▁German , ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁its ▁high ▁anti qu ity , ▁to ▁defend ▁it ▁against ▁latter - day ▁foreign ▁influ ences , ▁to ▁re - ex am ine ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁light ▁of ▁current ▁lingu istic ▁theory , ▁to ▁promote ▁its ▁ref in ement ▁and ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁communic ative ▁medium , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁to ▁inaugur ate ▁a ▁new , ▁pr estig ious ▁epo ch ▁in ▁the ▁language . ▁This ▁process ▁was ▁known ▁among ▁contempor aries ▁as ▁Sp ra char beit . ▁ ▁For ▁his ▁début ▁as ▁a ▁language ▁reform er , ▁Sch ott el ius ▁chose ▁a ▁po etic ▁medium . ▁His ▁L ament atio ▁German iae ▁ex sp ir ant is ▁( 1 6 4 0 ) ▁attacked ▁in ▁stat ely ▁a lex andr ines ▁and ▁l ur id ▁met aph ors ▁the ▁cor rupt ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁language , ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁bur geon ing ▁over - use ▁of ▁foreign ▁words . ▁In ▁a ▁dying ▁l ament , ▁the ▁once ▁fair ▁n ym ph ▁Germania ▁presents ▁herself ▁as ▁a ▁gro tes que ▁h ag . ▁V ener ated ▁down ▁the ▁ages , ▁and ▁even ▁mer iting ▁the ▁crown ▁of ▁Europe , ▁she ▁now ▁prost it utes ▁herself , ▁begg ing ▁words ▁from ▁French , ▁Spanish , ▁Italian ▁and ▁English . ▁For ▁all ▁his ▁pot ent ▁r het or ic , ▁Sch ott el ius ' s ▁lingu istic ▁pur ism ▁was ▁of ▁a ▁somewhat ▁moder ate ▁kind , ▁when ▁compared ▁with ▁his ▁contemporary ▁Philipp ▁von ▁Z esen ▁( 1 6