EWALD„TonANNEs, one of the best lyric poets of Denmark, was b. at Copenhagen on the 18th Nov., 1743, and d. in the same city in 1781. In his 16th year, when his friends were about to send him to the university of 'Copenhagen, the restless impatience of restraint which had always characterized him, led him to make his escape to Germany, where he entered as a private soldier in the army of Frederick the great of Prussia, from which he soon deserted to the Austrians. His bravery having attracted the notice of his superiors, he was offered a commission, but this he refused to accept, as it would have obliged him to become a Catholic; and having induced his friends to purchase his discharge, he returned to Copenhagen in 1760, after having taken part in the great cam paigns of 1759-60. He now began the study of theology, but a disappointment in love drove him to abandon it, and give his attention solely to poetry. The first production of E. which attracted general notice was the funeral ode which he wrote on the death of Frederick V. of Denmark in 1767, and which exhibited so much original genius, that it at once raised the young poet to the rank of one of the best writers of his country. This successful attempt was rapidly followed by the appearance of numerous tragedies, operas, and songs, which are remarkable for great lyric beauty. In 1770, appeared the prose tragedy of Rolf Krage, which gives evidence of a careful study of Shakespeare and the English dramatists of the Elizabethan age. Although Balder's Doed (1773),
which breathes the heroic spirit of the ancient bards of the north, and exhibits the specially national tendency of E.'s genius, is regarded by some critics as his chef d'murre, Fiskerne, Fisherman" (1780), probably deserves to rank equally high, when con sidered as a mere lyrical production. His 'habits of dissipation, and the decided opin ions which he expressed in reference to politics, brought him into difficulties of every kind, while his infirmities of temper, and irregularities of conduct, estranged the affec tion of his nearest relatives, and in the latter years of his unhappy life he was often indebted to the charity of strangers for the means of subsistence. Some of his nautical songs have been raised to the dignity of national odes, and many of his occasional pieces rant: among the sweetest poems of his country. He was engaged at the time of his death in compiling an autobiography, and in bringing out the complete edition of his writings, which finally appeared in 1792. His works have also been edited by F. L. Liebenberg (Copen. 1850-55); and a life of E., compiled 'from hitherto unpublished materials, has recently appeared from the pen of F. C. Olsen, of Copenhagen.