peculiarities and chief traits; since I have seen, in many whom I love, too much of the northern modesty, and have heard the sphere of my own beliefs described as visionary by others, who yet discourse upon faith; and since, besides other books, I have, chiefly by your means, become acquainted with Herder's views, it has gradually come to be with me otherwise than before. At first, my attention was excited only; after, what I heard was repugnant to me; sometimes I was confused within myself, and on the whole, I am at least colder and less courageous than heretofore.

"In truth, so much is my firm determination; that reason shall be my supreme rule; I would possess not a visionary, but a pure and sound faith; and even if I hold to my former beliefs, I must be able to make them out as clearly sure and sound. I have always reverenced in Jesus the highest and most beautiful picture of our manhood; but to consider him a mere ordinary man, seems to me, now, too desolate and harsh.

"I will not willingly renounce reason and understanding; but it makes me cheerful and happy, and certainly does not impede me in action, to reverence in the great Teacher of the eternal God, a constant helper, a divine brother, who kindly makes up for the deficiencies of the world and humanity, who raises us above a system of legality. Did he now die for himself alone, a hero for the sake only of his own opinion? Did he merely bear witness to the truth of his instruction, without intending to purchase a great benefit for men?'' (p. 148.) In a second letter to the same friend, he says: "But you know that, by little and little, my whole system of beliefs grew continually darker, and that I was almost entirely fallen into a blind dependence upon ancient formulas of belief, giving up my own independent faith; and you know how I have come into this condition mainly by your means.' (p. 154.)

But on the 5th of May, the unhappy fruit of the refinements which drew him further and further from a pure Christianity, comes clearly out in these words of his diary: "Lord, to-day again this so miserable unhappiness has sometimes attacked me; but a steady will and steady occupation solves all, and helps through all, and the fatherland becomes a source of pleasure and virtue. Our God-man Christ, our Lord, is a picture of humanity that must always remain beautiful and peaceful. When I reflect, I often think that some one, courageous beyond himself, will undertake to drive a sword into the vitals of Kotzebue, or some other such traitor to the country." (p. 150.)

In the same month of May, 1818, Sand became acquainted with one Kr, a pupil of Hegel, who made a deep impression on him by his cunning frenzy, and carried him quite beyond control. To understand this K―――r, and his influence on Sand, it will be abundantly sufficient Kto quote what the latter writes in his diary, October 20, 1818:

"Kr came in in the evening, and was healthy, noble, and free, clear and firm, immovable, and consistent in his views. He told me how he had formerly had such misgivings, but how he was now completely free from them, and how he was consistent and clear on the question of religion. Heaven must be boldly taken by storm; all stain of sin, all distinction of good and evil, must completely disappear from before the soul, as an empty and false show and then will the soul vanquish men, earth, and the mansions of heaven! Only in unity is there blessedness, to him, in equal and everlasting rest. But he respects every brother as near himself, and recognizes him, as a complement of himself. Yet he is free above freedom, and has another home besides the fatherland. He knows how to seek it, and is firmly determined to do so. I seem to him pious, as well as near to him, and recognized as such; I was pious in the sight of God, and would remain so; and I desire to be holy only in comparison with the world; not in my own eyes. If he can seem holy in his

own eyes, let him do so-I must remain behind. But he vowed freely that he would undertake to maintain such a character continually, or that he would disappear, a wretched mass of dross. Thus he acts not for himself, but for all of us, since we are all one spirit,—a pure spirit. And all this he said so clearly, so loftily, with a peacefulness so powerful as I never saw. I lost all feeling of strangeness, and was drawn to him as a brother in freedom. God help!" 168, 169.)

1.

1

(pp.

The contrast between Sand and K- -r comes out more strongly in the following important extract from his diary:

I

“November 2. Victory, unending victory! To will to live according to my own convictions, in my own way, with an unrestricted will, beyond which nothing in the world pertains to me before God; to maintain, with life and death, among the people a state of pure uprightness (that is, the only condition consistent with God's commands), against all human sentiments; to desire to introduce, by preaching and dying, a pure humanity among my German nation. This seems to me altogether another thing from living in renunciation of the people. I thank thee, O God! for thy grace. What infinite power and blessing do I discover in my own will; I doubt no more! This is the condition of true likeness to God." (p. 170.)

A letter to his mother contains expressions quite similar. In this

he says:

"Kr, as you correctly judge, seems to me an acute and powerful mind; for he has deep and firm convictions, and an individualized and powerful will; and thus has the impress upon him which we derive from God. But his conviction is a distinct disgust at every thing that exists; at all being, life, and effort; he endeavors boldly to destroy the form of every thing, and even himself, as he now exists; he has no pleasure in his existence, in the world, or in his nation. Humanity, which should be to him a pure and holy picture, such as we know it to be displayed in Jesus, our Saviour, counts with him for nothing; is to him nothing but a delay in individuality-in evil.

"And therefore, dear mother, I must say to you, that among our people I know bolder and nobler heroes; and that in the path in which K- r thrusts me backward, and kills me, I feel myself drawn toward them with inexpressible power. Like him, they recognize no human attainment more holy than the good of the highest divine grace, likeness to God; the possession, by man, of an individual conviction and will for himself. In this belief they are wholly without doubt, and as strong in their wills as K- -r; but their convictions look toward active life and pleasure in striving; and if they could have their own way, they would insist on introducing among our German people that pure condition of humanity in which every one can train himself to every thing for which God has ordained him; they would glorify humanity in our nation! And since they have attained to this condition, not one doubt has assaulted their souls; they have not even trembled.

Of this mental pleasure, and this victory, I experience some indications; and therefore I quite give up K-----r. My inherited feelings had already disin clined me to his views; but now I possess a faith, the loftiest belief upon this earth; and this alone I will enjoy.” (pp. 171, 172.)

Who were these bolder heroes to whom Sand felt himself attracted with such inexpressible power, and from whom he expected such transcendent benefits to his fatherland?

Late researches, and especially a work entitled "The German Youth in the Late Burschenschafts and Turning Societies," indicate, with the utmost clearness, that Sand alluded to Karl Follenius and his followers, The author of the above-named work (Robert Wesselhöft), thus describes his first visit to Follenius:

11

"He received us like old acquaintances. We called each other thou; he was hearty and easy, open and confiding, without requiring that any one should at once unconditionally reciprocate all this. But there was in his demeanor, his attitude, the tone of his voice, his emotions, and looks, in short, in the whole man, something noble; peace, power, clearness, a seriousness almost proud; an individuality, which insensibly secured a remarkable degree of respect from all near him. And in his morals he was as strict, as pure, and as chaste as in his language; and we have found no one like him, or certainly no one equal to him, in purity and vigor of morals and manners.

Follenius lectured on the Pandects. His "philosophy was, throughout, practical. He required all that is recognized by the human reason as good, beautiful, and true, to be accomplished by means of the moral The State must be organized correspondently with the

reason of the members of it."

In this manner, proceeds our author, Follenius developed a degree of self-consciousness that was astonishing:

"He was bold enough to assert that his own life was such as reason required. With an indescribable expression of contempt in his features, he accused those of cowardice and weakness who imagine that the knowledge of truth and beauty, and especially of their highest ideals, could be disjoined from living them out, practicing them, realizing them in their widest extent. For he asserted that man's knowledge of good and right never exceeds his power and his will; and that the latter are limited only by the former.

"It will be readily understood that these proud sentiments gave the more offense in proportion as Follenius' own life furnished fewer opportunities for disputing his positions. All that could be alleged against him amounted to the charge, that he was deficient in a certain humility and modesty. But this accusation could not provoke, from one who saw his superiority recognized, any thing more than a compassionate laugh, which said, clearly enough, 'Ye weaklings! Your envious vanity and vile weaknesses are remarkably shrewd!'"

Follenius required unconditional acquiescence in, or difference from his views.

“While in Giessen, he had driven his opponents to this position, and maintained his own ascendency, because he had control of the existence of the Giessen Friends known by the title of Black. But at Jena he had not this control."§ "As soon as Follenius defined this unconditionality in its whole extent, all seemed to bow before the boldness of his conceptions. The conviction that showed itself so profoundly and strongly, commanded respect, but it was felt that it was respected only as it existed in Follenius, and could not be separated from him. But his hearers did not yet understand themselves thoroughly enough to be able at once to be clear in this feeling. But they were sensible of some opposition of thoughts within themselves which prevented them from resisting, with Follenius, all history, and all things, both past and future, and from asserting, with him, that whatever had happened had been brought about by men, and that it might just as well have been otherwise, had men followed a better knowledge, and been willing to put the reason in possession of all its rights. But Follenius claimed that he possessed this better knowledge. Politically, he was purely republican; for he would construct the State as it should be, from the individual man as he should be; and he thought himself competent to represent the latter, and, therefore, authorized to require as much from others. And this he required unconditionally; concluding that any one who would accept this unconditionally, would also accept unconditionally the republican frame of government. Any one accepting his system became

uncon

"German Youth," &c., p. 65.

+ Ib., p. 71.

+ Ib., p. 72.

§ Ib., p. 73.

ditioned.' As his whole system had a practical purpose, and looked to the realization of its principles, thus the receiving of his views-i. e., unconditionality' was really a very serious matter; and it can readily and clearly be apprehended that the unconditional recipients of Follenius' opinions were as earnest in them as he, from the moment of their accepting them.

"Fortunately for the world, of about thirty Friends who formed the narrow circle around Dr. Follenius, only three were entirely unconditional,' and there were about five more in a doubtful state. One of these three was Sand. All the rest were in favor of moderate views; many were only seeking instruction and interchange of ideas in their circle, and were neutral; and a few desired Follenius' conversion. It was supposed that Court Councilor Fries would best accomplish this work of information and conversion, and shortly the whole society met once a week with him, and disputed vigorously. But as both Fries and Follenius had a fixed and completed system, this led to no result. Neither convinced the other."

But among the students there was no thought of an agreement, and in March, 1819, the whole society was broken up into a completely inimical separation, only three adhering to Follenius, among whom, as we have said, was Sand. Our author goes into some detail as to the reasons why Follenius was not acceptable to the other students. He says: "All authoritative proceedings were much hated at Jena; the students only loved their teachers and valued their intellects. Follenius, with his moral-political ideas, could not succeed in Jena. People had learned and received too much from previous teachers to give it up for what Follenius offered. They criticised him, and advised others to do so why should Follenius not be criticised? The harshness with which he would have propagated his beliefs and opinions, and with which he asserted that only cowardice and weakness refrained from adhering to them, and carrying them into practice, drove his friends into such an opposition as made it out of the question for his instructions to have any influence on the students. Even those who could not refuse their respect to Follenius, opposed him strenuously at the same time; asserting that no one, unless he were Christ, was entitled to claim that he was possessed of the truth. Only Christ held that position; and in him intellectual freedom is to be enjoyed. In a moral and religious sense, there is a Saviour; but nobody is going to believe in a moral-political Messiah."

This reference to Christ relates to a hymn which Follenius wrote for the communion. It began:

Within thy being nothing is destroyed.
God guideth thee as thou dost guide thyself.
Through thee, by love, God doth become

A man, that he may still be end and aim into us."

Another poem of Follenius', a turbulent summons to insurrection, Sand had printed and distributed as widely as possible. It begins: "Human crowd, O thou great human desert!

Who of late the mental spring-time greetedst,
Break at last-crash up, Ó ancient ice!''†

As an additional description of Follenius, I add the following: "When we asked him if he believed that his system could be put into practice without blood, he answered, calmly, No. In the worst event, all must be sacrificed who entertain different opinions.' And when we replied that our feelings revolted at such a terrorism, and that, as Christians and men, we thought it wrong to murder men, otherwise, perhaps, good and upright, because they ventured to think and believe differently from us; and even that we did not claim the right of condemning the moral convictions of others, he answered that the feelings have nothing to do with this case, but necessity. And if you have the conviction in you that your beliefs are true, the feeling of the necessity of acting out this truth cannot be strange to you, unless by reason of cowardice. The means are not to be considered when the case is one of moral necessity.'

"When we observed, that this was the Jesuitical principle, that the end sanctifies the means, he calmly replied, that a moral necessity is not an end at all; and in reference to that, all means are alike.'

'Fortunately, we could find no such moral necessity within us; and had to admit that we did not believe it existed, except in him.

***Good;' he answered that is enough, however.'"'

We shall, hereafter, refer once more to Follenius; and, therefore, shall only describe him so far as is necessary to show how predomi nant an influence he exercised upon Sand. Although this is plain, from many of Sand's expressions, already quoted, it appears still more clearly in portions of the latter part of his diary. He writes, on 5th December, 1818:

"I will have but one grace---the everlasting grace of God-which, therefore, can never turn back from me, but is inwoven with the rudiments of my being. I renounce the feeble belief in the occasional interposition of God's hand behind the scenes of the play of nature and humanity, and proportionably more shall I, on the other hand, elevate my own spirit, and praise thy primeval grace, O God! by my whole active existence and life. And these iminediate relations with thee, O God! my soul shall never mistake, nor destroy, nor forget. Here, thy grace shall endure forever, with every day-here, in thy love. I will rightly understand my will, the loftiest gift of God, the only real possession; and with it will possess all the infinity of material which thou hast placed about me for trial and for self-creation. I reject all grace which I do not acquire from myself; such undesired grace is none at all for me; it destroys itself. Not to live distinctly up to one's convictions, to vary from them for fear and human opinions, not to be willing to die for them, is brutal-is the vileness of millions for thousands of years. Flee, with circumspection, the snares of Satan." (p. 173.)

On the 31st of December, he writes: "Thus I celebrate the last day of this year, 1818, seriously and joyfully, and am sure that the last Christmas is past which I shall have kept. If any thing is to come of our efforts; if humanity