I have exactly a quarter of an hour before I must make myself grand for
the opening of Parliament, and I will spend it in chatting with you.
I will write to Pococke notwithstanding. I cannot help believing that the
German method of etymology, as applied to history by Schlegel, Lassen, and
Humboldt, and of which I have endeavored to sketch the outline, _is the
only safe one_.
You have opened my eyes to the danger of their laying such dry and cheap
ravings to our account, unless we, “as Germans,” protest against it.
I am rejoiced at your delight with the “Church Poetry.” But Pauli never
sent you what I intended; I wanted to send you the first edition of my
Hymn Book (no longer to be had at the booksellers’), because it has
historical and biographical notices about the composers, and contains in
the Preface and Introduction the first attempt to render the features of
continuity and the epochs more conspicuous. (It is my only copy, so please
for this reason take great care of it.) Also I wish to draw your attention
to _two translations_ from my collection. First by Miss Cox (daughter of
the Bedell in Oxford), _c._ 1840, small 8vo. Second by Arnold (Rugby), not
Dr. Arnold. This last I can send you. It contains _one_ translation by the
great Arnold, first part. You will observe, among other points, that the
most animated hymns of praise and thanksgiving were composed amid the
sufferings of the Thirty Years’ War. My attention has been directed to
Hillebrand’s “History of German Literature,” three volumes, as the _best_
work, and to Vilmar’s ditto, one volume, as the _most popular_. I myself
only possess Gelzer’s thoughtful “Lectures” (from Lessing to Goethe), a
book which I prefer to Gervinus, as far as a just appreciation of the
national character and sentiment is concerned. (With many extracts.) I
rejoice at your cheerful spirit. But now be satisfied, and make more use
of the Romance languages. _Tutius ibis._ You have already sufficient
materials. We can and will benefit this hospitable land, even without
their desiring it; but _cautiously!_ You will laugh at this, and forgive
me; but I know what I am about. Next Saturday Volume II., ready bound,
will lie on my table. The plan of the doctrine of the Trinity, critical
and reconstructive, is a bold undertaking: the restoration of the genuine
substance of the Apostolical constitutions and canons (in the second half
of Volume II.) will probably have at present more success. But Volume
III., The Reconstruction and the Reform! “The two text-books of the Early
Church, The Church and House-Book and The Law-Book,” in biblical
phraseology and orthography, chiefly derived from documents never yet made
known, is my _pièce de résistance_; the sauce for it, in the Introduction,
contains three chapters (The Picture, The Mirror, The Practical
Reconstruction) for each section (Baptism, School, Constitution, Worship,
Life).
So far I had written everything in English, _tant bien que mal_, without
hesitating a moment for thoughts or words. But here the Muse refused,—not
a single idea would flow into my pen. After three days I discovered that
the spirit _would_ and _could_ speak German. So I then hastily added the
first half of the Introduction; and I hope that the first cast of the
whole will be ready this week; and a week later Cottrell will have it for
translation, whilst the text-book (about 140 pages) is being printed in
slips. I am afraid the English edition will not appear before the end of
March; of the second I have already received Volume II. I think you will
approve of the offspring. May Apollo and the Muses enlighten people about
Bernays. I might then hope that he would again come here to me in the
summer.
George has not yet announced his dissertation as “sent in to the faculty:”
till then he is wisely silent. He appears to me to be too much there in
the fashion and in society. May the devil carry off all fashionable women!
John calls. God bless you.
_Wednesday._—_Vivat Müller!_ I am just writing my congratulations to
Bernays. _Vivat Dean!_
Pauli’s book appears in English without his doing anything to it.
You may recommend in Oxford, even to the most refined ladies and most
Christian evangelicals, “Spiritual Words” from Goethe, by Lancizolle, 120
pages, 12mo (3_s_. beautifully bound). That is a German Bible.
You know Wackernagel’s “Anthology”? It is useful, but gives too much of
second rate. I will make my daughters copy out Arndt’s German song for his
eighty-third birthday for you. Adieu.
[19.]
_Saturday, March 13, 1852._
What in all the world is this undertaking to which Vaux asks my aid, the
new edition of Herbelot’s “Bibliothéque Orientale”? It might be made a
good work, although I hate the form, but _everything depends on the
management_. It is otherwise a mere bookseller’s speculation or Jesuit’s
trick. I have answered provisionally that in case biblical literature is
to be taken up (which is highly necessary), Ewald, Freytag, Bernays,
Rödiger, Hengstenberg, and Bernstein should be summoned to help. I don’t
quite trust the thing; but if it is possible to introduce the people to
good ideas, I am ready to aid.
When are you coming? I have sent the last MS. to-day to the press, or
rather to the translator. I have only now reached the point on which I can
really speak in a practical tone. Volume III. will contain 600 pages.
[20.]