FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26  
27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   >>   >|  
led from the eyes that are not to look into it. This is a disagreeable business; for of such eyes there is a multitude, and what mortal can decide what shall be the fate of a MS. which is more hard to guard than even an uttered word. In truth, I feel as if my head were turning round, and in my anguish jump into the abyss--let the whole affair be printed! But, Edward! there are really stronger and better grounds for this decision. Unless I am wholly deceived, there beat in our beloved Germany many hearts which are able and worthy to understand poor Schlemihl, and a tranquil smile will light upon the countenance of many an honest countryman of ours at the bitter sport in which life with him--and the simple sport in which he with himself is engaged. And you, Edward, you, looking into this so sincerely-grounded book, and thinking how many unknown hearts this may learn with us to love it--you will let a drop of balsam fall into the deep wound, which death hath inflicted upon you and all that love you. And to conclude: there is--I know there is, from manifold experience--a genius that takes charge of every printed book and delivers it into the appropriate hands, and if not always, yet very often keeps at home the undeserving: that genius holds the key to every true production of heart and soul, and opens and closes it with never-failing dexterity. To this genius, my much beloved Schlemihl! I confide thy smiles and thy tears, and thus to God commend them. FOUQUE. _Neunhausen_, _May_ 31, 1814. To Fouque, from Hitzig We have done, then, the desperate deed: there is Schlemihl's story which we were to preserve to ourselves as our own secret, and lo! not only Frenchmen and Englishmen, Dutchmen and Spaniards have translated it, and Americans have reprinted it from the English text, as I announced to my own erudite Berlin, but now in our beloved Germany a new edition appears with the English etchings, which the illustrious Cruikshank sketched from the life, and wider still will the story be told. Not a word didst thou mutter to me in 1814, of the publication of the MS., and did I not deem thy reckless enterprise suitably punished by the complaints of our Chamisso, in his Voyage round the World from 1815 to 1818--complaints urged in Chili and Kamtschatka, and uttered even to his departed friend Tameramaia of Owahee, I should even now demand of you crowning retribution. However--this by the by--bygones ar
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26  
27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Schlemihl
 

beloved

 

genius

 

Edward

 

English

 
hearts
 
Germany
 

printed

 
uttered
 

complaints


confide

 

smiles

 
Frenchmen
 

Dutchmen

 
closes
 

failing

 
dexterity
 
Spaniards
 

Englishmen

 

secret


desperate

 

translated

 

Neunhausen

 

FOUQUE

 

commend

 

Fouque

 

preserve

 

Hitzig

 

appears

 

Voyage


bygones

 
Chamisso
 

reckless

 

enterprise

 

suitably

 
punished
 

retribution

 
crowning
 

demand

 
Owahee

Tameramaia
 

However

 
Kamtschatka
 
departed
 

friend

 

edition

 
etchings
 

illustrious

 
Berlin
 

reprinted