, 1874-11-15

| and was there six hours ahead OF his time but
could not walk any further
! ~ ----s----
/ ouElHe.
1'"''''"'"4 ''0"' t"e He.'. .'ss"e a,-:s.,1. 1
| rh o.r hoo,s - ~ Moz;oros .Tba T.at
va,~a ~ cooth.r t.-,,;r.tou an inta,ast;np
et1,a,- Tbo &C., r.-+ ttoroh nnbabad shortly
| .t,ar +ba W. v.s nov.+,,e1esa rad with at
+or+;va ;,+o-ost hv +boaa wbo heI;eva a writer nj
GOWNS ho,o,o. rot on1v h a nation Int tn bn-
runitv qb;v h,ot ia mt smntv a bioeranbv.
tia title-naoo 1,e,rs the announcement. "H,s
Wnrea ExnI.;naa hv B;e Ijfe." and ve ara
riyen rnther an ethical and literary criticism
| Than . mano;r
This notho, w.a n . oertain eanae fnd;catad
+o +ba author hv Gne.ha bin.e,f WIN vrote in
one Of his hooks. "hfr works ara put the fr.p-
nents of q great confession" Yet this confes-
sim a1t1onrh real in enve1onefi in fiction. moro
or less Transparent and it is difficult to 1ecoe-
nizo it in the poetic fantasies which embody it.
Goetho did not. like Lamartiue. content himself
with ;dea1iz;ny An eoisode of his life the Ger
100. ,,-oeooaa4 !, . ro-o com,1;c, tod roanu
I nnr with rt r, r;aar method Ha esthered from
her,-"lua "1see ne'uou' 1o ko.noioo A!o11
his memory, here real incident, there true
formed them bV hin art ti11 N bo himself said to
F,tor,no,, ..Th;. -o,,.,ca contains not . line
1.AoAunnu' 4o In'n lonouns ,., eoN0 w. "no
but Is memory from my h1e' JET no line IL An
exact reproduction"
This life. then. is not clearly set forth in the
fiction it +. sc,ttcred there mr. rather. it
.,s 49,. 49,; 49,. .r,,,
meanoet0 aao no"s III 'atuo nne7 Ii 'nat u -
talline poetry, Like tho colofs IN an agate. 10
distinguish these various e1ements, blended in
confusion so skillfu|. is = rerY delicate enter
-,-isa .na ~. v.1l os,cn,a,ed r. encace , lee,
p0' saa s,h.1. ,.;,a ~ Ma-;aras hr;,,gs =, Tho
ana suos'e mlnu' H. 1lez1e'es ot1nee 10 td1s
study great admiration for Goethe, joined to
clear critical poyefs aud that perfect moderation
withont which snch biographical researches ara
s.,- ,,~.o1;.h1. h-no.hoae.,
highly finished Is the VOTES OF aoetho hre'
it is his life far more than any book which is the
Masterpiece Of his art: for it il Indeed himself
vbo mazda that rh.t It wa Ha arranged It .c-
o 01Heo
cordlng to MS Own Akne as mucn ae Il ls pos
6ible for mortal to do. 1t "as not only his am
bition. but, 80 to speak his supreme coquetry.
II pleased him to appear to choose himself the
~h;ah .,o,,3d 49,. ~, .ro,r - ~. 49,,
entcs*'s "oaou enoe'a 1''1 sue WV - 1o .1o4A a.
existence. 20 man ever "nteneo more CLOSELY
his oWn SOUL Tess TO purify than TO eggranolze
1t; MS Vefy gut OF genius ne accepteo nos sa
Erntulty, bus - favor Fhlca ne "lanea 10
deserve. IN ms yontn, ~ msunes,.a1ef;
led thai sacfeo name cons'ant
worship which cost hlln notn1ng. aince ne
rendered It 70 himself, ana Was, aI ne .3 ss1e
TINE iha pI1est ana 600 til he "ofkea m go t.ee.5,
dount5ese, ns MS cage. acco1dog 70 nus 1asle
bnt no worked unceaslnglS' as pnilosoP9ef i Au9
poet who would EMO" ~, Understand ali' 1eel
al,-"ho would miss Of noshln8 II was g1sen
him to know hla LIE long. ne was On the alert
AIT. ills TASK Mas 70 enlarge nls genius ana 70
5alse Il; 10 ou1lo nlene1 LAYER 9y layeI, "hat ne
himself called the pyramid OF hls Afe;'
Always acquiring, no never loat anYtnlng. He
managed hls genius ~ cafe1al proprietor "ouIo
manage tue anairs OF Ms DOMAIN. 1nls poet.
who accumulated koo"ledGo, aoeas' 1eonnes.
never squande1ed them. Hlth an amost petts
prudence, "hlch makes mora generous poets
smiie' ne hoaFos nla t1oasu1o econ1ulHcs uls
tacts, anu puts aslae an incident or observation
for BOOK nc ID to make hereafteF,-io'tv years
later, 1t may bc. While others are visited Dy the
Mnse, 20 n1sn tne Ause cones a. tl1e o"n alue"
1ea'ous u oe'nK MASTER u nn'oe.i: o.e1 AZ
his Inspirations, ne Tecoi!s trom "l1ung long
Worke, lest ne shou1o aoanaon hlmset' @no oe
too long the prey to the eame poet1c possession.
II hls 1hAosopny ls 6one"oat vague II Ii oe-
cause no ehuns the cha'ns OF mario" Dogma
tlHm. IN everything he 1eafs 70 % possessed,
When a passion is TOO painful Tor hln' no
has marvellous recelps Whefe"ltn 10 heal nls
hurt: ne removes nlmsc'1 OF MS pnfocn 10 de-
plctlug 1t, anu go throws Il 1foln MN: he d1-
titles It, and as be says himself, lets fall
behind him bis serpent's skin. In Tord, he
passed Lis hfe IN apprehendlug and ruling him.
sen,-making his own destiny,-seizing from
Fato all he could snatch from her grasp ny force
or skill. OF his will, one may well USE the
word aof Lucrcttus-ap poot whom Goeshe loved
Fats ar.t|sa ro|u'1fas" H. Mezieres with fine
analysis, has eLown this firm character OF
Goethe, without hiding the selflshness which
lay in that sorene calm, at once stolca1 and
Epicureap,
II Goethe had been only an unmoved Stole,
hts biography would afford little interest. Hap
PLY, If not for the poets peace, yet for his tall
ent and the interest OF the reader, be had a
heart,-a tnHultuous heart and often more
impressionable than convenient. To this con-
teulner Of Fate, like cha4 acter IN tue antique
tragedies, the gods sent. from tlmo to time,
fatal passions to play with hin ambitious pru-
denco. The list OF bis loves is long, and NJ.
Mezieres has recounted them with discretion. OF
f11eaA numerous uasAiuuH. there are some which |