that stood in competition with honour, and the first honour of the sex has ever been that of chastity. The fentiments and conduct of these high- fpirited inatrons. may, at once, be confidered as a caufe, as an effect, and as a proof of the general character of the nation, Female courage, however, it may be raised by fanati cilm or confirmed by habit, imperfect imitation of the manly valour, that distinguishes the age or country in which it may be found.

can be only a faint and

The religious system of the Germans (if the wild opinions of favages can deserve that name) was dictated by their wants, their fears, and their ignorance. They adored the great visible objects and agents of nature, the Sun and the Moon, the Fire and the Earth; together with those imaginary deities, who were suppofed to prefide over the most important occupations of human life. They were perfuaded, that, by fome ridiculous arts of divination, they could discover the will of the fuperior beings, and that human sacrifices were the most precious and acceptable offering to their altars. Some applaufe has been haftily beftowed on the fublime notion, entertained by that people, of the Deity, whom they neither confined within the walls of a temple, nor represented by any human figure; but when we recollect, that the Germans were unskilled in architecture, and totally unacquainted with the art of fculpture, we fhall readily affign the true reason of a scruple, which arose not so much from a fuperiority of reafon, as from a want of ingenuity. The only temples in Germany were dark and ancient groves, confecrated by the reverence of fucceeding generations. Their fecret gloom, the imagined residence of an invifible power, by presenting no diftinct object of fear or worship impressed the mind with a

still deeper sense of religious horror; and the priests, rude and illiterate as they were, had been taught by experience the use of every artifice that could preferve and fortify impreffions fo well fuited to their own interest.

The fame ignorance, which renders barbarians incapable of conceiving or embracing the useful restraints of laws, expofes them naked and unarmed to the blind terrors of fuperftition. The German priefts, improving this favourable temper of their countrymen, had affumed a jurisdiction, even in temporal concerns, which the magiftrates could not venture to exercise; and the haughty warrior patiently fubmitted to the lafh of correction, when it was inflicted, not by any human power, but by the immediate order of the god of war. The defects of civil policy were fometimes fupplied by the interpofition of ecclefiaftical authority. The latter was conftantly exerted, to maintain filence and decency in the popular assemblies; and was fometimes extended, to a more enlarged concern for the national welfare. A folemn proceffion was occafionally celebrated in the present countries of Mecklenburg and Pomerania.

The unknown symbol of the Earth, covered with a thick veil, was placed on a carriage drawn by cowst and in this manner the goddess, whose common refidence was in the isle of Rugen, vifited feveral adjacent tribes of her worshippers. During her progrefs, the found of war was hufhed, quarrels were fufpended, arms laid afide, and the restless Germans had an op portunity of tasting the bleffings of peace and harmony. The truce of God, so often and fo ineffectually proclaimed by the clergy of the eleventh century, was an obvious imitation of this ancient cuftom.

But

But the influence of religion was far more powerful to inflame, than to moderate, the fierce paffions of the Germans. Interest and fanaticism often prompt ed its ministers to fanctify the most daring and the most unjust enterprises, by the approbation of Heaven, and full afsurances of fuccefs. The confecrated stan dards, long revered in the groves of fuperftition, were placed in the front of the battle; and the hostile army was devoted with dire execrations to the gods of war and of thunder. In the faith of foldiers (and fuch were the Germans) cowardice is the most unpardo nable of fins. A brave man was the worthy favourite of their martial deities; the wretch, who had loft his fhield, was alike banished from the religious and the civil affemblies of his countrymen. Some tribes of the north, feem to have embraced the doctrine of transmi gration, others imagined a grofs paradife of immortal drunkenness. All agreed, that a life spent in arms, and a glorious death in battle, were the best preparations for a happy futurity, either in this or in another world.

The immortality fo vainly promised by the priests, was, in fome degree, conferred by the bards. That fingular order of men has most deservedly attracted the notice of all who have attempted to investigate the antiquities of the Celts, the Scandinavians, and the Germans.

Their genius and character, as well as the reverence paid to that important office, have been fufficiently illustrated. But we cannot so easily express, or even conceive, the enthufia[mi of arms and glory, which they kindled in the breast of their audience. Among a polished people, a taste for poetry is rather an amusement of the fancy, than a paffion of the foul.

And

And yet, when in calm retirement, we peruse the combats described by Homer or Tafso, we are infenfibly feduced by the fiction, and feel a momentary glow of martial ardour. But how faint, how cold is the sensation which a peaceful mind can receive from folitary study! It was in the hour of battle, or in the feast of victory, that the bards celebrated the glory of heroes of ancient days, the ancestors of thofe warlike chieftains, who listened with transport to their artlefs, but animated strains. The view of arms and of danger, heightened the effect of military fong; and the paffions which it tended to excite, the defire of fame, and the contempt of death, were the habitual fentiments of a German inind.

VI. Deus

VI.

Deutsch

Schmidt.

Michael Ignaz Schmidt, geb. su Aenstein 1736; geft. ats Hofrath u. erster Archivar zu Wien 1794. Seine Geschichte der Deutschen ist als ein Werk anzusehen, welches in der elegans ten historischen Literatur unsers Vaterlandes Epoche macht. Ges schichtforscher und emßige Sammler vom ersten Range besaß Deutsche Land langft; auch fehlte es vor Erscheinung jenes Werks nicht an einzelnen glücklichen Versuchen, der bis nach der Mitte dieses Jahrhunderts so sehr vernachläßigten historischen Schreibart mehr Bildung zu geben. Schröckh's, Moser's, Abbr's, u. d. Vers dienste sind in dieser Hinsicht verehrungswürdig und unvergeßlich. Aber eine mit innerm Werthe und dußerer Anmuth geschriebenè Geschichte unsrer Nation fehlte und ganz, bis Schmidt diesem Rangel, wenigftens in nicht geringem Maaße, glücklich abhalf, den Plan dieser Geschichte aus einem richtigen Gesichtspunkte fasste, und ihn mit Wahl, Ordnung, Geschmack und philosephischem Scharfsinn ausführte. Seine Hauptabficht war, zu zeigen, wie Deutschland seine gegenw drtigen Sitten, Aufklärung, Gefeße, Künste und Wissenschaften, häuptsächlich aber seine so fehr ausger jeichnete Staats- und Kirchenverfaffung, erhalten habe; kurs, wie es das geworden sey, was es wirklich ist. Und so war die Kulturs Beschichte der Nation sein vornehmster Gegenstand. So weit et Diesen, leider! turch seinen Tod unterbrochenen, Entwurf auss führte, blieb er im Ganzen seiner so betfallswürdigen, durch Fleiß und feltnen Scharfsinn unterftüsten, Manter, auch seiner Freis müthigkeit und Wahrheitsliebe treu, wenn gleich dußere Verhalts nisse und Rücksichten ihn da, wo man ihn am meisten erwartetè, in der Eridhlung der großen Kirchenverbesserung des sechszehnten Jahrhunderts, wankender und partheiischer machten. Und so kann auch seine Schreibart nicht als durchgängiges Müßter aufgestellt werden; sie bat aber doch, einige Nachläßigkeiten und Provinzias Itsmen abgerechnet, so viel Mannliches und Eigenthümliches, daß dieser Geschichtschreiber von jedem billigen Richter zwar nicht zu ben wenigen schönen, jaber doch gewiß zu der gewiß auch noch nicht großen