diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/ptsc10h.htm')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/ptsc10h.htm | 4153 |
1 files changed, 4153 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/ptsc10h.htm b/old/ptsc10h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fdb3e8b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/ptsc10h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4153 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> +<title>Peter Schlemihl etc.</title> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">Peter Schlemihl etc., by Chamisso et. al.</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Peter Schlemihl etc., by Chamisso et. al. + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Peter Schlemihl etc. + +Author: Chamisso et. al. + +Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5339] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 2, 2002] +[Most recently updated: July 2, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII +</pre> +<p> +<a name="startoftext"></a> +Transcribed from he 1889 Cassell & Company edition by David Price, +email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +PETER SCHLEMIHL ETC.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Contents:<br> + Introduction by Henry Morley<br> + Peter Schlemihl by Adelbert Chamisso<br> + Peter Schlemihl<br> + Appendix<br> + Preface by the +Editor<br> + Brief Sketch of +Chamisso’s Life<br> + From the Baron +de la Motte Fouqué<br> + The Story Without An End by Carodé translated +by Sarah Austin<br> + Hymns To Night by Novalis translated by Henry Morley<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +INTRODUCTION.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +“Peter Schlemihl,” one of the pleasantest fancies of the +days when Germany delighted in romance, was first published in 1814, +and was especially naturalised in England by association with the genius +of George Cruikshank, who enriched a translation of it with some of +his happiest work as an illustrator. An account of the book and +its author is here reprinted at the end of the tale, as originally given +by the translator. To this account one or two notes may be added. +Louis Charles Adelaide de Chamisso de Boncourt was born on the 27th +of January, 1781, at the Château of Boncourt, in Champagne, which +he made the subject of one of his most beautiful lyrics. He belonged +to a family faithful to Louis XVI., that fled to Würzburg from +the fury of the French Revolution. Thus he was taken to Germany +a child of nine, and was left there when the family, with other emigrants, +returned to France in 1801. At fifteen he had Teutonised his name +to Adelbert von Chamisso, and was appointed page to the Queen of Prussia. +In the war that came afterwards, for a very short time he bore arms +against the French, but being one of a garrison taken in the captured +fort of Hamlin, he and his comrades had to pledge their honour that +they would not again bear arms against France during that war. +After the war he visited France. His parents then were dead, and +though he stayed in France some years, he wrote from France to a friend, +“I am German heart and soul, and cannot feel at home here.” +He wandered irresolutely, then became Professor of Literature in a gymnasium +in La Vendée. Still he was restless. In 1812 he set +off for a walk in Switzerland, returned to Germany, and took to the +study of anatomy. In 1813, Napoleon’s expedition to Russia +and the peril to France from legions marching upon Paris caused to Chamisso +suffering and confusion of mind.<br> +<br> +It is often said that his sense of isolation between interests of the +land of his forefathers and the land of his adoption makes itself felt +through all the wild playfulness of “Peter Schlemihl,” which +was at this time written, when Chamisso’s age was about thirty-two. +A letter of his to the Councillor Trinius, in Petersburg, tells how +he came to write it. He had lost on a pedestrian tour his hat, +his knapsack, his gloves, and his pocket handkerchief - the chief movables +about him. His friend Fouqué asked him whether he hadn’t +also lost his shadow? The friends pleased their fancies in imagining +what would have happened to him if he had. Not long afterwards +he was reading in La Fontaine of a polite man who drew out of his pocket +whatever was asked for. Chamisso thought, He will be bringing +out next a coach and horses. Out of these hints came the fancy +of “Peter Schlemihl, the Shadowless Man.” In all thought +that goes with invention of a poet, there are depths as well as shallows, +and the reader may get now and then a peep into the depths. He +may find, if he will, in a man’s shadow that outward expression +of himself which shows that he has been touched, like others, by the +light of heaven. But essentially the story is a poet’s whim. +Later writings of Chamisso proved him to be one of the best lyric poets +of the romance school of his time, entirely German in his tone of thought. +His best poem, “Salas y Gomez,” describes the feeling of +a solitary on a sea-girt rock, living on eggs of the numberless sea-birds +until old age, when a ship is in sight, and passes him, and his last +agony of despair is followed by a triumph in the strength of God.<br> +<br> +<br> +“Alone and world-forsaken let me die;<br> + Thy Grace is all my wealth, for all my loss:<br> +On my bleached bones out of the southern sky<br> + Thy Love will look down from the starry cross.”<br> +<br> +<br> +The “Story Without an End” - a story of the endless beauty +of Creation - is from a writer who has no name on the rolls of fame. +The little piece has been made famous among us by the good will of Sarah +Austin. The child who enjoyed it, and for whom she made the delicate +translation which here follows next after Chamisso’s “Peter +Schlemihl,” was that only daughter who became Lady Duff-Gordon, +and with whom we have made acquaintance in this Library as the translator +of “The Amber Witch.”<br> +<br> +To make up the tale of pages in this little book without breaking its +uniformity, I have added a translation of the “Hymns to Night” +of Novalis. It is a translation made by myself seven-and-forty +years ago, and printed in a student’s magazine that I then edited. +“Novalis” was the name assumed by a poet, Friedrich von +Hardenberg, who died on the 25th March, 1801, aged twenty-nine. +He was bred among the Moravian brethren, and then sent to the University +of Jena. Two years after his marriage to a young wife, Sophie +von Kühn, she died. That was in 1797. At the same time +he lost a brother who was very dear to him. It was then - four +years before his own death - that he wrote his “Hymns to Night.”<br> +<br> +H. M.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +PETER SCHLEMIHL, THE SHADOWLESS MAN.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +INTRODUCTORY EPISTLE FROM<br> +A. VON CHAMISSO TO JULIUS EDWARD HITZIG.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +You, who forget nobody, must surely remember one Peter Schlemihl, whom +you used to meet occasionally at my house - a long-legged youth, who +was considered stupid and lazy, on account of his awkward and careless +air. I was sincerely attached to him. You cannot have forgotten +him, Edward. He was on one occasion the hero of our rhymes, in +the hey-day of our youthful spirits; and I recollect taking him one +evening to a poetical tea-party, where he fell asleep while I was writing, +without even waiting to hear my effusion: and this reminds me of a witticism +of yours respecting him. You had already seen him, I know not +where or when, in an old black frock-coat, which, indeed, he constantly +wore; and you said, “He would be a lucky fellow if his soul were +half as immortal as his coat,” so little opinion had you of him. +<i>I</i> loved him, however: and to this very Schlemihl, of whom for +many years I had wholly lost sight, I am indebted for the little volume +which I communicate to you, Edward, my most intimate friend, my second +self, from whom I have no secrets; - to you, and of course our Fouqué, +I commit them, who like you is intimately entwined about my dearest +affections, - to him I communicate them only as a friend, but not as +a poet; for you can easily imagine how unpleasant it would be if a secret +confided to me by an honest man, relying implicitly on my friendship +and honour, were to be exposed to the public in a poem.<br> +<br> +One word more as to the manner in which I obtained these sheets: yesterday +morning early, as soon as I was up, they were brought to me. An +extraordinary-looking man, with a long grey beard, and wearing an old +black frock-coat with a botanical case hanging at his side, and slippers +over his boots, in the damp, rainy weather, had just been inquiring +for me, and left me these papers, saying he came from Berlin.<br> +<br> +ADELBERT VON CHAMISSO.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER I.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +After a prosperous, but to me very wearisome, voyage, we came at last +into port. Immediately on landing I got together my few effects; +and, squeezing myself through the crowd, went into the nearest and humblest +inn which first met my gaze. On asking for a room the waiter looked +at me from head to foot, and conducted me to one. I asked for +some cold water, and for the correct address of Mr. Thomas John, which +was described as being “by the north gate, the first country-house +to the right, a large new house of red and white marble, with many pillars.” +This was enough. As the day was not yet far advanced, I untied +my bundle, took out my newly-turned black coat, dressed myself in my +best clothes, and, with my letter of recommendation, set out for the +man who was to assist me in the attainment of my moderate wishes.<br> +<br> +After proceeding up the north street, I reached the gate, and saw the +marble columns glittering through the trees. Having wiped the +dust from my shoes with my pocket-handkerchief and readjusted my cravat, +I rang the bell - offering up at the same time a silent prayer. +The door flew open, and the porter sent in my name. I had soon +the honour to be invited into the park, where Mr. John was walking with +a few friends. I recognised him at once by his corpulency and +self-complacent air. He received me very well - just as a rich +man receives a poor devil; and turning to me, took my letter. +“Oh, from my brother! it is a long time since I heard from him: +is he well? - Yonder,” he went on, - turning to the company, and +pointing to a distant hill - “Yonder is the site of the new building.” +He broke the seal without discontinuing the conversation, which turned +upon riches. “The man,” he said, “who does not +possess at least a million is a poor wretch.” “Oh, +how true!” I exclaimed, in the fulness of my heart. He seemed +pleased at this, and replied with a smile, “Stop here, my dear +friend; afterwards I shall, perhaps, have time to tell you what I think +of this,” pointing to the letter, which he then put into his pocket, +and turned round to the company, offering his arm to a young lady: his +example was followed by the other gentlemen, each politely escorting +a lady; and the whole party proceeded towards a little hill thickly +planted with blooming roses.<br> +<br> +I followed without troubling any one, for none took the least further +notice of me. The party was in high spirits - lounging about and +jesting - speaking sometimes of trifling matters very seriously, and +of serious matters as triflingly - and exercising their wit in particular +to great advantage on their absent friends and their affairs. +I was too ignorant of what they were talking about to understand much +of it, and too anxious and absorbed in my own reflections to occupy +myself with the solution of such enigmas as their conversation presented.<br> +<br> +By this time we had reached the thicket of roses. The lovely Fanny, +who seemed to be the queen of the day, was obstinately bent on plucking +a rose-branch for herself, and in the attempt pricked her finger with +a thorn. The crimson stream, as if flowing from the dark-tinted +rose, tinged her fair hand with the purple current. This circumstance +set the whole company in commotion; and court-plaster was called for. +A quiet, elderly man, tall, and meagre-looking, who was one of the company, +but whom I had not before observed, immediately put his hand into the +tight breast-pocket of his old-fashioned coat of grey sarsnet, pulled +out a small letter-case, opened it, and, with a most respectful bow, +presented the lady with the wished-for article. She received it +without noticing the giver, or thanking him. The wound was bound +up, and the party proceeded along the hill towards the back part, from +which they enjoyed an extensive view across the green labyrinth of the +park to the wide-spreading ocean. The view was truly a magnificent +one. A slight speck was observed on the horizon, between the dark +flood and the azure sky. “A telescope!” called out +Mr. John; but before any of the servants could answer the summons the +grey man, with a modest bow, drew his hand from his pocket, and presented +a beautiful Dollond’s telescope to Mr. John, who, on looking through +it, informed the company that the speck in the distance was the ship +which had sailed yesterday, and which was detained within sight of the +haven by contrary winds. The telescope passed from hand to hand, +but was not returned to the owner, whom I gazed at with astonishment, +and could not conceive how so large an instrument could have proceeded +from so small a pocket. This, however, seemed to excite surprise +in no one; and the grey man appeared to create as little interest as +myself.<br> +<br> +Refreshments were now brought forward, consisting of the rarest fruits +from all parts of the world, served up in the most costly dishes. +Mr. John did the honours with unaffected grace, and addressed me for +the second time, saying, “You had better eat; you did not get +such things at sea.” I acknowledged his politeness with +a bow, which, however, he did not perceive, having turned round to speak +with some one else.<br> +<br> +The party would willingly have stopped some time here on the declivity +of the hill, to enjoy the extensive prospect before them, had they not +been apprehensive of the dampness of the grass. “How delightful +it would be,” exclaimed some one, “if we had a Turkey carpet +to lay down here!” The wish was scarcely expressed when +the man in the grey coat put his hand in his pocket, and, with a modest +and even humble air, pulled out a rich Turkey carpet, embroidered in +gold. The servant received it as a matter of course, and spread +it out on the desired spot; and, without any ceremony, the company seated +themselves on it. Confounded by what I saw, I gazed again at the +man, his pocket, and the carpet, which was more than twenty feet in +length and ten in breadth; and rubbed my eyes, not knowing what to think, +particularly as no one saw anything extraordinary in the matter.<br> +<br> +I would gladly have made some inquiries respecting the man, and asked +who he was, but knew not to whom I should address myself, for I felt +almost more afraid of the servants than of their master. At length +I took courage, and stepping up to a young man who seemed of less consequence +than the others, and who was more frequently standing by himself, I +begged of him, in a low tone, to tell me who the obliging gentleman +was in the grey cloak. “That man who looks like a piece +of thread just escaped from a tailor’s needle?” “Yes; +he who is standing alone yonder.” “I do not know,” +was the reply; and to avoid, as it seemed, any further conversation +with me, he turned away, and spoke of some common-place matters with +a neighbour.<br> +<br> +The sun’s rays now being stronger, the ladies complained of feeling +oppressed by the heat; and the lovely Fanny, turning carelessly to the +grey man, to whom I had not yet observed that any one had addressed +the most trifling question, asked him if, perhaps, he had not a tent +about him. He replied, with a low bow, as if some unmerited honour +had been conferred upon him; and, putting his hand in his pocket, drew +from it canvas, poles, cord, iron - in short, everything belonging to +the most splendid tent for a party of pleasure. The young gentlemen +assisted in pitching it: and it covered the whole carpet: but no one +seemed to think that there was anything extraordinary in it.<br> +<br> +I had long secretly felt uneasy - indeed, almost horrified; but how +was this feeling increased when, at the next wish expressed, I saw him +take from his pocket three horses! Yes, Adelbert, three large +beautiful steeds, with saddles and bridles, out of the very pocket whence +had already issued a letter-case, a telescope, a carpet twenty feet +broad and ten in length, and a pavilion of the same extent, with all +its appurtenances! Did I not assure thee that my own eyes had +seen all this, thou wouldst certainly disbelieve it.<br> +<br> +This man, although he appeared so humble and embarrassed in his air +and manners, and passed so unheeded, had inspired me with such a feeling +of horror by the unearthly paleness of his countenance, from which I +could not avert my eyes, that I was unable longer to endure it.<br> +<br> +I determined, therefore, to steal away from the company, which appeared +no difficult matter, from the undistinguished part I acted in it. +I resolved to return to the town, and pay another visit to Mr. John +the following morning, and, at the same time, make some inquiries of +him relative to the extraordinary man in grey, provided I could command +sufficient courage. Would to Heaven that such good fortune had +awaited me!<br> +<br> +I had stolen safely down the hill, through the thicket of roses, and +now found myself on an open plain; but fearing lest I should be met +out of the proper path, crossing the grass, I cast an inquisitive glance +around, and started as I beheld the man in the grey cloak advancing +towards me. He took off his hat, and made me a lower bow than +mortal had ever yet favoured me with. It was evident that he wished +to address me; and I could not avoid encountering him without seeming +rude. I returned his salutation, therefore, and stood bareheaded +in the sunshine as if rooted to the ground. I gazed at him with +the utmost horror, and felt like a bird fascinated by a serpent.<br> +<br> +He affected himself to have an air of embarrassment. With his +eyes on the ground, he bowed several times, drew nearer, and at last, +without looking up, addressed me in a low and hesitating voice, almost +in the tone of a suppliant: “Will you, sir, excuse my importunity +in venturing to intrude upon you in so unusual a manner? I have +a request to make - would you most graciously be pleased to allow me +- !” “Hold! for Heaven’s sake!” I exclaimed; +“what can I do for a man who” - I stopped in some confusion, +which he seemed to share. After a moment’s pause, he resumed: +“During the short time I have had the pleasure to be in your company, +I have - permit me, sir, to say - beheld with unspeakable admiration +your most beautiful shadow, and remarked the air of noble indifference +with which you, at the same time, turn from the glorious picture at +your feet, as if disdaining to vouchsafe a glance at it. Excuse +the boldness of my proposal; but perhaps you would have no objection +to sell me your shadow?” He stopped, while my head turned +round like a mill-wheel. What was I to think of so extraordinary +a proposal? To sell my shadow! “He must be mad,” +thought I; and assuming a tone more in character with the submissiveness +of his own, I replied, “My good friend, are you not content with +your own shadow? This would be a bargain of a strange nature indeed!”<br> +<br> +“I have in my pocket,” he said, “many things which +may possess some value in your eyes: for that inestimable shadow I should +deem the highest price too little.”<br> +<br> +A cold shuddering came over me as I recollected the pocket; and I could +not conceive what had induced me to style him “<i>good friend</i>,” +which I took care not to repeat, endeavouring to make up for it by a +studied politeness.<br> +<br> +I now resumed the conversation: - “But, Sir - excuse your humble +servant - I am at a loss to comprehend your meaning, - my shadow? - +how can I?”<br> +<br> +“Permit me,” he exclaimed, interrupting me, “to gather +up the noble image as it lies on the ground, and to take it into my +possession. As to the manner of accomplishing it, leave that to +me. In return, and as an evidence of my gratitude, I shall leave +you to choose among all the treasures I have in my pocket, among which +are a variety of enchanting articles, not exactly adapted for you, who, +I am sure, would like better to have the wishing-cap of Fortunatus, +all made new and sound again, and a lucky purse which also belonged +to him.”<br> +<br> +“Fortunatus’s purse!” cried I; and, great as was my +mental anguish, with that one word he had penetrated the deepest recesses +of my soul. A feeling of giddiness came over me, and double ducats +glittered before my eyes.<br> +<br> +“Be pleased, gracious sir, to examine this purse, and make a trial +of its contents.” He put his hand in his pocket, and drew +forth a large strongly stitched bag of stout Cordovan leather, with +a couple of strings to match, and presented it to me. I seized +it - took out ten gold pieces, then ten more, and this I repeated again +and again. Instantly I held out my hand to him. “Done,” +said I; “the bargain is made: my shadow for the purse.” +“Agreed,” he answered; and, immediately kneeling down, I +beheld him, with extraordinary dexterity, gently loosen my shadow from +the grass, lift it up, fold it together, and, at last put it in his +pocket. He then rose, bowed once more to me, and directed his +steps towards the rose bushes. I fancied I heard him quietly laughing +to himself. However, I held the purse fast by the two strings. +The earth was basking beneath the brightness of the sun; but I presently +lost all consciousness.<br> +<br> +On recovering my senses, I hastened to quit a place where I hoped there +was nothing further to detain me. I first filled my pockets with +gold, then fastened the strings of the purse round my neck, and concealed +it in my bosom. I passed unnoticed out of the park, gained the +high road, and took the way to the town. As I was thoughtfully +approaching the gate, I heard some one behind me exclaiming, “Young +man! young man! you have lost your shadow!” I turned, and +perceived an old woman calling after me. “Thank you, my +good woman,” said I; and throwing her a piece of gold for her +well-intended information, I stepped under the trees. At the gate, +again, it was my fate to hear the sentry inquiring where the gentleman +had left his shadow; and immediately I heard a couple of women exclaiming, +“Jesu Maria! the poor man has no shadow.” All this +began to depress me, and I carefully avoided walking in the sun; but +this could not everywhere be the case: for in the next broad street +I had to cross, and, unfortunately for me, at the very hour in which +the boys were coming out of school, a humpbacked lout of a fellow - +I see him yet - soon made the discovery that I was without a shadow, +and communicated the news, with loud outcries, to a knot of young urchins. +The whole swarm proceeded immediately to reconnoitre me, and to pelt +me with mud. “People,” cried they, “are generally +accustomed to take their shadows with them when they walk in the sunshine.”<br> +<br> +In order to drive them away I threw gold by handfuls among them, and +sprang into a hackney-coach which some compassionate spectators sent +to my rescue.<br> +<br> +As soon as I found myself alone in the rolling vehicle I began to weep +bitterly. I had by this time a misgiving that, in the same degree +in which gold in this world prevails over merit and virtue, by so much +one’s shadow excels gold; and now that I had sacrificed my conscience +for riches, and given my shadow in exchange for mere gold, what on earth +would become of me?<br> +<br> +As the coach stopped at the door of my late inn, I felt much perplexed, +and not at all disposed to enter so wretched an abode. I called +for my things, and received them with an air of contempt, threw down +a few gold pieces, and desired to be conducted to a first-rate hotel. +This house had a northern aspect, so that I had nothing to fear from +the sun. I dismissed the coachman with gold; asked to be conducted +to the best apartment, and locked myself up in it as soon as possible.<br> +<br> +Imagine, my friend, what I then set about? O my dear Chamisso! +even to thee I blush to mention what follows.<br> +<br> +I drew the ill-fated purse from my bosom; and, in a sort of frenzy that +raged like a self-fed fire within me, I took out gold - gold - gold +- more and more, till I strewed it on the floor, trampled upon it, and +feasting on its very sound and brilliancy, added coins to coins, rolling +and revelling on the gorgeous bed, until I sank exhausted.<br> +<br> +Thus passed away that day and evening; and as my door remained locked, +night found me still lying on the gold, where, at last, sleep overpowered +me.<br> +<br> +Then I dreamed of thee, and fancied I stood behind the glass door of +thy little room, and saw thee seated at thy table between a skeleton +and a bunch of dried plants; before thee lay open the works of Haller, +Humboldt, and Linnæus; on thy sofa a volume of Goethe, and the +Enchanted Ring. I stood a long time contemplating thee, and everything +in thy apartment; and again turning my gaze upon thee, I perceived that +thou wast motionless - thou didst not breathe - thou wast dead.<br> +<br> +I awoke - it seemed yet early - my watch had stopped. I felt thirsty, +faint, and worn out; for since the preceding morning I had not tasted +food. I now cast from me, with loathing and disgust, the very +gold with which but a short time before I had satiated my foolish heart. +Now I knew not where to put it - I dared not leave it lying there. +I examined my purse to see if it would hold it, - impossible! +Neither of my windows opened on the sea. I had no other resource +but, with toil and great fatigue, to drag it to a huge chest which stood +in a closet in my room; where I placed it all, with the exception of +a handful or two. Then I threw myself, exhausted, into an arm-chair, +till the people of the house should be up and stirring. As soon +as possible I sent for some refreshment, and desired to see the landlord.<br> +<br> +I entered into some conversation with this man respecting the arrangement +of my future establishment. He recommended for my personal attendant +one Bendel, whose honest and intelligent countenance immediately prepossessed +me in his favour. It is this individual whose persevering attachment +has consoled me in all the miseries of my life, and enabled me to bear +up under my wretched lot. I was occupied the whole day in my room +with servants in want of a situation, and tradesmen of every description. +I decided on my future plans, and purchased various articles of vertu +and splendid jewels, in order to get rid of some of my gold; but nothing +seemed to diminish the inexhaustible heap.<br> +<br> +I now reflected on my situation with the utmost uneasiness. I +dared not take a single step beyond my own door; and in the evening +I had forty wax tapers lighted before I ventured to leave the shade. +I reflected with horror on the frightful encounter with the school-boys; +yet I resolved, if I could command sufficient courage, to put the public +opinion to a second trial. The nights were now moonlight. +Late in the evening I wrapped myself in a large cloak, pulled my hat +over my eyes, and, trembling like a criminal, stole out of the house.<br> +<br> +I did not venture to leave the friendly shadow of the houses until I +had reached a distant part of the town; and then I emerged into the +broad moonlight, fully prepared to hear my fate from the lips of the +passers-by.<br> +<br> +Spare me, my beloved friend, the painful recital of all that I was doomed +to endure. The women often expressed the deepest sympathy for +me - a sympathy not less piercing to my soul than the scoffs of the +young people, and the proud contempt of the men, particularly of the +more corpulent, who threw an ample shadow before them. A fair +and beauteous maiden, apparently accompanied by her parents, who gravely +kept looking straight before them, chanced to cast a beaming glance +on me; but was evidently startled at perceiving that I was without a +shadow, and hiding her lovely face in her veil, and holding down her +head, passed silently on.<br> +<br> +This was past all endurance. Tears streamed from my eyes; and +with a heart pierced through and through, I once more took refuge in +the shade. I leant on the houses for support, and reached home +at a late hour, worn out with fatigue.<br> +<br> +I passed a sleepless night. My first care the following morning +was, to devise some means of discovering the man in the grey cloak. +Perhaps I may succeed in finding him; and how fortunate it were if he +should be as ill satisfied with his bargain as I am with mine!<br> +<br> +I desired Bendel to be sent for, who seemed to possess some tact and +ability. I minutely described to him the individual who possessed +a treasure without which life itself was rendered a burden to me. +I mentioned the time and place at which I had seen him, named all the +persons who were present, and concluded with the following directions: +- He was to inquire for a Dollond’s telescope, a Turkey carpet +interwoven with gold, a marquee, and, finally, for some black steeds +- the history, without entering into particulars, of all these being +singularly connected with the mysterious character who seemed to pass +unnoticed by every one, but whose appearance had destroyed the peace +and happiness of my life.<br> +<br> +As I spoke I produced as much gold as I could hold in my two hands, +and added jewels and precious stones of still greater value. “Bendel,” +said I, “this smooths many a path, and renders that easy which +seems almost impossible. Be not sparing of it, for I am not so; +but go, and rejoice thy master with intelligence on which depend all +his hopes.”<br> +<br> +He departed, and returned late and melancholy.<br> +<br> +None of Mr. John’s servants, none of his guests (and Bendel had +spoken to them all) had the slightest recollection of the man in the +grey cloak.<br> +<br> +The new telescope was still there, but no one knew how it had come; +and the tent and Turkey carpet were still stretched out on the hill. +The servants boasted of their master’s wealth; but no one seemed +to know by what means he had become possessed of these newly acquired +luxuries. He was gratified; and it gave him no concern to be ignorant +how they had come to him. The black coursers which had been mounted +on that day were in the stables of the young gentlemen of the party, +who admired them as the munificent present of Mr. John.<br> +<br> +Such was the information I gained from Bendel’s detailed account; +but, in spite of this unsatisfactory result, his zeal and prudence deserved +and received my commendation. In a gloomy mood, I made him a sign +to withdraw.<br> +<br> +“I have, sir,” he continued, “laid before you all +the information in my power relative to the subject of the most importance +to you. I have now a message to deliver which I received early +this morning from a person at the gate, as I was proceeding to execute +the commission in which I have so unfortunately failed. The man’s +words were precisely these: ‘Tell your master, Peter Schlemihl, +he will not see me here again. I am going to cross the sea; a +favourable wind now calls all the passengers on board; but, in a year +and a day I shall have the honour of paying him a visit; when, in all +probability, I shall have a proposal to make to him of a very agreeable +nature. Commend me to him most respectfully, with many thanks.’ +I inquired his name; but he said you would remember him.”<br> +<br> +“What sort of person was he?” cried I, in great emotion; +and Bendel described the man in the grey coat feature by feature, word +for word; in short, the very individual in search of whom he had been +sent. “How unfortunate!” cried I bitterly; “it +was himself.” Scales, as it were, fell from Bendel’s +eyes. “Yes, it was he,” cried he, “undoubtedly +it was he; and fool, madman, that I was, I did not recognise him - I +did not, and have betrayed my master!” He then broke out +into a torrent of self-reproach; and his distress really excited my +compassion. I endeavoured to console him, repeatedly assuring +him that I entertained no doubt of his fidelity; and despatched him +immediately to the wharf, to discover, if possible, some trace of the +extraordinary being. But on that very morning many vessels which +had been detained in port by contrary winds had set sail, all bound +to different parts of the globe; and the grey man had disappeared like +a shadow.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER II.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Of what use were wings to a man fast bound in chains of iron? +They would but increase the horror of his despair. Like the dragon +guarding his treasure, I remained cut off from all human intercourse, +and starving amidst my very gold, for it gave me no pleasure: I anathematised +it as the source of all my wretchedness.<br> +<br> +Sole depository of my fearful secret, I trembled before the meanest +of my attendants, whom, at the same time, I envied; for he possessed +a shadow, and could venture to go out in the daytime; while I shut myself +up in my room day and night, and indulged in all the bitterness of grief.<br> +<br> +One individual, however, was daily pining away before my eyes - my faithful +Bendel, who was the victim of silent self-reproach, tormenting himself +with the idea that he had betrayed the confidence reposed in him by +a good master, in failing to recognise the individual in quest of whom +he had been sent, and with whom he had been led to believe that my melancholy +fate was closely connected. Still, I had nothing to accuse him +with, as I recognised in the occurrence the mysterious character of +the unknown.<br> +<br> +In order to leave no means untried, I one day despatched Bendel with +a costly ring to the most celebrated artist in the town, desiring him +to wait upon me. He came; and, dismissing the attendants, I secured +the door, placing myself opposite to him, and, after extolling his art, +with a heavy heart came to the point, first enjoining the strictest +secrecy.<br> +<br> +“For a person,” said I, “who most unfortunately has +lost his shadow, could you paint a false one?”<br> +<br> +“Do you speak of the natural shadow?”<br> +<br> +“Precisely so.”<br> +<br> +“But,” he asked, “by what awkward negligence can a +man have lost his shadow?”<br> +<br> +“How it occurred,” I answered, “is of no consequence; +but it was in this manner” - (and here I uttered an unblushing +falsehood) - “he was travelling in Russia last winter, and one +bitterly cold day it froze so intensely, that his shadow remained so +fixed to the ground, that it was found impossible to remove it.”<br> +<br> +“The false shadow that I might paint,” said the artist, +“would be liable to be lost on the slightest movement, particularly +in a person who, from your account, cares so little about his shadow. +A person without a shadow should keep out of the sun, that is the only +safe and rational plan.”<br> +<br> +He rose and took his leave, casting so penetrating a look at me that +I shrunk from it. I sank back in my chair, and hid my face in +my hands.<br> +<br> +In this attitude Bendel found me, and was about to withdraw silently +and respectfully on seeing me in such a state of grief: looking up, +overwhelmed with my sorrows, I felt that I must communicate them to +him. “Bendel,” I exclaimed, “Bendel, thou the +only being who seest and respectest my grief too much to inquire into +its cause - thou who seemest silently and sincerely to sympathise with +me - come and share my confidence. The extent of my wealth I have +not withheld from thee, neither will I conceal from thee the extent +of my grief. Bendel! forsake me not. Bendel, you see me +rich, free, beneficent; you fancy all the world in my power; yet you +must have observed that I shun it, and avoid all human intercourse. +You think, Bendel, that the world and I are at variance; and you yourself, +perhaps, will abandon me, when I acquaint you with this fearful secret. +Bendel, I am rich, free, generous; but, O God, I have <i>no shadow</i>!”<br> +<br> +“No shadow!” exclaimed the faithful young man, tears starting +from his eyes. “Alas! that I am born to serve a master without +a shadow!” He was silent, and again I hid my face in my +hands.<br> +<br> +“Bendel,” at last I tremblingly resumed, “you have +now my confidence; you may betray me - go - bear witness against me!”<br> +<br> +He seemed to be agitated with conflicting feelings; at last he threw +himself at my feet and seized my hand, which he bathed with his tears. +“No,” he exclaimed; “whatever the world may say, I +neither can nor will forsake my excellent master because he has lost +his shadow. I will rather do what is right than what may seem +prudent. I will remain with you - I will shade you with my own +shadow - I will assist you when I can - and when I cannot, I will weep +with you.”<br> +<br> +I fell upon his neck, astonished at sentiments so unusual; for it was +very evident that he was not prompted by the love of money.<br> +<br> +My mode of life and my fate now became somewhat different. It +is incredible with what provident foresight Bendel contrived to conceal +my deficiency. Everywhere he was before me and with me, providing +against every contingency, and in cases of unlooked-for danger, flying +to shield me with his own shadow, for he was taller and stouter than +myself. Thus I once more ventured among mankind, and began to +take a part in worldly affairs. I was compelled, indeed, to affect +certain peculiarities and whims; but in a rich man they seem only appropriate; +and so long as the truth was kept concealed I enjoyed all the honour +and respect which gold could procure.<br> +<br> +I now looked forward with more composure to the promised visit of the +mysterious unknown at the expiration of the year and a day.<br> +<br> +I was very sensible that I could not venture to remain long in a place +where I had once been seen without a shadow, and where I might easily +be betrayed; and perhaps, too, I recollected my first introduction to +Mr. John, and this was by no means a pleasing reminiscence. However, +I wished just to make a trial here, that I might with greater ease and +security visit some other place. But my vanity for some time withheld +me, for it is in this quality of our race that the anchor takes the +firmest hold.<br> +<br> +Even the lovely Fanny, whom I again met in several places, without her +seeming to recollect that she had ever seen me before, bestowed some +notice on me; for wit and understanding were mine in abundance now. +When I spoke, I was listened to; and I was at a loss to know how I had +so easily acquired the art of commanding attention, and giving the tone +to the conversation.<br> +<br> +The impression which I perceived I had made upon this fair one completely +turned my brain; and this was just what she wished. After that, +I pursued her with infinite pains through every obstacle. My vanity +was only intent on exciting hers to make a conquest of me; but although +the intoxication disturbed my head, it failed to make the least impression +on my heart.<br> +<br> +But why detail to you the oft-repeated story which I have so often heard +from yourself?<br> +<br> +However, in the old and well-known drama in which I played so worn-out +a part a catastrophe occurred of quite a peculiar nature, in a manner +equally unexpected to her, to me, and to everybody.<br> +<br> +One beautiful evening I had, according to my usual custom, assembled +a party in a garden, and was walking arm-in-arm with Fanny at a little +distance from the rest of the company, and pouring into her ear the +usual well-turned phrases, while she was demurely gazing on vacancy, +and now and then gently returning the pressure of my hand. The +moon suddenly emerged from behind a cloud at our back. Fanny perceived +only her own shadow before us. She started, looked at me with +terror, and then again on the ground, in search of my shadow. +All that was passing in her mind was so strangely depicted in her countenance, +that I should have burst into a loud fit of laughter had I not suddenly +felt my blood run cold within me. I suffered her to fall from +my arm in a fainting-fit; shot with the rapidity of an arrow through +the astonished guests, reached the gate, threw myself into the first +conveyance I met with, and returned to the town, where this time, unfortunately, +I had left the wary Bendel. He was alarmed on seeing me: one word +explained all. Post-horses were immediately procured. I +took with me none of my servants, one cunning knave only excepted, called +Rascal, who had by his adroitness become very serviceable to me, and +who at present knew nothing of what had occurred - I travelled thirty +leagues that night; having left Bendel behind to discharge my servants, +pay my debts, and bring me all that was necessary.<br> +<br> +When he came up with me next day, I threw myself into his arms, vowing +to avoid such follies and to be more careful for the future.<br> +<br> +We pursued our journey uninterruptedly over the frontiers and mountains; +and it was not until I had placed this lofty barrier between myself +and the before-mentioned unlucky town that I was persuaded to recruit +myself after my fatigues in a neighbouring and little-frequented watering-place.<br> +<br> +<br> +I must now pass rapidly over one period of my history, on which how +gladly would I dwell, could I conjure up your lively powers of delineation! +But the vivid hues which are at your command, and which alone can give +life and animation to the picture, have left no trace within me; and +were I now to endeavour to recall the joys, the griefs, the pure and +enchanting emotions, which once held such powerful dominion in my breast, +it would be like striking a rock which yields no longer the living spring, +and whose spirit has fled for ever. With what an altered aspect +do those bygone days now present themselves to my gaze!<br> +<br> +In this watering-place I acted an heroic character, badly studied; and +being a novice on such a stage, I forgot my part before a pair of lovely +blue eyes.<br> +<br> +All possible means were used by the infatuated parents to conclude the +bargain; and deception put an end to these usual artifices. And +that is all - all.<br> +<br> +The powerful emotions which once swelled my bosom seem now in the retrospect +to be poor and insipid, nay, even terrible to me.<br> +<br> +Alas, Minna! as I wept for thee the day I lost thee, so do I now weep +that I can no longer retrace thine image in my soul.<br> +<br> +Am I, then, so far advanced into the vale of years? O fatal effects +of maturity! would that I could feel one throb, one emotion of former +days of enchantment - alas, not one! a solitary being, tossed on the +wild ocean of life - it is long since I drained thine enchanted cup +to the dregs!<br> +<br> +But to return to my narrative. I had sent Bendel to the little +town with plenty of money to procure me a suitable habitation. +He spent my gold profusely; and as he expressed himself rather reservedly +concerning his distinguished master (for I did not wish to be named), +the good people began to form rather extraordinary conjectures.<br> +<br> +As soon as my house was ready for my reception, Bendel returned to conduct +me to it. We set out on our journey. About a league from +the town, on a sunny plain, we were stopped by a crowd of people, arrayed +in holiday attire for some festival. The carriage stopped. +Music, bells, cannons, were heard; and loud acclamations rang through +the air.<br> +<br> +Before the carriage now appeared in white dresses a chorus of maidens, +all of extraordinary beauty; but one of them shone in resplendent loveliness, +and eclipsed the rest as the sun eclipses the stars of night. +She advanced from the midst of her companions, and, with a lofty yet +winning air, blushingly knelt before me, presenting on a silken cushion +a wreath, composed of laurel branches, the olive, and the rose, saying +something respecting majesty, love, honour, &c., which I could not +comprehend; but the sweet and silvery magic of her tones intoxicated +my senses and my whole soul: it seemed as if some heavenly apparition +were hovering over me. The chorus now began to sing the praises +of a good sovereign, and the happiness of his subjects. All this, +dear Chamisso, took place in the sun: she was kneeling two steps from +me, and I, without a shadow, could not dart through the air, nor fall +on my knees before the angelic being. Oh, what would I not now +have given for a shadow! To conceal my shame, agony, and despair, +I buried myself in the recesses of the carriage. Bendel at last +thought of an expedient; he jumped out of the carriage. I called +him back, and gave him out of the casket I had by me a rich diamond +coronet, which had been intended for the lovely Fanny.<br> +<br> +He stepped forward, and spoke in the name of his master, who, he said, +was overwhelmed by so many demonstrations of respect, which he really +could not accept as an honour - there must be some error; nevertheless +he begged to express his thanks for the goodwill of the worthy townspeople. +In the meantime Bendel had taken the wreath from the cushion, and laid +the brilliant crown in its place. He then respectfully raised +the lovely girl from the ground; and, at one sign, the clergy, magistrates, +and all the deputations withdrew. The crowd separated to allow +the horses to pass, and we pursued our way to the town at full gallop, +through arches ornamented with flowers and branches of laurel. +Salvos of artillery again were heard. The carriage stopped at +my gate; I hastened through the crowd which curiosity had attracted +to witness my arrival. Enthusiastic shouts resounded under my +windows, from whence I showered gold amidst the people; and in the evening +the whole town was illuminated. Still all remained a mystery to +me, and I could not imagine for whom I had been taken. I sent +Rascal out to make inquiry; and he soon obtained intelligence that the +good King of Prussia was travelling through the country under the name +of some count; that my <i>aide-de-camp </i>had been recognised, and +that he had divulged the secret; that on acquiring the certainty that +I would enter their town, their joy had known no bounds: however, as +they perceived I was determined on preserving the strictest <i>incognito, +</i>they felt how wrong they had been in too importunately seeking to +withdraw the veil; but I had received them so condescendingly and so +graciously, that they were sure I would forgive them. The whole +affair was such capital amusement to the unprincipled Rascal, that he +did his best to confirm the good people in their belief, while affecting +to reprove them. He gave me a very comical account of the matter; +and, seeing that I was amused by it, actually endeavoured to make a +merit of his impudence.<br> +<br> +Shall I own the truth? My vanity was flattered by having been +mistaken for our revered sovereign. I ordered a banquet to be +got ready for the following evening, under the trees before my house, +and invited the whole town. The mysterious power of my purse, +Bendel’s exertions, and Rascal’s ready invention, made the +shortness of the time seem as nothing.<br> +<br> +It was really astonishing how magnificently and beautifully everything +was arranged in these few hours. Splendour and abundance vied +with each other, and the lights were so carefully arranged that I felt +quite safe: the zeal of my servants met every exigency and merited all +praise.<br> +<br> +Evening drew on, the guests arrived, and were presented to me. +The word <i>majesty </i>was now dropped; but, with the deepest respect +and humility, I was addressed as the <i>count</i>. What could +I do? I accepted the title, and from that moment I was known as +Count Peter. In the midst of all this festivity my soul pined +for one individual. She came late - she who was the empress of +the scene, and wore the emblem of sovereignty on her brow.<br> +<br> +She modestly accompanied her parents, and seemed unconscious of her +transcendent beauty.<br> +<br> +The Ranger of the Forests, his wife, and daughter, were presented to +me. I was at no loss to make myself agreeable to the parents; +but before the daughter I stood like a well-scolded schoolboy, incapable +of speaking a single word.<br> +<br> +At length I hesitatingly entreated her to honour my banquet by presiding +at it - an office for which her rare endowments pointed her out as admirably +fitted. With a blush and an expressive glance she entreated to +be excused; but, in still greater confusion than herself, I respectfully +begged her to accept the homage of the first and most devoted of her +subjects, and one glance of the count was the same as a command to the +guests, who all vied with each other in acting up to the spirit of the +noble host.<br> +<br> +In her person majesty, innocence, and grace, in union with beauty, presided +over this joyous banquet. Minna’s happy parents were elated +by the honours conferred upon their child. As for me, I abandoned +myself to all the intoxication of delight: I sent for all the jewels, +pearls, and precious stones still left to me - the produce of my fatal +wealth - and, filling two vases, I placed them on the table, in the +name of the Queen of the banquet, to be divided among her companions +and the remainder of the ladies.<br> +<br> +I ordered gold in the meantime to be showered down without ceasing among +the happy multitude.<br> +<br> +Next morning Bendel told me in confidence that the suspicions he had +long entertained of Rascal’s honesty were now reduced to a certainty; +he had yesterday embezzled many bags of gold.<br> +<br> +“Never mind,” said I; “let him enjoy his paltry booty. +I<i> </i>like to spend it; why should not he? Yesterday he, and +all the newly-engaged servants whom you had hired, served me honourably, +and cheerfully assisted me to enjoy the banquet.”<br> +<br> +No more was said on the subject. Rascal remained at the head of +my domestics. Bendel was my friend and confidant; he had by this +time become accustomed to look upon my wealth as inexhaustible, without +seeking to inquire into its source. He entered into all my schemes, +and effectually assisted me in devising methods of spending my money.<br> +<br> +Of the pale, sneaking scoundrel - the unknown - Bendel only knew thus +much, that he alone had power to release me from the curse which weighed +so heavily on me, and yet that I stood in awe of him on whom all my +hopes rested. Besides, I felt convinced that he had the means +of discovering <i>me </i>under any circumstances, while he himself remained +concealed. I therefore abandoned my fruitless inquiries, and patiently +awaited the appointed day.<br> +<br> +The magnificence of my banquet, and my deportment on the occasion, had +but strengthened the credulous townspeople in their previous belief.<br> +<br> +It appeared soon after, from accounts in the newspapers, that the whole +history of the King of Prussia’s fictitious journey originated +in mere idle report. But a king I was, and a king I must remain +by all means; and one of the richest and most royal, although people +were at a loss to know where my territories lay.<br> +<br> +The world has never had reason to lament the scarcity of monarchs, particularly +in these days; and the good people, who had never yet seen a king, now +fancied me to be first one, and then another, with equal success; and +in the meanwhile I remained as before, Count Peter.<br> +<br> +Among the visitors at this watering-place a merchant made his appearance, +one who had become a bankrupt in order to enrich himself. He enjoyed +the general good opinion; for he projected a shadow of respectable size, +though of somewhat faint hue.<br> +<br> +This man wished to show off in this place by means of his wealth, and +sought to rival me. My purse soon enabled me to leave the poor +devil far behind. To save his credit he became bankrupt again, +and fled beyond the mountains; and thus I was rid of him. Many +a one in this place was reduced to beggary and ruin through my means.<br> +<br> +In the midst of the really princely magnificence and profusion, which +carried all before me, my own style of living was very simple and retired. +I had made it a point to observe the strictest precaution; and, with +the exception of Bendel, no one was permitted, on any pretence whatever, +to enter my private apartment. As long as the sun shone I remained +shut up with him; and the Count was then said to be deeply occupied +in his closet. The numerous couriers, whom I kept in constant +attendance about matters of no importance, were supposed to be the bearers +of my despatches. I only received company in the evening under +the trees of my garden, or in my saloons, after Bendel’s assurance +of their being carefully and brilliantly lit up.<br> +<br> +My walks, in which the Argus-eyed Bendel was constantly on the watch +for me, extended only to the garden of the forest-ranger, to enjoy the +society of one who was dear to me as my own existence.<br> +<br> +Oh, my Chamisso! I trust thou hast not forgotten what love is! +I must here leave much to thine imagination. Minna was in truth +an amiable and excellent maiden: her whole soul was wrapped up in me, +and in her lowly thoughts of herself she could not imagine how she had +deserved a single thought from me. She returned love for love +with all the full and youthful fervour of an innocent heart; her love +was a true woman’s love, with all the devotion and total absence +of selfishness which is found only in woman; she lived but in me, her +whole soul being bound up in mine, regardless what her own fate might +be.<br> +<br> +Yet I, alas, during those hours of wretchedness - hours I would even +now gladly recall - how often have I wept on Bendel’s bosom, when +after the first mad whirlwind of passion I reflected, with the keenest +self-upbraidings, that I, a shadowless man, had, with cruel selfishness, +practised a wicked deception, and stolen away the pure and angelic heart +of the innocent Minna!<br> +<br> +At one moment I resolved to confess all to her; then that I would fly +for ever; then I broke out into a flood of bitter tears, and consulted +Bendel as to the means of meeting her again in the forester’s +garden.<br> +<br> +At times I flattered myself with great hopes from the near approaching +visit of the unknown; then wept again, because I saw clearly on reflection +that they would end in disappointment. I had made a calculation +of the day fixed on by the fearful being for our interview; for he had +said in a year and a day, and I depended on his word.<br> +<br> +The parents were worthy old people, devoted to their only child; and +our mutual affection was a circumstance so overwhelming that they knew +not how to act. They had never dreamed for a moment that the <i>Count +</i>could bestow a thought on their daughter; but such was the case +- he loved and was beloved. The pride of the mother might not +have led her to consider such an alliance quite impossible, but so extravagant +an idea had never entered the contemplation of the sounder judgment +of the old man. Both were satisfied of the sincerity of my love, +and could but put up prayers to Heaven for the happiness of their child.<br> +<br> +A letter which I received from Minna about that time has just fallen +into my hands. Yes, these are the characters traced by her own +hand. I will transcribe the letter:-<br> +<br> +“I am indeed a weak, foolish girl to fancy that the friend I so +tenderly love could give an instant’s pain to his poor Minna! +Oh no! thou art so good, so inexpressibly good! But do not misunderstand +me. I will accept no sacrifice at thy hands - none whatever. +Oh heavens! I should hate myself! No; thou hast made me +happy, thou hast taught me to love thee.<br> +<br> +“Go, then - let me not forget my destiny - Count Peter belongs +not to me, but to the whole world; and oh! what pride for thy Minna +to hear thy deeds proclaimed, and blessings invoked on thy idolised +head! Ah! when I think of this, I could chide thee that thou shouldst +for one instant forget thy high destiny for the sake of a simple maiden! +Go, then; otherwise the reflection will pierce me. How blest I +have been rendered by thy love! Perhaps, also, I have planted +some flowers in the path of thy life, as I twined them in the wreath +which I presented to thee.<br> +<br> +“Go, then - fear not to leave me - you are too deeply seated in +my heart - I shall die inexpressibly happy in thy love.”<br> +<br> +Conceive how these words pierced my soul, Chamisso!<br> +<br> +I declared to her that I was not what I seemed - that, although a rich, +I was an unspeakably miserable man - that a curse was on me, which must +remain a secret, although the only one between us - yet that I was not +without a hope of its being removed - that this poisoned every hour +of my life - that I should plunge her with me into the abyss - she, +the light and joy, the very soul of my existence. Then she wept +because I was unhappy. Oh! Minna was all love and tenderness. +To save me one tear she would gladly have sacrificed her life.<br> +<br> +Yet she was far from comprehending the full meaning of my words. +She still looked upon me as some proscribed prince or illustrious exile; +and her vivid imagination had invested her lover with every lofty attribute.<br> +<br> +One day I said to her, “Minna, the last day in next month will +decide my fate, and perhaps change it for the better; if not, I would +sooner die than render you miserable.”<br> +<br> +She laid her head on my shoulder to conceal her tears. “Should +thy fate be changed,” she said, “I only wish to know that +thou art happy; if thy condition is an unhappy one, I will share it +with thee, and assist thee to support it.”<br> +<br> +“Minna, Minna!” I exclaimed, “recall those rash words +- those mad words which have escaped thy lips! Didst thou know +the misery and curse - didst thou know who - what - thy lover - Seest +thou not, my Minna, this convulsive shuddering which thrills my whole +frame, and that there is a secret in my breast which you cannot penetrate?” +She sank sobbing at my feet, and renewed her vows and entreaties.<br> +<br> +Her father now entered, and I declared to him my intention to solicit +the hand of his daughter on the first day of the month after the ensuing +one. I fixed that time, I told him, because circumstances might +probably occur in the interval materially to influence my future destiny; +but my love for his daughter was unchangeable.<br> +<br> +The good old man started at hearing such words from the mouth of Count +Peter. He fell upon my neck, and rose again in the utmost confusion +for having forgotten himself. Then he began to doubt, to ponder, +and to scrutinise; and spoke of dowry, security, and future provision +for his beloved child. I thanked him for having reminded me of +all this, and told him it was my wish to remain in a country where I +seemed to be beloved, and to lead a life free from anxiety. I +then commissioned him to purchase the finest estate in the neighbourhood +in the name of his daughter - for a father was the best person to act +for his daughter in such a case - and to refer for payment to me. +This occasioned him a good deal of trouble, as a stranger had everywhere +anticipated him; but at last he made a purchase for about £150,000.<br> +<br> +I confess this was but an innocent artifice to get rid of him, as I +had frequently done before; for it must be confessed that he was somewhat +tedious. The good mother was rather deaf, and not jealous, like +her husband, of the honour of conversing with the Count.<br> +<br> +The happy party pressed me to remain with them longer this evening. +I dared not - I had not a moment to lose. I saw the rising moon +streaking the horizon - my hour was come.<br> +<br> +Next evening I went again to the forester’s garden. I had +wrapped myself closely up in my cloak, slouched my hat over my eyes, +and advanced towards Minna. As she raised her head and looked +at me, she started involuntarily. The apparition of that dreadful +night in which I had been seen without a shadow was now standing distinctly +before me - it was she herself. Had she recognised me? She +was silent and thoughtful. I felt an oppressive load at my heart. +I rose from my seat. She laid her head on my shoulder, still silent +and in tears. I went away.<br> +<br> +I now found her frequently weeping. I became more and more melancholy. +Her parents were beyond expression happy. The eventful day approached, +threatening and heavy, like a thundercloud. The evening preceding +arrived. I could scarcely breathe. I had carefully filled +a large chest with gold, and sat down to await the appointed time - +the twelfth hour - it struck.<br> +<br> +Now I remained with my eyes fixed on the hand of the clock, counting +the seconds - the minutes - which struck me to the heart like daggers. +I started at every sound - at last daylight appeared. The leaden +hours passed on - morning - evening - night came. Hope was fast +fading away as the hand advanced. It struck eleven - no one appeared +- the last minutes - the first and last stroke of the twelfth hour died +away. I sank back in my bed in an agony of weeping. In the +morning I should, shadowless as I was, claim the hand of my beloved +Minna. A heavy sleep towards daylight closed my eyes.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER III.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute +in my antechamber. I listened. Bendel was forbidding Rascal +to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, +and insisted on forcing his way. The faithful Bendel reminded +him that if such words reached his master’s ears, he would turn +him out of an excellent place. Rascal threatened to strike him +if he persisted in refusing his entrance.<br> +<br> +By this time, having half dressed myself, I angrily threw open the door, +and addressing myself to Rascal, inquired what he meant by such disgraceful +conduct. He drew back a couple of steps, and coolly answered, +“Count Peter, may I beg most respectfully that you will favour +me with a sight of your shadow? The sun is now shining brightly +in the court below.”<br> +<br> +I stood as if struck by a thunderbolt, and for some time was unable +to speak. At last, I asked him how a servant could dare to behave +so towards his master. He interrupted me by saying, quite coolly, +“A servant may be a very honourable man, and unwilling to serve +a shadowless master - I request my dismissal.”<br> +<br> +I felt that I must adopt a softer tone, and replied, “But, Rascal, +my good fellow, who can have put such strange ideas into your head? +How can you imagine - ”<br> +<br> +He again interrupted me in the same tone - “People say you have +no shadow. In short, let me see your shadow, or give me my dismissal.”<br> +<br> +Bendel, pale and trembling, but more collected than myself, made a sign +to me. I had recourse to the all-powerful influence of gold. +But even gold had lost its power - Rascal threw it at my feet: “From +a shadowless man,” he said, “I will take nothing.”<br> +<br> +Turning his back upon me, and putting on his hat, he then slowly left +the room, whistling a tune. I stood, with Bendel, as if petrified, +gazing after him.<br> +<br> +With a deep sigh and a heavy heart I now prepared to keep my engagement, +and to appear in the forester’s garden like a criminal before +his judge. I entered by the shady arbour, which had received the +name of Count Peter’s arbour, where we had appointed to meet. +The mother advanced with a cheerful air; Minna sat fair and beautiful +as the early snow of autumn reposing on the departing flowers, soon +to be dissolved and lost in the cold stream.<br> +<br> +The ranger, with a written paper in his hand, was walking up and down +in an agitated manner, and struggling to suppress his feelings - his +usually unmoved countenance being one moment flushed, and the next perfectly +pale. He came forward as I entered, and, in a faltering voice, +requested a private conversation with me. The path by which he +requested me to follow him led to an open spot in the garden, where +the sun was shining. I sat down. A long silence ensued, +which even the good woman herself did not venture to break. The +ranger, in an agitated manner, paced up and down with unequal steps. +At last he stood still; and glancing over the paper he held in his hand, +he said, addressing me with a penetrating look,<br> +<br> +“Count Peter, do you know one Peter Schlemihl?” I was silent.<br> +<br> +“A man,” he continued, “of excellent character and +extraordinary endowments.”<br> +<br> +He paused for an answer. - “And supposing I myself were that very +man?”<br> +<br> +“You!” he exclaimed, passionately; “he has lost his +shadow!”<br> +<br> +“Oh, my suspicion is true!” cried Minna; “I have long +known it - he has no shadow!” And she threw herself into +her mother’s arms, who, convulsively clasping her to her bosom, +reproached her for having so long, to her hurt, kept such a secret. +But, like the fabled Arethusa, her tears, as from a fountain, flowed +more abundantly, and her sobs increased at my approach.<br> +<br> +“And so,” said the ranger fiercely, “you have not +scrupled, with unparalleled shamelessness, to deceive both her and me; +and you pretended to love her, forsooth - her whom you have reduced +to the state in which you now see her. See how she weeps! - Oh, +shocking, shocking!”<br> +<br> +By this time I had lost all presence of mind; and I answered, confusedly, +“After all, it is but a shadow, a mere shadow, which a man can +do very well without; and really it is not worth the while to make all +this noise about such a trifle.” Feeling the groundlessness +of what I was saying, I ceased, and no one condescended to reply. +At last I added, “What is lost to-day may be found to-morrow.”<br> +<br> +“Be pleased, sir,” continued the ranger, in great wrath +- “be pleased to explain how you have lost your shadow.”<br> +<br> +Here again an excuse was ready: “A boor of a fellow,” said +I, “one day trod so rudely on my shadow that he tore a large hole +in it. I sent it to be repaired - for gold can do wonders - and +yesterday I expected it home again.”<br> +<br> +“Very well,” answered the ranger. “You are a +suitor for my daughter’s hand, and so are others. As a father, +I am bound to provide for her. I will give you three days to seek +your shadow. Return to me in the course of that time with a well-fitted +shadow, and you shall receive a hearty welcome; otherwise, on the fourth +day - remember, on the fourth day - my daughter becomes the wife of +another.”<br> +<br> +I now attempted to say one word to Minna; but, sobbing more violently, +she clung still closer to her mother, who made a sign for me to withdraw. +I obeyed; and now the world seemed shut out from me for ever.<br> +<br> +Having escaped from the affectionate care of Bendel, I now wandered +wildly through the neighbouring woods and meadows. Drops of anguish +fell from my brow, deep groans burst from my bosom - frenzied despair +raged within me.<br> +<br> +I knew not how long this had lasted, when I felt myself seized by the +sleeve on a sunny heath. I stopped, and looking up, beheld the +grey-coated man, who appeared to have run himself out of breath in pursuing +me. He immediately began:<br> +<br> +“I had,” said he, “appointed this day; but your impatience +anticipated it. All, however, may yet be right. Take my +advice - redeem your shadow, which is at your command, and return immediately +to the ranger’s garden, where you will be well received, and all +the past will seem a mere joke. As for Rascal - who has betrayed +you in order to pay his addresses to Minna - leave him to me; he is +just a fit subject for me.”<br> +<br> +I stood like one in a dream. “This day?” I considered +again. He was right - I had made a mistake of a day. I felt +in my bosom for the purse. He perceived my intention, and drew +back.<br> +<br> +“No, Count Peter; the purse is in good hands - pray keep it.” +I gazed at him with looks of astonishment and inquiry. “I +only beg a trifle as a token of remembrance. Be so good as to +sign this memorandum.” On the parchment, which he held out +to me, were these words: - “By virtue of this present, to which +I have appended my signature, I hereby bequeath my soul to the holder, +after its natural separation from my body.”<br> +<br> +I gazed in mute astonishment alternately at the paper and the grey unknown. +In the meantime he had dipped a new pen in a drop of blood which was +issuing from a scratch in my hand just made by a thorn. He presented +it to me. “Who are you?” at last I exclaimed. +“What can it signify?” he answered; “do you not perceive +who I am? A poor devil - a sort of scholar and philosopher, who +obtains but poor thanks from his friends for his admirable arts, and +whose only amusement on earth consists in his small experiments. +But just sign this; to the right, exactly underneath - Peter Schlemihl.”<br> +<br> +I shook my head, and replied, “Excuse me, sir; I cannot sign that.”<br> +<br> +“Cannot!” he exclaimed; “and why not?”<br> +<br> +“Because it appears to me a hazardous thing to exchange my soul +for my shadow.”<br> +<br> +“Hazardous!” he exclaimed, bursting into a loud laugh. +“And, pray, may I be allowed to inquire what sort of a thing your +soul is? - have you ever seen it? - and what do you mean to do with +it after your death? You ought to think yourself fortunate in +meeting with a customer who, during your life, in exchange for this +infinitely-minute quantity, this galvanic principle, this polarised +agency, or whatever other foolish name you may give it, is willing to +bestow on you something substantial - in a word, your own identical +shadow, by virtue of which you will obtain your beloved Minna, and arrive +at the accomplishment of all your wishes; or do you prefer giving up +the poor young girl to the power of that contemptible scoundrel Rascal +? Nay, you shall behold her with your own eyes. Come here; +I will lend you an invisible cap (he drew something out of his pocket), +and we will enter the ranger’s garden unseen.”<br> +<br> +I must confess that I felt excessively ashamed to be thus laughed at +by the grey stranger. I detested him from the very bottom of my +soul; and I really believe this personal antipathy, more than principle +or previously-formed opinion, restrained me from purchasing my shadow, +much as I stood in need of it, at such an expense. Besides, the +thought was insupportable, of making this proposed visit in his society. +To behold this hateful sneak, this mocking fiend, place himself between +me and my beloved, between our torn and bleeding hearts, was too revolting +an idea to be entertained for a moment. I considered the past +as irrevocable, my own misery as inevitable; and turning to the grey +man, I said, “I have exchanged my shadow for this very extraordinary +purse, and I have sufficiently repented it. For Heaven’s +sake, let the transaction be declared null and void!” He +shook his head; and his countenance assumed an expression of the most +sinister cast. I continued, “I will make no exchange whatever, +even for the sake of my shadow, nor will I sign the paper. It +follows, also, that the incognito visit you propose to me would afford +you far more entertainment than it could possibly give me. Accept +my excuses, therefore; and, since it must be so, let us part.”<br> +<br> +“I am sorry, Mr. Schlemihl, that you thus obstinately persist +in rejecting my friendly offer. Perhaps, another time, I may be +more fortunate. Farewell! May we shortly meet again! +But, <i>à propos, </i>allow me to show you that I do not undervalue +my purchase, but preserve it carefully.”<br> +<br> +So saying, he drew my shadow out of his pocket; and shaking it cleverly +out of its folds, he stretched it out at his feet in the sun - so that +he stood between two obedient shadows, his own and mine, which was compelled +to follow and comply with his every movement.<br> +<br> +On again beholding my poor shadow after so long a separation, and seeing +it degraded to so vile a bondage at the very time that I was so unspeakably +in want of it, my heart was ready to burst, and I wept bitterly. +The detested wretch stood exulting over his prey, and unblushingly renewed +his proposal. “One stroke of your pen, and the unhappy Minna +is rescued from the clutches of the villain Rascal, and transferred +to the arms of the high-born Count Peter - merely a stroke of your pen!”<br> +<br> +My tears broke out with renewed violence; but I turned away from him, +and made a sign for him to be gone.<br> +<br> +Bendel, whose deep solicitude had induced him to come in search of me, +arrived at this very moment. The good and faithful creature, on +seeing me weeping, and that a shadow (evidently mine) was in the power +of the mysterious unknown, determined to rescue it by force, should +that be necessary; and disdaining to use any finesse, he desired him +directly, and without any disputing, to restore my property. Instead +of a reply, the grey man turned his back on the worthy fellow, and was +making off. But Bendel raised his buck-thorn stick; and following +close upon him, after repeated commands, but in vain, to restore the +shadow, he made him feel the whole force of his powerful arm. +The grey man, as if accustomed to such treatment, held down his head, +slouched his shoulders, and, with soft and noiseless steps, pursued +his way over the heath, carrying with him my shadow, and also my faithful +servant. For a long time I heard hollow sounds ringing through +the waste, until at last they died away in the distance, and I was again +left to solitude and misery.<br> +<br> +<br> +Alone on the wild heath, I disburdened my heart of an insupportable +load by giving free vent to my tears. But I saw no bounds, no +relief, to my surpassing wretchedness; and I drank in the fresh poison +which the mysterious stranger had poured into my wounds with a furious +avidity. As I retraced in my mind the loved image of my Minna, +and depicted her sweet countenance all pale and in tears, such as I +had beheld her in my late disgrace, the bold and sarcastic visage of +Rascal would ever and anon thrust itself between us. I hid my +face, and fled rapidly over the plains; but the horrible vision unrelentingly +pursued me, till at last I sank breathless on the ground, and bedewed +it with a fresh torrent of tears - and all this for a shadow! - a shadow +which one stroke of the pen would repurchase. I pondered on the +singular proposal, and on my hesitation to comply with it. My +mind was confused - I had lost the power of judging or comprehending. +The day was waning apace. I satisfied the cravings of hunger with +a few wild fruits, and quenched my thirst at a neighbouring stream. +Night came on; I threw myself down under a tree, and was awoke by the +damp morning air from an uneasy sleep, in which I had fancied myself +struggling in the agonies of death. Bendel had certainly lost +all trace of me, and I was glad of it. I did not wish to return +among my fellow-creatures - I shunned them as the hunted deer flies +before its pursuers. Thus I passed three melancholy days.<br> +<br> +I found myself on the morning of the fourth on a sandy plain, basking +in the rays of the sun, and sitting on a fragment of rock; for it was +sweet to enjoy the genial warmth of which I had so long been deprived. +Despair still preyed on my heart. Suddenly a slight sound startled +me; I looked round, prepared to fly, but saw no one. On the sunlit +sand before me flitted the shadow of a man not unlike my own; and wandering +about alone, it seemed to have lost its master. This sight powerfully +excited me. “Shadow!” thought I, “art thou in +search of thy master? in me thou shalt find him.” And I +sprang forward to seize it, fancying that could I succeed in treading +so exactly in its traces as to step in its footmarks, it would attach +itself to me, and in time become accustomed to me, and follow all my +movements.<br> +<br> +The shadow, as I moved, took to flight, and I commenced a hot chase +after the airy fugitive, solely excited by the hope of being delivered +from my present dreadful situation; the bare idea inspired me with fresh +strength and vigour.<br> +<br> +The shadow now fled towards a distant wood, among whose shades I must +necessarily have lost it. Seeing this, my heart beat wild with +fright, my ardour increased and lent wings to my speed. I was +evidently gaining on the shadow - I came nearer and nearer - I was within +reach of it, when it suddenly stopped and turned towards me. Like +a lion darting on its prey, I made a powerful spring and fell unexpectedly +upon a hard substance. Then followed, from an invisible hand, +the most terrible blows in the ribs that anyone ever received. +The effect of my terror made me endeavour convulsively to strike and +grasp at the unseen object before me. The rapidity of my motions +brought me to the ground, where I lay stretched out with a man under +me, whom I held tight, and who now became visible.<br> +<br> +The whole affair was now explained. The man had undoubtedly possessed +the bird’s nest which communicates its charm of invisibility to +its possessor, though not equally so to his shadow; and this nest he +had now thrown away. I looked all round, and soon discovered the +shadow of this invisible nest. I sprang towards it, and was fortunate +enough to seize the precious booty, and immediately became invisible +and shadowless.<br> +<br> +The moment the man regained his feet he looked all round over the wide +sunny plain to discover his fortunate vanquisher, but could see neither +him nor his shadow, the latter seeming particularly to be the object +of his search: for previous to our encounter he had not had leisure +to observe that I was shadowless, and he could not be aware of it. +Becoming convinced that all traces of me were lost, he began to tear +his hair, and give himself up to all the frenzy of despair. In +the meantime, this newly acquired treasure communicated to me both the +ability and the desire to mix again among mankind.<br> +<br> +I was at a loss for a pretext to vindicate this unjust robbery - or, +rather, so deadened had I become, I felt no need of a pretext; and in +order to dissipate every idea of the kind, I hastened on, regardless +of the unhappy man, whose fearful lamentations long resounded in my +ears. Such, at the time, were my impressions of all the circumstances +of this affair.<br> +<br> +I now ardently desired to return to the ranger’s garden, in order +to ascertain in person the truth of the information communicated by +the odious unknown; but I knew not where I was, until, ascending an +eminence to take a survey of the surrounding country, I perceived, from +its summit, the little town and the gardens almost at my feet. +My heart beat violently, and tears of a nature very different from those +I had lately shed filled my eyes. I should, then, once more behold +her!<br> +<br> +Anxiety now hastened my steps. Unseen I met some peasants coming +from the town; they were talking of me, of Rascal, and of the ranger. +I would not stay to listen to their conversation, but proceeded on. +My bosom thrilled with expectation as I entered the garden. At +this moment I heard something like a hollow laugh which caused me involuntarily +to shudder. I cast a rapid glance around, but could see no one. +I passed on; presently I fancied I heard the sound of footsteps close +to me, but no one was within sight. My ears must have deceived +me.<br> +<br> +It was early; no one was in Count Peter’s bower - the gardens +were deserted. I traversed all the well-known paths, and penetrated +even to the dwelling-house itself. The same rustling sound became +now more and more audible. With anguished feelings I sat down +on a seat placed in the sunny space before the door, and actually felt +some invisible fiend take a place by me, and heard him utter a sarcastic +laugh. The key was turned in the door, which was opened. +The forest-master appeared with a paper in his hand. Suddenly +my head was, as it were, enveloped in a mist. I looked up, and, +oh horror! the grey-coated man was at my side, peering in my face with +a satanic grin. He had extended the mist-cap he wore over my head. +His shadow and my own were lying together at his feet in perfect amity. +He kept twirling in his hand the well-known parchment with an air of +indifference; and while the ranger, absorbed in thought, and intent +upon his paper, paced up and down the arbour, my tormentor confidentially +leaned towards me, and whispered, “So, Mr. Schlemihl, you have +at length accepted my invitation; and here we sit, two heads under one +hood, as the saying is. Well, well, all in good time. But +now you can return me my bird’s nest - you have no further occasion +for it; and I am sure you are too honourable a man to withhold it from +me. No need of thanks, I assure you; I had infinite pleasure in +lending it to you.” He took it out of my unresisting hand, +put it into his pocket, and then broke into so loud a laugh at my expense, +that the forest-master turned round, startled at the sound. I +was petrified. “You must acknowledge,” he continued, +“that in our position a hood is much more convenient. It +serves to conceal not only a man, but his shadow, or as many shadows +as he chooses to carry. I, for instance, to-day bring two, you +perceive.” He laughed again. “Take notice, Schlemihl, +that what a man refuses to do with a good grace in the first instance, +he is always in the end compelled to do. I am still of opinion +that you ought to redeem your shadow and claim your bride (for it is +yet time); and as to Rascal, he shall dangle at a rope’s end - +no difficult matter, so long as we can find a bit. As a mark of +friendship I will give you my cap into the bargain.”<br> +<br> +The mother now came out, and the following conversation took place: +“What is Minna doing?” “She is weeping.” +“Silly child! what good can that do?” “None, +certainly; but it is so soon to bestow her hand on another. O +husband, you are too harsh to your poor child.” “No, +wife; you view things in a wrong light. When she finds herself +the wife of a wealthy and honourable man, her tears will soon cease; +she will waken out of a dream, as it were, happy and grateful to Heaven +and to her parents, as you will see.” “Heaven grant +it may be so!” replied the wife. “She has, indeed, +now considerable property; but after the noise occasioned by her unlucky +affair with that adventurer, do you imagine that she is likely soon +to meet with so advantageous a match as Mr. Rascal? Do you know +the extent of Mr. Rascal’s influence and wealth? Why, he +has purchased with ready money, in this country, six millions of landed +property, free from all encumbrances. I have had all the documents +in my hands. It was he who outbid me everywhere when I was about +to make a desirable purchase; and, besides, he has bills on Mr. Thomas +John’s house to the amount of three millions and a half.” +“He must have been a prodigious thief!” “How +foolishly you talk! he wisely saved where others squandered their property.” +“A mere livery-servant!” “Nonsense! he has at +all events an unexceptionable shadow.” “True, but +. . . ”<br> +<br> +While this conversation was passing, the grey-coated man looked at me +with a satirical smile.<br> +<br> +The door opened, and Minna entered, leaning on the arm of her female +attendant, silent tears flowing down her fair but pallid face. +She seated herself in the chair which had been placed for her under +the lime-trees, and her father took a stool by her side. He gently +raised her hand; and as her tears flowed afresh, he addressed her in +the most affectionate manner<br> +<br> +“My own dear, good child - my Minna - will act reasonably, and +not afflict her poor old father, who only wishes to make her happy. +My dearest child, this blow has shaken you - dreadfully, I know it; +but you have been saved, as by a miracle, from a miserable fate, my +Minna. You loved the unworthy villain most tenderly before his +treachery was discovered: I feel all this, Minna; and far be it from +me to reproach you for it - in fact, I myself loved him so long as I +considered him to be a person of rank: you now see yourself how differently +it has turned out. Every dog has a shadow; and the idea of my +child having been on the eve of uniting herself to a man who . . . but +I am sure you will think no more of him. A suitor has just appeared +for you in the person of a man who does not fear the sun - an honourable +man - no prince indeed, but a man worth ten millions of golden ducats +sterling - a sum nearly ten times larger than your fortune consists +of - a man, too, who will make my dear child happy - nay, do not oppose +me - be my own good, dutiful child - allow your loving father to provide +for you, and to dry up these tears. Promise to bestow your hand +on Mr. Rascal. Speak my child: will you not?”<br> +<br> +Minna could scarcely summon strength to reply that she had now no longer +any hopes or desires on earth, and that she was entirely at her father’s +disposal. Rascal was therefore immediately sent for, and entered +the room with his usual forwardness; but Minima in the meantime had +swooned away.<br> +<br> +My detested companion looked at me indignantly, and whispered, “Can +you endure this? Have you no blood in your veins?” +He instantly pricked my finger, which bled. “Yes, positively,” +he exclaimed, “you have some blood left! - come, sign.” +The parchment and pen were in my hand!<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER IV.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +I submit myself to thy judgment, my dear Chamisso; I do not seek to +bias it. I have long been a rigid censor of myself, and nourished +at my heart the worm of remorse. This critical moment of my life +is ever present to my soul, and I dare only cast a hesitating glance +at it, with a deep sense of humiliation and grief. Ah, my dear +friend, he who once permits himself thoughtlessly to deviate but one +step from the right road, will imperceptibly find himself involved in +various intricate paths, all leading him farther and farther astray. +In vain he beholds the guiding-stars of Heaven shining before him. +No choice is left him - he must descend the precipice, and offer himself +up a sacrifice to his fate. After the false step which I had rashly +made, and which entailed a curse upon me, I had, in the wantonness of +passion, entangled one in my fate who had staked all her happiness upon +me. What was left for me to do in a case where I had brought another +into misery, but to make a desperate leap in the dark to save her ? +- the last, the only means of rescue presented itself. Think not +so meanly of me, Chamisso, as to imagine that I would have shrunk from +any sacrifice on my part. In such a case it would have been but +a poor ransom. No, Chamisso; but my whole soul was filled with +unconquerable hatred to the cringing knave and his crooked ways. +I might be doing him injustice; but I shuddered at the bare idea of +entering into any fresh compact with him. But here a circumstance +took place which entirely changed the face of things . . .<br> +<br> +I know not whether to ascribe it to excitement of mind, exhaustion of +physical strength (for during the last few days I had scarcely tasted +anything), or the antipathy I felt to the society of my fiendish companion; +but just as I was about to sign the fatal paper, I fell into a deep +swoon, and remained for a long time as if dead. The first sounds +which greeted my ear on recovering my consciousness were those of cursing +and imprecation; I opened my eyes - it was dusk; my hateful companion +was overwhelming me with reproaches. “Is not this behaving +like an old woman? Come, rise up, and finish quickly what you +were going to do; or perhaps you have changed your determination, and +prefer to lie groaning there?”<br> +<br> +I raised myself with difficulty from the ground and gazed around me +without speaking a word. It was late in the evening, and I heard +strains of festive music proceeding from the ranger’s brilliantly +illuminated house; groups of company were lounging about the gardens; +two persons approached, and seating themselves on the bench I had lately +occupied, began to converse on the subject of the marriage which had +taken place that morning between the wealthy Mr. Rascal and Minima. +All was then over.<br> +<br> +I tore off the cap which rendered me invisible; and my companion having +disappeared, I plunged in silence into the thickest gloom of the grove, +rapidly passed Count Peter’s bower towards the entrance-gate; +but my tormentor still haunted me, and loaded me with reproaches. +“And is this all the gratitude I am to expect from you, Mr. Schlemihl +- you, whom I have been watching all the weary day, until you should +recover from your nervous attack? What a fool’s part I have +been enacting! It is of no use flying from me, Mr. Perverse - +we are inseparable - you have my gold, I have your shadow; this exchange +deprives us both of peace. Did you ever hear of a man’s +shadow leaving him? - yours follows me until you receive it again into +favour, and thus free me from it. Disgust and weariness sooner +or later will compel you to do what you should have done gladly at first. +In vain you strive with fate!”<br> +<br> +He continued unceasingly in the same tone, uttering constant sarcasms +about the gold and the shadow, till I was completely bewildered. +To fly from him was impossible. I had pursued my way through the +empty streets towards my own house, which I could scarcely recognise +- the windows were broken to pieces, no light was visible, the doors +were shut, and the bustle of domestics had ceased. My companion +burst into a loud laugh. “Yes, yes,” said he, “you +see the state of things: however, you will find your friend Bendel at +home; he was sent back the other day so fatigued, that I assure you +he has never left the house since. He will have a fine story to +tell! So I wish you a very good night - may we shortly meet again!”<br> +<br> +I had repeatedly rung the bell: at last a light appeared; and Bendel +inquired from within who was there. The poor fellow could scarcely +contain himself at the sound of my voice. The door flew open, +and we were locked in each other’s arms. I found him sadly +changed; he was looking ill and feeble. I, too, was altered; my +hair had become quite grey. He conducted me through the desolate +apartments to an inner room, which had escaped the general wreck. +After partaking of some refreshment, we seated ourselves; and, with +fresh lamentations, he began to tell me that the grey withered old man +whom he had met with my shadow had insensibly led him such a zig-zag +race, that he had lost all traces of me, and at last sank down exhausted +with fatigue; that, unable to find me, he had returned home, when, shortly +after the mob, at Rascal’s instigation, assembled violently before +the house, broke the windows, and by all sorts of excesses completely +satiated their fury. Thus had they treated their benefactor. +My servants had fled in all directions. The police had banished +me from the town as a suspicious character, and granted me an interval +of twenty-four hours to leave the territory. Bendel added many +particulars as to the information I had already obtained respecting +Rascal’s wealth and marriage. This villain, it seems - who +was the author of all the measures taken against me - became possessed +of my secret nearly from the beginning, and, tempted by the love of +money, had supplied himself with a key to my chest, and from that time +had been laying the foundation of his present wealth. Bendel related +all this with many tears, and wept for joy that I was once more safely +restored to him, after all his fears and anxieties for me. In +me, however, such a state of things only awoke despair.<br> +<br> +My dreadful fate now stared me in the face in all its gigantic and unchangeable +horror. The source of tears was exhausted within me; no groans +escaped my breast; but with cool indifference I bared my unprotected +head to the blast. “Bendel,” said I, “you know +my fate; this heavy visitation is a punishment for my early sins: but +as for thee, my innocent friend, I can no longer permit thee to share +my destiny. I will depart this very night - saddle me a horse +- I will set out alone. Remain here, Bendel - I insist upon it: +there must be some chests of gold still left in the house - take them, +they are thine. I shall be a restless and solitary wanderer on +the face of the earth; but should better days arise, and fortune once +more smile propitiously on me, then I will not forget thy steady fidelity; +for in hours of deep distress thy faithful bosom has been the depository +of my sorrows.” With a bursting heart, the worthy Bendel +prepared to obey this last command of his master; for I was deaf to +all his arguments and blind to his tears. My horse was brought +- I pressed my weeping friend to my bosom - threw myself into the saddle, +and, under the friendly shades of night, quitted this sepulchre of my +existence, indifferent which road my horse should take; for now on this +side the grave I had neither wishes, hopes, nor fears.<br> +<br> +After a short time I was joined by a traveller on foot, who, after walking +for a while by the side of my horse, observed that as we both seemed +to be travelling the same road, he should beg my permission to lay his +cloak on the horse’s back behind me, to which I silently assented. +He thanked me with easy politeness for this trifling favour, praised +my horse, and then took occasion to extol the happiness and the power +of the rich, and fell, I scarcely know how, into a sort of conversation +with himself, in which I merely acted the part of listener. He +unfolded his views of human life and of the world, and, touching on +metaphysics, demanded an answer from that cloudy science to the question +of questions - the answer that should solve all mysteries. He +deduced one problem from another in a very lucid manner, and then proceeded +to their solution.<br> +<br> +You may remember, my dear friend, that after having run through the +school-philosophy, I became sensible of my unfitness for metaphysical +speculations, and therefore totally abstained from engaging in them. +Since then I have acquiesced in some things, and abandoned all hope +of comprehending others; trusting, as you advised me, to my own plain +sense and the voice of conscience to direct and, if possible, maintain +me in the right path.<br> +<br> +Now this skilful rhetorician seemed to me to expend great skill in rearing +a firmly-constructed edifice, towering aloft on its own self-supported +basis, but resting on, and upheld by, some internal principle of necessity. +I regretted in it the total absence of what I desired to find; and thus +it seemed a mere work of art, serving only by its elegance and exquisite +finish to captivate the eye. Nevertheless, I listened with pleasure +to this eloquently gifted man, who diverted my attention from my own +sorrows to the speaker; and he would have secured my entire acquiescence +if he had appealed to my heart as well as to my judgment.<br> +<br> +In the meantime the hours had passed away, and morning had already dawned +imperceptibly in the horizon; looking up, I shuddered as I beheld in +the east all those splendid hues that announce the rising sun. +At this hour, when all natural shadows are seen in their full proportions, +not a fence or a shelter of any kind could I descry in this open country, +and I was not alone! I cast a glance at my companion, and shuddered +again - it was the man in the grey coat himself! He laughed at +my surprise, and said, without giving me time to speak: “You see, +according to the fashion of this world, mutual convenience binds us +together for a time: there is plenty of time to think of parting. +The road here along the mountain, which perhaps has escaped your notice, +is the only one that you can prudently take; into the valley you dare +not descend - the path over the mountain would but reconduct you to +the town which you have left - my road, too, lies this way. I +perceive you change colour at the rising sun - I have no objections +to let you have the loan of your shadow during our journey, and in return +you may not be indisposed to tolerate my society. You have now +no Bendel; but I will act for him. I regret that you are not over-fond +of me; but that need not prevent you from accepting my poor services. +The devil is not so black as he is painted. Yesterday you provoked +me, I own; but now that is all forgotten, and you must confess I have +this day succeeded in beguiling the wearisomeness of your journey. +Come, take your shadow, and make trial of it.”<br> +<br> +The sun had risen, and we were meeting with passengers; so I reluctantly +consented. With a smile, he immediately let my shadow glide down +to the ground; and I beheld it take its place by that of my horse, and +gaily trot along with me. My feelings were anything but pleasant. +I rode through groups of country people, who respectfully made way for +the well-mounted stranger. Thus I proceeded, occasionally stealing +a sidelong glance with a beating heart from my horse at the shadow once +my own, but now, alas, accepted as a loan from a stranger, or rather +a fiend. He moved on carelessly at my side, whistling a song. +He being on foot, and I on horseback, the temptation to hazard a silly +project occurred to me; so, suddenly turning my bridle, I set spurs +to my horse, and at full gallop struck into a by-path; but my shadow, +on the sudden movement of my horse, glided away, and stood on the road +quietly awaiting the approach of its legal owner. I was obliged +to return abashed towards the grey man; but he very coolly finished +his song, and with a laugh set my shadow to rights again, reminding +me that it was at my option to have it irrevocably fixed to me, by purchasing +it on just and equitable terms. “I hold you,” said +he, “by the shadow; and you seek in vain to get rid of me. +A rich man like you requires a shadow, unquestionably; and you are to +blame for not having seen this sooner.”<br> +<br> +I now continued my journey on the same road; every convenience and even +luxury of life was mine; I moved about in peace and freedom, for I possessed +a shadow, though a borrowed one; and all the respect due to wealth was +paid to me. But a deadly disease preyed on my heart. My +extraordinary companion, who gave himself out to be the humble attendant +of the richest individual in the world, was remarkable for his dexterity; +in short, his singular address and promptitude admirably fitted him +to be the very <i>beau ideal </i>of a rich man’s lacquey. +But he never stirred from my side, and tormented me with constant assurances +that a day would most certainly come when, if it were only to get rid +of him, I should gladly comply with his terms, and redeem my shadow. +Thus he became as irksome as he was hateful to me. I really stood +in awe of him - I had placed myself in his power. Since he had +effected my return to the pleasures of the world, which I had resolved +to shun, he had the perfect mastery of me. His eloquence was irresistible, +and at times I almost thought he was in the right. A shadow is +indeed necessary to a man of fortune; and if I chose to maintain the +position in which he had placed me, there was only one means of doing +so. But on one point I was immovable: since I had sacrificed my +love for Minna, and thereby blighted the happiness of my whole life, +I would not now, for all the shadows in the universe be induced to sign +away my soul to this being - I knew not how it might end.<br> +<br> +One day we were sitting by the entrance of a cavern, much visited by +strangers, who ascended the mountain: the rushing noise of a subterranean +torrent resounded from the fathomless abyss, the depths of which exceeded +all calculation. He was, according to his favourite custom, employing +all the powers of his lavish fancy, and all the charm of the most brilliant +colouring, to depict to me what I might effect in the world by virtue +of my purse, when once I had recovered my shadow. With my elbows +resting on my knees, I kept my face concealed in my hands, and listened +to the false fiend, my heart torn between the temptation and my determined +opposition to it. Such indecision I could no longer endure, and +resolved on one decisive effort.<br> +<br> +“You seem to forget,” said I, “that I tolerate your +presence only on certain conditions, and that I am to retain perfect +freedom of action.”<br> +<br> +“You have but to command, I depart,” was all his reply.<br> +<br> +The threat was familiar to me; I was silent. He then began to +fold up my shadow. I turned pale, but allowed him to continue. +A long silence ensued, which he was the first to break.<br> +<br> +“You cannot endure me, Mr Schlemihl - you hate me - I am aware +of it - but why? - is it, perhaps, because you attacked me on the open +plain, in order to rob me of my invisible bird’s nest? or is it +because you thievishly endeavoured to seduce away the shadow with which +I had entrusted you - my own property - confiding implicitly in your +honour! I, for my part, have no dislike to you. It is perfectly +natural that you should avail yourself of every means, presented either +by cunning or force, to promote your own interests. That your +principles also should be of the strictest sort, and your intentions +of the most honourable description, - these are fancies with which I +have nothing to do; I do not pretend to such strictness myself. +Each of us is free, I to act, and you to think, as seems best. +Did I ever seize you by the throat, to tear out of your body that valuable +soul I so ardently wish to possess? Did I ever set my servant +to attack you, to get back my purse, or attempt to run off with it from +you?”<br> +<br> +I had not a word to reply.<br> +<br> +“Well, well,” he exclaimed, “you detest me, and I +know it; but I bear you no malice on that account. We must part +- that is clear; also I must say that you begin to be very tiresome +to me. Once more let me advise you to free yourself entirely from +my troublesome presence by the purchase of your shadow.”<br> +<br> +I held out the purse to him.<br> +<br> +“No, Mr. Schlemihl; not at that price.”<br> +<br> +With a deep sigh, I said, “Be it so, then; let us part, I entreat; +cross my path no more. There is surely room enough in the world +for us both.”<br> +<br> +Laughing, he replied, “I go; but just allow me to inform you how +you may at any time recall me whenever you have a mind to see your most +humble servant: you have only to shake your purse, the sound of the +gold will bring me to you in an instant. In this world every one +consults his own advantage; but you see I have thought of yours, and +clearly confer upon you a new power. Oh this purse! it would still +prove a powerful bond between us, had the moth begun to devour your +shadow. - But enough: you hold me by my gold, and may command your servant +at any distance. You know that I can be very serviceable to my +friends; and that the rich are my peculiar care - this you have observed. +As to your shadow, allow me to say, you can only redeem it on one condition.”<br> +<br> +Recollections of former days came over me; and I hastily asked him if +he had obtained Mr. Thomas John’s signature.<br> +<br> +He smiled, and said, “It was by no means necessary from so excellent +a friend.”<br> +<br> +“Where is he? for God’s sake tell me: I insist upon knowing.”<br> +<br> +With some hesitation, he put his hand into his pocket; and drew out +the altered and pallid form of Mr. John by the hair of his head, whose +livid lips uttered the awful words, “<i>Justo judicio Dei judicatus +sum; justo judicio Dei condemnatus sum</i>” - “I am judged +and condemned by the just judgment of God.” I was horror-struck; +and instantly throwing the jingling purse into the abyss, I exclaimed, +“Wretch! in the name of Heaven, I conjure you to be gone! - away +from my sight! - never appear before me again!” With a dark +expression on his countenance, he arose, and immediately vanished behind +the huge rocks which surrounded the place.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER V.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +I was now left equally without gold and without shadow; but a heavy +load was taken from my breast, and I felt cheerful. Had not my +Minna been irrecoverably lost to me, or even had I been perfectly free +from self-reproach on her account, I felt that happiness might yet have +been mine. At present I was lost in doubt as to my future course. +I examined my pockets, and found I had a few gold pieces still left, +which I counted with feelings of great satisfaction. I had left +my horse at the inn, and was ashamed to return, or at all events I must +wait till the sun had set, which at present was high in the heavens. +I laid myself down under a shady tree and fell into a peaceful sleep.<br> +<br> +Lovely forms floated in airy measures before me, and filled up my delightful +dreams. Minna, with a garland of flowers entwined in her hair, +was bending over me with a smile of goodwill; also the worthy Bendel +was crowned with flowers, and hastened to meet me with friendly greetings. +Many other forms seemed to rise up confusedly in the distance: thyself +among the number, Chamisso. Perfect radiance beamed around them, +but none had a shadow; and what was more surprising, there was no appearance +of unhappiness on this account. Nothing was to be seen or heard +but flowers and music; and love and joy, and groves of never-fading +palms, seemed the natives of that happy clime.<br> +<br> +In vain I tried to detain and comprehend the lovely but fleeting forms. +I was conscious, also, of being in a dream, and was anxious that nothing +should rouse me from it; and when I did awake, I kept my eyes closed, +in order if possible to continue the illusion. At last I opened +my eyes. The sun was now visible in the east; I must have slept +the whole night: I looked upon this as a warning not to return to the +inn. What I had left there I was content to lose, without much +regret; and resigning myself to Providence, I decided on taking a by-road +that led through the wooded declivity of the mountain. I never +once cast a glance behind me; nor did it ever occur to me to return, +as I might have done, to Bendel, whom I had left in affluence. +I reflected on the new character I was now going to assume in the world. +My present garb was very humble - consisting of an old black coat I +formerly had worn at Berlin, and which by some chance was the first +I put my hand on before setting out on this journey, a travelling-cap, +and an old pair of boots. I cut down a knotted stick in memory +of the spot, and commenced my pilgrimage.<br> +<br> +In the forest I met an aged peasant, who gave me a friendly greeting, +and with whom I entered into conversation, requesting, as a traveller +desirous of information, some particulars relative to the road, the +country, and its inhabitants, the productions of the mountain, &c. +He replied to my various inquiries with readiness and intelligence. +At last we reached the bed of a mountain-torrent, which had laid waste +a considerable tract of the forest; I inwardly shuddered at the idea +of the open sunshine. I suffered the peasant to go before me. +In the middle of the very place which I dreaded so much, he suddenly +stopped, and turned back to give me an account of this inundation; but +instantly perceiving that I had no shadow, he broke off abruptly, and +exclaimed, “How is this? - you have no shadow!”<br> +<br> +“Alas, alas!” said I, “in a long and serious illness +I had the misfortune to lose my hair, my nails, and my shadow. +Look, good father; although my hair has grown again, it is quite white; +and at my age, my nails are still very short; and my poor shadow seems +to have left me, never to return.”<br> +<br> +“Ah!” said the old man, shaking his head; “no shadow! +that was indeed a terrible illness, sir.”<br> +<br> +But he did not resume his narrative; and at the very first cross-road +we came to, left me without uttering a syllable. Fresh tears flowed +from my eyes, and my cheerfulness had fled. With a heavy heart +I travelled on, avoiding all society. I plunged into the deepest +shades of the forest; and often, to avoid a sunny tract of country, +I waited for hours till every human being had left it, and I could pass +it unobserved. In the evenings I took shelter in the villages. +I bent my steps to a mine in the mountains, where I hoped to meet with +work underground; for besides that my present situation compelled me +to provide for my own support, I felt that incessant and laborious occupation +alone could divert my mind from dwelling on painful subjects. +A few rainy days assisted me materially on my journey; but it was to +the no small detriment of my boots, the soles of which were better suited +to Count Peter than to the poor foot-traveller. I was soon barefoot, +and a new purchase must be made. The following morning I commenced +an earnest search in a marketplace, where a fair was being held; and +I saw in one of the booths new and second-hand boots set out for sale. +I was a long time selecting and bargaining; I wished much to have a +new pair, but was frightened at the extravagant price; and so was obliged +to content myself with a second-hand pair, still pretty good and strong, +which the beautiful fair-haired youth who kept the booth handed over +to me with a cheerful smile, wishing me a prosperous journey. +I went on, and left the place immediately by the northern gate.<br> +<br> +I was so lost in my own thoughts, that I walked along scarcely knowing +how or where. I was calculating the chances of my reaching the +mine by the evening, and considering how I should introduce myself. +I had not gone two hundred steps, when I perceived I was not in the +right road. I looked round, and found myself in a wild-looking +forest of ancient firs, where apparently the stroke of the axe had never +been heard. A few steps more brought me amid huge rocks covered +with moss and saxifragous plants, between which whole fields of snow +and ice were extended. The air was intensely cold. I looked +round, and the forest had disappeared behind me; a few steps more, and +there was the stillness of death itself. The icy plain on which +I stood stretched to an immeasurable distance, and a thick cloud rested +upon it; the sun was of a red blood-colour at the verge of the horizon; +the cold was insupportable. I could not imagine what had happened +to me. The benumbing frost made me quicken my pace. I heard +a distant sound of waters; and, at one step more, I stood on the icy +shore of some ocean. Innumerable droves of sea-dogs rushed past +me and plunged into the waves. I continued my way along this coast, +and again met with rocks, plains, birch and fir forests, and yet only +a few minutes had elapsed. It was now intensely hot. I looked +around, and suddenly found myself between some fertile rice-fields and +mulberry-trees; I sat down under their shade, and found by my watch +that it was just one quarter of an hour since I had left the village +market. I fancied it was a dream; but no, I was indeed awake, +as I felt by the experiment I made of biting my tongue. I closed +my eyes in order to collect my scattered thoughts. Presently I +heard unintelligible words uttered in a nasal tone; and I beheld two +Chinese, whose Asiatic physiognomies were not to be mistaken, even had +their costume not betrayed their origin. They were addressing +me in the language and with the salutations of their country. +I rose, and drew back a couple of steps. They had disappeared; +the landscape was entirely changed; the rice-fields had given place +to trees and woods. I examined some of the trees and plants around +me, and ascertained such of them as I was acquainted with to be productions +of the southern part of Asia. I made one step towards a particular +tree, and again all was changed. I now moved on like a recruit +at drill, taking slow and measured steps, gazing with astonished eyes +at the wonderful variety of regions, plains, meadows, mountains, steppes, +and sandy deserts, which passed in succession before me. I had +now no doubt that I had seven-leagued boots on my feet.<br> +<br> +I fell on my knees in silent gratitude, shedding tears of thankfulness; +for I now saw clearly what was to be my future condition. Shut +out by early sins from all human society, I was offered amends for the +privation by Nature herself, which I had ever loved. The earth +was granted me as a rich garden; and the knowledge of her operations +was to be the study and object of my life. This was not a mere +resolution. I have since endeavoured, with anxious and unabated +industry, faithfully to imitate the finished and brilliant model then +presented to me; and my vanity has received a check when led to compare +the picture with the original. I rose immediately, and took a +hasty survey of this new field, where I hoped afterwards to reap a rich +harvest.<br> +<br> +I stood on the heights of Thibet; and the sun I had lately beheld in +the east was now sinking in the west. I traversed Asia from east +to west, and thence passed into Africa, which I curiously examined at +repeated visits in all directions. As I gazed on the ancient pyramids +and temples of Egypt, I descried, in the sandy deserts near Thebes of +the hundred gates, the caves where Christian hermits dwelt of old.<br> +<br> +My determination was instantly taken, that here should be my future +dwelling. I chose one of the most secluded, but roomy, comfortable, +and inaccessible to the jackals.<br> +<br> +I stepped over from the pillars of Hercules to Europe; and having taken +a survey of its northern and southern countries, I passed by the north +of Asia, on the polar glaciers, to Greenland and America, visiting both +parts of this continent; and the winter, which was already at its height +in the south, drove me quickly back from Cape Horn to the north. +I waited till daylight had risen in the east of Asia, and then, after +a short rest, continued my pilgrimage. I followed in both the +Americas the vast chain of the Andes, once considered the loftiest on +our globe. I stepped carefully and slowly from one summit to another, +sometimes over snowy heights, sometimes over flaming volcanoes, often +breathless from fatigue. At last I reached Elias’s mountain, +and sprang over Behring’s Straits into Asia; I followed the western +coast in its various windings, carefully observing which of the neighbouring +isles was accessible to me. From the peninsula of Malacca, my +boots carried me to Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Lombok. I made many +attempts - often with danger, and always unsuccessfully - to force my +way over the numerous little islands and rocks with which this sea is +studded, wishing to find a north-west passage to Borneo and other islands +of the Archipelago.<br> +<br> +At last I sat down at the extreme point of Lombok, my eyes turned towards +the south-east, lamenting that I had so soon reached the limits allotted +to me, and bewailing my fate as a captive in his grated cell. +Thus was I shut out from that remarkable country, New Holland, and the +islands of the southern ocean, so essentially necessary to a knowledge +of the earth, and which would have best assisted me in the study of +the animal and vegetable kingdoms. And thus, at the very outset, +I beheld all my labours condemned to be limited to mere fragments.<br> +<br> +Ah! Chamisso, what is the activity of man?<br> +<br> +Frequently in the most rigorous winters of the southern hemisphere I +have rashly thrown myself on a fragment of drifting ice between Cape +Horn and Van Dieman’s Land, in the hope of effecting a passage +to New Holland, reckless of the cold and the vast ocean, reckless of +my fate, even should this savage land prove my grave.<br> +<br> +But all in vain - I never reached New Holland. Each time, when +defeated in my attempt, I returned to Lombok; and seated at its extreme +point, my eyes directed to the south-east, I gave way afresh to lamentations +that my range of investigation was so limited. At last I tore +myself from the spot, and, heartily grieved at my disappointment, returned +to the interior of Asia. Setting out at morning dawn, I traversed +it from east to west, and at night reached the cave in Thebes which +I had previously selected for my dwelling-place, and had visited yesterday +afternoon.<br> +<br> +After a short repose, as soon as daylight had visited Europe, it was +my first care to provide myself with the articles of which I stood most +in need. First of all a drag, to act on my boots; for I had experienced +the inconvenience of these whenever I wished to shorten my steps and +examine surrounding objects more fully. A pair of slippers to +go over the boots served the purpose effectually; and from that time +I carried two pairs about me, because I frequently cast them off from +my feet in my botanical investigations, without having time to pick +them up, when threatened by the approach of lions, men, or hyenas. +My excellent watch, owing to the short duration of my movements, was +also on these occasions an admirable chronometer. I wanted, besides, +a sextant, a few philosophical instruments, and some books. To +purchase these things, I made several unwilling journeys to London and +Paris, choosing a time when I could be hid by the favouring clouds. +As all my ill-gotten gold was exhausted, I carried over from Africa +some ivory, which is there so plentiful, in payment of my purchases +- taking care, however, to pick out the smallest teeth, in order not +to over-burden myself. I had thus soon provided myself with all +that I wanted, and now entered on a new mode of life as a student - +wandering over the globe - measuring the height of the mountains, and +the temperature of the air and of the springs - observing the manners +and habits of animals - investigating plants and flowers. From +the equator to the pole, and from the new world to the old, I was constantly +engaged in repeating and comparing my experiments.<br> +<br> +My usual food consisted of the eggs of the African ostrich or northern +sea-birds, with a few fruits, especially those of the palm and the banana +of the tropics. The tobacco-plant consoled me when I was depressed; +and the affection of my spaniel was a compensation for the loss of human +sympathy and society. When I returned from my excursions, loaded +with fresh treasures, to my cave in Thebes, which he guarded during +my absence, he ever sprang joyfully forward to greet me, and made me +feel that I was indeed not alone on the earth. An adventure soon +occurred which brought me once more among my fellow-creatures.<br> +<br> +<br> +One day, as I was gathering lichens and algae on the northern coast, +with the drag on my boots, a bear suddenly made his appearance, and +was stealing towards me round the corner of a rock. After throwing +away my slippers, I attempted to step across to an island, by means +of a rock, projecting from the waves in the intermediate space, that +served as a stepping-stone. I reached the rock safely with one +foot, but instantly fell into the sea with the other, one of my slippers +having inadvertently remained on. The cold was intense; and I +escaped this imminent peril at the risk of my life. On coming +ashore, I hastened to the Libyan sands to dry myself in the sun; but +the heat affected my head so much, that, in a fit of illness, I staggered +back to the north. In vain I sought relief by change of place +- hurrying from east to west, and from west to east - now in climes +of the south, now in those of the north; sometimes I rushed into daylight, +sometimes into the shades of night. I know not how long this lasted. +A burning fever raged in my veins; with extreme anguish I felt my senses +leaving me. Suddenly, by an unlucky accident, I trod upon some +one’s foot, whom I had hurt, and received a blow in return which +laid me senseless.<br> +<br> +On recovering, I found myself lying comfortably in a good bed, which, +with many other beds, stood in a spacious and handsome apartment. +Some one was watching by me; people seemed to be walking from one bed +to another; they came beside me, and spoke of me as <i>Number Twelve</i>. + On the wall, at the foot of my bed - it was no dream, for I distinctly +read it - on a black-marble tablet was inscribed my name, in large letters +of gold<br> +<br> +<br> +PETER SCHLEMIHL<br> +<br> +<br> +Underneath were two rows of letters in smaller characters, which I was +too feeble to connect together, and closed my eyes again.<br> +<br> +I now heard something read aloud, in which I distinctly noted the words, +“Peter Schlemihl,” but could not collect the full meaning. +I saw a man of benevolent aspect, and a very beautiful female dressed +in black, standing near my bed; their countenances were not unknown +to me, but in my weak state I could not remember who they were. +Some time elapsed, and I began to regain my strength. I was called +<i>Number Twelve, </i>and, from my long beard, was supposed to be a +Jew, but was not the less carefully nursed on that account. No +one seemed to perceive that I was destitute of a shadow. My boots, +I was assured, together with everything found on me when I was brought +here, were in safe keeping, and would be given up to me on my restoration +to health. This place was called the SCHLMEIHLIUM: the daily recitation +I had heard, was an exhortation to pray for Peter Schlemihl as the founder +and benefactor of this institution. The benevolent-looking man +whom I had seen by my bedside was Bendel; the beautiful lady in black +was Minna.<br> +<br> +I had been enjoying the advantages of the Schlemihlium without being +recognised; and I learned, further, that I was in Bendel’s native +town, where he had employed a part of my once unhallowed gold in founding +an hospital in my name, under his superintendence, and that its unfortunate +inmates daily pronounced blessings on me. Minna had become a widow: +an unhappy lawsuit had deprived Rascal of his life, and Minna of the +greater part of her property. Her parents were no more; and here +she dwelt in widowed piety, wholly devoting herself to works of mercy.<br> +<br> +One day, as she stood by the side of Number Twelve’s bed with +Bendel, he said to her, “Noble lady, why expose yourself so frequently +to this unhealthy atmosphere? Has fate dealt so harshly with you +as to render you desirous of death?”<br> +<br> +“By no means, Mr. Bendel,” she replied; “since I have +awoke from my long dream, all has gone well with me. I now neither +wish for death nor fear it, and think on the future and on the past +with equal serenity. Do you not also feel an inward satisfaction +in thus paying a pious tribute of gratitude and love to your old master +and friend?”<br> +<br> +“Thanks be to God, I do, noble lady,” said he. “Ah, +how wonderfully has everything fallen out! How thoughtlessly have +we sipped joys and sorrows from the full cup now drained to the last +drop; and we might fancy the past a mere prelude to the real scene for +which we now wait armed by experience. How different has been +the reality! Yet let us not regret the past, but rather rejoice +that we have not lived in vain. As respects our old friend also, +I have a firm hope that it is now better with him than formerly.”<br> +<br> +“I trust so, too,” answered Minna; and so saying she passed +by me, and they departed.<br> +<br> +This conversation made a deep impression on me; and I hesitated whether +I should discover myself or depart unknown. At last I decided; +and, asking for pen and paper, wrote as follows:-<br> +<br> +“Matters are indeed better with your old friend than formerly. +He has repented; and his repentance has led to forgiveness.”<br> +<br> +I now attempted to rise, for I felt myself stronger. The keys +of a little chest near my bed were given me; and in it I found all my +effects. I put on my clothes; fastened my botanical case round +me - wherein, with delight, I found my northern lichens all safe - put +on my boots, and leaving my note on the table, left the gates, and was +speedily far advanced on the road to Thebes.<br> +<br> +Passing along the Syrian coast, which was the same road I had taken +on last leaving home, I beheld my poor Figaro running to meet me. +The faithful animal, after vainly waiting at home for his master’s +return, had probably followed his traces. I stood still, and called +him. He sprang towards me with leaps and barks, and a thousand +demonstrations of unaffected delight. I took him in my arms - +for he was unable to follow me - and carried him home.<br> +<br> +There I found everything exactly in the order in which I had left it; +and returned by degrees, as my increasing strength allowed me, to my +old occupations and usual mode of life, from which I was kept back a +whole year by my fall into the Polar Ocean. And this, dear Chamisso, +is the life I am still leading. My boots are not yet worn out, +as I had been led to fear would be the case from that very learned work +of Tieckius - <i>De</i> <i>rebus gestis Pollicilli</i>. Their +energies remain unimpaired; and although mine are gradually failing +me, I enjoy the consolation of having spent them in pursuing incessantly +one object, and that not fruitlessly.<br> +<br> +So far as my boots would carry me, I have observed and studied our globe +and its conformation, its mountains and temperature, the atmosphere +in its various changes, the influences of the magnetic power; in fact, +I have studied all living creation - and more especially the kingdom +of plants - more profoundly than any one of our race. I have arranged +all the facts in proper order, to the best of my ability, in different +works. The consequences deducible from these facts, and my views +respecting them, I have hastily recorded in some essays and dissertations. +I have settled the geography of the interior of Africa and the Arctic +regions, of the interior of Asia and of its eastern coast. My +<i>Historia stirpium plantarum utriusque orbis </i>is an extensive fragment +of a <i>Flora universalis terræ </i>and a part of my <i>Systema +naturæ</i>. Besides increasing the number of our known species +by more than a third, I have also contributed somewhat to the natural +system of plants and to a knowledge of their geography. I am now +deeply engaged on my <i>Fauna, </i>and shall take care to have my manuscripts +sent to the University of Berlin before my decease.<br> +<br> +I have selected thee, my dear Chamisso, to be the guardian of my wonderful +history, thinking that, when I have left this world, it may afford valuable +instruction to the living. As for thee, Chamisso, if thou wouldst +live amongst thy fellow-creatures, learn to value thy shadow more than +gold; if thou wouldst only live to thyself and thy nobler part - in +this thou needest no counsel.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +APPENDIX.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +[<i>From the prefatory matter prefixed to time Berlin edition, </i>1839, +<i>from which the present translation is made</i>.]<br> +<br> +<br> +PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.<br> +<br> +<br> +The origin of “Peter Schlemihl” is to be ascribed in a great +degree to circumstances that occurred in the life of the writer. +During the eventful year of 1813, when the movement broke out which +ultimately freed Germany from the yoke of her oppressor, and precipitated +his downfall, Chamisso was in Berlin. Everyone who could wield +a sword hastened then to employ it on behalf of Germany and of the good +cause. Chamisso had not only a powerful arm, but a heart also +of truly German mould; and yet he was placed in a situation so peculiar +as to isolate him among millions. As he was of French parentage, +the question was, not merely whether he should fight on behalf of Germany, +but, also, whether he should fight against the people with whom he was +connected by the ties of blood and family relationship. Hence +arose a struggle in his breast. “I, and I alone, am forbidden +at this juncture to wield a sword!” Such was frequently +his exclamation; and instead of meeting with sympathy on account of +his peculiar situation, he was frequently doomed to hear, in the capital +of Prussia, the head-quarters of the confederation against France and +Napoleon, expressions of hatred and scorn directed against his countrymen. +He was himself too equitable to mistake the cause of such expressions, +which were perfectly natural under the circumstances, but they nevertheless +deeply afflicted him when they reached his ears. In this state +of things his friends resolved to remove him from such a scene of excitement, +and to place him amid the quiet scenery of the country. An asylum +was offered him in the family of Count Itzenplitsch, where he was sufficiently +near to become acquainted with the gradual development of the all-important +crisis, and yet free from any unpleasant personal contact with it. +Here, at the family-seat of Cunersdorf, scarcely a day’s journey +from Berlin, wholly devoted to botany and other favourite pursuits, +Chamisso conceived the idea of “Peter Schlemihl,” and with +rapid pen finished off the story. Chamisso’s letters of +this date (in the first volume of his Life, by the writer of this notice) +afford evidence of this.<br> +<br> +The first edition of the incomparable story appeared in 1814, with a +dedication dated May 27, 1813; and it was just beginning to be known +in the world at the commencement of 1815, when the author left Germany +on a voyage round the world, of which the story contains a remarkable +anticipation. “Peter Schlemihl” was his parting salutation +to his second fatherland, and the first foundation-stone of his future +fame.<br> +<br> +Chamisso was often pestered with questions respecting what he really +meant by the story of Schlemihl. These questions amused as well +as annoyed him. The truth is, that his intention in writing it +was perhaps scarcely of so precise a nature as to admit of his giving +a formal account of it. The story sprang into being of itself, +like every work of genius, prompted by a self-creating power. +In a letter to the writer of this notice, after he had just commenced +the story, he says, “A book was the last thing you would have +expected from me! Place it before your wife this evening, if you +have time; should she be desirous to know Schlemihl’s further +adventures, and particularly who the man in the grey cloak is - send +me back the MS. immediately, that I may continue the story; but if you +do not return it, I shall know the meaning of the signal perfectly.” +Is it possible for any writer to submit himself to the scrutiny of the +public more good-naturedly?<br> +<br> +In the preface to the new French translation (which appeared in 1838) +of this story, Chamisso amuses himself in his own peculiar way, over +the prying curiosity of those who want to know what his real object +was in writing this tale: - “The present story,” he says, +“has fallen into the hands of thoughtful people, who, being accustomed +to read only for instruction’s sake, have been at a loss to know +what the shadow signifies. On this point several have formed curious +hypotheses; others, who do me the honour to believe that I am more learned +than I really am, have addressed themselves to me for the solution of +their doubts. The questions with which they have besieged me have +made me blush on account of my ignorance. I have therefore been +induced to devote myself to the investigation of a matter not hitherto +the subject of my studies; and I now beg to submit to the world the +result of my learned researches.<br> +<br> +“‘<i>Concerning Shadows</i>. - A dark body can only be partially +illuminated by a bright one. The dark space which lies in the +direction of the unilluminated part is what we call a <i>shadow</i>. +Properly speaking, shadow signifies a bodily space, the form of which +depends upon the form of the illuminating body, and upon their opposite +position with regard to each other. The shadow thrown on a surface, +situated before the shadow-projecting body, is, therefore, nothing else +than the intersection of this surface by the bodily space (in French, +<i>le solide, </i>on which word <i>solid </i>the whole force of the +humour turns), which we before designated by the word shadow.’<br> +<br> +“The question in this wonderful history of Peter Schlemihl relates +entirely to the last-mentioned quality, <i>solidity</i>. The science +of finance instructs us sufficiently as to the value of money: the value +of a shadow is less generally acknowledged. My thoughtless friend +was covetous of money, of which he knew the value, and forgot to think +on solid substance. It was his wish that the lesson which he had +paid for so dearly should be turned to our profit; and his bitter experience +calls to us with a loud voice, Think on the solid - the substantial!” +So far Chamisso.<br> +<br> +“Peter Schlemihl” has been translated into almost all the +languages of Europe. Of the Dutch, Spanish, and Russian translations +we do not possess any copies. The French and Italian are as follows:-<br> +<br> +<i>Pierre Schlemihl. Paris, chez Ladvocat, </i>1822. - This was +revised by Chamisso in manuscript, who added a preface to it; but the +translation was afterwards capriciously altered by the same publisher.<br> +<br> +<i>Un Roman du Poète Allemand contemporain, Adelbert de Chamisso; +traduit par N. Martin. Histoire merveilleuse de Pierre Schlemihl. +Dunquerque, </i>1837. - At the end the translator has added a letter +to a friend, with the Greek motto, “Life is the dream of a shadow.” +The translator, while laughing in this letter at the Germans, who, he +says, ought to write three folio volumes of explanatory notes on the +little volume, falls into the error of being very diffuse himself in +the attempt to elucidate his author. His long letter concludes +not inappropriately with these words: “I have just observed, although +certainly rather late, that I have written a letter full of shadows, +and instead of lighting a torch to illuminate the darkness, have, I +fear, only deepened the gloom. Should this be the case, the reader +at any rate will not withhold from me the praise of having preserved +the colours of the original.”<br> +<br> +<i>Merveilleuse Histoire de Pierre Schlemihl. Enrichie d’une +savente préface, où les curieux pourront apprendre ce +que c’est que l’ombre. Paris et Nurnberg, </i>1838. +<i>With illustrations. -</i> This translation was revised by Chamisso.<br> +<br> +<i>L’Uomo senz’ Ombra. Dono di simpatia al gentil +sesso. Milano, </i>1838. Published as an Annual, with a +Calendar, and Engravings. - The editor is pleased not only to withhold +the author’s name, but manages so to word his own preface as to +lead his readers to conclude that he himself is the author of the book.<br> +<br> +“Schlemihl” was also brought on the stage, but without giving +the honours of authorship to the true source. This took place +at Vienna, in February, 1819. The announcement ran thus:- “Pulzlivizli, +or the Man without a Shadow: a comic, enchanted drama, in three acts, +adapted from De la Motte Fouqué, by Ferdinand Rosenau.” +Among the characters were the grey man, and a certain Albert, probably +intended for Schlemihl. Of the contents of the piece we know nothing.<br> +<br> +In England two editions have appeared [previous to the present, - <i>Tr</i>.]; +one of which was reprinted at Boston in 1825. Of the popularity +of “Peter Schlemihl” in Great Britain we have a striking +proof, from a caricature that appeared shortly after the coronation +of William IV. On the celebration of this solemnity, a brother +of the King - the Duke of Cumberland - arrived from the Continent to +be present on the occasion; and as he was well known to be an ardent +Tory, his reception on the part of the people was not of the most flattering +description. As a consequence of this, and owing, perhaps, to +an expression that fell from the Duke, that “popularity is only +a shadow,” the caricature made its appearance. In the foreground +of the print is seen a striking likeness of the royal Duke in the costume +of the Order of the Garter. On his right stands the King, with +the crown on his head, and reflecting a goodly shadow on the wall. +Between the King and his brother are some courtiers, who exclaim, in +a tone of commiseration, “Lost, or stolen, a gentleman’s +shadow.” At the bottom of the print is the following inscription:-<br> +<br> +“PETER SCHLEMIHL AT THE CORONATION.<br> +<br> +Granted that popularity is nothing but a shadow, it is still far from +pleasant to be without that shadow.”<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +BRIEF SKETCH OF CHAMISSO’S LIFE.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Louis Adelbert de Chamisso was born January 27, 1781, at Beaucourt, +in Champagne. At the Revolution, he left France with his parents, +and came to Berlin, where, in 1796, he was appointed page to the King, +and soon after had a commission given him in the army. He applied +himself with much ardour to acquire the German language, and felt great +interest in the study of its literature, particularly its poetry and +philosophy, and was most attracted by those writers whose character +presented the greatest contrast to that of his own countrymen. +By intercourse with the learned, and by the friendships which he formed, +he soon became thoroughly German, which he proved by his poems, which +were distinguished above the crowd of such compositions by the originality +of their style, and peculiar vigour. From 1804 to 1806 he published +the “Almanack of the Muses,” in conjunction with Varnhagen +von Ense. At the peace of Tilsit he left the army, and visited +France, when his family obtained back part of their possessions. +At this time he held, for a short period, a situation as Professor at +the school of Napoleonville, but soon returned to Germany, devoting +himself wholly to a literary life, and in particular to the study of +natural history. During his visit to France, he spent some time +with Madame de Staël, whom he also visited in Switzerland. +In 1811 he returned to Berlin; and in 1813 he wrote his “Peter +Schlemihl,” which marked him out as a man of distinguished and +original genius. It was published in 1814 by his friend Fouqué. +When Count Runnjanzow resolved on undertaking a voyage round the world, +he invited Chamisso to accompany him as naturalist to the expedition +- an invitation which he gladly embraced. The ships left Cronstadt +in 1815, and returned in 1818; and although the discovery of a North-West +passage - the great object of the expedition - was not attained, yet +extensive acquisitions were made in every department of scientific research. +Chamisso’s share in the voyage is recorded in the third volume +of the account of it published at Weimar in 1821, and does honour to +his spirit of careful observation and his accuracy. He now again +fixed his residence at Berlin, from whose university he received the +degree of doctor in philosophy. An appointment at the Botanic +Garden allowed him full liberty to follow up his favourite pursuit of +natural history, and bound him by still stronger ties to his second +fatherland. He now wrote an account of the principal plants of +the North of Germany, with views respecting the vegetable kingdom and +the science of botany: this work appeared at Berlin in 1827. Poetry, +however, had still some share of his attention; and he continued, during +the latter years of his life, to maintain his claims to an honourable +place among the poets of Germany. Several of his ballads and romances +rank with the most distinguished of modern times in this branch of composition. +Surrounded by a circle of attached and admiring friends, Chamisso continued +thus entirely engaged till his death, in 1839, leaving behind him a +name and works which posterity “will not willingly let perish.”<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +FROM THE BARON DE LA MOTTE FOUQUÉ TO JULIUS EDWARD HITZIG.<br> +[<i>From the first edition</i>.]<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +We should take care, my dear Edward, not to expose the history of poor +Schlemihl to eyes unfit to look upon it. That would be a bad experiment. +Of such eyes there are plenty; and who is able to predict what may befal +a <i>manuscript, </i>which is almost more difficult to guard than spoken +language? Like a person seized with vertigo, therefore, who, in +the paroxysm of his feelings, leaps into the abyss, I commit the story +to the press.<br> +<br> +And yet there are better and more serious reasons for the step I have +taken. If I am not wholly deceived, there are in our dear Germany +many hearts both capable and worthy of comprehending poor Schlemihl, +although a smile will arise on the countenance of many among our honest +countrymen at the bitter sport which was death to him and to the innocent +being whom he drew along with him. And you, Edward, when you have +seen the estimable work, and reflected on the number of unknown and +sympathising bosoms who, with ourselves, will learn to love it, - you +will, then, perhaps, feel that some drops of consolation have been instilled +into those wounds inflicted on you, and on all who love you, by death.<br> +<br> +To conclude: I have become convinced, by repeated experience, that a +guardian angel watches over books, places them in proper hands, and +if not always, yet often, prevents them from falling into improper. +In any case, he exercises an invisible guardianship over every work +of true genius and genuine feeling, and with unfailing tact and skill +opens or shuts its pages as he sees fit.<br> +<br> +To this guardian angel I commit our “Schlemihl.” And +so, adieu! FOUQUÉ.<br> +<br> +<i>Neunhausen</i>, <i>May</i>, 1814.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +THE STORY WITHOUT AN END<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +TO MY DAUGHTER<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +My Dear Child,<br> +<br> +The story you love so much in German I dedicate to you in English. +It was in compliance with your earnest wish that other children might +share the delight it has so often afforded you, that I translated it; +so that it is, in some sort, yours of right. Let us hope that +your confident expectations of sympathy in your pleasure may not be +disappointed; or that, if others think the story less beautiful than +you do, they may find compensation in the graceful designs it has inspired.<br> +<br> +You have often regretted that it left off so soon, and would, I believe, +“have been glad to hear more and more, and for ever.” +The continuation you have longed for lies in a wide and magnificent +book, which contains more wonderful and glorious things than all our +favourite fairy tales put together. But to read in that book, +so as to discover all its beautiful meanings, you must have pure, clear +eyes, and an humble, loving heart; otherwise you will complain, as some +do, that it is dim and puzzling; or, as others that it is dull and monotonous.<br> +<br> +May you continue to read in it with new curiosity, new delight, and +new profit; and to find it, as long as you live, the untiring “Story +without an End.”<br> +<br> +Your affectionate mother,<br> +S. A.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER I.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +There was once a Child who lived in a little hut, and in the hut there +was nothing but a little bed and a looking-glass which hung in a dark +corner. Now the Child cared nothing at all about the looking-glass; +but as soon as the first sunbeam glided softly through the casement, +and kissed his sweet eyelids, and the finch and the linnet waked him +merrily with their morning songs, he arose, and went out into the green +meadow. And he begged flour of the primrose, and sugar of the +violet, and butter of the buttercup; he shook dewdrops from the cowslip +into the cup of a harebell; spread out a large lime-leaf, set his little +breakfast upon it, and feasted daintily. Sometimes he invited +a humming-bee, oftener a gay butterfly, to partake his feast; but his +favourite guest was the blue dragon-fly. The bee murmured a good +deal, in a solemn tone, about his riches; but the Child thought that +if he were a bee, heaps of treasure would not make him gay and happy; +and that it must be much more delightful and glorious to float about +in the free and fresh breezes of spring, and to hum joyously in the +web of the sunbeams, than, with heavy feet and heavy heart, to stow +the silver wax and the golden honey into cells.<br> +<br> +To this the Butterfly assented; and he told how once on a time, he too +had been greedy and sordid; how he had thought of nothing but eating, +and had never once turned his eyes upwards to the blue heavens. +At length, however, a complete change had come over him; and instead +of crawling spiritless about the dirty earth, half dreaming, he all +at once awaked as out of a deep sleep. And now he would rise into +the air; - and it was his greatest joy sometimes to play with the light, +and to reflect the heavens in the bright eyes of his wings; sometimes +to listen to the soft language of the flowers, and catch their secrets. +Such talk delighted the Child, and his breakfast was the sweeter to +him, and the sunshine on leaf and flower seemed to him more bright and +cheering.<br> +<br> +But when the Bee had flown off to beg from flower to flower, and the +Butterfly had fluttered away to his playfellows, the Dragon-fly still +remained, poised on a blade of grass. Her slender and burnished +body, more brightly and deeply blue than the deep blue sky, glistened +in the sun beam; and her net-like wings laughed at the flowers because +<i>they </i>could not fly, but must stand still and abide the wind and +the rain. The Dragon-fly sipped a little of the Child’s +clear dew-drops and blue violet-honey, and then whispered her winged +words. And the Child made an end of his repast, closed his dark +blue eyes, bent down his beautiful head, and listened to the sweet prattle.<br> +<br> +<br> +Then the Dragon-fly told much of the merry life in the green wood; how +sometimes she played hide-and-seek with her playfellows under the broad +leaves of the oak and the beech trees; or hunt-the-hare along the surface +of the still waters; sometimes quietly watched the sunbeams, as they +flew busily from moss to flower and from flower to bush, and shed life +and warmth over all. But at night, she said, the moonbeams glided +softly around the wood, and dropped dew into the mouths of all the thirsty +plants; and when the dawn pelted the slumberers with the soft roses +of heaven, some of the half-drunken flowers looked up and smiled; but +most of them could not so much as raise their heads for a long, long +time.<br> +<br> +Such stories did the Dragon-fly tell; and as the Child sat motionless +with his eyes shut, and his head rested on his little hand, she thought +he had fallen asleep; so she poised her double wings and flew into the +rustling wood.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER II.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +But the Child was only sunk into a dream of delight, and was wishing +<i>he </i>were a sunbeam or a moonbeam; and he would have been glad +to hear more and more, and for ever. But at last, as all was still, +he opened his eyes and looked around for his dear guest; but she was +flown far away; so he could not bear to sit there any longer alone, +and he rose and went to the gurgling brook. It gushed and rolled +so merrily, and tumbled so wildly along as it hurried to throw itself +head over heels into the river, just as if the great massy rock out +of which it sprang were close behind it, and could only be escaped by +a break-neck leap.<br> +<br> +Then the Child began to talk to the little waves, and asked them whence +they came. They would not stay to give him an answer, but danced +away, one over another; till at last, that the sweet Child might not +be grieved, a drop of water stopped behind a piece of rock. From +her the Child heard strange histories, but he could not understand them +all, for she told him about her former life, and about the depths of +the mountain.<br> +<br> +“A long while ago,” said the Drop of Water, “I lived +with my countless sisters in the great ocean, in peace and unity. +We had all sorts of pastimes; sometimes we mounted up high into the +air, and peeped at the stars; then we sank plump down deep below, and +looked how the coral builders work till they are tired, that they may +reach the light of day at last. But I was conceited, and thought +myself much better than my sisters. And so one day, when the sun +rose out of the sea, I clung fast to one of his hot beams, and thought +that now I should reach the stars, and become one of them. But +I had not ascended far, when the sunbeam shook me off, and in spite +of all I could say or do, let me fall into a dark cloud. And soon +a flash of fire darted through the cloud, and now I thought I must surely +die; but the whole cloud laid itself down softly upon the top of a mountain, +and so I escaped with my fright, and a black eye. Now I thought +I should remain hidden, when all on a sudden I slipped over a round +pebble, fell from one stone to another, down into the depths of the +mountain, till at last it was pitch dark, and I could neither see nor +hear anything. Then I found, indeed, that ‘pride goeth before +a fall,’ resigned myself to my fate, and, as I had already laid +aside all my unhappy pride in the cloud, my portion was now the salt +of humility; and after undergoing many purifications from the hidden +virtues of metals and minerals, I was at length permitted to come up +once more into the free cheerful air; and now will I run back to my +sisters, and there wait patiently till I am called to something better.”<br> +<br> +But hardly had she done when the root of a forget-me-not caught the +drop of water by her hair and sucked her in, that she might become a +floweret, and twinkle brightly as a blue star on the green firmament +of earth.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER III.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +The Child did not very well know what to think of all this: he went +thoughtfully home and laid himself on his little bed; and all night +long he was wandering about on the ocean, and among the stars, and over +the dark mountain. But the moon loved to look on the slumbering +Child as he lay with his little head softly pillowed on his right arm. +She lingered a long time before his little window, and went slowly away +to lighten the dark chamber of some sick person.<br> +<br> +As the moon’s soft light lay on the Child’s eyelids, he +fancied he sat in a golden boat, on a great, great water; countless +stars swam glittering on the dark mirror. He stretched out his +hand to catch the nearest star, but it had vanished, and the water sprayed +up against him. Then he saw clearly that these were not the real +stars; he looked up to heaven, and wished he could fly thither.<br> +<br> +But in the meantime the moon had wandered on her way; and now the Child +was led in his dream into the clouds, and he thought he was sitting +on a white sheep, and he saw many lambs grazing around him. He +tried to catch a little lamb to play with, but it was all mist and vapour; +and the Child was sorrowful, and wished himself down again in his own +meadow, where his own lamb was sporting gaily about.<br> +<br> +Meanwhile the moon was gone to sleep behind the mountains, and all around +was dark. Then the Child dreamt that he fell down into the dark, +gloomy caverns of the mountain, and at that he was so frightened, that +he suddenly awoke, just as morning opened her clear eye over the nearest +hill.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER IV.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +The Child started up, and, to recover himself from his fright, went +into the little flower-garden behind his cottage, where the beds were +surrounded by ancient palm-trees, and where he knew that all the flowers +would nod kindly at him. But, behold, the Tulip turned up her +nose, and the Ranunculus held her head as stiffly as possible, that +she might not bow good-morrow to him. The Rose, with her fair +round cheeks, smiled and greeted the Child lovingly; so he went up to +her and kissed her fragrant mouth. And then the Rose tenderly +complained that he so seldom came into the garden, and that she gave +out her bloom and her fragrance the live-long day in vain; for the other +flowers could not see her, because they were too low, or did not care +to look at her, because they themselves were so rich in bloom and fragrance. +But she was most delighted when she glowed in the blooming head of a +child, and could pour out all her heart’s secrets to him in sweet +odours. Among other things, the Rose whispered in his ear that +she was the fulness of beauty.<br> +<br> +And in truth the Child, while looking at her beauty, seemed to have +quite forgotten to go on; till the Blue Larkspur called to him, and +asked whether he cared nothing more about his faithful friend; she said +that she was unchanged, and that even in death she should look upon +him with eyes of unfading blue.<br> +<br> +The Child thanked her for her true-heartedness, and passed on to the +Hyacinth, who stood near the puffy, full-cheeked, gaudy Tulips. +Even from a distance the Hyacinth sent forth kisses to him, for she +knew not how to express her love. Although she was not remarkable +for her beauty, yet the Child felt himself wondrously attracted by her, +for he thought no flower loved him so well. But the Hyacinth poured +out her full heart and wept bitterly, because she stood so lonely; the +Tulips indeed were her countrymen, but they were so cold and unfeeling +that she was ashamed of them. The Child encouraged her, and told +her he did not think things were so bad as she fancied. The Tulips +spoke their love in bright looks, while she uttered hers in fragrant +words; that these, indeed, were lovelier and more intelligible, but +that the others were not to be despised.<br> +<br> +Then the Hyacinth was comforted, and said she would be content; and +the Child went on to the powdered Auricula, who, in her bashfulness, +looked kindly up to him, and would gladly have given him more than kind +looks, had she had more to give. But the Child was satisfied with +her modest greeting; he felt that he was poor too, and he saw the deep, +thoughtful colours that lay beneath her golden dust. But the humble +flower, of her own accord, sent him to her neighbour, the Lily, whom +she willingly acknowledged as her queen. And when the Child came +to the Lily, the slender flower waved to and fro and bowed her pale +head with gentle pride and stately modesty, and sent forth a fragrant +greeting to him. The Child knew not what had come to him: it reached +his inmost heart, so that his eyes filled with soft tears. Then +he marked how the lily gazed with a clear and steadfast eye upon the +sun, and how the sun looked down again into her pure chalice, and how, +amid this interchange of looks, the three golden threads united in the +centre. And the Child heard how one scarlet Lady-bird at the bottom +of the cup said to another, “Knowest thou not that we dwell in +the flower of heaven?” and the other replied, “Yes; and +now will the mystery be fulfilled.” And as the Child saw +and heard all this, the dim image of his unknown parents, as it were +veiled in a holy light, floated before his eyes: he strove to grasp +it, but the light was gone, and the Child slipped, and would have fallen, +had not the branch of a currant bush caught and held him; and he took +some of the bright berries for his morning’s meal, and went back +to his hut and stripped the little branches.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER V.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +But in the hut he stayed not long, all was so gloomy, close, and silent +within, and abroad everything seemed to smile, and to exult in the clear +and unbounded space. Therefore the Child went out into the green +wood, of which the Dragon-fly had told him such pleasant stories. +But he found everything far more beautiful and lovely even than she +had described it; for all about, wherever he went, the tender moss pressed +his little feet, and the delicate grass embraced his knees, and the +flowers kissed his hands, and even the branches stroked his cheeks with +a kind and refreshing touch, and the high trees threw their fragrant +shade around him.<br> +<br> +There was no end to his delight. The little birds warbled and +sang, and fluttered and hopped about, and the delicate wood-flowers +gave out their beauty and their odours; and every sweet sound took a +sweet odour by the hand, and thus walked through the open door of the +Child’s heart, and held a joyous nuptial dance therein. +But the Nightingale and the Lily of the Valley led the dance; for the +Nightingale sang of nought but love, and the Lily breathed of nought +but innocence, and he was the bridegroom and she was the bride. +And the Nightingale was never weary of repeating the same thing a hundred +times over, for the spring of love which gushed from his heart was ever +new - and the Lily bowed her head bashfully, that no one might see her +glowing heart. And yet the one lived so solely and entirely in +the other, that no one could see whether the notes of the Nightingale +were floating lilies, or the lilies visible notes, falling like dewdrops +from the Nightingale’s throat.<br> +<br> +The Child’s heart was full of joy even to the brim. He set +himself down, and he almost thought he should like to take root there, +and live for ever among the sweet plants and flowers, and so become +a true sharer in all their gentle pleasures. For he felt a deep +delight in the still, secluded, twilight existence of the mosses and +small herbs, which felt not the storm, nor the frost, nor the scorching +sunbeam; but dwelt quietly among their many friends and neighbours, +feasting in peace and good fellowship on the dew and cool shadows which +the mighty trees shed upon them. To them it was a high festival +when a sunbeam chanced to visit their lowly home; whilst the tops of +the lofty trees could find joy and beauty only in the purple rays of +morning or evening.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER VI.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +And as the Child sat there, a little Mouse rustled from among the dry +leaves of the former year, and a Lizard half glided from a crevice in +the rock, and both of them fixed their bright eyes upon the little stranger; +and when they saw that he designed them no evil, they took courage and +came nearer to him.<br> +<br> +“I should like to live with you,” said the Child to the +two little creatures, in a soft, subdued voice, that he might not frighten +them. “Your chambers are so snug, so warm, and yet so shaded, +and the flowers grow in at your windows, and the birds sing you their +morning song, and call you to table and to bed with their clear warblings.”<br> +<br> +“Yes,” said the Mouse, “it would be all very well +if all the plants bore nuts and mast, instead of those silly flowers; +and if I were not obliged to grub under ground in the spring, and gnaw +the bitter roots, whilst they are dressing themselves in their fine +flowers and flaunting it to the world, as if they had endless stores +of honey in their cellars.”<br> +<br> +“Hold your tongue,” interrupted the Lizard, pertly; “do +you think, because you are grey, that other people must throw away their +handsome clothes, or let them lie in the dark wardrobe under ground, +and wear nothing but grey too? I am not so envious. The +flowers may dress themselves as they like for me; they pay for it out +of their own pockets, and they feed bees and beetles from their cups; +but what I want to know is, of what use are birds in the world? +Such a fluttering and chattering, truly, from morning early to evening +late, that one is worried and stunned to death, and there is never a +day’s peace for them. And they do nothing; only snap up +the flies and the spiders out of the mouths of such as I. For +my part, I should be perfectly satisfied, provided all the birds in +the world were flies and beetles.”<br> +<br> +The Child changed colour, and his heart was sick and saddened when he +heard their evil tongues. He could not imagine how anybody could +speak ill of the beautiful flowers, or scoff at his beloved birds. +He was waked out of a sweet dream, and the wood seemed to him lonely +and desert, and he was ill at ease. He started up hastily, so +that the Mouse and the Lizard shrank back alarmed, and did not look +around them till they thought themselves safe out of the reach of the +stranger with the large, severe eyes.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER VII.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +But the Child went away from the place; and as he hung down his head +thoughtfully, he did not observe that he took the wrong path, nor see +how the flowers on either side bowed their heads to welcome him, nor +hear how the old birds from the boughs, and the young from the nests, +cried aloud to him, “God bless thee, our dear little prince!” +And he went on and on, farther and farther, into the deep wood; and +he thought over the foolish and heartless talk of the two selfish chatterers, +and could not understand it. He would fain have forgotten it, +but he could not. And the more he pondered, the more it seemed +to him as if a malicious spider had spun her web around him, and as +if his eyes were weary with trying to look through it.<br> +<br> +And suddenly he came to a still water, above which young beeches lovingly +entwined their arms. He looked in the water, and his eyes were +riveted to it as if by enchantment. He could not move, but stood +and gazed in the soft, placid mirror, from the bosom of which the tender +green foliage, with the deep blue heavens between, gleamed so wondrously +upon him. His sorrow was all forgotten, and even the echo of the +discord in his little heart was hushed. That heart was once more +in his eyes; and fain would he have drunk in the soft beauty of the +colours that lay beneath him, or have plunged into the lovely deep.<br> +<br> +Then the breeze began to sigh among the treetops. The Child raised +his eyes and saw overhead the quivering green, and the deep blue behind +it, and he knew not whether he were waking or dreaming: which were the +real leaves and the real heaven - those in the depths above or in the +depths beneath? Long did the Child waver, and his thoughts floated +in a delicious dreaminess from one to the other, till the Dragon-fly +flew to him in affectionate haste, and with rustling wings greeted her +kind host. The Child returned her greeting, and was glad to meet +an acquaintance with whom he could share the rich feast of his joy. +But first he asked the Dragon-fly if she could decide for him between +the Upper and the Nether - the height and the depth? The Dragon-fly +flew above, and beneath, and around; but the Water spake:- “The +foliage and the sky above are not the true ones: the leaves wither and +fall; the sky is often overcast, and sometimes quite dark.” +Then the Leaves and the Sky said, “The water only apes us; it +must change its pictures at our pleasure, and can retain none.” +Then the Dragon-fly remarked that the height and the depth existed only +in the eyes of the Child, and that the Leaves and the Sky were true +and real only in his thoughts; because in the mind alone the picture +was permanent and enduring, and could be carried with him whithersoever +he went.<br> +<br> +This she said to the Child; but she immediately warned him to return, +for the leaves were already beating the tattoo in the evening breeze, +and the lights were disappearing one by one in every corner. Then +the Child confessed to her with alarm that he knew not how he should +find the way back, and that he feared the dark night would overtake +him if he attempted to go home alone; so the Dragon-fly flew on before +him, and showed him a cave in the rock where he might pass the night.<br> +<br> +And the Child was well content; for he had often wished to try if he +could sleep out of his accustomed bed.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER VIII.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +But the Dragon-fly was fleet, and gratitude strengthened her wings to +pay her host the honour she owed him. And truly, in the dim twilight +good counsel and guidance were scarce. She flitted hither and +thither without knowing rightly what was to be done; when, by the last +vanishing sunbeam, she saw hanging on the edge of the cave some strawberries +who had drunk so deep of the evening-red, that their heads were quite +heavy. Then she flew up to a Harebell who stood near, and whispered +in her ear that the lord and king of all the flowers was in the wood, +and ought to be received and welcomed as beseemed his dignity. +Aglaia did not need that this should be repeated. She began to +ring her sweet bells with all her might; and when her neighbour heard +the sound, she rang hers also; and soon all the Harebells, great and +small, were in motion, and rang as if it had been for the nuptials of +their Mother Earth herself with the Prince of the Sun. The tone +of the Bluebells was deep and rich, and that of the white, high and +clear, and all blended together in a delicious harmony.<br> +<br> +But the birds were fast asleep in their high nests, and the ears of +the other animals were not delicate enough, or were too much overgrown +with hair, to hear them. The Fire-flies alone heard the joyous +peal, for they were akin to the flowers, through their common ancestor, +Light. They inquired of their nearest relation, the Lily of the +Valley, and from her they heard that a large flower had just passed +along the footpath more blooming than the loveliest rose, and with two +stars more brilliant than those of the brightest fire-fly, and that +it must needs be their King. Then all the Fire-flies flew up and +down the footpath, and sought everywhere, till at length they came, +as the Dragon-fly had hoped they would, to the cave.<br> +<br> +And now, as they looked at the Child, and every one of them saw itself +reflected in his clear eyes, they rejoiced exceedingly, and called all +their fellows together, and alighted on the bushes all around; and soon +it was so light in the cave, that herb and grass began to grow as if +it had been broad day. Now, indeed, was the joy and triumph of +the Dragon-fly complete. The Child was delighted with the merry +and silvery tones of the bells, and with the many little bright-eyed +companions around him, and with the deep red strawberries which bowed +down their heads to his touch.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER IX.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +And when he had eaten his fill, he sat down on the soft moss, crossed +one little leg over the other, and began to gossip with the Fire-flies. +And as he so often thought on his unknown parents, he asked them who +were their parents. Then the one nearest to him gave him answer; +and he told how that they were formerly flowers, but none of those who +thrust their rooty hands greedily into the ground and draw nourishment +from the dingy earth, only to make themselves fat and large withal; +but that the light was dearer to them than anything, even at night; +and while the other flowers slept, they gazed unwearied on the light, +and drank it in with eager adoration - sun, and moon, and star light. +And the light had so thoroughly purified them, that they had not sucked +in poisonous juices like the yellow flowers of the earth, but sweet +odours for sick and fainting hearts, and oil of potent ethereal virtue +for the weak and the wounded; and at length, when their autumn came, +they did not, like the others, wither and sink down, leaf and flower, +to be swallowed up by the darksome earth, but shook off their earthly +garment and mounted aloft, into the clear air. But there it was +so wondrously bright, that sight failed them; and when they came to +themselves again, they were fire-flies, each sitting on a withered flower-stalk.<br> +<br> +And now the Child liked the bright-eyed flies better than ever; and +he talked a little longer with them, and inquired why they showed themselves +so much more in spring. They did it, they said, in the hope that +their gold-green radiance might allure their cousins, the flowers, to +the pure love of light.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER X.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +During this conversation the dragon-fly had been preparing a bed for +her host. The moss upon which the Child sat had grown a foot high +behind his back, out of pure joy; but the dragon-fly and her sisters +had so revelled upon it, that it was now laid at its length along the +cave. The dragon-fly had awakened every spider in the neighbourhood +out of her sleep, and when they saw the brilliant light, they had set +to work spinning so industriously that their web hung down like a curtain +before the mouth of the cave. But as the Child saw the ant peeping +up at him, he entreated the fire-flies not to deprive themselves any +longer of their merry games in the wood on his account. And the +dragon-fly and her sisters raised the curtain till the Child had laid +him down to rest, and then let it fall again, that the mischievous gnats +might not get in to disturb his slumbers.<br> +<br> +The Child laid himself down to sleep, for he was very tired; but he +could not sleep, for his couch of moss was quite another thing than +his little bed, and the cave was all strange to him.<br> +<br> +He turned himself on one side and then on the other, and, as nothing +would do, he raised himself and sat upright to wait till sleep might +choose to come. But sleep would not come at all; and the only +wakeful eyes in the whole wood were the Child’s. For the +harebells had rung themselves weary, and the fire-flies had flown about +till they were tired, and even the dragon-fly, who would fain have kept +watch in front of the cave, had dropped sound asleep.<br> +<br> +The wood grew stiller and stiller; here and there fell a dry leaf which +had been driven from its old dwelling place by a fresh one; here and +there a young bird gave a soft chirp when its mother squeezed it in +the nest; and from time to time a gnat hummed for a minute or two in +the curtain, till a spider crept on tip-toe along its web, and gave +him such a gripe in the wind-pipe as soon spoiled his trumpeting.<br> +<br> +And the deeper the silence became, the more intently did the Child listen, +and at last the slightest sound thrilled him from head to foot. +At length, all was still as death in the wood; and the world seemed +as if it never would wake again. The Child bent forward to see +whether it were as dark abroad as in the cave, but he saw nothing save +the pitch-dark night, who had wrapped everything in her thick veil. +Yet as he looked upwards his eyes met the friendly glance of two or +three stars, and this was a most joyful surprise to him, for he felt +himself no longer so entirely alone. The stars were, indeed, far, +far away, but yet he knew them, and they knew him; for they looked into +his eyes.<br> +<br> +The Child’s whole soul was fixed in his gaze; and it seemed to +him as if he must needs fly out of the darksome cave, thither where +the stars were beaming with such pure and serene light; and he felt +how poor and lowly he was, when he thought of their brilliancy; and +how cramped and fettered, when he thought of their free unbounded course +along the heavens.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER XI.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +But the stars went on their course, and left their glittering picture +only a little while before the Child’s eyes. Even this faded, +and then vanished quite away. And he was beginning to feel tired, +and to wish to lay himself down again, when a flickering Will-o’-the-wisp +appeared from behind a bush - so that the Child thought, at first, one +of the stars had wandered out of its way, and had come to visit him, +and to take him with it. And the Child breathed quick with joy +and surprise, and then the Will-o’-the-wisp came nearer, and sat +himself down on a damp mossy stone in front of the cave, and another +fluttered quickly after him, and sat down over against him and sighed +deeply, “Thank God, then, that I can rest at last!”<br> +<br> +“Yes,” said the other, “for that you may thank the +innocent Child who sleeps there within; it was his pure breath that +freed us.”<br> +<br> +“Are you, then,” said the Child, hesitatingly, “not +of yon stars which wander so brightly there above?”<br> +<br> +“Oh, if we were stars,” replied the first, “we should +pursue our tranquil path through the pure element, and should leave +this wood and the whole darksome earth to itself.”<br> +<br> +“And not,” said the other, “sit brooding on the face +of the shallow pool.”<br> +<br> +The Child was curious to know who these could be who shone so beautifully, +and yet seemed so discontented. Then the first began to relate +how he had been a child too, and how, as he grew up, it had always been +his greatest delight to deceive people and play them tricks, to show +his wit and cleverness. He had always, he said, poured such a +stream of smooth words over people, and encompassed himself with such +a shining mist, that men had been attracted by it to their own hurt. +But once on a time there appeared a plain man, who only spoke two or +three simple words, and suddenly the bright mist vanished, and left +him naked and deformed, to the scorn and mockery of the whole world. +But the man had turned away his face from him in pity, while he was +almost dead with shame and anger. And when he came to himself +again, he knew not what had befallen him, till, at length, he found +that it was his fate to hover, without rest or change, over the surface +of the bog as a Will-o’-the-wisp.<br> +<br> +“With me it fell out quite otherwise,” said the first: “instead +of giving light without warmth, as I now do, I burned without shining. +When I was only a child, people gave way to me in everything, so that +I was intoxicated with self-love. If I saw any one shine, I longed +to put out his light; and the more intensely I wished this, the more +did my own small glimmering turn back upon myself, and inwardly burn +fiercely while all without was darker than ever. But if any one +who shone more brightly would have kindly given me of his light, then +did my inward flame burst forth to destroy him. But the flame +passed through the light and harmed it not; it shone only the more brightly, +while I was withered and exhausted. And once upon a time I met +a little smiling child, who played with a cross of palm branches, and +wore a beamy coronet around his golden locks. He took me kindly +by the hand and said, ‘My friend, you are now very gloomy and +sad, but if you will become a child again, even as I am, you will have +a bright circlet such as I have.’ When I heard that, I was +so angry with myself and with the child, that I was scorched by my inward +fire. Now would I fain fly up to the sun to fetch rays from him, +but the rays drove me back with these words:<br> +<br> +‘Return thither whence thou camest, thou dark fire of envy, for +the sun lightens only in love; the greedy earth, indeed, sometimes turns +his mild light into scorching fire. Fly back, then, for with thy +like alone must thou dwell.’ I fell, and when I recovered +myself I was glimmering coldly above the stagnant waters.”<br> +<br> +While they were talking the Child had fallen asleep, for he knew nothing +of the world nor of men, and he could make nothing of their stories. +Weariness had spoken a more intelligible language to him - <i>that</i> +he understood, and he had fallen asleep.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER XII.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Softly and soundly he slept till the rosy morning clouds stood upon +the mountain, and announced the coming of their lord, the sun. +But as soon as the tidings spread over field and wood, the thousand-voiced +echo awoke, and sleep was no more to be thought of.<br> +<br> +And soon did the royal sun himself arise; at first his dazzling diadem +alone appeared above the mountains; at length he stood upon their summit +in the full majesty of his beauty, in all the charms of eternal youth, +bright and glorious, his kindly glance embracing every creature of earth, +from the stately oak to the blade of grass bending under the foot of +the wayfaring man. Then arose from every breast, from every throat, +the joyous song of praise; and it was as if the whole plain and wood +were become a temple, whose roof was the heaven, whose altar the mountain, +whose congregation all creatures, whose priest the sun.<br> +<br> +But the Child walked forth and was glad, for the birds sang sweetly, +and it seemed to him as if everything sported and danced out of mere +joy to be alive. Here flew two finches through the thicket, and, +twittering, pursued each other; there, the young buds burst asunder, +and the tender leaves peeped out and expanded themselves in the warm +sun, as if they would abide in his glance for ever; here, a dewdrop +trembled, sparkling and twinkling on a blade of grass, and knew not +that beneath him stood a little moss who was thirsting after him; there, +troops of flies flew aloft, as if they would soar far, far over the +wood: and so all was life and motion, and the Child’s heart joyed +to see it.<br> +<br> +He sat down on a little smooth plot of turf, shaded by the branches +of a nut-bush, and thought he should now sip the cup of his delight, +drop by drop. And first he plucked down some brambles which threatened +him with their prickles; then he bent aside some branches which concealed +the view; then he removed the stones, so that he might stretch out his +feet at full length on the soft turf; and when he had done all this, +he bethought himself what was yet to do; and as he found nothing, he +stood up to look for his acquaintance the dragon-fly, and to beg her +to guide him once more out of the wood into the open fields. About +midway he met her, and she began to excuse herself for having fallen +asleep in the night. The Child thought not of the past, were it +even but a minute ago, so earnestly did he now wish to get out from +among the thick and close trees; for his heart beat high, and he felt +as if he should breathe freer in the open ground. The dragon-fly +flew on before and showed him the way as far as the outermost verge +of the wood, whence the Child could espy his own little hut, and then +flew away to her playfellows.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER XIII.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +The Child walked forth alone upon the fresh dewy cornfield. A +thousand little suns glittered in his eyes, and a lark soared warbling +above his head. And the lark proclaimed the joys of the coming +year, and awakened endless hopes, while she soared circling higher and +higher, till, at length, her song was like the soft whisper of an angel +holding converse with the spring, under the blue arch of heaven. +The Child had seen the earth-coloured little bird rise up before him, +and it seemed to him as if the earth had sent her forth from her bosom +as a messenger to carry her joy and her thanks up to the sun, because +he had turned his beaming countenance again upon her in love and bounty. +And the lark hung poised above the hope-giving field, and warbled her +clear and joyous song.<br> +<br> +She sang of the loveliness of the rosy dawn, and the fresh brilliancy +of the earliest sunbeams; of the gladsome springing of the young flowers, +and the vigorous shooting of the corn; and her song pleased the Child +beyond measure.<br> +<br> +But the lark wheeled in higher and higher circles, and her song sounded +softer and sweeter.<br> +<br> +And now she sang of the first delights of early love; of wanderings +together on the sunny fresh hilltops, and of the sweet pictures and +visions that arise out of the blue and misty distance. The Child +understood not rightly what he heard, and fain would he have understood, +for he thought that even in such visions must be wondrous delight. +He gazed aloft after the unwearied bird, but she had disappeared in +the morning mist.<br> +<br> +Then the Child leaned his head on one shoulder to listen if he could +no longer hear the little messenger of spring; and he could just catch +the distant and quivering notes in which she sang of the fervent longing +after the clear element of freedom, after the pure all-present light, +and of the blessed foretaste of this desired enfranchisement, of this +blending in the sea of celestial happiness.<br> +<br> +Yet longer did he listen, for the tones of her song carried him there, +where, as yet, his thoughts had never reached, and he felt himself happier +in this short and imperfect flight than ever he had felt before. +But the lark now dropped suddenly to the earth, for her little body +was too heavy for the ambient ether, and her wings were not large nor +strong enough for the pure element.<br> +<br> +Then the red corn-poppies laughed at the homely looking bird, and cried +to one another and to the surrounding blades of corn in a shrill voice, +“Now, indeed, you may see what comes of flying so high, and striving +and straining after mere air; people only lose their time, and bring +back nothing but weary wings and an empty stomach. That vulgar-looking +ill-dressed little creature would fain raise herself above us all, and +has kept up a mighty noise. And now there she lies on the ground +and can hardly breathe, while we have stood still where we are sure +of a good meal, and have stayed, like people of sense, where there is +something substantial to be had; and in the time she has been fluttering +and singing, we have grown a good deal taller and fatter.”<br> +<br> +The other little redcaps chattered and screamed their assent so loud +that the Child’s ears tingled, and he wished he could chastise +them for their spiteful jeers; when a cyane said, in a soft voice, to +her younger playmates, “Dear friends, be not led astray by outward +show, nor by discourse which regards only outward show. The lark +is, indeed, weary, and the space into which she has soared is void; +but the void is not what the lark sought, nor is the seeker returned +empty home. She strove after light and freedom, and light and +freedom has she proclaimed. She left the earth and its enjoyments, +but she has drunk of the pure air of heaven, and has seen that it is +not the earth, but the sun that is steadfast. And if earth has +called her back, it can keep nothing of her but what is its own. +Her sweet voice and her soaring wings belong to the sun, and will enter +into light and freedom long after the foolish prater shall have sunk +and been buried in the dark prison of the earth.”<br> +<br> +And the lark heard her wise and friendly discourse, and with renewed +strength she sprang once more into the clear and beautiful blue.<br> +<br> +Then the Child clapped his little hands for joy, that the sweet bird +had flown up again, and that the redcaps must hold their tongues for +shame.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +CHAPTER XIV.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +And the Child was become happy and joyful, and breathed freely again, +and thought no more of returning to his hut, for he saw that nothing +returned inwards, but rather that all strove outwards into the free +air; the rosy apple blossoms from their narrow buds, and the gurgling +notes from the narrow breast of the lark. The germs burst open +the folding doors of the seeds, and broke through the heavy pressure +of the earth in order to get at the light; the grasses tore asunder +their bands, and their slender blades sprung upward. Even the +rocks were become gentle, and allowed little mosses to peep out from +their sides, as a sign that they would not remain impenetrably closed +for ever. And the flowers sent out colour and fragrance into the +whole world, for they kept not their best for themselves, but would +imitate the sun and the stars, which poured their warmth and radiance +over the spring. And many a little gnat and beetle burst the narrow +cell in which it was enclosed and crept out slowly, and, half asleep, +unfolded and shook its tender wings, and soon gained strength, and flew +off to untried delights. And as the butterflies came forth from +their chrysalids in all their gaiety and splendour, so did every humbled +and suppressed aspiration and hope free itself, and boldly launch into +the open and flowing sea of spring.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +HYMNS TO NIGHT.<br> +(<i>Translated from the German of Novalis</i>.)<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +I.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Who that has life and intelligence, loves not, before all the surrounding +miracles of space, ever-joyous light with its tints, its beams, and +its waves, its mild omnipresence, when it comes as the waking day. +Like the inmost soul of life, it is inhaled by the giant universe of +gleaming stars, that dance as they swim in its blue flood; it is inhaled +by the glittering, eternally motionless stone, by the living plant that +drinks it in, by the wild and impetuous beast in its many forms; but +above all, by the glorious stranger, with eyes of intellect, majestic +step, with lips melodious, and gently closed. As a king over earthly +nature, it calls forth to countless changes every power, binds and loosens +bonds unnumbered, and hangs around every earthly being its heavenly +picture. Alone its presence declares the wondrous glory of the +kingdoms the world.<br> +<br> +I turn aside to the holy, the inexpressible, the mysterious Night. +Afar off lies the world, buried in some deep chasm: desolate and lonely +is the spot it filled. Through the chords of the breast sighs +deepest sorrow. I will sink down into the dewdrops, and with ashes +will I be commingled. The distant lines of memory, desires of +youth, the dreams of childhood, a whole life’s short joys and +hopes vain, unfulfilled, come clothed in grey, like evening mists, when +the sun’s glory has departed. Elsewhere has the light broken +upon habitations of gladness. What, should it never return again +to its children, who with the faith of innocence await its coming?<br> +<br> +What fount is thus suddenly opened within the heart, so full of forethought, +that destroys the soft breath of sorrow? Thou also - dost thou +love us, gloomy Night? What holdest thou concealed beneath thy +mantle that draws my soul towards thee with such mysterious power? +Costly balsam raineth from thy hand; from thy horn pourest thou out +manna; the heavy wings of the spirit liftest thou. Darkly and +inexpressibly do we feel ourselves moved: a solemn countenance I behold +with glad alarm, that bends towards me in gentle contemplation, displaying, +among endless allurements of the mother, lovely youth! How poor +and childish does the light now seem! How joyous and how hallowed +is the day’s departure! - Therefore then only, because Night dismissed +thy vassals, hast thou sown in the infinity of space those shining balls +to declare thine almighty power, and thy return in the season of absence? +More heavenly than those glittering stars seem the unnumbered eyes that +Night has opened within us. Farther can they see than beyond the +palest of that countless host; without need of light can they pierce +the depths of a spirit of love, that fills a yet more glorious space +with joy beyond expression. Glory to the world’s Queen, +the high declarer of spheres of holiness, the nurse of hallowed love! +Thee, thou tenderly beloved one, doth she send to me - thee, lovely +sun of the Night. Now I awaken, for I am thine and mine: the Night +hast thou given as a sign of life, and made me man. Devour with +glowing spiritual fire this earthly body, that I ethereal may abide +with thee in union yet more perfect, and then may the bridal Night endure +for ever.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +II.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Must ever the morn return? Is there no end to the sovereignty +of earth? Unhallowed occupation breaks the heavenly pinion of +the Night. Shall the secret offering of love at no time burn for +ever? To the Light is its period allotted; but beyond time and +space is the empire of the Night. Eternal is the duration of sleep. +Thou holy sleep! bless not too rarely the Night’s dedicated son +in this earth’s daily work! Fools alone recognise thee not, +and know of no sleep beyond the shadow which in that twilight of the +actual Night thou throwest in compassion over us. They feel thee +not in the vine’s golden flood, in the almond-tree’s marvel +oil, and in the brown juice of the manna; they know not that it is thou +that enhaloest the tender maiden’s breast, and makest a heaven +of her bosom; conceive not that out of histories of old thou steppest +forth an opener of heaven, and bearest the key to the abodes of the +blessed, the silent messenger of unending mysteries.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +III.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Once, when I was shedding bitter tears, when my hope streamed away dissolved +in sorrow, and I stood alone beside the barren hill, that concealed +in narrow gloomy space the form of my existence - alone, as never solitary +yet hath been, urged by an agony beyond expression, powerless, no more +than a mere thought of sorrow; as I looked around me there for aid, +could not advance, could not retire, and hung with incessant longing +upon fleeting, failing life; - then came there from the blue distance, +from the heights of my former happiness, a thin veil of the twilight +gloom, and in a moment burst the bondage of the fetters of the birth +of light. Then fled the glories of the earth, and all my sorrow +with them; sadness melted away in a new, an unfathomable world; thou, +inspiration of the Night, slumber of heaven, camest over me; the spot +whereon I stood rose insensibly on high; above the spot soared forth +my released and new-born spirit. The hill became a cloud of dust; +through the cloud I beheld the revealed features of my beloved one. +In her eyes eternity reposed; I grasped her hands, and my tears formed +a glittering, inseparable bond. Ages were swept by like storms +into the distance; on her neck I wept tears of ecstasy for life renewed. +It was my first, my only dream; and from that time I feel an eternal +and unchanging faith in the heaven of the Night, and in its light, the +Loved One.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +IV.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Now do I know when the last morn will be; when the light shall no more +give alarm to the night and to love; when the slumber shall be without +end, and there shall be but one exhaustless dream. Heavenly weariness +do I feel within me. Long and wearisome had become the pilgrimage +to the holy grave - the cross a burthen. He who hath tasted of +the crystal wave that gushes forth, unknown to common eye, in the dark +bosom of that hill, against whose foot the flood of earthly waves is +dashed and broken; he who hath stood upon the summit of the world’s +mountain bounds, and hath looked beyond them down into that new land, +into the abode of Night; he, well I ween, turns not back into the turmoil +of the world - into the land where the light, and eternal unrest, dwells.<br> +<br> +There, above, does he erect his huts - his huts of peace; there longs +and loves, until comes the most welcome of all hours to draw him down +into that fountain’s source. Upon the surface floats all +that is earthly - it is hurried back by storms; but that which was hallowed +by the breath of love, freely streams it forth, through hidden paths, +into that realm beyond the mountain chain, and there, exhaled as incense, +becomes mixed with loves that have slept. Still, cheerful light, +dost thou waken the weary to his toil, still pourest thou glad life +into my breast; but from the mossy monument that memory has raised, +thence canst thou not allure me. Willingly will I employ my hands +in industry and toil; I will look around me at thy bidding; I will celebrate +the full glory of thy splendour; trace out, untired, the beauteous consistency +of thy wondrous work; willingly will I mark the marvellous course of +thy mighty, glowing timepiece; observe the balance of gigantic powers, +and the laws of the wondrous play of countless spaces and their periods. +But true to the Night remains my heart of hearts, and to creative Love, +her daughter. Canst thou show me a heart for ever faithful? +Hath thy sun fond eyes that know me? Do thy stars clasp my proffered +hand? Do they return the tender pressure, the caressing word? +Hast thou clothed her with fair hues and pleasing outline? Or +was it she who gave thine ornament a higher, dearer meaning? What +pleasure, what enjoyment, can thy life afford, that shall overweigh +the ecstasies of death? Bears not everything that inspires us +the colours of the Night? Thee she cherishes with a mother’s +care; to her thou owest all thy majesty. Thou hadst melted in +thyself, hadst been dissolved in endless space, had she not restrained +and encircled thee, so that thou wert warm, and gavest life to the world. +Verily I was, before thou wert: the mother sent me with my sisters to +inhabit thy world, to hallow it with love, so that it might be gazed +on as a memorial for ever, to plant it with unfading flowers. +As yet they have borne no fruit, these godlike thoughts; but few as +yet are the traces of our revelation. The day shall come when +thy timepiece pointeth to the end of time, when thou shalt be even as +one of us; and, filled with longing and ardent love, be blotted out +and die. Within my soul I feel the end of thy distracted power, +heavenly freedom, hailed return. In wild sorrow I recognise thy +distance from our home, thy hostility towards the ancient glorious heaven. +In vain are thy tumult and thy rage. Indestructible remains the +cross - a victorious banner of our race.<br> +<br> +<br> +“I wander over,<br> + And every tear<br> +To gem our pleasure<br> + Will then appear.<br> +A few more hours,<br> + And I find my rest<br> +In maddening bliss,<br> + On the loved one’s breast.<br> +Life, never ending,<br> + Swells mighty in me;<br> +I look from above down -<br> + Look back upon thee.<br> +By yonder hillock<br> + Expires thy beam;<br> +And comes with a shadow,<br> + The cooling gleam.<br> +Oh, call me, thou loved one,<br> + With strength from above;<br> +That I may slumber,<br> + And wake to love.<br> +I welcome death’s<br> + Reviving flood;<br> +To balm and to ether<br> + It changes my blood.<br> +I live through each day,<br> + Filled with faith and desire;<br> +And die when the Night comes<br> + In heaven-born fire.”<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +V.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Over the widely-spreading races of mankind, ruled aforetime an iron +Destiny with silent power. A dark and heavy band was around man’s +anxious soul; without end was the earth; the home of the gods and their +abode. Throughout eternities had her mysterious structure stood. +Beyond the red mountains of the morning, in the holy bosom of the sea, +there dwelt the Sun, the all-inflaming, living light. A hoary +giant bare the sacred world. Securely prisoned, beneath mountains, +lay the first sons of the mother Earth, powerless in their destructive +fury against the new and glorious race of the gods, and their kindred, +joyous men. The dark, green ocean’s depth was the bosom +of a goddess. In the crystal grottoes rioted a voluptuous tribe. +Rivers, trees, flowers, and brute beasts had human understanding. +Sweeter was the wine poured forth by youth’s soft bloom; a god +in the vine’s clusters; a loving, a maternal goddess, shooting +forth among the full, golden sheaves; love’s holy flame, a delicious +service to the most beauteous of the goddesses. An ever gay and +joyous festival of heaven’s children and the dwellers upon earth, +life rustled on as a spring, through centuries. All races venerated, +like children, the tender, thousand-fold flame, as the highest of the +world; one thought only was there, one hideous vision of a dream:-<br> +<br> +<br> +“That fearful to the joyous tables came,<br> + And the gay soul in wild distraction shrouded.<br> +Here could the gods themselves no counsel frame,<br> + That might console the breast with sorrow clouded.<br> +This monster’s path mysterious, still the same,<br> + Unstilled his rage, though prayers on gifts were crowded.<br> +His name was Death, who with distress of soul,<br> +Anguish and tears, on the hour of pleasure stole.<br> +<br> +For ever now from everything departed<br> + That here can swell the heart with sweet delight,<br> +Torn now from the beloved one, who, sad-hearted,<br> + On earth could but desire and grief excite,<br> +A feeble dream seemed to the dead imparted,<br> + Powerless striving made man’s only right;<br> +And broken was enjoyment’s heaving billow,<br> +Upon the rock of endless care, its pillow.<br> +<br> +With daring mind, as heavenly fancy glows,<br> + Man masks the fearful shape with fair resembling:<br> +His torch put out, a mild youth doth repose;<br> + Soft is the end as the lyre’s mournful trembling.<br> +Remembrance fades i’ the gloom a shadow throws:<br> + So sang the song, a dreadful doom dissembling.<br> +Yet undefined remained eternal Night,<br> +The stern reminder of some distant might.”<br> +<br> +<br> +At length the old world bowed its head. The gay gardens of the +young race were withered; beyond into the freer, desert space aspired +less childish and maturing man. The gods then vanished with their +train. Lonely and lifeless, Nature stood. The scanty number +and the rigid measure bound her with fetters of iron. As into +dust and air melted the inconceivable blossoms of life into mysterious +words. Fled was the magic faith, and phantasy the all-changing, +all-uniting friend from heaven. Over the rigid earth, unfriendly, +blew a cold north wind, and the wonder-home, now without life, was lost +in ether; the recesses of the heavens were filled with beaming worlds. +Into a holier sphere, into the mind’s far higher space, did the +world draw the soul with its powers, there to wander until the break +of the world’s dawning glory. No longer was the light the +gods’ abode, their token in the heavens: the veil of the night +did they cast over them. The night was the mighty bosom of revelations; +in it the gods returned, and slumbered there, to go forth in new and +in more glorious forms over the altered world.<br> +<br> +Among the people above all despised, too soon matured, and wilful strangers +to the blessed innocence of youth; among them, with features hitherto +unseen, the new world came, in the poet’s hut of poverty, a son +of the first virgin mother, endless fruit of a mysterious embrace. +The boding, budding wisdom of the East first recognised another Time’s +beginning; to the humble cradle of the monarch their star declared the +way. In the name of the distant future, with splendour and with +incense, did they make offering to him, the highest wonder of the world. +In solitude did the heavenly heart unfold to a flowery chalice of almighty +love, bent towards the holy countenance of the father, and resting on +the happily-expectant bosom of the lovely pensive mother. With +divine ardour did the prophetic eye of the blooming child look forth +into the days of the future, towards his beloved, the offspring of the +race of God, careless for his day’s earthly destiny. The +most child-like spirits, wondrously seized with a deep, heart-felt love, +collected soon around him; as flowers, a new and unknown life budded +forth upon his path. Words inexhaustible, the gladdest tidings +fell, as sparks from a heavenly spirit, from his friendly lips. +From a distant coast, born under Hellas’ cheerful sky, a minstrel +came to Palestine, and yielded his whole heart to the wondrous child:-<br> +<br> +<br> +“The youth art thou, who for uncounted time,<br> + Upon our graves hast stood with hidden meaning;<br> +In hours of darkness a consoling sign,<br> + Of higher manhood’s joyous, hailed beginning;<br> +That which hath made our soul so long to pine,<br> + Now draws us hence, sweet aspirations winning.<br> +In Death, eternal Life hath been revealed:<br> +And thou art Death, by thee we first are healed.”<br> +<br> +<br> +The minstrel wandered, full of joy, towards Hindostan, the heart elated +with the sweetest love, which, beneath yonder heavens, he poured forth +in fiery songs, so that a thousand hearts inclined towards him, and +with a thousand branches grew towards heaven the joyous tidings. +Soon after the minstrel’s departure, the precious life became +a sacrifice to the deep guilt of man: he died in youthful years, torn +from the world he loved, from the weeping mother and lamenting friends. +His mouth of love emptied the dark cup of inexpressible affliction. +In fearful anguish approached the hour of the new world’s birth. +Deeply was he touched with the old world’s fearful death - the +weight of the old world fell heavily upon him. Once more he gazed +placidly upon the mother, then came the loosening hand of eternal love, +and he slumbered. Few days only hung a deep veil over the swelling +sea, over the quaking land; the beloved ones wept countless tears; the +mystery was unsealed: the ancient stone heavenly spirits raised from +the dark grave. Angels sat beside the slumberer, tenderly formed +out of his dreams. Awakened in the new glory of a god, he ascended +the height of the new-born world; and with his own hand buried within +the deserted sepulchre the old one’s corpse, and with almighty +hand placed over it the stone no power can raise.<br> +<br> +Yet do thy dear ones weep rich tears of joy, tears of emotion, and of +eternal gratitude beside thy grave; even yet, with glad alarm, do they +behold thee rise, themselves with thee; behold thee weeping, with sweet +feeling, on the happy bosom of thy mother, solemnly walking with thy +friends, speaking words as if broken from the tree of life; see thee +hasten, full of longing, to thy Father’s arms, bringing the young +race of man, and the cup of a golden future, which shall never be exhausted. +The mother soon followed thee in heavenly triumph; she was the first +to join thee in the new home. Long ages have flown by since then, +and ever in yet higher glory hath thy new creation grown, and thousands +from out of pain and misery have, full of faith and longing, followed +thee; roam with thee and the heavenly virgin in the realm of love, serve +in the temple of heavenly Death, and are in eternity thine.<br> +<br> +<br> +“Lifted is the stone,<br> + Manhood hath arisen:<br> +Still are we thine own,<br> + Unharmed by bond or prison.<br> +When earth - life - fade away<br> + In the last meal’s solemn gladness,<br> +Around thy cup dare stray<br> + No trace of grief or sadness.<br> +<br> +To the marriage, Death doth call,<br> + The brilliant lamps are lighted;<br> +The virgins come, invited,<br> + And oil is with them all.<br> +Space now to space is telling<br> + How forth thy train hath gone,<br> +The voice of stars is swelling<br> + With human tongue and tone!<br> +<br> +To thee, Maria, hallowed,<br> + A thousand hearts are sent;<br> +In this dark life and shadowed,<br> + On thee their thoughts are bent:<br> +The soul’s releasement seeing<br> + They, longing, seek its rest;<br> +By thee pressed, holy being,<br> + Upon thy faithful breast.<br> +<br> +How many who, once glowing,<br> + Earth’s bitterness have learned,<br> +Their souls with grief o’erflowing,<br> + To thee have sadly turned;<br> +Thou pitying hast appearéd,<br> + In many an hour of pain;<br> +We come to thee now, wearied,<br> + There ever to remain.<br> +<br> +By no cold grave now weepeth<br> + A faithful love, forlorn;<br> +Each still love’s sweet rights keepeth,<br> + From none will they be torn.<br> +To soften his sad longing<br> + Her fires doth Night impart;<br> +From heaven cherubs thronging,<br> + Hold watch upon his heart.<br> +<br> +Content, our life advancing<br> + To a life that shall abide,<br> +Each flame its worth enhancing,<br> + The soul is glorified.<br> +The starry host shall sink then<br> + To bright and living wine,<br> +The golden draught we drink then,<br> + And stars ourselves shall shine.<br> +<br> +Love released, lives woundless,<br> + No separation more;<br> +While life swells free and boundless<br> + As a sea without a shore.<br> +One night of glad elation,<br> + One joy that cannot die,<br> +And the sun of all creation<br> + Is the face of the Most High.”<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +VI - LONGING FOR DEATH.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +Below, within the earth’s dark breast,<br> + From realms of light departing,<br> +There sorrow’s pang and sigh oppressed<br> + Is signal of our starting.<br> +In narrow boat we ferry o’er<br> +Speedily to heaven’s shore.<br> +<br> +To us be hallowed endless Night,<br> + Hallowed eternal slumber!<br> +The day hath withered us with light,<br> + And troubles beyond number.<br> +No more ’mong strangers would we roam;<br> +We seek our Father, and our home.<br> +<br> +Upon this world, what do we here,<br> + As faithful, fond, and true men?<br> +The Old but meets with scorn and sneer:-<br> + What care we for the New, then?<br> +Oh, lone is he, and sadly pines,<br> +Who loves with zeal the olden times!<br> +<br> +Those old times when the spirits light<br> + To heaven as flame ascended;<br> +The Father’s hand and features bright<br> + When men yet comprehended;<br> +When many a mortal, lofty-souled,<br> +Yet bore the mark of heavenly mould.<br> +<br> +Those olden times when budded still<br> + The stems of ancient story,<br> +And children, to do Heaven’s will,<br> + In pain and death sought glory;<br> +Those times when life and pleasure spoke,<br> +Yet many a heart with fond love broke.<br> +<br> +Those old times when in fires of youth<br> + Was God himself revealéd,<br> +And early death, in love and truth,<br> + His sweet existence sealéd,<br> +Who put not from him care and pain,<br> +That dear to us he might remain.<br> +<br> +With trembling longing these we see,<br> + By darkness now belated,<br> +In Time’s dominions ne’er will be<br> + Our ardent thirsting sated.<br> +First to our home ’tis need we go,<br> +Seek we these holy times to know.<br> +<br> +And our return what still can stay?<br> + Long have the best-loved slumbered;<br> +Their grave bounds for us life’s drear way,<br> + Our souls with grief are cumbered.<br> +All that we have to seek is gone,<br> +The heart is full - the world is lone.<br> +<br> +Unending, with mysterious flame,<br> + O’er us sweet awe is creeping;<br> +Methought from viewless distance came<br> + An echo to our weeping;<br> +The loved ones long for us on high,<br> +And sent us back their pining sigh.<br> +<br> +Below, to seek the tender bride,<br> + To Jesus, whom we cherish!<br> +Good cheer! lo, greys the even-tide, -<br> + Love’s agonies shall perish. -<br> +A dream - our fetters melt, at rest<br> +We sink upon the Father’s breast.<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, PETER SCHLEMIHL ETC. ***<br> +<pre> + +******This file should be named ptsc10h.htm or ptsc10h.zip****** +Corrected EDITIONS of our EBooks get a new NUMBER, ptsc11h.htm +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, ptsc10ah.htm + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, +even years after the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our Web sites at: +http://gutenberg.net or +http://promo.net/pg + +These Web sites include award-winning information about Project +Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new +eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!). + + +Those of you who want to download any eBook before announcement +can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext04 or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04 + +Or /etext03, 02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text +files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+ +We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002 +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks! +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated): + +eBooks Year Month + + 1 1971 July + 10 1991 January + 100 1994 January + 1000 1997 August + 1500 1998 October + 2000 1999 December + 2500 2000 December + 3000 2001 November + 4000 2001 October/November + 6000 2002 December* + 9000 2003 November* +10000 2004 January* + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people +and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, +Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, +Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, +Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New +Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, +Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South +Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West +Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list +will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. +Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally +request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and +you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have, +just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are +not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting +donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to +donate. + +International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about +how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made +deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are +ways. + +Donations by check or money order may be sent to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + +Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment +method other than by check or money order. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by +the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN +[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are +tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising +requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be +made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information online at: + +http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart hart@pobox.com + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this eBook, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this eBook if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS EBOOK +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +eBook, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this eBook by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this eBook on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM EBOOKS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBooks, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this eBook +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these eBooks, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's eBooks and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other eBook medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this eBook from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this eBook within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS EBOOK IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE EBOOK OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this eBook, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the eBook, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this eBook electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + eBook or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this eBook in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The eBook, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The eBook may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the eBook (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + eBook in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the eBook refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this eBook's header and trailer may be reprinted only +when distributed free of all fees. Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 by +Michael S. Hart. Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be +used in any sales of Project Gutenberg eBooks or other materials be +they hardware or software or any other related product without +express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END* +</pre></body> +</html> |