ous of his works, _Main Streams in the Literature of the
Nineteenth Century_, of which four volumes appeared between 1872 and
1875 (English translation, 1901-1905). The brilliant novelty of this
criticism of the literature of the chief countries of Europe at the
beginning of the 19th century, and his description of the general revolt
against the pseudo-classicism of the 18th century, at once attracted
attention outside Denmark. The tumult which gathered round the person of
the critic increased the success of the work, and the reputation of
Brandes grew apace, especially in Germany and Russia. Among his later
writings must be mentioned the monographs on _Soren Kierkegaard_ (1877),
on _Esaias Tegner_ (1878), on _Benjamin Disraeli_ (1878), _Ferdinand
Lassalle_ (in German, 1877), _Ludvig Holberg_ (1884), on _Henrik Ibsen_
(1899) and on _Anatole France_ (1905). Brandes has written with great
fulness on the main contemporary poets and novelists of his own country
and of Norway, and he and his disciples have long been the arbiters of
literary fame in the north. His _Danish Poets_ (1877), containing
studies of Carsten Hauch, Ludwig Bodtcher, Christian Winther, and
Paludan-Muller, his _Men of the Modern Transition_ (1883), and his
_Essays_ (1889), are volumes essential to the proper study of modern
Scandinavian literature. He wrote an excellent book on _Poland_ (1888;
English translation, 1903), and was one of the editors of the German
version of _Ibsen_. In 1877 Brandes left Copenhagen and settled in
Berlin, taking a considerable part in the aesthetic life of that city.
His political views, however, made Prussia uncomfortable for him, and he
returned in 1883 to Copenhagen, where he found a whole new school of
writers and thinkers eager to receive him as their leader. The most
important of his recent works has been his study of Shakespeare
(1897-1898), which was translated into English by William Archer, and at
once took a high position. It was, perhaps, the most authoritative work
on Shakespeare, not principally intended for an English-speaking
audience, which had been published in any country. He was afterwards
engaged on a history of modern Scandinavian literature. In his critical
work, which extends over a wider field than that of any other living
writer, Brandes has been aided by a singularly charming style, lucid and
reasonable, enthusiastic without extravagance, brilliant and coloured
without affectation. His influence on t