New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
D11rNTzFR,s SCHILLER.


milan ~ Co.
unrr Dintzer,s biography of the poet-dramatist
9, co ove1laden with minute detail that 1t has the
aim of being built upon diary. The story OF
Scb,llers life would have lost nothing but gained
,muoh under treatment at orce more philosophical
and picturesque. The constant recurrence oil uhlui-
por,ant dates, the mention Of trivial journeys and
eyentless visits grow tirosome indeed; yet curonsy
enough. with all tins painful devotion to detail
the author, here and there trusts unduly 10 the
readers previous knowledge of his subject
While regard ing the poet with that loyal admlra-
tion which all cultivated Germans entertain. Herr
Diintzer is at no pains to hide his faults. lhey
were yenal faults which Schillers irritable and SEN
stlye genius and the mseres of his youth couid hoI
but induce and aggravate. The excellent baroness
Wazogen, moved by pity, liking and beIei III MS
capacity, helped the impecunlons boy ou' VI
scauty purse This debt Schiller 1ailed 10 pay uui
ing his benefactress's lifetime, although sue was
often in sore need; yet his blo2rapher ooes "o'
fail TO tell us that the young man at the same tiile
found funds for the purchase of gifts for one OF MS
flames. .he coquettish Henrietta Won Arnim- ms
is a fault which may be forgiven to the Struggling
lad but something more serious was MS "eah
yielding to silly passion, caitovc for Cnarlot'e'
the Baronesss daughter. Knowing that III DIS utter
lack of worldly prospects marriage was iilpos-
Charlotte's fancy and might serve to keep other
euitors AWAY could not but distress the good old
BARONESS. he still had not the manliness to crush
this affection, That such q course would not nave
caused him much sorrow is proved by the readiness
with which, when parted by distance from the
voung girl. he fell in love with another. Each OF
the loves of his youth, Charlotte Won Wazogen'
Charlotte Won Kalb, Margareta Schwan, henrietta
Won Arnim, bore important part In his develop
ment: each aroused raptures and rhapsodles whch
enriched his equipment as poet. and prepared nun
too for the sincere and lasting love which dawneu
IN his heart when he afterwards met the third
Charlotte who became his wife. The ladles VINO
thus assisted in his education had the consolation
of remembering that they had inspired genus
Schiller had a truly poetic egotism and tendency
TO morbdne.s In his later years so trifiins thlnz
as K5rner's difference of opinion to tho defini-
ton of the Beautiful and Sublime caused him to be
40 bitterly offended with this faithful friend and
benefactor that for long time he would not write
TO him. IL kindly difference OF opinion thus IN
censed him. adverse criticism he was still less able
to bear 1t fretted and worried him, no matter how
unimportant its source. 1t would nave oeeh
strange indeed If genius 80 hampered py poverty
official tyranny and bodily illness had not been
sensitive and morbid. Before he was one and
twenty he, boy-like, declared that for him the
world had no further charm; and despairing MOODS
assailed him and hindered his work throughout his
life He was in truth as writer being maze up
of moods. Intense happiness had parayzing an
effect as wretchedness; during his engagement to
his Lotto his promises in regard to Ms. went to the
winds-work that should have been in type re-
manned unwritteu, and his lectures The was then
Professor at Jena) were arranged and announced so
late that the number of his hearers did not exceed
thirty Just before his marriage he was forced 10
beg his betrothed and her sister to write him less
often as their correspondence agtated him over
mucb. "Otherwise" he said 81 lose fitness fol- all
work, and my existence becomes unbearable."
For the most part, aud especially in bis dramatic
writing, Schiller worked painfully and with con-
slant revision, destruction and rebuilding. ms
was the penalty he had to pay for beng poor ana
an exile the struggle for bare existence began be-
fore he was prepared for it. Scallers was not one
of the natures that thrive misfortune; what ne
accomplished was in despite of Sorrow, not with
her aid He lost his health and he was late in COM
ing TO the fruitIon of his powers. Lyric, ballad
and epieram were comparatively easy to him, but
"WaIlenstein," for example. he was three years In
writing and other works fingered uncompleted,
month after month"; year after year. Days shpped
by when he could not put pen to paper though the
burden of debt lay heavily upon him. IL we may
trust his biographer. Schiller's life until ne was
thirty and over was one long course of borrowing
The money went mostly for bare necessanes ana
was promptly returned when the clouds Lifted.
His b,oerapher's descriptions of SchilleTs rela-
tions with the cultivated of his time are Occa-
sionally not little amusing. The curious sentiment
ta,tv Of their letters-a sentmentality which more
than yerged on the morbid and the gushing-the
mutual coddling and the mutual admiration, were
characteristic of period that produced "NertheT.
Absurd as they Low seem they doubtless helped 10
cheer and soothe the harassed and tender-hearted
man of genius who wrote "Walensten" and
MARY Stuart"
Herr Dintzer notes with elaborate particularly
the course of Schier's painful experience with
Duke Karl Eugene of Wdrtemburg. who was deter
mined 10 maks doctor Of his subject and who re-
sented SO mperiously the LADS efforts to become
a poet. That the world lost nothing III the medlcai
line IA certain; Schiller's early ESSAYS in healing
were decidedly heroic ones. lie was so roma oil Vo-
lent remedies that his colleague, Ewer was forced
IN forbid chemists to mako up any prescription fur
pished by his subordinate unless it had previously
been passed by him While the poets medical
stud,es were a source of irritation 10 him. and I'M
donbtedly nterfered seriously with his early poet
Zeal work they nevertheless were useful part OF
his training They led directly TO philosophical re-
Elections which bore fruit IN his later life.
The volume is full of admirable portraits OF
Schiller, his family. and bis friends. Among tho
best of these is the Impressive sketch of the poet
taken after death. AS good a portrait OF him as
any given by painter may be formed by the
reader himself from Herr Diintzers many graphic
descriptions 1t is easy 10 imagine the me lore
head, the winning smile, the waving red har' ano
the long, thin nose which, as he used 10 relate
he constantly tuggsd at during his school-days tC
correct any ascending tendency and make nos'
fitting for great man."
The translation of Herr DHntzer's volume is only
moderately good. Mr.. Pinkerton, like the majority
Of transators. managing to lose some OF the spin
IN straining after the letter. There are maay ms