New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-19
CAROLINE SCHLEGEL.
THE HEROINE OF RoMANTICIsM
CAROLINE sCHLEGEL AND HER FRIENDS. by
Mrs Alfred sidgwick with steel portrait. 1smo'


cARoIINE sCHLEGEL AND HER FRIENDS. by
Mrs Alfred sidgwck. with steel portrait lSno'
pp 2b5. scrbner Wexford.
Tho story of Caroline schlegel is chiefly Interesting
because of the relations 1t bears to tho history % W.
Romantic School in Germany; ana tne hts'o.S "
German Romantic School has o special signincanoo ~
the uresent time because 10 some respects the last quar-
tar Of the nineteenth century repeating the expert
ents which pavevso strange aspect to the last guar
ter Of the eighteenth. Caroline was born ~ Uotss ~
iT63 ami was reared IN q literary Atmosphere ,no
house of her father. Professor Michaels, oemg inc
headquarters of the brightest minds In the university
-. .uv,no mint for distinguished visitors. The
n.r.od IN which her young womanhood was cast was
one Of general CONFUSION and agitation. The spirit
NJ thu Revolution was abroad and though In Germany
there vas as yet neither public spirit nor love Oh
country q pervadng feeling Of sceptclsm as 70 all
existing beliefs and institutions combined with IN
crossng unrest to exert the most dsorganzns innu'
ences upon society, literature and morals.
TIA philosophy of Kant had been the point OF de-
mature for new doctrines which threatened TO destroy
all established faith and custom. The nrst iruis VI
Romanticism moro disturbing than reassuring.
Amid the confusion Of theories which were oiten least
understood by their expounders, certain vague RUE
Of life began to evolve itself If that may be called
\ rule which defed all regulation. With demand
for the elevation Of the Poetic the highest concev.
able standard went the proposition that It was the duty
Of every human being to he law unto him or her SCH
Tho metaphy sco mystical doctrine that all Is iuslon'
that the phenomenal Is phantasmal. and that life Is
iuggle and play naturally led to strange and de-
moralIIing coroaries. 1t claimed that good ana
evil were more names. to which realities answered
II was inferred thence that the only phlosophc con-
uot consisted in the reckless indulgence OF the pas
sions Marriage was held in contempt All manner
of lswless arrangements were experimental WIZ
Even In the highest intellectual circles. the tone y"
free If not, strictly speaking, licentious. IN 'hi'
atmosphere Caroline Michses grew up. and develop
tnr into beautiful and highly educated woman began
TO exercise an influence her contemporaries which
abe maintained during the rest Of her lne
Her function the fostering and encouragement"
of the Romantic School, AMI IN its fulflment she was
brought into intimate relations with the schieees'
with schelling, HArdenberg Teck, and many others.
Goethe and Schiller she knew but between them anu
the sohegels there nj friendship, and eventually
bitssr snmity. Caroline successfully the vile OF
Sohmer. Of william schlegel, and OF scheilng'
Frederick schlegel acknowledged heavy dept 70 ner
IN after years. and II is quite possible that out ior ner
eounsels and companionship the restlessness ana IN
dolenoe which his most formidable deleets wouia
have wrecked his literary life William schiegei founa
rainfall AID helpful mate IN her, but after the death
Of her bright young daughter Augusta her love seems
10 have changed its curreht The deep sympathy
shown her by Schelling and the warmth Anu c'sUneS
nj his friendship perhaps contras'ed too strongly win
the self absorption Of Scheeel At all events caroline
fransferred her affections Scheng and as schleSePs
pomanto principles forbade him to oppose any
resistance TO such change she found no difficulty In
nroourng q divorce, and soon married for the third
time. ,,,
AT a time when the question Is Marriage Failure
n being discussed gravely and the frequency OF divorce
ID alarming so many thoughtful minds, IL Is eNiuoh'
that conditions exist which had their counterpart IN
the Romantic principles Of q century ago. Caroline
soh,sre or schelling-for II seems TO us she should
A called that having been the last name she bore
vss q striking example Of the pernicious lhnueheo Vi
The disorganizng philosophy, which no matter whether
Z proceeds from Kantiansm or from Agnosucisin,
veakens and destroys belief In iaoral government OF
The world defes individualism; makes the Ego the
nreme arbter in the conduct Of life and by denying
The existence of all spiritual authority and guidance,
substiites for the higher law wiulness and selfish
ness wholly and grossly animal. Caroline was
particularly Intellectual sensitive proud rennea ana
adectionate woman. Her mental powers and her
charms Of person and manner were so great that she
attracted and held the admiration and esteem OF many
OF tho best minds of her time and country Yet her
ssreer shows how helpless even such woman Is when
abandoned to the drift of soulless Romancsm' Mrs
sidgwick indeed, has dealt with her reputation so
sonderiy that biography suffers Tho story as toa
py her Ia really a suppression Of much which is neceS-
sary to the understanding OF Carolines position
oreyious 10 her marriage with Schlegel. She was
osracised and condemned, but not without cause and
II all the truth had been told IN these pages II woua
asve been difficult justify the Judgment with which
asr biographer concludes.
We think that Mrs. Sidgwck Is disposed to e1'
axgerate the Importance Of the work done by the
Romantic School, which certainly proceeded far more
BY criticism than by production and the criticism OF
which though usefuly launched against the literary
school represented by like Nikoal. missed Its aim
Altogether when directed against Goethe and Schiller
mo ohief characteristic of Romantic creation was
morbidness. Hoffman and Tieck stand for the maxi
mum Of the quality, and Novels for the minimum.
Frederick Schegeps Lucinde" embodeS some OF the
worst vices and most intoerable obscurties OF the
Romantic School; and moreover, It Is e1asperatnsly
and hopelessly stupid, which an objectionable sin In
any literary school whatever In fact the experiment
was In the main a failure, and long before Caroline
passed away the Romantic School which the
Afhsnaeum of the schlegels to have established
tmprcgnably was broken up and in fair way to
oblivion. Perhaps 1t did good service in following
the ground but whatever true progress German ltera
sre made subsequently was based upon far different
principles The life OF Caroline schlegel Is interesting
ana &c Is written with insight and knowledge. II
Affords . glimpse into a very strange chaotic and
evolutionary state Of society," and 1t furnishes sug
sestions and analoges which the thoughtful reader
win doubtless discover for himself.