Delphi Collected Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe \(Illustrated\) pdfdrive com

FEBRUARY 17.

I fear that my ambassador and I shall not continue much longer together. He is

really  growing  past  endurance.  He  transacts  his  business  in  so  ridiculous  a

manner, that I am often compelled to contradict him, and do things my own way;

and then, of course, he thinks them very ill done. He complained of me lately on

this account at court; and the minister gave me a reprimand, — a gentle one it

is  true,  but  still  a  reprimand.  In  consequence  of  this,  I  was  about  to  tender  my

resignation, when I received a letter, to which I submitted with great respect, on

account of the high, noble, and generous spirit which dictated it. He endeavoured

to soothe my excessive sensibility, paid a tribute to my extreme ideas of duty, of

good  example,  and  of  perseverance  in  business,  as  the  fruit  of  my  youthful

ardour, an impulse which he did not seek to destroy, but only to moderate, that it

might  have  proper  play  and  be  productive  of  good.  So  now  I  am  at  rest  for

another week, and no longer at variance with myself. Content and peace of mind

are valuable things: I could wish, my dear friend, that these precious jewels were

less transitory.