少年维特的烦恼-第3章

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neighbour　，　nor　a　decided　villain：　but　yet，　say　what　you　will　of　rules，
they　destroy　the　genuine　feeling　of　nature，　as　well　as　its　true　expression。
Do　not　tell　me　〃that　this　is　too　hard　，　that　they　only　restrain　and　prune
superfluous　branches，　etc。〃　My　good　friend　，　I　will　illustrate　this
by　an　analogy。　These　things　resemble　love。　A　warmhearted　youth　bees
strongly　attached　to　a　maiden　：　he　spends　every　hour　of　the　day　in　her
pany　，　wears　out　his　health　，　and　lavishes　his　fortune　，　to　afford
continual　proof　that　he　is　wholly　devoted　to　her。　Then　es　a　man　of
the　world　，　a　man　of　place　and　respectability，　and　addresses　him　thus
：　〃My　good　young　friend，　love　is　natural；　but　you　must　love　within
bounds。　Divide　your　time：　devote　a　portion　to　business　，　and　give　the
hours　of　recreation　to　your　mistress。　Calculate　your　fortune；　and　out
of　the　superfluity　you　may　make　her　a　present　，　only　not　too　often　，
——　on　her　birthday，　and　such　occasions。〃　Pursuing　this　advice，　he
may　bee　a　useful　member　of　society　，　and　I　should　advise　every　prince
to　give　him　an　appointment；　but　it　is　all　up　with　his　love　，　and　with
his　genius　if　he　be　an　artist。　O　my　friend！　why　is　it　that　the　torrent
of　genius　so　seldom　bursts　forth，　so　seldom　rolls　in　full…flowing　stream，
overwhelming　your　astounded　soul？　Because，　on　either　side　of　this　stream，
cold　and　respectable　persons　have　taken　up　their　abodes　，　and，　forsooth，
their　summer…houses　and　tulip…beds　would　suffer　from　the　torrent；　wherefore
they　dig　trenches　，　and　raise　embankments　betimes，　in　order　to　avert
the　impending　danger。

　　MAY　27。　I　find　I　have　fallen　into　raptures，　declamation，　and　similes，
and　have　forgotten，　in　consequence　，　to　tell　you　what　became　of　the
children。　Absorbed　in　my　artistic　contemplations，　which　I　briefly　described
in　my　letter　of　yesterday　，　I　continued　sitting　on　the　plough　for　two
hours。　Toward　evening　a　young　woman　，　with　a　basket　on　her　arm　，　came
running　toward　the　children　，　who　had　not　moved　all　that　time。　She　exclaimed
from　a　distance　，　〃You　are　a　good　boy，　Philip　！〃　She　gave　me　greeting
：　I　returned　it，　rose　，　and　approached　her。　I　inquired　if　she　were
the　mother　of　those　pretty　children。　〃Yes　，〃　she　said；　and，　giving
the　eldest　a　piece　of　bread　，　she　took　the　little　one　in　her　arms　and
kissed　it　with　a　mother's　tenderness。　〃I　left　my　child　in　Philip's　care
，〃　she　said　，　〃whilst　I　went　into　the　town　with　my　eldest　boy　to　buy
some　wheaten　bread，　some　sugar　，　and　an　earthen　pot。〃　I　saw　the　various
articles　in　the　basket，　from　which　the　cover　had　fallen。　〃I　shall　make
some　broth　to…night　for　my　little　Hans（which　was　the　name　of　the　youngest）
：　that　wild　fellow　，　the　big　one，　broke　my　pot　yesterday　，　whilst
he　was　scrambling　with　Philip　for　what　remained　of　the　contents。〃　I　inquired
for　the　eldest；　and　she　bad　scarcely　time　to　tell　me　that　he　was　driving
a　couple　of　geese　home　from　the　meadow，　when　he　ran　up　，　and　handed
Philip　an　osier…twig。　I　talked　a　little　longer　with　the　woman　，　and　found
that　she　was　the　daughter　of　the　schoolmaster　，　and　that　her　husband
was　gone　on　a　journey　into　Switzerland　for　some　money　a　relation　had　left
him。　〃They　wanted　to　cheat　him，〃　she　said，　〃and　would　not　answer　his
letters　；　so　he　is　gone　there　himself。　I　hope　he　has　met　with　no　accident，
as　I　have　heard　nothing　of　him　since　his　departure。〃　I　left　the　woman　，
with　regret　，　giving　each　of　the　children　a　kreutzer　，　with　an　additional
one　for　the　youngest，　to　buy　some　wheaten　bread　for　his　broth　when　she
went　to　town　next　；　and　so　we　parted。　I　assure　you　，　my　dear　friend　，
when　my　thoughts　are　all　in　tumult，　the　sight　of　such　a　creature　as　this
tranquillises　my　disturbed　mind。　She　moves　in　a　happy　thoughtlessness
within　the　confined　circle　of　her　existence　；　she　supplies　her　wants
from　day　to　day　；　and，　when　she　sees　the　leaves　fall，　they　raise　no
other　idea　in　her　mind　than　that　winter　is　approaching。　Since　that　time
I　have　gone　out　there　frequently。　The　children　have　bee　quite　familiar
with　me　；　and　each　gets　a　lump　of　sugar　when　I　drink　my　coffee　，　and
they　share　my　milk　and　bread　and　butter　in　the　evening。　They　always　receive
their　kreutzer　on　Sundays　，　for　the　good　woman　has　orders　to　give　it
to　them　when　I　do　not　go　there　after　evening　service。　They　are　quite　at
home　with　me，　tell　me　everything　；　and　I　am　particularly　amused　with
observing　their　tempers　，　and　the　simplicity　of　their　behaviour，　when
some　of　the　other　village　children　are　assembled　with　them。

　　It　has　given　me　a　deal　of　trouble　to　satisfy　the　anxiety　of　the　mother，
lest（as　she　says　）　〃they　should　inconvenience　the　gentleman。〃

　　MAY　30。　What　I　have　lately　said　of　painting　is　equally　true　with　respect
to　poetry。　It　is　only　necessary　for　us　to　know　what　is　really　excellent，
and　venture　to　give　it　expression　；　and　that　is　saying　much　in　few　words。
To…day　I　have　had　a　scene　，　which，　if　literally　related　，　would，　make
the　most　beautiful　idyl　in　the　world。　But　why　should　I　talk　of　poetry
and　scenes　and　idyls？　Can　we　never　take　pleasure　in　nature　without　having
recourse　to　art　？

　　If　you　expect　anything　grand　or　magnificent　from　this　introduction，
you　will　be　sadly　mistaken。　It　relates　merely　to　a　peasant…lad，　who　has
excited　in　me　the　warmest　interest。　As　usual，　I　shall　tell　my　story　badly
；　and　you，　as　usual　，　will　think　me　extravagant。　It　is　Walheim　once
more——　always　Walheim　——　which　produces　these　wonderful　phenomena。

　　A　party　had　assembled　outside　the　house　under　the　linden…trees，　to
drink　coffee。　The　pany　did　not　exactly　please　me　；　and，　under　one
pretext　or　another，　I　lingered　behind。

　　A　peasant　came　from　an　adjoining　house，　and　set　to　work　arranging
some　part　of　the　same　plough　which　I　had　lately　sketched。　His　appearance
pleased　me；　and　I　spoke　to　him　，　inquired　about　his　circumstances　，
made　his　acquaintance　，　and，　as　is　my　wont　with　persons　of　that　class，
was　soon　admitted　into　his　confidence。　He　said　he　was　in　the　service　of
a　young　widow　，　who　set　great　store　by　him。　He　spoke　so　much　of　his　mistress，
and　praised　her　so　extravagantly，　that　I　could　soon　see　he　was　desperately
in　love　with　her。　〃She　is　no　longer　young　，〃　he　said　：　〃and　she　was
treated　so　badly　by　her　former　husband　that　she　does　not　mean　to　marry
again。〃　From　his　account　it　was　so　evident　what　inparable　charms　she
possessed　for　him　，　and　how　ardently　he　wished　she　would　select　him　to
extinguish　the　recollection　of　her　first　husband's　misconduct　，　that
I　should　have　to　repeat　his　own　words　in　order　to　describe　the　depth　of
the　poor　fellow's　attachment，　truth，　and　devotion。　It　would　，　in　fact，
require　the　gifts　of　a　great　poet　to　convey　the　expression　of　his　features，
the　harmony　of　his　voice，　and　the　heavenly　fire　of　his　eye。　No　words
can　portray　the　tenderness　of　his　every　movement　and　of　every　feature
：　no　effort　of　mine　could　do　justice　to　the　scene。　His　alarm　lest　I　should
misconceive　his　position　with　regard　to　his　mistress，　or　question　the
propriety　of　her　conduct，　touched　me　particularly。　The　charming　manner
with　which　he　described　her　form　and　person　，　which，　without　possessing
the　graces　of　youth　，　won　and　attached　him　to　her，　is　inexpressible　，
and　must　be　left　to　the　imagination。　I　have　never　in　my　life　witnessed
or　fancied　or　conceived　the　possibility　of　such　intense　devotion，　such
ardent　affections　，　united　with　so　much　purity。　Do　not　blame　me　if　I
say　that　the　recollection　of　this　innocence　and　truth　is　deeply　impressed
upon　my　very　soul　；　that　this　picture　of　fidelity　and　tenderness　haunts
me　everywhere　；　and　that　my　own　heart，　as　though　enkindled　by　the　flame，
glows　and　burns　within　me。

　　I　mean　now　to　try　and　see　her　as　soon　as　I　can：　or　perhaps　，　on
second　thoughts　，　I　had　better　not　；　it　is　better　I　should　behold　her
through　the　eyes　of　her　lover。　To　my　sight，　perhaps，　she　would　not　appear
as　she　now　stands　before　me　；　and　why　should　I　destroy　so　sweet　a　picture？

　　JUNE　16。　〃Why　do　I　not　write　to　you　？〃　You　lay　claim　to　learning　，
and　ask　such　a　question。　You　should　have　guessed　that　I　am　well　——　that
is　to　say　——　in　a　word，　I　have　made　an　acquaintance　who　has　won　my
heart　：　I　have　——　I　know　not。

　　To　give　you　a　regular　account　of　the　manner　in　which　I　have　bee
acquainted　with　the　most　amiable　of　women　would　be　a　difficult　task。　I
am　a　happy　and　contented　mortal　，　but　a　poor　historian。

　　An　angel！　Nonsense　！　Everybody　so　describes　his　mistress；　and　yet
I　find　it　impossible　to　tell　you　how　perfect　she　is　，　or　why　she　is　so
perfect　：　suffice　it　to　say　she　has　captivated　all　my　senses。

　　So　much　simplicity　with　so　much　understauding　——　so　mild，　and　yet
so　resolute　——　a　mind　so　placid　，　and　a　life　so　active。

　　But　all　this　is　ugly　balderdash　，　which　expresses　not　a　single　character
nor　feature。　Some　other　time——　but　no　，　not　some　other　time，　now，
this　very　instant　，　will　I　tell　you　all　about　it。　Now　or　never。　Well　，
between　ourselves　，　since　I　menced　my　letter，　I　have　been　three　ti