New-York tribune., 1886-06-08
GERMAN LITERATURE.
DP HEDGES NEW BOOK.

X.
~,o,,ps WITH GERMAN CLASSICS. BY FREDERIC
AoEEr EnsRy HEp6k, former Professor Of German N
Harvard University. svo., PIP. oai. hooe''s
Brothers. ..
Dr Hedge has been so we'll known for half
..ntrrv AS n learned and enthusiastic student OF
Cermau literature that this new work, tho fruit OF
Ma r,re and hon0red age. is sure OF cordial wci-
come. II contains the substance of lectures
delivered at the University and Its character was
defined In advance by the circumstances OF i.s
origin 1t does not pretend TO be systema.'o
review of German literature; 1t peither c'aSs'"e'
authors by schools and epochs, nor inquiries NeiN
closely into the course Of change ana piogress noi
includes q great number of names. Mos' VI '"e
chaptsrs are devoted to individual wri'e's' anu
nearly all writer's except the most INDUSTRIOUS arc
noosoa over in silence In this respect the book
offers n remarkable contrast 10 the b1iiiaht HIS
torvr by Professor scherer which we recently
rex,ewea Professor Scherer surveys his subject in
+ba s,irit of q historian of civilization lie always
trea,s ,he literary movement i'll connection with
social and political changes, the development OF
religious belief, the progress OF philosophical
op,niou the rise and fall OF popular moraiity the
influence of foreign intercourse, ana varia'oh III
the national IDEAS. Considered IN TINS way,
literature necessarily becomes matter largely oi
/" "epochs- and tendencies" The manifestations
n, renius are not dwaried in such a study; on the
contrary they are to gain IN splendor as they
extend in significance. Dr. Hedges methpd Is not
the historical but the biographical his essays are
ccnerally complete and independent. Very strong
character stcs of the time as OF Luther time, ana
the .En .htenmeat" era, and the revival OF
Ko,nant,c,sn. are briefly noticed where they are
necessary by way of explanation but as rule bis
object is 10 give an account of particular persons
NOT of general movements. Thus he deals rapidly
with the earliest authors, and with the dry times
which at intervals have checked the growth OF
German genins; but he treats the great ones Win
interesting fuiness, entering largely into biograph-
ical details and personal characteristics, ana
presenting careful synopses of typical WORKS. HIS
method and Professor Scherer's are both good the
Germans is best for review of national lltera-
ture, the Americans for a series OF critical
cxpositions and il would not be difficult to point
out instances in which the portraits executed by
pr. Hedge are far more liie-lIke than the others.
Hans Sachs and Jean Paul are two oil our country
mans conspicuous successes.
In the chapter on klopstock Professor Hedge
draws comparison between the German poets
Messiah" and .Paradise Lost " which will pro-
woke dissent. He is hardly prepared to say that
Milton is the superior poet; "or if superior, the
superiori,y appears in the 'COmus' and the
'Lycdas and the minor poems, rather than IN the
Paradise Lost Perhaps we may say that Milton
had moreof the poets it manifests itself in the
treatment of material nature; Klopstock. more of
the poets soul manifest in deahng with the
moral world" But if in this passage, and some
Others, he seems to assign Klopstock higher place
than the majority of mankind have agreed to
award him. he qualities his praises elsewhere with
many trenchant criticisms Probably he differs
from most authorities not in rating the "Messiah"
too high but in setting Paradise Lost" too low.
ba alo olo IN a
sketch of the mau and review of his works IN
the biographical portion Dr. Hedge dwells
especially upon the magnificent completeness of
Goethc's life. lie proposed to himself TO make the
most of the nature which God had given him, to
cntivatc all his powers 10 the utmost. to enjoy all
the delights of ex stence and he succeeded. "On
the whole he made the most of himself and stands
before tie world notable instance OF complete
life" Yes, of the complete secular ble. II ibis
world IS the boundary of it; but of the spiritual
lie Goe.he's career surely affords no illustration
Dr. Hedge is at some pains to vindlcate the poets
moral character, and declares that he does not
envy the mental condition of those who can rest in
tie belief that really great poet can be bad
man. This principle would be difficult TO prove |
and if accepted must often involve the biographer
i'm considerable perpleXity Dr. Hedges defence is
chiefly remarkable for warm and generous feeling, |
and we fear tnat we must say the same thing OF
his protest against the objections TO the moral !
endency of the Elective Aeni.les." Tie effect OF
n book depends less upon its formal moral than |
upon the SYM athics excited by it; and this seems
10 he case in which the lesson of the novel is |
countoracled by the sentimental illusions INSOFAR |
able from the pathetic method of treating !
repulsive subject. The character of " Elective
Afimtos,' however, is topic upon which opinions
mar well be divided The First Part of Faust " is !
the snbiect of a highly interesting subdivision of
the ESSAY but the second part is dismissed some
what cavalierly. Sprlte1 translations of some of
tie most remarkable passages are interspersed
through the text. The translated specimens. both
in prose and verse. form indeed valuable feature
nj fla. ~, xolume.