When I was presented to this superior woman I felt a pre-disposition to respect her, which the old-fashioned dignity of her appearance, her strongly marked sensible countenance, and the almost quaker-like simplicity of her dress by no means diminished. The Grand Duchess, now at the age of sixty, has no vestiges of beauty-but her face bears the stamp of a character, composed, decided, and perhaps somewhat severe an expression which relaxes, in conversation, into a cheerfulness, the result at once of good humour and simplicity. Her conversation is rational rather than gay; and she appears not to possess much of what is called the aimabilité of society: but there is sound sense and feeling in what she says, and a plain sincerity in her manner, quite in keeping with her almost rustic neatness of attire, and her erect dignity of deportment. She talked to me of English literature, with which she has considerable acquaintance, having formerly cultivated it with industry. On my mentioning that I had learned German, in London, of a Saxon, she enquired particularly for his

GRAND DUCHESS OF SAXE WEIMAR.

33

name, as if the title of a compatriot interested her, and she presently fell, as if involuntarily, into conversation in her own language, with a volubility that obliged me to confess, in French, my inability to keep pace with her. Surrounded by

ladies, who had all the flaunty air of a gay modern Court, the Grand Duchess of Weimar had something of the character of a simple and respectable bourgeoise. With her plain, high, mob-cap, brought down under her chin, her white handkerchief folded neatly across her bosom, and her matronly slate-coloured silk gown, she would have formed a fine figure for the pencil of Hans Holbein. In her conversation, however, were to be found the easy self-possession of rank, and the dignity of intellect, coupled with an upright plainness of manner, which fastidious courtiers might think deficient in polish, but which to me was interesting for its harmony with the sterling qualities which have gained her Royal Highness the veneration of Ger

many.

In the suite of the Princess I had the pleasure of meeting a sensible and grace

D

ful woman, the Countess

with

whom my neighbourhood at a Court dinner, gave me an opportunity of some pleasant conversation. Her friend, Goethe, the literary idol of Germany, on whom our northern critics expended so much gall, was naturally brought on the tapis. The poetical Baron, to the no small concern of the German connoisseurs, has just retired from the direction of the Court Theatre at Weimar, which his taste had raised to high distinction. Amongst various reports on the subject, some ascribed the event to the bard's pertinacious good taste, which opposed itself to the performance of a quadruped performer, who had inspired the Grand Duke with a strong curiosity to see him. This is not precisely the fact- though it is true that a clever canine Roscius, who could carry a lanthorn or knock at a door, was the cause of a misunderstanding between the poet and his master and friend. "Tantane animis cœlestibus iræ?" But Goethe's advanced years and declining health were the immediate causes of his quitting his theatrical duties; the affair of the dog

GOETHE AND THE EDINBURGH REVIEW. 35

perhaps hastened his resignation. His peace is now made with the Court, where he dined the day before the departure of the Grand Duchess. The caustic comments of the Edinburgh Reviewers have been translated into the German Journals, particularly into one at Weimar, the editor of which owed the great poet a grudge* ; and it appears, he could not have hit upon a more efficacious mode of paying it with interest. The critic found the clue to many a deep recess of the poet's psychological structure; touching all his sores with his bitter applications; and the poor bard has smarted not a little under this adroit discipline. He is not, however, quite so generally pitied or defended as I expected; for Goëthe, idolized as he is in Germany, as the poet, is by no means personally the object of the universal love inspired by Schiller. People speak of the latter with a fondness and respect as much called forth by his character as his genius.

* I since understand that Goëthe has taken a dignified revenge in publishing a translation of the critical enactments against him, with the simple comment, "This the English call criticism!"

He was a good man,-a good Germansimple as a child—with a noble and highminded nature. Goëthe has too much vanity to be personally popular, for while men of genius and kindred feeling, treat this defect as a mere feather in the scale weighed against first rate powers, the world at large never forgive it. It is an offence against their self-love which is quite unpardonable. Not being able to measure the infinite difference between a superior genius and themselves, they cannot understand why he should be a privileged being who may dogmatize and dictate in a style quite unallowable to persons of the common calibre. The little wits and the no wits of Germany are therefore very fond of descanting on the arrogance, and the overweening conceit of this great poet-while the real lovers of genius laugh at any one who dwells a moment on this weak side of their literary demigod. After all it must be admitted that the true elevation of human nature is the character ascribed to Schiller-that of vast genius united with an almost childish simplicity and artlessness of character.