Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/660

656 has an attitude which the author hesitatingly characterizes as "modern." For him war was an elemental manifestation of human nature, a demonic impulse, jenseits von Gut und Böse, whether in its origin or its execution.

But it is not the purpose of the reviewer to go into this part of the discussion. Attention is again called to the fact that these remarks have been confined to the formal elements of the problem, and that thus an aspect of the work only a little less interesting is not touched upon here. Also, apart from that general question, the author makes the best use of his particular point of view to throw fresh light upon various situations and characters, upon technical procedure, or, going deeper yet, upon the final quality of the poetic talent itself.

In a brief closing chapter Goethe's allegorical treatment of the battle is discussed, including the grandiose Teichoskopie of the fourth act of Faust II. An instructive appendix, employing three details, the weapon, the wound, and the horse, furnishes a sort of cross-section of the whole evolutionary process, with abundant documentary evidence. A good index closes the volume.

Randolph-Macon Woman's College.