25 MAY 1867, Page 20

CURRENT LITERATURE.

First Years in Europe. By George H. Calvert. (Boston, Spencer; London, Triibner.)—Mr. Calvert's first years in Europe date from August, 1823, and though he has not much to tell us, some of his pages are valuable in the extreme. He studied at Gottingen for a time, attending the lectures of Heeren, of one of which he gives a lively sketch, and conversing with Blumenbach. He heard stories of Cole- ridge in Germany proving an idler in his study of the language, and learning a long ode of Klopstock by heart to astonish his countrymen by his apparent fluency. He saw Dr. Pusey studying sixteen hours a.day, and at the end of six weeks able to read all German books on theology. He met the future Prussian minister Eichhorn, who was then professor of law, and who was astonished to hear that England and America thought anything of so superficial a book as Blackstone's Conzmentaries. From Gottingen he went, to Weimar, and was fortunate enough to have one interview with Goethe. Although he had no introduction of any kind, he sent in his oard, with "Aug Washington, America," written upon it, end was received most cordially, and examined most minutely as to the recent election of John Quince', Adams. Being thus welcomed by -Goethe, he was admitted into society in Weimar, and went to Court without a sign of a uniform. He was not like an Oxford graduate then staying at Weimar, wh'o had bought an English field-marshal's full dress, and appeared in it at all the Court festivals. But these gaieties seem to have distracted his attention from the one person hi Weimar who was of' much greater importance than all the others, and, he had no second interview with Goethe. We are sure that he regrets it now , and 'his readers will join in that feeling.