"The pious souls," was Merck's sardonic comment, "wished to see
where they had laid the Lord"; but even Merck came under the prophet's
spell. The meeting of Lavater and Goethe was characteristic of the
time. "_Bist's?_" was Lavater's first exclamation. "_Ich bin's_," was
the reply; and they fell upon each other's necks. On Lavater's
indicating "by some singular exclamations" that Goethe was not exactly
what he expected, Goethe replied in the tone of banter which he
maintained throughout their personal intercourse, that he was as God
and nature had made him, and they must be content with their work.
"All spirit (_Geist_) and truth,"[178] is Lavater's comment on
Goethe's conversation at the close of their first day's meeting.
[Footnote 178: Biedermann, _op. cit._ i. 33.]
The following days were taken up with excursions and social gatherings
in which Lavater was the central figure, entrancing his hearers by his
social graces and his apostolic unction. In the Fraeulein von
Klettenberg he found a kindred soul, and Goethe listened, as he tells
us, with profit as they discoursed on the high themes in which they
had a common interest.
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