" Such men as Gleim and Ramler were mere _dilettanti_,
and could have no notion how sacred his convictions are to a militant
thinker like Lessing. His creed as to the rights of friendship in
criticism might be put in the words of Selden, the firm tread of whose
mind was like his own: "Opinion and affection extremely differ. Opinion
is something wherein I go about to give reason why all the world should
think as I think. Affection is a thing wherein I look after the pleasing
of myself." How little his friends were capable of appreciating this view
of the matter is plain from a letter of Ramler to Gleim, cited by Herr
Stahr. Lessing had shown up the weaknesses of a certain work by the Abbe
Batteux (long ago gathered to his literary fathers as conclusively as
poor old Ramler himself), without regard to the important fact that the
Abbe's book had been translated by a friend. Horrible to think of at
best, thrice horrible when the friend's name was Ramler! The impression
thereby made on the friendly heart may be conceived. A ray of light
penetrated the rather opaque substance of Herr Ramler's mind, and
revealed to him the dangerous character of Lessing. "I know well," he
says, "that Herr Lessing means to speak his own opinion, and"--what is
the dreadful inference?--"and, by suppressing others, to gain air, and
make room for himself.
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