great deal of freedom in Germany, it operates | to give of it by a few extracts. Wilhelm is less by raising the mass of the people to a describing the dress of the prophet Samuel in potential equality with the nobles, than by his Punch's Opera of Goliah, and telling "how securing to them their inferior and plebeian the taffeta of the cassock had been taken from privileges; and consists rather in the immu- a gown of his grandmother's," when a noise nities of their incorporated tradesmen, which is heard in the street, and the old maid Barmay enable them to become rich as such, than bara informs them that in any general participation of national rights, by which they may aspire to dignity and elegance, as well as opulence and comfort. Now, the writers, as well as the readers in that country, belong almost entirely to the plebeian and vulgar class. Their learned men are almost all wofully poor and dependent; and the comfortable burghers, who buy entertaining books by the thousand at the Frankfort fair, probably agree with their authors in nothing so much as the value they set on those homely comforts to which their ambition is mutually limited by their condition; and enter into no part of them so heartily as those which set forth their paramount and continual importance.

"The disturbance arose from a set of jolly com. panions, who were just then sallying out of the Italian Tavern, hard by, where they had been busy discussing fresh oysters, a cargo of which had just arrived, and by no means sparing their champagne. in time; we might have had some entertainment to Pity,' Mariana said, that we did not think of it ourselves. It is not yet too late,' said Wilhelm, giving Barbara a louis d'or: get us what we want; then come and take a share with us.' The old dame made speedy work; ere long a trimly-covered table, with a neat collation, stood before the lovers. They made Barbara sit with them; they ate and drank, and enjoyed themselves. On such occasions, there is never want of enough to say. Mariana soon took up little Jonathan again, and the old dame turned the conversation upon Wilhelm's favourite topic. You were telling us,' she said, Christmas-eve: I remember you were interrupted, about the first exhibition of a puppet-show on just as the ballet was going to begin.' 'I assure you,' said Wilhelm, 'it went off quite well. And certainly the strange caperings of these Moors and Mooresses, these shepherds and shepherdesses, these dwarfs and dwarfesses, will never altogether leave my recollection while I live,'" &c. &c.

We spare our readers some dozen pages of doll-dressing and joinery, and come to the following choice passage.

It is time, however, that we should proceed to give some more particular account of the work which has given occasion to all these observations. Nor indeed have we anything more of a general nature to premise, except that we really cannot join in the censure which we have found so generally bestowed on it for its alleged grossness and immorality. It is coarse, certainly, in its examples, and by no means very rigorous in its ethical precepts. But it is not worse in those respects than many "In well adjusted and regulated houses,' conworks on which we pride ourselves at home-tinued Wilhelm, children have a feeling not unlike Tom Jones, for example, or Roderick Random. what I conceive rats and mice to have; they keep There are passages, no doubt, that would a sharp eye on all crevices and holes, where they shock a delicate young lady; but to the bulk may come at any forbidden dainty; they enjoy it of male readers, for whom we suppose it was also with a fearful, stolen satisfaction, which forms chiefly intended, we do not apprehend that it than any other of the young ones, I was in the habit no small part of the happiness of childhood. More will either do any great harm, or give any of looking out attentively to see if I could notice great offence. any cupboard left open, or key standing in its lock. Wilhelm Meister is the son of a plodding The more reverence I bore in my heart for those merchant, in one of the middling towns of closed doors, on the outside of which I had to pass Germany, who, before he is out of his ap-glance when our mother now and then opened the by for weeks and months, catching only a furtive prenticeship, takes a passion for play-going; consecrated place to take something from it,-the which he very naturally follows up by en- quicker was I to make use of any opportunities gaging in an intrigue with a little pert actress, which the forgetfulness of our housekeepers at times who performed young officers and other male afforded me. Among all the doors, that of the storeThe book opens parts with great success. the one I watched most narwith a supper at her lodgings; where he tells her a long silly story of his passion for puppetshows in his childhood-how he stole a set of puppets out of a pantry of his mother's, into which he had slipped to filch sugar-plums how he fitted up a puppet-show of his own, in a garret of his father's house, and enacted David and Goliah, to the wonder and delight of the whole family, and various complaisant neighbours, who condescended to enact audience-how a half-pay lieutenant assisted him in painting the figures and nailing up the boards-and how out of all this arose his early taste for playhouses and actresses. This goodly stuff extends through fifty mortal pages-all serious, solemn, and silly, far beyond the pitch of the worst gilt thing ever published by Mr Newberry. As this is one of the most characteristic parts of the work, we must verify the account we have ventured

room was, of course,
rowly.

equal the feeling which I used to have, when my Few of the joyful anticipations in life can mother happened to call me, that I might help her to carry out any thing, after which I might pick up a few dried plums, either with her kind permission, or by help of my own dexterity. The accumulated treasures of this chamber took hold of my imaginaby so multifarious a collection of sweet-smelling tion by their magnitude; the very fragrance exhaled spices produced such a craving effect on me, that I never failed, when passing near, to linger for a little, and regale myself at least on the unbolted atmos phere. At length, one Sunday morning, my mother, being hurried by the ringing of the church shutting the door, and went away leaving all the bells, forgot to take this precious key with her on house in a deep sabbath stillness. No sooner had I marked this oversight, than gliding softly once or twice to and from the place, I at last approached very gingerly, opened the door, and felt myself, manifold and long-wished-for means of happiness. after a single step, in immediate contact with these I glanced over glasses, chests, and bags, and drawers and boxes, with a quick and doubtful eye, consider

whatever catches the eye and possesses at the same "A peculiar inclination for magnificence, for time real worth and durability. In his house, he would have all things solid and massive; his stores must be copious and rich, all his plate must be heavy, the furniture of his table must be costly. On the other hand, his guests were seldom invited; for every dinner was a festival, which, both for its expense and for its inconvenience, could not often be repeated. The economy of his house went on at a settled uniform rate, and every thing that moved or had a place in it was just what yielded no one any real enjoyment.

ing what I ought to take; turned finally to my dear | an elaborate character of the worthy old trader withered plums, provided myself also with a few and his partner. Old Meister, it seems, had dried apples, and completed the forage with an orange-chip. I was quietly retreating with my plunder, when some little chests, lying piled over one another, caught my attention: the more so, as I noticed a wire with hooks at the end of it, sticking through the joint of the lid in one of them. Full of eager hopes, I opened this singular package; and judge of my emotions, when I found my glad world of heroes all sleeping safe within! I meant to pick out the topmost, and, having examined them, to pull up those below; but in this attempt the wires got very soon entangled, and I fell into a fright and flutter, more particularly as the cook just then began making some stir in the kitchen, which lay close by; so that I had nothing for it but to squeeze the whole together, the best way I could, and to shut the chest, having stolen from it nothing but a little written book, which happened to be lying above, and contained the whole drama of Goliah and David. With this booty I made good my retreat into the garret.'"-pp. 20-22.

This, we suppose, will be received as a sufficient specimen of the true German taste for comfits, cooking, and cockering. If any one should wish for a sample of pure childishness, or mere folly, there are pages on pages like the following.

It was natural that the operas, with their manifold adventures and vicissitudes, should attract me more than any thing beside. In these compositions, I found stormy seas; gods descending in chariots of cloud; and, what most of all delighted me, abundance of thunder and lightning. I did my best with pasteboard, paint, and paper: I could make night very prettily; my lightning was fearful to behold; only my thunder did not always prosper, which however was of less importance. In operas, moreover. I found frequent opportunities of introducing my David and Goliah, persons whom the regular drama would hardly admit. Daily I felt more attachment for the hampered spot where I enjoyed so many pleasures; and, I must confess, the fragrance which the puppets had acquired from the store-room added not a little to my satisfaction.

The elder Werner, in his dark and hampered house, led quite another sort of life. The business of the day, in his narrow counting-room, at his ancient desk, once done, Werner liked to eat well and if possible to drink better. Nor could he fully enjoy good things in solitude; with his family he must always see at table his friends and any stranger that had the slightest connection with his house. His chairs were of unknown age and antic fashion, but he daily invited some to sit on them. The dainty victuals arrested the attention of his guests, and none remarked that they were served up in combut the emptied niches were usually filled by more His cellar held no great stock of wine: of a superior sort."-pp. 56, 57.

mon ware.

This must be admitted not to be the very best exemplification of the style noble. Nor is the outfit of the hero himself described in a vein more lofty.

forth as soon as possible. Where shall we get a "He must prepare," said Meister, "and set horse for him to suit this business?-We shall not seek far. The shopkeeper in H- who owes us somewhat, but is withal a good man, has offered me a horse instead of payment. My son knows it, and tells me it is a serviceable beast. He may fetch it himself; let him go with the diligence; the day after to-morrow he is back again betimes; we have his saddle-bags and letters made ready in the mean time; he can set out Monday morning."

The following passage, however, is a fairer sample of the average merit of the work; and exhibits some traits of vivacity and eloquence, though debased by that affectation of singularity, and that predominating and characteristic vulgarity, of which we have already said so much. He is describing his hero's hours of fascination, in the playhouse, and elsewhere.

The decorations of my theatre were now in a tolerable state of completeness. I had always had the nack of drawing with compasses, and clipping pasteboard, and colouring figures; and here it served me in good stead. But the more sorry was I, on the other hand, when, as frequently happened, my stock of actors would not suffice for representing great affairs. My sisters dressing and undressing their dolls, awoke in me the project of furnishing my heroes by and by with garments, which might also be put off and on. Accordingly, I slit the "For hours he would stand by the sooty ligh scraps of cloth from off their bodies; tacked the fragments together as well as possible; saved a par. frame, inhaling the vapour of tallow lamps, lookticle of money to buy new ribbons and lace; beg.ing out at his mistress; and when she returned and ged many a rag of taffeta; and so formed, by degrees, a full theatrical wardrobe, in which hooppetticoats for the ladies were especially remembered. My troop was now fairly provided with dresses for the most important piece, and you might have expected that henceforth one exhibition would follow close upon the heels of another. But it hap. pened with me, as it often happens with children; they embrace wide plans, make mighty preparations, then a few trials, and the whole undertaking is abandoned. I was guilty of this fault,'" &c. &c. But we must get on with our story, While he is lulling his little actress to sleep by these edifying discourses, and projecting to go on the stage along with her, our mercantile hero is suddenly sent off by his father, to collect debts from their country customers. The ingenious author, however, cannot possibly let him go, without presenting his readers with

cast a kindly glance upon him, he was himself
lost in ecstacy, and, though close upon laths and
bare spars, he seemed transported into paradise.
The stuffed bunches of wool denominated lambs,
the water-falls of tin, the paper roses, and the one-
sided huts of straw, awoke in him fair poetic visions
of an oid pastoral world. Nay, the very dancing
girls, ugly as they were when seen at hand, did
not always inspire him with disgust. They trod
the same floor with Mariana. So true is it, that
love, which alone can give their full charm to rose-
communicate, even to shavings of wood and paper
bowers, myrtle-groves, and moonshine, can also
clippings, the aspect of animated nature.
strong a spice, that tasteless, or even nauseous
soups, are by it rendered palatable!

It is so

der tolerable, nay at last agreeable, the state in "So potent a spice was certainly required to ren which he usually found her chamber, not to say herself.-Brought up in a substantial burgher's house, cleanliness and order were the element in

K

in writing.

which he breathed; and inheriting as he did a por- be said to escape till the end of the work. tion of his father's taste for finery, it had always Nothing, indeed, can be more ludicrously nubeen his care, in boyhood, to furnish up his cham-natural than the luck he has in meeting with ber, which he regarded as his little kingdom, in the stateliest fashion. He had got himself a carpet for nothing but players, and persons connected the middle of his chamber, and a finer one for his with playhouses. On his very first sally, he table. He had also a white cap, which he wore falls in with a player who had run away with straight up like a turban! and the sleeves of his a young lady, whom he had captivated from night-gown he had caused to be cut short, in the the stage-and has scarcely had time to admode of the Orientals. As a reason for this, he mire the mountain scenery among which he pretended, that long wide sleeves encumbered him has to pass his first evening, when he is sur "In those times, how happy did he think the prised to learn that the work-people in the players, whom he saw possessed of so many splen- adjacent village are about to act a play!-the did garments, trappings, and arms; and in the con- whole process of which is described with as stant practice of a lofty demeanour, the spirit of solemn a tediousness as his own original pupwhich seemed to hold up a mirror of whatever, in pet-show. In the first town to which he the opinions, relations, and passions of men, was stateliest and most magnificent. Of a piece with descends, he meets first with a seducing comthis, thought Wilhelm, is also the player's domes-pany of tumblers and rope-dancers, reinforced tic life; a series of dignified transactions and employments, whereof their appearance on the stage is but the outmost portion! Like as a mass of silver, long simmering about in the purifying furnace, at length gleams with a bright and beautiful tinge in the eye of the refiner, and shows him, at the same time, that the metal now is cleansed of all foreign mixture.

by the valuable addition of a Strong Man ; and in half an hour after makes acquaintance with a gay and bewitching damsel-who sends across the street to beg a nosegay she sees in his hands-and turns out, by the happiest accident in the world, to be a strolling actress, waiting there for the chance of employment. To give our readers an idea of the sort of descriptions with which the great writers in Germany now electrify their readers, we copy the following simple and impressive account of the procession of the tumbling party.

46

"Great, accordingly, was his surprise at first, when he found himself beside his mistress, and looked down, through the cloud that environed him, on tables, stools, and floor. The wrecks of a transient, light, and false decoration lay, like the glittering coat of a skinned fish, dispersed in wild disorder. The implements of personal cleanliness. combs, soap, towels, with the traces of their use! were not concealed. Music, portions of plays and horseback; he was followed by a female dancer 'Preceded by a drum, the manager advanced on pairs of shoes, washes and Italian flowers, pin-mounted on a corresponding hack, and holding a cushions, hair-skewers, rouge-pots and ribbons, books, and straw-hats; no article despised the child before her, all bedizened with ribbons and neighbourhood of another; all were united by a spangles. Next came the remainder of the troop common element, powder and dust. Yet as Wil. on foot; some of them carrying children on their helm scarcely noticed in her presence aught except shoulders in dangerous postures, yet smoothly and herself; nay, as all that had belonged to her, that lightly; among these the young, dark, black-haired she had touched, was dear to him, he came at last figure again attracted Wilhelm's notice.—Pickleto feel, in this chaotic housekeeping, a charm which herring ran gaily up and down the crowded multithe proud pomp of his own habitation never had tude, distributing his hand-bills with much practical communicated. When, on this hand, he lifted fun; here smacking the lips of a girl, there breechaside her boddice, to get at the harpsicord; on that, ing a boy, and awakening generally among the threw her gown upon the bed, that he might find a people an invincible desire to know more of him.seat: when she herself, with careless freedom. did On the painted flags, the manifold science of the not seek to hide from him many a natural office! company was visibly delineated." which, out of respect for the presence of a second person, is usually concealed; he felt as if by all this he was coming nearer to her every moment, as if the communion betwixt them was fastening by invisible ties!"

In the midst of all these raptures, and just after he had been gallantly serenading her with the trumpets of a travelling showman, he detects his frail fair one in an intrigue with a rival; and falls into the most horrible agonies, the nature and violence of which the ingenious author illustrates by the following very obvious and dignified simile.

"As when by chance, in the preparation of some artificial fire-works, any part of the composition kindles before its time, and the skilfully bored and loaded barrels, which, arranged, and burning after a settled plan, would have painted in the air a magnificently varying series of flaming images.now hissing and roaring, promiscuously explode with a confused and dangerous crash; so, in our hero's case, did happiness and hope, pleasure and joys, realities and dreams, clash together with destructive tumult, all at once in his bosom."

The new actress, to whom he is introduced by another of the fraternity whom he finds at his inn, is named Philina; and her character is sketched and sustained throughout the book with far more talent than could be expected from any thing we have hitherto cited. She is gay, forward, graceful, false, and good-natured; with a daring and capricious pleasantry, which, if it often strikes as unnatural, is frequently original and effective. Her debut, however, we must say, is in the author's most characteristic manner.

"She came out from her room in a pair of tight little slippers with high heels, to give them welcome. She had thrown a black mantle over her, above a white negligee, not indeed superstitiously clean, but which, for that very reason, gave her a more frank and domestic air! Her short dress did not hide a pair of the prettiest feet and ancles in the world. You are welcome,' she cried to Wilhelm,

and I thank you for your charming flowers.' She led him into her chamber with the one hand, pressing the nosegay to her breast with the other. Being all seated, and got into a pleasant train of general

He sets off, however, on his journey, and talk, to which she had the art of giving a delightful turn, Laertes threw a handful of gingerbread nuts speedily gets into those more extensive theat-into her lap, and she immediately began to eat rical connections, from which he can scarcely them.- Look what a child this young gallant is!'

she said. He wants to persuade you that I am tond of such confectionary; and it is himself that cannot live without licking his lips over something of the kind.''Let us confess,' replied Laertes, that, in this point, as in others, you and I go hand in nand. For example,' he continued, the weather is delightful to-day: what if we should take a drive into the country, and eat our dinner at the Mill?'"' --Vol. i. pp. 143, 144.

Even at the mill they are fortunate enough to meet with a dramatic representation-some miners in the neighbourhood having, by great good luck, taken it into their heads to set forth the utility of their craft in a sort of recitative dispute with some unbelieving countrymen, and to sing through a part of Werner's Lectures on Mineralogy-upon which very natural and probable occurrence our apprentice comments, in this incredible manner.

"In this little dialogue,' said Wilhelm, when seated at table, we have a lively proof how useful the theatre might be to all ranks; what advantage even the State might procure from it, if the occupations, trades, and undertakings of men were all brought upon the stage! and presented on their praiseworthy side, in that point of view in which the State itself should honour and protect them! As matters stand, we exhibit only the ridiculous side of men. Might it not be a worthy and pleasing task for a statesman to survey the natural and reciprocal influence of all classes on each other, and to guide some poet, gifted with sufficient humour, in such labours as these? In this way, I am persuaded, many very entertaining, both agreeable and useful pieces, might be executed.'

Such is the true sublime of German speculation! and it is by writing such sheer nonsense as this that men in that country acquire the reputation of great genius-and of uniting with pleasant inventions the most profound suggestions of political wisdom! Can we be wrong in maintaining, after this, that there are diversities of national taste that can never be reconciled, and scarcely ever accounted for?

On another day they go in a boat, and agree, by way of pastime, to "extemporise a Play," by each taking an ideal character, and attempting to sustain it--and this, "because it forces each to strain his fancy and his wit to the uttermost," is pronounced to be a most "comfortable occupation," and is thus moralized upon by a reverend clergyman who had joined their party, and enacted a country parson with great success.

"I think this practice very useful among actors, and even in the company of friends and acquaintances. It is the best mode of drawing men out of themselves, and leading them, by a circuitous path, back into themselves again.""

Their evening occupation is not less intellectual and dramatic; though it ends, we must own, with rather too much animation. They all meet to read a new play; and

between the third and fourth act, the punch arrived, in an ample bowl; and there being much fighting and drinking in the piece itself, nothing was more natural than that, on every such occurrence, the company should transport themselves into the situation of the heroes, should flourish and strike along with them, and drink long life to their favourites among the dramatis persona.

Each individual of the party was inflamed with the most noble fire of national spirit. How it grati

fied this German company to be poetically entertained, according to their own character, on stuff of their own manufacture! In particular, the vaults and caverns, the ruined castles, the moss and hollow trees; but above all the nocturnal Gipseyscenes, and the Secret Tribunal, produced a quite incredible effect.

"Towards the fifth act the approbation became more impetuous and louder; and at last, when the the tyrant met his doom, the ecstasy increased to hero actually trampled down his oppressor, and such a height, that all averred they had never passed such happy moments. Melina, whom the liquor had inspired, was the noisiest; and when the second bowl was empty, and midnight near, Laertes swore through thick and thin, that no living mortal lips; and, so swearing, he pitched his own right was worthy ever more to put these glasses to his over his head, through a window-pane, out into the street. The rest followed his example; and notwithstanding the protestations of the landlord, who came running in at the noise, the punch-bowl itself, never after this festivity to be polluted by unholy drink, was dashed into a thousand shreds. Philina, whose exhilaration was the least noticed, the other two girls by that time having laid themselves upon the sofa in no very elegant positions, maliciously encouraged her companions in their tumult.

"Meanwhile the town-guard had arrived, and were demanding admission to the house. Wilhelm, but little, had enough to do with the landlord's help much heated by his reading, though he had drank to content these people by money and good words, and afterwards to get the various members of his party sent home in that unseemly case.”

But

Most of our readers probably think they have had enough of this goodly matter. we cannot spare them a taste of the manner of courtship and flirtation that prevailed among these merry people. Philina one day made a garland of flowers for her own hair-and then another, which she placed on the brows of our hero.

"And I, it appears, must go empty!' said Laertes.- Not by any means; you shall not have reason to complain,' replied Philina, taking off the garland from her own head, and putting it on his.If we were rivals,' said Laertes, we might now dispute very warmly which of us stood higher in thy favour. And the more fools you,' said she, whilst she bent herself towards him, and offered him her lips to kiss: and then immediately turned round, threw her arm about Wilhelm, and bestowed a kind salute on him also. "Which of them tastes best?' said she archly. Surprisingly!" exclaimed Laertes: it seems as if nothing else had ever such a tang of wormwood in it. little wormwood,' she replied, as any gift that a man may enjoy without envy and without conceit. But now,' cried she, 'I should like to have an hour's dancing, and after that we must look to our

vaulters.'

As

Another evening, as Wilhelm was sitting pensively on the bench at the inn door,

"Philina came singing and skipping along through the front door. She sat down by him; nay, we might almost say, on him, so close did she press herself towards him; she leant upon his shoulders, began playing with his hair, patted him, and gave him the best words in the world. She begged of him to stay with them, and not leave her alone in that company, or she must die of ennui: she could not live any longer in the same house with Melina, and had come over to lodge in the other inn for that very reason.-He tried in vain to satisfy her with denials; to make her understand that he neither could nor would remain any longer. She did not cease her entreaties; nay, suddenly she threw her arm about his neck, and kissed him

The rent crag rushes down, and above it the flood.
Know'st thou it?
Thither! O thither,
Our way leadeth: Father! O come let us go!"
Vol. i. p. 229.

The mystery that hangs over the original condition of Fenella in Rushin Castle, is discarded, indeed, as to Mignon, from the first: for she is first exhibited to us as actually tumbling!-and is rescued by our hero from the scourge of the master tumbler, who was dissatisfied with her performance. But the fonds of the character is the same. She is beautiful and dwarfish, unaccountable, and full of sensibility, and is secretly in love with her protector, who feels for her nothing but common kindness and compassion. She comes at last, to be sure, to be rather more mad than Fenella, and dies the victim of her hopeless passion. The following is the description, something overworked perhaps, and not quite intelligible, but, on the whole, most powerful and impres sive, of this fairy creature's first indication of her love to her youthful deliverer..

"Nothing is more touching than the first disclosure of a love which has been nursed in silence, of a faith grown strong in secret, and which at last comes forth in the hour of need, and reveals itself to him who formerly has reckoned it of small ac-" count. The bud, which had been closed so long and firmly, was now ripe, to burst its swathings, and Wilhelm's heart could never have been readier to welcome the impressions of affection.