[Notes: 3: Agathon is a Greek of the 4th century B.C. Brought up amid the religious influences of Delphi, he becomes an idealist and a dreamer of fine dreams. He goes to Athens, takes part in politics, is banished and sold into slavery. At Smyrna he is bought by the sophist Hippias, who tries to convert him to a sensualistic philosophy. He falls in love with the beautiful hetæra Danaë, but on learning the story of her other loves, he leaves Smyrna in disgust and goes to Syracuse, where he has divers adventures at the court of the tyrant Dionysius. At last, finding his way to Tarentum, he makes the acquaintance of the sage Archytas, who expounds to him the true philosophy. 4: The ‘great thought’ is that the human mind is connected with the invisible world and with the general system of things.] +LXXII. GOTTHOLD EPHRAIM LESSING+ 1729-1781. The earliest writings of Lessing, consisting of songs, anacreontic verses, epigrams, fables, and prose comedies, belong to an era that was passing. His more significant imaginative work begins with _Miss Sara Sampson_ (1755), the first German tragedy of middle-class life. His three most famous plays, _Minna von Barnhelm_ (1766), _Emilia Galotti_ (1772), and _Nathan the Wise_ (1779), are well-known classics, and as such are not included in the scheme of this book. In the field of criticism his most important works are the _Letters on Literature_ (1759-1765), which set a new standard of critical plain-speaking; the _Laokoon_ (1766), which undertook to delimit the provinces of poetry and of plastic art; the _Hamburg Dramaturgy_ (1767-1769), which assailed the prestige of the French classical tragedy, and the _Anti-Goeze_ (1778), a notable defense of what is now called the higher criticism. He exerted an immense influence in liberating Germany from the trammels of outworn convention. +1+ +Grabschrift auf Voltaire.+ Hier liegt--wenn man euch glauben wollte, Ihr frommen Herrn!--der längst hier liegen sollte. Der liebe Gott verzeih aus Gnade Ihm seine Henriade Und seine Trauerspiele Und seiner Verschen viele; Denn, was er sonst ans Licht gebracht, Das hat er ziemlich gut gemacht. +2+ +Der Tod.+ Gestern, Brüder, könnt ihr’s glauben? Gestern bei dem Saft der Trauben (Bildet euch mein Schrecken ein!) Kam der Tod zu mir herein. Drohend schwang er seine Hippe, 5 Drohend sprach das Furchtgerippe: Fort, du teurer Bacchusknecht! Fort, du hast genug gezecht! Lieber Tod, sprach ich mit Tränen, Solltest du nach mir dich sehnen? 10 Sieh, da stehet Wein für dich! Lieber Tod, verschone mich! Lächelnd greift er nach dem Glase, Lächelnd macht er’s auf der Base. Auf der Pest, Gesundheit leer; 15 Lächelnd setzt er’s wieder her.