edition but yours. I have had the happiness to see, that in your readings, you have confirmed many of my conjectures, and I cannot express how much I have felt myself flattered to see my judgment confirmed by that of a man like you. But I am disheartened at seeing only four of the seven plays of so great a tragedian comprised in two volumes, the last of which, dating 1784, makes me fear, on account of the long time passed since its appearance, that you have abandoned a work which does you such honor. * * * English scholars have told me,—and I can easily believe them,—that your edition is in the highest estimation among them. The Greek scholars of Paris, of whom there are yet some remaining, are all agreed as to the excellence of edition. *

your

CAILLARD TO SCHÜTZ.

Paris, June 26, 1801.

*

It is now several months since I received the beautiful volume of Æschylus, which you have done me the honor to dedicate to me; and I expected that you would have received my grateful acknowledgements long ago; for I prepared a reply within a few days after receiving the volume from my friend Millin, and see what has happened. *** I have collected in my library many old editions of this author, and have lately added the edition of Porson, whom I hope to see here as soon as peace shall render the journey safe. ** If some happy circumstance should bring you to Paris, be assured you would find yourself among your friends. Our society is not very extensive, but you would see among those who compose it persons worthy of your attention. Besides Du Theil, le Chardon la Rochette, Corai, Sainte Croix, and others, whom you know already, you would find a young magistrate, my particular friend, and the friend of Humboldt, who will certainly speak to you of him. It is

Clavier, of the school of Corai, from whom an edition of Pausanias, with a translation and very interesting critical and historical notes, is expected. He has already shown me some of his emendations, which are remarkably just and simple. I wish he might collect them and put them into the form of a critical epistle, addressed to you, or to some of your eminent colleagues. In Germany he would meet with success; but here one must be "satisfied with few readers." For a long time a taste for Greek literature has ceased to be the prevailing taste of France. For if, on the one hand, the first consul has called for a translation of Strabo, and entrusted the execution to three eminent scholars, Du Theil, Corai, and Gosselin, our first geographer, and a worthy successor of D'Anville, a new edition of Xenophon, on the other hand, in Greek, Latin and French, has been given over to professor Gail, who is executing it with great typographical splendor, at the expense of the government. You will see its appearance before long, and von Humboldt will speak to you of it. We strongly recommend this edition to the particular attention of the editor of the Universal Literary Journal, begging him, in the mean time, not to judge of us by this scintillation; for that would be severe. * *

F. CREUZER TO SCHÜTZ.

Heidelberg, March 13, 1808. Your letter, my much respected friend, with the accompanying programme of the course of lectures, was, to me, a truly joyful sight. Convinced, as I am, that the universities are the pillars of German science and culture, as the whole history of literature goes to show, I must welcome every indication of their continued existence. I congratulate you, therefore, on the appearance of your programme, which you have prepared with such a valuable and appropriate introduction. It is truly an

inspiring thought which you have expressed in the words: “We have fallen upon those times, which teach us by the most impressive examples, that our prosperity cannot come from without,-that we can rely upon nothing but our own virtue." I thank you heartily, my honored friend, for the present you have made me with the preface, and desire nothing more earnestly than that the joy of future prosperity may efface from your memory the bitterness of the past. *

*

CREUZER TO SCHÜTZ.

*

Heidelberg, Dec. 8, 1809.

A few days ago, my dear friend, I entertained myself with reading your elegant Eulogy of Johannes von Müller; and I resolved, on the spot, no longer to delay informing you of my return to the German soil. First of all, my dear friend and teacher, I tender you my thanks for the gratification and instruction which the perusal of this most valuable memorial of the departed Müller has afforded me. As you have here discussed the historical art, and the merits of Müller as a historian, it was well to prefix your memoir to the new edition of his works. Learned foreigners, in particular, who are so seldom acquainted with the German, will be doubly thankful for this representation of so distinguished a master of the historical art. I wish you would make up your mind to enlarge this memoir. Both the character of the work, and its pure Latinity make me desire it.

But you will ask, what brought you back so soon from Holland? The answer is short,-climate and mode of living. The world of water was not the world for me. *** My relations to my colleagues were agreeable, and the natural good-humor of the Dutch made a favorable impression upon my mind. Especially must I mention the friendly attentions of professor Wyttenbach, who did.

every thing to render my situation agreeable, and who was the chief agent in procuring my appointment. But when my physician, a man of experience and skill, himself advised me to return to my native German soil, and mountain air, Wyttenbach was very active to secure me against pecuniary loss. It is to him that I am most indebted, not only for an allowance for the expense of my return, but for my whole salary during the five months of my residence there. Meermann, also, the general superintendent of education in Holland, is animated by the noblest spirit, and has done very handsomely by me. He would gladly see the German system of education adopted in Holland, and the Dutch universities modified and conformed to the German. But he finds strong opposition in the nation, and even among the curators and many professors. The curator Jerome de Bosch is a fine fellow, a very lively, ardent man, at the same time good-hearted and liberal. Both he and Meermann possess excellent libraries. My relations in Heidelberg are exactly to my mind. The professorship of eloquence, which had been given to professor Böckh, is retained by him. But I have the direction of the Philological Seminary. I do not resume my connection with the Heidelberg Journal; the correspondence, occasioned by it, was too great an interruption. In other respects, except that I lecture also on the history of literature, I enter upon my former labors. * * As to my successor at Leyden, nothing is yet settled. I have tried to persuade Martyni-Laguna to become a candidate for the office. He would be a valuable acquisition to Leyden; but I doubt whether he can be induced to leave Germany.

16

CREUZER TO SCHÜTZ.

Heidelberg, May 7, 1810.

Of your continued good health I have received pleasing accounts from your sister and her husband, the worthy Griesbach, who called upon me here. Conversation with these pleasant travellers carried me back afresh to those old times when I was so often at your house in Jena. The Griesbach family have chosen a delightful spring for their journey. You ought to follow this good example, and make an excursion with your family into the south of Germany. The spring is the season to visit Heidelberg,in the winter it is dismal. The good accounts which we hear of your university, seem to promise you better times, in which one may think again of tours of pleasure.

As to myself, I am, in all respects, happy to be here again. Neither the climate, nor the present state of Holland, would have made me contented. Even Wyttenbach, if he were younger, would hardly remain there. He justifies my course, and regards me as fortunate in having returned to Germany. My health, which was very uncertain in Holland, is confirmed again, and my sphere of action is continually enlarging. To all this is added a pleasant relation with my colleagues, which renders my return doubly pleasant.

Under these circumstances, the attempt of Eichstaedt, in the Jena Literary Gazette, to annihilate me here, is without effect, and I have not the least disposition to waste my time in replying to him, though it were easy to unmask his intrigues and those of his party. * * * The younger Voss has gained no hearers by it, and I have lost none. I remain on good terms with him as a colleague.