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CHAPTER IV.
The two friends, not without care and difficulty, had descended to join the
children, who had settled themselves in a shady spot below. The mineral
specimens collected by Montan and Felix were unpacked almost more eagerly
than the provisions. The latter had many questions to ask, and the former many
names to pronounce. Felix was delighted that he could tell him the names of
them all, and committed them quickly to memory. At last he produced one more
stone, and said, “What is this one called?”
Montan examined it with astonishment, and said, “Where did you get it?”
Fitz answered quickly, “I found it; it comes from this country.”
“It is not from this district,” replied Montan.
Felix enjoyed seeing the great man somewhat preplexed.
“You shall have a ducat,” said Montan, “if you take me to the place where it is
found.”
“It will be easy to earn,” replied Fitz, “but not at once.”
“Then describe to me the place exactly, so that I shall be able to find it
without fail. But that is impossible, for it is a cross-stone, which comes from St.
James of Compostella, and which some foreigner has lost, if indeed you have not
stolen it from him, because it looks so wonderful.”
“Give your ducat to your friend to take care of,” said Fitz, “and I will honestly
confess where I got the stone. In the ruined church at St. Joseph’s there is a
ruined altar as well. Among the scattered and broken stones at the top I
discovered a layer of this stone, which served as a bed for the others, and I
knocked down as much of it as I could get hold of. If you only lifted away upper
stones, no doubt you would find a good deal more of it.”
“Take your gold-piece,” replied Montan; “you deserve it for this discovery. It
is a pretty one. One justly rejoices when inanimate nature brings to light a
semblance of what we love and venerate. She appears to us in the form of a
sibyl, who sets down beforehand evidence of what has been predestined from
eternity, but can only in the course of time become a reality. Upon this, as upon
a miraculous, holy foundation, the priests had set their altar.”
Wilhelm, who had been listening for a time, and who had noticed that many
names and many descriptions came over and over again, repeated his already
expressed wish that Montan would tell him so much as he had need of for the
elementary instruction of the boy.
“Give that up,” replied Montan. “There is nothing more terrible than a teacher
who does not know more than the scholars, at all events, ought to know. He who
wants to teach others may often indeed be silent about the best that he knows,
but he must not be half-instructed himself.”
“But where, then, are such perfect teachers to be found?”
“You can find them very easily,” replied Montan.
“Where, then?” said Wilhelm, with some incredulity.
“Wherever the matter which you want to master is at home,” replied Montan.
“The best instruction is derived from the most complete environment. Do you
not learn foreign languages best in the countries where they are at home —
where only those given ones and no other strike your ear?”
“And have you then,” asked Wilhelm, “attained the knowledge of mountains
in the midst of mountains?”
“Of course.”
“Without conversing with people?” asked Wilhelm.
“At least only with people,” replied the other, “who were familiar with
mountains. Wheresoever the Pygmies, attracted by the metalliferous veins, bore
their way through the rock to make the interior of the earth accessible, and by
every means try to solve problems of the greatest difficulty, there is the place
where the thinker eager for knowledge ought to take up his station. He sees
business, action; let things follow their own course, and is glad at success and
failure. What is useful is only a part of what is significant. To possess a subject
completely, to master it, one has to study the thing for its own sake. But whilst I
am speaking of the highest and the last, to which we raise ourselves only late in
the day by dint of frequent and fruitful observation, I see the boys before me: to
them matters sound quite differently. The child might easily grasp every species
of activity, because everything looks easy that is excellently performed. Every
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