warlike and knightly experience. A sure foundation for his intui- tions into the world of knighthood had been already laid even in boyhood, and especially by the fictions of Veit Weber (Leonhard Wiichter), under the title of " Tales of former Ages." lu these pictures all is undoubtedly true, whatever is brought before us of the manners amd customs of our forefathers, whether as to battles, festivities, or aught else of the manifold relationships of life. In the year 1815 it was permitted to the poet of the " Magic Ring" personally to express his thanks to the author of " Tcdes of former Ages." Wherever, in this respect, a similar rich spring had opened itself, the bard was ever at hand with fresh gladness to draw from it ; more by contemplating ancient buildings, armour, and pic- tures, than from books, which during his youthful years were, for the most part, sufficiently superficial in this kind of information. His somewhat later investigations, namely, those of the armoury at Dresden, he yet well knew all the more powerfully how to apply and elaborate. In many ways also, since a perhaps very intentional hos- tility was raised against him and his fictions, has the exactness of his armorisd descriptions been a subject of censure, as also his predilec- tion for noble horses ; indeed, many a report concerning these has, at once, been consigned to the region of the fabulous. There is, however, no knight without weapons ; and they in a manner form together a unity, so that an Orlando who should divest himself of these, would, of all things, only degenerate into an Orlando Furioso. And as concerning the wonderful properties of horses, many such might be related of indisputable reality, besides those in the " Magic Ring," as the author could abundantly prove, as well from his own experience, as from incontestable tradition ; not to mention the well- authenticated noble qualities, mentioned by tra- vellers, of the Arabian and Persian horses Besides, to skilful horsemen those pictures in the " Magic Ring" have never given scandal ; but only to those who, conscious of their own weakness and timidity, approach their horses, when necessary, only with trembling, scolding, and murmuring.
With respect, now, to the more important criticisms on the " Magic Ring," I willingly allude to one which has never appeared in print, but which was communicated to me by a worthy hand, without the name of its author. I at first took it for the work of an evangelical ecclesiastic, but afterwards perceived this was not the case. It is clear, however, that it proceeded from the pen of
