University of California Berkeley S K E T C OF THE LIFE AND LITERARY CAREER OF AUGUSTUS VON KOTZEBUE ; WITH THE JOURNAL OF HIS TOUR TO PARIS, AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1790. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY ANNE PLUMPTRE. TO WHICH IS SUBJOINED, AN APPENDIX, INCLUDING A GENERAL ABSTRACT OF KOTZEBUE's WORKS, LONDON: PRINTED BY C. WHITTINGHAM, Dean Street, Fetter Lane t POR H. D. SYMONDS, PATERNOSTER-ROW. ^^M- 1800. ADVERTISEMENT, BY THE TRANSLATOR. CJ/OjR7 7 abstracts of the following Life have al- ready been published in various ways, and under various forms, but with considerable 7nis- takes and misrepresentations.. One of these ab- stracts is accompanied by a note, stating, that many tilings in the original are omitted in the translation, because they would have been unin- teresting to the English reader. Many things indeed are omitted, since the Life is compressed into scarcely more than a tythe of its original length. If any apology for differing from this opinion be thought necessary, the present Translator offers hers in Kotzebue's own words * : " Should " I be reproached with having intruded a col- ec lection of trifling insignificant circumstances " upon the world, I will not pretend to refute the (C charge ; I shall only observe, that according to * See page 109 of the Life, " my ADVERTISEMENT. " my ideas, to those who make the human heart " their study y nothing can be uninteresting which " contributes towards tracing the progress of its " formation" To the speculative part of mankind, the Trans- lator trusts that this will be a sufficient apology for the publication of the present volume, since its sole object is to develope more fully to the En- glish reader, the heart and mind of an Author ichose works have obtained so high a degree of reputation in this country. To those ivho may- take up the volume, with the expectation of finding a succession of extraordinary adventures, she has no apology to offer, sensible tliat they must expe- rience disappointment. It pretends to nothing more, than to exhibiting an interesting picture of an ardent and amiable character. LOXDON, MARCH 1, 1800. ERRATA. Page Line 19 4, before could, insert /. 61 . 25, for with under, read here and there. 95 23, before remained, insert might have. loi 26, for had ever -written, read ever -wrote. 214 ig, after All such, add a comma. 270 9, for thrills, read trills. 305 2$, for reurrence , read recurrence, j2i 17, for and, read -who. OF MY LITERARY C4REER, S an author I have received my abundant {hare both of applaufe and abufe, and fince both have been frequently alike undeferved on my part, it may perhaps not be wholly ufelefs to thofe young men who are ambitious of tread- ing the fame flippery path, to receive inftru&ion from a veteran. From one who does not indeed fland at the goal of his wifhes for who ever reached that ? but w r ho has long been purfuing the path which he hoped would lead to it, and who will now relate without difguife, or orna- ment, where he has tottered, or where fallen, where he has been intoxicated with incenfe and flattery, where been deceived, or treated with B ridicule, 2 tlFE OF KOTZEBUE. ridicule, where, he really was favoured by the mufe, or where he miftook a Bacchante for one of the nine. Ye young and inexperienced, then, ye, who have as yet only dipped the ends of your ftaves in the honey of Parnaflus, and think it muft be falutary becaufe it is fweet ; paufe for a moment, aflemble round me and Men. I have given the reins to my pen, my heart is opened, and you {hall hear equally where I was urged folely by vanity, and where I was imprefled with a jufl fenfe of the true and beautiful. Nor will I aflume any particular merit for my fmcerity, imce there are fituations in life in which it is no lefs eafy for a man to do well than to put on his great coat, and they are commonly thofe in which he can faunter about the whole day unmolefted in the great coat, only bending now and then to pluck a flower, not to take up his adverfary's gauntlet. When (hut out from the great world he lives in rural peace, and receives more pleafure from the fight of the firft bloflbms in May, or from difcovering the firft budding teeth of his infant child, than from receiving the gracious invitation from a patron, " you will dine " with me to- day." When content and ferenity of mind expand the heart to every joy, and con- fequently LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. jequently to every virtue, and when he is fur- rounded only by a few beloved friends who havs long learned to feparate the not ignoble emotions of the heart from the miftakes of the head. Thefe, thefe, are the fituations that induce, a man readily to acknowledge every fault he has committed, and which infpire him with confi- dence to come undifmayed before the public; fince then he hears the voice only of the candic} judge who will not treat him with ridicule, nor diftort his meaning, and put malicious interpreta* tions upon the mofl innocent errors he confeiTes. " And where," fays Rouffeau, " fhall we find ^ the man of fenfe who has never faid a foolifl* " thing ? Where the honeft man who has never " done any thing reprehenfible ? Were an exaft " regifter to be kept of every fault committed ^ by even the moft perfect among mortals, and * were every other part of his character to be take the part of Cicero* My happieft efforts were commonly fmaH poems, in which feeling was the predominant feature, and even now I recollect with a foft and foothing pleafure, fome verfes I once made^ upon my excellent mother's birth-day. Our mufic- jnafter fet them, my fitter was to fing them. to. her harpfichord, I accompanying her with my flute, and our mailer with the bafs. All this was ar- raoged, the performance rehearfed in private, and on the morning of the appointed day we furprifed rny mother with our little cantata. Happy the man who can boaft like fcenes of love and innocence ftored up in his memory ! They arc LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 43 "hre medicines preferved in a fmall cheft which may remain long unopened^ but when the foul is in a ftate of fuffering, we apply to the precious drops, and find them a falutary balfam. In that tender age when the mind, like a young tree, bends with every blaft, whatever it produces is mere imitation. I am convinced indeed, that original ideas are fcarcely to be expected from any man before he arrives at the age of maturity. For myfelf I can fafely fay, that all the produc- tions of my early years were compofed on hints taken from others^ commonly from the laft thing I had read. v. At that time the dramas of Brandes were 111 confiderable repute, for amid the barren w-afte of our dramatic literature it was eonfoling to meet with a fingle flower, even though no more than a pale violet. I wrote a comedy, which I called, Alf s Well that Ends Well, and which, unlefs I deceive myfelf, ftrongly, refembled the Count von Olfbach. Madame Watte], one of my principal charaflers, was formed on the exact model of Madame Wandel. . Goethe was then a frequent vifitor at our houfe. He heard of my comedy, and was .fo condefcending, or fo polite, as to defire to read it. This gave my mother infinite delight, and perhaps the pleafing her' 46 LIFE OF KOTZE&tTE. her was his principal view in making the requeft. Never have I fince heard or feen any thing of it, but it muft have been no fmall tax upon his patience if he ever walled any time in reading it. This extraordinary man was however always extremely kind to me in my boyifli years. He ufed to permit me to make fnares for birds in his garden, as I was a no lefs ardent fportfman than poet. When 1 went thither by fix in the 1 morning, or indeed fometimes earlier, to fee whether I had caught a fieldfare or a redbreaft, he would come and talk to me with great affability, and exhort me to diligence in my fludies. He perhaps has long ago forgotten fo trifling a circumftance, but I can never forget It, fince every word that fell from his lips was 4 In my opinion, deferving of the deepeft attention, and made a much ftronger impreflion upon me than all the common place admonitionsof the mafs of my fchool-preceptors. Goethe had at that time juft written his charm- ing little dramatic piece, The Brethren. It was performed at a private theatre at Weimar, he himfelf playing William, and my fitter, Mariana, while to me yes, to me, was allotted the im- portant part of the Poftillion. My readers may ealily imagine with what exultation I trod the ftage, LIFE OF KOTZEBtJE. 47 ftage, for the firft time, before the mighty public itfelf. I enquired of every body I faw, whether or not I had done juftice to my character? The ungrateful wretches 1 they fcarcely remembered the appearance of fuch an infignificant being as -the Poftillion. It was about that period that I firft read Goethe's VVerther. I cannot find words to defcribe the overpowering emotions excited in my foul by this wonderful, philofophical romance. From that moment I conceived fo enthufiaftic an attachment to its author, that at his requeft I would even readily have run my hands into the fire to feek for his loft fhoe-buckle. Another poet, whofe works are replete with paffion and animation, was alfo our frequent gueft. This was Klinger. To a fine and manly figure, he united a certain honefty and ardour of temper that charmed me irrefiftibly* With him and Mufaeus I once made a pedeftrian ex- curfion to Gotha, to which I always recur with the greateft pleafure. This early and conftant intercourfe with fuch illuftrious characters afford- ed opportunities for cultivating, what talents I ppffefled, of which I fhould have been highly culpable not to have availed myfelf, for giving them all the polifli %; foundation would admit. They 4$ LIFE OF KOTfcEBUE. They were advantages indeed of which few yoiing authors can ever boaft. I was now removed into the higheft clafs. in which the deceafed Heinfe firft infpired me with a tafte for the Latin language. In the other claflfes I had regarded the acquifition of this branch of learning as fo much an affair of mere mechanifm, that it was irnpoffible it mould communicate any pleafure to the mind; But in their leifure hours Heinfe ufed to read Terence with the pupils, and in fo mafterly a manner, that no particle of the true attic poignancy was toft. This alone, of all our iludies in the firft clafs, afforded me any entertainment. The niifef- able logic we learned from an old fcholaftic, the dull leflures on Zopf's dry Univerfal Hiftory, and many other things taught in the fchool-hours, gave me fuch a'n inveterate naufea, that I fcarcely did any thing all the time but flily read romances beneath my cloak. At length the day arrived m which 1 was to be- come a ftudent of the great Academy at Jena. I was indeed fcarcely fixteen years old when removed thither. For a while I was only a half fcholar, fmce I did not attend at the college-meals. The ftudy of the dead and living languages was my principal objeft during* the firft year. The high . LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 49 high idea of the Latin tongue which I had con- ceived on becoming acquainted with Terence, was confiderably increafed as I proceeded in my ftudies at Jena. Weideberg, at that time one of the affiftants there, but now profeffor at Helm- ftadt, read lectures in Horace for an hour im- mediately after dinner. I cannot fay that this time wasfelecled with particular judgment, fince, in the fummer months efpecially, nothing lefs than the high entertainment \ve received from the lectures could have prevented our frequently taking a nap. Weideberg entered with true philofophical tafte into the fpirit of the poet, and feparated with the nicer! difcrimination the beauty of the thoughts from that of the diclion. With the French language I had been a dab- bler from my childhood, but in Jena I made great proficiency in it. Boulet, the worthy old Boulct, was no common teacher of languages. Perfectly acquainted with the beft authors of his century, from which he always extracted the fined paf- fages, no one knew fo well as himfelf how to in- troduce them in an appropriate manner. He had befides a mod admirable talent at feafoning his in- ftruftions with wit and humour, and the happy turn of his thoughts was inexhauftible. My decided pre- ference for the French language and French authors was acquired entirely from him. For, however E flrange LIFE OF KOTZ'EBUE. ftrange the confeffion may appear from one whc> is not only himfelf a German, but even a German* writer ; yet I muft own, that in the department of the Belles-Lettres, and particularly in the eafy and concife manner in which their hiftorical and philofophical works are written, I think we are far behind the French. This perhaps is princi- pally to be afcribed to the hcavinefs andharflinefa of our language. Yet it appears now extremely probable, that their revolution may make fuch a flagnation in literature, that time may be allowed us to get the ftart of them even in thefe departments, and that before France mail again produce fuch hiftorians and philofophers as have been nurtured in her bofom, we may boaft more than one Schiller in the former line, more than one Garve in the latter. Italian I learned of Signor Valenti, and under his tuition firft became acquainted with Ariofto, Nor did my love for the drama remain en- tirely without gratification at Jena. At the time of my arrival I found a private theatre juft inftituted among the ftudents there, and it very naturally became a primary object of my effort to procure admiiTion as a member of it. The young ladies of the Academics always declined LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 51 declined performing among us at this theatre. In this I muft confefs that I think they were right, though the neceffity that hence arofe of drefling young lads in women's clothes, was very difadvantageous to the performance. Notwith- ftanding they might be yet without beards, and fcarcely have attained to th manly coun- tenance, it was impoffible but that they muft make very awkward figures in this change of garment and character. On account of my youth, women's charaters were frequently al- lotted to rne, and I cannot now recolle6t with- out laughing, having been drefled in a large hoop to play Madame von Schmerling, in GroiT- mann's, Not more than Six Diflies. Many a fwain have I had kneeling at my feet, as I fup- ported the character of many a young and tender damfel. Befides all my other purfuits, I ftill continued to forge rhymes, which I dignified with the name of poetry, and it fo happened that within the firft twelve months of my academical career, I met both with encouragement and humiliation in the progrefs of my ParnalTian flights. The latter arofe from my propenfity to imitation not being yet extinguifhed. Having for fome time applied myfelf clofcly to ftudying Wieland's ftyle of poetry, I began E2 to 52 LIFE OF KOTZEFtfE. to think that fmce his verfes were fo fmooth and eafy to read, they muft confequently be very eafy to compofe. I therefore wrote A Winter's Tale in two days, tranfcribed it over fair on the third, and on the fourth difpatched it by the poft to Wieland, with an oftentatioufly modeft letter, foliating witlf great confidence a place for my offspring in the German Mercury. It may eafily be fuppofed that Wieland had concerns upon his hands of much greater im- portance than the anfwering of my letter. I was not indeed perfectly fatisfied at its remain- ing unanfwered, but was, however, willing to pardon this negligence, provided I mould fee my production in print $ a fatisfa&ion I had not the fmalleft doubt of receiving. Every month there- fore I expected the appearance of the Mercury, with excefs of impatience, and eagerly ran over the lift of its contents, affured of finding my Winter's Tale. In the firft month I confoled myfelf for my difappointed hopes, by the con- viclion that Wieland had only poftponed the infertion of my prod uct ion from a fuper-abun- dance of materials. But when, firft a quarter, then half a year, pafied on, and ftill no tale appeared, I was vain and abfurd enough to perfuade myfelf for a moment, that Wieland through envy wiflie.d to fupprefs my growing talent?. . I do LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 53 I do not attempt to veil my weaknefs. I hold ye up a mirror, ye poetafters, in which to view yourfelves ! Two years after, when my reafon was fomewhat more matured, I fent Wieland another poem, called Ralph and Guido, accom- panied by a really modeft anonymous letter. My humility was then rewarded by the plea- fure of feeing my offspring inferted in the very next number. But, as I hinted above, at the fame time that my pride was fo mortified with regard to my Winters Ta/e, another circumftance happened, which gave me great encouragement, and almoft effaced the chagrin of my difappointment in the former inftance. A ftudent of the name of Gether was drowned bathing in the Saale, and the extreme affli&ion into which his intimate friend Schuettdorf was plunged by his untimely fate, excited univerfal companion. Without being acquainted with either of the parties, I wrote fome verfes. upon this affeting fubjecl, which were printed by Schuettdorf himfelf, and fet to mufic by a compofer of great tafte, of the name of Reinhard. Of three poems occafioned by this melancholy cataftrophe, I was flattered with the affurance that mine was indifputably the beft. This pre- ference, 54 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. ference, united with the inexpreffible pleafure derived from feeing myfelf for the firft time in print, was quite fufficient to expunge all humi- liating recolle&ions, and I became more ardently devoted to the mufes than ever. The firft year of my flay at Jena was juft expired, when my fitter married and fettled at Duifburg upon the Rhine. From affelion to her, and that flie might not be immediately feparated from all her friends and relations, I accompanied her home, promifing at the fame time to fpend a year at this duodecimo univerfity. The jour- ney to Duifburg furnifhed my imagination with a great variety of new images, fince, in the courfe of it, I faw the celebrated town of Caflel, enriched by fo many works of art, Frankfort on the Maine, and above all, the glorious fcenery that nature prefents along the banks of the Rhine from the place where we entered our yacht till we arrived at Cologne. Whoever wiflies to make an expe- riment upon himfelf, whether or not he has any turn for poetry, muft take this journey, and if he do not in the courfe of it find the poetical vein irrefiftibly burft forth, he may give up the point at once. I cannot forbear here inferting a humorous anecdote that occurred in the courfe of our peregri- 11FE OF KOTZEBUE. 55 peregrinations. At Caffel we happened ac- cidentally to lodge in the fame hotel with Abbott the player, who had formerly been almoft the god of my idolatry at Weimar, and who now carried on his profeilion in the firft-mentioned town. The refpeft I had then conceived for his perfon was not by any means extinguifhed, and the moment I efpied him at the table d'hote, I was all attention, nor could think any more of eating or drinking. On that day Ariadne of Naxos was to be per- formed. He was talking of it at table, and regretting the fmallnefs of his ftage and fcantinefs of the decorations ; in particular he complained heavily of the want of a fun. But fuddenly turn- ing to my fifter, who was fcarcely lefs attentive to him than myfelf, this Thefeus, whofe head was already " filvered o'er with age," faid, with all the gallantry of a knight-errant in the good old days of chivalry, " But if you, Madam, would " be fo obliging as to ftand in the back ground, " we (hould have no occafion for any other fun.'* It was enough. At fo ridiculous a hyperbole my profound refpeft vaniflied in a moment as with the ftroke of an enchanter's rod. I looked at him earneftly, fmiled, and returned to eating my dinner with an excellent appetite. One 56 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. One of my firft anxieties at Duifburg was to. inftitute a private theatre. I did not experience much difficulty in colle&ing together a number of young men, all perfectly ready to ftrut their hours as kings, as heroes, as generals. A more arduous talk was to find a place fuited to our reprefentations. This little town, as is very commonly the cafe with little towns, was en- veloped by a thick cloud of prejudices. The few who poffefled tafte had no room large enough to anfwer our purpofe, and thofe who had rooms would not fuffer them to undergo fuch profanation. In this diftrefs, from whom will it be fup- pofed we received aflifrance ? But that would never be gueffed. It was even from the vener- able fathers of the convent of the Minorets. With the utmoft courtefy and politenefs they offered us the ufe of their cloiiler, attended at our rehearfals, laughed at our jokes, and related with no fmall pleafure how they themfelves had formerly played fcripture-flories. Indeed, truth obliges me to confefs, that in general among the catholic fhepherds of fouls, I have found lefs ecclefiaftical bigotry, than among the paf- tors of the Proteftant Church. The moment that the benedicat tibi Dominus is pronounced over the latter, they feem to confider themfelves as beings of LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 67 of a fuperior order ; the former never forget that they are men ; and if, in matters of faith, they are fomewhat intolerant, they certainly practife much more forbearance towards the frailties of human nature. Hell is indeed equally their bugbear for frightening their deluded fellow-creatures, but with them there is ftill fome hope of efcaping from it ; whereas, with the Proteftant, 'tis once there, and always there. In fhort, whoever is condemned to fall into the hands of a prieft, will ftand a much better chance with a monk than with a fuperintendant. In the cloiiler of the Minorets' Convent, to the aftonifhment, the delight, and the fcandal of the Duilburg public, we performed the play of The Rivals. Since the creation of the world, never probably was the cloifter of a convent fo pro- faned ; and whoever had feen fuch a place crowded with females dreffed in their bed attire a might well have afked himfelf, " Where am " I? Is this a dream, or am I really within mo- " naftic walls?' 1 The moft ridiculous part of the ftory was, that for want of a fufficient number of performers, I played two characters no lefs than Julia, and the 38 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. the young fquire Ackerland*. Wherever theie two were to appear together, I providently made fuch alterations as would adapt it to my purpofe ; and in the/Damfel's character I wore the drefs of an Amazon, fo con- trived, as that it could be changed in an inftant when I was to make my appearance as the clownifli Squire. After thefe and the like fafhions did I compel every difficulty to vanifli before my theatrical rage. But dill, in writing, my mind did not emit one fpark of originality. A romance, which I began at Duiiburg, was the exact counterpart of Sojihy's Journey from Memel to Saxony. No more tha.n four iheets of this were ever completed. Two other productions I did fjnifh, but only to receive two new mortifications. The firft was a comedy called The Ring ; or, Avarice is the Root of all Evil ; founded, as ufual, upon an old and worn out ftory. A young woman, fuppofed to be dead, was, by defire of her lover, buried \vith a valuable ring he had prefented to her, upon her finger, which, in the night, the ghoftly * Probably this was Sheridan's admirable comedy of the Rivals, and a miftake is here made in calling the character Ackerland inftead of Acres. Or perhaps the name may be al- tered in the German tranflation. -Tu ANSLATOR. father LIFE OF KOT2EBUE. 59 father comes to take away, when fhe awakes, to his no fmall aftonifhment and confufion, This piece I had the afTurance to fend to Schrceder, who returned it with a very polite letter of reje&ion, which I received even at the moment that I was meditating in triumphant exultation on the vaft honours that awaited me upon its performance. I railed unmercifully at Schroeder, for not underftanding his own intereft better ; and, in the warmth of my indignation, quarrelled with the ungrateful dramatic mufe, whom I refolved to forfwear for ever. To con- fole myfelf, I immediately wrote a romance of eight or ten meets, which, in my own opinion, was no way inferior to Werther, The ftory was, indeed, much more horrible, fince the hero threw himfelf from a rock, and was dafhed i;} pieces. * *-- Weigand, at Leipfick, was at that time prin- cipal accoucheur to alP the fafhionable romances, and to him therefore was my offspring fent for his deciiion upon its merits. For fome time I hailened anxioufly twice in the week to the Poft, in hopes of receiving tidings of my darling. At laft came a letter, and a letter only, by which it was plain that my manufcript was not re- furned, and I inftantly concluded for certain, that 60 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE, that it was already configned to the prefs. Think, then, with what humiliation and confu- fion, on opening the letter, I read that Mr. Wei- gand was amply fupplied with fuch articles for feveral fairs to come, and that my manufcript mould be at my fervice, whenever I would have the goodnefs to pay the poft^ge. This latter claufe was added, becaufe, in full confidence of the value of my merchandize, I had fent the parcel unfranked, meaning the car- riage to be dedufted from the profits of the work. He doubtlefs fuppofed, that here he had me fecure, and that from paternal affetion I ihould readily pay whatever was neceffary for the releafe of my child. But he was terribly miftaken. What ? mould my hero not merely throw himfelf from a rock for nothing, but muft I even pay for it ? No : this was too mucl*! this was a humiliation not to be en- dured ! I cannot deny, but that I had been very glad to have my manufcript again in my own poffef- fion, fmce I had no other copy of it. Like a true genius, I had fent it to feek its fortune as it was firft written off, without a fingle corre&ion or emendation ; for I thought the public fufli- ciently honoured by receiving any thing from my pen, LIFE OF KOTZEBUE* 6f pen, no matter how hurried or incorreft the pro- duftion a fpecies of arrogance and impertinence to which puerile authors are too much addicted. But 'tis well known, that we fons of the Mufes are feldom overftocked with money ; and, add- ed therefore to my indignant feelings on the fubjeft, I thought it more prudent, with regard to my pocket, to leave the precious treafure in pawn : and there, perhaps, it lies at this mo- ment, unlefs Mr. Weigand, to indemnify him- felf as far as poffible for the poftage, may have fold it to the paftry-cook for baking tarts. If fuch has been its fate, I can only regret that I have not partaken of the tarts myfelf. In the year 1779, I returned to Jena, and applied myfelf with tolerable diligence to ftudy- ing the law. The old H , who entertained his audience with ribaldry ; the dry S , who never in his life produced but two jokes, which he was continually repeating, and at which nobody laughed but himfelf ; the profing taftelefs W , and the worthy, but uncouth, Sch . were my preceptors. I attended lectures on hiftory from Muller, who could not utter a pe- riod without introducing the words with under, fio manner whether they had any bufmefs there or not. Logic and metaphyfics I ftudied with Coun- 62 LIFE OF XOTZEBfJE, Counfellor Ulric *,- who bad then no compe- titor in this department ; and I continued to improve myfelf in languages under Boulet and Valenti. My leifure hours were devoted heart and foul to the private theatre, About that time, I produced a tragedy, called Charlotte Frank , which, miferable as it was 7 would probably in thefe days have drawn upon me the honour of perfecution. The ftory was of a Prince, who in hunting, accidentally faw the daughter of a country-clergyman, and inftantly fell in love with her. He contrived to carry her off; but fhe being alfo beloved by another young man of a fiery and impetuous difpofition, the Prince was ultimately fhot by the defpairing lover. One of the characters was a fort of Marinelli, a hanger-on of the Prince's, and in coftume a very miferable copy of a captain of huflars. The country-clergyman was a no lefs miferable imitation of Odoardo. Be that as k may, I faceeed my unfortunate tragedy was performed before a numerous audience, whofe curiofity was con* fiderably increafed by fo many demurs. It was received with an applaufe to which the forbear- ance generally pra&ifed towards youth could alone give me any pretenfion. Soon after I wrote a comedy, The Nun and the Chambermaid \ that proved extremely fuccefsful, though LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. . $3 though from a very different caufe. The aboli- tion of Convents, in which Jofeph the Second was then deeply engaged, and the blockade of the Dutch fleet in the Texel by an Englifli fqua- dron, furnifhed materials for the plot, and much as thefe events attrated the public attention, a piece founded on them could fcarcely fail to pleafe. Added to this, it was beyond all com- parifon better played than Demetrius. A fhort time before, fome author from Vienna, I know not his name, had written a comedy, which had the good fortune to pleafe the Tzarina, and me teftified her approbation by making him a handfome prefent. I therefore expected that Count Cobentzel, the Imperial Ambaflador at Peterfburghj would have taken this opportunity of returning her Majefty's com- pliment, nor did the idea originate folely in my own filly vanity, fince he had expreiTed a wifli to be allowed a copy for the theatre at Vienna. This requeft I thought would not admit of any other conftruftion than fiich an intended compli- ment, as the innate worth of the thing would by no means authorife it, and I therefore eagerly put into his hands the only copy I had referved for myfelf. But never to this moment have I heard another word upon the fubjet. Perhaps my patron's death, which happened (liortly after, G 2 was 84 LIFE OF K6TZEBUE. was the principal eaufe of this filence, finee now the fame publicity could not have attended any a& of munificence fhewn upon the occafion. In fhort, one copy of my play was thus loft, and the prompter foon after running away with that belonging to the theatre, I was wholly and en- tirely deprived of the babe. This was undoubt- edly a matter of fmall importance, and I only mention it left the manufcript mould fall into trTe hands of any of our gain-thirfty bookfellers, who- might, unlefs warned againft it, confign it with- out mercy to his prefs. Should fuch be the cafe, I here enter my folemii proteft againft its pul> lication. I now engaged in an undertaking which proved of considerable utility, though attended with little trouble. Among the vaft throng of periodical- works that inundate Germany, a very fmall num- ber then made their way to Peteriburgh, and even they were little read ; indeed, to own the truth, a few numbers excepted, they contained little worth attention. What things did merit perufal I therefore feleled, and printed them monthly in a good lized pamphlet. Several vo- lumes of this work, which, after my departure,* was continued by another editor, have appeared, and been favourably received at Peteriburgh, as well as in feme of the provinces. In this work, befides LIFE OF KOTZE3UE. 85 befides feveral unpublifhed eflays of my own, I inferted fome fpecimens of The Sufferings of the family of Ortenberg, a romance on which I was then employed. In the year 1782, fome of my friends who had influence at court, had fixed their minds on eftablifhing me in a poft, to which they thought it would prove a ftrong recommendation in my favour, were I to write a volume of moral tales and fables for young princes, and dedicate it to the Grand Duke's Son. Never having felt with- in myfelf any propenfity to this fpecies of poetry, I hefitated much about fuch an undertaking, but fince it was to ferve as a vehicle for future pro- motion, I at length refolved to make the expert ment. I immediately mentioned the idea to my pub- liflier at Peteriburgh, a worthy man, but who not being a perfon of great talents himfelf, re- garded what little I poffefled with a degree of enthufiafm. He engaged, without a moment's hefitation, not only to take my fables, but to publifh them in a very fplendid manner, and had fcarcely patience to wait for beginning to print, till I had properly corrected the firft meets. He came to me daily, and at laft almoft feized upon the copy, and fent it off to the prefs. The fables were 86 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. were printed on the fmeft vellum paper, with a copper-plate to each, even though it did not ex- tend beyond one octavo page. Four (heets were thus finifhed off in the greateft hafte, when he brought them to me with an air of extreme exul- tation ; and indeed as to what concerned outward {hew he had fome reafon tq exult. But how much was I {hocked, when on care- fully examining their intrinfic worth, led perhaps to inveftigate this the more minutely from the fplendour of their external appearance, I could not but be fenfible that not one rofe above me- diocrity ! I became immediately convinced that I had no talent for this fpecies of writing, and I therefore refolved not to profecute a plan by which I fliould only expofe myfelf; fo, paying the, publifher all that he had lavifhed in thefe ex- penfive decorations, the work was configned to Sternal oblivion. Oh ye ! who have fo often and fo bitterly re- proached me with vanity, now behold I give you the lie. The re-purchafe of my fables coft me many hundred roubles, but my felf-love never breathed a fingle figh over their deftruftion. I come now to the period of my life that I pafled at Reval. During the firft fummer of my refidence LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 87 refidence there, I fpent the greateft part of every day in the delicious fhady walks belonging to the caftle of Catherinenthal, and read more than I wrote. In the autumn I vifited for the firft time the difmal and dreary environs of Kiekel, abound- ing with forefts and moraiTes. Yet, through the enchanting fmiles of affection, and the genial warmth of friendfliip, even this miferable country was transformed into a paradife. Ye worthy ! ye excellent people among whom I then lived ! in your circle I learned that mortal man may be far happier in fuch a fpot, though furrounded by the growling of bears, and the howling of wolves, than in the midft of polifhed fociety environed by the honied tongues of hy- pocrites and flatterers. Your forefts were inha- bited by beafts of prey, but calumny dwelt not in their dens j frogs and toads croaked in your morafles, but envy had not reared her altar in the midft of them. The lime-trees indeed aflumed not their lovely verdure till the fpring was far advanced, and the rofes were even more tardy in unfolding their fweets, but innocence and joy were perennial plants in your gardens. The foil was fparing of its fruits, but benevolence needs not abundance ! A grofchen * is a rich prefent * A grofchen is a fmall coin, worth about two-pence Englifli jr.oney. TRANSLATOR. when. $8 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. when moiftened with the tear of fympathy, anct a'louis d'or has no value without it. Oh fleet- ing time! fcatter, if thou wilt, the reft of thefe pages to the winds of heaven, only let this one 7 this on which I now in-fcribe the beloved, names of Frederick and Sophia Helena Rofe let this one remain untouched ! for thou wouldft fnatch it from the altar of virtue and affection, on which I place it as an offering of gratitude. Neither did the Parnaffian maids refufe to embellifh this foreft. The two firft dramas I ever wrote, which I confider as poffefimg fome degree of real merit, The Hermit of Fwmentera, and Ade- laide of Wulfingeni were written at Kiekel. The former w r e played among ourfelves, and this private performance revived my paffion for the ftage, with even encreafed violence. To that paffion Reval was indebted for the. inftitution of an excellent private theatre, which produced both aclors and aftrefles of no common talents *. It was opened with a comedy of mine, called Every 'Fool has Ms Cap. As a true German, I could not yet wholly make off my propeniity to. imitation, and this piece had much the fame degree of refemblance to Moliere's Avare, as a fugar figure has to thofe made in bifcuit at Dref- * Some account of this theatre is fubjoined at the end o the volume. TRANSLATOR. den. LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 8^ den. For this reafon I keep it fnug in my drawer with a variety of other papers. I cannot now recolleft through what cafualty I firft conceived the idea of writing the hiftory of Henry the Lion, Duke of Brunfwick, a hero whofe various, and, in many refpe&s, romantic fate, always interefted me extremely. On a journey which I took through a part of Germany, in the year 1785, among other places I vifited Wolfen- biittel and Hanover. With a view to my in- tended work, I carefully fearched the libraries of thofe places, rummaging over old chronicles and legends for many weeks together, writing and re-writing, till at length I might venture to affert that I was in poffeffion of a very competent ftore of materials for my undertaking. I had even gone fo far, as abfolutely to have prepared forne detached parts of the hiftory, when two works appearing nearly together", the one hiflorical, the other a fort of romance, in both of which Duke Henry was one of the moft confpicuous perfon- ages, my plan was entirely laid afide. I now once more enlifted among the corps of journalitls, by the publication of a monthly work for the benefit of the territory where I then re- fided. To this I affixed the whimfical title. For the Mind and Heart. It was carried on for a year. 9G MFE OF KOTZEBUE. year, but did not receive fufficient fupport to encourage the profecuting it farther. Sonic pieces written for this work are publifhed in the four volumes of my mifcellaneous writings. Another, and much more important idea foon after, for awhile occupied my whole attention. I wanted to write an ample treatife upon The Honour and Diftwnour, the Fame, both temporal and foflhumous, of all Times and all Nations, I confider it as fome merit ever to have pro- jeted fo grand a work, even though I found my powers not equal to the carrying it into execu- tion. The idea of it was, befides, productive of real advantage to me in other refpefts. It ferved to exercife my talents, to give rne more juft con- ceptions of my own powers, and was the occa- fion of my reading many a hiftorical and philofo- phical work, which perhaps otherwife had never engaged my attention. In fhort, the colle&ing materials for it, was the fource of abundant in- ftruclion to my mind. Never therefore fhall I repent the unwearied diligence with which this idea was for awhil purfued, nor the numberlefs hours fpent upon it. The only thing I repent is, that I was induced fome time after to print, though not in its original form, a part of the LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 91 work, which treated Of Nobility. But more on this fubjedt hereafter. In the autumn of 1787, 1 was firft feized with an illnefs, which for feveral years held me fuf- pended between death, and what is perhaps ftill more to be deprecated than death itfelf, the apprehenfion of finking into a confirmed melan- choly. It was during the height of this diforder that I wrote Mifanthropy and Repentance, and The Indians in England. Thefe two pieces were fin- ifhed in the fpace of not more than eight or nine weeks. Never, either before, or fince, did I feel fuch a rapid flow of ideas and imagery as during that period, and I believe it to be undeniable, that by fame kinds of illnefs, particularly thofe in which the irritatiqn of the nerves is increafed, the powers of the mind are abundantly elevated^ as difeafed mufcles alone produce pearls. In the year 1789, 1 wrote 'The Virgin of the Sun, The Natural Son, and Brother Maurice the Humourift. I alfo proceeded in the collection of my mifcel- laneous writings. The little romance of The Dangerous Wager, was another production of the fame year. It was occafioned by a friendly joke, and if many a hypocritical fhoulder be fhrugged, or many a hypocritical eye be rolled at it, it i yet 92 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. by no means contemptible, as the effufion of a fportive moment. Many very abftird things have been faid and written upon the fubjecl of Mtfanthropy and Re- pentance. Among other accufations brought againft me, it has been urged that I have not adminiftered ftricl poetical juftice, in granting unqualified pardon to Eulalia, and reftoring fo great a criminal to her ftation in fociety and to every joy of life *. But no one feems to have confidered the dreadful punimment me has necef- farily incurred from the reflection upon her own imfconduft, or to have examined whether any pardon could releafe her from thofe reflections, and whether a woman with fuch a mind, labour- Ing under the preffure of a fullied confcience, co aid ever be happy again. To Ziegler f alone do * Notwithftanding the objections that have been made to the morality of Mifanthrofy and Repentance, Kotzebue in his preface to The Natural Sen, fays, he has been well aflured that this pkiy was the means of reclaiming a wife" who had eloped from her hufband . TR A N s L A T o it . f From Kotzebue's preface to The Noble *V, it appears that Ziegler wrote a drama as a continuation to Mifanthrojiy and Repentance. Upon the' fubjeft of this continuation, Kotzebue fays, " I have a fincere value for the growing talents of this " young poet, but I think the greateft part of the mifery which " he meafures out in fuch abundance to my wedded pair, " originates folely in his not removing them from their former ,". place LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 9$ do thefe ideas appear at all to have fuggefted themfelves, yet his view of the fubjeft is ex- tremely perverted, and by taking the unjuftifiable liberty of recalling Eulalia's feducer again to life, he has wholly fruftrated the moral in view. I therefore wrote The Noble Lie, from which, if I have again brought forward a woman deviating from chaftity, a fubjeft on which the impure imaginations of the critics delight to dwell, I am confident as fine a moral may be deduced as ever was preached from the pulpit, or reprefented upon the ftage. As an interefting anecdote never can be ill- timed, I truft I may be allowed here to introduce ** place of abode, and fixing them in fonre remote and retired " fpotj far from the conveniences, but far alfo from the endlefs ** ftrifes and difcords of focktyv Ziegler had an undoubted ** right, if he chofe it, to write a continuation of my drama, but " furely he ought not to have recalled to life, men whom I had " purpofely deftroyed, and by this means annihilate one of the " ftrongeft motives for Meinau's pardoiling his wife. A cir- " cumftance of which no one ought to lofe fight in judging " of my drama." Kotzebue therefore in confequence of his difapprobation of the plan Ziegler followed, wrote The Noble Lie, in which he refts Eulalia's unhappmefs folely upon her own reflections. In this refpedt the moral of the piece, as he himfelf obferve?, is highly to be approved. In another refpe<5t it is not quite fo unexceptionable. A LIE never can be NOBLE, but mud neceflarily degrade its framer, by whatever motives k may have been induced, and a manlike Meinau could fcarcely expect that fo poof a device as he praclifed, would calm th felf-reproaches of a fincere penitent.- * TRANSLATOR. one, 94- LIFE fince, as it was inftituted againft a piratical publifher, it was deeply LIFE OF KOTZE3UR, 10} deeply interefting to every author, as well as to every honeft man. When firft I menaced this profecution, my pirate was extremely infolent, and in a manner defied me ; but finding that I was very ferious in the matter, he became equally crouching, and wrote me a moft fervile letter, to beg my compaiTion for a numerous family, who muft be ruined, fhould the profecution be con- tinued. For their fakes I pardoned him, and let the matter reft, and for their fakes alfo I now forbear to mention his name and place of abode. During the fame period, I wrote The Parrot., Sultan Wampum, and The Knight of the Mirror. Sultan Wampum has, of all my pieces, been the lead fuccefsful with the public ; and, to con- fefs the truth, it is but a moderate performance. I relied much upon the mufic, having been accuftomed to fee the wretched produ61ions of a Schikaneder, a Vulpius, and others, extremely well received when recommended by the good genius of the compofer. The Literary Intelli- gencer, true to its fpirit of contradiftion, amufes itfelf extremely with my calling Sultan Wam- pum a burlefque drama, and afferts it to be one of the moft ferious pieces I had ever written. Had I called it a drama myfelf, they would have ridiculed it as a mere farce. 77* 102 -J/IFE OF KOTZERUE. The Knight of the Mirror is a ft ill inferior pro- du&ion. The plot, as I was very lately told, is taken from a romance by Vulpius. I fo- lemnly proteft, however, that if fuch a work does exift, I never faw it. In the firit place, I never thought any thing written by that au- thor worth my attention ; and, in the fecond place, I can account very fatisfa&orily for the manner in which I came by my flory. Walter, a mufician of great eminence, was defirous of compofing an opera of my writing, a wifh by which I confidered myfelf as much honoured. I was perplexed to find a fubjeft, when Chrift, then an aclor at Mentz, happening to come in, and hearing of my embarraffrnent, related this fairy tale, which he probably had recently been reading. As I well knew how little was expe&ed of the text in an opera, I thought it would anfwer my pqrpofe as well as any thing elfe, and within a fortnight from that time the Knight of the Mirror was finifhed, Very wil- lingly will I refign to Mr. Vulpius the honour of inventing the ftory; and, if he wifhes it, that alfo of having written the opera,. I mentioned, at the commencement of this fketch, that I never but once in my life wrote a work at the inftigatjon of other people. This was my Fragment upon Nobility. I could fay much LIFE OF KOTZEBITE. 103 much upon this {object, but I dare not. If it were known, and in time, perhaps it may be known, in what an equivocal fituation I was placed by my perfeverance in certain opinions I had adopted, mifapprehended as they were, fo that even my moft confidential private correfpon- dence became dangerous to me: If it were known what encouragement I had to engage in this work, and from whom it was received it would be considered in a very different point of view from that in which it now appears, and the wri- ter would be contemplated, not merely in the light of an author, but in that of a citizen and a father. Yet I cannot deny, that I have been guilty of fome inftances of improper complaifance in it, and thefe the critics have not failed fufficiently to expofe. For one thing only was I unprepared, that this chaflifement fhould be inflifted by a man whom I regarded as my Heady friend, and whofe friendfhip I think I had deferved. This, I own, has been to me a bitter pill. It willealily be ima- gined, that I refer to a work lately publilhed upon Humanity. Had a general lift of all living authors been laid before me, and I had been deiired to feleft from among them the writer of this work, its real author would have been almoft the lail upon whom my conjectures had fallen. This is 104 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. is one of thofe many cruel deceptions I have ex- perienced in the courfe of my life, which, I can- not diffemble it, have occafioned me very fevere heart-aches. What are all the daggers aimed by the Literary Intelligencer in comparifon of one ftab from the hand of a friend he loved, awaking the fleeper from a pleafing dream ? Not lefs unexpected and agonizing to me than the ftab to fuch a fleeper, was the ftroke I re- ceived, when Huber, by the publication of his mifcellaneous writings, threw afide the malk of the critic. When I found that he, in whofe company I had paffed fo many pleafant hours he, whofe talents I had fo much admired, and whofe acquaintance I had fo highly valued > he, who appeared fo warmly attached to me he, who, notwithftanding the general indifference he (hewed to my writings, had honoured my Vir~ gin of the Sun fo far as to enrich it with an ad- ditional fcene, of fuch merit, that I only wifh I had been permitted to publifh it he, in a word, from whom I parted with a moft cordial embrace that he was the man who had thrufl the dagger into my back. I may be told, perhaps, that a great diftinclion is to be made between the remarks of the cri- tic, and what gaffes in friendly intercourfe be- tween LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 105 tween two private acquaintance. But to me I know it would be impoffible to endeavour to de- preciate a man in the eyes of the world, to whom in private I had made profeffions of friend^ {hip and attachment. Good God ! if public ap- plaufe muft refemble a beautiful woman, to win whofe fmiles even a brother, perhaps, muft feeka brother's deftru&ion, it is no objeft of my wiihes I renounce it for ever *. But enough on this fubjecl:. Let me proceed to correft a paffage in the third volume of Forf- ters Views. Speaking of the Englifli Theatre, he fays, The dramas of one KOTZEBUE * s would pleafe upon the Engliih ftage, with the " addition only of a few grains of fait," Strongly was I inclined on reading this paflage, to offer the publifher a wager that he could not produce it in Forfter's own hand-writing. Nor could he poffibly have been offended at my de- claring that I would accept of no minor proof of its authenticity. Such a fufpenfion of my belief * When I publifh the fecond part of this fketch, I will en- deavour to throw fome light upon the probable foundation of this critique of Huber's, It appears to me not wholly incredible, that fpleen and ill-nature at the fu peri or fuccefs of a rival dra- matift may lurk beneath his remarks, fince it is certain, that the fate of his own dramatic productions has not been brilliant. AUTHOR. is 106 LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. is but a tribute due to the efteem I entertain* ed for his deceafed friend. Often have I con- fulted Forfter on my writings, and his judgment was always given with a modefty and humility peculiarly his own. It is true, that he has found things to cenfure in my dramas, but never did he appear to confider them as wanting fait -, and if I mult choofe between regarding this paflage as an interpolation, or believing the worthy Forf- ter to have been guilty of tergiverfation, I cer- tainly (hall abide by the former opinion. Whatever I have written fince, has been re- ceived in a very flattering manner by the public ; and, as was confequently to be expected, with fcarcely lefs contumely by the critics. I fliall only here give a lift of thefe works. Count Benyowfky 5 or, the Confpiracy of Kamtchatka. The Spaniards in Peru ; or, the Death of Rolla. Poverty and Magnanimity. The Man of Forty Years Old*, * This is a little piece in one a&, taken from the fame French f elite piece as the beautiful Englifh Farce of The Guardian. TRANSLATOR. The LIFE OF KOTZEBUS. 107 The Negro Slaves. The Madcap *. The Count of Burgundy. The Force of Calumny, Falfe Shame, La Peyroufe. \ The Youngeft Offspring of my Fancy f . Many of my dramas have received the diftin* guimed honour of being tranflated into French, * It is difficult to find a term in Englim that exactly corre- fponds with the German Der Wildfang y the title given to this comedy in the original, and fignifying a man full of the tricks and frolics of youth. Madcap conveys the idea more accurately than any other term, only that this is liable to the objection of being more generally applied to a female than to a male. Yet the authority of Shakefpeare may be cited for applying it to the, }atter fex. 'Twas where the madcap du^e his uncle kept, Where is his fo.n, The rumble.footed madcap Prince of Wales? TRANSLATOR. f This is a collection of mifcellaneous pieces, whence the prefent (ketch of the Author's life is extracted. Six volumes have already been publifhed at different periods, and it i$ generally underftood that the work is to be continued occafion- ally in the fa. me way. -TRANSLATOR. Dutch, 10S LIFE OF KOTZEBUE. Dutch, Danifh, Polifh, Ruffian, and even Italian. A new thorn in the. fides of the critics*. Not many days ago, I received a letter from Mofcow, in which my correfpondent writes : " Your drama of The Natural Son has been played " here as often, and with no lefs applaufe, than '* was The Marriage of Figaro at Paris. It is well " tranflated into Ruffian." Is it not fomewhat extraordinary, that at the fame time, in fo many different countries, the public mould manifeft fo perverted a tafte ? That they mould find things worthy of patronage and applaufe, on which the Literary Intelligencer has been pleafed to pronounce an irrevocable fentence of damnation? But hold! The inveftigation of * To this lift of nations that have regarded Kotzebue's works with no flight degree of approbation, he might now add, and probably would add with a considerable degree of fatisfaclion, the Englifh. It certainly muft be a genius of no common caft, that can thus take the lead on fo many of the theatres in 'Europe; and perhaps for delicate touches of nature, which fpeak in the moil forcible manner to every heart, Kotzebue may be pronounced almoft unrivalled. If re- port may be depended upon, his reputation as a dramatic wri- ter was never higher on the continent than at the prefent mo- ment, and while PIZA&RO continues to draw crowded houfes at Drury-lane Theatre every night of its performance, on moil of the principal theatres in Germany fcarcely any but his pieces are now a&ed. - TRANSLATOR. fo tIFE OF KOTZEBUE. 109 fo curious a phenomenon lhall be referved for the fequel of this work. For the prefent I have done with myfelfc Heaven grant that none of my readers may have yawned over this detail of my literary adven- tures ! Should I be reproached with having in- truded a parcel of trifling mfignificant circum- fiances upon the world with having, as is faid of Marivaux,^r0^/ nothings in a balance made of a fpiders web. I will not pretend to refute the charge. I mall only obferve, that, according to my ideas, to thofe who make the human heart their ftudy, nothing can be uninterefting which contributes towards tracing the progrefs of its formation, nothing iniignificant which tends to mow by what procefs a man comes to be what he is, be his talents many or few. Every one who fhall purchafe this book, knows beforehand what he is to expet. Thefe little volumes are the Offspring of my Fancy, confequently muft be compiled after my own humour, not after that of other people, unlefs I mean to falfify their title. The continuation of this Sketch, which I in- tend to publiih at fome future period, I muft re- queft all its readers to confider as a defence extorted from me by my calumniators. So often have 110 LIFE OF KOTZEBUEi have I been dragged by the critics to the baf of their and my judges, the public, that 'it would appear too much like treating thofe judges with indifference at leaft, if not with contempt, were I entirely to abftain from anfwering their charges. In this view of the matter, I have fome claim to pardon and indulgence. Yet let me affure that public to whom I appeal, that no endea- vours (hall be omitted on my part, to enliven, as far as poflible, fo dry a fubject, by ftrewing fome flowers in the path, and that I will never lofe fight of v/hat Beaumarchais fays with fo much juftice " Has a man any claim, becaufe he is in " the right, to give his readers the vapours, and " make his judges yawn with ennui? Alas ! " their fituation is already but too irkfome!" END OF THE LIFE. MY FLIGHT TO PARIS, THE A UTUMN OF 1790. Her's it was, by God commanded. When with dire disease opprest, Still to calm my bosom's anguish, Still to sooth my soul to rest. BURGER- PREFACE. DEAREST READER, I DO not pretend to confider this little work as likely to be ufeful, perhaps it may not be even entertaining. I write it to footh the anguifh of my foul I write it in the moft wretched moments of my life. The lofs of a wife whom I loved inexpref- fibly, drove me forth into the wide world. I fled the place where my -repofe was buried for ever whence angels had claimed a fif- ter's prefence among themfelves. Ah ! the place I could fly, but the image of my Fre- derica followed me every where, and only in death, when I ihall prefs the original again to my bofom, will it forfake me. 'Tis become a matter of indifpenfible neceffity to my heart to be always talking I or 114- PREFACE. or writing of her. The hope of allaying my anguifh has placed the pen in my hand but the form of my beloved wife hovers over the paper ; I know not what I Ihall write, yet I fee plainly it will be only of her. Ye, who have hearts capable of fympa- thy ! Ye, who have fometimes dropped a tear at the reprefentation of my dramas ! if ever I acquired merit in your eyes, re- ward it by weeping with me for my fee- loved Frederica ! Or at leaft fpare your cenfures if you take this book into your hands, and perhaps do not find in it what you feek. Indulge me with writing of her ! fpurn me not if even the remoteft objecl: ftill brings me infenfibly to her ! Heaven preferve ye all from experiencing like affliction ! yet if ever a fimilar fate ihould be yours, ye Ihall not intreat my compaflion in vain. Every hufband who at this moment ftill poffcHes his beloved wife, \vlio can ftill clafp her affectionately to his bofom, when he reads PREFACE. 115 reads this and thanks God for the bleffing yet fpared him, I afk not tears of him yet even he may furely pity me ! But ye, whom a fimilarity of fate draws nearer to me ! ye, who have loft a hulband or a wife, who are not yet forgotten, let us weep to- gether ! we are brethren ! To fuch I make no excufe for writing a book folely for my- felf and a few friends, a book to relieve a wounded heart. I will at fome time ere6l the faireft mo- nument I can to my Frederica, but not here ! At prefent I am unequal to the talk. When my mind is fomewhat more compofed I will write the hiftory of our love and of our marriage. What a moment will it be for fuch a heart as her's when I draw afide the veil that modefty threw over all her virtues Oh, fhe was fo truly, fo inexpreffibly good, not from cold reafoning, and prin- ciple, but from the overflowings of a warm and affectionate heart ! Her feelings were always noble, for there w>is not a place in her bofom that could harbour an ignoble thought. Her heart and hand were ever o 1 2 opea 116 PREFACE. open to the relief of diflrefs, fhe gave freely, and always as one human being fliould give to another, as though it had been to a brother or a iifter. Tt was only laft fpring that on the firft of April I indulged myfelf in a joke, which ended in ftill farther proving her benevolence. I wrote her an ill-fpelt, illiterate letter, as from a poor widow living in a remote part of the town, with two half-naked children, and no bed to lie on, and who, having heard of her goodnefs, implored her affiftance. The day was cold and windy, yet my Frederica ordered the carriage to be got ready imme- diately, and looking out fome clothes and linen, fet off for the place. I had run thither before ; I faw the carriage coming, but as it drew up to a houfe in the fuburbs, I began to be afraid my trick was difcovered. Oh no ! fhe only flopped to buy fome rolls for the hungry children, and with thefe, her bundle of linen, and two roubles in her hand, fhe proceeded to the houfe pointed out, where I met her. She was lefs angry at my boyifh levity, than concerned that fhe was PREFACE* 117 was diiappointed of doing a good a<5Hon. Yet in the eyes of God it was performed ! Oh never will the firft of April return without bringing tears into my eyes ! And this was only one inftance out of ten thou- fand ! Such a wife I have poffefled ! fuch a wife I have loft ! You, my cherifhed friends and acquaint- ance ! You, to whom I have been able to write nothing but my wife is dead! You will receive this book with candour and kindnefs, fince it will tell you what, and where I have been, ever fince fate, while it fpared my life, robbed me of all that made life valuable ! Alas ! I once thought that I had loft my greateft treafure when I loft my health ! Oh how was I miftaken ! Even in the horrible winter of 1788, when I laboured under fuch fevere bodily ruffering, ftill with my Frederica by my fide I tafted the foothing confolation of domeftic joy, rrcit to be purchafed by wealth or honours. For my fake fhe renounced all company, all diveriions, and confidered it as no facri- fice to confine herfelf entirely to my fick chamber. 118 PREFACE. chamber. If then I was but for a few minutes free from anguifh, how ferene was my foul ! how deeply did I feel that all other happinefs is poor and weak when compared with wedded happinefs ! One kifs from my wife, one preflure of her hand made even my moft naufeous medicines fweet. Thus was ihe my fole fupport, when I was loft to every thing elfe, and now that I could again have enjoyed life with her as formerly, now me is no more ! But me was perhaps only a protecting angel fent to lave me her errand is accomplifhed, and me is returned to her bleft abode yet {he ft ill hovers inviiibly over me ! we (hall one day be re-united ! Oh fweet felf-flattery, forfake me not ! in this hope alone can I find a balfam for my wounds. I know not by what name to call thefe effufions of my heart. This ihould be a preface but what reiemblance does it bear to a preface ? No matter ! it fpeaks of Fre- derica and my bofom is relieved ! 2 It PREFACE. 119 It was my defign to ftate to thee, compaf- fionate reader, what thou wert to expeft in this book. 'Tis a tour to Paris, yet has it no refemblance to the common mafs of tours, fince I faw nothing but my loft wife ! (he followed me every where ! (he then muft be almoit my fole theme ! Yes, I was for awhile an inhabitant of Paris, but of Paris I know very little. The principal occurrences during my ftay there, I have noted down in the form of a journal. This employment has foothed my wounded mind, it has enabled me to (hed tears, when my foul wanted fuch relief. When I thought that beneficent fource exhaufted, I fat down to write, and it flowed again. My objeft is attained ! my defpair has iubfided into a calm and gentle forrow ! AUGUSTUS VON KOTZEBUE. Paris, Jan. 1, 1791. MY FLIGHT TO PARIS, THE AUTUMN OF 1790. T \ 7HEN my ill (late of health drove me again to Pyrmont laft fummer, to drink of its falutary fpring, my beloved wife, being then in the fifth month of her pregnancy, remained at home. Every letter I received from her, and we commonly exchanged three or four letters in the week, brought the moft pleafing accounts of her health, and the aflurance that flie had no wifli but for my return. How ardently I participated in this wifli may be eafily imagined! I, there- fore, eagerly embraced the firft moment when it was poffible to efcape from the medicinal yoke, and flew to her arms. This was in the beginning of September. Our firft interview was at Gotha. She came thither to meet me. My tranfport at beholding her, 122 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. her, our firft embrace, the heart-felt joy with which I contemplated her blooming cheeks ma- nifefting pure health and content, the animation that fparkled from her eyes how prefent are all thefe ideas to my imagination ! How does my fancy love to dwell upon the enchanting images ! Fain would my pen defcribe them in equally glowing colours ! But words are unequal to the tafk! Yet every one who has a heart can ima- gine them all. Two months more pafled on. I faw, with- out alarm, the moment approach when I was to be prefented with a new pledge of our love, fmce no reafon for alarm then appeared. I did all that lay in my power to prevent danger : I per- fuaded rny Frederica to take a walk with me al- moft every day, in the beautiful park at Weimar, which was indeed her favourite refort. How have we ftrolled about there arm in arm, in fweet converfation, building caftles in the air, forming conjectures on the future, reviewing the paft, and enjoying the prefent ! Sometimes talking of our abfent friends, amuflng ourfelves with fpecula- tioris on \vhat they might be about at that mo- ment, what, and when, they would write to us, or where, and when, we mould fee them again. In MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 123 In the little hut made of the bark of trees> or at the waterfall, or upon the hill, or by the three pillars, or where we look over the meadows in the valley as upon a ftage have we often flood or fat, contemplating the varied beauties around us. Oh, may the fweeteft, the moft refrefhing dew, fall upon ye every morning, ye trees and flowers, for you were witneffes of my happinefs ! Ever mayeft thou flourifh and look gay, thou ver- dant turf, for thou haft been prefled by the foot- fteps of my beloved wife 1 How would fhe laugh when our William would fometimes (land upon his head, and fet the little dog barking with co- mic eagernefs at fo unufual a fight ? Never; never, will a happier couple enjoy thy charms, thou lovely fpot. Often, too, have we vifited Belvedere, and Tieffurth, country-feats near Weimar. There did we fit under a tree, and regale upon new milk, while my Frederica rejoiced at finding the weather flill fo warm in the country, that although in the month of Oftober, we could remain out in the air, whereas at home we were creeping to the fire, Thefe little excurfions were always fo plea- fant to her, that in every the moft minute inci- dent fhe found a fource of delight. About 124 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. a month before her confinement, me accompanied me to Leipfick fair. She was on that day uncommonly cheerful and animated, and at our return home aflured me, that me ne- ver in her life enjoyed any thing of the kind more highly. Oh, what greater delight can the world afford than to have contributed to the enjoyment of her whom we love ! Thus, amid a conilant reciprocation of pure and innocent happinefs, did the hours pafs on, till the moment approached of which neither of us entertained the leaft apprehenfion. My Fre- derica had always enjoyed uninterrupted health, her only medicine was flrawberries, and never fmce our abode at Weimar had the apothecary been enriched by her to the amount of a fingle dreyer. At length, on the eleventh of November, me was fafely and happily delivered of a daughter. For the firft three days {he was remarkably well, was all life and animation, laughing and affuring us that a lying-in was a mere joke. Never, me faid, had me been fo well ; never, in the firft three days, felt a like appetite, or like freedom from pain. In fhort, every thing feemed to pro- mife her fpeedy recovery, and the little cloud which muft at fuch a period inevitably for a mo- ment MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 125 ment darken the horizon, feemed entirely dif- perfed. Such was her own opinion, as well as that of all around her. Ah ! was there then on earth a mortal happier than I! The whole creation feemed mine, and I its fovereign ! Who could fuppofe that thefe were to be the lail happy days of my life ? On the fourteenth me was fomewhat indif- pofed. We believed this to.be a matter of no confequence, only occafioned by the milk, and were fatisfied nature relieves herfelf in various ways. On the fifteenth (lie again appeared quite well. Still do I fee her, when, after having fpent a very uneafy night with the idea of her indifpo- fition, at five o'clock in the morning I ftole foftly into her chamber, and crept to the fide of her bed, full of anxiety to learn fome tidings of her. She ftretched out her arms to me, and railing herfelf up, allured me that me was then perfectly free from complaint. Oh bleffed aflu- rance ! once more my mind was in a ftate of compofure. I afterwards read to her a fcene of a drama I was writing, for I always made her unfophifticated feelings the teft by which I proved the real merit or demerit of my works. What did not draw a tear from her eyes, I blotted out. Alas ! to whofe feelings can I re- fer 126 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. fer in future ! My tutelar genius has forfaken me ! my fire is extinguifhed 1 She liftened to me on this morning with her accuftomed attention and pleafure, me gave her opinion upon the work as ufual, her mind never appeared more clear or acute. Never ! Oh, ne- ver will the piece, of which this fcene was a part, be finifhed ! I fhould ftart back with hor- ror, were the fatal pages ever again to fall into my hands ! The bare idea of adding another line to them gives me a feeling of criminality. I could not for all the treafiires this world affords, endure to hear that part repeated which I read to her. The recolle&ion of her nod of approba- tion as I proceeded, \vould harrow up my foul ! for, oh ! it was the laft approving nod I ever can receive from her. On the fixteenth, flie began to complain of exceflive faintnefs, and from this day her fituation conftantly grew more alarming. I became ex- tremely anxious about her, and called in the ad- vice of my old univerfity friend the chief phyfician Hufeland, in aid of Mr. Buchholz, who had hi- therto been our fole attendant. The diforder ra- pidly increafed, her fever grew hourly higher, and me was at times delirious. Three days, which MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 127 -which to me feemed like an eternity, thus paffed on, when my anxiety became intolerable. On the twentieth, I haitened early in the morning to Jena, to call in the aiTiftance of the celebrated Dr. Starke, who was my intimate friend, and of whofe medical fkili I had the higheft opinion. Thus I thought nothing would be neglected on my part to fave a life fo dear and this reflection has been my fole fource of confolation in the midft of my defpair at her lofs. Heaven only knows what I fuffered on this expe- dition. My fancy could not forbear to dwell on the moft dreadful images which, though then merely ideal, were, alas ! but too foon to be rea- lized. My friend was fo good as to return with me immediately, and I was back again at Weimar, accompanied by him, within five hours from my departure. He found my Frederica very ill, but yet did not think her cafe by any means hope- left, and I once more began to breathe freely. Cathartics and diaphoretics were adminiflered. She was become from delirium very peevifli and obftinate, nor would take any thing but from my hands. Oh, with what trembling hands did I reach her the glafs with the medicine, but flie kified me when me had taken it, and my foul could 128 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. could not but find fome confolation in this tefli- mony, that amid the frowardnefs of difeafe, and wanderings of diftraHon, her affection for me remained pure and undiminifhed as ever. On this day, my drama of Mifanthropy and Repentance was performed. I mention this cir- cumftance only to introduce an anecdote, which, even amid the anguifh I then endured, gave me a fenfation of pleafure. About eighty of the ftudents at Jena came over to fee the play. It was the ufual cuftom of thefe young men, upon fuch occafions, after having attended the theatre, to have a jolly fupper together fome- where, and about midnight to return home, not without much noife, and hallooing and clapping, all which we ufed to hear in full perfection, as their route lay through the flreet where I lived. On this night alone, not a fingle carriage or horfe parTed my houfe, the whole party went quietly out of town by fome other road, that they might not difturb my fuffering wife. I mentioned this circumftance to her in the morning flie feemed pleafed with the attention, and I take this opportunity of publicly returning my grateful acknowledgment to the gentlemen for it. On the twenty-firft and twenty-fecond, my Frederica continued much the fame. I fent an exprefs MY FLIGHT tO PARIS; 129 exprefs both mornings to Dr. Starke, with an account of the fituation of his patient. I fcarcely ever quitted her bedfide, and experienced fome fatisfaction at rinding that (he did not in general appear to have any apprehenfion of danger. Once only as I embraced her, and laid my cheek to hers, not being able to reftrain my tears, fhe feemed for a moment to be (truck with a degree of anxious folicitude. This, however, foon va- niihed again, as I wiped my eyes, and endeavour- ed to refume a countenance of hope and ferc- nity. Indeed, her delirium was commonly fo flrong, that it was impofiible for her to be fen- fible of her fituation. On the twenty-third, (lie was eafier and better. This gave me very flattering hopes. I went to bed much more compofed, and, for the firft time fince her illnefs, had fome quiet fleep. But the next morning, about half pad four, I was awak- ened by the maid, with the dreadful intelligence that her miftrefs was much worfe, Oh God! with what horrible feelings did I fpring out of bed, and haften to her room ! I found her ex- tremely uneafy. She complained of exceflive pain at her heart, in her bread, in her back, and particularly in her right fide about the lungs. She breathed very fhort, and her cheeks were extremely flufhed. For fome days, I had ob- K ferved 13O MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. ferved this fymptom with great anxiety, but the day before had been much confoled about it. I trembled fo that I could fcarcely Hand, for I thought her almoft at her laft hour, and knew not what was to be clone. The nurfe and maid \vere the only people in the room with me. The latter I difpatched to Mr. Buchholz, who was fo good as to come immediately, and foon after came my mother and Madame Mufaeus, the wi- dow of my excellent friend the profeffor. We rubbed the body of the poor fufFererall over with flannel, particularly thofe parts where me com- plained mod of pain. She found this a consider- able relief, the pain abated, and me affured u& fhe was much eafier. Oh how was my heart, in thefe anxious hours, tofted about between hopes and fears ! Yet fo horrible to me was the idea of the irreparable 3ofs I was about to fuftain, that how much foever appearances threatened that event, I could not perfuade myfelf that it was poffible it (hould take place. A frill, fmall voice, feemed continually to whifper in my ear, this cannot be ! the af- fii&ion were too great to be endured ! fate can- not inflift upon thee fo fevere a misfortune ! She may deprive thee of thy children, of thy property, but affuredlv flic will fpare thy wife ! -' z Ah MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 131 All that I could but have trafficked thus with fate ! -could thus have purchafed from death his devoted vitim ! The phyfician hoped, that the alarming fymp- toms which had appeared, preceded only the breaking out of an eruption. How did I watch my beloved wife every moment, to exa- mine if nothing of this kind was to be perceived ; when, about noon, after repeated difappoint- ments, fome fpots at laft appeared. My tranf- port was inexpreflible. I ran immediately to both phyficians with the happy tidings, and wept like a child. They (hared in my joyful hopes, and conjured me, for God's fake, upon no confide- ration to let her be taken out of bed. Hither- to (lie had frequently got up to have her bed made, and however we fometimes wiflied her not to be difturbed, (he w r as fo extremely defirous of it, that it was fcarcely poffible to put it off. I now therefore never itirred from her room, fmce her love for me was fo much more powerful than her difeafe, that when I tenderly intreated, (he even gave this up. At night, I laid down in the room w r ith my clothes on ; when Madame Mufaeus, who, upon this melancholy occafion, proved lierfelf a mod fincere friend, prom i fed faithfully, that if fhe appeared the leaft uneafy, I fhould be inftantly awakened. K2 At 1.32 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. At five o'clock I arofe. I received the joyful information, that my poor Frederica had parTed a quiet night, and I found her eafy when I went to her bedlide, and kifTed her as ufual. This much increafed my flattering hopes. Since me appeared fo well, Madame Mu- fseus went home early, and I lighted my morn- ing pipe, and retired for a fhort time to ano- ther room, that I might not difturb my wife with the fumes of my tobacco. I had not been there long, before the maid came to me half breathlefs, and pale with horror, bringing a handkerchief all over blood, which my Fre- derica had thrown up. What a new fource of alarm and anguifli ' I haftened to her, and found her with a ihort cough and fpitting blood. I ran with all pofiible fpeed to the phyfician, he ordered her a competing draught, which Igaveher; the cough foon abated, and me began to doze. My ftrength was almoft exhaufted. The morn- ing fun fhone on the oppofite houfes, the air was warm, the heavens ferene. I refolved to avail myfelf of my wife's being afleep to breathe a little frefli air. I turned my Heps towards Bel- vedere. Were I to defcribe all my thoughts, my feelings, my prayers, my hopes, my fears, upon this walk, they would fill a large volume of them- felves. MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 133 flrives. Is it not a ftrong argument in favour of the immortality of the foul, that our thoughts and feelings are not confined by time? That they pafs with fuch rapidity, that a fingle mo- ment fuffices to revolve in idea what would oc- cupy years in action? That no man can fay fuch and fuch a portion of thoughts mail pafs in my mind in fuch a number of minutes, but that the acts of ages are involuntarily comprefled together in one momentary perception, and yet appear as clear to the mind as though every objer, every circumftance, were embodied before the eyes ? What then can be this principle, that requires neither fpace nor time for its operations, yet works fo all-comprehenfively within us? Can it be ought but fpirit? Powerful are the charms of nature. Even on this awful day her enchantments for a moment cngroffed my fenfes, and lulled my anguifh to reft. The warm ferene funfhine affimilating it- felf with what it found congenial in my bofom, fome rays of reviving hope, they for a while, by their combined power, fupprefled the tumults that raged there. " Ah!" I fuddenly exclaimed aloud, " all will yet be well!!!" Fancy fupported this blefled idea, and raifed within me a crowd of tranfporting images. I faw the bloom of health once more fpread itfelf over the cheeks 134 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. cheeks of my beloved Frederica. I faw her walking up and down the room, fomewhat weak indeed, but fupported by my arm, appre- henfive of no farther danger. I fought out for her the beft old Rhenifli wine that could be procured, omitted nothing that might contribute to her entire reftoration, and when this anxi- oufly defired objecl was finally attained, I thought of folemnizing a little feftival to commemorate the bleiTed event. My eldeft boy I determined fliould learn a poem by heart, two orphan children fhould be clothed, and a circle of feleft friends invited. After dinner, as we w r ere fitting round the table, a band of mufic fhould ftrike up in the next room, Lord God, we Jiraife thee! When we, filling our glaffes, and raifing them up towards heaven, I, with my other hand round the neck of my beloved wife, would fing in chorus, Lord God, we Jiraife thee / Oh flattering fancy ! For one moment didfl thou here make me happy ! It was a drop of cordial to enable me to ftruggle with new forrow ! Amid thefe mufings, I infenfibly reached the Cattle of Belvedere, about half an hour's walk from Weimar. I bought a nofegay for my wife, and a rofe-bufh in a pot, for fhe was always very fond of flowers. The nofegay I carried home myfelf, I reached my houfe about half paft one, when MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 135 when I found my Frederica ftill afleep, nor had fhe coughed during the whole time of my ab- fence. About two o'clock ilie awoke : I gave her the flowers : fhe feemed pleafed with them, but it was only a momentary pleafure, fhe foon relapfed into her accuftomed indifference to every thing. The eruption meanwhile continued, and this kept my hopes ftill alive. But in the after- noon the cough and fpitting of blood returned, and continued for a long time. In the evening it abated, yet fhe breathed very fhort, and fcarcely knew any body. Leeches were applied below her right breaft, but flie did not appear to feel them. The rofe-bufh I had bought in the morn- ing was brought in, and placed by her bedfide, but fhe paid no attention to it. I am filent as to my own fituation, it may be conceived, it cannot be defcribed. About ten o'clock fhe feemed to be in the laft agonies. Her throat rattled, her eyes were fixed, and the phyfician, as well as myfelf, thought there was every fymptom of approaching death. My friends intreated me not to ftay, and fee her die ; and reminded me, that I owed to our chil- dren the prefervation of my life and fenfes. I was fo ftupified, that I knew not what I did. I took leave of my wife, who neither heard or faw me. Only for one moment, when I threw myfelf upon her, and preffed my burning lips to hers, did 136 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. , did (lie feem in fome degree fenfible, and re- turned my kifs very faintly. This token of her love gave me the fudden relief of tears, they ftreamed down my cheeks : I kifled her again and again, and rufhed out of the room, in the fatal conviction that thefe were the laft kifles I ever fhould give this beloved wife. I was foliated to leave the houfe, but while any hopes of her life remained that was impoffible. I threw myfelf upon a bed in another apartment, where I continued in a ftate of mind little fhort of diftra&ion. My mother remained in the room with my Frederica. How mall I defcribe this long and miferable night ! Every moment I expected to receive the laft fatal tidings, As often as I heard the door of my poor wife's chamber open, my heart was ready to beat through my bread, and all my limbs fhook I expected it to be the meflenger of death. About midnight, I heard the found of coffee grinding in the kitchen. Oh God ! this feemed an aflurance that all was over, that thofe who were watching with her had no other object of attention remaining but themfelves, A thoufand times had I refolved to go and fatisfy myfelf upon this dreadful fubjeft, but an- guifh MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 137 guiih held me back, the idea of feeing her corpfe, the corpfe of my Frederica, was perfeft agony. Still, (till, I thought, a ray of hope remains in my bofom, (hall I deprive myfelf of that by ruining on a dreadful certainty ? Amid thefe horrid re- flections, I continued toiling on the bed, experi- encing torments not to be exceeded by thofe of hell. No! the fenfations of a criminal whom the following morning is to lead to execution, cannot be half fo dreadful. Yet one more tranfient interval of hope was in (tore for me. Sometimes the lamp in my room appeared nearly extinguifhed, and then again quickly burned bright and clear. Thisfeemedatype of human life, and I thought that my beloved wife might revive again as the flame of the lamp. Four o'clock had juft (truck, when I heard the door of the (ick chamber open, and my mo- ther's footiteps approaching mine. My fenfes were nearly gone : I could hear my heart beat. I looked wildly at her as (he entered " She is jlill alive" w r ere the firft words (lie fpoke. What a balfam were they to my w< ounded foul ! 1 burft into a (hower of heart-relieving tears. I had no power of fpeech, I could not afk a fingle quef- tion, but my mother told me, with a coun- tenance of confolation, that immediately after midnight^ 138 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. midnight, the dreadful fituation in which I had left my wife began to amend, fhe became eafy, and had not coughed fince ; me now knew every body, and had alked feveral times for me. With one fpring I was in her arms. Oh God, what a blefied change ! She knew me, fhe fmiled, fhe returned my kiffes, and faid fweetly, / can kifs thee now joyfully : awhile ago it was painful to me! She was perfectly rational, and allured me fhe found herfelf better. I brought her the rofe- bufh, (he feemed highly delighted, and even reached out her head to fmell to it. My tranfport was unbounded, and I inwardly thanked God for his mercy with an ardour fcldom perhaps experienced. I confidered my wife as faved. I thought within myfelf what- r has afccnded to the utmoft height it can reach, mull inevitably fall again. My Frederica's diforder had laft night reached that fummit, and now is in its defcent. I waited with impatience the dawning of day, when I haftened to the phy- fician, who was altonilhcd beyond meafure to hear me fay, My wife is jlill alive. He recounted over all the fymptoms of approaching death that had appeared the preceding evening ; and fince thefe had fubfided, he ventured to hope with me, that the crifis was paft, and flie might yet be rcftored. He MY FLIGHT TO PAR 139 He ordered her feme medicines, with which I will own I was not fatisfied, fince I could not help apprehending that there was great danger of the exertion of taking them bringing on again the cough and fpitting of blood. But ilnce they were recommended by both phyficians, and I had great refpect for their judgment, I yielded my own opinion, and had them prepared. But alas ! what I had feared actually enfued : (he immediately began again to cough. I haitened once more to the phyiicians, though with much lefs fanguine feelings than before, and tokl them what had happened, when they defired that all attempts at medicine might be relinquilhed. Alas ! never (hall I be able to baniih the dreadrul idea, that had the been fuffered to remain quiet that morning, and not been difrurbed in this way, her youth and excellent confritution might at length have worn out her diieafe. Vet let it not be thought that I mean to caft a reflection upon our two worthy phyficians. I am confident, that they were fcarcely lefs anxious than myfelf, to fave a life fo dear to us all ; and I doubt not were actuated by the fear of omitting any thing at fo important a moment, that had the remoteft chance of proving beneficial. But when a houfe is burnt down, people are very apt fay, that a pail of water thrown earlier on this 140 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. this or that fpot, might have faved the whole edifice. The world mull not be fevere with a man under misfortune. I fent once more to Jena, to beg my friend Dr. Starke's attendance. I charged the fervant to make the utmoft poffible hafte, and to return inftantly with the Doftor. The honeft fellow, who loved his miftrefs fincerely, and who, indeed, did not love her ? was gone no more than three hours and a half. He brought me a note from Dr. Starke, with a promife that he would be with me himfelf in the afternoon. It was now noon. Exhaufted with fatigue and anguifh, I had lain down on the fopha, and endeavoured to flecp; but when I heard the found of the horfe galloping along the ftreet, I fprang up, and haftened with the note into the fick chamber. There I found the fame fymptoms of approaching death as the evening before, the fame rattling in the throat, the fame fixed glare of the eyes, and the fame defpair in the counte- nances of all the attendants. The looks of the phyfician, too, plainly confeffed that his art could do no more for her. Ah! he could not! and God would not! Why he thus tore afundcr one of the happieft couples MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 141 couples that ever were united l Why he fepa- rated two fouls that only wifhed to live for each other ! Into thofe things we are forbidden to enquire ! But, oh 1 let not any one impute it to me as a fin that I complain ! The Lord gave her to me ! The Lord hath taken her away ! I am no diffembler I cannot add, Bleffed be the name of the Lord ! Of what paused in this and the following hours I have but a confufed recolleftion. How I luffed her for the laft time, without even receiving a like faint return as the evening before ; how I rufhed out of the room, unable to fupport the idea of beholding her laft druggies ; how I ran to the houfe of a friend a few doors off, and what horrible feelings there rent my bofom all, all thefe appear to me as the harafiing images of fome fearful dream. Not many days before I had faid to this friend, that I was confident my fenfes never could fupport the lofs of my wife ; and earneftly entreated him, fhould this dreadful cataftrophe aftually take place, to think and to aft for me, and endeavour, for the fake of my poor mother- lefs infants, if poflible, to refcue from defpair a father who had himfelf flood for three years upon the brink of the grave. I charged him, when the 142 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. the laft fatal flroke fhould be over, inftantly to order a chaife, and fly with me, no matter whi- ther, only to take me from the place that had been the fcene of all my forrows from the place where every joy muft be buried in the grave of my deceafed wife. Fie promifed to comply with my requeft, and kept his word. He went himfelf to my houfe, my wife had breathed her laft, and he fent inftantly to the poft. I repeat it, that I have no clear idea of my own feelings. My brain was all confufion ; over- powered with anguifh, I could not remain a moment in the fame fpot j every place feemed too confined for my burfting bofom ; no tears came to my relief; I ran half frantic into the ftreet, a bleak north-wind blew direftly through it 3 yet even there I felt as in a burning furnace. I told my friend 1 would wait for him at the gate of the town ; and thither I haftened, though I fcarcely know myfelf how I reached it; nei- ther am 1 certain, whether by the way I met any perfon with whom 1 was acquainted. I only recolleft, fmce of this my anguim reminded me, feeing the poftillion who a few weeks before had driven my wife and me to Leipfick. Ire- MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 143 I remained for two hours without the gate, accompanied only by my own anguiili and dif- tra&ion. The weather was cold, rainy, and ftormy, but I was infenfible to it. I walked up and down by the fide of a ditch, endeavouring to collect my fcattered fenfes, and to refleOt calmly upon my fituation, but it was impoffible. Once or twice a few tears came to my relief, but they were few. Heaven was fparing of this lenient balm. After a while, an old man in a foldier's uni- form, probably a penfioner of the neighbouring hofpital, whofe attention, I fuppofe, had been excited by the wildnefs of my appearance, came up to me, and afked if I was ill. I anfwered, Yes, and pafied on. " Ah! that's plainly enough to lefeen!" I could hear him fay in a compaffionate tone, as I continued walking forwards. I know not whether it was this appearance of participa- tion in my forrow that gave a new turn to my feelings, but I burft into tears, and wept violently for fome minutes ; yet this was foon pad, and I relapfed into my former flate of gloomy ftupe- faftion. At length, towards evening, I faw my own travelling carriage approach, the fame carriage into which I had fo often handed my Frederica ; in 144 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. in which I had enjoyed fo many happy hours by her fide. I got haftily into it, the little dog which had been my wife's favourite was there, and jumped upon me, w'agging his tail. Oh Godl what painful recollections did it call into my mind. Every thing in the carriage bore fome reference to my Frederica. In one pocket w r as a llain, made by a bottle of medicine which me had once broke. Here was a needle, with which me had been at work : there the mark of pow- der from her hair : and yet \vhat w r as abfent reminded me of her far more painfully than what was prefent. At our departure from Reval, I had a couple of fmall pillows made, covered with leather, to reft our heads againft on the journey. On thefe my wife had lain during her illnefs, as Ihe found the pillows belonging to the bed too warm on thefe me died! We proceeded onwards, the clouds began to difperfe, and the moon appeared. Not a word was fpoken. My friend felt feniibly, that at prefent any attempts to confole me were vain, he was filent therefore, and in my heart I acknow- ledged this as an obligation. I fixed my eyes fteadily upon the clouds, which the w r ind blew into a thoufand varied forms, at firft only with a vacant ftare, but after a while they caught my attention, and my fancy found a melancholy gra- tification MY FLIGHT TO PARIS; 145 tification in likening them to fiich images as were mod accordant with the fituation of my foul. In one, I faw a coffin, in another, a funeral pro- ceflion; in another, a hat, with a long crap'e hatband. I found in the heavens whatever I fought : never was my imagination fo fertile in forming refemblances. At length about eight o'clock we arrived at Erfurth. Soon after I had left my houfe, Dr. Starke arrived, and opened a vein in my poor Frede- rica's arm, but in vain. Nothing could match from the grafp of death the fweeted, gentled viHm he ever feized. For the fird time fmce our union did ilie give me an uneafy fenfation flie died! I was afterwards informed by letter, that the fever occafioned by the milk had fallen upon her lungs, and was the origin of her diforder. A thoufand tormenting reflexions upon this fub- jeft opprefs my heart. It is true, I do not doubt that my Frederica now bears teftimony to our great Judge, that I did every thing the tendered love could fugged to fave her ; yet I cannot (hake off the idea, that if this or that thing had been clone or omitted, (he might yet have been alive ; fo often does the refcue ordedrulion of a man hang upon a fingle thread upon fome L accident 146 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. accident apparently of the moft trifling or infigni- ficant nature. I am eternally haunted by the recollection, that in the laft days of her illnefs, my beloved wife called very often, it is true only amid the wanderings of delirium, for the Ruffian medi- cine. She frequently endeavoured to explain herfelf more fully, and ufed every poilible effort to make me underftand what (lie meant, yet never could think of the right name : flie could only fay the Rtiffian medicine. I per- plexed myfelf in vain at the time to conceive what it was on which her diftempered fancy dwelt, but it has fince occured to me that flie doubtlefs referred to a powder in very common ufe in our country ; which, though the phyficians may declaim again ft it, and conlider it as quac- kery, has moll certainly often achieved wonders. And fince I believe we owe the life of a fon, given over by the phyficians, to this powder, it is very probable that his poor mother might feel confidence in its power to reftore her alfo. Oh Heaven ! who knows what might have been the effect of this powder's being adminiilered on that laft fatal day, during the Ihort interval when her breath was eafv, and her cough quiet! But how mould I have aflumed courage to recommend it I lince, if {lie had then died, I had confidered 4 mvfelf MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 147 myfelf as her murderer, and been even more wretched than at prefent. Alas ! it was determined by a higher than mor- tal power, that thus it mould be, and no other- wife. The great wheel that guides our deftinies is not to be flopped by a blade of ftubble. She is dead ! and all my hopes and joys died with her ! I look for no more happinefs on this fide the grave ! I may yet perhaps fometimes laugh* but my heart will never more be really cheerful i Many years may yet pafs ere I {hall be re- united to the only treafure of my foul- 1 may drag on a procraftinated exiftence, but never can I really live, fince I am deprived of the better part of my life's fupport ! What remains of me will only hope, will only figh for the time of its re-union, to this perifhed half, and the fole confolation my forrows can ever know, will be in conftantly looking forward to that blefled period. Thou pious foul, belov'd, ador'd, Oh draw me in love's bands tow'rd thee ! Draw me to thy heart, fweet angel, That I an angel too may be ! BEFORE I proceed farther, I muft beg a few minutes' indulgence of my readers, while I enter L2 on 148 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. on fome defence of my behaviour upon this fatal occafion. My friends have tormented me incef- fantly with reproaches for fo haftily quitting my home, my family, my connections. I fhould have remained at Weimar they fay. But why ? This is a queftion they cannot anfwer. Letter after letter followed me on my flight, they were ftill in the fame ftory. One faid, " We all hope, " that when your forrow is abated by time, you v * will think more reafonably upon the fubjeft, and " return among us." Another fays, " You owe 4i it to vour own character fpeedily to return, elfe ' it will be believed that you only lied to banifh " every melancholy object, every unpleafant re- " collection from within the circle of your own " obfervation*." * They muft have very little heart themfelves who could thus arraign Kotzebue's conduct. Who among us (hall pretend to dictate to another the e-xact meafure of affliction proper to be ielt on the lofs of a tenderly-beloved friend, or the manner in which that affliction fliould operate upon the heart. Endlefsas Is the variety in the mind of man, fo endlefs muft be the variety of ways in which it will be affefted by any fevere fliock ; and bc- c aufe one perfon has power to controul his feelings on fnch occa - iions, he has uo rigjit to judge another whole mind is differently conftituted. Who would condemn a madman, for fancying himfeif a king or an emperor, and one overpowered by excels cf anguifh) is, for the time, no more refponfible for his fenti- ments and acHonSj than he who. on account of his confirmed infanity, is chained in. a lunatic hofpitai. Such a man is an obiecl: of compaflion and fymputhy, not of cenfure. The rea- 'der will pardon thefe obfervatlons. TRANSLATOR. 2 From MY FLIGHT-TO PARIS. 149 From my foul I deleft fuch (cannings of the conduct of others ! fuch They Jay ! and They believe! nor (hall I concern myfelf about them as long as my own confcience does not unite her voice with that of the public. But never was my aftonifliment greater than at hear- ing of thefe cenfures, for never was any thing more unexpected. And what fhould I do at Weimar ? Who will anfwer me this queftion? Who, under like cir- cumftances, \vould not have acted as I did ? Who would not have flown the place that had proved the grave of all his peace and happinefs, when bound by no particular connection or obli- gation to remain in it? Oh, how I pity the wretched mortal who perhaps is conft rained by fome office, or ftill worfe, by his poverty, to remain on the fpot of earth that entombs the object of his fondeft love ! I pity him, and return thanks to heaven that, fevere as is my lot, I am not doomed to fuch aggravated diftrefs. I have long enjoyed an office under the Em- prefs of Ruffia. This magnanimous woman, even in the midft of her battles and victories, could condefcend to pay attention to an unfortu- nate fervantj whofe health had long been mate- rially injured by the cold and damp climate upon the 150 MY FLIGHT TQ PARIS. the fhores of the Baltic Sea. She allowed me a year's abfence for my recovery. I fpent the fum- mer at the baths, and in the autumn returned of rny own free choice to Weimar, in the hope of fpending a happy winter with my Frederica, in the bofom of my family. Happy this winter can- not now be, and of all places Weimar is the laft in which I can hope for the reiteration of my loft health. Once more, then, why fhould I return thither? What fhould I do there? Oh, I know but too well how my time would be parted ! The church- yard would be my daily re fort, my principal abode. There, in a vault, He the remains of my father, whom indeed I never knew, fince I was but juft born when he died ; but whofe memory, from the chara&er I have uniformly heard of him, I tenderly love and refpeft. There, by the fide of that wall, flumbers the corpfe of the worthy Mufaeus. Oh, my good, my beloved friend, hadft thou been living, thou hadft not judged thy pupil fo feverely! And laft of all ! oh moft fatal of all' there is now the grave of my only treafure, of the beft, the moft amiable, the moft affectionate of wives. There reft the happinefs of my mortal, the hope of my immortal exiftence! My father, my tutor, my wife, all, all are enihrined within the walls of that church- yard > JHY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 15-1 yard 3 is that then a place for the re-eftablifli- ment of a debilitated frame, and (battered nerves, or for reftoring to its proper tone; a mind tolled about with a tempeft of agony. ARIS. DECEMBER 2* I was feparated from the excellent G- . He returned to Weimar to a wife whom he tenderly loves ! Heaven reward his kindnefs to me by fparing that treafure to him ! I defired him to take back my carriage, it had been the fcene of many happy hours fpent with my Frederica, and I could not bear to proceed in it. Every thing unneceflary too I alfo fent back, refolving to pro- ceed in the Diligence with my friend O , ha- railing myfelf with as few incumbrances as pof- fible. The little dog alone I could not difmifs. I ufed to diflike this poor animal, but now I feel that I cannot part with him as long as he lives. DECEMBER 3. A melancholy morning. The image of my Frederica was never abfent from me for a mo- ment. To give vent to the anguifh of my foul, I began to write the detail of her illnefs. It oc- cupied my mind, and I found it fome relief. I will therefore continue it 'tis a foothing though painful employment. I this day became acquainted with a man who had long appeared to me in an amiable light as an author, and now does not feem lefs amiable as a man. This was Profeflbr Heinfe, author of the Ardinghello. Con- MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 159 DECEMBER 4, Conduced by the laft-mentioned perfon, in the morning I vifited the library of the hereditary prince, of which he is fuper-intendant. The rooms are built with tafte and elegance. We faw there the oldeft monument of printing, the firft Bibk by Guttenberg, a very finely pointed col- le&iori of the different forts of writing that have been in ufe in the world, fuperb editions of the claffics, the ruins of Balbec and Palmyra, fome of the fineft and moft ^xpenfive works in Natural Hiftory, with various other things worthy of a princely co!leHon But what pleafed me more than all, was the enchanting profpeft from the balcony. Beneath us was the Rhine with the noble bridge of boats, and a crowd of moving mafts. On the other fide the fuburbs of Caffel, and Hochheim in the diftant fcene. To the right the confluence of the Rhine and Maine, to the left a beautiful ifland in the Rhine, farther off the Caftle of Bibrich, and quite in the back-ground the whole Rhinegau. Never did I fee any thing more charming : he who wiihes to prove, whether his foul be endued with any of the infpiration of poetry or paint- ing, has only to fpend fome time on this balcony, and if flill this matter remain doubtful, he may" be fatisfied. The true poet muft involuntarily break forth I6O MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. forth into poetic effufions, the true painter mult irrefiftibly fketch the landfcape. My friend and companion O this day re- ceived letters from Weimar. He told me that all was quiet in my houfe. Oh, how thefe words pierced me to the heart ! Quiet indeed ! What fo quiet as death ! The intelligence was kindly meant to confole me. I made no anfwer to it, but how often in the niidft of tumult and diffipation has the dreadful idea ruilied upon me, that all was quiet in my houfe ! DECEMBER 5. In the evening I received a letter from Weimar o myfelf. The moment I caft my eyes upon it, I was feized with a fudden trembling. I had not power then to open it. I laid it by till morning, but this was no relief to me. I pafled a mifer- able night ! and the morning DECEMBER 7. We fet out at eight o'clock in a hired chaife for Manheim. It was a delightful day. The heavens were ferene and unclouded, and the bright rays of the fun played on the glaily fur- face of the Rhine, along the banks of which lay our road. The profpect around was fmiling and cheerful, though in the midft of winter. Hills covered with vines, illands in the midft of XlY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 161 of the river, convents always erefted in the mod enchanting fpots, and high mountains to the left in the diftant horizon, adorned and di- verfified the fcene. A thoufand times was my foul harafled by the agonizing wifii that my Frederica were but by my fide a thoufand times was I affailed by the mod painful compari- fons between my prefent journey, and that I took with her when we returned into Ger- many. How often did I then reft my head upon her lap, or againft her moulder, to court the gen- tle (lumbers my ill-health required ! How often prefs her lovely hand to my lips ! No ! never, never, can I be happy again. My creative fancy, the moft faithful friend I have received from nature, did not this day for- fake me. I formed to myfelf a vifion, or rather built a caftle in the air, which amufed my diftracled mind for more than an hour toge- ther. It took its rife from a beautiful ifland in the Rhine, which, as we palled it, ftrongly at- trated my attention. I fuppofed myfelf a god, or at leaft a femi-deity, endued with the power of calling my Frederica back to life on con- dition of paffing the remainder of my days with her on that ifland, without ever vifiting the oppofite fhore ourfelves, or receiving vifits from others. I favv the boat that carried M us 162 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. us over, w e quitted it, the boat returned, and we remained there alone* Yet not entirely alone ! Love had fluttered over with our boat, efteem and friendfhip clipped his wings ere he could depart again, and he remained our com- panion. 3 We then began to eftablish our domefiic oeco- ttomy. I built a little cot amid a groupe of flourifhing trees ; my Frederica laid out a garden, which we fowed and planted, and in time \vere repaid by its ripened fruits. There in the meadow that fmiles on the river's banks our cattle grazed, and there too our infants fported ' and played. But left they fhould fall into the water, we planted a hedge by its fide for their defence. Smile, reader, if thou wilt ! Yet deny me not the momentary pleafure I receive from fuch deluiions of fancy ! they are my fole plea- fures. We arrived at Mannheim towards evening. DECEMBER 8. I was invited this day to dine with Iffland, but was too ill to accept the invitation. As I thought, however, that this attention gave me fome claim upon him, I taxed hi politenefs with furnifli- ing me entertainment for the morning, and begged FLIGHT TO PARIS. 163 begged one of his manufcripts to read. He was fo obliging as to fend me the Autumn Day, which I found an excellent piece, and well worthy of its author. In the evening my Natural Son was performed. I did not go to the theatre, for oh ! never can I bear to be prefent again at the reprefentation of that play. My beloved Frederica ufed to per- form the part of Amelia on our private ftage, I inftru&ed her myfelf in my ideas of the chara&er, and every atfbciation and recolleftion connected with it, would plant a dagger in my heart. Befides I have put into the mouth of the Paftof fuch a pifture of wedded happinefs as I can no longer bear to think of. I remained therefore alone, and pafled a melancholy evening wholly occupied with reflexions on my late calamity. Some books had been brought me from the book- feller's, but I could not read, I could only walk up and down the room almoft in a fit of delirious enthufiafm. With tears did I implore the fpirit of my Frederica to appear to me, and fo wrapt was my imagination, that I was for a moment furprifed me did not yield to my requeft. I afterwards fketched the defign of a monu- ment, which, at fome future period, I (hall ereft to her in my room. Thefe were melancholy M 2 hours MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. hours yet hours that fafcinated my fenfes very power fully. DECEMBER 9. I received letters both from Weimar and Reval that made the blood gufh anew from my unclofed wounds. My mother told me that the new-born infant had been baptized under her mother's pic- ture. Oh God ! why was this only to be writ- ten to me ! f n 1 1 's letter from Reval, was enclofed one from his wife to mine, whofe intimate friend ihe was. It was directed To my dear Frederica. Tears itarted into my eyes as they were caft on the direlion that dear Frederica was loft for ever. A poem was this day fent me by an anonymous hand upon the reprefentation of the Natural Soft on the preceding evening. The plan of it was this. Art invited Nature to fee the performance of a matter-piece, to which Nature replied, that it mult then be a piece written by me, and acted by Iftland, Bock, and Witthoft. Such grofs flat- tery is infufferably naufeous. 'Tis ftrange that whoever leeks my acquaintance, feerns to think hq muft neceflarily accoft me with a compliment to fome of my writings. Muft a poet then al- 2 ways MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 165 ways be approached with a full mouth, as an eaftern monarch with full hands ? Oh, that peo- ple could but feel what a grievous tax it is to be continually returning fuch compliments with the common place ceremonials of pardon me, Sir ! or, yon do me great honour ! or, your commendations give me great encouragement f and the like. Yet let it not be fuppofed that I am abfurd enough to make a pretenfion of indifference to public ap- probation and applaufe, only I wim to be fpared the embarraffment of anfwering thefe courtly flouriflies. I dined with Madame von D , a lady of much fpirit and vivacity. One fpecimen of her wit (hall be given, becaufe it contains a very juft obfervation, to which thofe whom it concerns would do well to pay attention. ^ It was ob- ferved by fomebody at table, that the players in their performances often help themfelves out with an Oh ! or an Ah ! " Tis a dramatic flafF," faid the matter of the houfe, " on which thefe " gentlemen lean for fupport." " Rather," replied the lady, " a dramatic " cudgel that they make the audience feel " foundly." We 166 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. PECEMBER 10. We faw the Hall of Antiques. From the title, I expected to have found a collection of real an- tique ftatues, but it reminded me of a trick once played at Erlangen. Over the door of a houfe a board was placed, faying, An elephant /V to be feen here. The inhabitants crowded to be- hold this curiofity, when, behold ! the print only of an elephant was exhibited, In like manner the Hall of Antiques contains nothing but cafts after the ancient works of art, moft of which are to be feen, much better ex- ecuted, in Rod's (hop at Leipfick. I w r as how- ever pieafed with the Hercules, the Laocoon, and the celebrated Torfo, An ignorant fellow, employed as a model to the academy here, went about with us, to ex- plain the figures. " And there/' faid he, point- ing to one, " is Voltaire who died fome time agq at Paris." " Who was Voltaire?" I aiked. " A poet," he replied, " and a great fcholar i| who did not believe any thing till he was " upon MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 167 upon his death-bed, and then he believed every thing." What infinite trouble have the priefts taken to convince the world that Voltaire was a con- vert in his dying moments ! Hence we went to the picture-gallery, whicn is indeed very fine. Ah ! I fought every where among ten thoufand faces, one that I could ima- gine bore fome refemblance to my Frederica, but none fuch could I find. This gallery contains many pieces of the FJemifh fchool. I was more efpecially pleafed with Rembrandt's famous pic- ture of the reconciliation of the Romans and Sabines, through the interpofition of the Sabine women who had been carried away by the Romans. Tis a pleafant thing that the name of the artift is here affixed to every picture. This is not the cafe either in the collection at Drefden, at Dufleldorf, at Caffel, or at Sans- Souci. In the evening The Virgin of the Sun was per- formed. Iffland played the High-Prieft, and gave the author a proof that his higheft expec- tations of excellence in the actor could be ex- ceeded. Mademoifelle Witthoft alfo, though flie only played the infignificant part of Idali, evinced 168 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. evinced that a great a&refs may render even a trifling part important. The dreffes and deco- rations were fp lend id and mewed great tafte. I cannot tell, however, why Rolla carried a club. A people who could build fuch a temple, were, as may be reafonably fuppofed, paft that befides, run the hazard of having their necks bro- ken, fuppoiing the doors not to be properly faf- teued. The vapour of fo much breath pent up toge* thcr is another agreeable circumilancc. There 2 are MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. are indeed fix windows to the carriage, but unlefs in very warm weather, it is fcarcely pof- lible to endure more than one or two open, which is totally infufficient to remedy the evil.. The impoffibility of the paflengers within open- ing the doors, is an additional grievance ; they are, as it were, fhut up in a prifon, or cage, from which they can be releafed only by the gaoler. Thus is a coach full of men carried about from town to town, as the higglers carry a bafket of fowls ; and as a confummation of their mifery, when they arrive at the Bureau, feven or eight minutes are perhaps fuffered to elapfe before the driver w T ill be pleafed to open the door of this black hole, during which they endure all the tor- ture of that impatience, unavoidably attached to fuch a teazing fpecies of procraftination. Of all things under the fun, confinement is to me the mod vexatious, and a confinement like what I have defcribed, the moft vexatious of all. Many people confider a cold as healthy. He then, who has not had the fatisfa&ion of enjoy- ing fuch a token of health for fome time, need only take a journey in this Diligence, and he may be tolerably fccure of obtaining the defired gratification. As every paffenger pays for his place, and as it has been long an univerfally eftablifhed 182 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. eftablifhed maxim, that one man's money is as good as another's, fo each individual thinks he has equal right with his neighbour to regulate the opening of the windows, at leaft of that by which he fits. Thus, inftcad of entering into a general compact for the advantage of the whole company, each, with the true felMmefs of human nature, confiders merely his own private interefr, and perhaps makes fuch draughts of wind, that 'tis only wonderful how any body efcapes cold. The fare at the inns is, befidcs, very bad, and very dear. For terribly infipid Bouillie with foaked bread, difagreeable to the eye, and flill more difagreeable to the palate, foddcn, taftelefs beef, and vegetables dreffed with oil, we com- monly paid half a dollar. Gladly would I have refigned, for a tolerable piece of beef, or a roaft leg of mutton, the defert that even in thefe mife- rable inns alwavs fuccceds the dinner. This confids of wretched dry bifcuits, chefnuts, and fruit. Never in my life did I tafte any thing more naufeous than a fort of bifcuit they called echaude \ it has the flavour of foul air, To dirty the table-cloth is impofTible, fince, according to appearance, it has made a vifit up the chimney before it be fpread. This is accom- panied MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 183 panied with forks no lefs filthy, and very uninvit- ing for taking up the food ; and as to a knife, no fuch thing is to be had. Every traveller is expefted, like a German peafant or butcher, to carry one in his pocket, and to ufe it at his meals, firft whetting it on his breeches. The wine is the beft thing brought to table, though only a light country wine, but this is drank out of beer- glafles, to which I have a mortal averfion. Inconvenient as this journey muft necefiarily be at all times, it is rendered ten times worfe by being taken in winter. To provide a room, with a fire, againft the arrival of the Diligence, is what nobody thinks of, and the only refource againft perifhing with cold is to adjourn to the kitchen. But this is a very partial remedy ; he alone who fortunately is among the firft that enter, and underftands how to manage, has any chance of obtaining a tolerable birth, and even he can only choofe whether to warm himfelf in the front or in the rear, for to do both is impoflible. This is another advantage for the lovers of colds. Nor is this all : they have yet a third chance. Thefe places are never floored, only paved with brick, from which a chill peftilential moifture is conftantly riling ; to this may be added, all the water thrown about, people fpitting, and dogs doing. what dogs ever will do, which all together form 184 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. form an aflemblage of damps that may fairly be confidered as reducing the matter to a cer- tainty Two hours is the time allowed for dining, and the Diligence ought alfo to flop for the night. But fince in winter the roads are frequently bad, and it muft be at Paris at the time appointed, it often travels all night, or at lead refts for io fhort a time, that it is fcarcely worth while to attempt going to bed, though 'tis a fufficient delay to weary and fatigue the paffengers, unlefs they happen to be blefled with that propenfity fo common to travellers, of being able to eat and drink at any time, even in the middle of the night. And fhould it happen, that five or fix hours are allowed for reft, a man muft be fomewhat prafctifed in witchcraft to be able to fleep. The heft accommodations to be procured, are a pe- riihingly cold room, where the wind blows in at every corner, furni fried with a bedftead ready to break down, to which are attached old tattered hangings, and a feather-bed fhaken up high at the feet, fonjewhat lower in the middle, and loweft of all at the head. If, fpite of all thefe preventatives, a doze ihould begin to fteal over the traveller's weaned eye-lids,, he may rely upon MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 185 upon being quickly awakened again, either by the noifes of the inn, or the howling of the wind in the chimney. But mod terrible of all, is the fituation of the poor unfortunate valetudinarian, who, from the ftate of his health, cannot, without inconveni- ence, experience a privation of his cuftomary habit of facrificing every morning to a certain fubterranean divinity held in great refpe6l among the Romans or, to put the cafe in another point of view, who wifhes not to forego the perform- ance of what, if neglected, would, according to Montaigne, transform even a Seneca into a fool. The fhaking of the vehicle has perhaps rendered it doubtful whether this can be accomplifhed or not, and Ihould he wifli to counteract thefe bad effects by a difli of coffee and a morning pipe, either there is no time for taking them, or if he be difpofed to rob himfelf of an hour of reft, and rife early, that fufficient time for the purpofe may be fecured, where is the coffee to be had ? In the inn, it is never furnifhed, and at the coffee- houfe the people are never up fo early. But he rnay give the waiter at the coffee-houfe a trifle to rife on purpofe. So he may, and the waiter will make very liberal promifes over night, which before morning will be entirely forgotten. After 186 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. After this general defcription of what may be expected in the Diligence, the picture of which is faithfully iketched, and in no refpecl over- charged, I proceed to a detail of the particular inconveniences we had to endure. Our company confifted partly of people going all the way from Strafburgh to Paris, partly of chance paflengers taken up only for fliort diftances. Among the firft clafs were : Imprimis. A merchant from G , who was fo extremely fatisfied with himfelf, that he thought all other people muil be equally fatisfied with him. He pretended to know every thing, and to have been every where, and kindly gave us ample mftru&ions what we mould do at this place, what fee at that, with other like ufeful information. He w*as befides infected with the difeafe of fpeaking French, imitated the French manner of clipping words, and fpeaking through thenofe, to which his vileThuringian dialect was i; great addition: He had befides the unfufferable habit of faying comment? or $lcit-il? at every word addrefied to him, although it was obvious that he was no more deaf than myfelf. But worfe than all, if by chance he (tumbled upon fome dry dull joke, he mumbled it, and tortured it about till it was difgufting as the drink made by the South Sea Iflanders with chewing the roots of yams. Secondly. MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 187 Secondly. A Fleming, by name B , who had lived for twelve years at Peterfburgh. He had the perfect phyfiognomy of a Calmuck. Never did I fee a man who could always drink, always laugh, and always talk ribaldry like him. He feemed to have abundance of vermin about him, and fung chanfons when they were trouble- fome. He was pleafed, as an excellent joke, to confer the title of Monjieur le Baron upon his neighbour the merchant. In what this profound piece of humour originated, I did not learn, but this I know, that Monfieur le Baron was rung in my ears till I was fo fretted, that I heartily wiflied I could have jumped out of the window to efcape from it. I have commonly found the barons themfelves more fatiguing than their titles, but for this time the cafe was reverfed. Thirdly and fourthly. A couple of honeft citi- zens from fome little tow r n either in Alface or Lorraine. One' of them was a fat portly gentle- man, the other had a brown fturdy vifage, with a fuperabundance of black beard. In the coun- tenance of the former, the fpace between the nofe and mouth formed a complete femicircle. This is faid to be a certain indication of felf-im- portance ; and, indeed, he feemed to take upon himfelf entirely the part of Mentor to his com- panion. If the latter opened his mouth, and ap- peared 138 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. peared in the moft trifling or infignificant circum- ftance to differ in opinion with his fat compa- nion, an immediate fnub was the confequence. They gave us to underftand, that they were tra- velling upon public bufmefs. Probably they had fomething to lay before the National Aflembly, and the fat man was to be the orator, for he often leaned his head againft one of the windows, with his eyes clofed, while his lips were moving. Fifthly. An Officer of the National Guards, of whom I have nothing more to obferve, than that he underftood the beft of any of the company how to manage at the inns, and was always one of the firft at the fire. Befides thefe, we had feveral chance paflen- gers for a fhort time each. Among others, a Jew from Nancy, who, at early morning, in the carnage, conformably to the cuftom of his reli- gion, firetching out his arms, and bundling up both them and his head with a variety of wrap- pers, offered his prayers to heaven, without concerning himfelf about the inconvenience he might occafion to his fellow-travellers. A young officer, who alfo accompanied us a part of the way, and feemed to think himfelf a great wit, began to difplay it upon the poor Jew moft MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 189 mcft unmercifully, ftringing together filly and in- fulting jokes, and branding the whole race of Ifrael as rogues, till at length I could not fup- prefs ray indignation. I obferved, that it was extremely indecent and unlike a gentleman to attack a man who had no means of defending hiinfelf ; and added, that I had no doubt there were many very worthy and refpe&able people among the Jews. The officer on this gave me a full and expreffive flare, which feemed, when tranflated, to mean, " O ho ! what, you alfo are " a Jew?" Thus my benevolent feelings towards an infulted fellow-creature had probably drawn like infults upon myfelf, had not the young fon of Mars, as is commonly the cafe with fuch ftupid conceit- ed jefters, had more mouth than heart, and been fomewhat frightened by my reproof. As it was, he was awed into filence, and let the Jew reft, only now and then cafting oblique and Sig- nificant glances upon him. My protege, however, did not appear very deferving of this interference in his behalf, fince he manifested no Signs of being any way affeted either by the warrior's infults, or the cprre&ion they had received. The reft of our chance paSTengers are not worth enumerating. They did nothing but fqueeze 19O MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. fqueeze our bodies, and fatigue our underftand- ings. This firft day, the 14th, we dined at Phalf- bourg, and reached Blammont in the evening, where we flopped fome hours to reft. DECEMBER I 5. We arrived at Nancy about noon, patting through Luneville and St. Nicholas. By this time the Diligence was become fo abfolutely in- fupportable to me, that I refolved to quit it for four and twenty hours at leaft. Gladly would I have gone poft all the remainder of the way to Paris, had we not taken our places at Strafburgh, and paid twelve new louis-d'ors for them. I hired a cabriolet to Toul, in which my com- panion, my fervant, and myfelf, proceeded for- wards the next morning, and found it tolerably commodious. The Diligence had now gotten the ft art of us very much. We paffed through St. Aubin, Barleduc, and Vitry, to Chalons-fur- Marne, where, at ten o'clock in the evening, we were fo unfortunate as to overtake that miferable vehicle again. Poft-horfes are intolerably dear in this country, and the regulations with regard to them are to me MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 191 me wholly inexplicable. In Germany, if we pay for three horfes, the poft-mafter often adds a fourth gratis : and it is the fame in Poland and Rufiia. But in France, on the contrary, if we pay for three, which are charged at twenty-five fous the mile each horfe, we are feldom allowed more than two; or, if the third be required, then they are charged at thirty fous each. In my opinion, the juftice of the thing would be, the more horfes we have, to pay fo much the lefs by the head. Then, fince we had no chaife of our own, we were generally required to pay the price of another horfe for a little inconvenient poll- chaife, fo that in all we paid for four horfes while we ufed only two. At Vitry they told us, that they had only a very heavy poft-chaife, fo that we muft pay for an additional horfe. We did fo, and ftill we had a horfe the lefs. Of this we complained, when the poflmafter faid, " Mef- " Jieurs, cejl line grace qtion vous fait^pids qu'il fal- " kit payer trente fous par liens" I replied, that I had heard much of the politejje of the French nation, and after this inftance I could not doubt of its truth. We travelled here as expeditioufiy as in Ruiiia. tay be Whether this will remain fo much longer may 192 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. be a queftion, as fince the Revolution the roads have been very much neglected, and are daily getting worfe and vvorfe. DECEMBER I Jr. In the morning, we were re-committed to our prifon, and proceeded to Epernay, the moft famous place in the whole country for Cham- pagne. Even over me might this neftar have extended its exhilarating influence, had not an accident, which, trifling as it was, made a powerful impreflion upon me, thrown me back into my former ftate of annihilation, even at the moment when I began to feel my heart and my fpirits reviving. The walls and windows of the room in which we dined, were fcratched over with names and verfes, after the idle cuftom fo prevalent among travellers. I was amufing myfelf with examining them, when unluckily my attention was caught by the letters F. E. with a crofs, at the corner of a window*. Vaniflied like a flafli of lightning were the artificial fpirits that the wine had for a moment * The crofs fubjomed to the initials is confidered as indicat- ing that they were infcribed by fomebody who had juft loft feme very dear connection. TRANSLATOR. infpircd MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 193 infpired, and I fell into a flate of the moil gloomy abflraftion. Thefe letters, and the horrible crofs, feemed to reproach me that I could yet be fen- fible to the joys of wine, when thofe of love were loft to me for ever. He who was never in a like fituation, may perhaps fmile when I relate that I fecretly entreated pardon of my Frederica for having tailed the wine. O God! what will be- come of me, if every trifling occurrence can thus torture my heart ! We flopped this night at Chateau Thierry. It was about eight o'clock in the evening when we arrived there, and we quitted the place again at three the next morning. I ordered a room to be prepared for me di- retly, and a fire to be made in it, for my prefent humour was ill afforted to the noify mirth of my companions. Here I walked up and down, talk- ing to my Frederica, while they were eating and drinking below. The night was tempefluous, and the roaring of the wind was the more awful, from the town being fituated very high, fo that there was nothing to break its force. To this raging of the ilorm without, was added the crackling of the fire within, and the perpetual creaking of the door, that altogether my foul was imprefled with fenfations I can hardly defcribe. O The 194 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. The war of nature was congenial with my feel- ings ; the hours I pafled here were melancholy, but compofing. When I am thus alone, my Fre- derica feems with me : I talk to her as though ilie were prefent, and pour out to her all my heart. Ah! perhaps me may be really prefent! perhaps fhe hovers about me as my guardian angel! Oh, why does me not appear for one moment, to give me affurance of her exiftence! - How often have I intreated it ! and on this fo- lemn evening I entreated it once more ! Chateau Thierry is the birth place of the ad- mirable La Fontaine. This rendered it much more interefting to me than the celebrated bridge over the hills at Nancy. The night was paffed entirely without fleep ; and fo it mufl have been from the ftorm, even had my own uneafy thoughts not kept me wak- ing. A more violent hurricane, indeed, I fcarcely ever remember. It was as if Boreas had unloofed all the meffengers of his fury into my room. DECEMBER 18. We left Chateau Thierry, dined at Meaux, and at length, about fix in the evening, weary of our journey, weary almoft of life, arrived at PARIS. FLIGHT TO PARIS. 19$ PARIS. I was inexpreflibly mortified that it was al- ready dark ; yet the (hops on both fides of the ftreets, prettily fet out, and handfomely lighted, had a very good effect. The cuftom of announc- ing, in large letters, over the door of each hpufe, the name and trade of the inhabitants, pleafed me extremely. This pratice, indeed, may be obferved from the moment of entering the domi- nions of France. Almoft all the houfes have alfo iigns, and thefe are ufually fomething gol- den, as The Golden Apple, The Golden Bowl, The Golden Lion, The Golden Key. A ftrong charafter- iftic feature of French oftentation. The tafte our forefathers had for gaudy co- lours has been confidered as a fign of the in- fancy of a nation. May not this paffion for gold be the diftin&ive ftamp of that period of old age when it is falling back into its fecond child- hood ? This favourite Or (gold) feems now, how- ever, in fome degree to be fupplanted by the more fafhionable nation, and national. A few days ago I faw over a door Traiteur de la nation. A defpe- rate undertaking, I thought within myfelf, to feed a whole hungry nation. O 2 Were 1D6 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. DECEMBER Were I not in the very vortex of diffipation, the prefent day muft fill me with nothing but melancholy images, fince it is the anniversary of the inftitution of our private theatre at Re- val. All is now in that town mirth and jubilee. On this day laft year, my Virgin of the Sun was performed for the firft time, when my Frede- rica played Amazili. How becoming was the wreath in her hair ! Oh God ! what anguifli of heart lies in thefe recolletions ! Towards evening, we went to walk in the Pa~ lah Royal. Schulz has defcribed it fo well, that I can add nothing to his defcription. It made a pleafing, but not a grand impreffion upon me. The fine range of fhops at Peteriburgh is little inferior to it. A man invited us, with a very earneft and noify eloquence, to come in and fee un homme fauvagc and unejeune Alfacienne, for only twelve fous. The Jwmme fauvage, who was taken upon the Lord knows what ifland, had as little of the fauvagc in him as myfelf. He was a handfome young fellow, with a phyfiognomy fimilar to that of Jefus Chrift. He had a black beard, which had been fuffered to grow, and the reft of his drefs was truly laughable. Round his head he had MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 197 had a wreath of artificial flowers, and his outer garment, if garment fuch a thing might be called, was a large packthread net. What (tamped him a favage, as far as I could find, was fimply that he eat ftones, as many a man has done before, without incurring the like diftinction. He firft crufhed the flints with his teeth, then opened his mouth wide, to fliew them champed, then fwallowed them, and afterwards let us feel his ftomach, where, in truth, we could hear the clatter of a tolerable depot. There appeared to me no deception in all this : the only thing that wore the femblance of deception was, that he pretended not to be able to fpeak. Next appeared the young Alfacian. She was a girl about twelve years old, painted like a Chriftrnas mafk, and as dirty as a pig, who want- ed to exhibit fome common every-day tricks upon the wire. I begged to be excufed the perform- ance, and paying my twelve fous, departed. Another man was no lefs vociferous in recom- mending to our notice a colle&ion of wax figures as large as life, which, indeed, we found well worth feeing. There were, the King, the Queen, the Dauphin, with Madame Royale, La Fayette, Baillie, Voltaire, RoufTeau, Dr. Franklin, the two celebrated and in tere fling prifoners, Maferes de la MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. la Tude and Baron Trenck ; the Indian AmbafTa- dors, who were once here ; Madame du Barre afleep, and fcarcely half clothed; Maria Therefa, Clermont Tonnerre, and a multitude befides, all dreffed according to their proper coftume, and all, as was generally agreed, extraordinary like- nefles. What would I not have given for fuch a likenefs of my Frederica ! Yet am I not a fool? as if her image were not impreffed on my heart much more accurately, and in much more forcible colours, than me could be reprefented by any artift. But had I fuch a figure, I would place it by my fide at table as the Egyptians ufed to do with their mummies. Ah! this was furely an excellent cuftom. I could not forbear fmiling at feeing Voltaire and Roufleau fitting together very familiarly at a little table, appearing as if they were de- monftrating fome proportion, perfetly at their cafe, and not caring for any thing or anybody. It is amufing to go into the coffee-houfes in the Palais-Royal. They are full of Affiches, Aunonces, and AvertiJJrnens, fome of which are very curi- ous. For inftance, one announced a fervant wanted, who, befides his mother-tongue, French, muft underftand German, Italian, and Englifh. .He muft alfo be able to lhave, to drefs hair, to cook, MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 199 cook, to take care of horfes, to drive a cabriolet, &c. &c. &c. I wifhed very much to know what could be included in the et cetera. Here, and every where, there is fuch an eter- nal ringing of changes upon liberty, and what- ever has any relation to it, that it is really fa- tiguing. Our hair-dreffer, who is a member of the National Guard, and a moft zealous demo- crat, never calls the king any thing but lejiauvre homme^ and the queen is commonly la coquine, la miserable femme du roi. If he be in a particularly complacent humour, however, then it is lafemme de Louis feize ; and if in a particularly farcaftie one, then la femme du pouvoir executif. No fcruple is made of faying, that it was a very great pity the Queen efcaped on the fixth of O&ober, wheft her fate was fo nearly decided. The people are in great alarm, left the Empe- ror Leopold mould fend troops into France. It is faid, that a letter was lately laid under the Queen's napkin, threatening that, in cafe her bro- ther mould dare to take any fteps againft French liberty, her head mould be fent to him upon a pike. Some days ago, a dreadful fcene took place at the opera. The piece performed was Iphigenia At 200 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. At the chorus chant ons, celebrons notre reine, the Duchefs of Biron, and fome others in the neigh- bouring boxes, clapped, and applauded ex- tremely, and called encore ! encore! which is not ufual at the opera. The performers, however, ventured to repeat the chorus, when the Duchefs threw a laurel wreath upon the ftage. This was enough, and more than enough, to roufe the peo- ple's fury. They hifled, they cried, they gave the Duchefs very opprobrious epithets ; they got oranges, apples, and pears, both hard and foft, and pelted her fo that her box was foon like a fruit-fhop, and fhe herfelf all over bruifes ; fortunately, a knife that was thrown miffed her. Some among the populace, more wanton than wicked, brought in a bundle of rods to chaftife her before the eyes of the whole public. She had fufficient prefence of mind to keep her feat, and let them go on, with perfect compo- fure. Had fhe quitted her box, they had proba- bly broke into the faloon ; and had fhe attempted to fay a fingle word, or to make any offenflve gefture, they had probably broke into her box. At length all was quiet. The Duchefs had all the apples, pears, and oranges, and above all, the knife, collected together, and fent them the next morning to the Marquis de la Fayette, with her compliments, and fhe had fent him fome JRrihing MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 201 jinking teftimonies of French freedom, which me requefted him to offer upon the altar of liberty in her name. On the following day, Enne, the player, who was the principal offender in the repetition of the chorus, was compelled to make a very fubmiffive apology for his conduct, and to trample the lau- rel wreath under his feet *. Proofs of the licentioufnefs of the people may be collected daily in abundance. The driver of ihefacre, in which we returned yefterday even- ing to the Ruffian and Englifh hotel, where we lodge, called my companion mon ami. The lat- ter replied with a fmile, " Do you really be- "lieve me your friend?"" Ah, bah! bah'" faid the driver, " we are all equal." Our valet de place alfo, after having called us a coach to go to the opera, defired leave, without * Without confidering the conduct of the people as juftifia- ble, yet furely the Duchefs de Biron's was highly cenfurable. It appears, that to encore at all was very unufual in fuch a per- formance, and to felel for this purpofe a pafTage, which, in the then temper of the times, mud be obvioufly offenfive to the populace, was throwing down the gauntlet, and abfolutely inviting the difturbance that enfued, when no poffible good ef- fect could arife from it. If a perfon of her rank could fo far degrade herfelf as to court a conteft, was it to be expected that the lefs cultivated mafs flionld decline it? -TRANSLATOR. any 202 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. any ceremony, to get in, "becaufe," he faid, " the " weather was very bad." I was pleafed with the opera itfelf, but feveral other things croffed and teazed me. Though we went by five o'clock, the houfe was already full, and we could only with difficulty get places in the Balcony, that is to fay in a fort of very large box of which there is one on each fide the theatre. For thefe feats we gave ten livres, half a louis d'or dear enough in my opinion. How- ever, I fhould not have complained had we feen well, but that was by no means the cafe, for even this place was fo crowded that it was iinpoiTible to fee over more than half the ftage. In the boxes I muft own, there was a confider- able difplay of beauty, but it was artificial beauty. Ah ! no where did I fee a Frederica ! no where the exprefiion of artlefs goodnefs. fo confpicuous in every feature of her face ! A very polite young man who flood next to me, (hewed me a Madame Gouverne, who, he faid, was efteemed the handfomeft woman in Paris. He might be right. She did indeed ap- pear extremely handfome, and had much of that gcntlenefs and grace without which no woman can be attractive in my eyes. The MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 503 The performance was Les Pretendtts, a comic opera. The mufic and fingers were excellent, and the latter were alfo good a61ors and aftrefles, which is feldom the cafe on our German ftage, and is a great difadvantage to the piece. The entertainments of the evening concluded with the fplendid ballet of Pfyche^ at prefent a reigning favourite with the public. The general impref- fion it made upon me was not powerful, but with particular paffages, and parts of the machi- nery, I was extremely charmed. I muft inftance particularly that where Pfyche is carried away by a Zephyr, in a cloud, from the top of a rugged rock, when juft as me difappears, a long and beautiful ftream of light is left behind again, where ihe is fitting at her toilette, with little Cupids fluttering round her and where alfo (lie appears as the fcholar of Terpfichore. All thefe made, in part a ftrong, in part a pathetic, impref- fion upon my fenfes. To the dancing, that is to fay, to the throwing the arms and legs about, and the jumping and bounding, I am not very partial, nor could I feel much pleafure even in Veftris's folo and pas-de-deux as Amor. But I was extremely pleafed with the Zephyrs, which indeed feemed rather to fly than to move as human beings. Hercules was the very counterpart of the ftone- 5 eater 204- MY FLIGHT TO PARIS*. eater we had feen in the morning. Some things appeared to me too horrible for a ballet. For inftance, the manner in which Pfyche is pulled about, and the contortions into which her body is thrown when me falls into the hands of fome dozen or two of devils, as well as her being preci- pitated from a high rock into the burning Phlege- thon. The woman who played Pfyche was a Jovely creature indeed, and affumed fo much innocence in her appearance, that no one could have fuppofed her a dancer at the great opera at Paris. I could not at lafl decide whether the per- formance, take it all together, was worth half a louis d'or ; but this I know for certain, that I would not for ten louis d'ors endure again what we went through after the entertainments were finilhed. We had prepared ourfelves for waiting half an hour before the crowd could be fuffici- ently difperfed to permit the leaving our box ; but alas ! we had to fpend another fatiguing half hour in the faloon ere we could venture to feek our fervant in the hope of getting away. Here we flood furrounded on all fides by draughts of wind, and if we attempted to get out of them by going .into a box, we were almoft fuffocated by the fmell of extinguishing the lamps. To complete the matter, when we did find the fervant, no MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 205 no fiacre was to be had, which confiderably pro- longed our torments, and when, at laft, even this difficulty was furmounted, we were 'aflailed \vith fuch a piercing wind and fnow, blowing diretly in our faces as we came out of the houfe, that for myfelf, poor hypochondriacal valetudi- narian as I was, I thought it would have fent me again to the brink of the grave. At getting into the carnage, I was prefented with a new trait of French vanity, at which, notwithftanding my ill-humour, and my frozen cheeks, I could not forbear fmiling. A Savoyard came up, begging fomething to drink as he had procured the carriage. I told him that was done by my own fervant. He aflerted to the contrary, when at length the lacquey confefled that he did not like to dirty his flockings, fo had fent the Savoyard inftead of going himfelf. I told him that he was very welcome to fend whom he pleafed, but then he muft be pleafed alfo to pay him himfelf. In this he acquiefced after fome oppofition, and we proceeded homewards. We had not gone many fteps, before we were flopped by a voice of complaint, when our driver begged that we would permit a gentleman, who was going to the Palais-royal as well as ourfelves, to take the fourth place in the carriage, the third being 206 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. being occupied again by our valet. We very readily confented, and a well-dreflfed man got in, who with the true French eafe was acquainted with us in a moment, and had run over every poffible topic of converfation in a quarter of an hour. We expreffed a wifh to be prefent at a debate in the National Affembly. He told us that we could not be admitted with- out tickets, but as he was himfelf a deputy, he fhould have very great pleafure in procuring them for us j an offer which we accepted with many thanks. I do not even now know who this man was, for 'tis one of my fheepifli follies that I never can afk any perfon his name, and I as little like to give my own to another. I did, however, give him both that and my addrefs, and hope to hear farther from him. Our fellow-countryman Schulz lodged in the very fame hotel that we inhabit, and is re- membered here, as he always will be wherever he goes, with kindnefs and attachment. Both our hoft, and the barber who had the honour of dreffing his hair, call him bon enfant, and pro- bably think they confer a great honour upon him, as a German, by giving him fo familiar an appellation. Tin, MY FLIGHT TO PARIS* 207 DECEMBER 20. Tin, leather, and paper, have often been (lamped as money in times of neceflity. At pre- fent fcarcely any other money is to be feen here but fcraps of paper, called affignats, ftamped with a head of the king. The lead are for two hun- dred livres. I was this morning with my banker, Monfieur Perregaux, to get a bill of exchange for two thoufand livres difcounted. " What (hall I do with thefe?" faid I, as he was paying me with this new-fafhioned coin. " We have no other/ 1 faid he, fhrugging his flioulders. " That is melancholy," faid I. " Extremely fo," he rejoined, and wifhed me good morning. I loft five per cent, in getting my paper ex- changed, yet to exchange it was abfolutely nc- ceffary, fince there are a thoufand trifling ex- pences below the fum of two hundred francs. I now underfland perfectly what the Savoyards meant, who affailed me by dozens the other day in the Palais-royal, crying, Fonlez vous de ['argent, Monfieiir f 208 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. Monjteur ? at the fame time clinking their full purfes in my ears. I thought at the time it was only impertinent banter. This day we went to the Boulevards to fee les grands danfeurs du roi, who indeed are no dancers at all. They have fcarcely even fo much of the great in them as the king their matter, and as little deferve their pompous title as the arch- bifhops of Chalcedonia, Tarfus, Joppa, and others. How they came by it heaven only knows, but the king can certainly never have feen his grands danfeurs. The theatre would have done fome credit to a little provincial town in Germany. The beft places were only thirty fous, about fix times lefs than the opera. " And the performance is fix times lefs enter- " taining V perhaps it may be afked. To that I make no anfwer. We went thither about half after five, when we found a parcel of very dirty unhealthy-looking children dancing upon the rope, which they called an entertain- ment, though 1 could not find that it entertained any body. However, we will not quarrel about a name ; 'tis ever thus in the world at large. At MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 209 At fix the regular play began ; it was, The Oyjler FiJJiery. Four women fcolded and abufed their hufbands unmercifully, often ufmg very in- decent language, particularly grofs and broad double entendre. Yet the performers played with an eafe, vivacity, nature, and truth, that was truly admirable $ and fuch as I never witneffed upon the moft celebrated German fiage. They were always ready with repartee, never hefitating, or wanting the afMance of the prompter j yet their wit was not pointed improperly, as is fo com- monly the cafe with our German performers. In mort, they kept me involuntarily in a conftant laugh. I have obferved that many of the Parifian the- atres have no prompter, and even where there is one, he does not fit in the curfed bee-hive as among us, but is funk fo below the ftage that his eyes' are juft parallel with it, and his head is entirely concealed by the lamps. I with the vile cuftom of prompting was entirely abolilhed, and then players would be conilrained to ftudy their parts thoroughly, nor would our ears any longer be offended with their eternal blunders and he- fitation. Here the performers were all fo per- fect, and had fo completely acquired the tone of converfation, that all idea of previous ftudy was P loft, 210 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. loft, and they had exactly the appearance of a number of perfons met together, and actually converfmg. After The Oyfter Fi/Jiery, was performed a little piece, called L'abbe Court-diner. It was wholly devoid of plot, but contained many truly comic fcenes, and by the perfect eafe of the performers was rendered extremely pleafant. The entertainments concluded with a panto- mime in four acts, entitled, The Metamorphofes of the benevolent Fairy. It was a true Italian comedy with a harlequin, and fatigued me exceedingly. The machinery was bad, the dreffes dirty and devoid of tafte ; and in fliort, I had feen the fame kind of performance in a far better ftyle at Peterfburgh in the year 1782, In fpite of the ridicule of my friends, I feldom miffed the Italian comedy there, for I could always laugh at it heartily, and I own I like a laugh, even though reafon may not be on my fide. The world in general had no conception how any body could be amufed with fuch abfurdity, yet all the world went, and all laughed as well as myfelf. The difference was, that they were afliamed to confefs they found it laughable, and I confefled it at once without any fhame at all. I return MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 21 I I return to the grands danfeurs du roi. The conclufion of their exhibitions was a very licen- tious piece, called Les quatre Rendezvous, clofing with a fete champetre, in which thefe grands dan- feurs danced very vilely. Yet what better could be expected for thirty fous ? In the courfe of the evening two ladies of plea- fure ftole into the box where we were feated. As I have mentioned this clafs of females, I can- not help obferving, that during the whole time I was at Paris, I never faw one who could polTibly have attracted a man with the lead refinement of tafte. A mamelefs impudence was ftamped upon every countenance, and the eyes in which, perhaps, in the days of youth and innocence, thoufands of lovely Cupids had played, were transformed into the couch of ficknefs and dif- eafe. The pallid hue their complexions had ac- quired from the loathfome lives they lead, was difguifed by a thick coat of paint, which at the fame time gave a degree of vivacity to their hol- low deadened eyes. This is a true pilure of this miferable race, and I was in the conftant habit of feeing no inconfiderable number., (ince they fwarm in the Palais-Royal. In a box oppo- fite to us fat one in men's clothes, but fo put on that (lie muft inftantly be recognized as a female. She was in the right to wear this drefs, for her P 2 dif- 212 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. difagreeable face was almoft loft in the high red collar to her coat. But to return to our companions. They feat- ed themfelves very coolly, and although we talked German, fo that they muft perceive we were foreigners, feemed flrongly inclined to attach themfelves to us. One of them foon addreffed us, " From England, I fuppofe, gentlemen ?" 4i Yes/' anfwered my friend. I obferved that the lady who afked the quef- tion immediately began to fpeak French in a broken drawling manner, although me had pre- vioufly talked it with the utmoft fluency. I re- marked upon her manner of fpeaking, and en- quired the reafon of it ? " I am not a French woman, Monfieur," fai'd {he 5 " I am a German." " From what part of Germany r" I afked. " From Vienna/* fhe replied. A humorous falfehood, for we had been talking German toge- ther for fome time, which (he miftook for En- glifh ; but I fuppofe perceiving that we. were foreigners, MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 213 foreigners, me thought it would be a recom- mendation of herfelf to aflume the foreigner too. When we ceafed converting with them, they began talking to each other of fuch a traiteur, or fuch a reftaurateur, where excellent fuppers were provided. This was evidently intended as an avis au letteur ; I, however, went home, and eat my fimple apple compot very quietly in my own room. Unhappy creatures ! Ah ! a man muft have poffeffed a wife like mine, not to be difgufted with the whole fex from the fpecimen you furnifhed. DECEMBER 21. On this day a wretched culprit was broke upon the wheel in the Place de Greve. I cau- tioufly avoided ftirring out the whole morning, left my ill ftars fliould lead me into the way of fo horrible a fcene. I conftantly devote a part of every forenoon to the Palais-Royal, fpending it fometimes in the Gaffe de Chartres, to read the German newfpapers; or in Cuflac the bookfeller's (hop ; or among the bufy buftling crowd, where my ears are deafened by the noife of a thoufand criers, and my eyes diftra&ed 214 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. diftrafted by a thoufand elegant objects, which luxury, united with the love of gain, places in the fhop-windows. We fpent the evening at Mademoifelle de Montanfier's theatre in the Palais-Royal. A little opera was performed in the ufual ilyle of fuch pieces, poor both in body and foul ;- that is to fay, both in mufic and dialogue. The only comic part was a gormandizing abbe, who in a humorous fong complained that the ecclefiaftics had been deprived of their property. Such flrokes are always received with peals of ap^ plaufe. This little opera was followed by Le Sourd, ou UAuberge plein, a comedy, or rather a farce, in three ats. Yet as a farce, it is of a fuperior kind, and, I think, would be well received upon the German ftage. In one fcene, where the aclion pafles in two different rooms at the fame time, the fcenery was uncommonly well managed. In the front was a dining-hall, with fome fteps In the back ground leading to a chamber, about half of which was vifible through a win- dow into the dining-hall 5 a mode of building hot uniifual in old manfions. Behind this window a part of the action was going forwards, conne&eB with whatwas palling at the fame time 2 in MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 215 in the front room, and had an extremely good effe6t. At the end of this fcene the deaf man drew the curtain again before the window, and then the ftage appeared undivided. I was afterwards introduced to the author of this piece, Monfieur des Farges. It is not yet printed, but he was fo polite as to lend me his manufcript, of which I may very probably make fome ufe. Here again we found abundance of ladies of pleafure aflembled, who were as ufual extremely tjroublefome. One of them thruft her addrefs into my companion's hand ; Mademoijelle Adelaide, au Palais Roya/, an nombre (piatre-vingts huit, par le derritre. And there me may remain for me. DECEMBER 22. This morning I received a vifit from Madame de Rome, the translator of my Adelaide of Wul- fingen. She had put her tranflation into the hands of the performers at Monfieur's theatre, and was in daily expectation of their decifion upon it. For my own part I am thoroughly convinced, that if, for the fake of fome fcenes, the piece in its original form deferved to live, French- ified as it now is, it deferves nothing but- damna- tion. Madame 216 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. Madame de Rome has an idea of honouring me farther with translating Mifanthropy and Re- pentance, but this alfo muft undergo a purgation. " An adultrefs ! No,, that will never do ! She " muft only be a little indifcreet !" " Bon /" fay I. Then there are too many chara&ers, fome of them muft be difcarded. The General, the Old-man, and Bittermann can- not by any means be allowed a place in the French Mifanthropy and Repentance. That alfo might pafs ; but, befides, there are not confidents enough in the play, and the fair tranflator muft fupply my deficiency. Upon which among the dramatis perfonae will it be fuppofed her choice has fallen for filling this im- portant office ? Neither more nor lefs than Maf- ter Peter, whom me thus exalts into the pivot on which the whole intrigue turns. He is the Major's confident, and the friend and companion of Francis, with whom he plots and contrives till the Mifanthrope is made to dance to their pipe, and the denouement is brought about. This is fine indeed ! The only really fuperfluous perfon in my dra- ma, I mean Charlotte, is to be retained. Indeed if MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 217 if this plan of tranflation is carried into effeft, nothing will remain of Mifanthropy and Repen- tance, but repentance in my bofom for having written it. If it be not fuited to the French flage as it came out of my hands^ rather may it remain untranflated. " It cannot remain as it is" faid Madame de Rome : the French are too far removed from nature to endure it. A very high eulogium on me, I thought within myfelf ; if on that/account alone they deviate from the fpirit of my work. For the reft, Madame de Rome interefted me extremely. She appears an amiable and culti- vated woman, and talks both much and well. She belongs to the party reprobated here as arif- tocratic, for her hufband w r as an officer, and a chevalier of the order of St. Louis, a man fome- what advanced in years, and precipitated into his grave by the commotions of the revolution. For five days and nights {he affured me that they never thought their lives fecure in their own apartments a fingle moment. Sometimes her hufband was menaced with death, fometimes the populace wanted to place him at the head of a band of mutineers, fometimes they threatened to plunder and burn down the houfe. Befides, the Nationa] 218 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. National Aflembly, llie faid, had deprived her of a penfion ; " and not only that," fhe added with great eagernefs, " but I mull not even retain my " arms. If I want to Teal a letter, I muft prefs " it together with tny thumb." ' I imagine that me now maintains herfelf prin- cipally by writing, though her appearance was fmart, and not a fyllable of complaint, or hint of a wifli for ailiftance from any other hand, efcaped her lips. She afTured me that fhe might earn a great deal of money if fhe would only en lift among the wild crew who are daily inundating the public with pamphlets againfl the court, in which the queen is called nothing but T execrable Antoinette, and la miferab/e femme du rot. Madame de Rome alfo confirmed what I have mentioned before, that the mildeft appellation ever given her, is la femme du ret, and this is confidered as an uncommon exertion of forbearance. She prefented me with a copy of the Anecdote* ofjofeph the Second, which fhe had tranllated, and of which fcarcely a hundred had been fold. She afcribed the ill fuccefs of this fpeculation to the mortal hatred indifcriminately borne here towards everv member of the houfe of Auftria. Bv MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 219 By her I was informed, that a {huff-dealer at Nancy has an idea of publifhing a German thea- tre. Woe to us poor Germans ! But nothing during my interview with this lady, pierced my bofom fo deeply as when flie mentioned the lofs of her hufband. There, in~ deed, (lie touched a firing in my heart that vi- brated moil feelingly in unifon with her own ; and yet, how much happier was me how much happier was her hufband, than myfelf ! They had lived together in the joys of wedlock for five-and-twenty years, and ilie became not a wi- 'dow till advanced in life. I poffefled my Frede- rica only fix years, and want yet fome months of being thirty years old! All the happinefs I can ever experience was compreifed together within that fhort fpace. Ah ! why were my days of blifs fo few ! Why did not fate referve fome drops of tranfport to foothe me in the vale of declining age ! Since we are then once more children, the toys of nature, why is it denied me to do like children with their cakes and fweetnieats, to referve the moft delicious morfel for the laft ! Or, fince I perhaps am to be early called away from a table, where for me there is no more enjoyment, it may be that my Frederica is only fummoned, firft to wait and receive mo at the door, where I have long been ftanding, that 220 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. that I may hear it clofed behind me without re- pining, nor feel too deeply the voices of my poor infants as they drive to call me back. Oh heaven ! how the leaft circumflance leads me back to this one fatal point ! Let me ! let me return to Paris, where every one enjoys, and no one feels ! where every one participates, yet no one fympathizes ! The morning was very fine, and we went out to take a walk. We patted through the bufy tumultuous Rue St. Honore to the Place de Louis quinze, and thence to the Thuilleries. The ge- nial mildnefs of the weather had invited many others, like ourfelves, into the air. A number of people were reclining beneath the wall on the left hand of the gardens, particularly women and children, to enjoy the faint wintry rays of the benignant fun. The fight was foothing and interefting. I thought of the well-known horrors committed by the Prince de Lambefc on the very fame fpot, and could not forbear contraft- ing them in idea with the tranquil fcene before me. It was a contrail by which the latter did not fuffer. I remem- MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 221 I remember once reading, but where I cannot recolleft, of a little rural cottage, which, placed amid the pompous ruins of fome magnificent building, deftroyed by an earthquake, makes an undefcribable impreflion upon the traveller. I figure to myfelf that I muft have felt much the fame impreflion at the fcene I beheld in the Thuilleries. We went for a few moments into the inner court of the palace. We found Swifs foldiers and National Guards every where keeping fentry indifcriminately; yet methought they cart oblique glances at each other, like good and evil angels waiting together the departure of a foul, which both have ftretchecl out their arms to receive. On the banks of the muddy Seine we took a coach, and drove to the Pont neuf, to pay our de- votions at the ftatue of Henri quatre. Thou ex- cellent king ! on thy countenance is alfo legibly imprefled the excellent man! and the one is no lefs valuable than the other. Thence we proceeded to the Palais, as it is called, where fentence is pronounced on crimi- nals. We found the court full of horfe-guards, and our driver faid, in a carelefs and jocofe man- ner, 222 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. ner, On donnera a nn pauvre diabk a dejeuner et a diner. The meaning of this was, that the court of juftice was about to condemn a culprit, who was immediately to be executed. \ fhuddered at this hardened indifference to fo awful a fcene. Our valet was much in the fame (lory, and fpoke with equal compofure of an execution as of dancing on the rope. We afcended the great flair-cafe. I faw no- thing in the Palais but what Jefus Chrift drove from the Jewifh temple, buyers and fellers in almoft as great abundance as in the Palais- Royal. , At the end of an angular gallery we at length found the Hall of Judgment, which we entered jufl at the moment when the poor criminars fentence was reading. But the place was fo full and fo hot, and the whole fcene gave me fuch an impreffion of horror and anguifh, that I turned back immediately. The offender I did not fee, and of the judge I faw nothing but his Spanifli hat. Our coachman now drove us through the Place de Greve, where the dreadful inftrument of de- ftru&ion, MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 223 flruftion, a wheel with a ladder, was already prepared, and thoufands of people were crowd- ing about it. O how rejoiced was I to turn my back upon this execrably celebrated place! Were I offered the moft fumptuous palace in the world in the Place de Greve, as a prefers t, upon condition of living in it, I fhould reject it with difguft and horror. In the evening we went to the Italian theatre. A very fine room, commodious feats, vile deco- rations, good fingers, moderate ators. The en- tertainments were, La Faujje Magie, and Sargines. The firft is a filly infufferable thing, with very infipid mufic by G retry. The fecond is alfo well known in Germany. It Is pleafing, and the mufic good, but the father of Sargines looked like a periwig-maker, and his fair coufin like a lady from the Palais-Royal. As in the part of Sargines fome tragic paflages occur, we had now a fpecimen of the French talents in that way. It was fuch a dreadful fawing of the air, flourifliing of the arms, bel- lowing, and catching of the breath, as was fcarcely to be endured for a moment. Heavens ! what an unaccountable thing is tafte ! I could not forbear laughing at all thefe pafTages, 224- MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. paffages, while the company in general wept, and clapped, and cried bravo ! And how hap- pens this ? The French are a difcerning people, and by no means wanting in tafte ; why, then, do /they and we differ fo \videly ? The truth feems, that we love nature, and they art. But yet I cannot underfland how it is poflible with their irritable feelings not to love nature, or to admire that art which does not imitate nature. I, for my own part, have never confidered art as admirable, but in proportion as it approaches nature. I am not in the habit of writing effays, therefore I cannot explain this matter : I only know that it is fo. I will next attend t\\eTheatre de la Nation., to fee a tragedy, and laugh till I be It is true, that before a French public, no fen- tence, no fine fentiment, no well-defcribed feel- ing, can be loft. All fuch occafion burfts of applaufe, as a fpark dropped among gunpowder, makes an inftant and tremendous explofion. Yet when I reflected upon what I had heard in the morning, I could not feel attracted towards a people, who with perfect levity could call a fentence of death a breakfaft, and an execution a dinner who might be fhaken with a word of fentiment, while at the fame time a deed of hor- ror was regarded with indifference. In MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 225 In Sargines are many pafTages, which, at the prefent moment, have a powerful effet upon the audience, and might be fuppofed to call forth a particular manifeftation of their fenti- ments. For inftance : 11 faut vaincre, on mourir, pour fon roL From the applaufe with which this fentiment was received, it might well be pre- fumed that every foul in the houfe was burning with defire to teftify his loyalty, and die for that king whom, in their common language, they call nothing but Lepauvre homme. Among the a&refles was a charming young creature, by name Rofe Renaud. She appeared not more than fixteen or feventeen years old, and had fuch mildnefs, fuch gentlenefs, fuch in- nocence, in her countenance, that I could not forbear afking my neighbour whether it were poffible that this expreiiion was not deceitful ? Whether (he could really be as innocent as (he appeared ? He aflured me fhe was fo, and I in- clined to believe him, how improbable foever it might appear, efpecially as my belief was much itrengthened by her modeft carriage and demea- nour upon the ftage. She feemed to feel an un- common degree of timidity, and it was not till after abundant applaufe and encouragement from the audience, with whom ihe appeared a great favourite, that her voice loft the tremuloufnefs Q her 226 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. her ap )rehenfions had occafioned. This diffi- dence, I think, fpeaks a yet uncorrupted heart, and I put up my prayers to heaven that it may ever remain fo 1 If it be pofiible on a French ftage, may the allurements of feduftion never acquire any influence over her, but may me continue to turn with difguft from the poifoned cup of voluptuoufnefs ! Her voice is fo flexible, fo foft, fo free from all draining, that her Tinging makes an irrefiftible impreffion upon the heart, but me is little or nothing of an aftrefs. My companion was perfectly enchanted with her. He could talk of nothing elfe when we re- turned home, and in the middle of the night fuddenly ftarted up to write down a quatraine on this lovely young creature, to which his brain had juft given birth. DECEMBER 23. The new-born offspring was this morning fent to Mademoifelle Rofe. She received it with a fmile, and I fhook my head. It feemed but another of the clouds of incenfe by which her virtue is daily encompafled, and which will per- haps ilifle it at lad. I had fent for a taylor to make me a fuit of clothes. He kept his hat on all the time he was 5 with MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 227 with me, fans ceremonie, and the cockade in it feemed to cry aloud, We are alt equal. The evening hours were whiled away at the Varietes Amuf antes. It is the handfomeft theatre I have feen. Every thing about it difplays tafte and elegance. The performers, however, were much below my expectation. The play was The Tzvo Figaros, a pretty, but very intrigu- ing piece, the author of which is a member of the theatre at Bourdeaux. It is, properly fpeak- ing, a critique upon Beaumarchais 7 Figaro, who is reproached, that with all his ingenuity he only ftrives to over-reach fuch poor ftupid mortals as Count Almaviva and Doctor Bartholo. In this piece, on the contrary, Figaro himfelf, notwith- ilanding all his cunning, is repeatedly outwitted by the other Figaro, as a difguifed cherubim. The after-piece was L'Enrolement Suppofe, a hack neyed fubje6t, void of wit, humour, or fpirit. As this was over by half paft eight, and it was yet too early to return home for the night, my companion and I agreed to go and walk for a while in the fplendidly-illuminated arcade of the Palais-Royal. Every part was thronged with company. The criers bawled, the mops glit- tered, the politicians talked at full gallop, the Q 2 young '228 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. young men ogled, and the ladies of pleafure plucked people by the fleeve. I now firft became fully acquainted with the com- plete fhameleflhefs of the latter. They were all fo uncommonly drefled, that the lowed among them mighthavebeen miftakenforaladyof famion. Two really pretty looking young girls, who were walk- ing together arm in arm, followed us about with unwearied affiduity, and would fain have made a partie qiiarree with us. In hopes of getting rid of fuch a troublefome purfuit, I told one of them that her companion was not handfome enough. " But," faid {he, " her figure is very fine." While we were engaged in this parley, a third thruft herfelf in, and whifpered in my ear, " Will " you not come and fee me?" The other two were extremely offended at this intrufion; and one of them drawing up her head, faid, " How, Madam ! do you think to rob us of " our gentlemen?" To put an end to this contention, we contrived to flip in among the crowd, and leave all three in the lurch. A fourth, MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 229 A fourth, who had doubtlefs heard us fpeak German, now prefled forwards, and purfued us with the word Deutfch, Deutfch*, which fhe had probably by fome means caught up, and pro- nounced with a very droll accent. A fifth, at laft, who feemed to have known my companion at the theatre, a poor unhappy creature fcarcely fixteen, but very lively and ani- mated, preffed us fo earneftly to fup with her, which we underftood perfectly was to be at our own coft, that at length we determined to ac- cept the invitation, for the fake of fpeculating upon the mode of life purfued in thefe abodes of wretchednefs and depravity. As we were two, me would fain have gone in queft of a companion to make up the par tie quarree, but this we would not by any means permit. She conducted us up a flair-cafe in the Pa- lais-Royal, to her habitation, which was in a very neat apartment. And here a new conteft arofe upon our account. It happened unluckily, that Mademoifelle Adelaide, who had fo kindly given my companion her addrefs, was her next neigh- bour, and having by fome means difcovered our vifit, (he infifted that it was defigned for her, but our young creature had decoyed us away. * German. German* On 230 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. On our ftrenuoufly maintaining the contrary, fhe feemed at lead determined to make one at the fupper; but we being as firmly refolved againft it, we at laft fent her away, muttering and extremely difcontented. Tbefemme de chambre brought us a bill of fare from the reftaurateur, and we defired our damfel to choofe her entertainment. She was moderate enough to order only four diflies, an apple compot, and the ufual wine. As we were fitting round the fire, I could not forbear refle&ing upon the fingularity of the circum- ilances in which I was placed. I was in the apart- ment of a lady of pleasure, with no other view but tofpeculate upon the habits and manners of one of thefe beings, in a country where I was a ftranger, nor was it poffible for other feelings to be awak- ened in my bofom. He who has loved as I have, is fafe, though aflailed by a Lais or a Phryne. If I but turned one thought towards my Frederica, how difgufting did every thing appear around me ! No, beft of wives! even in this fituation 1 harboured not a thought unworthy of thee ! It may appear extraordinary, yet it is neverthe- lefs true, that my ideas of wedded conflancy are now MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 231 now ftill more enthufiaftic than formerly. The charms of a lovely wife have made me infenfible to all other allurements. Death has indeed torn us afunder, but I am not the lefs her lover, my heart remains wholly occupied by the fame romantic paflion that I felt in the firft moments of our acquaintance, and to look on any other objeft but with eyes of indifference would be, in my ideas, the height of criminality. In a word, the flame that fix years ago made me often fo happy, often perhaps fo foolifh, continues to burn with undiminifhed ardour. Oh ! it is not in my power to defcribe what were my feelings on this evening, but they were truly honourable, and I can defpife thofe who twift their mouths into a fneer when they hear of my vifiting the apartments of one of thefe poor abandoned fe- males. Perhaps they might not themfelves have remained there with the fame purity of heart that I did, and confequently could not have acknowledged the vifit with a like confidence. The poor creature told us her ilory, which, whether true or falfe, I here relate in her own words. An old coxcomb, ihe faid, had ftolen her away from her parents at Verfailles, and kept her confined at Paris, but without doing her any injury. Growing weary of this life, (lie contrived to make her efcape, and taking the name of Madame 232 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. Madame de Vincennes, had lived ever finte by her own induftry, if it can be called living, when by her own confeffion (lie was often with- out a fous in her pocket, and was always in debt to her femme de chambre, or bonne as fhe fometimes called her. The common routine of the day was, that fhe breakfafted and dined in bed, then got up and dreffed herfelf, talked over her bonne till me procured from her zfietit ecu to go to fome fpeflac/e, after which fhe repaired to her ufual promenade in the arcade of the Palais- Royal. I really was fomewhat interefted by this unhappy young creature, fince fhe feemed to be of a naturally good difpofition, and kind-hearted. The fupper came. Madame de Vincennes did not eat with much appetite, me probably was not accuftomed to regular meals. We foon after laid a little prefent upon her chimney- piece, and retired. I never repented having made this vifit, fince it was a perfe&ly novel fcene to me, but I could not eafily be induced to wafle time again in fuch a way. DECEMBER 24. This morning we received a vifit from the Ab- be de R , the gentleman who had offered to procure us tickets of admiffion to the National Affembly. He had an uncommon number of queftions MY FLIGHT TO PARIS 233 queftions to afk of us. In France, he was per- fe&ly at home, but with the true French egotifm, feemed totally ignorant of every thing beyond his own country. France was, in his ideas, the kingdom of heaven, and Paris the central point of all that was defirable in that kingdom, Ruf- fia feemed to him as perfect a terra incognita as to me is Prefter John's country. He fuppofed Livonia to be a part of the Polifti dominions, and believed that travellers in Ruffia carried a compafs in the winter, as a guide through the fnow. Probably he fuppofed the villages to be buried in fnow above the chimneys, and that it was no uncommon thing to tie a horfe to the top of a church-fteeple, like Baron Munchaufen. As I was turning over fome books in Cuflac's fhop about noon, an old man upwards of eighty- came in, whofe feet, it is true, feemed no lon- ger to afford him much fervice, but whofe countenance befpoke perfect cheerfulnefs and good-humour. CuiTac exprefifed great pleafure at feeing him fo cheerful. " Oh!" faid he, I " have experienced many troubles in the courfe " of my life, but I never felt remorfe." I was pleafed with this anfwer, and on er> quiry afterwards learnt that he was Monfieur de la Place, author, or rather tranflator, of a vo- luminous 234 MY FLIGHT TO PART?. luminous collection of romances and other writ- ings. But, indeed, if what Cuflac told me were true, he might fairly be called an author. This was, that he had fo much improved Tom Jones in his tranflation, that it had been re-tranflated from that into Englifli. I could not forbear fmiling. After flaying about a quarter of an hour, Monfieur de la Place was quitting the fliop. He had already got the door in his hand, when fud- denly turning round as if fome new idea occurred to him in the inftant, " Give me pen and ink," he faid, " to write down an impromptu." The pen and ink was brought, and he produced the following quatraine, which I tranfcribed as ibon as he was gone. Pour que de deux parties les noms mieux entendus Dans 1'etat divife peuvent moms troubler 1'ordre, Les enrages font ceux qni furent trop mordus, Et les enrageans ceux qui voudroient encore mordre. That the two parties' titles well explain'd, May lefs divifions in the ftate excite, Th' incensed are thole who were too tightly rein'd, Th' incenfers thofe who'd rein them ftill more tight. Enrages MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 235 Enrages and enrageans ttncenfed and incenfers), it is well known, are the nick-names given to the two reigning parties that at prefent divide France. Among the affiches of to-day were two that particularly attracted my notice. One was as fol- lows : " A young man, about thirty years of age, of " good family, but conftrained by circumftances " to retire to a pleafant country-fituation, at the " diftance of a league from an agreeable town, " and about twenty leagues from Paris, upon " an income of a hundred louis's, wifhes to " aflfociate himfelf with a female of good educa- " tion, and with a fortune of about half his " own, who would be willing to pafs her days " with him, 'not in the way of marriage, only " as a companion. An anfwer is requefted "in the Mercure de France." Are thefe the general ideas of the French upon the fubject of marriage ? or is this only the caprice of a fingle individual ? If the former, I muft deteft fuch a licentious people, if the latter, I pity the mifguided young man. But fuppof- ing he be really in head and heart a man, and fliould meet with a gentle amiable creature, willing 236 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. willing to live with him upon the propofed terms, I prophefy that in a year {lie will become his wife. He may fet out upon this plan, to try her temper., and whether they can live happily together, and me may confent to his wifhes to gain herfelf an intereft in his heart, till by de- grees they will grow accuftomed to each other, become warmly attached, and unable to live afunder. It is abfurd to talk of pofleflion weakening love. He who ceafes to love after pofTeffion, never has really loved at all. Love is the regular food at the table of Hymen, enjoy- ment but a glafs of wine or a fweetmeat, which may be pleafant, but can well be difpenfed with. . Yet after all, fuch an advertifement proves inconteftably that an unbounded licentioufnefs reigns among the people, fmce they dare thus publicly to avow fentiments militating fo ftrongly againft good morals. It was not a little curious, that in the very fame affiche was an article of a fimilar kind, only with this difference, that the man, who gave himfelf out as tres age, wanted a well-educated young woman as a com- panion and houfekeeper ; his meaning was not, however, enveloped in fo thick a veil, but that it was very plainly to be underftood. Another article, which I cannot give at full length, contained a moft affecling anecdote, and on MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 237 on that account alone I have alluded to it. Among other effects produced by the fever of liberty, it has occafioned many pieces to be brought for- ward upon the ftage, which before were neg- lefted, and fcarcely even known. On the Theatre de la Nation, formerly the Theatre Francois, in par- ticular, fcarcely is thereprefentation of any thing endured, excepting of tragedies that have fome reference to revolutions, and that place tyranny and fanaticifm in an odious light. Brutus, Wil- liam Tell, the Death of Cafar, the Deliverance of Rome, and Jean Calas, are repeated night after night with thunders of applaufe. The tragical hiftory of the latter has, indeed, within a fliort time, been brought before the public in every poffible form. But while the ftage re founds with the name of Jean Calas, the people are not aware what ago- nizing wounds are thus torn open. The poor widow of this unfortunate man has, for the laft fifteen years, lived, together with her two daugh- ters, in the Rue PoiJJbnniere, at Paris. She has ne- rer laid afide her mourning fince the lofs of her hufband, nor has ever wound up the clock that flopped on the day of his death. Whenever a fentence is proclaimed in the flreets, the maid always haftens down to the criers to beg of them not to proclaim it within hearing of that houfe, lince 238 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. fince the found always thrown her poor miftrefs into a fvvoon. I was inexpreflibly affefled by this anecdote. Never would I be prefent at the reprefentation of Jean Galas. It is impoffible for anything to increafe the impreffion made upon me by the iingle, fimple circumftance, that the widow has never wound up the clock that flopped on the day of her hufband's death. But though not to fee the performance of this popular tragedy, I went in the evening to the Theatre de la Nation. I found it a very fplendid building. Brutus., and Le Revet/ cTEpimenide a Paris, were the pieces performed. I entered the houfe fomewhat unwillingly, but left it very well fatisfied. Not that the performers difappointed my expectations in their fawing the air, flou- rifhing their arms, and catching their voices, but becaufe I had an opportunity of witneffing the unconftrained burfts of feeling of a whole nation, and becaufe I can never hope again to hear fuch bold things repeated on any ftage. The lad obfervation principally refers to the after-piece, fince many paifages in Brutus that were extremely applauded were only ftriking from their application. Let me beg my readers' patience MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 239 patience while I enumerate fome of thofe that appeared the moil popular. Deftrucleurs des tyrans, vous, qui n'avez pour rois, Que les dieux de Numa, vos vertus, et nos loix ! Ye patriots, who no other kings obey, Save Numa's gods, your virtues, and our laws ! Nous avons fait, en lui rendant hommage, Serment d'obei'flance, et non point d'efclavage. The oath we took, when we our homage paid him, Was of obedience, not of flavery. Sous un fceptre de fer, ce peuple abattu, A force de malheurs, a repris fa vertu. Beneath an iron yoke this people crufh'd, Their virtue, through misfortune, have refum'd, Je porte en mon cceur La Gbertt gravee et les rois en horreur. Within my heart the name of liberty I bear engrav'd, and kings I hold in horror. Sois toujours un hcros! fois plus, fois citoyen! Be a hero null ! be more, a citizen! Arreter un Romam fur de fimples foup9ons ! C'eft agir en tyrans ! Arreft a Roman only on fufpicion ! That were to act as tyrants ! Dieux 24O MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. Dieux ! donnez nous la mort plutot que 1'efclavage I Ye gods ! oh rather give us death than bondage ! The two following paflages had a very diffe- rent effect upon the audience ; the fecond nearly proved the occafion of a tumult. Quel homme eft fans erreur, et quel roi fans folblefle? Eft-ce a vous de pretendre au droit de le punir ? Vous, nes tous fes fujets, vous faits pour obeir ? Un fils ne s 'arme point contre un coupable pere, II detourne lesyeux, le plaint, etle revere. Les droits des fouverains font ils moms precieux ? Nous fommes leurs enfans, leursjugesfont les dieux. What man is free from error? or what king Exempt from weaknefs ? Is it then for you T'aflume the right of punifhing his faults? You, born his fubje&s, made but to obey him? No fon takes arms againft a guilty father; He mourns his failings, yet refpecls the parent. And mall a fov'reign's rights be deem'd lefsfacred? His children we, his judges are the gods. Scarcely was the alor allowed to finifli this fpeech, or the following, which fet the powder into a yet more violent explofion. Rome a change de fers, et fous le joug des grands, Pourun roi qu'elle avoit, atrouv.e centtyrans. Rome has but chang'd its bondage, and beneath The yoke of nobles, finds that for one king, She crouches now before a hundred tyrants, At MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 241 At thefe words fome flaming loyalift in the fe* cond tier of boxes, more bold than difcreet, clap* ped vehemently. The whole pit was in com* motion in an inftant, every one rifing up, biffing, and exclaiming, ah que cela efl bete! All eyes were turned immediately to the fpot whence the clapping was heard, with menaces, execrations, knocking, and (tamping. The players flopped to wait the event, and by degrees the dorm blew over ; for how could a Tingle offender be diftin- guifhed among fuch a crowd ? and that he was fmgle was very plain from the found. Happy was it for him that none of his neighbours be- trayed him, fince, if difcovered, he had doubtlefs expiated his folly, for folly it was, not fpirit or courage, a la lanterne, without having rendered any fervice to his fhadow of a monarch. After fuch a proof of republican jealoufy, no one ventured to take notice of any paflage that was not orthodoxly democratic. Yet 'tis furely hard that this intolerance mould prevent the company in the boxes, who by paying their mo- ney, have purchafed the privilege of delivering their free opinions, from teflifying their appro- bation or difapprobation of finking paflages, when the gentlemen in the pit afTume a right of clapping or biffing at pleafure till their hands and throats are fore. R Tis 242 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 'Tis truly laughable' to me that the French, who have fo little of the Roman in them, mould uniformly apply to themfelves what is faid of that great people. Every foldier of the national guard now believes himfelf a Titus, and fees a Brutus in each deputy to the national affembly. At the words, Be a hero ftill ! be more, a citizen ! not a taylor's heart but palpitates in his bofom, delighted to find that 'tis fo eafy to be a hero. Enough of Brutus ! only word more upon the performance of the piece. It was completely French. Brutus fcreamed fo beyond all bounds that he wounded my ears deplorably. Titus had much to recommend him ; a pleafing yet manly voice, which, in many places, affeted me ex- tremely. He was very fuccefsful in expreffions of the great or the noble, but his paflion was caricature. The good Tullia looked too much like an own fifter of the lafcivious Tarquin, and Porfenna's ambaflador had that abominable pe- ruke-maker phyfiognorny, and thofe peruke-maker graces and airs fo common among French actors, and which accord fo ill with the plumed helmet. The coftumc was obferved with tafte and ac- curacy though this mud be underflood only with regard MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 243 regard to the leading characters. Brutus's toga with the purple ftripe was truly Roman, as well as the fafhion of his hair and beard. His fhoes and (lockings only, and his fnubbed nofe, re- minded me that he was Monfieur fuch an-one. Valerius Publicola united to his Romifli drefs fuch a true ancient Roman countenance, as re- prefented upon gems, that this was a much more complete deception. As to the fenators, the liclors, the populace, and the reft, I have nothing to fay about them, excepting to remark upon the folly of fpending a great deal of money in getting up a play, and then rendering the whole expence nugatory, by faving in a few trifles. When the curtain drew up, and exhibited the Roman fenate feated in full affembly, on hearing the words, Deftrufteurs des tyrans, I could not help looking round upon thefe magnanimous heroes, whom I found indeed in one uniform toga, but with their hair finely be-frizzed and be-powdered, white cotton ftockings, and red flippers. There was an end of all deception at once ; I thought of the famous pifture of Dido upon the funeral pile, with her courtiers Handing round in Spanifh hats. But to proceed to the after-piece, Epimenides awaking at Paris. A fhort fketch of the plan of R 2 this 244 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. this little comedy may perhaps not be unenter- taining to the reader. The fcene is in a walk in the Thuilleries. Ariftus relates to his daughter Jofephine, that Epimenides, after having lived for a time, always falls afleep for a hundred years, and then wakes again to a new life. " By this means," he adds, " he has been a fpedator of all the revolutions " in the ftates of Greece and Rome, and has " often witnefled alfo, in France, how the mo- " narch and the great men have, with unbridled " power and licentioufnefs, opprefled the people, " and trampled them under foot. He faw how " Louis quatorze made his fubje&s the flaves of " his fame, and yet, while every thing was fa- " crificed to that phantom, how artfully he con- " trived to make himfelf idolized by a people, " of whofe mifery he was the author. This " Epimenides," he continues, " will foon awake, c and behold lefs oftentation but more truth ; e will behold vanity and folly dreffed in their * e mourning weeds, and the people at length " coniidered as of fome account/* Epimenides foon appears, and exprefles his fatisfa6lion at contemplating once more the gar- den planted for the great Louis. " Pity," faid ru% " that the monarch (hould prefer the gloomy " palace MY FLIGHT TO PARIS, 245 palace of Verfailles to this pleafant and {railing abode." Ariftus anfwers, that a fucceflbr of the great Louis, now the idol of France, has come to live there among his people ; that his prefence has diffufed peace and happinefs among them ; that he is furrounded by no foreign guard, but that all things in the nation had affumed a new face. The ihouts of the audience at this pafTage, almoft overpowered the voice of the fpeaker, and the cry of encore ! encore ! refounded fo from all parts of the houfe, that he was obliged to re- peat it again. Epimenides then afks, " whether all abufes had " been reformed ?" Ariftus anfwers with hefitation, and a fhrug of the fhoulders, " Many." Epimenides. " The courtiers, then, have adopted " a different fyftem ? Doft thou not deceive me ?" KOH ! Here was a grand exclamation of non ! non ! Ariftus. 246 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. Ariftus. " A wife monarch does not take coun- " fel of his courtiers." Ejiimenides. " Of the parliament, I fuppofe ?" Ariftus. " Not fo, neither." Ejumenides. " Of whom then?" Ariflus. " Every honeft man is now his counfellor, " for each province fends its deputies to the court. " Yet all things cannot be completed in a moment. " Many people have played very fhameful parts ; " but that is pad, and the heavens begin to look " brighter around us. Who, therefore, would "think more of the ftorm? At prefent, all goes " on well ; the free people love and obey their " king, and he reveres the laws." A long and loud thunder of applaufe fucceed- ed this fpeech. In the feventh fcene, Epimenides exprefles his furprize that the news-writer, Gorgi, not having the fear of the Baftille before his eyes, fhould venture to put forth falfe intelligence. How great is his ailonifhment, when he learns that this fortrefs is levelled with the ground ! " How!" he exclaims, " thofe walls rafed, which the " great MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 247 " great Conde befieged three months in in which there is little remarkable either as to its exterior or interior. The performances were, The Trial of Socrates, and The Universal Htflory. Oh mighty Socrates ' how was thy me- mory degraded ! Had Mendelfohn been among 2 the MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 263 the audience, he muft either have laughed, or fretted himfelf to death. The mild philofopher mouthed, fawed the air with his hands, reviled his judges, uttered the grofleft impertinences with the grofleft audacity, was inconceivably vain, fcoffed at all the gods, and preached pure deifm. In fhort, he appeared as little like the genuine Socrates, as the figure of an old man with a globe in his hand refembles the great God of Heaven. The judge fat in an awkward old-fafliioned eafy chair, that looked like a chair of particular convenience. The Grecian foldiers were in long Turkifh trowfers, with their hair well powdered and pomatumed iu the true French ftyle. But the moft curious thing of all was a painted chimney in Socrates's pri- fon, with the tongs and fire-fhovel, and fome tobacco-pipes lying upon the chimney-piece. It may well be fuppofed here that I am embel- lifhing my ftory, but I can afiure my readers, that this is by no means the cafe, that I have ftated nothing but what is literally fach That is truly German! faid my neighbour yefterday, when the Ruffian beat his wife. That is truly French, could I have faid to-day, when I faw the tobacco-pipes upon the chimney-piece. Even 264 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. Even the ring, which Socrates gives at laft to the gaoler, was in the neweft French fafhion, a longifh blue ftone, or glafs, fet round with bril- liants. Xantippe pleafed me more than any thing elfe in the play. Greater pains feemed to have been beftowed on the drawing of her cha- racter than on any other. She was not reprefented as the termagant defcribed in children's little books, but as a hafty, yet good-hearted woman, which was really the fact. The part was befides extremely well performed, and Nature, by making the adrefs uncommonly plain, approaching in- deed to uglinefs, had fuited her more particularly for the character. The reft of the performers are fcarcely worth mentioning. They all flourifhed their arms about, fcreamed like madmen, and were repaid with unbounded applaufe. Indeed, of all the theatres I have yet feen, I think the audience here were the moil: lavifh of their tokens of approbation. They were bountiful even to prodigality. In- ceflant claps, inceflant exclamations of bravo ! refounded from all parts of the houfe, almoft to the deafening of thofe few among the audience who did not join in them , and ftill at nothing and again at nothing. The MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 12 5 The fecond piece in fome meafure exonerated us for the difguft occafioned by the firft. The Univerfa/ Hi/lory is a pretty little opera, intended to Ihew that every inhabitant of the earth, from the richeft to the pooreft, from the king to the beggar, complains of the miferies of life, and complains unjuftly. This univerfal repining, and the many not unufual accidents of life which are generally the caufe of it, as a loft fuit, infide- lity in love or friendfhip, ingratitude in children, and the like, are brought forward and examined with much wit and humour. The airs have fome very comic touches, and are well fet. At the conclufion, a hermit appears among the aflfembly, and inftrucls them that mankind ought always to be cheerful and happy, fince there are no pofitive ills but what he himfelf creates. The author muft, however, excufe me, if I cannot aflfent to his pofition. There is certainly much real phyfical evil in the world. I will grant, that perhaps in ninety-nine cafes out of a hundred, that reftlefs unfatisfied creature man may be his own tormenter. But I wiih that fome one from among the multitude had flepped forwards and addrefled the hermit, " My friend, " death has torn from my arms a wife on whom " I doated ;" for I (hould much have liked to hear what anfvver this merry advocate for the non- 266 MY FLIGHT TO PA^.IS, non-exiftence of evil could have given. - Proba- bly he had fought refuge in fome common-place faying, fome pious reflection. I have a pra&ical ftandard by which to mea- fure unhappinefs, that rarely deceives me. When- ever any thing unpleafant occurs to me, I alk myfelf whether in a year's time I mall think of it any more ? Will it then have any influence upon my fate ? If I muft anfwer thefe queftions in the affirmative, I have then reafon to confider it as a misfortune if not, I concern myfelf no more about it. By this ftandard have I meafured the lofs of thee,, my beloved Frederica, and I pronounce it an inconceivable misfortune ; for were I to live to the age of a hundred years, never could I forget our cruel feparation my foul would ftill be torn with anguifh whenever I refleted upon thy being fo prematurely taken from me. < DECEMBER 27. This evening was fpent amid the moft horrible fenfations of ennui at the Theatre de Eeaujolois. It is a little, miferable, cold, inhofpitable houfe, the performers were ugly, and croaked like frogs, and the piece was one of the moft wretched productions of the commencement of the pre- fent MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 267 feht century. It was called L Antldramaturge y a comedy in three acts, of which not lefs than three were fuperfluous. A cold and -feeble effay upon dramatic poetry, interwoven with a love intrigue, confummately flat and infipid. The fecond piece was Le Bon Pere, a petite piece in one al. He might be a very good father to his children, but he was infupportably ennuy- ant to us. The mufic was little better than might be heard in any alehoufe. Not one among the fingers feemed to understand, a note, and .woe to them if, at the day of judgment, they are to give an account of every falfe tone they have uttered here beiow. The whole concluded with Le Dtguifement Amoureux, (till an opera, but in two acts, other- wife twin brother to Le Bon Pere. We had perfeverance enough to ftay to the end. I can- not claim much merit in this, for I have not yet by any means obtained the object for which, night after night, I vifit fome place of amufe- ment, that of difFipating thought. Nev,er was thought fo little diffipated. The whole evening I could almoft fancy that my wife was fitting by my fide, nor did I w r ifli for a moment to awaken myfelf from this delufion. Here, 268 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. Here, as in all other places of the like kind in Paris, was the public laughably prodigal of ap- plaufe. Once they were abfolutely fo (hamelefs as to encore a miferable taftelefs chorus ; and this encore was itfelf pronounced in fuch an infipid and taftelefs manner, that it involuntarily remind- ed me of their fricafees. Still more naufeating to a German ear is the manner in which the Greek and Roman names are pronounced by a Frenchman. DECEMBER 28. The Petites dffiches de Paris, of which abundance come out daily, fcarcely ever fail of producing fomething worthy of obfervation ; and whoever would give himfelf the trouble of felefting from them regularly fuch things only as would be inte- refting at all times and in all countries, might publifh annually a very tolerable fized volume. I have already collected many things, and mean to continue the practice. The following quatraine is from one of the affiches of to-day. The thought is brilliantly ex- prefled, however untrue. O bonheur! O chimere! en vain 1'homme t'implore; Helas ! pour etre heureux, fes vceux font fuperlius. En efperant, il ne 1'eft pas encore, En jouYflant il ne 1'eft deja plus. Oh MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 269 Oh happinefs ! chimera ! thee in vain Does man with wifiies and with fighs implore, In hoping, he muft ftill unbleft remain, And in enjoying he is bleft no more. I deny both aflertions. How ? Cannot hope make us happy ? then were we wretches indeed ! Hope is the childhood and youth of happinefs. It fupports a man as leading-firings, fings him to ileep, amufes him with gay pictures. And though, when at length the bridge to reality be paffed, things may not appear altogether fo fmiling as in profpecl, yet undoubtedly that moment, at lead, when we confider hope as actually exchanged for pofTeffion, is one of true and exquifite delight. Heaven only knows what kinds of enjoyment floated in the poor poet's ideas. If thofe merely that depend upon the fenfes, he may be right. But the man who could advert to fuch alone, had doubtlefs never experienced the only true happi- nefs to be found in this mortal life, domefh'c peace and content. He does not know how truly, when the heart can boaft of thefe bleilings, weeks feem but as hours, nor can he be aware that though in fuch a flate every thing goes on in a regular and uniform routine, that peace- ful uniformity foon becomes the deareft thing on earth. Thus circumftanced, it is true a man knows conflantly at one hour what is to be done in 270 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. in the next, yet does he not therefore apply tc- it the lefs willingly the lefs joyfully. He always returns home eagerly, and is never fo happy as at home. As he returns, he pleafes himfelf with the idea that he (hall fee his beloved wife in fuch or fuch a room, bulled at fuch, or fuch, an em- ployment, and feels not the lefs pleafure from its being one at which he daily finds her. What delicious tranfport thrills through his foul when greeted by her fmile, how eager is he to tell all the little incidents of his abfence, all the news he has heard, and to learn how the domeftic affairs have paffed during the time, though that ab fence may not perhaps have exceeded an hour. With what ardour does he engage in his daily occupations, when affured that his toils will be repaid by a kifs and fmile of good-humour ! Oh 1 he who has tailed thefe fweets, never could affert that happinefs was not to be found in the world ! No ! the poet doubtlefs never was married ! Or, if he has been, his wife was not a Frede- rica. He deferves pity he has mine. The French, however, delight extremely to play with words. This poet plays with his efpe- rant and jouljfanty as the people at large with their conftitution and federation. I even to-day heard MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 271 heard bonbons a la federation cried. France ap- pears to me at prefent like a grand bonbonniere, and all the fublime and beautiful ideas of the French, like bonbons, which they take into their mouths, fuck, and mumble them about, by which their palate is gratified, but which pro- duce no effect upon the interior. The daily affichss generally contain, among other articles, one head entitled, Goods loft and found. The fuperfcription is inaccurate, it mould be only Goods loft, fince I never could learn that any were found again. No great re- commendation of Parifian honefty. To indemnify us for the ennui we had experi- enced the preceding evening from the Comediens de Beattjolois, we went to-day to the grand opera , and I niuft confefs that I have feldom received fuch varied pleafure from any entertainment, partly arifing from the fplendour of the fpe&acle itfelf, partly from adventitious circumflances. We went at four o'clock, that we might fecure good places, and accomplifhed our view. We had providently furnifhed ourfelves with books to amufe the time of waiting. The opera was Gluck's Alcefte, a moft delicious treat both for the ear and eye, though not indeed a balfamic medicine 272 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. medicine to my heart. Scarcely had the p!ec begun, before my difeafed fancy employed itfelf in tracing fimilitudes to my own fituation. In Admetus I fawmyfelf : Admetus was in a ftate of ficknefs, fo was I his wife had facrifked her life for his ; I was obliged to travel for the re- ftoration of my health, my wife accompanied me, and loft her life upon the journey. Had (lie not facrificed her life for me ? Might fhe not have been now alive, had me been left behind? - I fmiled myfelf, at this enthufiafm, while tears at the fame time ran down my cheeks, and who- ever can fmile otherwife at this paflage, for God's fake let him fhut the book. The orcheftra, the mufic, the finging, the dref- fes, the decorations, vie with each other in tafte and fplendour. The band confifted of about a hundred and eighty perfons. The coftume was in general extremely well preferved, both in the dreffes and the building, but why muft the effe6t of the whole be always in fome meafure de- flroyed by omiilions in trifles ! Is there no one whofe proper bufinefs it is to order the drefles of the fingers and- dancers 5 or am I the only ,one whofe feelings are hurt by the leaft thing that leflens the deception? Parturiimt monies, perhaps many will fay upon what I am going to obferve, and think the criticifm indeed a moufe. MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 275 moufe. I cannot help it but the large broad new-faftiioned buckles worn by the dancers, in which they were dancing before Admetus in a Grecian palace, offended me terribly, and awak- ened my fenfes from the delufion in a very un- pleafant manner. I would fain have forgotten them, but they were fo confpicuous that it was impoffible, and the more I wifhed to keep my eyes away, the more they involuntarily ftrayed towards them. A diftempered fretfulnefs took pofifeffion of me, which purfued me even to the Temple of Apollo, and before his flaming altar, for wherever I looked, I could fee nothing but monftrous new-fafhioned buckles. The ballet that followed the opera, was taken from the hiftory of Telemachus, and contained nearly the firft book of Fenelon. It was divided into three a&s. Monfieur Gardel, the compofer of Pfyche, was its author, and indeed he has produced two things that may almoft be pro- nounced perfet in their way. But Teletnachus muft have been the moft difficult tafk, fmce, excepting Telemachus, Mentor, and the little Cupid, the dancers are entirely women. Telemachus, like Pfyche, keeps all the fenfes in a kind of fafcination. How charming is the grouping of the lovely nymphs, how exquifite is T their 274- MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. their dancing, what grace is in all their motions ; yet I muft confider their wearing under garments of flem- coloured filk, as a fuperlative refinement in coquetry. But nothing entertained me more in this even- ing than the aftoniftiment of my Ehftonian fervant, whom I had taken with me, that the poor fel- low might have fome amufement ; for, fince he does not underftand a fyllable of French, he fits moping by himfelf the live-long day, and muft be intolerably tormented with the vapours. I previoufly gave him the choice of the money or the diverfion. He chofe the latter, and returned home fo extremely delighted, that he did not ap- pear by any means to repent his choice. I made him fit by me, the better to obferve his feelings, which indeed changed with as much rapidity as the decorations upon the ftage. He looked anxious and diftreffed at Telemachus's fhipwreck, but his countenance was illumined by a fmile of expreffive fatisfation at his refcue. When the nymphs began their race, and the moft beautiful reached the fummit of the rock, and foon after with her arrow fliot a milk-white dove upon a pole, he appeared quite in ecflafies, and began talking eagerly to himfelf. But when Ve- nus and Cupid defcended in a cloud, .his eyes 2 were MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 275 were fixed, and he remained motionlefs with afto- nifhment. Nor did he appear lefs forcibly im- prefled with the burning of the fhip, or Telema- chus's being thrown from the rock. To contem- plate the natural workings of an uncultivated mind at fuch reprefentations, is always to me mat- ter of great intereft. DECEMBER29. The public prints of to-day announce a tutor wanted for a young man of rank, who muft be of a religion eclair ee. What is meant by this en- lightened religion is not however explained. We went towards noon to the inflitution for the relief of the blind, to be prefent at their pub- lic exercifes. Schulz has defcribed this inflitution fo well, and focircumftantially, that little remains for me to add. I muft confefs, that though I cannot but admire the ingenious manner in which they are taught to read, to write, to print, &c. yet on the whole it appears a very ufelefs kind of fport. To read with the fingers is, even to the moft pra&ifed, fo extremely difficult and tedious, that no blind man can ever acquire much tafte for it. And indeed it would rather be matter of regret that he fhould, fmce there are fo few books T2 for 1276 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. for him, that in a hundred years his library could fcarcely amount to ten volumes. Of what ufe, then, is this mode of reading ? merely an idle wafte of time. It is precifely the fame with printing. One of thefe blind people would fet about three words in the time that a prafrifed compofitor would fet an oftavo page. Ufelefs again. With mufic 'tis no better. As they can only read the notes with their fingers, it muft natu- rally take a very long time to learn a new piece, unlefs affifted by the ear. None of them, how- ever, appeared to receive much pleafure from mufic ; they all played very ill, and feemed fcarcely able to perform any thing but the ufual chorus, which they are obliged to fcrape twice in the week to gratify the curiofity of flrangers. Of geography, the fame muft flill be faid. 1 may be furprized to fee a blind man point out a town or country in a map, but I mufl flill revert to the original queflion cut bono ?- Accounts might appear at the firft glance to be an exception from this general condemnation, yet from all I faw, I am of opinion that a man might reckon much quicker by his head alone. But MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 277 But what appears to me worfe than ufelefs, truly laughable, is, that thefe blind people are fet to inftruft children who can fee. In reading, this might pafs tolerably, fince when the child knows the letters, his blind inftruclor has only to follow him with his ringers, to know whether he be right or not. By what means they firft teach the letters I did not comprehend. When, however, we hear a fine boy of not more than four years old examined in grammar by a blind man, it is difficult to fay whether our pity or laughter be the moft excited. The poor in- fant is required firft to run over the names of the parts of fpeech, and then to explain what is meant by a noun, a pronoun, a verb, &c. &c. all which is done with fuch rapidity, queftion' and anfwer fucceeding like blow and retort, that it is too apparent the whole is gabbled by heart on both fides. What then can be faid of fuch things, but that they are mere Charlatanerie. Far however be from me any wifh to derogate from the merits of the founder of this inftitution, who appears fo happy in the enjoyment of his good work. Enough is ftill left to procure the worthy man a place in the kingdom of heaven. The fpinning, the making belts, the knitting, all the manual employments, are extremely ufeful, and are very tolerably executed here. They contribute 278 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. contribute towards the maintenance of thefe un- fortunate people, and keep them from idlenefs, and begging about the ftreets. One little anecdote I muft relate. Two blind men were to bring us a fpecimen of their printing, and the infpector defired us to give them a fhort fentence, I gave, vive la liberte* They began immediately to fet it, when one brought indeed his vive la liberte, but the other produced, quand elk eft fans abus. Perhaps the infpetor had, un- obferved by us, whifpered him to do this. At the conclufion, one of the oldeft members repeated us a poem, which he faid was his own compofition. Hence we went to the place where the Baf- tille formerly itood. Scarcely is a trace of it to be difcerned. No remains of the high and gloomy walls, nothing horrible, nothing that makes the foul involuntarily fhudder. 'Tis now a fine area, where only a heap of flones here and there, give any indication of its ever having been the fcite of a building, and even thefe veftiges we found many people employed in removing. The fenfations experienced in Handing upon this awful fpot, are not to be defcribed. Can one MY FLIGHT TO PARIS 279 one forbear reflecting with horror, that every flone one paries over has perhaps ferved as a pil- low to fome wretched fellow-creature; that every ihovel full of earth which the labourer throws upon his cart, has perhaps been moiftened with the tears of heart-rending mifery. Since 'tis impoffible to mention the Baftille without recurring to the unfortunate De laTude, whofe fufferings have rendered him fo well known to the world. I muft here notice the following letter, which was inferted fome days ago in one of the public papers. " GENTLEMEN, " I have in general received fo much ill-treat- attra&ed me to the Italian theatre. It was announced in the affichei) as having been performed fix and twenty nights within a very fhort time. The houfe was, notwithftanding, very full, and I found it not un- worthy of its fame. Three fitters are brought to a court, where the caprices of a defpot hold abfolute fway ; where no fubject dares to approach his prince ; where no paffion is known but infatiable thirft of power; no pleafures but hunting, fighting, and tourna- ments ; and where every gentler feeling is a crime. The eldeft of the lifters, Euphrofyne, undertakes, with much caution and circumfpec- tion, to transform this favage defpot into a good prince ; this ferocious knight, into a gentle and fond lover ; and her purpofe is effected. Such is the outline of the piece, which con- tains fome very excellent fcenes, particularly that in which the tyrant firft begins to feel his new paffion, which fills him with alarm. He fends for the phyiician, to whom he relates the parti- culars of his malady; and is informed by him, that 'tis the fame which caufed the deflru&ion of 284 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. of Troy, and the expulfion of her kings from Rome LOVE. Another fcene may alfo be in- ftanced, in which the prince armed for battle, with helmet, fhield, lance, and fword, repairs to Euphrofyne's apartment, and declares his love to her. She diflembles terror at beholding him fo arrayed, and difarms him piece by piece. He then afks whether fhe is pleafed with him, to which fhe replies, no; he is too tall, flie muft look up to him, and that is painful to her neck. He takes the hint, and falls at her feet 3 by degrees fhe reflores him his arms, and at length appoinU him her knight. The mufic is alfo good, almoft fine. A duet in particular, which from its nature muft be a8ed as well as fung, was received with un- bounded applaufe. An envious countefs endea- vours to make the newly enamoured prince jea- lous ; he becomes fo, fhe is tranfported, and this jealoufy, and malicious joy, give occafion to a raging duet, in which, as neither could rife above the other in finging, both began to fcream with- out accent or note, in fuch a manner, that it perfe&ly trilled through and through the audi- tors ! This feemed to be confidered as the height of excellence, and the thunder of applaufe, join- ed to the clafh of the mufic, all together made fuch MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 285 fuch an uproar, that one could almoft have fup- pofed the laft day coming on, and the world about to be cruihed to atoms. Both parties funk down at laft into feats on each fide of the ftage, with their breads palpi- tating as if they would burft. One of my neigh- bours indeed afierted, that this was only grimace, to excite fympathy in the audience, but I believe they really were both exhaufted ; I am fure I was nearly fo myfelf with hearing them. I muft here obferve upon a fault in the French performers which never ftruck me till to-night. When a noble pride is to be aflumed, it is always fhewn by turning indignantly away from the perfon addrefled, and making the oration to the wall. Such was the cafe here between the prince and the countefs fuch between Titus and the ambaffadors of Porfenna, the other night at the Theatre de la Nation and fuch between Monjleur Socrate and the high-prieft. Strange ! that the moft polifhed people in the world fhould not be able to devife any better expreffion of elevated pride, than turning their backs on each other. We had befides a little opera in two afts, which was extremely pleafing. Indeed the per- formers, 286 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. formers, both vocal and inftrumental, in this the- atre, are in general excellent. In Germany, where we are not fo liberal as in France, the fe- cond piece would have been omitted, fince Eu- phrofyne contained three a6ls, and the perform- ance lafted two hours and a half. But two hours and a half would by no means content the Pa- rifians ; they muft have four hours of amufement, and they are in the right. Formerly it was the fame with us, but the higher our performers rife in their profeffion, the lefs attention they think due to the public. The little, lovely, innocent, Rofe Renaud play- ed again to-day. Methinks I fee a fmile upon the countenance of many of my readers at the word innocent. But oh, let me cherifh this fweet delufion, if delufion it be, for it gives me fuch delight to think her innocent, that I cannot relinquifh the idea. To whatever may be ob- je&ed againft it by experience and knowledge of the world, I oppofe this confoling truth, that no general rule is without exception, and Rofe Re- naud is an exception. At lead fhe has not laid afide the uniform of virtue, modefty of demean- our ; and while fhe retains that, I muft hope, that fhe truly ferves the leader whofe uniform fhe wears. Once MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 287 DECEMBER 31. Once more let me recur to the public prints. The following extracts are taken from a paper of this day. EXTRACT THE FIRST. A noble deed of the minifter of Ternan, near St. John d'Angely. < The unfortunate La Tierce, lord of the " caftle of Varaife, flood trembling amid a mul- " titude of afTaffins, who fell upon him with " knives, fickles, fcythes, and clubs* when fud- " denly an ecclefiaftic, the minifter of Ternan, " to vifit my numerous family. I am a X 2 " happy SOB MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. (( happy mother: I have juft received a new-year's " prefent of ten additional children." Thefe fhe (hewed us. The attendants were then wafliing and feeding them. A number of girls grown up, all foundlings, fat round the chimney, and by their care of thefe newly-arrived guefts, ftrove to repay the kindnefs they had themfelves received. It might have been ex- pelled that a hundred children would make a great noife and crying, but they were all per- fe&ly quiet, and feemed perfectly contented -, an additional proof that they are well taken care of, and want for nothing. Five thoufand eight hundred and forty-two children were received into this hofpital in the courfe of the laft year. Seventeen hundred nurfes are retained in its fervice in the country, but the good old nun complained that it was now dif- ficult to get nurfeSj as me could not pay them, fince fhe had not received any money for a long time, and the National Aflembly had not yet taken the inftitution into their hands. She mew- ed us how the children were fed with rice and milk, a method (he did not approve. Some years ago, fhe faid, the nurfes were all difcharged, to introduce this new mode of feeding, but a lit- tle MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 309 tie experience fufficiently proved that it would not do, and the purpofe was of neceffity relin- quished. This nun is certainly one of the happieft of people, not only in Paris, but in the world at large. Never did I fee in any countenance fo much fweet compofure and ferenity. She carries a heaven in her heart, the effet of her mildnefs and patience here on earth. Towards the grown- up children, her deportment was equally like one of the moft affe&ionate of mothers. They all appeared to place unreferved confidence in her, and fpoke without any fhynefs or diftruft. She mewed us a pretty little girl, and begged of us to afk her where me was found. " In the fnow," anfwered the poor little crea- ture. Over the door of the room is infcribed, upon a tablet, " My father and my mother have for- ec faken me, but the Lord hath had compafiion " upon me." One room contains the linen of thefe little orphans. It was an interefting fight to fee it en- tirely filled with clean linen as white as fnow. We 310 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. We parted from the good old nun with tears in our eyes. I never (hall forget the hour that I fpent there. Oh ! had my Frederica but been with me ! what a feaft would it have been to her gentle and benevolent foul ! I could almoft fancy I fee her now r with tears of pleafing fadnefs ilreaming down her cheeks. The papers of to-day contained the following witticifm : -* " We have been informed, but we do not ee pledge ourfelves for the authenticity of the in- " telligence, that in the village of Romecourt, " near Mezieres-le-vie, a woman was lately " brought to bed of three boys, to which were xe given the nicknames of La Nation, La Loi, and " Le Rot. La Nation and La Loi are dead, but Le " Roi is alive, and likely to do well." It was our intention to have pafled the even- ing at the Theatre Fran$ais Comique et Lyriqne, where a favourite piece, which has been very often repeated, called Nicodemus in the Moon, was to be performed. But w r e went too late, and found the houfe fo crowded, that it was im- poflible to get places. Our MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 311 Our evil genius, therefore, led us on to the Theatre Comique des Affbcies, where we found places with difficulty, where we were aflailed on all fides by heat and (links, and where a perpetual noife behind us, and before the door, deprived us of the few crumbs we might other- wife have picked up. But it was no great lofs, fmce there was no- thing, I believe, worth hearing, for a more mife- rable theatre I have not feen in my Parifian pilgrimage. The firft piece was L'Honnete Horn- me, in one a6h It contained fo little of novelty, that though I faw it now for the firft time, I could have fancied it the hundredth. Secondly, was reprefented Le Triompke de U Amour, in three whining infipid acls. Never did love folemnize a more wearying triumph. Laftly came Les Etrennes de la Liberte Conqitife^ an opera in oiie acl. This was beyond expreflion filly and abfurd. Mercury appears,, and announces that Minerva, Mars, Bacchus, and Cupid, are on their way to Paris, and in -conformity to the eftablifhed cuf- tom, intend to open their (hops on New-Year's Day, and offer their goods to fale at very low prices. The deities announced, appeared imme- diately after, and fung their profeflions without any mufical accompaniment, in the true ballad- finger 312 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. finger tone. They then adjourned each to a cor- ner of the ftage, which they called their fhops, It muft be obferved by the way, that the ftage, inftead of being illuminated after the ufual man- ner, was lighted only by one ordinary lanthorn. Abundance of purchafers now appeared. Mi- nerva offered her wifdom, and Mars his cou- rage to fale, at a very cheap rate. To the latter, his cuftomers replied, that they had al- ready a profufion of this commodity in the na- tion, and that the French were the firft people who had brought real freedom down upon the earth. La Fayette was every moment named or fung. Happy was it for him that he could not hear it. The clergy muft alfo here, as every where, be made fubjecis of ridicule. Among the throng was an Abbe, who had been deprived of his benefice, whom Minerva invited to be her cuftomer. He replied, that his order, it was true, had always had learning and wifdom in their mouths, but not in their hearts. He, therefore, made his bow to her, and went over to Bacchus and Cupid, whofe wares throughout found the readieft fale. But fince few at laft became purchafers, and the .Deities expreffed their furprize at it, the Goddefs Liberty herfelf appeared in the form of MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. 313 of a fat milk-maid, and faid, {he would explain the riddle. It is well known, (he obferved, that the French love variety in their amufements. Wifdom, courage, love, and wine, they had poffefTed for many centuries, but liberty never till this moment, and it was therefore mod natu- ral that they fhould now run after her. Ludi- crous enough, that liberty mould be confidered only as an amufement, which the French have fought byway of variety. Ludicrous enough ! yet at the fame time it muft be owned that it is apparently very true. Of no evening fmce my arrival at Paris have I felt fo heartily weary as of this. The Palais-Royal was very brilliant. The fliops were all fet out in the higheft tafte, and fplendidly illuminated. There were particularly a number of extremely pretty things made in fugar, and the fuper-abundantly fugared French ran after them very eagerly. JAN 2. I tranfcribe the following advertifement from a paper of to-day, in the full convi&ion that it can be meant only as joke, fmce it feems fcarcely poffible that any one mould ferioufly put forth fuch a tiffue of abfurdity, "In 314 MY FLIGHT TO PARIS. " In the Bureau de Foyer, in the circus, Rue " du G~and Chantier, at number one, in the firft tf ftory, is a painter of much greater profeflional to the Public. " The pleafures of fummer are paft, the wea- " ther grows cold, the evenings long, winter " comes on. Shall we be content with no other " amufement than whift? or, defpifing the pre- u judices that in the laft year ftrove to crufh our " pacific INSTITUTION AT REVAL. S49 rf pacific and unoffending fociety, fhall we with ic renewed zeal, with additional ardour to affift ec the poor and unfortunate, again open our * theatre, and calmly waiting the event, fee " what will in future be faid and thought of " our undertaking, what praifes or cenfures it " may receive ? " We candidly confefs, that our zeal has been " fomewhat cooled, our flame nearly extinguifh- Vs worthily may {ing the brave man's prajfe. From 352 ACCOUNT OF A THEATRICAL " will you pay us with revilings? Is it poiTible " to misinterpret our views ? Is it poffible that " more From the South-Sea the thaw-wind blew O'er fair Italia's icy wafte ; The clouds difpers'd before it flew, As iheep from wolves in terror hafte. Jt fcour'd the fields, it loos'd the frozen grounds, And lakes and rivers burft their ftated bounds. The fnow difiblv'd in pond'rous flakes, With roaring noife rufti'd down the hills, The meads were chang'd to mighty lakes, To mighty torrents fwelPd the rills. The rifing billows roll'd with mighty force, And carried rocks of ice along their courfe, On pillars and on arches ftrong A bridge was rais'd acrofs the flood, Beneath, the current flow'd along, Above, a lonely cottage flood ; And here the Tollman liv'd, with wife, and child " Ah, Tollman! Tollman! fly the temped wild!" Loud howl'd the ftorm, the billows roll'd Towards the bridge vvkh ruming found. " Ah, haplefs man! thy fate behold!" He gaz'd, hefawthe tumult round. 44 Oh let us, gracious heav'n, thy pity (hare : 44 We're loft ! we're loft ! fpare us, in mercy fparc !'* Vaft rocks of ice ftill onward borne, Againft the tott'ring pillars broke j The pillars from their bafes torn, The arches to their centres (hook. The trembling Tollman, with his wife and child, Cried out for help amid the tempeft wild. And INSTITUTION AT REVAL. 353 ' u more words can be neceflary to convince you "of your injuftice ? " But And onward ftill the ice-rocks rolPd, Still drove againft the bridge pell-mell. Each arch was loofen'd from its hold, And pillar after pillar fell. O'er the riv'd arches fierce the billows tofsM, " In mercy fave us, heaven ! we're loft ! we're loft !'* Aloft upon the neareft lands Stood fwarms of gazers, fmall and great; They wept, they fhriek'd, they wrung their handsj But who can flop the arm of fate ? Yet ftill the Tollman, with his wife and child* Invok'd their help amid the tempeft wild. When fhall I of the brave man fing, As bell, or organ's lofty found ? Oh quickly, quickly, fuccour bring ! Oh quickly be this brave man found ! And ftill towards the midft the ruin drew^- Hafte! hafte! brave man! alas, not yet in view ! See galloping o'er yonder land, On a brave fteed, a noble count. He comes ! What holds he in his hand ? A purfe of gold to large amount. Piftoles two hundred fhall the hero have, Who'll rifk his own, the Tollman's life to fave. Who's he that thus will nobly dace ? Is it the Count?. Oh fpeak, my fong ! The Count was brave, by heav'n I fvvear ! Yet was a braver 'mong the throng. Come forth, come forth, brave man, thy valour fhevv, Ere fell deftruction end his tale of woe ! ^ A a Still 354- ACCOUNT OF A THEATRICAL " But we fubjeft ourfelves to the criticifms of ik even the lowed among the people. " How Still higher, higher, rofe the flood, Still louder, louder, roar'd the ftorm, Still flower, flower, crept their blood. Ah, brave man ! brave man ! fliew thy form ! See pillar after pillar break and fall, Arch after arch, 'twill foon be ruin all. And ftill the Count held up the prize, Halloo ! halloo ! your courage roufe '. They gaz'd, they look'd with eager eyes, Yet ventur'd nought but pray'rs and vows. While ftill the Tollman, with his wife and child, Cried out for help amid the tempeit wild. But fee he comes! In humble guife Advancing tow'rd the fatal more. His garb was coarfe, yet in his eyes The ftamp of true fublime he bore. The proffer'd boon he heard, the flood furvey'd, Yet view'd the near deftruclion undifmay'd. Into a boat, with noble pride He fprang, t' arreft the arm of fate ; The winds and waves, and florm defied, And reach'd the houfe ere yet too late. Yet woe ! oh, woe ! the fragile bark's too fmall, ' To refcue the devoted viclims all. Then three times he the danger dar r d, Three times the winds, and billows brav'd, No peril fliunn'd, no effort fpar'd, Till Tollman, wife, and child, were fav'd. And as the laft in fafety reach'd the more, Down the laft pillar fell, to rife no m;>re. And INSTITUTION AT REVAL. 355 " How feeble muft be that head which could be fo difconcerted by the criticifms of either the loweft or the higheft, as on that account to forego what is right ! -How weak muft be that tongue which could be filenced by the cenfures of another equally weak. It is be^ And who, then, is this brave man > fay ? Speak out, fpeak out, his name my fong ! He riik'd his life, but, well-a-day, Our praifes to the gold belong ; For had the noble Count his money fav'd, The peafant ne'er the flormy winds had brav'd. " Here," cried the Count, " thou hero true, " Whofe val'rous heart no fears control, '* Receive the prize to virtue due." Say, fliew'd he not a noble foul? Yes, noble was the Count's, but nobler yet The heart within the peafant's coat that beat* " My life can ne'er be bought or fold, " I ftiil enjoy content, though poor, " Give this poor Tollman here your gold, " His all is loft, he needs it more." Thus pour'd he out th' effufions of his foul, Then 'mongft the crowd in modeft filence ftole. Refonnd! refound! the brave man's praife ! In tones as bell or organ fine ! He who acquires by courage fame, Not gold muft pay, but fong divine. Then heav'n be thank'd, that I the lyre can raife, T 1 immortalize by fong the brave man's praife. Aa2 "fides 356 ACCOUNT OF A THEATRICAL " fides an indifputable fal, that the populace, " as they are called, often feel much more " acutely, as well as more correctly, than perfons " of rank that a tear has frequently been fhed " in the lowed places, when the audience i;i " the higher have been clapping or eating ap- " pies. " Behold the balance in our hands. We " challenge you to put into one fcale the laugh- " ter and the criticifms of all the fhoemakers and " taylors in the world, and we will place in " the other the pious prayers of many a poor ioned by the ex- " amples of their fathers, and who caft an odium " upon the beft and moil pious purpofes. " Away then, prejudice ! Thou fhalt not di- " flurb our minds ! Courageoufly will we tread " anew the path pointed out by our better feel- " ings, and endeavour to reach the goal which " philanthropy has erefted to ftimulate our exer- " tions. Should our playing not gain applaufe " from the critic, the purity of our motives will " at leaft acquire us applaufe from God. From " that God who created us all, whofe all-feeing Youth in D anger > Joanna of Montfaucon, and the New Century, but it is be- lieved that none of thefe have yet been printed in their original language. A tranflation of the firft, from Kotzebue's manufcript, has been pub- lifoed 378 GENERAL SKETCH OF lifhed in England. The New Century is a fatire upon the ridiculous conteft that has been car- ried on, no lefs eagerly upon the continent, than in England, upon the time when the new century commences. Of the dramas above enumerated, the principal have been tranflated into Englifh ; but to fome, different titles are affixed from thofe here given. The Indians in England is called The Eajl Indian The Voluntary Sacrifice, Self-immolation The Silver Wedding-Day, the Happy Family The Calumniator s t the Force of Calumny and Ill-Humour, the Peevi/It Man. But fmce, in thefe inftances, the titles in the tranflations, though perhaps better, confider- ed as Engliih ones, deviate from the originals, the tranflator has judged it right, in enumerating Kotzebue's works, to give them by his own names. To three of the pieces, however, it is difficult to give any Englifh title perfectly corre- fponding with the German one. One of thefe, The Madcap, has already been noticed*. The * Since the firft note to page 107, in which this piece is mentioned, was printed, a very pleafing mufical after-piece, taken from it, called Of Age To-morrow, has been performed qt Drury Lane Theatre. In fome of the abftracts of Kotze- tyue's Life that have been publiftied, it is called The Chafe. It might as well have been called The Broom/lick, fince that woulci have borne as much affinity to Kotzebue's Title. Voluntary KOTZEBUE'S WORKS. 879 Voluntary Sacrifice is another, but that title is at lead equally expreffive of the German idea with Self- immolation, and a better Englifh title. The third inftance is The Children of Misfortune. No Eng- lifh term will exaHy correfpond with the Ger- man one ; it might be called The Unhappy People, fince it has the fame meaning as the French term Les Malheureux. In fome inilances, where a piece has been tranflated by different perfons, it has appeared under different titles. Thus, The Natural Son has alfo been called The Child of Love and The Spaniards in Peru has been entitled Rolla, the Peruvian Hero, and Pizarro, or the Death of Rolla. The following pieces have been performed upon the Englifh ftage, but with confiderable alterations, and, excepting in one inftance, with different titles. They have appeared in the order here given. Mifanthropy and Repentance, at Drury Lane Theatre, as the Stranger. The Natural Son, at Covent Garden Theatre, as Lovers* Vows. The Reconciliation, at Covent Garden Theatre, as The Birth Day. The Count of Burgundy, at Covent Garden Theatre, with its original title. The S80 GENERAL SKETCH OF The Widow and the Riding Horfe, at Co- vent Garden Theatre, as The Horfe and the Widow. The Spaniards in Peru; or, the Death of Rolla, at Drury Lane Theatre, as Pizarro. The Voluntary Sacrifice, at the Haymarket, as Family Diftrefs. The Indians in England, at the Theatre at Stamford, as the Indian Exiles. Poverty and Magnanimity, at the Haymarket, as Sighs ; or, the Daughter. The Madcap, at Drury Lane Theatre, as Of Age To-Morrow, Two plays from manufcripts of Kotzebue's have alfo been performed at Covent Garden Theatre, The Wife Man of the Eajl, altered from The Writing Dejk, and Joanna of Montfaucon, which, it is believed, bears the fame title in the original. Some of the fmaller pieces, perhaps, do not come ftri&ly under the defcription of dra- matic works. The Dilettanti Theatre before the Parliament^ is a merely local thing, which might be performed with very good effeft on the particular fpot where it could be underftood, but is not a drama for the world at large. Tkt KOTZEBUE'S WORKS. 381 The Hyperborean Afs too, is rather fatirical dia- logue than properly a dramatic piece. It is written to ridicule The Athenaum, a periodical work now publilhing in Germany, and which, if any judgment may be formed of it, from the quotations brought forward by Kotzebue, muft be replete with abfurdities. The Beautiful Stranger, again, is a mixture of drama and narrative, and it is difficult to determine whether it ought to be included in the clafs of dramas or of tales. Kotzebue indeed, himfelf, calls it a dramatifed tale. The plot, however, is a good dramatic one. The pieces are, as much as poflible, arranged in chronological order. In this arrangement, the tranflator has in general had the author's own dates for her guide. With four of the moil immaterial, of the dates of which ilie could not be certain, (he has been obliged to follow conjec- ture in the places afligned them. Thefe are, The Noble Lie, The Beautiful Stranger, The Wi- dow and the Riding Horfe, and The Repining Huf- bands* Befides this long lift of dramatic works, Kotze- bue has publifhed : The 382 GENERAL SKETCH OF The Sufferings of the Family of Qrtenberg, romance, in two volumes. Mifcellaneous Pieces, in four volumes ; and, The Youngeft Offspring of my Fancy, a mifcel- laneous colle&ion, in fix volumes. The firft of thefe has been tranflated into Eng* lifh. The preceding Flight to Paris, and the ac- count of the Dilettanti Theatre at Reval, are ex- tra&ed from the mifcellaneous works. Of the other pieces in thefe volumes, the romance of Ildegerte, Queen of Norway, and The Hi/lory of my Father, a very whimfical but amufing trifle., have both received Englifh dreffes. In thefe mif- cellaneous works are included fome of the au- thor's early dramatic produ&ions. From the Youngeft Offspring of my Fancy are taken Kotzebue's Life, the Anecdote in page 369, and the little Dialogue on his Wife's Birth- Day. From thefe volumes have alfo been pub* lifhed in Englifh the beautiful tale of William and Jeannette, and the extraordinary account of Jofeph Pignata's efcape from the prifons of the Inquifition at Rome, called by the title of The Efcape. The KOTZRBUE'S WORKS. 383 The few earlier works that Kotzebue mentions having publiilied, have never, to the Tranflator's knowledge, found their way into England. Some tales of his have been inferted by Becker in a collection of mifcellaneous pieces which he publifnes periodically, but whether they are ori- ginals, or taken from among the many works of our Author, which, according to his own account, are fcattered in various publications, is not known to the Tranflator. All the works above enumerated have been written fince the year 1783 or 1784, unlefs it may be fome of the mod immaterial pieces in the four mifcellaneous volumes, the precife dates of which do not appear. The truly valuable talent of indefatigable induflry and application, cannot be denied to a man who has accomplifhed fo much, efpecially when it is confidered that, for a coniiderable part of that time, Kotzebue was a public character, engaged in public bufinefs. He entered the Emprefs of Ruilia's fervice in 1781, and, it is to be prefumed, had not quitted it in 1794, fince the -preface to one of the vo- lumes of The Youngejl Offspring of my Fancy, is dated from Reval, in January that year. That all his works bear the ftrong imprefs of genius can as little be denied ; and if we rife in anyway dif- fatisfied from the perufal of them, -it is not becaufe 384 GENERAL SKETCH, 8cC. becaufe we difcovcr a deficiency, but rather an exuberance of genius, which, as is very com- monly the cafe, hurries on the writer with an excefs of rapidity that prevents his polifhing fuf- ficiently to afford entire fatisfa&ion to refined tafte ; and where we fee fo much done, while we greatly admire, we lament that there mould be any alloy to perfect admiration. FINIS. C. Lean Street, Fetter Lane, Londou 24 1900 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY - - - HHBH8 HB