thoughtless young man, and the specimens of this genius are not so rare or obsolete that we need discuss them at any great length. His name or rather cognomen of "the Genius" is assuredly not quite the thing, unless he can be included in that numerous subdivision of the species which goes under the canine appellation, and is by science subdivided into lucky and unlucky. He is properly to be found amongst unlucky dogs: and even under this head we do not see that his merits are so eminent in degree as to entitle him to any particular reverence or affection.

An epic of the true Greeks should always begin in the middle, accordingly we meet Fermer in the middle of the street, of a loveaffair, and of a rush of blood to the head.

"When Fermer had returned from the university, he went first with a throbbing heart to the street where lived his beloved. He thought he should have perished in going there; with such force the blood rushed from all the veins to his head.

"The street was some distance off, and he had time to make on the way several considerations of importance. 'Has she still continued faithful to me?' said he to himself: why did I not receive from her any letters for so long a time? God forbid that I should find her faith

less!"-p. 30.

This state of heart and head are effectively if not agreeably diverted by the following incident.

"With a flushed countenance he ran against a long beam of timber which a man was carrying through the street: with an impudent air, 'Go along!' cried he, on perceiving young Fermer to be at the point of breaking out into vehement reproaches."-p. 31.

But, like Romeo, our hero's head was occupied by softer feelings than the beam in question could communicate, and consequently he avoids the opening which fate has thus made for him into a row or shindy.* We are presented with a touching scene.

"Fermer was a young man of fortune, his parents were dead; he had only studied, as one may say, for his amusement, in order to be able to give his opinion in conversation; for this utility at least cannot be denied to the sciences.

"Fermer rung the bell, a servant opened the door. He went up stairs, he found Louise in her room.

:

"Without farther ceremony he flew to her and pressed her cordially in his arms this has been the privilege of lovers from time immemorial. Intoxicated as he was with joy, he still fancied he perceived that his beloved did not answer his warmth as she perhaps should have done; the

* We have been greatly scandalized by the question as to the derivation of this word, even by scholars sometime resident in Germany. We submit its root to be schinden, to flay, or rub off the skin; also, to do anything beyond reason; which we opine to be fair definitions of the case. To have a shindy is therefore to have a rub.

moment however being destined to joy, he thought no more about the

matter.

"Why hast thou not written to me for so long a while, my dearest?' cried be; how couldst thou leave me in this horrible uncertainty? Thou dost not conceive what I have suffered; all my happiness, all my projects lay prostrate, and the most violent agony consumed and grieved my heart.'

"Louise cast down her eyes. I was not well, my father was ill, our dear relation by whom thou hast received my letters was gone.'

"Louise, appalling thoughts presented themselves to my mind at that time. I thought thee untrue, every thing occurred to me which I ever read in books regarding the fickleness of women. Not a single night could I sleep. Thou canst not conceive what I have suffered.' "Inexpressibly dear!"—pp. 30, 32.

So logical a refutation of doubts naturally disposes of these altogether, which is according to precedent, and the happy lover replies,

"How happy I am that I have thee again, that I can console myself again with these eyes, that I hear thy sweet voice. All harmony within me was silenced and mute, I no longer believed in immortality (!) all my nerves trembled.'

"Horrible, horrible!'

"Yes, horrible indeed! separated love is hell on earth. But thou art not so cheerful as I should have wished; all the blessings of heaven are springing up round me and thou- ?'

"I cannot recover at all from this joy.'"-p. 34.

This satisfactory solution is just given in time for they are immediately interrupted, by one of those calls that are always so distressing to young ladies, but which we presume are intended to strengthen their trust in Providence, since they never happen but when wanted, and are effected by means which man can never hope to fathom. Assuredly animal magnetism is a science, and well worth encouraging, if only to teach our trusting and muchabused sex the sympathies between a young lady and her maid.

"The servant entered to call off Louise to her father; the lovers once more embraced each other tenderly, and parted.

"Fermer when he arrived in the street fancied himself a great hero; he took, before he went home, a short walk, addressed some acquaintances, and affected with respect to others never to have seen them.

"He could not be classed among handsome men; his eyes were not blue, nor sweet, nor intelligent; in them, however, the fire of courage sparkled; neither were they dark brown, a colour which in lovers and heroes of romances is much admired too; but, if I must speak the truth, they inclined rather to grey. He was small in person, his face yellowish, and deeply marked with small-pox.

"Nobody need tell me, that I here offend the first rules of an au

thor, rules which even children know by heart. But truth is dearer to me than any thing else, and therefore I have described the young lover in this manner. The reader need only compute the books in vogue, and sum up the heroes and heroines, and he will be astonished what a multitude of ideals of beauty ramble among us Germans, and will then not be able to understand at all the complaints of the sculptors and painters who are continually lamenting, that they are altogether at a loss for fine models. Whenever I went travelling, I never failed to look diligently round me in cities and in the country for the infinite number of accomplished lovers of both sexes with whom I had become acquainted in books; but I was always disappointed. Since that time I dislike all those enchanting representations, that multitude of eyes angelic and eagle-like, those unutterably lovely physiognomies, because I can no longer believe in them."-pp. 34, 36.

But a new scene opens with the arrival of a letter by the post. We have seen how candid and unsophisticated were the feelings of the lady, and we weep that Jove again has once more cause for laughter,

"Beloved of my soul ! -Forget thee? Impossible! Thou wert already gone one day and a half, and thy image stood always as animated before me, as if thou wert still here. I still hear thy sweet vows, the vehement expressions which thy love sought for and found so promptly. Thou art right: something extraordinary must be expressed in an extraordinary manner. I am reading the books thou hast recommended to me, and I am just at the tournament of Nordhausen; pray write me thy opinion about it; the boldness of the description has seized me forcibly, as, in general, I am for the sublime.

"I think on thee, I dream of thee; I know not what will become of me; in six months I shall enter on a sad period. Yet I may then, perhaps, call myself by a sweeter name than I at present subscribe myself "Thy loving Nanette B.'

"How Fermer was touched by Nanette's love, and the grandeur of her soul! He could not recover at all from his admiration until he perceived he was yawning, and sat down instantly therefore to answer this dear letter that very evening. He was astonished at his strange, romantic situation; he got up again and paced the apartment to and fro. He took a book from his library, and began to read Clavigo, in order to tranquillize himself a little; the style was not strong enough; he began to sigh, thought very fervently of Nanette, endeavoured to forget Louise for some moments, and then wrote his letter.

"Dearest of my soul!-How empty and insipid is the world to me since I left thee! Everywhere thy image stands still before my eyes. I have just alighted from the coach, and just now have read thy letter; what voluptuousness ran through all my veins when I recognized the traits of thy hand.

"The tournament of Nordhausen is certainly one of the most powerful German books. What sympathy has so equally accorded our souls! I feel a high opinion of Germany when I recall to my memory all its heroes,

all its excellent poets. It is time that I rise in my turn; I have been idle long enough, and my native country has claims on me.

"Forgive the shortness of this note, I am fatigued, the clock strikes two in the night; with thoughts on thee falls asleep

"LEOPOLD FERMER.'

"He sealed the letter, and sat down to continue the Genius, (a novel,) regarding the end of which he was very anxious, for it had only just struck seven. He then took a very good supper, went to bed, resumed his Genius, folded the page, and fell into a sound sleep."―pp. 38-42.

Our hero is evidently not one to travel from Dan to Beersheba and cry, It is all barren! for want of some employment for his thoughts. Till fate should rouse his energies into action, the maxim, Know thyself, was ever foremost in his thoughts.

"When he arose the next morning, his first business was ordinarily to look for some time out of the window; he smoked his pipe at the same time, and thought of a thousand things which did not occur to him at any other time of the day.

"Am I not a fool?' said he to himself, after having been saluted courteously by some passengers; 'it is not in Clavigo, no, it is in Stella, that all my situation has been represented and painted to the life.'

6

"He withdrew, and read the piece, while he was drinking his coffee. 'It is good,' thought he at the same time, that there are books and poems for all men and all situations; how I here find myself again in every trait! it seems that it was me whom the author had before his eyes; Nanette is Mrs. Sommer, Louise the enthusiastic Stella. Alas! what evil do we men not produce in the hearts of women!'

"He had finished, looked at the engraving which was at the beginning, arose, and placed himself before the looking-glass. Yes,' said he, with significant gestures, ardent minds cannot act otherwise; can a lively, talented young man live like a sexagenarian? Feel as he does? Strength ferments in every vein of mine, my imagination runs away with me: such being the case, it would be an interesting book if some one could describe me altogether exactly.'

"With a high feeling of his self-importance he looked again out of the window, and perceived a charming face in the house opposite; he contemplated her, she him, he saluted, she returned; he withdrew, put on an elegant waistcoat, and then re-appeared at the window with this and his best Turkish tobacco-pipe. The unknown beauty smiled, he smiled also; when once two people smile, it is almost as good as if they love each other; so it stood at least in Fermer's catechism on knowledge of men, and he had found this observation confirmed by all the female attendants of the university.

"While he was dressing, he inquired from his servant who was the interesting lady opposite; he learned that she was the wife of a captain. With strange fancies he went to the next coffee-house, in order that he might not become too much estranged to politics and those sciences which are connected with it. He had already gathered many striking

observations, when he heard the name of his beloved Louise pronounced in a corner of the room; he was attentive, forgot Pitt's projects, and approached the speakers.

"He thought he could not trust his ears, when he heard that Louise was engaged, and would celebrate her marriage in a fortnight; but he was put out of all doubt, when a tall and well-built man approached, when those who were talking about it congratulated him, and when he accepted the felicitations without ceremony.

"Fermer put his pipe in his pocket, took hat and cane, went away without jesting with the waiter as he used to do, and ran to and fro on the public walk.

"Men! men!' cried he,' hypocritical, venomous race of crocodiles! Their eyes are water, their hearts are iron. Kisses on the lips, and swords in the bosom. O malice, have I learned to suffer,' etc.

"He spoke the whole speech of Charles Moor, and in his rage did not become aware that it did not altogether square with his situation; but who in a passion will attend to such trifles?

"People stared at him; he had a large hat, clashing spurs, which he always wore, though he never mounted on horseback, a cane full of knots such as suits a respectable man, at the same time he waived his hands so tremendously in the air, that it was really very pardonable if many a simpleton declared him mad.

"He went to the house of his beloved, ran up stairs and burst into the room without knocking. She was just curling her hair, and was frightened at his bewildered aspect.

"Ah cruel!' cried he, and placed himself motionless before her. "Louise did not know if she should put away the powder-puff. 'What is the matter with you,' asked she timidly.

"O nothing! nothing! This is female fidelity! Ah! falsehood of serpents! Thou art separated from me, Louise.'

"So you have perhaps heard.'

"All! all! And thou darest still look into my face? Do not horror and shame make of thee a corpse?'

"Dear Fermer!'

"Liar! O how fury is raging within me! I know not what to do with myself.'

"He took the powder-box furiously, broke it into pieces, and threw it out of the window.

"How strange you are,' said Louise, standing up, what shall I now dress my hair with?'

"Fermer stamped vehemently with his feet, threw himself on the floor, arose again and placed himself before the looking-glass. How it pains me,' said he dejectedly, I feel my end is not far off; death will be more pitiful than you.'

6

"But,' said Louise softly, once it ought to have been otherwise; one cannot always be extravagant; my father is right, one must also think of a provision. I would not say any thing to you lately, because I was afraid of your vehemence. Now look, there are the pieces of the powder-box swimming. What will people think of it!'