The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-08-17
From the New Monthly Magazine
. v,s.. "a the Home of Goethe. =,

There is nothing progressing ~ tne TIL
appearances Of the "a Athens OF germany:
the new palace was erected, sake "ei''' IT,
scarcely had a. single handsome ouhdI"s
Pstte The largest street within the city, is
I;uIs better Than lane; and the streets "nicn
have been built in the nelghborhood OF inc GENE
terv. are only handsome compared win t"e
meanness which preceded them. The theaue-
for the opening Of which Schiller wrote MS oeau
,iluv o1olopue to Walenstein-is perfectly PLAN
.;tbo,t and ! was told that the interior was e.
oually simple; but there was no performance INC
hight l was al SAGE Wemar, and wheh c"''eu
at the theatre in the morning neither money nor
en,realies could procure noe moments aom'Ss'on
beyond the stage door. During the rehearsais II
;s strictly prohibited and it in this instance
the more disappointing as the piece they were
recitinp was lhe WakLenstein'S Lager. and on Inc
SPOT where the author had himself assisted al us
FRS, performance To tread the same ground'
and look upon the objects, associates US more
spiritually vii the recoIIections of an eminent
man than the sight Of relics deposited IN glass
gases, or chambers that haye been deserted or
changed and there ore nuqlberIess recQl!ectlons
at Sake Weimar which mai es Us forget tis archi'
tec,uraI poverty. The houses OF Hefder' sch'''
Ter, WieIand and Goethe, and the associations
connected with them, give its streets higher in
terest than if every building palace.
] spent an hour in the rooms still remaining as
he left them and amongst The relics OF Goethe,
under the guidance OF of his friends and aO0r'
shippers Tor admirers is too feeble Term for
those who have felt deeply the poWers OF bis gen.
JUS, or he luence OF his personal acquaintance:
There was nnthing of spIend 'r, nothing even Of a
sGh0lu'S Iuxuries. The handsome copy Of "Snr.
danapalus, Fuscar. and CAIN presented by Lord
Byron. carefully folded, as it had been by
Goethe himself, in silk pocAet hu"dhefchicf, and
placed with few other volumes 10 a drawer a.
part but the generality of his books had The plain
air of actual service, and most of them had been
the companions OF his long life. They were ar
range on shrIves If Imprinted wood, in small
chambe, adjoining his study, WHICH was itself as
plainly furnished. common table. deal WRIT.
ing drsk IA few shelves and one or two cabinets OF
The simplest wo rk manship, were all | NOTICED. -
Near hi, desk was hung plaster medallion. en-.
circled by himself with inscription in ink Sill:
Get i1n1cnS0 S"pefeM e1 nQnlne m"IfuM. j. was
a profile Of Napolenn whch had fallen from The
wall and been broken into fragments On the day
of the baltic of L"ipsc, almost at tn" NOM nj It
lost. The coincidence seems 10 have mad"
cons iderabe impression upon the imagination OF
Goethe, who was present when il fell, and by whom
the fragments had been reunited aud carefully
pres"I Ved.
OF his MSS. was shown rhe Original Ccichi,
chte G1tJiieLenS yqu Berlichingrn, Hrirrcn in tn"
German characIer, in 1874 and ''Er"tica R"-
,nana," written in the ''Iraan hand and dated
l779. My companion told me that W. lie sitting
with him in ISlG, the srrvart having neglect d t"
supply them with wood, Goethe had told him to
feed the stove with the manuscript " Er"lIca.'-
He managed, however, to corc'al and preserve i,
and evidently fell proud at having s.Vsd rel G
from The fl INES.
In one part ofthe room were materials for some
Of the experiments connec:' with his F"rbc"le6lr;
and in The Cover Of letter, one Of his win:
dOws, were some fragments OF coIored >lik, VIII oh
had inter EST of IL different description " h"n
ard for what purpose they had been en- l'yei.
1t appears That his grand hid had been in The hn
it OF visiting him iii his study. IL. was too kind
hear ed TO repeal her and when he did not wish
t" he interrupted he placed h.r by his side aud
offer some small coin reward for
rav'ng Of the >ilkrn shreds. Occupation
shnf generally kept her quiet. thought more OF
Goethe after hearing this tlfling anecd"fe than
afer hearing even his : F"ust. mere
h"artess man Of tuIcut must be little better than il
MrrhsIophes.
Adjoining the study The poets droom
small narrow closet ilh ii single wind,,w looking
INTO the garden much the same in size and ap.
pearance as have seen occupied by Franciscan
fr:ar in his convent. In corner, the wall OF
which was tap"sri"G wIrE piece OF Common
black and green arpetng, stood his bed, small and
uncurtaned, and by lis side the chair in hich he
died. clock that h ID marke ed the hours DO u:
his brit and death placed in n:e-ronm,
where were also his collection OF minerals and a
few Of his books.
The Sc were the 2rirafe apartm MS. The retire.
m"nts OF the scholar and man OF genius tut the
principal suite of rooms had scarcely an interior
interest. Here, deposited in g. I'D presses, were
the objects which had gratiied bis taste or aw"k
enrd his recoIIc ctons of the past Antiquities and
medals, the skull of Vandykp, bronzrs, arms and
all the anticueEe that poet painter loves to
possess. 10 OF them letter addressed TO
him by Sir Waller Scott, with his usual beau
Of style aud kindnrss of heart. lis commence.
ment alone Is a essen 10 the vanity Of lnprrti.
hence that So often obrulrs itself upnn III" privacy
OF an eminent man. VenefuMe ami much respect
Ell See, the words with which Scotl-his "a nal
in talent and lnme-thinks ii right to preface his
homage to the genils of Goethe. How many of
tho sInall-iry Of literature have approached the
author of Waverley himself with less Of rev.
erence or laDcied, in the abundan nee Of their sell.
esteem than to have addressed uny one as 'veucr.
able and much-respected SIR would have been
tents Of the letter | cannot pretend 10 remember,
bui recoiIect, that its effect, that If the mosu
OF his other writings, was 10 make me think better
Of human nature. There was private litter in
French from The Duke OF Wellington 10 the Duke !
OF SAKE Welmar, introducing 10 him a son of Lord !
Mansfield; and whole portfolio OF dispatches
addressed to General Rnpp) by the most distin.
n.,I xG