the subject. By means of the theological seminarium [a society or class of select students for higher culture], connected as it is there with the office of the Repetents [subordinate teachers for reviewing the studies under the charge of the professors], this university has a theological influence upon its students rarely to be witnessed elsewhere. This is probably a chief reason why the university teachers produce such effect upon the clergy of Wirtemberg. When we consider that the vacant professorships are supplied from the number of native students educated there, we can easily understand why there should be a kind of theological tradition in Wirtemberg, which has clung to the old orthodoxy even through the whole period of neology. On the other hand, the young Suabian theologians are kept in connection with the spirit which prevails in other German states, by their course of study in philosophy, which precedes that of theology. Thus the Wolfian, and still more the Kantian philosophy, had their day in Tübingen. Probably no university, at the commencement of the present century, had so many theologians, who were initiated into the Kantian philosophy, as this. And yet they retained great freedom of spirit, opposing or favoring different parties, according to their independent judgment. The celebrated men of this period are Storr, made ordinary professor in 1786, J. F. Flatt in 1798, K. C. Flatt in 1803, Süskind in 1804, and E. S. Bengel professor extraordinary in 1806. The last leaned to the historical results of Rationalism. With the excellent Steudel, the last vigorous shoot of supernaturalism, as maintained by the pious and learned Storr, has become extinct. But as the lamented Steudel entered somewhat into the new mode of theological science [the new evangelical school], in which his associates joined him, this theological faculty has been able to keep up an unbroken succession of teachers of evangelical truth. We have thus seen the gradual change from church. orthodoxy to unbelief. The change from this state to that of a faith won by a new examination of all the grounds of doubt, must be reserved for future examination, as it is now but a matter of hope and anticipation. ARTICLE III. MENZEL'S GERMAN LITERATURE. German Literature. Translated from the German of By C. C. FELTON. In three vols., 12mo. pp. 352, 428, 372. Boston. Hilliard, Gray & Company. 1840. WOLFGANG MENZEL is a very peculiar man; and no one who is acquainted with the character of his extraordinary mind, will expect to meet in the review, which we now propose to ourselves, unqualified praise or blame. The work before us was published in 1828, when the author was thirty years of age; a second enlarged edition appeared in 1836. It is impossible to understand the design and character of this production, without some knowledge of Menzel's literary history. He was born in Silesia in 1798. He pursued the studies of the gymnasium at Breslau, and those of the university at Jena and Bonn, and then became a teacher in Aarau, in Switzerland. His first production was his "Streckverse" or blank verses, which created considerable sensation. The next year, 1824, he edited the "Europäischen Blätter," or European paper, at Zurich, in which he commenced that literary warfare to which his whole life has since been devoted. He became the leader of the exclusive admirers of Schiller, who were very numerous in the south of Germany, and, at the same time, arrayed himself against the admirers of Göthe, and the critical school of Schlegel. Next appeared the first edition of his "History of the Germans," where he also acts the part of a reformer; at least in the edition of 1837, the only one we have examined, his tone is that of a polemic. In 1825, while at Heidelberg, he took part in the controversy between Voss and Creuzer, and became the mortal enemy of the former. From this period his residence was Stutgard, where he formed a literary connection with Cotta, the celebrated bookseller, and soon after married into the family of Bilfinger, the philosopher. Here he prepared the first edition of his "German Literature," which made him more extensively known as a writer of vast resources. But the tone of unsparing severity there manifested towards all the parties and individuals to whom he was opposed, called forth a host of assailants, who to this day have kept up the contest with much warmth, and of whom Strauss, his full match in controversy, gave him the last and most terrible cannonade in his "Streitschriften." In 1829, Menzel became chief editor of the "Literaturblatt," or Literary Journal, for which he had long written, and of which he had, in fact, been the anonymous editor, from the time that Müllner retired from it. This journal he now made his engine of war, and with it he fought out the battles of which his "German Literature" was the immediate occasion. Says a writer in the "Conversations-Lexicon of the Most Recent Times and Literature," whom we have chosen to follow in this sketch, "War is his element. He continues it with unwearied ardor, regardless of the reputation and number of his op ponents, and of the ever-increasing hostility he meets with. We may apply to this deadly foe of all literary aristocracies what Livy says of Cato, the champion of democracy in Rome: Simultates nimio plures et exercuerunt eum et ipse exercuit eas. Nec facile dixeris, utrum magis presserit eum nobilitas, an ille agitaverit nobilitatem." Without particularly mentioning his poetical productions, and various occasional writings, we will here only add, that his political passion, which always predominated in his writings, has of late years been gratified; and that his public career since he entered the Chamber of Deputies has involved him more and more in political discussions. In speaking of the merits of the work now under consideration, while we shall cordially admit the high excellences that are generally attributed to it, we shall have occasion to point out more defects than most of our countrymen, so far as we have had the means of information, appear to discover in it. We shall venture to characterize Menzel as a man of undoubted genius, though infinitely inferior to Göthe, whom he affects to despise, and as a scholar of the most extensive and various acquisitions, but, in no small degree, deficient both in the impartiality of a faithful historian and critic, and in the dignity of a true philosopher. He is, notwithstanding his general greatness and strength, sometimes exceedingly small and weak, and his pages are too often stained with the language of vulgar abuse. The title of the work, by creating the expectation that the author will confine himself to the subject of literature, is adapted to mislead. A more general title,-"The Germans," for example,-would better indicate the contents of the book; for it discusses the national character and institutions of the Germans quite as much as it does their literature. Still the author would be found stretching beyond his limits, for he has incorporated innumerable essays on subjects remotely connected with his professed object. What concern have we, for example, in the author's long disquisition on the liberty of the press,* in his fine spun psychological theory of religion,† his views of the Catholic church, his hatred of all the men and books that treat of the civil law, his notions of commerce, and a "whole forest" of other subjects, of which time would fail us to speak? Had he merely touched upon these as collateral topics, or thrown out remarks hinting at the principles by which he tested the merits of the works under review, he would only have been acting the part of a philosophical critic. But, as it is, he betrays, in innumerable instances, more interest in establishing and inculcating his own doctrines, than in illustrating the character and position of the writers with whom he was more properly concerned. His everlasting patriotism, and the party feelings growing out of his literary disputes, are perpetually obtruded upon us, where we should much prefer facts. We speak not now of the justness of his views on any of these topics, but of their pertinency. Is there any subject in the whole encyclopedia of human knowledge, or any interest connected with the well-being of society, that might not be discussed in such a work with equal propriety? Of the first chapter of the "German Literature," in which the author treats of the "quantity of the literature," we have little to say, except that it is half historic verity and half comedy. After breaking the silence with the words: "The Germans do little, but they write so much. the more," words which, in their spirit and style, are * Vol. I, pp. 84 and following. § Vol. II, pp. 127–139. † 96-110. || 239-243. 133-139. ominous of the character of all that is to come after,―he adds a little further on; "The pen governs and serves, works and pays, fights and feeds, prospers and punishes." "The physician writes his receipt, the judge his sentence, the preacher his sermon, the teacher as well as the scholar, his task from books.” "Is any thing done, the most important consequence is, that somebody writes about it." "We receive into ourselves all earlier culture only to enshroud it again in paper. We pay for the books which we read, with those which we write." "See here the Low Dutch cattle-price of our religious literature,-whole walls, entire halls, full of priestly merchandise, gingerbread for souls." These few single sentences will suffice to illustrate the author's taste, and style of workmanship. His peculiar manner, however, is to be regarded not so much in the light of a labored effort of actual transgression, as in that of the natural consequence of a deeply-rooted original sin. He has a plethora of animal spirits; his imagination is like a playful child at church, almost bursting with tricks of frolic even when striving to be grave. The next chapter relates to scholastic learning, and gives a tolerably good view of the subject, and a still better one of the author's abhorrence of a university. "Even now," he observes, "priests control theology, and official faculties, like guilds, domineer over the secular sciences." We should like to be informed by what means any persons in the nineteenth century can contrive to "domineer over the secular sciences." We had supposed that, in science, at least, the right of free inquiry and the liberty of speech were enjoyed alike in the university and out of it. Nothing but the stronger reason can domineer in science, and without the former a university professor can no more control the latter, than a poet laureate can the muses. "Even now," he continues, "the greater part of our scholars and writers live like Troglodytes in their book-holes. Whether the slater has fallen from the roof, or Napoleon from his throne, they say, 'Ah! ah! indeed! indeed!' and thrust their noses again into their books." Yes, Heeren and Niebuhr, and Von Raumer, and hundreds of other "world-renowned" German writers, "thrust their noses into their books;" and yet, like the magician of the south, the philosopher of Stutgard, they have contributed their quota to the great cause of human improvement. |