The Life of Goethe - George Henry Lewes - كتب Google

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Book the Third.-1771 to 1775.

DR. GOETHE'S RETURN.

Reception by his father.-Commencement of the Storm and Stress period.—-

Goethe's reluctance to appear in print.-His anguish at having renounced

Frederika.-Reasons why he did not marry her.-Hard work.-Johann Hein-

rich Merck.-The Frankfurter Gelehrten Anzeigen.-Goethe's fondness for

GÖTZ VON BERLICHINGEN.

Three versions of "Götz".-Goethe's own account of the composition.-Character

of Gottfried with the Iron Hand.-" Götz" a dramatic chronicle, not a drama.-

Unlike Shakspeare in construction, in the presentation of character, and in the

language. Its injurious influence on dramatic art.-Its originality denied by

Wetzlar.-The Imperial Court of Justice, a German chancery.-The Teutsche Haus.

-The Round Table and its knights.-Description of Goethe by Kestner.-His

acquaintance with Gotter.-Connexion with the Göttingen School.-Moral

contest between individuals and Government.-Literary and philosophic insur-

rection.-Goethe falls in love with Charlotte Buff.-Kestner's engagement to

Charlotte.-Jerusalem's unhappy passion.-Goethe's visit to Höpfner.-Melan-

choly departure from Wetzlar

PREPARATIONS FOR WERTHER.

Goethe interrogates fate whether he should become an artist.-Maximiliane von

Laroche." Pater Brey" and " Satyros".-Studies at Frankfurt.-Re-writing

"Götz von Berlichingen".-Publication of "Götz".-Misrepresentation of Her-

der's reception of the work.-Amusing offer of a bookseller.-Unrest and ex-

travagancies of the age.-General want of faith.-Letters to Kestner and Char-

lotte.-Coquetting with suicide.—Suicide of Jerusalem.-Its effect on Goethe.

-State of his mind.-Marriage of Charlotte to Kestner.-Marriage of Cornelia.

-Goethe meditates a drama on Mahomet.-Marriage of Maximiliane Laroche

with Brentano.-Dangerous intimacy.-Publication of "Götter, Helden, and

Wieland".-First acquaintance with Karl August.-Composition of Wer-

Kestner's narrative of Jerusalem's suicide.-Sensation at Wetzlar.-Character of

Werther.-Distinction between Werther and Goethe.-Wretched English trans-

lation of "Werther".-Simplicity of the structure of the book.-Its prodigious

effect.-Objections of Lessing.-Parody by Nicolai.-Nicolai at Werther's

grave.-Enthusiasm of Zimmermann and Kotzebue.—Indignation of Kestner

and Charlotte.-Goethe obtains their forgiveness.-Kestner's letter to Hen-

THE LITERARY LION.

Marriage Lotteries.-Antoinette Gerock.-" Mémoire" of Beaumarchas.-Story of

Beaumarchais and Clavijo.-Goethe's composition of "Clavigo".-Character of

the play.-Merck's reproach.-Goethe's acquaintance with Klopstock and Lava-

ter. Character of Lavater.-Sentimentalism of the epoch.-Probable parent-

age of Goethe's religious opinions.—Faith and knowledge.—Acquaintance with

Basedow, the educational reformer.-Wild and genius-like demeanour.-Ac-

quaintance with Jacobi.-Impressions produced by his wonderful personality.-

Studies Spinoza.-Studies the history and doctrines of the Moravians.-Con-

ceives the idea of treating epically the history of the "Wandering Jew".-Pro-

jects a play on the fable of Prometheus.-Comparison of the extant fragment

with the Prometheus of Eschylus and Shelley
160

Love for Anna Elizabeth Schönemann (Lili).-Character of Lili.-Goethe's verses

to Lili-"Erwin und Elmire".-Objections to the marriage.-Composition of

"Stella".-Canning's caricature of the work.-Tour in Switzerland with the

two Counts Stolberg.-Separation from Lili.-"Lili's Menagerie".-Com-

mencement of "Egmont".-Goethe accepts Karl August's invitation to Wei-

Book the Fourth.-1775 to 1779.

WEIMAR IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

Description of Weimar.-The Wartburg.-Banqueting-hall of the Minnesingers.-

Annual meeting of the Bachs.-The Park.-Legend of the serpent of Weimar.

-Charming environs.-Social condition of the period.-State of science.-Ab-

sence of comfort and luxury.-Rough and simple manners.-Condition of the

people.-Prices.-Influence of the Court.-No real public for Art at Weimar.—

Necessity in Art for the co-operation of the nation with individual genius 189

THE NOTABILITIES OF WEIMAR.

The Dowager Duchess Amalia.-Mdlle. Göchhausen.-Wieland.-Einsiedel.-Corona

Schröter.-Bertuch.-Museus.-Seckendorf.-The Duchess Luise.-Karl Au-

gust.-Gräfin Werther.-Frau von Stein.-Knebel.-Herder

THE FIRST WILD WEEKS AT WEIMAR.

Sensation created by Goethe at Weimar.-Laxity of German morals based on senti-

mentalism.-Goethe's flirtations.-Skating; dissipation leading to weariness.—

His close intimacy with Karl August.-Raised to the post of Geheime Lega-

tions Rath.-Protest of the officials silenced by the duke.-Exaggerated scan-

dal.-Klopstock's letter of remonstrance.-Breach between Klopstock and

Goethe.-Gleim's anecdote of Goethe.-Absurdity of the charge that Goethe

sacrificed his genius to the Court.-Merck's approbation of Goethe's posi-

THE FRAU VON STEIN.

Charlotte, Baroness von Stein.-Goethe falls in love with her.-Extracts from letters.
-The Gartenhaus in the Park dedicated to her.-The duke takes it from Bertuch,
and transfers it to Goethe.-Royal visits.-Love of Nature.-Ballad of the
Fisherman
223

PRIVATE THEATRICALS.

Goethe's influence with the Duke, and efforts to improve Weimar.-Popularity of

private theatricals.-Open air performances.-Representation of "Minerva's

Birth, Life, and Deeds".-Goethe's operetta "Die Fischerin".-Miscellaneous

performances.-Representation of the " Iphigenia".-Goethe's acting.-Various

employments of time

MANY COLOURED THREADS.

Love and ambition.-Death of his sister.-Adopts a poor boy.-Letters from senti-

mental youths.-Composition of "Triumph der Empfindsamkeit".-Journey to

the Harz mountains in disguise.-Interview with Plessing, the misanthrope.—

Suicide of Fräulein von Lassberg.-Goethe's increased hatred of Wertherism-

Representation of the "Triumph der Empfindsamkeit”

THE REAL PHILANTHROPIST.

His manifold employments and studies.-His love of the people.—Visit to Berlin.—

Frederic the Great.-Goethe's kindness.-His delicate benevolence to Kraft.-

His letters to Kraft.-Refutation of the opinion that Goethe was cold and

Book the Fifth.-1779 to 1793.

Passage of Youth to Manhood.-Composition of the " Iphigenia " in prose.-The

Mistaken notion that the Iphigenia is a specimen of the Greek tragedy.-Necessary

calmness of evolution in the Greek drama confounded with calmness of life.-

Deep passions called into play by the Greek dramatists.-Profound difference

between Goethe and Euripides.-" Iphigenia" not a Greek but a German play.

Not a drama, but a dramatic poem.-Parallel between the Iphigenia of Goethe

and the Iphigenia of Euripides

Goethe active in his official duties.-Raised to the rank of Geheimrath.-Journey
with Karl August to Frankfurt and Strasburg.-Interview with Frederika.-

Interview with Lili.-Journey to Switzerland.-Schiller first sees Goethe.-

Return to Weimar.-Changes in his mode of life.-Passionate study of science.

-Tendency to believe in the unity of nature.-Slow advance to a more serious

and decisive plan of existence.-Raised to nobility.-Increased devotion to the

Frau von Stein.-Occasional discords with Karl August.-Feels authorship to

be the true mission of his life

PREPARATIONS FOR ITALY.

Birth of a crown-prince.-Goethe's poem of " Ilmenau ".-Increased official burdens.

-Journey in the Harz with Fritz von Stein.-Prepares the Planet Dance".-

Pronounces an oration on the re-opening of the Ilmenau mines.-Discovers an

intermaxillary bone in man.-Biographical significance of the discovery.—

Studies in natural history.-Changes in Weimar society.-Increase of Salary.

His generosity.-Separation of opinion between Goethe and Jacobi.-Goethe

disgusted with the hypocritical nature of Lavater.-Strong impulse to visit

Italy. His secret departure

Goethe in Italy under an assumed name.-The "Italiänische Reise ".-His delight

in the present, and not in the past.-His residence in Venice and Rome.-

Passion for art.-Tries to discover the secret of vegetable forms.-Weimar

grumbling. His visit to Naples.—Sir William and Lady Hamilton.—Vesuvius,

Pæstum, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Capua.-Palermo.-Visits the parents of

Cagliostro.-Return to Rome.-Literary labours.-Effect of his residence in

Italy. Result of his study of art.-Falls in love with a young Milanese.—

Returns to Weimar

EGMONT AND TASSO.

Egmont " a universal favourite, but not a masterpiece.—A novel in dialogue, not

a drama.-The character of Egmont a type of humanity.-Materials and con-

struction of the play.-Analysis of "Egmont ".-"Tasso"
301

Melancholy return from Italy to Weimar.-Letter to Karl August.-Relieved from

the more onerous duties of office.-Coolness towards the Frau von Stein.-

Schiller's account of his first interview with Goethe.-Wide gulf between the

two.-Difference in their fortunes

CHRISTIANE VULPIUS.

Her first meeting with Goethe.-Her position, education, and character.—Her

connection with Goethe.-Composition of the Roman Elegies".-How far a

poet is justified in disregarding the conventional proprieties of his age.—

Goethe's love for Christiane.-Disapprobation of Weimar society.-Rupture

with the Frau von Stein.-Goethe's letters to Frau von Stein.-Her letter de-

scribing his illness

-THE POET AS A MAN OF SCIENCE.

Studies.-Goethe's authority accepted in art, but rejected in science.-Real
nature of authority, and claims of amateurs. His treatise on the "Me-

tamorphoses of Plants."-Its cold reception. Before its age. - Recogni-

tion of his labours by St. Hilaire.-Modern recognition of his discovery.—

High character of his botanical and anatomical studies.-Unfortunate studies

in optics.-Misunderstanding of Newton's theory.-Publication of the "Bei-

träge zur Optik". - Opposition to it. Goethe's obstinacy and irritability

-His "Theory of Colours" expounded and contrasted with that of New-

ton.-Goethe's explanation of the phenomena of refraction.-Source of

his errors.-Misconception of Method.-Efforts to supply the place of experi-

ment and mathematics by observation and reason.-Native direction of his

mind towards the concrete phenomena, not towards abstractions.-His success

in the organic sciences.-Not a metaphysician, but a thinker on the à priori

method. Review of his discovery of the intermaxillary bone.-Claims of Vicq

d'Azyr.-Employment of the comparative method.-The doctrine of mor-

phology.—The vertebral theory, and theory of Metamorphosis.—Goethe's

creation of a type.-Claims of Linnæus and Wolff.-Goethe's hypothesis of

elaborated sap opposed to Wolff's hypothesis of deficient sap.-Law of ve-

getation and law of reproduction clearly seen by Goethe.-Goethe's efforts

to create the science of philosophic anatomy.-The positive method.-Principle

of development grasped and applied by Geothe.—Law of division of labour in

the animal organism clearly expressed in his formula.-His "Introduction to

Comparative Anatomy".-Vertebral theory of the skull criticised.—Examina-

tion of Goethe's claim to the discovery of the vertebral theory of the skull 326

THE CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE.

Goethe's second visit to Italy.-The Venetian Epigrams.-Return to Weimar.-

Friday evenings.-"Der Gross Kophta".-Invasion of France for the restora-

tion of Louis XVI.-Goethe accompanies the army.-Utter want of interest in

politics.-Opposed to the principles of the Revolution, but without sympathy

for the Royalists.-His diary of the "Campaign of France".-Return to

Weimar. His house in the Frauenplan.-The study, the library, and the

bedroom.-Friendship with Meyer.-The "Bürger-general".-The "Aufge-

regten"." Reinecke Fuchs "

Book the Sixth.-1794 to 1805.

GOETHE AND SCHILLER.

Friendship of Goethe and Schiller.-Their profound dissimilarity.-Personal appear-

ance of both.-Points of resemblance between them.-Their mutual earnest-

ness in art. Similarity in the phases of their development.-Goethe restored

to poetry by Schiller.-Goethe's admiration for his rivals.-His praise of Schiller.

-Shakspeare's silence about his rivals.-Indifference of Weimar to the progress

of the Revolution.-Contemporary state of German literature.-" Die Horen "

started by Schiller.-Rapid growth of the friendship between Goethe and

Schiller.-Beneficial influence of Schiller on Goethe.-Goethe's scientific ardour

and poetical plans.-Failure of the "Horen".-Publication of the "Xenien ".-

Sensation produced

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