their silver wedding journey v3-第17部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


It　was　like　a　day　of　late　spring　in　Italy　or　America；　the　sun　in　that
gardened　hollow　before　the　museum　was　already　hot　enough　to　make　him　glad
of　the　shelter　of　the　hotel。　　The　summer　seemed　to　have　come　back　to
oblige　them；　and　when　they　learned　that　they　were　to　see　Weimar　in　a
festive　mood　because　this　was　Sedan　Day；　their　curiosity；　if　not　their
sympathy；　accepted　the　chance　gratefully。　　But　they　were　almost　moved　to
wish　that　the　war　had　gone　otherwise　when　they　learned　that　all　the
public　carriages　were　engaged；　and　they　must　have　one　from　a　stable　if
they　wished　to　drive　after　breakfast。　　Still　it　was　offered　them　for　such
a　modest　number　of　marks；　and　their　driver　proved　so　friendly　and
conversable；　that　they　assented　to　the　course　of　history；　and　were　more
and　more　reconciled　as　they　bowled　along　through　the　grand…ducal　park
beside　the　waters　of　the　classic　Ilm。

The　waters　of　the　classic　Ilm　are　sluggish　and　slimy　in　places；　and　in
places　clear　and　brooklike；　but　always　a　dull　dark　green　in　color。　　They
flow　in　the　shadow　of　pensive　trees；　and　by　the　brinks　of　sunny　meadows；
where　the　after…math　wanders　in　heavy　windrows；　and　the　children　sport
joyously　over　the　smooth…mown　surfaces　in　all　the　freedom　that　there　is
in　Germany。　　At　last；　after　immemorial　appropriation　the　owners　of　the
earth　are　everywhere　expropriated；　and　the　people　come　into　the　pleasure
if　not　the　profit　of　it。　　At　last；　the　prince；　the　knight；　the　noble
finds；　as　in　his　turn　the　plutocrat　will　find；　that　his　property　is　not
for　him；　but　for　all；　and　that　the　nation　is　to　enjoy　what　he　takes　from
it　and　vainly　thinks　to　keep　from　it。　　Parks；　pleasaunces；　gardens；　set
apart　for　kings；　are　the　play…grounds　of　the　landless　poor　in　the　Old
World；　and　perhaps　yield　the　sweetest　joy　of　privilege　to　some　state…sick
ruler；　some　world…weary　princess；　some　lonely　child　born　to　the　solitude
of　sovereignty；　as　they　each　look　down　from　their　palace　windows　upon　the
leisure　of　overwork　taking　its　little　holiday　amidst　beauty　vainly
created　for　the　perpetual　festival　of　their　empty　lives。

March　smiled　to　think　that　in　this　very　Weimar；　where　sovereignty　had
graced　and　ennobled　itself　as　nowhere　else　in　the　world　by　the
companionship　of　letters　and　the　arts；　they　still　were　not　hurrying　first
to　see　the　palace　of　a　prince；　but　were　involuntarily　making　it　second　to
the　cottage　of　a　poet。　　But　in　fact　it　is　Goethe　who　is　forever　the
prince　in　Weimar。　　His　greatness　blots　out　its　history；　his　name　fills
the　city；　the　thought　of　him　is　its　chiefest　imitation　and　largest
hospitality。　　The　travellers　remembered；　above　all　other　facts　of　the
grand…ducal　park；　that　it　was　there　he　first　met　Christiane　Vulpius；
beautiful　and　young；　when　he　too　was　beautiful　and　young；　and　took　her
home　to　be　his　love；　to　the　just　and　lasting　displeasure　of　Fran　von
Stein；　who　was　even　less　reconciled　when；　after　eighteen　years　of　due
reflection；　the　love　of　Goethe　and　Christiane　became　their　marriage。
They；　wondered　just　where　it　was　he　saw　the　young　girl　coming　to　meet　him
as　the　Grand…Duke's　minister　with　an　office…seeking　petition　from　her
brother；　Goethe's　brother　author；　long　famed　and　long　forgotten　for　his
romantic　tale　of　〃Rinaldo　Rinaldini。〃

They　had　indeed　no　great　mind；　in　their　American　respectability；　for　that
rather　matter…of…fact　and　deliberate　liaison；　and　little　as　their
sympathy　was　for　the　passionless　intellectual　intrigue　with　the　Frau　von
Stein；　it　cast　no　halo　of　sentiment　about　the　Goethe　cottage　to　suppose
that　there　his　love…life　with　Christiane　began。　　Mrs。　March　even　resented
the　fact；　and　when　she　learned　later　that　it　was　not　the　fact　at　all；　she
removed　it　from　her　associations　with　the　pretty　place　almost
indignantly。

In　spite　of　our　facile　and　multiple　divorces　we　Americans　are　worshipers
of　marriage；　and　if　a　great　poet；　the　minister　of　a　prince；　is　going　to
marry　a　poor　girl；　we　think　he　had　better　not　wait　till　their　son　is
almost　of　age。　　Mrs。　March　would　not　accept　as　extenuating　circumstances
the　Grand…Duke's　godfatherhood；　or　Goethe's　open　constancy　to　Christiane；
or　the　tardy　consecration　of　their　union　after　the　French　sack　of；
Weimar；　when　the　girl's　devotion　had　saved　him　from　the　rudeness　of　the
marauding　soldiers。　　For　her　New　England　soul　there　were　no　degrees　in
such　guilt；　and；　perhaps　there　are　really　not　so　many　as　people　have
tried　to　think；　in　their　deference　to　Goethe's　greatness。　　But　certainly
the　affair　was　not　so　simple　for　a　grand…ducal　minister　of　world…wide
renown；　and　he　might　well　have　felt　its　difficulties；　for　he　could　not
have　been　proof　against　the　censorious　public　opinion　of　Weimar；　or　the
yet　more　censorious　private　opinion　of　Fran　von　Stein。

On　that　lovely　Italo…American　morning　no　ghost　of　these　old　dead
embarrassments　lingered　within　or　without　the　Goethe　garden…house。
The　trees　which　the　poet　himself　planted　flung　a　sun…shot　shadow　upon　it；
and　about　its　feet　basked　a　garden　of　simple　flowers；　from　which　the
sweet　lame　girl　who　limped　through　the　rooms　and　showed　them；　gathered　a
parting　nosegay　for　her　visitors。　　The　few　small　livingrooms　were　above
the　ground…floor；　with　kitchen　and　offices　below　in　the　Italian　fashion；
in　one　of　the　little　chambers　was　the　camp…bed　which　Goethe　carried　with
him　on　his　journeys　through　Italy；　and　in　the　larger　room　at　the　front
stood　the　desk　where　he　wrote；　with　the　chair　before　it　from　which　he
might　just　have　risen。

All　was　much　more　livingly　conscious　of　the　great　man　gone　than　the　proud
little　palace　in　the　town；　which　so　abounds　with　relics　and　memorials　of
him。　　His　library；　his　study；　his　study　table；　with　everything　on　it　just
as　he　left　it　when

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Cadde　la　stanca　mana。〃

are　there；　and　there　is　the　death…chair　facing　the　window；　from　which　he
gasped　for　〃more　light〃　at　last。　　The　handsome；　well…arranged　rooms　are
full　of　souvenirs　of　his　travel；　and　of　that　passion　for　Italy　which　he
did　so　much　to　impart　to　all　German　hearts；　and　whose　modern　waning
leaves　its　records　here　of　an　interest　pathetically；　almost　amusingly；
faded。　　They　intimate　the　classic　temper　to　which　his　mind　tended　more
and　more；　and　amidst　the　multitude　of　sculptures；　pictures；　prints；
drawings；　gems；　medals；　autographs；　there　is　the　sense　of　the　many…
mindedness；　the　universal　taste；　for　which　he　found　room　in　little
Weimar；　but　not　in　his　contemporaneous　Germany。　　But　it　is　all　less
keenly　personal；　less　intimate　than　the　simple　garden…house；　or　else；
with　the　great　troop　of　people　going　through　it；　and　the　custodians
lecturing　in　various　voices　and　languages　to　the　attendant　groups；　the
Marches　had　it　less　to　themselves；　and　so　imagined　him　less　in　it。




LX。

All　palaces　have　a　character　of　tiresome　unlivableness　which　is　common　to
them　everywhere；　and　very　probably　if　one　could　meet　their　proprietors　in
them　one　would　as　little　remember　them　apart　afterwards　as　the　palaces
themselves。　　It　will　not　do　to　lift　either　houses　or　men　far　out　of　the
average；　they　become　spectacles；　ceremonies；　they　cease　to　have　charm；　to
have　character；　which　belong　to　the　levels　of　life；　where　alone　there　are
ease　and　comfort；　and　human　nature　may　be　itself；　with　all　the　little
delightful　differences　repressed　in　those　who　represent　and　typify。

As　they　followed　the　custodian　through　the　grand…ducal　Residenz　at
Weimar；　March　felt　everywhere　the　strong　wish　of　the　prince　who　was
Goethe's　friend　to　ally　himself　with　literature；　and　to　be　human　at　least
in　the　humanities。　　He　came　honestly　by　his　passion　for　poets；　his　mother
had　known　it　in　her　time；　and　Weimar　was　the　home　of　Wieland　and　of
Herder　before　the　young　Grand…Duke　came　back　from　his　travels　bringing
Goethe　with　him；　and　afterwards　attracting　Schiller。　　The　story　of　that
great　epoch　is　all　there　in　the　Residenz；　told　as　articulately　as　a
palace　can。

There　are　certain　Poets'　Rooms；　frescoed　with　illustrations　of　Goethe；
Schiller；　and　Wieland；　there　is　the　room　where　Goethe　and　the　Grand…Duke
used　to　play　chess　together；　there　is　the　conservatory　opening　from　it
where　they　liked　to　sit　and　chat；　everywhere　in　the　pictures　and
sculptures；　the　engraving　and　intaglios；　are　the　witnesses　of　the　tastes
they　shared；　the　love　they　both　had　for　Italy；　and　for　beautiful　Italian
things。　　The　prince　was　not　so　great　a　prince　but　that　he　could　very
nearly　be　a　man；　the　court　was　perhaps　the　most　human　court　that　ever
was；　the　Grand…Duke　and　the　grand　poet　were　first　boon　companions；　and
then　monarch　and　minister　working　together　for　the　good　of　the　country；
they　were　always　friends；　and　yet；　as　the　American　saw　in　the　light　of
the　New　World；　which　he　carried　with　him；　how　far　from　friends！　　At　best
it　was　make…believe；　the　make…believe　of　superiority　and　inferiority；　the
make…believe　of　master　and　man；　which　could　only　be　the　more　painful　and
ghastly　for　the　endeavor　of　two　generous　spirits　to　reach　and　rescue　each
other　through　the　asphyxiating　unreality；　but　they　kept　up　the　show　of
equality　faithfully　to　the　end。　　Goethe　was　born　citizen　of　a　free
republic；　and　his　youth　was　nurtured　in　the　traditions　of　liber