The New York herald., 1921-06-19

place before the world a new concep-
ton of the conduct of life which, If
carried into practice, would result in a
higher development of the individual
than was possible under commonly ac-
cepted ideals" and in the Wander
Jahre" Goethe attempted "a symbolic
representation of life itself" And the
biographer believes that for the mod
ern world the essential greatness Of
Faust" lies in its intellectual interest.
What The Divine Comedy and
Paradise Lost did for their respective
ages Faust did for Goethe's. Dante
and Milton gave poetic expression to
the deposit of thought into which they
were born and which they accepted
with personal conviction. Unshackled
by any authority, Goethe in his Faust
presents no systematic body of doc
trine, but in it's hero he symbolizes the
human spirit In its limitless quest
after satisfaction for soul and sense"
Goethe's life was immeasurably rich.
All who came to know him loved him.
and those who knew him best loved
him best. II feel as If a beautiful
star had fallen from heaven" is the
tribute paid him by Frau Won Stein
after she had severed relations with
him. Herder literary critic of the
day who welded a Swiftian pen. said
that Goethe was "untainted by any
spirit of intrigue; he has never know
ingly prosecuted any one or under
mined the happiness Of Others" Emer-
son, Matthew Arnold, Carlyle and even
John Sterling eventually realized the
greatness of Goethe. It is written that
"envy Of the gifts or reputation OF
others" was something entirely for
eign to Goethe and that he was singu-
larly free from "all pettiness of
spirit"
Denigration Of one whose conduct
in life does not conform to that of his
fellows is easily comprehended. Sex
relations are only fractional part OF
what is meant by the conventions. II
we read Goethe Alright his non-con-
formity to all the conventions was as
much a part Of himself as was Words
worth's love for them. Moreover, Goethe
from his earliest youth was sin
cere. candid and thoroughly honest
in his disavowal Of the general view
In this respect he never wholly
changed, though as he grew older ne
naturally came to modify certain IDEAS
But Goethes life in it's entirety. his
achievements, his wisdom, his cease
less intellectual striving and struggle
for self-mastery, plainly show that he
did not lend himself to such disavowal
because of the license it might give
him or the spiritual freedom that he
might attain. For though Goethe could
always write of spiritual freedom, IT
is questionable whether he knew It's
blessing even during his prime.
His emotional life was too violent,
intense and continuous. his intellect
too great and piercing, and the crav-
ings of his soul too deep to be salts
fed by what is meted out to man.
"Ohue Hast, dber ohne Rdst' he
pursued his purpose in life as he con-
ceived it's meaning. and only vain
age did he achieve any semblance OF
calm. He counselled Schiller, with
whom he had a long and dear friend
shin. TO "abide fast in the bond OF
earnestness and love; all besides Is
emptiness and sorrow" And this was
the fundament OF his religious creed.
Historic Christianity was repellent to
Goethe. Self pronunciation he held to
be a necessity as life has to be lived,
but it is to be practised as a means
of adding to the joy Of living; and
piety was 'one among other means
of attaining the highest culture by
the peace of mind 1t brings"
In estimating Goethe's greatness 1t
is well to reflect upon the spirit in
which he regarded his own achieve
ments: "By no means do 1 owe my