The Zenith

Abstract

The beneficial effects of the period of repose and of the deepening of Lessing’s character in Leipzig were at once evident. He plunged into literary work with a vigour and an energy which surpassed even that of the earlier period in Berlin. In 1759 appeared his fables, accompanied by a theoretical treatise on the form, his patriotic tragedy Philotas, and the edition of Logau’s epigrams. But the most important event of this year was the inauguration of the Letters concerning the most recent Literature. These letters, which appeared as a periodical at the rate of three to each weekly number, show indeed the influence of Lessing’s contacts with his military friends. They constitute a campaign, conducted with skilful generalship and resolute aggressiveness, the objective of which was the purging of German literature of the mediocrities which encumbered it. Though Nicolai and Mendelssohn were collaborators from the first, by far the greater number of essays in the first two years were from Lessing’s pen. While he led this campaign, the ‘Literaturbriefe’ were the decisive arbiters in German literature.