of the old faith in Religion, in the invisible, a poor era; that any ..ttle morality it had was celestial nature of Virtue, which our French chiefly borrowed, and from those very ages Purifiers, by their utmost efforts of lavation, which it accounted so barbarous. For this had not been able to wash away. The men "Honour," this "Force of Public Opinion,” is did their best, but no man can do more. Their not asserted, on any side, to have much renoworst enemy, we imagine, will not accuse vating, but only a sustaining or preventive them of any undue regard to things unseen power; it cannot create new Virtue, but at best and spiritual: far from practising this invisi- may preserve what is already there. Nay, of ble sort of Virtue, they cannot even believe the age of Louis XV., we may say that its very in its possibility. The high exploits and en- Power, its material strength, its knowledge, all durances of old ages were no longer virtues, that it had, was borrowed. It boasted itself to but "passions;" these antique persons had a be an age of illumination; and truly illuminataste for being heroes, a certain fancy to die tion there was of its kind: only, except the for the truth: the more fools they! With our illuminated windows, almost nothing to be scen Philosophers, the only virtue of any civilization thereby. None of those great Doctrines or Inwas that they call "Honour," the sanctioning stitutions that have "made man in all points deity of which is that wonderful "Force of a man;" none even of those Discoveries that Public Opinion." Concerning which virtue have the most subjected external Nature to his of Honour, we must be permitted to say that purposes, were made in that age. What she reveals herself too clearly, as the daughter Plough, or Printing-press, what Chivalry, or and heiress of our old acquaintance Vanity, Christianity; nay, what Steam-engine, or Quawho indeed has been known enough, ever kerism, or Trial by Jury, did these Encyclosince the foundation of the world, at least pedists invent for mankind? They invented since the date of that "Lucifer, son of the simply nothing; not one of man's virtues, not Morning;" but known chiefly in her proper one of man's powers, is due to them: in all character of strolling actress, or cast-clothes these respects, the age of Louis XV. is among Abigail; and never till that new era had seen the most barren of recorded ages. Indeed, the her issue set up as Queen and all-sufficient whole trade of our Philosophes was directly the Dictatress of man's whole soul, prescribing opposite of invention: it was not to produce, with nicest precision what, in all practical that they stood there; but to criticise, to quarrel and all moral emergencies, he was to do and with, to rend in pieces, what had been already to forbear. Again, with regard to this same produced;-a quite inferior trade: sometimes Force of Public Opinion, it is a force well a useful, but on the whole a mean trade; often known to all of us, respected, valued as of in- the fruit, and always the parent, of meanness, dispensable utility, but nowise recognised as in every mind that permanently follows it. a final or divine force. We might ask what Considering the then position of affairs, it is divine, what truly great thing had ever been not singular that the age of Louis XV. should effected by this force? Was it the Force of have been what it was an age without noblePublic Opinion that drove Columbus to Ame-ness, without high virtues, or high manifestarica; John Kepler, not to fare sumptuously tions of talent; an age of shallow clearness, of among Rodolph's Astrologers and Fire-eaters, polish, self-conceit, skepticism, and all forms but to perish of want, discovering the true System of the Stars? Still more ineffectual do we find it as a basis of public or private Morals. Nay, taken by itself, it may be called a baseless basis; for without some ulterior sanction, common to all minds; without some belief in the necessary, eternal, or which is the same, in the supramundane, divine nature of Virtue, existing in each individual, what could the moral judgment of a thousand or a thousand thousand individuals avail us Without some such celestial guidance, whencesoever derived, or howsoever named, it appears to us the Force of Public Opinion would, by and by, become an extremely unprofitable one. Enlighten Self-interest!" cries the Philosophe "Do but sufficiently enlighten it! We ourselves have seen enlightened Self-interests, ere now; and truly, for most part, their light was only as that of a horn-lantern, Efficient to guide the bearer himself out of various puddles: but to us and the world of Comparatively small advantage. And figure the human species, like an endless host, seeking way onwards through undiscovered Time, in black darkness, save that each had his hornlantern, and the vanguard some few of glass! However, we will not dwell on controversial biceties. What we had to remark was that this era, called of Philosoph, was in itself but

46

of Persifluge. As little does it seem surprising, or peculiarly blamable, that Voltaire, the leading man of that age, should have partaken largely of all its qualities. True, his giddy activity took serious effect, the light firebrands, which he so carelessly scattered abroad, kindled fearful conflagrations: but in these there has been good as well as evil; nor is it just that, even for the latter, he, a limited mortal, should be charged with more than mortal's responsibility. After all, that parched, blighted period, and the period of earthquakes and tornadoes which followed it, have now wellnigh cleared away: they belong to the Past, and for us and those that come after us, are not without their benefits, and calm historical meaning.

"The thinking heads of all nations," says a deep observer," had in secret come to majority, and, in a mistaken feeling of their vocation, rose the more fiercely against antiquated constraint. The Man of Letters is, by instinct, opposed to a Priesthood of old standing: the literary class and the clerical must wage a war of extermination, when they are divided; for both strive after one place. Such division became more and more perceptible, the nearer we approached the period of European manhood, the epoch of triumphant Learning; and Knowledge and Faith came into more decided

visited that land which was the mos moder ized, and had the longest lain in an asthenic state, from the want of freedom. * * *

contradiction. In the prevailing Faith, as was thought, lay the reason of the universal degradation; and by a more and more searching Knowledge men hoped to remove it. On all "At the present epoch, however, we stand hands, the Religious feeling suffered, under high enough to look back with a friendly smile manifold attacks against its actual manner of on those bygone days; and even in those existence, against the Forms in which hitherto marvellous follies to discern curious crystalit had imbodied itself. The result of that mo- lizations of historical matter. Thankfully wil dern way of thought was named Philosophy; we stretch out our hands to those Men of and in this all was included that opposed itself Letters and Philosophes: for this delusion too to the ancient way of thought, especially, required to be exhausted; and the scientific therefore, all that opposed itself to Religion. side of things to have full value given it. More The original personal hatred against the beauteous and many-coloured stands Poesy, Catholic faith passed, by degrees, into hatred like a leafy India, when contrasted with the against the Bible; against the Christian Reli- cold, dead Spitzbergen of that closet-logic gion and at last against Religion altogether. That in the middle of the globe, an India, sc Nay, more, this hatred of Religion naturally warm and lordly, might exist, must also a cold extended itself over all objects of enthusiasm motionless sea, dead cliffs, mist instead of the in genera, proscribed Fancy and Feeling, starry sky, and a long night, make both Poles Morality and love of Art, the Future and the uninhabitable. The deep meaning of the laws Antique, placed man, with an effort, foremost of Mechanism lay heavy on those anchorites in the series of natural productions; and in the deserts of Understanding: the charm of changed the infinite, creative music of the the first glimpse into it overpowered them : the Universe into the monotonous clatter of a Old avenged itself on them; to the first feelboundless Mill, which, turned by the streaming of self-consciousness, they sacrificed, with of Chance, and swimming thereon, was a Mill wondrous devotedness, what was holiest and of itself, without Architect and Miller, properly, a genuine perpetuum mobile, a real, self-grinding Mill.

fairest in the world! and were the first that, in practice, again recognised and preached forth the sacredness of Nature, the infinitude of Art, the independence of Knowledge, the worth of the Practical, and the all-presence of the Spirit of History; and so doing, put an end to a Spectre-dynasty, more poien, universal, and terrific than perhaps they themselves were aware of."*

"One enthusiasm was generously left to poor mankind, and rendered indispensable as a touchstone of the highest culture, for all jobbers in the same: Enthusiasm for this magnanimous Philosophy, and above all, for these its priests and mystagogues. France was so happy as to be the birthplace and dwelling of How far our readers will accompany Novalis this new Faith, which had thus, from patches in such high-soaring speculation is not for us of pure knowledge, been pasted together. Low to say. Meanwhile, that the better part of as Poetry ranked in this new Church, there them have already, in their own dialect, united were some poets among them, who for effect's with him, and with us, in candid tolerance, in sake made use of the old ornaments and old clear acknowledgment, towards French Phi lights; but, in so doing, ran a risk of kindling losophy, towards this Voltaire and the spirituz! the new world-system by ancient fire.. More period which bears his name, we do not hestcunning brethren, however, were at hand to tate to believe. Intolerance, animosity, can help; and always in season poured cold water forward no cause; and least of all beseems the on the warming audience. The members of cause of moral and religious truth. A wise this Church were restlessly employed in clear-man has well reminded us, that "in any con. ing Nature, the Earth, the Souls of men, the Sciences, from all Poetry; obliterating every vestige of the Holy: disturbing, by sarcasms, the memory of all lofty occurrences, and lofty men; disrobing the world of all its variegated Pity that Nature continued so wondrous and incomprehensible, so poetical and infinite, all efforts to modernize her notwithstanding! However, if anywhere an old superstition, of a higher world and the like, came to light, instantly, on all hands, was a springing of rattles; that, if possible, the dangerous spark might be extinguished, by appliances of philosophy and wit: yet Tolerance was the watchword of the culti vated; and in France, above all, synonymous with Philosophy. Highly remarkable is this history of modern Unbelief; the key to all the vast phenomena of recent times. Not till last century, till the latter half of it, does the novelty begin; and in a ittle while, it expands to an immeasurable bulk and variety: a second Reformation, a more comprehensive, and more specific, was unavoidable: and naturally it first |

vesture.

troversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for Truth, and begun striving for Ourselves." Let no man doubt that Voltaire and his disciples, like all men and all things that live and act in God's world, will one day be found to have "worked together for good." Nay that with all his evil, he has already accomplished good, must be admitted in the soberest calculation. How much do we include in this one little word: He gave the death-stab to modern Superstition. That horrid incubus, which dwelt in darkness, shunning the light, is passing away; with all its racks, and poison-chalices, and foul sleep ing-draughts, is passing away without return. He who sees even a little way into the signs of the times, sees well that both the Sinichfield fires and the Edinburgh thumbscrews (fot these too must be held in remembrance) are things which have long, very long, lain be hind us; divided from us by a wall of cep turies, transparent indeed, but more impassabie

Novalis Schriften, I., s. 108.

more.

than adamant. For, as we said, Superstition | commiseration. If he seek Truth, is he not is in its death-lair; the last agonies may endure our brother, and to be pitied? If he do not for decades, or for centuries; but it carries the seek truth, is he not still our brother, and to ron in its heart, and will not vex the earth any be pitied still more? Old Ludovicus Vives has a story of a clown that killed his ass because it had drunk up the moon, and he thought the world could ill spare that luminary. So he killed his ass, ut lunam redderet. The clown was well-intentioned, but unwise. Let us not imitate him; let us not slay a faithful servant who has carried us far. He has not drunk the moon; but only the reflection of the moon, ir. his own poor water-pail, where, too, it may be, he was drinking with purposes the most harmless.

That, with Superstition, Religion is also passing away, seems to us a still more ungrounded fear. Religion cannot pass away. The burning of a little straw may hide the stars of the sky; but the stars are there, and will re-appear. On the whole, we must repeat the often-repeated saying, that it is unworthy a religious man to view an irreligious one either with alarm or aversion or with any other feeling than regret, and hope, and brotherly

NOVALIS.*

[FORHIGN REVIEW, 1829.]

A NUMBER of years ago, Jean Paul's copy | we would contend that such soap-bubble guild of Novalis led him to infer that the German reading world was of a quick disposition; inasmuch as with regard to books that required more than one perusal, it declined perusing them at all. Paul's Novalis, we suppose, was of the first Edition, uncut, dusty, and lent him from the Public Library with willingness, nay, with joy; but times, it would appear, must be considerably changed since then; indeed, were we to judge of German reading habits from these volumes of ours, we should draw quite an opposite conclusion of Paul's; for they are of the fourth Edition, perhaps therefore the ten-thousandth copy, and that of a Book demanding, whether deserving or not, to be oftener read than almost any other it has ever been our lot to examine.

Without at all entering into the merits of Novalis, we may observe that we should reckon a happy sign of Literature, were so solid a fashion of study here and there established in all countries; for directly in the teeth of most * intellectual tea-circles,” it may be asserted that no good Book, or good thing of any sort, shows its best face at first; nay, that the commonest quality in a true work of Art, if its excellence have any depth and compass, is that at first sight it occasions a certain disappointment; perhaps even, mingled with its undeniable beauty, a certain feeling of aversion. Not as if we meant, by this remark, to cast a stone at the old guild of literary Improvisators, or any of that diligent brotherhood whose trade it is to blow soap-bubbles for their fellow-creatures; which bubbles, of course, if they are Lot seen and admired this moment, will be altogether lost to men's eyes the next. ConEidering the use of these blowers, in civilized communities, we rather wish them strong lungs, and all manner of prosperity: but simply

should not become the sole one in Literature; that being indisputably the strongest, it should content itself with this pre-eminence, and not tyrannically annihilate its less prosperous neighbours. For it should be recollected that Literature positively has other aims than this of amusement from hour to hour; nay, perhaps, that this, glorious as it may be, is not its highest or true aim. We do say, therefore, that the Improvisator corporation should be kept within limits; and readers, at least a certain small class of readers, should understand that some few departments of human inquiry have still their depths and difficulties that the abstruse is not precisely synonymous with the absurd; nay, that light itself may be darkness, in a certain state of the eyesight; that, in short, cases may occur when a little patience and some attempt at thought wou' not be altogether superfluous in reading. Let the mob of gentlemen keep their own ground, and be happy and applauded there: if they, overstep that ground, they indeed may flourish ́ the better for it, but the reader will suffer damage. For in this way, a reader, accustomed to see through every thing in one second of time, comes to forget that his wisdom and critical penetration are finite and not infinite; and so commits more than one mistake in his conclusions. The Reviewer, too, who indeed is only a preparatory reader, as it were, a sert of sieve and drainer for the use of more luxurious readers, soon follows his example: these two react still further on the mob of gentle men; and so among them all, with this action and reaction, matters grow worse and worse.

It rather seems to us as if, in this respect of faithfulness in reading, the Germans were somewhat ahead of us English; at least we have no such proof to show of it as that fourth Edition of Noralis. Our Coleridge's Friend

•Novalis Schriften. Herausgegeben von Ludwig Tieck for example, and Biographia Literaria, are bu and Friedrich Schlegel. (Novalis' Writings. Edited by Ladwig Tieck and Friedrich Schlegel) Fourth Edition. a slight business compared with these Schrit Ivals Berlin, 1526. ten; little more than the Alphabet, and that in

comforted; proceeds swimmingly to the con- case, a Samson is to be led orth, blinded and clusion of the "Article," and shuts it with a manacled, to make him sport. Nay, might it victorious feeling, not only that he and the not, in a spiritual sense, be death, as surely it Reviewer understand this man, but also that, would be damage, to the small man himself? with some rays of fancy and the like, the man For is not this habit of sneering at all greatis little better than a living mass of darkness. ness, of forcibly bringing down all greatness to In this way does the small Reviewer triumph his own height, one chief cause which keeps over great Authors: but it is the triumph of a that height so very inconsiderable? Come of fool In this way, too, does he recommend it what may, we have no refreshing dew for himself to certain readers, but it is the recom- the small man's vanity in this place, nay, mendation of a parasite, and of no true servant. rather, as charitable brethren, and fellow-suf The servant would have spoken truth, in this ferers from that same evil, we would gladly lay Pase; truth, that it might have profited, how the sickle to that reed-grove of self-conceit, rer harsh: the parasite glosses his master which has grown round him, and reap it altowith sweet speeches, that he may filch ap-gether away, that so the true figure of the plause, and certain "guineas per sheet," from world, and his own true figure, might no longer him; substituting for Ignorance, which was be utterly hidden from him. Does this our handless, Error which is not so. And yet to brother, then, refuse to accompany us, without the vulgar reader, naturally enough, that flat- such allurements? He must even retain our tera anction is full of solacement. In fact, best wishes, and abide by his own hearth. t&eader of this sort few things can be more Farther, to the honest few that still go along alarming than to find that his own little Parish, with us on this occasion, we are bound in juswhere he lived so snug and absolute, is, after tice to say that, far from looking down on all, not the whole Universe; that beyond the Novalis, we cannot place either them or ourhill which screened his house from the west selves on a level with him. To explain so wind and grew his kitchen vegetables so strange an individuality, to exhibit a mind of sweetly, there are other hills and other ham- this depth and singularity before the minds of lets, nay, mountains and towered cities; with readers so foreign to him in every sense, would which, if he would continue to pass for a be a vain pretension in us. With the best will, fographer, he must forthwith make himself and after repeated trials, we have gained but a acquainted. Now this Reviewer, often his fel- feeble notion of Novalis for ourselves; his low Parishioner, is a safe man; leads him Volumes come before us with every disad pleasantly to the hill top; shows him that in-vantage; they are the posthumous works of a deed there are, or seem to be, other expanses, these, too, of boundless extent: but with only cloud mountains, and fatamorgana cities; the Irae character of that region being Vacuity, or at best a stony desert tenanted by Gryphons and Chimæras.

man cut off in early life, while his opinions, far from being matured for the public eye were still lying crude and disjointed before his own: for most part written down in the shape of detached aphorisms, "none of them," as he says himself, "untrue or unimportant to his Surely, if printing is not, like courtier speech, own mind," but naturally requiring to be rethe art of concealing thought," all this must be modelled, expanded, compressed, as the matter clamable enough. Is it the Reviewer's real cleared up more and more into logical unity, trade to be the pander of laziness, self-conceit, at best but fragments of a great scheme which and all manner of contemptuous stupidity on he did not live to realize. If his editors, Friedthe part of his reader; carefully minister-rich Schlegel and Ludwig Tieck, declined comng to these propensities; carefully fencing off whatever might invade that fool's-paradise with news of disturbance? Is he the priest of Literature and Philosophy, to interpret their mysteries to the common man; as a faithful preacher, teaching him to understand what is adapted for his understanding, to reverence what is adapted for higher understandings than his! Or merely the lackey of Dullness, striving for certain wages, of pudding or praise, by the month or quarter, to perpetuate the reign presumption and triviality on earth? If the later, will he not be counselled to pause for an start, and reflect seriously, whether starvaLon were worse or were better than such a dog's-existence?

Our reader perceives that we are for adoptme the second method with regard to Novalis ; that we wish less to insult over this highlygifted man, than to gain some insight into him; Cat we look upon his mode of being and winking as very singular, but not, therefore, essarily very contemptible; as a matter, in bet, worthy of examination, and difficult beend most others to examine wisely and with ft Let me small man expect that, in this

menting on these Writings, we may well be excused for declining to do so. "It cannot be Hur purpose here," says Tieck, "to recommend the following Works, or to judge them; probable as it must be that any judgment delivered at this stage of the matter would be a premature and unripe one: for a spirit of such originality must first be comprehended, his will understood, and his loving intention felt and replied to; so that not till his ideas have taken root in other minds, and brought forth new ideas, shall we see rightly, from the histo ical sequence, what place he himself occupied, and what relation to his country he truly bore."

Meanwhile, Novalis is a figure of such importance in German Literature, that no student of it can pass him by without attention. If we must not attempt interpreting this Work for our readers, we are bound at least to point out its existence, and according to our best knowledge, direct such of them as take an interest in the matter how to investigate it farther for their own benefit. For this purpose, it may be well that we leave our Author to speak chiefly for himself; subjoining only such ex positions as cannot be dispensed with for even