Koerner
the latter says: "They say that their relationship (Goethe's and
Charlotte von Stein's) is absolutely pure and irreproachable." It was a
great mistake ever to regard this relationship as anything but a purely
spiritual one; Goethe never felt any passion for Charlotte; he called
her "his sister," the "guide of his soul"; he told her of his little
love-affairs and was never jealous of her husband. The following are a
few typical passages culled from his letters, arranged chronologically:
"My only love whom I can love without torment!" Then, quite in the
spirit of the _dolce stil nuovo_: "Your soul, in which thousands believe
in order to win happiness," "The purest, truest and most beautiful
relationship which (with the exception of my sister) ever existed
between me and any woman." "The relationship between us is so strange
and sacred, that I strongly felt, on that occasion, that it cannot be
expressed in words, that men cannot realise it." The following passage
written by Goethe when he was thirty, might have been written by
Guinicelli or by Dante: "You appeared to me like the Madonna ascending
into heaven; in vain did the abandoned mourner stretch out his arms, in
vain did his tearful glance plead for a last return--she was absorbed in
the splendour surrounding her, longing only for the crown hovering
above her head." "I long to be purified in triple fire so as to be
worthy of you." He addresses a prayer to her and says: "On my knees I
implore you to complete your work and make a good man of me." "While
writing Tasso, I worshipped you." Charlotte knew intuitively what he
desired of her, and remained silent and passive like the Madonna. Not a
single sensual, or even passionate word, replied to all these
utterances.

In the course of time the relationship between the lovers became one of
equality; the note of adoration disappeared, and the keynote of his
letters became friendship and familiarity. "Farewell, sweet friend and
beloved, whose love alone makes me happy." In another letter he said
that all the world held no further prize for him, since he had found
everything in her. And just as spiritual love approached more and more
the mean of a familiar friendship, so was his sexuality concentrated on
a single woman, on Christiane, in this connection, too, seeking a mean.
But it is an important point that the fundamental dualistic feeling
remained unchanged. There was no woman in Goethe's life in regard to
whom he