On one of his official visits to Brunswick, Lessing was overtaken by a paralytic stroke. On the 15th of February, 1781, he passed away. He died as he lived, nobly, in a reverent assurance that he had fought a good fight on earth in the cause of truth and enlightenment, progress and humanity. Time, the true criterion of human fame, has not only left his glory undiminished, but has augmented it, as popular intelligence has gradually arisen to the comprehension of its many-sided significance. It will be long before we have outgrown Lessing, if indeed that time can ever come. And even if some things in his writings may seem narrow or antiquated to our vision, we may readily pass them over to arrive at matters eternally true, exalted, sublime. Truth was the main purpose of all he wrote, and truth is for all ages and all time. Lessing was one of the truly great ones of this earth, and petty cavillers should lay to heart the words of another wise man, the author of 'The Imitation:' "All perfection in this world has some imperfection coupled with it, and none of our investigations are without some obscurity." Helen Zimmern. MISS SARA SAMPSON. A TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS. Miss Sara Sampson, the first of Lessing's tragedies, was completed in the year 1755, while Lessing was at Potsdam. In the same year it was represented at Frankfort-on-the-Oder, and was very well received. It was afterwards translated and acted in France, where it also met with success. The present is the first English translation which has appeared. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. Sir William Sampson. Miss Sara Sampson, _his daughter_. Mellefont. Marwood, _formerly_ Mellefont's _mistress_. Arabella, _a child, daughter of_ Marwood. Waitwell, _an old servant of_ Sir William. Norton, _servant of_ Mellefont. Betty, Sara's _maid_. Hannah, Marwood's _maid_. _The_ Innkeeper _and others_. MISS SARA SAMPSON. ACT I. Scene I.--_A room in an inn_. Sir William Sampson, Waitwell. SIR WILLIAM. My daughter, here? Here in this wretched inn? WAITWELL. No doubt, Mellefont has purposely selected the most wretched one in the town. The wicked always seek the darkness, because they are wicked. But what would it help them, could they even hide themselves from the whole world? Conscience after all is more powerful than the accusations of a world. Ah, you are weeping again, again, Sir!--Sir! SIR WILLIAM. Let me weep, my honest old servant! Or does she not, do you think, deserve my tears? WAITWELL. Alas! She deserves them, were they tears of blood.