Werter did not prevent him, but ordered him not to come in the morn ing till he rung. Monday morning, the 21st of December, he wrote the following letter, which was found fealed on his bureau after his death, and given to Charlotte. I fhall infert it in fragments, as it appears by feveral circumstances to have been written.] -It is all over.-Charlotte, I am refolved to die; I tell it you deliberately and cooly, without any romantic paffion. The morning of that day on which I am to see you for the laft time; at the very moment when you you read thefe lines, Oh! best of women! a cold grave holds the inanimate remains of that agitated unhappy man, who in the last moments. of his life knew no pleasure fo great as that of converfing with you. I have paffed a dreadful night—or rather let me call it a propitious one;. for it has determined me, it has fixedmy purpose; I am refolved to die.. When I tore myself from you yefterday, my fenfes were in the greateft tumult and diforder; my heart was oppreffed; hope and every ray of pleasure were fled for ever from. me; and a petrifying cold feemed to furround my wretched being.-I. could could scarcely reach my room-I threw myself on my knees.-Heaven for the last time granted me the confolation of fhedding tears. My troubled foul was agitated by a thousand ideas, a thoufand different fchemes at length one thought took poffeffion of me, and is now fixed in my heart-I will die.-It is not despair, it is conviction that I have filled up the measure of my fufferings, that I have reached the term, and that I facrifice myself for you. Yes, Charlotte, why should I not fay it? It is neceffary for one of us three to depart― it shall be Werter.-Oh! my dear Charlotte! lotte! this heart, governed by rage and fury, has often conceived the horrid idea of murdering your hufband-you-myself. I must then depart. When in the fine evenings of fummer, you walk towards the mountains, think of me; recollect the times you have fo often feen me come up from the valley; raife your eyes to the church-yard which contains my grave; and by the light of the departing fun, fee how the evening-breeze waves the high grafs which C when I began my letter; but the recollection of these scenes makes me cry like a child. [About [About ten in the morning, Werter called his fervant; and as he was dreffing, told him he should go in a few days, bid him lay his cloaths in order, call in his bills, fetch home the books he had lent, and give two months pay to thofe poor people who were used to receive a weekly allowance from him. He breakfafted in his room; and then mounted his horse, and went to make a vifit to the steward, who was not at home. He walked pensively in the garden, and feemed as if he wished to renew all the ideas that were most painful to him. The children did not fuffer him to remain long alone; VOL. II. K they |