New-York tribune., 1903-04-11
GERMAN LITERATURE.
Mr.. Robertson's Useful Com
pendulum.
A HISTORY OF GERMAN LITERATURE. BY
John q: Robertson svo, pp. XXX. $50. e. r
Eufoam's Sons

This very complete history of German liter
ature is due TO lecturer in the University OF
Strassburg. whom judge. from passage in
his preface. to be an American. AS he explicitly
states that he has in almost all cases written
from q fret hand knowledge OF the books he
treats, we are forced TO conclude that he is one
Of the most widely read men in his speciality to
be found anywhere, for the number of authors
and books he passes in review is portentousy
Formidable STILL we trust that he long since
learned the secret Of extracting a books marrow
with q few elances. save when it is master
piece: otherwise we fear for his health of body
and mind II may be- indeed. that German liter
ature affords far greater number of books
among the rank and file that truly worth
reading than any other literature does-Mr. Rob
ertson's eommendstory epithets almost make us
believe this-or else that Mr. Robertson's mind,
like the 6yer's hand. has become subdued TO
what IL works in. and Injured TO any amount OF
reading. In either sympathy for him
Is wasted.
The large number of authors and books treat
ed is. however, a matter upon which the critic
OF Mr.. Robertsons book has clear right to
dwell Its thoroughly inclusive character. COW
ering, il does. with considerable minute
ness the whole range of German literature. gives
st great value as a compendium especially il
is fortified with numerous and well selected
bibliograp aphical notes. But the thoroughness
that lends value to a handbook may often de-
tract from the usefulness and effectiveness of a
book intended be read. This. we fear, is the
with Mr.. Robertson's scholarly volume. He
has not been content TO give a sketch with
a few interpolated essays leading writer's
such as Hosmer's Short History Of German
Literature of twenty-five years ago; nor has he
confined himself to the modern period, with
special emphasis the names that chiefly
significant TO English and American readers.
a DR.. Wells has done in his Modern German
Literature" His attempt is much more am
bitious one. and has been in the main well car
ried out. yet we fancy that the reader who en-
Joys his book from first to last will be hard to
find. For after while the accommodating names
Of writers and books that from the nature OF
the case mean nothing to the reader. and to
whom the author spare only few sentences
become very wearisome. One finds ones self
wondering why these people wrote. why they
found publishers and readers. why Mr.. Robert
and the German editors he follows have
resurrected them at ELL We knew that the
Germans were lyrical people. but the number
Of lyric poets our author manages to name and
praise gives the impression that lyrical in
German parlance is only a. synonyme for fatally
faciie." So it is with the drama and the novel.
Yet as a matter Of fact English literature and
French literature II treated on the scale and
would afford perhaps larger number of au-
thors and books to weary and perplex the
reader.
All this is but 10 say that the principle of Sc
lection plays a very important part in the writ
ing Of a literary history, and that We do not
think that Mr.. Robertson has taken it sufh-
ciently into account The resolute relegation to
footno.es and appendices Of a quarter of his
writers would have given him more opportunity
TO criticise and would have enabled him to de-
scribe more clearly the evolution Of the liter
sture he knows so well. especially in its later
phases. But. apart from this general criticism,
we have little but praise TO give to Mr.. Robert
sons laborious and valuable work.
The book opens with a scholarly introduction.
which sketches broadly the course Of German
literary history. and differentiates it from that
Of the other chief Europeas countries Part I,
81 four chapters. describes clearly and interest
fngly the Old High German Period. Part II,
in eight chapters deals with Middle High Ger
man Literature-that is, with the period from
1850 to 1850 A D. The student Of the corre-
spending period Of English literature will
scarcely be able 10 refrain from envying the
richness OF the kindred literature that can boast
OF the ''Nibelungen Lied" the 'Gudrun," VOL
frsm's -'Parzivai" Gottfrled's Tristan" and the
songs Of walther der Vogelweide. Envy
disappears however with Part III. which treats
in eight chapters Early New High German Lit
erature-135o TO 100. There is no lack of inter-
esting names and pages-indeed, Mr.. Robertson
acquits himself admirably in the first third Of
/ his volume-but nothing that can compare with
Chaucer with Spenser, with Shakespeare and
his fellow draratists, or with Milton. only
the great name of Luther. The mighty reformer
is undoubtedly the greatest and most fascinat-
ing figure in the book before Goethe. but Hans
Sachs Opitz and Fischart are attractively pre-
sented Part " treats the eighteenth century
in fourteen chapters. and the narrative now be-
gins TO appeal more strongly TO the general
reader The quarrel between Gottsched and
Boarner the success Of Klepstock- the noble
career Of Lessing, probably the most philosoph-
icaI Of modern critics; the wide reaching ideas
OF Herder the youth and maturity OF Goethe,
the entire work of the ideal Schler-these are
topics that a less competent writer than Mr..
Robertson could scarcely fail to make delightful
and instructive. In order better TO bring out
the evolution of German literature during the
century the historian has felt obliged to divide
into stages the careers Of Goethe and Schiller;
,hus his treatment Of each lacks unity. Whether
Z. would not have been better TO deal with each
completely Is a question the reader must answer
for himself.
Part V. the longest in the book, deals IN six
teen chapters with the nineteenth century. 1t is
10 this part that the criticism already passed
unon Mr.. Robertson's tendency to give us a
catalogue OF writers and books chiefly applies.
This is not to say of course. that there are not
many interesting chapters and pages. IN spite
O. the fact that several writers Of versatility
have a way of turning UP in two or three chap
ters Goethe's later years I'LL one chapter, but
nc other writer is honored, not even Heine,
,oU,ard whom some wiz feel that Mr.. Robertson