少年维特的烦恼-第2章

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if　one　of　her　panions　was　approaching　to　place　it　on　her　head。　I　ran
down，　and　looked　at　her。　〃Shall　I　help　you　，　pretty　lass？〃　said　I。
She　blushed　deeply。　〃Oh　，　sir！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃No　ceremony　！〃　I　replied。
She　adjusted　her　head…gear，　and　I　helped　her。　She　thanked　me　，　and　ascended
the　steps。

　　MAY　17。　I　have　made　all　sorts　of　acquaintances，　but　have　as　yet　found
no　society。　I　know　not　what　attraction　I　possess　for　the　people　，　so
many　of　them　like　me，　and　attach　themselves　to　me；　and　then　I　feel　sorry
when　the　road　we　pursue　together　goes　only　a　short　distance。　If　you　inquire
what　the　people　are　like　here　，　I　must　answer，　〃The　same　as　everywhere。〃
The　human　race　is　but　a　monotonous　affair。　Most　of　them　labour　the　greater
part　of　their　time　for　mere　subsistence　；　and　the　scanty　portion　of　freedom
which　remains　to　them　so　troubles　them　that　they　use　every　exertion　to
get　rid　of　it。　Oh　，　the　destiny　of　man　！

　　But　they　are　a　right　good　sort　of　people。　If　I　occasionally　forget
myself，　and　take　part　in　the　innocent　pleasures　which　are　not　yet　forbidden
to　the　peasantry，　and　enjoy　myself　，　for　instance　，　with　genuine　freedom
and　sincerity　，　round　a　well…covered　table　，　or　arrange　an　excursion
or　a　dance　opportunely，　and　so　forth　，　all　this　produces　a　good　effect
upon　my　disposition　；　only　I　must　forget　that　there　lie　dormant　within
me　so　many　other　qualities　which　moulder　uselessly，　and　which　I　am　obliged
to　keep　carefully　concealed。　Ah　！　this　thought　affects　my　spirits　fearfully。
And　yet　to　be　misunderstood　is　the　fate　of　the　like　of　us。

　　Alas，　that　the　friend　of　my　youth　is　gone！　Alas　，　that　I　ever　knew
her　！　I　might　say　to　myself，　〃You　are　a　dreamer　to　seek　what　is　not
to　be　found　here　below。〃　But　she　has　been　mine。　I　have　possessed　that
heart　，　that　noble　soul，　in　whose　presence　I　seemed　to　be　more　than
I　really　was，　because　I　was　all　that　I　could　be。　Good　heavens！　did　then
a　single　power　of　my　soul　remain　unexercised？　In　her　presence　could　I
not　display　，　to　its　full　extent　，　that　mysterious　feeling　with　which
my　heart　embraces　nature？　Was　not　our　intercourse　a　perpetual　web　of
the　finest　emotions　，　of　the　keenest　wit　，　the　varieties　of　which　，
even　in　their　very　eccentricity　，　bore　the　stamp　of　genius　？　Alas　！
the　few　years　by　which　she　was　my　senior　brought　her　to　the　grave　before
me。　Never　can　I　forget　her　firm　mind　or　her　heavenly　patience。

　　A　few　days　ago　I　met　a　certain　young　V——，　a　frank，　open　fellow，
with　a　most　pleasing　countenance。　He　has　just　left　the　university　，　does
not　deem　himself　overwise　，　but　believes　he　knows　more　than　other　people。
He　has　worked　hard，　as　I　can　perceive　from　many　circumstances，　and，
in　short，　possesses　a　large　stock　of　information。　When　he　heard　that
I　am　drawing　a　good　deal，　and　that　I　know　Greek（two　wonderful　things
for　this　part　of　the　country），　he　came　to　see　me，　and　displayed　his
whole　store　of　learning　，　from　Batteaux　to　Wood，　from　De　Piles　to　Winkelmann
：　he　assured　me　he　had　read　through　the　first　part　of　Sultzer's　theory，
and　also　possessed　a　manuscript　of　Heyne's　work　on　the　study　of　the　antique。
I　allowed　it　all　to　pass。　I　have　bee　acquainted，　also　，　with　a　very
worthy　person　，　the　district　judge　，　a　frank　and　open…hearted　man。　I
am　told　it　is　a　most　delightful　thing　to　see　him　in　the　midst　of　his　children，
of　whom　he　has　nine。　His　eldest　daughter　especially　is　highly　spoken　of。
He　has　invited　me　to　go　and　see　him　，　and　I　intend　to　do　so　on　the　first
opportunity。　He　lives　at　one　of　the　royal　hunting…lodges，　which　can　be
reached　from　here　in　an　hour　and　a　half　by　walking，　and　which　he　obtained
leave　to　inhabit　after　the　loss　of　his　wife　，　as　it　is　so　painful　to
him　to　reside　in　town　and　at　the　court。

　　There　have　also　e　in　my　way　a　few　other　originals　of　a　questionable
sort，　who　are　in　all　respects　undesirable，　and　most　intolerable　in　their
demonstration　of　friendship。　Good…bye。　This　letter　will　please　you：　it
is　quite　historical。

　　MAY　22。　That　the　life　of　man　is　but　a　dream　，　many　a　man　has　surmised
heretofore；　and　I，　too，　am　everywhere　pursued　by　this　feeling。　When
I　consider　the　narrow　limits　within　which　our　active　and　inquiring　faculties
are　confined；　when　I　see　how　all　our　energies　are　wasted　in　providing
for　mere　necessities，　which　again　have　no　further　end　than　to　prolong
a　wretched　existence；　and　then　that　all　our　satisfaction　concerning　certain
subjects　of　investigation　ends　in　nothing　better　than　a　passive　resignation，
whilst　we　amuse　ourselves　painting　our　prison…walls　with　bright　figures
and　brilliant　landscapes，——　when　I　consider　all　this　，　Wilhelm，　I
am　silent。　I　examine　my　own　being　，　and　find　there　a　world　，　but　a　world
rather　of　imagination　and　dim　desires　，　than　of　distinctness　and　living
power。　Then　everything　swims　before　my　senses　，　and　I　smile　and　dream
while　pursuing　my　way　through　the　world。

　　All　learned　professors　and　doctors　are　agreed　that　children　do　not
prehend　the　cause　of　their　desires　；　but　that　the　grown…up　should
wander　about　this　earth　like　children　，　without　knowing　whence　they　e，
or　whither　they　go，　influenced　as　little　by　fixed　motives，　but　guided
like　them　by　biscuits　，　sugar…plums，　and　the　rod，——　this　is　what
nobody　is　willing　to　acknowledge；　and　yet　I　think　it　is　palpable。

　　I　know　what　you　will　say　in　reply　；　for　I　am　ready　to　admit　that
they　are　happiest　，　who，　like　children，　amuse　themselves　with　their
playthings，　dress　and　undress　their　dolls，　and　attentively　watch　the
cupboard，　where　mamma　has　locked　up　her　sweet　things　，　and，　when　at
last　they　get　a　delicious　morsel，　eat　it　greedily，　and　exclaim，　〃More！
〃　These　are　certainly　happy　beings；　but　others　also　are　objects　of　envy，
who　dignify　their　paltry　employments，　and　sometimes　even　their　passions，
with　pompous　titles　，　representing　them　to　mankind　as　gigantic　achievements
performed　for　their　welfare　and　glory。　But　the　man　who　humbly　acknowledges
the　vanity　of　all　this，　who　observes　with　what　pleasure　the　thriving
citizen　converts　his　little　garden　into　a　paradise，　and　how　patiently
even　the　poor　man　pursues　his　weary　way　under　his　burden，　and　how　all
wish　equally　to　behold　the　light　of　the　sun　a　little　longer　，——　yes，
such　a　man　is　at　peace，　and　creates　his　own　world　within　himself　；　and
he　is　also　happy，　because　he　is　a　man。　And　then，　however　limited　his
sphere，　he　still　preserves　in　his　bosom　the　sweet　feeling　of　liberty　，
and　knows　that　he　can　quit　his　prison　whenever　he　likes。

　　MAY　26。　You　know　of　old　my　ways　of　settling　anywhere，　of　selecting
a　little　cottage　in　some　cosy　spot，　and　of　putting　up　in　it　with　every
inconvenience。　Here　，　too，　I　have　discovered　such　a　snug，　fortable
place　，　which　possesses　peculiar　charms　for　me。

　　About　a　league　from　the　town　is　a　place　called　Walheim。　（The　reader
need　not　take　the　trouble　to　look　for　the　place　thus　designated。　We　have
found　it　necessary　to　change　the　names　given　in　the　original。　）　It　is
delightfully　situated　on　the　side　of　a　hill　；　and，　by　proceeding　along
one　of　the　footpaths　which　lead　out　of　the　village，　you　can　have　a　view
of　the　whole　valley。　A　good　old　woman　lives　there　，　who　keeps　a　small
inn。　She　sells　wine　，　beer　，　and　coffee　，　and　is　cheerful　and　pleasant
notwithstanding　her　age。　The　chief　charm　of　this　spot　consists　in　two
linden…trees，　spreading　their　enormous　branches　over　the　little　green
before　the　church　，　which　is　entirely　surrounded　by　peasants'　cottages，
barns　，　and　homesteads。　I　have　seldom　seen　a　place　so　retired　and　peaceable
；　and　there　often　have　my　table　and　chair　brought　out　from　the　little
inn　，　and　drink　my　coffee　there，　and　read　my　Homer。　Accident　brought
me　to　the　spot　one　fine　afternoon　，　and　I　found　it　perfectly　deserted。
Everybody　was　in　the　fields　except　a　little　boy　about　four　years　of　age，
who　was　sitting　on　the　ground　，　and　held　between　his　knees　a　child　about
six　months　old：　he　pressed　it　to　his　bosom　with　both　arms，　which　thus
formed　a　sort　of　arm…chair；　and，　notwithstanding　the　liveliness　which
sparkled　in　its　black　eyes，　it　remained　perfectly　still。　The　sight　charmed
me。　I　sat　down　upon　a　plough　opposite　，　and　sketched　with　great　delight
this　little　picture　of　brotherly　tenderness。　I　added　the　neighbouring
hedge　，　the　barn…door，　and　some　broken　cart…wheels，　just　as　they　happened
to　lie；　and　I　found　in　about　an　hour　that　I　had　made　a　very　correct　and
interesting　drawing　，　without　putting　in　the　slightest　thing　of　my　own。
This　confirmed　me　in　my　resolution　of　adhering，　for　the　future　，　entirely
to　nature。　She　alone　is　inexhaustible　，　and　capable　of　forming　the　greatest
masters。　Much　may　be　alleged　in　favour　of　rules　，　as　much　may　be　likewise
advanced　in　favour　of　the　laws　of　society　：　an　artist　formed　upon　them
will　never　produce　anything　absolutely　bad　or　disgusting；　as　a　man　who
observes　the　laws　，　and　obeys　decorum，　can　never　be　an　absolutely　intolerable
neighbour　，　nor　a　decided　villain：　but　yet，　say　what　you　will　of　rules，
they　destroy　the　genui