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

CHAPTER III.

“Thy letter is so well written, and so prudently and wisely conceived, that no

objection can be made to it. Only thou must pardon me, when I declare that one

may think, maintain, and do directly the reverse, and yet be in the right as well

as  thou.  Thy  mode  of  being  and  imagining  appears  to  turn  on  boundless

acquisition, and a light, mirthful manner of enjoyment: I need scarcely tell thee,

that in all this I find little that can charm me.

“First, however, I am sorry to admit, that my journal is none of mine. Under

the pressure of necessity, and to satisfy my father, it was patched together by a

friend’s  help,  out  of  many  books:  and  though  in  words  I  know  the  objects  it

relates  to,  and  more  of  the  like  sort,  I  by  no  means  understand  them,  or  can

occupy  myself  about  them.  What  good  were  it  for  me  to  manufacture  perfect

iron  while  my  own  breast  is  full  of  dross?  What  would  it  stead  me  to  put

properties of land in order, while I am at variance with myself?

“To speak it in a word, the cultivation of my individual self, here as I am, has

from my youth upwards been constantly though dimly my wish and my purpose.

The  same  intention  I  still  cherish,  but  the  means  of  realizing  it  are  now  grown

somewhat clearer. I have seen more of life than thou believest, and profited more

by  it  also.  Give  some  attention,  then,  to  what  I  say,  though  it  should  not

altogether tally with thy own opinions.

“Had  I  been  a  nobleman,  our  dispute  would  soon  have  been  decided;  but,

being  a  simple  burgher,  I  must  take  a  path  of  my  own:  and  I  fear  it  may  be

difficult to make thee understand me. I know not how it is in foreign countries,

but in Germany, a universal, and, if I may say so, personal, cultivation is beyond

the  reach  of  any  one  except  a  nobleman.  A  burgher  may  acquire  merit;  by

excessive  efforts  he  may  even  educate  his  mind;  but  his  personal  qualities  are

lost,  or  worse  than  lost,  let  him  struggle  as  he  will.  Since  the  nobleman,

frequenting  the  society  of  the  most  polished,  is  compelled  to  give  himself  a

polished  manner;  since  this  manner,  neither  door  nor  gate  being  shut  against

him, grows at last an unconstrained one; since, in court or camp, his figure, his

person, are a part of his possessions, and, it may be, the most necessary part, —

he has reason enough to put some value on them, and to show that he puts some.

A certain stately grace in common things, a sort of gay elegance in earnest and

important  ones,  becomes  him  well;  for  it  shows  him  to  be  everywhere  in

equilibrium. He is a public person; and the more cultivated his movements, the

more  sonorous  his  voice,  the  more  staid  and  measured  his  whole  being  is,  the

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more perfect is he. If to high and low, to friends and relations, he continues still

the same, then nothing can be said against him, none may wish him otherwise.

His coldness must be reckoned clearness of head, his dissimulation prudence. If

he  can  rule  himself  externally  at  every  moment  of  his  life,  no  man  has  aught

more to demand of him; and, whatever else there may be in him or about him,

capacities, talents, wealth, all seem gifts of supererogation.

“Now,  imagine  any  burgher  offering  ever  to  pretend  to  these  advantages,  he

will  utterly  fail,  and  the  more  completely,  the  greater  inclination  and  the  more

endowments nature may have given him for that mode of being.

“Since, in common life, the nobleman is hampered by no limits; since kings,

or kinglike figures, do not differ from him, — he can everywhere advance with

a silent consciousness, as if before his equals: everywhere he is entitled to press

forward, whereas nothing more beseems the burgher than the quiet feeling of the

limits  that  are  drawn  round  him.  The  burgher  may  not  ask  himself,  ‘What  art

thou?’ He can only ask, ‘What hast thou? What discernment, knowledge, talent,

wealth?’ If the nobleman, merely by his personal carriage, offers all that can be

asked of him, the burgher by his personal carriage offers nothing, and can offer

nothing. The former has a right to seem: the latter is compelled to be, and what

he aims at seeming becomes ludicrous and tasteless. The former does and makes,

the latter but effects and procures; he must cultivate some single gifts in order to

be useful; and it is beforehand settled, that, in his manner of existence, there is

no harmony, and can be none, since he is bound to make himself of use in one

department, and so has to relinquish all the others.

“Perhaps the reason of this difference is not the usurpation of the nobles, and

the submission of the burghers, but the constitution of society itself. Whether it

will ever alter, and how, is to me of small importance: my present business is to

meet my own case, as matters actually stand; to consider by what means I may

save myself, and reach the object which I cannot live in peace without.

“Now, this harmonious cultivation of my nature, which has been denied me by

birth, is exactly what I most long for. Since leaving thee, I have gained much by

voluntary practice: I have laid aside much of my wonted embarrassment, and can

bear  myself  in  very  tolerable  style.  My  speech  and  voice  I  have  likewise  been

attending to; and I may say, without much vanity, that in society I do not cause

displeasure.  But  I  will  not  conceal  from  thee,  that  my  inclination  to  become  a

public  person,  and  to  please  and  influence  in  a  larger  circle,  is  daily  growing

more insuperable. With this, there is combined my love for poetry and all that is

related to it; and the necessity I feel to cultivate my mental faculties and tastes,

that  so,  in  this  enjoyment  henceforth  indispensable,  I  may  esteem  as  good  the

good alone, as beautiful the beautiful alone. Thou seest well, that for me all this

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is nowhere to be met with except upon the stage; that in this element alone can I

effect  and  cultivate  myself  according  to  my  wishes.  On  the  boards  a  polished

man appears in his splendor with personal accomplishments, just as he does so in

the upper classes of society; body and spirit must advance with equal steps in all

his studies; and there I shall have it in my power at once to be and seem as well

as  anywhere.  If  I  further  long  for  solid  occupations,  we  have  there  mechanical

vexations in abundance: I may give my patience daily exercise.

“Dispute not with me on this subject; for, ere thou writest, the step is taken. In

compliance with the ruling prejudices, I will change my name; as, indeed, that of

Meister, or Master, does not suit me. Farewell! Our fortune is in good hands: on

that  subject  I  shall  not  disturb  myself.  What  I  need  I  will,  as  occasion  calls,

require  from  thee:  it  will  not  be  much,  for  I  hope  my  art  will  be  sufficient  to

maintain me.”

Scarcely was the letter sent away, when our friend made good his words. To

the great surprise of Serlo and the rest, he at once declared that he was ready to

become  an  actor,  and  bind  himself  by  a  contract  on  reasonable  terms.  With

regard  to  these  they  were  soon  agreed;  for  Serlo  had  before  made  offers,  with

which Wilhelm and his comrades had good reason to be satisfied. The whole of

that unlucky company, wherewith we have had so long to occupy ourselves, was

now  at  once  received;  and,  except  perhaps  Laertes,  not  a  member  of  it  showed

the smallest thankfulness to Wilhelm. As they had entreated without confidence,

so  they  accepted  without  gratitude.  Most  of  them  preferred  ascribing  their

appointment  to  the  influence  of  Philina,  and  directed  their  thanks  to  her.

Meanwhile  the  contracts  had  been  written  out,  and  were  now  a-signing.  At  the

moment  when  our  friend  was  subscribing  his  assumed  designation,  by  some

inexplicable concatenation of ideas, there arose before his mind’s eye the image

of  that  green  in  the  forest  where  he  lay  wounded  in  Philina’s  lap.  The  lovely

Amazon  came  riding  on  her  gray  palfrey  from  the  bushes  of  the  wood:  she

approached him and dismounted. Her humane anxiety made her come and go: at

length she stood before him. The white surtout fell down from her shoulders: her

countenance,  her  form,  began  to  glance  in  radiance:  and  she  vanished  from  his

sight. He wrote his name mechanically only, not knowing what he did, and felt

not, till after he had signed, that Mignon was standing at his side, was holding by

his arm, and had softly tried to stop him, and pull back his hand.

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