Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/254

236 tion from "A Thousand and One Nights," comparing himself with Noureddin, the inquiring spirit who hazards the work of his whole life in order to obtain the magic lamp, in contrast with Oehlenschläger as Aladdin, the youth favored by fortune, who, without the slightest effort, simply by a whim of fate, obtains possession of the treasure at the very moment when the other was on the point of securing it. But when both afterward met in Paris all jealousy was quickly forgotten and the olden friendship was again established. This did not last long, however, for when Oehlenschläger, on his return to Denmark, published a series of very mediocre works, which were received with great admiration and enthusiasm on the part of his friends, Baggesen seized the opportunity for submitting Oehlenschläger’s tragedies to a very searching criticism, though it made at the time but little impression. When Oehlenschläger thus wrote very hurriedly some very weak opera texts, such as "Ludlams Hule," and "Röverborgen," to which Weyse and Kuhlau composed their beautiful music, Baggesen assumed in his critical reviews an attitude so hostile and reckless, and a spirit so ungenerous, that in spite of the sound judgment with which he defended the cause of correct taste, and in spite of the many excellent ideas his articles contained, they failed to produce the desired effect, on account of the author’s bitterness toward his more fortunate rival.

In the year 1818 Oehlenschläger published a description of a journey under the title "En Reise foralt i Breve til mit Hjem," a very feeble work, which Baggesen at once attacked in the most merciless manner. Baggesen tried in vain to bring the students over to his side, and the only effect of his efforts was that twelve of Oehlenschläger's young worshippers (Hauch, Poul Möller, P. Hjort, etc., the so-called "Tylvt" = dozen) challenged Baggesen to a public disputation in Latin on account of his attacks on the great poet. Grundtvig alone remained faithful to Baggesen, and he at last embraced his cause completely; but not before he had, in a blunt and can-