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AMERICANA GERMANICA
NEW SERIES
MONOGRAPHS DEVOTED TO THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE
Literary, Linguistic and Other Cultural Relations
OF
Germany and America
EDITOR
MARION DEXTER LEARNED
University of Pennsylvania
TRANSLATIONS OF GERMAN POETRY
IN
AMERICAN MAGAZINES
1741-1810
TOGETHER WITH TRANSLATIONS OF OTHER TEUTONIC
POETRY AND ORIGINAL POEMS REFERRING
TO THE GERMAN COUNTRIES
EDWARD ZIEGLER DAVIS, PH.D.
_Instructor in German and Sometime Harrison Research Fellow in
Germanics, University of Pennsylvania_
PHILADELPHIA AMERICANA GERMANICA PRESS 1905
REPUBLISHED BY GALE RESEARCH COMPANY, BOOK TOWER, DETROIT, 1966
Copyright, 1905
By EDWARD ZIEGLER DAVIS
PAPER USED IN THIS EDITION IS A FINE ACID FREE PERMANENT/DURABLE PAPER
COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS "300-YEAR" PAPER
TO MY PARENTS
IN APPRECIATION OF THEIR INTEREST AND ENCOURAGEMENT
IN THE PRESENT WORK
PREFACE.
The present study is an extension of a thesis, presented to the
Faculty of the Department of Philosophy of the University of
Pennsylvania in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy. The object has been to treat the material in
the early American magazines which gave readers information about
Germany and other Teutonic countries. While the primary aim has been
to discuss the translations of poetry and the original poems bearing
on the subject, all relevant prose articles have also been listed.
Since many of the magazines used are extremely rare and almost unique,
the texts from them are here reprinted in order to make such
information accessible. As some of the translations and poems,
however, have been traced to Thomas Campbell, Sir Walter Scott,
William Wordsworth, Thomas Gray and others, whose works are to be
found in almost any library, reprinting was unnecessary in these
cases. M. G. Lewis' _Tales of Terror and Wonder_ has had, besides many
early imprints, a recent edition by Henry Morley in 1887 and the poems
from it that appeared in the American magazines are here mentioned by
title only, the one exception being _The Erl-King_, which is included
because of several variants. Long poems like _The Wanderer of
Switzerland_ (which itself would make a small book) are not reprinted.
Parts II to V are arranged chronologically, so as to show the gradual
growth of the German influence. Translations and poems are therefore
reprinted under the date of their first appearance; later publications
of them in the magazines are here recorded simply by title, with a
note giving the earliest date. The texts are reprinted exactly as they
appeared in the early American periodicals, thus presenting the
information about Germany in the same form in which readers of a
century ago received it. Mistakes are often interesting as
illustrative of an ignorance about German names and words. Only the
most evident typographical errors have been corrected, such as
"spweep" for "sweep," "bilssful" for "blissful," and "fustain" for
"sustain." Differences due to eighteenth century orthography are
retained.
The subject has been investigated to the end of the year 1840, but
this volume treats only the period ending with 1810. Often for the
sake of complete lists, however, poems of a later date are mentioned.
Throughout Parts II to V, notes by the present author, except mention
of sources from which the reprints are made, are inclosed in brackets.
The courtesy and assistance rendered in obtaining the magazines make
me indebted to the attendants in the various libraries visited,
particularly to Mr. Allan B. Slauson, of the Library of Congress. I
wish to thank Professor Daniel B. Shumway, of the University of
Pennsylvania, for helpful criticism, and Professor John L. Haney, of
the Philadelphia Central High School, for valuable information about
the German literary influence in England during the period under
discussion and for improvements suggested in the preparation of the
Introduction.
I am especially indebted to Professor Marion D. Learned, of the
University of Pennsylvania, at whose suggestion and under whose
inspiration the present investigation has been carried on.
EDWARD Z. DAVIS.
PHILADELPHIA, January, 1905.
CONTENTS.
I--INTRODUCTION 1
II--TRANSLATIONS OF GERMAN POETRY 21
III--TRANSLATIONS OF DUTCH, DANISH, NORWEGIAN AND
ICELANDIC POETRY, AND ORIGINAL POEMS REFERRING
TO THE GERMAN COUNTRIES 95
IV--LIST OF TRANSLATIONS OF GERMAN PROSE AND LIST OF
ORIGINAL ARTICLES ON THE GERMAN COUNTRIES 191
V--LIST OF MAGAZINES EXAMINED 215
INDEX 225
INTRODUCTION.
The important influence which German literature has exercised on
American culture and literature extends from the early part of the
nineteenth century. This influence was, in a measure, a continuation
of the interest and activity that had existed in England during the
last quarter of the eighteenth century. Prior to 1790, numerous
translations from Gellert, Wieland, Klopstock, Lessing, Goethe and
Schiller appeared from time to time, but it was not until William
Taylor of Norwich began to write, that the movement, which culminated
in the works of Coleridge, Carlyle and others, assumed definite
form.[1]
[Footnote 1: John L. Haney, _German Literature in England
before 1790_, in the _Americana Germanica_, IV, No. 2.
Cf. also, Dr. Haney's monograph, _The German Influence on
Samuel Taylor Coleridge_, Philadelphia, 1902.
Georg Herzfeld, _William Taylor von Norwich_, Halle a. S.
1897.]
American literature at this time was still subservient to that of
England and it is not surprising that the new literary impulse from
Germany should have found reflection on this side of the Atlantic.
This foreign influence was further aided by direct contact with
Europe. By the second or third decade of the last century the studies
of American scholars abroad became an important factor in our
intellectual development. In 1819 Edward Everett returned from Europe
to become professor of Greek at Harvard University. He had studied at
the University of Goettingen, where he had become enthusiastic for the
methods of German scholarship. While in Europe he secured for Harvard
College a large number of German books, which soon proved to be a
stimulus to the students of the institution. In 1823 W. E. Channing in
his _Remarks on National Literature_ advocated the study of French and
German authors, so that our literature might attain a position of
independence from that of England.[2] Two years later, in 1825, Karl
Follen entered upon his duties at Harvard College as instructor in
German.[3]
[Footnote 2: _The Works of William E. Channing_, Boston,
1849. Geo. D. Channing. Vol. I-277.
Cf. also, the remark of Francis Hopkinson, p. 194.]
[Footnote 3: As early as 1754 William Creamer (or Cramer) was
appointed Professor of the French and German Languages, at
the University of Pennsylvania, which position he held for
twenty-one years. In 1780 a German Professorship of Philology
was established in the same institution. J. C. Kunze, the
first appointee, lectured in German on Latin and Greek. After
1784, his successor, J. H. C. Helmuth, carried out the same
policy.
Cf. M. D. Learned, _Address at the Opening of the Bechstein
Library_, University of Pennsylvania, March 21, 1896.]
Before Edward Everett went abroad to study, however, American
scholars had begun to seek wider cultural advantages at the centres of
learning in Europe.[4] They were mostly theological students, or men
more or less closely connected with the diplomatic service. The most
prominent among the latter class was John Quincy Adams, who spent
several years in Europe. His interest in German literature is shown by
the fact that he translated Wieland's _Oberon_, which however was not
published, because Sotheby's translation had just appeared in
London.[5]
[Footnote 4: Benjamin Franklin's visit to the University of
Goettingen is described in the _Goettingische Anzeigen_ for
Sept. 13, 1766, which states that the session of the Royal
Society of Sciences held on the 19th of the preceding July
was more impressive than usual. "The two famous English
scholars, the royal physician, Mr. Pringle, and Mr. Benjamin
Franklin, from Pennsylvania, who happened to be at that time
in Goettingen on a trip through Germany, took their seats as
members of the society."
Cf. the account by Dr. E. J. James (_The Nation_, Apr. 18,
1895, p. 296), reprinted in B. A. Hinsdale's article _Foreign
Influence upon Education in the United States_, published in
the _Report of the Commissioner of Education_, 1897-98. Vol.
I, pp. 604-607.
Cf. also, L. Viereck, _German Instruction in American
Schools_, ibid., 1900-1901. Vol. I, p. 543.]
[Footnote 5: Adams wrote also an account of his journey to
Silesia in July, 1800. This was in the form of twenty-nine
letters to his brother, written during the trip, and thirteen
more added after his return to Berlin. Although they were
private communications, the editor of the _Port Folio_
secured them for his magazine and printed them anonymously,
without suppressing personal references, as the author would
have done, had he known of the publication.
"Whether these passages ever came under the observation of
the persons affected is not certain. So long as they remained
confined to the columns of an American publication of that
day, the probabilities would favor the negative. But they
were not so confined. Again, without the knowledge or consent
of the author, an individual, unknown to him, but fully aware
of the facts in the case nevertheless took the collection
from the _Portfolio_ to London, and there had them printed
for his own benefit, in an octavo volume, in the year 1804.
From this copy they were rendered into German, and published
at Breslau the next year, with notes, by Frederick Albert
Zimmerman; and in 1807 a translation made into French, by J.
Dupuy, was published in Paris by Dentu.
"Thus it happened that these letters, originally intended as
purely familiar correspondence, obtained a free circulation
over a large part of Europe without the smallest agency on
the part of the author, or any opportunity to correct and
modify them as he certainly would have done had he ever
possessed the power."
_Memoirs of John Quincy Adams_, Edited by Charles Francis
Adams. 12 vols., Philadelphia, 1874. Vol. I, 240-241.
The American publication began in the _Port Folio_, I-1, Jan.
3, 1801, Phila. For a review of the English edition, cf. _The
Monthly Review or Literary Journal_, XLV-350, December, 1804,
London.]
A little later, in 1809, Alexander Hill Everett went to Russia as
secretary to the legation and spent several years in different cities
on the continent.[6] George Ticknor visited Germany in 1815 to prepare
for his duties as professor of modern languages at Harvard; and George
Bancroft, after graduating from college in 1817, studied for five
years at Goettingen, Heidelberg and Berlin. Henry E. Dwight was at
Goettingen from 1824-1828 and in the next year published in New York
_Travels in the North of Germany, 1825-6_. It was about this time that
James Fenimore Cooper began his European travels, which lasted from
1826 to 1833.[7] Thus, American scholars had been acquiring German
thought and culture at first hand, before Longfellow or Emerson went
abroad for the first time. With these two the German influence in
America reached its height--Longfellow in literature, and Emerson in
his transcendental philosophy.
[Footnote 6: "He [A. H. Everett] had probably studied German
while he was associated with John Quincy Adams in St.
Petersburg, where German influence was strong and the study
of the language and literature could be pursued under the
most favorable conditions. The _United States Magazine and
Democratic Review_, New York, Vol. X (N. S.) 1842--p. 461,
states that he studied at St. Petersburg, among other things,
the modern languages."
Frederick H. Wilkens, _Early Influence of German Literature
in America_ in the _Americana Germanica_, III, No. 2, p.
155.]
[Footnote 7: M. D. Learned, _German as a Culture Element in
American Education_, Milwaukee, 1898.]
This was the second channel by which German literature became known in
this country. The first, as has already been indicated, came
indirectly through England. There, considerable activity in this line
had been manifest since 1790. Books of translations were published and
the magazines contained many fugitive pieces from the German. It is
chiefly a reflex of this interest that we find in American periodicals
to the end of 1810.
In America, likewise, German literature was made known to English
readers by means of translations either in book form or in the
magazines. The subject of translations in book form has been treated
in the recent article by Wilkens already mentioned. He discusses
German drama, fiction, poetry, philosophy, theology and pedagogy, and
gives in an appendix "A List of the Translations of German Literature
that were printed in the United States before 1826." These books,
however, were not the first means of introducing German authors to
American readers. The first mention of this foreign literature we
find, as a rule, in the magazines. Here are numerous accounts of the
lives of German writers, criticism of their books, notices of editions
(English or American) and besides these, many translations of poetry
and the shorter prose works. These articles or translations do not, of
course, antedate the earliest appearance of the same works in England,
but it is safe to say that whatever information on German literature
was offered in the American magazines reached the American public
sooner than the copies of an English book sent over here to be sold.
Many readers learned to know foreign literature through the medium of
the periodicals who would not think of purchasing all the books, of
which they had read reviews or selections. This was especially true of
the poetry. The prose works were usually too long for republication in
the magazines and could be announced only through critiques or
abstracts. Even here, however, some of the longer pieces appeared,
such as _The Apparitionist_ (Schiller's _Geisterseher_) in the _N. Y.
Weekly Mag._, I-16, etc., 1795, N. Y., and in the same magazine II-4,
etc., Tschink's _Victim of Magical Delusion_, while _The Mirror of
Taste and Dramatic Censor_, I, 1810, contains _Emilia Galotti_,
translated by Miss Fanny Holcroft. These prose pieces, being long,
were continued from number to number, but for the poetry this was not
necessary. Poems of the size of Klopstock's _Messiah_ or Gessner's
_Death of Abel_ appeared in the magazines only in selections or
extracts, while on the other hand most of the lyric poems, being
short, could very easily be reprinted entire in translation. With
hardly an exception, the short poems of German authors appeared in
America in the periodicals some time before they were issued in book
form; for example, the earliest publication of Gessner's _Idyls_
mentioned by Wilkens was in 1802,[8] whereas single idyls had been
translated for the magazines in 1774, 1775, 1792, 1795, 1798, 1799,
two in 1793, three in 1796 and five in 1801. Similarly, the first
American imprint of M. G. Lewis' _Tales of Wonder_ was issued in New
York in 1801, while five selections in it had already appeared in the
_Weekly Mag._, 1798-9, Phila.[9] In addition to these there were found
in the American magazines before 1811, ten translations from Buerger,
eight from Gellert, five from Lessing, four from Haller, three from
Goethe, two each from Jacobi, Klopstock, Matthisson and Schickaneder,
and one each from "Adelio," Buerde, Kotzebue, Patzke, "Sheller," and
"Van Vander Horderclogeth," together with several translations, for
which the name of the original author was not given. None of these
were printed in book form before 1826.[10]
[Footnote 8: _New Idyls_, by S. Gessner. Philadelphia, 1802.]
[Footnote 9:
Buerger, _Leonora_ [Wm. Taylor--some variants], Vol. I-221.
Buerger, _The Chase_ [Sir Walter Scott], Vol. II-413.
----, _The Water King_ [M. G. Lewis], Vol. III-92.
Goethe, _The Erl-King_ [M. G. Lewis], Vol. III-93.
----, _The Erl-King's Daughter_ [M. G. Lewis], Vol. III-94.
The last three, however, were also in Lewis' _Ambrosio or the
Monk_, Philadelphia, 1798.]
[Footnote 10: Wilkens' _List_. Two selections from Buerger and
two from Goethe appeared in Lewis' collections, but no
editions of their poems exclusively were issued. Klopstock's
_Messiah_ was published three times before 1811, but not his
shorter poems.]
The first translations of German poetry printed in America are to be
sought, therefore, in the magazines and it was here also that the
public received its first information about the lives of the German
literati. It is the object of the present study to consider the German
influence in the early American periodicals, treating especially the
translations of German poetry published in them.[11] Together with
these are to be found in Part III translations from the other Teutonic
literatures more or less closely connected with the German, namely,
translations of Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic poetry, and
also original poems on German literature, history, biography,
etc.,--for example, _Ode on the late Victory obtained by the King of
Prussia_, _Charlotte's Soliloquy--to the Manes of Werter_, and
_Burlesque on the Style, in which most of the German romantic Ballads
are written_. To this has been added a list of translations of German
prose, and a list of original articles on Germany, etc., so that a
complete estimate of the German influence in these magazines can thus
be obtained.
[Footnote 11: Wilkens mentions about a dozen magazines
incidentally but no attempt has been made to investigate this
field.]
The scope of the present work comprises the American magazines
published before 1811. By the term "American magazines" is meant all
magazines published in English, whether in the United States or
Canada. Periodicals in German, Spanish, French or other foreign
languages have been excluded. In as much as the study is primarily
concerned with literature it has been necessary, on account of the
great scope of the subject, to omit publications of a non-literary
type, e. g., newspapers, gazettes, periodicals dealing solely with
history, religious magazines, almanacs, etc. This method of exclusion
is not an easy one, for during the period under discussion the
magazine and the newspaper approached each other, the former printed
news and the latter gave specimens of literature, usually short poems.
It happened sometimes that a translation which appeared in a magazine
had been printed first in a newspaper. For example, _The Name
Unknown_, "Imitated from Klopstock's ode to his future mistress. By
Thomas Campbell," is to be found in the _Newport Mercury_, 1803,
Newport, just three years before it was printed in _The Evening
Fireside_, II-165, Phila. This illustrates the importance of the
newspaper in this connection, especially since the latter contained
also numerous paragraphs on things German, but it is a field for
separate investigation and in this connection must take second place
as compared with the literary periodicals.
Similarly the religious magazines often contain poems relative to our
subject, so that it has been necessary to include some of these
publications. Thus, the _Boston Observer and Religious Intelligencer_,
I-152, 1835, Boston, contains the poem _Trust in God_, "Translated
from the German," whereas others indicate on their title page their
dual character, e. g., _The Literary and Theological Review_, 1834-39,
N. Y., _The Monthly Miscellany of Religion and Letters_, 1839, etc.,
Boston, and _The Monthly Mag. of Religion and Literature_, 1840,
Gettysburg. Most of the religious magazines, however, belong to the
period after 1810.
Lastly, even some of the almanacs come almost within the range of the
present discussion, for the earlier ones have poems[12] and
interesting information, and were carefully read by the general
public. Most of these had their vogue before the literary magazine
became prominent and therefore represent a period before the German
literary influence had made itself felt. Of those that were examined,
none contained material to warrant their inclusion in the list given
in Part V.
[Footnote 12: _Universal American Almanack, or Yearly Mag._,
1764, Phila., contains a poem entitled _Golden Verse of
Pythagoras_.]
Whenever periodicals were found to be of the types just mentioned,
they were omitted from further consideration. There are two other
kinds of publications, however, that have been included in the present
investigation. The first is the English magazine reprinted in this
country. Since it is impossible to exclude all translations in
American magazines made by Englishmen--as will be shown later on--it
has been found practical to take, as the basis of selection, all
periodicals actually published on this side of the Atlantic. The only
examples of this class that fall within our period are _The Mirror_,
I-II, 1803, Phila.--a reprint of a magazine of the same name, that
appeared in Edinburgh, 1779-1780, _The Connoisseur_, I-IV, 1803,
Phila. (London, 1755) and _The Quarterly Review_, I-IV, printed in
London and reprinted in New York, 1810. In some instances the material
in the American edition differs from that of the English, so that it
is quite necessary to include this class of periodicals.
The other type of publications, alluded to, is the miscellany. It
contained poems, prose selections and articles on a wide range of
subjects. It differed from the magazine simply in one respect, namely,
that it was issued with less regularity. It offers, however, valuable
additions to the present collection.[13] Thus, even by omitting all
irrelevant publications, the field is a broad one and rich in
important material.
[Footnote 13: _Curiosities of Literature_, 1793, Philadelphia.
_Miscellanies_, 1796, Burlington.
_A Book_, a periodical work, 1807, New York.
_The Thistle_, 1807, Boston.
_Charms of Literature_, 1808, Trenton.
_The Hive_, 1810, Hartford.]
In any investigation of the early American magazines the difficulty of
locating copies is apparent. The editions of many of these periodicals
were small, especially if issued from the less important literary
centers; so that now, after the lapse of a hundred years, their
volumes are extremely hard to trace. Another fact that aided in the
disappearance of these publications was their short existence. If a
periodical, like the _American Museum_ or the _Port Folio_, ran for a
number of years, it became well known and its volumes were carefully
preserved. The libraries attempted to get complete sets and thus the
magazine was made accessible for future generations. A large number of
these magazines, however, had a precarious existence for a year or
more, and then were discontinued for lack of support. Indeed, the many
failures among these literary ventures cause one to wonder why others
were undertaken, and yet year after year new magazines were launched
on the market with full anticipation of success. This certainly
indicates a widespread demand for this class of literature and if the
kind offered did not happen to suit the taste, the fickle public was
constantly deserting the old for the new.
The investigator is moreover impeded in his progress by lack of
definite and trustworthy information about these publications. There
is no complete list of the American magazines during the years under
discussion, although work has been done on the period to the end of
1800. Paul Leicester Ford published a _Check-list of American
magazines printed in the eighteenth century_ (1889, Brooklyn, N. Y.).
This was an attempt to list all publications referred to by any
writer, whether accessible or not. The present investigation, however,
has brought to light thirty-five or forty volumes of magazines
(including twenty new titles), evidently unknown to Ford, not to speak
of several newspapers of more or less literary value; but the latter
seem to have been omitted intentionally from the _Check-list_.
Even the magazines of Philadelphia, the literary center of the country
during the eighteenth century, have not been listed. "A complete list
of the Philadelphia magazines is impossible. Many of them have
disappeared and left not a rack behind. The special student of
Pennsylvania history will detect some omissions in these pages, for
all that has here been done has been done at first hand, and where a
magazine was inaccessible to me, I have not attempted to see it
through the eyes of a more fortunate investigator."[14] What is here
said of Philadelphia is equally true of Boston, New York, Baltimore
and the other centers of literary activity of a century ago.
[Footnote 14: Albert H. Smyth, _The Philadelphia Magazines
and their Contributors_, 1741-1850. Philadelphia, Robert M.
Lindsay, 1892. Preface, p. 5.]
In spite of the difficulties just mentioned it has been possible,
after an extended search, to find enough volumes of the magazines to
form an almost complete list for the period in question. What
omissions there may be are, for the most part, obscure and unimportant
publications, which failed to attract enough attention to be included
in the large collections of this class of literature. One condition
favored the preservation of the American magazines; there were a few
institutions, like the Philadelphia Library Company, the American
Philosophical Society, and others, which were in existence during the
period when most of these publications were issued. It has been
possible for them to amass a fairly representative collection of
contemporaneous literature. On the other hand, more recent
institutions, like the Boston Public Library or the Library of
Congress, have displayed such industry in collecting, that they now
have splendid lists of these early periodicals.
The plan of the present investigation has been, therefore, to visit
those libraries where large numbers of the books needed are located
and thus, by combining the material secured in the different places,
to approach as near as possible to completeness. One library fills out
the gaps of another and it often happens that, in order to see the
entire set of a magazine, it is necessary to visit three or four
libraries. A record has been kept as to where the individual volumes
are, but as useful as this information might be for those working in
the same or in a kindred field it has been found too complex to be
indicated in the list of magazines given in Part V.[15] The material
here included is based on a personal examination of about three
hundred volumes representing one hundred and twenty-eight different
magazines.
[Footnote 15: A list of the libraries consulted is given at
the beginning of Part V.]
In treating the German influence in the American magazines, it is
important to consider the position which the magazine held during this
early period. Difference in conditions enabled the periodical to play
quite a different role from that which it now plays. In the eighteenth
century, as compared with the present day, free libraries were scarce
and readers had to depend largely on the books they could buy or
borrow. Then, too, books were expensive, because many had to be
imported from abroad, and those printed here could not be sold as
cheaply as now. These conditions favored the magazines, which were
inexpensive and furnished to their readers, besides original matter,
republications of the best literature of Europe. They kept the public
abreast with the times and supplied the place now occupied by the
numerous libraries and books which can be purchased at a moderate
cost.
Another element which the magazine of a century ago did not have to
contend with so vigorously was the newspaper. The modern newspaper is
becoming larger and larger, and is making increased demand every day
on the time and interest of the public. In the eighteenth century and
the first decade of the nineteenth this was not the case. To be sure,
there were many newspapers, gazettes and advertisers, but they were
comparatively small in size, consisting usually of only four or six
pages. "At the period of the American Revolution, journalism had
nowhere reached [an] advanced stage of effectiveness. In America,
especially, the newspapers were petty, dingy, languid, inadequate
affairs; and the department of the newspaper now devoted to editorial
writing, then scarcely existed at all."[16] Many editors considered
the news available to be sufficient merely for a weekly instead of a
daily issue. This is not surprising. With the absence of the modern
telegraph, telephone, ocean cable and steam railroad the facility for
getting news from a distance was greatly diminished. Then, too, as the
population of the country was much smaller than now, the most
important domestic news could be told in a few columns. All this
tended to keep the newspapers within moderate proportions, and
although they were numerous, it is safe to say that they did not make
such a demand on the reader's time as to divert his attention from a
more serious kind of literature. People had, therefore, plenty of
leisure for careful perusal of the magazines, and these, by giving in
many cases a summary of the news, decreased the necessity for the
newspaper. For advertisements and business announcements the gazettes
and advertisers were the main source, but for general information and
current literature persons did not have to devote so much attention to
the newspaper.
[Footnote 16: M. C. Tyler, _The Literary History of the
American Revolution_, I, 1763-1776, New York, 1897, p. 18.]
As far as can be learned, the magazine in this early period was
regarded in a more serious light than to-day. It was not a means to
while away an idle hour--something to be glanced at hastily and then
thrown aside. The editors attempted, on the contrary, to give the best
literature at their disposal, whether original or reprint, and
endeavored to improve the public taste by selecting matter that would
be acceptable to a scholarly audience. "A striking difference between
the older magazine and the recent ones is the conspicuous absence from
the journal of a century ago of what is commonly called 'light
literature.'"[17]
[Footnote 17: Smyth, _op. cit._, p. 20.]
Tyler mentions the same conditions. "Our colonial journalism soon
became, in itself, a really important literary force. It could not
remain forever a mere disseminator of public gossip, or a placard for
the display of advertisements. The instinct of critical and brave
debate was strong even among those puny editors, and it kept
struggling for expression. Moreover, each editor was surrounded by a
coterie of friends, with active brains and a propensity to utterance;
and these constituted a sort of unpaid staff of editorial
contributors, who, in various forms,--in letters, essays, anecdotes,
epigrams, poems, lampoons,--helped to give vivacity and even literary
value to the paper."[18]
[Footnote 18: M. C. Tyler, _A History of American
Literature_, II, 1676-1765, New York, 1878, pp. 304, 305.]
Considering these facts, it is seen that the magazines of the period
under discussion played a more important role in the cultural
development of the people than they do now. They were not as numerous,
nor were so many copies of each number issued then as now, but the
population was also much smaller, and consequently a smaller number of
periodicals sufficed, although relatively they may have been as
numerous. One thing seems certain,--in the absence of so much other
reading matter, the magazine went into the home and was perused with
care by the different members of the household. We have only to refer
to the attention given to the almanacs during a period slightly
earlier, and these did not attempt to present as much entertaining
literature as the magazines. The prominence of these literary
periodicals in the development of American thought and culture is
usually overlooked, but should certainly be recognized in the history
of literature in America.
All this is very pertinent to the subject. The importance of the
translations and poems, here reprinted, in bringing things German
before the American public depends naturally upon the importance of
the channel by which they were introduced. From what has just been
said, it is evident that the magazine not only had a wider and freer
scope then than now, but also attempted to preserve as high a
literary and scholarly standard as was possible for that day. What was
admitted to its pages had therefore considerable weight and influence,
and became known at once as far as the magazine circulated. It is for
this reason that the appearance of so many poems and prose articles
relating to the German countries becomes so important, and the
interest here aroused was to increase many fold in the decades
immediately following.
The publication of translations of German poetry in the American
magazines indicates a twofold activity. In the first place it shows
active interest and enthusiasm on the part of a few individuals who
read and appreciated German literature and who had the ability not
only to understand the foreign poetry but also to translate it for
their fellow countrymen. How many there were who could read the
original, it is impossible to say, but these translators were
certainly only a small part of the Americans who understood German. In
the second place the appearance of German poems in the magazines
indicates a growing acquaintance with German literature, on the part
of the public at large. From the fact that the number of translations
increased from year to year we may infer that they found favor in the
eyes of the readers. Even if the circulation of the individual
magazines was small, the combined effect of so many must have been
considerable.
It may seem at first thought that relatively few poems have been
collected in proportion to the ground covered.[19] There is a
limitation, however, that must not be overlooked. Only a small part of
each magazine was devoted to poetry and, after the original
productions and the republications of English verse (which naturally
received first consideration), German could only hope for its share
along with the other foreign literatures. It is remarkable how many
foreign literatures are represented in the sections of these magazines
devoted to poetry. There are translations from the Latin, French,
German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Norse (Icelandic), Italian, Spanish,
Portuguese, Irish, Welsh, Greek, Laplandish, Persian and Turkish. In
all this mass of translations, German ranks perhaps third as regards
quantity; it is exceeded only by the Latin and French.[20] This is
true, however, only for the period to the end of 1810. The situation
in the three succeeding decades is very different, but will be
discussed at a later time.
[Footnote 19: There are in the magazines of the period, 71
translations of German poetry and 10 duplicates; 68 original
poems and translations of other Teutonic poetry, and 24
duplicates.]
[Footnote 20: No list of the translations from the Latin and
French in these magazines has been made, so that a numerical
comparison with those from the German is at present
impossible.]
There is another reason why these magazines did not contain more
translations from the German. The period under consideration coincides
very closely with the classical epoch of German literature and many of
the masterpieces were not issued until near the end. _Hermann und
Dorothea_ appeared in 1797 and _Wallenstein_ three years later, while
_Wilhelm Tell_ was not finished until 1804 and the completed _Faust_
(first and second parts) was published twenty-three years after the
period closes. The dates of much of the classical German literature
precluded the possibility of its being translated until two thirds of
the period had passed. However valuable these works are, it is not
remarkable that they should not have become known immediately on this
side of the Atlantic. For the Germans here, the originals were all
that were needed, and it naturally took some time for the English part
of the population to realize the worth of the books and to demand
translations. These causes, then, prevented the German influence in
the magazines from assuming larger proportions.
The period treated in the present study is from 1741 to 1810
inclusive. The year 1741 is chosen as marking the beginning of the
American periodicals of a literary type. The publications of an
earlier date that were examined were devoted almost entirely to news,
or were almanacs that contained no literary material, for example, the
_New England Kalendar_, I, 1706, Boston, or the _New Weekly Journal_,
1728, Boston. These have been omitted from the list. It is therefore
not until 1741 that our period really begins. The two magazines which
were to be the pioneers of this extensive class of American literature
had been announced in the previous year. The _Phila. Weekly Mercury_
(Oct. 30, 1740) gives the prospectus of a magazine to be edited by
John Webbe and printed by Andrew Bradford; while in the _Pennsylvania
Gazette_ (Nov. 13, 1740) Franklin announced _The General Magazine and
Historical Chronicle for all the British Plantations in America_. A
bitter controversy soon arose,--Franklin claiming that Webbe had
stolen his plans, and Webbe accusing Franklin of using his position
as Postmaster to exclude the _Mercury_ from the mail. Both magazines
were issued in January, 1741; Webbe's journal, _The American Magazine;
or a Monthly View of the Political State of the British Colonies_, ran
for three months and Franklin's for six months.[21] With these, then,
the investigation for the present subject begins. As has been
indicated, the work has been extended to the end of the year 1840.
After that, German literature was established as a well known factor
in our intellectual development, as is shown by the numerous books of
translations and imitations, and the magazines were, henceforth, less
important in this particular. The period here treated extends only to
the end of 1810. These years witnessed the beginning of the movement
and the first period of considerable activity in this field. During
the years immediately following 1810 there was a decline in the German
literary influence in the American magazines.[22]
[Footnote 21: John Bach McMaster, _Benjamin Franklin as a Man
of Letters_, Boston, 1887, p. 129 seq.]
[Footnote 22: A similar decline in the German literary
influence was noticed also in England after 1810.]
To estimate definitively the amount of literary activity in America
with respect to things German, as illustrated by these translations
and poems, would require considerable information concerning the
translators. If the translator lived in England and his work was
simply reprinted in an American magazine, the literary activity
belongs more to England than to this country; but the fact that the
poem was reprinted shows a desire to acquaint readers here with
foreign poetry, the only difference being that the influence came
through England and not from Germany direct. Where the works printed
are from the pen of an American, they represent not only the ability
of the writer to appreciate German, but also the active interest to
reproduce it for the American public; the translation is then entirely
an American product. As to Englishmen here doing this kind of work, it
would be of advantage to know whether they were merely travelers or
sojourners, or had been here long enough to be considered an integral
part of our civilization. However useful this information would be, it
is, in a majority of cases, unobtainable. Most of the translations
appeared without any indication as to authorship. One thing that may
partly account for this was the tendency of the early magazines to
copy and plagiarize. Scores of poems were found which had previously
been printed in other periodicals (American or English), but for the
source of which no credit was given. Even the author's name was
suppressed. In one instance an editor inserted a poem that had
appeared in the very same magazine one or two years earlier, and yet
the readers were to receive it as something new.[23] The only possible
means of identification in these cases is by comparison with published
collections of translations. Several translations have thus been
traced to Sir Walter Scott, M. G. Lewis, William Taylor of Norwich and
others. Many are reprints from English magazines, concerning which it
is impossible at present to give more accurate information. The
subject has not been investigated with respect to the English
periodicals, and since their number is far greater than the American,
it would require a separate study to prepare a list of translations
from the German published in them. It is, therefore, impracticable to
exclude from the present discussion translations and poems by
Englishmen, for it is only where the author's name is mentioned, or a
note given, stating that the translation was made for such and such a
magazine, that we can be sure whether it was an American product or
not. The important fact is that the translation appeared in America
and helped to make known to American readers certain specimens of
German literature.
[Footnote 23: _The Moss Rose_, From the German [of
Krummacher]. _The Minerva_, I-40, May 4, 1822 and II-296,
Dec. 20, 1823, N. Y.]
In the selection of material certain limitations were necessary. In
the list of prose translations and articles dealing with the German
countries, everything has been mentioned which refers directly or
indirectly to Germany. This is important in giving a complete estimate
of the interest shown, for there was a desire to know something about
German prose works, German biography and history as well as German
poetry. From the list of translations reprinted here, however, have
been excluded all translations of dramas except certain selections,
such as songs or short scenes approaching the lyrical mood. In most of
the portions of dramas reproduced the passages are too long for
republication or the interest is wholly dramatic and not lyric. The
subject of the present study is, then, specifically--the German lyric
poetry which appeared in English in the magazines of America.
The term "poetry" is here taken in a liberal sense and includes more
than the translations of German verse alone. Some translations were
found whose originals, though prosaic in form, are poetic in content.
This was readily recognized by the translators, who have accordingly
given metrical renderings. For example, we have _Letter LXI of the
Sorrows of Werter Versified_; four of Gessner's prose idyls have been
rendered into verse, and in the later period Krummacher's prose fable,
_The Moss Rose_, appears five times in verse (1819, 1822, 1823, 1829,
1831) and twice in prose (1827, 1833). Similarly, prose translations
of German verse have been included, e. g., two fables from Gellert
(1796), _Morning_, from Haller (1793), and the Swiss song, _Ranz des
Vaches_ (1805).[24] On the other hand, prose translations of Gessner's
prose idyls are recorded by title only. Another poem of a different
class must be mentioned. In the volumes examined only one German poem
written in America was found. This was _Hoffnung_ by "Adelio" and a
note stated that it was written "For the Philadelphia Repository"
(Feb. 18, 1804, Phila.). At the end were the words: "A poetical
translation is requested." The following number (Feb. 25) contained a
translation.
[Footnote 24: The _Ranz des Vaches_ has also four metrical
versions:
1833--_The Lady's Book_, VI-164.
1833--_The Juvenile Rambler_, II-84.
1835--_Amer. Mo. Mag._, V-424.
1809--_The Visitor_, I-72 (entitled _Cow Boy's Chant_).]
Another group of poems calling for some attention includes those
translated from the French. These are of two kinds. In the first place
there are poems written in French by Germans or Swiss, such as the
poems of Frederick the Great, and also the _Ranz des Vaches_. As to
the latter, the French verses are given in two instances together with
the translation,[25] so that it is certain what the original was. In
other instances no mention is made of the source. Since part of the
population of Switzerland has always been German, a German form of the
song very likely existed. It is difficult, therefore, to say whether
this or the French version was used by the translator. The title is
French but this might have been retained for the German stanzas.
[Footnote 25: _Boston Weekly Mag._, III-60, Feb. 2, 1805,
Boston.
_The Visitor_, I-72, June 3, 1809, Richmond. ]
The second class of translations from the French comprehends those
from authors who usually wrote in German; thus, _Navigation_, "From
the French of Gessner" (1803), and _The Usurer_, "From the French of
Gellert" (_Port Folio_, XVI-245, 1823). Either these may have been
taken from French translations of the German,[26] or the word "French"
may be a mistake.[27] This second group has been classed with the
translations of German poetry (Part II); while the first group from
the French belongs to Part III.
[Footnote 26: The British Museum catalogue mentions "_Fables
et Contes_ [trans. principally from the German of C. F.
Gellert, etc.], 1754."]
[Footnote 27: Cf. _The Earth's Division_, "Trans. from Goethe
[sic], by L. E. L." _Waldie's Port Folio_, Part I-123, Apr.
11, 1835, Phila.
Also, _Benevolence_, "A Fable from the German of Galleret"
[sic], 1802.]
No attempt is here made to discuss the critical estimate that the
Americans of this period placed upon German literature. This would
require a consideration of all the prose articles, whereas the present
study has been devoted entirely to the poetry. It is hoped that, from
the list given in Part IV, such information may be obtained. Besides
the several paragraphs on German literati, the individual poems are
often preceded by an introductory note praising the original of the
translation. Even back in the eighteenth century, people were
considering the utility of the modern languages as opposed to the
classics. The _American Museum_, for example, published a _Speech on
the learned languages_, by the Hon. Francis Hopkinson, which concludes
with the remark that the "languages most in use are, in truth, the
most useful to be known."[28]
[Footnote 28: _Amer. Mus._, III, Jan.-June, 1788, p. 539. Cf.
Part IV, p. 194; also the remark of W. E. Channing, Part I,
p. 1.]
On the other hand there were unsympathetic writers who ridiculed the
Germans and their literature. The _Monthly Magazine_ published a
letter entitled _Literary Industry of the Germans_, which decried
their pedantic scholarship in unprofitable directions.[29] This attack
is also expressed in the form of parodies, of which the following
were found: _The Wolf King_, a satire on _The Water King_, _The Fire
King_, etc. (1802), _The Paint King_, a burlesque on _The Cloud King_,
_The Fire King_ and others (1809, 1833), _Against Faustus_ (1804),
_The Squeaking Ghost_, "a tale imitated from the German, according to
the true and genuine principles of the horrifick" (1808, 1809, 1810),
_Parody on Buerger's Earl Walter_ (1807), _Ode to the German Drama_,
"Parody of Gray's Ode to Adversity" (1806), and _Burlesque on the
style in which most of the German romantic ballads are written_ (1799,
1801). In some of these instances the parodies may denote no real
hostility but merely a rhymester's attempt to be clever.