Preface.

Shortly after the first volume of these autobiographies was printed, the life story of the famous Gibbon, Edward Gibbon (1737–1794), the English historian best known for The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. written by himself, appeared (*); and I was already making preparations to announce it as the second part of this collection. However, before I could even come to an agreement with the publisher regarding this, two other bookstores had already undertaken the translation.

What Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744–1803), a philosopher and critic who argued that biographies were essential for understanding the "spirit" of an age. and others [have said] regarding the utility of such self-authored biographies

(*) Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon, Esq., with Memoirs of his Life and Writings composed by himself. London. Vol. I. II. 1796. Compare with Schubart’s English Leaves original: "Englische Blätter"; a contemporary German journal that introduced English literature and culture to German readers. Volume 6, Issues 3 and 4.