New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-23

be introduced all at obsery anon and expere.s -,
taught him Of the ~asJiilg venemenee Of love.
Two years after tn appearance Of WeTther. Coo.A,
u found @, Nemar IN she ful enjoyment Of pah6c -
plause, possessed OF tie sGseioaa;e regard a 4
prince who had jus, inherited The ducal parple, s,r
rounded by the bes, srr.s and scholars OF termxny
and admired at court by circle celebrated for il, -
hnsment. lD due time he honoued with N,
various civil titles which most coveted By hs Cor.
tymen. Tic pencil Of Raphael almost made Nm !,
cardinals skill in poetry introduced Goethe ins H.
council ofhis sovereign but he never was withdraw
from literature by political ambition.
IfGoeile; amid his urrqualcd success IN German,
has uot in the same degree obtained the ssf-aces a
other nations tie exist IN the character OF h.
works. Instead Of describing sentiments OF tenderness
and true humanity, he has mOrc frequently ske.choi
the sorrows which spring nom the imagination Al
tie vices OF rchnemeul. In Germany, the charaSeen
in The Elective Affuiiics ACKNOWLEDGED u h
drawn with truth; in the United States, the bod
would he thrown aside false and dangerous kbi
en- human nature. ~
Among Tie sncenis we hear nothing OF the tormcas
of a diseased il-reguloiei mind a, least al the a.
of SaIplo. 4 man ike Rosseau could not have ben
formed under the institutions OF Atica; beings lie
Chde Harold and Lara ci the English poets, or Faas,
and Tlss0 OF the German, could not have been Invent
ed b. an early Greek writer. Human na,urc and asu-
ey under cheerful ASPECT, the dispenser OF socil
hapI uess anu Tie mother OF generous actions was the
theme OF the epic and tragic muse The bard OF Chios
was tie friend Of man. ard in the spirit of cheerful
bcncvolsnce exhibits Gaucus rejoicing IN hs youth
and glowing with generous emulation; Ncs;or, though
he had seen three OF men fade before him, sun
complaoenty contemplating the labOrs aud changes o.
being Hector. in the season ~ danger Welding FOR
uorcut 10 the soitnCss OF parental affection. In 10
mcr the scenes hopeful on the morning Of bat
tie when the wag-horsc = pranclng and The hero exi
ing as @ strong man before race. Bu. Goethe pse
The field at evening, when the weary are reunag
from the conflicts life with mangled hnhs AMI heavy
l. l.. i. 4Ift lIaI
hopeless dosire-women ianguishing from pass.os
VIII ch their own innocence condemns pefs ms y det-
cate selsibiity bro0dng over unreal pans uii tieg
urn every object in nature INTO nutnmem Tor ther
weakness. aud drink misanthropy oven irom the
sources OF love-"
But NOT ouly hos Goethe described the perverted
sentiments which grow out of vicious refinement.
Some OF bis works offensive from the ncitereucs
to moral effect prevailing both their plan and execa-
tion. There is cause 20 express both surprise and die
gust that % fine genius coarTsdnt oita ne sen.
fimcnfs ana principles much ne ltrfrg sprags Of
tcauty & man WHO he observes OF himself lad NJ
coiyed the vail OF poetry tom the hand OF truth
should ave sOopeO @ VIA adisgrdcctul popularity By
APP Cols 20 the weakness aud unworthy passions Of
human nature and darkened the clear revelations OF
celestial beauty by the mixture OF earthly passions.
For Gercictions ike these just indignation need
not spare it's censure bui Il must still be ackn0w
edged that Goethe has excelled ell his counirymea
the ease and grace of his style; aud his superiority
still moro cor sycuOus in his variety. Indeed, no two
of bis works have the same character. Other waters
multiply their efforts ON some one congenia cla's q
subjects: Goethe is universal. He dclineates not q
portion e lie world bui Tie whole. Msiori une moves
freely over the earth and 10y selects for itself no ans
tocrucy. in like manner the roe; has allowed hinsel
wander into all classes of society aud has Droaght
bu X INSPIRATION from ALL He treats successfully null
ii.ude Of subjects which would have bewdered inte-
Nor men, With 'he stem OF activity and unlm
pas-oncd Judgment he walks like the enchanted hero
of an Eas.ern through the hundred halls Of
the Clace OF invention and all the gates fly open al
his apI roach; but hardly has he entered when The
portals close again that none can follow IN his foot.
steps. ,;o ;a.. .,
plilOso Ler ia tie exponent Of its general culture.
Goethe In one sense the representative of his age.
The philosophy of Dcacarcs had introduced the splnt
of septioism; Noltaie, beginning with skeptcisln,
had proceeded to the work Of analysis; and in the
general proving 10 which all things were subjected, a
generation seemed resolved on considering what was 70
be thrown away and not what was 10 preserved. The
1itans went forth 10 destroy; and IN the overthrow
OF ancient supersitons, forms of government and
thought, the old world seemed coming 10 an end. At
tbs period Goethe appeared. He lived before The
EurOl can mind ready 20 rebuild and after u hf
caused the tmc-hOuorcc Institutions TO tottsr Faith IA
verbal inspiration eonei aud was Sill r0ther the
las oil 20 deny the existence OF the soa than 10 look
for sources Of truth within IT, This IL the moral and
political aspect Of Goethe az n writer. lie - not
dosluctlye. He came into a world Of runs but 10
had not viqor TO continue the warfare, nor creative
mower 10 cor siruct anew. And thus he foaied down
the cuIrent passyoy edAerng 10 the past, yet know.
Ing that il W0s the past; c0noclast himself, yet
knowing that he old images before which men bowed
down we've demolished. lis works have no gllmmT-
ing Of fuh; be cries hist aud let's the multitude
time 10 adore the Idol which he knows TO bc broken
His irhdeity reaches TO the affections and to intel-
gonco. liz writes of love; Gld II H. 10 recOuls ia SUI
ierinec and leave the surore lover to shoot himseK
He lies OF hero, the berator OF hls country, the
martyr for It's Independence and oonionndlng patriot
Ism with hbert-Llsn, he costs asde tie father Of q
family whom history had oxtoed "a represent reck-
lees seducer. He writes Of scholar, ouwaiching the
bear becoming wise with stores Of all knowledge and
makes him dissatisfied BY his acquisitions 10 sel
himself to the Devil for the opportunity OF sensual
J0ymen Everywhere the pages OF Goethe are stamped
with evidence that he has faith ia reason OF in The
heciOus-in God, IN man, or IN woman. VIII you
have The tyIe OF Goethe character Behold II IN his
conduct. In bis earlier lie he joined the army OF Pras-
sians when il invaded France 70 restore the Bou, bons
lie was no Roman Catholic; he new that legitimacy
was worn out supc siiiOn; he knew that tine oil no
ble.se Of France Lad Let Ia vitality and yet he takes
up 20 compel he worship of ;he public at desert
ed ehIines and broken affairs. Such he IN opening
manhood such was he as writer such was he
throughout h.s pilgrimage. GOethe-wbo N youia
Indifferent to God, and reveTentia only toward
roI and tie Bourbons-Goethe, who ia BIS maturity,
while bic country frOdden ulderfO0 By foreign IL
vGders, quietly studied Chinese or made experiments
in naiuI6l Ihloscl hy-GOe be, who wrote fnlsome
marrlns c-sOng to grace The nup;ias Of Napoleon
Goethe, tie Of eiors, who in his age becoming
Duke minister almost alone, with bu, one ally stood
oar against the freedom Of the press-Goethe tho
poet WHO represents the morals, the politics. the imag-
nation, he Character Of the broken-d0wn ars,Ocey
that lowered tie -klrs Of defeated dynaste. ard
gathered o. body-guard round the bier Of Legitimacy.
Several historical monographs compose the
third division Of the volume, including papers
on the Economy OF Athens, the Decline OF the
Roman People, Russia, and the Wars of Russia
and Turkey. The most interesting Of these
" studies" is that On the Decline of the Roman