Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/319

 which is strengthened to an evenmore heroic character, in the key of antique warrior-love—by battles and vigils and camp-life together. In the naval conflict at Tschesme, Hyperion is dangerously wounded. He lies several days in unconsciousness, until he opens his eyes to find Alabanda caring for him:

But the two friends must part for good and all, presently. Alabanda is subject to the orders of a mysterious political society, such as abounded in Greece at the time. He is already in peril of death, as a punishment for his love for young Hyperion, which has more or less drawn him aside from certain political services. The story concludes with Hyperion returning to Germany; lingering there alone henceforth, ever rancorous in his hatred of Teutonism in temperament and social culture. Hölderlin expresses constantly his ideals and personality during the story; especially when he sums up the German race as "—barbarians through all the ages, made only more barbarous by their diligence their and science and even their religion; wholly incapable of any high emotions, spoiled to the marrow for any felicitous sense of what the Graces bestow; insulting every refined nature by their exaggerations and their deficiences; dull and tuneless as castaway barrel-staves! A hard judgment, and yet I write—for it is true!"

A special study in this book concerns August von Platen-Hallermund, the lyric poet and satirical dramatist, whose heart-story is a long series of homosexual loves. For the most part unhappy