The theatrical productions have kept pace with the other species of poetical composition. In tra gedy, Schiller, Goethe, Leasing, Collen, and Grill parzer, have distinguished themselves; whilst Hand, Kotzebue, Brand, Grossman, Scroeder, and a host of other writers, have appeared in comedy.
German writers of prose have been neither fewer nor less able, though their names have not been so far extended in other countries, as those of the poets and theatrical authors. In religious compositions, Mosheim, Sack, Jerusalem, Spalding, Zollikofer, and Teller, are destined to futurity, after having delight ed and edified the existing generation. In lary writing, few in any language have exceeded -Gellert, Winkleman, Abt, and Garve, whilst Men delsohn has been unrivalled in his dialogues. The race of novel and romance writers has been too nu merous to be recited ; and the latter have displayed a power over the human passions and feelings, which has scarcely had equal examples in the writers of other nations.
In didactic writings, those of Scheibart, Leasing, Winkelman, Iselin, Sonnenfels, Moser, Zimmerman, Eberhard, Bikticher, and Forster, have displayed great talent ; and, on subjects of education, Bade dow, Campe, Trapp, Salzman, and Peatalozzi, have discovered vast powers of mind, directed to one of the most important subjects.
In classical literature, the Germans have thorough ly imbibed the spirit of the ages when Greece and Rome were at the highest pinnacle of literary glory. The names of Ernesti, Heyne, Gesner, Camerarius, Fabri, Wyttenbach, Wolf, and Scheller, are familiar to the Latin scholars of every country; as are those of Michaelis, Hottinger, Von der Hardt, Eichorn, Gries bach, and Paulus, to the Greek student.
The Germans have been ever distinguished for that diligence and patience in examination and no velty, which are the great requisites for geographi cal and statistical authors. None have in any coun try exceeded Busching, and many living authors are now following his steps with equal success.
The Germans claim the honour of having been the revivers of the Grecian mathematics, and the glory of having ascertained, by their countryman Copernicus, the true system of astronomy. Kepler is asserted to be the father of dioptrics, Tschera.
hausen, the inventor of burning glasses, Leibnitz, the solver of the differential calculus, and Lieberkuhn, the greatest improver of the solar microscope.
Euler was distinguished by his powers of analysis, and Kepler, Mayer, Herschel, Bode, Von Zech, and Olbers, by their skill in astronomy. Metaphy sics engaged the close attention of Wolf, Leibnitz, Kant, and their scholars, Fichte, Schelling, and Platner.
Although in natural history Germany has produ ced neither a Linnaeus nor a Buffon, yet Blumen bach, Zimmerman, Pallas, and Fabricius in zoology; Haller, Gleditsch, Hofman, and Sprengel in botany ; and Werner in mineralogy, would not be unfit asso ciates of those great names.
In natural philosophy, the Germans claim for Gu erike the discovery of the air-pump ; for Fahrenheit the thermometer; and for Hansen the invention, and for Marun the perfecting, of electrical machines; and they are proud to reckon among their chemists the names of Stahl, Hofman, Margrof, Born, Klap roth, and Humboldt. In medicine, besides Paracel sus and Stahl, they boast, with good reason, of Hof man, Tiasot, Haller, Unzer, and Hiicfland, with many others of great though inferior name.
In jurisprudence, the Germans long took the lead in Europe; and, in theology, Luther and Melanc thon have, by the translation of the sacred books and by their writings, produced a mighty change through all the most enlightened nations of Europe.
It is, however, somewhat singular that, in a coun try of so much learning and such research, in which antiquities have been sedulously studied, where the numismatic collections are so numerous, and where ancient documents are so carefully preserved, scarce ly any historian has appeared, who deserves a higher name than that of a chronicler.
The fine arts have been cultivated, especially mu sic, with much success. No nation has produced more celebrated composers than Gliich, Handel, Haydn, Bach, and, above all, perhaps, Mozart. Sta tuary has been practised more by Italians in this country than by natives. Painters have risen to no very great excellence, with the exception of Albert Durer, Kranach, and Holbein ; and to those of a more recent date must be added Mengs ; and, in our own time, Angelica Kaufman, Heckert, and one or two others.