and were going to drive away, when the Princess sent down to stop us. She would not be able to receive us the following day, and therefore begged we would come up stairs to see her. This we of course did; and I again admired, as I always do, the manners and marvellous memory of our royal family. The most minute circumstances of years long gone by; the most complicated relationships of comparatively obscure individuals; seem to be as clear and distinct to their minds, as if the circumstances happened yesterday, and as if the humble individuals were amongst their dearest friends.

I read yesterday, during the journey from Schwalbach, Shelley's tragedy of the Cenci. He spoils the very interesting character of Beatrice in the last act, by making her exert nearly as much energy and ingenuity to preserve her own life, as she before had done to destroy her father.

Went this morning to see the Ariadne, and admired all but the throat and position of the head : she looks as if she were

turning up her nose at some of the horrible smells with which Frankfort abounds.

Why should perfect works of art excite a higher degree of admiration, and call forth more enthusiasm than those of nature? Would not that extreme susceptibility to the beautiful, or that high intellectual culture which causes a taste for simplicity in art, prefer the works of nature? There are probably in animated nature few forms so beautiful as the Venus de Medicis, or the Apollo de Belvidere; but there are many faces more lovely than any of Raphael's or Correggio's pictures; yet few people experience so much gratification in beholding them.

Leipsig, August 20. Sunday.-Those who have been educated in good habits, to whom a kind or benevolent action is as easy as to put one foot before the other, can have little idea of every-day sacrifice. Yet these very people, if exposed to a severe trial, are sometimes the first to err, because their good qualities are more

corporeal, as it were, than mental. Hence arise those apparent inconsistencies observed in very amiable characters. They are never soured or put out of the way by any of the minor trials. of life; and when any great misfortune befalls them, we are surprised at seeing them so completely crushed: whereas those who, from a bad education or other spoiling causes, have daily and hourly to contend against their own depravity and ill humour, are ready to exert the same energy and real self-denial in cases of difficulty. We are then surprised that the apparently bad persons should bear their great trials so well. Not considering the cause which enables them to do so, we attribute their seeming indifference either to coldness or want of feeling.

We are just returned from a delightful ramble in the Botanical Garden, which had all the pleasure of unexpected novelty. We went to see the spot where Poniatowski was drowned at the battle of Leipsig. I thought of our interesting acquaintance, Count K―; and that some such

patriot spirit as his, of broken hopes and now an exile, must have breathed the lines I read on the stone which is erected on the brink of the little river, (the Elster), where Poniatowski and his horse plunged into the stream :—

66

Reçois mon hommage, ombre révèré.

"Dieu a eu pitié de l'hero et a retiré à lui le souffle de la vie, avant que l'espérance d'une patrie soit éteint dans son cœur!"

CHAPTER IV.

Arrival at Dresden-Musings on various subjects-Schiller's Wilhelm Tell-Körner; Presentiment of Early Death-Expedition to Shandau, the Saxon Switzerland and Tetchen-Foggy Thoughts at the Bastei.

Dresden, August 24th.-THOSE who wish really to excel, should only attempt one thing.* By wishing to become every thing, we run a great chance of being nothing. "On ne se fait rien," says Madame de Stael; but I do not quite agree with her, for I think almost any one may make themselves any thing if they have sufficient faith in their own powers, and steadily

*Goëthe said, "he had only acquired one talent, that of writing German."