FISCHART, Joins, a very extraordinary German author, was h. Oilier at :rfainz nt Strasburg, probably about the year 1545. Regarding his life, we know very little. lie was by profession a jurist, lint his writings exhibit an immense learning and reading in all the departments of human knowledge. About 1570, he -made a journey to England. Towards 1580, he was living at Strasburgg• in terms of close friendship with the eminent book-printer, Bernhard John'. During 1581 and 1702. he was advocate to the imperial chamber at Speier, and in 1585 became bailiff of Forbad), where lie probably died about 1590. Of the very 'numerous =Maga which. appeared 1370-90, partly under his own, and partly under various fictitious names, about fifty have been proved to be on the whole-genuine, though disfigured by interpolations. respect to others, however, the authorship is doubtful. The original editions of almost all F.'s wOrks are extremely rare, but new ones have recently been published. His most celebrated works are based on foreign models, particularly Rabelais, but there is no servile imitation a free creative genius works plastically on the materials. To this class belong his AU Praktik Grossmutter (1573), Affentheurlich Naupengehorliche Geschichtklitterung von U. S. IV. (1575), Podagrammisch Trostbuchlein (1577), Divenkovb des Key& Rianischen ham, schwa r1728 (1579), and Der Ileilig Brotkorb (1580). These writings are wholly satirical. With the most inexhaustible humor, he lashes, now the corruptipns of the clergy,.now the astrological fancies, the dull pedantry, or other follies, public and private, of the time. Next to these stands the outrageously comic work of F.'s—quite original in its
conception—entitled Flohatz, Weibertmtz (1574). Essentially different in its homely and simple tone is his Des gliiclehain Schiff von Zurich, written in verse, and published in 1576 (new edition by Hailing, 1829). Similar in point of style are his Psalmen and Geistliehe Lieder (1576; new edit. Berlin, 1849). The rest of F.'s numerous writings, partly in prose, partly in verse, are of unequal merit, singularly,varied in style and con tents; the prose works being in general more complete than the poetic. What gives so high a value to F.'s satirical humor, is the warm and genuine feeling which he exhibits for the moral foundations of all public and private life—viz., religion, " fatherland," and the family, a feeling which betrays itself in his wildest mirth. His works are, more over, one of the richest sources from whence to draw information with to the manners of his time. But perhaps the most extraordinary thing about F. is his treat ment of the language. No German author can be compared with him, not even Jean Paul Richter himself. He coins new words and .turns of expression, without any regard to analogy, but nevertheless displays the greatest fancy, wit, and erudition in his most arbitrary formations. The fullest collection of his writings is in the royal library at For a critical account of the investigations concerniug F. and his works, see Vilmar in Ersch and Gruber's Encyclopmdie (s. 1, vol. 5).