The New York herald., 1878-02-27
GOETHE.
BAYARD TAYLoR's LECTURE IN BROOKLYN ON
THE GREAT GERMAN POET.

BA1ARD TAYLOR LECTURE IN BROOKLYN ON
THE GREAT GERMAN POET.
Mr.. Bayard Taylor, the newly appointed Minister TO
Germany. delivered lecture "The Great German
Poet and Philosopher" in the Gallery OF the Art Asso
citation. on Montague street, Brooklyn, last evening.
He was listened TO and frequently applaud by
a large audience. Goethe, SAID tho lecturer, was
born the fulness OF time The experience pro-
viicd for him by the labors OF Klopstock,
wicIand and Lessng was just what he needed. Ho
not only aeharvellous Guild, but enjoyed marvel
ious advantages from his birth He provided
with the best teachers, and at the age OF eight years
could write in German, French, Italian. Greek and
Latin. He treated with an induigent freedom sell
dom shown to children. and ne early acquired In
dependence and seli.reiance which were marked
traits oi his character throughout his entire
lie. Before he was twelve 40 had designed
and partly written romance, which shows
his wonderful requirements. He rad laid
broad basis ior all hts lature accomplishments at an
age when most boys are beginning TO study. When
no seventeen he was sent TO Leipsic 20 study
jurispruuence, but soon wcar,ed o that as well AS
OF logic they were then taught He, however,
studied botany and rhetoric. and imagined himself in
love with woman much older than himself ms young
men are apt 10 no. His lie a! .ns time, II!
errat,c, and In three years he went home
with hcmorrhage Of lungs During tho year
OF his illness his better nature reass"rted itself In
his twenty FIRST year went to Strasbourg to com
piete his legal studies There he planned his first
great work.
Unlike almost all other young men Goethe not only
knew his Weaknesses but did every Thing in his power
TO overcome them. Hc was subject to aizzness aad
lear when looking down from height SO he climbed
TO the top Of the Strasbourg Cathedral every day.
He had constitutional dread of the supernatural,
though really not believing IN H. and accordingly he
went frequently to retired graveyard at mdnights
he disked any great noise and walked near the forty
drums of military band. Having n natural ieeug
OF disgust, he attended dssections by the medical
students, In l7T4, two yours after the occur.
renee OF the events recorded In II, he
published tho "Sorrows OF Werter.' was regarded
merely as sentimental sketch, ana all Europe dis.
solved In a gush OF emotion over It's pages. In 1S0S
he met Napoleon, who told him that he had the
''Sorrows" seven times. great change came over
his lite wuen IN 1913 The Duke OF Saxe-W emar ap-
pointed him his Prvy Councillor This createu 1
great scandal in the Duciy. AS the posi-.
ton which tradition assigned only
to nobcmen. For three years Gocthe's protection
slackened, but he led liie OF unrestrainc d
physical activity and enjoyment In 1882 he was
noDed by ms fathers death into the possess
Sion OF wealth In 1856, under assumcd hume and
secretly he visited Itay aud spent several years IN
studying painting sculpture ana tho Greek ana Latin
classics Though his name WAS as well known as nat
Of Votaire Rousseau yet when his collected works
Brs published their sale scarcely PAID ihe ex.
penses.
In nis whole lie he did not receive more than
$50. 900 or his writings, but his grandchildren have
reapeu fortunes He died in 1882, IN his cightythirl
year.
MIR. Taylor repeated the ''Song OF Mignon' both In
French and English.