少年维特的烦恼-第2章

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repose　at　the　side　of　a　fountain　after　the　fatigue　of　a　weary　summer　day。

　　MAY　13。　You　ask　if　you　shall　send　me　books。　My　dear　friend，　I　beseech
you　，　for　the　love　of　God，　relieve　me　from　such　a　yoke！　I　need　no　more
to　be　guided，　agitated　，　heated。　My　heart　ferments　sufficiently　of　itself。
I　want　strains　to　lull　me　，　and　I　find　them　to　perfection　in　my　Homer。
Often　do　I　strive　to　allay　the　burning　fever　of　my　blood；　and　you　have
never　witnessed　anything　so　unsteady，　so　uncertain　，　as　my　heart。　But
need　I　confess　this　to　you，　my　dear　friend　，　who　have　so　often　endured
the　anguish　of　witnessing　my　sudden　transitions　from　sorrow　to　immoderate
joy　，　and　from　sweet　melancholy　to　violent　passions？　I　treat　my　poor
heart　like　a　sick　child　，　and　gratify　its　every　fancy。　Do　not　mention
this　again：　there　are　people　who　would　censure　me　for　it。

　　MAY　15。　The　mon　people　of　the　place　know　me　already，　and　love
me，　particularly　the　children。　When　at　first　I　associated　with　them，
and　inquired　in　a　friendly　tone　about　their　various　trifles　，　some　fancied
that　I　wished　to　ridicule　them，　and　turned　from　me　in　exceeding　ill…humour。
I　did　not　allow　that　circumstance　to　grieve　me：　I　only　felt　most　keenly
what　I　have　often　before　observed。　Persons　who　can　claim　a　certain　rank
keep　themselves　coldly　aloof　from　the　mon　people　，　as　though　they
feared　to　lose　their　importance　by　the　contact；　whilst　wanton　idlers　，
and　such　as　are　prone　to　bad　joking　，　affect　to　descend　to　their　level，
only　to　make　the　poor　people　feel　their　impertinence　all　the　more　keenly。

　　I　know　very　well　that　we　are　not　all　equal，　nor　can　be　so；　but　it
is　my　opinion　that　he　who　avoids　the　mon　people，　in　order　not　to　lose
their　respect　，　is　as　much　to　blame　as　a　coward　who　hides　himself　from
his　enemy　because　he　fears　defeat。

　　The　other　day　I　went　to　the　fountain，　and　found　a　young　servant…girl，
who　had　set　her　pitcher　on　the　lowest　step，　and　looked　around　to　see
if　one　of　her　panions　was　approaching　to　place　it　on　her　head。　I　ran
down，　and　looked　at　her。　〃Shall　I　help　you　，　pretty　lass？〃　said　I。
She　blushed　deeply。　〃Oh　，　sir！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃No　ceremony　！〃　I　replied。
She　adjusted　her　head…gear，　and　I　helped　her。　She　thanked　me　，　and　ascended
the　steps。

　　MAY　17。　I　have　made　all　sorts　of　acquaintances，　but　have　as　yet　found
no　society。　I　know　not　what　attraction　I　possess　for　the　people　，　so
many　of　them　like　me，　and　attach　themselves　to　me；　and　then　I　feel　sorry
when　the　road　we　pursue　together　goes　only　a　short　distance。　If　you　inquire
what　the　people　are　like　here　，　I　must　answer，　〃The　same　as　everywhere。〃
The　human　race　is　but　a　monotonous　affair。　Most　of　them　labour　the　greater
part　of　their　time　for　mere　subsistence　；　and　the　scanty　portion　of　freedom
which　remains　to　them　so　troubles　them　that　they　use　every　exertion　to
get　rid　of　it。　Oh　，　the　destiny　of　man　！

　　But　they　are　a　right　good　sort　of　people。　If　I　occasionally　forget
myself，　and　take　part　in　the　innocent　pleasures　which　are　not　yet　forbidden
to　the　peasantry，　and　enjoy　myself　，　for　instance　，　with　genuine　freedom
and　sincerity　，　round　a　well…covered　table　，　or　arrange　an　excursion
or　a　dance　opportunely，　and　so　forth　，　all　this　produces　a　good　effect
upon　my　disposition　；　only　I　must　forget　that　there　lie　dormant　within
me　so　many　other　qualities　which　moulder　uselessly，　and　which　I　am　obliged
to　keep　carefully　concealed。　Ah　！　this　thought　affects　my　spirits　fearfully。
And　yet　to　be　misunderstood　is　the　fate　of　the　like　of　us。

　　Alas，　that　the　friend　of　my　youth　is　gone！　Alas　，　that　I　ever　knew
her　！　I　might　say　to　myself，　〃You　are　a　dreamer　to　seek　what　is　not
to　be　found　here　below。〃　But　she　has　been　mine。　I　have　possessed　that
heart　，　that　noble　soul，　in　whose　presence　I　seemed　to　be　more　than
I　really　was，　because　I　was　all　that　I　could　be。　Good　heavens！　did　then
a　single　power　of　my　soul　remain　unexercised？　In　her　presence　could　I
not　display　，　to　its　full　extent　，　that　mysterious　feeling　with　which
my　heart　embraces　nature？　Was　not　our　intercourse　a　perpetual　web　of
the　finest　emotions　，　of　the　keenest　wit　，　the　varieties　of　which　，
even　in　their　very　eccentricity　，　bore　the　stamp　of　genius　？　Alas　！
the　few　years　by　which　she　was　my　senior　brought　her　to　the　grave　before
me。　Never　can　I　forget　her　firm　mind　or　her　heavenly　patience。

　　A　few　days　ago　I　met　a　certain　young　V——，　a　frank，　open　fellow，
with　a　most　pleasing　countenance。　He　has　just　left　the　university　，　does
not　deem　himself　overwise　，　but　believes　he　knows　more　than　other　people。
He　has　worked　hard，　as　I　can　perceive　from　many　circumstances，　and，
in　short，　possesses　a　large　stock　of　information。　When　he　heard　that
I　am　drawing　a　good　deal，　and　that　I　know　Greek（two　wonderful　things
for　this　part　of　the　country），　he　came　to　see　me，　and　displayed　his
whole　store　of　learning　，　from　Batteaux　to　Wood，　from　De　Piles　to　Winkelmann
：　he　assured　me　he　had　read　through　the　first　part　of　Sultzer's　theory，
and　also　possessed　a　manuscript　of　Heyne's　work　on　the　study　of　the　antique。
I　allowed　it　all　to　pass。　I　have　bee　acquainted，　also　，　with　a　very
worthy　person　，　the　district　judge　，　a　frank　and　open…hearted　man。　I
am　told　it　is　a　most　delightful　thing　to　see　him　in　the　midst　of　his　children，
of　whom　he　has　nine。　His　eldest　daughter　especially　is　highly　spoken　of。
He　has　invited　me　to　go　and　see　him　，　and　I　intend　to　do　so　on　the　first
opportunity。　He　lives　at　one　of　the　royal　hunting…lodges，　which　can　be
reached　from　here　in　an　hour　and　a　half　by　walking，　and　which　he　obtained
leave　to　inhabit　after　the　loss　of　his　wife　，　as　it　is　so　painful　to
him　to　reside　in　town　and　at　the　court。

　　There　have　also　e　in　my　way　a　few　other　originals　of　a　questionable
sort，　who　are　in　all　respects　undesirable，　and　most　intolerable　in　their
demonstration　of　friendship。　Good…bye。　This　letter　will　please　you：　it
is　quite　historical。

　　MAY　22。　That　the　life　of　man　is　but　a　dream　，　many　a　man　has　surmised
heretofore；　and　I，　too，　am　everywhere　pursued　by　this　feeling。　When
I　consider　the　narrow　limits　within　which　our　active　and　inquiring　faculties
are　confined；　when　I　see　how　all　our　energies　are　wasted　in　providing
for　mere　necessities，　which　again　have　no　further　end　than　to　prolong
a　wretched　existence；　and　then　that　all　our　satisfaction　concerning　certain
subjects　of　investigation　ends　in　nothing　better　than　a　passive　resignation，
whilst　we　amuse　ourselves　painting　our　prison…walls　with　bright　figures
and　brilliant　landscapes，——　when　I　consider　all　this　，　Wilhelm，　I
am　silent。　I　examine　my　own　being　，　and　find　there　a　world　，　but　a　world
rather　of　imagination　and　dim　desires　，　than　of　distinctness　and　living
power。　Then　everything　swims　before　my　senses　，　and　I　smile　and　dream
while　pursuing　my　way　through　the　world。

　　All　learned　professors　and　doctors　are　agreed　that　children　do　not
prehend　the　cause　of　their　desires　；　but　that　the　grown…up　should
wander　about　this　earth　like　children　，　without　knowing