Note 4 — Chapter III · (continued 3)

This sentence is obviously ironical, but the sense intended is not very clear. The words die sic are clearly a misprint for die sick, and I presume kindisch is not used in its more common depreciatory sense of childish. I am, however, not very confident of my translation. War es ein Zeichen would apparently refer back to the general intention of the previous sentence, i.e., the attempt of Klopstock and others to make a national book.