The presence of
distinguished personages at Carlsruhe, their next stage, kept their
vivacity within bounds so long as they remained there. Just at this
moment the young Duke of Weimar had come to Carlsruhe to betroth
himself to the Princess Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, and from both Goethe
received a cordial invitation to visit them at Weimar. Another
distinguished person then in the town was Klopstock, who received
Goethe with such undisguised kindness that he was induced to read
aloud to him the latest scenes of a work of which we shall hear
presently.[222] At Carlsruhe Goethe parted company from his
fellow-travellers with the intention of visiting his sister at
Emmendingen. On May 22nd he was at Strassburg, where he spent several
days, renewing old acquaintances, especially with his former monitor,
Salzmann, but, for reasons we can appreciate, did not present himself
at Sesenheim.
[Footnote 220: According to Goethe, Count Haugnitz was the only one of
the four who showed any sense of propriety.]
[Footnote 221: It was at this time that Merck gave his famous
definition of Goethe's genius. See above, p. 135.]
[Footnote 222: The _Urfaust_.
Pages:
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337