To the biographer, this Wahrheit und Dichtung is almost as much of a stumbling block as a stepping stone; at least I found it so. In obedience to the advice of German friends, and to what seemed the most natural plan, I originally confined myself to the reproduction and abridgment of it in the first three Books, merely correcting inaccuracies, and inserting such novelty of detail as had come to hand. It seemed proper to let him speak for himself wherever that could be done. But this plan was more plausible than felicitous; and on rewriting the first volume - which I did during my last residence in Germany through the autumn and winter of 1854-5-I found it indispensable to recast the whole, and begin again upon a different principle. Thus the Autobiography came to be treated only as one of the various sources from which the story was to be constructed. The main reason for this was the abiding inaccuracy of tone, which, far more misleading than the many inaccuracies of fact, gives to the whole youthful period, as narrated by him, an aspect so directly contrary to what is given by contemporary evidence, especially his own letters, that an attempt to reconcile the contradiction is futile. If any one doubts this, and persists in his doubts after reading the first volume of this work, let him take up Goethe's Letters to the Countess von Stolberg, or the recently published letters to Kestner and Charlotte, and compare their tone with the tone of the Autobiography, wherein the old man depicts the youth as the old man saw him, not as the youth felt and lived. The picture of youthful follies and youthful passions comes softened through the distant avenue of years. The turbulence of a youth of genius is not indeed quite forgotten, but it is hinted with stately reserve. Jupiter, serenely throned upon Olympus, forgets that he was once a rebel with the Titans. When we come to know the real facts, we see that the Autobiography does not so much misstate as understate; we, who can read between the lines,' perceive that it errs more from want of sharpness of relief and precision of detail than from positive misrepresentation. Controlled by contemporary evidence, it furnishes one great source for the story of the early years; and I greatly regret there is not more contemporary evidence to furnish more details. For the later period, besides the mass of printed testimony in shape of Letters, Memoirs, Reminiscences, etc., I have endeavored to get at the truth by consulting those who lived under the same roof with him, those who lived in friendly intercourse with him, and those who have made his life and works a special study. I have sought to acquire and to reproduce a definite image of the living man, and not simply of the man as he appeared in all the reticences of print. For this purpose I have controlled and completed the testimonies of print by means of papers which have never seen the light, and papers which, in all probability, never will see the light — by means of personal corroboration, and the many slight details which are gathered from far and wide when one is alive to every scrap of authentic information and can see its significance; and thus comparing testimony with testimony, completing what was learned yesterday by something learned to-day, not unfrequently helped to one passage by details furnished from half-a-dozen quarters, I have formed the conclusions which appear in this work. In this difficult, and sometimes delicate task, I hope it will be apparent that I have Leen guided solely by the desire to get at the truth, not having any cause to serve, any partisanship to mislead me, or personal connection to trammel my judgment. It will be seen that I neither deny, nor attempt to slur over, points which may tell against him. The man is too great and too good to forfeit our love, because on some points he may incur our blame. Considerable space has been allotted to analyses and criticisms of Goethe's works. In the life of a great Captain, much space is necessarily occupied by his campaigns. By these analyses I have tried to be of service to the student of German literature, as well as to those who do not read German; and throughout it will be seen that pains have not been spared to make the reader feel at home in this foreign land. The scientific writings have been treated with what proportionately may seem great length; and this, partly because science filled a large portion of Goethe's life, partly because, even in Germany, there is nothing like a full exposition of his aims and achievements in this direction. Many readers will be interested in the subject: and it may be satisfactory to them to know that one of the most eminent scientific authorities in Europe has given his canction to my exposition. LONDON, OCTOBER, 1855. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. - Character and extent of Goethe's claims to greatness. - Hereditary Character of the epoch.-Twofold character of Frankfurt. Feeling for Italy.— Moderate elevation of Goethe's social status. - Maternal tuition. His love for his sister Cor- nelia. His love of story-telling. Grandmother and grandfather awakened by the Lisbon earthquake. — Early symbolical repre- sentation of the soul's aspirations to the Deity. — The Seven Years' War. Invention of little stories. - Occupation of Frank- furt by the French.. The French theatre. - Duel with Derones |