ld. The theology of Lessing's coadjutors however,
if not also that of Lessing himself, did not rise higher than that of the
more serious among the English deists.(702)

The other tendency, more decidedly sceptical even than that of Lessing,
gave definite form to the extreme sceptical opinions excited by French
philosophy, which had been fermenting in German society, and had earlier
expressed themselves. It is best represented by Edelmann,(703) and by the
unhappy Bahrdt, who passed gradually from Semler's school into this. Its
religions tenets were simple naturalism, moral as distinct from positive
religion; and it was connected with the attempt by Basedow,(704)
patronised by Frederick, to establish educational institutions on the
model proposed in Rousseau's Emile. The name which it gave to the movement
was, the Period of Enlightenment (Aufklaerung-zeit),(705) which expressed
the consciousness of illumination, and the yearning for deliverance which
was finding its expression in France; and this name therefore has been
usually adopted among foreign writers to describe this period of the
history.

Such are the historical tendencies from about 1750 till about 1790--cold
but learned orthodoxy; the commencement of critical rationalism, and open
deism. About that time new influences came into operation, the effects of
which are at once evident. Without taking account of the excitement caused
by the political events of the French revolution, we may name two such new
causes of movement--the literary influence of the court of Weimar, and the
philosophy of Kant.

The centres of intellectual activity in Germany now changed. We are so apt
to forget that Germany, especially at the end of the last century, formed
a set of independent principalities, which varied in taste, in belief, and
in literary tone, that we fail to realise the individuality of the scenes
of literary activity. At the end of the last century there was one spot
which became the very focus of intellectual life. The court of Karl August
at Weimar, insignificant in political importance, was great in the history
of the human mind.(706) There were gathered there most of the mighty
spirits of the golden ago of German literature,--Herder, Wieland, Goethe,
Schiller, Jean Paul; a constellation of intellect unequalled since the
court of Ferrara in the days of Alphonso.(707) The influence made itself
felt in the adjacent university of Jena; and this little seminary became
f