Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-18

mate by critical analysis and comparison the extent to
which Goethe has derived materials and aid from the
works Of his predecessors We question greatly, how
ever If the most patriotic German would not be
compelled by candor TO admit that Caderons play enti
tied E Mogieo ProdgosO," has furnished him with the
entire plot Of his Faust" 1t is impossible that Goethe
could have been ignorant of this Spanish in
dramatic art Out of Germany, at least, it can be
to intimate the suspicion that he has been ndebt
ed to it for the whole plan and of the dramatic
mystery" That the prologue has been borrowedfrom
Lessing is universally admitted Indeed Goethe would
seem have resembled Lord Byron the Kaleidoscope
power which he possessed work into and fantastic
shapes all the thoughts and ideas which foated before his
vision whether presented his mental gaze by memory,
passing before his eye in the contemporary literature
of his day. His obligations Miller who also preceded
him in the publication Of drama Faust though appa-
rent in detached passages all important ele
ment in appreciang his originality And, after all the
abatement that may be made, there will still remain
enough Of Goethss in this In an his wor TO yindi
cate his clains 70 original geyius
But, leaving the plot and origin Of Goethes Faust, let
US turn attention for moment to what is called its
philosophy. That itteaches philosophy and most in
valuable one every German is ready to asseverae, but
what it is two Of that metaphysical nation agreed
upon. Tie theories, specuations and commentaries
which it has engendered in number numberless." II
has been made the vehicle and exponent of doctrines the
multiform and diverse subjects metaphysical,
moral and religious sort Of literary Proteus assuming
the form of an Epicurus and Of Zeno in ethics
ia philosophy appearing alternately the expounder of
idealism and Of the sheerest materiasm in reli
gion, and the time made to do service in the
cause of desm atheism and pantheism Creeds the
variant have agreed in making it textbook in which to
seek confirmation for their peculiar enets and thus
it has pass that every thing has, at time
another been proved out Of Faust" What really
Goehes object in the conception and execution of this
drama would therefore be involved in meshes Of
doubt intricate a Gordian knot such knot
at least consider it, and shall apply Aexanders conpen
dous method for its solution. We believe that Goethes
only object in writing Faust to write without object
We do not believe it has any allpervadng and unifying
aim and if had, might well inquire what it good
for if nobody is know it Goethe, believe, has
constructed the drama to render it utterly impossible
reduce its parts any kind of unity he simply sought
in Faust subject which he could treat give full
scope the universally and exuberance of his genius
Just Sir Walter Scott used say that he sometimes
commenced romance in happy of recklessness'
how it was to be conducted, and how it should end
The manner in which Goethe composed this drama
firms such hypothesis. He confessed TO William
Humboldt that he had worked the Faust (includng
Part H. during sixty years. celebrating at wide inter-
walls its separate passages and at last reducing them TO
their present order and combination. 81 found great
said Goethe another occasion, when speak
ing Of the genesis of " Faust" to accomplish by plan
and arrangement that which the spontaneous activity of
nature alone properly produce" Itexhbit in fact
artificial congeres instead of possessing natural and
homogeneous conformation "The poem, says Schlegel,
was its very origin destined to remain fragment
But whatever one may think of its toay, the details
are admirable This reminds Of anecdote which
have from the celebrated Dr. Zmmermann who very
intimate with Goethe during his youth Faust" had
been already announced and its appearance expected at
early date. Zimmerman, happening to visit weimer,
asked of his friend the news about the forthcoming
position Goethe brought Bag filed with small bits Of
paper he then emptied the table, and said There's
my Faust"
"For thirty years." says Goethe himself, in letter to
his friend Falk the critics have been sorey vexed by
the broomsticks on the Blocksburg and the Apes Dia
logue, in the witchs Kitchen Really people should
learn when they young to make and take joke, and
to throw away scraps scraps If the critics had only
followed this advice and thrown away scraps scraps
they might have saved themselves deal Of misap-
piled erudition and booess labor they certainly would
not have expended much learned gable in the critical
exegesis of few nonsense verses" in the appca-
ton of hermeneucs to the poetca gbbersh of the two
monkeys who figured largely in Of the In
stead therefore Of supposng that Goethe entertained any
aperyadng motive in the composition Of his master
piece we prefer rather to regard it kind Of poetica
spicegum, in which he has gathered together by the
slightest bonds collection Of most suggestive thoughts
and feelings and fancies.
In reasoning thus far on the Faust We have left the
Second Part entirely out Of its composition
so evidently an of Goethes that it does
deserve at all into any critical appreciation
Of that which belongs Faust properly so called On
literary history Suffice it for the present to say with
Mr. Bernays whose book have placed at the head Of
columns that the Second Part presents nothing
than shadowy gleam nsubstantial halo, which gives
to the whole poem strange and unreal appearance. We
have Pharsalian fields mixed up with Gothic castles
phinxes and seveneague boots stand within short dis
ances Of another and Jupiter and Jehovah min
gled in nexricable confusion. We have Helen rediUipa
in strange, mysterious, uninteligbe manner and
disappearing much she appeared We have plains and
mountains in the land Of Ncwhere emperors and rival
emperors marshals and archbshops fools and phanass
nameess and ddateless Mr. Bernayss theory for explain
ing the delightful obscurty Of all these is resolve the
whole poem into an allegory Of all theories the most
absurd.
We conclude by appendng poetical translation Of
Gretchens pathetic paint Mem Ruhe is hin being an
extract from ga unpublished poctcal version W of the
Faust The author claims for il other merit than that
of being attempt to combine the utmost lberaiy Of
rendering with jingle of rhyme such it is That it
poetical authority, already ntmated has pronounced
the original utterly untranslatable
My heart is lorn, His stately step,
Ny peace is o'er Ills princely guise,