preconceived idea, as, for instance, fairies. Except in the Pastoral Symphony, Beethoven only paints the impression; Weber paints the thing itself. He imitates the sounds of nature. He makes the violins moan to represent the moaning of the trees; the rising of the moon is announced and depicted by a chord. When he gives us a rhythmic succession of non-resonant beats instead of waves of sound, i.e. makes a perfectly arbitrary abstract use of the vehicle of his art; when he confines himself to song and the simplest of harmonies, i.e. elects to be naïve and popular; or when, in order to obtain a grotesque, wild, or spectral effect, he gives instruments parts which lie outside their natural province and compass (for instance deep tones to the clarinets), i.e. employs the mediums of his art in a more strange and eccentric manner than they had ever been employed before--in all these cases he is a thorough-going Romanticist, one who, with his greater genius and far more suitable medium, supplies the shortcomings of which we are invariably conscious in the works of the Romantic poets.[9] [1] Hettner, _Die romantische Schule_, 48. [2] "The children of those Indian jugglers who swallow swords do not, my son, learn the art by gulping down confectionery; they are trained to swallow the sharp points of the bamboo, and by degrees arrive at swords. If it be your desire, as a man, to digest the sword of science, you must not, as a youth, feed on art confectionery." [3] Köpke: _Tieck's Leben_, i. 177. [4] "Far behind us lies Rome. My friend too is grave, The friend who returns with me to Germany, After devoting all his powers To the study of ancient and modern art-- The noble Rumohr, To whose friendship I have owed comfort and cheer In many a suffering hour." [5] "Honoured Herr Hofrath! I pray you to excuse me, but, With the best will in the world I cannot find, In ancient or in modern poetry, Anything to match this lyric outburst Except perhaps My own weak imitation of the same." [6] "Our spirit, which is azure blue, transports thee to blue distances. Sweet tones allure thee, a mingling of many sounds. When the others sing bravely, we chime sweetly in, telling softly of blue mountains, clouds, fair skies; we are like the faint, clear background behind fresh green leaves." [7] "Love thinks in melodious sounds; thoughts are too far to seek; 'tis with sweet sounds it beautifies its longings. Therefore love is ever present with us when sweet music speaks; it needs no language, but is helpless till it borrows the voice of music." [8] Tieck, v. 285. [9] Cf. George Sand: Introduction to _Mouny Robin_. X ATTITUDE OF ROMANTICISM TO ART AND NATURE