HEINRICH HEINE - Repositories

Heinrich Heine
traitor and renegade. He wanted to bring to his
native land the Hberalism of Western Europe, as
best symbolized by the tri-colored flag of France.
Much knowledge could be acquired from his analyses
and criticisms.
Other English quarterlies were less charitable.
The Edinburgh Review of July, 1836, preferred
Wolfgang Menzel's comments on literature to
those of Heine. Menzel, the arch-foe of "Young
Germany," was, in its opinion, a pleasing poet and
an eminent critic. Heine, on the other hand, wrote
in the most despicable spirit of personal hostility
to individuals. He inculcated views and principles
equally at variance with truth, good taste, and
morality. Nevertheless, Heine was widely read and
discussed, while Menzel was unknown to the English
and his latest book, Die deutsche Literatur, was
scarcely noticed.
The reviewer could have expanded on the perversity
of the reading pubHc had he been aware
that, while he was writing his article, there was
appearing an English translation of Heine's critical
essays under the title Letters Auxiliary to the
History of Modern Polite Literature in Germany.
This translation, the work of an American, G. W.
Haven, aroused considerable interest in New Eng-
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