Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 10.djvu/550

Rh Pietism. Philoso- phy. Leibnitz. Wolf. Thoma- sius. Ver- niche. Gunther. Brockes. 532 panics; and one such actor, Vt-lthen, showed so much‘ insight as to include in his repertory some of the works of Molit-re. But the general tendency of what passed for the drama was from bad to worse, and the usual character of the plays to a C0llb'lllCl‘-tl.)l3 extent justified the hatred with which they were tl.-aounced by the clergy. For a time it almost seemed as if Germany could never hope to emerge from the intellectual degradation into which she had stink ; but in reality the higher forces of the nation were rallying in preparation for a new era. One of the first symptoms of revival was presented by the remarkable pietistic movement, which, although it ultimately led to the formation of the pettiest of petty sects, was in its origin noble both in aim and in method. Its originators were the ardent, generous, and eloquent Jacob Spener 1633- 1705), and August Hermann .l*'rancke (1663—l7:27).( The labours of these writers and preachers, who had close affinity to the mystics, 11ot only gave more sincerity to religious forms, but did service to literature by quickening the popu- lar intellect, a11d awakening emotions which could ﬁnd no satisfaction in the tedious writings of the day. Of still greater importance were the beginnings of modern German philosophy. It was in this dreary period that Germany g4-av: l)lI‘ll_.116t-(EGOIIJCIIEE theﬂpaost brillliant olf hpr lthigkers, e1 nitz — 7. e )revai in" st ’ e o t ie a '— “ Mischniasch,” he called it—1seems t0Dhai—'e disgusted him with his own language, for nearly all his writings are in French or Latin. Nevertheless, he exercised a profound inﬂuence on the best minds of his generation. His n1onad- ology, his doctrine of the pre-established harmony, his theory of the best of possible worlds, while carrying on the central current of European thought, offered Germany new problems for solution, and helped to replace a rigid ortho- doxy by a spirit of disinterested curiosity. The task of giving shape to his ideas was undertaken by Wolf (1679- l754), who had none of Leibnitz’s genius, and often crushed his fruitful suggestions under a burden of logical proofs. The disciple, however, so far taught in his master's spirit as to exalt the claims of reason over mere authority; he also encouraged habits of systematic thinking, and proved by his practice that serious writers had no excuse for clothing their doctrines in any other language than their own. Less philosophical than Leibnitz, and even than Wolf, Christian Thomasius (1655-1728) was an impressive popular thinker. He edited the first German periodical, a sort of monthly magazine, in which he vigorously attacked pedants and bigots. His style, although not pure or grace- ful, received glow and warmth from his moral earnestness. Through him literature became a great practical power, for it was mainly he who put an end to the burning of witches and to punishment by torture. Even in poetry, before the close of this period, there were a few glinnnerings of dawn. Wernicke, a man of cultivated and severe taste, published a volume of epigrams (1697) in which he thrust home at the follies of Lohenstein and his followers ; and that his mockery had effect was plain from the outcry of two noisy members of the school, Postel and I-Iunold. Giinthcr (1695-1723), who died too soon for his genius, wrote lyrics in which the voice of nature was onceimore heard. “ A poet in the full sense of the word,” Goctue calls him; and no one can realize how rrreat was his achievement without making some acquaintatiice with his truly dism d predecessors. Brockcs (1680-1747) had not Giinthcr‘s fine spontaneity, but he had the merit of giving simple expression to unaffected pleasures,—a virtue fut‘ which historians of literature, remembering the formality of the court poets and the insincere posturing of the second Silcsian school, readily forgive his occasional ﬂatness and garrulity. IIe was the first German poet who displayed some knowledge of English lit-.-rature. Although un- G E1’tl[A N Y [Lin-:1:-'1't'nP.. acquainted with Shakespeare, he directed his countrymen to Milton, Young, and Pope; and he appended to his chief work, Irclisclces l'cr_r/niigen in. G011, a fair translation of Thonison's b'msons. VI. The I ’erz'mI Q/' I.’cz'ivuI.—I"or five centuries there had been no great literary period in Germany which dcserves to be named with the famous periods in the history of ling- land, I"rance, Italy, and Spain. The Iteformation was a. spiritual acliievement of splendid originality, but in litera- ture Germany had for the most part followed timidly in the footsteps of her neighbours. She was soon to make up amply for this tardy progress; and we have now reached the age in which she fairly awoke to a consciousness of her strengtl1,—an age mainly of preparation, but one which has also an independent interest, since it includes names that rank high in the history of European as well as of German culture. 'e have seen that in the midst of the period of decay there were already symptoms of revival. These be- came more and more numerous, a11d while they increased, Germany was suddenly startled by the appearance in her midst of a great warrior and statesman. It is impossible to estimate with any approach to exactness the impres- sion produced by 1"rederick II. ; b11t it is beyond doubt Freder that he profoundly affected the intellectual life not only of the After the Thirty Years’ Var the L"‘°“t' Prussia but of Germany. people had lost confidence in themselves. They forgot that they had a magniﬁcent history; they only saw that the structure of society had been rudely battered, and that nearly every enterprise of the nation as a whole ended in failure. Ilrederick the Great restored to them faith in their ow11 vigour; he convinced them that it :1:-pended on themselves whether or not they should rise to their ancient place in Europe; and by the prompt, faithful, and energetic discharge of his personal duties he set before them an example which was widely felt. Literature shared the impulse which penetrated the 11atio11al life. It became st1'onger, more independent, a11d moved forward with the assured step of a power conscious of high destinies. Several causes of a purely literary character contributed ('1.-mic One of these was the revival of Stl1*l.'- to promote this advance. classical study in the best sense. Classical study had been pursued with ardour by the humanists ; but after them it became dry, pedantic, a11d tedious, and was subordinated to theological controversy. In the 18th century a number of scholars arose, who, ceasing to interest themselves in merely verbal criticism, sought to pierce to the meaning of classical writers, to understand and enjoy their imagi native effects, their ideas, and their style. Th‘ey also strove to construct what the Germans call “Alterthumswissen- schaft,” the science of a11tiqt1ity—tl1at is, to comprehend the life of the Greeks and Romans, their religion, art, and philosophy, and to interpret their literature in the light of this knowledge. The movement passed from one univer- sity to another and soon made itself felt in the public. schools. Thus the best class of minds were familiarized with higher ideals than they had yet known, and received, almost without being aware of it, the germs of new activity. Another cause, which co-operated with the more intelligent study of the classics, was acquaintance with English litera- turc. contemporary English writers, and gradually worked their t, way back to Shakespeare. The English genius was instinctively recognized as more in harmony with that of Germany than any other, and its products stimulated the free exercise of the imagination and the reason, while the ancient classics led to the perception of the greatest laws of form. Among the poets who helped to effect the revival of £1 Hitherto the foreign inﬂuences which had afl'ected mine] the Germans had come from Italy, Spain, and, above of , all, France; but now they began to know something of '?‘'‘o'“'‘ ll'L'.