LONDON:

HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

CONTENTS.

Advertisement to Second Edition........

Author's Preface........

Memoir of the Literary Life of Frederick Von Schlegel............................

LECTURE I.

Introduction

PAGE

V

ix

1

LECTURE II.

On the dispute in primitive history, and on the division of the hu-

man race...

LECTURE III.

Of the Constitution of the Chinese Empire.-The moral and poli-

tical condition of China.-The character of Chinese intellect and

Chinese science.......

LECTURE IV.

Of the Institutions of the Indians.-The Brahminical caste, and the

hereditary priesthood. Of the doctrine of the transmigration of

souls, considered as the basis of Indian life, and of Indian philo-

sophy..

LECTURE V.

A comparative view of the intellectual character of the four prin-

cipal nations in the primitive world-the Indians, the Chinese,

the Egyptians, and the Hebrews; next of the peculiar spirit and

political relations of the ancient Persians,

..............

65

LECTURE IX.

Character of the Romans.-Sketch of their conquests.-On strict

law, and the law of equity in its application to History, and ac-

cording to the idea of divine justice.-Commencement of the

Christian dispensation.................

88

115

LECTURE VI.

Of the Hindoo Philosophy.-Dissertation on Languages.-Of the

peculiar political Constitution and Theocratic Government of

the Hebrews. Of the Mosaic Genealogy of Nations......
182

138

LECTURE VII.

General considerations upon the Nature of Man, regarded in a his-

torical point of view, and on the two-fold view of history.-Of the

ancient Pagan Mysteries.-Of the universal Empire of Persia... 207

LECTURE VIII.

Variety of Grecian life and intellect.-State of education and of the

fine arts among the Greeks.-The origin of their philosophy and

natural science.-Their political degeneracy..

162

228

250

LECTURE X.

On the Christian point of view in the Philosophy of History.-

The origin of Christianity, considered in reference to the political

world. Decline of the Roman Empire

LECTURE XI.

Of the ancient Germans, and of the invasion of the Northern

tribes. The march of Nature in the historical development of

Nations. Further diffusion and internal consolidation of Chris-

tianity. Great corruption of the world.-Rise of Mahomet-
anism...

.....

LECTURE XII.

Sketch of Mahomet and his religion.-Establishment of the Sara-

cenic Empire-New organisation of the European West, and

Restoration of the Christian Empire.......

LECTURE XIII.

On the formation and consolidation of the Christian Government

in modern times.—On the principle which led to the establish-

ment of the old German Empire........

.........

LECTURE XIV.

On the struggles of the Guelfs and Ghibellines.-Spirit of the

Ghibelline age.-Origin of romantic poetry and art.-Character

of the scholastic science and the old jurisprudence.—Anarchical

state of Western Europe

PAGE

LECTURE XV.

General observations on the Philosophy of History.-On the cor-

rupt state of society in the fifteenth century.-Origin of Protest-

antism, and character of the times of the Reformation

............

LECTURE XVIII.

On the general spirit of the age, and on the universal Regenera-

tion of Society..

274

297

320

LECTURE XVI.

Further development and extension of Protestantism, in the period

of the religious wars, and subsequently thereto.-On the differ-

ent results of those wars in the principal European countries... 410

343

LECTURE XVII.

Parallel between the religious peace of Germany and that of the

other countries of Europe -The political system of the Balance

of Power, and the principle of false Illuminism prevalent in the

eighteenth century.....

433

364

389

455

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION.

TEN years have elapsed since this translation first issued from the press. A long abode in Germany, and a more extensive acquaintance with German literature, have convinced me, that the estimate I had formed of the genius of the eminent personage who forms the subject of the following memoir, as well as of the moral and intellectual influence he exerted over his age, was not exaggerated. In many departments of letters and philosophy, I perceived the deep traces which this remarkable spirit had left in its passage. From enlightened Germans, Protestant as well as Catholic, in conversation as well as in print, I have heard him styled, "one of the profoundest thinkers our country ever produced."

At Bonn, I had the honour of becoming acquainted with his celebrated brother, A. W. von Schlegel, whose recent loss the literary world still deplores, and who had preserved in his advanced age so much of the vigour of his great intellectual powers. There also I formed a friendship with the late excellent Dr. Windischmann, who had been F. Schlegel's most intimate friend, and whose extensive learning and deep philosophic views, were only equalled by his fervent piety. Later, I learned to know

* Dr. Windischmann was Catholic Professor of Philosophy at the university of Bonn. His most celebrated work is the "History of Religion and Philosophy in China and India." He was nominated to the chair of philosophy at Bonn, in the year 1818, when the university was founded; and no nomination reflected more credit on the government of the late King of Prussia, or afforded more satisfaction to his Rhenish subjects. By the statutes of the mixed universities of Bonn and Breslau, the Catholic and Protestant churches, are each entitled to their respective faculties of theology, and to their several chairs of philosophy and history. The other prefessorships may be occupied indifferently by Catholics and Protestants. By an arbitrary measure of the late King of Prussia, the Catholic chair of history at Bonn was allowed to remain vacant for the space of fifteen years; but his enlightened successor, on his accession to the throne, repaired this injustice.