HERDER, JOHANN GOTTFRIED VON, was born in 1744, at Morungen, in East Prussia, where his father kept a little girls'arehool. The only books he was allowed to read were a Bible and Hymn-book, though he secretly turned his attention to other works. A preacher named Trescho engaged him as a writer, and as he observed iu him germs of talent, he allowed him to remain with his sons while he gave them instruction in Latin and Greek. A complaint in the eyes, with which he was afflicted, was the means of his becoming acquainted with a Russian surgeon, who was so pleased with him that ho offered to take him to KOnigsberg and thence to Petersburg, designing to instruct him in surgery gratis. Herder accepted the offer, but at Konigsberg fainted at the first dissection which ho attended, and thereupon resolved to study theology. He fortunately gained the acquaintance of persons who appreciated him, and procured him a place as Instructor in the Frederick's College at Konigsberg. With the most Indefatigable industry he studied philosophy, natural science, history, and languages, and in 1764 became assistant at the cathedral school at Riga, to which office that also of preacher was attached. Though his eermons were greatly admired, he soon left the situation, as he desired to study the world at large. He accordingly went to France, and was there chosen by the Prince of Holstein-Oldenburg as his travelling-companion. He would have gone from France to Italy had be not been arrested by the complaint in his eyes at Strasbourg, where he first became acquainted with Clothe. In 1775 ho became
theological professor at Gottingen, where be was enabled to pursue his favourite studies under the benign influence of the Duke of Saxe Weimar and his wife. He died In 1S03.
The writings of Herder fill about sixty volumes, and are on the greatest variety of subjects. As a theologian he has gained celebrity by his 'Spirit of Hebrew Poetry ; ' as a philosopher he is known as the author of the ' Philosophy of the History of Man,' a work which has been translated into English. lie was not so much a metaphysician as an observer. He strove to discover a point of union where science, religion, history, poetry, and art should meet ; and in order to take one comprehensive view of all the tendencies of man, he made himself acquainted with the literature of a variety of countries, Oriental as well as European, ancient as well as modern. His collection of popular ballads of all nations has a high reputation ; and a poem by him called the Cid ' has been declared by the Spaniards themselves to be truly Spanish. The great influence which he exercised on German literature, by introducing his countrymen to the knowledge of an infinite variety of subjects, was undoubtedly great ; and his name is never mentioned among them but in terms of high respect and admiration.