Elective Affinities (36 page)

Without the girl’s knowledge the physician had stayed in the church throughout the night, and when he came to see her in the morning he found her cheerful and in good heart. He was prepared for all sorts of aberrations: he thought she would talk of nocturnal colloquies with Ottilie and other such phenomena, but she acted naturally and was tranquil and altogether self-possessed. She recalled her earlier life and circumstances perfectly well and with great exactitude, and nothing she said departed from the sphere of normal truth and reality except the episode at the funeral, which she was often joyfully to reiterate: how Ottilie had raised herself up, blessed her, forgiven her, and thereby brought peace to her heart for evermore.

Ottilie’s continuing beauty, and the state resembling rather sleep than death in which she lay, attracted people to the chapel. The villagers and those living in the neighbourhood around wanted to see her once more and each was eager to hear the unbelievable event from Nanni’s lips: some to mock, most to doubt, a few to believe.

Every need to which reality denies satisfaction compels to belief. Nanni, who in front of the eyes of all the world had been shattered in every limb, had been made whole again by touching the hallowed body: why should a similar good fortune not be available here for others too? At first fond mothers brought their ailing children in secret and believed they perceived a sudden improvement. Faith and confidence increased, until at length there was no one so old or weak but he had sought refreshment and relief at this shrine. More and more came to visit it, and it was found necessary to close the chapel and indeed the church outside the hours of divine service.

Eduard did not venture to go to his departed beloved again. He lived on unheeding, he seemed to have no more tears to shed, to be incapable of further grief. His participation in social life, his enjoyment of food and drink decline with every passing day. The only solace remaining to him seems to be that which he imbibes from that chalice which had indeed been no true prophet to him. He is still fond of contemplating the intertwined initials, and his soulful mien as he does so seems to suggest he has still not lost all hope of a reunion. And just as every circumstance seems to favour and every chance event uplift a happy man, so the pettiest things like to combine to mortify and undo an unhappy one. For one day, as Eduard was taking the beloved chalice to his lips, he started with horror and put it down again: there was something different about it, a little distinguishing mark is missing. The valet is interrogated and constrained to confess that the genuine chalice has not long ago been broken and a
similar one, also dating from Eduard’s youth, substituted. Eduard is incapable of anger: his fate has been enunciated by events, why should he be troubled by a symbol? Yet he is nonetheless profoundly impressed by it. From then on drink seems to be repugnant to him and he seems to be deliberately abstaining from food and from speech.

But from time to time he is seized by a feeling of restlessness. He again asks for something to eat, he again begins to speak. ‘Alas!’ he said on one occasion to the Major, who was seldom far from his side, ‘how unfortunate I am that all my endeavours have ever been no more than an imitation, a counterfeit! What was bliss to her is grief and pain to me; and yet for the sake of that bliss I am compelled to take this grief and pain upon me. I must go after her, and by this path: but my nature holds me back, and my promise. It is a terrible task to imitate the inimitable. I well perceive, my dear friend, there can be genius in anything, even in martyrdom.’

What need, in face of this hopeless condition, to dwell upon the wifely, friendly and medical exertions to which Eduard’s nearest and dearest put themselves for a little time yet? Eventually he was found dead. It was Mittler who made the sad discovery. He called the doctor who, with his usual composure, observed with exactitude the circumstances in which the deceased had been found. Charlotte came running up: a suspicion of suicide crossed her mind; she was about to accuse herself and others of unpardonable lack of foresight. But the doctor and Mittler were soon able to convince her – the doctor on natural grounds, Mittler on moral – that this could not be the case. It was quite clear that Eduard had not been expecting his death. He had taken out of a chest and a portfolio and spread out before him what remained to him of Ottilie – a practice he had hitherto succeeded in keeping secret: a lock of hair, flowers gathered in a happy hour, every little note she had written him back to that first note which his wife had by ominous chance picked up and handed to him.
He could not have wanted to expose all this to fortuitous discovery. And so this heart too, not long since roused to boundless agitation, lay in imperturbable peace; and as he had fallen asleep in thoughts of the blessed saint, he too might be called blessed. Charlotte laid him beside Ottilie where he belonged, and decreed that no one else was to be buried in this vault. With this condition she made large bequests to the church and the school, to the clergy and the teachers.

And thus the lovers lie side by side. Peace hovers about their abode, smiling angelic figures (with whom too they have affinity) look down upon them from the vault above, and what a happy moment it will be when one day they awaken again together.

CHRONOLOGY

1749
28
August
: Johann Wolfgang Goethe is born in Frankfurt-am-Main. He is the eldest child of Johann Caspar Goethe and his wife Katharina Elisabeth Goethe, née Textor.

1750
7
December
: Birth of Goethe’s sister Cornelia.

1753
Goethe and his sister are given a puppet-theatre by their grandmother for Christmas. Goethe learns the story of Faust through the puppet-show.

1755
Attends primary school.

1 November
: The earthquake of Lissabon, killing more than 30,000 people, is disturbing news to the young Goethe.

He starts to read avidly.

1756
Beginning of the Seven Years’ War.

1756–61
Receives lessons in Latin, ancient Greek, French, Italian, maths, history, geography, Yiddish, drawing and dancing.

1757
Writes a New Year’s poem for his grandparents, the Textors.

1758
Suffers from smallpox.

1759
French troops occupy Frankfurt. Goethe frequently visits the French theatre at the Junghof.

1762
Goethe is taught in English, theology and Hebrew. On 28 August he offers his father a first volume of his poems as a birthday present.

1763
French troops leave Frankfurt. Piano lessons. Goethe starts to feel attracted to various girls, later collectively referred to as ‘Gretchen’ in his autobiography,
Dichtung und Wahrheit
(
Poetry and Truth
).

1764
First landscape drawings of the Frankfurt area. Goethe studies the works of Plato, Aristotle, Plotin and the Stoics.

1765
Lessons in fencing and horse riding.

3
October
: Goethe starts to read law at the University of Leipzig. Further lessons in drawing with Adam Friedrich Oeser.

1766
First readings of Shakespeare. Goethe falls in love with Käthchen Schönkopf. He later dedicates a collection of poems to her, entitled
Annette.

1767
Goethe acquires skills in etching as well as copperplate and wood engraving. Works on
Die Laune des Verliebten
(
The Lover’s Whim
).

1768
February
: Journey to Dresden. Goethe visits the local art collections.

End of July
: Life-threatening haemorrhage. He leaves for Frankfurt to get medical treatment. Susanna Katharina von Klettenberg familiarizes Goethe with pietist ideas.

1769
During his recovery Goethe occupies himself with chemistry and alchemy.

October
: Visits the classical art collection in Mannheim, in particular the Laocoon Group. A collection of poems is first published with Breitkopf in Leipzig in the form of songs, entitled
Neue Lieder, in Melodien gesetzt von Bernhard Theodor Breitkopf
(Leipziger Liederbuch). Writes
Die Mitschuldigen
(
Partners in Guilt
).

1770
February
: Leaves for Strasbourg, where he is supposed to finish his law studies. Acquaintance and friendship with Johann Gottfried Herder.

End of September
: Passes his first law examination. Relationship with Friederike von Brion.
Sesenheimer Lieder
(
Sesenheim Songs
).

1771
April
: Acquaintance with the writer Jacob Michael Reinhold Lenz.

6
August
: Graduates as a licentiate in law.

7
August
: Parting from Friederike von Brion, without telling her that it is for good.

September
: Begins work as an advocate in Frankfurt.

‘Heidenröslein’ (‘Little Rose on the Heath’), ‘Maifest’ (‘May Fair’), ‘Willkommen und Abschied’ (‘Greeting and Parting’), ‘Zum Schäkespears Tag’ (‘On Shakespeare’s Anniversary’), first version of the drama
Götz von Berlichingen
, called
Geschichte Gottfriedens von Berlichingen mit der eisernen Hand. Dramatisirt
(
History of Gottfried von Berlichingen Ironhand. Dramatized
).

1772
14 January
: Susanna Margaretha Brandt is executed in Frankfurt for the murder of her child. Goethe later draws on this when creating ‘Gretchen’ in
Faust.

May
: Works in Wetzlar at the Reichskammergericht (Supreme Imperial Court). Meets and falls in love with Charlotte Buff, the fiancée of Johann Christian Kestner, who will later appear as ‘Lotte’ in
Die Leiden des jungen Werthers
(
The Sufferings of Young Werther
).

10/11 September
: Writes a farewell letter to the couple and leaves Wetzlar.

Prose: ‘Von deutscher Baukunst’ (‘On German Architecture’).

Poems: ‘Der Wanderer’ (‘The Traveller’), ‘Wanderers Sturmlied’ (‘Traveller’s Song to the Storm’), ‘Künstlers Morgenlied’ (‘Artist’s Morning Song’), ‘Mahomets Gesang’ (‘Song of Mohammed’).

1773
January
: Further work on
Götz
in Frankfurt, published anonymously as
Götz von Berlichingen mit der eisernen Hand
(
Götz von Berlichingen Ironhand
). Devotes himself to the study of Spinoza.

1773–5
Mingles with Lenz, Wagner, Klinger and other representatives of the
Sturm und Drang
period.

1774
Poems: ‘Der König von Thule’ (‘The King of Thule’), ‘An Schwager Kronos’ (‘To Father Time’), ‘Ganymed’.

Publications:
Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, Clavigo.

1775
Engagement with Lili Schönemann, broken off that same year.

October/November
: Journey to Weimar.

November
: Meets Charlotte von Stein.

Writes
Stella.

1776
Acquires the citizenship of Weimar and enters its civil service.

Poem: ‘Wanderers Nachtlied’ (‘Traveller’s Nocturne’).

1777
Death of Goethe’s sister Cornelia.

1779
Première of the prose version of
Iphigenie auf Tauris
(
Iphigenia in Tauris
), Goethe playing Orest. Appointment to the post of
Geheimrat
(Privy Councillor).

Poem: ‘Gesang der Geister über den Wassern’ (‘Song of the Spirits over the Waters’).

1780
Begins writing
Torquato Tasso.

1782
25 May
: Death of Goethe’s father. Goethe is made a peer.

Poem: ‘Erlkönig’.

1784
Discovers the human intermaxillary bone (central jawbone).

1786
3 September
: Clandestine departure to Italy.

29 October
: Arrival in Rome. Works on the verse version of
Iphigenie.
Travel diary in letters to Charlotte von Stein.

1787
Journey to Naples and Sicily. Back in Rome, Goethe finishes
Egmont. Iphigenie
is published with Göschen in Leipzig.

1788
18 June
: Arrival in Weimar.

11 July
: Meets Christiane Vulpius. They promptly live together as an unmarried couple. He supports Friedrich Schiller’s appointment as Professor of History at Jena.

Finishes
Torquato Tasso
and begins working on the
Römische Elegien
(
Roman Elegies
).

1789
25 December
: Christiane gives birth to their son Julius August Walther; four further children are stillborn or die soon after birth.