(Vol. viii., p. 126.)
The title-page of this work is: _Comoedia Divina, mit drei Vorreden von
Peter Hammer, Jean Paul, und dem Herausgeber_, 1808. The absence of
publisher's name and place of publication leaves little doubt that the name
W. G. H. Gotthardt, and the date "Basel, Mai 1, 1808," are both fictitious.
But for finding the passage cited by M. M. E. at p. 38., I should have
supposed that the Munich critic had referred to some other book with the
same title. No one who has read this can suppose it was written by Tieck.
The Catholic-romantic school, of which he was the most distinguished
member, furnishes the chief objects of the author's ridicule. Novalis,
Goerres, and F. Schlegel are the most prominent; but at p. 128. is an
absurd sonnet "an Tieck."
The _Comoedia Divina_ is a very clever and somewhat profane satire, such as
Voltaire might have written had he been a German of the nineteenth century.
It opens with Jupiter complaining to Mercury of ennui (_eine langweilige
Existenz_), and that he is not what he was when young. Mercury advises a
trip to Leipzig fair, where he may get good medical advice for his gout,
and certainly will see something new. They go, and hear various dealers
sing the catalogues of their goods. The lines quoted by M. M. E. are sung
by a young man with a puppet-show and barrel-organ to the burden:
"Orgelum Orgelei,
Dudeldum Dudeldei."
He exhibits things taken from the physics of Oken, the metaphysics of
Schelling, and the aesthetics of Goerres. The whole of the song is good;
and I quote one stanza as showing a sound appreciation of the current
metaphysicians:
"Die Intelligenz construirt sich in der Zeit
Als Object, und erkennt sich, und das ist gescheidt,
Denn aus diesen und andern Constructuren
Entstehen Lehrbuecher und Professuren."
They visit the garret of Herr Novalis Octavianus Hornwunder, a maker of
books to order upon every subject: they learn the mysteries of the
manufacture. The scene is clever, but much of the wit is unappreciable as
directed against productions which have not survived. Jupiter, in
compassion to Hornwunder, changes him to a goose, immediately after which a
bookseller enters, and, mistaking the gods for authors, makes them an offer
of six dollars and twelve groschen the octavo volume, besides something for
the kitchen. Jupiter, enraged, changes him to a fox, which forthwith eats
the goose "feathers and all."
They then go to see the play of the Fall of Man (_Der Suendenfall_). The
subject is treated after the manner of Hans Sachs, but with this
difference, that the simple-minded old Nuremberger saw nothing incongruous
in making Cain and Abel say their catechism, and Cain go away from the
examination to fight with the low boys in the street; whereas the author of
_Der Suendenfall_ is advisedly irreverent. Another proof, if one were
wanted, that he was not Tieck.
_Die Ungoettliche Comoedie_ is not by Batornicki, but translated by him
from the Polish. In the preface he apologises for inelegant German, as that
is not his native language; and I presume he is a Pole, as he says the
author's name is known among us (_unter uns_). As he calls it a poem
(_Dichtung_) the original is probably in verse. I think the Munich critic
could have seen only some extracts from the _Comoedia Divina_; for, so far
from Batornicki "plundering freely," I do not find any resemblance between
the works except in the sole word _comoedia_. The _Comoedia Divina_ is a
mockery, not political, but literary, and as such anti-mystic and
conservative. _Die Ungoettliche Comoedie_ is wild, mystical, supernatural,
republican, and communistic. It contains passages of great power,
eloquence, and pathos. German critics are often prosy and inefficient, but
not given to wilful misrepresentation or carelessness in examining the
books they review. The writer in the Munich journal must be held an
exception.