The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-29
From the London Chronicle.

From the London Chronicle. f. YNDER the name of "Goethe's Last
 Love-" Ulrike von Levetzow has
 O been known in Germany since
 the third decade of the last century. She died in 1899, at the age of 96. She first met the great poet and dramatist at Ma
 rienbad while yet girl, and Goethe, though more than 70, fell straightway deeply in love with her. He at first thought seriously of proposing marriage to her; consideration for his family and other circumstances. however. made him hesitate, and finally restrained him from the step.
 But that his love was real and strove within him for expression is shown by his
 glorious Marienbad Elegy ds2S). into
 which, in taking leave of Ulrike. he put all the passion for the memories of her which he still nourished as well as for the reality which he had resigned. She is the subject of the second poem of the "Trilogy of Passion" the first la ments the unhappiness of the disappont- ed Werther, with whom Goethe, at the
 end of his life, was now once more so
 closely related by circumstances; the hird
 of the trilogy, entitled Reconciliation" breathes a quiet and more contented
 spirit.
 I was fortunate enough to make the
 acquaintance of Ulrike, and visit her
 twice at her home, Castle Triblitz, in Bohemia. On the first occasion, in 1893,
 she had already entered upon her
 9oth year, and was regarded with awe and
 wonder by the people everywhere in her neighborhood There occur to most of us
 certain days in our lives which we never forget-days which have fulfilled some
 long cherished desire or have bestowed on us some great happiness. That sunny June morning of 1893 was such a day to
 me. I still see Ulrike von Levetzow as I saw her then-she was standing by the window, dressed in light gray; her eyes
 were full of light, clear and dark blue.
 I marvelled as I noted that her cheeks
 had scored but few lines on her face. Her
 nose was of stately and beautiful shape
 a soft smile played about her mouth; her
 hair was gray, not white; and her fine, delicate, mittened hands showed no sign
 of the unsteadiness usual in one of her age. A deafness that compelled her to
 use an ear trumpet was the only afflic- ton that nature had laid upon her in her
 declining days. She it was who first mem toned Goethe-not I.
 My relations with Goethe were no love
 affair."" she said, "as is frequently as- serted. He was 72 years old when I first
 knew him, and was only r. had come from school at Strassburg, where of lit- ! erature had read only Voltaire and other French writers. I knew not a page of Goethe. But this very ignorance great ly pleased the great poet He knew my
 family. and as we were living in the same l house at the time, 1t came about that he and I took many walks together. He | would have me quite under his charge. | and used to invite my assistance in his
 mineralogical studies. He might have
 been my grandfather, and indeed it was | much in that light that I viewed him and
 his attentions to me. He used to call
 me his little girl
 i She showed me books-"Wilhelm
 Melster's Wanderjahre" and From My
 Life" (ffth part)-which Goethe had given to her and inscribed with his own hand. When she had read the 'Danderjahre" she told Goethe that it must be a sequel
 to a previous work. You are quite
 right" replied Goethe but you must
 not read that now. I will tell you the story myself" And as they sat on some
 seat together he would talk to, her for
 hours on end about "Wilhelm Meister's I.Lehriahre."
 She showed me over her whole house
 She walked erect and gracefully ana
 would open cupboards and windows ner-
 self. I told her how happy l felt 10 nho her so we'll and active, and she answered.
 "Yes? hope, at any rate, do not LOOK like a little old woman" The walls of her bedroom held many pictures ana over the head of the dainty, white-cur- tained bed was copper engraving or
 Goethe by stieler, and the brow nframe was surrounded with laurels. Tnat IS how he looked she said, and that IS
 how always remember him.
 I saw UlriSc von Levetzow again In