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© Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, Best. 340 Grimm Nr. Z 38
THE AUTHOR OF “FAUST,”
Psychological Biography of the
Great German Writer.
His Position as the Lcadei'
of ISiiropesm Tlaowgilat.
I« 1845, when Goethe had been 13 years in
flis grave, there was no biography of the great
German in existence, nothing more than his
piece of autobiographical 'writing entitled
“Poetry ana Truth from My Life.” The late
George Ilcury Lewes was his first biographer.
His “Life and Works of Goethe,” began in
1845, was completed 10 years later, and was
and is the chief English source of oar knowl
edge of the intellectual prince of Weimar. It
is badly put together, a sort of hodge-podge,
accurate in facts, but eccentric in ihcir inter
pretation, singularly wanting in that clear
intelligence and insight which were first mani
fest in Carlyle’s early German studies, and has
been manifest also in Emerson’s and Arnold’s
essays on Goethe. But within the last 20 years
it seems as if the literature concerning Goethe
grew apace, not only the correct publication
of his works, hut their critical interpretation,
the accumulation of facts about them, the
study of German literature through them, tlic
gradual looking at his chief writings as wo
look at the “Iliad” of ilomer, the "Divine
Comedy” of Dante, or the plays of Shake
speare. It is now generally conceded that, out
of all this mass of interpretative writing, the
best work is Herman Grimm’s “Life and Times
of Goethe,” which has air ady taken the rank
in German biography long ago taken by
Deau Stanley’s “Life and Correspondence
of Dr. Arnold” in English literature,
and which, in the translation made
by Sarah Holland Adams, a sister of Mrs.
James T. Fields, now residing in Germany,
and at this moment published by Little,
Brown & Co. in a handsome octavo volume,
accompanied by an excellent engraving oE
Goethe in his 79th year, is likely to be widely
popular as the best critical biography, of the
chief figure in German literature since Lu
ther’s time, that lias yet been or will be
written. No epitome of a work like this, in
Which the author seeks to interpret without
reserve the entire personality of Goethe as a
man, is possible. It is the first tune that a
German has done for his great countryman
what Carlyle did for him
MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY AGO.
It is the first successful attempt to treat
Goethe’s life as a whole, and show its psy
chological uo less than its intellectual conii-
auity. Prof. Grimm is, of course, an apologist,
but his apology is based upon a correct under
standing of his hero. A translation of this
work has been urgently needed. The lectures
have been published in Germany for two or
three years; it was with reference to their com
mendation by Prof, Edward Dowden at Dub
lin last winter, especially -his explanation oi'
Goethe’s love experiences, that a social storm
was created among tno literary people
of tliat provincial city; and it is bv
no means certain that the entire
American public will receive the
work without a moral protest, not
at anything indelicate in the text, but at Prof.
Grimm’s reasons for excusing Goethe’s con
duct toward the women who charmed His
imaginations. The author’s reasons concern
the ability of one person to exhaust the sym
pathy and intelligence of anolher, which is
the basis of all friendship, and Goethe’s
»Uiances with the ether sox are explained
upon this ground. Goellio was an exceptional
man. As Jung Stilling s.ud of him, his heart,
which few knew, was as great as his intellect,
which all knew. It is hazarding nothing to
say that whoever reads this biography care
fully through will receive not only a liberal
edneation, but such an insight into the great
forces which go to the making of literature
that ho will fool as if he had entered into a
new world. It will bo well, if no-sible, to
read, at the same time. Mr. Lewes 7 work, but
Extracts From the “Life and
Times of Goethe.”
Prof. Grimm understands his hero vastly bet
ter. ilo has the lino spiritual insight and
temper which in Mr. Lewes is almost wholly
wanting, and his style abounds in intellectim!
sympathy and feeling. He has done for
Goethe’s memory, now that he is dead, what
Schiller did for the larger development of
Goethe s genius when they both dwelt in
Weimar, and the lesser loved the greater with
out being absorbed hv him. The best service
we can do the book and our readers, however
is to let the author speak for himself on vital
points, but, before this is done,
WE MUST THANK PROF. GRIMM
for saying that “uo author, with whose writings
1 have lately become acquainted, had had such
influence upon me as Emerson. The manner
of writing of tiiis man, whom I hold to bo the
greatest of all living authors, has revealed to
me a new way of expressing thought. Al
though 1 grew up in the study of Goethe, and
had had much intercourse with those who
have known him personally, 1 am indebted to
Emerson for the historical view ot Goellio,
which taught me to regard him as the great
phenomenon in the universal development of
mankind. In this sense I have sought to
represent him in these lectures.”
Goethe worked in the intellectual life of
Germany as some great physical phenomenon
works in the realm of nature. Next after
Luther lie created the German language and
literature. A\ hen he began to write,
Prof. Grimm, “tlie German language was as
limited in its general iniluonoc as the German
national interest in our politics. The nation
existed, had a silent consciousness of its
worth, and a presentiment of its future course;
but tliat was all. Among the criticisms which
Goethe wrote in the beginning of his literary
career, he speaks of the meaning of
patriotism, and asks how one could demand of
us such a feeling as inspired the Homans,
who fell themselves to bo citizens of
a world embracing empire. Any influence
beyond our own borders seemed tons impos
sible. The English, Fronch and Italian critics
noticed German literary productions only so
far as our authors (by way of addition to for
eign literature) allowed their works to appear
as a part of the same. Frederic the Great, if.
perchance, lie bad the honor tb he named at
all, was counted in Paris among French au
thors, and regarded himself as such. At
tempts had often been made before Goethe so
far to perfect the German language that ex
pression might be found in it for the finer
shades of thought; but beyond a personal
circle these efforts were unsuccessful, lvlop-
stock, Lessing and Wmekelmann, while they
railed themselves of the
FORMS OF THE CLASSIC LANGUAGES
and of French and Italian, sought to create
their own German; but all without radical
effect. Herder had been more successful in
giving higher qualities to German prose than
any other writer, save Goethe. Herder
assisted Goethe more than any one in pro
ducing a true living German language, which
later authors have becu taught by him to
write. This Goethe did by collecting together
and turning to advantage the work of all those
who had preceded him. Goethe would ascribe
this service to Wieland, but he lias himself in
reality oast all other attempts into the shade.
It was Goethe’s verses which made Schiller’s
flow; and he lent to Schlegel the fullness
whereby he convened Shakespeare almost
into a Gorman poet. Goethe’s prose has be
come, by degrees, in all departments of intel
lectual life, 1 he standard form of expression.
Through Schelling it lias penetrated into
philosophy; through Savignv into iurispru-
dence; through Alexander von Humboldt
into natural science; and through Wilhelm
you Humboldt into philology. We are even
indebted to Goethe for our present style of
letter writing.”
Very sharp and just is the contrast between
his work and Voltaire’s: “No poet or thinker
lince the time of Luther has worked in so
many' different directions at once, and
permeated with his influence four successive
generations, as Goethe has done. How wholly
unlike was Voltaire's work in France. So far
as quantity is concerned, Voltaire embraced
far more; ‘ certainly ho worked more inten
sively than Goethe' Also, during iiis life, ins
writings penetrated more instantaneously,
deeply and widely among the people. But he
Was not so unresistingly believed in; ho did
not stand upon llio same moral height with
Goethe.
VOLTAIRE DESTROYED; GOETHE BUILT UP.
Again. Goethe never tried to create a party
for a momentary aim; he always granted Ill’s
rivals full scope; his immortal weapons were
too precious ’ to be used against mortals.
Goethe worked quietly and imperceptibly,
like Nature herself. Wo see him everywhere
recognized, without envy, as a man raised
above men. ‘An Olympian enthroned over
Hie world,’ Jean Faul calls him; to whom no
one could give anything, who was enough to
himself. Goellio stands lifted above love and
aversion. The few who have acknowledged
themselves his enemies appear from the out
set to have much trouble m maintaining their
stand-point, while today they seem utterly in
comprehensible. And, even as regards these,
It was good fortune for any one to have been
in relation with Goellio; and it was impossible
to Ignore him.” To understand the author of
“Faust.” and measure bis work, early
and late, another extract is demanded:
“Goethe had a twofold life measured out to
“him, whose latter half, indeed, proved most
important to the full completion of that which
be had begun in the earlier part. He was al
lowed to enter into the enjoyment of a secure
and undisturbed inheritance of the conquests
of his youth, as if he were his own heir and
successor to the throne. To how few lias
been granted this privilege! The latter Half of
the lives of Lessing and Herder were blighted.
Schiller began gradually to die just us he was
beginning really to live; just as tic had begun
to unfold bis canacities, and freely to make
the most of his creative power. We
RECALL THE NAMES OF MANY OTHERS,
Whose career was interrupted before their 40th
rear, although they seemed to possess a vigor
which should not have been exhausted in
double that number of years. It is curious to
reflect with what doubtful aspects Goethe
himself entered on the second portion of his
life. He scorned to be intellectually ex
hausted. We gather from many observations
made at the close of the last century and the
beginning of this, that his friends in Wiemar
and ids admirers all over Germany had re-
signed themselves to the idea that
J he had passed his prime. * ■* *
But Goethe soars again! ‘Faust’
appears. With this poem, in the new cen
tury, Goethe thrills all Germany as if for the
first time. No one had expected anything so
great. Once more lie carries the young a way
with him, while' their elders return to their
allegiance. Not until this time had he taken
complete possession of Germany. There had
always been rneu among us who had not felt
drawn to lain. Baron von Stein until now
had never read any of Goethe's works, and
now first makes his acquaintance. Goethe’s
influence manifests itself in quite a different
way from what it had done earlier. On all
sides he gains the ascendency. It now seems
as if lie only needed to stretch out his hand to
make ins power felt.”
Goethe owed everything to his mother. “To
his mother,” says our author, “he ascribes his
buoyant nature arid his love of story-tolling.
And, indeed, this was just what distinguished
tiie ‘Frau Hath.’ The mother had in her the
material to make a historic personago.
Goethe's father can be set aside; we do not
need him to understand Goethe. But his
mother is inseparable from him; she forms a
part of his being.
SHE UNDERSTOOD HIM FROM THE BEGIN
NING;
she divined him. All that Goethe gloriously
fulfilled corresponded but to a part of the
still greater expectations which this woman
cherished. * * * Her constitution was like
iron. She did what she had to do at once in a
fresh, ready way, and swallowed the devil
without stopping to look at him. * * * She
was large and stately, and wore imposing
head-dresses; and she had always a circle of
young girls about her, who followed tier with
enthusiastic love. In the theatre she sat in
her owh box, and applauded as if site had a
special commission from Goethe. From there
stic presented her little grandchildren to the
public. Siic lias been described most beauti
fully and truly, quite in tiie spirit of ‘Dich
tung und Wahrheit,’ by Bettina. There are
many letters from her—natural, graphic, true
grandmother’s letters, with no dead word in
them." Next to his mother, in his early develop
ment, came Herder. When "Herder and
Goot ho first met in Strasburg, it soon became
Goethe’s highest wish merely to revolve
around Herder as Ins planot.” This was after
ward changed, and it is now Herder’s chief
title to fame that lie prepared the way for
Goethe, and was one of his earliest teachers.
Goethe, like all men of genius, speaks through
the characters in his earlier drnmaiic arid
fictitious works. Herder was ids severest
critic when Getz was produced, and at ins
instance the drama was entirely rewritten. It
was after it had been rewritten that Herder
granted to Goellio equality, if not supe
riority, to litmself. “When lie undertook
Gdtz,' lus sister, trie Flachsland, Merck,
Herder and a few others formed his
whole public; when the work came out this
circlo was extended in manv directions. Tiie
personal feeling which Goethe hoped to
assuage by this task had long been outgrown,
and
HIS HEART HAD FORMED OTHER TIES
out of which a new poem arose in his soul,
whoso success was destined far to exceed tliat
ot ‘Gütz.’ ” The next work which engaged
his attention was the “Sorrows ot Werther,”
an idyl which grew out of his personal ex
perience, and illustrates his power over the
women who wore from time to time attracted
to him. J’rof. Grimm treads on very delicate
ground when lie ventures to excuse Goethe’s
amours on tiie ground that a poet is entitled to
freedom which cannot begiven to the ordinary
man, but his plea for his hero is at least
entitled to a hearing, and he has evidently
given an unvarnished story of the facts. “In
■Werther’ is first revealed his homage to
nature in all her different aspects,
which was truly among Goethe’s in.
tuitions, but which had never found
expression until he began to write 'Werther. ’
There has never lived a greater literary land
scape painter than Goethe. * * * His
