18th Dec. 1760. the middle of that culminating period. A modest, despondent ❝ kind of man, given to indigestions, dietetics, hypochondria: “of 'neat figure and dress; nose hooked, but not too much; eyes 'mournfully blue and beautiful, fine open brow;"-a fine coun← tenance, and fine soul of its sort, poor Gellert: “punctual like 'the church-clock at divine service, in all weathers."13 A man of some real intellect and melody; some, by no 'means much; who was of amiable meek demeanour; studious 'to offend nobody, and to do whatever good he could by the 'established methods;-and who, what was the great secret of his success, was of orthodoxy perfect and eminent. Whom, ' accordingly, the whole world, polite Saxon orthodox world, hailed as its Evangelist and Trismegistus. Essentially a com'monplace man; but who employed himself in beautifying and illuminating the commonplace of his day and generation :'infinitely to the satisfaction of said generation. "How charm'ing that you should make thinkable to us, make vocal, musical, and comfortably certain, what we were all inclined to think; you creature plainly divine!" And the homages to Gellert were ❝ unlimited and continual, not pleasant all of them to an idlish 'man in weak health. 'Mitchell and Quintus Icilius, who are often urging on the 'King that a new German Literature is springing up, of far more importance than the King thinks, have spoken much to him. ' of Gellert the Trismegistus ;--and, at length, in the course of a 'ten days from Friedrich's arrival here, actual Interview ensues. "The Dialogue, though it is but dull and watery to a modern 6 palate, shall be given entire, for the sake of one of the Interlo'cutors. The Report of it, gleaned gradually from Gellert him‘self, and printed, not long afterwards, from his manuscripts or 'those of others, is to be taken as perfectly faithful. Gellert, writing to his inquiring Friend Rabener (a then celebrated Berlin Wit), describes, from Leipzig, "29th January 1760," or about six weeks after the event: "How, one day about the "middle of December, Quintus Icilius suddenly came to my poor "Lodging here, to carry me to the King." Am too ill to go. 13 Jördens, Lexikon Deutscher Dichter und Prosaisten (Leipzig, 1807), ii. 54-68 (§ Gellert). 18th Dec. 1760. 'Quintus will excuse me today; but will return tomorrow, when no excuse shall avail. Did go accordingly next day, Thurs'day 18th December, 4 o'clock of the afternoon; and continued 'till a quarter to 6. "Had nothing of fear in speaking to the "King. Recited my Maler zu Athen." King said, at parting, 'he would send for me again. "The English Ambassador' "(Mitchell), "an excellent man, was probably the cause of the "King's wish to see me." "The King spoke sometimes 66 German, sometimes French; I mostly German."14 As follows: King. "Are you (Er) the Professor Gellert?" Gellert. "Yea, "Ihro Majestät." King. "The English Ambassador has spoken highly of "to me. Where do you come from?" "Hainichen, near Freyberg." you Gellert. "From King. "Have not you a brother at Freyberg?" Gellert. "Yea, Ihro Majestät." King. "Tell me why we have no good German Authors." Major Quintus Icilius (puts in a word). "Your Majesty, you 66 see here one before you ;- -one whom the French themselves "have translated, calling him the German La Fontaine !" King. "That is much. Have you read La Fontaine ?" Gellert. "Yes, your Majesty; but have not imitated: I am "original (ich bin ein Original)." King. "Well, this is one good Author among the Germans ; "but why have not we more?" Gellert. "Your Majesty "has a prejudice against the Germans." King. "No; I can't say that (Nein; das kann ich nicht sagen).” King. "Well, perhaps. Why have we no good Historians? Why does no one undertake a Translation of Tacitus?" Gellert. "Tacitus is difficult to translate; and the French "themselves have but bad Translations of him." King. "That is true (Da hat Er Recht)." Gellert. "And, on the whole, various reasons may be given 66 why the Germans have not yet distinguished themselves in every kind of writing. While Arts and Sciences were in their 14 Gellert's Briefwechsel mit Demoiselle Lucius; herausgegeben von F. A. Ebert (Leipzig, 1823), pp. 629, 631. 18th Dec. 1760. "flower among the Greeks, the Romans were still busy in War. Perhaps this is the Warlike Era of the Germans :—perhaps also "they have yet wanted Augustuses and Louis-Fourteenths!" King. "How, would you wish one Augustus, then, for all "Germany?" Gellert. "Not altogether that; I could wish only that every Sovereign encouraged men of genius in his "own country." 66 66 King (starting a new subject). "Have you never been out of "Saxony?" Gellert. "I have been in Berlin." King. "You should travel." Gellert. "Ihro Majestät, "for that I need two things,-health and means." King. "What is your complaint? Is it die gelehrte Krankheit "(Disease of the Learned," Dyspepsia so-called)? "I have my"self suffered from that. I will prescribe for you. You must "ride daily, and take a dose of rhubarb every week." Gellert. "Ach, Ihro Majestät: if the horse were as weak as I 66 am, he would be of no use to me; if he were stronger, I should "be too weak to manage him." (Mark this of the Horse, however; a tale hangs by it.) King. "Then you must drive out." "I am deficient in the means." Gellert. "For that King. "Yes, that is true; that is what Authors (Gelehrte) in "Deutschland are always deficient in. I suppose these are bad "times, are not they?" Gellert. "Ja wohl; and if your "Majesty would grant us Peace (den Frieden geben wollten)—” King. "How can I? Have not you heard, then? There "are three of them against me (Es sind ja drei wider mich) !" Gellert. "I have more to do with the Ancients and their "History than with the Moderns." 66 King (changing the topic). "What do you think, is Homer or Virgil the finer as an Epic Poet?” Gellert. "Homer, "as the more original." King. "But Virgil is much more polished (viel polirter).” Gellert. "We are too far removed from Homer's times to judge of his language. I trust to Quinctilian in that respect, "who prefers Homer." 66 King. "But one should not be a slave to the opinion of the "Ancients." Gellert. "Nor am I that. I follow them 866 18th Dec. 1760. only in cases where, owing to the distance, I cannot judge for "myself." Major Icilius (again giving a slight fillip or suggestion). "He," the Herr Professor here, "has also treated of German “Letter-writing, and has published specimens." King. "So? But have you written against the Chancery Style, "then" (the painfully solemn style, of ceremonial and circumlocution; Letters written so as to be mainly wig and buckram)? Gellert. "Ach ja, that have I, Ihro Majestät!" King. "But why doesn't it change? The Devil must be in "it (Es ist etwas Verteufeltes). They bring me whole sheets of "that stuff, and I can make nothing of it!" Gellert. "If I can only re 66 your Majesty cannot alter it, still less can I. "commend, where you command." King. "Can you repeat any of your Fables?" doubt it; my memory is very treacherous." Gellert. "I King. "Bethink you a little; I will walk about" (Gellert bethinks him, brow puckered. King, seeing the brow unpucker itself). "Well, have you one?” Gellert. "Yes, your Ma 66 jesty: The Painter." Gellert recites ('voice plaintive and hollow;' somewhat preachy, I should doubt, but not cracked or shrieky);--we condense him into prose abridgment for English readers; German can look at the bottom of the page:15 "A prudent Painter in Athens, more intent on excellence than on money, had done a God of War ; and sent for a real Critic to give him his opinion of it. On survey, the Critic shook his head: "Too much Art 'visible; won't do, my friend!" The Painter strove to think otherwise; and was still arguing, when a young Coxcomb' (Geck, Gawk) 'stept " in: "Gods, what a masterpiece!" cried he at the first glance: "Ah, that foot, those exquisitely-wrought toe-nails; helm, shield, mail, what opu'lence of Art!" The sorrowful Painter looked penitentially at the real 'Critic, looked at his brush; and the instant this Geck was gone, struck out his God of War.'" King. "And the Moral ?" 15" Ein kluger Maler in Athen, Der minder, weil man ihn bezahlte, Und bat sich seine Meinung aus. 6 18th Dec. 1760. Gellert (still reciting): "When the Critic does not like thy Bit of Writing, it is a bad sign for thee; but when the Fool admires, it is time thou at once strike it out.'" King. "That is excellent; very fine indeed. You have a "something of soft and flowing in your verses; them I under"stand altogether. But there was Gottsched, one day, reading "me his Translation of Iphigénie; I had the French Copy in my "hand, and could not understand a word of him" (a Swan of Saxony, labouring in vain, that day)! "They recommended me "another Poet, one Peitsch" (Herr Peitsch of Könisberg, Hofrath, Doctor and Professor there, Gottsched's Master in Art; edited by Gottsched thirty years ago; now become a dumb idol, though at one time a god confessed); "him I flung away.” Gellert. "Ihro Majestät, him I also fling away." King. "Well, if I continue here, you must come again often; "bring your Fables with you, and read me something." Gellert. “I know not if I can read well; I have the singing "kind of tone, native to the Hill Country." King. “Ja, like the Silesians. No, you must read me the "Fables yourself; they lose a great deal otherwise. Come back "soon."16 (Exit Gellert.) "Wenn deine Schrift dem Kenner Doch, wenn sie gar des Narren Lob nicht gefällt, erhält, So ist es schon ein böses Zeichen ; So ist es Zeit, sie auszustreichen."(Gellert's Werke: Leipzig, 1840: i. 135.) 16 Gellert's Briefwechsel mit Demoiselle Lucius (already cited), pp. 632 et seq. |