Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-04-11


and the work upon which he was en-
ployed ein deutscher Platarch G..
German Plutarch, y was deferred ii
the following years.
( The Duke of SaxeSWeimar hat
with great willingness, as much as Gil
cumstances allowed, assisted in Great
ing for Schiller fixed income. Th
distinguished favor shown him by tn
Coadjutor of Mainz and Governor q
Erfurt, the deceased Prince Prims
and Grand Dukesof Frankfort,* open
ed to Schiller the most auspicious pros
poets. He seemed to lack nothing els
for the consummation of his domesti
happiness his heart had made it
choice, and in February, 1890, he re
ceiyed the hand of Fraeulein Vol
Lengefeld. His letters fthe succeed
ing months contain the following pass
ages
1t is far better to live at the side o.
a beloved wife than to be so forsakeI
and alone. Now for the first time,
thoroughly enjoy the beauty of nature
and live therein. Poetic visions are
again forming about me, and again my
breast is often agitated. What beau
tiful life I lead now! With joyous
spirit look around me, and my heart
discovers without it a perpetual, gentle
contentment, my spirit a sustenance
and refreshmcnt how delightful! My
being has passed into an harmonious
evenness not fraught with passionate
intensity, but quietly and beautifully
these days pass by. l face my future
destiny with serene spirit; now that,
after having reached the goal, / stand
there, I myself am astonished that all
has gone beyond my expectations.
Fortune has overcome for me the diff
culties that obstructed me, has carried
me to the goal, as it were. From the
future hope everything. A few years
and l shall live in the highest enjoy
ment of which my spirit is capable
yes, I hope 1 shall return to my youth
again; an inner poet life will restore
it."
But situation so fortunate was soon
disturbed by a severe blow. A violent
disease of the lungs seized Schiller at
the commencement of the year 1871,
and disordered his physical condition
for the remainder of his life. Several
relapses caused the worst to be appre-
hended; the state of his health demand
ed the greatest care. Public lectures
would have been injurious to him in
the extreme, and all other strenuous
labors had to be deferred. Everything
depended upon removing him to sit
uation which should relieve him of
care, at least for few. years, and for
this there was no lack either of incli-
nation or ability in Germany; but
before an agreement to that effect was
accomplished, assistance unexpected
ly appeared from Denmark. An offer
of thousand thalers for three years
entirely without conditions and in order
to his restoration only was made to
Schiller by the then hereditary Prince,
now reigning Duke of Holstein-Au-
gustenburg and by the Count Won
Sehimmelmann, and this was done
with a refinement and delicaey that
moved the recipient, as he writes, still
more than the offer itself 1t was
Denmark whence Klopstock too once
derived the means of an independent
subsistence in order to complete his
Messias. Blessed be disposition so
noble, that was in Schiller's case also
rewarded by the most fortunate re-
suits
The entire restoration of his health
was not to be expected, but the power
of his mind, which felt itself relieved
from the pressure of outward circum-
stances triumphed over the feebleness
Of his body. He became oblivious to
smaller evils when an animating work
him, and he often remained
tree from violent attacks for years at
time. Beautiful days were yet in store
for him, days which he enjoyed with
serene soul, and from this frame Of
mind his nation reaped the harvest of
his most excellent works. ,.s~ III
During the first years of his resi-
dence at Jena. between Schiller and
most of the learned men there, the
best understanding subsisted, with
Paulus, Schuetz and Hufeland he was
on the most friendly terms, but with
he was in the closest inti-
macy. 1t could not be but that his atten-
ton was, by this means, directed to the
Kantic philosophy, and that he was at
tracted by it. The "Critique upon the
Faculty of Judgment" was an object
of especial study, and this lead him to
philosophical researches, the result of
which he made known in the Abhdnd-
lung ueJer Anmuth und Wuerde
(''Treatise on Grace and Dignity as
well as in various essays published in
The Thalia, and especially, at later
period, in the Letters concerning the
aesthetic Education of Man.
From the period of these theoretical
studies the following written express
ion from him is found
Il have, for some time past, been |
reading Arislotle's Art of Poetry"
and so far from feeling disheartened
and circumscribed thereby, it has in
vigorated and assisted me. From the
pains-taking manner in which the
French take Aristotle and endeavor to
comply with his requirements, one
would expect cold, illiberal, pedan-
tic law w-giver in him, but finds quite
the contrary. With firmness and. de-
he insists upon the essence.
but upon exterior things he is as lax
as it were possible to be. The de-
mands he makes upon the poet, the
poet must make upon himself, if he,