Meyer

Meyer, CONRAD FERDINAND, Swiss poet and novelist, was born on 12th October 1825, at Zurich, near which he finally settled in 1877. His style is graceful, and he excels in character-drawing and in genre-pictures of descriptive work. His chief novels are Jörg Jenatsch (1876; 7th ed. 1889), a story of Switzerland in the 17th century, and Der Heilige (1880; 9th ed. 1889), two of the best historical novels of modern German literature. His power is also well shown in Das Amulet (3d ed. 1882), Der Schuss von der Kanzlei (3d ed. 1882), Die Leiden eines Knaben (3d ed. 1889), Die Hochzeit des Mönchs (4th ed. 1889), Die Richterin (1885), and Die Versuchung des Pescara (1887). His poetical skill is best displayed in the idyllic epic poem Hutten's letzte Tage (1872; 7th ed. 1889), in Gedichte (1882; 3d ed. 1887), and in Engelberg (2d ed. 1886). There is a Memoir of him by Reitter (1885).