, in Nietzsche. A turn in the tide that seems just now to be
taking place is exemplified in the important epic poems of Enrica von
Handel-Mazzetti.

Finally, as the last and, in a certain sense, the strongest, pillar of
permanency we will name the public. It is just as much a product as a
contributing factor of literature; in both respects, however,
preeminently important as a conservative force. The predominant and
enduring tendencies, forms, and subjects are naturally chiefly
conducive to the formation of a circle of "fixed subscribers" among
the crowd of possible patrons. These subscribers, on their part, of
course insist upon the preservation of those tendencies, forms, and
subjects by which they are attracted. In the same way that, in
general, a large "reading world," or a regular public for a theatre,
or a solid community of devotees for each of the different species of
song (as for example, the religious song, the folk-song, the student's
song) is organized, so do important personalities call into being a
special following of admirers, such as the partisans of Hebbel, the
Wagnerians, and the adherents of Stefan George. But these narrow
circles are often much more intolerant of every effort on the part of
the master to depart from the program he has sworn to, than are
outsiders. The history of the German public, unlike that of the
English or French, is less a church-history than a sect-history.
Schiller alone succeeded in becoming the national poet of his
people--and he had his merits as well as his weaknesses to thank for
it. Lessing is the one who comes next to him, whereas Goethe really
reached the masses in only a few of his compositions. On the other
hand, he made a stronger impression upon, and gave more happiness to,
the intellectual classes than any of our poets since Klopstock. After
him, only poets of a decidedly esoteric character, such as Stefan
George or Friedrich Nietzsche, have had such a profound effect or one
so capable of stirring the remoter depths of the soul. Even with Jean
Paul the impression produced was more superficial. Latterly, however,
periodicals, lecture-courses and clubs have replaced the
"_caucus_"--which was formerly held by the most influential readers
and hearers of the literary fraternities. This change has gone so far
that the intimacy of the relations between a poet and his admirers,
which was still possible in the early days of Hauptmann, Hofmannsthal,
George, and Dehmel, no