George Ticknor, Life, letters and journals of George Ticknor
George Hillard, Ed.

[9] It came out, however, while he was absent from Vienna, and the bookseller was so indiscreet as to announce it, in some way publicly, as the work of Mr. Von Hammer, in consequence of which he hastened back to Vienna, avowed himself as the writer, but, to prevent being ruined by it, went directly to the censors, and had a damnatur put upon the book, which excluded it entirely from circulation. He gave me a copy of it, but I have not had time to look for the obnoxious passages.

Count Auersperg, one of the best of their poets, who seems to be about thirty-five years old, published, about seven years ago, a volume called Spaziergange eines Wiener Poeten,—‘Promenades of a Vienna Poet,’—which contained some liberalisms, but was printed, and much admired. Von Hammer told me that, though unacquainted with the poet, he at that time immediately commended him to Prince Metternich as a person to be noticed, that is, as a person to receive some place, and so be secured to the government. The Prince, however, who has very little respect for anything poetical, took no heed of Von Hammer's recommendation. Meantime, Count Auersperg went on, printing books that could not be published in Austria, and among the rest sundry attacks on Metternich himself, all under the name he originally assumed of Anastasius Grun. On being asked whether he were the author of some of them, he denied it,—a proceeding which Von Hammer thinks altogether mistaken. Quite lately he has printed a poem called Schutt,—‘Rubbish,’—which is more liberal than ever, expressing the opinions of a captain of an American frigate, anchored just before the schutt, or scoria, of Pompeii. This poem he has dedicated to Von Hammer, who has been for some years his acquaintance and friend. A short time since Von Hammer received a letter from Prince Metternich, asking who Anastasius Grun was, who had dedicated the poem of Schutt to him,—a question which the Premier could have answered as well as Von Hammer. Von Hammer immediately replied, that seven years ago he had had the honor of commending Anastasius Grun to the Minister as a person worthy the notice of the government; that somewhat later he had published a sonnet in honor of Anastasius Grun; that after both these circumstances had occurred, he had become personally acquainted with him; and that the recent poem had been dedicated to him without his knowledge, probably as a return for the complimentary sonnet.

To this letter, which did not mention Anastasius Grun's true name, Von Hammer has received no answer, and will probably receive none;