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CHAPTER VII.

Very early  in  the  morning our  friend  found  himself alone  in  the  gallery,  and

was  enjoying  himself  over  many  a  well-known  form;  to  those  unknown,  a

catalogue,  which  he  found  at  hand,  gave  him  the  desired  clue.  Portraiture,  like

biography, has quite a peculiar interest; the distinguished man, whom one cannot

think of without a surrounding, steps forward isolated, and places himself before

us  as  before  a  mirror;  we  accordingly  turn  on  him  our  special  attention,  we

occupy  ourselves  with  him  exclusively,  as  he  is  complacently  occupied  with

himself in the mirror. It is a general, who now represents the whole army, behind

whom  emperors  as  well  as  kings  for  whom  he  fights,  step  back  into  the  shade.

The clever courtier stands before us, even as if he were paying court to us; we do

not think of the great world, for the sake of which he in fact has made himself so

fascinating. Surprising, too, to our observer was the likeness of many a one long

gone, to living people known to him, whom he had seen in the flesh — nay, even

the likeness to himself. And why should Menæchmi-twins result only from one

mother?  Ought  not  the  great  mother  of  the  gods  and  men  also  be  able  to  bring

forth the like form, at the same time or at intervals, from her fruitful lap? Finally,

too, the sympathetic observer could not deny that many an attractive and many a

repulsive form flitted across his vision.

In the midst of this contemplation he was surprised by the master of the house,

with whom he conversed freely on these subjects, and whose favor he seemed to

gain  still  more.  For  he  was  kindly  taken  into  the  inner  room  before  the  most

precious  portraits  of  remarkable  men  of  the  sixteenth  century  in  complete

presence  just  as  they  loved  and  lived,  without  any  displaying  of  themselves  in

the  mirror  or  to  the  spectator,  self-reliant  and  self-contented,  working  by  their

own character, and not through any sort of willing or purposing.

The  master  of  the  house,  satisfied  that  his  guest  should  know  how  to  value

completely  a  past  so  richly  brought  before  him,  showed  him  the  autographs  of

many persons, about whom they had been speaking before in the gallery; and at

last some relics, which there was no doubt that the former possessors had used

and touched.

“This  is  my  kind  of  poetry,”  said  the  master  of  the  house,  laughing;  “my

imagination  must  take  hold  of  something!  I  can  scarcely  believe  that  anything

has ever been, that is not still here. About such sacred relics of the past I try to

procure the most rigid proofs, otherwise they are not admitted. Written traditions

are most closely examined; for I believe, indeed, that the monk has written the

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chronicle, but what he bears witness to, that I seldom believe.”

At last he put a clean sheet of paper before Wilhelm with a request for a few

lines but without signature; after which our guest found himself ushered through

a side-door into the hall, and by his side the custodian.

“I am glad,” said the latter, “that you are valued by our master; the very fact

that  you  have  come  out  at  this  door  is  a  proof  of  it.  But  do  you  know  what  he

takes  you  for?  He  thinks  that  in  you  he  sees  a  professional  pedagogue;  he

supposes that the boy belongs to a family of rank, and has been intrusted to your

guidance, in order to be initiated in the world and all its manifold conditions and

principles, with right ideas in good time.”

“He  does  me  too  much  honor,”  said  our  friend;  “still  I  shall  not  have  heard

this in vain.”

At  breakfast,  at  which  he  found  his  Felix  already  busy  amongst  the  ladies,

they expressed to him the wish that, since he could on no account be detained, he

would go to their noble Aunt Makaria, and perhaps thence to the cousin, to clear

up the strange delay. He would thus become as it were a member of their family;

he would confer upon them a distinct service, and without any great preparation

would enter into confidential relations with Lenardo.

To this he replied, however: “Whithersoever you send me, I willingly betake

myself.  I  set  out  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  and  thinking;  with  you  I  have

experienced and learned more than I dared to hope, and I am convinced that on

the next path to which I am introduced I shall find out and learn more than I can

expect.”

“And  you,  pretty  good-for-nothing?  what  are  you  going  to  learn?”  asked

Hersilia.

To which the boy answered very boldly: “I am learning to write, in order to be

able to send you a letter; and to ride better than anyone, so that I may always be

with you again immediately.”

Hereupon  Hersilia  said  thoughtfully:  “I  have  never  been  able  to  get  on

perfectly  well  with  admirers  of  my  own  years;  it  seems  as  if  the  following

generation is going to indemnify me very quickly.”

But  now  we  feel  with  our  friends  how  close  at  hand  is  the  painful  hour  of

leave-taking,  and  we  should  like  to  give  a  clear  idea  of  the  peculiarities  of  his

excellent host, of the singularities of that extraordinary man. But, in order not to

judge  him  falsely,  we  must  first  direct  our  attention  to  the  descent  and  early

development of this worthy person, already far advanced in years. What we were

able to find out is as follows:

His grandfather lived as an active member of an embassy in England, just in

the  last  years  of  William  Penn.  The  great  benevolence,  the  pure  aims,  the

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unflagging activity of such a distinguished man, the conflict into which for this

reason he fell with the world, the dangers and afflictions to which this noble man

seemed  to  be  subjected,  aroused  in  the  susceptible  soul  of  the  young  man  a

decisive  interest;  he  associated  himself  with  the  enterprise,  and  finally  went

himself to America. The father of our squire was born in Philadelphia, and they

both had the fame of having contributed to the result that a general increase of

religious freedom prevailed in the colonies.

Here was deduced the maxim, that any nation isolated in itself and in harmony

as regards morals and religion, ought carefully to guard itself against all foreign

influence  and  all  innovation;  but  that  where  on  a  new  soil  we  wish  to  gather

together  many  members  from  all  sides,  there  should  be  granted  the  most

unfettered  activity  in  all  pursuits,  and  a  free  scope  to  the  universal  moral  and

religious ideas.

The brisk, lively impetus towards America in the beginning of the eighteenth

century was considerable, inasmuch as everyone on this side who felt himself in

any degree uncomfortable hoped over there to emancipate himself. This impetus

was  encouraged  by  the  desirable  possessions  which  could  be  obtained,  before

population  had  as  yet  spread  further  westward.  Whole  so-called  counties  were

still  for  sale  on  the  border  of  the  inhabited  territory;  and  the  father  of  our

proprietor had acquired considerable possessions there.

Yet  here  also  was  shown  how  often  in  sons  a  contradiction  to  the  paternal

disposition manifests itself. Our squire arriving as a youth in Europe, felt himself

another  man.  This  inestimable  culture,  that  had  been  called  into  being  several

thousands  of  years  ago;  which  had  grown,  expanded,  been  curbed,  oppressed,

never  entirely  suppressed;  breathing  afresh,  reviving,  and  afterwards  as  before

displaying itself in infinite forms of activity — gave him quite different notions

respecting  the  goal  which  humanity  is  able  to  reach.  He  preferred  to  take  his

share  of  the  great,  immeasurable  advantages;  and  to  lose  himself  as  a  fellow-

worker  amidst  the  great  mass  moving  in  orderly  activity,  rather  than  there

beyond  the  seas,  belated  by  many  centuries,  playing  the  part  of  an  Orpheus  or

Lycurgus.  He  used  to  say:  “Everywhere  man  has  need  of  patience,  must

everywhere be on his guard, and I would rather settle matters with my king, that

he should grant me such rights, rather accommodate myself with my neighbors,

that  they  may  allow  me  certain  restrictions,  provided  that  I  yield  to  them  on

some other point, than be fighting with the Iroquois, in order to expel them, or

deceiving them by contracts, in order to drive them out of their marshes, where

one will be tortured to death by mosquitoes.”

He took possession of the family estates; he knew how to deal with them in a

liberal  spirit,  to  manage  them  economically,  to  annex  prudently  large  and

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apparently  useless  neighboring  tracts  of  land,  and  thus  within  the  civilized

world, — which, in a certain sense only, may too often be called a wilderness,

—  to  acquire  and  cultivate  a  moderate  domain,  which  with  the  limitations  of

circumstances is still always sufficiently utopian.

Religious liberty is therefore indigenous within this district; public worship is

regarded  as  a  free  confession  that  we  have  a  common  ownership  in  life  and  in

death; but very great care is at the same time taken that no one should separate

himself.

In the several plantations are seen moderately large edifices; each of these is

the room which the owner of the soil devotes to each community; here the eldest

gather,  in  order  to  consult  together;  here  the  many  assemble  to  listen  to

instruction  and  pious  exhortation.  But  this  room  is  also  destined  for

merrymaking;  here  the  wedding  dances  are  celebrated,  and  the  holiday

concluded amidst music.

Nature  herself  can  lead  us  towards  this.  In  ordinarily  fine  weather  under  the

same  lime-tree  we  see  the  elders  in  consultation,  the  community  at  its

instruction, and the youth whirling round in dance. Upon a serious background

of  life,  the  holy  thus  appears  beautiful;  seriousness  and  holiness  moderate

enjoyment, and only by moderation do we preserve ourselves.

If  the  community  is  otherwise  disposed,  and  sufficiently  well-to-do,  it  is  at

liberty to devote different buildings to the different purposes.

But  if  all  this  has  been  calculated  for  the  public  and  common  morality,  still

religion  itself  remains  as  before,  something  inward,  nay,  something  individual.

For it has only to do with the conscience. This must be aroused or tranquillized:

aroused, when blunt, inactive, and in a state of torpor; but soothed down when it

threatens to embitter life by a remorseful restlessness. For it is closely allied to

the pain which threatens to become sorrow, when through our own fault we have

drawn down any ill upon ourselves or others.

But as we are not always disposed to considerations such as are required for

this, nor even always care to be stirred, therefore the Sunday has been set apart,

in which all that oppresses man must, in a religious, moral, social or economical

aspect, come under discussion.

“If  you  would  stay  a  little  longer  with  us,”  said  Julietta,  “our  Sunday  would

not  displease  you  either.  The  day  after  to-morrow,  early,  you  would  notice  a

great  stillness;  every  one  remains  alone  and  devotes  himself  to  a  prescribed

meditation.  Man  is  a  limited  being:  in  order  that  we  may  meditate  on  our

narrowness the Sunday is set apart. If there happen to be bodily suffering, which

during the whirl of the week we set at naught; then at the beginning of the new

week we must at once look out for the doctor; if our difficulty is economical or

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otherwise  connected  with  business,  then  our  bailiffs  are  obliged  to  hold  their

sittings;  if  it  is  something  spiritual,  moral,  that  overclouds  us,  then  we  have

recourse  to  a  friend,  to  a  right-minded  person,  and  ask  for  his  advice,  his

influence; enough, it is the law, that no one dare to transfer to the next week any

concern  that  may  disturb  or  afflict  him.  From  oppressive  duties,  only  the  most

conscientious practice is able to deliver us, and what cannot be relieved at all we

leave finally to God, as the all-controlling, all redeeming Being. Even our uncle

himself does not omit this probation; there are even cases in which he will speak

confidently to us about a difficulty, that he has not been able to overcome at the

moment; but generally he consults with our noble aunt, to whom he from time to

time pays a visit. On Sunday evening he is also in the habit of asking whether a

clean  confession  and  settlement  of  all  has  been  made.  From  this  you  may  see

that we take every care not to be admitted into your order, the community of the

Renunciants.”

“It  is  a  tolerable  life,”  cried  Hersilia;  “if  I  resign  myself  once  every  seven

days, at least I have it to my credit for three hundred and sixty-five!”

Before his departure our friend received from the younger bailiff a packet with

writing enclosed — from which we extract the following passage:

“It seems to me, that in every nation there prevails a different frame of mind,

which only can make it happy, and one observes this in different individuals. He

who desires to have his ear filled with grand and harmoniously regulated tones,

and thereby elevate spirit and soul, — will he thank me if I place before his eyes

the most beautiful picture? A lover of pictures will look; but he will decline to

have  his  imagination  aroused  by  a  poem  or  a  novel.  Who  then  is  so  endowed,

that he can enjoy in many different ways?

“But you, our passing friend, have appeared to me like such an one, and if you

have  known  how  to  appreciate  the  prettiness  of  a  fashionable  rich  French

aberration,  then  I  trust  you  will  not  scorn  the  simple,  true  honesty  of  German

ways;  and  pardon  me  if,  according  to  my  custom  and  manner  of  thinking,

according  to  my  birth  and  position,  I  find  no  more  charming  image  than  is

shown us by the German middle class in its pure domestic life.

“Take this kindly: and remember me.”

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