"Yet Denmark hailed in him a brilliant star."
Yes—his nobility—his wreath he owed
To God alone; possessions greater far
Than aught the hand of man could have bestowed.
Now death hath called him to a brighter shore.
His mission here is o'er!
His life was fortunate—calm was his death,
His spirit, well prepared, so gently fled,
That scarce one sigh disturbs his failing breath.[1]
But though the heaven-born flame that brightly spread
Its lustre o'er the world be gone—a light
In memory's deathless lamp hath it not left?
Are not the greatest triumphs of his might
Bequeathed unto the North—of him bereft?
Then chant we, while his dirge we join to swell,
In Jesu's name, sleep well!
Oehlenschlæger did not many years survive his gifted friend. He died about two years ago. Chamberlain Adolph Wilhelm Schack von Staffeldt, who was born in Copenhagen in 1770, commenced life as a military man, but soon left the army and repaired to the University of Gottingen, to study the law. After several years passed in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Holland, he returned to his native country, where he obtained a civil appointment, and died in 1826. He takes a high rank among the poets of Denmark. His poetry is generally of a reflective and lofty cast, but sometimes, perhaps, too mystic or too philosophical to be enjoyed by commonplace readers; but they are very beautiful, and the Society of Danish Literature has published a new edition of his works, preflxed to which is given his life by Professor Molbech. We must take some other opportunity of giving a specimen of his shorter poems, of which there is a good selection in Christian Winther's "Danske Romanzer; hundreds og fem"—"105 Danish romances"—published in 1839. Schack-Staffeldt’s nearest contemporary in point of age was Jens Michael Herz, Bishop of Ribe, born 1766, died 1825. His fame rests principally upon an epic poem, entitled "Det befriede Israel"—"Israel Delivered." It cannot, however, be asserted that this is a second Jerusalem Delivered.”
Lauritz Kruse, born 1778, died 1839, was a dramatic author, and writer of short tales. The scenes of some of his plays were laid in Italy—as, for instance, "Ezzelin (Eccelino), Tyrant of Padua." Among other dramatists and poets may be mentioned Henrik Arnold Wergeland, and Moritz Christian Hansen; but it is time to say a few words of those writers who have not confined themselves to works of the imagination.
In graver literature and on science there is quite a galaxy of names. The leading historians and biographers of the latest years of the last
- ↑ Thorwaldsen passed much of his time with his friend the Baroness Stampè; he had dined with her on the day of his death, and she remarked how unusually sprightly and alert he was. He left her house for the theatre, where he had not been long seated when he was taken suddenly ill. So sudden was the attack which carried him off; that a lady who sat next to him, observing him stoop forward, thought he had dropped his glove, and was about to pick it up. But that movement was the signal of impending death, and in a very short time the great artist had breathed his last.
