Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-09-22

c cate the vices of mankind.
a AS yet looked upon crime as
D distant evil benevolence and ger
g orosity were ever present before me
: inciting within me desire to bt
r come an actor in the busy seen
: where SO many admirable qualitie
, were called forth and displayed
but, in giving an account of tn
progress of my intellect, / must no
: omit Il circumstance which Occurret
in the beginning of the month o
August OF the same year.
"One night during my accustom
ed visit to the neighboring wood
where / collected my own food
and brought home firing for my
protectors, found on the ground {
leathern portmanteau, containing
several articles of dress and some
books. eagerly seized the prize
and returned with it TO the hOvel
Fortunately the books were writer
in the language the elements o
which had acquired at the cot.
tage; they consisted OF paradise
Lost a volume of sPlutarch'e
Lives and the Sorrows of Wer
ter The possession of these pleas
ures gave me extreme delight /
now continually studied and exer-
cised my mind upon these histories,
while my friends were employed in
their ordinary occupations.
81 can hardly describe to you the
effect of the books. They produced
in me an infinity of new images
and feelings, and sometimes raised
me to ecstasy, but more frequently
sunk me into the lowest detection.
In the Sorrows of Werter,' besides
the interest of its simple and affect
ing story, so many opinions are
canvassed, and SO many lights
thrown upon what had hitherto
been to me obscure subjects, that l
found it never-ending source of
speculation and establishment. The
gentle and domestic manners de-
scribed, combined with lofty senti-
ments and feelings, which had for
their object something out of self,
accorded well with my experience
among my protectors, and with the
wants which were forever alive in
my own bosom. But / thought
Werter himself a more divine be-
ing than | had ever beheld or imag-
ined ; his character contained no
pretension, but it sunk deep. The
diSquiSitiOns upon death and sui
eide were calculated to fill me with
wonder. / did not pretend to en-
ter into the merits of the case, yet
l inclined toward the opinions OF
the hero, over whose extinction |
wept, without precisely understand
ing it.
''As / read, however, / applied
much personally to my own feelings
and condition. l found myself sim
liar to, yet at the same time strange.
ly unlike, the beings concerning
whom / read, and to whose conver-
Sation ] was a listener. / sympa-
thized with, and partly understood
them, but | WAS uniformed in
mind ; l was dependent on none,
and related to none. sThe path Of
my departure was free,' and there
was none to lament my annihila-
ton. My person was hideOus, and
my stature gigantic; what did this
mean? Who was /? What was [?
Whence did / come? What was
my destination These questions
continually recurred, but l was un-
able to solve them.
"The volume of 'Plutarch's Lives
which / possessed, contained the
histories of the first founders of the
ancient republics. This book had
far different effect upon me from
the Sorrows of Werter.' learned
from Werter's imaginatiOns despon-
dency and gloom but Plutarch
taught me high thoughts he ele-
waited me above the Wretched sphere
of my own reflections, to admire
and love the heroes of past ages.
Many things l read surpassed my
understanding and experience. /
had a very confused knowledge of
Kingdoms, wide eXtents of country,
mighty rivers, and. boundless seas.
But l was perfectly unacquainted
with towns and large assemblages
of men. The cottage of my pro-
tector5 had been the only school in
which / had studied human nature;
but this book developed new and
Inightier scenes of action. | read
of men concerned in public affairs
or massacring their spe-
cies. l felt the greatest ardOr for
virtue rise within me, and abhor-
renee for vice, as far as l under
stood the Specification of those
terms, relatives as they were, as l
applied them, TO pleasure and pain !
alone. Induced by these feelings,
was of course led to admire peace
able lawgivers, Numa, Solon, and
Lycurgus, in preference to Romu-
lus and Theseus. The patriarchal
lives of my protectors caused these
to take a firm hold on
my mind; perhaps, if my first in
to humanity had been
made by a young soldier, burning
for glory and slaughter, / should
have been imbued with different
"But Paradise Lost excited diff
erent and far deeper emotions. l
read it, as l had read the other vol
umes which had fallen into my
hands, as true history. 1t moved
every feeling of wonder and awe
that the picture of omnipOtent God
with his creatures was ca
pable of exciting. often remark
ed the several situations, as their
struck me to my own.
Like Adam, / was created, appar-
emily united by no link TO any 9TH
er being in existence; but his state
was far different from mine in ev-
cry other respect. He had come
forth from the hands OF God a per-
feet creature, happy and prosperous;
guarded by the especial care Of his
Creator; he was allowed to con.
verse with, and acquire knowledge
from, beings of superior nature
but was wretched, helpless, and
alone. Many times / considered
Satan as the filter emblem of my
condition for often, like him,
when l viewed the bliss of my pro.
tectors, the bitter gall of envy rose
within me.
"Another circumstance strength
aned and confirmed these feelings.
Soon after my arrival in the howell,
[ discovered some papers in the
pocket of the dress which had ta-
ken from your laboratory. At first
had neglected them but now
hat / was able TO decipher the
in which they were writ
Ten, l began to study them dill
gently. 1t was your journal of the
our months that preceded my Gre
alton. You minutely described in
.hese papers every step you took in
he progress of your work this
history was mingled with accounts
If domestic occurrences. You,
recollect these papers.
Il, -, -nl.. |