a German form of the
song very likely existed. It is difficult, therefore, to say whether
this or the French version was used by the translator. The title is
French but this might have been retained for the German stanzas.

[Footnote 25: _Boston Weekly Mag._, III-60, Feb. 2, 1805,
Boston.

_The Visitor_, I-72, June 3, 1809, Richmond. ]

The second class of translations from the French comprehends those
from authors who usually wrote in German; thus, _Navigation_, "From
the French of Gessner" (1803), and _The Usurer_, "From the French of
Gellert" (_Port Folio_, XVI-245, 1823). Either these may have been
taken from French translations of the German,[26] or the word "French"
may be a mistake.[27] This second group has been classed with the
translations of German poetry (Part II); while the first group from
the French belongs to Part III.

[Footnote 26: The British Museum catalogue mentions "_Fables
et Contes_ [trans. principally from the German of C. F.
Gellert, etc.], 1754."]

[Footnote 27: Cf. _The Earth's Division_, "Trans. from Goethe
[sic], by L. E. L." _Waldie's Port Folio_, Part I-123, Apr.
11, 1835, Phila.

Also, _Benevolence_, "A Fable from the German of Galleret"
[sic], 1802.]

No attempt is here made to discuss the critical estimate that the
Americans of this period placed upon German literature. This would
require a consideration of all the prose articles, whereas the present
study has been devoted entirely to the poetry. It is hoped that, from
the list given in Part IV, such information may be obtained. Besides
the several paragraphs on German literati, the individual poems are
often preceded by an introductory note praising the original of the
translation. Even back in the eighteenth century, people were
considering the utility of the modern languages as opposed to the
classics. The _American Museum_, for example, published a _Speech on
the learned languages_, by the Hon. Francis Hopkinson, which concludes
with the remark that the "languages most in use are, in truth, the
most useful to be known."[28]

[Footnote 28: _Amer. Mus._, III, Jan.-June, 1788, p. 539. Cf.
Part IV, p. 194; also the remark of W. E. Channing, Part I,
p. 1.]

On the other hand there were unsympathetic writers who ridiculed the
Germans and their literature. The _Monthly Magazine_ published a
letter entitled _Literary Industry of the Germans_, which decried
their pedantic