ermany, I have myself grown unacquainted with the theater; and I know
not whether I should now rejoice that an old taste and occupation of
my youth has been by chance renewed. In the meantime, all that I have
heard of these plays has excited little wish to become acquainted with
such extraordinary monsters, which appear to set probability and
dignity alike at defiance."

"I would advise you," said the other, "to make a trial,
notwithstanding: it can do one no harm to look at what is
extraordinary with one's own eyes. I will lend you a volume or two;
and you can not better spend your time than by casting everything
aside, and retiring to the solitude of your old habitation, to look
into the magic lantern of that unknown world. It is sinful of you to
waste your hours in dressing out these apes to look more human, and
teaching dogs to dance. One thing only I require--you must not cavil
at the form; the rest I can leave to your own good sense and feeling."

The horses were standing at the door; and Jarno mounted with some
other cavaliers to go and hunt. Wilhelm looked after him with sadness.
He would fain have spoken much with this man who tho in a harsh,
unfriendly way, gave him new ideas--ideas that he had need of.

Oftentimes a man, when approaching some development of his powers,
capacities, and conceptions, gets into a perplexity from which a
prudent friend might easily deliver him. He resembles a traveler, who,
at but a short distance from the inn he is to rest at, falls into the
water: were any one to catch him then and pull him to the bank, with
one good wetting it were over; whereas, tho he struggles out himself,
it is often at the side where he tumbled in, and he has to make a wide
and weary circuit before reaching his appointed object.

Wilhelm now began to have an inkling that things went forward in the
world differently from what he had supposed. He now viewed close at
hand the solemn and imposing life of the great and distinguished, and
wondered at the easy dignity which they contrived to give it. An army
on its march, a princely hero at the head of it, such a multitude of
cooperating warriors, such a multitude of crowding worshipers, exalted
his imagination. In this mood he received the promised books; and ere
long, as may be easily supposed, the stream of that mighty genius laid
hold of him and led him down to a shoreless ocean, where he soon
completely forgot and lost himself....

Wilhelm had scarcely