environ trois cent cinquante livres," heaving down the middle of a country-dance, might serve as apt illustrations of such laborious vivacity. We have thus endeavoured to present to our readers some of the leading features of the periodical literature of Germany, and in so doing we have been constrained to glance at the general literature of that country. The defects, as well as the excellencies of writers, are perhaps never more conspicuous than when appearing under the concentrated form of a critical essay. Our attention, therefore, has necessarily been drawn to the imperfections of German authors and reviewers; and we have dwelt upon those imperfections with the less scruple, because they are compensated tenfold by merits of the highest order. Having mentioned the Hermes and the Jahrbücher, we must next turn to the Zeitschnift, &c. This publication is conducted by Savigny, Eichhoun, and Goeschen, the two former long known to the literary world as the authors of works which rank them among the first jurist s and critics of the age; the latter more particularly known on the continent as the ingenious decipherer and editor of the Institutes of Gaius. We say on the continent, because these Institutes continue as much a dead letter to our lawyers, as if they still remained the substratum of St. Jerome's Epistles. Amongst the contributors to the Zeitschnift are to be found also the names of Hugo, Cramer, and Haubold. The journal was established for the professed purpose of promoting the objects of the Historical School of Jurisprudence, as opposed to what is termed in France the Philosophical School. Without entering into a detail of the respective doctrines of these two sects, we may be permitted to say, generally, that the philosophical school is a devoted admirer of the French Code. In the excess of their admiration, forgetful of the very peculiar circumstances which paved the way for the introduction of the new system in France, they would bring about a forced change in the laws of other nations, and establish universally new codes, not framed with a view to the habits or predilections of the people, but founded on certain theoretical principles, as arbitrary as they are undefined.* The historical school, on the contrary, although it concedes the defective state of existing institutions, contends that it would be wiser to amend them than to root them It recommends a close and critical study of the history of the laws, not merely in their chronological series, but in their connection with the political state of the people, and their progress in civilization. It would trace institutions to their source, and restore those that are degenerated to their original purity and vigour; but in effecting these changes it should proceed with the utmost tenderness and caution, so as not to shock by sudden innovation the received opinions, the feelings, or even the prejudices of a nation. This conflict of sentiments, out. * We have here adopted the language of the opponents of the philosophical school, which, though true with respect to a large proportion of the party, more especially those in France, is by no means applicable to the whole of the philosophical school, and least of all to Thibaut, who may be regarded as the founder of that school in Germany, and to the uprightness of whose views the historical school does ample justice. which has for some time agitated Germany and France, has been car ried on without the participation, and almost without the knowledge, of England. Our lawyers are so deeply engaged in contemplating the matchless perfection of our own code, its moral and intellectual beauty, its perspicuity and certainty, and the celerity of its operations, that they have no time or attention to bestow on the opinions of other countries; or at least we suppose so, for we should be sorry to adopt the language of an intelligent foreign writer on the subject:-" En Angleterre la plupart des jurisconsultes, renfermés dans leurs greffes, et ne connaissant que leurs archives, paraissent à peine s'appercevoir du bruit de nos sectes; la loi n'est pour eux qu'une profession." But to return to the Zeitschnift ;-in conformity with the views of the historical school, the main purpose of that journal is to examine and elucidate the history of the law, and to its labours the world is indebted for an exposition of some of the most intricate points of the Roman law, as well as for the new interest and value which it has communicated to subjects the most hackneyed, by the originality and acuteness of its criticism. We must reserve our observations upon the other periodical works of Germany for a future opportunity, cautioning our readers, in the meantime, against the rash supposition, that the Gazette for the Elegant World at all resembles La Belle Assemblée, or Ackermann's Repository. We shall conclude this paper with some notice of two articles that have appeared in recent numbers of the Hermes and the Jahrbücher. The first, from the Hermes, is a critical examination of Rodolph of Habsburg, an heroic poem by Pyrker. The reviewer presents us with a very able and diligent analysis of the poem, interspersed with much acute observation, into which we have no intention to follow him. But there is a remark that occurs in the course of his criticism, which is quite characteristic, and illustrative of that talent for overstraining to which we have before slightly adverted as not unusual with German writers. The poem is in hexameters, and the critic very gravely states that this metre is now to be regarded as naturalized in Germany. "Whoever," he proceeds," will submit our language, as it is spoken by all classes, to a strict examination, cannot fail to perceive that it possesses the fundamental form of the hexameter; that we all unconsciously speak in the rhythm of the hexameter; that, in short, the heroic hexameter has experienced among us a new birth.”"Par ma foi," says Monsieur Jourdain, " il y a plus de quarante ans que je dis de la prose, sans que j'en susse rien;" but conceive the astonishment of a German boor to be told that he has been unconsciously talking in hexameters all his life; uttering nothing but heroics from his cradle upwards; cursing in dactyls, and grumbling in spondees ! We cannot say that we are great admirers of German hexameters, proceeding even from the pen of Klopstock; and Pyrker's lines, if we may judge from the specimen given in the Review, are certainly not calculated to alter our opinion on the subject. They remind us too much of the "spavin'd dactyls" of our own Southey, and his prototype, Sidney. For example: Da griff's rasch nach dem Säbel, und hieb mit Gejanchz in die Feind'ein. Which is almost as primitive and monosyllabic as Sidney's- Or Southey's Him I could not choose but know, nor knowing but grieve for. And again They were cut down by death; what then? were it wise to lament them? If Virgil were to rise from the grave, how great would be his indignation, or rather his merriment, at such frittered heroics! "What!" he would exclaim, "this minced meat-these bunches of odds and ends-these as-es-ros-mos-dens-kind of lines-Call you them hexameters? No!" he would continue; "if you must be dabbling in dactyls, rather give me Stanihurst's Three show's wringlye wrythen glimmering and forciblye sowsing." Not very harmonious in good truth; but then it is substantial; it has the stuff in it, or as a brother bard would say Grande aliquid quod pulmo animæ prælargus anhelet. The article in the Jahrbücher, which we promised our readers, is headed, Blackwood's Magazine, and is certainly a very curious and edifying morceau. We mention it not as a paper written by a German, but merely because it appeared in a German dress; for it is as unquestionably of English manufacture, as Hodges' cordial gin, or Whitbread's entire. By what strange manoeuvre it found its way into the Jahrbücher, we shall not pretend to inquire; there it is, to feast our eyes and rejoice our hearts. At a time when the ordinary modes of puffing are worn threadbare, there is much amusement, as well as instruction, in observing the novel and unlooked-for expedients, which persons of genius will strike out, in order to put their commodities in motion. One man brings an action for a libel, which may be termed the puff litigious; another sends an elaborate panegyric to Germany, to be there done into German, and inserted in some popular periodical, that is likely to find its way into England; which may be called the puff circuitous, or the travelled puff. A puff, doubtless, as well as a pipe of Madeira, is improved by a voyage; the crudities of the wine are mellowed; the asperity of the puff is softened down, and converted into a wholesome and genial zephyr. We shall translate, as literally as possible, the opening of the article in question, as we should despair of conveying to our readers an adequate idea of its beauties by any paraphrase. The writer, after premising that it is not within the scope of the Jahrbücher to subject other periodical works to narrow criticism, proceeds as follows:-" Our object in noticing Blackwood's Magazine is not so much to deviate from this rule, as to direct the attention of the German public to that remarkable Journal; as it appears to have been hitherto little known on the Continent, although it is, without doubt, one of the most striking phænomena of modern English literature; and from the great talent of its contributors, and the finished excellence of its articles, claims one of the first places among periodical works. For a considerable time it was not known, even in England and Scotland, who was at the head of this undertaking, or who were his principal fellow labourers. His opponents, the chief of which are the Morning Chronicle, and the Edinburgh Review, naturally exerted themselves in every way to put to silence the bold champion of Old England, (!) or to deprive him of all influence over the public mind. But it soon became evident, that they had a powerful and courageous foe to deal with, one equally expert at the weapons of jest and earnest; and who, far from allowing himself to be daunted, gradually extended the field of his literary operations, and penetrated to the capital itself. For since the commencement of the present year, there has appeared in London a new paper, called The Representative, published by Murray; conducted with more than ordinary care and diligence, and possessing many highly-gifted, and wellinformed contributors, as well as good foreign correspondents. At the same time a change has taken place in the direction of the Quarterly Review, so that we may now consider that Journal and The Representative in London, and Blackwood's Magazine in Edinburgh, as the literary coryphæi of the Tories." (!) "Mr. Lockhart, the son-in-law of Sir W. Scott, is now the editor of the Quarterly Review and the Representative; which confirms the generally received opinion, that the Great Unknown has been, from the beginning, the centre of so noble and efficient an undertaking, as we deem Blackwood's Magazine to be." Such a splendid exordium, such an army of good words, can scarcely fail to have a powerful effect upon the reading and wondering public; which was probably not aware of the intimate connexion that subsisted between that phænomenon of literature-Blackwood's Magazine, and the other Tory coryphæus now defunct, the Representative. It appears that the article must have been prepared for exportation about the time that Mr. Murray's bantling was put out to nurse with Mr. Lockhart. Unfortunately, however, it did not make its appearance in print until the misbegotten brat was "dead, stone dead, irrecoverably dead;" a circumstance much to be regretted, as SO energetic a puff would probably have inflated the lungs of the young coryphæus, and prolonged its existence. After the above flourish of trumpets, the writer proceeds to give us a translation of a very long extract from the notable manifesto in the one hundred and eighth number of Blackwood, which declares war against those determined reformers, Lord Liverpool and Mr. Canning, and their mischievous innovations; but as our readers have, in all probability, studied the original with the attention which so spirited and logical a production deserved, we shall spare ourselves the trouble of a retranslation, and go on to the next topic touched upon by our pseudo-reviewer-namely, the Catholic question. Now, as the article purports to be written by a Viennese, consequently a Catholic, it was necessary, in order to save appearances, that an opinion should be expressed favourable to the Catholic cause, and that Blackwood's doctrines on the subject should be slightly combatted. This is accordingly done; but mark the artful management of the thing! While emancipation is recommended on the one hand, the advocates of emancipation are loaded with a most liberal share of abuse on the other, and charitably pronounced to be the "foes of God and men." The solemn mockery concludes with the suggestion, that the Church of England should, with all convenient speed, be reconciled to the Church of Rome. The idea is not wholly new, as Dr. Murray gave precisely the same advice in one of his letters some time ago. Every one then felt the practicability of the scheme: "let us swear eternal friendship," as the man in the play says,-embrace-and it is all over; and then the two Churches, like the two kings of Brentford, might Spight of fate combined stand, And, like true brothers, walk on hand in hand. The writer, having noticed, with the requisite portion of encomium, the Strictures on Macculloch's Irish Evidence, and the opinions respecting our Commercial System, from the hundred and eighth and hundred and eleventh numbers of Blackwood, closes his article with an extract from the paper on Russia, which he very sagaciously conjectures to be a sample of the style and manner of the long-threatened "Life of Napoleon." What Christian can doubt it? EPISODES OF THE DON QUIXOTE. No. II. I PROCEED to the story of Cardenio, the next in order of the portions I have undertaken to review; and shall begin with extracting Cardenio's letter to Lucinda, contained in the pocket-book found by Sancho and his master, with the rest of the contents of the portmanteau, in the Sierra Morena. I give it as being a fine specimen of terseness in epistolary style, and one to which the translators have not at all done justice: "The falseness of thy promise, and the certainty of my misfortune, carry me to some place from whence thou wilt sooner hear the news of my death than the words of my complaining. Thou hast cast me offungrateful girl! for one who has more, not for one who is more worthy than I: but, indeed, if virtue were a profession thought worthy of esteem, I should not now be envying another's good fortune, nor deploring my own unhappiness. That which thy beauty raised up, thy actions have thrown down: by it I took thee for an angel; and by them I knew thee to be a woman. Peace be with thee! thou causer of my disquiet and heaven grant that thy husband's deceit may never come to light, that thou mayst not have to repent of what thou hast done, nor I have a revenge which I do not desire." (a) Cardenio's first personal introduction to us, like that of the shepherdess Manella, is a sort of apparition-but of how different a character!—a figure almost naked, with black and untrimmed beard, the long, neglected, and uncovered locks, hanging in disorder about his neck; and skipping from bush to bush, and from rock to rock, like some wild animal of the mountains. (b) The goatherd's account of his first appearance in the Sierra, his being afterwards found in the hollow of the cork-tree, and the coming on of his fit of madness, is given with all the truth and feeling of an observant and compassionate eye-witness: we can hardly persuade ourselves it is a fiction. The descriptions of his lucid intervals-when his behaviour was so gentle, and he would |