DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.69463#0083
GESSNER.
Solomon Gessner, printer and poet, was born at
Zurich, in Switzerland, in 1730, where he acquired more
celebrity by his poems than by his impressions.
A bad system of education established in his country,
made poetry be regarded not only as an idle occupation,
but as contrary to religion and morality. Gessner, in at-
taching himself to the Muses, proved himself the child
of Nature. He felt pleasure in painting her in her most
Agreeable situations, amid the peaceful labours of pastoral
life, and the rustic virtues of hospitality. His muse is a
shepherdess, distinguished for modesty, innocence, and
beauty. Nothing can equal the sprightliness and the
delicacy of his Idyllia. This species of poetry he car-
ried to the highest pitch of perfection. More varied than
Theocritus, more interesting than Sannazarius, Gessner
gave to her the most striking features, and to filial respect
the warmest gratitude. He printed his Idyllia in 1773,
having previously made the designs, and engraved the
plates with his own hand. We also owe to this poet
Daphne, or the First Navigator. “ If the severe fidelity of
history,” says a critic, “ considers the thirst of wealth as
the origin of navigation, it belonged to the fertile imagina-
tion of the poet to represent love as raising the first mast,
and spreading the first sail on the expanse of the ocean :
to picture a young man, animated by the valour which
a lively and tender passion inspires, braving the billows
on a majestic swan, surrounded by the Nereides, tritons,
and sea monsters, who frolic beside his vessd.” It is im-
possible to give to navigation a more pleasing origin; and
Solomon Gessner, printer and poet, was born at
Zurich, in Switzerland, in 1730, where he acquired more
celebrity by his poems than by his impressions.
A bad system of education established in his country,
made poetry be regarded not only as an idle occupation,
but as contrary to religion and morality. Gessner, in at-
taching himself to the Muses, proved himself the child
of Nature. He felt pleasure in painting her in her most
Agreeable situations, amid the peaceful labours of pastoral
life, and the rustic virtues of hospitality. His muse is a
shepherdess, distinguished for modesty, innocence, and
beauty. Nothing can equal the sprightliness and the
delicacy of his Idyllia. This species of poetry he car-
ried to the highest pitch of perfection. More varied than
Theocritus, more interesting than Sannazarius, Gessner
gave to her the most striking features, and to filial respect
the warmest gratitude. He printed his Idyllia in 1773,
having previously made the designs, and engraved the
plates with his own hand. We also owe to this poet
Daphne, or the First Navigator. “ If the severe fidelity of
history,” says a critic, “ considers the thirst of wealth as
the origin of navigation, it belonged to the fertile imagina-
tion of the poet to represent love as raising the first mast,
and spreading the first sail on the expanse of the ocean :
to picture a young man, animated by the valour which
a lively and tender passion inspires, braving the billows
on a majestic swan, surrounded by the Nereides, tritons,
and sea monsters, who frolic beside his vessd.” It is im-
possible to give to navigation a more pleasing origin; and