Numerous quotations might be adduced from the writings of both poets, which would seem to indicate that Heine had borrowed many of his ideas and even some forms of expression from Byron.  Except in the case of the most literal correspondence, this is generally a very unsafe deduction.  Such passages as a rule prove nothing more than a similarity, possibly quite independent, in the trend of their pessimistic thought.  Compare for example Byron’s lines in the poem “And wilt thou weep when I am low?”

    Oh lady! blessed be that tear—­
    It falls for one who cannot weep;
    Such precious drops are doubly dear
    To those whose eyes no tear may steep,[263]

with Heine’s stanza: 

    Seit ich sie verloren hab’,
    Schafft’ ich auch das Weinen ab;
    Fast vor Weh das Herz mir bricht,
    Aber weinen kann ich nicht.[264]

Or again, “Childe Harold,” IV, 136: 

    From mighty wrongs to petty perfidy
    Have I not seen what human things could do? 
    From the loud roar of foaming calumny
    To the small whisper of the as paltry few—­
    And subtler venom of the reptile crew,[265]

with the first lines of Heine’s ninth sonnet: 

    Ich moechte weinen, doch ich kann es nicht;
    Ich moecht’ mich ruestig in die Hoehe heben,
    Doch kann ich’s nicht; am Boden muss ich kleben,
    Umkraechzt, umzischt von eklem Wurmgezuecht,[266]

a thought which in one of his letters (1823) he paraphrases thus:  “Der Gedanke an Dich, liebe Schwester, muss mich zuweilen aufrecht halten, wenn die grosse Masse mit ihrem dummen Hass und ihrer ekelhaften Liebe mich niederdrueckt."[267] There can be no doubt that Heine for a time studied diligently to imitate this fashionable model, pose, irony and all.  So diligently perhaps, that he himself was sometimes unable to distinglish between imitation and reality.  So at least it would appear from No. 44 of “Die Heimkehr:” 

    Ach Gott! im Scherz und unbewusst
    Sprach ich, was ich gefuehlet: 
    Ich hab mit dem Tod in der eignen Brust
    Den sterbenden Fechter gespielet.[268]

In summing up our impressions of the two poets we shall scarcely escape the feeling that while Byron is pleased to display his troubles and his heart-aches before the curious gaze of the world, they are at least in the main real troubles and sincere heart-aches, whereas Heine, on the other hand, does a large business in Weltschmerz on a very small capital.

Nor is Heine the man more convincing as to his sincerity than Heine the poet.  No more striking instance of this fact could perhaps be found than his letter to Laube on hearing the news of Immermann’s death.[269] “Gestern Abend erfuhr ich durch das Journal des Debats ganz zufaellig den Tod von Immermann.  Ich habe die ganze Nacht durch geweint.  Welch ein Unglueck!...  Welch einen grossen Dichter haben wir Deutschen verloren, ohne ihn jemals recht