A History of English Romanticism in the Eighteenth Century Part 32

[1] Scherer's "History of German Literature," Conybeare's Translation, Vol. II, p. 26.

[2] Scherer, Vol. II. pp. 123-24.

[3] See _ante_, pp. 300-301.

[4] See _ante_, pp. 337-38.

[5] "The Beauties of Shakspere. Regularly selected from each Play. With a general index. Digesting them under proper heads." By the Rev. Wm.

Dodd, 1752.

[6] "Es war nicht blos die Tiefe der Poesie, welche sie zu Shakespeare zog, es war ebenso sehr das sichere Gefuhl, das hier germanische Art und Kunst sei."--_Hettner's Geschichte der deutschen Literatur_, 3.3.1. s.

51. "Ist zu sagen, da.s.s die Abwendung von den Franzosen zu den stammverwandten Englandern . . . in ihrem geschichtlichen Ursprung und Wachsthum wesentlich die Auflehnung des erstarkten germanischen Volksnaturells gegen die erdruckende Uebermacht der romanischen Formenwelt war," etc.--_Ibid._ s. 47. See also, ss. 389-95, for a review of the interpretation of the great Shaksperian roles by German actors like Schroder and Fleck.

[7] "Wir h.o.r.en einen Nachklang jener frohlichen Unterhaltungen, in denen die Freunde sich ganz und gar in Shakepear'schen Wendungen und Wortwitzen ergingen, in seiner Uebersetzung von Shakespeare's 'Love's Labour's Lost'"--_Hettner_, s. 244.

[8] See the whole oration (in Hettner, s. 120,) which gives a most vivid expression of the impact of Shakspere upon the newly aroused mind of Germany.

[9] "German Literature," Vol. II. pp. 82-83

[10] "Unter allen Menschen des Achtzehnten Jahrhunderts war Geothe wieder der Erste, weicher die lang verachtete Herrlichkeit der gothischen Baukunst empfand und erfa.s.ste."--_Hettner_, 3.3.1., s. 120.

[11] _Construirtes Ideal_.

[12] Scherer, II. 129-31. "Oberon" was englished by William Sotheby in 1798.

[13] "Vor den cla.s.sischen Dichtarten fangt mich bald an zu ekeln," wrote Burger in 1775. "Charakteristiken": von Erich Schmidt (Berlin, 1886) s.

205. "O, das verwunschte Wort: Kla.s.sisch!" exclaims Herder. "Dieses Wort war es, das alle wahre Bildung nach den Alten als noch lebenden Mustern verdrangte. . . Dies Wort hat manches Genie unter einen Schutt von Worten vergraben. . . Es hat dem Vaterland bluhende Fruchtbaume entzogen!"--_Hettner_ 3.3.1. s. 50.

[14] "German Literature," Vol. II. p. 230.

[15] "Literaturegeschichte," 3.3.1. s. 30-31.

[16] See _ante_, p. 48.

[17] "Our polite neighbors the French seem to be most offended at certain pictures of primitive simplicity, so unlike those refined modes of modern life in which they have taken the lead; and to this we may partly impute the rough treatment which our poet received from them"--_Essay on Homer_ (Dublin Edition, 1776), p. 127.

[18] See Francis W. Newman's "Iliad" (1856) and Arnold's "Lectures on Translating Homer" (1861).

[19] "Romance," Edgar Poe.

[20] "Lockhart's Life of Scott," Vol. I. p. 163.

[21] For full t.i.tles and descriptions of these translations, as well as for the influence of Burger's poems in England, see Alois Brandl: "Lenore in England," in "Charakteristiken," by Erich Schmidt (Berlin, 1886) ss.

244-48. Taylor said in 1830 that no German poem had been so often translated: "eight different versions are lying on my table and I have read others." He claimed his to be the earliest, as written in 1790, though not printed till 1796. "Lenore" won at once the honors of parody--surest proof of popularity. Brandl mentions two--"Miss Kitty,"

Edinburgh, 1797, and "The Hussar of Magdeburg, or the Midnight Phaeton,"

Edinburgh, 1800, and quotes Mathias' satirical description of the piece ("Pursuits of Literature," 1794-97) as "diablerie tudesque" and a "'Blue Beard' story for the nursery." The bibliographies mention a new translation in 1846 by Julia M. Cameron, with ill.u.s.trations by Maclise; and I find a notice in Allibone of "The Ballad of Lenore: a Variorum Monograph," 4to, containing thirty metrical versions in English, announced as about to be published at Philadelphia in 1866 by Charles Lukens. _Quaere_ whether this be the same as Henry Clay Lukens ("Erratic Enrico"), who published "Lean 'Nora" (Philadelphia, 1870; New York, 1878), a t.i.tle suggestive of a humorous intention, but a book which I have not seen.

[22] "History of German Literature," Vol. II. p. 123.

[23] These are book phrases, not true ballad diction.

[24] _Cf_. The "Ancient Mariner":

"The feast is set, the guests are met, May'st hear the merry din."

[25] "Memoir of Wm. Taylor of Norwich," by J. W. Robberds (1843), Vol. II.

p. 573.

[26] For Taylor's opinion of Carlyle's papers on Goethe in the _Foreign Review_, see "Historic Survey," Vol. III. pp. 378-79.

[27] "Memoir of Taylor," Vol. I. p. 255.

[28] Among the most notable of these was "Maler" (Friedrich) Muller's "Golo und Genoveva" (written 1781; published 1811); Count Torring's "Agnes Bernauerin" (1780); and Jacob Meyer's "Sturm von Borberg" (1778), and "Fust von Stromberg" (1782). Several of these were very successful on the stage.

[29] "Essay on Walter Scott."

[30] Kotzebue's "The Stranger" ("Menschenha.s.s und Reue") still keeps the English stage. Sheridan's "Pizarro"--a version of Katzebue's "Spaniards in Peru"-was long a favorite; and "Monk" Lewis made another translation of the same in 1799, ent.i.tled "Rolla," which, however, was never acted.

[31] "State of German Literature."

[32] Lewis sat in Parliament for Hindon, Wilts, succeeding Beckford of "Vathek" and Fonthill Abbey fame.

[33] "The Grim White Woman," in "Tales of Wonder."

[34] Matthew Arnold's lovely "Scholar Gypsy" was suggested by a pa.s.sage in this.

[35] The following is a list of his princ.i.p.al translations: "The Minister"

(1797), from Schiller's "Kabale and Liebe"; played at Covent Garden in 1803, as "The Harper's Daughter." "Rolla" (1799), from Kotzebue's "Spaniards in Peru." "Adelmorn, or the Outlaw" (1800), played at Drury Lane, 1801. "Tales of Terror" (1801) and "Tales of Wonder" (1801).

(There seems to be some doubt as to the existence of the alleged Kelso editions of these in 1799 and 1800, respectively. See article on Lewis in the "Dict. Nat. Biog.") "The Bravo of Venice" (1804), a prose romance, dramatized and played at Covent Garden, as "Rugantino," in 1805.

"Feudal Tyrants" (1807), a four-volume romance. "Romantic Tales" (1808), 4 vols. From German and French.

[36] The printed play had reached its eleventh edition in 1803.

[37] The "Tales of Terror," and "Tales of Wonder" are reprinted in a single volume of "Morley's Universal Library," 1887.

[38] See "Memoir of Wm. Taylor," Vol. II. Pp. 533-38.

[39] "Memoir of Taylor," Vol. I. p. 223.

[40] This was one of the latest successes of the kind. It was played at Drury Lane in 1816 for twenty-two nights, bringing the author 1000 pounds, and the printed play reached the seventh edition within the year.

Among Maturin's other works were "The Fatal Revenge" (1807), "Manuel"

(Drury Lane, 1817) "Fredolfo" (Covent Garden, 1817), and his once famous romance, "Melmoth the Wanderer" (1820), see _ante_, p. 249.

[41] Mrs. Radcliffe.