The first of these three notabilities who came in Goethe's way was one
of whom he himself said, "that the world had never seen his like, and
will not see his like again." He was Johann Kaspar Lavater, born in
Zurich in 1741, and thus eight years older than Goethe. Lavater had
early drawn the attention of the world to himself. In his sixteenth
year he had published a volume of poems (_Schweizerlieder_) which
attained a wide circulation, and a later work (_Aussichten in die
Ewigkeit_) found such acceptance from its vein of mystical piety that
he was hailed as a religious teacher who had given a new savour to the
Christian life. At the time when he crossed Goethe's path he was
engaged on the work on Physiognomy with which his name is chiefly
associated, and it was partly with the object of collecting the
materials for that work that he was now visiting Germany. But the
personality of Lavater was more remarkable than his writings. By his
combination of the saint and the man of the world he made a unique
impression on all who met him, on Goethe notably among others. That
his religious feelings were sincere his lifelong preoccupation with
the character of Christ as the great exemplar of humanity may be
taken as sufficient proof.
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