known, are the only students who zealously converse about their science
and profession, even out of the hours of study. This lies in the nature
of the case. The objects of their endeavors are those most obvious to
the senses, and at the same time the highest, the most simple, and the
most complicated. Medicine employs the whole man, for it occupies itself
with man as a whole. All that the young man learns refers directly to an
important, dangerous indeed, but yet in many respects lucrative,
practice. He therefore devotes himself passionately to whatever is to be
known and to be done, partly because it is interesting in itself, partly
because it opens to him the joyous prospect of independence and wealth.
At table, then, I heard nothing but medical conversations, just as
formerly in the boarding-house of Hofrath Ludwig. In our walks and in
our pleasure-parties likewise not much else was talked about: for my
fellow-boarders, like good fellows, had also become my companions at
other times; and they were always joined on all sides by persons of like
minds and like studies. The medical faculty in general shone above the
others, with respect both to the celebrity of the professors and the
number of the students; and I was the more easily borne along by the
stream, as I had just so much knowledge of all these things that my
desire for science could soon be increased and inflamed. At the
commencement of the second half-year, therefore, I attended Spielmann's
course on chemistry, another on anatomy by Lobstein, and proposed to be
right industrious, because, by my singular preliminary or rather extra
knowledge, I had already gained some respect and confidence in our
society.
Yet this trifling and piecemeal way of study was even to be once more
seriously disturbed; for a remarkable political event set every thing in
motion, and procured us a tolerable succession of holidays. Marie
Antoinette, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of France, was to pass
through Strasburg on her road to Paris. The solemnities by which the
people are made to take notice that there is greatness in the world were
busily and abundantly prepared; and especially remarkable to me was the
building which stood on an island in the Rhine between the two bridges,
erected for her reception and for surrendering her into the hands of her
husband's ambassadors. It was but slightly raised above the ground; had
in the centre a grand saloon, on each side smaller ones; then followed
other chambers, which extended somewhat backward. In short, had it been
more durably built, it might have answered very well as a pleasure-house
for persons of rank. But that which particularly interested me, and for
which I did not grudge many a /büsel/ (a little silver coin then
current) in order to procure a repeated entrance from the porter, was
the embroidered tapestry with which they had lined the whole interior.
Here, for the first time, I saw a specimen of those tapestries worked
after Raffaelle's cartoons; and this sight was for me of very decided
influence, as I became acquainted with the true and the perfect on a
large scale, though only in copies. I went and came, and came and went,
and could not satiate myself with looking; nay, a vain endeavor troubled
me, because I would willingly have comprehended what interested me in so
extraordinary a manner. I found these side-chambers highly delightful
and refreshing, but the chief saloon so much the more shocking. This had
been hung with many larger, more brilliant and richer, hangings, which
were surrounded with crowded ornaments, worked after pictures by the
modern French.
Now, I might perhaps have become reconciled to this style also, as my
feelings, like my judgment, did not readily reject any thing entirely;
but the subject was excessively revolting to me. These pictures
contained the history of Jason, Medea, and Creusa, and therefore an
example of the most unhappy marriage. To the left of the throne was seen
the bride struggling with the most horrible death, surrounded by persons
full of sympathizing woe; to the right was the father, horrified at the
murdered babes before his feet; whilst the Fury, in her dragon-car,
drove along into the air. And, that the horrible and atrocious should
not lack something absurd, the white tail of that magic bull flourished
out on the right hand from behind the red velvet of the gold-embroidered
back of the throne; while the fire-spitting beast himself, and the Jason
who was fighting with him, were completely covered by the sumptuous
drapery.
Here all the maxims which I had made my own in Oeser's school were
stirring within my bosom. It was without proper selection and judgment,
to begin with, that Christ and the apostles were brought into the side-
halls of a nuptial building; and doubtless the size of the chambers had
guided the royal tapestry-keeper. This, however, I willingly forgave,
because it had turned out so much to my advantage; but a blunder like
that in the grand saloon put me altogether out of my self-possession,
and with animation and vehemence I called on my comrades to witness such
a crime against taste and feeling. "What!" cried I, without regarding
the by-standers, "is it permitted so thoughtlessly to place before the
eyes of a young queen, at her first setting foot in her dominions, the
representation of the most horrible marriage that perhaps ever was
consummated? Is there among the French architects, decorators,
upholsterers, not a single man who understands that pictures represent
something, that pictures work upon the mind and feelings, that they make
impressions, that they excite forebodings? It is just the same as if
they had sent the most ghastly spectre to meet this beauteous and
pleasure-loving lady at the very frontiers!" I know not what I said
besides: enough, my comrades tried to quiet me and to remove me out of
the house, that there might be no offence. They then assured me that it
was not everybody's concern to look for significance in pictures; that
to themselves, at least, nothing of the sort would have occurred; while
the whole population of Strasburg and the vicinity, which was to throng
thither, would no more take such crotchets into their heads than the
queen herself and her court.
I yet remember well the beauteous and lofty mien, as cheerful as it was
imposing, of this youthful lady. Perfectly visible to us all in her
glass carriage, she seemed to be jesting with her female attendants, in
familiar conversation, about the throng that poured forth to meet her
train. In the evening we roamed through the streets to look at the
various illuminated buildings, but especially the glowing spire of the
minster, with which, both near and in the distance, we could not
sufficiently feast our eyes.
The queen pursued her way: the country people dispersed, and the city
was soon quiet as ever. Before the queen's arrival, the very reasonable
regulation had been made, that no deformed persons, no cripples nor
disgusting invalids, should show themselves on her route. People joked
about this; and I made a little French poem in which I compared the
advent of Christ, who seemed to wander upon earth particularly on
account of the sick and the lame, with the arrival of the queen, who
scared these unfortunates away. My friends let it pass: a Frenchman, on
the contrary, who lived with us, criticised the language and metre very
unmercifully, although, as it seemed, with too much foundation; and I do
not remember that I ever made a French poem afterwards.
No sooner had the news of the queen's happy arrival rung from the
capital, than it was followed by the horrible intelligence, that, owing
to an oversight of the police during the festal fireworks, an infinite
number of persons, with horses and carriages, had been destroyed in a
street obstructed by building materials, and that the city, in the midst
of the nuptial solemnities, had been plunged into mourning and sorrow.
They attempted to conceal the extent of the misfortune, both from the
young royal pair and from the world, by burying the dead in secret; so
that many families were convinced only by the ceaseless absence of their
members that they, too, had been swept off by this awful event. That, on
this occasion, those ghastly figures in the grand saloon again came
vividly before my mind, I need scarcely mention; for every one knows how
powerful certain moral impressions are when they embody themselves, as
it were, in those of the senses.
This occurrence was, however, destined moreover to place my friends in
anxiety and trouble by means of a prank in which I indulged. Among us
young people who had been at Leipzig, there had been maintained ever
afterwards a certain itch for imposing on and in some way mystifying one
another. With this wanton love of mischief I wrote to a friend in
Frankfort (he was the one who had amplified my poem on the cake-baker
Hendel, applied it to /Medon/, and caused its general circulation)
a letter dated from Versailles, in which I informed him of my happy
arrival there, my participation in the solemnities, and other things of
the kind, but at the same time enjoined the strictest secrecy. I must
here remark, that, from the time of that trick which had caused us so
much annoyance, our little Leipzig society had accustomed itself to
persecute him from time to time with mystifications, and this especially
as he was the drollest man in the world, and was never more amiable than
when he was discovering the cheat into which he had deliberately been
led. Shortly after I had written this letter, I went on a little
journey, and remained absent about a fortnight. Meanwhile the news of
that disaster had reached Frankfort: my friend believed me in Paris, and
his affection led him to apprehend that I might have been involved in
the calamity. He inquired of any parents and other persons to whom I was
accustomed to write, whether any letters had arrived; and, as it was
just at the time when my journey kept me from sending any, they were
altogether wanting. He went about in the greatest uneasiness, and at
last told the matter in confidence to our nearest friends, who were now
in equal anxiety. Fortunately this conjecture did not reach my parents
until a letter had arrived announcing my return to Strasburg. My young
friends were satisfied to learn that I was alive, but remained firmly
convinced that I had been at Paris in the interim. The affectionate
intelligence of the solicitude they had felt on my account affected me
so much that I vowed to leave off such tricks forever; but,
unfortunately, I have often since allowed myself to be guilty of
something similar. Real life frequently loses its brilliancy to such a
degree, that one is many a time forced to polish it up again with the
varnish of fiction.
This mighty stream of courtly magnificence had now flowed by, and had
left in me no other longing than after those tapestries of Raffaelle,
which I would willingly have gazed at, revered, nay, adored, every day
and every hour. Fortunately, my passionate endeavors succeeded in
interesting several persons of consequence in them, so that they were
taken down and packed up as late as possible. We now gave ourselves up
again to our quiet, easy routine of the university and society; and in
the latter the Actuary Salzmann, president of our table, continued to be
the general pedagogue. His intelligence, complaisance, and dignity,
which he always contrived to maintain amid all the jests, and often even
in the little extravagances, which he allowed us, made him beloved and
respected by the whole company; and I could mention but few instances
where he showed his serious displeasure, or interposed with authority in
little quarrels and disputes. Yet among them all I was the one who most
attached myself to him; and he was not less inclined to converse with
me, as he found me more variously accomplished than the others, and not
so one-sided in judgment. I also followed his directions in external
matters; so that he could, without hesitation, publicly acknowledge me
as his companion and comrade: for, although he only filled an office
which seems to be of little influence, he administered it in a manner
which redounded to his highest honor. He was actuary to the Court of
Wards (/Pupillen-Collegium/); and there, indeed, like the perpetual
secretary of a university, he had, properly speaking, the management of
affairs in his own hands. Now, as he had performed the duties of this
office with the greatest exactness for many years, there was no family,
from the first to the last, which did not owe him its gratitude; as
indeed scarcely any one in the whole administration of government can
earn more blessings or more curses than one who takes charge of the
orphans, or, on the contrary, squanders or suffers to be squandered
their property and goods.
The Strasburgers are passionate walkers, and they have a good right to
be so. Let one turn his steps as he will, he will find pleasure-grounds,
partly natural, partly adorned by art in ancient and modern times, all
of them visited and enjoyed by a cheerful, merry little people. But what
made the sight of a great number of pedestrians still more agreeable
here than in other places, was the various costume of the fair sex. The
middle class of city girls yet retained the hair twisted up and secured
by a large pin, as well as a certain close style of dress, in which any
thing like a train would have been unbecoming: and the pleasant part of
it was, that this costume did not differ violently according to the rank
of the wearer; for there were still some families of opulence and
distinction who would not permit their daughters to deviate from this
costume. The rest followed the French fashion, and this party made some
proselytes every year. Salzmann had many acquaintances and an entrance
everywhere: a very pleasant circumstance for his companion, especially
in summer, for good company and refreshment were found in all the public
gardens far and near, and more than one invitation for this or that
pleasant day was received. On one such occasion I found an opportunity
to recommend myself very rapidly to a family which I was visiting for
only the second time. We were invited, and arrived at the appointed
hour. The company was not large: some played and some walked as usual.
Afterwards, when they were to go to supper, I saw our hostess and her
sister speaking to each other with animation, and as if in a peculiar
embarrassment. I accosted them, and said, "I have indeed no right,
ladies, to force myself into your secrets; but perhaps I may be able to
give you good counsel, or even to serve you." Upon this they disclosed
to me their painful dilemma; namely, that they had invited twelve
persons to table, and that just at that moment a relation had returned
from a journey, who now, as the thirteenth, would be a fatal /memento
mori/, if not for himself, yet certainly for some of the guests. "The
case is very easily mended," replied I: "permit me to take my leave, and
stipulate for indemnification." As they were persons of consequence and
good breeding, they would by no means allow this, but sent about in the
neighborhood to find a fourteenth. I suffered them to do so; yet when I
saw the servant coming in at the garden-gate without having effected his
errand, I stole away and spent my evening pleasantly under the old
linden-trees of the Wanzenau. That this self-denial was richly repaid me
was a very natural consequence.
A certain kind of general society is not to be thought of without card-
playing. Salzmann renewed the good instructions of Madame Böhme; and I
was the more docile as I had really seen, that by this little sacrifice,
if it be one, one may procure one's self much pleasure, and even a
greater freedom in society than one would otherwise enjoy. The old
piquet, which had gone to sleep, was again looked out; I learned whist;
I made myself, according to the directions of my Mentor, a card-purse,
which was to remain untouched under all circumstances; and I now found
opportunity to spend most of my evenings with my friend in the best
circles, where, for the most part, they wished me well, and pardoned
many a little irregularity, to which, nevertheless, my friend, though
kindly enough, used to call my attention.
But that I might experience symbolically how much one, even in
externals, has to adapt one's self to society, and direct one's self
according to it, I was compelled to something which seemed to me the
most disagreeable thing in the world. I had really very fine hair; but
my Strasburg hair-dresser at once assured me that it was cut much too
short behind, and that it would be impossible to make a /frizure/
of it in which I could show myself, since nothing but a few short curls
in front were decreed lawful; and all the rest, from the crown, must be
tied up in a cue or a hair-bag. Nothing was left but to put up with
false hair till the natural growth was again restored according to the
demands of the time. He promised me that nobody should ever remark this
innocent deception (against which I objected at first very earnestly),
if I could resolve upon it immediately. He kept his word, and I was
always looked upon as the young man who had the best and the best-
dressed head of hair. But as I was obliged to remain thus propped up and
powdered from early morning, and at the same time to take care not to
betray my false ornament by heating myself or by violent motions, this
restraint in fact contributed much to my behaving for a time more
quietly and politely, and accustomed me to going with my hat under my
arm, and consequently in shoes and stockings also; however I did not
venture to neglect wearing understockings of fine leather, as a defence
against the Rhine gnats, which, on the fine summer evenings, generally
spread themselves over the meadows and gardens. Under these
circumstances, violent bodily motion being denied me, our social
conversations grew more and more animated and impassioned; indeed, they
were the most interesting in which I had hitherto ever borne part.