The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art

left little space for comment on the mode Cuyp.' The gradual emancipation of the of its presentation to the English reader. art from its trammels, as a subordinate The author has been especially fortunate in auxiliary, and its assumption of an ideal of his translator (translatress we should rather its own embodying, are shown to be ever say, since, in the style of its execution, we found in connexion with increasing knowhave no difficulty in recognising the same ledge and observation of nature consequent admirable hand which gave an English garb on advancing cultivation. To such poetic to Baron Wrangell's Expedition to the descriptions and depicted scenery, as well Polar Sea). So perfect a transfusion of as to the view of exotic products assembled the spirit and force of a very difficult in collections, hot-houses, and museums, original into another language, with so he traces much of that lively impulse which little the air of a translation, it has rarely stimulates young and excitable minds to been our fortune to meet with. To the foreign travel for the sake of knowledge, editor it is indebted for several very inte- and to the prosecution of physical study at resting and instructive notes (to some of home. These essays form a graceful and which we have had occasion specifically to elegant episode, interposed between the draw the reader's attention) relating to a more massive and austere divisions of the variety of subjects, on which, either from general subject, the Physical Description personal observation on the most extended of the Universe,' which we have passed in scale, or from laborious and systematic dis- review, and the History of the Contemcussion of the observations of others, he is plation of Nature;' and will be read with entitled to every attention. equal enjoyment by the poet, the artist, and the philosopher.

(

The

While the preceding pages were in pro- Of the History of the Contemplation of gress, we have been favored with the Nature' one section only has reached our perusal, in proof sheets, of a portion of the hands: sufficient, however, to convey a second volume of the 'Kosmos,' (translated notion, and to correct an impression we had and edited as above), containing, under the formed, as to our author's intended mode title of Incitements to the Study of Na- of handling this part of his matter. ture,' a series of beautiful and brilliant history with which he proposes to present essays of the highest literary merit, and full us would appear to be not so much a history of scholarship, classical research, and artistic of Physical Science in the gradual developfeeling, on the reflex action of the imagina- ment of its theories, as a history of objective tive faculty when excited by the contem- discovery, a review of those steps in the plation of the external world, as exemplified progress of human cultivation which have in the production of poetic descriptions of prepared the way and furnished the matenature (especially of wild and landscape rials for science such as we now possess it. scenery), and in landscape painting. For With every successive expansion of society examples of the former kind, M. de Hum- the views of mankind have become enlarged boldt lays under contribution the literature as to the extent and construction of the of all ages and nations, from ancient India globe we inhabit, the objects it offers to to modern Europe, entering largely into the contemplation, the elaborate structure of its influence exercised by the peculiar aspect parts, and its relation to the rest of the of society in each on the development of universe. Great events in the world's histhis form of the poetic sentiment, which he tory have from time to time especially regards, and justly, as the first expansion facilitated and promoted this enlargement of the heart towards a recognition of the of the horizon of observation; such as the unity and grandeur of the Kosmos. In like migrations of nations, remarkable voyages, manner the art of landscape painting is and military expeditions, bringing into traced from its first origin as the mere view new countries, new products, new background of historical composition or relations of climate. Great epochs too in scenic decoration, to its grand developments the history of the knowledge of nature are in the seventeenth century-to Claude thos in which accident or thought has Lorraine, the idyllic painter of light and furnished artificial aids, new organs of sense aeria distance, Ruysdael's dark forest and perception, by which man has been masses and threatening clouds,' Gaspar and enabled to penetrate more and more deeply Nicholas Poussin's heroic forms of trees, either into the profundity of space, or into and the faithful and simply natural repre- the intimate constitution of the animate or sentations of Everdingen, Hobbima, and inanimate objects which surround him. In

tracing these epochs and following out the | Lore-quite as familiar to him as those of course of these events so far as they bear Science. We should do injustice, however, upon the object in view, availing himself of both to him and to those whose office it may all the light which modern research has be to render an account of the further prothrown on the early history of civilization, gress of this work, by further anticipation, whether from the study of ancient monu- and shall, therefore, content ourselves with ments, or the critical comparison of written adding that, should the conclusion correrecords, M. de Humboldt has opened out spond (as we doubt not) with these beginfor himself a field nearly co-extensive with nings, a work will have been accomplished, literature itself, and one peculiarly fitted to every way worthy of its author's fame, and his own powers and habits of thought, a crowning laurel added to that wreath with which, as our readers need not to be inform- which Europe will always delight to sured, have made its higher walks-Esthetics, round the name of Alexander von HumHistory, and Antiquarian and Monumental boldt.

From the London Quarterly Review.

THE LAST YEARS OF FREDERICK THE SECOND.

1. Euvres de Frédéric le Grand, Roi de Prusse. Nouvelle Edition. Berlin: chez Rodolphe Decker, Imprimeur du Roi, vols. I., II., et III. 1846. 2. Friedrich der Grosse: eine Lebens-Geschichte.

Von J. D. E. Preuss, Berlin,

3. Urkunden-buch zur Lebens-Geschichte. Von J. D. E. Preuss, Berlin, 5 vols. 1834.

This new edition comes forth with a splendor well beseeming, if not the value of the works, yet certainly the rank of the author. No expense has been spared on the paper or the types; and the editor, Dr. Preuss, is eminently qualified for the task from his most full and valuable, and on the whole impartial and discriminating, Life of King Frederick, which appeared in 1832.

Congé de l'Armée des Cercles et des Tonnelliers, Euvres Posthumes, vol. XV., p. 217.

the French in which he chose to write, and his peculiar tediousness, both in his prose and verse, or rather in his two kinds of prose, the rhymed and unrhymed-we imagine that all critics of all countries (unless possibly his own) are entirely agreed. Nor do we propose to descant either upon the freaks of his youth or the glories of his wars. Both are sufficiently well knownthe former through his own sister, the Margravine de Baireuth, and his favourite, Voltaire ;-the latter from the pages of more than one historian. But it seems to us that his system of administration in peace has by no means received the same degree of attention as his military exploits. Nor are the habits of his declining age so familiar to us as those of his early manhood. It is therefore to these-the life of Frederick, public and private, since the Peace of Hubertsburg that we now desire to apply ourselves. For this investigation the biography of Dr. Preuss, with his five volumes of appended documents, will supply our best, though by no means our only, materials.

left little space for comment on the mode Cuyp.' The gradual emancipation of the of its presentation to the English reader. art from its trammels, as a subordinate The author has been especially fortunate in auxiliary, and its assumption of an ideal of his translator (translatress we should rather its own embodying, are shown to be ever say, since, in the style of its execution, we found in connexion with increasing knowhave no difficulty in recognising the same ledge and observation of nature consequent admirable hand which gave an English garb on advancing cultivation. To such poetic to Baron Wrangell's Expedition to the descriptions and depicted scenery, as well Polar Sea). So perfect a transfusion of as to the view of exotic products assembled the spirit and force of a very difficult in collections, hot-houses, and museums, original into another language, with so he traces much of that lively impulse which little the air of a translation, it has rarely stimulates young and excitable minds to been our fortune to meet with. To the foreign travel for the sake of knowledge, editor it is indebted for several very inte- and to the prosecution of physical study at resting and instructive notes (to some of home. These essays form a graceful and which we have had occasion specifically to elegant episode, interposed between the draw the reader's attention) relating to a more massive and austere divisions of the variety of subjects, on which, either from general subject, the Physical Description personal observation on the most extended of the Universe,' which we have passed in scale, or from laborious and systematic dis-review, and the History of the Contemcussion of the observations of others, he is plation of Nature;' and will be read with entitled to every attention. equal enjoyment by the poet, the artist, and the philosopher.

(

The

While the preceding pages were in pro- Of the History of the Contemplation of gress, we have been favored with the Nature' one section only has reached our perusal, in proof sheets, of a portion of the hands: sufficient, however, to convey a second volume of the Kosmos,' (translated notion, and to correct an impression we had and edited as above), containing, under the formed, as to our author's intended mode title of Incitements to the Study of Na- of handling this part of his matter. ture,' a series of beautiful and brilliant history with which he proposes to present essays of the highest literary merit, and full us would appear to be not so much a history of scholarship, classical research, and artistic of Physical Science in the gradual developfeeling, on the reflex action of the imagina- ment of its theories, as a history of objective tive faculty when excited by the contem- discovery, a review of those steps in the plation of the external world, as exemplified progress of human cultivation which have in the production of poetic descriptions of prepared the way and furnished the matenature (especially of wild and landscape rials for science such as we now possess it. scenery), and in landscape painting. For With every successive expansion of society examples of the former kind, M. de Hum- the views of mankind have become enlarged boldt lays under contribution the literature as to the extent and construction of the of all ages and nations, from ancient India globe we inhabit, the objects it offers to to modern Europe, entering largely into the contemplation, the elaborate structure of its influence exercised by the peculiar aspect parts, and its relation to the rest of the of society in each on the development of universe. Great events in the world's histhis form of the poetic sentiment, which he tory have from time to time especially regards, and justly, as the first expansion facilitated and promoted this enlargement of the heart towards a recognition of the of the horizon of observation; such as the unity and grandeur of the Kosmos. In like migrations of nations, remarkable voyages, manner the art of landscape painting is and military expeditions, bringing into traced from its first origin as the mere view new countries, new products, new background of historical composition or relations of climate. Great epochs too in scenic decoration, to its grand developments the history of the knowledge of nature are in the seventeenth century-to Claude those in which accident or thought has Lorraine, the idyllic painter of light and furnished artificial aids, new organs of sense aeria distance, Ruysdael's dark forest and perception, by which man has been masses and threatening clouds,' Gaspar and enabled to penetrate more and more deeply Nicholas Poussin's heroic forms of trees, either into the profundity of space, or into and the faithful and simply natural repre- the intimate constitution of the animate or sentations of Everdingen, Hobbima, and inanimate objects which surround him. In

tracing these epochs and following out the Lore-quite as familiar to him as those of course of these events so far as they bear Science. We should do injustice, however, upon the object in view, availing himself of both to him and to those whose office it may all the light which modern research has be to render an account of the further prothrown on the early history of civilization, gress of this work, by further anticipation, whether from the study of ancient monu- and shall, therefore, content ourselves with ments, or the critical comparison of written adding that, should the conclusion correrecords, M. de Humboldt has opened out spond (as we doubt not) with these beginfor himself a field nearly co-extensive with nings, a work will have been accomplished, literature itself, and one peculiarly fitted to every way worthy of its author's fame, and his own powers and habits of thought, a crowning laurel added to that wreath with which, as our readers need not to be inform- which Europe will always delight to sured, have made its higher walks-Esthetics, round the name of Alexander von HumHistory, and Antiquarian and Monumental boldt.

From the London Quarterly Review.

THE LAST YEARS OF FREDERICK THE SECOND.

1. Euvres de Frédéric le Grand, Roi de Prusse. Nouvelle Edition. Berlin: chez Rodolphe Decker, Imprimeur du Roi, vols. I., II., et III. 1846.

2. Friedrich der Grosse: eine Lebens Geschichte. Von J. D. E. Preuss, Berlin, 4 vols. 1832.

3. Urkunden-buch zur Lebens-Geschichte. Von J. D. E. Preuss, Berlin, 5 vols. 1834.

IN a Convocation held at Oxford on the 1st We shall not be tempted, however, by of July, 1847, it was proposed and agreed this opportunity to enter into any minute that the University Seal should be affixed discussion of the writings of the Prussian to a Letter of Thanks to His Majesty the monarch. On his general demerits as an King of Prussia for his Majesty's gracious author, the department of letter-writing present of the three first volumes of a mag-alone excepted, his imperfect mastery of nificent edition of the Works of King the French in which he chose to write, and Frederick the Great.' We have no doubt his peculiar tediousness, both in his prose that the good taste of the Royal Donor will and verse, or rather in his two kinds of limit his gift to the earlier volumes, which prose, the rhymed and unrhymed-we imcomprise such writings as the Mémoires de agine that all critics of all countries (unless Brandebourg and L'Histoire de Mon possibly his own) are entirely agreed. Nor Temps. Were his Majesty to send the do we propose to descant either upon the complete collection, with what feelings freaks of his youth or the glories of his could the Reverend Heads of houses be ex- wars. Both are sufficiently well knownpected to read-or with what expressions to the former through his own sister, the Maracknowledge-the Commentaire Théolo- gravine de Baireuth, and his favourite, Volgique sur Barbe Bleue, or the Ode, in the taire ;-the latter from the pages of more style of Petronius, on the French fugitives than one historian. But it seems to us that after Rosbach !* his system of administration in peace has by no means received the same degree of attention as his military exploits. Nor are the habits of his declining age so familiar to us as those of his early manhood. It is therefore to these-the life of Frederick, public and private, since the Peace of Hubertsburg that we now desire to apply ourselves. For this investigation the biography of Dr. Preuss, with his five volumes of appended documents, will supply our best, though by no means our only, materials.

the

This new edition comes forth with a splendor well beseeming, if not the value of the works, yet certainly the rank of the author. No expense has been spared on paper or the types; and the editor, Dr. Preuss, is eminently qualified for the task from his most full and valuable, and on the whole impartial and discriminating, Life of King Frederick, which appeared in 1832.

Congé de l'Armée des Cercles et des Tonnelliers, Euvres Posthumes, vol. XV., p. 217.

While the preceding pages were in pro- Of the History of the Contemplation of gress, we have been favored with the Nature' one section only has reached our perusal, in proof sheets, of a portion of the hands: sufficient, however, to convey a second volume of the 'Kosmos,' (translated notion, and to correct an impression we had and edited as above), containing, under the formed, as to our author's intended mode title of Incitements to the Study of Na- of handling this part of his matter. The ture,' a series of beautiful and brilliant history with which he proposes to present essays of the highest literary merit, and full us would appear to be not so much a history of scholarship, classical research, and artistic of Physical Science in the gradual developfeeling, on the reflex action of the imagina- ment of its theories, as a history of objective tive faculty when excited by the contem- discovery, a review of those steps in the plation of the external world, as exemplified progress of human cultivation which have in the production of poetic descriptions of prepared the way and furnished the matenature (especially of wild and landscape rials for science such as we now possess it. scenery), and in landscape painting. For With every successive expansion of society examples of the former kind, M. de Hum- the views of mankind have become enlarged boldt lays under contribution the literature as to the extent and construction of the of all ages and nations, from ancient India globe we inhabit, the objects it offers to to modern Europe, entering largely into the contemplation, the elaborate structure of its influence exercised by the peculiar aspect parts, and its relation to the rest of the of society in each on the development of universe. Great events in the world's histhis form of the poetic sentiment, which he tory have from time to time especially regards, and justly, as the first expansion facilitated and promoted this enlargement of the heart towards a recognition of the of the horizon of observation; such as the unity and grandeur of the Kosmos. In like migrations of nations, remarkable voyages, manner the art of landscape painting is and military expeditions, bringing into traced from its first origin as the mere view new countries, new products, new background of historical composition or relations of climate. Great epochs too in scenic decoration, to its grand developments the history of the knowledge of nature are in the seventeenth century-to Claude thos in which accident or thought has Lorraine, the idyllic painter of light and furnished artificial aids, new organs of sense aeria distance, Ruysdael's dark forest and perception, by which man has been masses and threatening clouds,' Gaspar and enabled to penetrate more and more deeply Nicholas Poussin's heroic forms of trees, either into the profundity of space, or into and the faithful and simply natural repre- the intimate constitution of the animate or sentations of Everdingen, Hobbima, and inanimate objects which surround him. In

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The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art, Volume 13