New-York daily tribune., 1844-06-12
From
JEAN PAUL.
BY pN. L. b. o'cAILAGHAN.

IN the town of WunScdel, situated almost Oh
the summit of a ,vd aud isolated mountain -
Bavaria, in the centre OF Germany, called the
Fichtelberce or P!ne mpHntan, where WINTER
reiyns for thrce.iDur,h5 OF the year, aud WhSic
summer Is $, bret that the inhabitants gather tn
harvest with gloyed hands was born JEAN fAUL
EKEpERIcK RlcHrsR, III an humble looking,
though comfortable log cabin. on the 2lst "i
March, l763 His tatocr WAS originally school
master, and organlst Ill Wunsledel; his mother
the daughter o u cloth weaver. But his father
having been promoted to the Office OF pastor N
the village OF Jobilz, removed thliher when H.
son was still but very young. His lie here, h
says, consisted IN il .rning everything. berevc
ed like a prince IN haii d dozen teachers but he
had scarcely good one. Yet he cnvied cverr
one who SAID his lesson we and enjoyed rcadl'g
together with his class, singers ENJOY u
blessed harmony OF theiC music
He learned the rudlmentS of the classics IRON
mis- father, who with every little sign OF talent
orimprovement, or burst out into joyful tears. bGl
farther than thus his education did not proceed
during his youth, Tor when he ieit J0Dltz al lhe
age of twelve years, and accompanied his lathcf
to Schwarzenbach on the Saalc, where the ett' r
was promoted TO Il richer Church, JEAN fA'''
was, in his own words, IAN empty transparent
skeleton, without learned nouiShment or mus
clc." vet, with:.l, with an enormous appetite, q
bul,mia ior books and book learning.
At Schwarzenbach ne renewed his studies
under the direction OF Werner, the master Of the
public school at taat place who pushed han inio
Greek, Latin and Hcbgew. Werner was Ill
adapted to superintend the education OF his new
pupil, who became soon preludlccd against h!n,
having one day discovered that he made use OF q
German printed transation when hearing his
pppil,s lessons IN the Hebrew Bible. From tbs
period he commenced coarse OF Scll-ustructoI
at the early ace of fifteen years. tbs studies
however were OF q most Heterogeneous order.
History. BcIlcs-icttres, Philosophy, Theology
Geography, Music and Chess. Speaking attct.
ward OF these studies, nc says, that no book
poured such oil oi JOY and OH OF nectar throusH
all the veins OF his beng, Ill 1t amounted It
physical extacy, as the reading of old Robinson
Crusoe
For Geography JEAN PAUL had never, 1t seems
great relish. Among all living authors he declafee
his belief that he understands the least OF Tn.
maps of countries, and II he retained IN his mnd
anv description of cty county, It was The hi!,
he acquired in travelling; " of which, part Is iht
ste,istcs oil q post wagon, par; what the pos
Jockey curSosily communicated N good gymnas-
tic German
His father soon saw that something else was
REQUISITE beside such . course as this aId ac
cordnsly sent young Richter in l7I9 to IN,
grandfather, whs resided III the neighbo!lGg city
OF Hot, for the purpose OF attending the town
school o: lhat place. Attired N ms native nome
spun, he became at first butt Tor the tricks ans
practical ioAcs for ms schoolmates, but he 500;
asserted ms superiority.
lie was no, long here when he lost his iatheT
he was soon after deprived OF the protection :"
his grandparents, and thus at the early age OF Il
he was called on IN a manner TO be the protector
of his Hotner, and the younger children TO whoh
the other branches OF her family were by no
means is;cndly disposed.
These cmbdrraSsnents winch would hay,
crushed another, served rather to stimulate hch-
ter. By the ADVICE oil u tca friends II was deter
mined that ne should study theology, and Tor that
purpose he was sent IL l1Sl, 10 the University o.
Leipsic, under the impression that youth needed
nothing there bGt certificate OF poverty 10 pro
cure him free tables and free lectures. But this
was Il sad mistake. he found himself withou,
friends in that noisy and expensive city, where
beaux cover the streets and flute; about Ike
butterflies in fine days
But love iur HIS mother ard the hope that be
should be able at some future day 10 aiieviaty
her painful condition, buoyed hun up III The puF-
suit of his studies. THESE studies however.
took now new direction. Foreign literature.
the French, as well as the English, held him
captive. Among the FIRST, the writings of Vol
tairc, Rousseau, Boieau, He!vetius, Tonssaint.
Among the latter Shakespeare, Pope Young,
Swift and Addison, seeai to have been ms fa
vorites.
Whilst engaged in these pursuits, his condition
in pecuniary pain, OF view was one OF The
most painful description. He was without none:
or resources, and his priYations were, conse-
quently, many. Oiten;i:ncs without fuel or food