The University of Gottingen has sunk from its high place by the
loss of its brightest stars. The last was Heeren, whose learning was
really useful, and who has made ingenious attempts at the solution of
ancient historical problems. Ethiopia, Assyria, Carthage, and the
Theban Desart are still revealing secrets, latent for three
millenniums, under the powerful night glass of the Teutonic scholars,
who make astronomy, geology, chemistry, trade, statistics, medals,
tributary to their inquisitions. In the last year also died
Sismondi, who by his History of the Italian Republics reminded
mankind of the prodigious wealth of life and event, which Time,
devouring his children as fast as they are born, is giving to
oblivion in Italy, the piazza and forum of History, and for a time
made Italian subjects of the middle age popular for poets, and
romancers, and by his kindling chronicles of Milan and Lombardy
perhaps awoke the great genius of Manzoni. That history is full of
events, yet, as Ottilia writes in Goethe's novel, that she never can
bring away from history anything but a few anecdotes, so the "Italian
Republics" lies in the memory like a confused _melee_, a confused
noise of slaughter, and rapine, and garments rolled in blood.
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