Scribe."

[Sidenote: German romantic poets]

Among German writers of this period, Friedrich Rueckert, the lyric poet,
and Fritz Reuter, who wrote in Low German dialect, were at the height of
their activity. Emanuel Geibel presented himself as heir presumptive to the
mantle of Heine. Unlike Heine, this poet devoted his muse to the
glorification of German patriotism. He achieved such a success that he was
soon called to Munich, where he brought out the first "Golden Book of
Poets." Other German poets, such as Gottfried Kinkel, the revolutionist,
Hoffmann von Fallersleben, and Ferdinand Freiligrath, famous outside of
Germany for his happy translations of English and American verse, had to
write their poems in exile.

[Sidenote: Biela's comet]

On February 18, Wilhelm von Biela, the great German astronomer, died at
Venice. Born in 1782 at Rossla in the Hartz Mountains, he entered the
Austrian military service in 1805, and was made colonel in 1826, and
commandant of Rovigo in 1832. On February 27, 1826, he discovered the
famous comet named after him. According to Biela's prediction, the comet
returned every six years and thirty-eight weeks until 1852. Thereafter it
was not seen as a comet during the century. Biela also discovered two other
comets.

[Sidenote: Crimean peace conference]

[Sidenote: Black Sea and Danube opened]

[Sidenote: Status Quo in Balkans]

After the fall of Sebastopol, Austria made another attempt to secure peace.
Two of the Powers, France and Russia, were heartily weary of the war. Louis
Napoleon had entered the struggle merely to gain military glory and
political prestige. He had succeeded in attaining his ends. Alexander II.,
who had continued the war largely as a matter of filial piety, was ready to
seize the first opportunity to conclude peace with honor. A Congress was
therefore assembled in Paris to draw up terms satisfactory to all
concerned. On March 30, a treaty was signed which gave Kars back to the
Sultan and restored Sebastopol to the Czar. The Porte was admitted to the
Concert of Powers. Most important was the regulation of the navigation of
the Black Sea. It was decreed in the treaty that "the Black Sea is
neutralized; its waters and its ports, thrown open to the mercantile marine
of every nation, are formally and in perpetuity interdicted to the flag of
war of the Powers possessing its coasts or of any other Power." Patrolling
of the sea by small armed vessels was permitted. The