Editing Rhijnvis Feith (section)

==Biography==
Feith was born into an [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocratic]] family in [[Zwolle]], the capital of the province [[Overijssel]] as the only son of Pieter Feith and Elsabe Spaar. He was christened on 9 Feb 1753. He was educated at [[Harderwijk]] and studied law at the [[university of Leiden]] (1769-1770), where he took his degree after only one year. He married Ockje Groeneveld in Weener, Germany, in Nov 1772 and settled in his birthplace. In the period Sep 1773 through to Jan 1790 they had at least 10 children, all christened in Zwolle. In 1780 Rhijnvis Feith became [[burgomaster]] of Zwolle.

He built a luxurious [[villa]], which he named Boschwijk, in Zalné in Zwollerkerspel, the outskirts of Zwolle, and there he lived in the greatest comfort. His first important production was ''Julia'', in 1783, a novel written in emulation of [[Die Leiden des jungen Werthers|''Werther'']], and steeped in [[Weltschmerz]] and despair. This was followed by the tragedy of ''Thirsci'' (1784); ''Ferdinand and Constantia'' (1785), another Werther novel; and ''The Patriots'' (1784), a tragedy. [[Bilderdijk]] and other writers attacked his morbid melancholy, and [[Johannes Kinker]] (1764–1845) parodied his novels, but his vogue continued. In 1791 he published a tragedy of Lady [[Jane Grey]]; in 1792 a didactic poem, ''The Grave'' ({{langx|nl|Het Graf}}), in four cantos; in 1793 ''Inez de Castro''; in 1796 to 1814 five volumes of ''Odes and Miscellaneous Poems''; and in 1802 ''Old Age'' ({{langx|nl|De Ouderdom}}), in six cantos.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} He wrote ''Letters to Sophia on [[Immanuel Kant|Kant]]'s Philosophy'', a poetical work, in 1805. In 1808 he became member of the [[Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences|Royal Institute]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dwc.knaw.nl/biografie/pmknaw/?pagetype=authorDetail&aId=PE00000221 |title=Rhijnvis Feith (1753-1824) |publisher=Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |accessdate=17 July 2015}}</ref> His ''Letters on Different Subjects of Literature'' of 1784 was a noted piece of literary criticism. He died in Zwolle in 1824.

His works were collected (Rotterdam, 11 vols.) in 1824, with a biographical notice by N. G. van Kampen.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Though now neglected, he is interesting as the Dutch representative of the mood that in [[Germany]] produced [[Novalis]].

[[File:Feith wapen.svg|thumb|Feith's coat of arms]]