee ]" spun anu "'"'ae' ''' 'N'
oiuei'n' D""N' oi ''' ''u testament Inc H''i'
N"l'" III "''"''I q" '"o WIN "''' .'' ''.' ''"''
oi uhfeu'''h-' c'"S' i'N'i"'S '"p"' p'' u "''"''
bright Joyous hi'''''''""i 'i'"''"u'
III HIS H'"' "l 'I' "'"''I" ''l''"l' VI wv
many Nh Lay i"r '''"''N H'il.'" U" '"o slN mus
prominent '","'iN' "'S'i"G' N'"P'u"N' ""''"''
"''"''' '"". '"' ~ VIZ =, '
c"ir'sp"h"HI To- ll' Aus"S.'' axe D" ''''' "'" '''
I"@'Dei"'h lh L"'l'"'' MS comments u" 'H'''
writers c'inc' clear perception oI lh"r character