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 % For List of BOHN'S LIBBABOES tee the end of the Volume.
 
 MISCELLANEOUS 
 
 TKAVELS OF J. W. GOETHE: 
 
 COMPRISING 
 
 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND; 
 
 THE CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE, 1792; THE SIEGE OF MAINZ; AND ' 
 A TOUR ON THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR, 1814-15. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 L. DOEA SCHMITZ, 
 
 TRANSLATOR OF 'CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN SCHIJ.LER AN0 GOKTHK,' 
 'rtKTCl'8 I>UAMATIC ART,' ETC., ETC. 
 
 LONDON: GEORGE BELL AND SONS, YORK STREET, 
 
 COVENT GARDEN. 
 
 1882.
 
 "Es ist vortheilhaft den Genius 
 Bewirthen ; gibst du ihm ein Gastgeschenk, 
 So laszt er dir ein scboneres zuriick." 
 
 Goethe's Tasso. 
 
 PRINTED IT WILLtAX CLOWES AHD WJi, LIMITBD, STAMFORD STREET 
 AND CHAkING CROSS.
 
 ?T 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PACK 
 
 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND 1 
 
 PART THE FIRST ........ & 
 
 PART THE SECOND, OCTOBER 3 TO NOVEMBER 13, 1779 . 1$ 
 
 THE CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE 1792 .... 69 
 DIGRESSION "... 190 
 
 VISIT TO JACOBI IN PEMPELFORT 194 
 
 VISIT TO PLESSING IN DUISBURG 204 
 
 VISIT TO THE PRINCESS GALLIZIN IN MUNSTEB . . 220 
 
 WEIMAR IN 1792 AND 1793 . . . > . .230 
 
 THE SIEGE OF MAINZ 249 
 
 FROM A TOUR ON THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR, 
 
 IN 1814 AND 1815 289 
 
 ST. KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN .... 291 
 
 ATJTCMN DAYS IN THE KHINEGAU . . . .321 
 
 ART COLLECTIONS ON THE KHINE AND MAINE . . . 835 
 
 Cologne ......... 
 
 Bonn 349 
 
 Neuwied 353 
 
 Coblenz .........*> 
 
 Mainz 355 
 
 Biberich 857 
 
 Wiesbaden .......... 
 
 Frankfort 59 
 
 Offenbach 5JS2 
 
 Hanau . . 333
 
 IV CONTENTS. 
 
 FROM A TOUR ON TEE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR, IN 
 1814 AND 1815 continued. 
 
 ABT COLLECTIONS ON THE RHINE AND MAINE continued. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Asehaffenburg 389 
 
 Darmstadt 390 
 
 Heidelberg 395 
 
 Supplementary Remarks on Art, in connection with the 
 Boisserfes' Collection of Paintings . . . .418 
 
 MAP OP MAINZ, 1793 .250
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE travels of Goethe collected in this volume and 
 arranged in their chronological order, comprise the 
 account of his second tour in Switzerland in 1779, his 
 account of the Campaign in France in 1792, the Siege of 
 Mainz in 1793, and a tour on the Ehine, Maine, and 
 Neckar, in 1814 and 1815. The Swiss tour is a mere 
 reprint of a translation that has already appeared in the 
 second volume of Goethe's Autobiography, for which, there- 
 fore, I cannot hold myself in any way responsible. The 
 Campaign and Siege of Mainz, however, I have very care- 
 fully revised from a translation by Mr. Farie, published 
 some years since, but which could scarcely be allowed 
 to stand as it was. The Tour on the Ehine, Maine, and 
 Neckar, appears hero for the first time in English. 
 
 The First Part of the Swiss tour with its allusion to 
 Wertlier has suggested the theory that Goethe intended 
 to write a sort of prelude to that novel by way of giving 
 it a more explicit motif.* If so, the design was aban- 
 doned, and the work has remained fragmentary. For 
 this reason, I believe, it was not considered essential to 
 translate it with absolute completeness, and a digression 
 which has no bearing on the main course of the narrative 
 has been abridged. In the Second Part, beginning with 
 the date October 3, 1779, the letters assume a strictly 
 
 * See Dr. Strehlke's preface in Hempel's edition.
 
 VI PREFACE. 
 
 matter-of-fact tone, and the work may almost be regarded 
 as a continuation of the Autobiography. 
 
 The account of the Campaign in France may likewise be 
 regarded as mainly autobiographical, for the diaries of 
 which it is composed were certainly never meant to form a 
 regular history of the military events, as is proved by the 
 title of the first edition, published in 1822, bearing the 
 words, Aus meinem Leben. That the account was not meant 
 to be an historical record is still more evident from the fact 
 that Goethe's experiences during the campaign are imme- 
 diately followed by accounts of visits to Jacobi at Pempel- 
 fort, to Plessing at Duisburg, and to the Princess Gallizin 
 at Miinster. It seems, in fact, certain that Goethe had no 
 thought whatever at the time of writing a report of the 
 military proceedings for publication ; for on various im- 
 portant occasions, when disinclined for the task, or when he 
 happened to find other occurrences more attractive, he even 
 omitted to note down what had taken place, and, as he 
 himself admits, made use of a journal kept by the Duke 
 of Weimar's chamberlain, to supplement his own. His in- 
 terest, throughout his stay with the army in France, was 
 directed more to his human surroundings, to scientific 
 observations and to nature generally, than to the actual 
 course or consequences of the war. It was not till the 
 year 1822 that Goethe first thought of adding his ex- 
 periences during the campaign as a part of his auto- 
 biography, and some new additions were then made to the 
 diary from other sources. The chapter headed a Digression 
 was written wholly from memory in the winter of 1821, 
 and Zelter in a letter to Goethe speaks of the impression 
 made upon him by the finished work. 
 
 The Siege of Mainz, on the other hand, seems more 
 strictly a regular report of the military proceedings. It 
 is only occasionally that we find Goethe's own personal 
 experiences brought prominently forward. Fuller details
 
 PREFACE. Vll 
 
 of his thoughts and work during those days will be found 
 more especially in his letters to Herder and Jacobi. The 
 invasion of France in 1792 was made by the allied army 
 tinder the command of the King of Prussia and the Duke 
 of Brunswick. The Duke of Weimar took his place at the 
 head of his own regiment, and it seems that, being Tin- 
 willing to be without Goethe's genial society, he sent for 
 him to join the regiment as his guest, as Goethe had been 
 requested to do on a previous occasion in Silesia. During 
 the following winter he was again in Weimar, and so busily 
 engaged with the direction of the theatre, with his Burger- 
 General, BeinecJce Fuchs, a contemplated visit to Jena, and 
 other matters, that when the Duke, in February, again re- 
 quested him to come and watch the proceedings before 
 Mainz, Goethe was somewhat loth to leave home ; this may, 
 at least, be inferred from the lines with which he closes 
 his account of the campaign. However, being anxious 
 to comply with the wishes of his friend, the Duke, Goethe 
 did again join the army in May, and remained to see the 
 capitulation and evacuation of the city. 
 
 The Tour on the Rhine, Maine, and Neckar, shows us 
 Goethe under a completely different aspect. In the 
 summer of 1814 he was at Wiesbaden taking the waters, 
 and from there, in company with his friends Cramer and 
 Zeltcr, made the excursion to Riidesheim to which we owe 
 his charming description of the festival held in celebra- 
 tion of the restoration of St. Roch's Chapel near Bingen. 
 The pleasant excursions in the Rheingau were enjoyed 
 while on a week's visit to the Brentano family, who had 
 a country residence at Winkel. In the essays on the Art 
 Collections we find Goethe devoting his attention chiefly 
 to the so-called Christian art of the Middle Ages, a style 
 of art which it would seem had lost its attraction for him 
 for many years, after the first great impression made upon 
 him by the Strassburg Cathedral, and which led him to
 
 Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 publish a pamphlet full of enthusiasm on the subject an 
 enthusiasm which in subsequent years appeared so incom- 
 prehensible to him that he was with difficulty persuaded 
 to include this treatise among his other works.. The essays 
 on the Art Collections were probably written with the view 
 of drawing the attention of the public to the Boisserees' 
 work on Cologne Cathedral, which was to embrace draw- 
 ings of all the more important monuments of early 
 German architecture on the Lower Ehine. Goethe had 
 become personally acquainted with Sulpiz Boisseree in 
 1811, after many letters had passed between them on the 
 subject of the latter's work on the Cathedral. Boisseree, 
 in his admiration of Goethe's genius, was anxious to have 
 his approval of the work, and also to seek his advice on 
 various other points. The essays were first published in. 
 an Art Magazine edited by Goethe, and originally called 
 Ueber Kunst und Alterthum in den Rliein- und Main- Gegenden, 
 but which subsequently received the more general name 
 of Kumt und Alterthum, and appeared under Goethe's 
 supervision up to the time of his death. The Boisserees' 
 splendid collection in Heidelberg likewise reawakened 
 Goethe's interest in the early German and Netherland 
 schools of painting, an historical sketch of which closes 
 his observations on the collections he had visited in the 
 different towns. 
 
 In this volume, therefore, in spite of the warlike head- 
 ings of the two main portions of the contents, we shall 
 find Goethe the same calm, observant and peace-loving 
 man he proved himself throughout life, delighting in all 
 that is beautiful in nature and art, and true to his own 
 
 words : 
 
 Manchea Herrliche der Welt 
 
 1st in Krieg und Streit zerronnen ; 
 Wer beschiitzet und erhalt, 
 Hat das schonste Loos gcwonnon. 
 
 London, 1882. 
 
 L. DORA SCHMITZ.
 
 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 TRANSLATED BY 
 
 THE REV. A. J. W. MORRISON, M.A.
 
 AUTHOK'S INTRODUCTION. 
 
 When, a few years ago, the copies of the following letters 
 were first made known to us, it was asserted that they had 
 been found among Werther's papers, and it was pretended 
 that before his acquaintance with Charlotte, he had been in 
 Switzerland. We have never seen the originals : however we 
 would not on any account anticipate the judgment and feel- 
 ings of our readers ; for whatever may be their true history, 
 it is impossible to read them without sympathy
 
 LETTEES FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 PAET THE FIEST. 
 
 How all my descriptions disgust me, when I read them 
 over. Nothing but your advice, your command, your in- 
 junction could have induced me to attempt anything of the 
 kind. How many descriptions, too, of these scenes had I not 
 read before I saw them. Did these, then, afford me an 
 image of them, or at best but a mere vague notion ? In 
 vain did my imagination attempt to bring the objects before 
 it; in vain did my mind try to think upon them. Here I 
 now stand contemplating these wonders, and what are my 
 feelings in the midst of them ? I can think of nothing I can 
 feel nothing, and how willingly would I both think and 
 feel. The glorious scene before me excites my soul to ita 
 inmost depths, and impels me to be doing; and yet what can 
 I do what do I ? I set myself down and scribble and 
 describe ! Away with you, ye descriptions delude my friend 
 make him believe that I am doing something that he sees 
 and reads something. 
 
 Free, then, are these Switzers? Free, these opulent 
 burghers in their little pent-up towns free, those poor devils 
 on their rocks and crags ? What is it that man cannot be 
 made to believe, especially when he cherishes in his heart the 
 memory of some old tale of marvel? Once, forsooth, they did 
 break a tyrant's yoke, and might for the moment fancy them- 
 selves free; but out of the carcase of the single oppressor the 
 
 B 2
 
 4c LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 good sun, by a strange new birth, has hatched a swann of 
 petty tyrants. And so now they are ever telling that old tale 
 of marvel : one hears it till one is sick of it. They formerly 
 made themselves free, and have ever since remained free! 
 and now they sit behind their walls, hugging themselves with 
 their customs and laws their philandering and philistering. 
 And there, too, on the rocks, it is surely fine to talk of liberty, 
 when for six months of the year they, like the marmot, 
 are bound hand and foot by the snow. 
 
 Alas! how wretched must any work of man look, in 
 the midst of this great and glorious Nature, but espe- 
 cially such sorry, poverty-stricken works as these black and 
 dirty little towns such mean heaps of stones and rubbish ! 
 Large rubble and other stones on the roofs too, that the 
 miserable thatch may not be carried off from the top of them, 
 and then the filth, the dung, and the gaping idiots ! When 
 here you meet with man and the wretched work of his hands, 
 you are glad to fly away immediately from both. 
 
 That there are in man very many intellectual capacities 
 which in this life he is unable to develope, which therefore 
 point to a better future, and to a more harmonious state of 
 existence : on this point we are both agreed. But further 
 than this I cannot give up that other fancy of mine, even 
 though on account of it you may again call me, as you have 
 so often done already, a mere enthusiast. For my part, I do 
 think that man feels conscious also of corporeal qualities, of 
 whose mature expansion he can have no hope in this life. 
 This most assuredly is the case with "Jlyinp." How strongly at 
 one time used the clouds, as they drove along the blue sky, to 
 tempt me to travel with them to foreign lands! and now in 
 what danger do I stand, lest they should carry me away with 
 them from the mountain peak as they sweep violently by. 
 What desire do I not feel to throw myself into the boundless 
 regions of the air to poise over the terrific abyss, or to 
 alight on some otherwise inaccessible rock. With what 
 a longing do I draw deeper and deeper breath, when, in 
 the dark blue depth below, the eagle soars over rocks and 
 forests, or in company, and in sweet concord with his mate, 
 wheels in wide circles round the eyrie to which he has
 
 FANCIES AND FEELINGS. 5 
 
 entrusted his young. Must I then never do more than creep 
 up to the summits? Must I always go on clinging to the 
 highest rocks, as well as to the lowest plain ; and when I 
 have at last, with much toil, reached the desired eminence, 
 must I still anxiously grasp at every holding place, shudder at 
 the thought of return, and tremble at the chance of a fall. 
 
 With what wonderful properties are we not born, what 
 vague aspirations rise within us ! How rarely do imagina- 
 tion and our bodily powers work in opposition ! Peculiarities 
 of my early boyhood again recur. While I am walking, and 
 have a long road before me, my arms go dangling by my 
 side, I often make a grasp, as if I would seize a javelin, and 
 hurl it I know not at whom, or what ; and then I fancy an 
 arrow is shot at me which pierces me to the heart ; I strike 
 my hand upon my breast, and feel an inexpressible sweetness ; 
 and then after this I soon revert to my natural state. Whence 
 comes this strange phenomenon, what is the meaning of it ? 
 and why does it invariably recur under the same figures, in 
 the same bodily movement, and with the same sensation ? 
 
 I am repeatedly told that the people who have met me on 
 my journey are little satisfied with me. 1 can readily be- 
 lieve it, for neither has any one of them contributed to my 
 satisfaction. I cannot tell how it comes to pass, that society 
 oppresses me, that the forms of politeness are disagreeable 
 to me, that what people talk about does not interest me, 
 that all that they show to me is either quite indifferent, or 
 else produces quite an opposite impression to what they 
 expect. When I am shown a drawing or painting of any 
 beautiful spot, immediately a feeling of disquiet arises within 
 me which is utterly inexpressible. My toes within my shoes 
 begin to bend, as if they would clutch the ground a cramp- 
 like motion runs through my fingers. I bite my lips, and I 
 hasten to leave the company I am in, and throw myself down 
 in the presence of the majesty of nature on the first seat how- 
 ever inconvenient. I try to take in the scene before me 
 with my eye to seize all its beauties, and on the spot I love to 
 cover a whole sheet with scratches, which represent nothing 
 exactly, but which, nevertheless, possess an infinite value
 
 6 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 in my eyes, as serving to remind me of the happy moment 
 whose bliss even this bungling exercise could not mar. What 
 means, then, this strange effort to pass from art to nature, 
 and then back again from nature to art ? If it gives promise 
 of an artist, why is steadiness wanting to me ? If it calls me 
 to enjoyment, wherefore, then, am I not able to seize it? I 
 lately had a present of a basket of fruit. I was in raptures at 
 the sight of it as of something heavenly, such riches, such 
 abundance, such variety and yet such affinity ! I could not 
 persuade myself to pluck off a single berry I could not bring 
 myself to take a single peach or a fig. Most assuredly this 
 gratification of the eye and the inner sense is the highest and 
 most worthy of man ; in all probability it is the design of 
 Nature, when the hungry and thirsty believe that she has 
 exhausted herself in marvels merely for the gratification of 
 iheir palate. Ferdinand came and found me in the midst of 
 these meditations : he did me justice, and then said, smiling, but 
 with a deep sigh, " Yes, we are not worthy to consume these 
 glorious products of Nature ; truly it were a pity. Permit 
 me to make a present of them to my beloved ?" How glad 
 was I to see the basket carried off! How did I love Ferdi- 
 nand how did I thank him for the feeling he had excited 
 in me for the prospect he gave me ? Aye, we ought to 
 acquaint ourselves with the beautiful ; we ought to contem- 
 plate it with rapture, and attempt to raise ourselves up to its 
 height. And in order to gain strength for that, we must 
 keep ourselves thoroughly unselfish we must not make it 
 our own, but rather seek to communicate it : indeed, to make 
 a sacrifice of it to those who are dear and precious to us. 
 
 How sedulously are we shaped and moulded in our 
 youthhow constantly are we then called on to lay aside 
 now this, now that bad feeling ! But what, in fact, are our 
 so-called bad feelings but so many organs by means of which 
 man is to help himself in life. How is not the poor child 
 worried, in whom but a little spark of vanity is discovered ! 
 and yet what a poor miserable creature is the man who has 
 no vanity at all. I will now tell you what has led me to 
 make all these reflections. The day before yesterday we 
 were joined by a young fellow, who was most disagreeable to
 
 CONVENTIONAL EDUCATION. 7 
 
 me and to Ferdinand. His weak points were so prominent, 
 his emptiness so manifest, and his care for his outward appear- 
 ance so obvious, that we looked down upon him as far in- 
 ferior to ourselves, yet everywhere he was better received 
 than we were. Among other of his follies, he wore a waist- 
 coat of red satin, which round the neck was so cut as to look 
 like the ribbon of some order or other. We could not 
 restrain our jokes at this piece of absurdity, but he let them 
 all pass, for he drew a good profit from it, and perhaps 
 secretly laughed at us. For host and hostess, coachman, 
 waiter and chambermaid, and indeed not a few of our fellow- 
 travellers, were taken in by this seeming ornament, and 
 showed him greater politeness than ourselves. Not only was 
 he always first waited upon, but, to our great humiliation, we 
 saw that all the pretty girls in the inns bestowed all their 
 stolen glances upon him ; and then, when it came to the 
 reckoning, which his eminence and distinction had enhanced, 
 we had to pay our full shares. Who, then, was the fool in 
 the game ? not he, assuredly. 
 
 There is something pretty and instructive about the 
 symbols and maxims which one here sees on all the stoves. 
 Here you have the drawing of one of these symbols which 
 particularly caught my fancy. A horse tethered by his hind 
 foot to a stake is grazing round it as far as his tether will 
 permit ; beneath is written, " Allow me to take my allotted 
 portion of food." This, too, will be the case with me, wh'en 
 I come home, and, like the horse in the mill, shall have to 
 work away at your pleasure, and in return, like the horse 
 here on the stove, shall receive a nicely-measured dole for 
 my support. Ye, I am coming back, and what awaits me 
 was certainly well worth all the trouble of climbing up these 
 mountain heights, of wandering through these valleys, and 
 seeing this blue sky of discovering that there is a nature 
 which exists by an eternal voiceless necessity, which has no 
 wants, no feelings, and is divine, whilst we, whether in the 
 country or iix the towns, have alike to toil hard to gain a 
 miserable subsistence, and at the same time struggle to subject 
 everything to our lawless caprice, and call it liberty !
 
 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 Aye, I have ascended the Furca, the summit of S. 
 Gotthard. These sublime, incomparable scenes of nature, will 
 ever stand before my eye. Aye, I have read the Roman 
 history, in order to gain from the comparison a distinct and 
 vivid feeling what a thoroughly miserable being I am. 
 
 Never has it been so clear to me as during these last few 
 days, that I too could be happy on moderate means could 
 be quite as happy as any one eke, if only I knew a trade 
 an exciting one, indeed, but yet one which had no conse- 
 quences for the morrow, which required nothing but industry 
 and attention at the time, without calling for either foresight 
 or retrospection. Every mechanic seems to me the happiest 
 of mortals : all that he has to do is already settled for him, 
 what he can do is fixed and known. He has not to rack his 
 brains over the task that is set him ; he works away without 
 thinking, without exertion or haste, but still with diligence 
 and pleasure in his work, like a bird building its nest, or a 
 bee constructing its cells. He is but a degree above the 
 beasts, and yet he is a perfect man. How do I envy the potter 
 at his wheel, or the joiner behind his bench ! 
 
 Tilling the soil is not to my liking this first and most 
 necessary of man's occupations is disagreeable to me. In it 
 man does but ape nature, who scatters her seeds everywhere, 
 whereas man would choose that a particular field should pro- 
 duce none but one particular fruit. But things do not go on 
 exactly so the weeds spring up luxuriantly the cold and 
 wet injures the crop, or the hail cuts it off entirely. The 
 poor husbandman anxiously waits throughout the year to see 
 how the cards will decide the game with the clouds, and 
 determine whether he shall win or lose his stakes. Such a 
 doubtful ambiguous condition may be right suitable to man, in 
 his present ignorance, while he knows not whence he came, 
 nor whither he is going. It may then be tolerable to man to 
 resign all his labours to chance ; and thus the parson, at any 
 rate, has an opportunity, when things look thoroughly bad, to 
 remind him of Providence, and to connect the sins of his 
 flock with the incidents of nature.
 
 AN ADVENTURE. 9 
 
 So tlieu I have nothing to joke Ferdinand about! I too 
 have met with a pleasant adventure. Adventure ! why do I 
 use the silly word? There is nothing of adventure in a gentle 
 attraction which draws man to man. Our social life, our false 
 relations, those are adventures, these are monstrosities and 
 yet they come before us as well-known and as nearly akin 
 to us, as Uncle and Aunt. 
 
 We had been introduced to Herr Tiidou, and we found our- 
 selves very happy among this family rich, open-hearted, 
 good-natured, lively people, who in the society of their 
 children, in comfort and without care, enjoy the good which 
 each day brings with it their property and their glorious 
 neighbourhood. We young folks were not required, as is too 
 often the case, in so many formal households, to sacrifice our- 
 selves at the card-table, in order to humour the old. On the 
 contrary, the old people, father, mother, and aunts, gathered 
 round us, when for our own amusement, we got up some little 
 games, in which chance, and thought, and wit, had their coun- 
 teracting influence. Eleonora Tor I must now at last men- 
 tion her name the second daughter her image will for ever 
 De present to my mind a slim slight-frame, delicately chi- 
 selled features, a bright eye a palish complexion, which in 
 young girls of her age is rather pleasing than disagreeable, 
 as being a sign of no very incurable a malady on the whole, 
 her appearance was extremely agreeable. She seemed cheer- 
 ful and lively and every one felt at his ease with her. Soon 
 indeed I may venture to say at once, at once, on the very first 
 evening she made me her companion ; she sat by my side, and 
 if the game separated us a moment, she soon contrived to 
 find her old place again. I was gay and cheerful my 
 journey, the beautiful weather, the country all had contri- 
 buted to produce in me an immoderate cheerfulness aye, I 
 might almost venture to say, a state of excitement. I derived 
 it from everything and imparted it to everything ; even Fer- 
 dinand seemed to forget his fair one. We had almost ex- 
 hausted ourselves in varying our amusements when we at last 
 thought of the "Game of Matrimony." The names of the 
 ladies and of the gentlemen were thrown separately into two 
 hats, and then the pairs were drawn out one by one. On each 
 couple, as determined by the lot, one of the company whose 
 turn it might happen to be, had to write a little poem. Every
 
 10 LETTERS PROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 one of the party, father, mother, and aunts, were obliged to put 
 their names in the hats ; we cast in besides the names of 
 our acquaintances, and to enlarge the number of candidates for 
 matrimony, we threw in those of all the wall-known charac- 
 ters of the literary and of the political world. We com- 
 menced playing, and the first pairs that were drawn were 
 highly distinguished personages. It was not every one, how- 
 ever, who was ready at once with his verses. She, Ferdinand 
 and myself, and one of the aunts who wrote very pretty 
 verses in French we soon divided among ourselves the office 
 of secretary. The conceits were mostly good and the verses 
 tolerable. Her's especially, had a touch of nature about them 
 which distinguished them from all others ; without being really 
 clever they had a happy turn ; they were playful without being 
 bitter, and shewed good will towards every one. The father 
 laughed heartily, and his face was lit up with joy when his 
 daughter's verses were declared to be the best after mine. 
 Our unqualified approbation highly delighted him, we praised 
 ts men praise unexpected merit as we praise an author who 
 has bribed us. At last out came my lot, and chance had 
 taken honourable care of me. It was no less a personage than 
 the Empress of all the Russias, who was drawn to be my 
 partner for life. The company laughed heartily at the match, 
 and Eleonora maintained that the whole company must try 
 their best to do honour to so eminent a consort. All began 
 to try : a few pens were bitten to pieces ; she was ready first, 
 but wished to read last; the mother and the aunt could make 
 nothing of the subject, and although the father was rather matter- 
 of-fact, Ferdinand somewhat humorous, and the aunts rather 
 reserved, still, through all you could see friendship and good- 
 will. At last it came to her turn ; she drew a deep breath, 
 her ease and cheerfulness left her; she did not read but rather 
 lisped it out and laid it before me to read it to the rest. I 
 was astonished, amazed. Thus does the bud of love open in 
 beauty and modesty! I felt as if a whole spring had 
 showered upon me all its flowors at once ! Every one was 
 silent, Ferdinand lost not his presence of mind. "Beautiful," 
 he exclaimed, " very beautiful ! he deserves the poem as 
 little as an Empire." " If, only we have rightly understood 
 it," said the father; the rest requested I would read it once 
 more. My eyes had hitherto been fixed on the precious
 
 ART AN1> NATTJBB. 11 
 
 words, a shudder ran through me from head to foot ; Ferdinand 
 who saw my perplexity, took the paper up and read it. She 
 scarcely allowed him to finish before she drew out the lots for 
 another pair. The play was not kept up long after this and 
 refreshments were brought in. 
 
 Shall I or shall I not ? Is it right of me to hide in silence 
 any thing from him to whom I tell so much nay, all ? Shall 
 I keep back from you a great matter, when I yet weary you 
 with so many trifles which assuredly no one would ever read 
 but you who have taken so wonderful a liking for me? or shall 
 I keep back anything from you because it might perhaps give 
 you a false, not to say an ill opinion of me ? No you know me 
 better than I even know myself. If I should do anything 
 which you do not believe possible I could do, you will amend 
 it; if I should do anything deserving of censure, you will not 
 spare me, you will lead me and guide me whenever my pecu- 
 liarities entice me off the right road. 
 
 My joy, my rapture at works of art when they are true, 
 when they are immediate and speaking expressions of Nature 
 afford the greatest delight to every collector, to every dilet- 
 tante. Those indeed who call themselves connoisseurs are 
 not always of my opinion ; but I care nothing for their con- 
 noisseurship when I am happy. Does not living nature vividly 
 impress itself on my sense of vision? Do not its images 
 remain fixed in my brain ? Do not they there grow in beauty, 
 delighting to compare themselves in turn with the images 
 of art which the mind of others has also embellished and beau- 
 tified ? I confess to you that my fondness for nature arises 
 from the fact of my always seeing her so beautiful, so lovely, 
 so brilliant, so ravishing, that the similation of the artist, 
 even his imperfect imitation transports me almost as much, as 
 if it were a perfect type. It is only such works of art, how- 
 ever, as bespeak genius and feeling that have any charms for 
 me. Those cold imitations which confine themselves to the 
 narrow circle of a certain meagre mannerism, of mere pains- 
 taking diligence, are to me utterly intolerable. You see, there- 
 fore, that my delight and taste cannot well be riveted by a 
 work of art, unless it imitates such objects of nature as are 
 well known to me, so that I am able to test the imitation by 
 my own experience of the originals. Landscape, with all 
 that lives and moves therein flowers and fruit-trees, Gothic
 
 12 LETTERS FBOM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 churches, a portrait taken directly from Nature, all this I 
 
 can recognize, feel, and if you like, judge of. Honest W 
 
 amused himself with this trait of my character, and in such a 
 way that I could not be offended, often made merry with it 
 at my expense. He sees much further in this matter, than I do, 
 and I shall always prefer that people should laugh at me while 
 they instruct, than that they should praise me without bene- 
 fitting me. He had noticed what things I was most immedi- 
 ately pleased with, and after a short acquaintance did not 
 hesitate to avow that in the objects that so transported me 
 there might be much that was truly estimable, and which 
 time alone would enable me to distinguish. 
 
 But I turn from this subject and must now, however cir- 
 cuitously, come to the matter which, though reluctantly, I 
 cannot but confide to you. I can see you in your room, in 
 your little garden, where, over a pipe of tobacco, you will 
 probably break the seal and read this letter. Can your 
 thoughts follow me into' this free and motley world ? Will the 
 circumstances and true state of the case become clear to your 
 imagination? And will you be as indulgent towards your 
 absent friend as I have often found you when present? 
 
 When my artistic friend became better acquainted with me, 
 and judged me worthy of being gradually introduced to better 
 pieces of art, he one day, not without a most mysterious look, 
 took me to a case, which, being opened, displayed a Danae, of 
 the size of life, receiving in her bosom the golden shower. I 
 was amazed at the splendour of the limbs the magnificence 
 of the posture and arrangement the intense tenderness and 
 the intellectuality of the sensual subject ; and yet I did but 
 stand before it in silent contemplation. It did not excite in 
 me that rapture, that delight, that inexpressible pleasure. 
 My friend, who went on descanting upon the merits of the pic- 
 ture, was too full of his own enthusiasm to notice my coldness, 
 and was delighted with the opportunity this painting afforded 
 him of pointing out the distinctive excellences of the Italian 
 School. 
 
 But the sight of this picture has not made me happy it has 
 made me uneasy. How ! said I to myself in what a strange 
 case do we civilized men find ourselves with our many conven- 
 tional restraints ! A mossy rock, a waterfall rivets my eye so 
 long that I can tell everything about it its heights, its cavities,
 
 STUDIES OF THE litTDE. 13 
 
 its lights and shades, its hues, its blending tints and reflections 
 all is distinctly present to my mind ; and whenever I please, 
 comes vividly before me, in a most happy imitation. But of 
 that masterpeice of Nature, the human frame of the order 
 and symmetry of the limbs, of all this I have but a very gene- 
 ral notion which in fact is no notion at all. My imagination 
 presents to me anything but a vivid image of this glorious 
 structure, and when art presents an imitation of it, to my eye 
 it awakens in me no sensation and I am unable to judge of the 
 merits of the picture. No, I will remain no longer in this 
 state of stupidity. I will stamp on my mind the shape of man, 
 as well as that of a cluster of grapes or of a peach-tree. 
 
 I sought an occasion and got Ferdinand to take a swim in 
 the lake. What a glorious shape has my friend; how duly 
 proportioned are all his limbs: what fulness of form; what 
 splendour of youth ! What a gain to have enriched my ima- 
 gination with this perfect model of manhood ! Now I can 
 people the woods, the meadow, and the hills, with similar fine 
 forms ! I can see him as Adonis chasing the boar, or as Nar- 
 cissus contemplating himself in the mirror of the spring. 
 
 But alas ! my imagination cannot furnish, as yet, a Venus, 
 who holds him from the chace, a Venus who bewails his 
 death, or a beautiful Echo casting one sad look more on the 
 cold corpse of the youth before she vanishes for ever ! I have 
 therefore resolved, cost what it will, to see a female form in 
 the state that I have seen my friend. 
 
 When, therefore, we reached Geneva, I made arrangements 
 in the character of an artist to complete my studies of the 
 nude figure, and to-morrow evening my wish is to be 
 gratified. 
 
 I cannot avoid going to-day with Ferdinand to a grand 
 party. It will form an excellent foil to the studies of this 
 evening. Well enough do I know those formal parties where 
 the old women require you to play at cards with them, and 
 the young ones to ogle with them ; where you must listen to 
 the learned, pay respect to the parson, and give way to the 
 noble, where the numerous lights show you scarcely one tole- 
 rable form, and that one hidden and buried beneath some 
 barbarous load of frippery. I shall have to speak French, 
 too, a foreign tongue the use of which always makes a
 
 14 LETTEBS FROM SWITZEBLAND. 
 
 man appear silly, whatever he may think of himself, since the 
 best he can express in it is nothing but common place, and 
 the most obvious of remarks, and that, too, only with stammer- 
 ing and hesitating lips. For what is it that distinguishes the 
 blockhead from the really clever man but the peculiar quick- 
 ness and vividness with which the latter discerns the nicer 
 shades and proprieties of all that come before him, and ex- 
 presses himself thereon with facility; whereas the former, 
 (just as we all do with a foreign language,) is forced on every 
 occasion to have recourse to some ready found and conver- 
 sational phrase or other? To-day I will calmly put up with 
 the sorry entertainment, in expectation of the rare scene of 
 nature which awaits me in the evening. 
 
 My adventure is over. It has fully equalled my expectation 
 nay, surpassed it ; and yet I know not whether to congra- 
 tulate, or to blame myself on account of it.* 
 
 * The conclusion of this Part is somewhat abridged in the transla- 
 tion. En.
 
 15 
 
 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND.* 
 
 PAET THE SECOND. 
 Moutier, October 3, 1779. Sunday evening. 
 
 From Basle you will receive a packettcontaining an account 
 of my travels up to that point, for we are now continuing in 
 good earnest our tour through Switzerland. On our route 
 to Bienne we rode up the beautiful valley of the Birs, and at 
 last reached the pass which leads to this place. 
 
 Among the ridges of the broad and lofty range of moun- 
 tains the little stream of the Birs found of old a channel for 
 itself. Necessity soon after may have driven men to 
 clamber wearily and painfully through its gorges. The 
 Romans in their time enlarged the track, and now you may 
 travel through it with perfect ease. The stream, dashing over 
 crags and rocks, and the road run side by side, and except 
 at a few points, these make up the whole breadth of the pass 
 which is hemmed in by rocks, the top of which is easily reached 
 by the eye. Behind them the mountain chain rose with a 
 slight inclination ; the summits, however, were veiled by a mist. 
 
 Here walls of rock rise precipitously one above another ; 
 there immense strata run obliquely down to the river and the 
 road here again broad masses lie piled one over another, 
 while close beside stands a line of sharp-pointed crags. Wide 
 
 * At this point commence the genuine records of Goethe's second 
 tour in Switzerland. Originally written as letters to the Frau von 
 Steiu, they were soon afterwards arranged for reading aloud to the 
 Court circle at Weimar. In the year 1796 they appeared in a more 
 abridged form iu Schiller's Horen, and it is this version, afterwards 
 corrected and somewhat enlarged by reference to the original MSS., 
 that appears in the editions of Goethe's worka. ED.
 
 16 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 clefts run yawning upwards, and blocks, of the size of a 
 wall, have detached themselves from the rest of the stony 
 mass. Some fragments of the rock have rolled to the 
 bottom; others are still suspended, and by their position 
 alarm you, as also likely at any moment to come toppling down. 
 
 Now round, now pointed, now overgrown, now bare arc 
 the tops of these rocks among and high above which some 
 single bald summit boldly towers, while along the perpendi- 
 cular cliffs and among the hollows below, the weather has 
 worn many a deep and winding cranny. 
 
 The passage through this defile raised in me a grand but 
 calm emotion. The sublime produces a beautiful calmness 
 in the soul which entirely possessed by it, feels as great as it 
 ever can feel. How glorious is such a pure feeling, when it 
 rises to the very highest, without overflowing. My eye and 
 my soul were both able to take in the objects before me, and 
 as I was pre-occupied by nothing, and had no false tastes to 
 counteract their impression, they had on me their full and 
 natural effect. When we compare such a feeling with that 
 we are sensible of, when we laboriously harass ourselves with 
 some trifle, and strain every nerve to gain as much as possible 
 for it, and as it were, to patch it out, striving to furnish joy 
 and aliment to the mind from its own creation ; we then feel 
 sensibly what a poor expedient, after all, the latter is. 
 
 A young man, whom we have had for our companion from 
 Basle, said his feelings were very far from what they were 
 on his first visit, and gave all the honour to novelty. I how- 
 ever would say, when we see such objects as these for the 
 first time, the unaccustomed soul has to expand itself, and 
 this gives rise to a sort of painful joy an overflowing of 
 emotion which agitates the mind, and draws from us the 
 most delicious tears. By this operation the soul, without know- 
 ing it, becomes greater in itself, and is of course not capable 
 of ever feeling again such a sensation, and man thinks in con- 
 sequence that he has lost something, whereas in fact he has 
 gained. What he loses in delight he gains in inward riches. 
 If only destiny had bidden me to dwell in the midst of some 
 grand scenery, then would I every morning have imbibed 
 greatness from its grandeur, as from a lonely valley I would 
 extract patience and repose. 
 
 After reaching the end of the gorge I alighted, and went
 
 LA VALLEE DE JOUX. 17 
 
 back alone through a part of the valley. I thus called forth 
 another profound feeling one by which the attentive mind 
 may expand its joys to a high degree. One guesses in the 
 dark about the origin and existence of these singular forms. 
 It may have happened, when and how it may, these masses 
 must, according to the laws of gravity and affinity, have been 
 formed grandly and simply by aggregation. Whatever revo- 
 lutions may subsequently have upheaved, rent and divided 
 them, the latter were only partial convulsions, and even the 
 idea of such mighty commotions gives one a deep feeling of the 
 eternal stability of the masses. Time, too, bound by the ever- 
 lasting law, has had here greater, here less, effect upon them. 
 
 Internally their colour appears to be yellowish. The air, 
 however, and the weather has changed the surface into a 
 bluish-grey, so that the original colour is only visible here 
 and there in streaks and in the fresh cracks. The stone itself 
 slowly crumbles beneath the influence of the weather, becoming 
 rounded at the edges, as the softer flakes wear away. In this 
 manner have been formed hollows and cavities gracefully 
 shelving off, which when they have sharp slanting and 
 pointed edges, present a singular appearance. 
 
 Vegetation maintains its rights on every ledge, on every 
 flat surface, for in every fissure the pines strike root, and 
 the mosses and plants spread themselves over the rocks. One 
 feels deeply convinced that here there is nothing accidental ; 
 that here there is working an eternal law which, however 
 slowly, yet surely governs the universe, that there is nothing 
 here from the hand of man but the convenient road, by means 
 of which this singular region is traversed. 
 
 Geneva, October 27, 1779. 
 
 The great mountain-range which, running from Basle to 
 Geneva, divides Switzerland from France, is, as you are aware, 
 named the Jura. Its principal heights run by Lausanne, 
 and reach as far as Rolle and Nyoii. In the midst of this 
 summit ridge Nature has cut out I might almost say washed 
 out- a remarkable valley, for on the tops of all these lime- 
 stone rocks the operation of the primal waters is mani- 
 fest. It is called La Vallee de Joux, which means the 
 Valley of the Rock, since Joux in the local dialect signifies a
 
 18 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 rock. Before I proceed with the further description of our 
 journey, I will give you a brief geographical account of its 
 situation. Lengthwise it stretches like the mountain range 
 itself almost directly from south to north, and is locked in on 
 the one side by Sept Moncels, and on the other by Dent de 
 Vaulion, which, after the Dole, is the highest peak of the 
 Jura. Its length, according to the statement of the neigh- 
 bourhood, is nine short leagues, but according to our rough 
 reckoning as we rode through it, six good leagues. The 
 mountainous ridge which bounds it lengthwise on the north, 
 and is also visible from the flat lands, is called the Black 
 Mountain (Le Noir Mont). Towards the west the Risou rises 
 gradually, and slopes away towards Franche Comte. France 
 and Berne divide the valley pretty evenly between them ; the 
 former claiming the upper and inferior half, and the latter 
 possessing the lower and better portion, which is properly 
 called La Vallee du Lac de Joux. Quite at the upper part 
 of the valley, and at the foot of Sept Moncels, lies the Lac des 
 Rousses, which has no single visible origin, but gathers its 
 waters from the numerous springs which here gush out of the 
 soil, and from the little brooks which run into the lake from 
 all sides. Out of it flows the Orbe, which after running 
 through the whole of the French, and a great portion of the 
 Bernese territory, forms lower down, and towards the 
 Dent de Vaulion, the Lac de Joux, which falls on one side into 
 a smaller lake, the waters of which have some subterraneous 
 outlet. The breadth of the valley varies ; above, near the 
 Lac des Rousses it is nearly half a league, then it closes in to 
 expand again presently, and to reach its greatest breath, 
 which is nearly a league and a-half. So much to enable you 
 better to understand what follows ; while you read it, how- 
 ever, I would beg you now and then to cast a glance upon 
 your map, although, so far as concerns this country, I have 
 found them all to be incorrect. 
 
 October 24/A. In company with a captain and an upper 
 ranger of the forests in these parts, we rode first of all up 
 Mont, a little scattered village, which much more correctly 
 might be called a line of husbandmen's and vinedressers' 
 cottages. The weather was extremely clear ; when we turned 
 to look behind us, we had a view of the Lake of Geneva, 
 the mountains of Savoy and Valais, and could just catch
 
 THE DENT DE VAULION. 19 
 
 Lausanne, and also, through a light mist, the country round 
 Geneva, Mont Blanc, which towers above all the mountains 
 of Faucigni, stood out more and more distinctly. It was a 
 brilliant sunset, and the view was so grand, that no human 
 eye was equal to it. The moon rose almost at the full, as we 
 got continually higher. Through large pine forests we conti- 
 nued to ascend the Jura, and saw the lake in a mist, and in it 
 the reflection of the moon. It became lighter and lighter. 
 The road is a well-made causeway, though it was laid down 
 merely for the sake of facilitating the transport of the timber 
 to the plains below. We had been ascending for full three 
 leagues before the road began gently to descend. We thought 
 we saw below us a vast lake, for a thick mist filled the whole 
 valley which we overlooked. Presently we came nearer to 
 the mist, and observed a white bow which the moon formed in 
 it, and were soon entirely enveloped in the fog. The com- 
 pany of the captain procured us lodgings in a house where 
 strangers were not usually entertained. In its internal ar- 
 rangement it differed in nothing from usual buildings of the 
 same kind, except that the great room in the centre was at 
 once the kitchen, the ante-room, and general gathering-place 
 of the family, and from it you entered at once into the 
 sleeping-rooms, which were either on the same floor with it, or 
 had to be approached by steps. On the one side \vas the fire, 
 which was burning on the ground on some stone slabs, while 
 a chimney, built durably and neatly of planks, received and 
 carried off the smoke. In the corner were the doors of the 
 oven ; all the rest of the floor was of wood, with the excep- 
 tion of a small piece near the window around the sink, which 
 was paved. Moreover, all around, and over head on the 
 beams a multitude of domestic articles and utensils were 
 arranged in beautiful order, and all kept nice and clean. 
 
 October 25th. This morning the weather was cold but clear, 
 the meadows covered with hoar frost, and here and there 
 light clouds were floating in the air. We could pretty nearly 
 survey the whole of the lower valley, our house being situated 
 at the foot of the eastern side of Noir Mont. About eight we 
 set off, and in order to enjoy the sun fully, proceeded on the 
 western side. The part of the valley we now traversed was 
 divided into meadows, which, towards the lake were rather 
 swampy. The inhabitants either dwell in detached houses 
 
 c 2
 
 20 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 built by the side of their farms, or else have gathered closer 
 together in little villages, which bear simple names derived 
 from their several sites. The first of those that we passed 
 through was called " Le Sentier." We saw at a distance the 
 Dent de Vaulion peeping out over a mist which rested on 
 the lake. The valley grew broader, but our road now lay behind 
 a ridge of rock which shut out our view of the lake, and then 
 through another village called " Le Lieu." The mist arose, and 
 fell off highly variegated by the sun. Close hereto is a small 
 lake, which apparently has neither inlet nor outlet of its 
 waters. The weather cleared up completely as we came 
 to the foot of Dent de Vaulion, and reached the northern 
 extremity of the great lake, which, as it turns westward, 
 empties itself into a smaller by a dam. beneath the bridge. 
 The village just above is called " Le Pont." The situation 
 of the smaller lake is what you may easily conceive, as being 
 in a peculiar little valley which may be called pretty. At the 
 western extremity there is a singular mill, built in a ravine of 
 the rock which the smaller lake used formerly to fill. At 
 present it is dammed out of the mill which is erected in the 
 hollow below. The water is conveyed by sluices to the wheel, 
 from which it falls into crannies of the rock, and being sucked 
 in by them, does not show itself again till it reaches Valorbe, 
 which is a full league off, where it again bears the name of 
 the Orbe. These outlets (entonnoirs] require to be kept clear, 
 otherwise the water would rise and again fill the ravine, and 
 overflow the mill as it has often done already. We saw the 
 people hard at work removing the worn pieces of the lime- 
 stone and replacing them by others. 
 
 We rode back again over the bridge towards " Le Pont," 
 and took a guide for the Dent du Vaulion. In ascending it 
 we now had the great Lake directly behind us. To the east 
 its boundary is the Noir Mont, behind which the bald peak of 
 the Dole rises up ; to the west it is shut in by the mountain 
 ridge, which on the side of the lake is perfectly bare. The sun 
 felt hot: it was between eleven and twelve o'clock. By 
 degrees we gained a sight of the whole valley, and were able 
 to discern in the distance the " Lac des Rousses," and then 
 stretching to our feet the district we had just ridden through 
 and the road which remained for our return. During tide 
 ascent my guide discoursed of the whole range of the country,
 
 THE DOLE. 21 
 
 and the lordships which, he said, it was possible to distinguish 
 from the peak. In the midst of such talk we reached the 
 summit. But a very different spectacle was prepared for us. 
 Under a bright and clear sky nothing was visible but the high 
 mountain chain, all the lower regions were covered with a white 
 sea of cloudy mist, which stretched from Geneva northwards, 
 along the horizon and glittered brilliantly in the sunshine. 
 Out of it, rose to the east, the whole line of snow and ice- 
 capt mountains acknowledging no distinction of names of 
 either the Princes or Peoples, who fancied they were owners of 
 them, and owning subjection only to one Lord, and to the glance 
 of the Sun which was tinging them with a beautiful red. Mont 
 Blanc, right opposite to us, seemed the highest, next to it were 
 the ice^-crowned summits of Valais and Oberland, and lastly, 
 came the lower mountains of the Canton of Berne. Towards 
 the west, the sea of mist which was unconfined to one spot ; 
 on the left, in the remotest distance, appeared the mountains 
 of Solothurn ; somewhat nearer those of Neufchatel, and right 
 before us some of the lower heights of the Jura. Just below, 
 lay some of the masses of the Vaulion, to which belongs the 
 Dent, (tooth) which takes from it its name. To the west, 
 Franche-Comte, with its flat, outstretched and wood-covered 
 hills, shut in the whole horizon ; in the distance, towards the 
 north-west, one single mass stood out distinct from all the rest. 
 Straight before us, however, was a beautiful object. This was 
 the peak which gives this summit the name of a tooth. It de- 
 scends precipitously, or rather with a slight curve, inwards, and 
 in the bottom it is succeeded by a small valley of pine-trees, with 
 beautiful grassy patches here and there, while right beyond it 
 lies the valley of the Orbe (Val-orbe), where you see this stream 
 coming out of the rock, and can trace, in thought, its route 
 backwards to the smaller lake. The little town of Valorbe, 
 also lies in this valley. Most reluctantly we quitted the spot. 
 A delay of a few hours longer, (for the mist generally disperses 
 in about that time), would have enabled us to distinguish the 
 low lands with the lake but in order that our enjoyment should 
 be perfect, we must always have something behind still to be 
 wished. As we descended we had the whole valley lying 
 perfectly distinct before us. At Le Pont we again mounted 
 our horses, and rode to the east side of the lake, and passed 
 through 1'Abbaye de Joux, which at present is a village, but
 
 22 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 once was a settlement of monks, to whom the whole valley be- 
 longed. Towards four, we reached our aubdrge and found our 
 meal ready, of which we were assured by our hostess that at 
 twelve o'clock it would have been good eating, and which, 
 overdone as it was, tasted excellently. 
 
 Let me now add a few particulars just as they were told 
 me. As I mentioned just now, the valley belonged formerly 
 to the monks, who having divided it again to feudatories, were 
 with the rest ejected at the Reformation. At present it 
 belongs to the Canton of Berne, and the mountains around are 
 the timber-stores of the Pays de Vaud. Most of the timber 
 is private property, and is cut up under supervision, and then 
 carried down into the plains. The planks are also made here 
 into deal utensils of all kinds, and pails, tubs, and similar 
 articles manufactured. 
 
 The people are civil and well disposed. Besides their trade 
 in wood, they also breed cattle. Their beasts are of a small 
 size. The cheese they make is excellent. They are very 
 industrious, and a clod of earth is with them a great treasure. 
 We saw one man with a horse and car, carefully collecting the 
 earth which had been thrown up out of a ditch, and carrying 
 it to some hollow places in the same field. They lay the 
 stones carefully together, and make little heaps of them. 
 There are here many stone-polishers, who work for the Gene- 
 vese and other tradesmen, and this business furnishes occu- 
 pation for many women and children. The houses are neat 
 but durable, the form and internal arrangements being de- 
 termined by the locality and the wants of the inmates. Before 
 every house there is a running stream, and everywhere you 
 see signs of industry, activity, and wealth. But above all 
 things is the highest praise due to the excellent roads, which, 
 in this remote region, as also in all the other cantons, are 
 kept up by that of Berne. A causeway is carried all round 
 the valley, not unnecessarily broad, but in excellent repair, so 
 that the inhabitants can pursue their avocations without in- 
 convenience, and with their small horses and light carts pass 
 easily along. The air is very pure and salubrious. 
 
 26th Oct. Over our breakfast we deliberated as to the 
 road we should take on our return. As we heard that the 
 D&le, the highest summit of the Jura, lay at no great distance 
 from the upper end of the valley, and as the weather promised 
 to be most glorious, so that we might to-day hope to enjoy
 
 VIEW FROM THE DOLE. 23 
 
 all that chance denied us yesterday, we finally determined to 
 take this route. We loaded a guide with bread and cheese, 
 and butter and wine, and by 8 o'clock mounted our horses. 
 Our route now lay along the upper part of the valley, in the 
 shade of Noir Mont. It was extremely cold, and there had 
 been a sharp hoar-frost. We had still a good league to ride 
 through the part belonging to Berne, before the causeway 
 which there terminates branches off into two parts. Through 
 a little wood of pine trees we entered the French territory. 
 Here the scene changed greatly. What first excited our 
 attention was the wretched roads. The soil is rather stony ; 
 everywhere you see great heaps of those which have been 
 picked off the fields. Soon you come to a part which is very 
 marshy and full of springs. The woods all around you are 
 in wretched condition. In all the houses and people you recog- 
 nise, I will not say want, but certainly a hard and meagre sub- 
 sistence. They belong, almost as serfs, to the canons of S. 
 Claude ; they are bound to the soil (gleba astricti), and are 
 oppressed with imposts (sujets a la main-morte et au droit de 
 la suite], of which we will hereafter have some talk together, as 
 also of a late edict of the king's repealing the droit de la suite, 
 and inviting the owners and occupiers to redeem the main-morte 
 for a certain compensation. But still even this portion of the 
 valley is well cultivated. The people love their country dearly, 
 though they lead a hard life, being driven occasionally to steal 
 the wood from the Bernese, and sell it again in the lowlands. 
 The first division is called the Bois d'Amant ; after passing 
 through it, we entered the parish of Les Rousses, where we saw 
 before us the little Lake des Rousses and Les Sept Moncels, 
 seven small hills of different shapes, but all connected together, 
 which form the southern limit of the valley. We soon came 
 upon the new road which runs from the Pays de Vaud to Paris. 
 We kept to this for a mile downwards, and now left entirely 
 the valley. The bare summit of the Dole was before us. We 
 alighted from our horses, and sent them on by the road towards 
 S. Cergues while we ascended the Dole. It was near noon ; 
 the sun felt hot, but a cool south wind came now and then to 
 refresh us. When we looked round for a halting-place, we 
 had behind us Les Sept Moncels, we could still see a part of 
 the Lac des Rousses, and around it the scattered houses of the 
 parish. The rest of the valley was hidden from our eye by 
 the Noir Mont, above which we again saw our yesterday's
 
 24 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 view of Franche-Comte, and nearer at hand southwards, the last 
 summits and valleys of the Jura. -We carefully avoided taking 
 advantage of a little peep in the hill, which would have given 
 us a glimpse of the country, for the sake of which in reality 
 our ascent was undertaken. I was in some anxiety about the 
 mist; however, from the aspect of the sky above, I drew a 
 favourable omen. At last we stood on the highest summit, 
 and saw with the greatest delight that to-day we were in- 
 dulged with all that yesterday had been denied us. The whole 
 of the Pays de Vaux and de Gex lay like a map before us : 
 all the different holdings divided off with green hedges like 
 the beds of a parterre. We were so high that the rising 
 and sinking of the landscape before us was unnoticeable. 
 Villages, little towns, country-houses, vine-covered hills, and 
 higher up still, where the forests and Alps begin, the cow- 
 sheds mostly painted white, or some other light colour, all 
 glittered in the sunshine. The mist had already rolled off 
 from Lake Leman. We saw the nearest part of the coast on 
 our side, quite clear ; of the so-called smaller lake, where the 
 larger lake contracts itself, and turns towards Geneva, which 
 was right opposite to us, we had a complete view ; and on 
 the other side the country which shuts it in was gradually 
 clearing. But nothing could vie with the view of the moun- 
 tains covered with snow and glaciers. We sat down before 
 some rocks to shelter us from the cold wind, with the sunshine 
 ful^upon us, and highly relished our little meal. We kept 
 watching the mist, which gradually retired ; each one disco- 
 vered, or fancied he discovered, some object or other. One by 
 one we distinctly saw Lausanne, surrounded with its houses, and 
 gardens ; then Vevay, and the castle of Chillon ; the mountains, 
 which shut out from our view the entrance into Valais, and 
 extended as far as the lake ; from thence the borders of Savoy, 
 Evian, Repaille, and Tonon, with a sprinkling of villages and 
 farm-houses between them. At last Geneva stood clear from 
 the mist, but beyond and towards the south, in the neighbour- 
 hood of Mont Credo and Mont Vouache, it still hung immove- 
 able. When the eye turned to the left it caught sight of the 
 whole of the lowlands from Lausanne, as far as Solothurn, 
 covered with a light halo. The nearer mountains and heights, 
 and every spot that had a white house on it, could be closely dis- 
 tinguished. The guides pointed out a glimmering which they
 
 GENEVA. 25 
 
 said was the castle of Chanvan, which lies to the left of the 
 Neuburg-lake. We were just able to gue.ss whereabouts it lay, 
 but could not distinguish it through the bluish haze. There 
 are no words to express the grandeur and beauty of this view. 
 At the moment every one is scarcely conscious of what he 
 sees: one does but recall the names and sites of well-known 
 cities and localities, to rejoice in a vague conjecture that he 
 recognizes them in certain white spots which strike his eye 
 in the prospect before him. 
 
 And then the line of glittering glaciers was continually draw- 
 ing the eye back again to the mountains. The sun made his 
 way towards the west, and lighted up their great flat surfaces, 
 which were turned towards us. How beautifully before them 
 rose from above the snow the variegated rows of black rocks : 
 teeth, towers, walls! Wild, vast, inaccessible vestibules ! 
 and seeming to stand there in the free air in the first purity 
 and freshness of their manifold variety! Man gives up at 
 once all pretensions to the infinite, while he here feels that 
 neither with thought nor vision is he equal to the finite ! 
 
 Before us we saw a fruitful and populous plain. The spot 
 on which we were standing was a high, bare mountain rock, 
 which, however, produces a sort of grass as food for the cattle, 
 which are here a great source of gain. This the conceited 
 lord of creation may yet make his own: but those rocks be- 
 fore his eyes are like a train of holy virgins which the spirit of 
 heaven reserves for itself alone in these inaccessible regions. 
 We tarried awhile, tempting each other in turn to try and 
 discover cities, mountains, and regions, now with the naked 
 eye, now with the telescope, and did not begin to descend till 
 the setting sun gave permission to the mist, his own part- 
 ing breath, to spread itself over the lake. 
 
 With sunset we reached the ruins of the fort of S. Cerguea 
 Even when we got down in the valley, our eyes were still 
 rivetted on the mountain glaciers. The furthest of these, 
 lying on our left in Oberland, seemed almost to be melting 
 into a light fiery vapour ; those still nearer stood with their 
 sides towards us, still glowing and red > but by degrees they 
 became white, green, and grayish. There was something 
 melancholy in the sight. Like a powerful body over which 
 death is gradually passing from the extremities to the heart, 
 so the whole range gradually paled away as far as Mont
 
 26 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 Blanc, whose ampler bosom was still covered all over with a 
 deep red blush, and even appeared to us to retain a reddish 
 tint to the very last, just as when one is watching the death 
 of a dear friend, life still seems to linger, and it is difficult to 
 determine the very moment when the pulse ceases to beat. 
 
 This time also we were very loth to depart. We found our 
 horses in S. Cergues; and that nothing might be wanting to our 
 enjoyment, the moon rose and lighted us to Nyon. While on 
 the way, our strained and excited feelings were gradually 
 calmed, and assumed their wonted tone, so that we were able 
 with keen gratification to enjoy, from our inn window, the 
 glorious moonlight which was spread over the lake. 
 
 At different spots of our travels" so much was said of the 
 remarkable character of the glaciers of Savoy, and when we 
 reached Geneva we were told it was becoming more and more 
 the fashion to visit them, that the Count* was seized with a 
 strange desire to bend our course in that direction, and from 
 Geneva to cross Cluses and Sallanches, and enter the valley of 
 Chamouni, and after contemplating its wonderful objects, 
 to go on by Valorsine and Trient into Valais. This route, 
 however, which was the one usually pursued by travellers, was 
 thought dangerous in this season of the year. A visit was 
 therefore paid to M. de Saussure at his country-house, 
 and his advice requested. He assured us that we need not 
 hesitate to take that route ; there was no snow as yet on the 
 middle-sized mountains, and if on our road we were attentive 
 to the signs of the weather and the advice of the country- 
 people, who were seldom wrong in their judgment, we might 
 enter upon this journey with perfect safety. Here is the copy 
 of the journal of a day's hard travelling. 
 
 Cluses in Savoy, Nov. 3, 1779. 
 
 To-day on departing from Geneva our party divided. The 
 Count with me and a huntsman took the route to Savoy. 
 Friend W. with the horses proceeded through the Pays de 
 Vaud for Valais. In a light four-wheeled cabriolet we pro- 
 ceeded first of all to visit Hiiber at his country-seat, a man 
 out of whom, mind, imagination and imitative tact, oozes at 
 
 * The Duko Charles Augustus of Weimar, who travelled under the 
 titla of Couiit. TB.
 
 CLUSES. 
 
 27 
 
 every pore. one of the very few thorough men we have met 
 with. He saw us well on our way, and then we set off with 
 the lofty snow-capped mountains, which we wished to reach, 
 before our eyes. From the Lake of Geneva the mountain- 
 chains verge towards each other to the point where Bonneville 
 lies, half way between the Mole, a considerable mountain, and 
 the Arve. There we took our dinner. Behind the town the 
 valley closes right in. Although not very broad, it has the 
 Arve flowing gently through it, and is on the southern side well 
 cultivated, and everywhere the soil is put to some profit. From 
 the early morning we had been in fear of its raining some time 
 at least before night, but the clouds gradually quitted the moun- 
 tains, and dispersed into fleeces, a sign which has more than 
 once in our experience proved a favourable omen. The air 
 was as warm as it usually is in the beginning of September, 
 and the country we travelled through beautiful. Many of the 
 trees being still green ; most of them had assumed a brownish- 
 yellow tint, but only a few were quite bare. The crops were 
 rich and verdant; the mountains caught from the red sunset 
 a rosy hue, blended with violet ; and all these rich tints 
 were combined with grand, beautiful, and agreeable forms 
 of the landscape. We talked over much that was good. 
 Towards 5 we came towards Cluses where the valley closes, and 
 has only one outlet, through which the Arve issues from the 
 mountains, and by which also we propose to enter them 
 to-morrow. We ascended a lofty eminence, and saw be- 
 neath us the city, partly built on the slightly inclined side of 
 a rock, but partly on the flat portion of the valley. Our eyes 
 ranged with pleasure over the valley, and sitting on the 
 granite rocks we awaited the coming of night in calm and 
 varied discourse. Towards seven, as we descended, it was 
 not at all colder than it is usually in summer about nine. At 
 a miserable inn (where, however, the people were ready and 
 willing, and by their patois afforded us much amusement) we 
 are now going, about ten o'clock, to bed, intending to set out 
 early to-morrow, before the morning shall dawn. 
 
 Sallanchcs, Nov. 4. 1779. Noon. 
 
 Whilst a dinner is being prepared by very willing hands, 
 I will attempt to set down the most remarkable incidents of 
 our yesterday's journey, which commenced with the early
 
 28 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 morning. With break of day we set out on foot from Cluses, 
 taking the road towards Balme. In the valley the air was 
 agreeably fresh ; the moon, in her last quarter, rose bright 
 before the sun, and charmed us with the sight, as being one 
 which we do not often see. Single light vapours rose upwards 
 from all the chasms in the rocks. It seemed as if the morning 
 air were awakening the young spirits, who took pleasure in 
 meeting the sun with expanded bosoms and gilding them in 
 his rays. The upper heaven was perfectly clear ; except where 
 now and then a single cloudy streak, which the rising sun lit 
 up, swept lightly across it. Balme is a miserable village, not 
 far from the spot where a rocky gorge runs off from the road. 
 We asked the people to guide us through the cave for which 
 the place is famous. At this they kept looking at one 
 another, till at last one said to a second, "Take you the 
 ladder, I will carry the rope, come, gentlemen." This 
 strange invitation did not deter us from following them. 
 Our fine of descent passed first of all among fallen masses of 
 limestone rock, which by the course of time had been piled 
 up step by step in front of the precipitous wall of rock, and 
 were now overgrown with bushes of hazel and beech. Over 
 these you reach at last the strata of the rock itself, which 
 you have to climb up slowly and painfully by means of the 
 ladder and of the steps cut into the rock, and by help of 
 branches of the nut-trees, which hung over head, or of 
 pieces of rope tied to them. After this you find yourself, to 
 your great satisfaction, in a kind of portal, which has been worn 
 out of the rock by the weather, and overlooks the valley and 
 the village below. \Ve now prepared for entering the cave; 
 lighted our candles and loaded a pistol which we proposed to 
 let off. The cave is a long gallery, mostly level and on one 
 strand ; in parts broad enough for two men to walk abreast, 
 in others only passable by one; now high enough to walk 
 upright, then obliging you to stoop, and sometimes even to 
 crawl on hands and feet. Nearly about the middle a cleft 
 runs upwards and forms a sort of a dome. In one corner ano- 
 ther goes downwards. We threw stones down it, and each 
 time counted slowly seventeen to nineteen before it reached 
 the bottom, after touching the sides many times, but always 
 with a different echo. On the walls a stalactite forms its 
 various devices; however it is only damp in a very few places,
 
 THE VALLEY OF CHAMOUNI. 29 
 
 and forms for the most part long drops, and not those rich and 
 rare shapes which are so remarkable in Bauniann's cave. We 
 penetrated as far as we could for the water, and as we came 
 out let off our pistol, which shook the cave with a strong but 
 dull echo, so that it boomed round us like a bell. It took u? 
 a good quarter of an hour to get out again, and on descend- 
 ing the rocks, we found our carriage and drove onwards. 
 "We saw a beautiful waterfall like the Staubbach ; neither its 
 height was very great nor its volume very large, and yet it 
 was extremely interesting, for the rocks formed around it, 
 as it were, a circular niche in which its waters fell, and the 
 pieces of the limestone as they were tumbled one over another 
 formed the most rare and unusual groups. 
 
 We arrived here at mid-day, not quite hungry enough to 
 relish our dinner, which consisted of warmed fish, cow beef, 
 and very stale bread. From this place there is no road 
 leading to the mountains that is passable for so stately an 
 equipage as we have with us ; it therefore returns to Geneva, 
 and I now must take my leave of you, in order to pursue my 
 route a little further. A mule with my luggage will follow 
 us as we pick our way on foot. 
 
 Chamouni, Nov. 4, 1779. 
 Evening, about 9 o'clock: 
 
 It is only because this letter will bring me for awhile nearer 
 to yourself that I resume my pen; otherwise it would be 
 better for me to giv.e my mind a little rest. 
 
 We left Sallanches behind us in a lovely open valley ; during 
 our noonday's rest the sky had become overcast with white 
 fleecy clouds, about which I have here a special remark to 
 make. We had seen them on a bright day rise equally fine, 
 if not still finer, from the glaciers of Berne. Here too it 
 again seemed to us as if the sun had first of all attracted the 
 light mists which evaporated from the tops of the glaciers, 
 and then a gentle breeze had, as it were, combed the fine 
 vapours, like a fleece of foam over the atmosphere. I never re- 
 member at home, even in the height of summer, (when such 
 phenomena do also occur with us,) to have seen any so trans- 
 parent, for here it was a perfect web of light. Before long 
 the ice-covered mountains from which it rose lay before us ; the
 
 30 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 valley began to close in ; the Arve was gushing out of the 
 rock; we now began to ascend a mountain, and went up higher 
 and higher, with the snowy summits right before us. Moun- 
 tains and old pine forests, either in the hollows below or on 
 a level with our track, came out one by one before the eye 
 as we proceeded. On our left were the mountain-peaks, bare 
 and pointed. We felt that we were approaching a mightier 
 and more massive chain of mountains. We passed over a 
 dry and broad bed of stones and gravel, which the water- 
 courses tear down from the sides of the rocks, and in turn 
 flow among and fill up. This brought us into an agreeable 
 valley, flat, and shut in by a circular ridge of rocks, in which 
 lies the little village of Servoz. There the road runs round 
 pome very highly variegated rocks, and takes again the direc- 
 tion towards the Arve. After crossing the latter you again 
 ascend ; the masses become constantly more imposing, nature 
 seems to have begun here with a light hand, to prepare 
 her enormous creations. The darkness grew deeper and 
 deeper as we approached the valley of Chamouni, and when at 
 last we entered it, nothing but the larger masses were dis- 
 cernible. The stars came out one by one, and we noticed 
 above the peaks of the summits right before us, a light which 
 we could not account for. Clear, but without brilliancy, like 
 the milky way, but closer, something like that of the Pleiades ; 
 it rivetted our attention until at last, as our position changed, 
 like a pyramid illuminated by a secret light within, which 
 could best be compared to the gleam of a glow-worm, it 
 towered high above the peaks of all'the surrounding mountains, 
 and at last convinced us that it must be* the peak of Mont 
 Blanc. The beauty of this view was extraordinary. Foi 
 while, together with the stars which clustered round it, it 
 glimmered, not indeed with the same twinkling light, but in 
 a broader and more continuous mass, it seemed to belong to a 
 higher sphere, and one had difficulty in thought to fix its 
 roots again in the earth. Before it we saw a line of snowy 
 summits, sparkling as they rested on the ridges covered with 
 the black pines, while between the dark forests vast glaciers 
 sloped down to the valley below. 
 
 My descriptions begin to be irregular and forced ; in fact, 
 one wants two persons here, one to see and the other to 
 describe.
 
 MONT BLANC. 31 
 
 Here we are in the middle village of the valley called " Le 
 Prieure," comfortably lodged in a house, which a widow 
 caused to be built here in honour of the many strangers who 
 visited the neighbourhood. We are sitting close to the 
 hearth, relishing our Muscatel wine from the Vallee d'Aost, 
 far better than the lenten dishes which were served up for 
 our dinner. 
 
 Nov. 5, 1779. Evening. 
 
 To take up one's pen and write, almost requires as great 
 an effort as to take a swim in the cold river. At this mo- 
 ment I have a great mind to put you off, by referring you tc 
 tho description of the glaciers of Savoy, given by that enthu- 
 siastic climber Bourritt. 
 
 Invigorated however by a few glasses of excellent wine, 
 and by the thought that these pages will reach you much 
 sooner than either the travellers or Bourritt's book, I will do 
 my best. The valley of Chamouni, in which we are at pre- 
 sent, lies very high among the mountains, and, from six to 
 seven leagues long, runs pretty nearly from south to north. 
 The characteristic features which to my mind distinguish it 
 from all others, are its having scarcely any flat portion, but 
 the whole tract, like a trough, slopes from the Arve gradually 
 up the sides of the mountain. Mont Blanc and the line of 
 mountains which runs off from it, and the masses of ice which 
 fill up the immense ravines, make up the eastern wall of the 
 valley, on which, throughout its entire length, seven glaciers, 
 of which one is considerably larger than the others, run 
 down to the bottom of the valley. 
 
 The guides whom we had engaged for the Mer-de-Glace 
 came to their time. One was a young active peasant, the 
 other much older, who seemed to think himself a very shrewd 
 personage, who had held intercourse with all learned fo- 
 reigners, well acquainted with the nature of the ice-moun- 
 tains, and a very clever fellow. He assured us that for 
 eight and twenty years, so long had he acted as guide over 
 the mountains. this was the first time that his services had 
 been put in requisition so late in the year after All Saints' 
 Day, and yet that we might even now see every object quite 
 as well as in June. Provided with wine and food we began to
 
 32 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 ascend Mont Anvert, from which we were told the view of 
 the Ice-sea would be quite ravishing. Properly I should 
 call it the ice- valley or the ice-stream ; for looking at it from 
 above, the huge masses of ice force themselves out of a deep 
 valley in tolerable smoothness. Right behind it ends a 
 sharp-pointed mountain, from both sides of which waves of 
 ice run frozen into the principal stream. Not the slightest 
 trace of snow was as yet to be seen on the rugged surfaces, 
 and the blue crevices glistened beautifully. The weather by 
 degrees became overcast, and I saw grey wavy clouds, which 
 seemed to threaten snow, more than it had ever yet done. 
 On the spot where we were standing is a small cabin, 
 built of stones, loosely piled together as a shelter for travel- 
 lers, which in joke has been named " The Castle of Mont 
 Anvert." An Englishman, of the name of Blaire, who is 
 residing at Geneva, has caused a more spacious one to be built 
 at a more convenient spot, and a little higher up, where, 
 sitting by a fire-side, you catch through the window a view 
 of the whole Ice- Valley. The peaks of the rocks over against 
 you, as also in the valley below, are very pointed and rugged. 
 These jags are called needles, and the Aiguille du Dru is a 
 remarkable peak of this kind, right opposite to Mont Anvert. 
 We now wished to walk upon the Ice-sea itself, and to con- 
 sider these immense masses close at hand. Accordingly we 
 climbed down the mountain, and took nearly a hundred steps 
 round about on the wave-like crystal cliffs. It is certainly 
 a singular sight, when standing on the ice itself, you see 
 before you the masses pressing upwards, and divided by 
 strangely shaped clefts. However, we did not like standing 
 on this slippery surface, for we had neither come prepared 
 with ice-shoes, nor with nails in our usual ones ; on the con- 
 trary, those which we ordinarily wore had become smooth 
 and rounded with our long walk ; we, therefore, made our 
 way back to the hut, and after a short rest were ready for 
 returning. We descended the mountain, and came to the 
 spot where the ice-stream, step by step, forces its way to the 
 valley below, and we entered the cavern, into which it 
 empties its water. It is broad, deep, and of the most beau- 
 tiful blue, and in the cave the supply of water is more inva- 
 riable than further on at the mouth, since great pieces of 
 ice are constantly melting and dissolving in it.
 
 CHAMOUNI. 33 
 
 On our road to the auberge we passed the house where there 
 were two albinos, children between twelve and fourteen, 
 with very white complexions, rough white hair, and with red 
 and restless eyes like rabbits. The deep night which haugs 
 over the valley invites me to retire early to bed, and I am hardly 
 awake enough to tell you, that we have seen a tame young ibex, 
 who stands out as distinctly among the goats as the natural 
 son of a noble prince from the burgher's family, among whom 
 he is privately brought up and educated. It does not suit 
 with our discourses, that I should speak of anything out of 
 its due order. Besides, you do not take much delight in 
 specimens of granite, quartz, or in larch and pine trees, 
 yet, very soon you must contrive to see some remarkable 
 fruits of our botanising. 1 think I am stupid with sleep, 
 I cannot write another line. 
 
 Chamouni, Nov. 6, 1776. Early. 
 
 Content with seeing all that the early season allows us to 
 see, we are ready to start again, intending to penetrate as 
 far as Valais to-day. A thick mist covers the whole valley, 
 and reaches half way up the mountains, and we must wait 
 and see what sun and wind will yet do for us. Our guide 
 purposes that we should take the road over the Col-de-Balme, 
 a lofty eminence, which lies on the north side of the valley 
 towards Valais, from the summit of which, if we are lucky, 
 we shall be able to take another survey of the valley of 
 Chamouni, and of all its remarkable objects. 
 
 Whilst I am writing a remarkable phenomenon is passing 
 along the sky. The mists which are shifting about, and break- 
 ing in some places, allow you through their openings as through 
 skylights, to catch a glance of the blue sky, while at the same 
 time the mountain peaks, which rising above our roof of 
 vapour, are illuminated by the sun's rays. Even without the 
 hope it gives of a beautiful day, this sight of itself is a rich 
 treat to the eye. 
 
 We have at last obtained a standard for judging the heights 
 of the mountains. It is at a considerable height above the 
 valley, that the vapour rests on the mountains. At a still 
 greater height are clouds, which have floated off upwards 
 from the top of the mist, and then far above these clouds 
 you see the summits glittering in the sunshine. 
 
 D
 
 34 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 it is time to go. I must bid farewell to this beautiful 
 valley and to you. 
 
 Martinac, in 
 Nov. 6, 1779. Evening, 
 
 We have made the passage across without any mishap, and 
 so this adventure is over. The joy of our good luck will keep 
 my pen going merrily for a good half hour yet. 
 
 Having packed our luggage on a niule, we set out early 
 (about 9,) from Prieure. The clouds shifted, so that the peaks 
 were now visible and then were lost again ; at one moment 
 the sun's rays came in streaks on the valley, at the next the 
 whole of it was again in shade. We went up the valley, 
 passing the outlet of the ice-stream, then the glacier 
 d'Argentiere, which is the highest of the five, the top of it 
 however was hidden from our view by the clouds. On the 
 plain we held a counsel, whether we should or not take the 
 route over Col de Balme, and abandon the road over Valorsine. 
 The prospect was not the most promising ; however, as here 
 there was nothing to lose and much perhaps to gain, we 
 took our way boldly towards the dark region of mists and 
 clouds. As we approached the Glacier du Tour, the clouds 
 parted, and we saw this glacier also in full light. We sat 
 down awhile and drank a bottle of wine, and took something 
 to eat. We now mounted towards the sources of the Arve, 
 passing over rugged meadows and patches scantily covered 
 with turf, and came nearer and nearer to the region of mists, 
 until at last we entered right into it. We went on patiently 
 for awhile till at last as we got up higher, it began again to 
 clear above our heads. It lasted for a short time, so we passed 
 right out of the clouds, and saw the whole mass of them 
 beneath us spread over the valley, and were able to see the 
 summits of all the mountains on the right and left that en- 
 closed it, with the exception of Mont Blanc, which was 
 covered with clouds. We were able to point them out one 
 by one, and to name them. In some we saw the glaciers 
 reaching from their summits to their feet, in others we could 
 only discern their tracks, as the ice was concealed from 
 our view by the rocky sides of the gorges. Beyond the 
 whole of the flat surface of the clouds, except at ite southern
 
 THE COL DE BALME. 35 
 
 extremity, we could distinctly see the mountains glittering ii; 
 the sunshine. Why should I enumerate to you the names of 
 summits, peaks, needles, icy and snowy masses, when their 
 mere designations can furnish no idea to your mind, either of 
 the whole scene or of its single objects? 
 
 It was quite singular how the spirits of the air seemed to 
 be waging war beneath us. Scarcely had we stood a few 
 minutes enjoying the grand view, when a hostile ferment 
 seemed to arise within the mist, and it suddenly rose upwards 
 and threatened once more to envelope us. We commenced 
 stoutly ascending the height, in the hope of yet awhile escap- 
 ing from it, but it outstripped us and enclosed us on all 
 sides. However, perfectly fresh, we continued to mount, 
 and soon there came to our aid a strong wind, blowing from 
 the mountain. Blowing over the saddle which connected 
 two peaks, it drove the mist back again into the valley. 
 This strange conflict was frequently repeated, and at last, to 
 our joy, we reached the Col de Balme. The view from it 
 was singular, indeed unique. The sky above the peaks was 
 overcast with clouds ; below, through the many openings in 
 the mist, we saw the whole of Chamouni, and between these 
 two layers of cloud the mountain summits were all visible. 
 On the east we were shut in by rugged mountains, on the 
 west we looked down on wild valleys, where, however, on 
 every green patch human dwellings were visible. Before us 
 lay the valley of Valais, where at one glance the eye took in 
 mountains piled in every variety of mass one upon another, and 
 stretching as far as Martinac and even beyond it. Surrounded 
 on all sides by mountains which, further on towards the 
 horizon, seemed continually to multiply and to tower higher 
 and higher, we stood on the confines of Valais and Savoy. 
 
 Some contrabandists, who were ascending the mountains 
 with their mules, were alarmed at seeing us, for at this 
 season they did not reckon on meeting with any one at this 
 spot. They fired a shot to intimate that they were armed, 
 and one advanced before the rest to reconnoitre. Having 
 recognised our guide and seen what a harmless figure we 
 made, he returned to his party, who now approached us, and 
 we passed one another with mutual greetings. 
 
 The wind now blew sharp, and it began to snow a link- as 
 we commenced our descent, which was rough and wild 
 
 D 2
 
 36 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 enough, through an ancient forest of pines, which had takeu 
 root on the faces of the gneiss. Torn up by the winds, the 
 trunks and roots lay rotting together, and the rocks which 
 were loosened at the same time were lying in rough masses 
 among them. 
 
 At last we reached the valley where the river Trient takes 
 its rise from a glacier, and passing the village of Trient, close 
 upon our right, we followed the windings of the valley along 
 a rather inconvenient road, and about six reached Martinac, 
 which lies in the flatter portion of the Valais. Here we 
 must refresh ourselves for further expeditions. 
 
 Martinac, Nov. 6, 177b\ 
 Evening. 
 
 just as our travels proceed uninterruptedly, so my letters 
 one after another keep up my conversation with you. Scarcely 
 have I folded and put aside the conclusion of " Wanderings 
 through Savoy," ere I take up another sheet of paper in 
 order to acquaint you with all that we have further in con- 
 templation. 
 
 It was night when we entered a region about which our 
 curiosity had long been excited. As yet we have seen nothing 
 but the peaks of the mountains, which enclose the valley on 
 both sides, and then only in the glimmering of twilight. 
 We crept wearily into our auberge, and saw from the window 
 the clouds shifting. We felt as glad and comfortable to 
 have a roof over our heads, as children do when with stools, 
 table-leaves and carpets, they construct a roof near the stove, 
 and therein say to one another that outside " it is raining or 
 snowing," in order to excite a pleasant and imaginary shud- 
 der in their little souls. It is exactly so with us on this 
 autumnal evening in this strange and unknown region. 
 
 We learn from the maps that we are sitting in the angle of 
 an elbow, from which the smaller part of Valais, running 
 almost directly from south to north, and with the Rhone, 
 extends to the lake of Geneva, while the other and the larger 
 portion stretches from west to east, and goes up the Rhone 
 to its bource, the Furca. The prospect of riding through 
 the Valais is very agreeable, our only anxiety is how we 
 are to cross over into it. First of all, with the view of
 
 THE KJIONE VALLEY. 37 
 
 seeing the lower portion, it is settled that we go to-morrow 
 to S. Maurice, where we are to meet our friend, wno 
 with the horses has gone round by the Pays de Vaud. To- 
 morrow evening we think of being here again, and then on 
 the next day shall begin to go up the country. If the 
 advice of M. de Saussure prevails, we shall perform the route 
 to the Furca on horseback, and then back to Brieg over the 
 Simplon, where, in any weather, the travelling is good over 
 Domo d'Osula, Lago Maggiore, Bellinzona, and then up 
 Mount Gotthard. The road is said to be excellent, and every- 
 where passable for horses. We should best prefer going over 
 the Furca to S. Gotthard, both for the sake of the shorter 
 route, and also because this detour through the Italian pro- 
 vinces was not within our original plan, but then what could 
 we do with our horses ; they could not be made to descend 
 the Furca, for in all probability the path for pedestrians is 
 already blocked up by the snow. 
 
 With regard to the latter contingency, however, we are 
 quite at our ease, and hope to be able, as we have hitherto 
 done, to take counsel, from moment to moment, with cir- 
 cumstances as they arise. 
 
 The most remarkable object in this inn is a servant-girl, 
 who with the greatest stupidity gives herself all the airs of 
 one of our would-be delicate German ladies. We had a good 
 laugh, when after bathing our weary feet in a bath of red 
 wine and clay, as recommended by our guide, we had in the 
 affected hoyden to wipe them dry. 
 
 Our meal has not refreshed us much, and after supper we 
 hope to enjoy our beds more. 
 
 S. Maurice, Nov. 7, 1779. 
 Nearly Noon. 
 
 On the road it is my way to enjoy the beautiful views, in 
 order that I may call in one by one my absent friends, and 
 converse with them on the subject of the glorious objects. 
 If I come into an inn it is in order to rest myself, to go back 
 in memory and to write something to you, when many a time 
 my overstrained faculties would much rather collapse upon 
 themselves, and recover their tone in a sort of half sleep. 
 
 This morning we set off at dawn from Martinac ; a fresh
 
 38 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 breeze was stirring with the day, and we soon passed the old 
 castle which stands at the point where the two arms of Valais 
 make a sort of Y. The valley is narrow, shut in on its 
 two sides by mountains, highly diversified in their forms, and 
 which without exception are of a peculiar and sublimely 
 beautiful character. We came to the spot where the Trient 
 breaks into the valley around some narrow and perpendicular 
 rocks, so that one almost doubts whether the river does not 
 flow out of the solid rock itself. Close by stands the old 
 bridge, which only last year was greatly injured by the 
 stream, while not far from it lie immense masses of rock, 
 which have fallen very recently from the mountains and 
 blocked up the road. The whole group together would make 
 an extremely beautiful picture. At a. short distance from the 
 old bridge a new wooden one has been built, and a new road 
 been laid down to it. 
 
 We were told that we were getting near the famous water- 
 fall of Pisse Vache, and wished heartily for a peep at the 
 sun, while the shifting clouds gave us a good hope that our 
 wish would be gratified. On the road we examined various 
 pieces of granite and of gneiss, which with all their differ- 
 ences seem, nevertheless, to have a common origin. At last 
 we stood before the waterfall, which well deserves its fame 
 above all others. At a considerable height a strong stream 
 oursts from a cleft in the rock, falling downward into a basin, 
 over which the foam and spray is carried far and wide by 
 the wind. The sun at this moment came forth from the 
 clouds, and made the sight doubly vivid. Below in the spray, 
 wherever you go, you have close before you a rainbow. If 
 you go higher up, you still witness no less singular a pheno- 
 menon. The airy foaming waves of the upper stream of 
 water, as with their frothy vapour, they come in contact with 
 the angle of vision at which the rainbow is formed, assume 
 a flame-like hue, without giving rise to the pendant form of 
 the bow, so that at this point you have before you a con- 
 stantly varying play of fire. 
 
 We climbed all round, and sitting down near it, wished 
 we were able to spend whole days and many a good hour of 
 our life on this spot. Here too, as in so many other places 
 during our present tour, we felt how impossible is was to
 
 THE RHONE VALLEY. 39 
 
 enjoy and to be fully impressed with grand objects on a pass- 
 ing visit. 
 
 We next came to a village where there were some merry 
 soldiers, and we drank there some new wine. Some of the 
 same sort had been set before us yesterday. It looked like 
 soap and water ; however, we had rather drink it than their 
 sour " this year's" and " two years' old'' -wine When one 
 is thirsty nothing comes amiss. 
 
 We saw S. Maurice at a distance ; it lies just at the 
 point where the valley closes in, so much as to cease to be 
 anything more than a mere pass. Over the city, on the left, 
 we saw a small church with a hermitage close to it, and we 
 hope to have an opportunity yet of visiting them both. 
 
 We found in the inn a note from our friend, who has 
 stopped at Bex, which is about three quarters of a league 
 from this place ; we have sent a messenger to him. The 
 Count is gone out for a walk to see the country before us. I 
 shall take a morsel to eat, and then set out towards the 
 famous bridge and the pass. 
 
 After 1 o'clock. 
 
 I have at last got back from the spot where one could be 
 contented to spend whole days together, lounging and loiter- 
 ing about without once getting tired, holding converse with 
 oneself. 
 
 If I had to advise any one as to the best route into Valais, 
 I should recommend th^ one from the Lake of Geneva up the 
 Rhone. I have been on the road to Bex over the great bridge 
 from which you step at once into the Bernese tenitority. 
 Here the Rhone flows downwards, and the valley near the 
 lake becomes a little broader. As I turned round again I 
 saw that the rocks near S. Maurice pressed together from 
 both sides, and that a small light bridge, with a high arch, 
 was thrown boldly across from them over the Rhone, which 
 rushes beneath it with its roaring and foaming stream. The 
 numerous angles and turrets of a fortress stands close to the 
 bridge, and a single gateway commands the entrance into 
 Valais. I went over the bridge back towards S. Maurice, 
 and even beyond it, in search of a view which I had formerly 
 seen a drawing of at Huber's house, and by good luck found it.
 
 40 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 The count is come back. He had gone to meet the horses 
 and mounting his grey had outstripped the rest. He says the 
 bridge is so light and beautiful that it looks like a horse in the 
 act of leaping a ditch. Our friend too is coming, and is quite 
 contented with his tour. He accomplished the distance from 
 the Lake of Geneva to Bex in a few days, and we are all de- 
 lighted to see one another again. 
 
 Martinac, towards 9. 
 
 We were out riding till late at night, and the road seemed 
 much longer returning than going, as in the morning, our atten- 
 tion had been constantly attracted from one object to another. 
 Besides I am for this day, at least, heartily tired of descrip- 
 tions and reflections; however, I must try hastily to per- 
 petuate the memory of two beautiful objects. It was deep 
 twilight when on our return we reached the waterfall of the 
 Pisse Vache. The mountains, the valley, and the heavens 
 themselves were dark and dusky. By its greyish tint and 
 unceasing murmur you could distinguish the falling stream 
 frcm all other objects, though you could scarcely discern the 
 slightest motion. Suddenly the summit of a very high peak 
 glowed just like molten brass in a furnace, and above it rose 
 a red smoke. This singular phenomenon was the effect of 
 the setting sun which illuminated the snow and the mists 
 which ascended from it. 
 
 Sion, Nov. 8, 1 779. 
 
 about 3 o'clock. 
 
 This morning we missed our way riding, and were delayed 
 in consequence, three hours at least. We set out from 
 Martinac before dawn, in order to reach Sion in good time. 
 The weather was extraordinarily beautiful, only that the sun 
 being low in the heavens was shut out by the mountains, so 
 that the road, as we passed along, was entirely in the shade, 
 The view, however, of the marvellously beautiful valley of 
 Valais brought up many a good and cheerful idea. We had 
 ridden for full three hours along the high road with the 
 Rhone on our left, when we saw Sion before us ; and we were 
 beginning to congratulate ourselves on the prospect of BJOU
 
 SIGN. 41 
 
 ordering our noon-day's meal, when we found that the bridge 
 we ought to cross had been carried away. Nothing remained 
 for us, we were told by the people who were busy repairing 
 it, but either to leave our horses and go by a foot-path which 
 ran across the rocks, or else to ride on for about three miles, 
 and then cross the Rhone by some other bridges. We chose 
 the latter; and we would not suffer any ill -humour to get 
 possession of us, but determined to ascribe this mischance to 
 the interposition of our good genius, who intended to take us 
 a slow ride through this interesting region with the advantage 
 of good day-light. Everywhere, indeed, in this narrow 
 district, the Rhone makes sad havoc. In order to reach the 
 other bridges we were obliged, for more than a league and a 
 half, to ride over sandy patches, which in the various inunda- 
 tions are constantly shifting, and are useful for nothing but 
 alder and willow beds. At last we came to the bridges, 
 which were wretched, tottering, long, and composed of rotten 
 timbers. We had to lead our horses over one by one, and 
 with extreme caution. We were now on the left side of the 
 Valais and had to turn backwards to get to Sion. The road 
 itself was for the most part wretched and stony ; every step, 
 however, opened a fresh view, which was well worth a 
 painting. One, however, was particularly remarkable. The 
 road brought us up to a castle, below which there was spread 
 out the most lovely scene that we had seen in the whole road. 
 The mountains nearest to us run down on both sides slantingly 
 to the level ground, and by their shape gave a kind of per- 
 spective effect to the natural landscape. Beneath us was the 
 Valais in its entire breadth from mountain to mountain, so 
 that the eye could easily take it in ; the Rhone, with its ever- 
 varying windings and bushy banks was flowing past villages, 
 meadows, and richly cultivated highlands; in the distance you 
 saw the Castle of Sion, and the various hills which begin to 
 rise behind it; the farthest horizon was shut in, amphitheatre 
 like, with a semicircular range of snow-capped mountains which, 
 like all the rest of the scene, stood glittering in the sun's 
 meridian splendour. Disagreeable and rough was the road 
 we had to ride over; we therefore enjoyed the more, perhaps, 
 the still tolerably green festoons of the vines which over-arched 
 it. The inhabitants, to whom every spot of earth is precious, 
 plant their grape-vines close against the walls which divide
 
 42 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 their little holdings from the road, where they grow to an 
 extraordinary thickness, and by means of stakes and trellises 
 are trained across the road so as almost to form one con- 
 tinuous arbour. The lower grounds were principally mea- 
 dows: in the neighbourhood of Sion, however, we noticed 
 some tillage. Towards this town the scenery is extremely 
 diversified by a variety of hills, and we wished to be able to 
 make a longer stay in order to enjoy it. But the hideousness 
 of the town and of the people fearfully disturb the pleasant 
 impression which the scenery leaves. The most frightful 
 goitres put me altogether out of humour. We cannot well 
 put our horses any further to-day, and therefore we think if 
 going on foot to Sierre. Here in Sion the inn is disgusting, 
 and the whole town has a dirty and revolting appearance. 
 
 Sierre, Nov. 8, 1779. 
 
 Night. 
 
 As evening had begun to fall before we set out from Sion, 
 we reached here at night, with the sky above us clear and 
 starry. We have consequently lost many a good view that 
 I know well. Particularly we should have liked to have 
 ascended to the Castle of Tourbillon, which is at no great 
 distance from Sion; the view from it must be uncommonly 
 beautiful. A guide whom we took with us skilfully guided 
 us through some wretched low lands, where the water was 
 out. We soon reached the heights, and had the Rhone below 
 us on our right. By talking over some astronomical matters 
 we shortened our road, and have taken up our abode here 
 with some very worthy people, who are doing their best to 
 entertain us. When we think over what we have gone 
 through, so busy a day, with its many incidents and sights, 
 seems almost equal to a whole week. I begin to be quite 
 sorry that I have neither time nor talent to sketch at least 
 the outlines of the most remarkable objects ; for that would 
 be much better for the absent than all descriptions. 
 
 Sierre, Nov. 9, 1779. 
 
 Before we set out I can just bid you good morning. The 
 Count is going with me to the mountains on the left, towards
 
 SIERRE TO LEUKERBAD. 43 
 
 Leukerbad ; our friend will, in the meantime, stay here with 
 the horses, and join us to-morrow at Leuk. 
 
 Leukerbad, Nov. 9, 1779. 
 At the Foot of Mount Gemmi. 
 
 In a little wooden house where we have been friendlily 
 received by some very worthy people, we are sitting in a 
 small, low room, and trying how much of to-day's highly 
 interesting tour can be communicated in words. Starting 
 from Sierre very early we proceeded for three leagues up the 
 mountains, after having passed large districts laid waste by 
 the mountain torrents. One of these streams will suddenly 
 rise and desolate an extent of many miles, covering with 
 fragments of rock and gravel the fields, meadows, and gardens, 
 which (at least wherever possible) the people laboriously set 
 to work to clear, in order within two generations, perhaps, to 
 be again laid waste. We have had a grey day, with every 
 now and then a glimpse of sunshine. It is impossible to 
 describe how infinitely variegated the Valais here again 
 becomes ; the landscape bends and changes every moment, 
 ijooking around you all the objects seem to lie close together, 
 and yet they are separated by great ravines and hills. Gene- 
 rally we had had the open part of the valley below us, on the 
 right, when suddenly we came upon a spot which commanded 
 a most beautiful view over the mountains. 
 
 In order to render more clear what it is I am attempting to 
 describe, I must say a few words on the geographical position 
 of the district in which we are at present. We had now for 
 three hours been ascending the mountainous region which 
 separates Valais from Berne. This is, in fact, the great track 
 of mountains which runs in one continuous chain from the 
 Lake of Geneva to Mount S. Gotthard, and on which, as it 
 passes through Berne, rest the great masses of ice and snow. 
 Here above and below are but the relative terms of the moment. 
 I say, for instance, beneath me lies a village and in all pro- 
 bability the level on which it is built is on a precipitous 
 summit, which is far higher above the valley below, than I am 
 above it. 
 
 As we turned an angle of the road and rested awhile at a 
 hermitage, we saw beneath us, at the end of a lovely green
 
 44 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 ineadowland, which stretched along the brink of an enor- 
 mous chasm, the village of Inden, with .its white church 
 exactly in the middle of the landscape, and built altogether 
 on the slope of the hill-side. Beyond the chasm another line 
 of meadow lands and pine forests went upwards, while right 
 behind the village a vast cleft in the rocks ran up the sum- 
 mit. On the left hand the mountains came right down to 
 us, while those on our right stretched far away into the 
 distance, so that the little hamlet, with its white church, 
 formed as it were the focus towards which the many rocks, 
 ravines, and mountains all converged. The road to Inden is 
 cut out of the precipitous side of the rock, which, on your 
 left going to the village, lines the amphitheatre. It is not 
 dangerous although it looks frightful enough. It goes down 
 on the slope of a rugged mass of rocks, separated from the 
 yawning abyss on the right, by nothing but a few poor 
 planks. A peasant with a mule, who was descending at the 
 same time as ourselves, whenever he came to any dangerous 
 points caught his beast by the tail, lest the steep descent 
 should cause him to slip, and roll into the rocks below. At 
 last we reached Inden. As our guide was well known there, he 
 easily managed to obtain for us, from a good-natured dame, 
 some bread and a glass of red wine, for in these parts there 
 are no regular inns. 
 
 We now ascended the high ravine behind Inden, where we 
 soon saw before us the Gemmiberg (of which we had heard 
 such frightful descriptions), with Leukerbad at its foot, lying 
 between two lofty, inaccessible, snow-covered mountains, as 
 if it were in the hollow of a hand. It was three o'clock, 
 nearly, when we arrived there, and our guide soon procured 
 us lodgings. There is properly no inn even here, but in con- 
 sequence of the many visitors to the baths at this place, all 
 people have good accommodation. Our hostess had been 
 put to bed the day before, but her nusband with an old 
 mother and a servant girl, did very creditably the honours of 
 the house. We ordered something to eat, and went to see 
 the warm springs, which in several places burst out of the 
 earth with great force, and are received in very clean 
 reservoirs. Out of the village, and more towards the moun- 
 tains, there are said to be still stronger ones. The water has 
 not the slightest smell of sulphur, and neither at its source
 
 THE GEMMI. 45 
 
 nor in its channel does it make the least deposit of ochre or 
 of any other earth or mineral, but like any other clear spring 
 water it leaves not the slightest trace behind it. As it comes 
 out of the earth it is extremely hot, and is famous for its good 
 qualities. We had still time for a walk to the foot of the 
 Gemmi, which appeared to us to be at no great distance. I 
 must here repeat a remark that has been made so often 
 already; that when one is surrounded with mountain scenery 
 all objects appear to be extremely near. We had a good 
 league to go, amongst fragments of rock which had fallen from 
 the heights, and over gravel brought down by the torrents, 
 before we reached the foot of the Gemmi, where the road 
 ascends along the precipitous crags. This is the only pass 
 into the canton of Berne, and the sick have to be transported 
 along it in sedan chairs. 
 
 If the season did not bid us hasten onwards, in all proba- 
 bility we might make an attempt to-morrow to ascend this 
 remarkable mountain; as it is, however, we must content 
 ourselves with the simple view of it. On our return we saw 
 the clouds brewing, which in these parts is a highly interesting 
 sight. The fine weather we have hitherto enjoyed has made 
 us forget almost entirely that it is in November that we are ; 
 besides too, as they foretold us in Berne, the autumn here is 
 very delightful. The short days, however, and the clouds 
 which threaten snow, warn us how late it is in the year. The 
 strange drift which has been agitating them this evening was 
 singularly beautiful. As we came back from the foot of the 
 Gemmi, we saw light mists come up the ravine from Inden, 
 and move with great rapidity. They continually changed 
 their direction, going now forwards, now backwards, nnd at 
 last, as they ascended, they came so near to Leukerbad tnat 
 we saw clearly that we must double our steps if we would not 
 before nightfall be enveloped in the clouds. We reached our 
 quarters, however, without accident, and whilst I write this it 
 is snowing in earnest. This is the first fall of snow that we 
 have yet had, and when we call to mind our warm ride 
 yesterday, from Martinac to Sion, beneath the vine-arbours, 
 which were still pretty thick with leaves, the change does 
 appear sudden indeed. I have been standing some time at 
 the door, observing the character and look of the clouds, 
 which are beautiful beyond description. It is not yet uight,
 
 46 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 but at intervals the clouds veil the whole sky and make it 
 quite dai-k. They rise out of the deep ravines until they reach 
 the highest summits of the mountains ; attracted by these they 
 appear to thicken, and being condensed by the cold they fall 
 down in the shape of snow. It gives you an inexpressible 
 feeling of loneliness to find yourself here at this height, as it 
 were, in a sort of well, from which you scarcely can suppose 
 that there is even a footpath to get out by, except down the 
 precipice before you. The clouds which gather here in this 
 valley, at one time completely hiding the immense rocks, 
 and absorbing them in a waste impenetrable gloom, or at ano- 
 ther letting a part of them be seen like huge spectres, give to 
 the people a cast of melancholy. In the midst of such 
 natural phenomena the people are full of presentiments and 
 forebodings. Clouds a phenomenon remarkable to every 
 man from his youth up are, in the plain countries, generally 
 looked upon at most as something foreign something super- 
 terrestrial. People regard them as strangers, as birds of 
 passage, which, hatched under a different climate, visit this 
 or that country for a moment or two in passing as splendid 
 pieces of tapestry wherewith the gods part off their pomp and 
 splendour from human eyes. But here, where they are 
 hatched, man is inclosed in them from the very first, and the 
 eternal and intrinsic energy of his nature feels itself at every 
 nerve moved to forebode and to indulge in presentiments. 
 
 To the clouds, which, with us even produce these effects, 
 we pay little attention ; moreover as they are not pushed so 
 thickly and directly before our eyes, their economy is the 
 more difficult to observe. With regard to all such phenomena 
 one's only wish is to dwell on them for a while, and to be 
 able to tarry several days in the spots where they are observ- 
 able. If one is fond of such observations the desire becomes 
 the more vivid the more one reflects that every season of the 
 year, every hour of the day, and every change of weather 
 produces new phenomena which we little looked for. And as 
 no man, not even the most ordinary character, was ever a 
 witness, even for once, of great and unusual events, without 
 their leaving behind in his soul some traces or other, and 
 making him feel himself also to be greater for this one little 
 shred of grandeur, so that he is never weary of telling the 
 whole tale of it over again, and has gained at any rate a little
 
 LEUKERBAD. 47 
 
 treasure for his whole life ; just so is it with the man who has 
 seen and become familiar with the grand phenomena of nature. 
 He who manages to preserve these impressions, and to combine 
 them with other thoughts and emotions, has assuredly a trea- 
 sury of sweets wherewith to season the most tasteless parts of 
 life, and to give a pervading relish to the whole of existence-. 
 
 I observe that in my notes I make very little mention of 
 human beings. Amid these grand objects of nature, they are 
 but little worthy of notice, especially where they do but come 
 and go. I doubt not but that on a longer stay we should 
 meet with many worthy and interesting people. One fact I 
 think I have everywhere observed; the farther one moves 
 from the highroad and the busy marts of men, the more 
 people are shnt in by the mountains, isolated and confined to 
 the simplest wants of life, the more they draw their main- 
 tenance from simple, humble, and unchangeable pursuits : so 
 much the better, the more obliging, the more friendly, unsel- 
 fish, and hospitable are they. 
 
 Leukerbad, Nov. 10, 1779. 
 
 We are getting ready by candle-light, in order to descend 
 the mountain again as soon as day breaks. I have had 
 rather a restless night. Scarcely had I got into bed before I 
 felt as if I was attacked all over with the nettle rash. I soon 
 found, however, that it was a swarm of crawling insects, who, 
 ravenous of blood, had fallen upon the new comer. These 
 insects breed in great numbers in these wooden houses. The 
 night appeared* to me extremely long, and I was heartily glad 
 when in the morning a light was brought in. 
 
 Leuk., about 10 o'clock. 
 
 We have not much time to spare ; however, before we set 
 out, I will give you an account of the remarkable breaking up 
 of our company, which has here taken place, and also of the 
 cause of it. We set out from Leukerbad with daybreak this 
 morning, and had to make our way over the meadows through 
 the fresh and slippery snow. We soon came to Inden, where, 
 leaving above us on our right the precipitous road which we 
 ceme down yesterday, we descended to the meadow lande
 
 48 LETTERS FEOM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 along the ravine which now lay on our left. It is extremely 
 wild and overgrown with trees, but a very tolerable road runs 
 down into it. Through the clefts in the rock the water which 
 comes down from Leukerbad has its outlets into the Valais. 
 High up on the side of the hill, which yesterday we descended, 
 we saw an aqueduct skilfully cut out of the rock, by which a 
 little stream is conducted from the mountain, then through a 
 hollow into a neighbouring village. 
 
 Next we had to ascend a steep height, from \vhich we soon 
 saw the open country of Valais, with the dirty town of Leuk. 
 lying beneath us. These little towns are mostly stuck on the 
 hill sides ; the roofs inelegantly covered with coarsely split 
 planks, which within a year become black and overgrown with 
 moss ; and when you enter them, you are at once disgusted, 
 for everything is dirty; want and hardship are everywhere 
 apparent among these highly privileged and free burghers. 
 
 We found here our friend, who brought the unfavourable 
 report that it was beginning to be injudicious to proceed 
 further with the horses. The stables were everywhere small 
 and narrow, being built only for mules or sumpter horses ; 
 oats too were rarely to be procured ; indeed he was told that 
 higher up among the mountains there were none to be had. 
 Accordingly a council was held. Our friend with the horses 
 was to descend the Valais and go by Bex, Vevay, Lausanne, 
 Freiburg, and Berne, to Lucerne, while the Count and I 
 pursued our course up the Valais, and endeavoured to pene- 
 trate to Mount Gotthard, and then through the Canton of 
 Uri, and by the Lake of the Forest Towns,* likewise make for 
 Lucerne. In these parts you may anywhere procure mules, 
 which are better suited to these roads than horses, and to go 
 on foot invariably proves the most agreeable in the end. Our 
 friend is gone, and our portmanteaus packed on the back of 
 a mule, and so we are now ready to set off and make our 
 way on foot to Brieg. The sky has a motley appearance, 
 still I hope that the good luck which has hitherto attended 
 us, and attracted us to this distant spot, will not abandon us 
 at the very point where we have the most need of it. 
 
 * i.e., the Lake of Lucerne. TB.
 
 BRIEG. 49 
 
 Brieg, Nov. 10, 1779. 
 Evening. 
 
 Of to-day's expedition I have little to tell you, unless you 
 would like to be entertained with a long circumstantial account 
 of the weather. About 11 o'clock we set off from Leuk., in 
 company with a Suabian butcher's boy, who had run away 
 hither, and had found a place where he served somewhat in 
 the capacity of Hanswurst (Jack-Pudding), and with our 
 luggage packed on the back of a mule, which its master was 
 driving before him. Behind us, as far as the eye could reach, 
 thick snow clouds, which came driving up the lowlands, 
 covered everything. It had really a threatening aspect. With- 
 out expressing my fears I felt anxious lest, even though right 
 before us it looked as clear as it could do in the land of 
 Goshen, the clouds might nevertheless overtake us, and here, 
 perhaps in the territory of the Valais, shut in on both sides 
 by mountains, we might be covered with the clouds, and in 
 one night snowed up. Thus whispered alarm which got 
 possession almost entirely of one ear ; at the other good 
 courage was speaking in a confident tone, and reproving me 
 for want of faith, kept reminding me of the past, and called 
 my attention to the phenomena of the atmosphere before 
 us. Our road went continually on towards the fine weather. 
 Up the Ehone all was clear, and strongly as the evening 
 breeze drove np the clouds behind us, it was little likely that, 
 they would reach ns. 
 
 The following was the cause of this. Into the valley of 
 Valais there are, as I have so often remarked already, many 
 ravines running down from the neighbouring mountain- 
 chains, which fall into it like little brooks into a great stream, 
 as indeed all their waters flow off into the Rhone. Out of 
 each of these openings rushes a current of wind, which has 
 been forming in the inner valleys and nooks of the rocks. 
 When now the principal drift of the clouds up the valley 
 reaches one of these ravines, the current of the wind does 
 not allow the clouds to pass, but contends with them, and 
 with the wind which is driving them, and thus detains them, 
 and disputes with them for whole hours the passage up the 
 valley. This conflict we often witnessed, and when we be- 
 lieved we should surely be overtaken by the clouds, an ob- 
 stacle of this kind would again arise, and after we had goue 
 
 E
 
 50 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 a good league, we found they had scarcely stirred from the 
 spot. 
 
 Towards evening the sky was uncommonly beautiful. As 
 \ve arrived at Brieg, the clouds got there almost as soon as 
 we did ; however, as the sun had set, and a driving east 
 wind blew against them, they were obliged to come to a 
 halt, and formed a huge crescent from mountain to moun- 
 tain across the valley. The cold air had greatly condensed 
 them, and where their edge stood out against the blue sky, it 
 presented to the eye many beautiful, light, and elegant forms. 
 It was*quite clear that they were heavy with snow; however, 
 the fresh air seemed to us to promise that much would not 
 fall during the night. 
 
 Here we are in a very comfortable inn, and what greatly 
 tends to make us contented, we have found a roomy chamber 
 with a stove in it, so that we can sit by the fire- side and take 
 counsel together as to our future travels. Through Brieg 
 runs the usual road to Italy over the Simplon ; should we, 
 therefore, give up our plan of going over the Furca to Mont 
 S. Gotthard, we shall go with hired horses and mulas to Domo 
 d'Ossola, Marpozzo, pass up Lago Maggiore, and then to 
 Bellinzona, and then on to S. Gotthard, and over Airolo to 
 the monastery of the Capuchins. This road is passable all 
 the winter through, and is good travelling for horses ; how- 
 ever, to our minds it is not very inviting, especially as it 
 was not in our original plan, and will not bring us to Lucerne 
 till five days after our friend. We wish rather to see the 
 whole of the Valais up to its extreme limit, whither we hope 
 to come by to-morrow evening, and, if fortune favours, we 
 shall be sitting by about the same time next day in Realp, in 
 the canton of Uri, which is on Mont Gotthard, and very 
 near to its highest summit. Should we find it impossible to 
 cross the Furca, the road back to this spot will still be open 
 to us, and then we can take of necessity the route which of 
 free choice we are disinclined to. 
 
 You can well believe that I have here closely examined the 
 people, whether they believe that the passage over the Furca 
 is open, for that is the one idea with which I rise up, and lie 
 down to sleep, and occupy myself all day long. Hitherto 
 our route may be compared to a march to meet an enemy, 
 and uow it is as if we were approaching to the spot where
 
 BRIEG TO MUNSTER. 51 
 
 he has entrenched himself, and we must give him battle. 
 Besides our mule two horses are ordered to be ready by the 
 evening. 
 
 Miinster, Nov. 11, 1779. 
 
 Evening, 6 o'clock. 
 
 Again we have had a pleasant and prosperous day. This 
 morning as we set out early and in good time from Brieg 
 our host, when we were already on the road said, " If the' 
 mountain (so they call the Furca here,) should prove too 
 fearful, you can easily come back and take another route." 
 With our two horses and mule we soon came upon some 
 pleasant meadows, where the valley becomes so narrow that 
 it is scarcely some gun-shots wide. Here are some beautiful 
 pasture lands, on which stand large trees, while pieces of 
 rock lie scattered about which have rolled down from the 
 neighbouring mountains. The valley gradually grows nar- 
 rower, and the traveller is forced to ascend along the side of 
 the mountain, having the while the Rhone below him in a 
 rugged ravine on his left. Above him, however, the land is 
 beautifully spread out ; on the variously undulating hills are 
 verdant and rich meadows and pretty hamlets, which, with 
 their dark-brown wooden houses, peep out prettily from 
 among the snow. We travelled a good deal on foot, and we 
 did so in turns to accommodate one another. For although 
 riding is safe enough, still it excites one's alarm to see 
 another riding before you along so narrow a track, and on so 
 weak an animal, and just on the brink of so rugged a preci- 
 pice ; and as too there are no cattle to be seen on the mea- 
 dows, (for the people here shut them all up in sheds at this 
 season,) such a region looks lonely, and the thought that 
 one is continually being hemmed in closer and closer by the 
 vast mountains, fills the imagination with sombre and disa- 
 greeable fancies, enough to make you fall from your seat, 
 if you are not very firm in the saddle. Man is never perfectly 
 master of himself. As he lives in utter ignorance of the 
 future, as indeed what the next moment may bring forth is 
 hidden from him, consequently, when anything unusual falls 
 beneath his notice, he has often to contend with involuntary 
 sensations, forebodings, and dream-like fancies, at which 
 
 E 2
 
 52 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 shortly afterwards he may laugh outright, but which at the 
 decisive moment are often extremely oppressive. 
 
 In our noonday quarters we met with some amusement. 
 We had taken up our lodgings with a woman in whose house 
 everything looked neat and orderly. Her room, after the 
 fashion of the country, was wainscotted, the beds ornamented 
 with can-ing; the cupboards, tables, and all the other little 
 repositories which were fastened against the walls or to the 
 corners, had pretty ornaments of turner's work or carving. 
 From the portraits which hung around the room, it was easy 
 to see that several members of the family had devoted them- 
 selves to the clerical profession. We also observed a collec- 
 tion of bound books over the door, which we took to be the 
 endowment of one of these reverend personages. We took 
 down the Legends of the Saints, and read it while our meal 
 was preparing. On one occasion of our hostess entering the 
 room, she asked us if we had ever read the history of S. 
 Alexis? We said no, and took no further notice of her 
 question, but went on reading the chapter we each had 
 begun. When, however, we had sat down to table, she 
 placed herself by our sides, and began again to talk of 
 S. Alexis. We asked her whether he was the patron saint of 
 herself, or of her family ; which she denied, affirming at the 
 same time, however, that this saintly person had undergone 
 so much for the love of God, that his history always affected 
 her more than any other's. When she saw that we knew 
 nothing about him, she began to narrate to us his history. 
 " S. Alexis," she said, " was the son of noble, rich, and 
 God-fearing parents in Rome, and in the practice of good 
 works he delighted to follow their example, for they did 
 extraordinary good to the poor. All this, however, did not 
 appear enough to Alexis; but secretly in his own heart he 
 devoted himself entirely to God's service, and took a vow to 
 Christ of perpetual virginity. When, then, in the course 
 of time, his parents wished to marry him to a lovely and 
 amiable maiden, he did not oppose their will. When, how- 
 ever, the marriage ceremony was concluded, instead of retiring 
 to his bed in the nuptial chamber, he went on board a vessel 
 which he found ready to sail, and with it passed over to Asia. 
 Here he assumed the garb of a wretched mendicant, and 
 became thereby so thoroughly disguised that the servants of
 
 THE LEGEND OF 8. ALEXIS. 53 
 
 his father who had been sent after him failed to recognise 
 him. Here he posted himself near the door of the principal 
 church, invariably attending the divine services, and sup- 
 porting himself on the alms of the faithful. After two or 
 three years various miracles took place, betokening the special 
 favour of the Almighty. The bishop heard a voice in the 
 church, bidding him to summon into the sacred temple that 
 man whose prayer was most acceptable to God, and to keep 
 him by his side while he celebrated divine worship. As the 
 bishop did not at once know who could be meant, the voice 
 went on to point out to him the beggar, whom, to the great 
 astonishment of the people, he immediately fetched into the 
 church. The saintly Alexis, embarrassed by having the 
 attention of the people directed towards himself, quietly anc 1 
 silently departed thence, also on ship-board, intending to 
 proceed still further in foreign lands. But by a tempest and 
 other circumstances he was compelled to land in Italy. The 
 saint seeing in all this the finger of God, was rejoiced to meet 
 with an opportunity of exercising self-denial in the highest 
 degree. He therefore set off direct for his native town, and 
 placed himself as a beggar at the door of his parents' house. 
 With their usual pious benevolence did they receive him, and 
 commanded one of their servants to furnish him with lodging 
 in the castle and with all necessary sustenance. This servant, 
 annoyed at the trouble he was put to, and displeased with his 
 master's benevolence, assigned to this seeming beggar a 
 miserable hole under some stone steps, where he threw to him, 
 as to a dog, a sorry pittance of food. The saint instead of 
 suffering himself to be vexed thereat, first of all thanked God 
 sincerely for it in his heart, and not only bore with patient 
 meekness all this which he might easily have altered, but with 
 incredible and superhuman fortitude, endured to witness the 
 lasting grief of his parents and his wife for his absence. 
 For he heard his much-loved parents and his beautiful spouse 
 invoke his name a hundred times a day, and pray for his 
 return, and he saw them wasting their days in sorrow for his 
 supposed absence." At this passage of her narrative our 
 good hostess could not refrain her tears, while her two daugh- 
 ters, who during the story had crept close to her side, kept 
 steadily looking up in their mother's face. "But," she con- 
 tinued, " great was the reward which the Almighty bestowed
 
 51 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 on his constancy, giving him, at his death, the greatest pos- 
 sible proofs of his favour in the eyes of the faithful. For 
 after living several years in this state, daily frequenting the 
 service of God with the most fervent zeal, he at last fell sick, 
 without any particular heed being given to his condition by 
 any one. One morning shortly after this, while the pope was 
 himself celebrating high mass, in presence of'the emperor and 
 all the nobles, suddenly all the bells in the whole city of Rome 
 began to toll as if for the passing knell of some distinguished 
 personage. Whilst every one was full of amazement, it was 
 revealed to the pope that this marvel was in honour of the 
 death of the holiest person in the whole city, who had but 
 just died in the house of the noble Patrician. The father 
 of Alexis being interrogated, thought at once of the beggar. 
 He went home and found him beneath the stairs quite dead. 
 In his folded hands the saintly man clutched a paper, which 
 his old father sought in vain to take from him. He returned 
 to the church and told all this to the emperor and the pope, 
 who thereupon, with their courtiers and clergy, set off to 
 visit the corpse of the saint. When they reached the spot, 
 the holy father took it without difficulty out of the hands of 
 the dead man, and handed it to the emperor, who thereupon 
 caused it to be read aloud by his chancellor. The paper con- 
 tained the history of the saint. Then you should have seen 
 the grief of his parents and wife, which now became excessive, 
 to think that they had had near to them a son and husband 
 so dear; for whom there was nothing too good that they 
 would not have done ; and then too to know how ill he had 
 been treated ! They fell upon his corpse and wept so bitterly 
 that there was not one of the bystanders who could refrain 
 from tears. Moreover, among the multitude of the people 
 who gradually flocked to the spot, there were many sick, who 
 were brought to the body and by its touch were made 
 whole." 
 
 Our fair story-teller affirmed over and over again, as she 
 dried her eyes, that she had never heard a more touching 
 history, and I too was seized with so great a desire to weep 
 that I had the greatest difficulty to hide and to suppress it. 
 After dinner I looked out the legend itself in Father Cochem, 
 and found that the good dame had dropped none of the purely
 
 MUNSTER. 55 
 
 human traits of the story, while she had clean forgotten all 
 the tasteless remarks of this writer. 
 
 We keep going continually to the window watching the 
 weather; and are at present very near offering a prayer to 
 the winds and clouds. Long evenings and universal stillness 
 are the elements in which writing thrives right merrily, and I 
 am convinced that if, for a few months only, I could contrive, 
 or were obliged, to stay at a spot like this, all my unfinished 
 dramas would of necessity be completed one after another. 
 
 We have already had several people before us, and questioned 
 them with regard to the pass over the Furca ; but even here 
 we have been unable to gain any precise information, although 
 the mountain is only two or three leagues distant. We must, 
 however, rest contented, and we shall set out ourselves at break 
 of day to reconnoitre, and see how destiny will decide for us. 
 However, in general, I may be disposed to take things as they 
 go, it would, I must confess, be highly annoying to me if we 
 should be forced to retrace our steps again. If we are fortu- 
 nate we shall be by to-morrow evening at Realp or S. 
 Gotthard, and by noon the next day among the Capuchins at 
 the summit of the mountain. If things go unfortunately we 
 have two roads open for a retreat. Back through the whole 
 of Valais, and by the well-known road over Berne to Lucerne : 
 or back to Brieg, and then by a wide detour to S. Gotthard. 
 I think in this short letter I have told you that three times. 
 But in fact it is a matter of great importance to us. The 
 issue will decide which was in the right, our courage, which 
 gave us a confidence that we must succeed, or the prudence of 
 certain persons who were very earnest in trying to dissuade 
 us from attempting this route. This much, at any rate, is 
 certain, that both prudence and courage must own chance to 
 be over them both. And now that we have once more 
 examined the weather, and found the air to be cold, the sky 
 bright, and without any signs of a tendency to snow, we shall 
 go calmly to bed. 
 
 Miinster, Nov. 12, 1776. 
 
 Early. 6 o'clock. 
 
 We are quite ready, and all is packed up in order to set 
 out from hence with the break of day. We have before us
 
 56 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 two leagues to Oberwald, and from there the usual reckoning 
 makes six leagues to Realp. Our mule is to follow us with 
 the baggage as far as it is possible to take him. 
 
 Realp, Nov. 12, 1779. 
 
 Evening. 
 
 We reached this place just at nightfall. We have sur- 
 mounted all difficulties, and the knots which entangled our 
 path have been cut in two. Before I tell you where we are 
 lodged, and before I describe to you the character of our 
 hosts, allow me the gratification of going over in thought the 
 road that we did not see before us without anxiety, and which, 
 however, we have left behind us without accident, though not 
 without difficulty. About seven we started from Miinstcr, 
 and saw before us the snow- covered amphitheatre of mountain 
 summits, and took to be the Furca, the mountain which in 
 the background stood obliquely before it. But as we after- 
 wards learned, we made a mistake; it was concealed from 
 our view by the mountains on our left and by high clouds. 
 The east wind blew strong and fought with some snow-clouds, 
 chasing the drifts, now over the mountains, now up the valley. 
 But tliis only made the snow drifts deeper on the ground, and 
 caused us several times to miss our way ; although shut in as 
 we were on both sides, we could not fail of reaching Oberwald 
 eventually. About nine we actually got there, and dropping 
 in at an auberge, its inmates were not a little surprised to 
 see such characters appearing there this time of the year. 
 We asked whether the pass over the Furca were still practi- 
 cable, and they answered that their folk crossed it for the 
 greater part of the winter, but whether we should be able to 
 get across they could not tell. We immediately sent to seek 
 for one of these persons as a guide. There soon appeared a 
 strong thick-set peasant, whose very look and shape inspired 
 confidence. With him we immediately began to treat: if he 
 thought the pass was practicable for us, let him say so; and 
 then take one or more comrades and come with us. After a 
 short pause he agreed, and went away to get ready himself 
 and to fetch the others. In the meantime we paid our 
 muleteer the hire of his beast, since we could no longer make 
 any use of his mule; and having eaten some bread and cheese
 
 THE PASSAGE OF THE FURCA. 57 
 
 and drank a glass of red wine, felt full of strength and spirits, 
 as our guide came back, followed by another man who looked 
 still bigger and stronger than himself, and seeming to have all 
 the strength and courage of a horse, he quickly shouldered our 
 portmanteau. And now we set out, a party of five, through 
 the village, and soon reached the foot of the mountain, which 
 lay on our left, and began gradually to ascend it. At first we 
 had a beaten track to follow which came down from a neigh- 
 bouring Alp; soon, however, this came to an end, and we 
 liad to go up the mountain side through the snow. Our 
 guides, with great skill, tracked their way among the rocks, 
 around which the usual path winds, although the deep and 
 smooth snow had covered all alike. Next our road lay 
 through a forest of pines, while the Rhone flowed beneath us 
 in a narrow unfruitful valley. Into it we also, after a little 
 while, had to descend, and by crossing a little foot-bridge we 
 came in sight of the glacier of the Rhone. It is the hugest 
 we have as yet had so full a view of. Of very great breadth, 
 it occupies the whole saddle of the mountain, and descends 
 uninterruptedly down to the point where, in the valley, the 
 Rhone flows out of it. At this source the people tell us it 
 has for several years been decreasing ; but that is as nothing 
 compared with all the rest of the huge mass. Although 
 everything was full of snow, still the rough crags of ice, on 
 which the wind did not allow the snow to lie, were visible 
 with their glass blue fissures, and you could see clearly where 
 the glacier ended and the snow-covered rock began. To this 
 point, which lay on our left, we came very close. Presently 
 we again reached a light foot-bridge over a little mountain 
 stream, which flowed through a barren trough-shaped valley 
 to join the Rhone. After passing the glacier, neither on the 
 right, nor on the left, nor before you, was there a tree to be 
 seen, all was one desolate waste ; no rugged and prominent 
 rocks nothing but long smooth valleys, slightly inclining 
 eminences, which now, in the snow which levelled all inequa- 
 lities, presented to us their simple unbroken surfaces. Turning 
 now to the left we ascended a mountain, sinking at every 
 step deep in the snow. One of our guides had to go first, 
 and boldly treading down the snow break the way by which 
 we were to follow. 
 
 It was a strange sight, when turning for a moment your
 
 58 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 attention from the road, you directed it to yourself and your 
 fellow travellers. In the most desolate region of the world, 
 in a boundless, monotonous wilderness of mountains enveloped 
 in snow, where for three leagues before and behind, you 
 would not expect to meet a living soul, while on both sides 
 you had the deep hollows of a web of mountains, you might 
 see a line of men wending their way, treading each in the 
 deep footsteps of the one before him, and where, in the 
 whole of the wide expanse thus smoothed over, the eye 
 could discern nothing but the track they left behind them. 
 The hollows as we left them lay behind us gray and bound- 
 less in the mist. The changing clouds continually passed 
 aver the pale disc of the sun, and spread over the whole 
 scene a perpetually moving veil. I am convinced that any 
 one who, while pursuing this route, allowed his imagination 
 to gain the mastery, would even, in the absence of all imme- 
 diate danger, fall a victim to bis own apprehensions and 
 fears. In reality, there is little or no risk of a fall here ; the 
 great danger is from the avalanches, when the snow has be- 
 come deeper than it is at present, and begins to roll. 
 However our guide told us that they cross the mountains 
 throughout the winter, carrying from Valais to S. Gotthard 
 skins of the chamois, in which a considerable trade is here 
 carried on. But then to avoid the avalanches, they do not 
 take the route that we did, but remain for some time longer 
 in the broad valley, and then go straight up the mountain. 
 This road is safer, but much more inconvenient. After a march 
 of about three hours and a-half, we reached the saddle of the 
 Furca, near the cross which marks the boundary of Valais 
 and Uri. Even here we could not distinguish the double 
 peak from which the Furca derives its name. We now 
 hoped for an easier descent, but our guides soon announced 
 to us still deeper snow, as we immediately found it to be. 
 Our march continued in single file as before, and the fore- 
 most man who broke the path often sank up to his waist in 
 the snow. The readiness of the people, and their light way 
 of speaking of matters, served to keep up our courage; and 
 I will say, for myself, that I have accomplished the journey 
 without fatigue, although I cannot say that it was a mere 
 walk. The huntsman Hermann asserted that he had often 
 before met with equally deep snow in the forests of Thu-
 
 THE CAPUCHINS AT REALP. 59 
 
 ringia, but at last he could not help bursting out with u louc? 
 exclamation, " The Furca is a ." 
 
 A Yulture or lammergeier swept over our heads with 
 incredible rapidity : it was the only living thing that we had 
 met with in this waste. In the distance we saw the moun- 
 tains of Urserenthal lit up with the bright sunshine. Our 
 guides wished to enter a shepherd's hut which had been 
 abandoned and snowed up, and to take something to eat, but 
 we urged thorn to go onwards, to avoid standing still in the 
 cold. Hero again is another group of valleys, and at last we 
 gained an open view into the valley of Uri. 
 
 We now proceeded at a shorter pace, and after travelling 
 about three leagues and a half from the cross, we saw the 
 scattered roofs of Realp. "We had several times questioned 
 our guides as to what sort of an inn, and what kind of wine 
 we were likely to find in Realp. The hopes they gave us 
 were anything but good, but they assured us that the 
 Capuchins there, although they had not, like those on the 
 summit of S. Gotthard, an hospice, were in the habit of 
 entertaining strangers. With them we should get some good 
 red wine, and better food than at an inn. We therefore 
 sent one of our party forwards to inform the Capuchins of our 
 arrival, and to procure a lodging for us. We did not loiter 
 long behind, and arrived very soon after him, when we were 
 received at the door by one of the fathers a portly, good- 
 looking man. With much friendliness of manner he invited 
 us to enter, and at the threshold begged that we would put up 
 with such entertainment they could alone offer, as at no time 
 and least of all at this season of the year, were they prepared 
 to receive such guests. He therefore led us into a warm 
 room, and was very diligent in waiting upon us, while we 
 took off" our boots, and changed our linen. He begged us 
 once for all to make ourselves perfectly at home. As to our 
 meat, we must, he said, be indulgent, for they were in the 
 middle of their long fast, which would last till Christmas-day. 
 We assured him that a warm room, a bit of bread, and a glass 
 of red wine would, in our present circumstances, fully satisfy 
 all our wishes. He procured us what we asked for, and we had 
 scarcely refreshed ourselves a little, ere he began to recount to 
 ns all that concerned the establishment, and the settlement of 
 himself and fellows on this waste spot. "We have not," ho
 
 60 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 said, " an hospice like the fathers on Mont S. Gotthard, 
 we are here in the capacity of parish priests, and there are 
 three of us. The duty of preaching falls to my lot ; the 
 second, father has to look after the school, and the brother to 
 look after the household." He went on to describe their 
 hardships and toils ; here, at the furthest end of a lonely 
 valley, separated from all the world, and working hard to 
 very little profit. This spot, like all others, was formerly 
 provided with a secular priest, but an avalanche having 
 buried half of the village, the last one had run away, and 
 taken the pix with him, whereupon he was suspended, and 
 they, of whom more resignation was expected, were sent 
 there in his place. 
 
 In order to write all this I had retired to an upper room, 
 which is warmed from below by a hole in the floor; and I 
 have just received an intimation that dinner is ready, which, 
 notwithstanding our luncheon, is right welcome news. 
 
 About 9. 
 
 The fathers, priests, servants, guides and all, took 
 their dinner together at a common table; the brother, how- 
 ever, who superintended the cooking, did not make his 
 appearance till dinner was nearly over. Out of milk, eggs, 
 and flour he had compounded a variety of dishes, which we 
 tasted one after another, and found them all very good. Our 
 guides, who took a great pleasure in speaking of the suc- 
 cessful issue of our expedition, praised us for our uncommon 
 dexterity in travelling, and assured us that it was not every 
 one that they would have undertaken the task of being guides 
 to. They even confessed also that this morning, when their 
 services were required, one had gone first to reconnoitre, and 
 to see if we looked like people who would really go through all 
 difficulties with them ; for they were particularly cautious how 
 they accompanied old or weak people at this time of the year, 
 since it was their duty to take over in safety every one they had 
 once engaged to guide, being bound in case of his falling sick, 
 to carry him, even though it should be at the imminent risk 
 of their own lives, and if he were to die on the passage, not to 
 leave his body behind. This confession at once opened the 
 flood-gates to a host of anecdotes, and each in turn had his 
 story to tell of the difficulties and dangers of wandering over
 
 THE CAPUCHINS AT BEALP. 61 
 
 the mountains amidst which the people had here to live as in 
 their proper element, so that with the greatest indifference 
 they speak of mischances and accidents to which they them- 
 selves are daily liable. One of them told a story of how, on 
 the Candersteg, on his way to Mount Gemmi, he and a com- 
 rade with him (he is mentioned on every occasion with both 
 Christian and sur-name) found a poor family in the deep 
 snow, the mother dying, her boy half dead, and the father in 
 that state of indifference which verges on a total prostration 
 of intellect. He took the woman on his back, and his com- 
 rade her son, and thus laden, they had driven before them 
 the father, who was unwilling to move from the spot. 
 
 During the descent of Gemmi the woman died on his back, 
 but he brought her dead as she was to Leukerbad. When 
 we asked what sort of people they were, and what could have 
 brought them at such a season into the mountains, he said 
 they were poor people of the canton of Berne, who, driven 
 by want, had taken to the road at an unseasonable period of 
 the year, in the hope of finding some relations either in 
 Valais or the Italian canton, and had been overtaken by a 
 snow-storm. Moreover, they told many anecdotes of what 
 had happened to themselves during the winter journeys over 
 the Furca with the chamois-skins, on which expeditions, 
 however, they always travelled in companies. Every now 
 and then our reverend host would make excuses for the 
 dinner, and we redoubled our assurances that we wished for 
 nothing better. We also found that he contrived to bring 
 back the conversation to himself and his own matters, 
 observing that he had not been long in this place. He began 
 to talk of the office of preaching, and of the dexterity that a 
 preacher ought to have. He compared the good preacher to 
 a chapman who cleverly puffs his wares, and by his pleasant 
 words makes himself agreeable to his customers. After 
 dinner he kept up the conversation, and, as he stood with his 
 left hand leaning on the table, he accompanied his remarks 
 with his right, and while he discoursed most eloquently on 
 eloquence, appeared at the moment as if he wished to con- 
 vince us that he himself was the dexterous chapman. We 
 assented to his observations, and he came from the lecture to 
 the thing itself. He panegyrized the Roman Catholic reli- 
 gion. *' We must,' ' he said, " have a rule of faith ; and the great
 
 62 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 value of it consists in its being fixed, and as little liable as 
 possible to change, We," he said, "had made Scripture the 
 foundation of our faith, but it was insufficient. We ourselves 
 would not venture to put it into the hands of common men ; 
 for holy as it is, and full as every leaf is of the Spirit of God, 
 still the worldly-minded man is insensible of all this, and 
 finds rather perplexities and stumbling-blocks throughout. 
 What good can a mere layman extract from the histories of 
 sinful men, which are contained therein, and which the Holy 
 Ghost has there recorded for the strengthening of the faith 
 of the tried and experienced children of God? What benefit 
 can a common man draw from all this, when he is unable to 
 consider the whole context and connection? How is such a 
 person to see his way clear out of the seeming contradictions 
 which occasionally occur? out of the difficulties which arise 
 from the ill arrangement of the books, and the differences of 
 style, when the learned themselves find it so hard, and while 
 so many passages make them hold their reason in abeyance? 
 What ought we therefore to teach ? A rule of faith founded 
 on Scripture, and proved by the best of commentaries? But 
 who then is to comment upon the Scripture? Who is to set 
 up this rule? I, perhaps, or some other man? By no 
 means. Every man has his own way of taking and seeing 
 things, and represents them after his own ideas. That 
 would be to give to the people as many systems of doctrines 
 as there are are heads in the world, and to produce inex- 
 plicable confusion as indeed had already been done. No, it 
 remains for the Holy Church alone to interpret Scripture to 
 determine the rule of faith by which the souls of men are to 
 be guided and governed. And what is the church ? It is not 
 any single supreme head, or any particular member alone. 
 No ! it is all the holiest, most learned, and most experienced 
 men of all times, who, with the co-operation of the Holy 
 Spirit, have successively combined together in building up 
 that great, universal,and agreeing body, which has its great 
 councils for its members to communicate their thoughts to 
 one another, and for mutual edification; which banishes error, 
 and thereby imparts to our holy religion a certainty and 
 n stability such as no other profession can pretend to, and 
 gives it a foundation and strengthens it with bulwarks 
 which even hell itself cannot overthrow. And just so is it
 
 MOUNT 8. GOTTHARD. 63 
 
 also with the text of the sacred scriptures. We have," he 
 said, '" the Vulgate, moreover an approved version of the 
 Vulgate, and of every sentence a commentary which the 
 church itself has accredited. Hence arises that uniformity of 
 our teaching which surprises every one. Whether," he con- 
 tinued, " you hear me preaching in this most remote corner of 
 the world, or in the great capital of a distant country are 
 listening to the dullest or cleverest of preachers, all will hold 
 one and the same language; a Catholic Christian will always 
 hear the same doctrine ; everywhere will he be instructed and 
 edified in the same manner. And this it is which constitutes 
 the certainty of our faith; which gives us the peace and con- 
 fidence by which each one in life holds sure communion 
 with his brother Catholics, and at death can calmly part in 
 the sure hope of meeting one another again." 
 
 In his speech, as in a sermon, he let the subjects follow in 
 due order, and spoke more from an inward feeling of satisfac- 
 tion that he was exhibiting himself under a favourable aspect 
 than from any bigotted anxiety for conversion. During the 
 delivery he would occasionally change the arm he rested upon, 
 or draw them both into the arms of his gown, or let them rest 
 on his portly stomach ; now and then he would, with much grace, 
 draw his snuff-box out of his capote, and after using it 
 replace it with a careless ease. We listened to him atten- 
 tively, and he seemed to be quite content with our way of 
 receiving his instructions. How greatly amazed would he 
 have been if an angel had revealed to him, at the moment, 
 that he was addressing his peroration to a descendant of 
 Frederick the Wise. 
 
 November 13, 1779. 
 Among the Capuchins, on the summit of Mont S. Gotthard, 
 
 Morning, about 10 o'clock. 
 
 At last we have fortunately reached the utmost limits of our 
 journey. Here it is determined we shall rest awhile, and 
 then turn our steps towards our dear fatherland. Very strange 
 are my feelings here, on this summit, where four years ago I 
 passed a few days with very different anxieties, sentiments, plans, 
 and hopes, and at a very different season of the year, when, 
 without any foreboding of my future fortunes, but moved by
 
 64 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 I know not what, I turned my back upon Italy, and igno- 
 rantly went to meet my present destiny. I did not even 
 recognise the house again. Some time ago it was greatly 
 injured by an avalanche, and the good fathers took advantage 
 of this opportunity, and made a collection throughout the canton 
 for enlarging and improving their residence. Both of the 
 two fathers who reside here at present are absent, but, as I hear, 
 they are still the same that I met four years ago. Father 
 Seraphin, who has now passed fourteen years in this post is 
 at present at Milan, and the other is expected to-day from 
 Airolo. In this clear atmosphere the cold is awful. As soon 
 as dinner is over I will continue my letter ; for, I see clearly 
 we shall not go far outside the door. 
 
 After dinner. 
 
 It becomes colder and colder; one does not like to stir 
 from the stove. Indeed it is most delightful to sit upon it, 
 which in this country, where the stoves are made of stone- 
 tiles, it is very easy to do. First of all, therefore, we will 
 tell you of our departure from Realp, and then of our journey 
 hither. 
 
 Yesterday evening before we retired to our beds, the good 
 father would shew us his sleeping cell, where everything was 
 in nice order, in a very small space. His bed, which con- 
 sisted of a bag of straw, with a woollen coverlid, did not 
 appear to us to be anything very meritorious, as we ourselves 
 had often pot up with no better. With great pleasure and 
 internal satisfaction he showed us everything his bookcase 
 and all other things. We praised all that we saw, and part- 
 ing on the best terms with each other, we retired for the night. 
 In furnishing our room, in order that two beds might stand 
 against one wall, both had been made unusually small. This 
 inconvenience kept me long awake, until I thought of reme- 
 dying it by placing four chairs together. It was quite broad 
 daylight before we awoke this morning. When we went 
 down we found nothing but happy and friendly faces. Our 
 guides, on the point of entering upon their return over yes- 
 terday's beautiful route, seemed to look upon it as an epoch, 
 and as a history with which hereafter they would be able to 
 entertain other strangers, and as they were well paid the idea
 
 MOUNT S. GOTTHAKD. 65 
 
 of an adventure became complete in their minds. After this 
 we made a capital breakfast and departed. 
 
 Our road now lay through the Urserenthal, which is re- 
 markable as having, at so great an elevation, such beautiful 
 meadows and pasturage for cattle. They make here a cheese 
 which I prefer to all others. No trees, however, grow here. 
 Sally bushes line all the brooks, and on the mountains little 
 shrubs grow thickly together. Of all the countries that I 
 know, this is to me the loveliest and most interesting, whe- 
 ther it is that old recollections make it precious to me, or that 
 the perception of such a long chain of nature's wonders 
 excites within me a secret and inexpressible feeling of enjoy- 
 ment. I take it for granted that you bear in mind that the 
 whole country through which I am leading you is covered 
 with snow, and that rock and meadow alike are snowed over. 
 The sky has been quite clear, without a single cloud ; the 
 hue far deeper than one is accustomed to see in low and flat 
 countries, and the white mountain ridges, which stood out in 
 strong contrast to it, were either glittering in the sunshine, 
 or else took a greyish tint in the shade. 
 
 In an hour and a half we reached Hospenthal, a little village 
 within the canton of Uri, which lies on the road to S. Gott- 
 hard. Here at last I regained the track of my former tour. 
 We entered an inn, and though it was as yet morning, or- 
 dered a dinner, and soon afterward began to ascend the sum- 
 mit. A long train of mules with their bells enlivened the 
 whole region. It is a sound which awakens all one's recol- 
 lections of mountain scenery. The greater part of the train 
 was in advance of us, and with their sharp iron shoes had 
 pretty well cut up the smooth icy road. We also saw some 
 labourers who were employed in covering the slippery ice with 
 fresh earth, in order to render it passable. The wish which I 
 formerly gave utterance to, that I might one day be per- 
 mitted to see this part of the world under snow, is now at 
 last gratified. The road goes up the Reuss as it dashes down 
 over rocks all the way, and forms everywhere the most beautiful 
 waterfalls. We stood a long while attracted by the singular 
 beauty of one which in considerable volume was dashing over a 
 succession of dark black rocks. Here and there in the cracks, 
 and on the flat ledges pieces of ice had formed, and the water 
 seemed to be running over a variegated black and white 
 
 F
 
 66 LETTERS FROM SWITZERLAND. 
 
 marble. The masses of ice glistened like veins of crystal 
 in the sun, and the water flowed pure and fresh between 
 them. 
 
 On the mountains there is no more tiresome a fellow- 
 traveller than a train of mules ; they have so unequal a pace. 
 With a strange instinct they always stop a while at the bot- 
 tom of a steep ascent, and then dash off at a quick pace up it, 
 to rest again at the top. Very often too they will atop at 
 the level spots which do occur now and then, until they are 
 forced on by the drivers or by other beasts coming up. And 
 so the foot passenger, by keeping a steady pace, soon gains 
 upon them, and in the narrow road has to push by them. If 
 you stand still a little while to observe any object, they in 
 their turn will pass by you, and you are pestered with the 
 deafening sound of their bells, and hard brushed with their 
 loads, which project to a good distance on each side of them. 
 In this way we at last reached the summit of the mountain, 
 which you can form some idea of by fancying a bald skull 
 surrounded with a crown. Here one finds oneself on a per- 
 fect flat surrounded with peaks. Far and near the eye falls 
 on nothing but bare and mostly snow-covered peaks and 
 crags. 
 
 It is scarcely possible to keep oneself warm, especially as 
 they have here no fuel but brushwood, and of that too they 
 are obliged to be very sparing, as they have to fetch it up the 
 mountains, from a distance of at least three leagues, for at 
 the summit, they tell us, scarcely any kind of wood grows. 
 The reverend father is returned from Airolo, so frozen that on 
 his arrival he could scarcely utter a word. Although here 
 the Capuchins are allowed to clothe themselves a little more 
 comfortably than the rest of their order, still their style of 
 dress is by no means suited for such a climate as this. All 
 the way up from Airolo the road was frozen perfectly smooth, 
 and he had the wind in his face ; his beard was quite frozen, 
 and it was a long while before he recovered himself. We 
 had some conversation together on the hardships of their 
 residence here ; he told us how they managed to get through 
 the year, their various occupations, and their domestic cir- 
 cumstances. He could speak nothing but Italian, and so we 
 had an opportunity of putting to use the exercises in this 
 language which we had taken during the spring. Towards
 
 MOUNT S. GOTTHABD. 67 
 
 evening we went for a moment outside the house-door that the 
 good father might point out to us the peak which is considered 
 to be the highest summit of Mont Gotthard ; but we could 
 scarcely endure to stay out a very few minutes, so searching 
 and pinching was the cold. This time, therefore, we shall 
 remain close shut up within doors, and shall have time enough 
 before we start to-morrow, to travel again in thought over all 
 the most remarkable parts of this region. 
 
 A brief geographical description will enable you to under- 
 stand how remarkable the point is at which we are now 
 sitting. S. Gotthard is not indeed the highest mountain of 
 Switzerland ; in Savoy, Mont Blanc has a far higher elevation 
 and yet it maintains above all others the rank of a king of 
 mountains, because all the great chains converge together 
 around him, and all rest "upon him as their base. Indeed 
 if I do not make a great mistake, I think I was told at Berne, 
 by Herr Wyttenbach, who, from its highest summit, had seen 
 the peaks of all the others, that the latter all leaned towards 
 it. The mountains of Schweitz and Unterwalden, joined by 
 those of Uri range from the north, from the east those of the 
 Orisons, from the south those of the Italian cantons, while 
 from the west, by means of the Furca, the double line of 
 mountains which enclose Valais, presses upon it. Not far 
 from this house, there are two small lakes, one of which sends 
 forth the Ticino through gorges and valleys into Italy, while 
 from the other, in like manner, the Reuss proceeds till it empties 
 itself in the Lake of the Forest towns.* Not far from this 
 spot are the sources of the Rhine, which pursue an easterly 
 course, and if then we take in the Rhone which rises at the 
 foot of the Furca and runs westward through Valais, we 
 shall find ourselves at the point of a cross, from which 
 mountain ranges and rivers proceed towards the four cardinal 
 noints of heaven. 
 
 * Lake Lucerne.
 
 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE, 1792. 
 
 TRANSLATED BY 
 
 EOBEET FARIE, 
 
 BARRISTER- AT-LAW. 
 
 (REVISED.)
 
 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 23rd August, 1792. 
 
 IMMEDIATELY after my arrival in Mainz, I visited Herr von 
 Stein,* Chamberlain and Chief Forest-Ranger to the King 
 of Prussia, who filled in some sort the office of Resident 
 Minister there, and was distinguished by his violent hatred 
 of everything revolutionary. He gave me a rapid sketch 
 of the progress of the allied army up to that time, aiid fur- 
 nished me with an abstract of the topographical atlas of 
 Germany, arranged by Jager at Frankfort, and entitled 
 " Theatre of the War." 
 
 At dinner in his house I found several Frenchwomen, 
 whom I had reason to observe with some attention ; one 
 of them (the mistress, it was said, of the Duke of Orleansf), 
 a stately woman, already of a certain age, with proud 
 manners, and raven-black eyes, eyebrows, and hair ; her 
 conversation, moreover, was clever and agreeable. Her 
 daughter, who was a youthful picture of herself, did not 
 speak a word. The livelier, therefore, and more fascinating 
 appeared the Princess Monaco, the intimate friend of the 
 Prince of Conde, and the ornament of Chantilly in better 
 days. Nothing could be more charming than this slender, 
 fair woman; young, sparkling, and humorous, no man 
 whose attention she wished to attract could resist her. I 
 watched her unmoved, and was surprised at thus meeting 
 Philina J again, whom I did not expect to find here, flutter- 
 
 * The elder brother of Carl von Stein, who subsequently became the 
 Prussian Minister ; Goethe's acquaintance with the latter belongs to a 
 later period. 
 
 t Louis Philippe (Egalite'), who was guillotined in November, 1798. 
 
 I Evidently an allusion to the character in Wilhdm Meister ; yet the 
 Second Book in which Philina first appears Goethe did not finish till 
 June, 1794 ; hence, almost two years after the incident here mentioned.
 
 72 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 ing about so bright and gay. She did not appear as uneasy 
 or excited as the rest of the party, who were living in an 
 agitation of hope, fear and anxiety. The Allies had lately 
 entered France. Would Longwy immediately surrender 
 or stand an assault ? Would the French republican troops 
 unite with the Allies, and every one, as had been promised, 
 declare for the good cause, and further its progress ? All this 
 was at the moment suspended in doubt. Couriers were 
 expected ; the last had only announced the slow progress of 
 the army, and the impediments arising from the bad state 
 of the roads. The suppressed wish of these people became 
 the more irksome to them, seeing that they could not con- 
 ceal their desire of returning as soon as possible to their 
 own country, that they might take advantage of the assig- 
 nats, the invention of their enemies, and thus be able to 
 live more cheaply and comfortably than they did before. 
 
 Afterwards I passed two pleasant evenings with the 
 Sommerings, Huber, Forsters, and other friends. Here I 
 at once felt myself in my native air again. Almost all of 
 them were former acquaintances and fellow-students in 
 connection with Frankfort (Sommering's wife was from 
 Frankfort) ; all of them intimate with my mother, whose 
 genial qualities they valued, repeating many of her hap- 
 piest sayings, and asserting more than once my great re- 
 semblance to her in cheerfulness of manners and liveliness 
 of conversation ; what recollections and sympathies were 
 excited in us by our unaffected, innate, and habitual con- 
 fidence in each other! Some good-natured jokes about 
 scientific and learned matters, which we could indulge in 
 without restraint, put us in the best humour. About poli- 
 tical matters we were silent, as wo felt the necessity of 
 mutual forbearance ; for whilst they did not altogether 
 repudiate republican opinions, I, on the other hand, was 
 hastening undisguisedly to join an army which had taken 
 the field to crush these opinions and destroy their influence. 
 
 Between Mainz and Bingen, I witnessed a scene which 
 gave me immediately an insight into the character of the 
 time. Our light carriage overtook another with four 
 horses, and covered with luggage. The hollow road we were 
 in, being up-hill and full of ruts, compelled us to get out; 
 and the postilions having dismounted, we asked them who
 
 AUGUST 1702. 73 
 
 was in the carriage before us. The postilion of the other 
 carriage replied, with oaths and curses, that they were 
 Frenchwomen, who expected to make their way with paper 
 money, but that he intended to upset them as soon as 
 a good opportunity presented itself. We reprimanded him 
 for his abominable ill-humour, without its having any 
 effect upon him. As we went very slowly, I walked up to 
 the window of the carriage before us, and addressed a few 
 friendly words to the lady ; her young pretty face, which 
 had been somewhat overclouded by anxiety, brightened up 
 a little. 
 
 She confided to me at once, that she was following her 
 husband to Treves, and wished, as soon as possible, to get 
 from thence into France. When I represented to her the 
 imprudence of such a step, she confessed that, besides the 
 hope of finding her husband once more, the necessity of living 
 again upon paper had induced her to take it. Moreover, 
 she showed such confidence in the allied forces of the Prus- 
 sians, Austrians, and emigrants, that, even though time and 
 circumstances had not been against it, it would have been 
 difficult to prevent her carrying out her plan. 
 
 In the midst of this conversation a singular occurrence 
 took place ; over the hollow road which we had entered, a 
 wooden gutter had been thrown, to carry the water to a 
 mill, which stood at the other side of the road. One would 
 have thought that the height of the framework would have 
 been calculated to allow at least a hay-waggon to pass. 
 However that may have been, the carriage was so exces- 
 sively loaded on the top trunks and boxes heaped like a 
 pyramid above one another that the gutter presented an 
 insuperable obstacle to its further progress. 
 
 Now commenced in good earnest the cursing and swear- 
 ing of the postilions, as they foresaw great loss of time ; 
 however, we offered our services, and assisted in unpack- 
 ing the carriage and repacking it on the other side of the 
 dripping barrier. The young woman, who had gradually 
 become less timid, was at a loss how to express her thanks 
 to us ; her confidence in us at the same time increased by 
 degrees. She wrote down the name of her husband, and 
 earnestly requested us, as we should arrive in Treves before 
 her, to leave his address in writing at the gate-way of the
 
 74 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 town. With every desire to comply with her request, we 
 despaired of being able to do so, on account of the size of 
 the place. She, however, did not give up hope. 
 
 When we arrived in Treves we found it full of troops, 
 vehicles of all kinds driving about, and nowhere a lodging 
 to be found ; conveyances were drawn up in the squares ; 
 the people hurrying about the streets ; and the officers 
 charged with the providing of quarters, besieged on all 
 hands, scarcely knew what to do. A confusion of this kind 
 is like a lottery, in which those who are fortunate obtain 
 the prizes ; and such was the case with me, for I encountered 
 Lieutenant von Fritsch, of the Duke's regiment, who, after 
 the kindest of greetings, conducted me to a Canon, in 
 whose large house and extensive premises both myself and 
 my compendious equipage were satisfactorily established, 
 and abundant refreshment was immediately supplied to me. 
 This young military friend whom I had known from his 
 childhood, and who was besides a kind of protege of mine, 
 had been ordered to remain in Treves, and was commis- 
 sioned to provide for the sick and stragglers, and to receive 
 and forward the baggage-waggons, and such other things 
 as were delayed upon the road ; his presence was of great 
 advantage to me, although he did not relish being left in 
 the rear of the army, where, as a young and ambitious sol- 
 dier, there was not much prospect of advancement for him. 
 
 My servant had scarcely unpacked such things as I 
 stood most in need of, when he begged permission to go 
 and take a walk about the town ; he did not return till 
 late at night, and next morning early the same restlessness 
 drove him out of the house. This singular behaviour was 
 at first unintelligible to me, but at length the riddle was 
 solved; the pretty Frenchwomen had made some impression 
 upon him ; and having searched carefully, he was lucky 
 enough to find them in the large square amongst a crowd 
 of carriages, having recognised them by the pyramid of 
 trunks, but the lady had not found her husband. 
 
 On the road from Treves to Luxembourg I was soon 
 gratified with a view of the monument in the neighbour- 
 hood of Ygel. As I knew that the ancients always chose 
 a favourable position for their buildings and monuments, 
 I put aside, in imagination, all the humble buildings that
 
 AUGUST 1792. 75 
 
 surrounded it, and then its position appeared in the 
 highest degree appropriate. The Moselle flows close by, 
 and is joined on the opposite side by a considerable stream, 
 called the Saar ; the winding of the rivers, the undula- 
 tion of the ground, and the luxuriant vegetation, giving 
 loveliness and dignity to the spot. 
 
 The monument itself might be called an obelisk, 
 architecto-plastically ornamented. It rises up in several 
 stories erected artistically one above another, and ends in 
 a pinnacle, which is decorated with scales in the manner of 
 tiles, and is surmounted by a ball, a serpent, and an eagle. 
 It is to be hoped that some engineer whom the present 
 warlike events may lead to this part of the country, and 
 perhaps keep him here for some time, will not consider 
 it too much trouble to measure the monument, and that, if 
 a draughtsman, he will provide us with a drawing of it, 
 and preserve for us the figures on the four sides, as far as 
 they are still recognisable. 
 
 What number of miserable, unornamental obelisks I have 
 seen erected in my time, without anybody having ever 
 thought of this one I It belongs indeed to a later period ; 
 but we still see the pleasure and desire they had of 
 handing down to posterity sensible representations of the 
 personalities,, together with the surrounding objects and 
 evidences of industry. Here parents and children are 
 seen beside each other, and feasting is going on in the 
 family circle; but that the spectator may learn whence 
 the abundance is derived, beasts of burden are to bo seen 
 going about, and trade and commerce are represented in 
 various ways ; for it was, in fact, war commissaries who 
 raised this monument to themselves and their country- 
 men, by way of evidence that, in those days as well as at 
 present, an abundance of all things was to be obtained 
 in that place by industry. 
 
 The whole of this pointed structure had been built of 
 massive unhewn blocks of sandstone, piled one upon the 
 other, and then the architecto-plastic figures were en- 
 graved upon them as out of a rock. The preservation of 
 this monument for so many centuries may be attributed 
 to its having so solid a foundation. 
 
 I was unable to indulge long in this agreeable and
 
 76 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 fruitful train of thought, for close at hand, in Greven- 
 machern, a spectacle of the most modern description 
 awaited me. I found here the corps of Emigrants, con- 
 sisting entirely of noblemen, mostly knights of St. Louis. 
 They had neither servants nor grooms, but acted as their 
 own servants, and groomed their own horses. Many a 
 one I have seen leading the horses to drink, and holding 
 them while they were being shod. But the most singular 
 contrast to this humble kind of occupation was presented 
 by the crowd of vehicles and travelling carriages of all 
 kinds collected on a meadow. For they had come with 
 their wives and sweethearts, children and relations, as 
 if they wanted to make a display of the utter incongruity 
 of their present condition. 
 
 As I was obliged to wait here several hours for post- 
 horses in the open air, I was enabled to make further 
 observations. I sat down in front of the window of the 
 post-house, near the place where the box was into the 
 opening of which unfranked letters were to bo thrown. 
 Such a crush I never saw ; letters were dropped into it by 
 the hundred. The eagerness with which every one would 
 have liked to rush with body, soul, and spirit, back to the 
 land of his birth through the breach thus effected, could 
 not have been more vividly or impressively depicted. 
 
 From ennui and a wish to unravel secrets or to weave 
 them for myself, I set about guessing what might be the 
 contents of some of this multitude of letters. I thought 
 I could discover there a girl who had been separated 
 from her lover, passionately expressing the pain and misery 
 of her privation in such a separation ; one friend beg- 
 ging another for money to supply his urgent necessities ; 
 women, driven from their homes with children and 
 domestics, whose funds had dwindled down to a few pieces 
 of money; vehement adherents of the Princes, hoping 
 that all would yet go well, exhorting each other to take 
 courage ; others who already saw mischief looming in the 
 distance, and mournfully deploring the impending loss of 
 their estates pretty near the truth my guesses were, I 
 suspect. 
 
 A variety of information was given me by the post- 
 master, who, in order to overcome my impatience about
 
 AUGUST 1792. 77 
 
 the horses, purposely sought to amuse me. He showed me 
 several letters with stamps upon them from distant 
 quarters, which were to be sent after those who had 
 already gone forward and those who were still advancing. 
 France, he said, was beleaguered on all its frontiers by un- 
 fortunate people of this kind, from Antwerp to Nice ; on 
 the other hand, the French armies were everywhere 
 prepared, either for defence or attack. He related many 
 circumstances of ominous import ; and the state of things 
 appeared to him very doubtful, to say the least of it. 
 
 As I did not seem so frantic as the others who were 
 rushing towards France, he took me for a republican, and 
 showed more confidence in me ; he called my attention to 
 the miseries endured by the Prussians, from the state of 
 the weather and the roads, on their march through 
 Coblentz and Treves ; and gave me a fearful description 
 of the condition in which I should find the camp in the 
 neighbourhood of Longwy. He was well informed about 
 everything, and seemed not unwilling to impart his in- 
 formation to others; he begged me finally, to mark how 
 the Prussians, either the troops themselves or the baggage- 
 servants and stragglers, had plundered quiet and un- 
 offending villages ; the culprits apparently were punished, 
 but the people exasperated against them to the utmost 
 degree. 
 
 I thought then of the general in the Thirty Years' War, 
 who, when complaint was made to him of the hostile be- 
 haviour of his troops in the territory of an ally, replied : 
 " I cannot carry my army about in my pocket." On 
 the whole, however, I could perceive that our rear was but 
 ill protected. 
 
 Longwy, whose capture had already been triumphantly 
 announced to me on the way, I left at some distance to 
 the right, and arrived on the afternoon of the 27th 
 August near the camp of Brocourt. It could be seen 
 stretched out over a plain ; but to reach it was an affair of 
 some difficulty. The ground, which was wet and cut up, 
 impeded the horses and waggons ; it was strange, too, that 
 one met neither sentinels nor outposts, nor anybody else 
 to examine the passports, and to whom one could have 
 applied for the requisite information. We drove through
 
 78 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 a wilderness of tents, as everybody had crept tinder them 
 to get some indifferent shelter from the dreadful weather. 
 Only after considerable difficulty we succeeded in obtain- 
 ing intelligence of where the Weimar regiment was to be 
 found, but arrived at the place at last, where we found 
 familiar faces, and were cordially received by our fellow- 
 sufferers. Wagner,* the chamberlain, and his black poodle 
 were the first to greet us ; both of them recognised in me 
 an old comrade of many years' standing, who was destined 
 again to struggle through a time of difficulty and danger 
 with them. I heard, at the same time, of an unfortunate 
 occurrence. The Prince's favourite horse, Amarant, after 
 giving a frightful scream, had yesterday suddenly fallen 
 down dead. 
 
 I found and heard of a much worse state of things 
 in the camp than the postmaster had predicted. It stood 
 upon a plain at the foot of a gently-inclined hill, in which 
 of old a ditch had been dug to drain the water from 
 the fields and meadows. This became immediately a 
 receptacle for all kinds of filth and offal ; the outlet was 
 stopped up, heavy showers of rain during the night had 
 broken down the dam, and brought disgusting havoc among 
 the tents. Bones and garbage of all sorts, which the butchers 
 had thrown aside, were borne into the sleeping-places, 
 which had been wet and uncomfortable enough before. 
 
 I was to have had a tent provided for me, but I pre- 
 ferred remaining with my friends and acquaintances during 
 the daytime, and at night went to rest in the large sleeping- 
 waggon, the comfort of which I had known in former 
 times. It appeared strange, however, that, although 
 only thirty paces from the tents, it remained so difficult 
 of access as to make it necessary for me to be carried into 
 it in the evening, and out of it again in the morning. 
 
 2StJi and 29th August. 
 
 Strangely this year did my birth-day dawn upon mo. 
 We mounted our horses and rode into the captured 
 
 * Johann Conmd Wagner, Chamberlain to the Duke of Weimar, 
 whose diary Goethe subsequently made use of to complete his own. 
 Sue p. 198.
 
 AUGUST 1792. 79 
 
 fortress. The little town, which is well built and strongly 
 fortified, stands upon an eminence. My object was to buy 
 some large woollen blankets. And we went at once 
 to a shop, where we found a mother and her daughter, 
 both of them pretty, and willing to serve us. We 
 did not bargain with them much, but paid them hand- 
 somely, and were as polite as Germans without tournure 
 could be. 
 
 The house had been the scene of some most strange 
 occurrences during the bombardment. Several grenades 
 in succession had fallen into the parlour, putting the 
 inmates to flight ; the mother had snatched a child from 
 the cradle and fled, and at that very moment another 
 grenade dashed through the cushion on which the 
 boy had been lying. Luckily none of the grenades had 
 burst. The furniture was broken, and the wainscot burnt, 
 but no further damage was done, the balls not having 
 entered the shop. 
 
 It was evident that the patriotism of the people of 
 Longwy was not very great, for the citizens had very 
 soon compelled the commandant to surrender the fortress, 
 and we had scarcely moved a step from the shop, before 
 the internal dissensions of the townspeople became 
 manifest to us. Some adherents of royalty, and con- 
 sequently friendly to our cause, and who had effected the 
 speedy surrender of the place, expressed to us their regret 
 that accident had brought us to that particular shop, 
 to one of the worst of the Jacobins, who, with his whole 
 family, was good for nothing, and that we had given him 
 an opportunity of getting so much money from us. We 
 were at the same time warned not to go to a showy hotel, 
 which they named, and were given to understand that it 
 might be dangerous to trust too much to the dishes ; they 
 pointed out a smaller one that might be depended upon, 
 where, in fact, we were well received and tolerably well 
 served. 
 
 And now we all sat down cheerily together again, all of 
 us old comrades and friends ; the officers of the regiment 
 joined the official and private attendants of the Duke, and 
 related the latest occurrences what a commotion there 
 had been in Aschersleben in the beginning of May, and
 
 80 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 what an imposing sight it had been to see the regiments 
 when they received orders to hold themselves ready to 
 march, for the Duke of Brunswick and several distinguished 
 persons were there on a visit ; the Marquis of Bouille was 
 also mentioned as a foreigner of importance, who had a 
 powerful influence in the operations. As soon as the 
 landlord, who was listening, heard this name, he demanded 
 eagerly if we knew the gentleman. Most of the party 
 were able to answer in the affirmative, on which he became 
 very respectful, and expressed great hope from the co- 
 operation of this excellent and energetic man ; it appeared, 
 in fact, as if we were better served from that time forward. 
 
 All those here assembled then professed allegiance, with 
 soul and body, to the Prince who, during a reign of several 
 years, had developed many great qualities, and was now 
 about to prove his ability in the business of war, to which 
 from youth upwards he had been devoted, and had studied 
 for a considerable time ; his health, and that of his family, 
 was drunk in good old German fashion ; but particularly 
 the health of Prince Bernhard,* to whom, just before the 
 marching of the troops, Sergeant-major von Weyrach, as 
 delegate of the regiment, had stood godfather. 
 
 Everybody had some anecdote to tell of the march 
 itself, how they had passed Goslar on towards Nordheim 
 and Gottingen, leaving the Harz to the left ; we heard of 
 their good and bad quarters, of the boorishly uncivil, 
 politely illnatured, and hypochondriacally obliging land- 
 lords that had been encountered, of nunneries, and all 
 manner of ad ventures, and variations of the weather and the 
 roads. Their route then lay along the eastern border of 
 Westphalia to Coblentz, and many a pretty woman they 
 had met now had her praises sung ; a checkered account 
 was further given of singular-looking priests, unexpected 
 meetings with friends, of broken wheels, and carriages 
 overturned. 
 
 Great complaints were made of the hilly country that 
 had to be traversed after leaving Coblentz, of the bad roads, 
 and want of all conveniences ; and scarcely had the exist- 
 ing state of things been forgotten in the description of past 
 
 * Second son of the Duke of Weimar, bora in May 1792, a few months 
 before the opening of the campaign.
 
 AUGUST 1792. 81 
 
 occurrences, when it again presented itself in ifs disagree- 
 able reality. The march into France in the midst of fright- 
 ful weather was described as most dismal, and as a worthy 
 prelude to the present condition of the camp, which, on 
 our return, could be seen stretched out before us. How- 
 ever, in such companionship, each man is encouraged by 
 his neighbour ; and, for my part, I took comfort in think- 
 ing of the delicious woollen blankets which my groom had 
 tied up in a bundle behind him. 
 
 In the camp in the evening I found very good company 
 in the large tent, where all had remained together, not 
 being able to venture outside ; all in high spirits and 
 confident of success. The speedy surrender of Longwy 
 seemed to confirm the predictions of the Emigrants, that 
 we should be received everywhere with open arms, and 
 there appeared no obstacle but the weather to our great 
 undertaking. The same hatred and contempt for the 
 French Eevolutionists which had been proclaimed in 
 the manifesto* of the Duke of Brunswick was displayed, 
 without exception, by Prussians, Austrians, and Emi- 
 grants. 
 
 Indeed, it was only necessary to state the information 
 authentically received, to show that a nation so utterly dis- 
 united, not split into contending factions, but broken up 
 into isolated units, and paralysed to the core, could never 
 withstand the lofty sense of unity of the gallant Con- 
 federates. 
 
 Some military achievements also were already related. 
 Immediately after the entry into France, five squadious of 
 the Wolfrat hussars fell in with a thousand chasseurs,^ who 
 
 * Of this manifesto Lamartine, in his "Histoire des Girondins," says : 
 " Get imperieux de'fi des rois a la liberte meuuquit de mort tous 1 s 
 gardes nutionaux qui serait pris les arraes a la main defendant ieur in- 
 de'pendance et Ieur patrie ; et duns le cas oil le moindre outrage s-erait 
 coinmis par les factieux centre la majest6 royale, il annoneait qu'on 
 raserait Paris a la surface du sol." 
 
 t At the beginning of the Revolution Dumourier took the popular 
 side and became connected with the Girondists, by whose iuterert lie 
 was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Subsequently he withdrew 
 from internal politics. After the 10th of August he was appointed to 
 replace La Fayette in the command of the army which was to oppose, 
 the Duke of Brunswick. It is generally allowed that Dumourier's stand 
 at Argfune was the means of saving France from a successful invasion. 
 
 G
 
 82 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 Lad come from Sedan to watch our advance. Our troops, 
 ably commanded, commenced the attack, and as their 
 antagonists made a gallant defence and would accept no 
 quarter, there was a fearful struggle, in which we con- 
 quered after dreadful slaughter, and took many prisoners, 
 horses, carbines, and sabres ; by which prelude a warlike 
 spirit was raised, and hope and confidence were more 
 firmly established. 
 
 On the 29th of August we left the coagulated waves 
 of earth and water, slowly and not without difficulty ; 
 for how could the tents, baggage, uniforms, and other 
 things, be kept even tolerably clean, as there was not 
 a dry spot where anything could be properly laid by or 
 spread out ! 
 
 The attention, however, which was bestowed by the mili- 
 tary commanders upon this march gave us fresh confidence. 
 All vehicles, without exception, were most rigorously 
 ordered to keep behind the column, only the commander 
 of each regiment was entitled to have a light carriage 
 in front of his men ; and thus I, in my open, light little 
 carriage, had the good luck this time to lead the main body 
 of the army. Both commanders, the King as well as the 
 Duke of Brunswick, had stationed themselves with their 
 staff" where everything had to pass them. I saw them 
 from a distance ; and as we came close to them, his 
 Majesty rode up to my little vehicle, and asked in his 
 laconic way to whom the carriage belonged. I answered, 
 in a loud voice : " The Duke of Weimar ! " and we moved 
 forwards. One could not readily have been interrogated 
 by a more distinguished official. 
 
 Further on we found the road here and there somewhat 
 better. In a singular tract of country, where hill and 
 valley alternated, there was sufficient dry space, par- 
 ticularly for those who were on horseback, to enable us 
 to move forwards comfortably. I mounted my horse, 
 and in this way got along more freely and pleasantly : 
 our regiment had precedence in the army, we could 
 always be in front, and escape the annoying movement 
 of the whole body. 
 
 The line of march left the main road. We passed 
 Arrancy, and then on our flank Chatillon 1'Abbaye, as first
 
 AUGUST 1792. 83 
 
 token of the Eevolution a church property which had 
 been sold, its walls half broken down and in ruins. 
 
 But now we saw, across hill and valley, his Majesty the 
 King moving rapidly forwards on horseback ; he, as it 
 were, the nucleus of a comet, followed by an attendant 
 train. Scarcely, however, had this vision past us, with 
 lightning speed, when a second one from another quarter 
 crowned the hill or filled the valley. It was the Duke of 
 Brunswick, followed and surrounded by elements of a 
 similar description. We, although more inclined to ob- 
 serve than to criticise, xxrald not avoid the consideration 
 as to which of these two powers was in reality the 
 highest ? Which would have to decide in doubtful cases ? 
 Unanswerable questions, which left only doubt and suspi- 
 cion behind them. 
 
 But what gave even more serious matter for reflection 
 was, that we saw both commanders openly and unguard- 
 edly entering a country, where, not improbably, in every 
 bush an exasperated mortal enemy might be lurking. 
 However, we were obliged to confess, that a bold personal 
 disregard of danger had in all times led to and secured 
 victory. 
 
 In spite of a somewhat clouded sky, the sun shone very 
 hot. The vehicles made slow progress in the splashy 
 ground. Broken wheels of gun-carriages occasioned many 
 a halt, while here and there worn-out fusiliers could 
 scarcely drag themselves along. We heard the cannon- 
 ading at Thionville, and wished success to our friends in 
 that quarter. 
 
 In the evening we rested from our fatigues in the camp 
 near Pillon. We halted in a delicious wooded meadow, 
 and the shade had a refreshing, effect upon us. Plenty of 
 branches were ready for our kitchen fire ; a brook flowed 
 close at hand, forming two clear basins, which were both of 
 them in immediate danger of being polluted by men and 
 beasts. The one I allowed them to treat as they pleased, 
 but defended the other vehemently, and got it imme- 
 diately enclosed with sticks and cords; this was not 
 effected without some disturbance from those who were 
 pressing round it. Here two of our troopers were very 
 quietly cleaning their accoutrements, and one of them 
 
 ti 2
 
 84 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 asked the other, "Who is that, that gives himself such 
 airs ? " "I do not know," answered the other, " but he is 
 right." 
 
 Thus did the Prussians, Austrians, and a portion of the 
 French, come to carry on their warlike operations on 
 French soil. By whose power and authority did they do 
 it ? They might have done it in their own name ; war 
 had been partly declared against them, and their league 
 was no secret but another pretext was invented. They 
 took the field in the name of Louis XVI. ; they exacted 
 nothing, but they borrowed by force. Sons had been 
 printed, which the commander signed ; but whoever had 
 them in his possession filled them up at his pleasure, 
 according to circumstances, and Louis XVI. was called 
 upon to pay. Perhaps, with the exception of the mani- 
 festo, nothing had so exasperated the people against the 
 monarchy as this treatment. I myself witnessed a stiene 
 which I remember as a most tragic one. Several shepherds, 
 who had succeeded in uniting their flocks, in order to 
 conceal them for safety in the forests or other secluded 
 places, were seized by some active patrols and brought to 
 the army, and were at first well received and kindly treated. 
 They were asked who their different proprietors were : the 
 flocks were separated and counted. Anxiety and fear, 
 but still not without hope, fluctuated in the counte- 
 nances of the worthy people. But when this proceeding 
 ended in the division of the flocks among the regiments 
 and companies, whilst the pieces of paper drawn on Louis 
 XVI. were handed to them, and their woolly favourites 
 slaughtered at their feet by the impatient and hungry 
 soldiers, I confess that my eyes and spirit have seldom 
 witnessed a more cruel spectacle, or more profound manly 
 grief in all its gradations. The Greek tragedies alone 
 have anything so purely, deeply pathetic. 
 
 30th August. 
 
 This day, which was to bring us towards Verdun, we 
 had been looking forward to, and promised ourselves 
 adventures from it; and these did not fail. The ro.d,
 
 AUGUST 1792. 85 
 
 which ascended and descended alternately, was drier now ; 
 the waggons moved less heavily, the horsemen rode more 
 easily and pleasantly. 
 
 A lively party of us met, and being well mounted, we 
 rode forward so far that we came up to a troop of hussars 
 who were properly the advanced guard of the main army. 
 The captain, a grave man, already past middle age, did 
 not appear to like our arrival. The strictest orders had 
 been given him ; everything was to be done with the 
 greatest circumspection, every unpleasant coincidence to 
 be handled with caution. He had skilfully distributed 
 his men : they advanced singly at certain distances, and 
 everything was being done with the greatest order and 
 quiet. The country was void of inhabitants, the utter lone- 
 liness seemed ominous. In thus ascending and descend- 
 ing hill after hill, we passed Mangiennes, Damvillers, 
 Wavrille, and Ormont, and had reached a height which 
 afforded a beautiful view, when a shot was fired in the 
 vineyards to the right of the road, whereupon the hussars 
 rushed forward to search the immediate neighbourhood. 
 They succeeded in capturing a black-haired, bearded man, 
 who looked rather wild, and on whose person they found a 
 bad pocket-pistol. He said, sulkily, that he was frighten- 
 ing the birds out of his vineyard, and intended no harm 
 to anybody. The captain quietly considered the case, and 
 finally released the menaced captive with a few blows, 
 which the fellow took with him so hastily in his flight, 
 that when his hat, amid loud shouts of laughter, was 
 thrown after him, he seemed to feel no inclination to pick 
 it up. 
 
 We moved forwards, diverted by what had already 
 occurred and the thought of other adventures that might 
 still come. It may be mentioned, that our little party, 
 which had obtruded itself upon the hussars, and had met 
 accidentally, consisted of the most heterogeneous elements ; 
 they were for the most part blunt sort of men, every one 
 devoted to the business of the hour, each after his own 
 fashion. One of them, however, I must distinguish from 
 the rest a serious but very worthy man, of a kind 
 frequently met with among the Prussian military at 
 that time ; more aesthetic than philosophical ; earnest,
 
 86 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 with a slight touch of melancholy ; quietly absorbed iu 
 his own thoughts, and disposed to beneficence, together 
 with a touch of sentimentality. 
 
 As we thus proceeded onward in our course, we came 
 upon a sight which was as singular as it was pleasing, 
 and excited general interest. Two hussars had brought a 
 one-horsed, two-wheeled car up the hill ; and when we 
 inquired what was under the canvas-covering, a boy of 
 about twelve years of age, who drove the horse, made his 
 appearance from beneath, as also a beautiful girl, or young 
 wife, who leant forward out of the corner to look at the 
 numerous cavalcade which encircled her two-wheeled 
 screen. There was nobody who did not feel interested in 
 her; but we had to leave the actual intercession in 
 favour of the pretty girl to our beneficent friend, who 
 from the moment that he had examined the humble 
 vehicle more closely felt himself uneasy till he had 
 effected its rescue. We retired into the background ; he, 
 however, inquired particularly into all the circumstances ; 
 it turned out that the young person, who belonged to 
 Samogneux, had wished to avoid the impending confusion, 
 by going to some friends who lived at a distance, but had 
 flown straight into the jaws of danger. In cases of anxiety 
 people are apt to fancy that any place is better than the 
 one where they happen to be. In the kindest way possible 
 it was made known to her that she must go back. Our 
 captain, who at first suspected some espionage, allowed 
 himself at length to be persuaded by the rhetoric of our 
 benevolent comrade, who thereupon, accompanied by two 
 hussars, conducted her, now less frightened, to her home. 
 Shortly afterwards, when we passed through the place in 
 military order, we saw her seated upon a low wall among 
 her relations, and she saluted us gayly, and hopefully too, 
 as her first adventure had ended so well. 
 
 Incidents of this kind sometimes occur in campaigns, 
 when it is endeavoured to inspire confidence by means of 
 temporary discipline, and a kind of compulsory peace is 
 proclaimed in the midst of the confusion. These moments 
 are invaluable both for the townspeople and the peasantry, 
 and, indeed, for every one from whom the horrors of war 
 have not robbed all belief in humanity.
 
 AUGUST 1792. 87 
 
 A camp was formed on this side of Verdun, and we 
 counted on a few days' rest. 
 
 On the morning of the 31st I was lying in the sleeping- 
 carriage, certainly the driest, warmest, and most cheer- 
 ful resting-place, half awake, when 1 heard something 
 rustling against the leather curtains, and on opening 
 them I perceived the Duke of Weimar, who introduced an 
 unexpected stranger to me. 1 recognised at once the 
 adventure-loving Grothhus, who, was even here inclined 
 to sustain his character as partisan, and had come here in 
 order to undertake the dubious task of summoning Verdun 
 to surrender. In pursuance of which he had come to 
 ask our Prince for a staff-trumpeter, who, rejoiced at this 
 particular mark of distinction, was at once ordered to 
 undertake the charge. We saluted each other very 
 heartily in remembrance of old frolics, and Grothhus 
 hastened to his task ; which was afterwards the cause of 
 many a jest. It was said that he had ridden down the 
 high-road in front of the trumpeter, with the hussars 
 behind him; that the Verdun people, however, in their 
 character of Sansculottes, not knowing, or despising the 
 law of nations, had fired upon him ; that he had tied a 
 white handkerchief to the trumpet, ordering it to be 
 sounded louder and louder ; that he had been met by a de- 
 tachment, and led blindfolded and alone into the fortress, 
 where he made some fine speeches, but effected nothing ; 
 and other things to a like effect ; whereby, according to the 
 world's way, they succeeded in throwing disparagement 
 upon services performed, and diminishing the credit of 
 him who had undertaken them. 
 
 Now as the fortress, as might have been expected, had 
 refused to surrender on the first summons, it was necessary 
 to proceed with the preparations for the bombardment. 
 The day passed thus; meanwhile I transacted another 
 little piece of business, the beneficial consequences of 
 which extend to the present day. In Mainz, Herr 
 von Stein had furnished me with Jager's atlas, which 
 exhibited, in a number of sheets, the present and, 
 it was to be hoped, also the immediately succeeding 
 "Theatre of the War." I took out one of them, the 
 forty-eighth, within the area of which I had entered at
 
 88 CAMPAIGN IN PRANCE. 
 
 Longwy, and as there happened at the time to be an 
 embosser among the Duke's people, it was cut out and 
 mounted on canvas ; it serves me still as a remembrance 
 of those days, so full of importance for the world and for 
 myself. 
 
 After these preparations for future advantage and 
 present comfort, I went to have a look at the meadow on 
 which we were encamped, and whence the tents extended 
 as far as the hill. On the spacious green carpet before 
 me a curious spectacle attracted my attention. A number 
 of soldiers had formed themselves into a circle, and 
 seemed to be engaged with something in the middle. On 
 closer examination I found they had stationed themselves 
 round a funnel-shaped depression in the ground, which 
 was filled with the purest spring water, and might be 
 about thirty feet in diameter at the top. It turned out 
 that the soldiers were angling for a small kind of fish 
 which abounded in the hole ; they had brought tackle 
 with them, together with their other baggage. The 
 water was the clearest in the world, and the sport 
 amusing enough to look at. But I had not been 
 watching it long, before I remarked that there was a 
 play of colours on the fish when in motion. At first, I 
 took this appearance to be the changing colours of the 
 movable little bodies; but a welcome explanation soon 
 disclosed itself to me. A piece of earthenware had fallen 
 into the hole, and from the depths the most beautiful 
 prismatic colours presented themselves to my eye. Being 
 clearer than the bottom, and brought closer to the eye, 
 the edge furthest from mo exhibited a blue and a violet 
 colour ; the nearest, a red and a yellow. When afterwards 
 I moved round the spring, the phenomenon, of course in 
 an experiment of this subjective description, followed me, 
 and the colours appeared relatively always the same. 
 
 Being passionately attached to this subject, it gave me 
 the greatest pleasure to see a phenomenon here, so vivid 
 and natural in the open air, to observe which teachers of 
 natural philosophy had, for nearly a hundred years, been 
 in the habit of watching with their pupils in a dark 
 room. I procured some more pieces of earthenware, 
 which I threw in, and I could easily remark, that the
 
 AUGUST 1792. 89 
 
 appearance under the surface of the water commenced 
 very soon, increased as the piece was sinking, and at last 
 reached the bottom, a small white body coloured all over, 
 and like a little flame. I then remembered that Agricola 
 had already mentioned this appearance, and had been 
 induced to class it among the fiery phenomena. 
 
 After dinner we rode up the hill which concealed the 
 view of Verdun from our tents. We found the position 
 of the town very pleasant, surrounded by meadows and 
 gardens, in a cheerful plain, several branches of the Meuse 
 flowing through it, and lying among hills both near and 
 distant ; as a fortress, it is exposed to a bombardment on 
 every side. The afternoon was passed in erecting 
 batteries, as the town had refused to surrender. With 
 good telescopes, meanwhile, we inspected it, and could see 
 distinctly what was going on on the rampart opposite 
 to us, and noticed a number of people moving about, who 
 appeared very busy at one particular place. 
 
 About midnight the bombardment commenced, both 
 from the battery on the right bank and from the one on 
 the left, which as it was the nearest, and made use of 
 rockets, produced most effect. These tailed fire-meteors 
 we quietly watched shooting through the air, and 
 shortly afterwards saw part of the town in flames. 
 Our telescopes, pointed in that direction, enabled us to 
 observe these disasters in detail; we were able to see 
 the people on the top of the walls exerting themselves 
 actively to extinguish the flames ; we could see the 
 timbers that were still standing, and could distinguish 
 them from those falling in. All this took place in the 
 company both of acquaintances and of strangers; and 
 all manner of unspeakable, often contradictory, ob- 
 servations were made, and widely different opinions 
 were expressed. I had entered a battery which was hard 
 at work, but the frightful thundering noise produced by 
 the discharge of howitzers was intolerable to my peaceful 
 ears, and I was soon obliged to retire. I then met Prince 
 Keuss XIII., who had always been kind and gracious to 
 me. We walked up and down behind some vineyard 
 walls, protected by them from the balls which the besieged 
 were incessantly hurling at us. After discussing sundry
 
 90 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 political matters, which only entangled us in a labyrinth 
 of hopes and cares, the Prince asked me what I was busy 
 with at present, and was much surprised when, instead of 
 speaking of tragedies and novels, I began excited by the 
 phenomenon of the morning to speak, with great anima- 
 tion, about the theory of colours. For it was the same 
 with my investigations of natural phenomena as with my 
 poems ; I did not make them, but they made me.* The 
 interest once excited maintained its sway ; production 
 took its own course, without allowing itself in the slightest 
 degree to be interrupted by cannon-balls and balls of fire. 
 The Prince requested me to inform him how I had come 
 to take an interest in this subject, and herein the occur- 
 rence of the morning did me good service. 
 
 With such a man it did not require many words to 
 show him that a lover of nature who is in the habit of 
 passing his time in the open air, whether it be in a garden, 
 in hunting, travelling, or campaigning, always finds leisure 
 and opportunity sufficient to observe nature as a whole, 
 and to make himself acquainted with phenomena of every 
 kind. Now, the atmospheric air, vapours, rain, water, and 
 the earth, present to us ever-varying appearances of 
 colour, and this under such different conditions and cir- 
 cumstances, that one feels a desire to know them more 
 accurately, to separate them from each other, to bring 
 them under certain rubrics, and to search out their 
 approximate and more distant relationship. By this 
 means, I said, one gains new views in every department, 
 totally different from the learning of schools and of printed 
 traditions ; our ancestors, with their senses highly culti- 
 vated, had observed things excellently, but had not 
 inquired into them further or completed their observa- 
 tions; and had been still less successful in placing the 
 phenomena in proper order, and bringing them under 
 fitting rubrics. 
 
 These things were discussed while we walked up and 
 down the wet grass : I was proceeding with my theory, 
 
 * Thia coincides with a remark of Goethe's mentioned by Eckermann 
 in his ' Conversations with Goethe : ' " All my poems are ' occasional' 
 poems, suggested by real life, and have therein a firm foundation. I 
 attach no value to pocius snatched out of the air."
 
 AUGUST 1792. 91 
 
 excited by the questions and remarks of the Prince, when 
 the cold of the day- break drove us towards a bivouac of 
 the Austrians, which had been kept up the whole night, 
 and we found an enormous round fire, which was very 
 acceptable under the circumstances. Engrossed with my 
 subject, which I had been studying for the last two years, 
 and which, therefore, was still fermenting in me in an 
 immature state, I should scarcely have known whether 
 the Prince was listening to me or not, if he had not occasion- 
 ally interrupted me with some intelligent remarks, and in 
 the end taken up my discourse, and encouraged me by 
 approving of what I had said. 
 
 Indeed, I have always remarked that business men and 
 men of the world, who have many things laid before them 
 extempore, and consequently are always on their guard 
 against being deceived, are much easier to talk to even on 
 scientific matters than other men, because they keep their 
 minds free, and listen to the person speaking without any 
 other interest than a desire to get information; learned 
 people generally will not listen to anything except what 
 they have themselves learnt and taught, and about which 
 they have become agreed with those of their own set. The 
 subject is usurped by some word-credo, by which it is as 
 well to abide as any other. 
 
 The morning was fresh but dry ; we walked up 
 and down, either being roasted or frozen, when all at 
 once we saw something moving on the vineyard walls. 
 It was a picket of riflemen, who had passed the night 
 there, but now took up their muskets and knapsacks again, 
 and were about to march down into the burnt suburbs, in 
 order to annoy the ramparts from thence. They were, in 
 all probability, about to encounter death, and yet kept 
 singing very libertine songs, which were perhaps excusable 
 in such a situation. 
 
 Scarcely had they left the place when I thought I 
 remarked a very striking geological phenomenon on the 
 wall where they had been stationed. I saw on the little 
 limestone wall a cornice of bright green stones, exactly the 
 colour of jasper, and was very much puzzled as to how 
 such a remarkable kind of stone came to exist in such 
 quantities in the middle of these limestone strata. I was
 
 92 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 undeceived, however, in a very peculiar way, for when 
 approaching the spectre, I found it to be mouldy bread, 
 which, being unfit for food, the riflemen had, in fun, cut 
 down and spread out as an ornament upon the wall. 
 
 This immediately led us to talk about poisoning, which, 
 ever since we had entered France, had been a subject of 
 conversation ; it had created a panic in the army, seeing 
 that not only every piece of meat, but even the bread 
 they baked themselves was suspected, although the fact 
 of its becoming rapidly mouldy might be ascribed to 
 natural causes. 
 
 It was the 1st of September, at eight o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, when the bombardment ceased, although balls still 
 continued to be exchanged on both sides. The besieged 
 had turned a twenty-four pounder against us, the shots 
 from which were becoming unfrequent and fired more in 
 jest than earnest. 
 
 Upon the open rising ground at the side of the vineyard, 
 exactly in front of this enormous gun, two hussars were 
 stationed on horseback, to observe attentively the town 
 and the intermediate space. They remained at their post 
 without being once attacked. As, however, on relieving 
 guard, not only the number of men was increased, but, at 
 the same moment, a number of lookers-on came running up, 
 and a considerable knot of people was thus collected, the 
 enemy held themselves ready to fire. I was standing at the 
 moment with my back turned to the troop of hussars and 
 people, about a hundred yards from them, talking to a friend, 
 when all at once a dreadful, whistling, crashing sound 
 came upon me from behind, which made me turn quickly 
 round on my heel, without being able to say whether 
 the movement was produced by the sound, the vibration of 
 the air, or some inward psychical or moral cause. I 
 saw the ball, a long way behind the crowd, which it had 
 dispersed, rebounding through some hedges. With loud 
 cries the people ran after it when it had ceased to be 
 dangerous ; nobody was hit ; and those fortunate enough 
 to get possession of this round lump of iron, carried it 
 about in triumph. 
 
 Towards noon the town was summoned for the second 
 time, and obtained twenty-four hours' respite. Of this
 
 AUGUST 1792. 93 
 
 we also availed ourselves to make our quarters somewhat 
 more comfortable, to obtain provisions, and to have a ride 
 about the country. I did not fail to return to the 
 instructive spring, where I could now make my obser- 
 vations more quietly and deliberately ; for the water had 
 been quite emptied of fish, and was perfectly clear and un- 
 disturbed, allowing the play of the falling flames to be re- 
 newed at pleasure ; and I was in the most pleasant mood. 
 Some unlucky accidents happened shortly afterwards, and 
 changed our condition, again giving it a warlike aspect. 
 An officer of the artillery wished to water his horse ; a 
 want of water was general in the district ; and my spring, 
 which he passed, not being level enough, he proceeded to 
 the Meuse which flowed close by, and there fell from a 
 sloping bank and was drowned. His horse was saved, but 
 he was carried past us dead. 
 
 Shortly after this a loud explosion was both seen and 
 heard in the Austrian camp, on the hill before us; the 
 report and the smoke recurred two or three times. In 
 charging a bomb, through some carelessness, fire had 
 broken out, and the greatest danger was apprehended ; it 
 had come in contact with some bombs already charged, and 
 it was feared that all of them might explode. These 
 apprehensions, however, were soon removed by the brave 
 conduct of some of the imperial soldiers, who, disdaining 
 the threatening danger, dragged out the powder and the 
 filled bombs beyond the reach of the tents. 
 
 Thus passed anotherday ; the following morning the town 
 surrendered, and fell into our hands ; but at the same time 
 a trait of a republican character was presented to us. 
 Commandant Beaurepaire, pressed by the distressed 
 townspeople, who saw that their whole town would be 
 in flames and in ruins with the continuance of the 
 bombardment, could no longer refuse to surrender ; but 
 immediately after giving his vote for it in the town-hall, 
 he drew out a pistol and shot himself, thus giving one 
 more example of the highest patriotic devotion. 
 
 After this speedy capture of Verdun nobody doubted 
 any longer that we should soon leave it behind, and com- 
 pensate ourselves for our previous sufferings with the gool 
 wine of Chalons and Epernay. I, therefore, got my Jiigi-r
 
 94 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 maps which showed the road to Paris cut out without 
 delay, and carefully mounted upon canvas, with white 
 paper pasted upon the back of them, as I had done with 
 the first ; this enabled me to consult them from day to day. 
 
 3rd September. 
 
 In the morning a party met to ride into the town, and 
 I joined them. We found upon entering it the signs of 
 great preparations that had been made early during the 
 siege, and which seemed to indicate a more protracted 
 resistance ; the causeway had been dug up and heaped 
 up against the houses, the wet weather making the streets 
 therefore most unpleasant for walking. We visited the 
 shops particularly celebrated for the sale of the best 
 liqueurs of all kinds. We tried them all, and provided our- 
 selves with a variety of sorts. There was one called Baume 
 humain*, less sweet, but stronger than the rest, and which 
 had a peculiarly refreshing effect. The dragees also, small 
 sugar-plums in neat cylindrical boxes, were not refused. 
 Amidst such a profusion of good things, one naturally 
 thought of the loved ones at home, to whom they would, 
 no doubt, be a great treat on the peaceful banks of the Ilm. 
 Small boxes were packed ; some good-natured couriers, 
 employed in carrying intelligence to Germany of the 
 successes of the army up to that time, willingly took 
 charge of some of these packages ; thus the ladies at homo 
 might in all tranquillity satisfy themselves that 'we were 
 pilgrims in a country where esprit and sweetness will never 
 become extinct. 
 
 When, thereupon, we surveyed the half-ruined and 
 desolate city, we were induced to repeat the observation that 
 in cases of misfortune like those which man inflicts upon his 
 fellow-man, as well as those which nature lays upon us, 
 there are isolated cases which appear to be destiny the 
 intervention of some kind providence. We saw in the lower 
 story of a corner house in the market-place a porcelain shop 
 with a number of windows, and our attention was directed 
 to the fact that a bomb, which had rebounded from the 
 ground in the square, had struck the stone door-post, but . 
 had recoiled from it again, and taken another direction. The
 
 AUGUST 1792. 95 
 
 door-post, of course, was injured, but it had acted as a 
 good defence. The brilliant rows of fragile porcelain 
 were still standing in glittering splendour behind the 
 clean bright windows. 
 
 At dinner, at the table-d'hote, we were treated with good 
 legs of mutton and wine from Bar, which must be drunk 
 in the country itself, as it does not bear transporting. At 
 these table-d'hotes it is the custom to furnish spoons, but 
 you get neither knives nor forks, which therefore one has 
 to provide oneself with. Aware of this custom of the 
 country, we had procured these articles in cases, flat and 
 with ornamental workmanship on them. Some lively, 
 active servant-girls waited on us, just as they had done a 
 few days before on their own garrison. 
 
 At the capture of Verdun an occurrence happened, which, 
 although an isolated case, created a great sensation, and 
 excited general interest. Whilst the Prussians were 
 marching in, a musket-shot was fired from the midst of a 
 crowd of French people, which hurt nobody, but which 
 daring act a French grenadier, who was accused of it, 
 neither could nor wished to deny. At the guard-house to 
 which he was brought I saw him myself; he was a very 
 handsome, well-made young man, with a firm look and 
 composed demeanour. Until his fate was decided he was 
 allowed to stand free. Close to the guard-house was a 
 bridge, under which flowed a branch of the Mouse ; he 
 mounted the parapet, remained quiet for a time, and then 
 threw himself backwards into the abyss, and was taken 
 out of the water dead. 
 
 This second heroic, ominous deed excited passionate 
 hatred among the new Emigrants ; and I heard otherwise 
 sensible people declaring that honourable burial should not 
 be granted either to this man or the commandant. They 
 had expected a different state of feeling, and there did not 
 appear as yet the slightest movement amongst the French 
 troops to go over to us. 
 
 A better spirit, however, was aroused by the description 
 of the King's reception in Verdun ; fourteen of the most 
 beautiful and accomplished young women had welcomed 
 his Majesty with graceful speeches, flowers and fruit. His 
 attendants, however, fearing poison, dissuaded him fruiu
 
 96 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 tasting it ; but the magnanimous monarch graciously ac- 
 cepted the welcome gifts, and unsuspectingly partook of 
 the fruit. These charming children appeared to have 
 inspired our young officers, too, with some degree of con- 
 fidence ; those among them who had had the good luck to 
 be present at the ball, at all events could not cease talking 
 of their amiability, grace, and good manners. 
 
 But for more solid enjoyments provision had likewise 
 been made ; for, as had been hoped and expected, excellent 
 and abundant supplies were found in the fortress, and great 
 despatch (perhaps too great) was manifested in making 
 use of them. I could easily see that the men were not 
 sufficiently frugal with the smoked bacon and beef, with the 
 rice and lentils, and other good and necessary things, 
 which seemed imprudent in our situation. It was amusing, 
 also, to see how coolly an armoury or arsenal was plundered. 
 Into one of the monasteries had been conveyed all kinds of 
 armour, more of the ancient sort than modern, and many 
 other curious things, with which man, when put upon his 
 defence, wards off his assailant, or slays him. 
 
 This mild kind of plundering can be accounted for in 
 the following way : after the capture of the town, the chief 
 military people wished to satisfy themselves as to what 
 supplies there were of all kinds, and repaired, amongst 
 others, to this collection of arms, and while they claimed it 
 for the general purposes of war, they found many other 
 curious things which, very likely, took the fancy of the in- 
 dividual man, and no one could well be employed in the 
 inspection of these weapons without being tempted to pick 
 out something for himself. Now, this mode of procedure 
 went through all ranks, till at last the collection was open 
 almost to every one. Everybody gave the sentry stationed 
 at the gate a small gratuity to be allowed to see the 
 collection, and at the same time carried off anything that 
 took his fancy. My servant, in this way, appropriated 
 a long, flat stick, strongly and skilfully wound round 
 with string, which at the first glance gave no indication 
 of anything further ; its weight, however, indicated more 
 dangerous contents, and it proved to contain a very 
 broad sword-blade four feet long, with which a strong 
 hand could have done wonders.
 
 SEPTEMBER 1702. 97 
 
 Thus, between order and disorder, preserving things and 
 destroying them, between plundering and paying, our time 
 passed ; and this may be one reason why war is eo pecu- 
 liarly injurious to the mind. One is daring and destructive 
 one day, and humane and creative the next ; one accustoms 
 oneself to phrases adapted to excite and keep alive hope in 
 the midst of the most desperate circumstances ; this pro- 
 duces a kind of hypocrisy of an unusual character, and per- 
 fectly distinct from priestly, courtly hypocrisy, or what- 
 ever else it may be called. 
 
 A remarkable person I must mention, whom I saw at a 
 distance behind the prison-railings ; it was the postmaster 
 of St. Menehould, who had been stupid enough to allow 
 limself to be captured by the Prussians. He did not in 
 any way avoid the looks of the curious, and appeared qiiite 
 jomposed, notwithstanding the uncertainty of his fate. 
 The Emigrants declared that he deserved a thousand deaths, 
 and kept urging the highest authorities to that effect ; to 
 their credit, however, we must add, that in this as in other 
 cases, they conducted themselves with becoming and dig- 
 nified self-possession and equanimity. 
 
 4th September. 
 
 The many persons who kept going and coming en- 
 ivened our tents during the whole day; many things 
 were related, discussed, and criticised, and the state of 
 affairs was becoming more intelligible than before. It 
 was the unanimous opinion that we must advance towards 
 Paris as fast as possible. The fortresses of Montmedy 
 and Sedan had been left unreduced on our flank, and 
 ittle fear seemed to be entertained of the army stationed 
 .n that quarter. 
 
 La Fayette, who possessed the confidence of the soldiers, 
 aad been obliged to abandon the cause ; he found himself 
 Forced to go over to the enemy, and to be treated as one. 
 Dumourier, although as minister he had displayed insight 
 in military affairs, had not distinguished himself in any 
 campaign ; and being promoted from a government office 
 to the command-in-chief of the army, he appeared to evince 
 the inconsistency and embarrassment to be expected at the
 
 98 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 moment. From the other side news of the melancholy 
 occurrences, which had taken place in Paris in the middle 
 of August, was brought to us, where, in defiance of the 
 Brunswick manifesto, the King had been taken prisoner, 
 dethroned, and treated as a criminal. The most detailed 
 discussions, however, treated of what was most critical in 
 the immediately impending military operations. 
 
 The forest-clad ridge of mountains, which forces the 
 Aire to flow in a direction parallel to it from south to 
 north, and is called the Foret d'Argonne, lay immediately 
 in our front, and checked our movements. Mention was 
 often made of the Islettes, the important pass between 
 Verdun and St. Menehould. No one could understand 
 why it was not taken possession of, and why it had not 
 been occupied before. The Emigrants were said to have 
 taken it for a moment, without having been able to 
 hold it. The garrison retreating from Longwy had, so 
 much was known, retired into it ; Dumourier also, whilst 
 we were on the march to Verdun, and engaged with 
 the bombardment of the town, had sent troops across the 
 country, in order to strengthen this post, and to cover the 
 right wing of his position behind Grandpre, in fact, to 
 plant a second Thermopylae in the way of the Prussians, 
 Austrians, and Emigrants. 
 
 We confessed to one another the unsatisfactory nature 
 of our situation, but had to reconcile ourselves to the 
 dispositions made for marching the army, which was to 
 have advanced straight forwards, without stopping, along 
 the Aire in order to try its fortune upon the entrenched 
 mountain defiles ; and considering this state of things it 
 was thought highly advantageous that Clermont had been 
 wrested from the French, and was now occupied by 
 Hessians, who, operating against the Islettes, would bo 
 able to annoy it, if not to carry it. 
 
 Qth to 10th September. 
 
 In accordance with this view, the position of the camp 
 wa* now changed, and was set behind Verdun. The 
 head-quarters of the King, called Glorieux, and of the 
 Duke of Brunswick, Regrets, gave occasion to some
 
 . SEPTEMBER 1792. 99 
 
 curious observations. I arrived myself at the first place 
 by an unpleasant accident. The Duke of Weimar's 
 regiment was to be stationed at Jardin Fontaine, near the 
 town and the Meuse ; we got safely out of the town by 
 smuggling ourselves in among the string of vehicles of 
 some unknown regiment and allowing ourselves to be 
 carried along by it, although it was evident we were 
 going too far. But, in fact, we should not have been able 
 to get out of the line, without falling irrecoverably into the 
 ditch. We looked right and left without discovering any- 
 thing ; we asked also, but received no answer, for all were 
 strangers like ourselves, and full of ill humour at the 
 situation. At length, having reached the top of a gentle 
 eminence, I saw on the left, down below in a valley which 
 at a more favourable season would be pleasant enough 
 a pretty village, with castellated buildings, down to 
 which luckily a smooth green strip of ground promised us 
 an easy descent. I was all the more ready to leave the 
 frightful track downhill, as I saw officers and men gal- 
 loping about below, and baggage-waggons and carriages 
 coming up. I suspected it to be one of the head-quarters, 
 and so it turned out ; it was Glorieux, the quarters of the 
 King. But here also my question, as to where Jardin 
 Fontaine lay, was made in vain. At last I fell in with a 
 very messenger from heaven, with Herr von Alvensleben, 
 who had previously shown me some kindness, and now 
 directed me to follow the village road, which was unob- 
 structed by carriages, along the valley to the town, then 
 to make my way onwards to the left ; saying, that thus I 
 should very soon discover Jardin Fontaine. 
 
 I succeeded in both, and found our tents pitched, but in 
 the most dreadful situation ; everything was sunk in 
 bottomless mud, the rotten ropes of the tents giving way 
 one after the other, and the canvas flapping about the 
 shoulders and heads of those who thought of seeking 
 shelter under them. For a time this was endured ; how- 
 ever, at last it was decided that we should repair to the 
 little town itself. We found the proprietor of a well- 
 arranged house, with a court-yard, to be a good, facetious 
 kind of man, who had formerly been a cook in Germany. 
 He received us good-humouredly. There were some 
 
 H 2
 
 100 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 handsome cheerful rooms on the ground-floor, with a good 
 fireplace, and everything else that was necessary for our 
 comfort. 
 
 The suite of the Duke of Weimar was supplied from 
 the royal kitchen ; but our landlord begged that I would 
 taste a specimen of his skill. He did, in fact, prepare a 
 very savoury meal for me, which, however, made me very 
 ill. Hence I too might have suspected poison, had it not 
 occurred to me soon enough that it was garlic that had 
 been used to make the dishes so tasty, a herb which, even 
 in the smallest quantity, had generally the most powerful 
 effect upon me. The mischief soon passed away, and I 
 resolved all the more willingly to keep to German cooking 
 as long as there was the smallest supply. 
 
 When we were about to depart, the good-humoured 
 host gave my servant a letter, which he had previously 
 spoken of, addressed to his sister in Paris, whom he 
 wished particularly to recommend ; but added good- 
 naturedly, after some other observations: "You will, 
 however, probably never get there." 
 
 llth September. 
 
 After several days of kind treatment we were again 
 driven out into the most terrible weather ; our way lay 
 along the mountain ridge, which separated the waters of 
 the Meuse and the Aire, and compels both to flow north- 
 wards. After great sufferings we arrived at Malancour, 
 where we found empty cellars and kitchens un tenanted, and 
 were forced to content ourselves with being able to enjoy, 
 under cover and on dry benches, the scanty provisions we 
 had brought along with us. The arrangement of the 
 dwellings themselves pleased me ; it indicated the exist- 
 ence of quiet domestic comfort; everything was simple, 
 natural, and adapted to meet the most immediate necessi- 
 ties. All this we had disturbed and were disturbing ; for 
 from the neighbourhood a cry of distress resounded against 
 plunderers, whereupon, on hastening to the spot, we 
 succeeded in quieting the disturbance, but not without some 
 danger. It was strange enough to listen to the complaints 
 of the poor, unclad delinquents, from whom we had torn
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 101 
 
 cloaks and shirts, accusing us of barbarous cruelty, for not 
 allowing them to cover their nakedness at the expense of 
 the enemy. 
 
 We were, however, about to experience a still stranger 
 reproach. On our return to our first quarters, we found 
 a distinguished Emigrant whom we had formerly known. 
 He was welcomed kindly, and did not despise our frugal 
 meal ; but some inward emotion was visible in him ; he 
 had evidently something at heart which he sought to give 
 vent to by exclamations. When, fur old acquaintanceship's 
 sake, we tried to inspire him with some confidence in us, 
 he denounced bitterly the cruelty of the King of Prussia 
 to the French Princes. * Startled, almost confounded by 
 this, we demanded some further explanation. Then we 
 learnt that the King, on leaving Glorieux, in spite of the 
 drenching rain, had put on no great coat or anything 
 in the shape of a cloak, and consequently the Koyal 
 Princes had also been obliged to do without their weather- 
 proof garments. Our Marquis could not bear to see these 
 illustrious persons lightly clad, wet through and through, 
 and dripping with rain; it put him in the greatest 
 distress ; indeed, if it would have been of any avail, he 
 would have laid down his life to see them riding in a dry 
 carriage they, upon whom rested the hopes and happiness 
 of the whole country, who were accustomed to such a 
 different style of life. 
 
 We, of course, had nothing to reply to this ; for to him 
 there would have been no consolation in the reflection, 
 that war, as a foretaste of death, makes all men equal, 
 abolishes all property, and threatens even the most exalted 
 personages with pain and danger. 
 
 12th September. 
 
 The next morning, however, I resolved, in respect of 
 such distinguished examples, to leave my carriage, which, 
 
 * The French princes here referred to are the brothers of Louis XVI., 
 the Duke of Provence, and the Count d'Artois : since the spring of 1791 
 they generally resided at Coblenz, and were now taking part in the 
 campaign.
 
 102 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 although a light one, was drawn by four requisitioned 
 horses, under the protection of the trusty Chamberlain 
 Wagner, who was ordered to bring the equipage and the 
 very necessary ready money after us. I leaped upon my 
 horse, joined some pleasant companions, and thus we 
 betook ourselves on the march to Landres. We found on 
 the way some bundles of faggots, from a small birch wood 
 that had been cut down, the internal dryness of which 
 soon overcame the outward moisture, and supplied us 
 speedily with a blazing fire, and fuel sufficient both for 
 warming ourselves and for cooking. But the good 
 arrangements of a regimental mess were not visible ; 
 tables, chairs, and benches were wanting ; and one had to 
 shift for oneself standing, perhaps leaning against some- 
 thing, as best one could. However, the camp was safely 
 reached towards the evening ; we encamped not far from 
 L'andres, exactly opposite Grandpre, but knew very well 
 how strongly and advantageously the pass was guarded. 
 It rained incessantly, with occasional gusts of wind, the 
 tent-coverings affording but little protection. 
 
 Happy is he, however, whose bosom is filled with some 
 higher passion ! The colour phenomenon at the spring 
 had never for a moment left my thoughts during the last 
 few days ; I thought of it over and over again, in order 
 that I might succeed in making some experiments with 
 it. So I dictated a short account of it to Vogel, who in 
 this case also proved himself a good secretary; I then 
 sketched the figures beside it myself. These papers I 
 possess still, with all the marks of the rainy weather, 
 which are witnesses of my faithful study in the dubious 
 path I had entered. The road to truth has this advantage, 
 that we always like looking back to the uncertain steps 
 we took, the circuitous paths we pursued, nay, even to our 
 false steps. 
 
 The weather got worse, and became so bad during the 
 night, that one felt oneself most fortunate in being able 
 to spend it under cover of the regimental carriage. How 
 fearful was our situation, considering that we were 
 encamped in face of the enemy, and exposed to an attack 
 at any point from the mountain and forest entrench- 
 ments!
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 103 
 
 From 13th till 17th September. 
 
 "Wagner the Chamberlain, with the poodle, and the 
 haggage, arrived in good time at our quarters. He had 
 passed a fearful night ; and after a thousand other hind- 
 rances had fallen away from the army in the dark, 
 deceived by the sleepy and drunken servants of a General 
 whom he had followed. They reached a village, and 
 imagined the French quite near. Tormented by all kinds 
 of alarms, and left without horses, which did not return 
 after being taken to the water, he, nevertheless, contrived 
 to get away from the ill-starred village ; thus we found 
 ourselves together again with all our movable goods and 
 chattels. 
 
 At length we felt a kind of trembling sensation, which 
 at the same time aroused a feeling of hope. A loud 
 cannonade was heard on our right wing, and it was said 
 that General Clairfayt had arrived from the Netherlands, 
 and attacked the French on their left flank. There was 
 the greatest anxiety everywhere to learn the result. 
 
 I rode to head-quarters to learn more accurately what 
 the cannonade meant, and what, in fact, was to be looked 
 for. Nothing was known there for certain, except that 
 it must be General Clairfayt engaged with the French. 
 I met Major von Weyrach, who, from impatience and 
 ennui, was just mounting his horse to ride to the out- 
 posts ; I accompanied him, and we soon reached a height 
 where we had an extensive view. We came upon an out- 
 post of hussars, and spoke to the officer, a young, good- 
 looking man. The cannonade was at a great distance, on 
 the other side of Grandpre, and he had orders not to 
 advance, as this might occasion some movement. We had 
 not been speaking long before Prince Louis Ferdinand * 
 came up with several attendants, and after a hasty salute, 
 and some little talk with the officer, desired him to make 
 an advance. The latter protested strongly against this ; 
 but the Prince paid no attention, and rode forwards, and 
 we had all to follow. We had not gone far before a 
 French rifleman was seen in the distance; he ran up to 
 
 * Son of Prince Ferdinand of Prussia, who was brother of Frederick 
 the Great.
 
 104 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 within musket-shot, and then, turning round, disappeared 
 as fast as he had come. After him came a second, then a 
 third, and in the same way disappeared again. The 
 fourth, however, who was the same probably as the first, 
 fired his musket very deliberately at us, and we could 
 distinctly hear the ball whistle past us. The Prince was 
 not to be deterred, and the riflemen, too, continued their 
 operations, so that several shots were fired whilst we 
 pursued our way. I had often looked at the officer, who 
 hesitated between his duty and the respect due to a Royal 
 Prince. No doubt he noticed some sympathy in my looks, 
 and rode up to me and said : " If you have any influence 
 with the Prince, beseech him to turn back ! He is putting 
 me in the most difficult position. I have the strictest 
 orders not to leave my appointed post ; and nothing can be 
 more reasonable that we should not provoke the enemy, 
 encamped, as he is, in a strong position behind Grandpre. 
 If the Prince does not turn, the whole chain of outposts 
 will soon be alarmed ; at head-quarters no one will know 
 what it means, and the blame will all fall upon me, with- 
 out my being at fault." I rode up to the Prince, and said : 
 " The honour has just been done me of being supposed to 
 have some influence with your Highness, hence I beg a 
 gracious hearing." I laid the whole affair clearly before 
 him, which seemed scarcely necessary, for he saw it him- 
 self, and was good-natured enough to turn back imme- 
 diately with some kind words ; whereupon the riflemen 
 also disappeared, and ceased firing. The officer thanked 
 me most cordially, showing that a mediator is welcome 
 everywhere. 
 
 The situation gradually became intelligible. The posi- 
 tion of Dumourier at Grandpre was exceedingly strong 
 and advantageous ; that he could not be attacked on his 
 right wing was well known; on his left were two 
 important passes La Croix aux Bois, and Le Chesne le 
 Populeux, both of them well barricaded, and considered 
 inaccessible ; but Le Chesne was entrusted to an officer 
 who was either unfit for such a post, or neglected his duty. 
 The Austrians attacked him. At the first charge the 
 Prince de Ligne, the son, was killed, but the attack was 
 successful; the post was overpowered, and Dumourier'b
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 105 
 
 great plan frustrated. He was forced to abandon his 
 position, and to march up the Aisne; Prussian hussars 
 were now able to advance through the pass and pursue 
 him on the other side of the forest of Argonne. This 
 caused such a panic in the French army, that ten thousand 
 men fled before five hundred, and were with difficulty 
 made to halt and rally again. The regiment Chamborand 
 particularly distinguished itself here, and checked the 
 further advance of our troops ; they had been sent out 
 only for the purpose of reconnoitering, and returned in 
 high spirits, as they had succeeded in capturing several 
 waggon-loads of good booty. Things for ordinary use, 
 such as money and clothes, they had divided among 
 themselves ; the papers, however, fell to my share, as a 
 literary man ; among them I found some previous orders 
 of Lafayette, and several very fairly written lists. But 
 what most of all surprised me was, a pretty recent number 
 of the Moniteur. The type and form of this paper, with 
 which I had been acquainted for several years past unin- 
 terruptedly, and which I had now not seen for some weeks, 
 greeted me in a somewhat unpleasant way, for in a laconic 
 article under 3rd September, were the menacing words : 
 " Les Prussiens pourront venir a Paris ; mais ils n'en sortiront 
 pas" Hence, Paris, it seemed, did consider it possible that 
 we might get there ; but as to our return, some higher 
 power would have to manage that. 
 
 The frightful condition in which we found ourselves, 
 between sky and earth, was in some degree alleviated 
 when we saw the army in motion, and one division of 
 the avant-guard after the other marching forwards. At 
 length our time came also ; we marched over hills, through 
 valleys, and past vineyards where we found something to 
 revive us. Then, with better weather, we got into more 
 open country, and saw, in a cheerful part of the Aire 
 valley, the castle of Grandpre, finely situated on a height, 
 at the point where this river forces its way westwards 
 between the hills, and on the other side of the mountain 
 joins the Aisne, whose waters, flowing westwards, finally, 
 fall into the Seine with the Oise. From this it is evident 
 that the mountain ridge which separated us from the 
 Meuse, although not of any considerable height, exercised
 
 106 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 a decisive influence upon the water courses, and brought 
 us into the region of other rivers. 
 
 On this march I got accidentally among the attendants 
 of the King, afterwards of those of the Duke of Brunswick ; 
 I conversed with Prince Reuss and other diplomatico- 
 military acquaintances. The masses of horsemen formed 
 a rich decoration to the pleasing landscape ; one could have 
 wished a Van der Meulen* had been there to immortalise 
 the march ; all was cheerful, lively, full of confidence, and 
 heroic. Some villages in front were indeed in flames; 
 but in a war picture smoke has not a bad effect. The 
 people, it was said, had fired out of the houses on the 
 advanced guard, and they, in accordance with the laws of 
 war, had exercised their right to avenge themselves. 
 They were blamed, but things could not be altered ; on 
 the other hand, the vineyards were protected ; but there 
 was no prospect of a good vintage to the proprietors. And 
 thus, among peaceful and warlike occurrences, we pursued 
 our onward course. Leaving Grandpre behind us, we 
 reached and crossed the Aisne, and encamped near Vaux les 
 Mourons ; here we were in the much-abused Champagne, 
 but, as yet, things did not look so very bad. Over the 
 water, on the sunny side, lay some well-cultivated vine- 
 yards ; and, on inspecting the villages and barns, sufficient 
 provision was found both for men and beasts ; unfortu- 
 nately, however, the wheat was not threshed out, nor was 
 there a sufficient number of mills. Ovens for baking 
 were also rare; and thus our situation began really to 
 resemble that of Tantalus. 
 
 18th September. 
 
 A largo party assembled to discuss the state of affairs, 
 in fact, they generally met when there was a halt, and 
 always in a friendly sort of way, particularly when coffee 
 was served after dinner. The party consisted of a number 
 of curious elements : Germans and Frenchmen, military 
 
 * Anton Franz van der Meulen (1634-1690), a somewhat important 
 painter of battle-pieces, accompanied Louis XIV. on his campaigns. 
 Two of his most famous paintings are hia " Entry of Louis XIV. into 
 Arras " and hifl " Siege of Maestricht."
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 107 
 
 men and diplomatists, all persons of some note, experienced, 
 shrewd, clever, and excited by the importance of the 
 moment ; all men of character and weight, but still not 
 admitted into the privy councils, and consequently all the 
 more anxious to ascertain what had been decided upon, and 
 what was likely to happen. 
 
 Dumourier, when he could no longer maintain the pass 
 of Grandpre, had marched up the Aisne, and as his rear 
 was secured by the Islettes, he took up a position on the 
 heights of St. Menehould, fronting France. We had 
 advanced through the narrow pass, and had in our rear 
 and on our flank the uncaptured fortresses of Sedan, 
 Montmedy, and Stenay, which could intercept all access to 
 us according to their pleasure. 
 
 We were entering a singular kind of country, the 
 inhospitable chalk soil of which afforded only a scanty 
 subsistence to some widely-scattered villages. Rheims, 
 Chalons, and their rich environs, were not far off, it is 
 true ; and abundance of good things could be hoped for in 
 our front ; our party, therefore, was almost unanimously 
 of opinion that we must march upon llheims, and take 
 possession of Chalons ; Dumourier would then be unable 
 to remain in his advantageous position, a battle would be 
 inevitable somewhere; in fact, the victory was already 
 considered certain. 
 
 19th September. 
 
 Many doubts, therefore, were felt when, on the 19th, 
 we were ordered to direct our march upon Massiges, to 
 follow the course of the Aisne upwards, and to keep this 
 stream as well as the forest-clad mountains on our left, 
 either near or at a distance. 
 
 We cast off these critical reflections by interesting our- 
 selves in the numerous accidents and occurrences which 
 happened on the way. A singular phenomenon engrossed 
 my attention completely. In order to push forward several 
 columns together, one of them was led right across some 
 fields, over low-lying hills ; and when they were about to 
 descend into the valley again, they found a steep declivity 
 in their way. This was immediately made as level as
 
 108 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 possible, but remained steep enough still. At noon the 
 sun shone brightly forth and was reflected upon all the 
 arms. I kept upon a hill, and saw this glittering river 
 of arms advancing, glistening in the sunlight ; the effect 
 was quite surprising when the column reached the steep 
 declivity, for the hitherto closed ranks here separated at a 
 bound, and each man made his way to the bottom singly 
 as best he could. This confusion created a spectacle 
 exactly like a waterfall ; innumerable bayonets inter- 
 mingled, flashing to and fro, presented the liveliest com- 
 motion. And when they formed again at the bottom into 
 rank and file, and marched forwards into the valley, in the 
 same order as they had arrived at the top, the resemblance 
 to a river became more vivid still. The sight was ren- 
 dered the more pleasing as it was favoured by uninter- 
 rupted bright sunshine throughout ; we learnt its value 
 in critical circumstances, after the late long-continued 
 rains. 
 
 In the afternoon we arrived at Massiges, only a few 
 leagues' distance from the enemy ; the camp was marked 
 out, and we occupied the place assigned to vs. Stakes 
 were already stuck in the ground, the horses tied to them, 
 a fire was lit and the cooking-carriages opened, when, 
 quite unexpectedly, the report was spread that no en- 
 campment was to be made there. Information had 
 arrived that the French army was marching from St. 
 Menehould upon Chalons ; that the King intended to 
 prevent their escape, and had given orders to break up. I 
 inquired about the truth of this at the proper quarter, and 
 heard what I had already been told, with this in addition : 
 that, upon receiving this uncertain and improbable intelli- 
 gence, the Duke of Weimar and General Heymann had gone 
 to the front with the hussars who had raised the report. 
 After some time the Generals came back, and assured us 
 that there was not the slightest movement to be observed ; 
 and the patrols were obliged to confess that they had in- 
 ferred rather than seen what they had reported. 
 
 The movement, however, had commenced, and the order 
 was for the army to advance, but without the smallest 
 portion of the baggage ; vehicles of every description wero 
 to return to Maison Champagne, to form a waggon-
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 109 
 
 bulwark, and await the presumed successful issue of a 
 battle. 
 
 Without a moment's hesitation as to what I should do, 
 I committed carriage, baggage, and horses, to my resolute 
 servant, and forthwith started off on horseback with my 
 military comrades. It had often been the subject of 
 conversation, that any one who joins a campaign should 
 remain throughout with the regular troops, with which- 
 ever division he may have attached himself, and shun no 
 danger ; for whatever may happen is honourable, whereas 
 to remain with the baggage is both dangerous and con- 
 temptible ; hence I had arranged with the officers of the 
 regiment that I should always accompany them, and, if 
 possible, the first squadron, and thus kept on the best 
 terms with them. Our way led through the most melan- 
 choly of valleys, up the little stream La Tourbe, between 
 some low-lying hills, without a tree or a bush : orders 
 and injunctions were given to march with as little noise 
 as possible, as if we were going to surprise the enemy ; 
 who, however, from his position, was no doubt able to 
 observe the approach of a mass of fifty thousand men. 
 Night came on ; neither moon nor stars were shining in 
 the heavens, the wind was howling dismally; the silent 
 movement of so large a body of men in profound darkness 
 had a most singular effect. 
 
 In riding alongside the column, one met occasionally 
 officers of one's acquaintance, galloping to and fro, some- 
 times to accelerate the movement of the troops, at others 
 to retard it. Words were exchanged, horses brought to a 
 stand, and sometimes several collected together. In this way 
 a circle of perhaps twelve, partly acquaintances and partly 
 strangers, would come together. All sorts of questions, 
 complaints, and expressions of surprise would be uttered, 
 together with grumblings and reasonings ; the General 
 was not to be forgiven the interruption of the dinner. 
 One facetious fellow expressed a wish to have sausages 
 and bread, another immediately raised his wishes to 
 venison and anchovy salad ; as, however, all this was 
 done without any paying, there was no want of orders for 
 tarts and other dainties, nor for expensive wines; and 
 such a perfect meal was thus arranged, that at last one of
 
 110 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 the party, whose appetite had been excited beyond all 
 bounds, began to swear at the whole party, and declared 
 the torment of an excited imagination as insupportable in 
 contrast with the scarcity that prevailed. After a while 
 all were scattered again, and each singly was no better off 
 than they had been altogether. 
 
 IQth September, at night. 
 
 Thus we arrived at Somme Tourbe, where a halt was 
 called ; the King had retired to an hotel, before the door of 
 which the Duke of Brunswick had established his head- 
 quarters and offices in a kind of shed. The ground was 
 spacious ; several fires were burning, fed by large bundles 
 of vine-stakes. The Prince Field-marshal complained 
 several times that the flames were made to blaze up too 
 much; we talked the matter over, and nobody could 
 bring himself to believe, that our presence had remained 
 a secret to the French. 
 
 I had arrived late, and, wherever I looked I found 
 everything already appropriated, if not consumed. While 
 I was thus searching about, I saw a sight which showed 
 me what clever cooks the Emigrants were ; they were 
 sitting round a large circular, flat heap of smouldering 
 ashes, in which many a vine-stake had been burnt ; they 
 had cleverly and quickly got possession of all the eggs in 
 the village, and it was really a tempting sight to see the 
 eggs standing upright in the ashes, and taken out one 
 after the other, when ready to be eaten. 
 
 I knew none of the noble assistants in the cooking, 
 and unknown I did not like to address them ; as, how- 
 ever, at the moment I met a favourite acquaintance, who 
 was suffering like myself from hunger and thirst, I be- 
 thought me of a plan which had been suggested by an 
 observation made during my short military career. I had 
 remarked that whilst foraging in the villages, the men 
 generally went very clumsily to work ; those who came 
 first fell to, plundered, destroyed, demolished ; the next 
 comers found less and less, and what was lost was of no 
 use to anybody. I had already thought that a more 
 skilful plan might be adopted, and wnen the crowd was
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. Ill 
 
 pressing forward in front a search might be made in an 
 opposite direction. This could scarcely be done here, for 
 every place was overflowing ; but the village was a very 
 long one, and lay chiefly on one side of the street by 
 which we had entered. I asked my friend to go down the 
 long street with me. Out of the last house but one came 
 a soldier swearing that everything was consumed, and 
 not a thing more to be had. We looked through the 
 window and saw some riflemen sitting within very com- 
 posedly; we entered, in order that we might have, at all 
 events, a bench to sit upon and be under cover ; we saluted 
 them as comrades, and complained of course of the 
 general scarcity. After some conversation, they asked us 
 if we would promise to keep a secret, which we did by 
 giving them our hands; whereupon they told us that 
 they had found in the house a capital well-tilled cellar, the 
 entrance into which they had themselves concealed, but 
 that they had no wish to refuse us a share of the supply. 
 One of them drew out a key, and, on removing some ob- 
 structions, a cellar-door was found. On descending, we 
 found several casks on the floor ; but what was of more in- 
 terest to us, there were various partitions full of bottles filled 
 and laid in sand, where our good-natured comrade, who 
 had already tried them all, pointed out the best sort. I 
 took two bottles between the fingers of each hand, and 
 drew them under my cloak ; my friend did the same ; 
 and thus in hopes of soon getting something to refresh 
 us, we strode up the street again. 
 
 Now close to the large watch-fire I saw a heavy, strong 
 harrow, and sat down upon it, pushing the bottles under 
 my cloak between its spikes. After a little while J 
 brought out one bottle, which caused exclamations from 
 my neighbours, to whom I offered a share. They took 
 good pulls at it, the last one somewhat modestly, as he 
 saw very well that there was but little left for me. I hid 
 the bottle beside me, and soon afterwards brought out. 
 second, drank to my friends, who were well pleased to 
 taste it again, but did not at first observe the seeming 
 miracle ; at the third bottle, however, loud were their 
 exclamations about the conjuror; and in our melancholy 
 situation the joke was welcome in every respect.
 
 112 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 Among the numerous persons whose figures and faces 
 were lit up by the fire, I perceived an elderly man whom 
 I thought I knew. Upon inquiring, and approaching 
 him, he was not a little astonished to find me here. It 
 was the Marquis de Bombelles, whom I had met two years 
 before in Venice, when there with the Duchess Amalia ; 
 he had been residing there as French Ambassador, and had 
 done everything in his power to make the visit of this 
 excellent Princess as pleasant as possible. Exclamations 
 of surprise on both sides, joy at meeting again, and 
 recollections of former times enlivened the present solemn 
 moment. His splendid residence on the grand canal 
 became the subject of conversation, and mention was 
 made of the very hospitable reception he gave us, when 
 we visited him in gondolas, and of his having contributed 
 so much to the entertainment of the lady and her friends, 
 by the little fetes he gave, which were quite in keeping" 
 with the taste and fancy of one who was a lover both 
 of Nature and of Art, of cheerfulness and decorum ; and 
 further, of his having procured for them the enjoyment of 
 things from which visitors to Venice were usually excluded. 
 
 How surprised I was, however, when I heard the man, 
 whom I supposed would be over-joyed by my genuine 
 panegyric, exclaim sorrowfully : " Let us be silent about 
 these things ! those times lie too far in the past ; for even 
 when I was entertaining my noble guests with apparent 
 cheerfulness the worm was gnawing at my heart ; I fore- 
 saw the consequences of what was taking place in my 
 native land. I admired the lightness of heart which 
 prevented you from having any forebodings of the danger 
 which was impending over you as well ; I was preparing 
 myself in silence for a change in my condition. Soon 
 afterwards I was obliged to abandon my honourable post, 
 to leave Venice, and to commence my wanderings, which 
 have at length led me here." 
 
 The air of secrecy which, from time to time, it was 
 endeavoured to give to this uncovered march, made us 
 suspect that, before the night was over, we should break 
 up and go forward ; but the dawn came, and with it a 
 drizzling rain began to fall ; it was quite daylight before 
 we were in motion. As the Duke of Weimar's regiment
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 113 
 
 formed the vanguard, some hussars, who were acquainted 
 with the road to our destination, were made to accom- 
 pany the first squadron as the foremost of the whole 
 column. We now advanced, sometimes at a sharp trot, 
 over fields and hills without a bush or tree; in the 
 distance only, to our left, we saw the Argonne forest ; the 
 drizzling rain struck more sharply in our faces ; but 
 shortly afterwards we perceived an avenue of very fine 
 poplars, which lay directly across our path. It was the 
 high road from Chalons to St. Menehould, being the way 
 from Paris to Germany; we were led across it, and away 
 into unknown regions. 
 
 Some time before this we had seen the enemy, encamped 
 and drawn up in front of the forest, and could also 
 perceive that fresh troops were arriving ; it was Keller- 
 mann, who was just about to join Dumourier, in order to 
 form his left wing. Our troops were most eager to pounce 
 upon the French, officers as well as men were most ardent 
 in their desire that the General should instantly make the 
 attack; our rapid advance, too, seemed to indicate that 
 such was his intention. But Kellermann had placed 
 himself in too favourable a position ; thereupon com- 
 menced the cannonade of which so much has been spoken, 
 but the violence of which at the time it is impossible to 
 describe, or even to recall in the imagination. 
 
 The high road was already a long way behind us, and 
 we kept storming towards the west, when all at once an 
 adjutant came galloping up, ordering us to go back again ; 
 we had been led too far, and were now ordered to recrose 
 the road, and to draw up with our right flank close upon the 
 left side of it. This was done, and we thus made front 
 against the outwork La Lune, which was seen on a hill, 
 about a mile before us, close to the road. Our commander 
 came up to us, bringing with him the half of a horse- 
 battery ; we received orders to go forwards under cover 
 of it, and came upon an old driver of the baggage- waggons, 
 lying stretched upon the ground, the first victim of the 
 day. We rode on unconcerned, and had a nearer view of 
 the outwork, the battery erected there was firing away 
 fiercely. 
 
 Soon, however, we found ourselves in a curious situation; 
 
 I
 
 114 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 cannon-balls were flying wildly amongst us, with- 
 out our being able to make out whence they came ; 
 for we were advancing behind a friendly battery, and the 
 hostile guns on the opposite hills were much too distant 
 to be able to reach us. I kept to one side of the front, 
 and had the most extraordinary view : balls were falling 
 by dozens in front of the squadron, not rebounding, 
 luckily, for they sank into the soft ground ; but mud and 
 dirt bespattered man and horse ; the black horses, admir- 
 ably held together ^by their gallant riders, snorted and 
 plunged ; the whole mass, without separating or falling 
 into confusion, fluctuated to and fro. 
 
 A curious sight brought other times to my remembrance. 
 In the first rank of the squadron the standard was waving 
 to and fro in the hands of a handsome boy ;* he held it 
 firmly, but was being unwillingly shaken by his furious 
 horse; his sweet face, singularly but naturally enough, 
 even at this fearful moment, brought the still sweeter 
 face of his mother up before me ; and I could not help 
 thinking of the peaceful moments I had spent in her 
 presence. 
 
 At length came the command to go back, and down the 
 hill: this was done by all the cavalry regiments with 
 great order and steadiness ; only a single horse, Von 
 Lottum's, was killed, although the rest of us, particularly 
 those on the outside of the right wing, ought all, properly 
 speaking, to have been killed. 
 
 After we had withdrawn out of the range of the 
 inexplicable fire, and had recovered from our surprise 
 and astonishment, the riddle was solved : we found the 
 half battery, under whose cover we fancied we were 
 marching, far down in a hollow, of which there are a 
 great many in this district. It had been dislodged from 
 above, and had gone down into a ravine on the other side 
 of the road, and thus we had not remarked its retreat. 
 Hostile guns took its place ; and what was intended for 
 our protection, very nearly became the means of our 
 destruction. The fellows only laughed at us when we 
 
 This was Emil von Bechtoldsheim. See Diintzer'a Goethe und 
 Karl August
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 115 
 
 reproached them, and assured us, jestingly, that it was 
 much better down here in the penthouse. 
 
 When, however, we afterwards saw with our eyes how 
 this horse-battery had had wearily to be dragged across 
 terrible marshy hills, we could not but again reflect 
 upon the critical situation into which we had brought 
 ourselves. 
 
 Meanwhile the cannonade continued without interrup- 
 tion. Kellermann occupied a dangerous post at a mill by 
 Valmy, at which point the fire was principally directed ; 
 a powder-waggon exploded there, and we rejoiced in the 
 mischief which was thus probably caused to the enemy. 
 Hence all those who were exposed to the fire and those 
 who were not, remained, properly speaking, merely 
 spectators and listeners. We kept upon the road from 
 Chalons, and halted near a signpost which pointed out the 
 road to Paris. 
 
 This city, therefore, we now had in our rear, and the 
 French army stood between us and our native land. 
 Stronger barricades were, perhaps, never placed in any 
 path, and they caused the greatest apprehension to one 
 who had been for four weeks incessantly studying a map 
 of the theatre of the war. 
 
 However, the necessities of the moment make good their 
 claims even in spite of dangers that might be impending. 
 Our hussars had been lucky enough to capture several 
 waggons of bread, which were on their way from Chalons 
 to the army, and brought them up along the high road. 
 Now, in the same way, as it appeared strange to UB to be 
 posted between Paris and St. Menehould, the people at 
 Chalons could never imagine that the enemy would be 
 found on the road leading to their army. For a few pieces 
 of money the hussars gave up a part of the bread ; it was 
 of the finest white kind ; a Frenchman is terrified at a 
 morsel of black. I distributed more than one loaf among 
 my immediate followers, upon condition that they would 
 keep a share for me during the ensuing days. I found 
 occasion for another piece of foresight. A rifleman 
 belonging to the retinue had likewise purchased of these 
 hussars a thick woollen blanket ; I came to an agreement 
 with him, that he should let me have it for three conse- 
 
 I 2
 
 110 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 cutivo nights, every night for eight pence, and that he 
 should have it during the daytime. He considered the 
 bargain a very advantageous one ; the blanket had cost 
 him a florin, and in a short time he would have it back 
 again with interest. However, I had also reason to be 
 satisfied ; my precious woollen coverings from Longwy 
 had remained behind with the baggage; and now, amid 
 the general want of shelter and covering, I had obtained 
 a second protection besides my cloak. 
 
 All 'this took place with the uninterrupted accompani- 
 ment of the thundering of the cannons on each side; this day 
 ten thousand shots were fired, by which, on our side, only 
 twelve hundred men fell, and these, moreover, to no pur- 
 pose. The sky was cleared by the tremendous concussion ; 
 for the cannon were fired exactly as if it had been platoon 
 firing, irregularly, stopping, and then commencing again. 
 At one o'clock, at noon, after a pause of some duration, the 
 cannonading was at its height ; the earth literally trem- 
 bled, and still there was not the slightest change in the 
 positions. Nobody knew what would be the result. 
 
 I had heard so much about cannon-fever, that I wanted 
 to know what kind of thing it was. Ennui, and a spirit 
 which danger of any kind excites to daring, nay, even to 
 rashness, induced me to ride up composedly to the outwork 
 of La Lune. This was again occupied by our people ; but 
 it presented the wildest aspect. The roofs were shot to 
 pieces, stacks of corn scattered about, men mortally 
 wounded lay stretched upon them here and there, and oc- 
 casionally a spent cannon-ball fell and rattled among the 
 ruing of the roofs. 
 
 Being quite alone, and left to myself, I rode away along 
 the heights to the left, and could plainly survey the favour- 
 abte position of the French ; they were standing in the form 
 of a semicircle, in the greatest composure and security ; 
 Kellermann, on the left wing, was the easiest to reach. 
 
 I fell in with good company on the way ; officers of 
 my acquaintance, belonging to the general staff and the 
 regiment, and greatly surprised to find me here. They 
 wanted to take me back with them ; but I told them I 
 had a special object in view, and they left me, without 
 further discussion, to my well-known but strange caprices.
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 117 
 
 I had now got right into the region where the balls 
 came playing across : the sound of them is curious enough, 
 and seemed composed of the buzz of humming-tops, 
 the gurgling of water, and the whistling of birds. The 
 balls were less dangerous by reason of the wetness of the 
 ground ; wherever one fell it stuck fast. And thus my 
 fool-hardy ride in search of experience was secured at 
 least against the danger of the balls rebounding. 
 
 In the midst of these circumstances, I soon remarked 
 that something unusual was affecting me; I paid close 
 attention to it, and still the sensation can be described 
 only by similitude. It seemed as if I were in some ex- 
 tremely hot place, and quite penetrated by the heat of 
 it, and felt as it were altogether one with the element in 
 which I was. My eyes lost nothing of their strength or 
 clearness of sight, but it seemed to me as if the world had 
 a kind of brown-red tint, which made the situation, as 
 well as the surrounding objects, look more terrible. I 
 was unable to perceive any agitation of my blood; but 
 everything seemed rather to be swallowed up in the glow 
 of which I speak. From this it is clear in what sense the 
 condition can be called a fever. It is remarkable, however, 
 that the feeling of horror and anxiety arising from it is 
 produced in us solely through the ears. For the thunder 
 of the cannons, the howling, whistling, and crashing of the 
 balls through the air, is the actual cause of these sensations. 
 
 After I had ridden back, and was again in perfect 
 security, I remarked with surprise that the glow in me was 
 completely extinguished, and not the slightest feverish 
 agitation was left. This condition is moreover one of the 
 least desirable ; and, indeed, among my dear and noble 
 comrades, there was scarcely one who expressed a sincere 
 wish for it. 
 
 Thus the day had passed away ; the French stood im- 
 movable, Kellermann* having acquired a more advan- 
 tageous position. Our people were withdrawn from the 
 fire, and it was exactly as if nothing had happened. 
 The greatest consternation was diffused amid the army. 
 
 * During the night Kellermann had occupied the heights south of 
 the Aire, and hence there was no possibility of the Prussians being 
 able to make a successful attack.
 
 118 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 That very morning they had thought of nothing short of 
 spitting all the French, and of devouring them ; nay, I 
 myself had been tempted to take part in this dangerous 
 expedition from the unbounded confidence I felt in our 
 army and in the Duke of Brunswick. Now, every one 
 went about solitarily, no one looked at his neighbour, or 
 if it did happen, it was but to curse, or to swear. Just as 
 night was coming on, we had accidentally formed ourselves 
 into a circle, in the middle of which not even the usual 
 fire could be kindled ; most were silent, only a few con- 
 versed, in fact, the power of reflection and judgment seemed 
 to be wanting in every one. At last I was called upon to 
 say what I thought of the state of affairs ; for I had been 
 in the habit of enlivening and amusing the party with 
 brief remarks. This time I said : " From this place and 
 from this day forth commences a new era in the world's 
 history, and you can all say that you were present at its 
 birth."* 
 
 At such times, when nobody had anything to eat, I 
 claimed a morsel of the bread captured in the morning; there 
 was also remaining about as much as would fill a brandy- 
 bottle of the wine so freely used the day before ; and I 
 had, therefore, completely to abandon the part of conjuror 
 so boldly played while seated at the fire the night before. 
 
 The cannonade had scarcely ceased when rain and wind 
 again commenced, and made our condition most uncom- 
 fortable on the spongy clay soil, exposed as we were to the 
 weather. However, as a natural result of long watching 
 and agitation of mind and body, sleep asserted her empire 
 as night drew near. We had lain down behind an 
 elevated part of the ground, which protected us from the 
 cutting wind, when it occurred to somebody that for this 
 night we should bury ourselves in the earth, and cover 
 ourselves with our cloaks. Preparations were immediately 
 made for this, and several holes were dug with imple- 
 ments supplied by the horse artillery. The Duke of 
 Weimar even did not despise this kind of premature burial. 
 
 * " Goethe," says Herapel, " no doubt meant by this that as the 
 Allies had not been victorious, the real power of the Revolution would 
 now begin in good earnest, and moreover try its influence upon the 
 other countries of Europe."
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 119 
 
 I now demanded, on payment of eight pence, the 
 blanket mentioned above, wrapped myself in it, and spread 
 my cloak over me, without feeling its dampness much. 
 Ulysses,* I am sure, did not repose with greater comfort 
 and satisfaction in the cloak which he obtained in a 
 similar way. 
 
 All these preparations were made contrary to the wish 
 of the Colonel, who called our attention to the fact that 
 the French had a battery upon the opposite hill, behind a 
 copsewood, with which they could bury us in real earnest, 
 and annihilate us at their pleasure. But we were loath to 
 abandon the sheltered spot and our sagaciously invented 
 snuggery ; and this was not the last time I had occasion 
 to remark that people do not avoid danger to put them- 
 selves to inconvenience. 
 
 2lst September. 
 
 The salutations exchanged by the awakened sleepers 
 were by no means joyous or cheerful ; for all were con- 
 scious of being in a disgraceful and hopeless situation. We 
 found ourselves stationed on the edge of a huge amphi- 
 theatre, on the other side of which the enemy formed 
 a semicircle, extending farther than the eye could reach, 
 upon heights which were secured by rivers, ponds, brooks, 
 and morasses, at their feet. We, on our side, stood exactly 
 as we did the day before, lighter by ten thousand cannon- 
 balls, but not a whit better for the attack; we looked 
 down into a wide arena, -where the hussars of both armies 
 kept chasing each other about among the cottages and 
 gardens, and in their skirmishes, hour after hour, contrived 
 to engage the attention of the spectators. But from this 
 galloping to and fro, and popping at each other, there was 
 no result except that one of our people, who had ventured 
 too boldly within the enclosures, was surrounded and shot, 
 is he obstinately refused to surrender. 
 
 This was the only victim of this day's operations ; but 
 our uncomfortable, oppressive, and helpless situation was 
 
 * This can only refer to the meeting of Odysseus with Nausikaa, 
 although the comparison does not quite tally ; for in the Odyssey, 
 Odysseus receives the mantle from Nausikaa as a gift, and he <loes not lie 
 down under it, but, adorned with it, proceeds to the palace of Alkinooa.
 
 120 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 rendered more melancholy and frightful still by the pre- 
 vailing sickness.* 
 
 However venturesome and ready for battle all had been 
 the day before, it was now confessed that a suspension of 
 hostilities was desirable; for, on reflection, even the boldest 
 and most passionate were obliged to declare that an 
 attack would be the greatest possible madness. Opinions 
 wavered throughout the day, during which, to save 
 appearances, the same position was maintained as during 
 the time of the cannonade ; towards evening, however, it 
 was slightly changed, the head-quarters being ultimately 
 established at Hans, and the baggage carried there. We 
 now heard of the alarm, the danger, and the destruction 
 which had nearly befallen our servants and effects. 
 
 The wooded heights of Argonne, from St. Menehould 
 to Grandpre, were occupied by the French ; from whence 
 their hussars carried on a most daring and annoying little 
 warfare. We had learnt yesterday that a secretary of the 
 Duke of Brunswick, and some other followers of the Prince, 
 had been taken prisoners between the army and the bulwark 
 of waggons. The latter, however, did not in the least de- 
 serve the name of a bulwark, for it was badly constructed, 
 was not enclosed, and had not a sufficient escort. They had 
 been alarmed by one unaccountable noise after the other, as 
 well as by the cannonade, which was not far distant. 
 Afterwards they were deceived by the report, or fact, that 
 the French troops had come down from the forests, and been 
 on the way to seize the whole of the baggage ; and General 
 Kalkreuth's runner, who had been taken prisoner and again 
 liberated, took great credit to himself for what he had 
 done, declaring that he had prevented an attack from the 
 enemy by some successful lies he had invented about 
 numerous escorts, mounted batteries, and the like. Possibly 
 enough ! Who is there that has not done something, or 
 has not something to do, in moments of such importance ? 
 
 Tents, carriages, and horses we now had ; but not a bit of 
 
 * Recent accounts agree in thinking that the indecision of tho Duke 
 of Brunswick, and the feeling of discouragement in the army, to which 
 the disappointment gave rise, were greater evils than the unfortunate 
 position of tho moment, from which successful enterprises might never- 
 theless have been made.
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 121 
 
 food for any living thing. Although the rain was falling, 
 we were in want of water ; and some of the ponds were 
 polluted by the bodies of dead horses which had fallen into 
 them. All this together made the situation most frightful. 
 I could not understand what he meant when I saw my 
 faithful pupil, servant, and companion, Paul Gotze, busily 
 baling off the water collected on the leather covering of the 
 travelling carriage ; he then told me he wanted it for pre- 
 paring some chocolate, a supply of which he had luckily 
 brought along with him. In fact, I have seen some 
 persons scooping out the water from the horses' footmarks 
 to quench their burning thirst. Bread was bought from 
 the older soldiers, who were accustomed to fasting, and 
 were laying by money, in order to cheer themselves with 
 brandy, if any again were to be had. 
 
 22nd September. 
 
 We heard that Generals Manstein and Heymann were 
 at Dampiere, at the head-quarters of Kellermann, where 
 Duinourier also was expected. Their apparent object was, 
 to effect an exchange of prisoners, and make proper pro- 
 vision for the sick and wounded ; but they really expected 
 to effect an entire change in the present disastrous state of 
 affairs. Since the tenth of August the King of France had 
 been taken prisoner, and innumerable massacres had taken 
 place in September. It was known that Dumourier was in 
 favour of the King and Constitution ; he would therefore be 
 obliged, for his own safety and security, to oppose the pre- 
 sent state of things; and a great event, indeed, it would have 
 been if he had joined the Allies and advanced upon Paris. 
 
 Since the arrival of the equipage the quarters of the 
 Duke of Weimar were much improved, for it must be 
 acknowledged that the chamberlain, the cook, and other 
 household officials, never were without provisions, and even 
 during the greatest scarcity always supplied us with some 
 kind of warm food. Refreshed by it, I rode about the 
 country, in order to make myself acquainted with it, 
 but without success ; those flat hills possessed no striking 
 characteristics, not any one object seemed to be in any way 
 distinguished from the rest. To ascertain, however, where-
 
 122 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 abouts I was, 1 looked for the long avenue of tall poplars, 
 which had been a striking object the day before ; not find- 
 ing it, I thought I had wandered far out of my way ; but 
 on closer examination I found that it had been cut down, 
 carried away, and was, no doubt, already burnt. 
 
 The places within the cannons' range presented a 
 horrible aspect. Men were lying unburied, and beasts 
 writhing in pain and unable to die. I saw one horse 
 whose fore-feet had become entangled in its own entrails 
 that projected from its body, and was limping about in 
 this awful manner. 
 
 In riding back, I met Prince 'Louis Ferdinand in the open 
 field, sitting upon a wooden chair, which had been brought 
 up from a village in the plain ; at the same time some of 
 his people were dragging up a kitchen cupboard, contain- 
 ing, they asserted, something that rattled, and they were in 
 hopes of having captured a rich prize. They broke it open 
 eagerly, but found only a thick cookery-book ; and there- 
 upon, while the shattered cupboard was blazing in the fire, 
 they read aloud the precious cookery receipts, which so 
 excited their imaginations, that hunger and want were 
 again raised to the pitch of desperation. 
 
 September. 
 
 The worst possible weather was rendered, in some 
 measure, less dismal by the news that a suspension of 
 hostilities was decided upon, and that there was the 
 prospect of being able to suffer and starve at least in some 
 tranquillity. But this served only partially to console us, 
 for we soon heard that the agreement was merely that the 
 outposts should cease fighting, and that, with this excep- 
 tion, it was not forbidden to prosecute the operations at 
 pleasure. This condition was properly in favour of the 
 French, who could change their position in all directions 
 round about, and hem us in more closely ; whereas we, in 
 the centre, were compelled to keep stationary, and remain 
 in our position. The outposts, however, gladly availed 
 themselves of this order. At first they agreed among one 
 another that whichever side had the wind and weather in 
 their faces should be entitled to turn round, and, wrapped
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 123 
 
 in their cloaks, have nothing to fear from the other. 
 They went even further; the French had still some 
 small supply of food, whereas the Germans were in want of 
 everything ; the former, therefore, bestowed a portion of 
 theirs upon the latter, and they grew more friendly every 
 moment. At length printed papers were handed about 
 good-naturedly on the part of the French, proclaiming the 
 blessings of freedom and equality to the good Germans, 
 in two languages ; the French imitating the manifesto 
 of the Duke of Brunswick in an inverted sense, offered 
 good will and hospitality; and as greater numbers had 
 taken the field than they knew how to manage, this pro- 
 clamation, at least for the present, tended more to weaken 
 the enemy than strengthen themselves. 
 
 24$ September. 
 
 As companions in distress at this time, I could not help 
 pitying two handsome boys of about fourteen or fifteen 
 years of age. They had been put in requisition with four 
 light horses to drag my little carriage, and suffered in 
 silence more for their horses than themselves ; but it was 
 as difficult to help them as the rest of us. As they were 
 enduring all those hardships on my account, I felt bound 
 to do something for them, and wished to divide the com- 
 missariat bread before mentioned with them ; but they 
 refused it, and assured me that they could not eat that 
 kind of bread ; and when I asked what they ate in ordi- 
 nary times, they replied : " Du bonpain, de la bonne soupe, de 
 la bonne viande, de la bonne biere" So, as everything with 
 them was good, and everything with us was bad, I forgave 
 them freely, but they shortly afterwards made their escape, 
 leaving their horses behind. They had endured much 
 misery ; but I think it was the commissariat bread, like 
 a frightful spectre, which induced them, to take the last 
 decisive step. White and black bread is properly the 
 shibboleth, the battle-cry, between Germans and French. 
 
 One observation I must not omit here. We came 
 at an unfavourable season into a country unblessed by 
 nature, but which, at all events, supports its scattered, 
 industrious, orderly, and contented population. Bicher and
 
 124 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 more favoured districts may look down upon it ; but it was 
 not by any means wretchedness and beggary that met me 
 there. The houses are well built, and covered with tiles, 
 and sufficient signs of industry everywhere. The really 
 poor district, too, is, at the most, from sixteen to twenty 
 miles broad ; and, in the direction of the Argonne moun- 
 tains as well as towards Eheims and Chalons, has a more 
 favoured region close at hand. Children who had been 
 picked up in the first good village, spoke contentedly of 
 the way in which they were fed ; and I had only to 
 recollect the cellar at Somme Tourbe and the white bread 
 which had fallen into our hands fresh from Chalons, to 
 perceive that, in a time of peace, hunger and misery 
 were not exactly at home here. 
 
 , 25th September. 
 
 That during the suspension of hostilities the French 
 would be active, was to be expected and could be observed. 
 They were trying to re-establish the broken communication 
 with Chalons, and to push the Emigrants upon us, or 
 rather, drive them upon our rear ; but our greatest misfor- 
 tune for the moment was, that they could obstruct, if not 
 completely destroy, our communication both from the 
 Argonne mountains and from Sedan and Montmedy. 
 
 26th September. 
 
 As I was known to take an interest in various things, 
 the men brought me everything that appeared in any 
 way extraordinary. Amongst other things they brought 
 a cannon-ball, seemingly about four pounds weight, the 
 extraordinary thing about which, however, was, that the 
 whole of its surface was covered with little crystallised 
 pyramids. Balls enoiigh had been shot that day, and it 
 was not wonderful if one of them had made its way over 
 here. I made all kinds of hypotheses to account for the 
 peculiar shape of the ball, whether it had arisen in the 
 casting of the metal or afterwards ; an accident explained 
 the matter to me. Upon returning to my tent after a short 
 absence, I inquired for the ball, but it could not be found. 
 Persevering in my demand, the men confessed it had burst,
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 123 
 
 after all kinds of experiments had been made upon it. I 
 asked for the fragments, and found, to my great astonish- 
 ment, crystallisation at the centre which, commencing 
 there, radiated towards the surface. It was pyrites, and 
 must have been formed in some open place. This discovery 
 led further ; more of this kind of pyrites was found, but- 
 smaller, in the shape of balls and kidneys, and in other 
 less regular shapes, all, however, alike in this, that they 
 had not become fixed there from without, and that the 
 crystallisation could always be traced to some centre ; 
 they were not rounded off either, but freshly and plainly 
 crystallised on the surface. Can it be that they had been 
 produced spontaneously in the earth, and are other things 
 of the kind to be found in the fields ? 
 
 But it was not I alone that had my attention directed 
 to the minerals of the district ; the fine white chalk which 
 was found everywhere appeared decidedly valuable. The 
 soldiers had, in fact, only to dig a hole to come upon the 
 finest white chalk, a very necessary article to them for 
 keeping their accoutrements white and trim. An order 
 was actually issued that the soldiers were to provide them- 
 selves with as much as possible of this necessary commodity, 
 which was here to be had for nothing. This order was 
 somewhat laughed at, for although trudging through 
 the deepest mud, they were ordered to load themselves 
 with materials for cleanliness and ornament ; while 
 languishing for bread they were to content themselves 
 with dust. The officers, too, were not a little annoyed on 
 being ill-received at head-quarters, because they did not 
 appear as clean and well-dressed as when on parade in Berlin 
 or Potsdam. The commanders could not mend matters, so 
 it was thought they ought not to have grumbled. 
 
 27th September* 
 
 A somewhat singular expedient for meeting the press- 
 ing hunger was also announced to the army ; they were 
 
 * A letter to Knebel bears the same date as this, and the situation 
 of the Allies is there also briefly described ; Goethe ends by saying: 
 " I am very glad to have witnessed all with my own eyes, and that when 
 this important time is spoken of I shall be able to say et quorum pars 
 minima fui. ^Encus, of course, used the words para magna."
 
 126 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 ordered to thresh out as best they could the whole of 
 the barley sheaves in their possession, to boil the grain 
 thus obtained in hot water till it burst, and endeavour 
 to appease their hunger with this food ! 
 
 Our immediate neighbourhood, however, was destined 
 to have better succour afforded to it. Two carts were 
 seen at a distance sticking fast in the mud, to which 
 assistance was willingly conveyed, as they contained 
 provisions and other necessaries. Von Seebach, Master of 
 the Horse, immediately sent horses to them, and they 
 were moved off, but conducted to the Duke's regiment; 
 the drivers protested against this as they were destined 
 for the Austrian army, to which, indeed, their passports 
 bore witness. But, nevertheless, they were taken, and in 
 order to keep off the crowd, and at the same time to retain 
 possession of the carts, sentinels were placed by them; 
 and as the drivers were paid all that they demanded, they 
 were obliged to submit to see the things pass into our hands. 
 
 First of all, the stewards and cooks pressed forward 
 with their assistants, and took possession of the butter- vats, 
 hams, and other good things. The crowd increased, the 
 greater number calling for tobacco, which was given out 
 likewise in great quantities at a high price. The carts, 
 however, were so hemmed in, that at last nobody could 
 get near them, and I was most earnestly entreated by our 
 people and troopers to assist them in procuring some of 
 this most necessary of all commodities. 
 
 I ordered some soldiers to make way for me, and 
 immediately mounted the nearest cart, in order not to be 
 entangled in the crowd ; here I purchased and filled my 
 pockets to their utmost with tobacco; and when I 
 descended again, and freely dispensed it among the people, 
 I was praised as the greatest benefactor that had ever 
 taken pity on suffering humanity. Brandy also was there, 
 and was welcome to many, who were glad to pay a French 
 crown for a bottle. 
 
 27th September. 
 
 At head-quarters, to which access was sometimes 
 obtained, as well as of all those who were met coming
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 127 
 
 thence, inquiries were made as to the state of affairs, which 
 could not be more alarming. More and more was heard 
 of the horrors that had occurred in Paris ; and what was 
 at first considered as fable, appeared at last as veritable 
 truth of the most fearful kind. The King and his family 
 were prisoners, his dethronement already spoken of; 
 hatred of royalty in general was gaining ground every 
 day, and in fact, it was now expected that judicial proceed- 
 ings would be commenced against the unhappy monarch. 
 Our nearest antagonist in the war had again opened 
 up a communication with Chalons ; here Luckner was 
 stationed, in order to form the crowds of volunteers 
 streaming out from Paris into military corps; but these 
 men, who came from the capital during those first fearful 
 September days from amid the wild and fierce streams of 
 blood, brought with them a taste for murder and robbery 
 rather than for legitimate warfare. Following the example 
 of the savage population of Paris they selected their own 
 victims, to rob them of all they possessed, whether of 
 authority, property, or life. To let them loose, undisci- 
 plined as they were, would have been to complete our ruin. 
 
 The Emigrants had been driven upon us, and we were 
 told of many a danger that threatened both our rear and 
 flanks. In the neighbourhood of Eheims twenty thousand 
 peasants were said to have gathered together in bands, 
 armed with agricultural implements, and other rural 
 weapons, snatched up wildly at the moment; and there 
 was great fear lest these also might fall upon us. 
 
 These matters were discussed in the evening in the 
 Duke's tent, by some of the distinguished commanders in 
 the army ; each one offered his share of information, con- 
 jecture, and anxiety, to this helpless counsel, and it seemed 
 as if only a miracle could save us. However, it occurred to 
 me, that, in time of misfortune, people are fond in general 
 of drawing comparisons between themselves and persons 
 in an exalted station, especially if they happen to be in a 
 worse plight ; hence I felt induced, as a diversion, to re- 
 count some of the terrible incidents in the history of St. 
 Louis. This King, during his crusade, first undertook to 
 humble the Sultan of Egypt, for the Holy Land was then 
 an appendage of his. Uamietta fell without a siege into
 
 128 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 the hands of the Christians. Spurred on by his brother, the 
 Count d'Artois, the King undertook a march to 'Babylon- 
 Cairo, up the right bank of the Nile. They succeeded in 
 filling up one of the canals which drew water -from it. The 
 army marched over this ; but they now found themselves 
 hemmed in between the Nile and its larger and smaller 
 canals, whereas the Saracens were advantageously posted 
 on both sides of the river. To get over the larger water- 
 courses became a matter of difficulty. Blockhouses were 
 built, and opposed to those of the enemy ; but the latter 
 had the advantage of Greek fire. With this they spread 
 havoc among the wooden bulwarks, buildings, and men. 
 Of what use to the Christians was their unwavering 
 battle array, whilst continually provoked, insulted, and 
 attacked by the Saracens, and involved in confusion by 
 the perpetual attacks of their skirmishers? Isolated cases 
 of daring and hand-to-hand encounters produced an ani- 
 mating and spirit-stirring effect ; but the heroes, and even, 
 the King himself, were cut off from the main body. The 
 bravest amongst them, indeed, forced their way through, 
 but the confusion increased. The Count d'Artois got into 
 danger, and the King risked everything for his rescue. 
 His brother was already dead, and the danger rose to the 
 highest pitch. During this awful day everything de- 
 pended upon the defence of a bridge over a side stream, in 
 order to keep off the Saracens from the rear of the main 
 battle. The few warriors posted there were reinforced, as 
 much as possible, with guns by the soldiers, with stones 
 and mud by the soldiers' boys. In the midst of all this 
 havoc the Count de Soissons said, jestingly, to the Duke 
 of Joinville : " Seneschal, let the hounds bellow and bark ! 
 by God's throne (this was his usual oath), of this day we 
 shall yet speak in our homes to our ladies." 
 
 They, smiled, received the story as a good omen, and 
 discussed the probabilities of the case, more particularly 
 gave reasons why the French were more likely to spare us 
 than to destroy us. The long unbroken truce, and their 
 hitherto unaggreesive demeanour, gave some hope. To 
 increase this feeling I ventured upon another historical 
 narrative, and, producing the particular maps, brought to 
 their remembrance that eight miles to the westwards of us
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 129 
 
 lay the famous Devil's field, to which Attila, King of the 
 Huns, in the year 451, had advanced with his countless 
 hords, but was there routed by the Burgundian princes, 
 as-dsted by the Roman General ^Etius ; that, had they 
 followed up their victory, Attila, together with all his 
 people, would have been utterly destroyed. But the Roman 
 general, desirous that the Burgundian princes should not 
 be altogether free from this powerful enemy, as in that 
 case they might turn against the Romans, persuaded them, 
 one after the other, to return home ; and that thus the King 
 of the Huns escaped with the remains of his countless host. 
 At this moment news was brought that the expected 
 supply of bread had arrived from Grandpre ; this doubly 
 and trebly cheered the hearts of all ; they parted in better 
 spirits, and I was able to read to the Duke till late in the 
 night, out of an amusing French book, which had fallen 
 into my hands in a very curious way. Amidst the auda- 
 cious, outrageous jokes, which aroused our laughter in 
 spite of our precarious position, I thought of the lively 
 riflemen at Verdun, who marched into the jaws of death 
 singing frivolous songs. One must not be too particular 
 about the means, when wishing to escape the bitterness of 
 one's fate. 
 
 28/A September. 
 
 The bread had arrived, but not without difficulty and 
 loss ; several of the carts had stuck fast in the wretched 
 roads on their way to us from Grandpre, where it was 
 baked ; others had fallen into the hands of the enemy, 
 and a portion of the supply was unfit for use ; for, from 
 having been too wet and too quickly baked, the crumb 
 had separated from the crust, and become mouldy. As 
 there was again a fear of poison, they brought me some of 
 the loaves, which this time had a high orange colour 
 in the inside, indicating arsenic, and sulphur, as those at 
 Verdun had shown signs of verdigris. But supposing even 
 that the bread was not poisoned, the look of it excited dis- 
 gust and loathing ; hunger became keener, being balked of 
 a supply ; sickness, wretchedness, and discontent pressed 
 heavily on the large mass of brave men. 
 
 X
 
 130 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 In the midst of these distresses our surprise and uneasi- 
 ness were increased by an incredible piece of intelligence. 
 The Duke of Brunswick, it was said, had sent his former 
 manifesto to Dumourier, who, astonished and enraged, 
 immediately proclaimed the truce at an end, and com- 
 manded a renewal of hostilities. In spite of the greatness 
 of the dilemma in which we were, and foreseeing a 
 still greater before us, we could not refrain from laughing 
 and jeering ; here was an instance, we said, of the misery 
 which authorship draws upon itself ! Every poet or 
 writer is fond of showing people his works, without in- 
 quiring whether it be the right time for it or not ; and this 
 was precisely what the Duke of Brunswick was doing ; 
 for, in order to enjoy the pleasures of authorship, he was 
 producing his unlucky manifesto at the wrong time. 
 
 We now expected to see the advanced posts popping at 
 each other again, and looked towards the hills for an 
 enemy to make his appearance, but all was as quiet and 
 tranquil as if nothing had happened. In the meantime 
 we lived nrthe most painful state of uncertainty and in- 
 security, for everybody was aware that, from a strategi- 
 cal point of view, we were lost if the enemy should take 
 the slightest fancy to annoy us or press us. But in the 
 midst of this uncertainty many things already indicated a 
 better understanding and more peaceful disposition ; for 
 instance, the postmaster of St. Menehould had been de- 
 livered up, free and unhurt, in exchange for the persons 
 belonging to the King's suite, who had been taken pri- 
 soners on the twentieth between the bulwark of waggons 
 and the army. 
 
 29<fc September. 
 
 Towards evening, according to the orders given, the 
 baggage was put in motion. It was to go forward under 
 the escort of the Duke of Brunswick's regiment, and the 
 army to follow at midnight. All bestirred themselves, 
 but uneasily and slowly ; for even with the best will they 
 slipped on the splashy ground, and sank into it before 
 they were aware. These hours also passed away ; time 
 runs its course, even on the roughest day.
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 131 
 
 Night had come on ; and this also we had to pass sleep- 
 less. The weather was not unfavourable, the full moon 
 was shining, but had nothing to illuminate. The tents 
 had vanished ; waggons, carriages, and horses, were all 
 away, and our little party in particular was in a curious 
 state. We had appointed the place where we were for the 
 horses to meet us, but they did not come. As far as we 
 could see round about by the pale light, everything 
 appeared desolate and dreary ; we listened in vain ; neither 
 shape nor sound could be seen or heard. Our minds 
 wavered, doubtful and uncertain ; we were more inclined 
 not to leave the appointed place than to put our people 
 in the same dilemma, and miss them altogether. Yet it 
 was terrible, thus in the enemy's country, after such events, 
 to stand isolated and abandoned, or, at least, to appear so 
 for the moment. We watched to see whether any hostile 
 demonstration might be a-foot ; but nothing was stirring, 
 either for or against us. 
 
 We collected all the tent-straw which had been left 
 behind in the neighbourhood, and burned it, not 
 without fear. Allured by the flame, an old female sutler 
 approached us ; she had apparently made good use of her 
 time in remote places in which she had loitered on her 
 way back, for she carried a pretty large bundle under her 
 arm. After greeting us and warming herself, she first 
 of all began to praise Frederick the Great to the skies, and 
 extolled the Seven Years' War, in which, she said, she had 
 been present ; then she fiercely abused the present princes 
 nnd generals, who had brought the large army into a coun- 
 try where the sutlers could not drive their trade, which, ac- 
 cording to her, was the main point. It was pleasant and 
 amusing enough, for the moment, to look at the affair 
 from her point of view ; however, the horses were exceed- 
 ingly welcome when they arrived at length, for then, 
 together with the Weimar regiment, we commenced our 
 ominous retreat. 
 
 The measures of precaution taken, and the significant 
 orders issued, gave us reason to fear that the enemy 
 would not look quietly on our retreat. We had observed, 
 with apprehension, even while it was still daylight, all the 
 vehicles sunk in the miry ground, moving with difficulty 
 
 K 2
 
 132 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 along ; and this particularly alarmed us in the case of the 
 artillery. What might not be our fate when night came 
 on ! It was mournful to see the baggage-waggons, over- 
 turned and broken, lying in the brooks, and deplorable 
 to leave the sick lying helpless behind us. When these 
 who were in any way acquainted with the country 
 looked around them, they confessed that nothing could 
 save us here, if the enemy, who was known to be on both 
 our flanks and rear, was inclined to attack us. As this, 
 however, did not take place during the first few hours our 
 hopeful minds again took courage, and, owing to a tendency 
 to assign a rational cause to everything that happened, 
 we took comfort in believing that the negotiations between 
 the head-quarters of Hans and St. Menehould had been 
 successfully concluded in our favour. From hour to hour 
 this belief increased ; and when I saw a halt made, and 
 the whole of the waggons moving along in good order 
 above the village of bt. Jean, I felt quite certain that we 
 should reach home, and, surrounded by good society, be 
 able to recount our past sufferings, devant leg dames. I 
 now again imparted my belief to my friends and ac- 
 quaintances ; and we already began to endure our pre- 
 sent difficulties with cheerfulness. 
 
 No encampment was made, but our people struck a 
 large tent, and spread wheat-sheaves about, both inside 
 and outside, for sleeping on. The moon was shining clear 
 through the calm air, only a thin streak of light cloud was 
 perceptible; the whole country round about being almost 
 as visible and distinct as in the daytime. The moon 
 shone upon the men sleeping, and upon the horses, which 
 were kept awake by a want of food ; many white ones 
 were among them, and the light was strongly reflected 
 from them ; the white waggon-coverings, and even the 
 white wheat-sheaves, used as layers, shed light and cheer- 
 fulness over this imposing scene. Truly the greatest 
 artist would have considered himself fortunate if he could 
 have painted it ! 
 
 Not till late did I lie down in my tent, hoping to enjoy 
 the soundest sleep ; but Nature has interposed many dis- 
 comforts between her richest gifts ; and one of the most 
 unsocial habits of man is, that, whilst asleep, and himself
 
 SEPTEMBER 1792. 133 
 
 enjoying the most profound repose, he is wont to keep his 
 fellows awake by violent snoring. Head to head, I within 
 the tent, the other outside, I found myself lying beside a man 
 who was perseveringly disturbing my needful rest by his 
 abominable grunting. I untied the rope of the tent-stake 
 to see who was my foe, and found it was one of the servants, 
 a brave and worthy man, who was lying in the moonlight 
 as sound asleep as if he had been Endymion himself. 
 The impossibility of obtaining any rest in such neighbour- 
 hood excited a mischievous spirit within me ; I took up an 
 ear of corn, and drew it lightly over his forehead and nose. 
 Thus disturbed in his rest, he rubbed his hand several 
 times across his face; and as soon as he again sank into 
 sleep I renewed my game, he being, no doubt, unable to 
 understand from, whence a gad-fly came at this time of 
 the year. This went on till at last, quite awakened, the 
 man decided to get up. Meanwhile, all tendency to sleep 
 had left me also. I went out in front of the tent, and, in 
 the scarcely altered picture, looked wonderingly upon the 
 infinite stillness, so close upon the existing danger; and 
 as, in such moments, anxiety and hope, apprehension and 
 confidence, alternate in the mind, a thrill of horror ran 
 through me, when I thought that if the enemy should fall 
 upon us at this moment, neither the spoke of a wheel nor 
 a human limb would be able to escape. 
 
 Daybreak soon changed the aspect of things ; for many 
 a strange sight was to be seen. Two old women, camp- 
 followers, had tied several silk petticoats of various colours 
 round their bodies and shoulders, the chief of them having 
 in addition a kind of cape round her throat and head. 
 In this garb they strutted about, looking most comic, 
 but asserted that they had obtained the things all by fair 
 purchase and exchange. 
 
 30M September. 
 
 Notwithstanding that the waggons were put in motion 
 as soon as the day broke, we made but little way ; for, as 
 early as nine o'clock, we stopped between Laval and Varge 
 Moulin. Men and cattle took what refreshment they 
 could find ; but we did not encamp. The army also
 
 134 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 arrived, and took up its post upon a hill ; the greatest 
 quiet and order being maintained throughout. It could 
 easily be perceived, by different precautionary measures 
 being put in force, that all danger was not yet considered 
 at an end ; reconnoitering parties were sent out, and secret 
 interviews were held with strangers, and preparations 
 made for breaking up again. 
 
 1st October. 
 
 The Duke of Weimar led the vanguard at the same 
 time, and covered the retreat of the baggage. Order and 
 quiet prevailed during the night, and our spirits were 
 becoming more composed, when, about twelve o'clock, we 
 were ordered to break up. It was now evident, from 
 everything we saw, that this march was not considered 
 quite safe, owing to the predatory bands which, it was 
 feared, might attack us from the forest of Argonne. For 
 even supposing, what was by no means certain, that an 
 agreement had been entered into with Dumourier and the 
 higher powers, still there was so little subordination at 
 the time, that a mountain force might easily have 
 declared itself independent, and made an attempt to de- 
 stroy us, which, if successful, would have been sanctioned. 
 This day's march also did not extend far ; it was intended 
 that the baggage and the army should proceed together, 
 should keep up with the Austrians and Emigrants, who 
 were on our left flank, and parallel to us, and had likewise 
 commenced their retreat. 
 
 And here I may as well mention that, in the midst of 
 all this wretchedness, I made this whimsical vow : that, if 
 we escaped, and I reached home in safety, nobody should 
 ever hear me again complain of the obstruction to the 
 view from my chamber-window caused by the projecting 
 gable of the next house, which, in fact, I now ardently 
 longed to behold ; further, that I would never again 
 complain of want of comfort or of ennui in a German 
 theatre, where, thank God, one is at least always under 
 cover, whatever may be taking place on the stage. I made 
 a third vow which, however, I have forgotten. 
 
 It was sufficient still for every one to provide for himself
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 135 
 
 in this way ; and cattle and waggons, man and horse, 
 remained together, according to their regular divisions. 
 We also again found tables covered, and benches and 
 chairs in readiness, when we halted or encamped. It 
 struck us that we got rather short allowance, but knowing 
 the general scarcity, we submitted cheerfully to our 
 fate. 
 
 Fortune, however, gave me an opportunity of enjoying a 
 better meal. It had grown dark early, and everybody 
 had lain down upon the straw prepared for them. I, too, 
 had fallen asleep, but was awakened by a lively and 
 pleasant dream ; for I fancied that I smelt, in fact, that I 
 was eating, the most delicious morsels ; this woke me, and 
 on rising up, I found my tent full of a glorious smell of 
 bacon, frying and frizzling, which greatly excited my 
 appetite. In the wild kind of life we were leading, we 
 might surely be excused for considering swine-herds 
 divine,* and pork as inestimably good. I stood up and 
 saw a fire at some little distance, luckily in the direction 
 whence the wind was blowing, which brought me an 
 abundance of the pleasant odour. Hastening to the spot, 
 I found all the servants engaged round a smouldering fire, 
 the back of the sow nearly roasted, the rest of it cut up, 
 and ready for packing, and every one busy, and giving a 
 hand to the rapid preparation of the sausages. Not far 
 from the fire lay the trunks of some large trees, upon one 
 of which, after a friendly salutation of the party, I sat 
 down, and looked on with pleasure and in silence at their 
 work. Some of the good people were kindly disposed 
 towards me, others felt that they could not with propriety 
 exclude the unexpected guest ; so when it came to making 
 a division, they bestowed a goodly share upon me. Bread 
 also was not wanting, and a drop of brandy besides; in 
 fact, there was no want of any good thing. 
 
 A large piece of sausage was also presented to me 
 when we mounted our horses amid the darkness and 
 fog of midnight ; I stuck it in my pistol holsters. 
 Thus the favour of the night-wind had done me good 
 service. 
 
 * In allusion apparently to Homer's Eutnaios, the divine swine- 
 herd.
 
 130 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 2nd October. 
 
 Although refreshed by having partaken of food and 
 drink, and our minds appeased by consolatory reasonings, 
 still hope and anxiety, chagrin and a feeling of disgrace, 
 alternated within us ; we were glad to be still alive, yet 
 we abjured a life passed under the present conditions. 
 About two o'clock in the morning we broke up, marched 
 cautiously past a wood, and traversed at Vaux the scene 
 of our late encampment, and soon afterwards arrived at 
 Aisne. Here we found two bridges, which enabled us to 
 cross over to the right bank. We halted for the present 
 between the two, within sight of both, upon a sandy 
 willow-bank, and kindled a blazing fire to cook with. 
 The tenderest of lentils 1 ever tasted, and long, red potatoes 
 of good flavour were soon prepared. And when the hams 
 which had been conveyed by the Austrian drivers, but 
 which had hitherto been kept secret, were served up, there 
 was an abundant supply for all. 
 
 The baggage had already come across ; but soon a 
 spectacle both splendid and melancholy presented itself. 
 The army was coming up; the infantry and artillery 
 marching across the bridges, the cavalry through a ford ; 
 all faces were downcast, and every mouth silent, indicative 
 of gloomy reflections. When a regiment arrived in which 
 acquaintances and friends were known to be, we hastened 
 towards them, embraced them, and conversed ; but what 
 questions these were, and amid what mortification and 
 Bhame, and even tears, it took place ! 
 
 Nevertheless, we rejoiced in having managed to be able 
 to accommodate both high and low so well. At first, the 
 drum of a picquet which had been posted there served as 
 a table ; afterwards, chairs and tables were brought from 
 some neighbouring villages, and guests of every degree 
 were made as comfortable as possible. The Crown Prince 
 and Prince Louis did not despise the lentils ; and we were 
 joined by several generals, who were attracted from a 
 distance by the smoke. But good as was our supply, 
 what could it avail among so many ! A second and a third 
 party had to be served, and our supply was diminishing 
 every moment.
 
 OCTOBER 1702. 137 
 
 Our Prince being in the habit of dispensing liberally to 
 all, his people followed his example ; and it would be 
 difficult to mention every case in which chamberlain and 
 cook furnished refreshments to the numerous invalids who 
 went by. 
 
 This continued during the whole day, and thus the 
 retreat presented itself to me not merely in detail and by 
 comparison, but in its full reality ; and the painfulness of 
 it was renewed and increased by every new uniform. The 
 truly melancholy spectacle was destined to end in a way 
 worthy of it ; the King and his staff rode up from a 
 distance, remained some time stationary upon the bridge, 
 as if to survey and reconsider the whole matter again ; but 
 at last he, too, followed his discomfited army. In the 
 same way the Duke of Brunswick appeared on the other 
 bridge, hesitated, and then rode across. 
 
 The night set in windy but dry, and was passed on the 
 gloomy willow-bank by most without sleep. 
 
 3rd October. 
 
 Next morning, at six o'clock, we left this place, marched 
 over a hill to Grandpre, and joined the army encamped 
 there. Fresh evils and anxieties awaited us ; the castle 
 had been turned into a hospital, and was already filled 
 with several hundred sick, for whose assistance and 
 support it was impossible to make any provision. We 
 passed them, not without some qualms of conscience, 
 but were obliged to abandon them to the mercy of the 
 enemy. 
 
 Here we again encountered fearful rains, which impeded 
 all our movements. 
 
 4/A October. 
 
 The difficulty of moving on increased more and more ; as 
 the high roads were impassable, an attempt was made to 
 cross the fields. The soil, of a reddish colour, which WHS 
 more clammy even than the chalk soil we had passed, 
 obstructed us at every step. The four small horses were 
 scarcely able to drag my little carriage along, so I thought 
 it would be as well to relieve them of the weight of my
 
 138 CAMPAIGN IN PRANCE. 
 
 person at least. The riding-horses were nowhere to be 
 seen ; but the large kitchen-waggon, drawn by six strong 
 horses, came up to me. I mounted it ; it was not quite 
 empty of victuals, but the kitchen-maid was sitting pee- 
 vishly in the corner. I devoted myself to my studies. I 
 had taken out of my portmanteau the third volume of 
 Fischer's Lexicon of Natural Philosophy, a dictionary 
 being in such times the best of all companions, as at every 
 moment an interruption may occur, and our attention is 
 diverted by being led from one thing to the other. 
 
 We had, in our dilemma, imprudently entered a tough, 
 spongy, red-clay field, and in the fallow ground even the 
 strength of the strong team that drew the cooking- 
 waggon gave way. Seated there I seemed to myself like 
 a parody on Pharaoh in the Red Sea ; for around me horse 
 and foot were about to sink in an element of similar 
 colour, and in a similar way. I looked wistfully towards 
 all the neighbouring heights, and at length espied the 
 riding-horses, and amongst them the gray one destined 
 for myself. I beckoned them eagerly to approach, and 
 delivered up my Natural Philosophy to the poor dis- 
 spirited kitchen-maid, commending it to her care. I 
 leaped upon my horse, and firmly resolved not readily to 
 take such a drive again. I was now more independent 
 certainly, but did not get on either better or faster. 
 
 Grandpre, which was now to be described as a place of 
 pestilence and death, we gladly left behind us. Several 
 friends and comrades met, and formed a circle round a 
 fire ; we held our horses by the bridle behind us. I was 
 told that this was the only time that I had shown a 
 gloomy face, and had neither fortified them with wise 
 words, nor entertained them with witty ones. 
 
 4th and 5th October.' 
 
 The road the army had taken led towards Busancy, as it 
 was their intention to cross the Meuse above Dun. We en- 
 camped close to Sivry, and found that everything had not 
 yet been consumed in that neighbourhood. The soldiers 
 rushed into the first gardens that came in their way, and de- 
 stroyed much that would have been of use to others. I set our
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 139 
 
 cook and his people upon a more skilful plan of foraging ; 
 we went round the whole village, and found some gardens 
 still quite untouched, and a rich undisputed harvest. There 
 was abundance of cabbages, onions, radishes, and other 
 good vegetables ; we took no more than wo required, 
 moderately and sparingly. The garden was not large, 
 but was well kept ; and as we crept back to the hedge 
 again, I began to speculate as to how it had happened 
 that, in a vegetable-garden like this, not a trace was to 
 be discovered of any door into the adjoining house. On 
 returning, well laden with kitchen-booty, we heard a 
 great uproar in front of the regiment. A horse, which 
 had been put in requisition about twenty days before, had 
 escaped, carrying away the stake to which it had been 
 tied ; the trooper, who was in very bad odour with his 
 officers, was being ordered, with threats, to regain posses- 
 sion of his horse. 
 
 As it was decided that we should pass the fifth in this 
 neighbourhood, we took up our quarters in Sivry, and 
 after so many hardships greatly enjoyed domestic life 
 again, and were glad of the opportunity thus presented of 
 observing idyllic Homeric country-life in Fiance. The 
 houses were not entered immediately from the street, but 
 first there was a small, open square space, the entrance- 
 door forming one side of the square ; one then passed 
 through what was properly the house-door, and entered a 
 spacious lofty room, appropriated to the common uses of the 
 family ; it was paved with liles, and on the left, in the 
 middle of a long wall, stood a fire-place; above it was 
 u flue which carried away the smoke. After saluting 
 our hosts, we approached the fire, observing that regular 
 fixed places were assigned to whoever might be in the 
 room, according to their respective ranks. On the right of 
 the fire-place stood a large box, with a lid, which also served 
 for a chair ; it contained the salt, a supply of which was 
 stored up, and had to be kept in a dry place. This was 
 the seat of honour, and was immediately assigned to 
 the most distinguished of the strangers ; the other visitors 
 seated themselves upon wooden chairs, as did also tho 
 people of the house. The cooking apparatus, peculiar 
 to the district, a pot au feu, I had an opportunity
 
 140 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 of examining for the first time. A large iron kettle was 
 suspended above the fire from a hook, which could be 
 raised or lowered by means of indentations ; in this a goodly 
 piece of beef was boiling, with water and salt, together 
 with white and yellow turnips, leeks, cabbages, and other 
 vegetable ingredients. 
 
 Whilst conversing in a friendly way with the good 
 people, I perceived with what architectural skill the 
 dresser, sink, and plate-rack had been arranged in the 
 room. These occupied the oblong space formed at the 
 side by the open square entrance. The dishes were 
 neatly ranged in order ; a girl, either a servant or one 
 of the family, attended to every one in the prettiest way. 
 The mother of the family was sitting by the fire, with a 
 lxy standing at her knee, and two little girls pressing 
 cl<.se up to her. The table was covered with a cloth, a 
 large earthen bowl was placed upon it, some small slices of 
 fine white bread thrown into it, the hot broth poured over 
 these, and recommended to a bon appetit. The boys who 
 had so despised my commissariat bread might have referred 
 ni'j to this as a sample of " bon pain " and " bonne soupe" 
 The vegetables, which had been prepared at the same time, 
 now followed, together with the meat, and anybody 
 might have been satisfied with this simple specimen of 
 culinary skill. 
 
 We inquired kindly about the state of their affairs. It 
 Beeiued that when we were first at Landres they had 
 suffered severely, and now, scarcely recovered from their 
 former fears, they apprehended total ruin from the re- 
 treating hostile army. We sympathized with them in 
 their anxiety, and comforted them by assuring them that 
 the danger would now soon be over, as, with the exception 
 of the rear-guard, we were the last of the army ; and gave 
 them advice and directions as to how they should behave 
 to marauders. With wind and rain alternating every 
 moment, we passed the day principally under cover before 
 the fire, thinking over the past, and contemplating what 
 might immediately be awaiting us, not without anxiety. 
 Since we had left Grandpre I had seen neither carriage, 
 portmanteau, nor servants, and hope and fear by turns 
 took possession of my mind. Night had come on, and the
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 141 
 
 children had to go to bed ; they approached their father 
 and mother respectfully, made a bow, kissed their parents' 
 hands, and said : " Bon soir, papa ! bon sotr, mama /" with be- 
 coming grace. Soon after this we heard that the Prince 
 of Brunswick * was lying dangerously ill in our vicinity, 
 and went to inquire for him. We were not admitted to 
 his presence, but were assured that he was so much better 
 as to intend proceeding on the march next morning. 
 
 Scarcely had we got under shelter again from the dread- 
 ful rain, and were seated by the fire, when a youn g man came 
 in, whom we immediately recognised as our landlord's 
 younger brother. He was a handsome young man, dressed 
 in the usual fashion of the country-people in France. 
 Looking very grim, and with a wild, discontented look, he 
 eat down beside us at the fire without saying a word ; b\it, 
 as soon as he had warmed himself, he rose, and walked up and 
 down the room with his brother, and then both went into 
 the other room. They conversed in a very animated yet 
 confidential tone. He then went out into the drenching 
 rain, our host not seeking to detain him. 
 
 But we, too, were soon called out into the stormy night 
 by loud cries of distress. Under the pretext of searching 
 for forage in the fields, our soldiers had commenced 
 plundering, and in the most absurd fashion, for they had 
 robbed a weaver of his loom a thing of no use in the 
 world to them. With a little severity and good advice 
 we put matters to rights again ; for it was only a few of 
 the men who had ventured upon such proceedings. How 
 easily, however, this might have become infectious, and 
 brought everything into confusion ! 
 
 A considerable number of persons had collected, and a 
 Weimar hussar, a butcher by trade, came up to me and 
 confided to me that he had discovered a fatted sow in a 
 house close by, for which he had tried to bargain, but 
 could not obtain it from its owner, and now wished some 
 measures to be taken to get possession of it, for there would 
 be a great scarcity of everything during the ensuing 
 days. It was curious enough that we, who had just put 
 
 * The fourth son of the then reigning duke ; subsequently he became 
 famous for his military exploits, and as " Brunswick's fated chieftain," 
 whose death at Quatre Bras is celebrated by Byron.
 
 142 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 down plundering, should be called upon to do the same 
 ourselves. However, as hunger acknowledges no law, we 
 went with the hussar into the house indicated, found a 
 large fire burning, saluted the people, and sat down beside 
 them. Another Weimar hussar, called Liseur, had come 
 with us, and to his ingenuity we confided the manage- 
 ment of the affair. He began, in French, fluently to speak 
 of the virtues of the regular troops, and praised those who 
 sought, in fair exchange for ready money, to obtain merely 
 the most necessary articles ; on the other hand, he abused 
 marauders, baggage-servants, and sutlers, who, with 
 violence and force, were in the habit of seizing every- 
 thing they could lay their hands on, and did not leave a 
 scrap of anything behind. He wished, he added, to give 
 them his friendly piece of advice, and to consider whether it 
 was not more to their interest to sell what they possessed, 
 eeeing that gold was less difficult to conceal than beasts, 
 which were always easily discovered. His arguments, 
 however, appeared to be making no great impression, 
 when the negotiation was interrupted in a curious way. 
 
 A violent knocking was heard at the outer door, which 
 was locked; to this no attention was paid, as they had no 
 desire to admit more visitors; the knocking continued, 
 a plaintive female voice kept calling out, and beseeching 
 clamorously that the door might be opened. Softened at 
 length they unlocked the door, and an old woman, one of 
 the camp-followers, rushed in, carrying something in her 
 arms wrapped up in a cloth ; behind her was a young 
 woman, not bad-looking, but pale and debilitated, and 
 scarcely able to stand on her legs. In a few words, and 
 with great energy, the old crone explained the state of 
 the case, displaying a naked infant, of which the woman 
 had been delivered on her flight. They had been left 
 behind, ill treated by the peasants, and this night at last 
 reached our door. The mother, as her milk had left her, 
 had not been able to give the child any nourishment since 
 its birth. The old woman now clamoured for meal, milk, 
 and a pan, and linen to wrap the child in. As she did not 
 know French, we had to ask for her ; but her imperious 
 and passionate gestures gave sufficient pantomimic weight 
 and emphasis to what we said. What she demanded
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 143 
 
 could not be got very quickly ; and when it was brought, 
 it was not good enough for her. It was curious, too, to 
 notice her alertness in going to work ; she soon drove us 
 back from the fire, the best place being immediately 
 engaged for the young mother, she herself sitting upon 
 a stool with as confident an air as if the house had been 
 her own. In a twinkling the child was washed and 
 wrapped up, the pap boiled ; she fed the little creature first, 
 then the mother, paying little attention to herself. After 
 wards she asked for clean clothes for the sick woman, whilst 
 the old ones were drying. We looked at her in amaze- 
 ment ; she clearly understood how to make requisitions. 
 
 The rain ceased ; we went back to our former quarters, 
 and shortly afterwards the hussars brought in the sow. 
 We paid what seemed a reasonable price for it. It had now 
 to be slaughtered ; this was done, and a staple being found 
 in the beam of the adjoining room, it was hung up. there 
 to be properly cut up and prepared. 
 
 That our hosts, on this occasion, manifested no ill-nature, 
 but displayed rather a desire to help us, appeared some- 
 what singular to us, as they had good reason to consider 
 our conduct both barbarous and inconsiderate. In the 
 same room in which we were carrying on the operation 
 the children were lying in their clean beds, and being 
 awakened by the noise we made, they peered out prettily 
 from among the blankets, with frightened faces. The sow 
 was hanging close to a large double marriage-bed, closed 
 in carefully with green serge, the curtains constituting a 
 picturesque back-ground to the illuminated carcase. It 
 was a night-piece without its like. But the inmates 
 could not indulge in such reflections ; we remarked that 
 they had some grudge against the people from whom the 
 sow had been taken, and felt a certain malicious pleasure 
 about it. We had moreover promised them some of the 
 meat and sausages ; and this was advantageous to us in the 
 operation, which had to be completed in a few hours. Our 
 hu.-sar now showed himself as active and clever in this 
 business as the gipsy over the way was in hers ; and we 
 enjoyed, in anticipation, the good sausages and joints of 
 meat which were to fall to us as our share of booty. To 
 await this, we lay down in the smithy belonging to our
 
 144 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 host upon some delicious sheaves of corn, and slept soundly 
 till the day broke. Meanwhile our hussar had finished 
 his business in the house; breakfast was ready waiting 
 for us, and the remainder of the beast packed up, our hosts 
 having first obtained their share, not without some signs 
 of discontent on the part of our people, who maintained 
 that kindness was ill bestowed upon % thein, as they doubt- 
 less had both meat, and other good things concealed which 
 we had not yet succeeded in ferreting out. 
 
 On looking round about in the back room I found a 
 door barred, which, from its position, evidently led into a 
 garden. Through a small window at the side, I could see 
 that I had guessed rightly ; the garden lay rather higher 
 than the house, and I recognised it plainly as the same 
 from which, in the morning, we had supplied ourselves 
 with the kitchen-stuff. The door was blocked up, and 
 covered so skilfully with earth heaped up against it 
 that I could now easily understand why I had been 
 unable to discover it in the morning. Thus it had stood 
 written in the stars, that we were to enter the house in 
 spite of all their precautions. 
 
 6th October, morning. 
 
 In our present circumstances we could never calculate 
 on a moment's rest, or expect that the same state of things 
 would continue for an instant. With the break of day, 
 the whole place was suddenly put into a great state of 
 excitement; the affair of the horse which had escaped 
 again became the subject of conversation. Its anxious 
 rider, who had either to regain possession of it or suffer 
 punishment and march on foot, had been running about the 
 nearest villages, when at last the people, in order to rid 
 themselves of the hubbub, assured him that the horse must 
 bo hid in Sivry ; that some weeks before, they had seen a 
 black horse like the one he described, taken from that town; 
 that it was close to Sivry where it hud made its escape 
 and added other things which they thought might make 
 this more probable. He now came, accompanied by a 
 lion-commissioned officer, who, by threatening the whole 
 place, at last found a solution of the mystery. The horse
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 145 
 
 had actually run to Sivry, to its former master ; the joy 
 of the family, they said, had been boundless on finding 
 again the lost companion of the house and stable univer- 
 sal was the sympathy of the neighbours. Artfully enough 
 they had taken the horse into a hay-loft, and concealed it 
 behind some hay ; nobody divulged the secret. It was 
 now brought forth amidst lamentations and grief; and 
 when the trooper mounted it and followed the sergeant, 
 sadness fell upon the whole of the little community. JSo- 
 body thought of his own troubles, or of the general and 
 by no means satisfactory state of things ; the horse and 
 its proprietor, cheated out of it for a second time, were 
 the subjects that interested the assembled throng. 
 
 A momentary ray of hope appeared ; the Crown Prince 
 of Prussia rode up, and whilst seeking to learn what had 
 brought the crowd together, the good people went up to 
 him, and implored him to give them back the horse. This 
 it was not in his power to do ; for the necessities of war 
 are mightier than kings ; and they were left disconsolate, 
 when they saw him depart without making any reply. 
 
 We now again talked over with our good hosts the 
 manoeuvres to be practised against marauders ; for already 
 the wretches were prowling about. We advised them, 
 husband and wife, maid and serving-man, all to stand in 
 the doorway, inside the small entrance hall, and, in case 
 of need, to hand out a morsel of bread, or a glass of wine, 
 if demanded, but fiimly to withstand any attempt to enter. 
 These people seldom invaded a house by force ; but once 
 admitted, it was impossible to control them. The good 
 people besought us to stop some time longer, but we had 
 to think of ourselves ; the regiment of the Duke had already 
 gone forwards, and the Crown Prince was off; this was 
 sufficient to determine our departure. 
 
 How prudent this determination was became clearer 
 when, on reaching the column, we heard that yesterday 
 the vanguard of the French princes, immediately after 
 leaving the pass of Chesne lePopuleux and the Aisne behind 
 them, had been attacked by peasants, between the Graudes 
 et Petites Armoises; one of the officers was said to have 
 had his horse killed under him, and the servant of the 
 Commander his hat pierced by a bullet. It now occurred 
 
 L
 
 146 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 to me that, on the preceding night, when the quarrelsome 
 brother-in-law entered the house, I had had some fore- 
 boding of this. 
 
 Bth October. 
 
 We had now got over the worst of the mess ; but our 
 retreat was still difficult and hazardous, and the transport 
 of our goods and chattels became day by day more trouble- 
 some ; we carried about, it is truo, a complete set of furni- 
 ture with us, and besides the kitchen-utensils we had 
 some tables and benches, trunks, boxes, and chairs, and 
 even a couple of tin stoves. How were we to transport 
 the waggons, when the horses were diminishing in num- 
 ber every day ! Some of them fell down, and others were 
 greatly exhausted.* There was nothing to be done but to 
 leave one waggon behind, and to bring the others along. 
 A council was now held to determine what could most 
 easily be spared ; and the result was, that we abandoned 
 a waggon, filled with all sorts of things, in order not to lose 
 everything. This operation had to be repeated several 
 times ; our train became much smaller ; but we had soon to 
 bethink us of another reduction, when crawling with the 
 greatest difficulty along the low banks of the Mouse. 
 
 But what at this time grieved and vexed me most was, 
 that I had been without my carriage for several days. 
 I could only account for this by supposing that my servant, 
 who had always hitherto displayed such energy, must 
 have got into some scrape, have lost his] horses, and been 
 unable to obtain others. In this melancholy picture, 
 which my imagination drew, I saw my costly Bohemian 
 phaeton, the gift of my Prince, which had carried me 
 pretty well about the world already, sunk in the mud, per- 
 haps overturned and broken ; and as I sat on my horse, 
 imagined myself now as possessing nothing but what I 
 had about me. The portmanteau, with my clothes, all 
 kinds of manuscripts, and many other things, which, by 
 long habit, had become valuable to me, all seemed lost 
 and scattered about at random. 
 
 What had become of my pocket book, with the money 
 
 * The march from Sivry to Buzaucy had been continued, end the 
 Prussian trwpa were not pursued.
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 147 
 
 and important documents, and of the many other little 
 things which one carries about with one? After I had 
 speculated in a sorrowful way about all this, my mind 
 cast off these intolerable thoughts. I felt my confidence 
 in my servant reviving ; and as the moment before I 
 had been thinking of all that I had lost, I now began to 
 fancy that everything must have been rescued by his 
 activity, and rejoiced in this thought as if I had had 
 the things beside me. 
 
 7th October. 
 
 Whilst we were marching up the left bank of the Meuse, 
 to get to the place where we were to cross and reach the 
 high-road on the other side, and just as we had reached 
 a very swampy part of the ground, we heard that the 
 Duke of Brunswick was coming up behind us. We stopped, 
 and saluted him respectfully ; he drew up quite close to us, 
 and said to me, " I am sorry indeed to see you in this 
 unpleasant situation ; but it is an advantage to me in one 
 respect, I have one more intelligent and honourable man 
 who can testify that we have been defeated not so much 
 by the enemy, as by the elements." 
 
 He had seen me at head-quarters in Hans, in passing by, 
 and knew that I had been present during the whole 
 melancholy march. I made some suitable reply, and 
 expressed, finally, my sorrow that, after so much 
 suffering and anxiety, he had been rendered uneasy 
 besides by the sickness of his son the Prince, with 
 whom, the night before, in Sivry, we had sincerely 
 sympathized. He seemed pleased at this allusion, for 
 the Prince was his favourite son, and pointed him out to 
 us as riding close by, and we made our obeisance to him. 
 The Duke wished us patience and perseverance ; and, in 
 return, I wished him uninterrupted good health, adding 
 that nothing else was wanting to enable him to save 
 us and the good cause. He had in truth never liked 
 me ; this I had to put up with ; he made no secret of it. 
 and that I could forgive him. Misfortune now proved 
 herself a kind mediatrix, and brought about this 
 sympathetic meeting between us. 
 
 L 2
 
 148 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 7th and 8th October. 
 
 We crossed the Meuse, and struck out, upon the road 
 which leads from the Netherlands to Verdun ; the weather 
 was more frightful than ever, and we encamped at Con- 
 Kenvoye. 
 
 Our discomfort and wretchedness reached its highest 
 pitch ; the tents were wet through and throtigh, and 
 there was no other cover or protection from the weather ; 
 we did not know where to turn to ; my carriage was still 
 missing, and I was in want of everything. Even supposing 
 one tried to get shelter under a tent, there was nothing to 
 lie down upon. How we longed for some straw, and even 
 for the smallest bit of dry board ! In the end, there was 
 nothing for it but to lie down upon the cold, wet ground. 
 
 I had previously in cases of a similar description, dis- 
 covered an expedient for enduring this kind of misery ; I 
 stood as long as I could upon my legs, till my knees gave 
 way; I then sat down upon a camp stool, where I continued 
 to sit till I felt as if I should fall, so that any place where 
 I could stretch myself out in a horizontal position was a 
 perfect relief. And, thus as hunger is always the best 
 sauce, fatigue is the best sleeping draught. 
 
 Two days, and nights we had passed in this way, when 
 the melancholy condition of some of the sick was destined 
 to benefit some of those enjoying good health. The 
 valet of the Duke had fallen ill of the general sickness, 
 and a young gentleman, belonging to the regiment, 
 rescued by the Prince from the hospital at Grandpre, it 
 had been resolved to send on to Verdun, about eight 
 miles distant. The Chamberlain Wagner was sent in 
 charge of them ; and I did not hesitate, on receiving a 
 kind and gracious hint, to accept the fourth seat. We 
 were dismissed with letters of recommendation to the 
 Commandant ; and as, in taking our places, the poodle 
 could not be left behind, the sleeping-carriage, so favourite 
 a place at other times, became in some sort a hospital and 
 menagerie combined. 
 
 Liseur, the hussar, was given to us as our escort, and as 
 a fit person to provide quarters and provisions for us ; being 
 a native of Luxembourg, he was acquainted with the
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 149 
 
 country, and united in his person all the qualities of a 
 freebooter skill, dexterity, and daring. He seated him- 
 self with evident satisfaction in front, and made a good 
 addition to the appearance of the carriage, which was 
 drawn by six strong greys. 
 
 Although I was squeezed in between persons with in- 
 fectious diseases, I felt no apprehension. If true to one- 
 self, one can always find some helpful maxim in whatever 
 situation one may be placed : thus whenever any great 
 danger threatened me, the blindest fatalism came to my 
 assistance ; and I have observed that people, who are con- 
 stantly exposed to great danger, feel themselves steeled 
 and strengthened by the same belief. The Mahomedan 
 religion furnishes the best proof of this. 
 
 7th October. 
 
 We moved along on our melancholy journey with the 
 invalids, and had cause for serious reflections, for we had 
 come upon the same high-road by which, in such good 
 spirits, and so full of hope, we had entered the country. 
 Here we were in the district where the first shot had been 
 fired from the vineyard, and upon the same highway where 
 the pretty woman fell into our hands, and was taken back 
 to her home ; here we had passed the low wall from which 
 she, with her relations, saluted us, and wished us good 
 speed. How different all this seemed now! And how 
 doubly disastrous appeared the result of the fruitless 
 campaign, when seen through the melancholy veil of the 
 continuous rains ! 
 
 However, in the midst of these troubles, I was destined 
 to fall in with the very thing which, of all others, I wished 
 to meet. We overtook a vehicle, driving along before us, 
 drawn by four wretched little horses ; what a joyful shout 
 of recognition was raised, when I saw that it was my own 
 carriage, and my own servant ! " Paul, you rancal," I 
 called out, " is it you ? Where do you come from ?" The 
 portmanteau was lying quietly packed up in its old place ; 
 what a joyful sight! And whilst I was inquiring hastily 
 for the portfolio and other things, two friends jumped 
 out of the carriage, Weyland the Private Secretary, and
 
 150 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 Captain Vent. It was indeed a joyful meeting; and I 
 now learnt the whole history of their journey. 
 
 Since the flight of the peasant-boys my servant had 
 succeeded in bringing along the horses, and had managed 
 not only to get from Hans to Grandpre, but afterwards, 
 on losing sight of me, across the Aisne ; and from thence 
 had made good his way by questioning, entreating, for- 
 aging, and exacting, till, at last, we had got happily 
 together again. And now, in the highest spirits, we were 
 on our way to Verdun, where we hoped to find rest and 
 comfort. Our hussar, with great prudence and foresight, 
 had made admirable arrangements for ensuring this ; he 
 had ridden on before into the town, and had very soon 
 become persuaded, that, owing to the greatness of the 
 confusion, nothing was to be expected in the regular way 
 from the exertions and assistance of the Commandant. 
 Luckily, however, he saw, in the courtyard of a fine house, 
 preparations for an approaching departure, and galloped 
 back, telling us which way to go. He then hastened, as 
 soon as the other people had left, to occupy the gate and 
 prevent its being shut, and joyfully received us when we 
 arrived. We drove in and descended from the carriage, 
 under the loud protestations of an old housekeeper, who, 
 just freed from one party that had been quartered upon 
 her, had no desire to receive another. In the mean- 
 while the horses had been taken out of the carriage and 
 put in the stable, whilst we took possession of the upper 
 rooms. The master of the house, an elderly nobleman, 
 and Knight of St. Louis, did not interfere, neither he 
 nor his family wishing to have anything to do with the 
 guests, and least of all with Prussians on their retreat. 
 
 10th October. 
 
 A boy, who conducted us round the desolate town, asked 
 us, with a significant look, if we had tasted the incom- 
 parable Verdun tarts ? He, thereupon, conducted us to the 
 most celebrated master of this art. We entered a large room, 
 round which some large and small ovens were ranged, and 
 in the centre were placed a table and chairs, to enable the 
 visitors to partake of the new -baked tarts. The artist
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 151 
 
 made his appearance, but in a state of the utmost despair 
 declared that he could not oblige us, as he had no butter. 
 He showed us a splendid supply of very fine flour ; but of 
 what use was this to him without milk and butter ! He 
 praised his own talent ; said that the inhabitants and all 
 travellers approved of his tarts ; and deplored his bad luck 
 in being without the most necessary ingredients at a time 
 when he had an opportunity of showing his ability to such 
 distinguished visitors, and of spreading his reputation. 
 He besought us, therefore, to procure him some butter ; 
 and gave us to understand, if we would only take a little 
 trouble about it, that it would be forthcoming. He was 
 satisfied at last when we promised him, if we remained 
 long enough, to fetch some from Jardin Fontaine.* 
 
 We asked our young guide, who accompanied us round 
 some other parts of the town, and who seemed to be a 
 connoisseur of pretty women as well as of tarts, to tell us 
 the name of a beautiful girl whom we saw leaning out of 
 the window of one of the better class of houses. " Ay," he 
 cried, after naming her, " she had better take care of her 
 pretty head, she is one of those who presented flowers and 
 fruits to the King of Prussia. Her family and relations 
 thought the Prussians would be uppermost again ; the 
 tables are turned, however ; and I would not change places 
 with her now." He said this with peculiar composure, as if 
 it were quite a matter of course, and could not, and never 
 would be, otherwise. 
 
 My servant had returned from Jardin Fontaine, where 
 he had gone to visit our former host, and to give him back 
 the letter to his sister in Paris. The facetious man 
 received him good-naturedly, entertained him most hos- 
 pitably, and asked him to bring his master and friends, 
 whom he likewise promised to entertain. 
 
 We were not destined, however, to be so fortunate ; for 
 we had scarcely hung the kettle over the fire, with the 
 usual ingredients and ceremonies, when an orderly entered, 
 and, in the name of the Commandant Corbiere, civilly 
 informed us that it would be necessary to prepare for 
 leaving Verdun the following morning at eight o'clock. 
 
 * The head-quarters of the Duke of Weimar and his regiment, from 
 the 6th to the 10th of September.
 
 152 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 Greatly annoyed at being obliged BO hastily to leave our 
 quarters and our newly-acquired home, before we had in 
 any measure recovered from our fatigue, and at again 
 being driven out into the wild and dirty world, we 
 appealed to the illness of the young gentleman and the 
 valet as a reason for stopping, whereupon he gave us to 
 understand that we must manage to get these conveyed 
 away as fast as possible, as the hospital was to be emptied 
 during the night, and only those who were unfit to travel 
 were to be left behind. Upon this, terror and alarm took 
 possession of us ; for nobody had doubted that the Allies 
 would retain possession of Verdun, and perhaps capture 
 some other fortified places, and prepare safe winter- 
 quarters. We could not at once bid adieu to these hopes ; 
 it seemed to us, that it was only a pretext for ridding the 
 fortresses of the crowds of sick and camp-followers, in 
 order to pnt sufficient garrisons into them. Wagner the 
 Chamberlain, however, who had delivered the Duke's 
 letter to the Commandant, saw in these measures reason 
 to fear the most alarming state of things. But whatever 
 might be the upshot of it all, we had nothing left but 
 again to submit to our fate, and were tranquilly and 
 slowly consuming our simple meal, when another orderly 
 entered and told us that we must endeavour, without fail, 
 to get away from Verdun the following morning at three 
 o'clock. Chamberlain Wagner, who thought he knew 
 what the letter to the Commandant contained, saw in this a 
 decided proof that the fortress was immediately to be given 
 up again to the French. We then thought of the boy's 
 threats, and of the beautiful, gaily-dressed lady, and of the 
 fruits and flowers ; and now, in right good earnest, did 
 we deplore the complete failure of so great an enterprise. 
 
 Although I had found some genuine and valuable friends 
 amongst the diplomatic corps, I could not refrain, as often 
 as I saw them in the midst of these great movements, 
 from making some odd comparisons that forced themselves 
 irresistibly on my mind. They appeared to me like so 
 many playhouse directors, who choose the pieces, distribute 
 the parts, and move about unseen ; whilst the actors, doing 
 their best, and well prompted, have to leave the result of 
 their exertions to fortune and the humour of the public.
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 153 
 
 Baron Breteuil lived opposite to us ; since the affair of 
 the diamond necklace I had never forgotten him. His 
 hatred of Cardinal de Eohan caused him to precipitate 
 matters fearfully. The shock caused by this trial made 
 the State tremble to its very foundation, and annihilated all 
 respect for the Queen and for the higher ranks in general ; 
 for, unfortunately, everything that came to light made it 
 only too evident in what depravity the Court and the upper 
 classes were sunk. 
 
 At present it was believed that he was the author of the 
 strange convention which occasioned our retreat, and to 
 excuse which it was supposed that some very advantageous 
 conditions were made in our favour ; we were assured that 
 the King, the Queen, and their family were to be liberated, 
 and many other advantages obtained. But the question, 
 as to how all these great diplomatic triumphs could be 
 reconciled with what was already known to us, excited 
 many misgivings in our minds. 
 
 The rooms we inhabited were respectably furnished ; a 
 bookcase attracted my attention, through the glass-door 
 of which I saw a number of pamphlets regularly cut into 
 the same form of quarto. To my astonishment I then 
 discovered that our landlord had been one of the Notables 
 in Paris in the year 1787 ; in these pamphlets his in- 
 structions were printed. The moderation of the people's 
 demand at that time, and the modesty with which they 
 were put forward, formed a striking contrast to the 
 violence, insolence, and desperation of the present state of 
 things. I read the papers with genuine emotion, and 
 took some copies of them with me. 
 
 11 to October. 
 
 Without having obtained any sleep during the night, 
 we were just on the point of entering our carriage, which 
 was drawn up before the gate of the courtyard, when we 
 perceived an insuperable obstacle to our progress. An 
 uninterrupted line of sick-waggons was moving along 
 between the pavement-stones that were heaped up on 
 either side, through the town, which had become a perfect 
 bog. Whilst we stood waiting to see what could be done,
 
 154 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 our landlord, tho Knight of St. Louis, brushed past us, 
 without saluting. But our astonishment, at his sudden 
 appearance and discourteous behaviour, was soon turned 
 into pity ; for his servant, who followed him, carried a 
 small bundle on his stick; it became only too evident 
 that, after returning to his house and home only four 
 weeks ago, he was now compelled to leave it again, as 
 we had had to leave our conquests. 
 
 But my attention was soon turned to tho improved 
 appearance of the horses attached to my carriage ; and the 
 eervants confessed that they had exchanged the old ones, 
 which were done-up and useless, for a supply of sugar and 
 coffee, but at tho same time had been lucky in putting 
 others in requisition. The activity of our dexterous Lisour 
 had been conspicuous in this; through him also we got 
 out of our present difficulty ; for he made a dash into a 
 gap in the string of carriages, and kept the advancing 
 team back long enough to allow our two teams of six and 
 four horses to get in. Thus I was again able to enjoy tho 
 fresh air in my light little carriage. 
 
 We now moved along at a funeral pace, but still we 
 moved ; the day broke, and we found ourselves on the 
 outskirts of the town, in the midst of boundless tumult 
 and confusion. All sorts of vehicles, a few horsemen, and 
 countless pedestrians, were going to and fro on the great 
 open space before the gate. We turned to the right with 
 our column towards Etain, upon a narrow road, with 
 ditches at each side. Self-preservation in so tremendous 
 a pressure knew no pity, had no regard for others ; not 
 far before us a horse fell down in front of an ammunition- 
 waggon ; they cut the traces and left it lying. Btit as 
 the three that remained were unable to drag the vehicle 
 further, they were cut loose also, the heavy-laden waggon 
 tumbled into the ditch, and with but little delay we drove 
 on right over the horse, which was just going to rise 
 again ; I saw its limbs crushed and quivering under 
 the wheels. 
 
 The horsemen and pedestrians endeavoured to escape 
 from the narrow impracticable high-road into the fields; but 
 they were ruined by the rains, inundated by the over- 
 flowing of the ditches, and the connection of tho foot-paths
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 155 
 
 was everywhere interrupted. Four respectable, hand- 
 some, well-dressed French soldiers waded for some time 
 close to our carriages ; they were very trim and clean, and 
 succeeded so well in picking their steps that no mud was 
 to be seen on them higher than their ankles, in spite of the 
 dirty pilgrimage which the good fellows were making. 
 
 That, under such circumstances, dead horses were often 
 to be seen lying in the ditches, meadows, fields, and pas- 
 tures, was a natural consequence of the state of things ; but 
 we soon saw instances where the skins had been cut off, 
 and even the fleshy parts taken a melancholy evidence of 
 the universal distress. 
 
 Thus we moved along, every moment in danger, on 
 the slightest stoppage of our own carriage, of being our- 
 selves thrown off; under which circumstances the exer- 
 tions of our guide were beyond all praise. These he again 
 displayed at Etain, where we arrived about noon, and 
 witnessed around and beside us a bewildering tumult 
 throughout the streets and squares of the handsome, well- 
 built little town ; the crowd swayed to and fro, and as all 
 were pressing forwards, each hindered the other. Un- 
 expectedly our guide ordered the carriages to stop in 
 front of a good house in the market-place, which we 
 entered, the master and mistress saluting us at a re- 
 spectful distance. 
 
 We were conducted into a wainscotted room on the 
 ground-floor, where, in the black marble fire-place, a com- 
 fortable fire was burning. We saw ourselves in the large 
 mirror above it, by no means an agreeable sight; for 
 I could not make up my mind to have my hair cut 
 short, and it was now hanging like tangled hemp about 
 my head ; my bristly beard also gave additional ferocity 
 to my personal appearance. 
 
 From the low windows which overlooked the whole 
 market-place, we could almost touch the immense throng. 
 All sorts of pedestrians, soldiers in uniform, marauders, 
 sturdy but dejected citizens and country people, women 
 and children, pressed and jostled each other amid vehicles 
 of all descriptions; ammunition and baggage-waggons, 
 carriages with teams of every variety, numbers of horses 
 of all kinds, requisitioned and lawfully owned, jostling,
 
 156 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 pushing, and making way for each other, swaying to the 
 right and the left. Droves of horned cattle also were 
 moving along, which had probably been captured and 
 driven away on the march. Few horsemen were to be 
 seen, but the elegant carriages of the Emigrants were 
 conspicuous, painted in all colours, and adorned with gold 
 and silver, which I had already admired in Grevenmachern. 
 The greatest crush, however, arose when the crowd, which 
 filled the market-place, had to push their way into a street, 
 straight indeed and handsome, but proportionately much 
 too narrow. I never in my life saw anything like it ; the 
 scene might be compared to a stream which had first over- 
 flowed the fields and meadows, and was again compelled 
 to force its way through the narrow arches of a bridge, 
 and flow onwards in its limited channel. 
 
 Throughout the long street, which was overlooked by 
 our windows, the strangest tide seemed swelling and 
 heaving ; a lofty double-seated travelling-carriage towered 
 above the flood ; we thought it might be the pretty French- 
 women ; it was not they, however, but Count Haugwitz,* 
 whom, with a sort of malicious pleasure, I now saw slowly 
 advancing, and being rocked to and fro. 
 
 llth October. 
 
 A good dinner was prepared for us, a delicious leg of 
 mutton being particularly acceptable ; there was no want 
 of good wine and bread; and thus, on the verge of 
 the wildest tumult, we were enjoying ourselves in the 
 greatest tranquillity ; like a man seated on the rocks of a 
 lighthouse may look out upon the raging billows of a 
 stormy sea, and every now and again see a ship abandoned 
 to its fury. But a truly pathetic family-scene awaited us 
 in this hospitable mansion. 
 
 The son, a handsome young man, carried away by the 
 
 * Goethe had been acquainted with Count Hau^witz since 1775, 
 and in his Autobiography and tho Tag- und Jahresheften always speaks 
 leniently of him. Tho "malicious pleasure" here spoken of must 
 therefore have proceeded from Goethe's dissatisfaction at the issue of 
 the Campaign, for which Haugwitz'a policy was doubtless somewh.it 
 to blame.
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 157 
 
 general feelings of the day, had joined the national troops 
 in Paris, and had distinguished himself there. But when 
 the Prussians entered the country, and the Emigrants 
 arrived, in proud confidence of certain victory, the parents 
 who believed in this also, implored their son to give up his 
 situation, which must now be odious to him, to return 
 home, and to fight for the good cause. The son, against 
 his inclination, and out of respect for his parents, had 
 returned just when the Prussians, Austrians, and Emi- 
 grants were retreatin g. In a state of desperation he pressed 
 through the crowd to his father's house. What would he 
 do now ? And how would they receive him ? Joy filled 
 their hearts at seeing him again ; but great was their 
 grief at losing him the moment afterwards ; in a state of 
 distraction also from fear of losing both house and home 
 in the storm. Attached, as most young men were, to the 
 new order of things, he was compelled to join the party 
 which he abhorred, and no sooner has he done this than he 
 sees this party overwhelmed in ruin. 
 
 As he had run away from Paris, he knew very well that 
 he must already be inscribed in the list of traitors, and 
 condemned to death ; and now, in an instant, he was to be 
 banished from his country, and driven from his father's 
 house. The parents, whose inclination it was to load him 
 with caresses, are themselves obliged to drive him forth, 
 and he, amid his tears of joy, at seeing them again, could 
 hardly tear himself away; their embraces seemed re- 
 proaches ; and the parting, which took place before our 
 eyes, was terrible. 
 
 All this occurred in the entrance-hall, just before the 
 door of our room. Scarcely had quiet been restored, and 
 the parents retired weeping, when another scene, almost 
 more wonderful and striking, occurred, in which we were 
 ourselves interested, and which caused us some embarrass- 
 ment, but about which, although touching enough, we could 
 not in the end help smiling. Several of the country people, 
 men, women, and children, rushed into our room, and 
 threw themselves, yelling and screaming, at my feet. 
 With the burning eloquence with which their grief and 
 affliction inspired them, they complained that the soldiers 
 were driving away their cattle ; they appeared to be farm
 
 158 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 people of some large estate. They said if I would only 
 look out of the window, I could see them that instant 
 being driven past the Prussians had seized them and 
 they begged me to help them, and order them to be 
 restored. On this I went to the window, to consider what 
 I should do, when our cunning hussar got behind me, and 
 said : " I beg your pardon, but I have given you out as 
 the brother-in-law of the King of Prussia, as a means of 
 getting a hearty reception and good treatment. The 
 peasants, indeed, ought not to have come in; but just 
 refer the good people to me, and with some kind words 
 make it appear as if you were convinced by my pro- 
 posals." 
 
 What could I do ? Surprised and displeased, I tried to 
 gather my thoughts, and appeared as if I were considering 
 the circumstances, silently saying to myself, Are not 
 cunning and deceit allowable in war ? He who is served 
 by rogues, is in danger of being led astray by them. A 
 useless and shameful piece of business had here to be 
 avoided; therefore, like the physician who in desperate 
 cases continues to hold out hope, and writes his prescrip- 
 tions, I dismissed the good people, more with pantomimic 
 gestures than otherwise ; then, to ease my conscience, I 
 again said to myself, if the true heir to the throne at 
 Sivry was unable to promise the clamorous people their 
 horse, then, surely, the spurious brother-in-law of the 
 King may well be excused for seeking to rid himself of 
 these unfortunates with some well-turned excuse. 
 
 Amid the darkness of night we rearched Sebincourt ; all 
 of the windows were lit up, as a sign that the rooms were 
 already all occupied. At every door we were refused ad- 
 mittance ; first by the inmates themselves who wanted no 
 new visitors ; then by those who were quartered on them, 
 and who wished no new companions. Without much 
 ceremony, however, our hussar made his way into a house, 
 and finding some French soldiers sitting at a fire in the 
 hall, he requested them earnestly to make room beside it 
 for a distinguished gentleman. We entered and found 
 them very civil ; they made room for us, but resumed their 
 singular attitude holding their feet up before the firo. 
 They also occasionally took a turn up and down the hall,
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 159 
 
 and then returned to their former position ; whereupon I 
 observed, that their chief object was to dry the under part 
 of their gaiters. 
 
 Veiy soon, however, I fcmnd them to be people I had 
 seen before ; they were, in truth, the very same who, in 
 the morning, had walked so skilfully in the mud beside 
 our carriage. Having arrived before us, they had already 
 washed the lower parts at. a spring, brushed them, and were 
 now drying them, to be able the following morning 
 gallantly to front the mud and dirt of another day. It 
 was an example worth following, and which one ought to 
 remember in various emergencies of life. It reminded me 
 also of my good comrades, who had received the order 
 about cleanliness with such grumblings. 
 
 But to have got us established thus far, was not enough 
 for our clever untiring Liseur ; the fiction of the preceding 
 day, which had been so successful, was boldly repeated ; 
 the name of the great General, brother-in-law of the King, 
 had a powerful effect, and banished a whole crowd of 
 worthy Emigrants from one of the double-bedded rooms. 
 To make up the number, we brought in two officers, named 
 Von Kohler; I betook myself outside to the well-tried 
 sleeping-carriage, the pole of which, pointing to Germany, 
 suggested very peculiar reflections, which were, however, 
 very soon cut short by my falling asleep. 
 
 12th October. 
 
 To-day's march was even more melancholy than yester- 
 day's ; the exhausted horses kept falling more frequently, 
 and lay in greater numbers among the overturned carriages 
 in the fields beside the road. Some smart portmanteaux, 
 belonging to the Emigrant corps, had fallen through the 
 torn coverings from the roofs of the waggons ; the orna- 
 mental, decorated appearance of these abandoned, un- 
 claimed articles, tempted passers-by to appropriate them, 
 and some picked them up a load which they were very 
 soon obliged to throw down again. This probably gave 
 rise to the accusation made against the Prussians of having 
 plundered the Emigrants on the retreat. 
 
 Some good stories were told of occurrences of this sort ;
 
 IfiO CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 a heavily-laden Emigrant waggon had stuck fast ascending 
 a hill, and had been abandoned. The troops that came up 
 behind searched it ; found some boxes of moderate dimen- 
 sions, but of a weight that surprised them ; joining forces, 
 they carried them with unspeakable difficulty to the top. 
 They then proceeded to make a division of the booty and 
 burden. What a sight was presented ! Out of each of the 
 boxes, when broken open, tumbled innumerable packs of 
 cards; and the money- seekers had to console themselves 
 with bantering and laughing at each other. 
 
 We proceeded 011 our march through Longuion to 
 Longwy ; and here I must observe, that it is most 
 fortunate for us that in the same way as many important 
 and joyful occurrences vanish from the memory, scenes 
 of horror likewise become blunted in (he imagination. 
 Why, therefore, repeat that the roads became no better, 
 that now, as before, we shuddered, again and again, 
 at the sight of horses flayed, with the flesh freshly cut 
 from their bones, lying about on all sides among the 
 overturned waggons? Naked bodies of men also, from 
 which the clothes had been stripped, were frequently seen 
 at times, but barely concealed under bushes, and at others 
 lying exposed to view, close to the road. 
 
 Best and refreshment, however, again awaited us, in 
 a place removed from the common route; but we had 
 occasion also to make sad reflections on the condition of 
 well-to-do and worthy citizens amidst the fearful horrors 
 of war, which had, this time, come upon them quite 
 unexpectedly. 
 
 13th October. 
 
 Our guide, wishing to show us that he had not falsely 
 boasted of his good, well-to-do relations in this quarter, 
 brought us, by a circuitous route, through Arlon, where, in 
 the handsome little town, we were most kindly received 
 by some honest people, to whom he had announced our 
 visit ; they seemed to hold a respectable position, and in- 
 habited a good, well-furnished house. The worthy persons 
 seemed rejoiced to see their cousin, and thought they saw 
 certain improvement and rapid advancement in prospect
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 161 
 
 for him in the commission with which he had been en- 
 trusted of extricating us, our two carriages and nume- 
 rous horses, and, as he had given them to believe, large 
 sums of money and jewels besides, from the prevailing 
 confusion. We were also able to bear testimony to his 
 good conduct hitherto ; and although we had no great 
 belief in the conversion of this prodigal son, he had been 
 of so much service to us hitherto that we could not avoid 
 having some confidence in his future behaviour also. The 
 rascal did not fail, in his fawning way, to act his part, 
 and actually received from the excellent people, in secret, 
 a handsome present in gold. 
 
 We, for our part, refreshed ourselves with a cold break- 
 fast which was laid out for us, and some very excellent 
 wine ; and replied, as comfortingly as possible, to the ques- 
 tions of the honest people, who were in a state of great 
 bewilderment about the probabilities of the immediate 
 future. 
 
 We had observed before the house some singular-look- 
 ing waggons, longer, and higher in some cases, than ordi- 
 nary baggage- waggons, and with curious projections at the 
 sides. Out of curiosity I made inquiries about these 
 singular vehicles, and was told in a confidential, cautious 
 way, that they had contained the Emigrants' assignat 
 machinery ; and also heard of the boundless misery the 
 things had caused in the district. For some time past 
 the people had found it almost impossible to protect 
 themselves from the genuine assignats, and now, since the 
 inroad of the Emigrants, had, in addition, to submit to 
 false ones being thrust into circulation. Some prudent 
 tradespeople had immediately sent several of these sus- 
 picious pieces of paper to Paris, and had succeeded in ob- 
 taining from thence an official declaration of their spurious- 
 ness; but the things were causing infinite confusion to trade 
 and commerce. With the genuine assignats they were, of 
 course, only cheated of a part, but with the spurious ones, 
 on the other hand, they were sure of being cheated of every- 
 thing. And as it was impossible at a first glance to dis- 
 tinguish the one from the other, nobody any longer knew 
 what to give and what to take ; and so much uncertainty, 
 suspicion, and apprehension were thus spread abroad, even 
 
 H
 
 162 ' CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 as far as Luxembourg and Treves, that a more wretched 
 state of things could not be imagined than now existed 
 throughout the country. 
 
 In the midst of all these already existing miseries, and 
 others that were still impending, the people maintained a 
 citizen dignity, kindliness, and polish of manners, which ex- 
 cited our astonishment a reflex of which is to be found in 
 the serious French plays of former and recent times. Of 
 such a state of society no conception can be formed from the 
 condition of our own country, or its attempts to imitate its 
 neighbour. The petite ville * may be laughable, but the 
 burghers of small German towns are ridiculous. 
 
 Uth October. 
 
 We were very agreeably surprised in driving from Arlon 
 to Luxembourg to find an excellent high-road, and were 
 admitted into this fortress, at other times so important and 
 well-guarded, as we had been into every village and town 
 on the road. Without being stopped or questioned any- 
 where, we went leisurely looking about us within the 
 outworks, ramparts, ditches, drawbridges, walls, and gates, 
 trusting the rest to our guide, who said he wanted to go 
 and find out his father and mother. The town was 
 crowded both with wounded and sick, and with vigorous 
 and healthy, who were doing their best to restore their 
 own and their horses' strength, and to get their vehicles 
 repaired. 
 
 Our party, which had hitherto kept together, was now 
 obliged to separate ; our clever quarter-master procured 
 a good room for me, overlooking a very small court, not 
 much larger than a chimney, but as the room had very high 
 windows there was sufficient light. He managed to esta- 
 blish me there very comfortably with my baggage and 
 other things, and to supply all my wants ; he described 
 what sort of people were in the house, and assured me that 
 
 * Hempcl thinks it difficult to any what French dramas Goi-tho can 
 have referred to here. And even Kotzobue's Kleiiustadler, which did 
 not appear till 1803, was an initiation of the French, which, therefore, 
 innkee ;ven the Ficncli proviuciulist ridiculous. It was taken froui 
 Vicard's Ptlite I ille.
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 163 
 
 some small gift would ensure me from being driven out 
 again, and procure me good treatment. 
 
 Here, for the first time, I was able to open my portman- 
 teau again, and to assure myself that I had lost none of my 
 travelling effects, money, or manuscripts. The bundle 
 containing my notes relating to my theory of colours I 
 arranged first ; my first maxim as usual, always being to 
 enlarge my experience, and improve my method. My 
 notes of the war, and my own adventures, I felt no inclina- 
 tion to meddle with. The unfortunate result of the expe- 
 dition gave me reason to fear that greater evils might 
 come, and lead to new vexations and fresh anxieties spring- 
 ing up in the mind. My quiet abode, from which was 
 shut out every noise, like a cloister-cell, allowed me oppor- 
 tunity enough for the quietest reflections ; whereas, a& 
 soon as I set my foot beyond the door of the house, I found 
 myself in a warlike tumult of the liveliest description, and 
 could wander at my pleasure about one of the most sin- 
 gular places perhaps to be found in the whole world. 
 
 Uth October. 
 
 He who has not seen Luxembourg himself will be unable 
 to form any conception of this fortress. The imagination 
 becomes bewildered when endeavouring to recall the 
 strange variety, with which the eye found it difficult to 
 become familiar, even when in the midst of it. A map 
 and plan would bo requisite, to make what I am going to 
 say in any measure intelligible. 
 
 A brook called the Petrus, at first alone, and afterwards 
 in conjunction with the river which meets it, the Elze, 
 winds meandering round about the place between and 
 around the rocks, sometimes in its natural channel, some- 
 times in an artificial one. On the left bank, high up and 
 on a flat, lies the old town ; this, with its fortifications 
 towards the open country, resembles most other fortified 
 towns. When, however, provision for its security towards 
 the west was contemplated, it was evident that it would 
 also have to be protected on the side of the chasm where the 
 water flowed; with the continued improvement of military 
 science even this was insufiicH nt, and it became necessary 
 
 M 2
 
 IGi CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 to erect new redoubts on the right bank of the stream, 
 towards the south, east, and north, on the salient points and 
 recesses of the irregular rocks, the one for the protection of 
 the other. This caused an innumerable series of bastions, 
 redoubts, half-moons, tenailles, and other works of the kind, 
 which the art of defence requires only in the most extra- 
 ordinary cases. 
 
 Nothing can be more singtilar than the aspect of the 
 narrow valley which stretches itself along the river through 
 the midst of all this ; the few level places, both where it is 
 merely sloping or abruptly precipitous, are laid out in 
 gardens, cut into terraces, and enlivened with pleasure- 
 houses ; and from there, one looks to the right and left 
 upon the steepest rocks, and upon walls towering upwards. 
 Here one finds so much sublimity united with beauty, so 
 much solemnity with loveliness, that one cannot help 
 wishing that Poussin had exercised his glorious talent 
 in such a place. 
 
 The parents of our roguish guide owned a house in 
 the Pfaffenthal (priest's valley), with a pretty sloping gar- 
 den, and very kindly allowed me to enjoy it. The church 
 and monastery, not far off, justified the name given to this 
 Elysium, and where the ecclesiastical neighbourhood would 
 seem to promise the lay inhabitants peace and tranquillity, 
 every glance directed towards the heights would remind 
 them of war, violence, and destruction. 
 
 Meanwhile it was most refreshing to me to get out of 
 the town, where the miserable sequels of war were being 
 enacted ; hospitals, maimed soldiers, broken weapons, 
 axletrees out of repair, wheels, and gun-carriages, together 
 with all the other evidences of the ravages of war. To 
 escape from the streets, where wheelwrights, smiths, and 
 other workmen were unweariedly and noisily carrying on 
 their operations, and to conceal myself in the little garden 
 in the priestly valley was indeed most agreeable. Here, 
 one, who had been longing for rest and reflection, found the 
 most welcome asylum. 
 
 16th October. 
 
 The inconceivable variety of the warlike structures 
 which towered up and joined each other, presented a
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 105 
 
 different view at every step one took, forwards or back- 
 wards, up or down, and excited in me a wish to make a 
 sketch of, at least, a portion of them. This wish, indeed, 
 was easily aroused in me here, seeing that for many weeks 
 past my eyes had beheld scarcely a single object calculated 
 to awaken it. Amongst the other singular effects noticed 
 here was that produced by many of the rocks, fronting 
 each other, and the walls and other defensive works 
 connected up on high by drawbridges, galleries, and other 
 curious contrivances. A professional eye would have 
 surveyed it all from a scientific point of view, and enjoyed 
 the skill displayed in the secure arrangement ; I, however, 
 could only profit by the picturesque effect, and should 
 have been only too glad to have exercised my imitative 
 powers upon it, had not drawing been strictly forbidden 
 in fortresses. 
 
 October. 
 
 For several days I had thus wandered about, solitary 
 enough but with many thoughts and reflections among 
 these labyrinths, where the natural rock and the warlike 
 erections towered up, one by the side of the other, vying 
 with the singularly steep defiles, where however, on the 
 other hand, trees and ornamental shrubs were not excluded. 
 On returning to the house, I thereupon endeavoured to . 
 put upon paper the views, as they had gradually im- 
 pressed themselves upon my imagination ; imperfectly 
 this was done, no doubt, but still sufficiently well to 
 preserve the recollection of an extremely singular state of 
 things. 
 
 20th October. 
 
 I had had time to reflect upon the immediate past ; but 
 the more one reflected, the more confused and uncertain 
 did everything appear. I saw also that probably the 
 most necessary thing to be done was, to prepare for what 
 was next to conie. The few remaining miles to Treves 
 had to be got over ; and what confusion might we not 
 expect to find there, seeing that the upper classes were 
 now pressing forwards among the other fugitives ! 
 
 The most painful intelligence that reached us, and
 
 166 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 which could not be concealed, and filled every one with 
 rage and fury, however resigned he might hitherto have 
 been, was, that our Commanders-in-chief had been obliged 
 to come to terms with the accursed insurgents, although, 
 in their manifesto, they had doomed them to destruction 
 wretches debased by the most frightful crimes ; that, 
 moreover, the fortresses had been delivered up to them, as 
 the only means of securing a retreat of themselves and their 
 troops. The effect of the news upon some of our people 
 made us fear they would lose their reason. 
 
 22nd October. 
 
 At Grevenmachern, on our road to Treves, nothing more 
 was to be seen of the gallant bulwark of a carriage which 
 we had noticed there on our first visit ; the fields lay deso- 
 late and deserted, and cut up by wheels ; and the prospect, 
 far and near, bore witness to our late, fleeting visit. I 
 drove this time past the post-office in perfect silence, with 
 requisitioned horses ; the letter-box was still standing in 
 its old place, but no crowd was pressing round it ; I could 
 not refrain from making the strangest reflections. 
 
 But a glorious gleam of sunshine lit up the landscape 
 just as the monument at Ygel came in sight, and this 
 cheered me as a lighthouse does the sailor at night. 
 
 Perhaps the power of antiquity was never so much felt 
 as in this contrast : it is a monument of warlike times, but 
 still of prosperous, victorious days, and of an enduring, 
 healthy state of existence, of a stirring race of men in 
 this part of the country. 
 
 Although built in later times, under the Antonines, it 
 has retained, nevertheless, so many qualities of the highest 
 kind of art, that it impresses one with a feeling of pleasing 
 solemnity, and bears witness, in its different parts, to the 
 existence of a joyous, active mode of life. It detained 
 me a long time ; I made some notes upon it, and left it 
 unwillingly, as afterwards I felt more acutely still the 
 wretchedness of my present condition. 
 
 But even then more joyful thoughts suggested themselves 
 to my mind, which were destined, soon afterwards, to be 
 realised.
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 167 
 
 Treves, 23rd October. 
 
 We brought our friend, Lieutenant von Fritsch, whom, 
 much against his inclination, we had left behind at his 
 post, the welcome intelligence that he had received the 
 order of merit for good military service ; an honour justly 
 bestowed as a reward for .a brave action ; and he was the 
 more favoured by fortune as he had had no share in our 
 sufferings. The story of the matter is as follows. 
 
 The French, when they knew us to have marched 
 sufficiently forward into the country, in great difficulties, 
 and at a distance, tried to play us an unexpected trick in 
 our rear ; they advanced close to Treves in considerable 
 numbers, and even with guns.. Lieutenant von Fritsch 
 heard of it, and with a small body of troops went out to 
 meet the enemy, who, startled by this display of vigilance, 
 and fearing that more troops might be advancing, retired 
 to Merzig, after a slight skirmish, and appeared no more. 
 Our friend's horse was wounded, and his boot grazed by the 
 same ball ; but he was rewarded with a most distinguished 
 reception on his return as the victor. The magistrates 
 and burgesses showed him the greatest attention ; the 
 ladies, too, who had hitherto known him only as a hand- 
 some young man, were doubly loud in his praise now as a 
 hero. 
 
 He informed his commanding officer of the occurrence, 
 which, as a matter of course, was also told to the King, and 
 the blue cross and star was the result. The joy of the 
 brave youth, and his supreme delight, afforded me the 
 greatest pleasure; Fortune who had shunned us, had 
 sought him out in our rear ; and he found himself rewarded 
 for his obedience to military discipline, which had appeared 
 at first to chain him down to a position of inactivity. 
 
 24/fc October. 
 
 My friend obtained quarters for me in the house of the 
 same Canon with whom I had lodged before. I had not 
 altogether escaped from the general sickness, and stood in 
 need of some medicine and rest. 
 
 During these tranquil hours I again took up the notes I 
 had jotted down before about the monument at Ygel.
 
 168 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 If we are to say what is the most general impression it 
 produces, it may be said that we here find face to face, life 
 and death, the Present and Future, and both merged in 
 each other in an aesthetic sense. This was the glorious 
 manner of the ancients, which was preserved for long in 
 the world of art. 
 
 The height of the monument may be about seventy feet ; 
 it rises, in the manner of an obelisk, in several architec- 
 tural divisions ; first the basis, above that a socle, then the 
 chief mass of the structure, above this an attic, then a 
 frontal ; and last of all a curious pinnacle, winding 
 upwards, and displaying the remains of a ball and an 
 eagle. Each of these divisions, together with the parts of 
 which it is composed, is adorned all over with figures and 
 ornamentations. 
 
 This peculiarity proves it to be the work of later times ; 
 for things of this kind are introduced, as soon as the pure 
 proportion is lost in the whole ; in connection with which 
 many other points might be noticed. 
 
 Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that this work ia 
 based upon a higher style of art than had existed but a 
 short time previously. Thus the antique spirit prevails 
 through the whole of it, inasmuch as actual life is repre- 
 sented, seasoned allegorically with mythological allusions. 
 
 In the principal space are a man and a woman of 
 colossal size, joining hands, and united by a third figure, 
 now missing, as of one giving the blessing. They stand 
 between two highly-ornamented pilasters, decorated with 
 dancing children ranged one above another. All of the 
 flat surfaces then depict the happiest family relations, 
 representing the cordial union of kinsmen, and a life of 
 social, honest industry and enjoyment. 
 
 But active life is the chief characteristic everywhere, 
 although I cannot trust myself to explain it all. In one 
 of the spaces some merchants appear as if assembled to 
 discuss some piece of business ; but there are evidently 
 ships laden with merchandise, with dolphins for ornaments, 
 beasts of burden conveying goods from place to place, the 
 arrival of commodities, an examination of these, and other 
 things likely to occur in the lives of mankind. 
 
 Then also in the zodiac is a horse in rapid motion, that,
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 169 
 
 perhaps, in former times had a carriage and driver behind 
 it ; in the friezes and other spaces are Bacchus, Fauns, Sol, 
 and Luna, arid other objects pertaining to the miraculous, 
 embellish, or have embellished, the ball and summit. 
 
 The whole has a most pleasing effect, and considering 
 the stage now attained by architecture and sculpture, a 
 noble monument to the most distinguished individuals 
 might be erected in this style, depicting their enjoyments 
 and good deeds. And while occupied with these reflec- 
 tions, I was, in a silent way, celebrating the birthday of 
 our revered Duchess Amalia, and recalling her life, her 
 noble works, and beneficence ; and thus I was very natu- 
 rally led, in imagination, to erect a similar obelisk to her, 
 and characteristically to embellish all the monumental 
 fields with her individual actions and virtues. 
 
 Treves, 25th October. 
 
 The quiet and leisure I was now enjoying, I made use of 
 further in arranging and working out many things which I 
 had commenced in days of the wildest confusion. I read over 
 and revised my chromatic papers ; drew various diagrams 
 for my colour-tables, which I altered repeatedly, in order 
 to make clearer what I wished to represent and maintain. 
 This reminded me to try and recover the third part of 
 Fischer's Lexicon of Natural Philosophy. Inquiring and 
 searching, I at last found the kitchen-maid in the hospital, 
 which had been established comfortably enough in one of 
 the convents. She was suffering from the general com- 
 plaint ; the rooms, however, were airy and clean, and she 
 recognised me, but could not speak ; took out the volume 
 from below her pillow, and delivered it to me as clean and 
 in as good a condition as I had given it to her ; and I hope 
 that the attention which I ordered the people to bestow 
 on her has been of service to her. 
 
 A young schoolmaster * who visited me, and brought 
 me some of the latest numbers of the newspapers, gave 
 me an opportunity for some pleasant conversation. Ho 
 was astonished, like many others, that I had no wish to 
 
 * Wyttenbach, who was then only twenty-five ; he was afterwards 
 appointed director of the Gymnasium in Triivea.
 
 170 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 converse about poetry, but rather seemed to throw myself 
 with all my energy into the study of Nature. He knew 
 the philosophy of Kant, and I could therefore point out to 
 him the path 1 had entered. When Kant, in his ' Critique of 
 Pure Reason ' places teleologic judgment side by side with 
 the aesthetic, it is evident that he wishes to show that a 
 work of art should be treated in the same way as a work of 
 Nature, and a work of Nature in the same way as a work 
 of art; and that the worth of each should be developed 
 out of itself, and considered by itself. About such things 
 I could be very eloquent ; and I believe I was of some use 
 to .the worthy young man. It is wonderful what a mixture 
 of truth and error every period carries and drags about 
 with it, inherited from days but recently passed, or 
 even from days long gone by ; whilst enterprising spirits 
 cut out a new path for themselves, where, for the most 
 part, they have to go alone, or find a companion only for 
 eome short distance of the way. 
 
 Treves, 25th October. 
 
 One could not leave these peaceful surroundings without 
 finding oneself, as it were, in the Middle Ages, where 
 convent-walls, and the wildest, most irregular, and warlike 
 condition of things, might be constantly contrasted with 
 each other. The great fcubject of complaint, which was 
 felt both by the citizens of the place and by the returning 
 Emigrants, was the frightful misery caused both to town 
 and country by the false assignats. Some of the mercantile 
 houses had sent these to Paris, and had been informed 
 from thence of their spuriousness, complete worthlessness, 
 and of the great danger of having anything to do with 
 them. Further, that the genuine ones likewise were 
 falling into discredit ; and it was feared by everyone that, 
 owing to the complete up-turn of everything in the State, 
 all these papers would be destroyed. This terrible evil was 
 now being followed by others; so that altogether the 
 troubles appeared quite endless to the imagination and the 
 feelings. A desperate state of things, like that upon 
 seeing a town burnt down before one's very eyes.
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 171 
 
 Treves, 28th October. 
 
 The table d'hote, which was, on the whole, well served, 
 presented a bewildering spectacle ; there were soldiers and 
 civilians, in all sorts of uniforms, colours, and costumes. 
 Some were sitting in moody silence, others giving vent to 
 passionate expressions ; but all of them appeared to fancy 
 themselves confined in the same common hell. 
 
 Here, a truly affecting incident occurred to me. An old 
 hussar officer, of middle size, with greybeard and hair, and 
 sparkling eyes, came up to me after dinner, seized hold of 
 me by the hand, and asked if I had actually been obliged 
 to endure what all the rest had had to undergo ? I told him 
 something about what occurred at Valmy and Hans, from 
 which he could easily imagine the rest. On this he began 
 to express the warmest sympathy, and addressed enthusi- 
 astic speeches to me, which I scarcely like to repeat. It 
 was, he said, wrong, that those even whose profession and 
 duty it was to suffer hardships and to risk their lives, had 
 been led into such unheard-of troubles ; but that I (ex- 
 pressing at the same time his high opinion both of myself 
 and my works) should have been obliged to endure them, 
 appeared to him quite inexcusable. I represented the 
 matter to him from the brighter point of view, and spoke 
 as if it had been good experience for me to have suffered 
 for a few weeks along with my Prince, and with the 
 many brave soldiers, to some of whom I had not been al- 
 together useless. But he continued in the same strain ; 
 meanwhile civilians came up, and said that they owed 
 me thanks for having gone to witness it all, as they might 
 now expect to get from my practised pen a description 
 and explanation of the campaign. The old warrior' would 
 not listen to this either and exclaimed, "Do not fancy 
 that ; he has too much sense. What he would be allowed 
 to write, he can have no wish to write ; and what he 
 would like to write, he will not write ! " 
 
 One felt scarcely any further wish to hear what was 
 going on, boundless mortification was for ever the subject, 
 of conversation. And in the same way as it excites an 
 uncomfortable feeling when happy persons are incessantly 
 proclaiming their happiness, it becomes even more intoler-
 
 172 CAMPAIGN IN PRANCE. 
 
 able when misfortunes, which we would gladly drive out 
 of our minds, are talked of again and again. To have been 
 driven out of the country by the French whom they hated, 
 to have been obliged to make terms with them, to have 
 had to come to terms with the men of the tenth of 
 August was as severe an infliction for the mind and 
 spirit, as the previous sufferings had been for the body. 
 The Commanders-in-chief were not spared ; and the con- 
 fidence which had been reposed for so many years in the 
 renowned generals, seemed to have vanished for ever. 
 
 Treves, 29th October. 
 
 Now, when again upon German ground, and we might 
 thus hope to be able to disentangle ourselves from the 
 dreadful confusion, information reached us of Custine's 
 audacious and successful exploits. The large magazine at 
 Spires had fallen into his hands, and he had thereupon 
 been able to effect the surrender of Mainz. These ad- 
 vances appeared to be dragging boundless evils in their 
 train ; they bore witness to an extraordinary genius, as 
 sagacious as it was daring, and therefore everything in 
 that quarter was given up for lost. It appeared highly 
 probable and likely that Coblentz was already occu- 
 pied by the French, and how in that case were we to 
 undertake our retreat ! Frankfort * also we gave up in 
 imagination ; Hanau and Aschaffenburg on one side, 
 Cassel on the other, we saw threatened ; and, altogether, 
 what might not be apprehended ! The neighbouring 
 Princes were paralysed by the wretched neutrality 
 system ; this made the general mass more zealous and 
 active in support of the revolutionary sentiments with 
 which they were' filled. Might they not introduce a 
 change of sentiment in the country around, and in the 
 adjacent provinces, as had been done in Mainz, and make 
 
 * On the same day that Mainz surrendered to the French some two 
 thousand men were sent on to Frankfort, and the city was called upon 
 to pay a contribution of two millions of crowns. One million was jiaid 
 before the 31st of October; but, before the arrangements about tlie 
 second installment had been made, Muinz had been recaptured by tho 
 Hessians.
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 173 
 
 rapid use of the converts they had already gained ? This 
 had all to be thought of and to be discussed. 
 
 I often heard such observations as : Were the French 
 likely to have taken such important steps without great 
 consideration and circumspection, and without a large 
 army to support them ? Custine's actions seemed as bold 
 as they were cautious ; he, his subordinates, and superiors, 
 were described as prudent, energetic, sagacious men. The 
 present troubles were great and bewildering of all the 
 sufferings and anxieties hitherto endured, unquestionably 
 the greatest. 
 
 In the midst of this misery and confusion a stray letter 
 from my mother found me, and, in a strange manner, 
 called up to my mind the peaceful days of my youth, 
 and many circumstances connected with my family and 
 native town. My uncle, the Alderman Textor,* had died ; 
 it was my near relationship to him that had excluded me 
 during his lifetime from holding the honourable and 
 useful post of a Frankfort Councillor ; and now, in ac- 
 cordance with an established and laudable custom, they 
 thoiight of me, I being pretty far advanced among the 
 Frankfort graduates. 
 
 My mother had been commissioned to ask me whether I 
 would accept the office of Councillor if I were chosen one 
 of those to be balloted for, and the golden ball should fall 
 to me ? Such a question could not, perhaps, have arrived 
 at a more singular time than the present ; I was taken 
 by surprise, and thrown back upon myself; a thousand 
 images started up before me, and prevented me from 
 forming any definite conclusion. But as a sick person 
 or prisoner forgets his pains and troubles whilst listening 
 to some tale, so I was carried back to other spheres and 
 other times. 
 
 1 fancied myself in my grandfather's garden, where the 
 espaliers, richly laden with nectarines, were wont to arouse 
 the grandson's longing appetite ; and only the fear of being 
 
 * The only brother of Goethe's mother, Johann J. Textor, died on 
 the 24th of October 1792. Goethe's remark about being excluded 
 from the post of Councillor refers to the Imperial Resolution of 1725, 
 which maintains that a candidate for the office must not have any near 
 relative in the Council.
 
 174 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 banished from this paradise, only" the hope of receiving from 
 the good old grandfather's own hand the red-cheeked fruit 
 when ripe, could in some measure restrain this longing, till 
 the proper time at length arrived. Thereupon I saw the 
 venerable old man busied with his roses, and carefully 
 protecting his hands from the thorns with the old- 
 fashioned gloves, presented to him as tribute by toll- 
 freed cities ; like noble Laertes all but in his longings and 
 his sorrows. Then I saw him in his Major's robes, and 
 gold chain, seated upon the throne under the Emperor's 
 portrait ; then, alas ! in his dotage as he had been for 
 several years in his sick chair, and, finally in his 
 grave! 
 
 On my last journey through Frankfort, I had found my 
 uncle in possession of the house, court, and garden, he, as 
 a worthy son of such a father, had likewise been appointed 
 to some of the highest offices in the government of the 
 free city. Here amid the family circle, in the unchanged, 
 well-known old place, these boyhood recollections were 
 vividly called up, and were now again brought before me 
 with new emphasis. They were united with other youthful 
 feelings, which I must not conceal. What burgher of a 
 free city will deny that he has been ambitious of, sooner 
 or later, rising to the dignity of councillor, alderman, or 
 burgomaster ; and has industriously and carefully striven, 
 to the best of his ability, to obtain these, or perhaps 
 other less important offices? The pleasing thought of one 
 day filling some post in the government is awakened early 
 in the breast of every republican, and is liveliest and 
 proudest in the soul of a boy. 
 
 I could not, however, abandon myself long to these 
 pleasing dreams of my childhood. Too soon aroused from 
 them, I surveyed the ominous locality around me, the 
 melancholy circumstances which hemmed me in, and, at 
 the same time, the obscure, nay, dark prospect of affairs 
 in the direction of my native town. I saw Mainz in the 
 hands of the French ; Frankfort threatened, if not already 
 taken ; the way to it obstructed ; and within its walls, 
 streets, squares, dwellings, the friends of my youth and 
 my relations, overtaken, perhaps, by the same misfortune 
 which I had seen the people in Longwy and Verdun so
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 175 
 
 cruelly called upon to suffer. Who would have dared to 
 rush headlong into the midst of such a state of things ! 
 
 But even in the happiest days of that venerable cor- 
 poration, it would have been impossible for me to agree to 
 this proposal ; my reasons could be easily explained. For 
 twelve * years past I had been enjoying singular good 
 fortune the confidence as well as the indulgence of the 
 Duke of Weimar. This highly-gifted and cultivated 
 prince was pleased to approve of my inadequate services, 
 and gave me facilities for developing myself, which would 
 not have been possible under any other conditions in my 
 native country. My gratitude was boundless, as was also 
 my attachment to his august consort and mother, to his 
 young family, and to a province which might be said to be 
 in some little way indebted to me. Was it not my duty 
 to think of that circle of newly-acquired, highly-cultivated 
 friends, and of the many other domestic enjoyments and 
 advantages which had sprung from my fortunate and 
 settled position ? These images and feelings, which were 
 excited in me anew by this occurrence, had a sudden and 
 cheering effect upon me at this moment of deepest de- 
 pression ; for one already feels half rescued, even amid 
 the most mournful circumstances in a foreign country, 
 when one can cast a hopeful glance towards the security 
 of home. Thus, here upon earth, we enjoy what is pro- 
 mised us beyond the spheres. 
 
 In this mood I began my letter to my mother ; f and if 
 the reasons I gave seemed to have reference principally to 
 my own feelings, personal comfort, and individual ad- 
 vantage, I was able also to add others which showed my 
 consideration for my native town, and were sufficiently 
 weighty to convince my well-wishers there. For how 
 could I expect to work effectually in so peculiar a sphere, 
 
 * Hempel says that there must be a mistake in this number, for 
 Goethe had been in "Weimar since November 1775, and cannot possibly 
 mean to say that he had lived there five years without having won the 
 Duke's confidence. 
 
 t It seems strange that Goethe's letter to his mother in answer to 
 her inquiry should bear the date of the 24th of December, fully two 
 months after having received her letter. This letter of Goethe's is 
 published iu Reitner's Mitthcilumjen u'jer Guellie.
 
 176 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 where a careful previous education perhaps is more neces- 
 sary than for any other ? I had been accustomed, for many 
 years, to occupation adapted to my capacity, and which 
 was of such a nature as could scarcely be required for the 
 aims and objects of a town. Kay, I could add, that only 
 those who were properly citizens of the town ought to be 
 admitted into the Council, and that I had become so much 
 a stranger as to consider myself altogether an outsider. 
 
 All this I graciously made known to my mother who, no 
 doubt, did not expect any other answer. Late enough, 
 truly, it must have been before this letter reached her 
 
 Treves, 29<A October. 
 
 My young friend, with whom I had many pleasant 
 talks on scientific and literary subjects, was also very well 
 informed about the history of the town and neighbourhood. 
 Our walks, therefore, when the weather was tolerable, 
 were always instructive, and I was able to note what was 
 of principal importance in the neighbourhood. The city 
 itself is striking ; it lays claim to possessing more ecclesi- 
 astical-buildings than any other town of the same size; 
 this it would be difficult to deny, for inside the walls 
 it is crowded, nay, overwhelmed, with churches, chapels, 
 monasteries, convents, colleges, and other buildings for 
 knightly orders and fraternities to meet ; outside it is 
 beset by abbeys, institutions, and Carthusian monasteries. 
 
 All these bear testimony to a widely-extended ecclesi- 
 astical jurisdiction, over which, in former times, the 
 Archbishop ruled ; his diocese reached from here as far as 
 Metz, Toul, and Verdun. The civil government also is 
 not without important possessions : the Elector of Treves 
 rules over a magnificent country on both sides of the 
 Moselle ; and thus palaces are not wanting in Treves, to 
 prove that, at different periods, she claimed sovereignty 
 over a very extensive territory. 
 
 The origin of the town dates back to legendary times, 
 and its favourable position is likely to have early 
 attracted settlers. The inhabitants of Treves were in- 
 cluded in the Roman Empire, were first heathens, then 
 Christians, and were subdued by the Normans and the
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 177 
 
 Franks ; finally, the beautiful country was incorporated 
 with the German-Eoman Empire. 
 
 I should have liked to have seen the town at a more 
 favourable season, and to have become better acquainted 
 with its inhabitants, who have always had the reputation 
 of being good-natured and cheerful. Of the first quality 
 some traces are still met with, scarcely any of the other ; 
 but how could cheerfulness be expected in the midst of 
 such a state of things ! 
 
 When we look back in the annals of the city we find 
 repeated mention made of warlike devastations committed 
 in this region ; the valley of the Moselle, and even the 
 river itself, being favourable for the movements of armies. 
 Attila, from the far East, and his countless host, like 
 ourselves, made both his advance and retreat through the 
 region bordering on this river. What sufferings the in- 
 habitants endured during the Thirty Years' War, till the 
 end of the seventeenth centuiy ; and their Prince, who had 
 allied himself with France, as his nearest neighbour, had 
 to suffer a tedious imprisonment in Austria ! The city 
 had also more than once suffered from civil wars ; this has 
 ever been the case in episcopal cities, where the citizens 
 are not always able to agree with the ecclesiastico-secular 
 authorities. 
 
 My guide, whilst communicating the historical details, 
 drew my attention to buildings of very different periods, most 
 of which were curious, and therefore worthy of observa- 
 tion ; but few of them afforded pleasure to a cultivated 
 taste, like that derived from the monument at Ygel. 
 
 The remains of the Koman amphitheatre I found re- 
 markable enough ; but as the building had fallen in, and 
 had, in all probability, served for several centuries as 
 a quarry, nothing could be deciphered. We admired, how- 
 ever, the way in which the ancients, in their wisdom, ac- 
 complished great results with moderate means ; and how 
 they had made use of the natural advantages offered by 
 a site between two hills, to lighten the work both of 
 excavating and building. 
 
 After ascending the first slopes of the Martisberg, with 
 its ruins, and mounting a little higher, we had a view of 
 the Apolloberg over the tops of all the relics of the saints,
 
 178 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 over cupolas and roofs ; and thus the two gods, with 
 Mercury at their side, make good the remembrance of their 
 names ; the monuments were destined to perish, but not the 
 genius of the place. 
 
 Treves possesses some remarkable specimens of archi- 
 tecture belonging to the earlier period of the Middle Ages ; 
 I have little knowledge of such things,* and they have no 
 attraction to a cultivated mind. After a superficial in- 
 spection I found that they confused me ; many of them 
 are mere heaps of rubbish, altogether ruins, or turned to 
 other uses. 
 
 I was conducted across the large bridge, which was 
 also erected in the Middle Ages, just as everything was 
 enlivened by a glimpse of bright sunshine. Here we 
 could plainly survey the position of the town, which is 
 built upon a flat projecting piece of land, causing the river 
 to bend to the left. The eye could here range from the 
 foot of the Apolloberg, over river, bridge, mills, town, and 
 country ; the vineyards not yet quite leafless both 
 beneath our feet and opposite us on the first slopes of the 
 Martisberg, displayed themselves in pleasant relief; we 
 felt what a blessed region we were in, and became 
 conscious of a feeling of happiness and pleasure, which 
 seems to pervade the atmosphere in countries where the 
 vines grow. The best Moselle wine, which fell to our 
 lot here, appeared to taste even better after the lovely 
 view we had enjoyed. 
 
 Treves, 29th October. 
 
 Our princely chief arrived, and took up his quarters in 
 the Monastery of St. Maximin. The rich and otherwise 
 prosperous occupants had for some time past been in great 
 distress ; the brother of the King had been quartered upon 
 them, and the building had never been free since. An 
 establishment of this kind, which originated from a desire 
 for tranquillity and peace, and was arranged for tranquillity 
 
 * Goethe somewhat incorrectly calls these remains early medieval, 
 whereas, in fact, they belong to the preceding period of the Roman 
 Empire. Goethe's interest in medieval art was stimulated through his 
 acquaintance and intercourse with Sulpiz Boisseree, and belongs to ft 
 later period. (See the Rhine Tour.)
 
 OCTOBER 1792. 179 
 
 and peace, had a curious aspect under the altered circum- 
 stances, for, with every possible forbearance, a violent 
 contrast was evident between knighthood and monkdoin. 
 But the Duke, here, as everywhere else, succeeded, even as 
 an unbidden guest, in making himself and his attendants 
 welcome, by his liberality and good nature. 
 
 But I was destined here again to be persecuted by the 
 evil demon of war. Our good Colonel Gotsch was also 
 quartered in the monastery ; I found him at night watch- 
 ing and nursing his son, who was suffering severely from 
 the ill-fated sickness. I was obliged once more to listen to 
 lamentations and maledictions about our campaign, from 
 the mouth of an old soldier and father, who was well 
 entitled vehemently to denounce the whole string of 
 errors, which were manifest to him as a soldier, and 
 detestable to him as a father. The Islettes * also were 
 talked of again ; and, in fact, anybody who had made 
 this fatal point clear to himself, could not help feeling 
 quite desperate about it. 
 
 I enjoyed the opportunity of looking at the abbey, and 
 found it an extensive and truly noble building ; the rooms 
 were large and lofty, and the floors inlaid, adorned with 
 velvet and damask tapestry, stucco-work, and there was no 
 want of gilding and carving, and other things such as one 
 finds in this sort of palace ; and everything was reflected 
 over and over again in large mirrors. 
 
 The persons quartered here were also very well provided 
 for ; but there was not room for all of the horses, and they 
 were obliged to remain in the open air, without stalls, 
 racks, or mangers. Unfortunately the nose-bags had 
 become rotten, so the oats had to be snuffed up from the 
 ground. 
 
 But if the stabling was insignificant, this was made up 
 for by the largeness of the cellars. Besides their own 
 vineyards, the monastery enjoyed the receipt of a number 
 of tithes. Many a cask seemed to have been emptied 
 during the last few months, as numbers of them were 
 lying in the courtyard. 
 
 * The mountain pass near St. Menehould, mentioned under the 
 date of September 18th. The Allies had never been able to gain 
 possession of it. 
 
 N 2
 
 180 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 30/A October. 
 
 Our Prince had a large party at dinner; three of the 
 chief ecclesiastics were invited ; they had provided some 
 fine table-linen for the occasion, and a very beautiful 
 service of porcelain ; there was not much silver, all their 
 plate and valuables had been removed to Ehrenbreitstein. 
 The dishes were deliciously prepared by the Prince's cooks ; 
 the wine, which was to have followed us to France, had 
 been brought back from Luxembourg, and was now drunk 
 here ; but what was most deserving of praise was some 
 delicious white bread, which reminded us by contrast of 
 the commissariat bread at Hans. 
 
 In my investigations into the history of Treves, during 
 the last few days, I had necessarily to make some inquiry 
 about the Abbey of St. Maximin ; I was, therefore, 
 able to carry on a learned conversation with my clerical 
 neighbour. The great antiquity of the foundation was 
 taken for granted ; then its manifold and various fortunes 
 were dwelt upon, and its close proximity to the town, 
 which was alike dangerous to both ; it had, in fact, been 
 burnt down and completely destroyed in the year 1674. 
 I had also informed myself as to when it was rebuilt, and 
 of its gradual restoration to its present state. Much could 
 be said in its praise, as well as of all the arrangements, 
 and this my clerical friend heard with great pleasure. 
 But he would not listen to anything in praise of the 
 present times ; the French Princes had been quartered 
 there for long, and he made sad complaints of their 
 mischief, insolence, and waste. 
 
 The conversation, thereupon, again turned to historical 
 subjects ; but when I mentioned the time when the abbey 
 had set itself up as equal to the archbishop, and the 
 abbot hold rank in the German-Roman Empire, he 
 smiled, and changed the subject, as if he thought such 
 recollections had something suspicious in them at the 
 present time. 
 
 The solicitude of the Duke about his regiment now 
 became active and manifest ; it was impossible to transport 
 the sick in waggons, hence the Prince ordered a boat to 
 be hired to convey them to Coblenz.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 181 
 
 But other soldiers now arrived, who had become disabled 
 in a peculiar way. On the retreat it had very soon been 
 observed that the cannon could not be transported. The 
 artillery-horses perished one after the other, and only a 
 few fresh ones could be found ; the horses put in requisition 
 on the march into the country had run away on the retreat, 
 and were scarce everywhere. As a last resource, it was 
 ordered that a large number of the troopers of each 
 regiment should dismount and march on foot, in order that 
 the guns might be saved. Owing to their stiff boots, 
 which at last went to pieces, these brave fellows suffered 
 severely from the wretched state of the roads. A better 
 time was now coming for them, for preparations were 
 made for enabling them to go to Coblenz by water. 
 
 November. 
 
 My Prince had commissioned me to wait npon the 
 Marquis Lucchesini,* to deliver some complimentary 
 farewell message, and to make some other inquiries. It 
 was late in the evening, and with some difficulty, that I 
 gained admission to the presence of this distinguished man, 
 who in former times was favourably disposed towards me. 
 The gracious and kind way in which he received me was 
 most agreeable ; not so his answers to my questions or 
 his attention to my wishes ; he dismissed me without 
 having been of the slightest use to me ; and I may safely 
 say that I was prepared for this. 
 
 When I saw the busy preparations for the departure of 
 the sick and exhausted troopers, it struck me that the best 
 thing I could do would be to make my escape likewise by 
 water. I was very sorry to leave my carriage behind, 
 but they promised to send it after me to Coblenz. I 
 hired a boat with one man, into which all my goods and 
 chattels were conveyed ; and as they were put in one by 
 one, they made a very pleasant impression on me, for I 
 had more than once given them up for lost. .On this 
 
 * Goethe had become acquainted with Lucchesini in 1787 in 
 Naples. He is frequently mentioned in the Italienische Reise, and his 
 correspondence and dispatches are an important source for information 
 relating to this campaign.
 
 182 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 expedition I was joined by a Prussian officer, an old 
 acquaintance, whom I well remembered as a page, and he 
 too had a vivid recollection of his period of court- service, 
 for he insisted that he had usually handed me my 
 coffee. 
 
 The weather was tolerable, the passage peaceful, and 
 the agreeable nature of the change in our mode of travel- 
 ling was manifest, when we saw with what difficulty the 
 columns were marching along the road, which occasionally 
 approached the river ; from time to time they were even 
 seen to halt and remain at a stand-still. Even in Treves, 
 complaints had been made that, in so hurried a retreat, 
 one of our greatest difficulties was to find quarters, as the 
 places assigned to a regiment were very often found to be 
 already occupied, and this occasioned great annoyance and 
 confusion. 
 
 The views along the banks of the Moselle were 
 extremely varied during this passage; for although the 
 main direction of the stream is always from south-west to 
 north-east, still, as it flows through rugged and mountain- 
 ous country, with projecting angles at both sides, which 
 make it bend sometimes to the right.'and sometimes to the 
 left, it is forced to flow onwards in a very circuitous 
 course. An experienced boatman is therefore highly 
 necessary; ours displayed both strength and skill, con- 
 triving, at one time, to avoid the gravel-banks which 
 obstructed the passage, and then boldly taking advantage, 
 for greater speed, of the rapid current which flowed 
 between the rocky walls. The numerous villages on both 
 sides greatly enlivened the scene; the cultivation of the 
 vine, which appeared everywhere to be carefully attended 
 to, gave indication of a prosperous population, who spared 
 themselves no trouble in the production of the precious 
 juice. Every sunny hill was made use of ; but we were 
 also struck by seeing that on the narrow projecting ledges 
 of the precipitous rocks overhanging the stream, as well as 
 on natural terraces, accidentally formed, the vines seemed 
 to thrive the best. 
 
 We landed at a pretty inn, and were well received by 
 the old landlady, who complained to us of the many evils 
 she had lately suffered, but gave the Emigrants credit for
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 183 
 
 most of the mischief. She said, that she had often seen, 
 with dismay, these godless people making little balls of 
 the precious bread, and throwing them at each other's 
 heads, and that she and her maids, with tears in their 
 eyes, had afterwards gathered them up again. 
 
 And thus we glided down the stream, in good spirits 
 and without any accident, till twilight, when we found 
 ourselves amid the windings of the meandering river, just 
 where it rushes towards the heights of Montreal. Night 
 overtook us before we could reach Trarbach or even got 
 in sight of it. It was pitch dark ; we knew we were 
 confined between more or less precipitous banks ; when a 
 storm, which had already announced itself from behind, 
 broke upon us with tremendous violence. The stream was 
 soon lashed into billows by the force of the wind, the 
 blasts coming down upon us with a furious roar ; one 
 wave after the other washed over the little boat, and we 
 felt wet to the skin. The boatman made no attempt to 
 conceal his uneasiness ; the danger appeared the greater 
 the longer it lasted ; and our anxiety had risen to the 
 highest pitch, when the honest fellow assured us, that he 
 neither knew where he was, nor in what direction he 
 shoiild steer. 
 
 Our companion did not utter a word, on we went in the 
 blackest darkness ; sometimes it appeared to me as if I 
 could see dark masses above me, blacker even than the 
 black sky ; this did not give much consolation or hope, for 
 to be hemmed in between the land and rocks made our 
 situation more perilous still. We were thus being tossed 
 to and fro in total darkness, when at length a light was 
 seen in the distance, and hope was again awakened within 
 us. We now steered as straight as possible towards it, 
 Paul lending all the assistance in his power. 
 
 At last we reached Trarbach in safety, and upon land- 
 ing found a tolerable inn, and were soon provided with 
 a fowl and some rice. A merchant,* who had heard of the 
 arrival of strangers in the dark and stormy night, insisted 
 upon our going to his house, where, in handsomely fur- 
 
 * The merchant here mentioned was the father of Booking, the 
 lawyer, who was born in Trarbach in 1802 and died in Bonn in 1870 
 (Diintzer, Goethe und Carl August).
 
 184 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 nished rooms, lit up with wax candles, we saw some dark 
 English prints, hung up in pretty glass frames upon the 
 wall. These awakened a cheerful feeling in us, and even 
 some emotion, contrasting, as they did, with the black 
 dangers to which we had just been exposed. The gentle- 
 man and his wife, still young people, exerted themselves 
 in showing us every kindness ; they gave us some exquisite 
 Moselle wine, of which my companion, who stood most in 
 need of restoration, made particularly good use. 
 
 Paul confessed that he had taken off his coat and boots, 
 in order to take to swimming, if the boat had been upset ; 
 in which case, indeed, he could have saved nobody but 
 himself. 
 
 Scarcely had we dried and refreshed ourselves when 
 I began to feel restless again, and wished to get away. 
 Our kind host wanted to prevent our leaving, and wished 
 us to remain the following day also ; and promised us that, 
 from a neighbouring height, he would show us a most ex- 
 tensive and beautiful view over a fine country, and much 
 besides that would have contributed to our restoration and 
 amusement. But it is a singular fact that, in the same 
 way as persons may become habituated to a state of rest 
 and find pleasure in continuing in this state, there is also 
 such a thing as being habituated to a state of restlessness ; 
 thus I felt a constant irritation to bo on the move, which 
 I could not control. 
 
 When we were on the point of hastening away, the 
 good man pressed us to take a couple of mattresses with 
 us, that we might be able, at all events, to make our boat 
 a little more comfortable ; the lady did not seem to like 
 giving them, and as they were very good and new, we could 
 hardly blame her. Thus it happens, when quartered in a 
 house, that it is sometimes the husband, and sometimes the 
 wife, who is the more or less kind to the intruding 
 guest. 
 
 Without further hinderance we glided down to Coblenz ; 
 and the only thing I distinctly remember is, that, at the 
 end of the voyage, I saw the most beautiful view that, 
 perhaps, I have ever seen in my life. When we approached 
 the bridge over the Moselle, this enormous black structure 
 stood out in bold relief before us ; through the arches we
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 185 
 
 saw the stately buildings which covered the valley, and 
 above the line of the bridge rose the castle of Ehrenbreit- 
 stein, peering through the blue mist which enveloped it. 
 On the right, the town, which joins the bridge, forms a 
 good foreground ; this view was a great but only a 
 momentary enjoyment, for we landed immediately, and con- 
 scientiously sent the mattresses unharmed to the com- 
 mercial house to which our worthy friends at Trarbach 
 had directed us. 
 
 The Duke of Weimar had excellent quarters assigned to 
 him, in which I also found good accommodation ; the army 
 marched in by degrees ; the servants of our Prince and 
 General arrived, and never ceased talking of the sufferings 
 they had endured. We rejoiced in having made the 
 passage by water ; and even the storm we had success- 
 fully encountered seemed a small evil in comparison with 
 all the obstructions and obstacles of a journey by land. 
 
 The Prince himself had arrived. A number of generals 
 had assembled round the King ; and I, on my solitary 
 rambles along the banks of the Rhine, recalled the strange 
 occurrences of the last few weeks : 
 
 " A French general, La Fayette, the head of a large 
 party and shortly before the idol of his nation, enjoying 
 the entire confidence of the soldiers rebels against the 
 supreme authority, which, after the imprisonment of the 
 King, is the sole representative of the nation ; he takes to 
 flight, and his army, not stronger than 23,000 men, is now 
 left without a general or superior officer, is disorganised 
 and panic-stricken. 
 
 " At the same time, a powerful King, with an allied army 
 of 80,000 men, sets foot upon the French soil, and, after a 
 short delay, two fortified towns surrender. 
 
 " A general now appears, of no reputation Dumourier ; 
 without ever having held a superior command ; he, with 
 great sagacity and rapidity, makes himself master of 
 a very strong position ; this is destroyed, but he obtains a 
 second, where he is again surrounded, and in such a way 
 that the enemy gets between him and Paris. 
 
 " But a strange and complicated state of things is pro- 
 duced by uninterrupted rains and frightful weather ; the 
 formidable allied army, when not more than six leagues
 
 186 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 from Chalons, and ten from Kheims, finds itself prevented 
 from reaching either of these places, is forced to retreat, 
 abandons the two places it had captured, loses a third of 
 its numbers, of which, at the utmost, two thousand 
 perished by the sword, and now again finds itself on the 
 banks of the Ehine." All these events, which border on 
 the miraculous, have happened in less than six weeks, and 
 France is saved from the greatest danger that has ever 
 been recorded in her annals. 
 
 When one thinks of the many thousand sufferers from 
 this unfortunate expedition, and of their fearful sufferings 
 both of mind and body, which gave them some right to 
 complain, it can easily be imagined that this was not done 
 in silence, and that, in spite of everything, grumblings 
 were still heard from many whose hearts were full to 
 overflowing. 
 
 In connection with this I may mention, that I was one 
 day sitting at a large dinner-party, next an excellent old 
 general, and made some allusion to late events, when he 
 interrupted me, and said, very kindly indeed, but with a 
 certain degree of sternness, " Do me the honour to wait 
 upon me to-morrow morning, and then we can speak about 
 these things freely and fairly." I acted as if I meant to 
 agree to the proposal, but remained away, inwardly vowing 
 that I would not again break my customary silence. 
 
 Both upon the journey down the river, as well as in 
 Coblenz, I had made many observations relating to 
 my chromatic studies, and obtained a new insight more 
 particularly into epoptic colours ; I had always increasing 
 hopes of being able to connect the physical phenomena, 
 and separate them from others with which they seemed to 
 stand in more distant relationship. The diary of Chamber- 
 lain Wagner was of much use to me as a supplement to 
 my own, which I had altogether neglected for some time 
 past. 
 
 The Duke's regiment had arrived, and went into can- 
 tonments in the villages towards Neuwied. Here our 
 Prince showed the most fatherly solicitude for his people ; 
 each had only to make known any cause of complaint, 
 and, if possible, redress and assistance were given him. 
 Lieutenant von Flotow, who held command in the town, and
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 187 
 
 stood next to our benefactor, was active in giving assis- 
 tance to all who required it. The chief want, that of shoes, 
 was provided for by buying leather, and making the shoe- 
 makers of the regiment work under the master-shoemakers 
 in the town. Provision was also made for cleanliness 
 and the good appearance of the troops ; yellow chalk was 
 procured, jackets were cleaned and coloured, and our 
 troopers trotted about quite smart again. 
 
 My studies, and also the conversations I had both with 
 my companions in the household and with the official 
 people, were greatly enlivened by the wine which was 
 presented to our Prince by the town-council ; it was the 
 best kind of Moselle, and we had permission to drink it as 
 the Prince generally dined out. 
 
 On finding an opportunity for complimenting and 
 thanking one of the donors for it, adding, at the same time, 
 that they must have robbed themselves of many a good 
 bottle, the answer was, that we were welcome to this, 
 and a great deal more ; and that they only regretted 
 the casks which they had been obliged to bestow upon 
 the Emigrants, who had, it is true, brought a good deal of 
 money, but also much mischief into the town ; in fact, had 
 turned it topsy-turvy. Complaints were made particularly 
 of their conduct to the Duke, whose place they had, to 
 a certain extent, usurped, and had committed many daring 
 and lawless acts in defiance of him. 
 
 During the late threatening times he had set out for 
 Ratisbon ; and I slipped away one fine morning to his 
 castle, which stood upon the left bank of the Rhine, beau- 
 tifully situated, somewhat above the town, and which 
 had sprung up, as it were, since I had last been in that 
 part of the country. There it stood solitary, the latest 
 wreck, to speak in a political, if not an architectural, 
 sense ; and I had not the courage to ask the warden, who 
 was walking about, for permission to enter. How beauti- 
 ful was the surrounding country, both far and near ! How 
 richly cultivated, and like a garden, the space between the 
 palace and the town ! The view up the Rhine was peace- 
 ful and calm ; but towards the town and fortress, gorgeous 
 and animated. 
 
 With the view of crossing the river, I proceeded towards
 
 188 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 the flying-bridge ; but was soon stopped, or rather stopped 
 of my own accord, to watch the passage of some Austrian 
 waggons, which were being conveyed across one by one. 
 Here a dispute arose between a Prussian and an Austrian 
 non-commissioned officer, which brought out the character 
 of the two nations. 
 
 The Austrian, who was posted here to see that the 
 column of waggons was conveyed over with all practical 
 speed, and to prevent confusion by keeping any other 
 vehicle from getting into the line, was imperiously 
 demanded by the Prussian to make an exception in favour 
 of his little car, containing his wife and child, and some 
 baggage. With great composure the Austrian said that 
 he could not comply with the request and appealed to the 
 order, which expressly forbade him to do so; upon this 
 the Prussian became more violent, the Austrian, if pos- 
 sible, more cool ; the one would not allow any gap to be 
 made in the column entrusted to his charge, and the 
 other could find no place to enter it. At last the Prussian 
 put his hand to his sword, and challenged his antagonist 
 to fight him ; with threats and abuse he tried to inveigle 
 him into the nearest alley, to settle the affair there ; but 
 the Austrian, with imperturbable coolness and good sense, 
 and knowing very well that he had right on his side, 
 refused to stir, and went on keeping order as before. 
 
 I would have liked this scene to have been witnessed by 
 some caricaturist; for the two men were as different in 
 figure as in behaviour; the calm man was sturdy and 
 strong ; the furious man, for so he seemed at last, lean, 
 tall, lanky, and nimble. 
 
 The time at my disposal for my little excursion was now 
 nearly over, and the fear of being again delayed in the 
 same way on my return determined me not to visit the 
 valley, formerly such a favourite scene, but which now 
 would only have excited painful feelings and fruitless 
 breedings over earlier years. However, I stood for some 
 time gazing over towards it, mindful of those peaceful 
 times amid the bewildering change of earthly events. 
 
 And thus it accidentally happened that I became further 
 instructed about the measures taken for prosecuting the 
 campaign. The Duke's regiment was preparing to cross
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 189 
 
 over ; the Prince, with all his retinue, was to follow. I 
 dreaded any continuation of the war, and the desire for 
 flight took possession of me again. This might be called 
 home-sickness in an inverted sense a longing for the 
 wide world instead of a confined home. There I stood ; 
 the glorious river lay before 4 me, gliding down softly and 
 sweetly through the broad extensive landscape; it was 
 flowing towards friends to whom, in spite of many changes, 
 I had always remained faithfully attached. I longed to 
 escape from the strange and fierce world around me, and 
 again to be among friends ; and, therefore, on obtaining 
 leave of absence, I hired, with all speed, a boat to take me 
 to Diisseldorf, entrusting my still missing carriage to the 
 care of some Coblenz friends, with a request that they 
 would send it after me. 
 
 When I found myself with my baggage on board, and 
 floating down the stream, accompanied by my faithful 
 Paul and a blind passenger, who had been engaged to row 
 occasionally, I congratulated myself on my good luck, and 
 thought I had now escaped from all misfortunes. 
 
 However, some other adventures awaited us still. We 
 had not been rowing down the river very long when it 
 became evident that the boat leaked very much, for the 
 boatman, from time to time, kept busily baling out the 
 water. And now we discovered that, in our hurry to get 
 away, we had not observed that the boatmen are in the 
 habit, on the long passage from Coblenz to Diisseldorf, 
 of taking an old worthless boat, and, at the end of the 
 passage, of selling it for firewood ; then, with their money 
 in their pockets, and unencumbered, they travel homewards 
 again, comfortably. 
 
 However, we went on our course without fear. A clear 
 starry night, but very cold, favoured our voyage ; sud- 
 denly, the strange oarsman requested to be put on shore, 
 and began to dispute with the boatman as to where was 
 the best place for him to land, about which they could 
 come to no agreement. 
 
 In the midst of this dispute, which was carried on with 
 great vehemence, our boatman tumbled into the water, 
 and was with difficulty helped out again. He could not 
 now endure the cold of the bright clear .night, and
 
 190 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 anxiously requested to be put ashore at Bonn, in order to 
 dry and to warm himself. My servant went with him to 
 a public-house frequented by the boatmen ; I preferred 
 remaining in the open air, and got a sleeping-place 
 prepared for me with the help of my portmanteau and 
 portfolio. Such is the force of habit, that, having passed 
 the last six weeks almost always in the open air, I had now 
 a sort of aversion to being confined in a room, and to being 
 under cover. On this occasion a new kind of evil arose, 
 which might, indeed, have been foreseen ; the boat had 
 been drawn up as far as possible on the shore but not 
 far enough to prevent the water coming in through the 
 leak. 
 
 After a deep slumber I found myself more than merely 
 refreshed, for the water had made its way up to my 
 sleeping-place, and had drenched both myself and my 
 effects. I was therefore obliged to rise and find the inn, 
 and to dry myself as well as I could in the midst of a crowd 
 of people smoking tobacco and drinking mulled wine ; 
 meanwhile the morning had pretty far advanced, and our 
 voyage was resumed, the boatman doing his best to make 
 up for the lost time by increased exertions at the oar. 
 
 DIGRESSION.* 
 
 When I look back to the time when I was thus sailing 
 down the Khine, it seems difficult to say what my feelings 
 were then. The sight of the peaceful expanse of water, 
 and the pleasure derived from the comfortable mode of 
 travelling, made me regard my late experiences as a pain- 
 ful dream, from which I had just awakened ; and I aban- 
 doned myself to the brightest hopes of a speedy and 
 joyful meeting with my friends. 
 
 But, if I am to continue my narrative, I must adopt a 
 mode of treatment which would not have suited my 
 previous record as well. For when the most important 
 events take place daily before our eyes, when our time is 
 passed in suffering and fear amidst thousands in the same 
 
 * The Digression was not written at the time when Goethe was 
 keeping his diary, but somewhat later, when he was revising his notes 
 on the campaign.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 191 
 
 state, and when even our hopes are tinged with appre- 
 hension, the Present assumes an aspect of paramount 
 importance, and, by being depicted step by step, renews 
 the Past, whilst it points to the Future. What occurs in 
 social life, on the other hand, can be treated only as a series 
 of representations of inward occurrences; reflection is here 
 in its place ; the Present will not speak for itself ; the 
 remembrance of the Past, and subsequent speculations, 
 must act as its interpreters. 
 
 I had got into the habit of being engrossed by the 
 business and occurrences of the moment, and had of late 
 years, in particular, reason to be satisfied with this 
 kind of life ; this led to a peculiarity in me of never 
 forming any conception before-hand of persons whom I 
 expected to meet, or of places I intended to visit, but 
 allowed them to produce their effect upon me without 
 being previously prepared for them. 
 
 The advantage that arises from this is great ; one does 
 not require to come back from a previously-conceived idea, 
 or to blot out a picture arbitrarily painted'by ourselves, and 
 painfully to accept the reality in its place. The disad- 
 vantage, on the other hand, that may arise, is, that we are 
 unprepared in moments of importance, and are at a loss 
 how to act in unforeseen emergencies. 
 
 For the same reason, too, I never paid any attention to 
 the effect which my presence or the temper of my mind 
 produced upon others ; for I often found, quite unex- 
 pectedly, that I had inspired affection or repugnance, and 
 frequently even both at the same time. 
 
 Whatever may be said respecting this manner of 
 behaviour, whether, as an individual peculiarity, it can 
 neither be praised nor censured, it must be added, that 
 in the present case it produced some very curious 
 phenomena, and these not always of the most agreeable 
 description. 
 
 I had not met the friends whom I was about to visit for 
 many years ;* they had kept steadily to their old course 
 of life ; whereas it had been my strange lot to undergo 
 many trials, and to pass through varioxis kinds of occupa- 
 tions and endurances. Hence, although the same person, 
 * The family Jacobi, Pleasing, and the Countess Gallitzin.
 
 192 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 I had become quite a different being, and almost unrecog- 
 nisable to my old friends. 
 
 It is difficult, even in maturer years when we have a 
 freer survey of life, to give an accurate account of those 
 transitions in it, which sometimes appear as an advance, 
 sometimes as a retrogression, but all of which, nevertheless, 
 prove of use and advantage to a God-fearing man. Not- 
 withstanding these difficulties, I will endeavour to oblige 
 my friends, and to note down a few points. 
 
 A virtuous man inspires affection and love only in so 
 far as we discover longing in him; this expresses both 
 possession and desire the possession of a tender heart, 
 and the desire of finding the same in others ; with the 
 former we attract others to us, with the latter we give up 
 ourselves to them. 
 
 Whatever of this quality lay in me, which in earlier 
 years I had encouraged, perhaps too much, but which as I 
 grew older, I energetically sought to overcome, was no 
 longer in keeping with the man, no longer satisfied him, 
 and he sought, therefore, for full and final contentment. 
 
 The object of my most ardent longing, a pain which 
 filled my very soul, was Italy, the image of which had 
 floated before my mind for many years in vain, till at length 
 I formed the bold determination of beholding the reality 
 face to face. To that glorious land my friends gladly 
 followed me in thought, they accompanied me on my way 
 thither, and on my return. Would that they may affection- 
 ately share a longer residence there with me, and accompany 
 me back again, for many a problem will be more in- 
 telligibly solved ! 
 
 In Italy I felt myself gradually freed from petty 
 conception, and from false wishes ; in place of the longing 
 for the land of the fine arts, there arose in me a longing 
 for art itself ; I had beheld it, and now wished to pene- 
 trate into, and comprehend, it. 
 
 The study of art, like that of the ancient authors, gives 
 us a certain stability, a sort of satisfaction in ourselves ; it 
 fills our souls with great objects and ideas, it takes 
 possession of every wish that struggles outwardly, but 
 nourishes every worthy aspiration in the tranquil breast ; 
 the need of communicating our thoughts to others becomes
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 193 
 
 less and less ; and the amateur becomes like painter, 
 sculptor, and architect he works in solitude for enjoy- 
 ments which he seldom is called upon to share with others. 
 
 But I was, at the same time, destined to be estranged 
 from the world by another cause, and thrown in the most 
 emphatic way upon Nature, to which instinctively I had a 
 great leaning. Here I found neither masters nor compan- 
 ions, and was obliged everywhere to trust to myself. In 
 the solitude of the woods and gardens, in the obscurity of 
 the dark apartments, I should have remained quite alone, 
 had not a happy domestic connection at this strange 
 period of my existence come to rescue and cheer my heart. 
 The " Roman Elegies," the " Venetian Epigrams," date 
 from this period. 
 
 But I was also to have a taste of warlike events ; for I 
 was ordered to be present during the campaign in Silesia,* 
 which came to an end with the Congress of Reichenbach, 
 and obtained, in this new and important part of the world, 
 additional experience and information, and some good 
 diversion as well. The horrors of the French Revolution, 
 which meanwhile spread farther and farther, drew the 
 attention of every one, whatever might be his thoughts or 
 studies, to the surface of the European world, and forced 
 the most terrible realities upon his mind. 
 
 Then duty called me to accompany my Prince and 
 master, to face with him the dangers and disasters of 
 the day, and manfully to endure the sufferings of which I 
 have ventured to give the reader but a faint picture ; it 
 can easily be conceived, that then whatever of tenderness 
 and warmth lurked still in my inward being vanished 
 altogether. 
 
 If all this be taken into consideration, the state of things 
 which follows, roughly sketched as it is, will not appear 
 altogether enigmatical. This I am the more anxious about, 
 as I feel greatly inclined to rewrite these pages, which 
 were written carelessly many years ago, and to offer 
 them from my present point of view and my present 
 convictions. 
 
 * Goethe's sojourn in Silesia, which lasted from the 2nd of August 
 to the 17th of September. 1790, is most grnphically described by H. 
 Weiizel in his Goethe in Siltsia, Leipzig, 1S67. 
 

 
 194 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 Pempelfort, November 1792. 
 
 It was dark when I landed in Diisseldorf, and I had 
 therefore to be conducted with lanterns, to Pempelfort, 
 where, after the sudden surprise which my arrival caused, 
 I received the most hearty welcome ; the usual amount of 
 talking to and fro, which is a necessary consequence of 
 such meetings, ran away with the greater part of the 
 night. 
 
 The next day I soon felt at home again in the midst 
 of questions, answers, and anecdotes. The unfortunate 
 campaign offered sufficient materials for conversation, and 
 nobody was prepared for so melancholy a result. But 
 neither could any one describe the dreadful effect of the 
 ominous silence, which had lasted nearly three weeks ; 
 and the feeling of the uncertainty had gone on increasing 
 from the entire want of intelligence. For all that was 
 known of the allied army it might have been swallowed 
 up ; every one looking at the frightful void was tortured 
 with fear and anxiety, and now military operations were 
 again expected with terror in the Netherlands, and both 
 banks of the Rhine appeared to be threatened. 
 
 We banished these reflections from our minds as well as 
 we could by discussing moral and literary subjects ; and as 
 my realism showed itself here, the subject seemed to afford 
 but little edification to my friends. 
 
 Since the Revolution, and in order to divert my atten- 
 tion from the wild confusion of things, I had begun a 
 curious work, " The Journeyings of Seven Brothers," * of 
 different capacities, each of whom served the covenant in 
 his own way a very Quixotic intricate thing, concealing 
 both its aim and object ; in fact, a sort of picture of our 
 own condition. I was asked to read it aloud ; this I 
 readily agreed to and brought out my manuscripts, but 
 soon perceived that nobody was edified by it. I therefore 
 left my travelling family in some safe haven, and the re- 
 mainder of my manuscript to take care of itself. 
 
 My friends, however, who found it difficult to acquiesce 
 in this change of sentiment, made many attempts to show 
 me what had been my former ideas by referring to my 
 * This refers to Goethe's Seise der SChne Megaprazon's.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 195 
 
 earlier works, and gave me my Iphigenia to read aloud to 
 them in the evening. This, however, I could not endure ; 
 its tender strain was foreign to me now, and even when 
 read by others, the sound of it was painful to me. This 
 piece was very soon laid aside ; but they were determined 
 apparently to try me by a more severe test : CEdipus auf 
 Kolonos was thereupon produced; but its lofty sanctity 
 was intolerable to my mind, turned as it now was to 
 Art, Nature and Life, and hardened by the events of the 
 late dreadful campaign. I could not read a hundred lines 
 of it. They then gave in to the humour of their altered 
 friend, and other subjects of conversation presented them- 
 selves in abundance. 
 
 From the earlier period of German literature many 
 single pieces were brought forward with happy effect; 
 but no very close examination was entered upon, in order 
 to avoid all differences of opinion. If I am to mention 
 anything here of a general nature, it may be added that 
 the last twenty years were really a remarkable period, 
 in which many eminent persons were brought into contact 
 with others whose views were widely different ; every one 
 carried with him into society a high opinion of himself, 
 and mutual respect and forbearance were willingly prac- 
 tised by all. 
 
 Men of talent succeeded in maintaining the position they 
 had acquired in the general esteem, and in their social re- 
 lations assisted and supported each other ; the advantages 
 thus acquired were no longer preserved only by single 
 individuals, but by an unanimous majority. That some 
 degree of intentionality was necessary here, was to be ex- 
 pected ; like other children of the world, they contrived to 
 introduce a certain kind of art into their relations ; the 
 peculiarities of each were excused ; the sensitiveness of the 
 one counterbalanced that of the other ; and mutual mis- 
 understandings remained long in the background. 
 
 In the midst of all this, I myself occupied a singular 
 position; my talents gave me an honourable place in society, 
 but my warm enthusiasm for what I perceived to be true 
 and natural made me use many hateful utterances in 
 combating what appeared to me to be false tendencies ; so 
 that, at times, I fell out with the members of this circle; 
 
 2
 
 196 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 we became reconciled again, wholly or partially, but I 
 always proceeded in my usual course, fully persuaded of 
 being in the right. With all this I retained something 
 of the ingenuousness of Voltaire's Hurons * even at a 
 more advanced age, so that 1 could be both insufferable 
 and very amiable at the same time. 
 
 There was one province, however, which we could enter 
 with more freedom and harmony a western one, if not 
 exactly French literature. Jacobi, whilst going his own 
 course, allowed nothing of importance to escape him ; 
 and the vicinity of the Netherlands contributed much 
 towards drawing him into that sphere, not only in a 
 literary sense, but personally as well. He was a man 
 singularly well formed, with very agreeable features and 
 manners, which, although stiff, were very pleasant ; in fact, 
 a man sure to shine in all cultivated circles. 
 
 It was a wonderful time, which it is difficult to recall 
 again. Voltaire had completely broken the old fetters 
 that chained society ; and this gave rise among men of 
 intellect, to a feeling of scepticism towards all that had 
 hitherto been held in veneration. While the philosopher 
 of Ferney was exerting all his energies to diminish and 
 weaken the influence of the priesthood, with Europe prin- 
 cipally in view, De Pauw f was extending his spirit of 
 conquest over more remote regions of the world ; he would 
 not grant either to the Chinese or the Egyptians the honour 
 which the accumulated prejudices of centuries had heaped 
 upun them. He was a Canon of Xante, in the neighbour- 
 hood of Diisseldorf, and kept up a friendly correspondence 
 with Jacobi ; J how many others might not be mentioned 
 here ! We may at least mention Hemsterhuis, who, owing 
 
 * The cliief character ot Voltaire's L'Ingenu is a Huron. 
 
 t Cornells de Pauw was at the Court of Frederick the Great between 
 1767 and 1770. His most celebrated work bears the title of liecherches 
 Phiiosophiques sur les Grecs. 
 
 I V. II. Jacobi, a younger brother of the poet, distinguished himself 
 in literature as a philosopher, writer, and novelist. His correspondence 
 with Goethe shows the intimate relation that existed between them. 
 
 Franz Hemsterhuis, the philosopher and archroologist, was highly 
 esteemed by many of the eminent persons of the clay for his extensive 
 knowledge, natural appreciation of the Beautiful, and kindliness of 
 disposition.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 197 
 
 to his attachment to the Princess Gallitzin, passed much 
 of his time in the neighbourhood of Munster. He, with 
 others of a kindred mind, devoted himself to studies of a 
 milder and more ideal description, and, -while imbued with 
 Platonic sentiments, devoted himself to religion. 
 
 Amid these fragmentary recollections I must also 
 mention Diderot, the vehement dialectician, who had 
 been on a visit to Pempelfort, apparently much to his 
 satisfaction, and where he maintained his paradoxes with 
 great courageousness. 
 
 Eousseau's views, on Nature were likewise not unknown 
 to this circle, which, in fact, excluded nothing, and hence 
 not even myself, although it would be truer to say that 
 it only tolerated me. 
 
 What effect external literature had upon me in my 
 earlier years has already been indicated in various places. 
 I could make use of it for my own purposes, but could not 
 adopt it, and was therefore unable to come to any agree- 
 ment about it with others. I was equally peculiar in 
 regard to composition ; this always went step by step 
 with the course of my life ; and as the latter, for the most 
 part, remained a secret even to my most intimate friends, 
 people found it difficult to befriend any new production of 
 mine, as they expected something similar to what they 
 already knew of mine. 
 
 If I had succeeded but badly with my Seven Brothers 
 on account of their total dissimilarity to their sister Iphi- 
 genia, I could easily perceive that my Gross-Kophta, which 
 had been printed long ago, had even given offence ; nothing 
 was said about it, and I was on my guard not to call their 
 attention to it. However, it will be acknowledged that an 
 author who is so placed as to be unable to read his works 
 to others, or to hear them spoken of, must feel in as 
 painful a situation as a composer who is kept from play- 
 ing his newest melodies. 
 
 was equally unfortunate with my views on Natural 
 the enthusiastic earnestness with which I 
 pursued the subject seemed unintelligible to every one, no 
 one perceived that it was part and parcel of my inward 
 being ; they considered this laudable endeavour a whimsi- 
 cal mistake; in their opinion I might have done some-
 
 198 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 thing better, and allowed my talents to pursue their old 
 course. They felt the more entitled to say this, as my 
 way of thinking did not at all agree with theirs, and, 
 in fact, in most points, maintained exactly the contrary. 
 There was not a more isolated being than I was then, and 
 for a long time afterwards. The Hylozoism, or whatever 
 it may be called, to which I was attached, and the deep 
 foundation of which I left untouched in all its dignity 
 and sanctity, made me unsympathetic, nay, intolerant to- 
 wards that way of thinking, which set up, as an article of 
 its faith, the existence of matter as a dead thing, in what- 
 ever way it might be supposed to be stirred up and put in 
 motion. 
 
 It had not escaped mo, in my study of Kant's Natural 
 Philosophy, that attraction and repulsion belong to the 
 nature of matter, and that the one cannot be separated 
 from the other in the conception of matter ; this appeared 
 to me to result in the primary polarity of all beings, which 
 penetrates and animates the infinite variety of phenomena. 
 
 During a former visit of the Princess Gallitzin to 
 Weimar, with Fiirstenberg and Hemsterhuis, I had 
 advanced these views ; but I was always set down as 
 giving utterance to blasphemous opinions. 
 
 No circle can be found fault with for shutting itself up 
 within itself ; and this my friends at Pempelfort did most 
 religiously. They had taken little notice of my Metamor- 
 phoses of Plants, which had been printed a year ago ; and 
 when I endeavoured to explain my morphological views 
 familiar as they were to me and in the best order, and 
 moreover in a way that I imagined must necessarily pro- 
 duce conviction I could not help remarking that a barren 
 way of viewing things, namely, that nothing can come 
 into existence which is not already there, had taken 
 possession of all minds. Whereupon I was again told 
 that every living thing comes from an egg ; this made 
 me, with bitter irony, raise the old question, whether the 
 hen or the egg existed first? It seemed so plausible a 
 doctrine to shut Nature up in a box, and so edifying to 
 contemplate her in company with Bonnet.* 
 
 * Charles Bonnet, the eminent naturalist, was also a philosophical 
 writer; Goethe here finds fault with his telculogical opinions.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 199 
 
 They had heard something about my Contributions to 
 the Science of Optics, and I readily agreed to entertain 
 them with some phenomena and experiments. I had no 
 difficulty in producing something new, for every one, 
 however well educated, had been taught the doctrine of 
 the division of light, and unfortunately wished to see that 
 which, in itself, was full of life, and which afforded them 
 so much enjoyment, traced back to some dead hypothesis. 
 
 I let them have their way for a time, for a discus- 
 sion of this kind was always of use to me ; generally, 
 while conversing, I obtained some new insight into the 
 subject, and in the flow of conversation invention came 
 most quickly. 
 
 In this, it is true, I could proceed only in a didactical 
 and dogmatical way; for a gift for dialectics and con- 
 versation I never actually possessed. I must also confess 
 to have acquired a bad habit which frequently manifested 
 itself: ordinary conversation was excessively tiresome 
 to me, as nothing but narrow individual views were 
 expressed, so I was in the habit of stirring up the narrow 
 discussions that usually spring up in the course of con- 
 versation, by violent paradoxes, and of exciting the 
 disputants to the utmost. The assembled company would 
 thereupon feel hurt and annoyed in more senses than one ; 
 for often, in order to attain my object, I was obliged 
 to play the evil spirit; and as people wished to be 
 agreeable, and desired that others should be so too, they 
 would not let this pass ; they would not allow it to be 
 earnestly meant, because it was not well-grounded, and not 
 jest either, because it was too bitter. At last they dubbed 
 me a hypocrite in the inverted sense, and were soon re- 
 conciled to me again. However, I cannot deny that this 
 bad habit has alienated many persons from me, and made 
 many others my enemies. 
 
 But, as with an enchanter's rod, I could immediately 
 drive from me all evil spirits when I began to talk about 
 Italy. Thither I had also gone unprepared and without 
 premeditation ; of adventures there was no lack ; the 
 country itself, its beauty and splendour, had been fully 
 impressed on my memory ; the form, colour, and character 
 of the landscape, in the light of its beautiful sky, were
 
 200 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 still vividly present to me. The poor attempts which 1 
 had made to sketch it had sharpened my memory, and I 
 could describe it as if it were still actually before me. I 
 could fill it with a multitude of figures, and thus every 
 one was pleased and often charmed with my descriptions. 
 
 In order to give a complete picture of the pleasure of a 
 residence at Pempelfort, it will now be as well to describe 
 the locality in which all this took place.* The house was 
 large, and stood in an open space near extensive and well- 
 kept gardens a very paradise in summer, and very agree- 
 able in winter. Every ray of sunlight was enjoyed amid 
 neatness and freedom. In the evening, or in bad weather, 
 we assembled in the large, handsome rooms, which, al- 
 though comfortable, were not luxuriously furnished, yet 
 well adapted for social entertainments. In the large dining- 
 room, which was cheerful and comfortable, and spacious 
 enough for the numerous family and their never-failing 
 guests, all were invited to take their seats at a long table, 
 on which was placed an abundance of good things. Here 
 the company all met ; the host was always in good spirits 
 and encouraging, the sisters good-natured and sensible, the 
 son earnest and hopeful, the daughter good-looking, hearty, 
 frank, and amiable, reminding us of her late mother, and 
 of the days which, twenty years before, we had spent with 
 her in Frankfort. Heinze, who belonged to the family, 
 could reply to all sorts of jokes; there were evenings 
 when the laughter scarcely ceased. 
 
 The few hours I had to myself in this most .hospitable 
 of mansions I devoted to a singular work. During the 
 campaign, in addition to my diary, I had written some 
 satirical ordres du jour, and I now set about revising them. 
 I soon perceived that, with short-sighted presumption, I 
 had seen many things in a false light, and had judged 
 them incorrectly ; and as one is never more severe than 
 against errors that have been abandoned, and it seemed 
 unwise to expose such papers to accidents of any kind, I 
 threw the whole bundle into the fire. This I am sorry for 
 
 * The residence of the Jacob! family so frequently spoken of in the 
 14th book of Goethe's Dichtung und Wahrheit. The son mentioned 
 here studied medicine in Jena in 1793, and afterwards settled in 
 Dusseldorf.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 201 
 
 now, as they would have furnished me with very valuable 
 information about the course which events took, and my 
 reflections upon them. 
 
 Many visits were made to Diisseldorf, which was at no 
 great distance, to see persons belonging to the Pempelfort 
 circle, and the Gallery was our usual place of meeting. 
 Here, decided favour seemed to be shown to the Italian 
 school, and great injustice towards the Netherland school ; 
 the lofty character of the former was, indeed, more attrac- 
 tive to elevated minds. On one occasion we remained a 
 long time in the hall of Eubens and the most distinguished 
 masters of the Netherland school ; on coming out again, 
 the Ascension of Guido * hung directly in front of us, and 
 one of our party exclaimed, enthusiastically, " Is it not 
 exactly as if we had come out of a pothouse into good 
 society ?" I was not ill-pleased to find that the masters 
 who, a short time before, had enchanted me on the other 
 side of the Alps, should appear so glorious here, and excite 
 such admiration. However, I endeavoured also to become 
 acquainted with the Netherland masters, whose merits and 
 excellences were here displayed in the highest perfection ; 
 and this has been a gain to me for the rest of my life. 
 
 But what struck me still more was, that a certain spirit 
 of liberalism, a tendency towards democracy, had spread 
 amongst the higher ranks ; they did not seem to feel how 
 much would have first to be lost, before they could attain to 
 any kind of even doubtful advantage. Lafayette's and 
 Mirabeau's busts, by Houdon, were very good and natural 
 likenesses. These men I found worshipped here as some- 
 thing god-like ; the former on account of his chivalrous 
 and civil virtues, the latter for his abilities and his 
 oratorical power. 
 
 Thus oddly enough, even at this time, the opinions of 
 the Germans wavered ; some had even been in Paris, where 
 they had seen the distinguished men speaking and at 
 work, and had, after our unfortunate German fashion, been 
 excited to imitate them ; and this, too, at a time when 
 anxiety for the left bank of the Khine was rapidly 
 changing into actual fear. 
 
 * This picture of Guide's, and Rubens' Last Judgment were removed 
 to Munich in 1805.
 
 202 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 The danger seemed imminent ; Diisseldorf was crowded 
 with Emigrants; even the King's brothers had arrived, 
 and every one hastened to see them. I met them in the 
 Gallery, and recollected how I had last seen them dripping 
 with rain on the march out of Glorieux. Herr von 
 Grimm and Frau von Beuil appeared at the same time. 
 Owing to the crowded state of the town, they had taken 
 up their quarters at an apothecary's, his cabinet of 
 natural curiosities serving as their bedroom ; monkeys, 
 parrots, and other animals, watched over the morning 
 slumbers of this most lovable of women ; shells and corals 
 encumbered her toilet-table ; and thus the evil of demand- 
 ing quarters, which we had before carried with us into 
 France, was now being borne back to ourselves again. 
 
 Frau von Coudenhofen, a handsome, clever woman, 
 formerly the ornament of the Mainz Court, had also taken 
 refuge here. Herr and Frau von Dohm arrived from the 
 interior of Germany, in order to obtain more exact 
 intelligence of the state of affairs. Frankfort was still 
 occupied by the French, and military operations were 
 being carried on between the Lahn and the Taunus 
 mountains. Owing to the constantly varying intelligence 
 which arrived day by day, first reassuring, then uncertain 
 as ever, the conversation proved animated and instructive ; 
 but, on the other hand, owing to the conflicting interests 
 and opinions, it was not always of the most enjoyable 
 description. I could not come to any serious conclusion 
 from such a problematical and uncertain state of things, 
 which seemed to depend upon mere accident, so I kept up 
 my paradoxical jokes which sometimes caused amusement 
 and sometimes vexation. 
 
 Thus, I remember once, at supper, the citizens of Frank- 
 fort being praised for their manly and proper behaviour to 
 Custine ; their conduct and disposition, it was said, con- 
 trasted strongly with the unjustifiable manner in which 
 the people of Mainz had conducted themselves, and still 
 continued to act. Frau von Coudenhofen, with an en- 
 thusiasm which became her well, exclaimed, that she 
 would give a great deal to be a citizen of Frankfort, 
 whereupon I replied, that that could easily be managed, 
 that I knew a means, but meant to keep the secret to
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 203 
 
 myself. All then urged me, with ever-increasing eager- 
 ness, to tell them what this was ; whereupon I at last 
 explained, that the excellent lady had only to marry 
 me to become a Frankfort citizen on the spot. General 
 laughter ! 
 
 It would be difficult to say what was not talked about. 
 Once, when the unlucky campaign, and the cannonade at 
 Valmy in particular, was the subject of conversation, Herr 
 von Grimm assured the company, that my strange ride in 
 among the cannon-balls had been spoken of at the King's 
 table. Probably the officers, whom I encountered on the 
 occasion, had mentioned it ; they came to the conclusion 
 that it was useless being surprised at such a proceeding, 
 as it was impossible to say what such a paradoxical being 
 might do next. 
 
 A very able and clever physician took part in our semi- 
 saturnalia ; and I had no idea, in the midst of my mad 
 jokes, that I should so soon stand in need of his assistance. 
 He broke out into a loud laugh one day when he found 
 me in bed, confined there almost without the power of 
 moving, by a violent rheumatic attack that I had brought 
 upon myself by exposure to the cold. He was a pupil of 
 Hoffmann, whose specifics had met with such success, 
 first in Mainz and the Electoral Court, and afterwards 
 all along the Rhine ; he first used camphor, which was 
 looked upon as the universal remedy. Blotting-paper, 
 with chalk rubbed upon it and a sprinkling of camphor, 
 was employed outwardly, and camphor also, in small 
 doses, inwardly. Whether it was this that cured me 
 or not, I cannot say; but I was quite well in a few 
 days. 
 
 The tedium of my sufferings, however, led to many 
 reflections ; the debility which so readily follows confine- 
 ment to bed, depressed my spirits. The French were 
 making considerable progress in the Netherlands, which 
 was exaggerated by rumour; and new arrivals of Emi- 
 grants were constantly announced. 
 
 My sojourn in Pempelfort had now been sufficiently long, 
 and but for the cordial hospitality of the family one would 
 have feared to have been troublesome; my stay had, 
 moreover, been prolonged accidentally. I expected my
 
 204 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 Bohemian carriage daily and hourly, and did not like 
 to leave without it ; it had arrived at Coblcnz from 
 Treves, and was to be forwarded from thence down the 
 river. However, as it did not make its appearance, and 
 the impatience which had taken possession of me for the 
 last few days increased, Jacobi offered me a travelling- 
 carriage, which was very comfortable although rather 
 heavy, from the quantity of iron about it. All, it was 
 said, were on their way to Westphalia; and the King's 
 brothers intended to establish themselves there. 
 
 Thus I took my departure in the most curious state of 
 perplexity ; my inclination would have led me to remain 
 with my friends, who were just then in a state of the great- 
 est alarm, and yet I had to leave these most excellent 
 people in trouble and anxiety, and to start forth again into 
 the wild world, carried along by the stream of hurrying 
 fugitives, and with the feelings of a fugitive myself. 
 
 I had, however, the prospect of a very agreeable visit 
 on the way, for I was to pass so close to Miinster, and could 
 not avoid paying my respects to the Princess Gallitzin. 
 
 Duiaburg, End of November. 
 
 Thus, after the lapse of four weeks, I found myself 
 many miles distant from the theatre of our first mis- 
 fortunes, but again amid the same company, amid the 
 same crowd of Emigrants, who, now finally driven out of 
 France, were streaming into Germany without hopeful 
 prospects of any kind. 
 
 At dinner, in the inn, I sat at the end of the long table, 
 having arrived rather late ; the host and hostess, who 
 had expressed to me, as a German, their aversion to the 
 French, apologised that all the best places were already 
 occupied by these unwelcome guests. It was observed, 
 that, in spite of their degradation, misery, and impending 
 beggary, the same jealousy was still to be found amongst 
 them about precedence and rank. 
 
 On looking up the table I perceived, at the other end 
 opposite to mo, first of all, a small but well-built old man, 
 of quiet, almost insignificant presence. He seemed a man 
 of importance, for the two persons who sat next him were
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 205 
 
 paying him the greatest attention, and picking out the 
 choicest bits to put before him, it might almost be said, 
 putting them into his mouth. I soon perceived that 
 he was in his dotage, and, like a wretched automaton, 
 was miserably dragging about the shadow of his former 
 substantial and honourable life, while his two devoted 
 attendants were trying to recall to him the dream of his 
 former condition. 
 
 I then looked at the rest ; the most melancholy fate 
 seemed legible on the brows of all. Soldiers, commissaries, 
 adventurers, might perhaps be distinguished ; all were 
 silent, for each had his own particular misery to endure, 
 and boundless wretchedness stared them in the face. 
 
 When the dinner was about half over, a young, good- 
 looking man came in, without anything distinguished in 
 his appearance, or decoration of any kind, and bearing 
 unmistakable marks of being a traveller on foot. He sat 
 down in silence opposite to me, and after civilly asking 
 the landlord to order some dinner for him, quietly ate what 
 was fetched and placed before him. After dinner, as I 
 was exchanging a few words with the landlord, he 
 whispered into my ear, "Your neighbour shall not be 
 charged much in his bill." I did not understand what 
 he meant by this ; but when the young man came up, and 
 asked what he had to pay, the host, after looking round 
 the table, replied that the bill amounted to a Kopfstuck.* 
 The stranger seemed surprised, and said, it must be a mis- 
 take ; for he had not only had a good dinner, but also a 
 pint of wine, which must amount to more. The landlord 
 thereupon said, in a serious tone, that he was in the habit 
 of making out his own bills, and expected his guests to 
 pay what he demanded. The young man paid his bill, 
 and retired modestly and astonished. The landlord then 
 explained the mystery to me. " He is the first of that cursed 
 set of people," he exclaimed, " who has eaten the black 
 bread given him, and he deserved something for that." 
 
 In Duisburg I knew of but one old acquaintance, whom 
 I did not delay to visit; this was Professor Plessing, 
 between whom and myself a sort of romantic and senti- 
 mental relation had sprung up many years before. I 
 * Kopf stuck, a coin of about the value of eightpence.
 
 206 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 shall describe this visit more fully as our evening's con- 
 versation carried us back from the most turbulent to the 
 most peaceful times. 
 
 Werther, when it first appeared in Germany, did not by 
 any means create a disease, or excite a fever, as it had 
 been accused of doing, but only exposed the malady which 
 lay concealed in youthful minds. During the course of a 
 long and happy time of peace the literary and aesthetic 
 culture of the Germans had developed most promisingly 
 within the limits of their own country and their native 
 language ; but as this related only to the mind, indepen- 
 dently of its relation to external nature, it was followed by 
 a kind of sentimentality, in the origin and progress of 
 which the influence of Yorick Sterne* cannot but be 
 recognised. And even though his spirit did not affect the 
 Germans, the more decidedly were they imbued with 
 his sentiments. From this arose a kind of sentimental 
 asceticism, which, as the humorous irony of the Briton 
 was wanting to us, necessarily degenerated into a miserable 
 species of self-torture. I had endeavoured to free myself 
 from this malady, and strove, according to my conviction, 
 to assist others ; this, however, was more difficult than can 
 well be imagined ; for what was really required was, to 
 assist everybody against himself; and therefore any assis- 
 tance which might be expected from the outward world, 
 whether in the way of information, instruction, occu- 
 pation, or favour, could not come into question. 
 
 We must here pass over in silence many co-operating 
 agencies whose Tinited influence was felt at that time ; but 
 it is necessary for our purpose to consider closely another 
 great agent, which operated independently. 
 
 Lavater's Physiognomies had given an entirely different 
 direction to ethical and social interests. He felt him- 
 self possessed of the power of indicating, in the clearest 
 way, the impressions which the human face and form 
 produce upon us all, without being able to account for 
 this to himself ; and as he was not able to follow out any 
 
 * Laurence Sterne (1713-1768), the author of TJie Sentimental 
 Journey through France and Italy, and of The Letters from Yorick to 
 Eliza. The name Yorick is first met with in tlie title of the German 
 translations, the earliest of which appeared in 1768.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 207 
 
 abstract question methodically, he confined himself to 
 single cases, and, consequently, to the individual. 
 
 Heinrich Lips,* a clever young artist, particularly as a 
 portrait-painter, attached himself closely to Lavater, and, 
 both at home as well as on the tour which they made 
 together on the Rhine, never left his patron's side. Now 
 Lavater, partly from an insatiable desire for boundless ex- 
 perience, partly to familiarise and obtain the co-operation 
 of a number of notable men in his future work, had 
 portraits taken of every person he met in any way dis- 
 tinguished by station or talent, character or action. 
 
 In this way many an individual was brought prominently 
 forward, and became more highly esteemed, from having 
 been admitted into this distinguished circle ; peculiarities 
 were pointed out by the master; and people fancied 
 they got to know each other better. Thus it happened 
 most curiously, that many an individual who had previously 
 passed unnoticed in the every-day life of society, now had 
 his personal value brought prominently forward. 
 
 The effect of all this was stronger and greater than 
 may be imagined ; every one claimed the right to form a 
 high opinion of himself as a distinct complete being, 
 and, relying on this individuality, considered himself 
 entitled to adopt all sorts of peculiarities, absurdities, and 
 defects, into the complex of his precious existence. This 
 ensued the more easily, as, in this procedure, the par- 
 ticular nature of the individual alone came into question, 
 without reference to reason in general, which latter, 
 however, must govern all nature. On the other hand, 
 the religious element in which Lavater lived and moved 
 was unable to keep in check the egoism that was every day 
 becoming more marked ; and seemed among piously- 
 disposed persons, to give rise to a species of spiritual pride 
 of a more presumptuous character than even the ordinary 
 kind.f 
 
 Another remarkable consequence of this was, the con- 
 
 * J. H. Lips was, through Goethe's influence, appointed Professor 
 of drawing at the Academy in Weimar in 1789. 
 
 t This appears to be the main reason of the impossibility of any 
 agreement between Goethe and Lavater. Their correspondence ceases 
 v/ith the year 1783.
 
 208 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 sideration in which individuals were held by each other. 
 Notable old men were honoured, if not personally, at least 
 in their portraits ; and a young man had only to come 
 forward prominently in some way, to make people wish to 
 become personally acquainted with him, and if this could 
 not be accomplished, contented themselves by obtaining 
 his portrait. For this purpose profiles drawn from the 
 shadow thrown on a wall were found very useful, and 
 when carefully and well done, furnished an exact like- 
 ness. Everybody was a practised hand at this, and no 
 stranger passed by without having himself inscribed on 
 the wall. Of an evening, pantographs were not allowed 
 any rest. 
 
 Knowledge of mankind, and love of mankind, were 
 promised us from this mode of procedure. Mutual 
 sympathy had certainly been excited, but mutual know- 
 ledge and understanding were not so easily acquired. 
 There was, however, an active tendency towards both 
 objects, and it would be pleasant here to relate what was 
 done to encourage and promote this, both far and near, by 
 a splendidly-gifted young prince, and the genial, in- 
 tellectually active men he had collected about him, were 
 it not advisable to consign to a venerable obscurity the 
 beginnings of such important affairs. Perhaps the 
 cotyledons of that seed-time looked somewhat strange ; 
 the harvest, however, of which our own native land and 
 foreign countries joyfully accepted their share, will not 
 fail to be gratefully remembered in all days to come. 
 
 If what I have just said be kept in view, and thoroughly 
 understood, the following adventure, which at supper was 
 the cause of lively and pleasant recollections to both 
 parties concerned, will not be found either improbable or 
 absurd. 
 
 Among a host of importunities, addressed to me, both 
 by letter and in person, I received, in the middle of the year 
 1777,* a paper, or rather a pamphlet, dated Wernigerode, 
 and subscribed Plessing, the most wonderful production of 
 the self-torturing kind that I ever beheld. It was plainly 
 from a young man filled with all knowledge of school and 
 
 * The date 1776, which is given in all the earlier editions, can only 
 be a mistake in memory on Goethe's part.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 209 
 
 University; but whose learning, nevertheless, did not 
 contribute in the least to his own inward moral tranquillity. 
 His handwriting was good, and pleasant to read ; his style 
 clever and flowing ; and, although a tendency to pulpit 
 oratory could at once be perceived, still everything 
 seemed so fresh, and written so from the heart, that one 
 could not help sympathising with him. But when one's 
 sympathy was allowed to become active, and an endeavour 
 was made to get a clearer understanding of the condition 
 of the sufferer, it seemed as if there was in him more of 
 wilfulness than of patience, more of obstinacy than 
 submission, and more of pure selfishness than of ardent 
 longing. In accordance with the propensity of the time, 
 which I have described above, I felt a great desire to 
 see the young man face to face; but considered it in- 
 advisable to ask him to come to me. I had already, 
 under circumstances which are known, burdened myself 
 with a number of young men,* who, instead of accom- 
 panying me on my road towards a purer and higher 
 culture, had lingered on their own path, deriving no 
 benefit themselves, and obstructing me in my progress. 
 Hence I allowed the matter to rest, till some opportunity 
 should occur for effecting my object. Whereupon i 
 received a second letter, short, but more passionate than 
 the first, in which the writer pressed for an answer 
 and explanation, and implored me most earnestly not to 
 refuse them to him. 
 
 But even this renewal of the storm did not trouble me; 
 the second paper affected me just as little as the first ; 
 but the habit I had acquired of assisting young men of 
 my own age in affairs of mind or heart, did not allow me 
 to forget him altogether. 
 
 The party assembled in Weimar around the excellent 
 young Prince did not readily separate from one another ; 
 their occupations and enterprises, amusements, joys and 
 sorrows were all shared in common. But about the end of 
 November, a hunting-party was got up to hunt wild boar 
 in the Eisenach district, in order to satisfy the urgent 
 and repeated complaints of the country people ; and as I 
 
 * Lenz, Klinger, and others, whose presence in Weimar not un- 
 -rmjueutly put Goethe to some inconvenience and unpleasantness. 
 
 P
 
 210 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 happened to be on a visit there, I was to be of the party, 
 but obtained permission to join them after making a 
 slight detour. 
 
 I had a curious, secret journey in view. I frequently 
 heard a strong desire expressed that the Ilmenau mines 
 should be worked again, not only by men of business, 
 but also by persons in Weimar interested about the matter 
 in a general way. Now, although possessing only the 
 most general ideas about mining, I was required, not in- 
 deed to give my advice or opinion, but to take an interest 
 in it ; and this could not be excited in me in the case 
 of any subject, except by a direct examination of it. I 
 considered it indispensable above all things to get some 
 general understanding, if only superficially, of the nature 
 of mining ; in fact, to see things with my own eyes, and to 
 grasp them with my mind ; then only could I hope to 
 onter further into the details. I had, therefore, for some 
 time contemplated a journey to the Harz, and as this time 
 of the year was usually passed in the open air, in the 
 pleasures of the chase, I felt myself attracted towards it. 
 The winter season had besides, at that time, a great charm 
 for me ; and as far as the mines were concerned, neither 
 winter nor summer would be perceptible there. But I 
 must confess, that my wish to see my singular correspon- 
 dent face to face, and to test him, contributed in no small 
 degree, too, of my forming this resolution. 
 
 Therefore, whilst the hunting-party went in another 
 direction, I rode off alone towards the Ettersberg, and 
 began the ode, which, under the title of "A Winter's 
 Journey in the Harz," so long remained a riddle among 
 my smaller poems. In the sombre snowclouds, rolling up 
 from the north, and high up in the air, a hawk soared 
 above me. I remained over night in Sondershausen, and 
 reached Nordhausen so early next day, that I determined 
 to proceed on my journey immediately after dinner ; but 
 it was late at night before I reached Ilfeld, and this 
 was only accomplished with the assistance of guides and 
 lanterns, and not without some risks. 
 
 I found a respectable looking inn brilliantly lit up, and 
 some special festivity was apparently being celebrated. 
 At first the landlord did not want to take me in. The
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 211 
 
 commissioners of the supreme courts, I was told, had been 
 busy here for some time past in making arrangements of 
 importance, and reconciling various interests ; and as this 
 had now been brought to a successful termination, the 
 matter was being concluded with a general feast. But on 
 being urgently remonstrated with, and on some hints 
 being given by my guide that it would be advisable to 
 treat me well, the man offered to give me the room 
 partitioned off from the dining-room, his own special 
 abode, and likewise his large double bed, with white 
 hangings. He led me through the spacious brilliantly 
 lighted dining-room, and I had an opportunity of glancing 
 at the merry party. 
 
 I had a better opportunity, however, of examining them 
 closely through a hole in the boards of the partition, 
 which had often doubtless furnished the landlord a means 
 for watching his guests. I was greatly amused, and looked 
 right up the long well-lighted table, surveying it, as one 
 might have the marriage feast at Cana represented in a 
 picture ; I had a comfortable view of them from one end to 
 the other : presidents, councillors, and others connected with 
 them, and then, secretaries, clerks and assistants. The 
 successful termination of a troublesome affair appeared to 
 produce an equality amongst all those who had taken an 
 active part in it ; they were chatting very freely, and 
 drinking healths ; jokes were bandied about, and some of 
 the guests seemed to be the butts for sallies of wit and jest ; 
 in short, it was a high and joyous feast, which I could quietly 
 observe in all its peculiarities by the brilliant light of the 
 wax candles, just as if the devil himself had been standing 
 at my side, and treating me with a direct view and in- 
 sight into some strange state of things. How charming 
 this was to me after the gloomiest of rides among the 
 Harz mountains, will be readily understood by lovers of 
 such adventures. It struck me at times as something 
 ghost-like, as if I were looking at a party of merry 
 spectres amusing themselves in some mountain cavern. 
 
 After a good sleep, I hastened early next morning, 
 again accompanied by a guide, to the miners' cavern, crept 
 into it, and closely examined the incessant working of the 
 natural phenomenon. Masses of black marble broken down 
 
 p 2
 
 212 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 and restored to white crystalline pillars and flat slabs, 
 showed me the never-resting activity of Nature. Whilst 
 quietly contemplating the scene, all the miraculous 
 images which a gloomy imagination is so fond of con- 
 juring up out of formless appearances vanished, it is true, 
 but in their place the particular truth stood out all the 
 more purely, and I felt myself greatly enriched by it. 
 
 On again reaching daylight, I wrote down what seemed 
 the most necessary observations, and, likewise, while fresh 
 in my mind, the first stanzas of the poem which, under 
 the title of " A Winter's Journey in the Harz," has 
 attracted the attention of many of my friends down to the 
 present day. It may be as well to insert the stanzas that 
 refer to the singular man who is soon to be presented to 
 the reader, as they are better adapted than anything else 
 that I could say to describe the sympathetic state of my 
 mind at that time. 
 
 But who is this who walks aside, 
 His path in tangled thickets lost? 
 Behind his wayward heel 
 The twining brandies close ', 
 Up comes the grass again ; 
 The waste devours his track. 
 
 Ah ! who shall soothe his woe, who drinlra 
 
 But poison from the balm. 
 
 And from love's cup distils 
 
 Black hatred of all his kind? 
 
 At first despised, now a despieer, 
 
 He lives apart, wasting in selfish dreams 
 
 The glory of his prime. 
 
 Father of love ! if there 
 
 Live in Thy sacred lyre 
 
 One tone to touch his ear, 
 
 Oh, gladden Thou his heart t 
 
 And let his clouded eye* 
 
 The thousand springs behold, 
 
 That, ever welling, ever shining, cheer 
 
 The thiroty waste. 
 
 On arriving at the inn in Wernigerode,* I entered into 
 conversation with the waiter, and found him a sensible 
 
 * The details of the story given here do not quite tally with those 
 given in Goethe's letters to Frau von Stein, where on one occasion he 
 BOYS : " I went out for a walk with P. up the hill." In the present 
 case it would seem as if we had an account of one evening only.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 213 
 
 person, who seemed to be pretty well acquainted with his 
 fellow-townsmen. I then told him that it was my custom, ' 
 on arriving at a place where I had no particular intro- 
 ductions, to seek out such young persons as might in 
 any way be distinguished for learning and science ; and 
 thereupon asked him to do me the favour to name some- 
 body of this description, with whom I might hope to pass 
 the evening pleasantly. Without hesitation the waiter 
 replied, that no doubt I should find what I desired in Herr 
 Plessing, the son of the Superintendent ; that as a boy 
 even he had been distinguished at school, and still main- 
 tained his reputation for diligence and ability ; that people 
 now found fault with his gloomy disposition, and did not 
 like him on account of unsociable behaviour which led him 
 to shut himself out from society. But that towards strangers 
 he was always polite, as examples could prove, and if I 
 wished an introduction, it could be got immediately. 
 
 The waiter soon brought me word that I might pay 
 Plessing a visit, and conducted me to his residence. The 
 evening had already set in, when I entered a large room 
 on the ground-floor, the usual style in ecclesiastical houses, 
 and although it was twilight I could distinguish the 
 young man tolerably well. I observed some signs of the 
 parents having hastily left the room, to make place for 
 the unexpected visitor. 
 
 When the lights were brought in, I had a distinct view 
 of the young man, and he was exactly what his letter had 
 led me to expect; and, like it, he excited one's interest 
 without being exactly attractive. 
 
 In order to lead to a more intimate conversation, I de- 
 scribed myself as an artist from Gotha, and said that, on 
 account of some family matters, I was about to visit a 
 sister and brother-in-law in Brunswick at this unfavour- 
 able season. 
 
 With great animation he thereupon exclaimed, scarcely 
 allowing me to finish my sentence. " As you live so near 
 Weimar, you have no doubt frequently visited that place, 
 which has become so celebrated?" I answered, with 
 perfect simplicity, in the affirmative, and began to speak 
 of Counsellor Kraus, and the Drawing Academy ; of 
 Bertuch, Counsellor of Legation, and his unwearying
 
 214 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 assiduity ; I did not omit either Musaus or Jagemann ; 
 spoke of Wolf, the band-master ; and some ladies ; de- 
 scribed the circle in which these worthy people moved, 
 and said they were always glad to see strangers amongst 
 them, who were sure to be well received. 
 
 At last he exclaimed, somewhat impatiently : " But 
 why do not you mention Goethe ? " I replied, that I had 
 seen him in the aforesaid circle as a welcome guest, and 
 had even been myself personally well received and 
 kindly treated by him as an artist, but that I could not say 
 much further about him, partly because he lived alone, 
 and partly because he belonged to other circles. 
 
 The young man, who had listened with restless attention, 
 now demanded me, with some impetuosity, to describe this 
 strange individual, who had created such a sensation in the 
 world. Whereupon, with great ingenuity, I gave him a 
 description, which it was not difficult to do, as the strange 
 person happened to be before me in the strangest of situa- 
 tions ; and if Nature had only favoured him with a little 
 more sagacity of heart, he could hardly have failed to 
 perceive that his visitor was describing himself. 
 
 He had walked up and down the room two or three 
 times, when the maid-servant entered, and placed a bottle 
 of wine and some cold supper on the table ; he filled both 
 our glasses, touched my glass with his, and drank it off 
 excitedly. Scarcely had I, with somewhat less eagerness, 
 emptied mine, when he seized me by the arm with great 
 vehemence, and exclaimed : " Oh, excuse my singular 
 behaviour! But you have inspired me with such con- 
 fidence, that I cannot help telling you all. This man, 
 from your description of him, ought certainly to have 
 answered me ; I sent him a detailed, affectionate letter, 
 describing my condition, my sufferings, and begged him 
 to interest himself in me, to* advise me, to help me ; and 
 now months have passed, and I have no reply. The very 
 least he oould do, was to have sent me a refusal, in return 
 for such unbounded confidence." 
 
 In reply to this, I said that such conduct I could 
 neither explain nor excuse ; but this much I knew from 
 my own experience, that owing to a heavy pressure of 
 things both ideal and real, this, otherwise well-meaning,
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 215 
 
 good-natured, and helpful young man, was often unable to 
 do as he pleased, much less to act for others. 
 
 " As we have accidentally got so far," he now added, 
 with somewhat more composure, " I must read the letter to 
 you ; and you can then judge whether it did not deserve 
 some answer, some reply." 
 
 I walked up and down the room waiting for him to 
 read it, knowing, of course, what effect it would produce, 
 and therefore had no fear of making a fake step in so 
 delicate an affair. He sat down opposite to me, and began 
 to read the papers, which I knew as well as himself; and 
 nothing, perhaps, ever convinced me more of the truth of 
 the assertion made by physiognomists : that a living being, 
 in all its actions and conduct, is in complete accordance 
 with itself, and that every monad, when once it has 
 entered the world of reality, manifests itself in complete 
 unity with its characteristics. The reader was an exact 
 counterpart of what he read ; and as the letter had not 
 attracted me at first, it did not attract me now in his 
 presence. One could not, indeed, deny the young man 
 one's respect, one's sympathy ; in fact, it was this which 
 had induced me to make this curious journey; for an 
 earnest will was visible in him, a noble tendency and 
 aim ; but although the tenderest feelings were in ques- 
 tion, his manner of reading was without grace, and a 
 peculiar, narrow kind of selfishness was strongly apparent 
 throughout. When he had finished, he asked hastily 
 what I now thought, and whether such a paper did not 
 deserve, nay, demand, an answer ? 
 
 Meanwhile I had obtained a clearer insight into the 
 young man's deplorable state of mind ; he had never taken 
 cognisance of the outward world, but had, on the contrary, 
 cultivated his mind by multifarious reading, and directed 
 all his powers and interests inwards ; and, not finding 
 any productive talent in the depths of his being, he had 
 gone far to ruin himself altogether. And even the occu- 
 pation and consolation so gloriously offered us by a study 
 of the ancient languages, seemed to be completely wanting 
 to him. 
 
 As I had already proved, both in myself and others, 
 that the best remedy in such cases is to throw ourselves
 
 216 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 with energy and faith upon Nature and her infinite variety, 
 I made an attempt to apply it in this case also. After a 
 little reflection I answered him in the following way : 
 
 "I think I can understand why the young man, in 
 whom you have placed so much confidence, has remained 
 silent towards you. His present way of thinking is 
 doubtless too different from yours to allow of any hope 
 that you could come to any agreement with each other. 
 I have been present during some conversations in the 
 circle spoken of, and have heard it maintained, that the 
 only way in which a person can escape and save himself 
 from a painful, self-torturing, gloomy state of mind, is by 
 a contemplation of Nature, and a heartfelt sympathy with 
 the outward world. Even a most general acquaintance 
 with Nature, no matter in what way, in fact any active 
 communication with it, either in gardening or farming, 
 hunting or mining, draws us out of ourselves ; the employ- 
 ment of our mental energies upon real, actual phenomena, 
 affords, by degrees, the greatest satisfaction, clearness of 
 mind, and instruction ; in the same way as the artist who 
 keeps true to Nature, while cultivating his mind, is certain 
 to succeed the best." 
 
 My young friend appeared to get very restless and 
 impatient at this, just as one does when listening to some 
 foreign or confused language, the meaning of which one 
 cannot understand. However, although there seemed but 
 little hope of a successful result, I proceeded more for the 
 sake of saying something, and added that : " To me, as a 
 landscape painter, this appeared very evident, as my 
 particular department of art was in direct communication 
 with Nature. But since that time, I have observed things 
 with more assiduity and eagerness than I had previously 
 done, and not merely noted uncommon and remarkable 
 natural objects and phenomena, but felt myself more full 
 of love for all things and all men." In order not to lose 
 myself in the abstract, I thereupon told him that even this 
 necessary winter excursion, instead of being irksome, had 
 furnished me with lasting enjoyment. I described to 
 him the course of my journey artistically and poetically, 
 and yet as truly and naturally as I could ; I spoke of the 
 snow-clouds which I had that morning seen rolling over
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 217 
 
 the mountains, and the various other appearances that 
 had struck me during the day ; I then revealed to his 
 imagination the curious turreted and walled fortifications 
 of Nordhausen, as seen in the twilight ; and further, at 
 night, the torrents rushing down the mountain ravines, 
 their waters lighted up now and then, and glistening in 
 the flickering light of the guide's lantern ; and, last of all, 
 the miners' caverns. 
 
 Here he interrupted me with warmth, and assured me 
 that he heartily regretted the trouble he had taken in 
 going to see the latter, short as the distance was ; it had 
 not at all come up to the picture he had formed of it in 
 his imagination. After what had passed between us, such 
 morbid symptoms did not annoy me ; often had I seen how 
 men throw away the valuable possession of a clear reality 
 for a dismal phantom of their gloomy imaginations ! 
 Just as little did it astonish me, when, in answer to my 
 question, " How he had pictured the caverns to himself? " 
 he described them in such a way as the boldest scene- 
 painter would scarcely have ventured to do in depicting 
 the fore-courts of Pluto's kingdom. 
 
 Upon this I tried other propaedeutic suggestions as 
 expedients for effecting a cure. But these were rejected 
 so emphatically with the assurance that nothing in this 
 world ever could or should content him, that my heart 
 closed itself against him ; and I felt my conscience com- 
 pletely freed from the necessity of taking any further 
 trouble about him, considering the fatiguing journey I 
 had undertaken on his account, and the best intentions 
 I had had towards him. 
 
 It was already pretty late, when he spoke of reading tome 
 his second still more passionate letter, which was, of course, 
 likewise not unknown to me ; he accepted my apology 
 for not wishing to hear it then, owing to my being too tired, 
 but invited me, in the name of his family, to dine with them 
 the following day ; I told him I would let him know early 
 next morning if I could come.* We parted peaceably and 
 
 * Schaefer's assertion that Goethe, in taking leave of Plessing, 
 admitted who he was, and that, in this case aa in hie Wahrheit und 
 Dichtung, Goethe has described his adventure very freely, has been 
 disputed by Diintzer in his work : AIM Goethe' t Frettndekreis.
 
 218 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 becomingly. His person left a peculiar impression upon 
 me ; he was of middle height, his features had nothing 
 attractive, but neither had they anything repulsive in 
 them ; his gloomy presence had nothing uncourteous 
 about it; and he might, in fact, have passed for a 
 well-educated young man, preparing himself quietly in 
 schools and academies, for the pulpit or a professorial 
 chair. 
 
 On going out, I found the sky clear and bright with 
 stars, the streets and squares covered with snow ; I stopped 
 on a narrow bridge, and stood quietly looking at the 
 surrounding objects in the wintry night. At the same 
 time I thought over the adventure, and felt quite resolved 
 not to see the young man again ; hence I ordered my horse 
 at daybreak, gave the waiter an anonymous note contain- 
 ing my apologies and, at the same time, said many things 
 in praise of the young person to whom he had introduced 
 me, which were true enough, and of which, no doubt, 
 the dexterous fellow made good use for his own purposes. 
 
 I now rode along the north-east slopes of the Harz 
 amid wild stormy weather, with the snow-flakes drifting 
 around me, on to Goslar, after having first seen the 
 Eammelsberg, the brass foundry, and other establishments 
 of that kind, and obtained an insight into their working. 
 Of Goslar I shall say nothing further at present, as I hope 
 to entertain my readers with a more detailed account of it 
 on a future occasion. 
 
 I cannot say how long it was since I heard anything of 
 my young friend when, quite unexpectedly, one morning 
 a note was delivered to me in my Summer-house at 
 Weimar, in which he introduced himself to me. I wrote 
 him a few words to say that I would be glad to see him. 
 I expected a singular scene of recognition ; but on coming 
 in he said quietly : " I am not surprised to find you here, 
 the handwriting of your note brought so vividly to my 
 recollection the lines which you left me on leaving for 
 Wernigerode, that I never for a moment doubted that I 
 should here find the mysterious traveller again." 
 
 This was a good beginning, and we began talking very 
 cordially together ; he endeavoured to describe his condi- 
 tion to me, and I, in no way, concealed my opinion from
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 219 
 
 him. I am unable to say now whether I found his mind 
 in a more healthy state or not ; but it cannot have ap- 
 peared very bad, for we parted after a good deal of conver- 
 sation, on good terms ; but I could not reciprocate the 
 vehement desire he manifested for passionate friendship 
 and the closest intimacy between us. 
 
 For sometime we kept up a correspondence ; I was able 
 to be of some real service to him, which, at our present 
 meeting, he gratefully remembered, and altogether, the 
 recollection of former times filled up a few hours very 
 pleasantly for both of us. He was still, as he had always 
 been, occupied with himself, and had a great deal to 
 relate and communicate. He had in the course of time 
 acquired a reputation as an author, by applying himself 
 earnestly to the history of ancient philosophy, particularly 
 to that part of it which deals with the mysterious, from 
 which he endeavoured to deduce the origin and primal 
 condition of man. His books, which he always sent me as 
 soon as they were published, I had not read ; the subjects 
 were too far removed from what had any interest for me. 
 
 His present condition I found by no means satisfactory ; 
 the study of languages and history, which he had so 
 long neglected, he had at length taken up, as if by storm, 
 with frantic exertions, but the excessive strain on his 
 mind, had destroyed his health. His economical circum- 
 stances moreover did not appear to be in a very flourish- 
 ing state, his moderate income did not allow of his taking 
 proper care of himself; his youthful gloomy tendencies, 
 too, did not seem to have altogether disappeared ; he still 
 seemed always to be aspiring after something unattainable, 
 and after we had exhausted the remembrance of former 
 relations, it seemed impossible to bring the conversation 
 into any really pleasant channel. My present manner of 
 life might be considered as almost further removed from 
 his than ever. We parted, however, on very friendly 
 terms ; but him, too, I left in apprehension and anxiety 
 about the pressure of the times. 
 
 I also paid a visit to worthy Merrem* whose distin- 
 guished attainments in Natural History immediately gave 
 occasion to more cheerful talk. He showed me many 
 * Blassius Merrem, afterwarUs Professor in Marburg.
 
 220 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 remarkable objects, and presented me with his work on 
 snakes ; I became interested in his future career ; it 
 proved of use to me in many ways. One great advantage 
 of travelling is, that we never lose our interest in persons 
 and places we have once become acquainted with. 
 
 Miinster, November, 1792. 
 
 Having informed the Princess of my arrival I had the 
 immediate prospect of a very pleasant time. But I was 
 destined first to undergo a trial characteristic of the times, 
 for I had been delayed on the road by various hinderances, 
 and it was late at night before I arrived in the town. I 
 did not think it right to put my friend's hospitality to 
 so severe a test at the very outset by making an inroad at 
 that late hour ; I therefore drove to an inn, where, however, 
 I could get neither bed nor quarters of any kind ; the 
 Emigrants had come in en masse, and filled every corner. 
 In these circumstances I did not hesitate long, and passed 
 the night on a chair in the dining-room, where, at all 
 events, I was more comfortable than I had been a short 
 time before, when no shelter, or covering of any kind, 
 could be found even from the heaviest rains. 
 
 After this slight privation I received the next morning 
 the most welcome intelligence. The Princess was coming 
 to meet me ; and I found in her house everything prepared 
 for my reception. My relation to her was unembarrassed. 
 I was sufficiently well acquainted with the members of the 
 circle, and knew that I was joining pious, virtuous people, 
 and conducted myself accordingly. They, on their part, 
 were sociable, and not at all narrow-minded. 
 
 The Princess had visited us in Weimar some years be- 
 fore with Von Fiirstenberg and Hemsterhuis ; her children 
 also were of the party. In those days we had compared 
 notes on various topics, and had separated on the best terms, 
 each side making concessions. She was one of those indi- 
 viduals of whom no idea can be conceived without ac- 
 tually seeing her, and of whose individuality no proper 
 judgment can be formed, without taking it in connection 
 as well as in conflict, with the circumstances of the time. 
 Von Fiirstenberg and Hemsterhuis, two very superior men,
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 221 
 
 were her faithful attendants, and in such society there was 
 always scope for the display of the Good as well as the 
 Beautiful. The latter had since died ; the former, now by 
 so many years older, I found the same intelligent, noble, 
 composed man ; and what a singular position he occupied 
 amongst his contemporaries ! a clergyman, statesman, and 
 close upon ascending a prince's throne. 
 
 At first our conversation, after some slight allusions to 
 former times, turned upon Hamann,* whose grave in the 
 corner of the leafless garden soon caught my eye. 
 
 His great incomparable qualities gave rise to many 
 splendid reflections; his last days, however, were not 
 spoken of. The man who had been of so much importance, 
 and contributed so much to the enjoyment of this circle, 
 which was his own choice, was in death the cause of some 
 inconvenience to his friends; one might speak of his burial 
 as one pleased, it was out of rule. 
 
 The position of the Princess, when closely observed, 
 could not be considered as anything but pleasing ; she had 
 early been impressed with the feeling that the world can 
 give us nothing ; that we must withdraw into ourselves, 
 and within a limited circle, in order to devote ourselves to 
 the affairs of time and eternity. She had comprehended 
 both ; the highest temporal blessings she found in what 
 was natural, and here Eousseau's maxims concerning civil 
 life and the training of children will be brought to mind. 
 In everything she strove to return to what was simple and 
 true; stays and high-heeled boots and shoes vanished; 
 hair-powder disappeared, and her hair allowed to fall in 
 natural locks again. Her children were taught to swim 
 and run, perhaps also to box and wrestle. I scarcely re- 
 cognised her daughter ; she had grown taller and stouter ; 
 I found her intelligent, amiable, a good housewife, and de- 
 voting herself without any signs of displeasure to the half- 
 
 * J. G. Hamann, studied first theology then law. He ia spoken of 
 highly by Goethe, who was, in fact, the first to recognise the full value 
 of his influence, and even thought of editing his works. Hamann 
 seems to have lacked fixity of purpose, and in spite of eminent talent 
 has left only smaller works which, however, have had their influence. 
 His great idea was " a return to the simple forms of the earlier style 
 of poetry, a return to the childhood of nations, a return to the simplicity 
 of a child's faith, which alone could give rise to a new era of poetry."
 
 222 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 monastic kind of life. Thus it was with the Present and 
 Temporal ; the Future and Eternal they had found in a 
 religion which solemnly asserts and promises as certain, 
 that which the teaching of others holds out only as a hope. 
 
 The fairest means of uniting the two worlds, gave rise 
 to beneficence, as the mildest effect of an earnest asceti- 
 cism ; their life was devoted to the exercises of religion 
 and benevolence ; temperance and frugality were expres- 
 sed in all their domestic arrangements ; their daily wants 
 were supplied plentifully and plainly, but the house itself, 
 the furniture, and other common necessary articles of an 
 establishment, were neither elegant nor costly ; it had the 
 appearance of a well-furnished house that had been taken 
 for a time. The same could be said of Von Furstenberg 
 also ; he inhabited a palace, but one that did not belong to 
 himself, and which would not be left to his children. In 
 everything he displayed great plainness, temperance, and 
 frugality ; relying upon inward dignity, rejecting every 
 thing external, as did the Princess herself. 
 
 Within this sphere the most intellectual and cordial 
 intercourse was kept up, rendered earnest by philosophy, 
 and enlivened by art ; if, in the former study different per- 
 sons seldom proceed from, the same principles it is all the 
 more pleasant to find that people generally agree about 
 the latter. 
 
 Hemsterhuis, a native of the Netherlands, a man of 
 refined mind, and trained from youth upwards by the 
 study of the ancient authors, had dedicated his life as 
 well as his writings to the Princess ; his writings bear 
 throughout incontestable evidence of their mutual con- 
 fidence in each other, and of the similarity of their pro- 
 gress in intellectual attainments. 
 
 With peculiarly acute delicacy of feeling, this estimable 
 man was led unweariedly to strive after the intellectual and 
 moral, as well as the sensuous and eesthetical. If we are 
 to be imbued with the former, we ought constantly to be 
 surrounded by the latter. To a private person, whose 
 movements are confined within a narrow sphere, and who, 
 even when travelling, finds it difficult to dispense with an 
 habitual enjoyment of art, a collection of carved gems is a 
 great boon ; he is accompanied everywhere by what gives
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 223 
 
 him the highest enjoyment, and is a valuable means of 
 instruction without being cumbersome ; and he can con- 
 tinually enjoy a very precious possession. 
 
 But in order to obtain the enjoyment, it is not enough 
 merely to wish for it ; to accomplish this, one must, above 
 all things, be favoured by circumstances. These were not 
 wanting to our friend ; he lived on the high-road between 
 England and Holland, and had before him the continued 
 activity of commercial transactions, and the treasures of 
 art which floated backwards and forwards with it, and 
 gradually, by purchase and exchange, became possessed 
 of a fine collection of about seventy pieces. The advice 
 and instructions of the excellent lapidary Natter* had 
 moreover been of the greatest service to him. 
 
 This collection the Princess had, in a great measure, 
 seen growing to its present dimensions ; she had acquired 
 an insight, a taste, and a love for the subject. She pos- 
 sessed it now as the bequest of a departed friend, who 
 seemed always present to her in these treasures. . 
 
 Hemsterhuis' philosophy, the basis of it and the course of 
 his thoughts, I could not make my own, except by 
 translating them into my own language. The Beautiful, 
 and the Enjoyable he thus expressed himself is to be 
 able readily to perceive and to comprehend the greatest 
 number of conceptions at one and the same moment. But 
 I was obliged to reply : The Beautiful is to behold what is 
 living and conformable to law, in its full activity and 
 completeness, whereby we are excited to reproduction, and 
 feel that we ourselves are living, and placed in the highest 
 state of activity. Properly speaking, both mean the same 
 thing, only expressed by different persons and I refrain 
 from saying more ; for the Beautiful does not so much 
 fulfil our expectations as it excites our hopes ; whereas the 
 Ugly, inasmuch as it springs from stagnation, creates 
 stagnation, and leaves us nothing to hope for, to desire, 
 or to expect. 
 
 I thought I could explain his ' Letter on Sculpture,' 
 according to my definition ; and his little book ' On Desire,' 
 
 * Johann Lorenz Natter is also spoken of by Meyer in his Wi nckel' 
 maun und sein Jahrhundert&a an excellent artist, aud specially praiaed 
 for a very finely-cut portrait of Cardinal Album.
 
 224 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 also appeared clear to me in this way; for when the 
 coveted beautiful object comes into our possession, it does 
 not always give us in detail what it promised as a whole ; 
 and thus it is evident, that what attracted us as a whole 
 does not invariably satisfy us in particulars. 
 
 These remarks were the more important, as the Princess 
 had seen her friend grow cold over the possession of works 
 of art, which he had so greatly coveted ; this he has himself 
 cleverly and pleasantly shown at length in the above- 
 mentioned little book. No doubt, one point to be considered 
 is, whether the object be worthy of the enthusiasm felt for 
 it, or not ? If it is, the pleasure and admiration which it 
 excites will always increase, and be renewed ; if it is not, 
 then the thermometer falls a few degrees, and we gain in 
 insight what we lost by prejudice. It is therefore quite 
 right that we should buy works of art, in order to get 
 acquainted with them ; in this way the desire for them 
 will cease, and their true value will be established. How- 
 ever, in this case also, longing and satisfaction must alter- 
 nate in a pulsating life, must mutually meet and separate 
 again, in order that he who has once been deceived may 
 not cease to desire again. 
 
 He who has looked into Hemsterhuis' works will best 
 judge how interesting conversations of this nature were 
 to the society in which I was now living, for they origi- 
 nated in this circle, and received life and nourishment 
 from it. 
 
 An inspection of the carved gems was often highly de- 
 lightful ; it was certainly a coincidence most singular that 
 the flower of heathenism was destined to be preserved and 
 cherished in a Christian family. I did not omit to descant 
 upon some of the charming subjects which caught the eye 
 in these little artistic works. It could irot be denied that 
 imitations of larger and more valuable ancient works, 
 which would otherwise have been lost to us for ever, were 
 preserved like jewels, in this narrow compass ; and there 
 was scarcely any one species wanting. The brawniest 
 Hercules, crowned with ivy, could not deny his colossal 
 origin; a severe Medusa head; a Bacchus, formerly 
 preserved in the Medicean cabinet; charming Sacrifices 
 and Bacchanalia; and, in addition to all this, valuable
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 225 
 
 portraits of personages, known and unknown, repeatedly 
 excited our. admiration. 
 
 From these conversations, which, notwithstanding their 
 elevation and depth, ran no danger of losing themselves in 
 the abstruse, there seemed to arise a kind of agreement ; 
 for reverence for a worthy object is always accompanied 
 by a religious feeling. Still it could not be concealed, 
 that the purest form of Christian religion is always at 
 variance with true plastic art, because the former strives 
 to avoid all mere sensuality, whereas the latter regards 
 the sensual element as its proper sphere of action, within 
 which it must abide. In this spirit I wrote down, on the 
 spur of the moment, the following lines : 
 
 Amor, not the child, but tlie youth, the lover of Psyche, 
 
 Over Olympus walked, conqueror frequent and bold ; 
 Gazing, a goddess he spies, the fairest of all the immortals, 
 
 Venus Urania named ; fiercely he burned for her charms ; 
 Nor she, the heavenly fair, resisted his passionate pleading. 
 
 Soon the amorous youth held her in closest embrace. 
 From them sprang a son, a new and lovelier Amor; 
 
 Sense, to his father he owes, feeling his mother bestows; 
 Always thou'lt find him haunting the paths of the beautiful Muses, 
 
 And his magical shaft awakening the love of the arts. 
 
 With this allegorical profession of faith they did not 
 seem altogether dissatisfied, but the subject was allowed to 
 drop, both sides considering it their duty to bring forward 
 only so much of their feelings and convictions as were 
 held in common, and could tend, without opposition, to 
 our mutual instruction and enjoyment. 
 
 But the carved gems were always at hand, as a 
 delightful resource, whenever the conversation threatened 
 to come to a stand-still. I, for my part, could appreciate 
 only what was poetical about them, and criticised and 
 praised, in a general way, the subjects themselves, the 
 composition and execution ; whereas my friends were 
 accustomed to indulge in entirely different reflections. 
 For the amateur who collects such gems, and wishes to 
 form a valuable collection, does not find it enough merely 
 to comprehend and enjoy the spirit and meaning of the 
 admirable works of art ; to assure himself of their value, 
 he also appeals to their outward characteristics, which 
 it must be very difficult for those to detect who have not 
 
 Q
 
 226 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 the technical knowledge of artists in the same depart- 
 ment. Hemsterhuis had kept up a correspondence for 
 many years with Natter on this subject, and some import- 
 ant letters were found. The different kinds of stonee 
 employed were taken into account, since some kinds were 
 used in earlier, others in later, times. Then, above nil 
 things, the greater degree of detail displayed in the 
 execution was kept in view ; for, in this way, periods of 
 importance were detected, and earlier or later epochs were 
 recognised in the superficial workmanship in so far as it 
 showed talent, or incapacity, or carelessness. Particular 
 weight was attached to the polish of the hollow parts, as 
 this was thought unquestionable evidence as yielding the 
 best epochs. But as to whether a carved gem was de- 
 cidedly antique or modern, no absolute rule for judging 
 was given ; Hemsterhuis himself, it was said, determined 
 such points only upon obtaining the assent of the excellent 
 artist above mentioned. 
 
 I could not conceal the fact that I had here entered 
 quite a new field, which interested me exceedingly; and 
 only regretted the shortness of my sojourn, which would 
 deprive me of the opportunity of examining this new class 
 of objects more closely. On one of these occasions, the 
 Princess said, with animation, that she would like me to 
 take the collection away with me, that I might study it 
 at home with my friends and others who had a scientific 
 knowledge of such things, and, with the assistance of paste, 
 gain new insight in this important branch of art. This 
 offer, which I could not consider as an empty compliment, 
 and which was most tempting to me, I declined, however, 
 with the expression of my grateful thanks ; yet, I confess, 
 I felt the greatest anxiety about the way in which this 
 treasure was kept. The rings were in separate cases, 
 sometimes one by itself, or two and three together, as the 
 case might be ; it was impossible, after showing them, to 
 notice whether any one of them was wanting or not ; 
 indeed, the Princess herself confessed, that once, when 
 shown to the best company, a Hercules had disappeared, 
 which was missed only sometime afterwards. Moreover it 
 seemed rather hazardous in those agitated times to burden 
 oneself with property of so much value, and to expose
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 227 
 
 oneself to so much anxiety and responsibility. I en- 
 deavoured, therefore, with iny best thanks, to give some 
 plausible reasons for refusing it, which my friend seemed 
 good-naturedly to take into consideration ; and, without 
 going beyond the bounds of propriety, I also endeavoured 
 to turn her attention to these points. 
 
 Of my studies in Natural Philosophy, which I kept 
 somewhat in the back ground, from having little hope of 
 advancing them in this place, I was, however, also obliged 
 to give some account. Von Fiirstenberg said, that he had 
 heard in various quarters, with surprise, that I studied 
 osteology as a means of acquiring a knowledge of physio- 
 gnomy, and seemed to think that little assistance could 
 be expected from that quarter in judging of the counte- 
 nances of men. In order to excuse my study of osteo- 
 logy,* which was considered quite out of place in a poet, 
 and, perhaps, to bring the subject into notice, I might 
 indeed have informed these friends that, as was actually 
 the case, Lavater's work on physiognomy, had induced me 
 to take up this subject, my first acquaintance with which 
 had been acquired at the University. Lavater himself, 
 the most successful investigator of the superficial organs, 
 perceived that the form of the muscles and skin, and the 
 effect produced by them, must entirely depend upon the 
 definite structure of the bones beneath; the skulls of several 
 animals were given as illustrations in his work, and he 
 advised me to bestow a glance at them. But whatever I 
 might have said to this effect in explanation of my procedure 
 would have availed but little here. At that time, such 
 scientific reasons were too deep for those who were wholly 
 occupied with the concerns of social life of the moment, 
 where the movable features alone were regarded as of any 
 real importance, and even these, perhaps, only in moments 
 of passion ; it was not considered that a mere uncontrolled 
 appearance might have produced the effect, and that the 
 external, movable and changeable form must be viewed 
 as a decided result of an inward determinate Life. 
 
 * As early as 1784 Goethe had sent the Dutch naturalist Camper a 
 treatise on the Os intermaxillare ; for the further results of his studies 
 in osteology we refer the reader to R. Vircliow's pamphlet, Goethe al* 
 Naturforscher und in besonderer Beziehung auf Schiller. Berlin, 1861. 
 
 Q 2
 
 228 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 I was more successful in my attempts to entertain larger 
 parties of people than in discussions on these subjects ; we 
 had some clever men among us, men of sense and under- 
 standing, and rising young men, of good presence and good 
 education, and of much promise, both in respect of mind 
 and general character. "With them I voluntarily chose the 
 Komish Church festivals, Passion-week and Easter, Corpus 
 Christi, the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, as subjects for 
 discussion ; then, for their amusement, the blessing of the 
 horses, in which other domestic animals likewise partici- 
 pate.* These festivals were, at that time, vividly present 
 to my mind, with all their characteristic peculiarities, for 
 I was about to write an account of a year in Rome, with 
 its series of ecclesiastical and lay ceremonies. I was thus 
 enabled to describe them from the clear and direct im- 
 pression that had been produced on my mind, and saw that 
 my pious Catholic circle were as well satisfied with the 
 pictures I presented to them, as the worldlings were with 
 my accounts of the carnival. Indeed, one of those present, 
 not well acquainted with all the circumstances, asked, in 
 an under tone, whether I was really a Catholic. When 
 the Princess told me this, she related another fact : some- 
 body had written to her, before my arrival, that she 
 must beware of me, as I could feign piety so well that 
 I might be regarded as religious, and even pass for a 
 Catholic. 
 
 " Pardon me, my esteemed friend," I exclaimed ; " I do 
 not feign piety, I am pious at the proper season ; it is not 
 difficult for me to take note of the different forms of belief 
 with a clear and innocent glance, and to describe them 
 again as clearly. Every sort of grotesque distortion, by 
 which presumptuous men sin against the subject, according 
 to their own humour, was always hateful to me. From 
 what is distasteful to me I turn away my eyes ; but many 
 a thing, of which I do not altogether approve, I like to 
 take cognisance of in its own peculiar mode of existence. 
 It then appears, generally, that the others have just as 
 much right to live after their own peculiar fashion, as I 
 have to live after mine." By this means an important 
 
 * Of these festivals we have a detailed description by Goethe in hia 
 Ttnlienische heise.
 
 NOVEMBER 1792. 229 
 
 point was cleared up, and thus a secret, and by no means 
 commendable, interference with our relations, instead 
 of exciting suspicion, had, on the contrary, produced 
 confidence. 
 
 In the midst of such an amiable circle, it would have 
 been impossible to be either harsh or disagreeable ; I felt 
 myself in a gentler mood than for a long time past, and 
 nothing could have been more forttfnate for me than thus 
 again to feel the influence of pious, friendly persons 
 upon me, after the frightful events of the war and the 
 disastrous retreat. 
 
 In one point, however, I failed in proper deference to 
 my excellent and worthy friends, without myself knowing 
 how it occurred. I was celebrated for my felicitous, free, 
 and emphatic style of reading : they wished to hear me, 
 and as they knew that I had enthusiastically admired 
 V oss's "Louise," when it appeared in the November number 
 of the Mercury of 1784,* they manoeuvred' to get me to 
 read it, without being too importunate about it : they laid 
 the number of the Mercury below the mirror, and left me 
 to act as I chose. It would be difficult to say now what 
 it was that kept me from complying ; I felt as if mind and 
 lips were sealed ; I could not take up the book, and could 
 not resolve to make use of the pause which occurred in the 
 conversation for my own pleasure and that of my friends ; 
 the time passed away, and I am still astonished when I 
 think of my inexplicable obduracy. 
 
 The day of my departure approached ; sooner or later, wo 
 had to part. "Now," said the Princess, " no objections will 
 avail any longer ; you must take the carved, gems with 
 you, I desire it." When, as courteously as possible, I still 
 persevered in my refusal, she at last said : " I must, then, 
 disclose to you why I demand it. I have been advised not 
 to trust you with this treasure, and for this very reason I 
 will do it, must do it ; it has been represented to me that 
 I do not know you well enough to be quite sure of you in 
 such a case. My reply to this," she continued, " was, do 
 you believe that the opinion I have of him is not dearer to 
 
 * The beginning of Voss's idyl appeared in the Miisen- Almanack of 
 1784 ; it was the continuation of it tiiat appeared iu the JTcrcur, as I. ere 
 stated by Goethe.
 
 230 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 me than these stones ? If I am to lose my opinion of him, 
 then this treasure may go, too." To this I could make no 
 further reply, since by such a declaration she laid me 
 under as -great an obligation as she did me honour. Every 
 other obstacle was set aside ; sulphur casts were at hand, 
 catalogued, and ready for use if required, packed up in a 
 neat box with the originals, and a very small space 
 contained this costly treasure, which could thus be easily 
 carried about from place to place. 
 
 In this friendly way we took leave of each other, but 
 did not part immediately ; the Princess informed me that 
 she intended to accompany me as far as the first stage, 
 got into the carriage beside me, and ordered her own to 
 follow. The important points in life and doctrines were 
 again discussed ; I repeated my usual credo quietly and 
 mildly, and she remained stedfast to hers. Both of us 
 then wended our way homewards ; she expressing, as her 
 last wish, that she might see me again, if not in this 
 world, in the next. 
 
 This farewell formula of well-meaning, friendly Catholics 
 was neither strange nor distasteful to me; it had often 
 been said to me, by casual acquaintances at watering-places 
 and elsewhere, generally by priests I had met, and who 
 had become attached to me. I see no reason why I should 
 object to any one wishing to draw me into his sphere, 
 where alone, according to his convictions, it is possible to 
 live in tranquillity, and, sure of eternal salvation, to die in 
 peace. 
 
 1 Weimar, from December 1792 to April 1793. 
 
 With the utmost kindness and attention, my excellent 
 friend had not only urged the postmaster to exercise all 
 despatch in forwarding me, but even horses were bespoke, 
 this was both very agreeable and highly necessary. For, 
 amid the cultivated and peaceful society of my friends, 
 I had forgotten that the fugitives from the scene of war 
 vrere still crowding up behind; and I found hosts of 
 Emigrants upon the road, pressing onwards into the heart 
 of Germany, towards whom the postilions here showed as 
 little favour as those on the Khine had done. Very often
 
 DECEMBER 1792 TO APRIL 1793. 231 
 
 there was no actual road, the vehicles were driven first in one 
 direction, then in another, encountering and crossing each 
 other. Furze bushes and underwood, stumps of trees, sand, 
 bogs, and rushes, lay in our way, each more annoying than 
 the other. And there was no want of passionate scenes. 
 
 One of the vehicles stuck fast, and Paul immediately 
 jumped down to lend a helping hand ; he perhaps thought 
 the pretty Frenchwomen, whom he had again met in 
 Diisseldorf, were once more in need of his assistance. The 
 lady had not yet found her husband, but borne along by 
 the fearful current, and in the greatest alarm, had at last 
 been cast across the Rhine. 
 
 It was not she, however, who appeared amid the confu- 
 sion here ; some venerable old ladies claimed our aid. But 
 when we asked the postilion to stop, and to allow his 
 horses to assist in moving the carriage, he refused saucily, 
 and said : " We had better look to our own coach with 
 its burden of gold and silver, and see that it did not stick 
 fast somewhere, or get overturned ; for although he meant 
 honestly by us, he would not answer for anything in 
 such a wilderness." 
 
 Luckily, to quiet our consciences, a number of West- 
 phalian peasants had collected round the unfortunate 
 carriage, and, on being promised a handsome reward, 
 they helped to get it upon a better piece of road. 
 
 What made our coach so heavy was, the quantity of 
 iron about it; the costly prize we carried with us was 
 so light, that, if the carriage had been a light one, no 
 additional weight would have been perceived. How I 
 longed for my little Bohemian carriage ! The general 
 belief, that we had something valuable with us, occasioned 
 me some uneasiness. We had observed, that every pos- 
 tillion told the other that our coach was too heavy, and 
 gave him to understand that there must be gold and other 
 valuables in it. Orders having been sent on before for 
 fresh horses, we were forwarded at every stage with great 
 speed ; on one occasion we were literally driven out 
 into the night, when the awkward case hinted at by the 
 postilion actually occurred. In the midst of a gloomy 
 night, he swore that he could not move the thing any 
 further, and stopped in a wood before a lonely house, the
 
 232 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 situation, aspect, and inhabitants of which would have 
 raised a shudder even in broad daylight. 
 
 The dawn, although one of the greyest, brought some 
 comfort ; I thought of the friends with whom I had, 
 shortly before, passed such a happy time ; they came up 
 before me one by one, and I dwelt with pleasure on their 
 good qualities and peculiarities. But as soon as night 
 again set in, I found myself filled with fresh cares and 
 anxieties. Gloomy, however, as my thoughts had been 
 in the last and darkest of the nights, they as suddenly 
 brightened up as I drove into Cassel, lit xip by its myriads 
 of lamps. At this sight my mind was vividly impressed 
 with a sense of the advantages possessed by the inhabi- 
 tants of large towns ; I saw the comfort enjoyed by each 
 individual citizen in his own well-lit dwelling, and the 
 commodious establishments for the reception of strangers. 
 The cheerfulness produced by the scene was disturbed, 
 for a moment when we drew up at the well-known inn 
 in the splendidly-illuminated Konigsplatz, where it was 
 as light as day. The servant who announced our arrival 
 returned with the answer that there was no room for us. 
 Upon seeing that I did not mean to go away, a butler 
 stepped very civilly up to the carriage-window, and, with 
 some fine phrases in French, begged me to excuse them, 
 as it was quite impossible to take me in. I replied, in 
 good German, that I could not help being surprised, that 
 in so large a building, the extent of which was well known 
 to me, a stranger should be refused admittance in the 
 middle of the night. " Ah ! you are a German ! " he ex- 
 claimed, " that is quite a different thing ; " and he im- 
 mediately told the postilion to drive into the courtyard. 
 After showing me a good room, he added, that he was 
 quite determined not to admit any more of the Emigrants. 
 Their behaviour was most arrogant, and their pay nig- 
 gardly ; for, in spite of their wretched plight, and not 
 knowing where to turn, they conducted themselves as if 
 they had taken possession of a conquered country. We 
 parted good friends ; and on the way to Eisenach I found 
 the crowds of these numerous fugitives and unwelcome 
 guests less frequent. 
 
 Aly arrival in Weimar had also something adventurous
 
 DECEM.BJSK 1792 TO APRIL 1793. 233 
 
 about it ; it took place after midnight, and occasioned a 
 family scene, which would have enlivened and brightened 
 the darkest scene in any novel.* 
 
 I found the house, which had been assigned to me by 
 my Prince, repaired and newly fitted up, and almost 
 wholly in order, but was not quite deprived of the 
 pleasure of co-operating in its completion. My family 
 met me in good health and spirits ; and when we began 
 mutually to relate what had happened meanwhile, a 
 striking contrast was presented between those who 
 had enjoyed the sweet-meats sent from Verdun in peace 
 and tranquillity, and ourselves, whom they fancied had 
 been luxuriating in a kind of paradise, while in reality we 
 had been struggling against every imaginable difficulty. 
 
 Our qUiet domestic circle I found enriched and enlivened 
 by the presence of Heinrich Meyer, an artist, a patron of 
 art, and felhow-worker, who took an active interest in all 
 our studies and labours. 
 
 The Weimar theatre had existed since May 1791. The 
 company had acted during the summer of that and the 
 following year in Lauchstadt, and had succeeded tolerably 
 in the representation of the well-known and standard pieces 
 of the day. A remnant of the Bellamo company, hence 
 persons accustomed to each other, had formed the founda- 
 tion ; and some others, who had already shown considerable 
 talent, and gave promise of more, filled up the gaps. 
 
 Acting may be said to have been still a trade; the 
 members who had graduated in it, although belonging to 
 the different theatres scattered over the country, will- 
 ingly co-operated with each other, particularly when 
 they were fortunate enough to obtain Low Germans for 
 the acting, and High Germans for the singing; hence, for 
 a beginning, the public had good reason to be satisfied. 
 
 As I had taken part in the management I endeavoured 
 to discover how the undertaking could best be carried 
 out. I very soon saw, that a certain technical proficiency 
 and routine were easily acquired, by imitating and 
 
 * What took place upon his return home on this occasion, says Hem pel, 
 is not stated anywhere. In no Life of Goethe, as far as we know, is there 
 any explanation of it. His arrival, according to the text here, must 
 have taken place on the 16th or 17th.
 
 234 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 copying others; but that there was an entire want of 
 what may be called grammar which must form the 
 foundation, before rhetoric and poetry can be attained. 
 As I intend to return to this subject, and do not wish to 
 give it piece-meal, I will, for the present, merely say, 
 that I applied myself to study the technical part, which 
 seemed altogether made up of tradition, and to reduce it 
 to its elements, and further to take note of what had 
 become clear to me in detail, without reference to the 
 subject in general. 
 
 I was greatly assisted in this undertaking by the 
 natural tone that began to be adopted in conversation, 
 which is indeed very agreeable and acceptable when it 
 appears as the perfection of art as second nature but 
 not when each one thinks that he has only to exhibit his 
 own naked being to perform a service worthy of all praise. 
 I made use of this tendency for my own purposes, and 
 was well satisfied to see the natural faculties freely display 
 themselves, in order, by certain rules and regulations, 
 to be gradually conducted towards a higher culture. But I 
 must not say anything further about this, because what 
 has been achieved, developed only by degrees, and must 
 therefore be represented historically. 
 
 Some circumstances, which were very favourable for 
 the new theatre, I must, however, shortly notice. Inland 
 and Kotzebue were at the height of their fame; their 
 pieces, written in a simple and popular style, were directed 
 on one hand against the self-indulgences of social life; 
 on the other, against the excesses of immorality. This 
 style of writing was in accordance with the feelings of 
 the time, and received hearty sympathy ; several of 
 the pieces, even when read as manuscripts, excited 
 pleasure, from the lively aroma of the moment repre- 
 sented. Schroeder, Babo, Ziegler, men of activity and 
 felicitous talent, rendered important assistance. Bretzner 
 and Jiinger, also contemporaries, came forward with an 
 easy, light style of gaiety, without any pretence. Hage- 
 mann and Hagemeister, whose reputations were not 
 destined to be of long duration, likwise worked for the 
 day, and were noticed and welcomed, if not admired. 
 
 Greater elevation was sought for from the influence of
 
 DECEMBER 1792 TO APRIL 1793. 235 
 
 Shakespeare, Gozzi, and Schiller; the old custom of 
 constantly learning new pieces which were shortly to be 
 thrown aside again, was given up ; a more careful choice 
 was made, and a repertory was prepared, which lasted 
 for many years. We must not forget gratefully to re- 
 member the man who helped us to establish this. 
 It was F. J. Fischer, an actor of many years' standing, 
 who understood his business, a temperate man, without 
 strong passions, content with his condition, and with 
 representing unimportant characters. He brought several 
 actors with him from Prague, who worked in the same 
 spirit, and succeeded in winning the good-will of the in- 
 habitants ; and a good understanding was thus kept up 
 between all. 
 
 In regard to the opera, those from Dittersdorf * were 
 most serviceable to us. He had ability and humour, and 
 as he had worked for a private princely theatre, his 
 productions acquired a certain easy grace, which was 
 useful to us as well, for we had been wise enough to 
 regard our new theatre as an amateur one. Much atten- 
 tion was bestowed upon the librettos, both the rhythmical 
 and prosaical parts, in order to adapt them to the upper 
 Saxon taste ; and thus this light commodity obtained 
 both approbation and sale. 
 
 Our friends who had been in Italy brought back with 
 them the lighter Italian operas of the time, of Paiesiello, 
 Cimarosa, Guglielmi, and others ; and the effects of 
 Mozart's genius also began to be felt. When it is con- 
 sidered that, of all these productions, very few were 
 known, and that none of them were hackneyed, it 
 will be acknowledged that the origin of the Weimar 
 theatre was contemporaneous with the youthful times 
 of the German theatres in general, and enjoyed ad- 
 vantages which necessarily led to its development and 
 success. 
 
 In order to facilitate and secure my enjoyment and 
 study of the collection of gems entrusted to me, I ordered 
 two neat ring-cases to be made, in which the stones could 
 be surveyed at a glance, side by side, and any blank at 
 
 * Of the many operas written by Carl Ditters, of Dittersdorf, two 
 had been performed in Weimar.
 
 236 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 once be observed ; several sulphur and plaster casts were 
 also made, and examined with powerful magnifying 
 glasses, and existing casts of older collections were pro- 
 cured, and compared with them. We soon perceived that 
 our studies in this department were at the very beginning, 
 and the extent of our obligation to the Princess manifested 
 itself only by degrees. 
 
 The result of several years' study may therefore be 
 inserted here, as it is not likely that we shall soon have 
 our attention directed to this point again. 
 
 From certain internal reasons, we thought ourselves 
 justified in considering the greater number, if not the 
 whole of these carved gems as genuine antiques ; and 
 several of them, we thought, might be regarded as among 
 the most exquisite specimens of this kind of workmanship. 
 Some of them were found to be actually identical with 
 older sulphur casts ; several were found to coincide with 
 other antique gems, but which might be considered as 
 original. In the largest collections duplicates frequently 
 occur ; and it would be a great mistake to declare the 
 one original, and the other modern copies. 
 
 We must not forget the faithful way in which the 
 ancient artists adhered to what had once been successfully 
 executed, frequently repeating the representation of it. 
 They thought themselves original enough if they were 
 able to comprehend an original conception, and possessed 
 of capacity and skill sufficient to represent it in their own 
 way. 
 
 Several of the stones had the artists' names engraved 
 upon them, and much value had been set upon this for 
 many years past. An addition of this kind is certainly 
 always worthy of remark, but is generally of mere pro- 
 blematical importance ; for it is possible that the stone 
 may be old, and that the name newly carved upon it, in 
 order to give additional value to an exquisite piece of 
 workmanship. 
 
 Although, as may be supposed, I do not intend here to 
 give any detailed catalogue of the gems, as a description 
 of such things, without copies, give but a poor idea of 
 them, still I think it right to mention the most re- 
 markable among them in a general way.
 
 DECEMBER 1792 TO APEIL 1793. 237 
 
 A head of Hercules. Distinguished fur the exquisite 
 taste displayed in the execution, and still more to be 
 admired in respect of the beautiful ideal form, which 
 does not correspond exactly with any of the known 
 Hercules' heads ; it is this that renders the precious gem 
 more remarkable than it would otherwise be. 
 
 A bust of Bacchus. A work which looks as if it had 
 been breathed upon the stone ; and in regard to its ideal 
 form is one of the noblest works of antiquity. Several 
 similar pieces are to be found in other collections, if I 
 remember rightly, both in relief and carved into stone; 
 however, I know of none superior to this one. 
 
 A Faun about to snatch the dress from a Bacchante. 
 An excellent piece of composition, frequently found upon 
 old monuments ; likewise very well executed. 
 
 An overturned Lyre the horns of which represent two 
 dolphins ; the body, or, if preferred, the foot, the head of 
 Cupid, with a garland of roses ; prettily grouped to this 
 is the panther of Bacchus, holding the thyrsus in its fore- 
 paw. The execution of this gem would satisfy the con 
 noisseur, and those fond of subtle allusions would also 
 find their account in it. 
 
 A Mask with a long beard, and wide open mouth ; a 
 sprig of ivy encircles the bald forehead. This stone is 
 probably one of the most exquisite of its kind ; equally 
 valuable is also 
 
 Another Mask with a large beard, and the hair grace- 
 fully tied up. This is engraved much deeper than usual. 
 
 Venus giving suck to Cupid. One of the most charm- 
 ing groups to be seen ; executed with great talent, but 
 without much expense of labour. 
 
 Cybele riding on the lion deeply cut ; a work, the 
 excellence of which is sufficiently known to amateurs by 
 means of casts, and are to be found in almost all paste- 
 collections. 
 
 A giant pulling a griffin from its hole in a rock. A 
 work of great artistic merit, and perhaps unique as a 
 composition. An enlarged copy of it will be found by 
 our readers prefixed to the programme of the Jena A. L. Z., 
 1804, vol. iv. 
 
 The profile of a head with a helmet and a large beard.
 
 238 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 It is perhaps a mask ; it has, however, nothing what- 
 ever of a caricature about it, but is a firm, heroic counte- 
 nance, and beautifully worked. 
 
 Homer as Hermes represented almost full front, and 
 very deeply cut. The poet is here depicted younger than 
 usual, scarcely on the verge of old age ; consequently 
 this piece is valuable, not only as a work of art, but for 
 the sake of the subject. 
 
 In collections of casts of carved gems, the head of a 
 venerable aged man, with long beard and hair, is fre- 
 quently met with, which (without any good reasons being 
 given) is said to represent Aristophanes. A head of 
 this kind, differing from the above one only in insignificant 
 points, is to be found in our collection, and is, in fact, one 
 of the best pieces. 
 
 The profile of some unknown person was probably 
 found broken off above the eyebrows, and at a later period 
 recut for a ring. Nobler and more lifelike we never 
 saw the human form represented on the small space of a 
 gem, and seldom a case in which the artist showed such 
 unlimited ability. Of equal merit is 
 
 The portrait of another person unknown, clothed in a 
 lion's skin this, like the preceding one, has also been 
 broken off above the eyes, but the missing part is restored 
 with gold. 
 
 The head of a man advanced in years firm and strong 
 in character, with short hair; it is executed with re- 
 markable intelligence and ability ; the bold treatment of 
 the beard is particularly to be admired, and perhaps 
 unique of its kind. 
 
 A man's head or bust without a beard, and with a 
 band round the hair ; the drapery attached in rich folds 
 to the shoulder. There is a grand powerful expression in 
 this work, and the features are such as are usually at- 
 tributed to Julius Caesar. 
 
 A man's head likewise without a beard ; the toga, as 
 was the custom with victims, drawn over the head. 
 There is a wonderful degree of truth and character 
 in this face ; and there is no doubt that the work is a 
 genuine antique, belonging to the times of the first 
 Koman emperors.
 
 DECEMBER 1792 TO APRIL 1793. 239 
 
 'The bust of a Eoman lady the hair wound round 
 the head in double braids ; the whole finished with 
 wonderful care, and, in regard to character, full of 
 truth, ease, naivete, and life. 
 
 A small head with a helmet thick beard, and energetic 
 character, represented full front, and of exquisite work- 
 manship. 
 
 In conclusion we will mention a beautiful modern gem 
 the head of Medusa, in a splendid carnelian. It is 
 exactly like the well-known Medusa of Sosikles, the 
 slight differences between them being scarcely percep- 
 tible. Without doubt, one of the best imitations of 
 antiquity ; for an imitation it must be considered to be, 
 notwithstanding its great merit, as the work is somewhat 
 wanting in freedom ; and besides this, an N engraved 
 upon the neck, is a good reason for supposing it to be 
 of a work of Natter himself. 
 
 Even from the little we have said, connoisseurs will 
 recognise the great value of the collection. I do not 
 know where it is at present to be found ; perhaps infor- 
 mation might be obtained about it, and some rich lover 
 of art, if it were for sale, obtain possession of it. 
 
 The Weimar patrons of art took all possible advantage 
 of the collection, so long as it remained in their hands. 
 During the current winter, it furnished the intellectual 
 society which usually gathered round the Duchess Amalia, 
 with admirable entertainment. They were induced to 
 cultivate the study of carved gems ; and the favour of the 
 excellent lady who owned them proved of the greatest 
 service, for she allowed us to keep them for several years. 
 Shortly before her death, she was enabled to enjoy them 
 more than she had ever done before, arranged 1 as they now 
 were in the two cases, and thus had every reason to rejoice 
 in the confidence she had reposed in us. 
 
 Our art studies extended in another direction. I had 
 made sufficient observations on colours in vaiious cir- 
 cumstances, and hoped now at last to discover their art 
 harmony (Kumtkarmonie) as well. My friend Meyer drew 
 up a number of tables, where they could be seen as a series, 
 and also in contrast, and could thus easily be reviewed 
 and compared.
 
 240 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 This harmony was perceived most readily in simple rural 
 objects, where the light side always comprises the yellow 
 and yellow-red ; and the shaded side, the blue and blue- 
 red; but owing to the variety of natural objects, these 
 may very easily be blended by the brown-green and blue- 
 green. Of this, many great masters have given us 
 examples ; in landscapes more frequently than in historical 
 subjects, where the artist has to trust to himself in the 
 choice of colours for his drapery, and, when in doubt, 
 snatches at any assistance which custom or tradition may 
 afford him ; and also allows himself to be led astray by 
 wrong directions from others, and frequently, therefore, 
 diverted from a true harmonious representation of his 
 subject. These studies in' plastic art, I feel compelled to 
 leave, and to return to the theatre, to make some ob- 
 servations on my own . relation to it, which at first I 
 intended to have avoided. One would think it offered me 
 the best opportunity of giving my assistance, as an author, 
 to the new theatre, and to the German stage in general ; 
 for there were many gaps to be filled up between the 
 works of the authors mentioned above ; there was plenty of 
 material at hand, ready for natural and simple treatment. 
 
 But to make myself quite intelligible, I may mention 
 that my earliest dramatic works, relating to history, 
 were too diffuse to be fitted for the stage ; my later ones, 
 addressed as they are to the deepest inward feelings, 
 made but little impression when played, by reason of 
 their too great conciseness. I had, however, trained myself 
 to an intermediate kind of work, by which I might have 
 produced something sufficiently well adapted for the 
 btage ; but I fell upon wrong subjects, or rather the subjects 
 overpowered my inward moral nature, and thus became 
 quite unmanageable as subjects for dramatic treatment. 
 
 In the year 1785, the affair of the diamond necklace 
 had startled me like the head of the Gorgon. By this 
 unheard-of wickedness, I saw the dignity of royalty 
 undermined, annihilated as it were in anticipation ; 
 and subsequent events only too completely confirmed 
 my fearful forebodings. I carried those forebodings with 
 me to Italy, and brought them back vith me increased in 
 intensity. Fortunately 1 got my Tasso finished ; but
 
 DECEMBER 1792 TO APEIL 1793. 241 
 
 after that my mind became absorbed in the great oc- 
 currences of the day. 
 
 For many years I had had occasion to denounce the 
 treacherous doings of bold fantastical men and interested 
 enthusiasts, and had been amazed at the incomprehensible 
 shortsightedness of many superior men, who allowed them- 
 selves to be led astray by these bold importunities. The 
 direct and indirect consequences of these follies now lay 
 clearly before me in the form of crimes against royalty, 
 which, if united, were sufficient to shake the most splendid 
 throne in the world to its foundations. 
 
 In order to divert my mind from these horrors, I 
 endeavoured to look upon them from a cheerful point of 
 view ; and the form of comic opera, which had appeared 
 to me for some time past as one of the best modes of 
 dramatic representation, seemed not altogether unadapted 
 to such serious subjects, as had been shown in King 
 Theodore. Hence this subject was treated rhythmically, 
 the musical part being discussed with Reichardt, of which 
 some rough sketches of bass arias have been made public ; 
 other portions of the music, which had no meaning beyond 
 the context, were not published, and the passage from 
 which the greatest effect was expected was likewise never 
 completed. The apparitions in the crystal ball, seen by 
 the sleeping clairvoyant Cophta, were intended to be a 
 dazzling finale to the whole. 
 
 But there was no joyous spirit in it, and it came to a 
 stand-still ; in order not to lose all the labour I had 
 expended on it, I wrote a piece in prose, and representatives 
 for the principal characters were found among the new 
 company of actors, who performed their parts admirably, 
 when it was brought upon the stage. 
 
 But from the very fact of the piece having been excel- 
 lently acted, the more repulsive was its effect. A fright- 
 ful, and at the same time an absurd subject, boldly and 
 unsparingly handled, startled every one, and aroused no 
 sympathy ; the proximity in time and place of the subject 
 represented, made the impression more keenly felt ; and 
 as secret connections believed themselves harshly treated, a 
 large and respectable portion of the public felt alienated, 
 while female delicacy was alarmed at the audacious love 
 adventure. E
 
 242 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 I had been always indifferent to the effect produced by 
 my works, and was not at all disturbed by seeing that 
 this, the last of them, on which I had expended so many 
 years' labour, met with no sympathy ; nay I felt a 
 malicious kind of pleasure, when I heard certain persons, 
 whom I had often enough seen deceived, asserting that 
 nobody could be deceived by such clumsiness. 
 
 From this occurrence, however, I did not draw any 
 lei-son ; that which occupied my mind appeared to me 
 constantly in dramatic form ; and as the necklace affair 
 had taken possession of me as a dismal omen, the revolu- 
 tion itself appeared to me as its most dreadful fulfilment ; 
 a throne I saw overthrown and shattered ; a great nation 
 cast out of its groove, and, considering our unfortunate 
 campaign, the world itself out of joint. 
 
 Oppressed and tormented by such reflections, I had 
 occasion, unhappily, to observe that my own countrymen 
 were also dallying with sentiments which were prepar- 
 ing a like fate for us. I knew many noble spirits who 
 fantastically gave themselves up to certain views and 
 tiopes, without understanding either themselves or the 
 matter ; while unprincipled men were striving to excite 
 bitter discontent, and to increase it for their own ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 As an evidence of my irritated good-humour, I produced 
 the Burger- General ; I was induced to do this by an actor 
 named Beck, who acted the part of Schnaps in the Two 
 Billets, in imitation of Florian, with characteristic excel- 
 lence, his very faults being of service to him. As this cha- 
 racter suited him so well, the first part of the continuation 
 of this small and favourite afterpiece, called the Stamm- 
 baum, by Anton Wall, was produced ; and as I bestowed tho 
 greatest care upon the rehearsals, preparation, and represen- 
 tations of this trifle, I became so engrossed with the comical 
 Schnaps, that I was tempted to reproduce him. This I did 
 both with good-will and in detail ; for the capacious carpet- 
 bag was a real French one which Paul had hastily snatched 
 up during our flight. In the principal scene Malcolmi 
 appeared as an old, well-to do, good-natured countryman, 
 who at times enjoyed an outrageous piece of impudence as 
 a good joke, in a way not to be surpassed, and vied with
 
 DECEMBER 1792 TO APRIL 1793. 243 
 
 Beck in his natural rendering of the character. But it 
 was all in vain ; the piece produced the most unfavourable 
 effect, even with my friends and well-wishers, who, to 
 excuse me and themselves, obstinately maintained that I 
 was not the author, but had only, from some odd caprice, 
 given my name and some touches of my pen to a very 
 indifferent production. 
 
 As, however, nothing external was ever able to estrange 
 me from myself, but rather threw me back upon myself, 
 these representations of contemporary events formed a 
 kind of consolatory occupation for me. 
 
 The Unterhaltungen der Ausgewanderten* a fragment, and 
 an unfinished piece called the Aufgeregten, are so many con- 
 fessions of what was passing in my own breast at the 
 time ; Hermann und Dorothea, at a later period, flowed from 
 the same spring, which, it is true, dried up altogether at 
 last. The poet could not keep pace with the rapid 
 course of events, and was obliged to remain indebted 
 to himself and others for the conclusion, when he saw 
 the problem solved in a way that was as decisive as it was 
 unexpected. 
 
 Amid these constellations nobody could have readily felt 
 more oppressed than I did, away so far from the actual 
 scene of the mischief; the world appeared to me bloodier 
 and bloodthirstier than ever ; and if, as has been said, the 
 
 jlood of a king slain in battle is equal to that of a 
 
 ihousand ordinary men, it is more significant still in a 
 contest with the Law. The trial of a king for his life 
 
 juts thoughts in circulation, and brings relations into 
 dispute, that, to prevent them ever arising, kingship had 
 
 oeen firmly established centuries before. 
 
 But I tried to save myself from these horrors also, by 
 declaring the whole world worthless, and by a curious 
 coincidence Beinecke Fuchs fell into my hands. Tired and 
 disgusted as I was of scenes arising from mob insurrec- 
 
 ions and street encounters, it was quite refreshing to cast 
 glance into a glass reflecting courts and princes; for 
 
 " The separate stories contained in this work appeared almost 
 immediately after they were written in Schiller's periodical Die 
 Horen, and are frequently referred to the Schiller and Goethe 
 correspondence. 
 
 R 2
 
 244 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 although here also the animal nature of man is displayed 
 naturally enough, and without disguise, still everything 
 is represented in a cheerful, if not an exemplary way, and 
 one's good humour is never disturbed. 
 
 In order thoroughly to enjoy the delightful work, 
 I at once commenced a faithful imitation of it ; and 
 from what follows it will be seen why I wrote it in 
 hexameters. 
 
 Fur many years past, pretty tolerable hexameters had 
 been written in Germany after Klopstock's example ; Voss, 
 although he himself made use of them, showed that he 
 thought there was roomfor improvement in this department, 
 and did not even spare his own works and translations, 
 notwithstanding the favour with which they were received 
 by the public. I had a desire to learn this, but could not 
 manage it. Herder and Wieland were latitudinarians in 
 this respect; and Voss's works one scarcely dared men- 
 tion, as they were gradually becoming more severe and 
 inappropriate for the moment. The public valued his 
 earlier works more than his later ones ; but I had always a 
 silent confidence in Voss, whose earnestness was not to be 
 mistaken ; and had I been younger, or had circumstances 
 been different, I would have gone to Eutin, in order to learn 
 his secret. For, owing to an honourable regard for Klop- 
 Ktock, he did not wish, in the lifetime of the worthy poet 
 whose renown filled the whole world, to tell him to his 
 face, that a stricter observance of rules must be introduced 
 into German rhyme, if any hope was to be held out of its 
 ever being established on a sure basis. His utterances, 
 meanwhile, were like sibylline leaves to me. The trouble 
 I took with the preface to the Georgics I still remember 
 with pleasure, for the sake of my honest intention, not for 
 any advantage I gained from it. 
 
 As I was quite conscious that, in my case, culture could 
 be acquired only in a practical way, I took the oppor- 
 tunity of writing down several thousand hexameters, which 
 were likely to meet with a good reception and be of some 
 lasting value owing to the delightful subject, whatever 
 might be the defects in the technical construction. What 
 might prove faulty in them, I thought, would show itself 
 in the eud ; I devoted every hour I could dispose of to
 
 DECEMBER 1702 TO APRIL 1793. 245 
 
 this work, and found my reward in the actual effort. 
 I built and furnished away, without thinking of what 
 else was to happen to me, although I might easily have 
 foreseen the consequences. 
 
 Notwithstanding our being far to the east of the great 
 events that were taking place, there appeared among us this 
 winter outrunners of those of our neighbours who had been 
 driven from the west ; it seemed as if they were searching 
 for some civilise! place, in which to find protection and 
 shelter. Although only temporary visitors, they conducted 
 themselves so well and patiently, and showed themselves 
 so ready to submit to their fate, to maintain themselves 
 by some kind of labour, that every body became pre- 
 possessed in their favour ; the faults of the general mass 
 were forgotten in the merits of these few, and the 
 aversion which had been felt for their class was changed 
 into a feeling of good-will for them. This was of service 
 to those who arrived later, and settled in Thuringia, 
 among whom I need only mention Mounier and Camille 
 Jourdan to justify a feeling that had been formed for the 
 whole colony which showed itself, if not quite equal in all 
 respects to those I have named, at all events by no means 
 unworthy of them. 
 
 I may here observe, that in all important political emer- 
 gencies, those spectators are most fortunate who join one 
 of the contending parties ; what is really favourable to 
 them they joyfully lay hold of, what is unfavourable 
 they keep out of sight, reject, or turn it to their advantage. 
 But the poet, who from his very nature is and must 
 remain free from party feelings, seeks to comprehend the 
 state of the case from both points of view, and, if an 
 adjustment is impossible, he must decide to make the 
 end tragical. And with what a cycle of tragedies were 
 we not ourselves threatened by the raging commotion 
 in the world ! 
 
 Who is there that has not been horrified from youth 
 upwards by the history of the year 1649; who has not 
 shuddered at the execution of Charles I., and taken some 
 comfort in the hope, that such scenes of party rancour could 
 never be renewed ? But they were now being repeated, more 
 frightfully and terribly than ever, by the most civilised of
 
 246 CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE. 
 
 the neighbouring nations, and before our very eyes, as it 
 were, day by day and step by step. Think what a January 
 and December had been passed by those who had taken the 
 field to save the King, and who were now unable to stop 
 the proceedings, or hinder the execution of the sentence 
 against him. 
 
 Frankfort was again in possession of the Germans, and 
 active preparations were being made to recapture Mainz. 
 The German troops had advanced towards it, and occupied 
 Hochheim ; Konigstein had been forced to surrender. 
 But the first thing necessary was to free their rear ; they 
 therefore marched by the Taunus mountains to Idstein, 
 and proceeded past the Benedictine convent Schonau to 
 Caub, then across a strong bridge of boats to Bacharach ; 
 from thence an almost uninterrupted series of skirmishes 
 took place between the outposts of both armies, and the 
 enemy was forced to retreat. Our troops left the Hunds- 
 riick hills to the right, and marched to Stromberg, where 
 General Neubinger was taken prisoner. They then 
 reached Kreuznach, and cleared the angle lying between 
 the Nahe and the Rhine, and were able to move to- 
 wards the latter river in safety. The Imperialists had 
 crossed the Rhine at Spires, and had been able to 
 complete the investment of Mainz on the' 14th April, 
 and to threaten the inhabitants with scarcity, as the 
 forerunner of still greater evils. 
 
 This intelligence I received accompanied with a request 
 to join the army and take part in the stationary dangers 
 and sufferings of a siege, as I had done formerly in the 
 active ones of the campaign. The investment had been 
 completed, and the siege could not be long delayed. 
 With what reluctance 1 again approached the theatre 
 of the war may be seen iu the second etching from my 
 sketches.* It is copied from a very exact pen-and-ink 
 
 * This sketch represents the back or garden view of Goethe's house 
 in Weimar. A simple wooden staircase, entwined by a vine plant, 
 leads from the central door into the garden ; at the foot of the steps is 
 a l>ench with two orange trees on either side. Through the open door 
 la seen a youthful female figure (Goethe's wife, Christiana Vulpius; 
 l<x>king down with evident joy at a little boy (her son) sitting on the 
 staircase. (Hempel's edition of Goethe's works.)
 
 DECEMBER 1792 TO APRIL 1793. 247 
 
 sketch, which I had very carefully made a few days 
 before my departure with what feelings, may be seen in 
 the few lines appended to it 
 
 Here, at home, the toilsome march is o'er, 
 And kindly faces smile from door to door ; 
 Here the glad artist seeks repose from strife, 
 And leads again his old familiar life ; 
 And, weary of long wandering to and fro, 
 Muses at ease on life's continuous flow ; 
 For, e'en venturous hearts that farthest roam, 
 Beturn at last for happiness to home.
 
 THE SIEGE OF MAINZ.
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 MONDAY, the 26th of May, 1793, I left Frankfort for 
 Hochst and Florsheim. Here, I found a quantity of 
 heavy artillery for the siege. The old road to Mainz was 
 blocked, and I had to cross the bridge of boats at Riissels- 
 heim ; we stopped to feed the horses in Ginsheim ; this 
 place was much injured by shot ; thence, by the bridge of 
 boats, to the Nonnenau, where numbers of trees, that had 
 been cut down, lay strewn about; by the second half of 
 the bridge of boats, we crossed the larger arm of the 
 Rhine. Thence on to Bodenheim and Oberolm, where 1 
 took up my quarters in a cantonment, and then rode off 
 with Captain Vent to the right wing of the army past 
 Hechtsheim, and examined the positions of Mainz, Castel, 
 Kostheim, Hochheim, Weissenau, the Maine, and the 
 islands in the Rhine. The French had seized one of 
 these, and entrenched themselves on it; I passed the 
 night in Oberolm. 
 
 Tuesday, the 27th of May, I hastened to present myself 
 to my Prince at Marienborn, where I had also the good 
 fortune to wait upon Prince Maximilian of Zweibriicken, 
 who had always been very gracious to me.* I then ex- 
 changed my indifferent quarters in the cantonment for a 
 large tent in front of the regiment. I was desirous of 
 becoming acquainted with the centre of the semicircle 
 formed by the blockading troops, and rode to the en- 
 trenchments in front of the Toll -house, surveyed the 
 position of the town, the new French entrenchment at 
 Zahlbach, and the singularly dangerous position of the 
 
 * Great-grandfather of the present King of Bavaria ; he was made 
 king in 1806.
 
 252 SIEGE O? MAINZ. 
 
 village of Bretzenheim. I then returned to the regiment, 
 and made some careful sketches, in order the better to 
 impress on my mind the relative positions and distances 
 of the different objects. 
 
 I waited upon General Count Kalkreuth in Marienborn, 
 and passed the evening with him. There was a great 
 deal of talk about some report that had been raised the 
 previous night at the other end of the camp, of a 
 German general who was said to have gone over to the 
 French ; the watchword, it was said, had been changed, 
 and several battalions had taken up arms. 
 
 We also discussed the details of the position, the 
 blockade, and the impending siege. Much was said 
 about personal influence, which often produced great 
 effects without being much heard of. This showed 
 how little history can be relied upon ; as, in fact, no 
 one can tell why or wherefore one thing or another is 
 done. 
 
 Wednesday, the 28th of May, I was with Colonel von 
 Stein, at the Ranger's house, which is beautifully situated 
 a delightful residence. One felt what a pleasant post 
 that of Forest Ranger to the Elector of Mainz must be. 
 From thence is seen the large caldron-shaped piece of 
 country which stretches across to Hochheim, where, in 
 primeval times, the united waters of the Rhine and Maine, 
 whirling and restagnating, produced the fertile soil found 
 here, and thence forced a clear passage at Biberich to flow 
 westwards. 
 
 I dined at head-quarters ; the retreat from Champagne 
 was discussed; Count Kalkreuth gave free vent to his 
 sarcastic humour against the theorists. 
 
 After dinner, a clergyman was brought in, suspected of 
 revolutionary opinions. He was either really mad, or 
 pretended to be so ; he believed he had been Turenne 
 and Conde, and that he had never been born of woman, 
 that by the Word all things were made ! He was 
 very merry, and, in the midst of his madness, displayed 
 great consistency and presence of mind. 
 
 I asked permission to pay a visit to Lieutenant von 
 Itzenplitz, who had been wounded both by a sabre and ' a 
 ball on the 9th of May in a skirmish before Mainz, and
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 253 
 
 afterwards made prisoner. He had been very kindly 
 treated by the enemy, and soon delivered up again. He 
 was not yet allowed to speak, but the presence of an old 
 comrade, who had much to relate, had a cheering effect 
 upon him. 
 
 In the evening, the officers of the regiment assembled 
 in the quarters of the commissary, where things were 
 done with rather more spirit than the previous year in 
 Champagne ; for we were now able to drink its sparkling 
 wine, in beautiful weather, without being drenched with 
 rain. A former prophecy of mine was recalled ; they 
 repeated my very words : " From this place and from 
 this day forth commences a new era in the world's his- 
 tory; and you can all say that you were present at its 
 birth."* Wonderfully enough did this prophecy seem to 
 have been fulfilled, not only in a general sense, but even 
 to the very letter, as the French date their calendar from 
 those days. 
 
 But man at all times, and particularly in war, easily 
 reconciles himself to what is inevitable, and endeavours 
 to fill up the intervals between danger, difficulty and 
 vexation, with amusements and pleasures ; and so it was 
 here ; the Thadden hautboys played the Qa ira, and the 
 Marseillaise ; and bottle after bottle of Champagne was 
 emptied. 
 
 In the evening, at eight o'clock, a loud cannonade was 
 heard from the batteries on the right wing. 
 
 Thursday, the 29th of May, in the morning, at nine 
 o'clock, a general salute of the guns in honour of the 
 victory of the Austrians at Famars. This general firing 
 of the guns enabled me to become acquainted with the 
 position of the batteries and the troops ; at the same time, 
 a serious affair was going on at Bretzenheim; and the 
 French certainly had good reason for wishing to drive us 
 out of this village, which lay so near them. Meanwhile, 
 we learnt how the story got afloat about the desertion the 
 day before ; a strange series of accidental coincidences, as 
 absurd as possible, but still current for a time. 
 
 I accompanied my gracious Prince to the left wing, and 
 
 * Sec p. 81.
 
 254 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 waited on the Landgrave of Darmstadt ; the whole of his 
 camp was prettily decorated with twigs of pine, but his 
 own tent surpassed everything of the kind I had ever 
 seen ; well designed and beautifully executed, comfortable 
 and splendid. 
 
 Towards evening, a most pleasant spectacle awaited us 
 all, but particularly myself; the Princesses of Mecklen- 
 burg * had been dining with His Majesty, at head -quarters, 
 in Bodenheim, and after dinner came to visit the camp. 
 I crept into my tent, and could thus closely observe the 
 great ladies, who walked up and down in front of it, 
 quite unconscious of being observed. And, truly, amidst 
 all the hurly-burly of war, the two young ladies might 
 have been taken for heavenly apparitions, and the impres- 
 sion they made will never vanish from my mind. 
 
 Friday, the 30th of May. In the morning we heard the 
 firing of musketry at the back of the camp, which caused 
 some alarm. It was afterwards explained to have been 
 some peasants celebrating Corpus-Christi day. A general 
 salute was fired later, both from the cannons and small 
 guns in honour of the happy event which had just occurred 
 in the Netherlands ; a sharp fire, too, was kept up between 
 the besiegers and besieged. In the afternoon a thunder- 
 storm. 
 
 The Dutch artillery flotilla has arrived, and is lying at 
 Ebenheim. 
 
 In the night between the 30th and 31st of May, I was 
 sleeping quietly in my tent as usual, with all my clothes 
 on, when I was awakened by an explosion of musketry, 
 which seemed at no great distance. I jumped up, went 
 outside, and found everything in commotion ; it was plain 
 that Marienborn had been attacked. Shortly afterwards 
 our cannon on the battery at the Toll-house began to fire, 
 which could be explained only by the approach of the 
 enemy. The Duke's regiment, one of the squadrons of 
 which was encamped behind the Toll-house, moved out ; 
 the affair was inexplicable for the moment. The firing of 
 
 * These were Louise, afterwards Queen of Prussia and mother of the 
 present Emperor of Germany, and her sister Fredericke, who married 
 the King of Hanover. The princesses had been brought up at the 
 O>urt of their grandmother, the Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt.
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 255 
 
 the musketry in Marienborn, in the rear of our batteries, 
 continued, and our batteries fired also. I mounted my 
 horse and rode forwards, where, although it was dark, I 
 could still recognise the positions owing to the survey I 
 had previously made. I expected every moment to see 
 Marienborn in flames, and rode back to our tents, where I 
 found the Duke's people busy packing up to be ready fox- 
 any emergency. I gave my portmanteau and portfolio 
 into their charge, and arranged about our retreat. They 
 were going towards Oppenheim; I could easily follow 
 them, as the footpath through the orchards was well 
 known to me, but determined first to ascertain the result, 
 and not to retire till the village was on fire and the 
 struggle extended farther up behind it. 
 
 In this state of uncertainty I waited and watched ; the 
 firing of the musketry soon ceased, the cannon ceased thun- 
 dering, the day began to dawn, and the village lay per- 
 fectly quiet before me. I rode down. The sun rose, but 
 shed a gloomy light, and I saw the victims of the night 
 lyiugthere together. Our gigantic well-dressed cuirassiers 
 contrasted strangely with the dwarfish, ragged sansculottes ; 
 death had cut them all down without distinction. Our 
 good Captain La Viere was among the first killed ; Captain 
 von Voss, an adjutant of Count Kalkreuth's, was shot 
 through the breast and not expected to live. I was induced 
 to write a short account* of this curious and unpleasant 
 occurrence, which I insert here, together with some other 
 particulars relating to it. 
 
 Account of the sortie of the French upon Marienborn 
 during the night. 
 
 The head-quarters of Marienborn are situated in the 
 centre of the semicircle of camps and batteries which 
 commence on the left bank of the Rhine above Mainz, 
 begird the town at a distance of not quite two miles, and 
 end below it at the river again. The chapel of the Holy 
 Cross, the villages of Weissenau, Hechtsheim, Marienboru, 
 
 * This same report Goethe forwarded to Herder on the 2nd of Juna 
 and to Jacob! on the loth, but differs somewhat in the details.
 
 256 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 Drais, Gunzenheim, Mombach, all either touch upon this 
 circle, or are not far beyond it. Both wings, Weissenau 
 and Mombach, were frequently attacked by the French 
 from the commencement of the blockade, and the first 
 mentioned village was burnt down ; the centre, however, 
 was not disturbed. Nobody imagined that the French 
 would direct an attack upon it, because they would thereby 
 incur the risk of being attacked on all sides, and cut off, 
 without effecting anything of importance. However, the 
 foreposts around Bretzenheim and Dalheim, places which 
 lie in a hollow extending towards the town, were always 
 at each other ; and Bretzenheim was looked to the more 
 jealously by us, as the French had erected a battery at 
 Zahlbach, a convent near Dalheim, which commanded 
 the open country and the high road. 
 
 A design, which the enemy had not suspected, induced 
 him at last to make an attack upon our head-quarters. 
 The French, it was ascertained from the prisoners, intended 
 either to capture and carry off General Kalkreuth, who 
 was quartered in Marienborn, together with Prince Louis, 
 Ferdinand's son, who was stationed at the Toll-house a few 
 hundred yards from the village, or to leave them dead 
 behind them. They chose the night between the 30th and 
 the 31st ; about 3000 men advanced from the hollow at 
 Zahlbach, crossed the high road, and wound their way 
 through some hollows till they again reached the road, 
 crossed it once more, and dashed upon Marienborn. They 
 were ably led, and made their way between the Austrian 
 and Prussian patrols, who, unfortunately, owing to the 
 slight undulation of the ground, were not in contact 
 with each other. Another circumstance was also in their 
 favour. 
 
 The day before, the peasants had been ordered to cut 
 down the corn in the neighbourhood of the town ; when 
 they had finished their work, and were returning home, 
 the French followed them, and some of the patrols were 
 mistaken as to who they were. The French got a con- 
 siderable way forward without being discovered ; and when 
 at last they were observed and fired upon, they pressed on 
 in the greatest haste towards Marienborn, and reached the 
 village about one o'clock when all were either asleep
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 257 
 
 or quite unaware of an attack. They at once fired upon 
 the houses where they saw lights, rushed through the 
 streets, and surrounded the place and the convent in which 
 the General was. The confusion was great ; the batteries 
 fired ; the Wegner infantry immediately advanced ; a 
 squadron belonging to the Duke of Weimar, which was 
 posted behind the village, was at hand, as were also the 
 Saxon hussars. A confused skirmish took place. 
 
 At the same time the firing of feigned attacks was heard 
 round the whole circuit of the blockading camp ; all were 
 apprehensive of an attack upon themselves, and none 
 ventured to go to the others' assistance. 
 
 The waning moon was in the heavens, and shed a dim 
 light. The Duke of Weimar brought up the remaining 
 portion of his regiment, which was lying on the heights 
 about a mile behind Marienborn, and hastened to the scene 
 of action. Prince Louis led the Wegner and Thadden 
 regiments ; and after a battle, which lasted an hour and a 
 half, the French were driven back to the town. They left 
 thirty dead and wounded behind them ; how many they 
 carried away with them is unknown. 
 
 The loss of the Prussians in dead and wounded might be 
 about ninety men. Major La Viere, of Weimar, was killed ; 
 Adjutant von Voss mortally wounded. An unfortunate ac- 
 cident increased the loss on our side ; for when the pickets 
 were retiring from Bretzenheim towards Marienborn, they 
 got among the French and were fired at by our batteries. 
 
 When day broke, wisps of pitch and birch fagots covered 
 with pitch, were found strewed in all directions about the 
 village ; if the sortie had proved successful they meant 
 to have set fire to the place. 
 
 It was ascertained that the French had also attempted 
 to throw a bridge over from one of the islands in the 
 Ehine off the Maine promontory, upon which they had 
 for some time been ensconced, to the one next it, probably 
 with a view of having something to compete with the 
 boat-bridges at Ginsheim. The second link of the chain 
 had been brought nearer the first, and the Duke's regiment 
 is now stationed near Marienborn. 
 
 It is known that in the sortie, national troops formed 
 the van, troops of the line then followed, and national 
 
 s
 
 258 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 troops again brought up the rear; this may have given 
 rise to the report that the French marched out in three 
 columns. 
 
 On the 1st of June, the regiment moved closer to Marien- 
 born ; the day was spent in moving the camp ; the infan- 
 try also changed their position, and various defensive 
 measures were taken. 
 
 I visited Captain von Voss, whom I found in a hopeless 
 state ; he was sitting up in .bed, and appeared to recognise 
 his friends, but he could not speak. At a hint from the 
 surgeon we left. A friend told me on our way back, that, 
 some days before, a warm dispute had taken place in that 
 same room, some one having obstinately maintained, against 
 a number of others, that Marienborn lay much too near the 
 town for head-quarters, and that greater precautions should 
 be taken against a sortie. But as it seemed to be the order 
 of the day to be constantly complaining about all orders 
 and arrangements from high-quarters, no notice had been 
 taken of it, and this warning, like so many others, had been 
 neglected. 
 
 On the 2nd of June, a peasant from Oberolm, who had 
 acted as guide to the French in the sortie, was hanged ; 
 the circuitous course they had taken would not have been 
 possible without the most accurate knowledge of the 
 ground. Unfortunately for him, he was not able to 
 reach the town with the retiring troops, and was taken 
 prisoner by the patrols sent out, and who made a keen 
 search round about. 
 
 Major La Viere was buried in front of the standards, 
 with all military honours. Captain von Voss died. 
 Prince Louis, General Kalkreuth, and several others, 
 dined with the I)uke. In the evening there was firing 
 on the Rhine point. 
 
 On tne 3rd of June, Herr von Stein gave a large dinner 
 party at the Ranger's house. Glorious weather ; incom- 
 parable view ; enjoyment of the landscape saddened by 
 scenes of death and destruction. In the evening Captain 
 von Voss was buried close to Major La Viere. 
 
 5th June. Continued preparations for the intrenchmont 
 of the camp. 
 
 Great attack and cannonade on the Maine promontory.
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 259 
 
 On the 6th of June the Prussian and Austrian Generals 
 dined with the Serenissimo in a large wooden hall, con- 
 structed for such feasts. A Lieutenant-colonel of the 
 Wegner regiment, who sat opposite to me, stared at me 
 rather more than was pleasant. 
 
 The 7th of June. In the morning I wrote a number 
 of letters.* During dinner at head-quarters, a Major 
 blustered a great deal about the future bombardment, 
 and spoke very freely about our proceedings hitherto. 
 
 In the evening a friend took me to the Lieutenant- 
 colonel who had stared so at me the day before, as he 
 wished to make my acquaintance. No special reception 
 had been prepared for us ; it was already dark, but no 
 candles were brought in. Of seltzer- water and wine, 
 which it was the custom to offer to all visitors, there was 
 no sign, and the conversation was null. My friend, attri- 
 buted this ill-humour of the Colonel's to our having come 
 too late ; when we had gone a few paces on our way back 
 to our quarters, we returned to make an apology, but the 
 Colonel quietly replied that it was of no consequence, 
 that he had seen by my face yesterday, at dinner, that I 
 was not at all the kind of man he had imagined me to be. 
 We laughed heartily over this unsuccessful attempt at 
 making a new acquaintance. 
 
 The 8th of June. I worked industriously at Reinecke 
 Fuclis ; rode with my gracious Prince to the Darmstadt 
 camp, where I paid my respects to the Landgrave, who 
 for many years had been most kind to me. 
 
 In the evening, Prince Maximilian of Zweibriicken 
 came with Colonel von Stein to Serenissimo ; many things 
 were discussed ; and last of all came the open secret of 
 the siege, which was just about to commence. 
 
 On the 9th of June the French made a successful sortie 
 upon Holy Cross ; they succeeded in setting fire to the 
 church and village in the very face of the Austrian 
 batteries ; took some prisoners, but then retired with 
 considerable loss. 
 
 * Of these two were addressed to Herder and Jacobi, in which he 
 speaks of his Burger-General and Reinecke Fuchs ; Goethe had asked 
 Herder to look through the latter. The letters also contain charac- 
 teristic remarks oil Kant and Lavater. 
 
 s 2
 
 260 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 On the 10th of June the French ventured an attack in 
 the daytime upon Gunzenheim, which was repulsed ; but, 
 for a time, our left wing was in some danger, and parti- 
 cularly the Darmstadt camp. 
 
 The llth of June. The camp of his Majesty the King 
 was now established about a thousand paces above Marien- 
 born, on the incline at the end of the hollow in which 
 Mainz lies and the clay cliffs and hills commence ; this 
 was taken advantage of for making some very pleasing 
 arrangements. The ground which was easy to handle, 
 the gardeners turned into a kind of park with but little 
 trouble ; the steep incline was levelled, and covered with 
 turf ; arbours were erected ; walks cut out on the side of 
 the hill, and large flat districts turned to account, where 
 the military could display themselves in all their elegance 
 and splendour. Some neighbouring woods and thickets 
 were taken in as well, so that, if the whole district had 
 been laid out in the same way, we should have possessed 
 one of the finest parks in the world, with the most 
 glorious of views. Krause * drew a careful sketch of the 
 scene, with all its present peculiarities. 
 
 The 14th of June. A small redoubt, which the French 
 had erected and occupied below Weissenau, stood in the 
 way of the opening of the parallels ; it was to be attacked 
 during the night, and several persons, who were informed 
 of this, proceeded to the entrenchments on our right wing, 
 from whence the whole position could be surveyed. Ihe 
 night was very dark, and as we knew the point to which 
 our troops had been sent, we expected to witness an im- 
 posing spectacle when the attack commenced and resistance 
 was made under heavy fire. We waited long and waited 
 in vain ; however, we witnessed a much livelier scene. 
 All the posts of our position must have been attacked; 
 for round the whole circuit we perceived sharp firing, 
 without having the slightest idea what could have caused 
 it ; yet at the point where an attack was expected, every- 
 thing remained motionless and silent. We returned dis- 
 appointed, particularly Mr. Gore, who was the most in- 
 terested of our party in such explosions and night battles. 
 
 * Kranse, and an Englishman, Gore, had joined the camp with the 
 object of making sketches of military life and actions.
 
 SIEGE OP MAINZ. 261 
 
 The next day the mystery was solved. The French had 
 fixed on this night for an attack upon all our posts, and 
 had drawn the whole of their troops from the entrench- 
 ments, and collected them for the attack. Our attacking 
 party, on approaching the entrenchment with the greatest 
 caution, found therefore neither firing nor resistance of 
 any kind ; they got into the redoubt, and found it un- 
 occupied, except by a single cannonier, who was greatly 
 astonished at their visit. During the general discharge 
 of the guns, when they alone were left unmolested, they 
 had plenty of time to destroy the walls and retire. This 
 general attack had no further effect ; and the lines which 
 had been taken by surprise recovered their composure 
 when day broke. 
 
 The 16th of June. The long- talked-of siege, which had 
 been kept secret from the enemy, was approaching at last ; 
 it was rumoured that the trenches were to be opened to- 
 night. It was very dark, and some of us rode along the 
 well-known path to the redoubt at Weissenau. We saw 
 nothing, heard nothing ; but our horses suddenly started, 
 and we perceived directly in front of us a scarcely dis- 
 tinguishable column of troops. Austrian soldiers, dressed 
 in grey, with grey fascines on their shoulders, were 
 marching along silently, the rattling of their shovels and 
 hatchets against one another, alone intimating that some- 
 thing was moving near us. A more extraordinary and 
 ghost-like scene can scarcely be conceived ; they seemed to 
 appear for a moment, then to vanish, but appeared again 
 when looked at attentively, yet never became any more 
 distinct. 
 
 We remained on the spot till they had passed, for we 
 could at all events see the point where they were to 
 commence operations in the dark. As undertakings of this 
 kind are always in danger of being discovered by the 
 enemy, it was to be expected that they would fire from 
 the ramparts in this direction, were it only at random. 
 In this expectation we did not wait long, for exactly at 
 the spot where the trenches were to be commenced, a 
 discharge of musketry was heard, which no one could 
 understand. Could the French have made a sortie, and 
 ventured up to, or even beyond, our outposts ? We could
 
 262 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 not comprehend it. The firing ceased, and everything 
 sank into profound silence. Not till next morning was 
 it explained that our own outposts had fired upon the 
 advancing column, as they believed it to be one of the 
 enemy's ; the column was startled and confused, each man 
 threw away his fascine, but shovels and hatchets were 
 saved. The French upon the rampai^ts having thus had 
 their attention attracted, were upon their guard ; our men 
 returned without effecting their object, and the whole 
 besieging army was in a state of alarm. 
 
 The 17th of June. The French are erecting a battery 
 on the high road. At night a dreadful storm of wind and 
 rain. 
 
 The 18th of June. When the late unsuccessful attempt 
 to open the trenches came to be discussed by those who 
 had a knowledge of such matters, it appeared as if the 
 point fixed upon had been much too far from the fortress ; 
 it was therefore decided that the third parallel should be 
 brought nearer, and a decided advantage thus obtained 
 from the failure of the first attempt. It was tried, and 
 was successful. 
 
 The 24th of June. The French and the Clubbists see- 
 ing that things were becoming serious, and in order to 
 btop the rapid diminution of their supplies, determined 
 pitilessly upon expelling all the old men and invalids, 
 women and children, and sending them over to Castel ; they 
 were, however, as pitilessly driven away again. The 
 misery of these unarmed and helpless wretches, between 
 foes within and without, was indescribable. 
 
 We did not omit to go and hear the Austrian tattoo, 
 which excelled all the others in the allied army. 
 
 The 25th of June. In the afternoon a violent cannon- 
 ade was heard at the extremity of our left wing, which 
 nobody could account for. At last it was explained 
 that the firing came from the Ehine, where the Dutch 
 flotilla was manoeuvring before his Majesty, for which 
 purpose he had gone to Ellfeld. 
 
 The 27th of June. Commencement of the bombardment, 
 and immediately the Deanery went on fire. 
 
 In the night our troops succeeded in storming Weissenau, 
 and the entrenchment above the Carthusian monastery
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 263 
 
 indispensable points for securing the right wing of the 
 second parallel. 
 
 The 28th of June, at night. Continuance of the bom- 
 bardment, the firing directed against the cathedral ; the 
 tower and roof, and a number of houses near it, are in flames. 
 After midnight the church of the Jesuits caught fire. 
 
 We surveyed this fearful spectacle from the entrench- 
 ment in front of Marienborn ; it was a very clear starry 
 night, and the borubs seemed to vie with the heavenly 
 luminaries, there being moments when it was impossible 
 to distinguish the one from the other. It was a new 
 sight to us, this rising and falling of fireballs ; they rose, 
 making an arch across the sky, and when they had reached 
 a certain height and, as it were, about to strike the firma- 
 ment, they broke with a crash, and the flames that soon 
 burst forth announced that they had done their work. 
 
 Gore and Krause treated the events artistically, and 
 made so many studies of it that they succeeded afterwards 
 in preparing a transparent night-piece, which is still in 
 existence, and, if properly lit up, would furnish a much 
 better representation than any written account of the 
 pitiable scene presented by the burning of one of our 
 country's chief cities. 
 
 And what an indication it was of our condition, that we 
 had to resort to such means in order to save ourselves, and 
 to restore the country to some degree of security ! 
 
 The 29th of June. For some time past a great deal had 
 been said about a floating battery, which had been con- 
 structed at Ginsheim, and which was intended to command 
 and operate against the Maine promontory, and the islands 
 and fields adjoining. It had been so long talked of, that it 
 had been forgotten. On riding, as usual, after dinner to our 
 entrenchment above Weissonau, I had scarcely reached it, 
 when I perceived a great commotion on the river ; num- 
 bers of French boats were busily rowing towards the 
 islands, and the Austrian battery, which commanded that 
 part of the river, kept up a constant ricochet fire upon 
 the water quite a new spectacle to me. When the balls 
 first struck the movable element, a column of water 
 shot up many feet into the air ; this had scarcely fallen, 
 when a second column was shot up, as distinct as the first,
 
 264 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 but not quite so high ; then a third and a fourth followed, 
 and so on, always diminishing in height, till the ball got 
 nearer the boats, skimming along the surface, and occasion- 
 ally proving dangerous to them. 
 
 I could not feast my eyes enough upon this spectacle ; 
 for shot followed shot, and at every moment new fountains 
 leapt up into the air before the others had quite disappeared. 
 
 Suddenly, on the other side of the river, a curious-look- 
 ing machine was let loose ; and moved out from among the 
 bushes and trees. It was a large square object made of 
 beams, and to my great astonishment, and to my great 
 delight also, away it floated, for I found I was to be an eye- 
 witness of this much-talked-of expedition. My wishes for 
 its success, however, seemed destined to be disappointed, 
 and my hopes were but of short duration; very soon the 
 thing began to wheel round about, and it was evident that 
 it did not obey the rudder ; it continued to whirl round, 
 and was borne away by the current. On the Rhine redoubt 
 above Castel, and before it, everything was in motion ; 
 hundreds of French were running up the banks of the 
 stream, and raising loud huzzas, when this Trojan sea-horse, 
 in place of reaching the intended point of land, was caught 
 by the waters of the Maine, and carried away by the current 
 of the united rivers. At length the stream carried the 
 unwieldy machine towards Castel, where it stranded, not far 
 from the boat-bridge, upon a flat piece of ground which was 
 still flooded. The French gathered round it; I had been able 
 hitherto, with my excellent field glass, to watch the whole 
 occurrence, and now, unfortunately, saw the trap-door 
 opened and the soldiers confined in it come out to be made 
 prisoners. It was a mortifying sight; the draw-bridge did 
 not reach the shore, and the small garrison had to wade 
 through the water before they got among their enemies. 
 There were sixty-four men, two officers, and two cannon; 
 they were kindly received, taken to Mainz, and afterwards 
 conveyed to the Prussian camp, to be exchanged for other 
 prisoners. 
 
 On my return I did not omit to give information of this 
 unexpected occurrence. Nobody would believe it, and, 
 indeed, I had scarcely been able to trust my own eyes. 
 His Royal Highness the Crown Prince happened to be in
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 265 
 
 the Duke of Weimar's tent at the time ; I was called in, 
 and had to relate what I had seen ; I told them exactly 
 what had occurred, but did so somewhat unwillingly, know- 
 ing very well that Job's messenger generally comes in for 
 his share of the blame, in return for the bad news he 
 brings. 
 
 Amongst the deceptive appearances which present them- 
 selves under unusual circumstances, there are very many 
 against which we can guard ourselves only at the moment 
 of their occurrence. Towards evening, I rode along the 
 usual footpath, to the redoubt at Weissenau, without meet- 
 ing with the slightest inconvenience ; the road crossed a 
 slightly hollow part of the ground, where neither water, 
 swamp, nor ditch of any kind was to be seen. On my 
 return, night had set in, and just as I was going to ride into 
 the hollow, I saw directly in front of me a black line per- 
 fectly distinct against the dark brown ground. I at once 
 thought it must be a ditch ; but yet, how a ditch could have 
 been dug across my path in so short a time was inconceiv- 
 able. There was nothing to be done but to ride up to it. 
 
 On approaching it, the black streak, it is true, remained 
 unchanged, but it seemed to me as if something were 
 moving up and down in front of it ; I was soon challenged to 
 halt, and found myself among well-known cavalry officers. 
 It was the Duke of Weimar's regiment, that had been drawn 
 up in the hollow; for what reason I know not; the long 
 line of black horses had looked like a cutting in the ground 
 that intercepted my path. After mutual salutations I 
 hastened, without further hindrance, to the tents. 
 
 The same causes which were producing boundless suffer- 
 ing within the town, had gradually come to be the means 
 of affording pleasure to those on the outside. The redoubt 
 above Weissenau, from which there was a glorious view, 
 and which was visited daily by those who wished to make 
 themselves acquainted with the positions, and to observe 
 what was passing within the wide circuit, was the rendez- 
 vous, on Sundays and holidays, of an immense number of 
 country-people from the neighbourhood. The French 
 could do little harm to this entrenchment ; shots fired high 
 were very uncertain, and generally went beyond it. When 
 the sentry, who paced up and down on the breastwork.
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 noticed that the French were going to fire in that direc- 
 tion, he called out, Down ! and it was understood by all 
 inside the battery that they were to fall on their knees in 
 order to be protected by the breastwork from a low-flying 
 ball. 
 
 It was an amusing sight on Sundays and holidays, when 
 a large crowd of well-dressed country-people on their way 
 from church, many of them with prayer-books and rosaries 
 in their hands, filled the entrenchment ; they looked about 
 them, chatted and joked, when all at once the sentry would 
 call, Down ! and all of them instantly fell down before the 
 revered and dangerous object, as if it were some divinity 
 flying past, and which they fell down to worship ; when 
 the danger was over, up they rose again, joked at each other, 
 and then again, if it so pleased the besieged, had to fall 
 down on their knees again. The best way to watch this 
 scene was to mount the nearest height, a little to one side, 
 out of the direction of the balls, from there one could look 
 down upon the singular throng of people, and listen to the 
 balls whizzing past. 
 
 But although the balls missed the entrenchment, they 
 were not fired without an object. The road from Frank- 
 fort ran along the ridge of these heights, so that the 
 procession of carriages, horsemen, and pedestrians, could 
 be plainly seen by the occupants of Mainz, who could 
 thus threaten the entrenchment and the travellers on the 
 road at the same time. Upon the military authorities 
 observing this, the gathering of large crowds was very 
 soon forbidden, and the Frankfort people had to take a 
 circuitous route, by which they arrived at head-quarters 
 unperceived, and out of reach of the guns. 
 
 The end of June. One night, when very restless, I 
 amused myself by listening to the multifarious sounds 
 that reached me, both from a distance and near at hand, 
 and was able plainly to distinguish the following 
 
 The " Who goes there ?" from the sentry before the tent. 
 
 The " Who goes there ?" from the infantry posts. 
 
 The " Who goes there ?" at every round. 
 
 The walking up and down of the sentries. 
 
 The rattling of the sabres against the spurs. 
 
 The barking of dogs at a distance.
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 267 
 
 The howling of dogs near at hand. 
 
 The crowing of cocks. 
 
 The pawing of horses upon the ground. 
 
 The snorting of horses. 
 
 The chopping of straw. 
 
 The singing, disputing and squabbling of the men. 
 
 The thunder of the guns. 
 
 The lowing of cows. 
 
 The braying of mules. 
 
 AN INTERVAL. 
 
 That this should occur here is no wonder. Every hour 
 was pregnant with disasters ; every moment we thought 
 of our honoured Prince, of our dear friends, and forgot to 
 think of o\\v own safety. Attracted by the wild and 
 terrible danger, as by the glance of a rattlesnake, we 
 rushed unbidden into places where death was strewing 
 his victims around ; walked and rode through the trenches, 
 allowed the grenades to boom and burst above our 
 heads, and the fragments to fall at our feet; many a 
 severely wounded man we prayed might speedily be freed 
 from frightful sufferings, and the dead we would not have 
 recalled to life. 
 
 The respective positions of the besiegers and besieged 
 may be described in a general way, thus The French, 
 on the approach of danger, had taken early precautions, and 
 had erected smaller redoubts in front of the principal works, 
 according to the rules of military science, in order to keep 
 the enemy at a certain distance, and to render the siege 
 more difficult. These obstacles would have all to be 
 removed, if the opening and completion of the third 
 parallel was to be effected ; and will be described in detail 
 in what follows. 
 
 Whilst this was going on, we with some friends, but 
 without orders or permission, proceeded to the most 
 dangerous outposts. Weissenau was in the hands of the 
 Germans, and the entrenchment farther down the river 
 had been already captured ; we visited the ruined place in 
 the charnel-house, and made a collection of diseased bones,
 
 268 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 the best of which had probably already fallen into the 
 hands of the surgeons. As the balls from the Carl fort 
 kept dashing in among the ruined roofs and walls, we 
 bribed one of the men posted there to conduct us to a 
 well-known and important point, where, with a little care, 
 a great deal might be seen. We proceeded cautiously 
 through the wreck and ruins, and were at length con- 
 ducted up a winding staircase that was still standing, 
 to the bow-window in an open gable, which, in peaceful 
 times, must have afforded its owner a glorious view. 
 Here we saw the confluence of the Maine and Ehine, the 
 Maine and Rhine promontories, the Bleiau, the fortifica- 
 tions of Castel, the boat-bridge, and then, on the left bank, 
 the beautiful city with its spires shattered to pieces, its 
 roofs full of holes, and all around a melancholy display 
 of smoking ruins. 
 
 Our guide warned us to be cautious, and to look out of 
 the window one at a time ; as, if we were observed, we 
 should immediately be fired upon from the Carl fort, and 
 the blame would fall upon him. 
 
 Not content with this, we crept on towards the convent, 
 where it looked wild enough, and where, down below, in 
 the vaults, wine was to be had at a moderate price. From 
 time to time, the balls kept rattling upon the roofs, and 
 riddling them with holes. 
 
 Our inconsiderate curiosity led us even farther; we 
 crept into the last entrenchment of the right wing, which 
 had been dug deep into the glacis of the fortress, directly 
 above the ruins of the Favorite and the Carthusian 
 monastery ; and where our men, from behind the gabions, 
 were exchanging fire with the enemy at the distance of 
 a few hundred yards; here, of course, everything de- 
 pended upon which side was first able to silence his 
 antagonist. 
 
 To confess the truth, I found it hot enough; and 
 one could hardly bo surprised that some symptoms 
 of the cannon-fever began to manifest themselves. We 
 retreated by the same way we had come, but when 
 opportunity and occasion offered, returned to scenes of 
 equal danger. 
 
 When it is considered what our condition was, that we
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 269 
 
 tried to deaden our fear by exposing ourselves to all kinds 
 of danger, and that this lasted three weeks, I may be 
 forgiven for having hurried over those terrible days, as 
 over burning ground. 
 
 The 1st of July. The third parallel was put in action, 
 and the Bock battery bombarded. 
 
 The 2nd of July. Bombardment of the citadel and 
 Carl's fort. 
 
 The 3rd of July. St. Sebastian's chapel again set fire 
 to ; the neighbouring houses and palaces in flames. 
 
 The 6th of July. The so-called Clubbist entrench- 
 ment, which hindered the right wing of the third parallel 
 from being completed, had to be captured ; but the men 
 sent against it missed it, and attacked the outer redoubts 
 of the main line of fortifications, from which they were of 
 course driven back. 
 
 The 7th of July. Ultimate capture of this position : Kost- 
 heini was attacked, and the French have abandoned it. 
 
 The 13th of July, at night. The town-hall and several 
 public buildings are burning. 
 
 The 14th of July. The firing ceased; a day of 
 rejoicing and festivity on both sides ; on the French side, 
 owing to the conclusion of the National Confederation ;* 
 on the German side, owing to the capture of Conde ; the 
 latter celebrated it by a discharge of cannon and musketry ; 
 the former by a theatrical and liberty fete, about which 
 there was a great deal of talk. 
 
 At night between the 14th and 15th of July. The 
 French are being driven out of a battery in front of the 
 Carl fort; a frightful bombardment. The Benedictine 
 monastery upon the citadel was set on fire by the battery 
 on the Maine promontory. On the opposite side, the la- 
 boratory is seen to catch fire and explode. The windows, 
 shutters and chimneys on this side of the town are all 
 broken and falling in. 
 
 On the 15th of July we visited Mr. Gore in Klein- 
 Wintersheim, and found Councillor Krause engaged in 
 painting the portrait of our worthy friend, and was succeed- 
 
 * The French were celebrating the anniversary of the Destruction 
 of the Bastille ; the town of Conde' had been captured on the 10th.
 
 270 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 ing admirably. Mr. Gore was splendidly dressed, for he was 
 going to appear at the Prince's table, after taking another 
 look round the country. Here he was in a peasant's cottage 
 in a German village sitting on a box surrounded by all kinds 
 of household and agricultural implements, with a loaf of 
 sugar standing by his side ; he was holding a coffee-cup 
 in one hand, a silver pencilcase, instead of a spoon, in the 
 other. Our English friend was thus, even amid our 
 wretched cantonment quarters, depicted in that very 
 pleasant and respectable appearance in which we now 
 daily see him before us in the pleasant memento. 
 
 Having mentioned this gentleman once or twice, it 
 may be as well to give some further account of him. He 
 was very successful in taking sketches with his camera 
 obscura ; and in his travels, both by land and sea, had 
 collected many beautiful views. He took up his resi- 
 dence in Weimar, but being accustomed to move about, 
 could not refrain from making occasionally little excur- 
 sions, in which he was generally accompanied by Coun- 
 cillor Krause, a very successful landscape painter ; and 
 they worked away in emulation of each other. 
 
 The siege of Mainz, which promised to be an extra- 
 ordinary and important occurrence, where even misfortune 
 might be found to be picturesque, had attracted the two 
 friends to the Rhine, where they found occupation for 
 every moment of their time. 
 
 They accompanied us on a second dangerous expedition 
 to Weissenau, which delighted Mr. Gore in particular. 
 We visited the churchyard again in search of patho- 
 logical bones ; a part of the wall on the Mainz side had 
 been broken down by the cannon, and through it we could 
 overlook the open fields towards the town. But no sooner 
 did the French on the ramparts perceive something 
 moving, than they commenced a ricochet fire at the 
 gap ; we saw the balls coming, bounding several times 
 from the ground, and raising the dust, and protected 
 ourselves behind the part of the wall left standing, or in 
 the vaults, and amused ourselves by looking at the balls 
 rolling through the churchyard. 
 
 The continuance of this amusement appeared hazardous 
 to the valet, who, apprehending danger to his old master,
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 271 
 
 appealed to our consciences, and induced the venturesome 
 party to retire. 
 
 The 16th of July was an anxious day; and I 
 dreaded what might happen to my friends in the ensuing 
 night ; for one of the small hostile redoubts, which had 
 been pushed forward in front of the so-called French fort, 
 had effected its object ; it presented the greatest ob- 
 struction to our foremost parallel, and was to be captured 
 at any price. Nothing, could be said against this, but still it 
 was an anxious proceeding. Upon information, or rather 
 a suspicion that the French had stationed cavalry behind 
 this redoubt, under cover of the fortress, it was decided that 
 cavalry too were to be employed in the attack upon it. 
 The nature of such an undertaking may easily be con- 
 ceived : cavalry were to be taken beyond the trenches, 
 and to act directly in front of the cannon of the redoubt 
 and of the fortress, and to fight in the middle of the night, 
 on the glacis of the fortress occupied by the enemy. My 
 unusual anxiety arose from knowing that Herr von Oppen, 
 my best friend in the regiment, had been ordered to take 
 the command. When night came, we bade each other 
 adieu ; I then hastened to the entrenchment No. 4, from 
 whence a tolerably good view of that part of. the ground 
 was to be had. That the attack was made, and that a 
 struggle was taking place could easily be seen, and it 
 was but too evident also that many a brave fellow would 
 never return. 
 
 The morning told us that the undertaking had been 
 successful ; the redoubt had been taken and demolished, 
 and our troops had entrenched themselves opposite to it in 
 so strong a position, that its restoration by the enemy was 
 impossible. My friend Oppen returned unhurt, the missing 
 men we lost I did not know very well ; we were sorry for 
 Prince Louis Ferdinand, who, after bravely leading on 
 his men, had been severely wounded, and was obliged un- 
 willingly to leave the field of battle at an important 
 moment. 
 
 On the 17th of July he was taken by ship to 
 Mannheim ; the Duke of Weimar moved to his quarters 
 at the Toll-house ; no pleasanter residence could well 
 be imagined.
 
 272 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 With my customary love of order and cleanliness, I got 
 the beautiful court in front of it swept and cleared ; from 
 the change of occupants, it had become strewn with straw 
 and all kinds of refuse. 
 
 On the 18th of July, in the afternoon, after intolerable 
 heat, we had a thunderstorm and heavy rain, which was 
 refreshing to most, but of course excessively uncomfortable 
 to those in the entrenchments. 
 
 The Commandant sent in proposals for treating with 
 us, which were refused. 
 
 The 19th of July. The bombardment continued, and 
 the milk on the Ehino were damaged, and rendered 
 useless. 
 
 The 20th of July. The Commandant, General d'Oyre, 
 sent in a proposal, which is being discussed. 
 
 At night between the 21st and the 22nd of July. Tre- 
 mendous bombardment ; the church of the Dominicans is 
 in flames, and a Prussian powder-magazine exploded on 
 our side. 
 
 The 22nd of July. When we heard that a truce 
 had been actually concluded, we hastened to head- 
 quarters to await the arrival of the French Commandant, 
 d'Oyre. He soon came a tall, well-built, slim man, of 
 middle age, very natural in his bearing and demeanour. 
 Whilst the discussion was going on inside, we were all in 
 a state of expectancy, and full of hope ; and when it was 
 announced that it had been settled, and the town was 
 to bo delivered up the next morning, there arose in the 
 minds of many that singular feeling which is provided 
 by the near prospect of being freed from former sufferings, 
 anxiety, and fear ; and some, in their excitement, could 
 not refrain from mounting their horses and riding off 
 towards Mainz. We overtook Sommering on our way, 
 who was likewise bound for Mainz, for more important 
 reasons certainly than ourselves, but, like us, heedless of 
 the danger of such an undertaking. We saw from a distance 
 the barrier of the outer gate- way, and behind it a concourse 
 of people, crowding and pressing round it. We also came 
 across some covered pits ; but our horses were accustomed 
 to them, and brought us across without danger. We rode 
 straight up to the barrier, the people calling out and
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 273 
 
 demanding what news we brought. There were but few 
 soldiers among the crowd, nearly all of them being town- 
 folk men and women. Our answer, that we could promise a 
 cessation of hostilities and liberation, probably next morn- 
 ing, was received with shouts of joy. We exchanged such 
 information as each side thought it prudent to give ; and 
 just as we were going to turn back, accompanied by the 
 good wishes of the crowd, Sommering arrived, and added 
 his news to ours. He discovered well-known faces, 
 entered into a more familiar conversation, and at last dis- 
 appeared among the people before we were aware of it; 
 we, however, thought it time to go back. 
 
 A number of the persons who had voluntarily quitted the 
 town, seemed to be filled with similar curiosity and rest- 
 lessness, and, having provided themselves with supplies of 
 provisions, had succeeded in pushing their way into the 
 outworks, and then into the fortress itself, in order to em- 
 brace and comfort the friends they had left behind. We 
 met several of these wanderers, and they became so nume- 
 rous, that at last the posts had to be doubled, and it was 
 strictly forbidden to approach the ramparts; the com- 
 munication was suddenly stopped. 
 
 The 23rd of July. This day was passed in taking pos- 
 session of the outworks both of Mainz and Castel. I pro- 
 cured a light carriage, and drove as close up to the town 
 as the sentries would permit. We visited the trenches, 
 and other earthworks, which were now useless since they 
 had effected their object. 
 
 When driving back, I was addressed by a middle-aged 
 man, who begged me to give his boy of about eight years 
 of age, whom he was leading by the hand, a seat in my 
 carriage. He was a native of Mainz, who had left it in 
 great haste to enjoy the sight of the enemy marching out, 
 and swore deadly vengeance against the Clubbists who were 
 left behind. I advised him to use milder language, and re- 
 presented to him that the return to a peaceful and domestic 
 state of things should not be destroyed by a new war 
 between fellow-citizens, and by feelings of hatred and re- 
 venge, as otherwise our misfortunes would never end ; that 
 the punishment of such guilty persons must be left to the 
 Allies and the true ruler of the country, upon his return. 
 
 T
 
 274 SIEGE OP MAINZ. 
 
 Other things were said that I thought likely to pacify him, 
 and to bring him to a more sober way of thinking. This I 
 had a good right to do, for I took the boy into my carriage, 
 and refreshed them both with a glass of good wine and 
 some biscuits. At the place appointed, I set the boy down 
 again, the father, at a distance, stood waving me a thousand 
 thanks, hat in hand. 
 
 The 24th of July. The morning was passed with- 
 out much disturbance, the evacuation having been de- 
 ferred on account, it was said, of some money-matters, 
 which could not be immediately settled. At length, 
 about noon, when every one was at dinner, and perfect 
 stillness reigned throughout the camp and upon the road, 
 several carriages were seen driving past. '-I hey had each 
 three horses, and proceeded at great speed at some distance 
 from each other, but nothing particular was thought of 
 this ; however the report was soon spread that it was 
 several of the Clubbists, who had got off in this daring and 
 dexterous manner. Some excited persons declared that 
 they ought to be pursued ; others were satisfied with the 
 expression of their discontent ; others again, expressed 
 their surprise that on no part of the road was a trace to 
 be seen of sentry, picket, or watch of any kind ; they 
 maintained that it was clear from this that the proceeding 
 was winked at, by the higher powers, who were inclined to 
 leave everything to accident. 
 
 These reflections were interrupted, and the attention 
 of ull attracted by the actual evacuation. The windows 
 of the Toll-house were here of good service to myself and 
 friends. We saw the procession approach in all its solem- 
 nity. Led by Prussian cavalry, the French garrison 
 came first. A more singular sight it was impossible to 
 behold ; a column of Marseillaise, short, black-looking 
 men, dressed in rags of all colours, came tramping along, 
 as if King Edwin had opened his mountain, and sent out 
 his lively host of dwarfs. Regular troops followed, grave 
 and sullen, but neither downcast nor ashamed. The most 
 remarkable s ; ght, however, and which struck everybody, 
 was when the chasseurs a cheval came riding up ; they 
 had come close up, to where we were, in perfect silence, 
 when, all at once, their band struck up the Marseillaise
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 275 
 
 
 
 hymn. This revolutionary Te Deum has at all times some- 
 thing melancholy and ominous about it, however briskly it 
 may be played ; they, however, played it quite slow, in 
 keeping with the sluggish pace at which they were riding. 
 It was impressive and fearful, and a solemn sight when the 
 troopers themselves approached, long, lanky men of 
 advanced years, whose mien accorded well with the solemn 
 music ; singly you might have compared them to Don 
 Quixote ; together they looked very venerable. 
 
 A remarkable group now appeared the French com- 
 missaries. Merlin of Thionville, in hussar uniform, con- 
 spicuous by his long beard and fierce look ; by his side 
 was another figure in a similar costume; * the populace, in 
 wrath, called out the name of one of the Clubbists, and 
 moved as if to attack him. Merlin stopped, appealed to the 
 respect due to the dignity of a French representative, 
 reminded the people of the vengeance which would follow 
 any insult, and advised them to be quiet, for it was not the 
 last time that they would see him there. The crowd 
 seemed awe struck, and nobody ventured to advance. He 
 had addressed some of our officers who were near, and 
 appealed to the promise of the King; thereupon no one 
 seemed inclined either to venture an attack, or make any 
 reply, and the procession advanced unmolested. 
 
 The 25th of July. On the morning of this day, I 
 remarked that no preparations had yet been made to 
 prevent confusion, either upon the high-road, or in the 
 neighbourhood of it. This seemed more necessary to-day 
 than ever, as the poor Mainz people, who had left the town 
 during the siege, and had since been suffering boundless 
 misery, had now collected from distant places, and were 
 beleaguering the road in crowds, relieving their overbur- 
 dened hearts with oaths and threats of vengeance. The 
 stratagems by which some had succeeded in getting off the 
 day before were of no use now. Single tra veiling-carriages 
 at times again rattled along the road ; but the Mainz 
 people had stationed themselves in the ditches by the si^e 
 of the road, and if the fugitives managed to escape one 
 ambuscade, they soon afterwards fell into another. 
 
 * In a letter to Jacobi, Goethe gives fuller particulars of what 
 occurred cm thut day. 
 
 T 2
 
 276 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 Every carriage was stopped ; if the occupants were 
 Frenchmen or Frenchwomen, they were allowed to 
 proceed, but Clubbists on no condition whatever. A 
 very handsome travelling-carriage, with a team of 
 three horses, came rolling along, a pretty young girl 
 looked out of the window, and bowed to everybody 
 right and left ; but the people seized hold of the reins, 
 the hood was thrown back, and one of the chief Clubbists 
 found seated by her side. There could be no mistake 
 about him ; he was a short, thick man, with a big face 
 marked with the small-pox. They dragged him out by 
 the heels, pulled up the hood, and wished the beauty a 
 pleasant journey. The man they took into the nearest 
 field, and kicked and beat him unmercifully ; every bone 
 of his body must have been bruised, and his face dis- 
 figured. Une of the sentries took pity on him, and got 
 him carried into a cottage, where he was laid upon straw, 
 and saved from the violence of his fellow-townsmen, but 
 still exposed to the sneers, deridings, and contempt of the 
 bystanders. This, however, was carried so far, that in the 
 end the officer would allow no one to enter ; and begged 
 me, whom, as an aquaintance, he would not have refused, 
 to give up all thoughts of witnessing this most melancholy 
 and disgusting of spectacles. 
 
 On the 25th of July we were occupied with watching 
 the continued and regular march of the French out 
 of the town. I stood with Mr. Gore at the window of the 
 Toll-house, and a large crowd had collected below; the 
 space in front, however, was large, and nothing could 
 escape our observation. 
 
 Infantry active, good-looking troops of the line came 
 along ; many of the girls of Mainz accompanied them, 
 sometimes at the side of the column, sometimes within the 
 ranks. Their acquaintances in the crowd greeted them, 
 shook their heads at them, and addressed them in con- 
 temptuous phrases : " Ay, Miss Lizzy, so you want to see a 
 little of the world, do you ?" and then : " It looks all very 
 fine just now, but wait a little !" Further : " You've been 
 learning French too ! Well, a pleasant journey !" and so 
 on. The girls, however, seemed all in good spirits, and 
 did not mind them ; some of them called out a good-bye to
 
 SIEGE OP MAINZ. 277 
 
 their female neighbours, the most remained silent, and 
 looked at their lovers. Meanwhile the people were becom- 
 ing very angry, and abused and threatened the girls. The 
 women reproved the men for allowing these hussies to pass, 
 who doubtless carried away the property of many an honest 
 citizen in their bundles. It was only the steady march of 
 the troops, and the strict order maintained by the officers, 
 that prevented an outbreak ; the excitement was fearful. 
 
 At this most dangerous moment there appeared a party, 
 who no doubt wished themselves anywhere rather than 
 where they were. Without any special escort, a good- 
 looking man came up on horseback, dressed in a uniform 
 somewhat different from that of a soldier; at his side, in 
 male costume, rode a very handsome woman, and some 
 carriages drawn by four horses followed, covered with 
 boxes and trunks ; the silence was ominous. There was 
 a sudden movement among the people, followed by cries 
 of, " Stop him ! kill him ! That is the scoundrel of an 
 architect who first plundered the Deanery, and afterwards 
 set fire to it with his own hand !" Had there been one 
 determined man among them, he would not have escaped. 
 
 Without further consideration than that the peace must 
 not be broken before the Duke's quarters which was fol- 
 lowed with the rapidity of lightning by the thought of what 
 the Duke would say were he to find the entrance to his OAVH 
 quarters obstructed by the havoc of such a scene, I sprang 
 down-stairs, ran out among the crowd, and called out with 
 a loud voice : " Hold !" 
 
 The people had already approached the man ; nobody, 
 indeed, had dared to close the barrier, but the road was 
 obstructed by the crowd. I repeated my " Hold !" and a 
 dead silence followed. I continued to harangue the crowd 
 with a loud voice and with great vehemence. " Here," I 
 said, " were the quarters of the Duke of Weimar ; it was 
 sacred ground ; if they wanted to commit mischief and 
 exercise their vengeance, they could find abundant space 
 for that elsewhere. The King had granted free egress to 
 all ; had he wished to make any conditions or exceptions, 
 he 1 would have appointed officers to turn back the guilty, 
 or to make them prisoners ; nothing, however, had been 
 heard of this, and no patrols wore to be seen ; that they,
 
 278 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 who or whatever they might be, had here amidst tho 
 German army, nothing to do but to remain peaceful 
 spectators of what passed; that their misfortunes and 
 their hatred gave them no rights : and that, once and for 
 all, I would tolerate no violence on this spot." 
 
 The people seemed amazed, and remained silent, but 
 soon began to mutter and grumble ; some became violent, 
 and two men pressed forward to take hold of the horses' 
 reins. Curiously enough, one of them was the hairdresser 
 whom I had warned the day before, while showing him 
 some kindness. " How ! " I exclaimed, addressing myself 
 to him, " have you already forgotten our conversation of 
 yesterday? Have you not considered what I told you, 
 that it is a crime to exercise self-revenge ; that we should 
 leave the punishment of the guilty to God and to the 
 established authorities, as we have to leave the termina- 
 tion of all this wretchedness and misery to them ?'* These 
 and other such brief and convincing observations, as oc- 
 curred to me at the moment, I made, and spoke in a loud and 
 vehement tone. The man, who recognised me at once, 
 stepped back ; the child clung close to his father, and smiled 
 across to me ; the people had moved back, and left tho 
 place free, and the passage through the barrier was again 
 unobstructed. The two persons on horseback scarcely 
 knew how to act. I had advanced a considerable way 
 among the crowd ; the man rode up to me, and said 
 he wished to know my name, and to whom he was indebted 
 for such an important service; that he would never 
 forget it, and only regretted he could make mo no return. 
 His pretty companion also approached me, and warmly 
 thanked me. I answered that I had done nothing but 
 iny duty, and maintained the peace and sacredness of the 
 place ; I gave them a hint, and they moved on. Tho 
 crowd, who had thus been diverted from their thoughts of 
 vengeance, remained quiet ; had this occurred thirty paces 
 farther on, nobody could have held them in check. It is 
 always the case, that when one difficulty has been over- 
 come, others vanish likewise. Chi scampa d'un punto, 
 scampa di mille. 
 
 On returning to my friend Gore after my adventure, he 
 exclaimed, in broken French : " VV hat, in the name of
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 279 
 
 wonder, made you do this ? you might easily have got the 
 worst of it." " I had no such fear," I replied ; " and do 
 you not think it well that order has been kept before the 
 house ? How would it have been, if everything were in 
 confusion before us, evil passions excited and of no good 
 to anybody ; even supposing the fellow has carried away 
 what does not belong to him ? " 
 
 Meanwhile, the French continued to march quietly past 
 beneath our windows ; the crowd, who had lost their 
 interest in the sight, were dispersing ; those who could 
 find a way, stole into the town to seek out the friends 
 they had left behind, and to collect their goods and 
 chattels. A more powerful motive, however, was the 
 very pardonable desire to punish their hated enemies, the 
 Clubbists and Committee-men, against whom they kept 
 uttering threats of vengeance as they went along. 
 
 My good friend Gore could not yet understand how I 
 cared to risk so much for an unknown and perhaps 
 criminal person. I, jocosely, pointed always to the clear 
 space before the house, and said, at last, rather impa- 
 tiently : "The fact is, it is part of my nature ; I would 
 rather commit an injustice than suffer disorder." 
 
 The 26th and 27th of July. On the 26th we were 
 able, with soine friends, to ride on horseback into 
 the town. Here we found the most lamentable state of 
 things. Ashes and ruins were all that was left of what 
 it had taken centuries to build. Occupying as it does 
 one of the finest situations in the world, this city had 
 been the receptacle of the wealth of provinces, and here 
 the Church had sought to secure and to increase what her 
 servants already possessed. The mind became distracted 
 at the sight a much more melancholy scene than that 
 of a town burnt down by accident. 
 
 Owing to the absence of all police regulations, a col- 
 lection of all kinds of filth and offal was mingled with 
 the ruins ; traces of pillage were perceptible everywhere 
 as the miserable consequence of enmity among fellow- 
 townsmen. High walls and spires stood threatening to 
 topple over. But why need 1 give any further descrip- 
 tion of this after having already named the different 
 buildings as they successively exploded? From old
 
 280 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 predilection, I hastened to the Deanery, which had 
 always hovered before my mind as a little archi- 
 tectural paradise ; the portico was still standing entire, 
 but only too soon I came upon the ruins of the beautiful 
 vaulted roofs, which had fallen in ; the wire gratings of 
 the skylight windows lay strewn about ; here and there 
 some remnant of old splendour and beauty was to be seen, 
 but this model of architecture was destroyed forever. All 
 the buildings in the square had met the same fate ; it was 
 the night of the 27th of June in which the destruction 
 of these splendid edifices had illuminated the district. 
 
 I then proceeded to the neighbourhood of the castle, to 
 which all access was forbidden. Wooden erections, built 
 up against the walls, indicated the desecration of this 
 royal residence ; in the square, in front of it a confused 
 heap of cannon were standing, which had been disabled 
 partly by the enemy, and partly by too great a strain upon 
 their own power. 
 
 As many a noble building, with all its contents, had 
 been destroyed by hostile violence from without, much 
 destruction had likewise ensued from the violence, 
 barbarity and wantonness of internal foes. The Ostheim 
 Palace was still standing entire, but it had been turned 
 into a tailor's workshop, and soldiers and sentries had 
 taken up their quarters in it a detestable spectacle. 
 The' halls were strewn with rags and tatters, and the 
 marble walls defaced with hooks and nails, upon which 
 arms were hanging, and others stood up round about. 
 
 The Academy looked unchanged from without, except 
 that a bullet had broken the windows of Sommering's 
 lodgings. I found him there, not exactly comfortably 
 settled, for the handsome apartments had been shamefully 
 treated by their wild occupants. They had not been 
 content with destroying the clean blue wall-paper, as 
 high as they could reach, but must have used ladders, or 
 tables and chairs placed above one another, to soil the 
 walls, for lard and other greasy stains reached up to the ceil- 
 ing. These were the same rooms in which we had sat to- 
 gether so happily the year before, mutually instructing and 
 entertaining each other. Sommering was somewhat con- 
 soled for what he had lost, by finding hia cellar unopened,
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 281 
 
 and his preparations, which had been placed there for 
 security, uninjured. We visited them, and had thus an 
 opportunity for some instructive conversation. 
 
 A proclamation of the new Governor had been pub- 
 lished; and I found that it spoke the same sentiments, 
 and almost the same words, as I had used to the hair- 
 dresser. All self-revenge was forbidden ; the right to 
 distinguish between good citizens and bad, belonged 
 exclusively to the Sovereign of the country on his return. 
 This order was very necessary ; for, owing to the momen- 
 tary dissolution of authority caused by the truce a few 
 days before, the most daring of the citizens, who had left 
 the town, pressed back again, led on attacks against the 
 Clubbists' houses, and excited the newly-arrived soldiers 
 to plunder. The order was very properly couched in the 
 mildest terms, in order to conciliate the justly exasperated 
 feelings of the deeply-injured inhabitants. 
 
 How difficult it is to quieten a mob that has once been 
 excited ! Even in our own presence irregularities took 
 place. A soldier would go into a shop, demand tobacco, 
 and, whilst it was weighed, seize upon the whole supply. 
 Our officers had to go to the rescue of the distressed 
 citizens, and gradually succeeded in repressing the disorder 
 and confusion. 
 
 During one of our rambles, we found an old woman 
 standing at the door of a mean house, which seemed 
 almost buried in the earth. We expressed our surprise 
 that she had returned so soon, and were told that she 
 had never gone away, although she had been ordered to 
 leave the town. " The jackanapes came to me too," she 
 said, " with their gaudy scarfs, ordering and threatening 
 me ; but I told them the truth to their faces ; God, I said, 
 will preserve me, poor woman as I am, in life and honour, 
 in my hut, long after I have seen you people over- 
 whelmed with disgrace and shame. I told them to go 
 elsewhere with their buffooneries. They were afraid my 
 cries might raise the neighbours, and left me in peace. 
 And so I have remained here the whole time, partly in 
 the cellar, and partly in the open air ; supporting myself 
 upon the little I could get, and am still alive to praise God, 
 whilst they will now fare badly enough."
 
 282 SIEGE OF MAIXZ. 
 
 She then pointed to a house at the corner of the street, 
 to show how near the danger had been. It was one of 
 the better class of houses, and we could see into the 
 corner room on the ground-floor; a strange sight it 
 was ! Here, for many years, had stood an old collection of 
 curiosities, consisting of figures in porcelain and figure- 
 stone, Chinese cups, plates, dishes, and all kinds of vessels ; 
 works in amber and ivory, and other carved objects and 
 turnery ware; articles formed of moss and straw, and 
 other things usually found in such collections. These 
 could now be recognised only by the fragments which 
 were strewn about ; for a bomb, which had forced its 
 way downwards through all the upper stories, had 
 burst in this room; the terrific explosion, which had 
 upset everything in the room, drove out the win- 
 dows; the wire screen, which had been on the inside, 
 was likewise driven outwards, and could now be seen 
 bulging through the iron stanchions. The good woman 
 assured us, that when this explosion took place, she had 
 given herself up for lost. 
 
 We dined at a large table-d'hote, where, amid all the 
 confusion and hubbub, we thought it best to keep quiet. 
 It was strange to hear the musicians requested to play 
 the Marseillaise and the (ja ira; all the guests seemed to 
 join in it, and to enjoy it. 
 
 In strolling further about the town, we could scarcely 
 recognise the place where the Favorite had stood. In 
 August of last year, a splendid garden was to be seen 
 there ; terraces, orangeries, and fountains, formed a 
 delightful retreat, close to the waters of the lihine. 
 Here were the green avenues, where, as the gardener 
 related, the Elector had entertained the great generals 
 and their suites, at tables of immense length with endless 
 quantities of damask table-linen and silver plate. Such 
 recollections only increased the melancholy feeling excited 
 by its present aspect. 
 
 The neighbouring Carthusian monastery had also 
 well nigh disappeared from sight ; the walls of the 
 buildings had been speedily destroyed in order that 
 the stones might bo used for the construction of the 
 Weissenau redoubt. The convent was still recognis-
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 283 
 
 able in its ruins, but too much damaged to be again 
 restored. 
 
 I accompanied my friends Gore and Krause to the citadel. 
 Here stood Drusus' monument, very much in the same 
 state as when I had sketched it in my boyish days ; it was 
 uninjured, in spite of the fire-balls that must have whistled 
 past or struck it. 
 
 Mr. Gore immediately placed his portable camera upon 
 the ramparts, with the view of obtaining a pictxire of the 
 town, disfigured as it was by the siege. He succeeded 
 perfectly with the central part, where the cathedral 
 stood, and the adjacent parts, but not so well with the 
 sides ; this may be seen from his beautifully arranged 
 posthumous papers. 
 
 We then turned our steps towards Castel. On the 
 Ehine bridge we could breathe freely, as in days of old, 
 and for a moment fancied that those times might return. 
 During the siege, operations had been ceaselessly carried 
 on to strengthen the fortifications of Castel ;* we found 
 a trough of fresh lime, also bricks, and an unfinished 
 work ; after the proclamation of the truce and surrender 
 of the town, everything had been left standing as it 
 was. 
 
 A singular as well as a melancholy spectacle was 
 presented by the abattis round the Castel entrenchments ; 
 it was constructed of fruit-trees from the neighbour- 
 hood, which had all been cut down for the purpose. 
 They had been sawed off at the roots, the tender outer 
 branches lopped off, and the summits dove-tailed into 
 each other ; this formed an impenetrable outer bulwark. 
 They appeared to be trees which had been planted at the 
 same time, to have flourished under like favourable 
 circumstances, and had now been used for hostile purposes 
 and given over to destruction. 
 
 We could not long give ourselves up to these melancholy 
 reflections, for the landlord of the inn and his wife, in 
 fact, every person we met, forgetful, apparently, of their 
 
 * This had been done by the French Commandant, General Moynier, 
 who was mortally wounded during the siege. He had rendered good 
 service to his country as an engineer in connection with the fortifica- 
 tions of Cherbourg.
 
 284 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 own sorrows, assailed us with endless details of the suffer- 
 ings of the citizens of Mainz, who had been driven from their 
 homes, and tossed about between foes within and with- 
 out. For it was not the war alone, but the madness and 
 folly of some of the citizens themselves, that had brought 
 about this state of things. 
 
 It was a relief to us to listen to the accounts of the many 
 heroic actions that were related of the brave townspeople. 
 At first the bombardment had been regarded as an un- 
 avoidable evil ; and the destructive power of the combus- 
 tible balls seemed too great, the impending destruction too 
 certain, to allow of any hope of successfully opposing it ; 
 but, when better acquainted with the danger, they at last 
 resolved to encounter it ; the attempts made to extinguish 
 the bombs which fell in the houses with water, gave 
 occasion to many a bold adventure ; miracles were related 
 of heroic women who had saved themselves and others in 
 this way. But they had to lament the death of many 
 brave and worthy men. An apothecary and his son were 
 killed in an operation of this kind. 
 
 Whilst lamenting the calamities that had been endured, 
 and congratulating ourselves that these were now at an 
 end, we could not help wondering that the fortress had 
 not made a longer resistance. In the vaults under the 
 nave of the cathedral, which were uninjured, a great 
 number of untouched sacks of flour were found; other 
 provisions were heard of, and an exhaustless supply of 
 wine. It was therefore supposed that the last revolution 
 m Paris, which had placed in power the party to which 
 the commissioners at Mainz belonged, had been the real 
 cause of the early surrender of the fortress. Merlin of 
 Thionville, Rewbell, and others, wished to be in Paris, 
 where, after the defeat of their opponents, they had no 
 longer anything to fear, and an immensity to gain. They 
 wanted, it was thought, first of all to establish themselves 
 firmly in power, to take possession of important places 
 in the government, and acquire largo fortunes ; then to 
 take advantage of the foreign wars, and, with a continued 
 success of their armies, again excite the popular senti- 
 ment, and endeavour thus to regain possession of Mainz, 
 and many other places besides.
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 285 
 
 No one could wish to remain long amid such devastation 
 and ruin. The King with the guards took their departure 
 first; the regiments followed. Further participation in 
 the horrors of war was not required of me ; I obtained 
 permission to return home ; but first proceeded to pay 
 another visit to Mannheim. 
 
 My first act was to wait upon his Eoyal Highness 
 Prince Louis Ferdinand, whom I found in good spirits, 
 lying on a sofa, but not quite at his ease, for his wound 
 hindered him from lying comfortably; he could not 
 conceal his desire to return to the theatre of operations 
 as soon as possible. 
 
 Thereupon I had a pleasant little adventure in the inn. 
 I was sitting at one end of the long crowded table-d'hote, 
 and at the other end the King's Chamberlain, Von Rietz, 
 a large, well-made, strong, broad-shouldered man ; just 
 such a figure as one might expect to find in an attendant 
 of Frederick William. He and the people about him had 
 been talking and laughing very loud, and in high spirits 
 were now about to leave the table. Rietz came up to me, 
 bowed, and expressed the pleasure he felt in being able at 
 length to make my acquaintance, a thing he had long 
 wished, added some other flattering remark, and then said, 
 he hoped I would pardon him, but he had a personal interest 
 as well in thus meeting me. He then said that he had 
 been told that men of talent and genius were always small, 
 lanky, sickly-looking and ill-natured ; of which examples 
 enough had been advanced. This had always vexed him, 
 for he did not think himself altogether a blockhead, and 
 yet he was healthy and strong, and substantial ; he was 
 therefore delighted to find in me a man of goodly presence, 
 without being considered the less a genius for it. He was 
 glad of this, and wished us both a long enjoyment of our 
 health and strength. 
 
 I replied in equally courteous terms ; he shook me by 
 the hand, and it was some consolation to me to find that 1 , 
 whereas the worthy Lieutenant-colonel at Mainz had 
 avoided me probably because he expected to find me the 
 ill-natured person, I had now been honoured for an exactly 
 opposite reason. 
 
 At Heidelberg, in the house of my old faithful friend,
 
 286 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 
 
 Friiulein Delf,* I met my brother-in-law and schoolfellow 
 Schlosser. We discussed many things, and he too had to 
 put up with a discourse on my theory of colours. He 
 listened attentively and good-naturedly to what I said, 
 although he could not give up what he had himself 
 determined upon the subject, and wished, above all things, 
 for me to tell him how far my theory agreed with that of 
 Euler, which he was inclined to follow. I had unfor- 
 tunately to confess that I had never taken him into account ; 
 and that the only thing which concerned me was, to 
 collect innumerable facts, to arrange them, to discover 
 their relationship and position towards each other, and to 
 make them intelligible to myself and others. My method 
 however, as I could show him but few experiments, he 
 could not quite follow. 
 
 As the difficulty of such an undertaking became appa- 
 rent, I showed him a paper I had written during the siege, 
 in which I pointed out how an association of different men 
 might work together, and each contribute his assistance, 
 according to his opportunities and capacity, and thus 
 lend assistance to the undertaking. I laid claim to the 
 help of philosophers, naturalists, mathematicians, painters, 
 mechanists, dyer.s, and heaven knows how many others, to all 
 of which he listened with patience, as a general description 
 of my plan ; but when I proposed to read him the essay, 
 he begged to be excused, and, laughing at me, said, that I 
 was still a child and novice, to imagine that anybody would 
 join me in an undertaking in which I took an interest, 
 that anybody would approve or adopt the plans of another, 
 or that co-operation of any kind whatever could take place 
 in Germany. 
 
 He expressed himself upon other subjects in the same 
 way as he has done upon this. He had, no doubt, ex- 
 perienced and Buffered much, both as a man of business 
 and an author ; and, owing to his earnest character, he had 
 shut himself off from the world, and renounced those 
 happy delusions, to which others abandon themselves often 
 with the best effect. It prodiiced a most unpleasant im- 
 pression on mo when about to turn from the horrors of war 
 
 * Goethe spr-aks of her more fully in the seventeenth Book of his 
 i'aJtrheit nnd Dichtung.
 
 SIEGE OF MAINZ. 287 
 
 to the peaceful occupations of private life, to find that I 
 could not so much as hope that anybody would take an 
 interest in an undertaking which occupied me so much, one 
 which I believed useful and interesting to the whole world.* 
 
 This again excited the old Adam within me ; incon- 
 siderate assertions, paradoxical propositions, and ironical 
 retorts, soon occasioned apprehension and uneasiness to my 
 friends ; Schlosser defended himself with great vehemence 
 against such attacks ; our hostess did not know what to 
 make of either of us ; and at her suggestion my departure 
 took place sooner than was intended ; but she managed to 
 prevent it appearing precipitate. 
 
 Of my stay in Frankfort there is but little to say, and as 
 little of the remainder of my journey home. During the 
 last months of the year, and beginning of the following one, 
 nothing was spoken or thought of but the atrocities of a half- 
 savage nation intoxicated with victory. However a newkind 
 of life was about to open for me too. The Duke of Weimar, 
 at the close of the campaign, left the Prussian service ; the 
 lamentations of the regiment were great amongst all ranks ; 
 for they were about to lose a commander, a prince, an 
 adviser, a benefactor and a father, all at the same time. 
 I too was suddenly called to separate from many excellent 
 men, between whom and myself a strong attachment had 
 sprung up ; and we parted, not without tears from the best. 
 Veneration for our matchless Prince had brought us to- 
 gether, and bound us to each other ; and we seemed to bo 
 lost to ourselves in thus being withdrawn from his guidance, 
 and our agreeable and rational intercourse with one another. 
 The country around Aschersleben, thellarz, so conveniently 
 visited from thence, seemed lost to me ; and in fact, I have 
 never since wandered very far into it again. 
 
 We will now conclude, in order not to touch further 
 upon the great events of the time, or the wild sea of 
 troubles, which, after threatening us for twelve years, at 
 length burst upon, and almost engulfed us. 
 
 * Goethe's dissatisfaction with Schlosser cannot have been as great 
 as would appear from what he has here written from memory. For on 
 the llth of August he writes to .Jacobi, "I spent several happy clays 
 with SchlosstT in Heidelberg ; I am very glad of this, and it is a great 
 advantage to me that we have again seen a little more of each other."
 
 NOTES FROM 
 
 A TOUR ON THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR, 
 IN THE YEARS 1814 AND 1815. 
 
 TRANSLATED BY 
 
 L. DORA SCHMITZ.
 
 To the Rhine's far-reaching motmtaius, 
 Richly favoured tracts of land, 
 
 Meadows mirrored in the river, 
 Uplands gaily clad with vine, 
 
 Come, and wing'd with thought be always 
 Present with your faithful friend.
 
 SAINT EOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEX. 
 
 A FEW intimate and sociable friends,* who had spent 
 several weeks in Wiesbaden enjoying its salubrious waters, 
 one day determined to carry out a plan which they had 
 cherished for some time past, to get rid of a feeling of 
 restlessness that had come over them. Mid-day was al- 
 ready past, but a carriage was, nevertheless, ordered, with- 
 out delay, for a drive into the pleasant country of the 
 Rheingau.f Upon reaching the heights above Biberich, a 
 view was obtained over the extensive and splendid valley 
 of the river, with all the settlements scattered over this 
 most fertile of districts. Still, the view was not altogether 
 as fine as it had often appeared in the early morning, when 
 the rising siin shed his rays upon the numberless large and 
 email buildings with fronts and sides painted white 
 that lay along by the river and on the hills. At that time 
 of day we have seen the Johannisberg Monastery in the 
 far distance, standing out more prominently than any 
 other object, while single streaks of light lay scattered 
 about both banks of the river. 
 
 It was not long before we found that we were driving 
 through a pious country, for, in Mosbach, we met an Italian, 
 with a well-filled tray of figures, which he was carrying on 
 his head in rather a bold fashion. The images were not 
 exactly like those met with farther north colourless 
 figures of gods and celebrities but gaily-coloured images 
 of saints, which seemed more in keeping with the cheer- 
 ful, joyous region. The Virgin Mary towered above all, 
 
 * Goethe's companions on this trip were Zelter of Berlin, und 
 Cramer, the mineralogist, who resided in Wiesbaden. 
 
 t The name given to the district along the shores of the Rliine, 
 between Eiidesheim and Nicder-Walluf. which produces some of the 
 finest wines in the world. 
 
 u 2
 
 292 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 and of the fourteen Helpers-in-Need * the chief were 
 here represented ; Saint Roch, too, in the black garb of a 
 pilgrim, with his little dog carrying a piece of bread.f 
 
 We then drove on to Schierstein, through large corn- 
 fields every now and again adorned with walnut- trees. 
 Fertile land extends to the Ehine on our left, on our right 
 to the hills, which, however, are gradually drawing closer 
 to the road. Beautiful, yet dangerous, appeared to us the 
 situation of Walluf, a town built on a tongue of land in 
 the Rhine, at the lower end of a bay. In passing by well- 
 laden and carefully-tended fruit-trees, we saw ships sail- 
 ing merrily down the river. 
 
 The opposite shore now attracts the eye ; towns in the 
 midst of large, well-cultivated fertile districts come to 
 view. Soon, however, we have to turn our attention again 
 to our own side of the river ; not far off stand the ruins of 
 a chapel on a green meadow, pleasantly situated ; its walls 
 are clothed with ivy, wonderfully neat and clean-looking. 
 To our right, the vineyards now come close to the road. 
 
 In the little town of Walluf perfect peace seemed to 
 reign, but the chalk-marks, showing where the soldiers had 
 to be quartered, were still visible. Farther on there are 
 vineyards on both sides of the road ; even where the ground 
 is flat, or only gently sloping, vineyards and cornfields are 
 met with alternately, but the hills in the distance on our 
 right are completely clothed with vines. 
 
 EllfeldJ lies in an open plain, surrounded by hills, 
 which to the north rise to mountains ; this town is also 
 situated close to the Rhine, and opposite to it lies a large 
 piece of well-kept meadow-land. The towers of an old 
 castle and its church at once prove Ellfeld to be a some- 
 what important provincial town, and, on entering it, we 
 found some houses with architectural decorations of rather 
 an old style. 
 
 * These Helpers were appealed to in timrs of trouble. The 
 Cntholic Church, however, does not sanction fourteen ; and Saint 
 Rorh is not one of*them, as might be supposed from Goethe's 
 words. 
 
 f For an account of the legend of St. Roch, see p. 310. 
 
 j Usually known by the name of Eltville. 
 
 The meadow-land spoken of here, and shortly afterwards, is an 
 island in the Rhine, called Rheinaue (Rhine meadow).
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 293 
 
 It would . be an interesting study to inquire into the 
 reasons why the first inhabitants of places like this 
 selected such a locality. It would be found, at one time, 
 that the reason was a brook that flowed down from the 
 hills to the Rhine ; at another, that the site was a favour- 
 able one for embarking and disembarking, or some such 
 local convenience. 
 
 We passed pretty children and grown-up persons of 
 good figure ; they were all quiet in demeanour and in no 
 way did their appearance betray any kind of hurry. We 
 continually met persons driving, or wandering on foot for 
 pleasure's sake, in the latter case generally with sunshades. 
 The heat during the day was very great, the drought 
 general, and the dust extremely troublesome. 
 
 A little below Ellfeld, is a new and handsome-looking 
 country-house, surrounded by gardens prettily laid out. 
 We still pass orchards in the plain to our left, but vine- 
 yards are becoming more general. Towns follow closer 
 upon one another, country-houses midway between, so 
 that, on looking back at them, they seem to touch one 
 another. 
 
 The vegetation on the plains and hills flourishes upon 
 a gravel soil more or less mixed with clay, and is par- 
 ticularly favourable to the growth of vines, whose roots 
 extend to a good depth. . The ditches at the side for pro- 
 tecting the roads show no other soil. 
 
 Erbach, like the other towns, has a clean causeway, the 
 streets are dry, the ground-floors of the houses inhabited 
 and tidily arranged, as can be seen through the open win- 
 dows. Again we come upon a palatial country-house, the 
 gardens reaching right to the Ehine ; the splendid terraces 
 and shady avenues of lime-trees are a pleasure to behold. 
 
 The Rhine, at this point, assumes a different character ; 
 it is only a portion of the actual river, the fore-lying meadow 
 confines it, and thus turns it into a channel of moderate 
 size, but with a vigorous and rapid stream. To our right, 
 the vineyards now come quite close to the road, supported 
 by strongly-built walls, a small recess in which now attracts 
 our attention. Our carriage is ordered to stop, and we re- 
 fresh ourselves at a plentiful spring of water that flows 
 from a pipe ; this spring is called the Marktbrunuen, and
 
 2-94 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 gives its name to the vine grown on the hills of that 
 district. 
 
 Soon the vineyard- walls come to an end, the hills are less 
 high, and their gently-sloping sides and ridges are crowded 
 with vines. On our left are fruit-trees. Close to the 
 river are willows, which hide it from view. 
 
 In passing through Hattenheim, the road ascends ; at 
 the top of the hill, behind the town, the clay soil becomes 
 less mingled with gravel. On both sides are vineyards ; the 
 ones on the left supported by walls, those on the right 
 grow on a slope. Reichardtshausen, formerly a monas- 
 tery, is now the property of the Duchess of Nassau. After 
 passing the last bit of wall we saw a pretty seat under 
 acacia-trees. 
 
 Thereupon, on the height, follows a rich, gently sloping 
 plain ; but the road soon again runs by the river, which be- 
 fore had lain far below, and at a distance from us. The 
 level country is here laid out in fields and gardens, but 
 where there is the least incline, it is planted with vines. 
 Oestrich lies at some distance from the river, on rising 
 ground, and has a pretty situation ; for behind the town 
 the vine-clad hills run down to the river, all the way along 
 to Mittelheim, where the Rhine again shows a splendid 
 breadth. We, then, almost immediately, came upon Lange- 
 winkel ( Long-corner ) ; the place, certainly, deserves the 
 epithet of long, for its excessive length would try the 
 patience of any one driving through the town ; but of a 
 corner there was nothing whatever to be seen. 
 
 In front of Geisenheim, a flat low-lying piece of land ex- 
 tends right to the river, and is, no doubt, flooded whenever 
 the river is high ; it is laid out in gardens and clover fields. 
 The meadow in the river (the island), and the little town 
 on its shores, show off prettily against each other. The 
 view on the opposite bank becomes freer. A broad, sloping 
 valley stretches away, between two sloping heights, to- 
 wards the Hundsriick hills. 
 
 As we approach Riidesheim the low-lying, flat land on 
 our left becomes more and more remarkable, and the idea 
 strikes one that, in remote ages, when the chain of hills 
 around Bingen was still closed in, the water, thus driven 
 and kept back at this point, must have levelled this low
 
 SAINT ROCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 295 
 
 piece of ground, and that, by gradually running off, and 
 streaming away with the main current, it at last formed 
 the present bed of the Ehine by its side. 
 
 After a drive of three hours and a half, we reached 
 Riidesheim, where we were immediately induced to alight 
 at the inn Zur Krone, which is pleasantly situated not far 
 from the town gate-way. 
 
 The inn is built by the side of an old tower, and the 
 view, from the front windows, looks down the Rhine, from 
 the back windows, up the river ; we were, however, soon 
 out of doors again. A projecting structure of stone is the 
 place where the surrounding country can best be over- 
 looked. Looking river-up wards from here, the fertile 
 meadow-land is seen in all its perspective beauty. Down 
 the river, on the opposite bank, lies Bingen ; further down, 
 in the river, stands the Mausethurm (Mice Tower). * 
 
 Just above Bingen, and close to the river, a hill rises 
 away towards the flat country beyond. It might be ima- 
 gined to have been a promontory in the remote ages, when 
 the water stood higher. On its eastern slope is seen the 
 chapel dedicated to St. Roch ; at present it is undergoing 
 repairs, as it was damaged during the war. On the one 
 side, the scaffolding is still standing, but, nevertheless, a 
 festival is to be held there to-morrow? The people here 
 think that we have come on purpose to attend it, and 
 promise us that there will be plenty of amusement to be 
 had. 
 
 We further heard that, during the war, this chapel had 
 been desecrated and laid waste, much to the sorrow of the 
 neighbourhood. This had not, indeed, been done out of 
 caprice and wantonness, but because the site was a favourable 
 position for overlooking the surrounding country, and even 
 commanded a portion of it. The building was, therefore, 
 robbed of all the requisites for Divine service, nay, of all its 
 
 * This tower is built on a rock in the Rhine, and its well-known 
 legend relates the fate of Hatto, the cruel and tyrannical bishop of 
 Mayence. After greatly oppressing the people of his district, he found 
 himself visited by a plague of mice wherever he went. In order to 
 escape from his tormentors he at last retired to the tower in the Rhinp, 
 which he had built in order to levy a tax from every one who crossed 
 the river at this convenient spot. The mice, however, followed him by 
 the thousand, and devoured him there.
 
 296 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 decorations, and besmoked and soiled by being used as 
 a place of bivouac; polluted even by being used as a 
 stable for horses. 
 
 All this, however, did not affect the people's belief in 
 their Saint ; the Saint who kept the plague and infectious 
 diseases away from those who believed in him.* But to 
 make pilgrimages to the place had been out of the question, 
 for the enemy, who were both suspicious and cautious, had 
 forbidden all religious processions and fetes, proclaiming 
 them to be dangerous gatherings, which encouraged public 
 spirit and fostered conspiracies. Hence, for a period of 
 four-and-twenty years no festival had been celebrated at the 
 chapel. Yet the faithful who lived in the district around, 
 and who felt convinced of the advantages of a pilgrimage 
 to the place, had, by their great need, been driven to make 
 every effort in their power to visit the shrine. The follow- 
 ing curious story is related by the Riidesheim people about 
 an attempt of this kind. One dark night, in mid- winter, 
 a procession of torches was seen suddenly to leave Bingen, 
 to proceed up the hill, and to assemble round the 
 chapel, to perform their devotions, it was supposed. In 
 how far the French authorities had permitted the approach 
 of the crowd of worshippers was never known. Yet, 
 without their permission, such an undertaking could 
 scarcely have been ventured upon. The true state of the 
 case, it was said, always remained a dead secret. Still, 
 all the Riidesheim people who nocked to the riverside to 
 witness the scene, declared that they had never in their 
 lives seen anything so strange or so terrible. 
 
 After this we walked quietly down the river, and every 
 person we met was rejoicing that the holy shrine in the 
 neighbourhood had been restored. For, although Bingen 
 was no doubt specially interested in its restoration and 
 the busy times that would attend it, still it was a pious 
 and joyful event for the whole country ; hence the universal 
 feeling of joy for the morrow. 
 
 The intercourse between the inhabitants of the two 
 
 shores, which had been interrupted, nay, at times completely 
 
 cut off, for so long, and had been sustained merely by their 
 
 faith in this Saint, is about to be recommenced by a 
 
 * The story of St. Roch is narrated oc p. 310.
 
 SAINT ROCK'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 297 
 
 splendid fete. All the surrounding country is in a state 
 of commotion, for both old and new vows will be 
 offered up in grateful remembrance. Sins will be con- 
 fessed there,, and forgiveness received; in addition to 
 this, among the numerous visitors expected to attend 
 the festival, many persons will meet with friends whom 
 they have, perhaps, not seen for years. 
 
 Amid pious and cheerful stories of this kind, and always 
 within sight of the river and the opposite shore, we walked 
 along the whole length of Riidesheim to the old Roman 
 fort, which is situated at the one end of the town, and in 
 a good state of preservation, owing to its excellent masonry. 
 Count Ingelheim, to whom it belongs, was struck by a 
 happy thought, to make, it a place from which visitors might 
 obtain a view both instructive and enjoyable. 
 
 One enters into a kind of courtyard, somewhat like a 
 well ; it is narrow, with high, black walls, well built but 
 rough in appearance, for the stones are unhewn on the 
 outside an unpretending rustica. The steep walls can be 
 ascended by means of steps, that have recently been built. 
 Inside of the building we found, in strange contrast, well- 
 arranged rooms and large, desolate vaults blackened by 
 watch-fires and smoke. We wound our way up steps, 
 through dark gaps in the walls, and at last reached the top 
 of the tower, with the most glorious of views. Here we 
 roamed about in the air, admiring the gardens that have 
 been planted and are flourishing upon the old debris. 
 The towers, top of the walls, and flat surfaces are con- 
 nected by bridges, gay patches of flowers and shrubs in 
 between ; these appear to be in need of rain, like the rest 
 of the country. 
 
 Eiidesheim lay before and below us in the clear 
 evening light. A castle, belonging to medieval times, is 
 standing not far from this ancient one. There is also a 
 charming view of the vineyards, precious beyond descrip- 
 tion; gentle inclines and steep gravel hills, nay, even 
 rocks and walls are made use of for the cultivation of 
 vines. The Johannisberg * stands out more prominently 
 than anything else that meets the eye in the way of eccle- 
 siastical or secular buildings. 
 
 * A castle not far from Wiukel, more fully described on p. 326.
 
 298 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 While naming so many of the principal vineyards, we 
 ought, perhaps, not to forget to make due mention of the 
 Eilfer. This wine, like the name of a great and benevo- 
 lent prince, is always referred to when anything excellent 
 in the country is being spoken of ; a wine-year is likewise 
 a subject in every one's mouth. The Eilfer has another 
 quality pertaining to all that is excellent : it is both 
 delightful and plentiful. 
 
 As the evening twilight approached, the country around 
 gradually vanished out of sight. The disappearance of 
 the many important individual objects, first led us to 
 think of the full worth of the whole, in which we should 
 have liked to have been lost ourselves; but we had to 
 take leave of the spot. 
 
 Our walk back was enlivened by the continual firing of 
 guns from the chapel on the other side of the water. 
 These warlike sounds recalled to our minds the hostelry, 
 on the top of the hill, as a military station. From there 
 the whole valley of the Rhine could be overlooked, and 
 most of the towns, passed on our way hither, were like- 
 wise within sight of it. 
 
 We were told that, when passing along the heights above 
 Biberich, the St. Koch Chapel must have often been dis- 
 tinctly visible as a white object in the morning sunlight ; 
 and we now remembered having noticed it. 
 
 Considering all that we had heard, it was not surpri- 
 sing that St. Eoch should be regarded as a worthy 
 object of veneration, for, owing to the people's steadfast 
 faith in him, he was at this moment converting the place 
 that had been a military station, and the scene of strife 
 and confusion, into one of peace and reconciliation. 
 
 Meanwhile, a stranger had arrived at the inn, and taken 
 his seat at our table. He was thought to be a pilgrim, and 
 so the conversation turned very freely in praise of the 
 Saint. However, to the great astonishment of the well- 
 meaning company, it appeared that the stranger, although 
 a Catholic, was, to a certain extent, opposed to the Saint. 
 For, as he informed us, on one 1 6th of August, while many 
 persons had been celebrating the feast of St. Eoch, his 
 house had been burnt down ; on another occasion, on the 
 same fete day, a son of his had been wounded ; there was
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 299 
 
 even a third case of misfortune, the particulars of which, 
 however, he did not communicate. 
 
 A knowing member of our party thereupon replied that, 
 in individual cases, the main thing depended upon assist- 
 ance being asked of the Saint to whom the matter speci- 
 ally belonged. That, for instance, for protection against 
 fire, St. Florian had to be appealed to. That, to guard 
 against wounds, prayers should be addressed to St. Sebas- 
 tian ; and, it was possible, that, in the third case he had 
 mentioned, St. Hubert * might have rendered assistance. 
 Moreover, that believers had surely sufficient scope for their 
 appeals, as no less than fourteen saintly Helpers-in-Need 
 had been created. The virtues possessed by these helpers 
 were enumerated ; and it was found that there never 
 could be enough. 
 
 To rid ourselves of these gloomy reflections, which are 
 not pleasant even to cheerful minds, we again went out 
 into the open air, and enjoyed the bright starry heavens, 
 and remained out so long that the deep sleep we enjoyed 
 afterwards seemed little better than nothing, for we were 
 up again before sunrise. We went out at once to look 
 down the grey valley of the Rhine. A fresh wind came 
 blowing across into our face, a wind favourable both to 
 those coming over to this side of river, as well as to 
 those crossing over to the other. 
 
 The boatmen are all busy at work, setting sails to 
 rights ; there is firing from the hill ; the day has begun as 
 announced the evening before. Already single figures 
 and groups of persons are to be seen in dim outline against 
 the clear sky, round about the chapel, and on the ridge of 
 the hill ; but there is as yet little life on the river and 
 its banks. 
 
 A fondness for the study of Nature tempted us to go 
 and examine a collection of minerals from the Wester wald^ 
 said to be arranged according to its length and breadth ; also 
 
 * St. Hubert, Apostle of the Ardennes and Bishop of Liege, in 
 the eighth century, was said to have had the power of curing those 
 afflicted in mind. If Goethe remembered this, the jest is rather a 
 doubtful one. 
 
 t A hilly district extending from the Seven Mountains to the river 
 Lahn ; it is rich in minerals.
 
 300 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 some excellent mineral specimens from Rheinbreitbach. 
 This scientific expedition, however, nearly proved de- 
 structive to our plan of joining the festival, for, by the 
 time we returned to the Rhine, we found numbers of 
 people starting for the opposite shore, all in the utmost 
 state of bustle. Crowds were pushing their way on board 
 the different boats, and one over-crowded boat after 
 another started on its way. 
 
 On the opposite bank, quantities of people and vehicles 
 are to be seen on the move, and boats that have come 
 down the river are landing their passengers. On the hill 
 crowds are wending their way towards the top, by more 
 or less steep paths. The incessant firing shows that a 
 succession of townships are taking part in the pilgrimage. 
 
 But now we, too, are to be off; and soon find ourselves 
 midway on the river, our sails and oars vying with 
 hundreds of others. Upon landing we noticed at once, 
 owing to a fondness for geology, that there are some 
 curious rocks at the foot of the hill. The naturalist is 
 thus induced to turn aside from the holy pathway. For- 
 tunately a hammer is at hand. A conglomerate, deserving 
 the greatest attention, is found ; a quantity of quartz 
 rock that had been destroyed at the moment of its forma- 
 tion ; the pieces are pointed, and have been again united 
 by a quartzose substance. Its excessive hardness pre- 
 vented our obtaining more than small fragments. I much 
 wish that some naturalist, when passing here, would 
 examine these rocks carefully, determine their relation 
 to the older mountain mass beneath, and be good enough 
 to send me his report together with a few instructive 
 specimens. Gratefully would I acknowledge the receipt ! 
 
 We now ascended the hill, in company of hundreds of 
 other people, by the steepest of the pathways, that mns 
 zigzag up the rocks ; we climbed slowly, often resting and 
 exchanging jokes. It was the Pinax of Cebes * in the 
 truest sense, lively and animated, except that in our case 
 there were not as many misleading byways. 
 
 At the top, round about the chapel, we found a great 
 
 * A small Greek work which gives an allegorical picture of hnman 
 life, the aim of which is to prove that the highest happiness consists in 
 the practice of virtue.
 
 SAINT ROCK'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 301 
 
 crush and commotion, but pushed our way in with the 
 rest. The chapel inside is almost square, each side about 
 thirty feet in length, the choir at the end perhaps about 
 twenty. Here stands the principal altar, not a modern 
 structure, but one in the rich style of the Roman Catholic 
 Church. It is a very high altar, and, in fact, the chapel 
 itself has altogether rather a lofty appearance. There are 
 two other altars of a similar kind in the corners next the 
 main square, and these, too, have not been injured, but are 
 exactly as they were in bygone days. The thought 
 strikes one how this is to be explained in the case of a 
 church so recently ransacked. 
 
 The crowd moved from the main entrance towards the 
 chief altar, then turned to the left, where great reverence 
 was paid to some relic lying in a glass coffin. People laid 
 their hands upon it, stroked it, blessed it, and lingered 
 about it as long as they could. However, one person after 
 another was pushed by, and thus I, too, had my turn, with 
 the stream, and was then pushed out of the chapel by 
 a side-door. 
 
 Some of the older men from Bingen came up to us in 
 order respectfully to salute our worthy guide, a gentleman 
 in the Duke of Nassau's service ;* they praised him as a 
 helpful neighbour ; in fact, as the man who had en- 
 abled them to celebrate to-day's festival in a suitable 
 manner. We now learned that, when the convent at 
 Eibingenf was abolished, all the fittings of the chapel 
 altars, chancel, organ, pews, and prie-dieux were handed 
 over to the community at Bingen for a trifling sum, to 
 assist the restoration of the St. Eoch Chapel. As the 
 Protestant party had proved themselves so helpful in the 
 matter, the citizens of Bingen made a vow that they would 
 themselves fetch all the fittings. An expedition was made 
 to Eibingen ; all the things were carefully taken from 
 .their places, single persons took the smaller articles, others 
 clubbed together and carried the larger pieces, and in this 
 manner they wandered down to the water-side, like a 
 string of ants, carrying pillars and mouldings, pictures 
 and decorations. The boatmen, likewise in accordance 
 
 * Cramer, the geologist and inspector of mines, 
 t A fuller account of this convent ia given on p. 321.
 
 302 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 with the vow, took the things on board, shipped them 
 across and landed them on the left bank, where pious 
 shoulders again carried them up to the hill-top by various 
 paths. As this was done all at the same time, the pro- 
 cession, as seen from the chapel overlooking the district 
 and the river, must have been one of the strangest 
 imaginable ; for decorations in carving and painting, in 
 gilt and lacquer work, were to be seen moving along 
 in motley succession. It was, moreover, a pleasant 
 feeling to think that every one bore their burden with 
 the hope that, in return for their self-imposed labour, 
 they would receive blessings, and be themselves morally 
 the better for it throughout life. The organ, which had 
 likewise been brought over, is, however, not yet in 
 position, but is shortly to be set up in the gallery opposite 
 the chief altar. This account solved the question that 
 had naturally suggested itself upon our remarking that 
 all the decorations, in the one part of the chapel which 
 had but lately been restored, showed signs of age, but 
 were nevertheless in good condition, without any marks 
 of injury, in spite of not being new. 
 
 The present state of the chapel must appear all the 
 more edifying, inasmuch as in its happy restoration we 
 have visible proofs of what may be effected by good-will, 
 mutual assistance, and well-ordered arrangements. For 
 that the work has been carried out with fore-thought, is 
 no less evident from the following facts. The chief altar, 
 from a much larger edifice, was to find a place here ; hence 
 it was decided to increase the height of the walls by a few 
 feet. In this way the space was considerably increased, 
 and moreover richly decorated. The older members of 
 the community will thus be able now to kneel at the very 
 same altar on the left bank of the Ehino, at which, in 
 their young days, they had knelt on the right bank. 
 
 The sacred relics have, likewise, been reverenced for* 
 many bygone days. The remains of St. Euprecht, which it 
 had been customary piously to touch and to praise as 
 helpful in Eibingen, are henceforth to be preserved in 
 the St. Eoch Chapel. 
 
 A great many persons are animated by a joyful feeling, 
 in again finding themselves near a protector whose power
 
 SAINT ROCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 303 
 
 they believe to have long since been proved. It ought 
 to be mentioned here, that it had not been considered 
 becoming to include the sacred relics among the other 
 objects purchased, or in any way to ask a price for them ; 
 hence they came as a gift, a pious addition to the other 
 property. It would be well if people had always acted 
 with the same feeling of forbearance in similar cases ! 
 
 But now the tumult has laid hold of us. Thousands 
 upon thousands of different figures claim our attention. 
 These country-folks do not differ strikingly in their 
 manner of dress, but present an endless variety in the 
 way of physiognomy. The commotion, however, prevents 
 any attempt at making comparisons ; any general charac- 
 teristics would be looked for in vain in the present bustle 
 and confusion. The thread of observation is lost, and one 
 allows oneself to be drawn into the life going on around. 
 
 A row of booths the indispensable accompaniment to a 
 festival are to be seen at a little distance from the 
 chapel. First of all, there are candles of every description, 
 yellow, white, and painted, to suit the different purses of 
 those attending the fete. Then come prayer-books and 
 officia in honour of the Saint about to be celebrated. In 
 vain do we ask for a pleasantly-written pamphlet to 
 enlighten us about the life, works, and the sufferings 
 of the Saint ; wreaths of roses, however, are plentiful 
 enough. There are also to be had buns, biscuits, ginger- 
 bread-nuts, and other kinds of pastry, as well as all sorts 
 of toys and trinkets to tempt children of different ages. 
 
 Processions continue to arrive. The different villages 
 can be distinguished one from the other, and the sight 
 might suggest a variety of reflections to a calm observer. 
 In general, it might be said the children are pretty, not so 
 the young people ; and the faces of the older people very 
 worn-looking ; there are. some very aged persons among 
 them. All are proceeding on their way, singing chants and 
 responses ; flags are fluttering, banners waving, as pro- 
 cession after procession comes up, with candles of all sizes. 
 Every community has its own image of the Virgin Mary, 
 carried by children and young girls in new dresses, 
 with large rose-coloured ribbon bows fluttering in the 
 breeze. Specially graceful and pretty to us appeared
 
 304 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 a Jesus-child carrying a large crucifix, and looking up 
 joyously at the instrument of torture. " Ah," exclaimed 
 a sympathetic on-looker, " all children are just like this 
 one, while they can still look happily out into the world 
 before them ! " The child was attired in a dress of 
 golden stuff, and looked most pleasing, and as happy as 
 the little prince. 
 
 A great commotion now announced that the chief 
 procession was coming up from Bingen. All who could, 
 hastened to the ridge of the hill to meet it, and we 
 were surprised at the lovely view that was to be ob- 
 tained over the country around; a splendid change 
 had taken place, and an entirely new scene presented 
 itself to our eyes. The town below is both well-built 
 and well-kept, surrounded by gardens and groups of 
 trees, and lies at the end of an extensive valley, along 
 which flows the river Nahe. And then the Rhine, the 
 Mausethurm, and the Ehrenburg! In the background, 
 the solemn grey walls of rocks through which the mighty 
 stream has forced its way, and is there lost to view. 
 
 The procession is advancing up the hill in the same 
 order as the others. In front the smallest boys, followed 
 by youths and men ; holy St. Eoch is carried on high, 
 clad in the black velvet garb of a pilgrim, and also with 
 a long royal mantle of the same material edged with gold, 
 from beneath which is seen peeping a small dog holding 
 a piece of bread between its teeth. Immediately after 
 this come boys of a medium age, wearing the short, black 
 habits of pilgrims, shells on their hats and collars, and 
 carrying staffs. Then follow earnest-looking men who 
 do not seem to be either peasants or ordinary citizens. 
 From their weather-beaten faces I fancy they must be 
 boatmen, whose business is both dangerous and anxious, 
 as each moment demands "their thoughtful attention, 
 and their whole life is thus one of careful watching. 
 
 A red silk canopy now appears ; beneath it is carried the 
 consecrated wafer by the bishop, surrounded by the digni- 
 taries of the Church, accompanied by Austrian soldiers,* 
 and followed by the State officials. In this order they 
 
 * The fortress of Mainz was at that time garrisoned by Austrian 
 eoldiera.
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 305 
 
 advanced to celebrate the politico-ecclesiastical festival, 
 which was to be the symbol both of the re-acquisition of 
 the left bank of the Rhine, and of the privilege to believe 
 in miracles and signs. 
 
 If, however, I am briefly to state what most generally 
 struck me with regard to the different processions, I should 
 say, that the children seemed invariably happy, contented, 
 and pleased, as if by some new, wonderful, and joyful event ; 
 the young folks, however, seemed to pursue their way as 
 if indifferent to what was taking place around them ; they 
 had been born in evil times, and hence the festival had 
 no memories for them, and those who have no memory of 
 what is good, have no expectation of anything good. The 
 old people, on the other hand, were all affected, as by the 
 remembrance of happy days that had returned, but which 
 were no longer of use to them. From this we perceive 
 that man values his life only in so far as some result can 
 be looked for. 
 
 The observer's attention was now, in a somewhat unbe- 
 coming manner, withdrawn from the worthy, and in 
 many ways dignified procession, by a great noise behind 
 him, by strange and very violent screams. And I here 
 again made the experience that serious, sorrowful, and 
 even terrible occurrences are often interrupted by an 
 unexpected and absurd incident, as if, in fact, by some 
 farcical interlude. 
 
 On the hill behind, a strange cry was heard ; the sound 
 was not one of quarrelling, of terror, or of anger, but still 
 wild enough. An excited throng of persons were running 
 to and fro among the rocks and bushes, calling out: 
 stop ! here ! there ! yonder ! now ! this way ! couie on ! 
 The words were shouted in all possible sorts of tones ; 
 hundreds of persons tore about in haste, as if chasing 
 something. The mystery was solved at the very moment 
 that the bishop reached the top of the hill, with the vener- 
 able procession. 
 
 An active, sturdy youth came running forward, with a 
 delighted expression of countenance^ holding on high a 
 bleeding badger that had been captured. The poor, 
 harmless animal had been frightened by the movements 
 of the pious crowds, and driven away from its home ; and 
 
 x
 
 306 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAU. 
 
 had now been killed, by the ever merciless hand of man, on 
 the very fete day that ought to have been the most merci- 
 ful of days, and killed, moreover, at the most joyous moment 
 of the day. 
 
 Equanimity and seriousness were, however, soon restored, 
 and our attention attracted by a new and stately procession 
 that was advancing towards the chapel ; this was the 
 community from Bidenheim, and was as large as it was 
 orderly. But in this case we likewise failed to find any 
 characteristic feature of the individual town. Confused 
 by so much that was confusing around us, we allowed it 
 quietly to advance towards the scene of the ever-increasing 
 confusion. 
 
 All now began to push their way to the chapel, and did 
 their best to obtain admission. We, who had been driven 
 somewhat to the side along one of the paths, preferred 
 remaining in the open air to enjoy the extensive view from 
 the back of the hill up the valley, along which the Nahe 
 flows, unperceived. Here, any one with good eyesight, can 
 survey a district of the utmost variety and fertility as far 
 as the foot of the Donnersberg, the grand ridge of which 
 forms a majestic back-ground to the scene. 
 
 We soon perceived that we were approaching the more 
 actual enjoyments of life. Tents, booths, benches, and 
 awnings of various kinds came into view. The welcome 
 smell of fried fat was wafted towards us, and wo soon 
 came to a place where a young and active woman a 
 butcher's daughter was busy at work over a large, glow- 
 ing ash-fire, cooking fresh sausages. By preparing them 
 herself, and with the incessant help of a number of nimble 
 servants, she contrived to satisfy the demands of a largo 
 concourse of people. 
 
 We, too, well provided with steaming fatty food, to- 
 gether with excellent fresh bread, took our seats at a long 
 tfhaded table, which was already pretty well crowded. 
 Some kindly persons moved closer together, and wo found 
 pleasant neighbours, nay, even agreeable society in some 
 people who had come to the festival from the banks of the 
 piahe. The merry children drank wine like the older 
 people. Brown jugs, with the name of the Saint in white 
 letters on them, passed round the family circles. We, too,
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGES. 307 
 
 had procured jugs of this sort, and set them down before 
 us, filled to the brim. 
 
 Thereupon we remarked what great advantage such 
 meetings must be to the people, where a number of single 
 rays are drawn to one centre, by some higher kind of 
 interest, from a large, wide-spread area. 
 
 For, at such meetings, people obtain information about 
 several different districts at once. The mineralogist will 
 quickly discover persons who are acquainted with the 
 rocky regions about Oberstein,* with the agates obtained 
 there, and how they are cut and polished, and who can 
 thus give those interested in natural objects some instruc- 
 tive information. The quicksilver mines at Muschellands- 
 berg were also the subject of conversation. New points of 
 interest were opened up, and the hope expressed that 
 good, crystallised amalgamate would be procured there. 
 
 The enjoyment of the wine was not disturbed by discus- 
 sions of this kind. We sent our emptied jugs to be refilled, 
 and were asked to be patient till the fourth hogshead had 
 been tapped. The third had just been finished even at 
 that early hour of the morning. 
 
 No one seemed ashamed of their liking for wine, and, 
 to some extent, boasted of the amount they could drink. 
 Pretty women told us that their babes took wine while 
 still fed from the breast. We asked whether it were true 
 that certain clerical gentlemen, and even Electors, ever 
 had succeeded in consuming eight measures of Rhine 
 wine, about sixteen ordinary bottles, within four and 
 twenty hours. 
 
 An apparently serious member of our party, in reply to 
 this question, said, that one need only recall what had been 
 said in the Lent sermon, preached by the assistant-bishop 
 of the diocese ; after having described to his congregation, 
 in the strongest colours, the terrible evils of drunkenness, 
 he had concluded with these words : 
 
 " From what I have said, my devout hearers, you, who 
 have already been graced by repentance and penance, 
 must be convinced that he who thus abuses the glorious 
 gifts of God, commits the greatest of sins. Yet this abuse 
 
 * A town on the Nahe above Kreuznach, very picturesquely 
 situated. 
 
 x 2
 
 308 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 of the gift does not exclude it from being our duty to make 
 a good use of it. Is it not written : Wine gladdens the heart 
 of man ! Hence it is clear that, in order to make ourselves 
 and others happy, we may, nay, we even ought, to partake 
 of wine. Now, among my hearers of the male sex there 
 is, perhaps, not one but can take to himself two measures 
 of wine, without suffering from any confusion of the senses ; 
 but he who, after drinking a third or a fourth measure so 
 far becomes forgetful of himself as not to recognise wife 
 and children, who ill-treats them with quarrelsome words, 
 blows, and kicks, and behaves towards those dearest to him 
 as if they were his bitterest enemies, let him reflect, and 
 keep from such an excess that renders him displeasing to 
 the sight of God and man, and contemptible to those around 
 him. Yet, he who, after enjoying a fourth measure, nay, 
 even a fifth and a sixth, remains so completely himself 
 that he can kindly assist his fellow-Christians, look after 
 his house, and carry out the commands of his superiors in 
 Church and State, let him continue to enjoy his modest 
 portion, and to take it gratefully ! Yet let him even 
 beware of going farther without taking good heed, for 
 here, generally, is fixed the limit, beyond which weak men 
 cannot go. For it is, indeed, a rare instance for the All- 
 loving God to grant to man the special mercy of being able 
 to drink eight measures, such as has been conferred upon 
 me, His humble servant. Yet as it cannot be said of me, 
 by any one of you, that I have ever attacked any one in a 
 fit of unwarrantable anger, that I have failed to recognise 
 those in my house, or related to me, or that I have neg- 
 lected any of my religious duties, or the work required of 
 me, but that, on the contrary, as you can all bear witness, 
 I have ever been ready to prove myself active in the praise 
 and glory of God, as well as in assisting and working for 
 the good of my neighbours, I may assuredly, with a good 
 conscience, and with gratitude, continue in future to enjoy 
 the gift vouchsafed to me. 
 
 "And you likewise, my devout hearers, every one of 
 you, take your modest portion in order that, according to 
 the will of the Giver, you refresh your body and cheer 
 your mind ! And in order that this may be done, and 
 that, on the other hand, all excess be avoided, be mindful
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEN. 309 
 
 to act in accordance with the advice of the holy apostle, 
 who says, ' Prove everything and abide by what is best ! ' ' 
 
 The main subject of the conversation continued, of 
 course, to be about wine, as it had previously been. And 
 there now began a dispute about the merits of the differ- 
 ent growths ; it was pleasant to find that there was no 
 dispute among the magnates themselves as to priority of 
 rank. Hochheimer, Johannisberger, Eiidesheimer, each 
 acknowledged the value of the other ; it was only among 
 the gods of minor degree that jealousy and envy prevailed. 
 Thus the favourite red Assmanshauser was specially 
 subjected to various attacks. A proprietor of vineyards 
 at Oberingelheim, I heard maintain that his were but 
 little inferior to it. The Eilfer was said to have been 
 delicious, but of this there was no proof, as it had already 
 all been drunk. This was admitted by those seated 
 around, for they said that red wines ought to be drunk 
 when young. 
 
 Thereupon the people from the Nahe began to praise a 
 wine that grew in their district, called Monzinger. It 
 was said to be light and pleasant to drink of, but that it 
 went to one's head before one was aware of it. We were 
 invited to go and try it. And, in fact, it had been too 
 agreeably recommended for us not to wish to taste it in 
 such good company, even though it might prove somewhat 
 dangerous. 
 
 Our brown jugs were now brought to us refilled, and 
 upon seeing the gay white letters of the Saint's name so 
 benevolently active all around, it was felt to be almost a 
 disgrace not to know his story properly, although, of 
 course, all knew this much, that while renouncing all his 
 worldly goods he did not hesitate to risk his own life in 
 order to attend those sick of the plague. 
 
 In accordance with a wish that had been expressed, the 
 company now related the graceful legend, and moreover 
 did so as if in competition, children and parents helping 
 one another, as the case might be. 
 
 From this we could perceive the real nature of a legend, 
 when flitting from mouth to mouth, from ear to ear. Of 
 contradictions there were none, but an endless variety of 
 forms, which resulted from different persons taking a
 
 310 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 different interest in the several incidents ; thus at one 
 time one circumstance was set aside, and at another 
 brought prominently forward. There was also not a 
 little confusion about the various places to which the 
 Saint had wandered, and where he had resided. 
 
 An attempt I made to jot down the story word for word 
 as I heard it there, I found impossible to carry out, so I 
 shall here give it in the form in which it is usually 
 narrated. 
 
 Saint Eoch, a believer in the Faith, was born in 
 Montpellier, his father being called John and his mother 
 Libera. And, moreover, this same John not only held 
 possession of Montpellier, but of many other places also, 
 and was a godfearing man. He had lived long without 
 having been blessed with children, until, in answer to 
 his prayers to the Virgin Mary, Koch was born to 
 him, and the child came into the world with a red 
 cross on its breast. When the parents fasted, the child 
 was made to fast likewise, and on such days the mother 
 put it to her breast but once to drink. In the fifth year 
 of his age he began to eat and drink very little ; in his 
 twelfth year he laid aside all luxury and vanity, and gave 
 his pocket-money to the poor, towards whom he did many 
 good actions in other ways also. He likewise showed 
 himself very industrious in his studies, and was soon 
 distinguished for his ability ; and his father, when on his 
 deathbed, addressed some affecting words to him, ad- 
 monishing him to all that was good. He had not reached 
 the age of twenty when his parents died, and he thereupon 
 divided all the property he had inherited among the poor, 
 renounced his claim as Governor of the provinces, set out 
 for Italy and came to a hospital wherein were many 
 persons suffering from infectious diseases, and these he 
 wished to tend and nurse. But although he was not at 
 once allowed to enter, and was made to consider the 
 danger ho would incur, he renewed his entreaty, and 
 when admitted to the sick they were all made well by his 
 touching them with his right hand, and by making the 
 sign of the holy cross over them. Thereupon he went on 
 to Eome, and there also cured many persons suffering 
 from the plague, among others a cardinal, with whom ho
 
 SAINT ROCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGEX. 311 
 
 afterwards resided during the three years he remained 
 there. 
 
 When, however, he was himself attacked by the terrible 
 disease, and was taken to the plague-house where all the 
 other sufferers were laid, and where he was, at times, 
 forced to cry aloud with the cruel pain, he arose, went 
 outside of the hospital and seated himself in the porch, in 
 order that the other patients might not be further troubled 
 by his screams. Now, when the passers-by saw him there, 
 they thought that the fault of this lay with those 
 entrusted with the care of the sick, and when they heard 
 that this was not the case, every one looked upon him as 
 foolish and out of his senses, and therefore drove him out 
 of the city. Under the guidance of God, and with the 
 help of his staff, however, he managed, by degrees, to creep 
 to the nearest wood. And when, owing to his great 
 sufferings, he could go no further, he lay down under a 
 hawthorn-tree and rested ; and there ran a spring of water 
 close by, from which he refreshed himself. 
 
 Not far from this spot stood a country-house, whither a 
 number of great personages had fled . from the town, and 
 one of these was called Gotthard, who had a great many 
 servants and hounds with him. A very strange circum- 
 stance now occurred, for one of these well-bred hounds one 
 day snatched a piece of bread from the table and ran off 
 with it. Although punished for doing so, the dog, on the 
 second day, watched for a favourable moment and again 
 ran off with the food thus stolen. The Count, thereupon, 
 suspected some mystery, and, accompanied by his servants, 
 followed the dog. 
 
 They found beneath the tree a pious pilgrim in a dying 
 state, who entreated them to keep away from him and to 
 leave him, in order that they might not be seized by the 
 same disease. Gotthard, however, determined not to 
 leave the sick man till he was well again, and attended 
 to him to the best of his power. When Eoch had 
 regained a little strength, he betook himself to Florence, 
 cured many persons of the plague there, and was himself 
 completely restored to health by a voice from Heaven. 
 He persuaded Gotthard to share his hut in the forest, 
 and to serve God without intermission, which Gotthard
 
 312 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 promised to do on condition that Koch would never 
 leave him. Thereupon, for a long tlmo, they dwelt 
 together in an old hut. But, at last, after Roch had 
 sufficiently accustomed Gotthard to a hermit's life, he 
 again set out upon his wanderings, and, after a wearisome 
 journey, at length reached his own country, and moreover 
 his native town, which had formerly belonged to him, and 
 which he had presented to his cousin. However, as it 
 happened to be a time of warfare, Eoch was taken to be 
 a spy, and was brought before the Governor who no 
 longer recognised him, owing to the great change in his 
 appearance and his wretched clothing, and therefore 
 ordered him to be cast into prison. Roch, however, 
 only thanked God for being allowed to suffer all these 
 misfortunes, and spent five whole years in prison ; and 
 moreover would not accept any cooked food that was 
 brought to him, but increased his bodily sufferings with 
 watcbings and fastings. When, at last, he saw his end 
 approaching, he begged the gaoler's servant to fetch him 
 a priest. Now the cell in which Roch lay was very 
 dark ; yet when the priest entered he found it light, which 
 greatly surprised him ; moreover as soon as he beheld 
 Roch he perceived something godlike about him, and 
 fell to the ground half dead in amazement. Thereupon 
 he went straight to the Governor and told him what had 
 happened, and that God had been grievously offended by 
 so pious a man having been shut up in prison so long. 
 As soon as this became known in the town, every one 
 flocked to the tower, but Roch was seized with great 
 weakness and his spirit fled. Yet every one saw a bright 
 light shining through the gaps in the door, and upon 
 opening it the Saint was found lying dead, stretched on 
 the ground, lamps burning at his head and feet. There- 
 upon, at the command of the Governor, ho was buried in 
 the church, with much splendour. He was, moreover, 
 recognised by the red cross on his breast, with which he 
 had come into the world, and great were the cries and 
 loud the lamentations about him. 
 
 This happened on the 16th of August in the year 1327, 
 and after some time a church was erected in his honour at 
 Venice, where his body is now preserved. In the year
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BIKGEN. 313 
 
 1414, when a council was being held in Constance, and 
 the plague appeared there, and nothing could be done 
 against it, it suddenly disappeared one day when St. Roch 
 was appealed to, and processions were held in his honour. 
 
 This peaceful story could not be listened to quietly 
 amid our surroundings that day. For, at the table where 
 we were sitting, several persons were already disputing 
 about the number of pilgrims and visitors attending the 
 festival. Some said there were 10,000 present, others 
 again maintained that there were more, and that even 
 more were swarming about the ridge of the hill where we 
 were. An Austrian officer, trusting to his military eye, 
 decided in favour of the highest figure. 
 
 Other conversations, too, crossed one another. I jotted 
 down in my note-book all kinds of rural remarks and pro- 
 verbial phrases about the weather that were said to have 
 proved true this year ; and when it was found that I was 
 interested in the matter, others were thought of, which I 
 shall give here, as indicating the manners of the people, 
 and some of their more important interests. 
 
 " A dry April is not the peasant's will. If a cricket 
 chirps before the vines begin to shoot, there will be a good 
 year. A good deal of sunshine in August gives good wine. 
 The closer that Christmas follows upon a new moon, the 
 harder will be the year that follows ; but if it falls towards 
 full moon, or when the moon is on the wane, the milder 
 will be the season. Fishermen observe the following 
 about the liver of a pike, as having proved true : If 
 the liver is broad towards the little gall-bladder, and the 
 front part pointed and narrow, there will be a long and 
 severe winter. If the Milky Way shines bright and white 
 in December, there will be a good year. If the season be- 
 tween Christmas and Twelfth Night is foggy and dark, 
 there will be much sickness during the year that follows. 
 If during Christmas-night the wine rises in the barrel to 
 such a degree that it runs over, a good wine-year may be 
 expected. If the bittern is heard early, a good harvest may 
 be looked for. If the beans grow immoderately high, and 
 the oaks bear much fruit, there will be little corn. If owls 
 and other birds leave the woods imusually early, and fly 
 towards towns and villages, there will be an unfruitful
 
 314 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 year. A cool May gives good wine and hay. Not too 
 cold and not too wet, fills both barn and barrel. Ripo 
 strawberries at Whitsuntide foretell a good wine season. 
 If it rains on Walpurgis-night,* a good year may be 
 looked for. If the breast-bone of a roasted St. Martin's 
 goose be brown, the weather will be cold ; if the bone be 
 white, there will be snow." 
 
 A countryman from the hills who had listened, if not 
 with envy, at least with a serious countenance to these 
 numerous proverbs referring to rich fertility, was then 
 asked if any siich expressions were customary in his part 
 of the country. He replied that he could not contribute 
 as great a variety, that such mystical phrases were very 
 simple with them, such as 
 
 " Round of a morning, 
 Trampled at noon; 
 In pieces at evening, 
 Thus it shall ever be, 
 And thus it is good." 
 
 The company were amused at this happy contentedness, 
 and assured him that there were times when they would 
 themselves be glad to be as fortunate. 
 
 Meanwhile several parties, apparently indifferent to 
 those around them, had risen from their seats and left, the 
 table, which was so long that one could scarcely see how 
 far it extended ; others left exchanging friendly greetings 
 with one another. The company thus gradually dispersed. 
 Only those seated close by us, a few agreeable acquaint- 
 ances, seemed to hesitate about leaving ; we were all loath 
 to part, and turned back again and again to enjoy the plea- 
 sant pain of such leave-takings, and finally, by way of com- 
 fort, promised impossibilities in the way of re -meetings. 
 
 Outside of the tents and booths, as the sun was still 
 high, we at once felt the want of shade, which, however, 
 is promised to our great grand-children by a large plan- 
 tation of young nut-trees on the ridge of the hill. It is 
 to be hoped that every pilgrim coming hither will be 
 careful of the tender trees, and that some worthy company 
 
 * The night that precedes the 1st of May. Saint Walpurgia or 
 Welpurga, was a niect; of Saint Boniface, the great Apostle of Germany, 
 whom she assisted in his work.
 
 SA1XT ROCH'S FESTIVAL AT BIXQEff. 315 
 
 will "be started in Bingen, to protect the plantation, and, 
 by industriously replanting and carefully tending the 
 trees, gradually promote their growth for the use and 
 delight of thousands of their fellow-men. 
 
 A new commotion told of some new event. People were 
 seen hurrying to hear the sermon, and all were crowding 
 towards the east side of the chapel. The building here is not 
 quite finished, the scaffolding still standing; thus even 
 while the building is in construction Divine service is 
 being held there. So it was in the days when pious hermits 
 built chapels and monasteries with their own hands. 
 Every bit of hewing, every laying down of a stone was a 
 service rendered to God. Lovers of art will remember 
 the important pictures of Lesueur * representing the deeds 
 of holy St. Bruno. Everything repeats itself in the grand 
 course of the world's history ; a careful observer will 
 notice this everywhere. 
 
 A stone pulpit built on the outside of the church-wall, 
 supported by corbels, is accessible only from the inside 
 of the church. It is now being entered by the preacher, 
 a clergyman in the flower of manhood ; the sun is still 
 high in the heavens, so he is attended by a boy who 
 holds a sunshade over him. The man spoke in a clear 
 intelligible voice, and delivered a very sensible discoxirse. 
 We believe that we grasped his meaning, and have, at times, 
 repeated his remarks to friends ; still it is quite possible 
 that we may not have caught his exact words, and that 
 something of our own has crept into our report of his ad- 
 dress. In the following extract, will be found a tolerant 
 mind encouraging zealousness, even though we may not 
 always have given his views in the same powerful and 
 graphic words which we heard that day. 
 
 " Devout and beloved hearers I In great numbers you 
 have to-day mounted this hill, in order to celebrate a 
 festival, that for some years past has been interrupted by 
 the ordinance of God. You have come to find a chapel 
 which only a short time ago was desecrated and laid waste, 
 restored, decorated, and consecrated; you have come to 
 enter it with devout steps, and gratefully to fulfil 
 
 * Eustache Lesueur who flourished between 1617-1655. The 
 pictures here mentioned are now in the Louvre.
 
 316 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NKCKAR. 
 
 vows made to the Saint specially held in honour here. 
 Now as it is my duty to address a few solemn words to 
 you on this occasion, I think nothing could be more ap- 
 propriate than our all taking to heart how a man, born, 
 indeed, of pious but yet sinful parents, succeeded in 
 obtaining such a degree of Divine grace, that it enables him 
 to stand in the presence of God, and to intercede for those 
 who faithfully turn to him in prayer, that they may be 
 released from the terrible ills that destroy whole nations, 
 released even from the very jaws of death itself. 
 
 "He, like all those whom we honour as saints, has 
 obtained this Divine grace we may confidently reply 
 because he possessed the chief of all virtues, including as it 
 does all else that is good : unconditional submission to the 
 will of God. 
 
 " For although no mortal man dare presume to imagine 
 that he can become equal to God, or even in any way be 
 like unto Him, still boundless submission to His holy will 
 leads to the first and surest approach to the Supreme Being. 
 
 " Have we not an example of this in fathers and 
 mothers who are blessed with a number of children, and 
 who have a loving care for one and all ? Yet, if one or 
 other among these children be distinguished for docility 
 and obedience, and follows the parent's commands without 
 questionings and hesitation, straightway doing what they 
 order, and acting as if it lived only in and for its parents, 
 will not this child enjoy great privileges ? To his request, 
 or to his intercession the parents will lend an ear, and often 
 cast aside their vexation and displeasure when pacified by 
 his kind caresses. Somewhat thus, in a human way, we 
 must imagine the relation existing between the Saint and 
 God, and which he has achieved by unconditional sub- 
 mission." 
 
 We, who were listening to these words, were meanwhile 
 looking up at the pure expanse of the heavens ; the bluest 
 of skies was enlivened by light clouds that flitted across. 
 Our position was an elevated one ; the view up the Rhine 
 was bright, clear, and open ; the preacher was to our left, 
 a little above us, his audience in front of him and of us, 
 a little lower. 
 
 The ground upon which the large concourse of people
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BINGES. 317 
 
 had assembled, is a large unfinished terrace, not a level 
 piece of ground, but sloping down abruptly at the back. 
 If, at some future day, it were built up and properly laid 
 out according to some architectural plan, it would be one of 
 the finest positions in the world. No preacher, addressing 
 several thousands of persons, ever had a richer landscape 
 lying beyond the place where his congregation stood. 
 And if the architect were to place the multitude upon a 
 neat level flat, perhaps sloping a little upwards at the 
 back, all the congregation would be able to see the 
 preacher, and to hear him comfortably. On the present 
 occasion, as the ground is still in an unfinished state, the 
 people stood . one beside the other, on a downward slope, 
 accommodating themselves to circumstances as best they 
 could. A curious, silently swaying crowd, it seemed, looked 
 down upon from above. 
 
 The place from which the bishop was listening to the 
 sermon, could be distinguished only by the conspicuous 
 canopy ; he himself was hidden and encompassed by the 
 crowd. This worthy chief of the ecclesiastical dignitaries 
 the ingenious architect might contrive to give a more 
 appropriate and conspicuous position, and thus add to the 
 splendour of the spectacle. Looking thus around, and 
 making these observations, which a practised eye could 
 scarcely help making, did not prevent proper attention 
 being paid to the words of the preacher, who now ad- 
 vanced to the second part of his discourse, and continued 
 somewhat in the following manner. 
 
 " Such submission to the will of God, highly as it is to 
 be commended, would, however, have remained without 
 avail had not the pious youth loved his neighbour as him- 
 self, nay, even more than himself. For although, trusting 
 to the dispensation of God, he divided his wealth among 
 the poor, in order to go to the Holy Land as a pious 
 pilgrim ; he, nevertheless, when on the road, turned aside 
 from his praiseworthy determination. The great misery 
 in which he found his fellow-Christians made him consider 
 it his inevitable duty to assist those who were suffering 
 from one of the most infectious of diseases, without think- 
 ing of himself. And he continued this work in various 
 towns, till, finally, he was himself seized by the terrible
 
 318 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 scourge, and rendered unable further to assist those around 
 him. By being thus active amid danger, he approached 
 nearer to the Divine Presence ; ' for as God so loved the 
 world as to sacrifice His only Son for its redemption,' in 
 like manner St. Koch sacrificed himself for his fellow- 
 creatures." 
 
 Great was the attention paid to every word that fell 
 from the preacher's lips, and the concourse of listeners 
 extended farther than the eye could reach. All the pil- 
 grims who had wandered hither singly, and all the bands 
 of processionists, had assembled here after having placed 
 their banners and flags against the walls of the chapel, to 
 the left of the preacher, and this added not a little to the 
 picturesqueness of the scene. It was amusing, on the 
 other hand, to notice, in a little courtyard close by, all the 
 various images that had been carried up the hill, standing 
 on their stages as if asserting their privilege to be regarded 
 as the most distinguished members of the audience. 
 
 Three Virgin Marys, of different sizes, stood there, new 
 and fresh, in the sunlight ; their long, rose-coloured 
 ribbons fluttering merrily in the liveliest of breezes. The 
 Jesus-child in His gold dress still had the same kindly 
 expression of face. Holy Saint Roch, too, more than 
 once looked calmly down upon his own festival the one 
 image in the black dress, of course, came first in order. 
 
 The preacher now turned to the third part of his dis- 
 course, and spoke somewhat as follows. 
 
 " Yet even this important and difficult task would not 
 have had any blessed result, if St. Roch had expected 
 an earthly reward for his great sacrifices. Such godlike 
 actions can be rewarded only by God, and, moreover, in 
 eternity. The span of time is too short for boundless 
 recompense. And so the Eternal God has bestowed His 
 grace upon this holy man for all ages, and conferred upon 
 him the extreme of blessedness, that of being able, for 
 ever and ever, to be helpful to others from above, as he 
 had been while yet on earth. 
 
 " We may, therefore, in every sense, look upon him as 
 an example whereby to measure the degree of our own 
 spiritual growth. If in days of sorrow you have turned 
 to him and have, by the Divine grace, received a happy
 
 SAINT KOCH'S FESTIVAL AT BIXGEN. 319 
 
 answer to your prayers, at once lay aside all arrogance 
 and presumptuous pride, and ask yourselves humbly 
 and cheerfully, have we kept his virtues before our eyes ? 
 Have we striven to do as he did ? Have we, when times 
 were hard, and our burdens well-nigh insupportable, sub- 
 mitted patiently to God's will ? Have we checked 
 murmurs that arose in our hearts ? Have we lived in the 
 confident hope of having deserved that the troubles were 
 as unexpectedly as graciously put upon us ? Have we not 
 only prayed, but implored for release when pestilential and 
 raging disease was among us ? Have we in those times 
 of misery stood by our own people, our near or distant re- 
 latives, and risked our lives for the sake of our God and 
 His Saint ? 
 
 "If you can answer these questions in your inmost 
 heart with a yea, as most of you will be able to do, you 
 will carry back home with you a feeling of honest satis- 
 faction. And, if further, as I do not doubt, you can also 
 add : We have, in all these things, not thought of ob- 
 taining any earthly reward, but were content with doing 
 the godlike deed, you may rejoice all the more not to have 
 made any vain request, and to have become more like unto 
 the Intercessor. 
 
 " Continue to acquire more of these godlike virtues when 
 the times are good, in order that when evil days are at 
 hand, and these often come unexpectedly, you may turn 
 to God through the prayers and vows of His holy 
 Saint. 
 
 " In future, therefore, look upon the continued pilgrim- 
 ages as renewed remembrances that you cannot offer the 
 Supreme Being any greater thanksgiving than a heart 
 made better and enriched with spiritual gifts." 
 
 The sermon certainly ended with a good effect upon all 
 present, for one and all had heard the plain words, and all 
 could take to heart the sensible, practical lessons. 
 
 The bishop now returned to the chapel, but what took 
 place within was hidden from us. The sounds of a 
 Te Dexim could, however, be heard outside. The people 
 streaming in and out presented an animated scene ; but 
 the festival was seemingly coming to an end. Processions 
 were beginning to be formed in order to withdraw. The
 
 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 community from Bidenheim, who had been the last to 
 arrive, were the first to leave. We also began to long to 
 be out of the hubbub, and, therefore, took our departure 
 with the peaceful and solemn procession from Bingen. On 
 our way down the hill we noticed traces of the grievous days 
 of the wars. The shrines, representing the different stages 
 in the Passion of our Lord, had evidently been destroyed. 
 When these are rebuilt, it might be managed, by con- 
 sulting both a religious spirit and an honest appreciation 
 of art,* that every passer-by whosoever it might be 
 would regard them with, a feeling of sympathetic interest. 
 
 Upon reaching Bingen, which is splendidly situated, 
 we did not find much quiet. And after the many remark- 
 able doings of the day, both divine and human, we longed 
 for a plunge into Nature's splendid bath. A boat carried 
 us down the river with the stream. We glided over the 
 remains of the old weir of rocks which time and art have 
 got the better of; the mysterious tower stood upon its 
 imperishable quartz rock, on our left ; the Ehrenburg xm 
 our right. Soon, however, we turned back, our mind 
 full of those grey precipitous ravines through which, 
 for immense ages past, the Rhine has forced its way. 
 
 On our return journey, as had been the case throughout 
 the morning, we were accompanied by bright sunshine, al- 
 though rising clouds above gave hopes of coming rain 
 that was greatly needed. And at last it came pouring 
 down refreshingly upon everything, and lasted long 
 enough for us, on our homeward drive, to see the whole 
 landscape revived. Thus holy St. Eoch had clearly 
 exercised his influence upon other Helpers-in-Need, and 
 thereby proved himself a great blessing even to cir- 
 cumstances that were beyond the actual sphere of his 
 activity. 
 
 * Goethe subsequently presented a painting, representing St. Rocli, 
 to this chapel, the work of a Louise Seidler.
 
 AUTUMN DAYS IN THE KHEINGAU * 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY EEMARKS TO THE SAINT KOCH 
 FESTIVAL, 1814. 
 
 THE opportunity I had of viewing the places and objects 
 now to be described, I owe to the kindness of the beloved 
 and honoured family Bretano, who arranged many a 
 pleasant hour for me on the banks of the Rhine, in their 
 country-house at Winkel. 
 
 The delightful situation of this residence affords an 
 open view on all sides, and the inhabitants of whom I 
 might reckon myself one for several weeks could wander 
 merrily about at will, by land or water. We made 
 excursions along both banks of the river by carriage, on 
 foot, and by water, to the most magnificent points, the 
 existence of which were sometimes expected before reached, 
 but, at times, discovered unexpectedly. The country 
 here presents a much greater variety than one wbuld 
 imagine. The eye seems almost unequal to take in all 
 lhat is to be seen at a time. How, therefore, can mere 
 written words call up any proper recollection of it from 
 the past ? Let these pages, however, be dedicated in faith- 
 ful remembrance of my appreciation of the days spent 
 there, and of my gratitude for having been enabled to have 
 the inestimable enjoyment of those scenes. 
 
 1st Septeinber, 1814. 
 
 The sight of the convent of Eibingen raises in one's 
 mind that most melancholy of thoughts, a worthy existence 
 
 * Goethe's visit on this occasion lasted from the 31st of August till 
 the 8th of September, 1814. On the 30th he was still in Wiesbaden, 
 as we know from a letter of his to Sulpiz Boisseree. 
 
 Y
 
 322 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 in a state of decay. The chapel is robbed of all its 
 belongings, the rooms and halls do not show the smallest 
 trace of furniture, the walls of the cells have been knocked 
 in, the doors towards the passages fitted with locks, the 
 gaps left unfilled, and debris lying scattered about. 
 "Why all this destruction without aim or object? The 
 reason, we are told, is this : a hospital was to have been 
 established there if the warfare had continued in the 
 neighbourhood. We have, therefore, to be content with 
 the ruins and the forsaken work. It seems, however, 
 as if the empty rooms were made use of at present as 
 a place for keeping soldiers' accoutrements, and for stow- 
 ing away old, or but little used, implements of war. In 
 the choir are to be seen rows of saddles, and the halls 
 and rooms filled with knapsacks ; there is also no dearth 
 of cast-off clothing ; so that if one of the nuns, of years 
 gone by, had had the gift of fore-sight she would have 
 been horrified at the devastation and desecration that future 
 days would bring with them. The armorial bearings of the 
 ladies, who, in past times, sought shelter and sustenance 
 here, still adorn the walls of one of the empty halls. 
 
 Thereupon we paid a visit to the Broinser buildings,* 
 in Eiidesheim, which contain some curious, but not very 
 pleasing relics from the sixteenth century. There is, how- 
 ever, one family picture of the lords of Kronenburg, from 
 the year 1549, which is particularly good in its way, and 
 worthy the attention of all interested in antiquity and 
 in art. 
 
 The town church in the market-place, contains the 
 miraculous image which, in former days, attracted so many 
 devout believers to the monastery of Noth-Gottes (Agonia 
 Domini).f The image represents Christ kneeling with 
 upraised hands, is about eight inches high, and pro- 
 bably, is the chief and sole remaining figure of a very old 
 group, depicting the scene on Mount Olivet. The head 
 and body are cut out of wood. The raiment, of fine linen 
 stuff, is gummed on, lying close to the figure, and the folds 
 
 * The ancient residence of an old aristocratic family which became 
 extinct in the seventeenth century. The present proprietor, Count von 
 Ingelheim, has had the residence partially restored. 
 
 f For a more detailed account of this convent, see p. 327.
 
 AUTUMN DAYS IN THE RHEINGAU. 323 
 
 evenly cut out of the wood ; at the arms the linen hangs 
 loose and forms the sleeves, which are stuffed out ; the 
 whole image is chalked over and painted. The hands, 
 which are fixed on, are somewhat too long, but the joints 
 and nails are well represented. It belongs to a not incom- 
 petent, but unskilful age. 
 
 2nd September, 1814. 
 
 Towards the middle of Winkel, one has to turn off to- 
 wards the hills, if a visit to Vollraths * is contemplated. 
 The road at first passes through vineyards; then comes 
 a flat tract of meadow-land, which is unexpectedly found 
 to be damp, and is surrounded by willows. The castle 
 stands on an elevation ; at the foot of the hill, to the right 
 and left, are fertile fields and vineyards ; a wood of beeches 
 and oaks on the hill at the back. 
 
 The courtyard of the castle, which is encircled by dwel- 
 ling houses and other outhouses of considerable size, bears 
 witness to a state of prosperity in days gone by; the 
 smaller buildings at the back are made use of for farming 
 requirements. 
 
 To the right, one enters a garden which, like all around, 
 testifies of a former state of prosperity, and of having been 
 carefully attended to by its proprietor in times past, and 
 now has a peculiar attraction as an often- visited ruin. The 
 fruit-trees, that in former days had been trained to the 
 shape of pyramids and fans, have been allowed to grow 
 wild, their mighty trunks and branches shading the 
 flower-beds, nay, even obstructing the paths, and being 
 laden with excellent fruit, present the strangest appear- 
 ance. A small country residence, built by the Prince- 
 Elector of the Greiffenklau family, shows the most evident 
 signs of decay when entered. The lower rooms are in a 
 state of utter neglect : the hall, on the first floor, awakens 
 the remembrance of bygone days by its collection of family- 
 portraits, which, although not well painted, nevertheless 
 
 * The ancient seat of the family Greiffenklau, in whose possession it 
 still remains. It is said to have been built in 1362 by Count Fr. 
 Greiffenklau of Folraz. 
 
 Y 2
 
 324 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 recalls the existence of the different personages. In life-size, 
 we see a comfortable-looking Greiffenklau, who may, in- 
 deed, feel somewhat proud of himself and his surroundings ; 
 two consorts and several sons, prebendaries, soldiers, and 
 courtiers standing round him, and other children and 
 relatives, for whom there was no room below, are repre- 
 sented above as pictures in the painting. There are life- 
 size portraits of Electors, prebendaries, and knights, both 
 in half and full figure, hanging round this desolate, though 
 not devastated hall, where old, rich-looking chairs are still 
 standing in their places amid neglected plants and other 
 rubbish. In the side rooms, gilded leathern hangings are 
 dangling from the walls, and look as if the nails which 
 had supported them had been takrm out to be used for 
 some other purpose. 
 
 If we turn our eyes from this disorder to the window, a 
 most glorious view is obtained ; the wild-looking, but 
 fruitful garden lies directly below and, through a gently 
 widening valley, the town of Winkel is seen in its whole 
 length, while beyond, on the other side of the Rhine, are 
 Lower and Upper Ingelheim in a fertile district. We 
 walked through the neglected garden to the garden- 
 nurseries, and found them in the same forlorn state ; the 
 gardener, we were told, was fond of fishing ! 
 
 Farther off, on a meadow, at the end of the garden, a 
 large well-grown poplar attracted our attention ; we were 
 told that it had been planted on the marriage-day of the 
 last Greiffenklau but one, and that his widow delighted 
 in the glories of this place up to the last. After the early 
 death of a son, however, the possession of the beautiful 
 estate passed away to another branch of the family, who, 
 as they reside at some distance, do not seem to be much 
 interested in its preservation. We passed a curious- 
 looking tower, built in a small pond, and then proceeded 
 on to the somewhat imposing residence. 
 
 Yesterday, in the convent of Eibingea, we had beheld 
 the devastation that had been caused, wittingly or unwit- 
 tingly, by change in political relations, in religious ideas, 
 by warfare and other troubles, there we saw a convent 
 that had been destroyed, here, on the other hand, we 
 found the remains of a family mansion that had been
 
 AUTUMN DAYS IN THE RHEINGAU. 325 
 
 allowed to fall to decay of itself. The venerable-looking 
 pedigrees were still hanging on the walls of the corridors ; 
 the Greiffenklaus and Sickingens might be seen sending out 
 shoots one against the other, spreading out an endless va- 
 riety of branches ; the most eminent and famous names were 
 linked, on the female side, with those of the Greiffenklaus. 
 
 Upon another of this sort of picture were depicted 
 bishops, abbots, priests, and women kneeling under the 
 tree from which they had sprung, praying for salvation. 
 A third picture, of the same kind, had been wantonly or 
 intentionally disfigured by some one who had cut out the 
 head of the founder of the family ; probably this had been 
 done by some collector of curiosities, a set of people who 
 cannot be trusted anywhere. Twigs and branches now 
 hovered in mid-air, proclaiming the destruction. 
 
 How interesting these galleries were in the good days 
 of old to members of the family, is evident from the fact 
 that plans of many of the estates, with their boundaries, 
 their rightful and doubtful limits, and whatever else 
 there might be worthy of note, were also hung up here 
 and presented to view. 
 
 Many things seemed to be missing that had been seen 
 by visitors who had previously been here, but, at last, we 
 discovered a small room, where all the family pictures 
 were lying piled up one on top of the other, and given 
 over to decay. Some were worth being preserved, and 
 probably all once had their own place on the walls. In a 
 few of the rooms there are chairs and bedsteads, presses, 
 and such things, which, in the course of time and from 
 want of care, have gradually become spoilt and useless. 
 
 Divine service is still performed in the small chapel, 
 but even this building is not kept very neat. There are 
 in it a few small Greek pictures, which scarcely deserve to 
 have been saved from the general wreck. 
 
 From these melancholy surroundings we hastened out 
 into the rich, joyous Nature, and by keeping on the top of 
 the hill, with vineyards to our left, and newly-ploxighed 
 fields to our right, we wandered towards the Johannis- 
 berg. The limits of the vine plantations also mark tho 
 limits of the alluvial soil; where the fields begin wo 
 have the natural mountain earth. This is a species of
 
 326 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 quartz akin to clay-slate, which splits into plates and 
 prisms. 
 
 We cannot refrain from looking back to our left towards 
 the river, and at the districts and towns lying along its 
 banks; for now that we know these all severally, we 
 look at with all the greater interest in the landscape as a 
 whole. 
 
 One is, however, completely taken by surprise upon 
 reaching the terrace in front of the Johannisberg Castle.* 
 For although all the different places and objects mentioned 
 in our account of the Biugen festival might again be 
 named here, still what our mind would recall at a future 
 day, would be merely what we had beheld at the 
 one point where, on looking to the left and right, the 
 whole scene between Biberich and Bingen presented itself 
 to the eye ; everything perfectly distinct to a good eye- 
 sight, or one armed with a glass the Rhine, with all the 
 towns along its shores, its meadowy islands, the opposite 
 banks and their gently-sloping plains. To our left, above, 
 the blue summits of the Altkin and the Feldberg ; j directly 
 in front of us the ridge of the Donnersberg, indicating the 
 course taken by the river Nahe. To our right, below, 
 Bingen, and close by, the ominous mountain ravine where 
 the Rhine is lost to sight. 
 
 The evening sun, which lingered at our back, illumi- 
 nated all the various objects that were turned towards us. 
 Light clouds, in curious streaks, stretched from the 
 horizon towards the zenith, and broke the otherwise 
 general clearness of the view ; changing bits of sunlight 
 drew our attention first to one point and then to another, 
 and the eye was here and there charmed with single new 
 points of beauty. The condition of the castle itself did 
 not disturb these pleasant impressions. It was unin- 
 habited, it is true, and without furniture, but had not 
 been laid waste. 
 
 * An extensive castle, erected in 1722, on the site of an old Bene- 
 dictine monastery founded in 1162. The castle waa presented by 
 Napoleon to Marshal Kellermann in 1807, but WHS subsequently 
 conferred by the Emperor of Austria on Prince Metternich, and in 
 still the property of this family. 
 
 f Peaks in the Taunus range of mountains ; the Donnersberg ia 
 separated from St. Koch's hill by the river Nahe.
 
 AUTUMN DAYS IN THE RHEINGAU. 327 
 
 At sunset, the sky became covered from all sides with 
 arrow-shaped, streaky clouds, which kept moving more 
 and more towards the horizon ; they indicate a change of 
 weather, which will be determined over night. 
 
 3rd September, 1814. 
 
 The sky in the morning, which was at first completely 
 clouded, cleared up gradually, with a continuous wind 
 from the north. After having examined an old painting 
 at a picture dealer's in Geisenheim, we went uphill through 
 a copse of oak which, it seems, is cut down every fourteen 
 years to supply tan-yards. Here we again came upon 
 quartz-rock, and farther up found a kind of diluvium. 
 On our left was a deep mountain valley full of old and 
 young oak trees ; here the towers and roofs of an old 
 monastery became visible ; a wild and lonely situation, 
 completely shut in by the richest green. The place 
 corresponded well with the name of the sanctuary itself, 
 for it is still called Noth-Gottes (Agonia Domini), although 
 the mystic picture, which here wailed its distress to the 
 knight, has been removed to the church in Rudesheim. 
 The place would seem utterly inhospitable, even now, 
 were it not that a small portion of the neighbouring hill 
 had been dug up and tilled. 
 
 The path then proceeds upwards to a high-lying 
 and cultivated flat tract of country, until, finally, the 
 Niederwald is reached. Here a long, level and broad road 
 announces the vicinity of important country-houses ; and at 
 one end of the road we came upon a hunting-chateau, with 
 outhouses. In front of the courtyard, or rather from the 
 top of a small tower, a view is obtained of the tremendous 
 ravine through which the Khine flows. Lorch, Dreiecks- 
 hausen, Bacharach, were to be seen on either side of the 
 river, and this point seemed to us to form the beginning 
 of an entirely new region, and to be the utmost limit 
 of the Rheingau. 
 
 In walking through the wood we obtained a variety of 
 different views, and finally reached a rocky eminence 
 overhanging the lower hill, and from there is seen one
 
 323 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 of the loveliest views imaginable. Far below us the 
 rapids of the Bingen Loch, just above the Mausethurm ; 
 the Nahe flowing past the bridge at Bingen, farther 
 off the brow of the hill with St. Eoch's Chapel, and 
 all pertaining to it in fact, a grand and, in every 
 way, most varied prospect. In turning round, and 
 looking down, the ruined castle of Ehrenfels was at our 
 feet. 
 
 Proceeding through an extensive tract of well-kept 
 forest, we came to a round pavilion, facing the north. Here 
 again, we obtained a view up the Rhine, and found an oppor- 
 tunity of summarising all that we had seen again and again 
 during the last few days. We had become acquainted 
 with the different individual objects, and could now, with 
 the aid of a telescope, nay, even with the naked eye, see 
 and note the more remarkable ones. 
 
 In giving a fuller description of the Niederwald, it 
 would have to be remembered that the outlying hills in the 
 Wiesbaden direction draw closer and closer to the Rhine 
 here, driving the stream westwards, and that the rocks of 
 the Niederwald form the point, where it again starts on 
 its northward course. 
 
 The steep pathway down towards Riidesheim led 
 through the most splendid vineyards, clothing the hills, 
 that crowd one upon another here, in the freshest of 
 green, and moreover in such regular stripes that they look 
 as if covered by a curiously- wrought carpet. 
 
 4th September, 1814. 
 
 Early to church, where the divine service was performed 
 with more than usual solemnity, on account of some 
 endowment of the Greifienklau family. Children in gay 
 dresses and wreaths knelt at the side steps of the altar, 
 and scattered flowers from their little baskets at cer- 
 tain points of the service; but having been somewhat 
 lavish with their flowers, and yet not wishing to be 
 without any at the solemn moments, they gathered up 
 the flowers that they had already strewn, into their 
 baskets, and offered the gift a second time.
 
 AUTUMX DAYS IX THE RHEIXGAU. 329 
 
 After this we visited the ruined chapel of St. Rhabanus, 
 now converted into the house of a vine-dresser. It is said 
 to have been the first edifice erected in Winkel, and 
 ancient enough it appears to be. The earth, or rather 
 the rubbish piled up where the altar once stood, is said to 
 keep away rats and mice. 
 
 After dinner, we left Mittelheim for Weinheim in a boat 
 crowded with people, the wind blowing somewhat briskly 
 from the north-east. The current of the river here runs 
 strong upon the left shore, and has torn away a project- 
 ing meadow. The roots of the old willows are bare, and 
 the bark has been ripped from their trunks by the ice. 
 A dam has been thrown up to protect the fields lying 
 beyond from being flooded. 
 
 At the end of this dam, towards Lower Ingelheim, we 
 came across some very curious-looking hillocks that have 
 been deposited by the water in remote ages, and this light 
 sand is now driven hither and thither by the wind. 
 Innumerable small shells are mixed with the sand, some 
 of which resemble the turbinidae found in the tufa lime- 
 stone by Weinheim. That these snails are still multi- 
 plying in the sandy district, may be inferred from the fact 
 that some attentive children showed me a shell with 
 a living animal in it. 
 
 At the back of the mill begins a fertile tract of land, 
 which extends as far as Lower Ingelheim. This latter 
 place, which is situated pretty high up on a gentle slope, 
 belongs to the district which was formerly called the Vallej 
 of the Holy Roman Empire. Part of Charlemagne's 
 palace * we found utterly demolished, the rest in ruins, 
 and divided into small possessions ; its circumference can 
 still be recognised by the high walls, which, however, 
 may belong to a later date. A piece of a white mar- 
 ble pillar is to be seen built into a wall at the gate- 
 
 * This palace is described by ancient writers as one of great 
 magnificence. It was destroyed several times and again restored. It 
 suffered most at the hands of the French in 1689. When the last 
 of the halls, that had long stood in tolerable preservation, fell in, in 
 1831, all that remained of the palace was a heap of ruins. Four 
 columns of syenite, which adorned this palace, were taken to Heidel- 
 berg, and used in decorating a covered fountain in that town.
 
 330 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 way, with the following inscription from the Thirty-years,' 
 War: 
 
 " 800 years ago this hall, which belonged to the great 
 Emperor Charles, and after him to Louis, son of the bene- 
 volent Emperor Charles, but in the year 1044 to the Em- 
 peror Henry, was, in the year 1360, the palace of the 
 Emperor Charles, King of Bohemia ; the Emperor Charles 
 the Great caused this pillar, together with other pillars of 
 cast metal, to be brought from Eavenna in Italy to this 
 palace, and they were erected in the reign of the Emperor 
 Ferdinand II., and of the King of Spain, Henry IV., and 
 of their prescribed and worshipful government in the Lower 
 Palatinate, on the 6th of April, 1628, when the Catholic 
 Faith was again introduced." 
 
 See Munster's History of Ingelheim, in the Valley of 
 the Holy Koman Empire, fol. UCLXXXIX. 
 
 The place where the kitchen stood of yore is said to 
 have been discovered by a great many bones of animals, 
 more especially the teeth of boars, having been found in 
 a ditch close by. During the time the district was under 
 French dominion, a number of investigations were made 
 here, and several pillars carried off to Paris. 
 
 Lately, while the great high-road was being made, 
 Ingelheim was well paved, and the post-house put into 
 good order. Mrs. Glockle is the landlady's name, and her 
 house is at present pretty frequently visited by travellers, 
 more particularly by English people of both sexes. 
 
 It was night and dark when we reached the ferry, but 
 although some uncomfortable presentiments crossed our 
 minds, we got safely home again. 
 
 The 4th of September, 1814, saw us start in a carriage 
 to Riidesheim, whence we crossed over to Bingen in a 
 rowing-boat, the carriage following in the ferry. We 
 walked along the banks. Gypsum, mixed with a greyish 
 clay, was being unloaded in quantities. Whence can it 
 have been brought ? Walked through the town ; turned in 
 at The White Horse. A melancholy landlady, strangely 
 conscious of her own condition. After being well served 
 at a moderate charge, we drove up St. Koch's hill,
 
 AUTUMN DAYS IN THE RIIEINGAU. 331 
 
 past the ruined shrines. St. Koch's Chapel we found 
 open. The man who had supei intended its restoration 
 was there, very well satisfied with his work, which may 
 truly be considered a success. The church walls have 
 been heightened so as to obtain the necessary space for 
 the principal altar from Eibingen. The transport of the 
 altar did not cost anything, for the people of Bingen 
 themselves brought everything down from the convent on 
 the other side and up the hill here, the boatmen like- 
 wise doing their part without asking for payment. This 
 accounts for all the different things being in such good 
 repair, and that only a few required to be restored. 
 
 Some men were busy setting up the organ. Upon 
 asking one of them, whom we took to be the foreman, 
 whether the organ was a good one, he replied, with an air 
 of importance, " It is a soft organ, a nun's organ." They 
 played a few chords to let us hear it, and these seemed 
 quite powerful enough for the size of the chapel. 
 
 We then turned towards the view that can never be 
 sufficiently enjoyed, and afterwards examined the rocks. 
 At the top they consist of a kind of clay-slate akin to 
 quartz ; at the foot, towards Kempten, of a kind of dilu- 
 vium, consisting of sharp-edged bits of quartz almost 
 without any connecting substance. It is extremely hard, 
 and on the outside, where exposed to the atmosphere, has 
 acquired the well-known coating of chalcedony. It is 
 justly accounted as belonging to the primeval breccia. 
 
 We drove down through the vineyards, leaving Kempten 
 on our right, and soon reached the new and admirable high- 
 road, on both sides of which is good arable land. As it was 
 our intention to go to Upper Ingelheim, we left the high- 
 road and drove to the right over sandy ground, through 
 a wood of young . firs. Gently-rising hills soon showed 
 a better soil; finally we came to vineyards, and there- 
 upon reached Upper Ingelheim. This little place lies on a 
 height, at the foot of which runs a brook called the Sulze. 
 
 There were but few people to be seen in the neat, well- 
 paved town. At the upper end of it stands an old and 
 completely ruined castle, within the boundaries of which 
 is a chapel which is still used, but is in very bad repair. 
 At the time of the Kevolution the armorial bearings on
 
 332 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 the tombs of the knights were knocked off. The very 
 ancient panes of glass are falling away of themselves. 
 The chapel is a Protestant one. 
 
 We noticed a curious custom here. Upon the heads of 
 the colossal stone figures of the knights were hung gaily- 
 coloured, light-looking crowns, made of wire, paper, 
 and ribbands, all plaited together in the form of a tower. 
 The same sort of things, with large paper hearts and 
 writing on them, was also hanging upon cornices. We 
 were told that they were hung up in memory of persons 
 who had died unmarried. These mementos of death were 
 the only decoration of the building. 
 
 We then repaired to a wine-house, and the old hostler, in 
 spite of his short breath, did his best to entertain us with 
 stories of both good and evil times. The two Ingelheims 
 used to belong to a district called the eight tovmships, and 
 which, for many ages, enjoyed great privileges. The 
 taxes were small considering the great fniitfulness of 
 the country. Under the French dominion great burdens 
 had to be borne. 
 
 In former times only white wine was grown here, but 
 later red wine was also cultivated in imitation of, and 
 even to compete with, the Assmannshiiuser ; its merits 
 were praised, but as there was no more red Eilfer wine to 
 be procured, we made the best of the white grown that 
 same year. 
 
 When we got back to the water-side at Weinheim and 
 asked for a boat, two boys offered their services to row us 
 across. Upon our showing a want of confidence in them 
 on account of their youthfulness, they assured us that 
 they were better up to the work than the older men. 
 And certainly they did take us safely and cleverly across 
 to the right shore. 
 
 6th September, 1814. 
 
 While out for a walk, and watching the building of a 
 wall, I learned that the limestone, which consists almost 
 wholly of small shells, is procured from the opposite hills 
 in various districts. Now as these sheik are the products
 
 AUTUMN DAYS IN THE RHEINGAU. 333 
 
 of fresh water, it becomes more and more evident that, in 
 former ages, there was a restagnation of the river, which 
 became a large lake. 
 
 At the water-side, between a bed of willows and the 
 Ehine, I was shown the place where Fraulein von 
 Gunderode * committed suicide. To hear the story of 
 this melancholy event at the very spot where it happened, 
 and from persons who lived in the neighbourhood, and had 
 been interested in it, produced an uncomfortable feeling, 
 which is always excited by the scene of any tragedy. Iii 
 the same way as one cannot enter Eger without fancying 
 oneself surrounded by the spirits of Wallenstein and his 
 
 followers. 
 
 # * * * * 
 
 "We were relieved from these painful thoughts by 
 inquiring into the daily occupations of people. 
 
 Tanning. A plantation of oaks requires to grow from 
 thirteen to fourteen years before the bark is ready for use. 
 The young oaks are then peeled or cut down altogether ; 
 this must be done when they are in sap. The barks are 
 fetched from places at a distance, from the Neckar by way 
 of Heidelberg, from Treves, etc. As they can be brought 
 by water, the work is greatly facilitated. There are mills 
 for crushing the tan. Skins, American ones, have latterly- 
 been brought here across France. 
 
 Wine Culture. The trouble connected with it. Advan- 
 tages, gain, and loss. In the year 1811, eight hundred 
 casks of wine were produced in Winkel. Great amount 
 of tithes. The goodness of the wine depends upon situation, 
 but also upon a late vintage. In this respect the poor 
 and the wealthy are always at variance, the poor prefer- 
 iug an abundant harvest, the wealthy a good one. It is 
 said that there are better positions round about the 
 Johannisberg ; but owing to its being an enclosed district, 
 the vintage there can be delayed unhindered, and hence 
 the greater excellence of the products. The ordinary vine- 
 yards are closed some time before the grapes are gathered 
 
 * Caroline von Giinderode had stabbed herself here, in consequence 
 of an unfortunate attachment to the well-known philologist Creuzer. 
 in 1805. Her friend Beitina von Aruiin wove her tragic story into a 
 romance, entitled Die Giinderode, which appeared in 18-10.
 
 334 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 in, and even the proprietor is not allowed to enter them. 
 If he requires grapes, he has to obtain an order from an 
 
 official whose duty it is to look after the vines. 
 
 ***** 
 
 And thus we may again close with the happy refrain 
 
 * " By the Rhine ! By the Rhine I 
 'Tia there we grow our wine!** 
 
 * Am Rhein ! Am Rhein ! 
 Da waclisen uns're Reben ! " 
 
 * Opening lines of a popular Rhenish song by Matthaus Claudius, 
 first published in his weekly journal Der Wandsbecker Bate, to which 
 paper Goethe had also contributed articles.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS ON THE RHINE, 
 MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 1814 AND 1815. 
 
 COLOGNE.* 
 
 AFTER a pleasant trip down the Rhine, we were greeted by 
 friends and acquaintances, nay, even by strangers, with the 
 unexpected news that Ruben's picture f of the Crucifixion 
 of St. Peter, painted for this his native city, and dedicated to 
 the church of the patron of the town, had been brought, 
 back from Paris, and was shortly again triumphantly to 
 be replaced in its former sacred position. We rejoiced 
 that a numerous body of citizens were by this simple, but 
 grand act, enjoying the glorious feeling of now belonging 
 to a ruler who was powerful enough to see that justice 
 was obtained for them in this high sense, and to recover 
 for them a possession of which they had ignominiously 
 been deprived. All the more lively was our interest in 
 visiting the patrons of the fine arts in this city, who felt 
 comforted and cheered by the re-appearance of their Saint, 
 
 * Goethe's Diary gives the following data : Tuesday, July 25th, 
 Von Stein, the Minister of State, drove me in a carriage as far as 
 Ehrenbreitstein ; thence we went in a boat to Cologne. Wednesday, 
 26th : Examined the cathedral inside and outside, top and bottom, 
 with all its belongings. Private collections, curiosities. Thursday, 
 27th : Drove round the town ; visits ; pictures. WallraPs well-stocked 
 residence ; buildings ; the rector of the school ; also Bono. Fuchs 
 accompanied me. 
 
 t Admitted to be one of Ruben's finest paintings; it had been 
 carried off to Paris by Napoleon in 1802, but after the Peace of Paris 
 (May 30th, 1814) was to be returned to Cologne. The picture had 
 previously been the altar-piece iu the cathedral.
 
 '336 TIIE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 and looked upon this public acquisition as a pledge that 
 security and encouragement was promised them for theii 
 own private interests. 
 
 In the eighteenth century, when the fine arts first began 
 to show signs of life in the districts of the Lower Rhine, it 
 manifested itself mainly in the decoration of the walls 
 and ceilings of churches, monasteries and public buildings, 
 frequently also of large panels with representations of 
 sacred subjects. The more modern style of art provided, 
 in addition, smaller pictures for individual citizens, appro- 
 priate for the interior of dwelling houses, and in accord- 
 ance with domestic tastes. Naturally, favourite subjects 
 were treated with brilliant realism, and people were thus 
 enabled quietly to enjoy splendid works in their own 
 residences. 
 
 Such artistic surroundings came to be regarded as 
 necessary objects to the wealthy, and as a sign of supe- 
 riority among the well-to-do classes. Native artists were 
 employed. A brisk trade with Brabant and Holland 
 brought an immense number of such works into circula- 
 tion. The fancy for such pictures led to the thought of 
 gain being obtained, and the gain stimulated the fancy ; 
 dealers appeared with connections in distant countries, 
 encouraging both art and artists. Among these the name 
 of Jabach * is spoken of with reverence. This excellent 
 man has been painted by Lebrun in life-size, surrounded 
 by his intelligent and well-to-do family. It is still to be 
 seen in Cologne, is in a perfect state of preservation, and 
 deserves to be one of the principal ornaments of a public 
 institution in this city, and one which, it is hoped, may 
 soon be established. 
 
 We must, however, now consider the important direc- 
 tion which the love of art has taken in our day. An 
 enthusiastic admiration for the remains of ancient art and 
 its gradual re-appearance out of the dark days of the 
 Middle Ages which began to show itself towards the end of 
 the last century, and is becoming more and more developed 
 received abundant encouragement, when churches and 
 
 * It is sairl that Ruben's Crucifixion of St. Peter was puinted by 
 order of the Jabach family in memory of Eberhard von Jabach, who 
 died iu 1636.
 
 ATIT COLLECTIONS. 337 
 
 monasteries were abolished, and sacred paintings and other 
 articles were offered for sale. Very precious things that 
 had previously belonged to the community at large, now 
 fell into the hands of private individuals. In Cologne, 
 therefore, several persons felt it to be their duty to rescue 
 and to collect what they could of such treasures. The 
 brothers Boisseree * and Bertram gathered a number of 
 pictures of this kind, with great zealousness as well as 
 knowledge of the subject, and with perseverance and 
 success, at great expense to themselves ; this collection 
 forms an instructive and valuable artistic treasure ; it is at 
 present in Heidelberg, and unwillingly missed in Cologne. 
 However, Messrs. Wallraf, Lyversberg, Fochem, and others, 
 possess extremely valuable collections of this kind. 
 
 Now as almost all of these paintings had to be carefully 
 cleaned from smoke and dust, the injured parts deftly 
 restored, and the gilt background neatly repaired, there 
 was soon a demand for persons able to restore pictures 
 a set of persons who are indispensable where a brisk 
 trade in works of art is carried on. A splendid memorial 
 of this kind, where dilettanti and artists have worked 
 together with a spirit of patriotic and artistic appreciation, 
 is presented by the large altar-piece f that has been 
 removed from the Chapel of the Council (die Bathskapelle) 
 to the Cathedral. 
 
 Still pictures and decorations which had been intended 
 for religious purposes, and which had been removed from 
 
 * Sulpiz and Melchior Boisseree had both been brought up 
 to become merchants, but soon gave up the idea of entering 
 mercantile life, owing to their stroug preference for study. As 
 will be seen in Goethe's further account, they attended classes at 
 the Central Schult, where they had the advantage of hearing lectures 
 by some of the most eminent German scholars, but were especially 
 influenced by Friederich von Schlegel. The brothers, while in Paris 
 in 1803, and still preparing for mercantile life, had received 
 private instruction from Schlegel in philosophy and literature. On 
 their return to Cologne, in 180-1, Schlegel received a temporary ap- 
 pointment at tht! Higher School there, and deli vered his famous course 
 of lectures on the History of Literature and on various other subjects, 
 and the brothers Boissere'e were amongst his most ardent admirers. 
 Further paiticulars about their collection of paintings on p. 396. 
 
 t Ou the one panel is Saint Ursula, with the 11,000 virgins; on the 
 other, Saint Gt-reon, with his followers. The painter was probably 
 Stephan Lochner, who lived in the first half of the fifteenth century. 
 
 Z
 
 338 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 their places in the churches, owing to the restless and 
 distracted state of the times, did not seem altogether in 
 their proper place in private residences. It thus occurred 
 to the lively and inventive minds of proprietors and 
 artists, to place them amid more appropriate surround- 
 ings, and by this means to offer to the sense of taste, what 
 had been ruthlessly snatched from the feelings of piety. 
 Imitation chapels were devised, where the sacred paint- 
 ings and other articles could be preserved in their old 
 connection and dignity. Coloured glass windows were 
 cunningly imitated upon linen, and painted imitations of 
 articles from monasteries were depicted on the walls, 
 partly in perspective, partly also in bas-relief, so as to look 
 like reality. 
 
 This pleasing style of decoration was, however, not 
 allowed to remain in the dark, the cheerful spirit of the 
 inhabitants soon led to its appearing in broad daylight. 
 And artists soon contrived to satisfy demands of this kind, 
 by making the background of narrow courtyards, that 
 were decorated with shrubs and flowers, appear of endless 
 extent by means of well-devised perspective landscapes. 
 All this, and many other things of the kind which most 
 pleasantly strike the visitor as new and significant, bear 
 testimony to a cheerful and pious sensuousness, which 
 seeks both enjoyment and edification, and which, if it 
 proves active in times of oppression and trouble, will in 
 times of security and peace, and an accompanying increase 
 of wealth, very soon show signs of renewed vitality. 
 
 In Cologne, therefore, when we attentively consider 
 the many things that have been rescued, preserved and 
 re-animated, we perceive how easy it would bo for a go- 
 vernment to lend a helping hand in such cases where 
 the appointed superintendents have already cheerfully 
 acknowledged what private individuals have accom- 
 plished from a pure interest and love in the subject, and 
 where such happy intentions have been encourage^ in every 
 possible way. Delegates, as connoisseurs and lovers of 
 art, would then not remain in ignorance of what works 
 are to be found in the town itself, what comes and 
 goes, or what owners themselves may exchange. While 
 encouraging the activity of individual persons, they
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 339 
 
 would take note of such cases where the life-long efforts 
 of a private person suddenly become the property of the 
 oomnmnity. For it not rarely happens that a collection 
 becomes a trouble to its owner, who may in various 
 ways come to feel himself hampered by it. Want of 
 space, change of residence, alteration of taste, or a 
 weakened interest in the subject, often lessens the value 
 of artistic works in the eyes of their proprietor, and it is in 
 such cases that a government officer might act for the good 
 of both parties. When respectful attention is paid to 
 a wealthy man he may feel so much flattered, that, if his 
 patriotism is aroused, he may be willing, for some trifling 
 consideration, to hand over his collection, and incorporate 
 it with some public institution, even though he may not 
 be willing to present it as a gift. If he meets with a 
 spirit of indifference in his native town, he will try and 
 obtain gratitude in some distant place. Had this been 
 done, the immense collections of Baron von Htipsch, which, 
 amid a good deal of rubbish contained the most valuable 
 objects from antiquity, would not have wandered from 
 Cologne to Darmstadt. Nor would Nose's extremely 
 important geological specimens from the Lower Ehine 
 have left Godesberg for Berlin, had he lived in days such 
 as those we are now looking forward to. 
 
 Upon inquiring about the collections at present to be 
 found in Cologne, we were first of all referred to that of 
 Wallraf,* the Canon and Professor, who, owing to his 
 enthusiastic attachment to his native city, has devoted his 
 whole life, and all his means often depriving himself of 
 the first necessaries of life to collecting everything in any 
 way of interest to his birth-place. Although his atten- 
 tion is chiefly directed to Roman antiquities, sculptures, 
 coins, carved stones and inscriptions, he has at the same 
 time acquired possession of modern works of art of various 
 kinds, paintings, drawings, engravings, books, manu- 
 scripts, and even some very important geological speci- 
 
 * Ferdinand Franz Wallraf had beeu a professor at the University of 
 Cologne : when it ceased to exist he received an appointment at the 
 Central Schule. His rich collections were bequeathed to the town soon 
 after the publication of this article (1816) ; they formed the foundation 
 of the subsequent WaUruf-Bicharz Museum. 
 
 z 2
 
 340 TIIE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 inons. -This collection, which it is difficult to inspect, 
 owing to its variety and comprehensiveness, could never 
 be arranged in a private house to afford any enjoyment to 
 the owner himself or instruction to others, for even in the 
 free residence that has been offered to the collector, there 
 is not space enough to hold his numerous possessions, 
 much less, therefore, to exhibit them separately. It is 
 much to be desired that this treasure might soon become 
 the property of the community, in order that the re- 
 maining years which may yet be granted to the worthy 
 proprietor, might be devoted to carefully examining and 
 arranging these precious objects, and thus rendering them 
 both enjoyable and useful. 
 
 This pre-supposes the existence of a sufficiently large 
 locality, which surely might be found in this extensive 
 city. If such a building were selected, the rooms would, 
 of course, have to bo duly considered, in order that the 
 different departments of the collection might be properly 
 arranged. And continual regard would likewise have to be 
 paid to the future ; the different rooms would have to bo 
 arranged with space enough for any additions that might 
 be expected. A suggestion in this direction would be given 
 by the collection itself, which, as it embraces objects of 
 every description, and points to all quarters, would call for 
 a variety of different rubrics, and in days to come would 
 increase and extend internally. The collection is specially 
 valuable, because it would oblige future conservators to 
 estimate everything according to its kind, and to consider 
 even the most trifling thing as an integral part of the 
 whole. How surprisingly pleasant it would be, if the 
 different rooms were to be tastefully decorated in keeping 
 with the various articles ; of this, indeed, we have some 
 examples to admire in several towns, but still we do not 
 know of any general museum in this sense. It is certainly 
 a very pleasant way of receiving instruction when we 
 find sarcophaguses, urns, and all the various articles con- 
 nected with burials and tombs, arranged side by side in 
 imitation columbaria ; when a Roman monument, an altar, 
 or cippus, are surrounded by a decoration reminding us of 
 the Via Appia ; when the relics of the early days of the 
 Middle Ages are placed amid decorations belonging to
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 341 
 
 their day, yet harmonising with the later style ; when 
 even objects from the kingdoms of Nature are adorned 
 with pictures of what happens not to be actually repre- 
 sented in the collection. If we were to pursue these 
 thoughts, and imagine the project carried out, many a 
 thing would be accomplished which, even to hint at be- 
 forehand, might seem presumptuous. In a district where 
 knowledge can be valued only in so far as it directly 
 affects life, such an arrangement is, in fact, necessary. 
 Here any one who is indifferent, yet inquisitive, would 
 be entertained and stimulated, nay, do what he would 
 he could not fail to be instructed ; the connoisseur, on 
 the other hand, would as little allow himself to be led 
 astray by this kind of deception introduced amid tho 
 general order, as he would be by the confusion that pre- 
 vails in the shop of a dealer in curiosities. In Cologne wo 
 should have to seek the assistance of the eminent artist, 
 Mr. Fuchs,* in this matter ; he has already, in similar 
 cases, given proof of his inventive talent, taste, and skill 
 Kegret would, at the same time, be felt for the loss 01 
 Joseph Hoffmann, f who at an early age already accom- 
 plished a great deal, and deserved to have lived to see 
 better times. 
 
 Every one who takes to heart what has been said above, 
 will feel convinced that, with judicious and active en- 
 couragement from high quarters, the establishment of a 
 museum in Cologne, based upon a sound foundation and 
 liberal principles, would at once lead art, ingenuity and 
 industry to work together in order to adorn it. There 
 would, moreover, be no lack of patriotic activity to assist 
 in extending and adding to it. Thus, even at the present 
 moment, while there is as yet but a mere hope of some 
 general point of union, we have a laudable example in 
 the enterprise of General von Rauch, who is collecting 
 all the objects foxind in the ground turned up where the 
 new fortifications are being made, with the intention of 
 
 * Max H. Fuchs, the painter, especially noted in connection with 
 Boissere'e's splendid work on the Cologne Cathedral, the architectural 
 drawings for which were made by Fuciis. 
 
 t Joseph Hoffmann had died in 1812, hut was known to Goethe by 
 having several times competed for the prize offered bv the patrons 
 of art in Weimar and, on two occasions, having carried off the prize.
 
 342 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 one day handing them over to the public keeping. The 
 many important things already discovered excite the 
 pleasantest hopes, and will secure to the excellent soldier 
 the everlasting gratitude of a town which is showing signs 
 of re-awakening life. 
 
 Yet it might not be either necessary or advisable to 
 think of establishing a regular academy of arts in Cologne. 
 Eepublican forms, that have for ages past been impressed 
 upon men's minds here, are best suited to this part of the 
 country, at least as regards the free arts. An intelligent 
 love of art and art-patronage, everywhere takes the place 
 of actual management ; every artist trains pupils of his 
 own in his special department, and every pupil again 
 can freely choose his own master. Here every one 
 can, by his own work as a restorer and dealer in works 
 of art, raise himself to a position that would of necessity 
 become a very pleasant one, were the government to 
 make use of his talents for their purposes, and re- 
 lieve him from the first cares of life by granting him 
 an adequate pension, or some suitable reward for his 
 unusual labours. 
 
 If, in accordance with the general wishes and hopes, 
 a regular intercourse in the fine arts were established on 
 the Rhine and Maine, the interest of travellers could not 
 fail likewise to be aroused. The lover of the fine arts 
 does not always require originals ; if he meets with, and 
 takes a fancy to any remarkable picture, of which ho 
 cannot hope to obtain the possession, he is satisfied with 
 a copy. This is, at present, to be seen in the pleasure 
 found in the early German style of art, and in the demand 
 there is for copies of paintings of this kind which are 
 highly prized. The central group of the large panel in 
 the Cathedral, spoken of above, has been most successfully 
 copied in miniature by Lieutenant Eaabe. A Mr. Becken- 
 kamp also is continually engaged in making copies of it, 
 which at once find purchasers. How many circumstances 
 seem to combine in promising that an active and unfet- 
 tered artist-life will become cheerfully developed in 
 these districts out of a past age that has never quite 
 died out ! 
 
 However, before the visitor can enjoy such a diversity
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 343 
 
 of remarkable objects, he is irresistibly drawn to the 
 Cathedral. Yet when he has looked at this world's 
 wonder a wonder, however, as yet only in contemplation 
 when he has looked at it, within and without, in its in- 
 completeness, he is oppressed by a painful feeling which 
 cannot become in any way pleasurable, unless we cherish 
 the wish, nay, the hope, of seeing the building entirely 
 finished. For it is in a state of completion only, that a 
 grandly conceived master-piece can produce that eifect 
 which the extraordinary mind of the master had in 
 view : where the immensity is rendered intelligible. 
 When such a work is seen in an unfinished state, neither 
 has the imagination the power, nor has the understanding 
 the readiness to create the complete image or the idea. 
 
 This natural feeling, which must affect every one who 
 beholds the unfinished edifice, has suggested an idea to 
 the minds of some young Cologne men, by which its in- 
 completeness may in some measure be made good, and 
 they have formed the happy and bold resolution to 
 complete the Cathedral, at all events in the form of 
 drawings and sketches. Now, although such an under- 
 taking may appear trifling compared with the actual 
 finishing of the building, still even this effort will re- 
 quire as much knowledge as inventive genius, as much 
 actual work as perseverance, as much independence of 
 spirit as influence upon others if the Brothers Boisseree 
 are to succeed in so far carrying out this splendid artistic 
 work, that it will continue regularly to appear in parts. 
 The original plan had fortunately been found, and the 
 full sketch discovered subsequently, and happily came to 
 the assistance of the measurements and conjectures pre- 
 viously made. Hence, plans, sketches, sections, and per- 
 spective drawings will appear from time to time, forming 
 a work which, considering its subject as well as the 
 artists who are engaged with it, deserves to be received 
 with the warmest appreciation. For, to enable the 
 drawings of the excellent Germans Moller,* Fuchs, and 
 
 * George Moller who so actively assisted the Boisserees with their 
 work on the Cathedral, resided in Darmstadt, and was the architect of 
 the theatre there, which was burned down in 1871, also of that in 
 Mainz, as well as of the Royal residence in Wiesbaden, and of the
 
 344 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAI7. 
 
 Quaglio,* to be engraved in Germany, will require of those 
 who undertake the work, that indestructible love of countiy 
 which contrives to preserve and to encourage even in evil 
 times, what is indispensable in good days ; and accordingly 
 the eminent engravers, Duttenhofer of Stuttgart, and 
 Darnstedt of Dresden have been requested to give their 
 assistance in this important work. 
 
 The efforts of private persons have thus brought 
 matters so far, that we are able to form a definite idea of 
 this inestimably precious building, and to imagine tho 
 wondrous work as based upon the highest ecclesiastico- 
 Christian requirements, conceived with genius and intelli- 
 gence, and executed in a perfect style of art and work- 
 manship ; and now that we are enabled to enjoy the 
 already existing parts -with full appreciation, we cannot 
 refrain from putting the bold question as to whether the 
 present is not the favourable moment for thinking of 
 carrying on the actual building. 
 
 But upon inquiring into the circumstances more closely, 
 we make the melancholy discovery that the Cathedral, for 
 twenty years past, has been deprived of every means of 
 support, even for keeping the edifice in a state of repair. 
 Owing to its being an imperial foundation, and because 
 the estates for the preservation of the building were cast 
 in one lot with the estates for the benefices, this church, 
 which required most, had the peculiar and singular fate 
 of becoming the poorest of all ; for the other churches 
 have retained or received back their property. 
 
 The very first thing, therefore, would be to propose 
 establishing an endowment fund for the complete preser- 
 vation of tho building. Yet even its preservation could 
 not be effected if the idea of continuing the building itself 
 is to be wholly abandoned. Ready money alone would 
 not suffice for such an object; art and skilful work- 
 manship would also need to be aroused, and stimulated 
 anew by the perfect knowledge we now possess of the 
 master's intention. Whatever may be done, the subject 
 
 viaduct in the Oelz Valley. Goethe mentions him again later when 
 speaking of DHrmstmlt. 
 
 * The Qunglio here referred to is Angelo, the eldest son of Joseph 
 Quaglio. There were a number of artists of the same uume.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 345 
 
 must be treated grandly, and this can be done only by 
 the difficulties in connection with the work being neither 
 concealed nor ignored. 
 
 In any case, however, the Cathedral, even as it stands, is 
 a fixed centre ; it and the many other buildings of the 
 town and the country around, form, within a narrow sphere, 
 a complete histoiy of ail. And, in fact, a preparation for a 
 history of this kind both literary and artistic, has been made, 
 inasmuch as the above-mentioned lovers of art, are, with as 
 much enthusiasm as care, devoting their time and energy to 
 the Cathedral, and, at the same time, directing their atten- 
 tion to all the different styles of art which preceded and 
 followed its foundation. Hence old sketches and designs 
 have been collected, tracings made, engravings and draw- 
 ings of the finest so-called Gothic buildings procured from 
 different countries, more particularly of the important 
 old edifices belonging to the district of the whole Lower 
 Khine, from the Moselle downwards. This will consti- 
 tute a work which, in a moderate size and in an instructive 
 form, will illustrate the different epochs of the earlier style 
 of architecture in Germany, from the first days of Chris- 
 tianity up to the appearance of the so-called Gothic style, 
 in the thirteenth century. 
 
 The time at the traveller's disposal is too short for him 
 to obtain full information respecting all the various objects 
 of interest in the town ; still he did not fail to pay a visit 
 to Mr. Hardy, a prebendary of the Cathedral, a remarkable 
 and cheerful old man of eighty years. He had from early 
 youth shown a talent and taste for art, and is a self-educated 
 man ; he was celebrated for his skill in making scientific 
 instruments, had occupied himself with glass grinding, 
 and, incited by his love for the fine arts, had also taken 
 to painting in enamel, with which work he had beeu most 
 successful. His chief interest, however, had been iu mak- 
 ing embossments in wax, and oven in his earliest 
 youth made some of those extremely fine little works in 
 perspective landscapes and histories architectural sub- 
 jects such as have been attempted by various artists, and 
 may, at the present day, be seen and admired in rings. 
 Later he occupied himself with a species of artistic work 
 that is most pleasing ; he embossed half-figxires in wax,
 
 346 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 almost round, his subjects being taken from the seasons 
 and other characteristic and favourite themes, from the 
 merry market-girl, with her basket of fruits and vegetables, 
 to the old farmer saying his prayers before a frugal meal, 
 nay, even devote persons on the point of death. These 
 objects, which are placed, under glass, in boxes about a foot 
 high, are made of coloured wax, the colours harmonising 
 with the subjects represented. They deserve to be care- 
 fully preserved in a museum in Cologne ; for they forcibly 
 remind the visitor that he is in the birthplace of Eubens, 
 the Lower Ehine, where colour has prevailed and added 
 its glory to works of art. The quiet influence of such 
 a man in his sphere, deserves to be very distinctly por- 
 trayed, a task which Canon Wallraf would willingly 
 undertake, for, being the younger man, he, no doubt, owes 
 a good deal to this worthy octogenarian. 
 
 A pupil of this worthy man's, a Mr. Hagbold, is engaged 
 with similar works, but hitherto has only produced por- 
 traits in profile which, it must be admitted, are good 
 likenesses. The neatness and fineness of the work about 
 the dress and ornaments of these portraits deserve high 
 praise, and if, in future, he were to make them quite round, 
 both as seen from the front in full face, as well as from 
 the side, he could not fail to succeed and become known. 
 
 There is another miniature painter who must be men- 
 tioned here, a Mr. Liitzenkirchen, who, together with 
 eminent talent, shows himself a thoughtful artist, and has 
 already on important occasions won the confidence of 
 persons of note. 
 
 In speaking thus of the past and the present in respect to 
 what renders Cologne remarkable, venerable and pleasant, 
 we turn naturally to the question as to what might further 
 be desirable to induce intellectual persons to take up their 
 residence here ; it will then be found that philosophy, 
 and the culture which springs from the study of the 
 ancient languages, together with what may be called 
 historical culture, would require to be re-awakened and 
 encouraged here anew I say anew, for even these advan- 
 tages did exist, and have not altogether vanished yet. One 
 need only examine the successfully arranged inscriptions 
 in a lapidary style, collected principally by Canon Wall-
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 347 
 
 raf, also his pleasant and pithy Latin poems, written for 
 special occasions ; one need only look somewhat closely at 
 the historical work which the same gentleman and other 
 persons have done in connection with the ecclesiastical 
 events of their native city. It will be found that there 
 is tooth-work enough, which seems only to be waiting 
 for the wheels to be newly set agoing. 
 
 And one is forthwith reminded of the important Uni- 
 versity which had its seat here. Its position was an ad- 
 vantageous one in the centre of the districts lying between 
 the Moselle, the Meuse and the Lippe, and also as a point 
 of communication with neighbouring countries. Up to 
 the time of the French Revolution, such numbers of 
 students generally of the Catholic persuasion flocked 
 from the provinces to the University that they formed, as 
 they called it, a nation among themselves. The faculty of 
 medicine, owing to the excellence of its teachers, attracted 
 Dutch students to Cologne up to the very end of the last 
 century, and the town still enjoys its old reputation with 
 the countries round about. During the first years of 
 the French dominion, a hope was even entertained that 
 the old University would be awakened to new life, and 
 the idea has not been entirely abandoned of late years, 
 in fact, was encouraged by the attention paid to the 
 Central School, which was subsequently changed into a 
 higher Secondly school. Considerable property had been 
 left to it, collections too, which increased, rendering it 
 necessary to procure a well-appointed museum for physical 
 objects, and a botanical garden was laid out on an entirely 
 new plan. Now if the art-collections could likewise find 
 a home in these buildings, that formerly belonged to the 
 Jesuits, all that was worth preserving would then be 
 gathered together. It is upon this, as well as upon other 
 things, that the Cologne people found their hope of seeing 
 the old University re-established in the town. 
 
 Everything we have been called upon to praise about 
 the city seems to favour this hope, as there can no longer 
 be any question that universities thrive in largo towns. 
 The Cologne people maintain that in their city, where the 
 richest treasures of the grand days of the past are to be 
 found, where religious and secular buildings, walls and
 
 848 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 towers, and a number of different collections furnish illus- 
 trations of the history of the past, where shipping and com- 
 merce represent the life of the present everything, in 
 fact, must needs be useful and stimulating both to teachers 
 and students, as there is no longer any question of school 
 or party knowledge, but simply of general views of life, 
 and of genuine knowledge. 
 
 That universities, established in small towns, could boast 
 of certain advantages they did not wish to deny, but still 
 it would have to be admitted that these universities were 
 founded in times when young men, who had to be drilled 
 out of a system of dull scholastic restraint into one of 
 conscientious business restraint, were allowed an inter- 
 mediate time, during which, while studying, they could, 
 so to say, have their fling, and acquire a happy remembrance 
 of accomplished follies. Further, that nowadays this was 
 inadmissible, injurious, and even dangerous ; for German 
 youths had generally gained experience on the battlefield, 
 had taken part in great deeds, and the rising generation 
 was already inclined to more serious thoughts ; that they no 
 longer wished merely for an adventurous hollow kind of 
 freedom, but for a progressive, extensive limitation. Where, 
 it was said, could this be found better than in a town which 
 contained a world within itself, where every species of 
 activity would present itself to the young men in excellent 
 form, and where they would find their recreation, not in the 
 egotism of comradeships, but in higher views of life, and 
 in the numberless forms of activity pursued by industry 
 and art, where, moreover, the students would need only to 
 cross the river in order to spend their holidays profitably 
 amid the richest districts in the way of mines, foundries, 
 and manufactories. 
 
 The Cologne people further maintain that the student 
 would nowhere learn to esteem himself better, or be 
 more esteemed, than in their city, inasmuch as he would 
 necessarily be regarded as a fellow-worker in re-animating 
 a great and ancient existence, restored through the couriso 
 of time and destiny.
 
 AP.T COLLECTIONS. 349 
 
 BONN.* 
 
 After having carefully examined several ch Irenes here, 
 and the ancient monument f that has been erected in 
 public, the travellers were entertained in Bonn by a visit 
 to the collection of curiosities belonging to Canon Pick.J 
 This genial and highly intellectual man has conscien- 
 tiously collected anything and everything in the way of 
 antiquities that came in his way, which of itself is a very 
 praiseworthy proceeding. But he is deserving of greater 
 praise still for having arranged this perfect chaos of odds 
 and ends, with seriousness as well as humour, with appre- 
 ciation and intelligence, and has thus given the things 
 new life, and rendered them useful as well as enjoyable. 
 But unless one has wandered through his house, 
 and seen how these treasures have become part and parcel 
 of it, no idea whatever can be formed as to what the 
 arrangement is like. 
 
 On the walls of the staircase we found a number of 
 portraits, very different in value as works of art, yet 
 taken together they illustrate the costumes of a number 
 of different countries and epochs. The walls of the rooms 
 generally in use, are decorated with engravings and paint- 
 ings, peculiarly significant, and referring to both sad and 
 joyous incidents in the history of our country as well as 
 to the fortunes and misfortunes of an arrogant adversary. 
 Above the doors is many an inscribed plate that calls up 
 a thoughtful smile. Thereupon the visitor comes to the 
 actual collection, which presents ever-changing interests, 
 and the visitor's attention is continually forced to take 
 an historical turn. Engravings and coins are found 
 arranged according to the different dates and countries, 
 
 * Goethe remained only a few hours here. He arrived on the 
 evening of the 27th of July and left the following day for Andernach, 
 and reached Coblenz in the evening, having stopped at Neuwied on his 
 way. 
 
 t The statute, in the Cathedral, of the Empress Helena who is said 
 to have founded the church. 
 
 t The sale of thia collection is spoken of in Goethe's Tag- wtd 
 JaJwcskeften.
 
 350 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 utensils of every description, all neatly placed side by 
 side. 
 
 We remember, for instance, that one whole wall was de- 
 corated with what appeared to be painted pictures, and was 
 remarkable, owing to the different materials of which it was 
 composed : mosaics and inlaying, a patch-work of straw 
 and moss, with cut-up wool in between, a kind of woven 
 stuff like velvet, embroidery and bits of cloth sewed 
 together. By placing such things side by side in this 
 manner a hundred different articles are rendered inter- 
 esting to the eye, to preserve which would have put even 
 an experienced keeper of curiosities into a state of per- 
 plexity ; as arranged here they provide food for the mind, 
 and also offer occasion for a discussion on matters of taste. 
 We must here observe that a young cousin of Pick's, well 
 up in science, has arranged a beautiful collection of min- 
 erals systematically, and that it is always open both to 
 connoisseurs and amateurs. 
 
 After a very enjoyable inspection of an endless number 
 of old articles in the way of ornaments and knick-knacks, 
 a more serious interest was then aroused by a sort of 
 imitation chapel, very appropriately arranged. Windows 
 of old coloured glass had been tastefully put in, by which 
 means a subdued light was shed over the small apartment ; 
 when a proper amount of light was allowed to fall in, we 
 found objects of every description, rescued from ruined 
 churches, all set Tip in appropriate positions : carved prie- 
 dieux and desks, a completely restored altar, upon the 
 latter a reliquary surmounted by a small figure in wrought 
 silver and ornamented with enamel ; also crucifixes and 
 candelebra, all of an ancient date, and reminding one, both 
 in form and subject, of the splendid reliquary in the 
 Cologne Cathedral, in which are preserved the bones of the 
 Magi. The walls are not without their decorations of 
 old paintings, and are here amid surroundings such as 
 they have been accustomed to, and, indeed, look as if they 
 had never known any other home. 
 
 Upon proceeding to the next chamber, where old prints 
 and manuscripts are preserved, and other important objects 
 are temporarily arranged, one can only regret that the 
 unsettled state of the times has kept this worthy man
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 351 
 
 from making use of his whole house to exhibit all his 
 possessions in a similar manner. 
 
 It was with the greatest delight that we then stepped 
 out on to the garden-terrace, where the talent of an in- 
 genious conservator reveals itself in full glory. Here we 
 found, under the free expanse of the heavens, a number of 
 architectural specimens, pillars and pieces of moulding, as 
 well as fragments of decoration, all grouped into ruins, 
 inscriptions neatly let into walls, works in mezzo-relief 
 tastefully distributed about, large terra-cotta vessels set 
 up as monuments in short, really stirring, patriotic senti- 
 ments were found significantly expressed. 
 
 A detailed account of this very successful undertaking 
 would furnish pleasant occupation both for the mind and 
 the imagination. One thing only, by way of example, I 
 will mention here : a small and well-preserved bas-relief, 
 representing the evil consequences of drunkenness, was 
 seen under the branch of a vine, which happened at the 
 time to be laden with bunches of grapes. 
 
 If Bonn were a royal residence, and this treasure, its 
 museum of art, the court would possess a collection as 
 generally instructive and attractive as could in any way 
 be desired. And if the collection were increased in the 
 same spirit, the owner and conservator would both derive 
 great enjoyment from it himself, and provide it for others. 
 
 While spending our time thus with enlightened and 
 liberal-minded persons in every respect, circumstances 
 turned the conversation upon the University that had for- 
 merly existed here. As it seemed a very doubtful 
 matter whether the antiquated High School in Cologne 
 would ever be re-established, an attempt had been made 
 to found a new one in Bonn. It was said that the attempt 
 had failed, because the proceedings more especially in 
 ecclesiastical concerns had been carried on in too polem- 
 ical and not at all in a conciliatory spirit. But that the 
 fear and the party spirit that had existed between the 
 different confessions of Faith had meanwhile abated, and 
 that now the only possible and rational union between 
 Catholics and Protestants, was to be accomplished not by 
 dogmatical and philosophical discussions, but historically, 
 by a system of general culture and sound learning. That,
 
 352 THE RHINE, MAINE, AXD NECKAIl. 
 
 further, an important university on the Lower Bhine was 
 much to be desired, as the Catholic clergy, and hence also 
 the greater portion of the community, were wanting in 
 that breadth of culture which embraces a variety of sub- 
 jects. That the disinclination, nay, the fear of learning, 
 had originated from the fact that the schism in the 
 Christian Church had been occasioned by philosophy and 
 criticism ; that the old church had thus become terrified, 
 and that a separation and a stand-still had been the result. 
 It was further said, however, that with changed circum- 
 stances and ideas, what had once separated them might 
 now reunite them, and that the problem which appeared 
 very difficult might, perhaps, bo most safely solved in the 
 sense intimated above, and by making use of the oppor- 
 tunity that was now presented. 
 
 When we hear the inhabitants of Bonn recommending 
 their town as the seat for a university, we cannot well 
 find any objection to the proposition. They praise the 
 limited size of the place, its peacefulness ; they assure us 
 of the esteem in which the student would bo held here as 
 a necessary and useful fellow-citizen ; they describe the 
 freedom which the young man would enjoy in this splendid 
 part of the country, both inland from the Uhine up and 
 down it, as well as on the other side of the river. It was 
 also said that the reasons why the first attempt to establish 
 a university here had failed, were now well known, and if 
 only these errors were avoided, there was an absolute 
 certainty that their object would be successfully accom- 
 plished. 
 
 These and other conversations on similar topics were 
 held on the terrace of the palace* garden, and it must bo 
 admitted that the view from there is truly charming: the 
 Uhine and the Seven Mountains to the left, on our right 
 a district studded with a number of cheerful-looking houses. 
 This view was so greatly enjoyed that we can scarcely 
 i refrain from describing it in words. 
 
 * Originally the Electoral Tnlaeo, erected in 1717-1730, now the 
 extensive buildings of the Bonn University. The terrace spoken of 
 is better known by the name of the Alte Zoll, and id an old bastion 
 btanding high above, and overlooking the river.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 353 
 
 NEUWIED. 
 
 Our chief object, however, bids us move stream-upwards, 
 and to remember Neuwied. This pleasant town, which is 
 built on a tract of land encircled by hills, is noteworthy 
 to us here, on account of the antiquities that have been 
 and are still to be found in the neighbourhood. The op- 
 portunity which the enemies of Germany lately seized of 
 crossing the Khine at this point,* had been made use of 
 by the Romans, who took possession of the secure and pleas- 
 ant situation, and built forts and dwelling-houses there. 
 Vestiges of a simple old fort were found behind Bieber, a 
 village about half-an-hour's distance from Neuwied, and 
 the remains of a bath were also discovered. Tumbled 
 remains of town-houses are to be found at Heddes- 
 dorf, many of which have already been brought to light. 
 It is to be wished that the peaceful times we at present 
 have in prospect will lead to further excavations being 
 made.f The carefully-kept museum in the palace of 
 Neuwied would acquire many additions, and we should 
 obtain further knowledge of the manners and customs of 
 Germany's earliest enemies. Several works have been 
 written on the old roads and walls along the Rhine and 
 Maine, and if the subject is pursued further, we shall 
 eventually have a full account of the whole series. 
 
 COBLENZ. 
 
 Unwillingly we leave these districts, but mindful 
 of the object in view, we hurry on to Coblenz. This 
 place also might become a centre for collections of anti- 
 
 * This allusion can refer only to Jourdnn's crossing the Rhine, which 
 took plnce on the 2nd of July, 1796, hence some time before. The 
 one previous to this, under the same general, was made in 1795, in 
 connection with a battle agninst the Austrians. It was somevvlu n- 
 between Coblenz and Andernach that Julius Cffisar in 55 B.C. erected 
 his lamous bridge across the Rhine. 
 
 t The first discoveries of old remains here, were made in 1791. 
 
 2 A
 
 354 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 quities, and for encouraging the study of art. The splen- 
 did situation of the town, its beautiful streets and build- 
 ings, and its well-built houses must be a pleasure to the 
 inhabitants, and attractive to strangers. As this town is 
 destined to be the permanent seat of a government, there 
 will never be any dearth of eminent men, through whose 
 interest in the subject many objects will be discovered 
 and collected ; thus, to begin with, it might be well that 
 the few but important relics belonging to the Abbey of 
 Laach,* were judiciously and carefully brought here for 
 preservation. 
 
 The School of Law f in Coblenz is a new institution, 
 which, one would think, can scarcely prove a success, 
 isolated as it is ; on the other hand the estates of the 
 Secondary School would probably be sufficient to establish 
 a higher kind of Gymnasium, as a preparatory school for 
 the University which it is proposed to establish on the 
 Lower Rhine ; and certainly all those connected with such 
 institutions would willingly and actively join a society 
 the aim of which would be to encourage the study of art 
 and antiquity. 
 
 When looking from the Karthaus at the exquisite 
 situation of the town and its rich surroundings, one is 
 grieved to think of the unrestorable ruins of the fortress of 
 Ehrenbreitstein, which are now about to be repaired in 
 accordance with the ideas of modern military science. 
 On the other hand, we are glad to find that the beauti- 
 ful and extensive palace, which lies close to the town, has 
 escaped uninjured, at least, outwardly. The question as 
 to how far it can again become a royal residence, does not 
 belong to our subject ; here still we cannot but remember 
 the sad fate which has befallen the Lower Rhine, that by 
 some strange chance all the princely residences there have 
 been laid waste, whereas most of those on the Upper 
 
 * A Benedictine abbey on a Like of the same name, in the moun- 
 tainous and volcanic region of the Eifel, founded in 1093 by Count 
 Palatine Henry II., and secularised in 1802, once one of the wealthiest 
 and most fnmous in Germany. 
 
 t The Ecole de droit was founded by the French, who, since the 
 year 1794 had almost continually held possession of CobU-nz. When 
 the town og.iin came into the hands of Prussia this essentially French 
 institution was abolished.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 355 
 
 Rhine have escaped unharmed. What lovely summer resi- 
 dences the highest and the high of the land would find if 
 the palaces of Poppelsdorf, Briihl, Bensberg, Benrath, and 
 others which are still in tolerably good preservation 
 were to be put into order ; they would, moreover, bring 
 fresh life to the country around. 
 
 In fact, the most advantageous results would arise from 
 this, and especially for the objects we have mainly in view 
 here.* 
 
 MAINZ. 
 
 The inhabitant of Mainz ought never to lose sight of 
 the fact that he lives in a town which for ages past has 
 always been a military post ; ancient as well as modern 
 ruins will remind him of this. An industrious investi- 
 gator makes use of these to extend his knowledge, and as 
 a means of mental culture ; and we are much indebted, 
 therefore, to an active, painstaking man, Professor Lehne, 
 for having more accurately indicated the date and nature 
 of some antiquities that were already known, as well as 
 for having collected and arranged others 'which he has 
 himself discovered. His map, which shows the position 
 of Roman Mainz and its forts by way of comparing them 
 with Mainz and its fortifications as they now are gives 
 a complete survey of the past, which, by being almost 
 swallowed \\p by the present, is wholly withdrawn from 
 sight. The walls of the very ancient military station, the 
 temple and buildings within it, are all set down on the 
 map ; outside of the walls we have the positions of the 
 monument to Drusus, the aqueduct, the artificial pond, and 
 the tombs. In this way the traveller quickly comprehends 
 the relation of the various btiildings to one another, 
 whereas, otherwise, they would remain a mystery to him. 
 
 The lower rooms of the library-buildings contain a 
 
 * The wish expressed here by Goethe, hns in so far been fulfilled 
 as the palace of Briihl near Cologne and Benrath near Dussel!ort 
 have become royal residences ; the palaoo &t Poppelsdorf, close to Bonn, 
 which was presented to the University by King Frederick William III., 
 now contains the Natural History collections. Bensberg, nine miles 
 to the west of Cologne, has become a military school. 
 
 2 A 2
 
 356 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 well-arranged collection of antiquities. Set up in most 
 conspicuous order we have the tombstones of the Roman 
 soldiers who died in the garrison here, men of all possible 
 nationalities. Their name, birthplace, and the number of 
 the legion to which they belonged, is given upon every 
 stone. The stones were found in rows raised against 
 mounds of earth, behind each of them was an urn con- 
 taining the bones, proving how greatly valued was the 
 individual man in those times. 
 
 In the same hall there are monuments of other kinds, 
 which, like some of the peculiar ancient vases and utensils 
 discovered, are being engraved in copper, and furnished 
 with an explanatory text, a work which, it is to be hoped, 
 will soon appear to satisfy the wishes of lovers of art, and 
 form a new point of interest among them. 
 
 In addition to the collection of books the building also 
 contains many things of use to science. What had be- 
 longed to the university, that formerly existed here,* 
 in the way of scientific apparatus, of minerals and other 
 objects, has been collected and may serve as the founda- 
 tion of some future educational establishment. 
 
 A number of valuable pictures, that wero brought here 
 from Paris, have also found a good position for being 
 enjoyed, and will always help in keeping alive the love 
 of art in the town itself and in the surrounding country. 
 
 Count Kesselstadt, a collector of pictures and antiqui- 
 ties, does not lose any opportunity of adding to his impor- 
 tant collection. The paintings of Caspar Schneider, a 
 landscape-painter, justly delight all interested in art. An 
 artist an<i dealer in works of art, called Arbeiter, possesses 
 a number of beautiful things, which may be had of him- 
 at a moderate price. In fact there is so much collected 
 in this town, that there is no doubt that Mainz will prove 
 i i self both active and useful in its place in the Art-Union 
 of the Ehine. 
 
 In conclusion let us be permitted to express a wish 
 which is quite in keeping with the present and future 
 position of Mainz : that the military genius which pre- 
 sides over this place may arrange and establish a military 
 
 * The University of Muinz which was founded as early as 1477 was 
 abolished in 1TJ8.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 357 
 
 school here, where even in the midst of peace every one 
 with his eyes open is reminded of war ! Activity alone 
 will drive away fear and anxiety ; and what displays of 
 the science of fortification and besieging have not over 
 and over again been witnessed here ! Every trench, every 
 hill would speak instructively to the young soldier, and 
 daily and hourly impress upon him that this is, perhaps, 
 the most important point where German patriotism will 
 have to steel itself to firmest resolves.* 
 
 BIBEEICH. 
 
 After the many ruins, both of ancient and modern times, 
 which the traveller meets with on the Lower Rhine, and 
 which produce a feeling of thoughtfulness, nay, even of 
 sadness, it is most pleasant to come upon a well-preserved 
 palace ; and in spite of standing in the most dangerous of 
 neighbourhoods it is in perfect condition, is inhabited by 
 the Duke, and enlivened by a Court, where the visitor 
 may be received in the most liberal manner. The 
 libraries and collections of minerals, which have fallen 
 into disorder during the long years of war, are now to be 
 re-arranged for the use and enjoyment of the inhabitants 
 themselves, and of the strangers who visit the town. Von 
 Nauendorf, one of the Duke's chamberlains, very willingly 
 allows all those interested in the subject to visit his large 
 and well-arranged collection of minerals. 
 
 WIESBADEN. 
 
 A great deal has been done here in respect to art, and a 
 number of books procured from monasteries, have likewise 
 been arranged in good order. Noteworthy among these is 
 an old manuscript containing the Visions of Saint Hildcgard.^ 
 
 * This suggestion of Goethe's has also come to pass, for Mainz not 
 only possesses a military academy, but has, in fact, become a most 
 important military centre. 
 
 t " The manuscript here mentioned," says Hempel, " seems to be the 
 work printed in Cologne in 1698 : Scivias [scions vias] aeu visionum et 
 revelatiouum libri ties."
 
 358 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 All the objects lately added to the institution have been 
 procured mainly with the view of making the government 
 officers acquainted with what is going on in the world of 
 literature and politics. Hence all the different newspapers 
 and periodicals are kept complete, and in capital order. 
 This is done under the superintendence of the librarian, 
 Mr. Hundeshagen, who is already well-known to the public 
 by his efforts in connection with the palace of Frederick I., 
 at Gelnhausen. Unfortunately the whole of the finished 
 edition of this work of his was destroyed by fire during 
 the bombardment of Hanau ; still the copper-plates 
 were luckily saved, so we may hope that the present 
 more promising times may lead to this work being com- 
 pleted. The plan of the fortress of Mainz, published by 
 this talented man, is a further testimony of his industry 
 and ability. A number of young persons are continually 
 at work under his supervision, assisting him in his 
 undertakings. 
 
 The cabinet of Mr. Cramer,* the inspector of mines, is 
 one of the chief attractions of this place. It contains a 
 complete and systematic arrangement of the minerals of 
 the Westerwald, and also instructive and splendid speci- 
 mens from the more important mines there. The genial 
 owner of the collection, who possesses both a theoretical and 
 practical knowledge of his subject, and is also esteemed an 
 able writer in his department, devotes every spare hour 
 he has to entertaining and instructing those who are 
 staying in the town for the sake of its waters, or who are 
 merely paying the place a short visit. 
 
 Those interested in architecture will find pleasure and 
 a good style in the great Cursaal, as well as in the newly 
 laid-out streets. These undertakings, which have been 
 clearly encouraged in high quarters, and been granted 
 bo th privileges and contributions, bear testimony to the 
 talent and energy of Mr. Zais, the architect. The largo 
 rooms which are being built in the new houses, awaken 
 the hope that many a project, silently cherished, may be 
 carried out here, and that a town which is so much visited, 
 and is daily increasing in size, may be rendered more im- 
 
 * This is the same Mr. Cramer who accompanied Goethe on his trip 
 through the Kheingiiu with Zdter. See pp. 2U1, 301.
 
 AKT COLLECTIONS. 359 
 
 portant still by art collections and scientific institutions. 
 Several peisons interested in art, in natural objects, and 
 antiquities, have already started a society which is to 
 interest itself in everything in any way noteworthy, but 
 especially with regard to the country around Wiesbaden. 
 Von Gerning,* who has mainly devoted his attention to 
 the Taunus hills, might possibly be induced to send his 
 valuable collection here to form a foundation ; the good- 
 will of the Duke, and the readiness of many grateful 
 visitors, would be sure to assist in seeing the collection 
 still further increased. 
 
 FEANKFORT. 
 
 Amid many years of oppression, of war, and of suffering, 
 this city has continued adding to its buildings in the most 
 splendid and cheerful manner. Any one who has not 
 visited the place fur some time would be surprised at the 
 change, and the inhabitants themselves daily admire what 
 they have now been acquainted with for long. The 
 plan, which is designed with great freedom and intelli- 
 gence., offers the finest spaces for further buildings. Let 
 honour, therefore, be done to the memory of Senator 
 Guillett, and moreover in some public and pleasant locality, 
 for it was he who obtained princely support for his plan 
 for these extensive improvements.! and superintended the 
 work up to the time of his death ! The love of the fine 
 arts, in its widest sense, has always been kept active here 
 by private individuals, but the time has now come when 
 the free community feels the desire to take its share in the 
 common endeavour to unite separated collections, and to 
 arrange them for the public benefit ; this is the result of a 
 happy coincidence of circumstances. 
 
 To begin with, we are met by the welcome news 
 
 * Gerning's collection of butterflies, the finest in Europe, was 
 subsequently, according to Goethe's wish, transferred from Frankfort 
 to Wiesbaden. Si-e also p. 363. 
 
 t Between the years 1806-181?. the old walls and ramparts were 
 pulled down and the site converted into spacious ornamental grounds ; 
 the glacis, too, was subsequently covered with gardens, and bounded 
 by a broad, shaded walk.
 
 360 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKA.R. 
 
 that the citizens are seriously considering the project of 
 erecting new library-buildings. The somewhat extensive 
 collection of books belonging to the town had to be 
 removed from its old quarters, to make room for the 
 restorations in connection with the Barfusser Church ; and 
 the books have hitherto been kept in different unsuitable 
 localities. It is, however, now decided to make use of one 
 of the remaining large open spaces where there is sufficient 
 room for other public institutions being attached to it in 
 a worthy manner. Mr. Hess, an architect who has been 
 inspired by the teaching and example of his father, and 
 gained experience by travels abroad and by the contem- 
 plation of the grand and tasteful buildings that have 
 already been erected here, has been commissioned to draw 
 up a plan for these proposed buildings. Professor Schlosser, 
 the present able and active librarian, would prove himself 
 greatly to deserve of the thanks of his native city, were he 
 to be entrusted with the arrangement and classification 
 of the books, as well as with any systematic addition that 
 would have to be made ; for it may surely be said that the 
 building will form the foundation of many other scientific 
 efforts. This important enterprise can already boast of 
 considerable patriotic donations, for, at the festival in 
 celebration of the restoration of the freedom of the city, 
 very large subscriptions were raised. 
 
 Thus this building will, perhaps, draw within its 
 precincts an institution which is already flourishing 
 under the name of The Museum. A society of men inter- 
 ested in art, collected sufficient funds to rent some beauti- 
 ful spacious rooms where they met, from time to time, to 
 enjoy artistic works. This centre soon drew many other 
 things of interest around it ; a number of paintings and 
 engravings, together with a considerable sum of money, 
 was bequeathed to it by a Mr. Bronner, and again, all 
 the pictures obtained from abolished monasteries were 
 presented to it. 
 
 Chiefly for the sake of these pictures it is to be wished 
 that some arrangements could be made to secure sufficiently 
 large rooms for them to be exhibited in an appropriate 
 manner. For, at present, they are standing piled one on 
 the top of the other, and cannot be examined by lovers of
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 361 
 
 art, without putting kind Mr. Schiitz to great inconve- 
 nience. This collection is more especially noteworthy in- 
 asmuch as the majority of the pictures are by artists from 
 South Germany, the Upper Ehine, with which part of the 
 country Frankfort has had more intercourse than with the 
 Lower Ehine and Brabant. Holbein the Elder,* for some 
 years enjoyed the hospitality of the Carmelites, and we 
 have here an opportunity of examining and estimating 
 his talent as an artist. It is to be hoped that this collec- 
 tion may, in a few years, be exhibited in some public 
 edifice for the enjoyment of all interested in art. How 
 rapidly it might be increased by purchases, presentations 
 and bequests ! Hence, those who superintend the con- 
 struction of the new building need not fear being found 
 fault with for erecting large galleries, even though these 
 may appear disproportionately large for the present re- 
 quirements ; for they might, meanwhile, be made use of 
 in some other very profitable manner. 
 
 If Germans look around them and consider what has 
 been done in various towns, even in the worst days, in the 
 way of praiseworthy actions deserving of being imitated, 
 they cannot fail to remember the admirable institution 
 which Prague owes to the Bohemian Estates. Count 
 Sternberg,f a noble-minded patron of the fine arts as 
 well as a patriot, offered his important private collection 
 of paintings for public exhibition in that city, and his 
 example was so fully appreciated by others that they 
 joined him, and presented their collections of art for the 
 same purpose. This was done in such a manner that 
 the various objects continued to belong to their owners, 
 the proprietor's name being affixed to each thing, and 
 they retained full liberty to do with them as they pleased. 
 This society further promised to contribute an annual 
 
 * The elder Holbein was born in 1460; his most famous picture 
 representing the Virgin and Child is now iu the St. Moritz Chapel in 
 Niirnberg. 
 
 t Count Caspar von Sternberg, born in 1761, died in 1838, was a 
 distinguished naturalist especially in the domains of geology and 
 botany. His correspondence with Goethe was published in 1866 in 
 Vienna, and logins with the year 1820. They did not, however, 
 become personally acquainted till the summer of 1822 when they met 
 iu Murieubud.
 
 362 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 donation in support of a school of art ; and some ex- 
 cellent pupils, including members of the aristocracy, have 
 been trained there under the inspiring influence of 
 the talented director, Mr. Bergler.* Why may we not 
 hope to have a similar institution in Frankfort, nay, one 
 exactly like it? 
 
 There is already some talk of placing an important 
 and independent institution upon a firm foundation. The 
 chief of all true patrons of art residing here, Mr. Stiidel,f 
 is even in his old age still enjoying, with appreciation and 
 interest, the treasures of art which he has been collecting 
 all his life ; they are exhibited in one of the best houses of 
 the town. Several of the rooms are adorned with choice 
 paintings of the different schools ; in a number of cabinets 
 are drawings and engravings, the immense quantity of 
 which, as well as their inestimable value, perfectly as- 
 tonishes those interested in such things, and very fre- 
 quently does the visitor return to admire them. It is said 
 that this excellent man who, in his quiet way, has his 
 native city ever at heart, has bequeathed the whole of his 
 collections, together with the spacious building and con- 
 siderable sums of money, to the town, for the benefit of 
 the public; we may therefore naturally hope that both 
 connoisseurs and amateurs in art, will in all coming ages 
 here find certain encouragement and the surest form of 
 culture. 
 
 Dr. Grambs, also possesses a collection of paintings, en- 
 gravings and drawings that surpass all expectation. The 
 proprietor's remarkable knowledge of art greatly facili- 
 tates the visitor becoming quickly enlightened, and obtain- 
 
 * Joseph Bergler had been director of the Academy of Arts in 
 Praa^ie since 18('(). His drawing of Wallenttein Goethe speaks of in his 
 Tag und Jahretheften of 1820. He painted a number of altarpieces. 
 
 f Johaun Frier'rich Btadel, who died in 1816, bequeathed his collec- 
 tion of pictures, engravings, his house-property and some 100,000 in 
 money to his native city, in order to found a school of art, which is now 
 attended by between 200 and 300 students. It is to the Stadel Art 
 Institute that Frankfort owes its high rank in the artistic world. The 
 collections were formerly exhibited in the somewhat confined locality, 35 
 Neue Mainzpr Strasse, but two years ngo a new and handsome building, 
 designed by Sommer, was opened for the reception of these treasures on 
 the south side of the river ; here they are now exhibited to the best 
 possible advantage.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. . 363 
 
 ing a thorough insight into the subject. This unwearied 
 patron of the fine arts, who interests himself in all the 
 various living artists, employs and encourages several of 
 the rising artists ; a Mr. Wendelstadt is assisting him 
 hi this, and thus qualifying himself as a teacher, while 
 the historical knowledge he is acquiring will prove useful 
 to him as a conservator. 
 
 Mr. Franz Brentano* possesses a well-arranged collection 
 of excellent paintings which adorn a spacious and well- 
 lighted hall as well as several large rooms. This collec- 
 tion was made by his late father-in-law, Von Birkenstock, 
 who resided in Vienna all his life, but was a Rheinlander 
 by birth, and very well known in the world of learning 
 and art. The same gentleman also possesses a valuable 
 collection of engravings and drawings among which may 
 be found copies of the works of Marc Anton, and other 
 early Italians, such as one rarely has an opportunity of 
 seeing. 
 
 Whoever has the good fortune to examine the above 
 collections will assuredly find his ideas on the subject 
 both enriched and stimulated, at whatever stage of 
 knowledge he may happen to be. 
 
 Von Gerning is the proprietor of a museum filled 
 with various kinds of treasures which, if arranged in more 
 spacious rooms, would rouse the interest and admiration 
 of lovers of art more than they do at present ; for in a 
 private residence justice cannot be done to every single 
 object. His collection of ancient vases, bronzes and 
 other antiquities alone, for instance, would attract atten- 
 tion from all quarters, as an integral part of a large 
 collection. 
 
 Mr. Becker, a most admirable maker of medallions, 
 possesses an important series of coins from different 
 periods, carefully arranged to illustrate the history of his 
 subject. He is also the owner of some remarkable paint- 
 ings, well-preserved bronzes, and ancient works of art of 
 various descriptions. 
 
 Single, but important paintings are to be found in 
 
 * Franz Breutano, a merchant nnd senator in Frankfort, was an 
 elder step-brother of the poet Olemens Breutuno and of Bcttina's.
 
 364 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 this city in the possession of private persons. At Von 
 Holzhausen's,* on the Oede, is a valuable picture by 
 Lukas Cranach : Christ in the midst of a number of 
 mothers and children ; it is remarkable, owing to the 
 happily conceived variation in the motives of maternal 
 love and reverence for the prophet. Some carefully pre- 
 served portraits from early times, give us an idea of the 
 importance of this family, and of the love of the fine arts 
 which their ancestors clearly possessed. 
 
 Some excellent paintings also adorn the residences of 
 Mr. Leerse and Mrs. de Neufville. One of van der Neer's 
 finest pictures is the property of Mr. Ettling. Lausberg's 
 collection has unfortunately been scattered far and wide. 
 
 We should here like to suggest a means by which a 
 patron of the fine arts in this city, might render the 
 greatest service to his fellow citizens, as well as to 
 strangers who visit the place, and moreover with a view 
 to the present as well as the future, when things in 
 Frankfort will have formed and arranged themselves 
 better. The people of Venice, for instance, possess a cata- 
 logue of all the paintings in their city, arranged according 
 to the various epochs in the history of art, and according to 
 the years in which the artists flourished ; they are given 
 in historical order, and in every case it is stated where 
 the picture is to be found. If some young Frankforter, 
 interested in the subject, were to take this work as his 
 model, and quietly to make the necessary preparations, 
 he might in good time come forward with a catalogue, 
 and thus enable people to obtain instructive information 
 as to what the, city possesses. Every methodical classifi- 
 cation of scattered elements creates a kind of intellectual 
 intercourse, which is, after all, one of the highest aims 
 in life. 
 
 We must further not omit to refer to the various ways 
 in which the interests of collectors are attended to here. 
 
 * " Holzhausen's collection is mentioned as still existing, in some of 
 the more recent guides (for instance in Richard's Passagier auf der 
 Reise, 1846), as also is Leerse's. Ettling's is again mentioned by 
 Goethe in his Wahrheit und Dichtung. Of Mrs. de Neufville's and 
 Lausberg's collections, we have not been able to ascertain anything 
 further," says Hempel in his carefully collected notes.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 365 
 
 Mr. Morgenstern, even in his old age, Continues to restore 
 paintings with remarkable diligence and accuracy. How 
 well he manages to grasp the spirit and style of the 
 different artists, may be seen from several small copies he 
 has made of some of the finest master-pieces which have 
 passed through his hands, and which he has arranged in a 
 little cabinet in the form of a domestic altar. It is to be 
 hoped that the superintendents of public institutions will 
 keep their eye upon this treasure, in order that it may 
 not leave Frankfort. 
 
 Mr. Silberberg has in his possession most excellent en- 
 gravings, of both old and modern works, and is willing to 
 let collectors have them at a fair bargain. At Mr. Boye's 
 all sorts of artistic and natural objects are to be found. 
 The names of many others like that of him who will one 
 day undertake to write a guide to enable strangers to find 
 their way about Frankfort must meanwhile remain 
 unmentioned. 
 
 In fact, collectors of works of art could not well find a 
 more favourable place than this city ; we need only think 
 of the sales of possessions within the district itself, as 
 well as of the many collections that are sent here by 
 way of speculation. The lover of art can here become 
 acquainted with a number of different masters and their 
 special excellencies, nay, if so inclined, can, at times, 
 for a moderate price, make splendid additions to his 
 stock of treasures. Exhibitions of this kind are often 
 held two or three times during the annual fair, and will, 
 in future, certainly be held more frequently, for owing to 
 the tremendous stir in the world, many a work of art has 
 changed hands, and many a collector has found himself 
 obliged to part with precious treasures for ready money. 
 Frankfort may thus be regarded as an intermediate stage 
 between the Upper and Lower Rhine, between north- 
 eastern and south-western Germany, nay, even between 
 Germany as a whole and foreign countries. 
 
 If we now inquire about what instruction is given here 
 in art subjects, we find that something is already being 
 done. There has been established one of those schools 
 for drawing, such as have long been justly popular in 
 Germany, where the object in view is more to cultivate
 
 366 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 the eye of the private gentleman or artisan, and to dif- 
 fuse a taste for art, than actually to train a number of 
 artists. The head-master is a Mr. Keges, under the director- 
 ship of Dr. Grambs. These schools, in addition to the 
 object just mentioned, have this special advantage, that 
 they are means for discovering talent, as the head- 
 master can very soon find out where natural ability is 
 allied with carefulness and perseverance, by which 
 qualities alone the true artist of the future can be 
 recognised. 
 
 But I would as little advise the establishment of a 
 regular school of art here, as in the other places spoken 
 of, for a continued course of the studies. There would 
 need to be a great many trained artists, a number of 
 aspiring talents, before one could decide to give them a 
 regular form, or even a head. We are quite aware of the 
 esteem due to the different academies of art in the various 
 capitals, directed by eminent men, and surrounded by an 
 abundance of art-treasures ; yet even there, a republican 
 form creeps in, before one is aware of it. Thus in Dresden 
 one can detect the pupils of Seidelmann, of Grassi, of 
 Matthai, Kiigelgen, and of Hartmann, as well as those 
 who have studied under Zingg, Klengel, or Friedrich. 
 A general course of instruction is extremely valuable ; 
 each separate youth, on the other hand, likes to be taught 
 by some special master, and if he follows merely the one, 
 he will be powerfully influenced by his confidence in. his 
 teacher, and a certain quiet conviction of his own. 
 
 But if eminent men are not exactly to be invited to 
 Frankfort, it should be made convenient for them to reside 
 here; they might be placed in a position that enabled 
 them to rent suitable apartments, and other advantages 
 also might be granted to them. The directors of the art 
 institutions in the town might entrust them with the edu- 
 cation of the most promising pupils, and pay them a fair 
 reward in return. Nay, the young man might choose his 
 own teacher, according to the style of art he meant to 
 study, or according to the liking and confidence he felt to- 
 wards any special artist. Wealthy parents would pay for 
 the instruction given to their children, and benevolent 
 patrons of art for such of their proteges whom they thought
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 367 
 
 promising. If an artist of this sort were a married man, or 
 otherwise not disinclined to make an addition to his income, 
 he might take young men into his house, and have a regu- 
 lar establishment of his own, and those trained to the 
 profession might lend him their assistance as subordinate 
 teachers. As there would be scope for several men acting 
 thus in this free city, it might lead to splendid results. 
 
 That young men should be trained in a practical 
 manner is demanded by modem times. With a master, 
 such as we have spokeu of, they would learn to draw, to 
 paint, to copy, and to restore pictures ; and those with 
 inferior talent would not, as frequently happens where 
 too much is expected in a regular course of instruc- 
 tion, fall into a state of vexation and despair. If very 
 eminent talent were discovered in some special case, there 
 would be time enough to send the student to some higher 
 school elsewhere. 
 
 That those whose duty it is to superintend such matters, 
 would likewise see that these masters were adequately 
 provided with everything that they might not themselves 
 be able to procure in the ways of models and lay figures, 
 need scarcely be mentioned. There is already a col- 
 lection of casts of ancient statuary in the garden of Von 
 Bethmann,* and what may not be expected of a man whose 
 love and interest in such things is kept in lively activity 
 by great wealth ! 
 
 Proposals of this kind we may all the more readily 
 suggest, as they are in accordance with the spirit of 
 the age, and in all educational establishments, experience 
 teaches us that it is much more advantageous to carry these 
 on in a liberal, humanising manner, than to keep them 
 within narrow limits, in a constrained, monastic fashion. 
 Let the Frankfort citizen look back upon the history 
 of those times, when a number of artists flourished one 
 besides the other, and shortly one after the other, 
 without their having been subjected to any academical 
 restraint, where the family circle took the place of school 
 
 * Bethmann's Museum now contains Dannecker'a famous piece of 
 sculpture, Ariadne on the Panther; it was nearly finished at the time 
 Goethe is speaking of, but was nut exhibited there till some time after- 
 wards.
 
 368 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 and academy. Let him but recall the times of Feyerabend, 
 Merian, Eoos and Schiitz,* and he will find the path indi- 
 cated by which the artist of this free city can best attain 
 his full development and intention. 
 
 We are now called upon to mention some other excellent 
 artists. Mr. Schiitz, known by the cognomen of Der Vetter 
 (the cousin), works at that style of landscape-painting 
 which, since the days of Sachtleben, has uninterruptedly 
 taken the Rhine as its subject. His drawings in sepia are 
 remarkable for their purity and careful work ; the clear- 
 ness of the water and of the sky are inimitable. The way 
 he has depicted both banks of the river, the meadows, the 
 rocks, and the stream itself, is as faithful as it is pleasing ; 
 the feeling one experiences when travelling on the Rhine 
 seems to be communicated or re-awakened when looking 
 at his pictures. In his oil-paintings this artist has very 
 successfully made use of the opportunity of depicting the 
 changes of tone in the colouring that are produced by 
 the time of day and year, no less than by atmospheric 
 influences. 
 
 In Grambs's house there are some most valuable water- 
 colours by Mr. Radl, describing scenes around Frankfort, 
 and some of the delightful valleys of the Taunus hills ; 
 these, while being true to Nature, leave nothing to be 
 desired either in the way of choice of subject, artistic 
 distribution of light and shade, or of colouring. 
 
 It would be also the pleasant duty of the head of the art 
 department to make the public at home, as well as abroad, 
 acquainted with such artists as these. Allow us here to 
 make a suggestion, which even though it may appear 
 somewhat strange, undoubtedly deserves a trial. We 
 have made no secret of the fact that anything in the way 
 of endowment we do not at all approve of in connection 
 with the art schools. On the contrary, our proposal would 
 be this: a clever artist, who has no actual ordeis for 
 pictures, or who cannot afford to work on chance, should 
 
 * All these were distinguished citizens of Frankfort. The first 
 mentioned family were famous in connection with the book trade and 
 the art of wood engraving in the feixteenth century. The Schiitzs here 
 mentioned were a family all distinguished as painters ; with one 
 member of the family Goethe became intimately acquainted in Borne 
 in 1788.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 369 
 
 receive orders from the head of the art department for care- 
 fully executed pictures, be offered a fair remuneration for 
 them, and these pictures might then be sold to collectors 
 for a smaller sum. The loss which this would entail would 
 be a greater act of benevolence towards the artist than by 
 merely granting him a pension without conditions. If he 
 possesses real merit, and in this way becomes more gene- 
 rally known, orders for pictures will accumulate, and he 
 could then, with a little forethought, fix his own price 
 for them. A sufficiently large fund might fix a certain 
 sum for this purpose, and those who had the management 
 of it might quite well avoid any reproaches of favouritism 
 by getting up public exhibitions and lotteries for works 
 of this kind, or even by holding auctions. In this way 
 men of acknowledged honesty and intelligence would bring 
 renewed animation and life into the period to which we 
 are at present looking forward. 
 
 But as we are favouring republican forms by such new 
 arrangements, let us here add that it would, on the other 
 hand, very well become a free citizen, not readily inclined 
 to be controlled by any one, to develope social virtues 
 in himself; for experience, from the earliest times up to 
 our own day, teaches us that the native of a free city 
 does not readily unite with his equals. Nothing is more 
 natural than that independence should strengthen our 
 confidence in our own nature, and as certainly, in the course 
 of years, must a man's character become more and more 
 abrupt ; now when each individual allows himself to act 
 thus independently, the consequence will be that persons 
 who might have been united by the most admirable of 
 bonds, are often found living entirely apart. Even mutual 
 interests are no longer able to bring such minds together, 
 even for a moment ; lovers of flowers will quarrel over 
 flowers, collectors of coins over coins if their minds have 
 been accustomed unconditionally to give way to their 
 personal feelings and passions. 
 
 How pleasant it is, therefore, to learn that here in 
 Frankfort there exists a society of men interested in 
 matters of art, who meet in turn at each other's houses, 
 where they hold instructive discussions about the en- 
 gravings each has in his possession. By this means a 
 
 2 B
 
 370 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 very extensive and difficult branch of art, where every- 
 thing depends upon the value of the individual print, will 
 by degrees have been attentively examined. A far greater 
 advantage, however, is derived from the fact that what 
 is possessed by others become thus, as it were, our own 
 mental property. To become acquainted with and to love 
 excellent things which we do not ourselves possess, and 
 can never hope to possess, is in reality the chief virtue of 
 civilised man, for the object of the ruder and jnore selfish 
 man is often merely to seek the possession of an article, to 
 acquire a surrogate for the appreciation and love in which 
 he himself is wanting. If meetings of this kind are held 
 in the various branches of art, the rising generation will 
 become united by a common and cheerful bond of peace, 
 in the same way as in times of trouble the one half of the 
 community nobly unite for defence and attack, while the 
 other half meets to give counsel and assistance for the 
 benefit of their native land. 
 
 Having now spoken of the highest motives which urge 
 us to encourage art and science, and of the purely moral 
 and intellectual means which deserve to be made use of 
 for the purpose, we must also refer to a prejudice which 
 is at times met with. The collector of works of art 
 often keeps too strictly aloof from the dealer in works of 
 art. This way of acting dates from those early times, 
 when the wealthy man very highly prized what he 
 himself possessed, simply because he possessed it, and, in 
 fact, very often greatly over-estimated its value. In the 
 present and more active intercourse in the world, a 
 collector cannot avoid exchanging or parting with many 
 a thing to a third person who happens to be interested in 
 it it may be a thing which the collector no longer values, 
 or in which his interest has become lessened. In Frank- 
 fort, especially, where there is such a constant in-and-out- 
 ponring of works of art, one can hardly imagine the 
 existence of a stationary collection, and in future days 
 certainly no lover of art will be found fault with for 
 having as far as his means would admit endeavoured 
 to keep alive his interest in art by changing his pos- 
 sessions. 
 
 We do not require to look far to find instances that
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 371 
 
 industrial pursuits can in our day, as of old, very well be 
 united with a love for science and art ; in the book-trade, 
 pleasant prospects for art are already evident. Mr. 
 Bronner has arranged a number of finely-bound books in 
 a convenient, well-kept and prettily decoiated room, and 
 besides these, he has, of course, the latest engravings, 
 and even paintings, for the inspection of visitors, some 
 also for sale. Mr. Wenner, when in Rome, took an active 
 interest in the German artists residing there, gave some 
 commissions to Messrs. Riepenhausen, Overbeck, and Cor- 
 nelius, and undertook the publication of the latter's etch- 
 ings of scenes from Faust. They have been most faith- 
 fully and carefully engraved by Ferdinand Ruscheweyh, 
 as lovers of art may see for themselves by examining the 
 specimen-prints. Mr. Wenner has also introduced to his 
 native city excellent engravings after Canova and Thor- 
 waldsen, inasmuch as he has facilitated the means for exhi- 
 biting and procuring them. Mr. Wilmans also, a man 
 interested in art, possesses some valuable paintings ; his 
 efforts in the domain of literature and art are universally 
 known. It is to be wished that a more detailed account, 
 than can be given by a traveller, might be made of all 
 the art-collections and the various endeavours to encourage 
 art which shed a glory over this free and re-awakening 
 city and that this account might soon be published by 
 one or other of the existing firms ; and the sooner this is 
 done the better ! 
 
 Having expressed this wish, both with regard to Frank- 
 fort as well as to the other towns previously spoken of, 
 we must request those who may undertake the work, not 
 to do this in too heavy a style, but rather to present their 
 information in the form of a brightly-written pamphlet, 
 which a visitor to the town would be- glad to purchase 
 for some small sum ; further, to make merely a small 
 edition of the work so that the following one may be 
 enlarged, and rendered more vivid still. For everything 
 that is to exercise its influence upon the day must have a 
 fresh appearance, and what is asked for here is not a 
 work for preserving, but one for perusing. 
 
 That an active spirit is at work among the other arts 
 also, is evident from an academy for singing which has
 
 372 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 been started by Mr. During of his own accord, and from 
 a pure love of the art. This institution has already so 
 far proved successful that young persons of both sexes, 
 who have studied under Mr. During, have upon various 
 festive occasions given performances of music in the 
 churches of both persuasions, to the enjoyment and edifi- 
 cation of the congregations. This they have done also at 
 public concerts. Every Sunday morning a rehearsal is 
 held to which, upon notice being given, visitors are 
 admitted. A larger building might be granted to this 
 institution, which would at once derive great advantages 
 from the additional space. The idea commends itself to all 
 lovers of music, and there is no fear of its lacking sup- 
 port, or of its failing to cultivate the individual voices, for 
 Frankfort possesses in Mr. Schmidt an able musical con- 
 ductor, and the opera can boast of several talented persons 
 who not only charm people by their vocal skill, but who 
 regard it as their duty to make their art more generally 
 appreciated, and to extend its influence by giving instruc- 
 tion in the theoiy of music. 
 
 Having now expressed many a sincere wish, and spoken 
 of a number of important projects and far-reaching plans, 
 we have finally to mention an institution which is esta- 
 blished upon the securest foundation, and, at the present 
 moment, is showing signs of renewed activity by doing 
 away with hindrances that formerly existed, and by 
 setting aside obstacles that had arisen accidentally. We 
 refer to the endowment which Dr. Senckenberg,* of 
 revered memory, a physician and man of extensive know- 
 ledge, has bequeathed to his native city. The institution is 
 divided into two parts, the one being devoted to practical, 
 the other to theoretical work. The first, the town hospital, 
 is established in a palatial building built for the purpose 
 by the founder, and possesses considerable capital. From 
 the very outset large donations and bequests have been pre- 
 sented to it, and it has thus gradually acquired great wealth 
 which increases year by year, owing to its surplus funds. 
 * The Senckenberg Society, founded in 1763 by the distinguished 
 physician of this name, is still one of the chief interests in Frankfort 
 In 1868 a new building was erected for the library belonging to the 
 several learned departments in common ; a botanic garden, an 
 anatomical museum, and a hospital.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 373 
 
 All the more interest and good- will therefore we feel 
 towards the other part of the institution, which, from 
 being devoted to theoretico- scientific purposes, does not 
 enjoy the same patronage. It embraces the house, court- 
 yard and garden of the former residence of the proprietor. 
 The house, in which one of the attendants resides, contains, 
 it is true, rooms of but moderate size which would not 
 afford sufficient space for what they are expected to 
 contain, unless the things were arranged in the best 
 possible order. There is also an excellent library, which 
 extends up to the time of the immediate successors of 
 Haller; it contains the most important ancient anato- 
 mical and physiological works, and would, if well- 
 arranged, enlarged, and thrown open to the public, enable 
 the town-library to dispense with' an important depart- 
 ment in science. 
 
 A cabinet of minerals, which had up till now been 
 merely an appendix to the library, is being arranged and 
 classified ; it contains a great number of excellent specimens, 
 but only groups of things, without any internal connection. 
 The fossils, collected during fortunate times, surpass all 
 expectation. 
 
 The botanic garden is spacious enough for containing 
 the specific plants required by the institution, and together 
 with these there might, with careful management, be 
 added plants important to the physiological branch of the 
 science, and crowns our whole knowledge of vegetable 
 life. 
 
 The old chemical laboratory is no longer of any use, 
 owing to the advance which science has made. A new 
 laboratory, however, built for some other school, stands 
 directly by the side of Senckenberg's garden-wall ; and 
 is at present isolated and unused. 
 
 The anatomical museum is both convenient and spacious ; 
 the preparations exhibited there do not all belong to the 
 institution. 
 
 After thus briefly mentioning the different parts of 
 the institution, it is now our duty to examine its 
 present condition, and at the same to express our wishes 
 and hopes in connection with it. In the first inht mce we 
 must, above all things, keep in view the intention of
 
 374 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 the founder who, as a scientific and enlightened man, 
 imagined that he could not better provide for the wants 
 of his hospital, than by placing by its side an institution 
 for study and instruction. His object was to present 
 the medical men of his native city with a centre where 
 they could meet for scientific discussions. He invited 
 some members of the profession, together with others of 
 his fellow-citizens, to become its guardians, called upon 
 them to meet once a month at his house, and encouraged 
 the plan of lectures being delivered in various branches 
 of science. 
 
 His early and unfortunate death interrupted a begin- 
 ning of this kind, which he was himself about to make. 
 Still the institution could boast of an active and truly 
 flourishing period of 'existence during the time when 
 Reichard, the author of the Frankfurter Flora, was 
 head-physician. However, there was no increase in the 
 funds destined for the support of this department, and 
 for this reason, that in a mercantile city people are more 
 inclined to be interested in practical work than in 
 scientific pursuits, and, in fact, feel themselves more called 
 upon to get rid of present evils than to prepare for 
 coming ones. Accordingly the hospital alone received 
 donations and bequests, and the scientific department 
 was neglected. 
 
 It fell more and more into oblivion, and suffered from 
 troubles both internal and external. A medical school, 
 which was intended to throw new life into the subject, 
 was started and then failed. The burdens of war were 
 and are still being borne with the other evils that follow 
 in its wake ; in short, the institution is, at present, so poor 
 that it cannot undertake the smallest thing at its own 
 expense. It has even had to depend upon the generosity 
 of outsiders, for the purchase of cabinets to contain the 
 collection of minerals. 
 
 But even in this case we find cause for re-awakening 
 hope. Dr. Lehr, the head-physician, who died recently, 
 and to whom Frankfort owes the inoculation of cow-pox, 
 has incorporated his library with that of Senckenberg's, 
 and bequeathed to it a -collection of portraits of celebrated 
 medical men, together with 9,000 gulden, the interest
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 375 
 
 of which is to be added to the salary of the head- 
 physician, on condition that he delivers lectures on 
 botany during the summer months, without expecting 
 fees. 
 
 Dr. Neuburg, the principal medical officer attached to 
 this institution, who is well-known for his knowledge, 
 activity and generosity, and who is at present busily at 
 work arranging the Natural History collections, proposes, 
 as soon as he has examined the objects and the gaps that 
 require filling up, to hand over the duplicates of his con- 
 chyliae and birds to the institution. And the library 
 and museum also, when once they have been exhibited in 
 good order to the patriotic citizens of Frankfort, cannot 
 fail to draw many single possessions to it, and arouse 
 many benevolent actions. 
 
 As regards the study of botany, it is evident, from 
 what has been already said, that it is receiving sufficient 
 attention meanwhile. Dr. Neeff, with the assistance of 
 the horticulturists Baumert and Isermann, may be 
 trusted to complete the laying-out of the garden in an 
 appropriate manner, and having it in readiness by next 
 spring. 
 
 Still, a great deal would be accomplished for botany in 
 Frankfort, if those interested in the subject were to 
 associate, to visit and to communicate with one another, and 
 moreover associate in such a manner that every one under- 
 took to direct his attention to some special branch of the 
 subject. The Dutch and English have set us the best pos- 
 sible example in this respect ; the former, by the formation 
 of a society, the members of which have undertaken the 
 task of bringing ornamental flowers to the highest state of 
 perfection ; the latter, by a number of horticulturists 
 having determined to devote their attention to special 
 plants to gooseberries for instance in doing which each 
 cultivates only one species with the greatest possible care. 
 If this should appear trivial or even ludicrous to many, 
 from their scientific heights, it must be remembered that 
 a wealthy man, interested in such things, likes to possess 
 plants both rare and striking to the eye, and that the fruit- 
 gardener has, in like manner, to apply his knowledge to 
 the requirements of the table of the rich. With such a
 
 376 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 society Frankfort would, at once, occupy an important 
 position in the field of botany. 
 
 If the Senckenberg garden is to be devoted entirely to 
 medical and physiological requirements, the lecturer at the 
 institution would be greatly assisted, were he to be al- 
 lowed the privilege of taking his students to the gardens 
 of such gentlemen as Messrs. Salzwedel, Jassoy and Lehr, 
 in and around Frankfort, or to the grounds belonging 
 to Mr. Metzler, beyond Oberrad. This would give plea- 
 sure and encouragement both to proprietors and visitors. 
 In an enterprising city, all those in any way interested in 
 the same objects ought to endeavour to mako each other's 
 acquaintance ; and hence botanists, florists, cultivators of 
 fruit, and market gardeners, ought not to keep aloof from 
 one another, for they might mutually instruct and be of 
 service to one another. 
 
 As regards chemistry much might be done here in the 
 simplest manner, for there is no want either of an appro- 
 priate building, or of persons willing and able to promote 
 its interests. The laboratory that has been built close to 
 the Senckenberg Institution is a new one, and adapted to 
 every requirement ; it has been standing untenanted and 
 unused ever since the medical school ceased to exist, and 
 the general wish must necessarily be that it should be 
 incorporated with the Senckenberg Institution. A decree 
 from the high quarters cannot now be long deferred, 
 as times have become peaceful again. Dr. Kestner is 
 anxiously awaiting this decision, and we may venture to 
 hope that every support will be given him in return for 
 his exertions in the matter. It is certain that with a 
 regular course of lectures in chemistry many of the more 
 enlightened citizens will find one of their chief wishes 
 fulfilled. An opportunity for becoming acqiiainted 
 with the whole domain of modern chemistry, which em- 
 braces the greater part of physical science, ought to be 
 granted to every large town, and to Frankfort in parti- 
 cular. Here the physician in practice would conveniently 
 hear of the latest discoveries and opinions. The pharma- 
 ceutist would have an opportunity of learning more about 
 the nature of the various preparations and mixtures, which 
 he has for long made merely according to prescription.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 377 
 
 Again, others who have made their wealth in important 
 manufactures, would be greatly interested in hearing of 
 the latest discoveries : others, also, who are striving after 
 higher culture, would be benefited by a knowledge of 
 chemistry ; even those unwilling to give up their faith in 
 chemico-mystic ideas, would here find satisfaction in per- 
 ceiving that many things which our forefathers in olden 
 days knew of only piece-meal, or vaguely suspected as a 
 whole, now, from day to day, prove themselves connected 
 with and in one another, even explaining one another. 
 Perhaps in no other branch can scientiBc inquiry show 
 more clearly the ideal in reality, than in the domain of 
 chemistry. 
 
 If it were possible to invite some able physicist to work 
 hand in hand with the lecturer on chemistry, and to 
 bring forward what is contained and suggested in many 
 of the branches of physics, to which the chemist lays 
 no claim and if further he were enabled to procure the 
 instruments necessary for illustrating the phenomena 
 without going in for any very extensive apparatus, both 
 costly and requiring a great deal of space, Frankfort 
 would be attending to important and secretly-felt wants ; 
 this would at the same time save a lamentable loss of 
 time and energy which might be directed to nobler 
 objects. A fitting locality for such scientific work might 
 1)6 found in the anatomical museum. In place now of 
 dwelling upon the fact that Dr. Behrends a worthy 
 disciple of Sommering's, and . head of this department 
 has sent in his resignation, and that Dr. Lucia, an active 
 and able comparative anatomist, is about to leave for 
 Marburg, let us make some general remarks about the 
 relation in which anatomy stands to the Senckenberg 
 Institution as it is at present. The founder, when 
 conceiving a picture of a complete medical institution, 
 perhaps made somewhat of a mistake by not having paid 
 attention to the special conditions in which his under- 
 taking was placed. Those acqiiainted with the science of 
 anatomy professors at our different universities will be 
 the first to acknowledge that anatomy is one of the most 
 difficult sciences to teach. A library, diagrams, prepara- 
 tions, and a hundred appliances that take up a great deal
 
 378 THE RHINE, MAIXE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 of time, are required as the foundation ; but in addition to 
 this a human corpse is required as the subject of examina- 
 tion and instruction. And yet where is this body to be 
 obtained ? Everywhere the existing legal restrictions 
 are being less strictly observed, or entirely disregarded, 
 and the professor of anatomy, in a humane age, is 
 invariably regarded as acting inhumanly towards sufferers 
 and mourners. 
 
 Let all that has been said above be regarded merely as 
 the reflections of a traveller hurrying on his way. The 
 man of business who remains on the spot may see the 
 circumstances in a different light. 
 
 And yet all that we have said would be altogether 
 fruitless did we not venture to maintain that such a well- 
 planned institution, one that does honour both to its 
 founder and to the city itself, cannot succeed or prove in 
 the smallest degree useful, notwithstanding the efforts of 
 those in connection with it, unless the state of its funds 
 be improved. The possibility of doing this does not lie 
 very far off, and we have no hesitation in asking both the 
 professional and non-professional members of the com- 
 mittee to consider in how far it might be practicable to 
 employ a portion of the surplus funds of the hospital to 
 the scientific institution ; and, further, we must urgently 
 request these excellent gentlemen when they are agreed 
 upon this point to obtain consent from head-quarters 
 as soon as possible. We are aware of the difficulties that 
 may arise from such conditions, but they might be settled 
 with one word : a free city ought to show a free spirit ; 
 and with a renewed existence * and in order to efface the 
 terrible evils of the past, it has, above all things, to free 
 itself from old prejudices. It is incumbent upon Frank- 
 fort to shine on every side, and to be active on every side. 
 It is true, that theoretical work and scientific instruction 
 belong to universities, but they do not belong to 
 these exclusively. Intellect is welcome everywhere. 
 
 * On the dissolution of the German Empire, Frankfort, together with 
 Aseliaffenburg, Hanau, Fulda and VVetzlar, was made over as a grand- 
 duchy to Carl von Dalberg, but in 1814 a?ain became one of the four 
 free cities of the Germxn confederation, which privilege it continued 
 to enjoy till the year 1806.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 379 
 
 Consider what has been the influence of the universi- 
 ties in- Berlin, Breslau and Leipzig, upon the practical 
 life of the citizens, and it will further be found that the 
 chemist and physicist is in his very element in London 
 and Paris, the busiest and most enterprising of cities. 
 And Frankfort has undoubtedly the right, from its circum- 
 stances, its position and its power, to compete with other 
 cities in carrying out such praiseworthy objects. 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY EEMARKS ON FRANKFOET UPON MAINE. 
 
 The Senckenberg endowment is a very important insti- 
 tution ; its scientific department is under the superin- 
 tendence of Dr. Neuburg, a man of unwearied energy, and 
 as ready to sacrifice himself to its interests as to fight in 
 its cause. As several desirable objects have been effected 
 during the course of the year by his exertions, and the 
 active support of the other gentlemen connected with it, 
 the governing body of the hospital will, in the end, be 
 unable to refuse its assistance to the scientific depart- 
 ment. The spirit to perceive the necessity of this, to 
 recognise the great usefulness of the institution, and also 
 to see that the original purpose of the founder is finally 
 accomplished, must already be active in the minds of the 
 Frankfort public, or shortly show signs of activity. 
 
 Senckenberg left a collection of minerals and fossil 
 shell-fish ; the minerals were the less important part, and 
 were arranged in the disordered confusion of the earlier 
 system of mineralogy. For more than forty years this 
 collection lay covered with dust, without any attention 
 being paid to it, and it was not till this year that a few 
 mineralogists among whom Dr. Buch deserves to be spe- 
 cially mentioned undertook to arrange it according to 
 the systems of Werner and Leonhard, with the full inten- 
 tion, moreover, of enriching it with a number of specimens 
 it did not possess, and of thus making it complete. 
 
 It is to be regretted that the active zeal of these gentle- 
 men has found but little encouragement, and that, in spito 
 of their having devoted a good deal of time to it, and 
 even been at some personal expense in connection with
 
 380 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 the work they are only very gradually accomplishing 
 their object. The undertaking, moreover, only a short 
 time ago, very nearly fell through altogether, owing to a 
 proposal made by some of the governing body which 
 fortunately, however, was rejected. The proposal was that 
 in order somewhat to assist this part of the institution, 
 the building itself had better be let out on lease ! The 
 existing trouble would have benefited as much by this as 
 an incurable disease may be said to be benefited by 
 death. 
 
 The anatomical museum has obtained considerable 
 advantages through the unwearied exertions of Dr. Cretz- 
 schmar, who is lecturing there. He is also endeavouring, 
 by his own industry as well as that of his students, to 
 replace some of the preparations which the institution has 
 lost of late years. Several successful preparations of in- 
 jected blood-vessels and skeletons of birds and other 
 objects in comparative anatomy among which are some 
 very abnormal parts of the Testudo mydas serve as con- 
 vincing proofs of this. 
 
 The botanic garden also has received various additions. 
 A not inconsiderable number of plants were obtained for 
 the hot-houses, not purchased out of the endowment fund ; 
 a number of wild flowers from the country around Frank- 
 fort, which had been declined by the Wetteraner Flora, 
 were given in the garden. Owing to the limited extent 
 of the botanic garden, a rule has been made to cultivate 
 mainly medicinal or economical plants, or such as are 
 rarely to be found in the neighbourhood, for there is not 
 space enough to introduce any great variety of plants. 
 Mr. Stein, the chemist, and a very well-informed man in 
 other respects, has made several excursions in the neigh- 
 bourhood, and presented the garden with several rare plants 
 found on these occasions. The green-house was presented 
 with various rare exotic plants, such as the Laurus Cam- 
 phora, Epidendron Vanilla, etc. There has not been suf- 
 ficient time yet, during the past rainy summer, to put the 
 hitherto neglected garden into complete order, still a part 
 of it has been systematically arranged under the super- 
 intendence of the very able botanist Mr. Becker of Offen- 
 bach, who joined in the work from a pure love for science.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 381 
 
 The whole garden will, no doubt, be in perfect order by 
 next summer. 
 
 The library has acquired a considerable number of the 
 best old medical works, but could not procure any of 
 the newer ones on account of the limited funds at its dis- 
 posal. It is pretty complete up to the period in which 
 Senckenberg died, as he possessed the books and left them 
 to the institution. Other works were obtained subse- 
 quently, it is true, and Dr. Lehr increased the collection 
 by bequeathing his stock of books to it ; but of late years 
 many gaps in medical literature have remained unfilled. 
 
 The chemical laboratory, which was built under the 
 Prince Primate in behalf of the special medical school, 
 but again became the property of the town, and also the 
 adjoining bit of garden on the site of the old wall, have 
 been handed over to the scientific department as a gift 
 by the Senate, at the request of the governing body. 
 It is much to be wished that Senckenberg's will might 
 be fulfilled in this point also, for he knew how to estimate 
 the importance of chemistry, and wished to know the 
 study pursued in some appointed branch of his institu- 
 tion ; this is all the more to be desired as this science in 
 our day has overtaken and outstripped almost every other 
 one. 
 
 The signs of dilapidation in the greenhouse, and the 
 great age of the other buildings, the want of many indis- 
 pensable objects, both of a scientific and other kind, may 
 well be said to offer a melancholy prognosis, from the 
 luke-warm manner in which everything that concerns 
 the institution is treated, and which stands in glaring 
 contrast to the earnest wishes of the lamented founder. 
 It is greatly to be wished that contributions from some 
 of our wealthier citizens, even though it were in small 
 sums, might avert the impending ruin of so useful an 
 institution. 
 
 A great deal has hitherto been done for the hospital, 
 the funds of which are kept distinct from those of the 
 scientific department. During last year again a consider- 
 able sum was laid by as a balance after all expenses had 
 been paid. Praiseworthy as may be the generosity of the 
 Frankforters towards their hospital, still it is melancholy
 
 3S2 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 to perceive how little appreciation there is among them 
 for the science and art of medicine, which the fuunder so 
 much wished to encourage, and the study of which is so 
 beneficial in its results. They would unquestionably be 
 acting more in accordance with the spirit of the founder if 
 but a small portion of the annually increasing funds of 
 the hospital were devoted to the sister-institution, at all 
 events, if this institution were not so hardly dealt with in 
 doubtful cases, as not unfrequently occur. It should be 
 remembered that the greatest loss to both institutions 
 would be the omission of doing good, and that no accu- 
 mulated capital, however important it may seem to him 
 who has been in the habit of amassing it from youth up- 
 wards, is in the smallest degree able to take the place of the 
 actual achievement of good. The sacrifices which the one 
 part of the endowment rendered to the other at the time 
 of its first establishment, should alone be sufficient to 
 induce the administrators to support this part of the en- 
 dowment; the loss of the institution would deprive the 
 Frankfort physicians who like ordinary workmen are 
 paid merely for every case they attend, and who have 
 neither distinction nor encouragement of any kind to 
 expect in return for the danger and difficulties in connec- 
 tion with their professional life of every assistance of 
 progressing with the age. 
 
 Mr. Stadel, a patron of art, like few others, has just 
 died in his eighty-ninth year. In his will he bequeaths his 
 house, his collections, and his personal property, which is 
 valued under 13,000 gulden, to founding an institution 
 for the fine arts. Dr. Grambs, a collector of ability and 
 likewise a patron of art, is appointed executor of this last 
 will. 
 
 OFFENBACH. 
 
 In this well-built and cheerful-looking town, which is 
 steadily increasing in size, the collection of stuffed birds 
 belonging to Privy-Councillor Meyer is deserving of every 
 attention. This praiseworthy man, as the inhabitant of 
 a favourable district, is both a good sportsman and a
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 383 
 
 naturalist, and has arranged a complete series of inland 
 birds. He emplo3 T s several artists for making drawings 
 of these creatures, and has in this manner encouraged the 
 study of a very necessary branch of art connected with 
 Natural History that of making accurate copies of organic 
 objects ; among these the many different forms of birds 
 and the varying formation of the several parts of their 
 body, and their light, delicate, and variously-coloured 
 plumage, demands great nicety of discernment in the 
 artist, and his utmost care. A work of Mr. Meyer's has 
 long since given his country a proof of the services 
 he has rendered to science, and he has this year again 
 earned the thanks of naturalists by the publication of 
 his Account of the Hints of Livonia and Esthonia. The 
 artists he employs in his own house and elsewhere, are 
 chiefly Messrs. Gabter and Hergenroder. The latter's 
 sister is celebrated as a painter of flowers. Miss Strieker 
 of Frankfort, who likewise shows great talent in this 
 direction, has not as much time to devote to the work as 
 could be wished. 
 
 HANAU. 
 
 Of late years this town has acquired a favourable and 
 well-tested reputation in connection with Natural History. 
 By a strange but lucky coincidence several zealous investi- 
 gators in the different branches of this splendid science 
 found themselves residents of the town. Dr. Gartner, the 
 worthy veteran among botanists in Germany, has long 
 since won his reputation by his participation in the 
 Wetterauische Flora. Leisler's able studies embraced 
 the whole domain of zoology, but he devoted himself 
 chiefly to birds and mammals. Dr. Kopp promoted the 
 interests of chemistry and physics with the best success, 
 although his attention was mainly directed to mineralogy. 
 Schaumberg, who enjoys a high reputation, more especi- 
 ally as an artistic naturalist, and whose collection is 
 undoubtedly the most important private cabinet in 
 Germany, offers an abundance of excellent specimens. 
 Privy-Councillor Leonhard, and Mertz the clergyman.
 
 384 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 now dead, have also proved themselves active workers in 
 the field of mineralogy. The public are already ac- 
 quainted with the large tabular work published by the 
 two latter in conjunction with Dr. Kopp. Leonhard, who 
 is continually engaged with his periodical, has also 
 published a topographical mineralogy, and we may shortly 
 expect from him, in conjunction with Dr. Kopp and 
 Gartner junior a very intelligent chemist and physicist 
 an introduction to mineralogy, accompanied by a 
 number of engravings both in colour and black. These 
 propaedeutics for the Natural History of the inorganic 
 kingdom, which are the fruit of many years' laborious 
 study, and fill a very important gap in our literature, 
 may be looked forward to with a feeling of perfect 
 confidence. 
 
 These men considered it a good .thing to direct the 
 endeavours of individual persons to one object, in order, by 
 their mutual efforts, to bring matters more further for- 
 ward. Hence, even amidst the stormy days of ruthless 
 dissension among the nations in 1808, it was proposed to 
 establish a society to promote the interests of natural 
 science. The small number of the members gave both 
 character and an appearance of reality to the enterprise. 
 Very soon other eminent men joined them from neigh- 
 bouring as well as from distant parts, and this literary 
 society gradually extended beyond the boundaries of the pro- 
 vince, to every part of scientific Europe. Suitable premises, 
 granted by the government, afforded an opportunity for 
 starting a museum. This useful institution was presented 
 with gifts from all quarters. Still its funds remained 
 very limited, till Karl von Dalberg,* who was interested 
 in its success, granted it, in 1811, a considerable annuity 
 out of his own purse, and this the society continued to 
 enjoy for several years. The epidemic which followed the re- 
 treat of the French, robbed the society of many of its most 
 valued members. There is a pleasant hope that the pre- 
 sent government, like that of past days, will consider the 
 institution worthy of its attention, and continue to grant 
 the use of the building, and by this means give a founda- 
 
 * Primate of the Rhenish Cou federation, previously Archbishop of 
 Mainz.
 
 AKT COLLECTIONS. 385 
 
 tion and continued support to a very deserving institution, 
 which would otherwise inevitably cease to exist. 
 
 It may readily be imagined that, as there are so many 
 industrious naturalists in Hanau, there must likewise be 
 various important collections to be found in the town. 
 
 The museum of the Wetterau Society embraces all the 
 different branches of science, and has hitherto been 
 continually receiving additions ; for most of its members 
 had, in accordance with the wise directions of the regula- 
 tions, endeavoured to justify the election which enabled 
 them to enjoy the honourable distinction of being members 
 of the society. However, the examination of this museum 
 excites less interest as a whole, than the private collections 
 possessed by several of the scientific men of the town. In 
 the latter we find the character of the individual man 
 more vividly expressed, and perceive the industry and care 
 with which such things are created, which indeed is not 
 often accomplished, except at the cost of a whole life-time. 
 
 Among the zoological cabinets, the most important 
 is that of the late Dr. Leisler, and the Schaumberg collec- 
 tion. The latter, however, since its owner removed to 
 Kassel, can no longer be said to belong here ; Leisler's 
 collection also will not much longer remain in Hanau as 
 his heirs have determined to sell it. 
 
 In order, in some way to celebrate the memory of this 
 excellent man, the following remarks may be added. 
 He occupied himself in his earlier years with entomology, 
 but subsequently devoted himself heart and soul to the 
 study of mammals, birds and fishes ; yet ornithology re- 
 mained longest the subject of his inquiries. Merely to show, 
 in passing, what services he has rendered to the study of 
 the birds of his country, we must mention that his endeav- 
 our was to become acquainted with, and to give an accurate 
 account of, the different colours of birds. Now most water 
 birds moult twice in the year, thus the same bird is 
 clothed in different colours in spring and in autumn, in 
 youth and in old age. He has collected, with untiring 
 zeal, every single species of the most different colours and 
 stages of transition. And as he was a sportsman, and 
 intimately acquainted with the art of stuffing animals, 
 his collection possesses great advantages in several 
 
 2 c
 
 386 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 respects, and, with the exception of Meyer's, no other col- 
 lection in Germany at all events, can be compared with it. 
 
 Of late year he had been engaged with the study of 
 bats, but as he possessed an excellent memory he never 
 wrote down anything, and thus his studies would all 
 have been lost to us, had not one of the last of his pupils 
 made some of these so entirely his own, that he is nmv 
 writing a monograph on these strange creatures, which is 
 shortly to be published. 
 
 The fishes are all admirably stuffed and of unusual 
 size. The series of the fresh- water fish of Germany is 
 almost complete, and there are a number of specimens 
 from the sea, of great beauty. The collection of insects 
 is of considerable extent. Out of 1,600 specimens, butter- 
 flies form the larger half. 
 
 In conclusion be it remarked that Leisler, before he de- 
 voted himself to medicine, had studied law with much suc- 
 cess, and that he was well spoken of as a philosophical 
 writer after the publication of a system of natural laws. 
 
 Dr. Gartner, the industrious and eminent botanist, to 
 whom many in the profession owe their training, has 
 rendered no small service to science by his gift of a 
 number of carefully-dried specimens of plants. After tho 
 publication of the Wetterauische Flora mentioned above, ho 
 devoted himself without interruption, and with un- 
 wearied industry, to the study of the vegetation of his 
 native country. He discovered a number of phanero- 
 garnoTis plants and more than 200 cryptogamice, an account 
 of which from his masterly hand, is certainly much to 
 be wished. His herbarium, which is most extensivo 
 as regards the cryptogamice, is arranged in' tho neatest 
 possible manner. Of late Gartner has also turned his 
 attention with the utmost diligence to tho zoology of his 
 country. His collections of mammals, birds and shells, are 
 a proof of this. But although he has numerous specimens 
 of shells from other countries, some of which are very rare, 
 he, nevertheless, considers his collection of those from the 
 province of Hanau much more valuable, for this branch 
 of nattiral science was first cultivated by him in the 
 Wetterau. He distributed the objects he obtained 
 from the surrounding country, among his friends, and in
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 387 
 
 this way aroused an interest in a study which appeared 
 to be almost wholly neglected in Germany. In earlier 
 years, Gartner also occupied himself with chemistry, 
 physics and mineralogy, and thus deserves the name of 
 naturalist in its very widest sense. He has also rendered 
 most active service in collecting and arranging the 
 Wetterau collection, and also in editing the reports 
 published by this scientific society. It is to be regretted 
 that age, and also his health which has suffered from 
 his unwearied exertions, will at present not permit him 
 to engage in any very active work. 
 
 The mineral cabinet belonging to Privy-Councillor Leon- 
 hard, with its over 7,000 specimens, is divided into two 
 parts, a oryctognostic and a geognostic section. The 
 oryctognostic section is arranged in accordance with the 
 method of classification adopted in the systematico-tabular 
 survey and characteristics of mineral bodies ; still the 
 changes that have become necessary from the advance 
 of the science, have not been disregarded. Very pleasant 
 is the methodical way in which all the objects are 
 arranged and exhibited. In the case of each one of these 
 specimens care has been taken to show its characteristic 
 points, and attention has, moreover, been paid to the 
 freshness of the specimens; regularity of form also has 
 been attended to with a very pleasant result. But in addi- 
 tion to this the collection is remarkable on account of its 
 high degree of completeness. Scarcely any of the latest 
 discoveries are wanting, and the series it possesses of a 
 variety of different species, renders it both important 
 and instructive for the study of the relative occurrence of 
 fossils a consideration hitherto much neglected, and only 
 now again demanding attention. 
 
 Privy-Councillor Leonhard has deserved the thanks of 
 the public for having founded a mineralogico-mercantile 
 institute. It is an establishment that advances the cause 
 of science, inasmuch as it offers the means for obtaining 
 fossils from various districts and countries, either in 
 exchange for others or at a moderate price, and either 
 singly or in a systematic series. Full confidence ought to 
 be placed in this undertaking as it is not done with any 
 view to making money, but wholly from a love of science. 
 
 2 c 2
 
 388 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 Among the educational establishments for the encou- 
 ragement of art, the School for Drawing deserves to be 
 honourably mentioned. Hofrath Westermayr, who is at 
 the head of this establishment which receives only a 
 trifling support from the State has rendered the school 
 very important services. Since his return from Weimar, 
 the taste for art has been considerably awakened, and we 
 observe, with pleasure, that many of the wealthier inhabi- 
 tants are beginning to form small collections of pictures. 
 The number of pupils attending the school is at present 
 between 200 and 300. The institution possesses funds 
 the fruits of the labours of the teachers which might 
 be very usefully employed for procuring paintings and 
 other objects of art. 
 
 The wife of Hofrath Westermayr also works actively 
 for the good of the school. In addition to this lady-artist, 
 the names of Tischbein, Carteret, Berneaud, Franz Nickel 
 and Deiker, deserve to be mentioned among the artists 
 of the town. We must, however, not omit Krafft, a man 
 of genial disposition, and also the profound student Bury, 
 both of whom are an honour to their native city, and even 
 when thought of at a distance. 
 
 Painting in enamel is executed chiefly by Carteret and 
 Berneaud, and both may justly claim the title of artists. 
 Besides these two, Franz Nickel, a native of Hanau, has 
 greatly distinguished himself in this branch of painting ; 
 he resided in Madrid for many years, and there occupied 
 the position of assistant teacher at the Academy. 
 
 Among the collections of paintings here, that belonging 
 to Mr. W. Leisler, a merchant and younger brother of the 
 naturalist, deserves to be specially mentioned. 
 
 The jewellery manufactories of the town are peculiarly 
 remarkable. They have existed since the year 1670, and 
 may be said to have been the nursery of similar establish- 
 ments in many of the capitals of Germany and of Europe 
 generally, all of which, however, have failed to equal 
 their original. Hanau workmen enjoy a very favourable 
 reputation, and are in request everywhere. The present 
 most famous firms the Brothers Toussaint, Souchai, as 
 well as Collin, Bury, Miiller and Junger not only uphold 
 the reputation of their works, but strive continually to
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 389 
 
 bring their productions to a greater degree of perfection. 
 It may truly be said that Hanau produces work that 
 cannot be manufactured either in Paris or London, and 
 not unfrequently even surpasses that produced by indus- 
 trious Geneva. We must further mention the extensive 
 size of the ateliers of the above workers-in/-gold, where the 
 raw material is exhibited through all the different stages 
 up to the finished articles, and of these there is the greatest 
 possible variety. 
 
 The carpet manufactories of Messrs. J. D. Leisler and 
 Co. deserve special attention, from the fact that the 
 material known by the name of drawn Wilton-carpeting is 
 manufactured here in the greatest perfection. And there 
 is not only an extensive selection of tasteful designs in 
 the most beautiful and brightest colours, but any special 
 pattern that may be wanted can be produced. This 
 manufactory also produces undipped and pile carpets of a 
 velvet species, Venetian and Scotch carpets, etc. The 
 treaty which formerly existed between Holland and 
 France was very unfavourable for the sale of these goods, 
 and during that time it was almost solely the German 
 Courts that sent in orders for the manufactured articles. 
 
 The manufacture of silk tapestries in Hanau also 
 deserves mention, for in early times this town provided 
 most of the German Courts with the most tasteful 
 amevblements. During the stormy period of the last ten 
 years, the Brothers Blachierre have, however, thought it 
 advisable to produce only such fabrics as are xised by all 
 classes of society. Hence, the woollen and silk goods of 
 Hanau are now produced less with a view to artistic taste, 
 than for general usefulness, and these have been a great 
 benefit to the public, and are largely exported. The 
 hope is now entertained that, with the re-opened free 
 traffic by sea, this manufacturing town will recover some of 
 its former prosperity. 
 
 ASCHAFFENBUKG. 
 
 In this town also are to be found early German 
 paintings from abolished monasteries, by Grimewald and
 
 390 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 others, perhaps even some of Diirer's ; also some few 
 but valuable objects of art. Were but some of the almost 
 too numerous treasures in the capital brought here, and 
 exhibited for the enjoyment and instruction of the public, 
 this finely-situated town would then at all events receive 
 some compensation for what it lost by the removal of the 
 Court ! * Many persons visiting the place would more- 
 over be induced to remain here for a time. 
 
 Now that the treasures which Paris had accumulated, 
 are again finding their way out into the world, and are 
 being distributed over Europe, arousing an interest and 
 proving their usefulness, it would be a grand undertaking 
 for the principal governments in Germany from a pure 
 feeling of conviction and earnest will to do that which as 
 a vanquished nation it had unwillingly to agree to ; in other 
 words, to see that things of which the royal residencies 
 possess a superfluity should be distributed among the pro- 
 vincial towns. It is well for small States to keep their 
 moderately large collections together, but large States 
 cannot do better than to distribute their wealth of art- 
 treasures over the whole country. This will not only help 
 in producing artists, but encourage collectors of artistic 
 objects, and the more frequently the latter are met with, 
 the greater will be the attention paid to artists themselves. 
 
 Unwillingly we break our journey here, but we must 
 not allow ourselves to be tempted too far eastwards by the 
 wealth there. We must now return to where the Maine 
 draws closer to the Khine. 
 
 DAEMSTADT. 
 
 Tho Grand Duke's museum here will probably always 
 be considered the principal institution of the kind in the 
 province, and its admirable arrangements may very justly 
 nerve as a guide to all similar undertakings. Spacious 
 
 * Up to the year 1806 Aschaffenburg had been the capital of a 
 principality of the same name ; it then became a part of the grand 
 duchy of Frankfort, but in 1814 was handed over to Bavaria in ex- 
 change for districts on the river Inn, in Salzburg, and in Tyrol, which 
 the latter had delivered up to Austria.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 391 
 
 halls contain the utmost variety of objects arranged with- 
 out ostentation but with order, dignity and neatness, so 
 that, while being instructed we are conscious of a feeling 
 of admiration together with our enjoyment. 
 
 The excellent casts of splendid statuary, no doubt, de- 
 serve to be mentioned first; then there are numerous 
 busts, parts of the body, and bas-reliefs, all placed in 
 good positions, favourable both as regards effect as well 
 as for examining the works. Facsimiles in cork of all the 
 more important Roman monuments, nay, of all the Italian 
 and some of the earlier German monuments as well, afford 
 the architect an opportunity of making very important 
 comparisons. 
 
 Several rooms are occupied by a large collection of 
 paintings, where every lover of art, according to his 
 interest in the subject, can either quietly enjoy the 
 pictures themselves, or obtain historical information con- 
 cerning the earlier and more modern masters. 
 
 When now about to make the vain endeavour to 
 furnish some account of the other treasures, we cannot 
 refrain from expressing the wish that a catalogue even 
 though it were one of a most general kind might soon be 
 forthcoming for the benefit of travellers. For how other- 
 wise can the visitor expect to find his way about among 
 the endless treasures, in spite of their admirable arrange- 
 ment. It is not saying too much to maintain that the 
 visitor will here find masterpieces of art and curiosities, 
 from every century and every country, handed down 
 to us as worthy our attention and interest. Vases and 
 tirns of every description, goblets and trinkets, bronzes 
 from every century, among which are cost.ly candelebra 
 and brass lamps for a number of wicks ; reliquaries from 
 the earliest Byzantine times, of bronze and enamel, and 
 ivory ones from a later date ; ecclesiastical appurtenances 
 of every description ; inestimably precious drawings by 
 the first masters ; Chinese and Japanese articles both from 
 earlier and more modern times ; articles in glass, valuable 
 either on account of their material, form, or fine cutting. 
 We should have to continue in this brief manner, to give 
 the reader merely some general idea of this model collec- 
 tion, and yet should not be able to enumerate all the 
 various things.
 
 392 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR 
 
 There are, for instance, a great number of early German 
 church paintings which, if restored and renovated, would 
 serve admirably for decorating an imitation chapel. 
 
 But what strikes the visitor almost more than the 
 treasures themselves, is the activity and energy ob- 
 servable in connection with the institution as one that 
 is continually being further developed. Every depart- 
 ment shows this same activity; everywhere one finds 
 something new being added ; everywhere some arrange- 
 ment is being improved upon, so that every year the 
 visitor is struck by the creative and industrious spirit 
 at work. Even though, when speaking of the Cologne 
 collection, we could not but regret the removal of Von 
 Hiipsch's * treasures to the Darmstadt Museum ; still, 
 when seen here we cannot but rejoice over the happy 
 fate that awaited its chaotic condition ; for it has here 
 become more fully developed, carefully arranged and 
 incorporated with an already thriving and well-ordered 
 world. 
 
 A Natural History collection, as rich as it is complete, 
 exists by the side of this Art collection. In a number of 
 well-lighted galleries are exhibited the products of the 
 three kingdoms of Nature, and these are under the super- 
 intendence of energetic men, who see that they are kept in 
 order for the benefit of visitors ; at the same time the 
 arrangement of the objects is continually undergoing some 
 improvement for the sake of those already acquainted or 
 anxious to examine the objects. Even though wo can speak 
 here merely in a general way, we must not omit to men- 
 tion a collection which is devoted to comparative anatomy, 
 and where are arranged and exhibited, those remarkable 
 fossils remains of gigantic animals from primeval times 
 frequently found in the broad valleys of the Rhine. Very 
 affecting it was, to the writer, to find here a number of 
 specimens that had been collected with enthusiastic 
 interest by Merck,* the friend of his youth, since dead ; 
 these specimens were rescued from oblivion and given 
 
 * Herr von Hiipsch's collection spoken of in the article on Cologne 
 formed the nucleus of this museum. 
 
 t Johann Heinrich Merck waa born in Darmstadt in 1741, and 
 committed suicide in 1791. He is very frequently mentioned by 
 Goethe in his \Vuhrheit und Dichtung, Books 12-19.
 
 ATIT COLLECTIONS. 393 
 
 a home here, owing to the Duke's affection for Merck, and 
 great care was bestowed upon them by the naturalists 
 who succeeded him. 
 
 We here found fulfilled a wish previously expressed, 
 that drawings of very rare natural objects, such as one 
 may never have an opportunity of seeing, should be exhi- 
 bited in the form of illustrations by the side of the other 
 objects actually possessed. Thus the enormous antlers 
 dug up in Ireland, we here found represented on paper 
 (by way of trial), and exhibited to the amazement of all 
 beholders. We trust that the project now entertained, 
 of depicting these and other similar objects on the spaces 
 above the cabinets, may very soon be carried out. 
 
 A most extensive library, appropriately and neatly 
 arranged, next attracts the traveller's admiration, and 
 excites the wish that he had more time to devote to 
 its treasures. And, moreover, if ho, had come here an 
 utter stranger, and perfectly unacquainted with the 
 existing circumstances, his attention would at once turn 
 to the spirit which gave life to and kept in life, such a 
 large institution. He could not for a moment remain in 
 ignorance of the fact that the Prince must have a great 
 and decided love for such things, and that he has bestowed 
 his full confidence in some able man whom he allowed to 
 work and to act without hindrance and according to plans 
 of his own ; from this it again follows that the Director 
 must have under him only such men who work with him 
 in the same spirit, at the same pace, without pausing yet 
 without hurry, and towards one end. Then only can such 
 admirable arrangements, as we find hero, not appear 
 marvellous ; but still, where separation, disorder, and 
 caprice are so often met with here on earth, it is likely, 
 nevertheless, to appear marvellous. Delightful, therefore, 
 it must be to every one to find that his Royal Highness 
 the Grand Duke has, throughout so many years and 
 amid the most unfavourable circumstances, remained true 
 to his interest in these things, further that Privy-Councillor 
 Schleiermacher continues to enjoy the Prince's confidence 
 in so high a degree, that his two sons, under his direc- 
 tion, superintend the Art collection and the Library, and 
 have even turned the physical apparatus to use by giving
 
 394 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 courses of lectures ; and again that Fehr has the 
 management of the mineralogical and geological de- 
 partments, including the collection of conchifera, while 
 Bekker devotes his attention to the rest of the animaj. 
 kingdom. When we find, upon looking over the many 
 galleries, that they all seem living parts of one great 
 whole, and when further we observe that, during the 
 course of the year, every department has systematically 
 been increased, we cannot but entertain the wish that 
 every conservator would examine this collection from an 
 artistic, antiquarian, and scientific point of view, but also, 
 and more particularly from its ethical side and take it as 
 his model. 
 
 That there is no dearth of industrious artists in the 
 town, is what may be expected from such favourable con- 
 ditions. Moller has every opportunity for exercising 
 his talent as an architect in a city which is daily 
 increasing in size ; where private residences are con- 
 tinually being erected, and projects for public buildings 
 are always being entertained. He has likewise, for several 
 years past, been engaged in copying ancient German build- 
 ings, and the Boisserees' work on Cologne Cathedral 
 will furnish unequivocal testimony with regard to his 
 industry, accuracy, as well as artistic taste. The newly- 
 discovered original sketch of Cologne Cathedral is in 
 his hands, and a facsimile of it is to be published by him 
 in the Boisserees' work. The study of German archi- 
 tecture will be indebted to Moller for some of its finest 
 contributions, for he is at present engaged on the ancient 
 buildings of his own district in Mainz, Opponheim, 
 Worms, Spires, Frankfort, etc. and is having these en- 
 graved on copper. 
 
 Mr. Primavesi, who is celebrated for his etchings of 
 landscapes, is also busily at work. He has undertaken 
 the arduous task of sketching all the districts along the 
 shores of the Rhine, from its two sources downwards. 
 The work is to be published in two parts, accompanied 
 with a short account of the different places. In this way 
 all the remarkable points on the borders of Germany's 
 chief river will also be brought into artistic connection.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 395 
 
 HEIDELBERG. 
 
 This town, which is remarkable in very many respects, 
 engages the visitor's attention at once in more than one 
 way. The object which we are at present pursuing, 
 however, leads us first of all to that collection of old 
 paintings which was brought here from the Lower Ehine, 
 and has for some years past been regarded as a special 
 attraction of the place, nay, of the whole surrounding 
 country. 
 
 I have just paid a second visit to the Boisserees' collec- 
 tion, which I have not seen for a year, and have more 
 fully been considering both its significance and the object 
 it has in view ; but although I am not in any way disin- 
 clined to offer a few words to the public about it, I find 
 myself face to face with all the difficulties I anticipated. 
 For as the chief advantage of plastic art consists in its 
 representations not being expressible in words, although 
 some intimation of them may no doubt be given, a man of 
 any penetration knows that in such a case he would be 
 undertaking an impossibility unless he set some limit and 
 goal to his task. He will at once perceive that the best 
 and most profitable course to pursue will be to follow an 
 historical method, and he will determine to pay due regard 
 to the well-arranged and well-stocked collection by endea- 
 vouring not merely to give an account of the pictures 
 themselves, but of their relation to one another ; he will 
 guard against making comparisons to things that exist 
 elsewhere, although of course he will have to show the 
 connection between the different epochs in art, that come 
 under discussion here, with remote attempts in art 
 separated from it both by time and place. And hence he 
 will see that full justice is done to the precious works now 
 engaging our attention, and have them treated in such 
 a manner that an able historian will gladly assign them 
 their position in the large sphere of the world of art in 
 general. 
 
 By way of an introduction to this, and in order that the 
 peculiar character of the collection may be more distinctly 
 understood, it is above all things necessary to speak of
 
 396 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 how it originated. The brothers Boisseree, who in con- 
 junction with Bertram, are its proprietors at present, and 
 allow all lovers of art to share their enjoyment of it, were 
 in the first instance brought up with the idea of becoming 
 merchants, and their studies had been directed to this 
 object, both at home and abroad, in the chief mercantile 
 cities. Meanwhile, however, on every occasion that pre- 
 sented itself, they endeavoured to satisfy their inclination 
 for higher culture as well ; and some good opportunities 
 presented themselves, for a number of eminent German 
 scholars had been called to hold appointments in the new- 
 School established in Cologne. By this means they acquired 
 a degree of culture that was rarely met with in that part 
 of the country. They had from youth upwards, it is 
 true, been surrounded by old and modern works of art, 
 and must have been born with and trained to find plea- 
 sure and interest in them; still it was in reality an 
 accident that aroused in them the wish to possess such 
 things, and gave rise to one of the most praiseworthy of 
 enterprises. 
 
 The reader may remember the story of the youth who 
 found a thole-pin on the sea-shore, and who was so pleased 
 with the thing that he procured an oar for it, then a boat, 
 and finally masts and sails ; whereupon he took short trips 
 along the coast, and finally struck boldly out to sea, con- 
 tinued to invest in ships of larger size, and eventually 
 became a rich and prosperous man. Like him, the two 
 brothers of whom we are speaking, one day purchased, for a 
 very trifling sum, a church painting which they happened 
 to find exposed for sale at a fair, and this purchase was soon 
 followed by others. By possessing the pictures, and having 
 them restored, they gradually acquired a knowledge of 
 the paintings, and thus what had originally been a mere 
 fancy, became a passion which only increased with their 
 knowledge of the subject and the actual possession of good 
 and excellent works. It was no sacrifice to them to lay 
 out a large part of their wealth, and to devote the whole 
 of their time, to accomplish the object they had in view, 
 whether this had to be done by expensive journeys, 
 new purchases, or any other undertaking. 
 
 It became their wish at the same time to rescue the
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 397 
 
 early German architectural works from oblivion, to give 
 illustrations of the better ones in all their purity, and 
 thus to form some opinion regarding the deterioration of 
 this style of architecture. One endeavour succeeded 
 another, and the brothers are now in a position to publish 
 a work unusually magnificent for Germany, containing 
 some 200 illustrations, which, as regards rarity, fidelity, 
 successful preservation and restoration, but more especially 
 as regards their purely historical sequence, could hardly 
 be equalled. 
 
 But now, in order to make ourselves as intelligible as 
 possible, it will be necessary to turn back to early 
 times in the same way as any one about to work out a 
 genealogical tree has to force his way back as far as 
 possible from the branches towards the root. But in so 
 doing, we shall always assume that the reader has this 
 collection either actually present before him or in mind, 
 also that he is acquainted with the works of art about to 
 be discussed, and that with an unbiassed mind he has the 
 
 sincere wish to join us in obtaining instruction. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Military and political troubles had brought the Eoman 
 empire into such a state of anarchy and degradation, that 
 good institutions of every kind, and artistic ingenuity in 
 particular, disappeared from the face of the earth. Art, 
 which a few centuries previously, had occupied so high a 
 position, was completely lost sight of amid the fierce 
 military proceedings. The most obvious proof of this is 
 furnished by the coins belonging to these degenerate 
 times, when the many good and bad emperors considered 
 it no dishonour to be represented upon the worst copper 
 pence as perfect caricatures, and gave their soldiers, some 
 beggarly pittance in place of honourable pay. 
 
 It is to the Christian Church that we are indebted for 
 the preservation of art, even though it be like a spark 
 among a heap of ashes. For although the new doctrine, 
 with its more inward, meek moral tendencies, had to 
 reject that form of art which expressed mere outward 
 strongly sensuous ideas, and to set aside, if not to destroy, 
 works of that class, still in the historical element of this 
 religion there lay more varied, more infinite seeds than in
 
 398 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 any other, and it was but natural that it sprung Tip of it- 
 self, without either the intention, or the interference of 
 the new religionists. 
 
 The new religion acknowledged a supreme God, not as 
 majestically conceived as Jupiter, but more human ; for 
 He is the Father of a mysterious Son, who was to represent 
 the moral qualities of the Deity on earth. These two are 
 accompanied by a fluttering, innocent dove, as a shaped and 
 subdued flame, forming a wonderful triplet, around which 
 again are assembled a host of blessed spirits in number- 
 less gradations. The mother of this Son could be honoured 
 as the purest of women, for even in heathen antiquity the 
 state of virginity and maternity had been conceived unit- 
 able. By her side is an old man, and a misalliance is 
 sanctioned in heaven in order that the new-born God may 
 not want an earthly father both for the sake of appear- 
 ances and to attend to his needs. 
 
 What power of attraction this Divine-human Being 
 exercised during His growth to manhood, and at last, in 
 His full activity, is evident from the number and variety 
 of His disciples and adherents of both sexes who, although 
 differing in age and character, have gathered around Him ; 
 also from the Apostles who sprung up from among the 
 multitude, the Evangelists, the many believers from every 
 rank and profession, and the many martyrs who have suf- 
 fered in His cause, from Stephen upwards. 
 
 Now when it is found that this new covenant is founded 
 upon an earlier one, the traditions of which extend back 
 to the creation of the world, and which are more histori- 
 cal than dogmatic ; and further, when it is considered that 
 the first parents, the patriarchs and judges, the prophets, 
 kings and restorers every one of whom are in some way 
 distinguished or distinguishable it is both intelligible 
 and natural that art and religion should unite, and that 
 the one should appear unable to exist without the 
 other. 
 
 Hence, while Hellenic art began with generalities, and 
 long afterwards lost itself in specialities, Christian art had 
 the advantage of being able to start with an immense 
 number of individualities, and of gradually rising to 
 generalities. In looking back at the mass of historical
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 399 
 
 and mythical personages mentioned above, and bearing in 
 mind that every one of them is famous for some impor- 
 tant and characteristic action, and that, further, the new 
 covenant, in order to justify its existence, was endeavour- 
 ing to find itself symbolically in the earlier one, and 
 referred in a thousand different ways to historic? 1 and 
 earthly as well as heavenly and spiritual relations it 
 would indeed seem as if we ought to possess some memo- 
 rials in plastic art of the first centuries of the Christian 
 Church. 
 
 However, the world as a whole was in too distracted 
 and oppressed a condition for this ; the ever-increasing 
 state of disorder drove culture from the West, and Byzan- 
 tium alone remained a stronghold for the Church, and for 
 that form of art connected with it. 
 
 But, unfortunately, even the Orient in those times 
 presented a melancholy appearance, and, from an artisiie 
 point of view, the above-mentioned personages cannot be 
 said to have flourished immediately, although they did 
 prevent the old mummified style of art losing all its 
 significance. Some distinction was always made between 
 the figures ; but to render this distinction , more obvious, 
 the different names were inscribed on or below the 
 pictures, in order that, in the ever-increasing number of 
 saints and martyrs, one was not honoured in place of 
 another, but that each as was but fair should receive 
 his due. Thus it became an ecclesiastical affair to get 
 pictures manufactured; and this was done according to 
 prescribed rules iinder the superintendence of the clergy, 
 and the pictures were then, amid consecrations and 
 miracles, dedicated to the established form of divine 
 service. It is in this manner, even in oiir own day, that 
 the sacred pictures, which members of the Greek Church 
 worship at home or on their travels, are manufactured in 
 Susdal and its neighbourhood, under the superintendence 
 of the clergy ; consequently there has arisen, and must 
 be, a great uniformity among them. 
 
 But to return to Byzantium and to the period men- 
 tioned above ; it will be found that religion itself as- 
 sumed an absolutely diplomatico-pedantic character, while 
 its festivals took the form of Court and State pageants.
 
 400 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 It is to this limitation and obstinacy of their system 
 that we have to ascribe the circumstance, that even tho 
 iconoclasts did no injury to the condition of art, for after 
 the victory of the leading party, the restored pictures 
 had to be precisely like the old ones, if they were again to 
 receive due honour. 
 
 How the most melancholy of all phenomena crept in 
 that of painting the Virgin brown (the consequence pro- 
 bably of Egyptian, Ethiopian, or Abyssinian influences), 
 and that the face of the Saviour on the cloth held by St. 
 Veronica, should likewise be made the colour of a Moor 
 will perhaps be more definitely pointed out when a care- 
 ful examination is made of the history of art in those 
 countries. All this, however, indicates a state of con- 
 tinual deterioration, the complete cessation of which took 
 place even later than might have been expected. 
 
 We must now endeavour to make clear what the Byzan- 
 tine School of which we have but little to say in the 
 way of praise did possess of great intrinsic merit, 
 artistically transmitted to it as a grand inheritance from 
 its earlier Greek and Roman ancestors, but which had 
 been preserved by it as if transmitted by guilds. 
 
 When above we not unjustly termed its style mummi- 
 fied, it must be remembered that when the inside of a 
 body has been removed, the shape of the frame asserts its 
 right by means of the dried and hardened muscles. And 
 BO it is here, as a further examination will show. 
 
 The highest aim of plastic art is to adorn some definite 
 place, or to contribute an ornament to some indefinite 
 place ; it is this requirement that gives rise to everything 
 which we term artistic composition. In this the Greeks, 
 and after them the Romans, were master-spirits. 
 
 Everything, therefore, that is to please as a decoration, 
 must, be articulated, and moreover in that higher sense 
 where the different parts will stand in correlation to one 
 another. To effect this it becomes necessary for the work 
 to have a centre, a top and bottom, and two sides, these 
 being the first elements of symmetry ; and if these be 
 perfectly intelligible to the understanding, the work may 
 be called a decoration of the lowest form. The more 
 numerous its parts become and the more that the original
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 401 
 
 symmetry becomes interwoven with these parts, concealed 
 or alternating in contrasts, or presented to the eye as 
 manifest secrets the more pleasing the decoration will 
 be ; and it becomes perfect when it no longer occurs to us 
 to think of the first elements, but strikes us as something 
 spontaneous and accidental. 
 
 Now the Byzantine School has always adhered to 
 strict, dry symmetry, and although its pictures have 
 thereby become stiff and unpleasant, there are cases where 
 a certain gracefulness has been produced by a change in 
 the position of the figures standing beside one another. 
 This excellence, together with the great variety of sub- 
 jects offered by the traditions of the Old and Mew Testa- 
 ments, was spread over the whole of the converted wbrld, 
 by artists and workmen from the East. 
 
 What took place in Italy thereupon is well known. 
 Practical talent had entirely disappeared, and everything 
 that required culture was dependent upon the Greeks. 
 The gates of the temple of St. Paul beyond the walls, 
 were cast in Constantinople in the eleventh century, and 
 the different fields decorated in a hideous fashion with 
 engraved figures. It was at this time that Greek schools 
 for painting were established in Italy ; Constantinople 
 sent architects and workers in mosaics, and they decorated 
 the devastated West with a melancholy style of art. When, 
 however, in the thirteenth century the feeling for the truth 
 and the loveliness of Nature awoke again, the Italians 
 turned immediately to what had been esteemed an excel- 
 lence in the Byzantines: symmetrical composition and de- 
 finiteness of character. They succeeded in this the more 
 readily, as their appreciation of form quickly showed itself. 
 It was not likely to have been lost to them altogether. 
 Magnificent buildings from antiquity had been before 
 their eyes for centuries. The remaining portions of those 
 that had fallen to ruins or been destroyed, were now at 
 once turned to some ecclesiastical or other public use. 
 The most splendid statues escaped destruction, and the two 
 collossi likewise were never destroyed. And every rxiin 
 even had its shape. A Roman, in particTilar, could not 
 set his foot on the ground without touching something in 
 the way of form, could not dig in his garden or in his 
 
 2 D
 
 402 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 field without bringing to light the most exquisite pieces 
 of workmanship. What happened in Siena, Florence, and 
 elsewhere, must not detain us here, the less so as every 
 lover of art can obtain the most detailed information 
 about this, as well as about all the other subjects discussed 
 here, in D'Agincourt's extremely valuable work. 
 
 The fact that the Venetians, as inhabitants of coasts 
 and low-lying countries, soon became conscious of an 
 appreciation for colour, is an important fact for us here ; 
 for we shall make use of this as a means of passing over to 
 the Ketherland School where we meet with the same 
 characteristic. 
 
 Thus we are now approaching the object we specially 
 have in view, the Lower Rhine ; and for its sake we have 
 not hesitated to make the long digression. 
 
 In a few words let us recall the circumstance, that the 
 districts along this glorious river were invaded by the 
 Romans, that the invaders erected fortresses there, settled 
 on its banks, and powerfully influenced the culture of the 
 country around. And when we find that even their 
 principal colony there bears the name of the wife of 
 Germanicus,* there can be no doubt that some great 
 enterprises in art had been made there in those days. For 
 artists of various kinds architects, sculptors, potters and 
 coiners were, of course, a necessary part of such under- 
 takings as is proved by the numerous remains that have 
 and are still being dug up. 
 
 How far the mother of Constantine the Great, the wife 
 of Otto, may have influenced it subsequently, remains for 
 historians to decide. Our object here renders it more 
 necessary to turn to the legend, to discover some univer- 
 sally applicable idea in or behind it. 
 
 Ursula, a British princess, and Gereon, an African 
 prince, it is said, came to Cologne from Rome ; the former 
 
 * The first settlement, where Cologne now stands, was made by the 
 Ilbii at the suggestion of the Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa 
 in 37 B.C., and received the name of Urbs Ubiorum. Its subsequent 
 name Colonia Agrippina, it obtained, not as Goethe here supposes from 
 A-.-rippina, the wife of Germanicus, but from his daughter of the same 
 name, afterwords wife of the Kmperor Claudius, who was born in the 
 town of the Ubii and in the year 50 A.D. sent a Roman colony to the 
 place.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 403 
 
 with a host of noble maidens, the latter surrounded with a 
 body of heroes. Quick-witted men, who have seen through 
 the haze of the tradition, have commented on the legend 
 somewhat as follows : When two parties spring up in a 
 kingdom and keep irrevocably apart from one another, 
 the weaker party will move away from the centre and 
 endeavour to get nearer the borders. There, there will be 
 more room for factions, tyranny will not immediately 
 reach so far. There, a prefect or governor may, at all events, 
 make a strong position for himself with the aid of the dis- 
 contented party, either by tolerating their sentiments and 
 opinions, or by joining in these himself. This idea has 
 a great charm for me, for we have experienced similar, 
 nay, exactly the same state of things, in our own day, and 
 has even occurred more than once. A host of the noblest 
 and bravest Christian emigrants set out one after the 
 other for the famous and beautifully situated colony of 
 Agrippina, where, after being warmly welcomed and 
 protected, they enjoyed a happy and pious time in the 
 loveliest of districts ; but finally had miserably to submit 
 to the violence of a contending party. If we examine the 
 kind of martyrdom they had to endure, and how Ursula 
 and her companions submitted to it, we do not find a 
 mere repetition of those absurd stories of how delicate, 
 innocent and highly cultured persons were butchered and 
 murdered in brutal Rome, by hangmen and savage 
 animals for the amusement of a mad crowd from the lower 
 and higher ranks ; no, in Cologne we see a bloody 
 massacre of the one party by the other, who wishes 
 speedily to be rid of it. The murder of the noble maidens 
 resembles the massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve, a 
 September day. Gereon seems to have fallen with bis 
 followers in a similar way. 
 
 If the Theban legion,* too, was cut to pieces on the 
 
 * A mythical legend, so called from the legion having been raised 
 in Upper Egypt, and leads us back to the days of Diocletian (313). 
 The legion was intended to make war against the Bagaudne, a people 
 on the Rhone ; the soldiers, however, being Christians, refused to join 
 in the heathen ritt s expected Jrom the army. Maximilian thereupon, 
 at the command of Diocletian, caused the whole legion of 10,000 men 
 to be cut to pieces. According to the legend the whole leniou with 
 
 2D 2
 
 404 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 Upper Khine at the same time, we shall find it an epoch 
 where the ruling party is not exactly endeavouring to 
 oppress a growing party, but endeavouring to destroy 
 one that has reached its own height. 
 
 All that has hitherto been said although given with 
 the utmost brevity and in a very general way is most 
 necessary in order to obtain some idea of the Netherland 
 School of art. The Byzantine School of painting, in all 
 its ramifications, had for many years prevailed over the 
 whole of Western Europe and likewise on the Ehine, and 
 employed trained journeymen and youths belonging to 
 the district to execute works for churches ; hence there are 
 many specimens of that dry style of art, exactly like the 
 melancholy productions of the Byzantine School itself, to 
 be found in Cologne and its neighbourhood. Yet nowhere, 
 perhaps, in the history of art does the national character, 
 the climatic influence, play so beautiful a part as in the 
 Rhine countries \, for which reason we shall devote special 
 care to the development of this point, and beg the reader's 
 kind attention to our further remarks. 
 
 We shall pass over the important epoch when Charles 
 the Great established a series of royal residences along the 
 left bank of the Rhine, from Maints to Aix-la-Chapelle, 
 beca'use the culture which resulted from this, had no effect 
 whatever upon the art of painting, which is mainly the 
 subject of discussion here. The gloomy rigidness of the 
 Oriental School did not show any signs of brightening up, 
 even in the Rhine countries, till the thirteenth century. 
 Then, however, all at once, we find a joyous appVeciation 
 of Nature forcing its way through, and moreover not ex- 
 actly in the form of merely copying individual existing 
 things, but as a pleasant feasting of the eye, as it 
 looked around the sensuous world. Faces of boys and 
 girls as round as apples, oval heads of men and women, 
 prosperous-looking old men with flowing or curly beards ; 
 the whole generation good, pious and cheerful, and all 
 depicted with a delicate, nay, a soft brush, although 
 
 their leader suffered death without making any resistance. Their 
 relics are preserved at St. Maurice, south of the lake of Geneva, and 
 partly at Turin.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 405 
 
 characteristic enough still. It is the same with regard to 
 the colours ; these also are cheerful, clear, nay, even power- 
 ful, not actually harmonious but still not gaudy, and 
 always pleasing and agreeable to the eye. 
 
 The material and technical characteristics of the pictures 
 here discussed, are the gold background, the nimbus round 
 the head bearing the name of the saint. The brilliant 
 metallic back-ground also frequently shows the stereo- 
 typed kind of flower, in tapestry fashion, or is made to 
 look like gold carving by means of brown outlines and 
 shadings. That these pictures may be ascribed to the thir- 
 teenth century is proved by the age of the churches and 
 chapels, where they were found hung up in accordance 
 with the purpose for which they were originally painted. 
 The strongest proof, however, is that the cloisters and 
 other spaces in various churches and monasteries where 
 the same characteristics are to be met with were painted 
 at the time when these buildings were erected. 
 
 Among the pictures in the Boisserees' collection, the one 
 of Saint Veronica* may justly be mentioned first, inasmuch 
 as in several respects it serves as evidence of what we have 
 just said. At some future time, perhaps, it may be dis- 
 covered that this picture, as regards composition and draw- 
 ing, is a sacred one in the usual Byzantine style. The 
 blackish-brown face darkened subsequently very likely 
 with the crown of thorns, has a wonderful expression, 
 both noble and sorrowful. The corners of the cloth are 
 held by the saint, who is scarcely a third of life-size. She 
 is standing behind it, and is covered by it up to her breast ; 
 most graceful are both attitude and gesture. The bottom 
 of the cloth touches the floor of which there is some indi- 
 cation, and in the corners of the picture, on either side, are 
 seated three little angels singing ; if standing, they would 
 at most be a foot in height ; they are so beautifully and 
 artistically arranged in two groups that the highest de- 
 mands of composition are perfectly satisfied. The whole 
 conception of the picture points to a traditional style of 
 art, well thought out and carefully executed; what ab- 
 straction it must have required to place the figures 
 
 * The w<-ll-known picture by Heister Wilhelm, now in the Pina- 
 kothek in .Munich.
 
 406 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 there introduced in three different dimensions, and every- 
 where to symbolise the whole ! The little figures of the 
 angels, more especially the action of the head and hands, 
 is so beautiful, that no further remark need be made about 
 this. Now, although we claim the right to give this pic- 
 ture a Byzantine origin, still the grace and softness with 
 which the figure of the saint and the children are deli- 
 neated, oblige us to assume that it belongs to the Lower 
 Ehenish period described above. The painting exercises 
 an incredible charm upon the spectator, because of its com- 
 bining the double element of severity of conception and 
 gracefulness of execution ; and this is in no small measure 
 increased by the contrast between the fearful Medusa-like 
 head, the graceful virgin, and the pretty children. 
 
 Similar reflections are suggested by other large panels, 
 upon which are depicted, in half life-size, apostles and 
 patriarchs with the same soft, pleasant brush, and in the 
 same cheerful, agreeable colouring between gold battle- 
 ments and other architectural ornamentations resembling 
 coloured carving. But these, at the same time, point to 
 new considerations. For, towards the end of the so-called 
 Middle Ages, plastic art in Germany had far outstripped 
 painting; it was more indispensable to architecture, more 
 in keeping with mere sensuousness, and more within the 
 reach of artistic talent. The painter, when wishing to 
 avoid what is more or less mannerism, and about to con- 
 template existing objects for himself, has two paths to 
 choose between : the imitation of Nature itself, or the 
 imitation of already existing works of art. Therefore, we 
 shall in no way be detracting from the merits of the 
 Netherland artists of this epoch, by raising the question 
 whether the holy men who are depicted with such 
 exquisite delicacy and softness, rich and yet freely draped, 
 are not copies of carved figures, either coloured nor un- 
 coloured, which stood between real architectural gold 
 carvings of a similar description. We consider ourselves 
 specially justified in forming this supposition, from the 
 skulls lying at the feet of these saints and painted in 
 the decorated squares ; from these we draw the conclusion 
 that the pictures are copies from some reliquary, with its 
 ornamentations and figures. Such a picture becomes all
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 407 
 
 the more pleasant, inasmuch as it will possess a certain 
 earnestness which plastic art always has in advance of 
 painting and will shine through it in a kindly style 
 of treatment. Everything that we have here main- 
 tained may, at some future day, be more fully confirmed 
 when the remains of the early Christian Church, now 
 so widely scattered, come to be examined with unbiased 
 attention. 
 
 It will be found that even at the commencement of the 
 thirteenth century Wolfram von Eschenbach, in hisPardval, 
 speaks of the painters of Cologne and Maestricht almost 
 proverbially as being the best in Germany, therefore no one 
 can be surprised at our having said so much in praise of 
 the old paintings of these districts. We shall now, how- 
 ever, have to turn our whole attention to a new epoch 
 that began with the fifteenth century, in order to note 
 its main characteristics. But before proceeding to the 
 discussion of the new style of treatment which was then 
 adopted, we must once more mention the subjects which 
 were specially oifered to the painters of the Lower Rhine. 
 
 We have already observed that the chief saints of this 
 district were noble maidens and youths, and that the 
 manner of their deaths presented nothing of those objec- 
 tionable incidents that were so inconvenient to art when 
 the deaths of other martyrs had to be described. But the 
 highest piece of good fortune, which the artists of the Lower 
 Rhine enjoyed, was that they possessed the bones of the 
 three Magi, which had been brought to Cologne from Milan. 
 It would be in vain to search through history, traditions, or 
 legends, for a subject more favourable, suggestive, pleasing, 
 or graceful, than was offered by this. Beneath crumbling 
 walls, and beneath a miserable roof, a new-born infant, 
 yet with a look of consciousness about him, is being nursed 
 on his mother's lap, and watched by an old man. Before 
 him are kneeling the noble and great of the earth, offering 
 reverence to childhood, treasures to poverty, crowns to 
 humility. A numerous suite stand amazed at the strange 
 end to a long and perilous journey. It is to this exquisite 
 subject that the artists of the Lower Rhine owe their good 
 fortune, and it is not to be wondered at that, for centuries, 
 they were never weary of repeating the same subject. We
 
 408 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 now, however, come to the important step which Rhenish 
 art made between the end of the fourteenth and the be- 
 ginning of the fifteenth century. Artists had long since 
 found themselves obliged to examine the variety which 
 Nature presented, owing to the number of different cha- 
 racters they were called upon to depict ; but hitherto they 
 had been satisfied with obtaining a mere general impression, 
 even though every now and again something in the manner 
 of portraits is met with in them. At the time of which 
 we are now speaking, we find express mention made of 
 Meister Wilhelm, who was said to be unsurpassed in copying 
 the human face. Of his peculiar style we have the most 
 remarkable evidence in the Dombild in the Cologne Cathe- 
 dral,* and it may, moreover, be regarded as the turning- 
 point in the history of art on the Lower Rhine. It is to 
 be wished that its real value may continue to be appreciated 
 by historical criticism. For it is at present by being so 
 enveloped by the incense of adoration, that it is to be feared 
 it will soon become as clouded to the eyes of the mind, as 
 it was in former days to the eyes of the body by the dirt 
 of lamps and candles. It consists of a central picture and 
 two side-panels. In all these we find the background of 
 gold in the style of the paintings described above. The 
 carpet, also, behind the figure of the Virgin, is of the 
 stamped kind, and gaily coloured. In the other parts of 
 the picture this style of proceeding, otherwise so frequently 
 met with, has been entirely avoided ; the artist had come to 
 perceive that he could produce brocade and damask, and 
 other things that change in colour, whether bright or 
 glittering, with his own brush, and hence had no further 
 need for such mechanical contrivances. 
 
 The figures in the principal picture, as well as those in 
 the side-panels, are symmetrical with the centre, but 
 with a great variety of important contrasts in the way 
 of form and gesture. The traditional Byzantine prin- 
 
 * The celebrated picture in the chapel of St. Agrnes in thn cathedral. 
 It appears doubtful whether the painting is by Meister Wilhelm ; for 
 it has been supposed to be the picture alluded to by Diirer in his 
 diary of his travels in the Low Countries, where he mentions having 
 paid two " white pennies" to see the picture which " Meister Stefl'au " 
 had painted in Cologne.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 409 
 
 ciple still predominates, but is treated with grace and 
 freedom. 
 
 A kindred species of this style of national peculiarity, is 
 to be found in the throng surrounding the principal group : 
 the maidens around Saint Ursula, and the knights accom- 
 panying Gereon, all appear, as it were, in oriental masks. 
 But the two kings kneeling are perfect portraits, and we are 
 disposed to maintain the same of the Virgin. We will 
 not add more about this rich piece of composition and its 
 various points of excellence, for the Annual, for Lovers 
 of Early German Times and Art,* gives a very welcome 
 copy of this admirable work, together with a full account 
 of it ; we should offer the treatise our undivided thanks, 
 were it not that the account is pervaded by a kind of 
 enthusiastic mysticism, the effect of which is not beneficial 
 either to art or to the cause of knowledge. 
 
 As this picture bears evidence of the master's great 
 practical experience, others of the same description may 
 be found when a careful investigation is made, even though 
 a number may in the course of time, have become 
 wholly destroyed and others left altogether un cared for, 
 owing to a subsequent and different style of art. To us 
 they would be an important document, showing a decided 
 step made by art to rid itself of a stereotyped reality, and 
 to work itself free from a general national type of face to 
 the perfect reality of a portrait. From this deduction we 
 feel convinced that the painter of this picture, be his 
 name what it may, was truly German in mind and origin, 
 and hence that there is no need to appeal to any Italian 
 influence in explanation of the merits of his style. 
 
 As the picture was painted in 1410, it belongs to the 
 time when Johann van Eyckf was already a distinguished 
 
 * Tascheribuch fur Freunde altdeuttcher Zeit und Run ft, published 
 in Cologne. Wallraf 's account of the same picture appeared in the 
 volume for the year 1816. 
 
 t Johann van Eyck, also known by the name of John of Bruges, is 
 said to have been born in 1370, and began studying painting under his 
 elder brother Hubert. He is specially famous as the improver and 
 supposed inventor of oil-painting, by having discovered a means of 
 giving consistency to colours without drying them in the sun, and by 
 adding a waterproof varnish that added to the clearness and brilliancy 
 of the colours.
 
 410 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 artist, and thus serves in some way to account for the 
 incomprehensible excellence of Eyck's style, for it shows 
 us what sort of artists lived contemporaneously with this 
 admirable painter. We called the Dombild (Cathedral 
 picture) the point at which the early Netherland School 
 took a new turn, and we here add that we consider Eyck's 
 works as belonging to the period when the revolution of 
 that style was completed. Even in the early Byzantine, 
 Lower Rhenish pictures, we find the stereotyped carpets 
 sometimes treated in perspective, even though somewhat 
 awkwardly. In the Cathedral Picture there is no per- 
 spective, the simple gold background precludes this. Now 
 Eyck cast aside everything of the stamped style as well as 
 the gold back-ground ; a free space was thus gained, upon 
 which not merely the principal figures, but all the subor- 
 dinate figures were represented as perfectly life-like in 
 face, figure, and dress, and every detail also was accurately 
 described. 
 
 Difficult as it always is to give an account of such a man 
 as Eyck, we shall, nevertheless, venture upon an attempt, in 
 the hope that the reader may one day have an opportunity 
 of examining his works. And, to begin with, we shall 
 not hesitate for a moment to rank Eyck among the chief 
 of those whom Nature has endowed with artistic talents. 
 He, moreover, had the good fortune to live in an age when 
 art had reached a high degree of technical excellence 
 universally practised, and which had reached a certain 
 limit. In addition to this he had become aware of a higher, 
 nay, the very highest technical advantage in painting ; 
 for, be it as it may with regard to the discovery of oil-paint- 
 ing, we do not hesitate to maintain that Eyck was the 
 first who mixed the oily substances previously merely 
 been smeared over the pictures when finished among the 
 colours themselves, and that he used the oils that dried the 
 quickest, colours that were clearest and covered least 
 thickly ; this he did in order that, when laying on the 
 paints, the light of the white ground, and that colour upon 
 colour, might shine through according as he wished. Now, 
 as the whole -force of colour which is in itself dark is 
 not excited by light being reflected from it, but l>y being 
 made to shine through, the highest physical and artistic
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 411 
 
 requirements were satisfied by this discovery and style of 
 treatment. The appreciation for colour, too, was innate 
 in Eyck, as the Netherlander. The power of colour was 
 known to him as well as to his contemporaries, and thus 
 he brought matters so far to speak merely of drapery 
 and tapestry that the appearance of the canvas far sur- 
 passed that of the reality. This, of course, could be done 
 only by the genuine artist, for actual sight is dependent 
 upon an endless number of coincidences both as regards 
 the eye itself as well as the objects to be seen ; while, on 
 the other hand, the artist paints according to rules, as to 
 how the objects are to be distinguished from one another 
 by light, shade, and colour, and to be viewed, in their 
 utmost visibleness, by good, sound eyesight. Eyck, further, 
 made himself master of perspective, and was intimately 
 acquainted with the variety presented by landscapes, 
 more particularly with an endless number of different 
 buildings, and these now took the place of the scanty 
 background of gold or tapestry. 
 
 It will seem strange when we add that, while Eyck cast 
 aside the material and mechanical imperfections of the old 
 style of art, he omitted to retain a technical excellence 
 which had, up to that time, been silently preserved the 
 principle of symmetrical composition. Still, this was the 
 natural result of an extraordinary mind like his, for when 
 breaking through the material shell he was not likely to 
 stop and consider that there might be another ideal mental 
 limit beyond, one which he would fight against in vain, and 
 to which he would have to submit, or else create another 
 according to his own idea. Eyck's compositions, therefore, 
 are of the greatest truth and beauty, although they do not 
 satisfy the actual demands of art, and it seems, in fact, as 
 if he had intentionally not made use of anything that his 
 predecessors possessed or practised. In those of his 
 pictures we have become acquainted with, there is no 
 group to be compared with those of the little angels by 
 the side of Saint Veronica, spoken of above. Now as 
 nothing that is meant to please the eye, can exercise 
 any charm unless it possesses symmetry, Eyck as a man 
 of taste and fine feeling of course produced this after 
 his own fashion, and moreover, has done so in such a
 
 412 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 manner that the effect is more agreeable and forcible than 
 what is merely symmetrical in art and wanting in 
 naivete, for then the work will appeal only to the under- 
 standing, and only awaken our power of calculation. 
 
 If our readers have followed us thus far patiently, and 
 those who are acquainted with the subject agree with us 
 that every advance from a stiffened, antiquated, artificial 
 condition to a free, life-like truth to Nature, is immediately 
 followed by a loss which can be rectified only very gradu- 
 ally, and often not for many years we may now pass on 
 and examine Eyck's peculiar style, for we shall be inclined 
 unconditionally to honour his individual characteristics. 
 Even the earlier artists of the Netherland School had been 
 inclined to depict the affecting subjects offered by the New 
 Testament in a kind of sequence ; and we find that Eyck's 
 great work, which adorns this collection, also consists of a 
 central picture and two side-panels ; we have the thoughtful 
 artist, with a fine feeling and appreciation for his subject, 
 depicting a connected trilogy. On our left we have the 
 most youthful-looking maiden receiving from a heavenly 
 youth the announcement of some strange event. In the 
 central picture we see her as a happy, astonished mother, 
 honoured in her son. On the right hand picture again, 
 we find her leading her child into the temple to be 
 presented to the Lord ; she herself appears almost the 
 matron with the earnestness of her presentiment of what 
 is before the boy whom the High Priest is welcoming 
 with delight. The expression of the face of the Virgin in 
 all three pictures, and her figure and attitude in each case 
 at first kneeling, then sitting, and at last standing are 
 all alike charming and dignified. The position of the 
 different persons towards one another, on all of the three 
 paintings, bears evidence of very refined feeling. In the 
 scene in the temple there is, moreover, a species of 
 parallelism which is accomplished, apart from the central 
 piece, by a contrast of characters a kind of mental 
 symmetry so deeply felt and so significant that the 
 spectator is attracted and interested, although it is an 
 excellence that cannot be measured by the standard of 
 perfect art. 
 
 Thus Johann van Eyck, as an artist of admirable thought
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 413 
 
 and feeling, managed to produce an increased variety 
 among his principal figures ; and is equally successful in 
 his representation of the different localities. The Annun- 
 ciation takes place in a closed room, narrow hut lofty, the 
 light coming in through the wing of an upper window. 
 Everything in the room is neat and orderly as befitting 
 innocence, whose thoughts are confined to itself and its 
 immediate surroundings. The seats against the walls, the 
 prie-dieux, the bedstead, all are neat and smooth. The 
 bed is covered with red and curtained, everything 
 described in the most admirable manner, even the 
 brocaded back of the bed. The central picture, on the 
 other hand, presents the freest of views, for the noble but 
 ruined chapel of the centre serves more as a frame for the 
 various objects than to conceal them. To the left of the 
 spectator is a town somewhat in the distance, with a 
 number of streets and houses full of bustle and activity ; 
 the town comes into the picture, as it were, from the back- 
 ground, leaving a broad open field. This latter, which is 
 adorned with various kinds of rural objects, extends away 
 to a well-watered district. To the right of the spectator a 
 view is obtained of a portion of a round temple several 
 stories in height ; the interior of this rotunda, is depicted 
 on the adjoining panel, and contrasts most admirably in 
 height, width, and brightness, with the other panel 
 representing the Virgin's little room. 
 
 When we repeat that every object in the three pictures 
 is described in the most perfect manner, and with the 
 utmost accuracy, a general idea may be formed of the 
 excellence of these well-preserved paintings. And all the 
 various parts are treated with the same care, from the 
 dilapidated, tumble-down walls and the grass growing on 
 the decaying thatched roof to the bejewelled goblets of 
 gold, fiom the drapery of the figures to the countenances, 
 from the nearest point to the most distant part in the 
 picture ; and there is not a spot upon these panels which 
 would not gain by being examined with a magnifying 
 glass. The Bailie may be said of a single panel upon 
 which Lucas * has depicted the Madonna suckling her child. 
 
 * Lucas of Leydcn, 1494-1533. The picture mentioned above is 
 now in the Pinakothek in Munich.
 
 414 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAB. 
 
 This leads us to speak of the important circumstance 
 that Eyck's ideas of synimetry a matter so . urgently 
 demanded by us are shown more in his surroundings, 
 and thus offer an artistic and pleasant expedient in place 
 of the uninteresting background of gold. And although 
 his figures may not move or stand towards one another 
 altogether in accordance with the rules of art, still we 
 have a definite locality which prescribes a distinct limit, 
 and makes it appear as if their natural and, so to say, 
 accidental gestures had been regulated in the most plea- 
 sant manner. 
 
 But all that has been said, in spite of our en- 
 deavour to be accurate and definite, must remain mere 
 words, unless the reader has himself seen the pictures. It 
 is exceedingly to be wished, therefore, that the proprietors 
 would publish accurate copies -of moderate size in the first 
 instance of these pictures, in order that those who have 
 not had the good fortune to see the paintings, might 
 examine and judge for themselves about what has been 
 stated of them. 
 
 In expressing this wish, we remember with all the more 
 regret the loss we have sustained by the early death of 
 Epps, a young man of promising talent, whose taste had 
 been educated by the works of this collection. His name, 
 is still held in honour by all who knew him, especially 
 by those amateurs who possess copies of ancient works 
 from his hand, and which he made with the utmost fidelity 
 and diligence. Still there is no need to despair utterly, 
 for a very skilful artist has associated himself with the 
 proprietors, and is now devoting himself to the care of 
 the important collection. He would give the best evidence 
 of his admirable talent and conscientious spirit were he to 
 undertake to make copies of the pictures, and to publish 
 them in the manner suggested above. Were such a work 
 in the possession of all those interested in art, many other 
 remarks might be added here, which, as things are at 
 present, would only confuse the imagination; this gene- 
 rally happens when any attempt is made to describe a 
 picture in words. 
 
 Very unwillingly do I make a break here, for the very 
 things which would now, in their turn, have to be dis-
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 4J5 
 
 cussed, offer a great deal both of what is pleasing .nd 
 enjoyable. Of Johann van Eyck himself we must not 
 add more at present, for we shall have to return to him 
 when speaking of subsequent artists. In the artists 
 who directly follow him we need as little assume any 
 foreign influence. In fact, when endeavouring to esti- 
 mate the value of any unusual degree of talent, it is but 
 a poor expedient rashly to speculate where the man may 
 have derived all his advantages. A child growing up to 
 manhood does not find Nature presented to him in all its 
 simplicity and nakedness ; for the divine power of his 
 ancestors has created for him a second world in the already 
 existing world. Enforced habits, usages, popular customs, 
 venerable traditions, precious monuments, useful laws, 
 and the many glorious productions of art, enthral and 
 influence him to such a degree, that he is never quite 
 able to distinguish between what is original in him and 
 what hereditary. He makes use of the world as he finds it, 
 and is perfectly right in so doing. 
 
 An artist may, therefore, be called original when he 
 treats the objects around him in an individual, national, 
 and, above all, in a traditional manner, and succeeds in 
 forming them into one well-arranged whole. Hence, 
 when speaking of a man of this kind, it is our duty first 
 of all to consider what ability he possesses, in how far it 
 has been developed, and then to inquire into his immediate 
 circumstances and in how far they offered him subjects, 
 contrivances, and ideas; only at the last may we look 
 around .and examine not only what he knew of foreign 
 things, but more especially in what way he made use of 
 them. For the spirit of much that is good, pleasant, and 
 useful, flits about the earth often for centuries before its 
 influence is directly felt. We often wonder, when reading 
 history, at the slow progress made by mere mechanical 
 contrivances. The Byzantines had the precious works of 
 Hellenic art before their eyes without being able to rise 
 out of the wretchedness uf their mummified style of 
 painting. Can we detect in Albrecht Diirer's works 
 any special evidence of his having been in Venice? ThiR 
 excellent artist can in all cases bo comprehended only 
 from his own works.
 
 416 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 This is the kind of patriotism I should wish to see, for 
 it is a kind to which every kingdom, every country and 
 province, nay, to which every town is entitled; for by 
 exalting the character of the individual man which con- 
 sists in his not allowing himself to be mastered by cir- 
 cumstances, but by mastering and directing them himself 
 we are conferring upon every nation, and part of a nation, 
 the right and honour of likewise possessing a character of 
 its own, which will reveal itself in the artist, or a man 
 eminent in some other way. It is in this manner that we 
 shall proceed when discussing such estimable artists as 
 Hemmelinck,* Israel van Mecheln, Lucas van Leyden, 
 Quintin Messis,t and others. All of them keep within 
 their native sphere, and our duty will be, as far as possible, 
 to refuse to admit any foreign influence upon their merits. 
 Thereupon, we have Schoreel, and later, Hemskerck, 
 and several others, whose talents were cultivated in Italy, 
 but who, nevertheless, could not cast aside their Netherland 
 origin. In these cases there may be found some evidence 
 of the example set by Leonardo da Vinci, Correggio, 
 Titian, and Michel Angelo, but the Netherlander remains 
 the Netherlander, nay, their national characteristics pre- 
 dominate to such a degree that they, in the end, shut 
 themselves up within their own magic circle, and refuse 
 every kind of foreign culture. In this way Rembrandt 
 gives proof of the most eminent artistic talent, and he 
 found material and stimulus enough in his own imme- 
 diate surroundings, without having the slightest know- 
 ledge that such people as the Greeks or Romans ever 
 existed. 
 
 If we have succeeded in giving the account we proposed, 
 it will now be time to turn to the Upper Rhine, and endea- 
 
 * Hans Hemmelinck (also called Memlinc) was born in 1440, and 
 was alive 1509. His most celebrated picture is 11 large altarpiece now in 
 the Mnrien Kirche in Dantzig, which represent*, on three panel*, The 
 Last Judgment, Hell, and the Abode of the Sleesed. The work was 
 formerly ascribed to other artists, but is row generally acknowledged 
 to be Hemmelinck's ; it bears the date 1487. 
 
 t Quintin Messis, 1460-1530, is said to have originally been a smith, 
 and is hence often called tlie Smith of Antwerp; he is further said to 
 have taken up painting from having fallen in love with the daughter 
 of an artist.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 417 
 
 vour to find out the main excellencies and characteristic 
 features of the Upper German school, and, moreover, in 
 the different localities in Swabia, Franconia, and Bavaria. 
 In this case, too, our first duty will be to make clear to 
 ourselves the difference, nay, the contrast between the two 
 schools, in order that the one school may appreciate the 
 good points of the other ; that the eminent men of both 
 may receive their due, and that the one party may acknow- 
 ledge the progress made by the other ; in short, that every- 
 thing good and excellent arising from the principles of 
 both schools may be brought prominently forward. In 
 this manner we shall gladly give German art of the 
 fifteenth and sixteenth centuries its due honour, and the 
 froth of over-estimation, which is even now so objectionable 
 to connoisseurs and lovers of art, will gradually disappear. 
 With a feeling of assurance we may then look further to 
 the east and south, and with good-will join our associates 
 and neighbours there. 
 
 In offering the public these pages, which are addressed 
 to the present day, we may be allowed to hope that they 
 may exercise both a kindly influence upon the age itself, 
 and also be supported and encouraged by it. This can be 
 accomplished only by a fulfilment of the reasonable wishes 
 we have expressed, and by an inquiry being made into 
 the problematical suggestions proposed, but more parti- 
 cularly by the continued activity of those interested in 
 the subjects. The Boissere'es' collection of plates has mean- 
 while been making considerable progress. Moller, too, 
 has finished the first engraving of the original plan of the 
 Cologne Cathedral, and has also published two parts of his 
 valuable drawings of early German buildings and monu- 
 ments; they are executed in the most careful and neatest 
 manner. We must also add that, following the example of 
 the forerunner of the art-treasures which required to be 
 rescued from their state of bondage, and which greeted 
 ns on our arrival in Cologne others likewise which were 
 distributed over all parts of the world, are now return- 
 ing to their original homes. In this way an appreciation 
 for art will again be awakened in every country and pro- 
 vince, and a new direction given both to the study and 
 the actual practice of art. 
 
 2 E
 
 418 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY EEMARKS ON HEIDELBERG. 
 
 With regard to the Boisserees' collection, we have still 
 to add that, within the past year, it has been considerably 
 increased, more especially with admirable paintings be- 
 longing to the Upper German School. Of such masters 
 who had not been previously represented, paintings have 
 been acquired of Wohlgemuth,* Altdorfer, and Beuckelaer, 
 and also of an excellent Cologne artist hitherto quite 
 unknown Johann von Melem, after the style of Schoreel ; 
 all are important pictures, some of them even master- 
 pieces. Of such masters as were already represented, 
 additional works have been obtained of Martin Schon, 
 J. J. Walch, a portrait-painter contemporary with Diirer, 
 one by Diirer himself and one by Johann Mabuse. Mabuse 
 is one of the most eminent early painters of the Nether- 
 land School, and is also remarkable for the variety he 
 exhibits in his treatment of his subjects ; all the greater, 
 therefore, is the good fortune of this collection to have 
 gained possession of several of his master-pieces, perfect 
 treasures in the way of execution and preservation, and 
 these pictures, moreover, are from different periods of the 
 artist's life. But, perhaps, the most precious of all, is 
 the late addition of Diirer's Descent from the Cross. 
 
 We must further not omit to mention that the pro- 
 prietors of this collection, owing to their extensive and 
 favourable connections, have the immediate prospect of 
 increasing it systematically, and of making it more and 
 more complete. They entertain a well-founded hope of 
 soon recovering several extremely precious works for the 
 elucidation of the history of German art, which have for 
 centuries been scattered about in foreign lands, and of 
 including these among the other works they possess of 
 
 the kindred sphere of art. 
 
 ****** 
 
 On the Lower Rhine adequate institutions for the study 
 
 * Michael Wohlgemuth, who lived from 1434 to 1519, was a painter 
 and engraver in wood in Niiruberg. Albrecht Altdorfer (1488-1538), 
 who lived principally in Regensburg, is regarded as one of the moat 
 eminent successors of Albrecht Diirer.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 419 
 
 of science and art are being established, and as far as I 
 know, everything that could be desired is being done 
 and industriously carried forward. If it should be our 
 good fortune to visit the Upper Ehine again, Mannheim, 
 Schwetzingen, and the Duke's collection of German 
 antiquities at Erbach would offer the finest material ; 
 Carlsruhe also, with its gardens and botanical institutions, 
 its beautiful collections of objects in Natural History and 
 Art, and its new and important buildings, would offer 
 an opportunity for the most suggestive considerations. 
 
 We must now offer the Upper Khine our congratulations 
 upon its enjoying the rare advantage of possessing, in 
 Mr. Hebel,* a national poet thoroughly imbued with the 
 spirit of his native country, one who looks from the 
 highest stage of culture down upon his immediate sur- 
 roundings, throwing out the network of his talents, as it 
 were, to fish up the peculiarities of his countrymen and 
 contemporaries, in order afterwards to depict these to 
 them for their own amusement and edification. In doing 
 this we are led to think of the manuscripts about to be 
 returned to Heidelberg,* and thus of the literary collec- 
 tions of the early German period, and are reminded of 
 the early stages of poetic art in the same way as we have 
 hitherto recalled the early forms of painting, and find that 
 the remarks just made apply to this case likewise ; for 
 here, too, the order of the day is over-estimation, misre- 
 presentation, and an unfortunate kind of accommodation. 
 However, in this respect also, we have the assuring hope 
 that when the extravagant delight in things newly dis- 
 covered or newly observed, has somewhat abated, it will 
 
 * Johann Peter Hebel (1760-1814) h..d since 1791 been a teacher at 
 the Gymnasium in Carlsruhe, and afterwards held the position of 
 Director of the school. Goethe's attention had been drawn to him 
 upon tlio publication of the first edition of his Allemannische Getlichte, 
 and the second edition he himself reviewed in the Jena Allegmeine 
 Literatur Zeitung. 
 
 t Boisseiee writes to Goethe from Heidelberg on December 2, 1815 : 
 "You will be glad to hear that the Pope has consented to allo<v the 
 thirty -nine manuscripts belonging here lo be returned from Paris; 
 Prince Hardenberg announced the fact to the University the day before 
 yesterday. There is ns yet no reply to the other request respecting 
 the larger portion which is meanwhile still in Rome." See also p. 423. 
 
 2 2
 
 420 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 soon give place to a true knowledge of the subject and 
 well-directed activity. 
 
 The primary object of these pages which, it is true, 
 originated quite accidentally, was merely to discuss 
 art and antiquity ; but how can these two subjects 
 be conceived apart from science, and these three again 
 apart from Nature ? Hence, bit by bit, everything that 
 fell in the way of the eye and hand fitted in with the rest. 
 A kindly acceptance of what is herewith presented, and 
 what, in reality, can be looked upon merely as a con- 
 tinual offering of thanks on the part of the traveller for 
 the many acts of kindness he has met with, may encourage 
 him to make a continuation. 
 
 In conclusion I cannot refrain from mentioning, that 
 fortune seems to be favouring the wishes and projects of 
 all lovers of art. For a second original plan of the 
 Cologne Cathedral has been found in Paris, of which I can 
 give some account, having seen it myself, and can confirm 
 . the reports I had heard previously. 
 
 Of this plan, and of the other sketches that accompany 
 it, the following remarks may be added. The largest is, 
 in respect to size and style of drawing, the exact counter- 
 part of the one now in Darmstadt.* The latter represents 
 the northern tower, whereas the new one describes the 
 southern one, with only this difference that it likewise 
 includes the whole of the adjoining central gable, together 
 with the principal entrance and the windows. Hence, the 
 injury done to the one in Darmstadt, by a piece having 
 been torn off, can be repaired. The newly-discovered 
 plan is altogether some three feet and two inches (Rhenish) 
 in breadth, and thirteen feet two inches in length. 
 
 On the second sheet we have the plan of the southern 
 tower to the right of the main entrance given on the same 
 scale, and drawn by the same hand in the most careful 
 manner possible. On a third is a sketch of the second 
 storey of the tower from the east, giving the diameter of 
 the end which joins the nave of the church ; this is drawn 
 on a different scale and by a different hand, less finely 
 and carefully, but is also original, inasmuch as, like the 
 
 * The plan was at that time being engraved by Moller of Darmstadt, 
 for BoissereVs work on the Cologne Cathedral, see p. 417.
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 421 
 
 principal sketch, it not only differs in one essential point 
 from the actual building, but also to some extent differs 
 from the principal sketch itself. To judge from the 
 subject alone, it is clear that the last-mentioned drawing 
 was made merely to be of assistance during the actual 
 work of building, and for this very reason is specially 
 remarkable and instructive. It is thought to be the 
 work of the superintendent of the Bauhutte.* Both 
 drawings are of the same size, over three feet long and 
 two and a half feet broad, are made on parchment and are 
 in a good state of preservation. 
 
 As regards the preservation of the large sketch, it has 
 not suffered any great injury except in a few small points. 
 But, on the other hand, it shows many signs of wear, and 
 has here and there been touched up by a subsequent hand, 
 unnecessarily however. Both for this reason, and because 
 the sketch and the accompanying sheets treat of the one 
 tower furthest advanced in construction, and also because 
 nothing whatever was known in Cologne itself about this 
 second sketch, but only of the one at present in Darmstadt, 
 formerly preserved in the archives of the Cathedral, it 
 may be assumed that the sketch was used in the Bauhutte, 
 and that it had been taken from Cologne long ago. 
 This might have happened the more readily as the 
 
 architects of Cologne were often called to foreign parts. 
 
 * * * * * 
 
 We at present, it is true, find patriotic Germans devoting 
 themselves zealously, in thought, to the enjoyment of their 
 sacred architectural monuments, in maintaining those that 
 are completed or but half completed ; and we also find that 
 in some places the necessary funds exist, while in other 
 cases endeavours are being made to re-acquire money that 
 has drifted into other channels. Still we cannot but 
 experience a feeling of uneasiness when we observe that 
 not only the pecuniary resources are in a miserable state, 
 but that the resources of art itself and of workmanship 
 have almost entirely disappeared. In vain do we look 
 around for a number of persons capable and willing to 
 
 * The name of a society of artists founded for the preservation of 
 architectural works.
 
 422 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 undertake such work. On the other hand history teaches 
 us that in former days masons' work was done by members 
 of a large and extensive closed guild, and executed under 
 the strictest forms and regulations. 
 
 Stone-masons had, in fact, risen to a very favourable 
 position in the civilised world, from having obtained a 
 place midway between the fine arts and the trades. 
 They called themselves a fraternity, and their statutes 
 were ratified by the Emperor. The society originated 
 from the immense power and perseverance of mankind, 
 but at the same time from the demand for these gigantic 
 buildings which had to be erected almost simultaneously. 
 An enormous number of boys, youths, and men, trained for 
 the purpose, were at work all over Germany, in every one 
 of the principal towns. The chiefs of this large army of 
 workers had their head-quarters in Cologne, Strassburg, 
 Vienna and Zurich ; and each stood at the head of his 
 district according to its geographical position. 
 
 When we examine the internal organisation of this 
 society, we come upon the word (Htitte) hut or lodge, at 
 first in its simple meaning, of a space covered by boards 
 or planks where the stone-mason executed his work, but 
 then also in its figurative sense as the seat of the judge, 
 of the archives and of the upholder of all rights. When 
 a building was to be begun, a plan was drawn up by the 
 master, which, when approved of by the architect, was 
 placed in the hand of the artist as a document and agree- 
 ment. All airangements about apprentices, workmen and 
 servants, their learning or receiving stated work, their 
 artistic, technical and moral obligations, are specified in 
 full detail, and all their actions based upon the most 
 delicate code of honour. On the other hand, they enjoyed 
 great advantages by belonging to the fraternity, a most 
 effectual one being to make themselves understood to 
 others of their craft by secret signs and sayings, through- 
 out the whole building-world ; that is to say, through- 
 out the whole civilised, semi-civilised, and uncivilised 
 world. 
 
 When we think of the numberless multitudes of men of 
 every degree of skilfulness, organised in this manner,
 
 ART COLLECTIONS. 423 
 
 working hand in hand with their master, certain of daily 
 occupation for their livelihood, provided for in case of old 
 age or illness, inspired by religion, animated by art, and 
 controlled by custom, we begin to comprehend how such 
 immense structures were planned, undertaken, and, if 
 not actually completed, still carried out further than 
 would otherwise have been conceivable. When further 
 we bear in mind that it was one of the rules and conditions 
 of the fraternity, that the enormous edifices were con- 
 structed for a daily wage, in oder that the smallest detail 
 might receive the utmost care, we may well give heed 
 and with hesitation ask ourselves what we, in our day, 
 could accomplish of a similar description. 
 
 If at some future day we may be enabled to give some 
 fuller account of the Stone-mason Fraternity, our thanks 
 will be due to worthy Dr. Ehrmann, of Frankfort, a man 
 of eminent intelligence, who has kindly communicated to 
 me from his wealth of antiquarian possessions, a collection 
 of records and reports, together with some notes and a 
 
 pamphlet of his own. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Our efforts in regard to art in the south-west have been 
 supplemented by a very desirable undertaking of Dr. 
 Biisching's in the north-east, communicated to the Weekly 
 Reports for Patrons of the History of Art and Learning in 
 the Middle Ages ; and these ought not to remain unknown 
 to any one interested in that period. His casts in iron 
 of old Silt-sian coins, also commend themselves as worthy 
 of imitation, even though made of a different material ; 
 the amateur would thus have in his hand ruinature 
 mementos of art, the originals of which he could hardly 
 hope ever to possess. 
 
 Extremely pleasant as well as significant it is to us to 
 be able, in conclusion, to add the news that, at the most 
 gracious intercession of their Majesties the Emperor of 
 Austria and the King of Prussia, His Holiness the Pope has 
 handed over to the University of Heidelberg not only the 
 works that belonged to the former library of the Palatinate, 
 found in Paris, but has likewise ordered the return of 
 other eight hundred and forty-seven volumes which had 
 originally belonged to the collection, and are at present
 
 424 THE RHINE, MAINE, AND NECKAR. 
 
 in the library of the Vatican. Every German knows the 
 value of this gift too well, for there to be any need of 
 further comment in regard to it. We may be permitted 
 to add here that many of the wishes entertained by 
 Germany have been fulfilled since the traveller was met 
 in Cologne by the joyful tidings of the return of its 
 patron saiut ! 
 
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