New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-02
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
AUGUSTUS Won KOTZEBUE.
BY CHARLES T. CoNGDoN.


way: Kotzebue lifted up on the hollow balloon of
popular applause thought wings had been gwen him
that he might ascend to the lmmortals; gay he
rose, soaring sailing as with supreme dominion'
but in the rarer azure deep his wind bag burst
asunder or the arrows of keen archers pierced 1t ;
and so at last we find him compound pendulum
vibrating in the character of scarecrow, TO guard
from forbidden fruit. o We Playwrights ami lit
erary quacks of every feather, weep over kotzebuc
and over yourselvesw Thus speaks contemptu-
ously our plain critic of one who was =" the daring
OF theatrical Europe; who was acted, 1t may DC
literally said from Kamtschatka to Cadia" kot'
zebue's play know n in its English version rs "Ihe
Stranger" the original title being uenschenhasS
und Rue" drew tears from the eyes OF theatre
haunteIs for several generations; while his Span
iards in PERM known TO us as PizarrO or the
death of Rollar In Sheridans version furnished
scores of tragedians, from John Philip Kempe and
Mrs Siddons down to Edwin Forrest, with ample
opportunities for stately defamation.
Kotzebue whose career was In various respects
remarkable one and who had not the least douot
of the immortality of his Dramas and OF his own
Importance in the worlds history forgets to tell us
when and where he was born. 1t was at NeInar
in 176l. The first tears OF senslbility he ever
shed y were over the story OF Romeo ana JuIle''
which he read in the German adaptation Of
NeISSP. lie tnlnkS tHdt IL was thiS "n'N- 81
him his abiding penchant for the pathetic. Ills
Ginfant heart was extremely susceptible OF tencer
Impressions" and when only seven years Of age he
fell in love With an amiabe young woman to whom
he wrote passionate letters. begging the pleasure
OF kissing her little deit :: white hand" IT'S
mother yas vain enough ed, low these lette. . TO
visitors who laughed at then earthly. which gave
him torncnting sensations The first play when
he saw was K,opstock's Death Of ADAM" ana ne
was taken to the theatre by no less parsonage man
Muspus. who good to tn pOetlcal lad' II
little Augustus was almost st Lnned with delight.
He SAYS: was asked how liked the play AL
nv Coo Hked-What feeble word to describe my
feelings At the Weimar Theatre. which was sup
ported by the court. there was no paying for adj
mission and Kotzcbue, who could not always op-
tain one of the tickets which were given away
used TO steal in by little door which lea mo TIC
orchestra and hide himself behind the big drum
The fire which destroyed the palace OF W elnar
swept away also the theatre; the company rcIHeu
TO Cotha; and KotZcbuc shed showers OF bit'er
tears" lie was a scholar IN the Neimar gym
nasium and he mentions that among other useless
things all the boys were required TO learn hebrew.
One day Of the week was devoted TO the writing CT
poetry. which was criticised ard castgated by
Musrus Kotzebue also wrote comedy which he
called q" AIS Well that Ends Well" Goethe, who
sometimes visited the house, heard OF IT, ana was
$50 condescending or polite as to desire to read
it, But the great man, if lie did read 1t. mover
made any report upon il. When he prouuced Inc
Brothers at the private theatre OF NeInar' he
himself playing Ufam and his sister MGr'dRd 10
Kotzebue was allotted the important part OF the
postilion. The publication OF "Werther excited
in the soul of KotZebue " overpOwerlng emotions.
lie was not likely to be ont OF fashion.
After studying at Jena, Kotzebue entered upon
his literary career publishing various things not
worth recOuntng. One amusing anecdOte nc
relates. He had produced play called " he
Triple Vow" which to be given at private
theatre in Weimar after the Duchess delivery hut
only in case of her presenting the duchy with
prince as il was her royal pleasure on tins occa-
sion perversey to produce daughter, the perform
ance fell to the ground, nor was the piece ever
In the literary history of Weimar Kot zebue cuts
no great figure. but his name Is mixed. through
cabals and ealousies with much greater ones. lie
was invited 10 court but into the select Goethe ana
Schiller circle he not admitted. notwlthstand-
ing the intrgues of sundry female admirers Prob
ably he had some idea of dividing and conquering
for he undertook to separate Goethe and Schiller by
promoting ealouses between them For this pur-
pose he bestowed upon Schiller his particular and
nersopal patronage, organizing f6te TO celebrate
MS coronation in the StadthOuse of NelmaT
Schiller was pressed to be present. but said IN
Goethe's house few days before. :" | shall send
word am ill.," To this Goethe made no reply
The whole scheme fell to pieces. The Burgomaster
actualy refused to lend the Stadthouse for the cere-
monies 1t was probably impossible for man Ike
Kotzebue to comprehend the absurdity OF attempt
ing in this way to separate two such men. ms Is
The last which we hear of Kotzebue in the paTticu-
lar literary history of Weimar He was probably
never certain of his position there, albeit 1T was his
native town. 1t is natural that he should tell us
nothing about these matters in his autobiography.
Kotzcbuc went to Russia in the train of the Prus-
sian Ambassador in 1881. Some small Once was
bestowed upon him. AT st. Petersburg he wrote
plays histories. poems In lIoI he was picS
ooain IN Germany. and writing sill, among other
things Msanthropy and Repentance" which VIC
know hv the title of " The Stranger Nhhc IL was
played frequently in Vienna, one morning IN the
audience chamber of Joseph the Second was found
the following: :" In this place is performed daily
sMisanth1opy WITHOUT Repentance" " Highly I'M.
nrooer." saws the courtly Won Kotzebue; zone OF
the most undeserved sarcasms ever put FORTH"
The second part of Kotzebues memoirs is en-
+itle3 - NV Flight to Paris in the Autumn OF
1890" The poet took this journey in lit OF
desnondency. occasioned by the death OF his wife
an event which gave rise to great deal OF melan-
cboly writing of the variety sometimes vulgarly
DESIGNATED as gush." There is a long and elabo-
rate account OF her last Illness which IL VIII hot 90
profitable to reproduce even III the harro"eSl
abridgment We hurry on to the sketches OF Paris.
II was characteristic that at a wax work show in
the palais Royal, the farley of the establishment
exhibited eiiigies of Madame Royal. Lafayette,
Ballle. yoltare Rosseau, DR.. Franklin ana Baron
Trenck. Kotzebue,s hardresser always spoke OF
The King as e paurre hOmme and of Marie Antonette
as le equine Ia miserable femme d" roi or IA femme da
,o,roir erec.tif OF the rage for equality Kozebue
saws Our ratet de place after having called us a
coach TO 20 to the opera desired leave, without any