But such suggestions of indebtedness
are futile. What makes a work of art the spiritual property of
its creator is the fact that he has imprinted on it the stamp of
his own personality. Therefore I hold that, in spite of the
above-mentioned points of resemblance, _Svend Dyring's House_ is
as incontestably and entirely an original work by Henrick Hertz as
_Katchen von Heilbronn_ is an original work by Heinrich von Kleist.
I advance the same claim on my own behalf as regards _The Feast at
Solhoug_, and I trust that, for the future, each of the three
namesakes* will be permitted to keep, in its entirety, what
rightfully belongs to him.
In writing _The Feast of Solhoug_ in connection with _Svend Dyring's
House_, George Brandes expresses the opinion, not that the former
play is founded upon any idea borrowed from the latter, but that it
has been written under an influence exercised by the older author
upon the younger. Brandes invariably criticises my work in such a
friendly spirit that I have all reason to be obliged to him for
this suggestion, as for so much else.
Nevertheless I must maintain that he, too, is in this instance
mistaken. I have never specially admired Henrik Hertz as a dramatist.
Hence it is impossible for me to believe that he should, unknown to
myself, have been able to exercise any influence on by dramatic
production.
As regards this point and the matter in general, I might confine
myself to referring those interested to the writings of Dr.
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