Lessing's theological opinions exposed him to much petty perse cution, and he was in almost constant straits for money. His health had been undermined by excessive work and anxiety, and after a short illness he died at Brunswick on Feb. 15, 1781. "We lose much in him," wrote Goethe after Lessing's death, "more than we think." It may be questioned whether there is any other writer to whom the Germans owe a deeper debt of gratitude. He was succeeded by poets and philosophers who gave Germany for a time the first place in the intellectual life of the world, and it was Lessing, as they themselves acknowledged, who prepared the way for their achievements. Without attaching himself to any particu lar system of philosophical doctrine, he fought error incessantly, and in regard to art, poetry and the drama and religion, suggested ideas which kindled the enthusiasm of aspiring minds, and stimu lated their highest energies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.--The first edition of Lessing's collected works, edited by his brother Karl Gotthelf Lessing (174o-1812), J. J. Eschenburg and F. Nicolai, appeared in 26 vols. between 1791 and 1794, as a continuation of the Vermischte Schriften, edited by Lessing himself in 4 vols. (1771-85) ; the Sdmtliche Schriften, edited by Karl Lach mann, were published in 13 vols. (1825-28), this edition being subse
quently re-edited by W. von Maltzahn (1853-57), by F. Muncker (21 vols., 1886 ff.) and by J. Petersen and W. von Olshausen (25 vols., 1925). The more important biographies of Lessing are by K. G. Lessing (his brother) (1793-95, a reprint in Reclam's Universal bibliothek) ; J. Sime, Lessing, his Life and Works (2 vols., 1877) ; E. Schmidt, Lessing, Geschichte seines Lebens and seiner Schriften (2 vols., 1884-92, 4th ed., revised by F. Schultz, 1923)—this is the most complete biography ; T. W. Rolleston, Lessing (in "Great Writers," 1889) ; R. M. Werner, Lessing (1917). See also K. Fischer, Lessing als Reformator der deutschen Literatur dargestellt (2 vols., 1881, 2nd ed., 1888) ; B. A. Wagner, Lessing-Forschungen (1881) ; J. W. Braun, Lessing im Urteile seiner Zeitgenossen (2 vols., 1884) ; G. Kettner, Lessings Dramen im Lichte ihrer and unserer Zeit (1904) ; C. Pitollet, Contribution d retat de l'Hispanisme de G. E. Lessing (1909) ; G. Fittbogen, Die Religion Lessings (Leipzig, 1923). Transla tions of Lessing's Dramatic Works (2 vols., 1878) edited by E. Bell, and of Laokoon, Dramatic Notes and the Representation of Death by the Ancients, by E. C. Beasley and H. Zimmern (r vol., 1879), will be found in Bohn's "Standard Library."