German Jurists and Poets. since with signal success. Being from his youth an ardent democrat (the word in Ger many meaning an advocate of the rights of the people), he soon became a popular pub lic speaker, and was chosen the orator at a monster meeting at the Kyffh'duser in 1862, where over ten thousand people gathered to hear him. In 1874 he was elected a mem ber of the German Reichstag, of which great body he has been a conspicuous member ever since, excepting the period between 1878 and 1880. To us it is particularly in teresting to note that in 1880 he defeated Johann Most, the rabid anarchist who is now disturbing the peace of this nation. Traeger is a warm personal friend of Eugen Richter, the great leader of the progressive party. He has stood by him through all the vicissitudes of that party. As poet, Al bert Traeger very early made a mark among his people. He published his poems chiefly in the " Gartenlaube," the leading German weekly magazine (at the height of its popu larity commanding a circulation of 300,000). There can be no doubt of the great influence he exercised in disseminating the idea of un ity among the German tribes. Very fine are his " Mutterlieder" songs of home and love. I can think of no American poet with whom to compare Albert Traeger more fitly than with Whittier. Space forbids tracing the analogies between both noble minds and characters. At present, to use his own words, "haben Praxis und Politik die Poesie fast ganzlich uberwuchert (" practice and politics have almost entirely crowded out poetry"). Finally his translation of Robert Burns' poetns into German ought not to be forgotten. Germany has certainly just cause to be proud of such a jurist, poet and pat riot. Somewhat akin to the former, although from an other region of the empire, is Ernst Wichert, one of the judges of the Chancery Court (Kammergericht) in Berlin. He comes from a family of jurists, his father, brother, and uncle being jurists. The sister of his
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father married a jurist. Ernst Wichert stud ied law at the university of KSnigsberg, where Kant taught previously for almost fifty years. In 1858 he entered upon practical duties at the courts in Konigsbcrg, where his father was Kreisgerichtsdirector (Presi dent of the Circuit Court), working at the same time in the law office of his uncle at a remuneration of thirty Prussian thalers (twenty-two and a half dollars) a month. Being busy during the day, he pressed parts of the night into service to satisfy his liter.ary propensities. At last, in the autumn of 1859, he was transferred to a small town on the Russian border and made a judge with a salary of five hundred thalers per annum; "worauf hin ich schleunigst heirathete" ("whereupon I immediately married") — to borrow his own language. In 1863 his salary was raised to six hundred thalers, when he was transferred to Konigsberg as municipal judge. Later he became judge of probate at the same court, and gradually advanced to the high post of Rath at the Ostprcussischen Tribunal. In 1879 he was made an Oberlandesgerichtsrath, and in 1887 a Rath at the Kammergericht in Berlin, which office he still holds. He was always looked upon as a thorough and conscien tious worker, and never neglected his official duties for his literary labors. How exten sive these are may be gathered from the fact that he has written not less than thirty pieces for the stage, ten Romans (novels of more than one volume), and a considerable number of short stories. He has never taken his subjects from court experience, but he says that his legal training has almost invariably influenced his composi tions, which are very popular in Germany. Prose writing is his forte rather than poetry. Felix Dahn occupies a very unique place in German literature. He is at present pro fessor of law (der Rechtswissenschaff) in the university of Breslau, and one of the most prodigious writers of the day. Of him it may be well said that "your proper
