CLASSIC GERMAN COURSE IN ENGLISH. BY WILLIAM CLEAVER WILKINSON. NEW YORK: C. L. S. C. Department, 805 BROADWAY. OTHER VOLUMES IN THE AFTER-SCHOOL SERIES BY THE SAME AUTHOR. * PREPARATORY GREEK COURSE IN ENGLISH ** PREPARATORY LATIN COURSE IN ENGLISH. *** COLLEGE GREEK COURSE IN ENGLISH **** COLLEGE LATIN COURSE IN ENGLISH CLASSIC FRENCH COURSE IN ENGLISH. The required books of the C. L. S. C. are recommended by a Council of six. It must, however, be understood that recommendation does not involve an approval by the Council, or by any member of it, of every principle or doctrine contained in the book recommended. Copyright, 1887, by PHILLIPS & HUNT, New York. PREFACE. THE present volume has an object similar to that of each volume preceding in the AFTER-SCHOOL SERIES to which it belongs. It aims to enable readers knowing English, but not German, to acquire, through the medium of the former language, some satisfactory acquaintance-acquaintance at once general and particular-with the chief classics of German literature. The method proposed of accomplishing this is-having first premised a rapid summary sketch and characterization of German literature as a whole-to select, with some Spartan hardness of heart, from among German authors no longer living, those generally acknowledged the best, and present these through translation, in specimens from one or more of their respective masterpieces-whether prose or verseaccompanied with such comment, biographical, explanatory, critical, as may be judged desirable in order to securing the fairest and fullest final impression on the reader's mind, primarily, of the true characteristic individual quality of each author treated, and, secondarily, of each author's historic relation and influence. The limits imposed by the size in which the volume appears were accepted by the writer as on the whole judiciously chosen, but, at any rate, as fixed and unchangeable. His simple problem has been-problem simple, though found far enough from easy-to make the best possible use of the inelastic space at his disposal. Considerate judges will estimate his success with wise respect to the conditions under which he has necessarily worked. 177672 |