少年维特的烦恼-第3章

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prehend　the　cause　of　their　desires　；　but　that　the　grown…up　should
wander　about　this　earth　like　children　，　without　knowing　whence　they　e，
or　whither　they　go，　influenced　as　little　by　fixed　motives，　but　guided
like　them　by　biscuits　，　sugar…plums，　and　the　rod，——　this　is　what
nobody　is　willing　to　acknowledge；　and　yet　I　think　it　is　palpable。

　　I　know　what　you　will　say　in　reply　；　for　I　am　ready　to　admit　that
they　are　happiest　，　who，　like　children，　amuse　themselves　with　their
playthings，　dress　and　undress　their　dolls，　and　attentively　watch　the
cupboard，　where　mamma　has　locked　up　her　sweet　things　，　and，　when　at
last　they　get　a　delicious　morsel，　eat　it　greedily，　and　exclaim，　〃More！
〃　These　are　certainly　happy　beings；　but　others　also　are　objects　of　envy，
who　dignify　their　paltry　employments，　and　sometimes　even　their　passions，
with　pompous　titles　，　representing　them　to　mankind　as　gigantic　achievements
performed　for　their　welfare　and　glory。　But　the　man　who　humbly　acknowledges
the　vanity　of　all　this，　who　observes　with　what　pleasure　the　thriving
citizen　converts　his　little　garden　into　a　paradise，　and　how　patiently
even　the　poor　man　pursues　his　weary　way　under　his　burden，　and　how　all
wish　equally　to　behold　the　light　of　the　sun　a　little　longer　，——　yes，
such　a　man　is　at　peace，　and　creates　his　own　world　within　himself　；　and
he　is　also　happy，　because　he　is　a　man。　And　then，　however　limited　his
sphere，　he　still　preserves　in　his　bosom　the　sweet　feeling　of　liberty　，
and　knows　that　he　can　quit　his　prison　whenever　he　likes。

　　MAY　26。　You　know　of　old　my　ways　of　settling　anywhere，　of　selecting
a　little　cottage　in　some　cosy　spot，　and　of　putting　up　in　it　with　every
inconvenience。　Here　，　too，　I　have　discovered　such　a　snug，　fortable
place　，　which　possesses　peculiar　charms　for　me。

　　About　a　league　from　the　town　is　a　place　called　Walheim。　（The　reader
need　not　take　the　trouble　to　look　for　the　place　thus　designated。　We　have
found　it　necessary　to　change　the　names　given　in　the　original。　）　It　is
delightfully　situated　on　the　side　of　a　hill　；　and，　by　proceeding　along
one　of　the　footpaths　which　lead　out　of　the　village，　you　can　have　a　view
of　the　whole　valley。　A　good　old　woman　lives　there　，　who　keeps　a　small
inn。　She　sells　wine　，　beer　，　and　coffee　，　and　is　cheerful　and　pleasant
notwithstanding　her　age。　The　chief　charm　of　this　spot　consists　in　two
linden…trees，　spreading　their　enormous　branches　over　the　little　green
before　the　church　，　which　is　entirely　surrounded　by　peasants'　cottages，
barns　，　and　homesteads。　I　have　seldom　seen　a　place　so　retired　and　peaceable
；　and　there　often　have　my　table　and　chair　brought　out　from　the　little
inn　，　and　drink　my　coffee　there，　and　read　my　Homer。　Accident　brought
me　to　the　spot　one　fine　afternoon　，　and　I　found　it　perfectly　deserted。
Everybody　was　in　the　fields　except　a　little　boy　about　four　years　of　age，
who　was　sitting　on　the　ground　，　and　held　between　his　knees　a　child　about
six　months　old：　he　pressed　it　to　his　bosom　with　both　arms，　which　thus
formed　a　sort　of　arm…chair；　and，　notwithstanding　the　liveliness　which
sparkled　in　its　black　eyes，　it　remained　perfectly　still。　The　sight　charmed
me。　I　sat　down　upon　a　plough　opposite　，　and　sketched　with　great　delight
this　little　picture　of　brotherly　tenderness。　I　added　the　neighbouring
hedge　，　the　barn…door，　and　some　broken　cart…wheels，　just　as　they　happened
to　lie；　and　I　found　in　about　an　hour　that　I　had　made　a　very　correct　and
interesting　drawing　，　without　putting　in　the　slightest　thing　of　my　own。
This　confirmed　me　in　my　resolution　of　adhering，　for　the　future　，　entirely
to　nature。　She　alone　is　inexhaustible　，　and　capable　of　forming　the　greatest
masters。　Much　may　be　alleged　in　favour　of　rules　，　as　much　may　be　likewise
advanced　in　favour　of　the　laws　of　society　：　an　artist　formed　upon　them
will　never　produce　anything　absolutely　bad　or　disgusting；　as　a　man　who
observes　the　laws　，　and　obeys　decorum，　can　never　be　an　absolutely　intolerable
neighbour　，　nor　a　decided　villain：　but　yet，　say　what　you　will　of　rules，
they　destroy　the　genuine　feeling　of　nature，　as　well　as　its　true　expression。
Do　not　tell　me　〃that　this　is　too　hard　，　that　they　only　restrain　and　prune
superfluous　branches，　etc。〃　My　good　friend　，　I　will　illustrate　this
by　an　analogy。　These　things　resemble　love。　A　warmhearted　youth　bees
strongly　attached　to　a　maiden　：　he　spends　every　hour　of　the　day　in　her
pany　，　wears　out　his　health　，　and　lavishes　his　fortune　，　to　afford
continual　proof　that　he　is　wholly　devoted　to　her。　Then　es　a　man　of
the　world　，　a　man　of　place　and　respectability，　and　addresses　him　thus
：　〃My　good　young　friend，　love　is　natural；　but　you　must　love　within
bounds。　Divide　your　time：　devote　a　portion　to　business　，　and　give　the
hours　of　recreation　to　your　mistress。　Calculate　your　fortune；　and　out
of　the　superfluity　you　may　make　her　a　present　，　only　not　too　often　，
——　on　her　birthday，　and　such　occasions。〃　Pursuing　this　advice，　he
may　bee　a　useful　member　of　society　，　and　I　should　advise　every　prince
to　give　him　an　appointment；　but　it　is　all　up　with　his　love　，　and　with
his　genius　if　he　be　an　artist。　O　my　friend！　why　is　it　that　the　torrent
of　genius　so　seldom　bursts　forth，　so　seldom　rolls　in　full…flowing　stream，
overwhelming　your　astounded　soul？　Because，　on　either　side　of　this　stream，
cold　and　respectable　persons　have　taken　up　their　abodes　，　and，　forsooth，
their　summer…houses　and　tulip…beds　would　suffer　from　the　torrent；　wherefore
they　dig　trenches　，　and　raise　embankments　betimes，　in　order　to　avert
the　impending　danger。

　　MAY　27。　I　find　I　have　fallen　into　raptures，　declamation，　and　similes，
and　have　forgotten，　in　consequence　，　to　tell　you　what　became　of　the
children。　Absorbed　in　my　artistic　contemplations，　which　I　briefly　described
in　my　letter　of　yesterday　，　I　continued　sitting　on　the　plough　for　two
hours。　Toward　evening　a　young　woman　，　with　a　basket　on　her　arm　，　came
running　toward　the　children　，　who　had　not　moved　all　that　time。　She　exclaimed
from　a　distance　，　〃You　are　a　good　boy，　Philip　！〃　She　gave　me　greeting
：　I　returned　it，　rose　，　and　approached　her。　I　inquired　if　she　were
the　mother　of　those　pretty　children。　〃Yes　，〃　she　said；　and，　giving
the　eldest　a　piece　of　bread　，　she　took　the　little　one　in　her　arms　and
kissed　it　with　a　mother's　tenderness。　〃I　left　my　child　in　Philip's　care
，〃　she　said　，　〃whilst　I　went　into　the　town　with　my　eldest　boy　to　buy
some　wheaten　bread，　some　sugar　，　and　an　earthen　pot。〃　I　saw　the　various
articles　in　the　basket，　from　which　the　cover　had　fallen。　〃I　shall　make
some　broth　to…night　for　my　little　Hans（which　was　the　name　of　the　youngest）
：　that　wild　fellow　，　the　big　one，　broke　my　pot　yesterday　，　whilst
he　was　scrambling　with　Philip　for　what　remained　of　the　contents。〃　I　inquired
for　the　eldest；　and　she　bad　scarcely　time　to　tell　me　that　he　was　driving
a　couple　of　geese　home　from　the　meadow，　when　he　ran　up　，　and　handed
Philip　an　osier…twig。　I　talked　a　little　longer　with　the　woman　，　and　found
that　she　was　the　daughter　of　the　schoolmaster　，　and　t