Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-06-25
Literary Notice.

Tvs AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CoErHE--TRurH AND
PoErRy From MY LIrE.-Edited BY Parks God,c,n.
making its way in country. and several volumes
oil able TRANSACTIONS, containing selections from the
most distinguished OF the German Authors. have been
for some time before the public. But nothing has
hitherto appeared osuch general value and solid into.
rest as the Autobiography of Goethe or all the great
minds who have. during the last hundred years. illu-
mined the horizon OF German Literature, Goethe is,
by general consent, considered the bright particular
star And in this work he has not only portrayed the
gradu, growth of his own wonderful powers he has
not only pictured the sunny yet varied scenes oil his
infancy and childhood, confessed the budding passions,
the mistakes and faults Of his youth, and the perplex
Ing changes through which his gifted intellect worked
maturity but he has with kindly confidence, led us
into his domestic circle, made us acquainted with his
father and other and his sister and the fnmiy friends,
unit, their characters seem like " old familiar faces
which we too, have known and loved. His teachers
and aclu,intances, every mind that helped to give
new direction however transitory, or walked within
him new train OF thought however slight, has here
been embalned by tae hand OF affection and love.
Not only but, at every turning point OF the interest
ing tale the pen OF the ripe and finished Artist,
sums up in few deep sentences the philosophy OF the
transition or the question be one OF criticism or art,
he probes the problem to the bottom with thorough
an sea ching anay who proves that the object coli
eany before his mind IN the composition OF MS work
was not much the history of his own individual and
personal existence, bu, that he regarded this merely as
the leading thread to guide him amidst the involved
macs through which the present greatness OF his ma
Oh. interest Of his personal history, without the cpl.
soies Of his oves AMI sorrows his sickness and trials,
his Joys and temptations, would necessarily have be-
come dry and technical as all the Histories OF Ltera
ture are But here how tenderly and gracefully
be brnt tn. great ones OF his " fore the readers
eye How minuIey he delineates the features and
marks the expression of their loved countenances!
How faithfully he gives them iul and overlooking
credit for all their high deserts! How VITA an Impair
tial yet friendly hand he mentions the mistakes, yet
with al the ingenuity OF &c lune love, invcnts
for them all yet, throughout the whole perusa oil the
volumes the reader sces not the art and marks not the
workings OF the masters hand So sklully is the
tale drawn out, constantly does the unh1ging inter.
the narrative and its lh,ul episodes draw the
attention onward that Is not until the book IS laid
down. and the students mind revolves its substance
within himself. that he finds he has not only learned
the life OF Goethe, but has insensbly gained more
thorough ana complete acquaintance with the growth
oiG:rman Licratur and mor, intimate aud almost
personal acquaintance with its great men than can be
found any other work whatever Yet all this il done
90 quietly and unpretendingly. Scene after scene
pass before you parsonage after parsonage is intro
duced IRON the cradle manhood, from the hangers.
on of French Th"atrc up to the Emperor himself
als told and described iul and freely, yet without
bombaa or boasting, nay, without apparent effort.
There egns throughout the work the rich yet subdued
harmonious tone which lends an Understandable charm 10
the pictures OF the old masters All the skill OF the
list here oil the light and shade, all the boldncss Of
outline, and tenderness Of touch, yet over the whole
broods the pensive meowness Of age
lrt tAe candid critic cannot give unqualified ap-
PROBATION TO az the sentiments embodied in this :
irhsVe ~otk The philosophy is sometimes false, the
Religion and Theology often mischievously so. Yet
thlsmas' he said OF the Author, that he seldom Of
never dogmntzrs He depicts what were at certain
times The s''trs OF his own mind the modes ant
elanges OF his own belief, but without ever endorsing
tnen as ms o"n ultima conclusions He suggests
aii sets his readers 10 thinking for themselves with
ou' 'ner oeIns aoe to say, tor the most part what thu
real oplnio' OF the Author was Where he devate
from thus rule, ii will generally be found that il . on
~ eo,sldetng such saoJec,s, troma particular pon
IlTea IN hp add IL
written by deeply thoughtful mind, or il cannot b
IaAy understood or appreciated. To complete tn
sInay, however vii be absolutely necessary that tn
plan Of the Jealous Editor be fully carried ou. Th
PRESENT WORK, when complete, will only bring dow
Me career OF Goethe 10 the time when he took up hi
residence s.l at Weaar Nearly all Of his celebrate
"onhs"efe writer subsequently, and the Author ha
S9n'inued hts Autobioa raphy in the Tag and Jahrs
tiete which is but the sequel of the present work an
C"uo oy AL means follow His travels in Italy an
Germany would give sui further completeness 10
character well worth studying
hsio tue transa'orsihey have for the most part dor
theiT work well. We are sorry to see in MIR. Go,
WIN sponon, however, evident marks of haste ar
eareiessness, and numerous vulpa rsms md .ar
pn,a'es which which poorly represent Goe,hes m.,che
ef, N hs ss The verb ger inelegan,ly
didn't couldn't aud % OH are reueatrJiv .mnio
ed, without the slightest excuse. bad grammar q
ss',onsliy slips in Such phrases as in jify, SIRE
oil hghtnng' wouldn't give snap, and othen on;
a. bad, are painfully undigni6ed To this NAV he .
ded an occasional wrong use OF English words, a
not q leu positive msransations: Il is ludicrous,
instance, to see the German word Dom Ia Cathedr
translated by the English word Dome, and that, /
with regard to the Cathedral At Frankfort, which,
ing an old Gothic structure. has nothing about il d
could be, with any thing but gross architectural gr
rance, mlscalled Dome. These blemishes we *
10 see oil corrected in future edition. Mr. Hopk
portion Is more correct, and is free from ali .,
blemishes as the above but his style might be impr
eddy losing something OF the too literal fathtuln,
whose Germansm is occasionally more stron
marked than is necessary. A lte more easy
na'ura! flow would make his translations all that co
be desired. We shall look with no small interest
sns concluding halt Of this interesting work, the p
n.auon Of which has unaccoun,ably been della
longer than is beneficial either to the interest nj
public or the publishers