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first book of Meis'er's Apprenticeship; in which work, indeed, especially in the earlier portion of it, some shadow of the author's personal experience and culture is more than once traceable. Thus Meister's desperate burntoffering of his young "Poems on various Occasions," was the image of a reality which took place in Leipsic, made desperately enough, "on the kitchen hearth, the thick smoke from which, flowing through the whole house, filled our good landlady with alarm."

while she had put some supper in order, and would fain have sent him up a little to his room; but such irregularity was a thing he never suffered, not in extremest cases; so the sweet gifts being once put aside, she set about entreating him to come down in his usual way. He yielded at last, unwillingly, and little did we know what mischief we were making ready. The stairs ran free through the whole house, past the door of every anti-chamber. Our father, in descending, had to pass the Count's apartments. His anti-chamber was Old "Imperial Freetown" Frankfort is not so full of people that he had at length resolved without its notabilities, tragic or comic; in any to come out, and despatch several at once; and case, impressive and didactic. The young this happened, alas, just at the instant our heart is filled with boding to look into the father was passing down. The Count stept Juden-gasse, (Jew-gate,) where squalid painful cheerfully out, saluted him, and said: "You Hebrews are banished to scour old clothes, will congratulate us and yourself that this and in hate, and greed, and Old-Hebrew obdangerous affair has gone off so happily.'-stinacy and implacability, work out a wonder'Not at all!' replied my father, with grim ful prophetic existence, as "a people terrible emphasis: I wish they had chased you to the from the beginning:" manages, however, to Devil, had I myself gone too.' The Count held get admittance to their synagogue, and sce a in for a moment, then burst forth with fury: wedding and a circumcision. On its spike, 'You shall repent this! You shall not'aloft on one of the steeples, grins, for the last two hundred years, the bleached skull of a malefactor and traitor; properly, indeed, not so much a traitor, as a Radical whose Reform Bill could not be carried through. The future book-writer also, on one occasion, sees the execution of a book; how the huge printed reams rustle in the flames, are stirred up with oven-forks, and fly half-charred aloft, the sport of winds; from which half-charred leaves, diligently picked up, he pieces himself a copy together, as did many others, and with double earnestness reads it.

Father Goethe, however, has "in the meanwhile quietly descended," and sat down to sup, much cheerfuller than formerly; he little caring, "we little knowing, in what questionable way he had rolled the stone from his heart," and how official friends must interfere and secret negotiations enough go on, to keep him out of military prison, and worse things that might have befallen there. On all which may we be permitted once again to make the simple reflection: What a plagued and plaguing world, with its battles and bombardments, wars and rumours of war, (which sow or reap no ear of corn for any man,) this is! The boy, who here watches the musket-volleys and cannon-thunders of the great Fritz, shall, as man, witness the siege of Mentz; fly with Brunswick Dukes before Doumouriez and his Sansculottes, through a country champed into one red world of mud, "like Pharaoh,” (for the carriage too breaks down,) "through the Red Sea ;" and finally become involved in the universal fire-consummation of Napoleon, and by skill defend himself from hurt therein!

:

The father, with occasional subsidiary private tutors, is his son's schoolmaster; a somewhat pedantic pedagogue, with ambition enough and faithful good will, but more of rigour than of insight; who, however, works on a subject that he cannot spoil. Languages, to the number of six or seven, with whatsoever pertains to them; histories, syllabuses, know ́ledges-made-easy; not to speak of dancing, drawing, music, or, in due time, riding and fencing all is taken in with boundless appetite and aptitude; all is but fuel, injudiciously piled, and of wet quality, yet under which works an unquenchable Greek-fire that will feed itself therewith, that will one day make it all clear and glowing. The paternal grandmother, recollected as a "pale, thin, ever white and clean dressed figure." provides the children many a satisfaction; and at length, on some festive night the crowning one of a puppetshow: whereupon ensues a long course of theatrical speculatings and practisings, somewhat as delineated, for another party, in the

As little is the old Freetown deficient in notable men; all accessible to a grandson of the Schultheiss, who besides is a youth like no other. Of which originals, curious enough, and long since "vanished from the sale-catalogues," take only these two specimens:

"Von Reineck, of an old-noble house; able, downright, but stiff-necked; a lean black-brown man, whom I never saw smile. The misfortune befel him that his only daughter was car ried off by a friend of the family. He prosecuted his son-in-law with the most vehement suit; and as the courts, in their formality, would neither fast enough, nor with force enough obey his vengeance, he fell out with them; and there arose quarrel on quarrel, process on process. He withdrew himself wholly into his house and the adjoining garden, lived in a spacious but melancholy under-room, where for many years no brush of a painter, perhaps scarcely the besom of a maid, had got admittance. Me he would willingly endure; had specially recommended me to his younger son. His oldest friends, who knew how to humour him, his men of business and agents, he often had at table: and on such occasions failed not to invite me. His board was well furnished, his buffet still better. His guests, however, had one torment, a large stove smoking out of many cracks. One of the most intimate ven

Schultheiss is the title of the chief magistrate in some free-towns and republics, for instance, in Berne. It seems to derive itself from Schuld-heissen, and may mean the teller of duty, him by whom what should be is hight.

tured once to take notice of it, and ask the host whether he could stand such an inconvenience the whole winter. He answered, like a second Timon, and Heautontimorumenos: Would to God this were the worst mischief of those that plague me! Not till late would he be persuaded to admit daughter and grandson to his sight: the son-in-law was never more to show face before him.

"On this brave and unfortunate man my presence had a kind effect; for as he gladly spoke with me, in particular instructed me on political and state concerns, he seemed himself to feel assuaged and cheered. Accordingly, the few old friends who still kept about him, would often make use of me when they wished to soothe his indignant humour, and persuade him to any recreation. In fact he now more than once went out with us, and viewed the neighbourhood again, on which, for so many years, he had not turned an eye."

tried, moreover, I looked with tolerance, and found much praiseworthy which my old gentleman would nowise be content with. Nay, once, as he had been depicting me the world not a little on the crabbed side, I noticed in him that he meant still to finish with a trumpcard. He shut, as in such cases his wont was, the blind left eye close; looked with the other broad out; and said, in a snuffing voice: 'Auch in Gott en deck' ich Fehler?”

Of a gentler character is the reminiscence of the maternal grandfather, old Schultheiss Textor; with his gift of prophetic dreaming, "which endowment none of his descendants inherited;" with his kind, mild ways; there as he glides about in his garden, at evening, "in black velvet cap," trimming "the finer sort of fruit-trees," with aid of those antique embroidered gloves or gauntlets, yearly handed him at the Ffeiffer gericht: a soft, spirit-looking figure; the farthest out-post of the Past, which behind

Klestenberg, a religious associate of the mother's, we become acquainted with the Söhne Seele (Fair Saint) of Meister; she, at an after period, studied to convert her Philo, but only very partially succeeded. Let us notice also, as a token for good, how the young universal spirit takes pleasure in the workshops of handicraftsmen, and loves to understand their methods of labouring and of living:

:

"Hofrath Huisgen, not a native of Frank-him melts into dim vapour. In Frau von fort; of the Reformed religion, and thus incapable of public office, of advocacy among the rest, which latter, however, as a man much trusted for juristic_talent, he, under another's signature, contrived quite calmly to practise, as well in Frankfort as in the Imperial Courts, -might be about sixty when I happened to have writing lessons along with his son, and so came into the house. His figure was large; tall without being bony, broad without corpu"My father had early accustomed me to lency. His face, deformed not only by small- manage little matters for him. In particular, pox, but wanting one of the eyes, you could it was often my commission to stir up the not look on, for the first time, without appre- craftsman he employed; who were too apt to hension. On his bald head he wore always a loiter with him as he wanted to have all accuperfectly white bell-shaped cap, (Glockenmü ze.) | rately done, and finally for prompt payment to tied at top with a ribbon. His night-gowns, of have the price moderated. I came in this way, calamanco or damask, were always as if new into almost all manner of work-shops; and as washed. He inhabited a most cheerful suite it lay in my nature to shape myself into the of rooms on the ground floor in the Allee, and circumstances of others, to feel every species of the neatness of every thing about him cor- human existence, and with satisfaction particiresponded to it. The high order of his books, pate therein, I spent many pleasant hours in papers, maps, made a pleasant impression. such places; grew to understand the procedure His son, Heinrich Sebastian, who afterwards of each, and what of joy and of sorrow, advanbecame known by various writings on Art, tage or drawback, the indispensable conditions promised little in his youth. Good-natured of this or that way of life brought with them. but heavy, not rude yet artless, and without The household economy of the various crafts, wish to instruct himself, he sought rather to which took its figure and colour from the ocavoid his father, as from his mother he could cupation of each, was also silently an object get whatever he wanted. I, on the other hand, of attention; and so unfolded, so confirmed came more and more into intimacy with the itself in me the feeling of the equality, if not of master the more I knew of him. As he med- all men, yet of all men's situations; existence died with none but important law-cases, he by itself appearing as the head condition, all the had time enough to amuse and occupy himself rest as indifferent and accidental." with other things. I had not long been about him, and listened to his doctrine, till I came to observe that in respect of God and the World | he stood on the opposition side. One of his pet books was, Agrippa de Vanitate Scientiarum ; this he particularly recommended me to read, and did therewith set my young brain, for a while, into considerable tumult. I, in the joy of youth, was inclined to a sort of optimism, and with God or the Gods had now tolerably adjusted myself again; for, by a series of years, I had got to experience that there is many a balance against evil, that misfortunes are things one recovers from; that in dangers one finds deliverance and does not always break his neck. On what mer did and

And So, , amid manifold instructive influences, has the boy grown out of boyhood; when now a new figure enters on the scene, bringing far higher revelations :

"As at last the wine was failing, one of them called the maid; but instead of her there came a maiden of uncommon, and, to see her in this environment, of incredible beauty. What is it?' said she, after kindly giving us good evening: the maid is ill and gone to bed: can I serve you?'- Our wine is done,' said one; couldst thou get us a couple of bottles over the way, it were very good of thee.'- Do it, Gretchen,' said another, it is but a cat's leap.'

Surely!' said she; took a couple of empty bottles from the table, and hastened out.

Her

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we know what mischief we were making took place in Leipsic, made
ready. The stairs ran free through the whole "on the kitchen hearth, th
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will congratulate us and yourself that this and in hate,
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Father Goethe, however, has "in the mean- two while quietly descended," and sat down to sup, ma much cheerfuller than formerly; he little sc caring, "we little knowing, in what questionable way he had rolled the stone from his heart," and how official friends must interfere and secret negotiations enough go on, to kee him out of military prison, and worse thi that might have befallen there. On all w' may we be permitted once again to mak simple reflection: What a plagued and ing world, with its battles and bombar wars and rumours of war, (which so no ear of corn for any man,) this boy, who here watches the musketcannon-thunders of the great F man, witness the siege of Me Brunswick Dukes before Dour Sansculottes, through a count one red world of mud, "lik the carriage too breaks do Red Sea ;" and finally bec universal fire-consumma by skill defend himself f

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let there be no reflections: Beguine; next moment remembering that he arnest get forward with his has only a knapsack and fifteen florins to burg to complete himself divide with any one! Besides, you do not con"nal judgment arranged sider that our dear Frederike, whom we too in these latter days could weep for if it served, had a sound Gerhom ever bounte- man heart within her stays; had furthermore for the World! abundance of work to do, and not even leisure lies closest to die of love; above all, that at this period, h to see! in the country parts of Alsatia, there were no n young circulating library novels.

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With regard to the false one's cruelty of temper, who, if we remember, saw a ghost in broad noon that day he rode away from her, let us, on the other hand, hear Jung Stilling, he also had experience thereof at this very Poor Jung, a sort of German Dominie n, awkward, honest, irascible, "in oldclothes and bag-wig," who had been gs, charcoal-burner, and, in retion, tailor and school-master, Strasburg to study medicine; ked, yet with head that had .eart full of trust in God. A o if he did afterwards write e Nature of Departed Spirits, also to sight (by his skill in eye-opera

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thout fee or reward, even supporting many of them in the hospital at his own expense.

"There dined," says he, "at this table about twenty people, whom the two comrades saw one after the other enter. One especially, with large eyes, magnificent brow, and fine stature, walked (muthig) gallantly in. He drew Herr Troost's and Stilling's eyes on him; Herr Troost said, 'That must be a superior man.' Stilling assented, yet thought they would both have much vexation from him, as he looked like one of your wild fellows. This did Stilling infer from the frank style which the student had assumed; but here he was far mistaken. They found, meanwhile, that this distinguished individual was named Herr Goethe.

"Herr Troost whispered to Stilling, 'Here it were best one sat seven days silent.' Stilling felt this truth; they sat silent, therefore, and no one particularly minded them, except that Goethe now and then hurled over (herüḥerwälzte) a look: he sat opposite Stilling, and had the government of the table without aiming at it.

rude hic time, e impressive er sounded and y-toned enough."wever," subjoins he, the high broad platform if the time were still here, ones often rendezvoused thither ith full rummers, the sinking sun." ad good telescopes with them; "and riend after another searched out the spot the distance which had become the dearest to him; neither was I without a little eyemark of the like, which, though it rose not conspicuous in the landscape, drew me to it beyond all else with a kindly magic." This alludes, we perceive, to that Alsatian Vicar of Wakefield, and his daughter the fair Frederike; concerning which matter a word may not be useless here. Exception has been taken by certain tender souls, of the all-for-love sort, against Goethe's conduct in this matter. He flirted with this blooming blue-eyed Alsatian, she with him, innocently enough, thoughtlessly enough, till they both came to love each other; and then, when the marrying point began to grow visible in the distance, he stopt short, and would no farther. Adieu, he cried, and waved his lily hand. "The good Frederike was weeping; I too was sick enough at heart." Whereupon arises the question: Is Goethe a bad man; or is he not a bad man? Alas, worthy souls! if this world were all a wedding dance, and thou shalt never come into collision with thou wilt, what a new improved time we had of it! It is man's miserable lot, in the meanwhile to eat and labour as well as wed; alas, how often, like Corporal Trim, does he spend the whole night; one moment dividing the world into two halves with his fair

"Herr Troost was neat, and dressed in the fashion; Stilling likewise tolerably so. He had a dark brown coat with fustian under garments: only that a scratch-wig also remained to him, which, among his bag-wigs, he would wear out. This he had put on one day, and came therewith to dinner. Nobody took notice of it except Herr Waldberg of Vienna. That gentleman looked at him, and as he had already heard that Stilling was greatly taken up about religion, he began, and asked him, Whether he thought Adam in Paradise had worn a scratchwig! All laughed heartily, except Salzman, Goethe, and Troost; these did not laugh. In Stilling wrath rose and burnt, and he answered: Be ashamed of this jest; such a trivial thing is not worth laughing at!' But Goethe struck in and added: Try a man first whether he deserves mockery. It is devil-like to fall upon an honest-hearted person who has injured nobody, and make sport of him! From that

first book of Meister's Apprenticeship; in which work, indeed, especially in the earlier portion of it, some shadow of the author's personal experience and culture is more than once traceable. Thus Meister's desperate burntoffering of his young "Poems on various Occasions," was the image of a reality which took place in Leipsic, made desperately enough, "on the kitchen hearth, the thick smoke from which, flowing through the whole house, filled our good landlady with alarm."

ful prophetic existence, as "a people terrible from the beginning:" manages, however, to get admittance to their synagogue, and sce a wedding and a circumcision. On its spike, aloft on one of the steeples, grins, for the last

while she had put some supper in order, and would fain have sent him up a little to his room; but such irregularity was a thing he never suffered, not in extremest cases; so the sweet gifts being once put aside, she set about entreating him to come down in his usual way. He yielded at last, unwillingly, and little did we know what mischief we were making ready. The stairs ran free through the whole house, past the door of every anti-chamber. Our father, in descending, had to pass the Count's apartments. His anti-chamber was Old "Imperial Freetown" Frankfort is not so full of people that he had at length resolved without its notabilities, tragic or comic; in any to come out, and despatch several at once; and case, impressive and didactic. The young this happened, alas, just at the instant our heart is filled with boding to look into the father was passing down. The Count stept Juden-garse, (Jew-gate,) where squalid painful cheerfully out, saluted him, and said: You Hebrews are banished to scour old clothes, will congratulate us and yourself that this and in hate, and greed, and Old-Hebrew obdangerous affair has gone off so happily.'-stinacy and implacability, work out a wonder'Not at all replied my father, with grim emphasis: I wish they had chased you to the Devil, had I myself gone too.' The Count held in for a moment, then burst forth with fury: 'You shall repent this! You shall not'Father Goethe, however, has "in the mean-two hundred years, the bleached skull of a while quietly descended," and sat down to sup, much cheerfuller than formerly; he little caring, "we little knowing, in what questionable way he had rolled the stone from his heart," and how official friends must interfere and secret negotiations enough go on, to keep him out of military prison, and worse things that might have befallen there. On all which may we be permitted once again to make the simple reflection: What a plagued and plaguing world, with its battles and bombardments, wars and rumours of war, (which sow or reap no ear of corn for any man,) this is! The boy, who here watches the musket-volleys and cannon-thunders of the great Fritz, shall, as man, witness the siege of Mentz; fly with Brunswick Dukes before Doumouriez and his Sansculottes, through a country champed into one red world of mud, "like Pharaoh," (for the carriage too breaks down,) "through the Red Sea" and finally become involved in the universal fire-consummation of Napoleon, and by skill defend himself from hurt therein!

The father, with occasional subsidiary private tutors, is his son's schoolmaster; a somewhat pedantic pedagogue, with ambition enough and faithful good will, but more of rigour than of insight; who, however, works on a subject that he cannot spoil. Languages, to the number of six or seven, with whatsoever pertains to them; histories, syllabuses, know ́ledges-made-easy; not to speak of dancing, drawing, music, or, in due time, riding and fencing all is taken in with boundless appetite and aptitude; all is but fuel, injudiciously piled, and of wet quality, yet under which works an unquenchable Greek-fire that will feed itself therewith, that will one day make it all clear and glowing. The paternal grand mother, recollected as a "pale, thin, ever white and clean dressed figure." provides the children many a satisfaction; and at length, on some festive night the crowning one of a puppetshow: whereupon ensues a long course of theatrical speculatings and practisings, somewhat as delineated, for another party, in the

malefactor and traitor; properly, indeed, not so much a traitor, as a Radical whose Reform Bill could not be carried through. The future book-writer also, on one occasion, sees the execution of a book; how the huge printed reams rustle in the flames, are stirred up with oven-forks, and fly half-charred aloft, the sport of winds; from which half-charred leaves, diligently picked up, he pieces himself a copy together, as did many others, and with double earnestness reads it.

As little is the old Freetown deficient in notable men; all accessible to a grandson of the Schultheiss, who besides is a youth like no other. Of which originals, curious enough, and long since "vanished from the sale-catalogues," take only these two specimens:

"Von Reineck, of an old-noble house; able, downright, but stiff necked; a lean black-brown man, whom I never saw smile. The misfortune befel him that his only daughter was car ried off by a friend of the family. He prosecuted his son-in-law with the most vehement suit; and as the courts, in their formality, would neither fast enough, nor with force enough obey his vengeance, he fell out with them; and there arose quarrel on quarrel, process on process. He withdrew himself wholly into his house and the adjoining garden, lived in a spacious but melancholy under-room, where for many years no brush of a painter, perhaps scarcely the besom of a maid, had got admittance. Me he would willingly endure; had specially recommended me to his younger son. His oldest friends, who knew how to humour him, his men of business and agents, he often had at table: and on such occasions failed not to invite me. His board was well furnished, his buffet still better. His guests, however, had one torment, a large stove smoking out of many cracks. One of the most intimate ven

* Schultheiss is the title of the chief magistrate in some free-towns and republics, for instance, in Berne. It seems to derive itself from Schuld-heissen, and may mean the teller of duty, him by whom what should be in hight.

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