Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolay (1737-1820) is virtually unknown in our time. Yet at the close of the eighteenth century he enjoyed a considerable reputation as a German poet of the French neo-classical orientation. He was esteemed as tutor to the Russian Emperor Paul I, as Russian State Counciller, and as President of the Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences. Moreover he was a friend of the most prominent eighteenth century minds that left their imprints on modern thought. As such a man, Nicolay may be studied from several points of view, as a writer, as an educator and as an intellectual. My first preoccupation with Nicolay was of a literary natur- which resulted in a doctoral dissertation presented to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1960), under the title "Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolay (1737-1820) as an exponent of neo-classicism. " The existence of the Nicolay archives, now in the possession of the Countess von der Pahlen in Helsinki, was not known to me at the time. Having later gained access to the same, I discovered a vast amount of un pub­ lished documents and a treasury of correspondence with the leading intellectuals of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Much of this material was to be published in conjunction with the late Count N. von der Pahlen, who unexpectedly and unfortu­ nately died in 1963.

Inhalt

Introduction: Nicolay, a neglected figure.- Previous studies on Nicolay; Aim of the present study.- One Nicolay the man and writer.- I: Nicolay and Western Europe, 1737-1768.- Ancestors, Education, the budding poet, Gellert, University of Strasbourg, Lafermiere, Pfeffel, D'Artot, Paris, Diderot, M. Grimm, d'Alembert, Voltaire, D. M. Golitsyn, Vienna, Gluck, Metastasio, J. Fries, M. Denis, Razumovskii, Winckelmann.- II: In the service of the Russian State, 1769-1803.- Catherine the Great and Western Europe, The Grand Duke Paul, W. Robertson's History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V, The Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, Ramler, F. Nicolai, poetic activities, Frederick the Great, M. Klinger, J. M. R. Lenz, Emperor Joseph II, J. B. v. Alxinger, Lavater, J. H. Voss, Schiller, Paul I, Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences, S. R. Vorontsov, Alexander I, Ch. F. Ph. Masson, Kotzebue.- III: Retirement, 1803-1820.- Monrepos, J. G. Seume, Moliere, Racine, Goldoni, literary merits, Tiedge, E. v. d. Recke, de Broglie, descendents, the last of the Nicolays.- Two Nicolay's "Erinnerungen".- IV: Nicolay's approach to his subject matter.- Nicolay's own "Einleitung" to his memoirs.- Nicolay's comments on "Charakterschilderung".- V: Nicolay's account of the Encyclopedists and their associates in Paris.- Diderot.- Poinsinet.- Rousseau.- Voltaire.- Abbe Galiani.- d'Escherny.- Sanchez.- VI: Nicolay's account of his associates in Vienna, Berlin and Zörich.- Metastasio.- Gluck.- Fries.- Ramler.- Gessner.- Lavater.- Bodmer.- VII: Nicolay's account of his associates in St. Petersburg.- Falconet.- Bilistein.- Masson.- Cagliostro.- Kruse.- Lloyd.- Monestrol.