in the State of New York, to which the name of Cooperstown, in honor of him, was afterwards given. An interesting description of this early settlement, and the character of his father, the founder of the village, with other pioneers of the place, are given in Mr. Cooper's novel of the,,Pioneers," one of his most popular works. Judge Cooper passed his time alternately at Cooperstown and Burlington, from 1785 to 1790, in which latter year he removed his family, including his infant son, to the new settlement, where he had erected the mansion in which both father and son successively resided, and where both passed their last hours on earth. ,,Judge Cooper took an active part in politics, and was twice elected a member of Congress, viz: in 1795 and 1799. His son, the subject of this sketch, was early placed at school, in Burlington, N. J., and was partially fitted for college at Albany, by the Rev. Mr. Ellison, an Episcopal clergyman. He completed his preparatory studies at New Haven, where he entered Yale College in 1802. Leaving that institution in 1805, he obtained a midshipman's warrant and entered the navy. After six years in a service where he was said to be a favorite, he resigned his office, and retired to private life. In January, 1811, he married Miss De Lancey, a sister of Bishop De Lancey, of the Western Diocese of New York, and of one of the oldest and most conspicuous families of this State. After his marriage, Mr. Cooper resided for sometime near White Plains, Westchester county; but at a subsequent period removed to Cooperstown, the former family residence of his parents, where he has since spent a great portion of his life. ,,In 1821 Mr. Cooper commenced his career as an author, when the late A. T. Goodrich, bookseller, of his city, published his first novel, called ,,Precaution." It was issued anonymously, but Mr. Cooper was soon known as the author, and the discovery, perhaps, rather facilitated the sale of a work which, being simply a tale of domestic life in England, although finely drawn, was not peculiarly calculated to attract attention. It had, however, a fair sale, and the edition was gradually exhausted, but we believe the author was never very anxious to revive the work in future editions, although it was republished in London, where it passed for an English novel. The foundation of Mr. Cooper's fame as a novelist was permanently laid in,,The Spy, a Tale of the Neutral Ground," which soon followed,,Precaution,“ and immediately became extremely popular, both in this country and in Europe, where it was republished in English, French, and other languages. It is, doubtless, one of the most powerful historical tales ever written, and is regarded, by many, as the best work of Mr. Cooper. The charming novel of,,The Pioneers, or the Sources of the Susquehanna," followed,,The Spy," and was eminently successful with the public. It is the first of,,The Leather Stocking Tales," so called, the others being,,The Last of the Mohicans," ,,The Prairie,“ „The Path Finder," and ,,The Deer Slayer," which followed; but not in regular succession some of his other works intervening. ,,We should here mention, that no American novels have been so extensively translated into foreign languages as those of Mr. Cooper.,,The Spy" has had the greatest run in this way. In 1847 it appeared in the Persian language, at Ispahan. ,,The novel of „The Pilot" was the first of Mr. Cooper's Tales of the Ocean, which have so much added to his popularity. To this class belong also.,The Red-Rover," ,,The Water - Witch," The Sea Lions," ,,The Two Admirals," and some others. ,,The following is, we believe, a complete list of the various romances and novels from the pen of Mr. Cooper, or of which he is the acknowledged author: ,,Precaution, The Spy. The Pioneers, The Pilot, Lionel Lincoln, Last of the Mohicans, The Prairie, The Red - Rover, The Wept of Wish - ton - Wish, The Water Witch, The Bravo, The Heidenmauer, The Headsman of Berne, The Mo nikins, Homeward Bound, Home as Found, The Pathfinder, Mercedes of Castile, The Deerslayer, The Two Admirals, Wing-and-Wing, Wyandotte, Autobiography of a Pocket Handkerchief, Ned Myers (a genuine biography), Ashore and Afloat, Miles Wallingford, Satanstoe, a tale of the Colony, The Chainbearer, The Red Skins, The Crater, or Vulcan's Peak, Oak Openings, or the Bee-Hunter, Jack Tier, or the Florida Reef, The Sea Lions, or the Lost Sealers, The Ways of the Hour (published in 1850). Total 34. Most of the above works were issued in two volumes each. Though very unequal in point of talent and interest, they have, with few exceptions, been well received by the public, and have proved a source of great profit to the author. ,,Mr. Cooper was also the author of a History of the United States Navy, in two vols.;,,Notions of the Americans, by a Travelling Bachelor;" „Gleanings in Europe," in six volumes;,.Sketches of Switzerland," four vols.; a small political work, called ,,The American Democrat," and A Letter to his Countrymen." „About the year 1827, Mr. Cooper visited Europe, where his fame had then been already established. He was welcomed in the most refined literary and aristocratic circles, but always sustained the character of an American by placing before the European public the truth with regard to his native country, in his conversation, and by his contributions to the press, when required to defend the institutions and character of the United States from attacks and misrepresentations. Among others whose friendship he enjoyed was General Lafayette, and other friends of America in France, England, &c., &c. ,,Several of the works referred to were published during Mr. Cooper's visit to Europe. We believe he was absent some ten years, and on his return he continued his literary labors. His popularity, however, was checked by the attacks of the press on some of his works which were supposed to show an aristocratic tendency. He also had a controversy with the Hon. Tristram Burges, of Rhode Island, and the late Colonel Stone, editor of the New York Daily Advertiser, respecting his (Cooper's) narrative of the Battle of Lake Erie. Mr. Cooper then commenced a plan of sueing editors of newspapers for damages. Col. Stone's case was submitted to arbitration, and we think $250 was avarded in favor of Mr. Cooper. He was successful, likewise, in suits for damages against Colonel Webb, of the Courier; Thurlow Weed, of the Albany Evening Journal, and Greeley and McElrath, of the Tribune. In these cases Mr. Cooper was materially aided by the course the court uniformly pursued in his favor, and against the editors. It doubtless, however, operated against his pecuniary interest. ,,Mr. Cooper, in his politics, professed democratic notions; but his personal popularity as a politician was not extensive, however he may have been admired or esteemed among his own immediate circle of friends. In religion he was a zealous Episcopalian, and often represented the church of his village in the stated conventions of that denomination. One of his daughters, it will be remembered, has appeared as an authoress, particularly of a popular work called „Rural Hours." Carlyle bat kürzlich eine Characteristik des Dichters Sterling erscheinen lassen, auf welche wir die Freunde der englischen Literatur hierdurch aufmerksam machen. Nach des Verfassers_früheren Schriften über Burns und Cromwell durfte man eine fichere, gefühlvolle Behandlung des Ganzen erwarten, durchwebt mit tiefsinnigen philosophischen Betrachtungen; aber Carlyle hat hier alle Erwartungen übertroffen, indem er dem Bilde seines Freundes eine solche Liebe und Sorgfalt zugewendet, und fast überall so glücklich seine Farben gewählt hat, daß das Werk des Philofovhen ein herrliches Seitenstück zu jenem poetischen Denkmale geworden ist, welches Tennyson seinem verstorbenen Freunde Hallam (In memoriam) gewidmet hat. Allgemeine Schriften. Low's Catalogue of books published in the United Kingdom, during the year 1851. 21/2 S 6 Ngr. S. Wallace. Ueber moderne Sprachen. (Th. Niemeyer in Hamburg). 6 Ngr. K. G. J. Förster. Sendschreiben Karl Lachmann's an die Philologen und deutschen Sprachforscher." (Grieben in Berlin.) Lexikographie. N. Delius. Shakspeare-Lexicon. (König in Bonn.) · 313 Thlr. O. Carisch. Taschenwörterbuch d. rhätoroman. Sprache. (Hiß in Chur.) 1 Thlr. M. A. Thibaut. Nouv. Dictionnaire franç.-allemand et allemand - franç. Neue ganz umgearbeitete Auflage. 2 Thlr. Literatur. W. Buchner. Lehrbuch der Geschichte der deutschen Nationalliteratur. (Mainz, C. F. H. Evler.) Rochefoucauld's Psycholog. Studien. Frei bearb. v. C. A. Schloenbach. (Leipzig bei Engelmann.) 3/4 Thlr. 1/2 Thlr. W. & M. Howitt. The literature and romance of northern Europe; constituting a complete history of the literature of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. 2 vols. (London.) 21 s. Sievers, Shakspeare's Dramen für weitere Kreise bearbeitet. IV. Romeo und Julie. (Leipzig bei Engelmann). F. Recoing. Esquisses littéraires sur le XVI. siècle (l'auteur, rue de la Sorbonne 11.) W. Dönniges. Altschottische und altengl. Volksballaden, nach d. Originale bearb. (Liter.-artist. Anstalt in München.) 28 Ngr. A. Spiers. Elegant extracts from the engl. prose writers of the age of queen Elizabeth. (Paris, Baudry). 1 fr. 50 c. Grammatik. Du Méril. Essai philosophique sur la formation de la langue française. (Paris bei Frank.) 2 Thlr. 15 Sgr. Morin de Clagny. Traité de prononciation. (Paris, passage Saulnier Nr. 9.) 4 fr. ̧ ̧ D. Carisch. Grammatikalische Formenlehre der deutschen Sprache und der rhatorom. im Oberländer und Unterengadiner Dialekte f. Romanische. (Hiß in Chur.) Hilfsbücher. 16 Ngr. A. Lüben & C. Nacke. Musterstücke für den Sprachunterricht erläutert und zu Literaturbildern zusammengestellt. 1. Lfrg. (Brandstetter, Leipzig.) 1 Thlr. M. Schlimpert. Prakt. Lehrgang zu einem wahrhaft bildenden Unterrichte in der deutschen Sprache, enthaltend Musterstücke mit daran geknüpften Winken. Craz & Gerlach in Freiberg.) 1/3 Thlr. Little English library; by J. M'Lean. (Baumgärtner, Leipz.) 3 vols. 1 Thlr. Sheridan, the rivals. Mit Anmerkungen u. Wortregister v. L. Simon. (Baumgärtner, Leipzig.) 1/4 Thlr. 12 Thlr. (Adolph & Go. 12 Ngt. Schmeisser. Lehrbuch der Rhetorik. (Karlsruhe bei Th. Groos.) in Berlin.) Westößliche Uebersichten. Drittes Stück. Als der Unterzeichnete im Jahre 1848 das erste und 1849 das zweite Stück dieser Uebersichten an das Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen einsandte, geschah es in der Hoffnung, wenigstens alljährlich den Freunden des Archivs die allgemein interessanten Erscheinungen auf dem Gebiete der orientalischen Literatur vorführen zu können. In Folge einer Veränderung in seiner amtlichen Stellung jedoch wurde er mit anderweiten Arbeiten so überhäuft, daß ihm nicht nur jene Hoffnung zu Schanden wurde, sondern er sich überhaupt dem Kreise der orientalischen Studien auf långere Zeit ferner gerückt sah. Nachdem so nunmehr fast drei Jahre verflossen find, trifft eine freundliche Mahnung des verehrten Herrn Herausgebers der Zeitschrift mit einigen freieren Tagen für den Unterzeichneten sehr glücklich zusammen, und er säumt nicht, die begonnene Arbeit fortzuseßen. Zwar ist unterdessen manches interessante Neue erschienen, wovon hier nur Dieterici's Mutanabbi und Seifuddaula, Rosen's Uebersezung von Dschelaleddin's Mednewi, Graf's Uebersezung von Sadi's Bostan und v. Schack's Firduft beispielsweise erwähnt werden mögen; aber es liegt uns vor Allem ob, unser früher gegebenes Wort zu lösen und so wird sich, in der Hoffnung, daß die gelegene Zeit zur Besprechung des Neueren nicht so lange auf sich wird warten lassen, die gegenwärtige Uebersicht hauptsächlich um dies jenigen Schriften drehen, welche in unserm ersten Aufsage (4. Band des Archiv's, Seite 384) bereits zur Besprechung angekündigt, bis jezt aber noch nicht besprochen worden sind. Es sind dies folgende: F. 1. Hafis. Eine Sammlung persischer Gedichte. Nebst poetischen Zugaben aus verschiedenen Völkern und Ländern. Von G. Daumer. Hamburg. 1846. 2. Der Frühlingsgarten von Mewlana Abdurrahman Dschami. Aus dem Persischen übertragen von Ottocar Maria Frei Archiv f. n. Sprachen, XI. 16 herrn von Schlechta- Wsse hrd. Wien, 1846. Aus der kaiserlich-königlichen Hof- und Staats- Druckerei. 3. Jussuf und Nafisse. Von F. M. Hessemer. Frankfurt a. M. 1847. Am meisten von diesen Schriften hat unstreitig der Daumer's che Hafis das allgemeine Interesse des für Poesie empfänglichen Publicums in Anspruch genommen, ein Interesse, welches in diesen Tagen erst durch eine Nachlese zu der früheren Sammlung (Hafis. Neue Sammlung von G. F. Daumer. Nürnberg. 1852.) neue Anregung gefunden hat. Bei Beobachtung eines Erfolges, wie er nicht leicht einem andern ins Deutsche übertragenen orientalischen Werke zu Theil geworden ist, liegt die Frage nahe: Wie viel gebührt davon dem Urheber, und wie viel dem Uebersezer, und bietet dies Buch, das den Deutschen der Gegenwart mit so verwandten Lönen anspricht, wirklich treue Uebersezungen dar aus den Gedichten eines fast vor einem halben Jahrtausend gestorbenen Persers? Da der Urtert des Divans von Hafis uns noch immer nicht zu Gebote steht, wir also über den Gegenstand dieser Fragen ein umfassendes und entscheidendes selbstständiges Urtheil nicht geben können, so lassen wir, als einen vollkommenen Sachkundigen, einen der ausgezeichnetsten Orientalisten Deutschlands statt unserer antworten. Professor H. L. Fleischer aus Leipzig bemerkte in seinem der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellschaft am 1. Oct. 1846 in Jena erstatteten wissenschaftlichen Jahresberichte (vgl. Jahresbericht der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellschaft für das Jahr 1846. Leipzig 1847, S. 101 ff.): Wie ein Dichtergeist den andern in sich aufnimmt und geistig wiedergebärt, so hat Daumer die schönsten Lieder des Hafiz nachgedichtet und zu einem Kranze verwebt, in dem diese herrlichsten Rosen von Schiraz noch so voll, so berauschend duften, als wären sie frisch aus dem Garten von Musalla gepflückt. Wie klar und tief der deutsche Dichter überhaupt das innerste Wesen des Persischen erkannt hat, zeigen die vorausgeschickten biographischen Andeutungen über Hâfiz," In dieses Urtheil muß Referent nach den einzelnen Gedichten von Hafis, die ihm im Urterte bekannt geworden sind, mit einstimmen, nur daß er die Daumerschen Ueberseßungen eher als Umdichtungen, denn als,,nach gedichtet" bezeichnen möchte: Daumer läßt Has fis so reden, wie dieser gesprochen haben würde, wenn er seine an sich specifisch persischen Gedanken ursprünglich in deutscher Sprache |