Goethe’s short poem Rezensent, the reviewer, was first printed in 1774. It begins: Da hatt ich einen Kerl zu Gast, I had a fellow as my guest. The guest eats his fill at the host’s table. Afterward he finds fault with the meal: Die Supp hätt können gewürzter sein, the soup could have been better seasoned.
The poem ends: Schlag ihn tot, den Hund! Es ist ein Rezensent. Strike him dead, the dog! He is a reviewer.