ABSTRACT
English and German works and some by Danes and Swedes must be classified as literature of the North, which began with the Scottish bards, the Icelandic fables and the Scandinavian poets. The English and Germans have undoubtedly often imitated the Ancients. They have learned some useful lessons from that fruitful study; but the original beauties of their works, bearing the imprint of Northern mythology, have a certain family likeness, a certain poetic grandeur, for which Ossian is the ultimate model. Melancholy poetry is that most in tune with philosophy. The English poets, successors of the Scottish bards, incorporated into their representations the reflections and ideas inspired by them. Romantic literature is the only literature still capable of being perfected; as its roots are in our own soil, it is the only art form that can grow and flourish anew; it reflects our religion; it echoes our history; it is old but not ancient in origin.
