An accessible study of the impact of English literature and culture on the emergent national culture of 18th century Germany. The text traces the bibliographic evidence for the spread of English influence, through the publication and distribution of translations and its effect on a country striving to modernize, to refine its language and to transform its literature. This is the published record of the three Panizzi Lectures given in autumn 1991: I the discovery of English culture; II modes of transmission; III translators and intermediators.