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  andFREDERICKENGELS

  I\"Singe,unsterblicheSeeledersdudigenMenschenErldsung\"[2]

  [Sing,immortalsoultheredemptionoffallenmankind]——throughGottfriedKinkel。

  GottfriedKinkelwasbornsome40yearsago。Thestoryofhislifehasbeenmadeavailabletousinanautobiography,GottfriedKinkel。TruthwithoutPoetry。ABiographicalsketch-book。EditedbyAdolphStrodtmann。(Hamburg,Hoffmann&Campe,1850,octavo。)

  GottfriedistheheroofthatdemocraticSiegwart[3]epochthatfloodedGermanywithendlesstorrentsoftearfullamentandpatrioticmelancholy。HemadehisdebutasasimplelyricalSiegwart。

  WeareindebtedtoStrodtmanntheApostle,whose\"narrativecompilation\"

  wefollowhere,bothforthediary-likefragmentsinwhichhispilgrimageonthisearthisparadedbeforethereader,andfortheglaringlackofdiscretionoftherevelationstheycontain。

  \"Bonn,February——September1834Likehisfriend,PaulZeller,youngGottfriedstudiedProtestanttheologyandhispietyandindustryearnedhimtheadmirationofhiscelebratedteachers\"(Sack,NitzschandBleck,p。5)。

  Fromtheverybeginningheis\"obviouslyimmersedinweightyspeculations\"

  (p。4),heis\"tormentedandgloomy\"asbefitsabuddinggenius。\"Gottfried’sgloomilyflashingbrowneyes\"\"litupon\"someyouths\"inbrownjacketsandpale-blueovercoats\";heatoncesensedthattheseyouthswished\"tomakeupfortheirinneremptinessbyoutershow\"(p。6)。Heexplainshismoralindignationbypointingoutthathehad\"defendedHegelandMarheinicke\"

  whentheseladshadcalledMarheinickea\"blockhead\";later,whenhehimselfgoestostudyinBerlinandishimselfinthepositionofhavingtolearnfromMarheinickehecharacteriseshiminhisdiarywiththefollowingbelletristicepigram(p。61):

  \"EinKerl,derspekuliert,istwieeinTieraufdürrerHeidevoneinemloosenGeistimKreisherumgeführt,undringsumheristschönegrüneWeide。\"

  [Itellyouachapwho’sintellectualIslikeabeastonablastedheathDrivenincirclesbyademonWhileafinegreenmeadowliesroundbeneath。][4]

  GottfriedhasclearlyforgottenthatotherverseinwhichMephistophelesmakesfunofthestudentthirstingforknowledge:

  \"VerachtenurVerstandundWissenschaff!\"

  [Onlylookdownonknowledgeandreason!][5]

  However,thewholemoralisingStudentSceneservesmerelyasanintroductionenablingthefutureLiberatoroftheWorldtomakethefollowingrevelation(p。6)。

  ListentoGottfried:

  \"Thisracewillnotperish,unlessagreatwarcomes……Onlystrongremedieswillraisethisageupfromthemire!\"

  \"AsecondFloodwithyouasasecondandimprovededitionofNoah!\"

  hisfriendreplied。

  ThelightbrownovercoatshavehelpedGottfriedtothepointwherehecanproclaimhimselfthe\"NoahinanewFlood\"。Hisfriendrespondswithacommentthatmightwellhaveservedasthemottotothewholebiography。

  \"MyfatherandIhaveoftenhadoccasiontosmileatyourpassionforunclearideas!\"

  ThroughouttheseConfessionsofaBeautifulSoul[6]wefindrepeatedonlyone\"dearidea\",namelythatKinkelwasagreatmanfromthemomentofhisconception。Themosttrivialthingsthatoccurtoalltrivialpeoplebecomemomentousevents;thepettyjoysandsorrowsthateverystudentoftheologyexperiencesinamoreinterestingform,theconflictswithbourgeoisconditionstobefoundbythedozenineveryconsistoryandrefectoryinGermanybecomeworld-shakingeventsfromwhichGottfried,overwhelmedbyWeltschmerz,fashionsaperpetualcomedy。

  [Thuswefindthattheseconfessionsconsistentlypresentadoubleaspect——thereisfirstlythecomedy,theamusingwayinwhichGottfriedinterpretsthesmallesttriviaassignsofhisfuturegreatnessandcastshimselfinrelieffromtheoutset。Andthenthereistherodomontade,histrickofcomplacentlyembellishinginretrospecteverylittleoccurrenceinhistheologico-lyricalpast。HavingestablishedthesetwobasicfeatureswecanreturntothefurtherdevelopmentsinGottfried’sstory。]

  Thefamily[ofhis\"friendPaul\"leavesBonnand]returnstoWürttemberg。Gottfriedstagesthiseventinthefollowingmanner。

  GottfriedlovesPaul’ssisterandusestheoccasiontoexplainthathehas\"alreadybeeninlovetwicebefore\"!Hispresentlove,however,isnoordinarylovebuta\"ferventandauthenticactofdivineworship\"

  (p。13)。GottfriedclimbstheDrachenfelstogetherwithfriendPaulandagainstthisromanticbackclothhebreaksintodithyrambs:

  \"Farewelltofriendship!——IshallfindabrotherinourSaviour;

  ——Farewelltolove——Faithshallbemybride;——Farewelltosisterlyloyalty——Iamcometothecommuneofmanythousandsofjustsouls!Awaythen,Omyyouthfulheart,learntobealonewithyourGod;strugglewithhimuntilyouconquerhimandforcehimtogiveyouanewname,thatofHolyIsraelwhichno-oneknowsbuthewhoreceivesit!Igiveyougreetings,yougloriousrisingsun,imageofmyawakeningsoul!\"(p。17)。

  WeseehowthedepartureofhisfriendgivesGottfriedtheopportunitytosinganecstatichymntohisownsoul。Asifthatwerenotenough,hisfriendtoomustjoininthehymn。ForwhileGottfriedexultsecstaticallyhespeaks\"withexaltedvoiceandglowingcountenance\",he\"forgetsthepresenceofhisfriend\",\"hisgazeistransfigured\",\"hisvoiceinspired\",etc。(p。17)——inshortwehavethevisionoftheProphetElijahasitappearsintheBiblecompleteineverydetail。

  \"SmilingsorrowfullyPaullookedathimwithhisloyalgazeandsaid:

  ’YouhaveamightierheartinyourbosomthanIandwillsurelyoutdistanceme——butletmebeyourfriend——evenwhenIamfaraway。’JoyfullyGottfriedclaspedtheproferredhandandrenewedtheancientcovenant\"

  (p。18)。

  GottfriedhasgotwhathewantsfromthisTransfigurationontheMount。

  FriendPaulwhohasjustbeenlaughingat\"Gottfried’spassionforunclearideas\"humbleshimselfbeforethenameof\"holyIsrael\"andacknowledgesGottfried’ssuperiorityandfuturegreatness。GottfriedisaspleasedasPunchandgraciouslycondescendstorenewtheancientcovenant。

  Thescenechanges。ItisthebirthdayofKinkel’smother,thewifeofPastorKinkelofUpperCassel。Thefamilyfestivalisusedtoproclaimthat\"hismother,likethemotherofourLord,wascalledMary\"(p。20)

  ——certainproofthatGottfried,too,wasdestinedtobeasaviourandredeemer。ThuswithinthespaceoftwentypagesourstudentoftheologyhasbeenledbythemostinsignificanteventstocasthimselfasNoah,astheholyIsrael,asElijah,and,lastly,asChrist。

  *Inevitably,Gottfried,whowhenitcomestothepointhasexperiencednothing,constantlydwellsonhisinnerfeelings。ThePietismthathasstucktothisparson’ssonandwould-bescholarofdivinityiswelladaptedbothtohisinnateemotionalinstabilityandhiscoquettish,preoccupationwithhisownperson。WelearnthathismotherandsisterwerebothstrictPietistsandthatGottfriedwaspowerfullyconsciousofhisownsinfulness。Theconflictofthispioussenseofsinwiththe\"carefreeandsociablejoiedevivre\"oftheordinarystudentappearsinGottfried,asbefitshisworld-historicalmission,intermsof’astrugglebetweenreligionandpoetry。Thepintofbeerthattheparson’ssonfromUpperCasseldownswiththeotherstudentsbecomesthefatefulchaliceinwhichFaust’stwinspiritsarelockedinbattle。Inthedescriptionofhispietisticfamilylifeweseehis\"MotherMary\"combatassinful\"Gottfried’spenchantforthetheatre\"(p。28),amomentousconflictdesignedtoprefigurethepoetofthefuturebutwhichinfactmerelyhighlightsGottfried’sloveofthetheatrical。Theharpy-likepuritanismofhissisterJohannaisrevealedbyanincidentinwhichsheboxedtheearsofafive-year-oldgirlforinattentionin,church——sordidfamilygossipwhoseinclusionwouldbeincomprehensiblewereitnotfortherevelationattheendofthebookthatthissamesisterJohannaputupthestrongestoppositiontoGottfried’smarriagetoMme。Mockel。

  OneeventheldtobeworthyofmentionisthatinSeelscheidGottfriedpreached\"awonderfulsermonaboutthewiltingwheat\"。

  *TheZelterfamilyand\"belovedElise\"finallytaketheirdeparture。WelearnthatGottfried\"squeezedthegirl’shandpassionately\"andmurmuredthegreeting,\"Elise,farewell!Imustsaynomore\"。ThisinterestingstoryisfollowedbythefirstofSiegwart’slaments。

  \"Destroyed!\"\"Withoutasound。\"\"Mostagonisingtorment!\"\"Burningbrow。\"\"Deepestsighs,\"\"Hismindwaslaceratedbythewildestpains\",etc。(p。37)。

  ItturnsthewholeElijah-likesceneintothepurestcomedy,performedforthebenefitofhis\"friendPaul\"andhimself。PaulagainmakeshisappearanceinordertowhisperintotheearofSiegwartwhoissittingtherealoneandwretched:\"ThiskissisformyGottfried\"(p。38)。

  AndGottfriedatoncecheersup。

  \"Myplantoseemysweetloveagain,honourablyandnotwithoutaname,isfirmerthanever\"(p。38)。

  Evenamidthepangsoflovehedoesnotfailtocommentonthenameheexpectstomake,ortobragofthelaurelsheclaimsinadvance。Gottfriedusestheintermezzotocommithislovetopaperinextravagantandvaingloriousterms,tomakesurethattheworldisnotdeprivedofevenhisdiary-feelings。

  Butthescenehasnotyetreacheditsclimax。ThefaithfulPaulhastopointouttoourbarnstormingmaestrochatifEliseweretoremainstationarywhilehecontinuedtodevelop,shemightnotsatisfyhimlateron。

  \"Ono!\"saidGottfried。\"Thisheavenlybuddingflowerwhosefirstleaveshavescarcelyopenedalreadysmellssosweetly。Howmuchgreaterwillbeherbeautywhen……[——]theburningsummerrayofmanlyvigourunfoldsherinnermostcalix!\"(p。40)。

  Paulfindshimselfreducedtoansweringthissordidimagebyremarkingchatrationalargumentsmeannothingtopoets。

  \"’Andallyourwisdomwillnotprotectyoufromthewhimsoflifebetterthanourlovablefolly’Gottfriedrepliedwithasmile\"(p。

  40)。

  Whatamovingpicture:Narcissussmilingtohimself!Thegauchestudentsuddenlyentersasthelovablefool,PaulbecomesWagner[7]andadmiresthegreatman;andthegreatman\"smiles\",\"indeed,hesmilesakind,gentlesmile\"。Theclimaxissaved。

  GottfriedfinallymanagestoleaveBonn,Hegivesthissummaryofhiseducationalattainmentstodate。

  \"UnfortunatelyIamincreasinglyunabletoacceptHegelianism;myhighestaspirationistobearationalist,atthesametimeIamasupernaturalistandamystic,ifnecessaryIamevenaPietist(p。45)。

  Thisself-analysisrequiresnocommentary。

  \"Berlin,October1834-August1835。\"LeavinghisnarrowfamilyandstudentenvironmentGottfriedarrivesinBerlin。IncomparisonwithBonnBerlinisrelativelymetropolitanbutofthiswefindnotraceinGottfriedanymorethanwefindevidenceofhisinvolvementinthescientificactivityoftheday。Gottfried’sdiaryentriesconfinethemselvestotheemotionsheexperiencestogetherwithhisnewcompagnond’aventure,HugoDünwegfromBarmen,andalsototheminorhardshipsofanindigenttheologian:hismoneydifficulties,shabbycoats,employmentasareviewer,etc。Hislifestandsinnorelationtothatofthepubliclifeofthecity,butonlytotheSchlössingfamilyinwhichDünwegpassesforMasterWofram[vonEschenbach]

  andGottfriedforMasterGottfriedvonStrasbourg(p。67)。[8]ElisefadesgraduallyfromhisheartandheconceivesanewitchforMissMariaSchlössing。UnfortunatelyhelearnsofElise’sengagementtosomeoneelseandhesumsuphisBerlinfeelingsandaspirationsasa\"darklongingforawomanhecould[call]whollyhisown。

  However,Berlinmustnotbeabandonedwithouttheinevitableclimax:

  \"BeforeheleftBerlinWeiss,theoldtheatreproducer,tookhimonceagainintothetheatre。AstrangefeelingcameovertheyouthasthefriendlyoldmanledhimintothegreatauditoriumwherethebustsofGermandramatistshavebeenplacedandwithagesturetowardsafewemptynichessaidmeaningfully:

  ’Therearestillsomevacantplaces!’\"

  Yes,indeed,thereisstillaplacevacantawaitingourPlatenite[9]Gottfriedwhosolemnlyallowsanoldclowntoflatterhimwiththeexquisitepleasureof\"futureimmortality\"。

  \"Bonn,Autumn1835——Autumn1837\"\"Constantlybalancingbetweenart,lifeandscience,unabletoreachadecision,activeinallthreewithoutfirmcommitment,heresolvedtolearn,togainandtobecreativeinallthreeasmuchashisindecisionwouldpermit\"(p。89)。

  HavingthusdiscoveredhimselftobeanirresolutedilettanteGottfriedreturnstoBonn。Ofcourse,thefeelingthatheisadilettantedoesnotdeterhimfromtakinghisLicentiateexaminationandfrombecomingaPrivatdozentattheuniversityofBonn。

  \"NeitherChamissonorKnapp[10]hadpublishedthepoemshehadsentthemintheirmagazinesandthisupsethimgreatly\"

  (p。99)。

  Thisisthepublicdebutofthegreatmanwhoinprivatecircleslivesonintellectualtickonthepromiseofhisfutureeminence。FromthistimeonhedefinitelybecomesaheroofdubiouslocalsignificanceinbelletristicstudentcirclesuntilthemomentwhenaglancingshotinBadensuddenlyturnshimintotheherooftheGermanPhilistines。

  \"ButmoreandmoretherearoseinKinkel’sbreasttheyearningforafirm,truelove,ayearningthatnodevotiontoworkcoulddispel\"(p。

  103)。

  ThefirstvictimofthisyearningisacertainMinna。GottfrieddallieswithMinnaandsometimesforthesakeofvarietyheactsthecompassionateMahadeva[11]whoallowsthemaidentoworshiphimwhilehemeditatesonthestateofherhealth。

  \"Kinkelcouldhavelovedherhadhebeenabletodeceivehimselfabouthercondition;buthislovewouldhavekilledthewiltingroseevenmorequickly。Minnawasthefirstgirlthatcouldunderstandhim;butshewasasecondHecubaandwouldhavebornehimtorchesandnotchildren,andthroughthemthepassionoftheparentswouldhaveburntdowntheirownhouseasPriam’spassionburnedTroy。Yethecouldnotabandonher,hisheartbledforher,hewasindeedwretchednotthroughlove,butthroughpity。\"

  Thegodlikeherowhoselovecankill,likethesightofJupiter,isnothingbutanordinaryself-regardingyoungpuppywhointhecourseofhismarriagestudiestriesouttheroleofthecadforthefirsttime。Hisrevoltingmeditationsonherhealthanditspossibleeffectsonchildrenbecometheoccasionforthebasedecisiontoprolongtherelationshipforhisownpleasureandtobreakitoffonlywhenitprovideshimwiththeexcuseforyetanothermelodramaticscene。

  Gottfriedgoesonajourneytovisitanunclewhosesonhasjustdied;atthemidnighthourintheroomwherethecorpseislaidouthestagesascenefromaBellinioperawithhiscousin,Mlle。EliseII。Hebecomesengagedtoher,\"inthepresenceofthedead\"andonthefollowingmorninghisunclegladlyacceptshimashisfutureson-in-law。

  \"Nowthathewaslosttoherforever,heoftenthoughtofMinnaandofthemomentwhenhewouldseeheragain。Buthewasnotafraidasshecouldhavenoclaimsonaheartthatwasalreadybound\"(p。117)。

  ThenewengagementmeansnothingbuttheopportunitytobringaboutadramaticexplosioninhisrelationshipwithMinna。Inthiscrisiswefind\"dutyandpassion\"[12]confrontingeachother。ThisexplosionisproducedinthemostphilistineandrascallywaybecauseourbonhommedeniesMinna’slegalclaimsuponhisheartwhichisalreadycommittedelsewhere。Ourvirtuousheroisofcoursenotatalldisturbedbytheneedtocompoundthislietohimselfbyreversingtheorderofeventsinthematterofhis\"boundheart\"。

  Gottfriedhasplungedintotheinterestingnecessityofbeingforcedtobreak\"apoor,greatheart\"。

  \"AfterapauseGottfriedwenton:’Atthesametime,Minna,IfeelIoweyouanapology——Ihavesinnedagainstyou——thehandwhichIletyouhaveyesterdaywithsuchfeelingsoffriendship,thathandisnolongerfree——Iamengaged!’\"(p。123)。

  Ourmelodramaticstudenttakesgoodcarenottomentionthatthisengagementtookplaceafewhoursafterhehadgivenherhishand\"withsuchfeelingsoffriendship\"。

  \"OhGod!——Minna——canyouforgiveme?\"(loc。cit。)

  \"Iamamanandmustbefaithfultomyduty——Imaynotloveyou!ButIhavenotdeceivedyou\"(p。124)。

  Afterre-arranginghisdutyafterthefactitonlyremainstoproducetheunbelievable。HedramaticallyreversesthewholerelationshipsothatinsteadofMinnaforgivinghim,ourmoralpriestforgivesthedeceivedwoman。WiththisinmindheconceivesthepossibilitythatMinna\"mighthatehimfromafar\"andhefollowsthissuppositionupwiththisfinalmoral:

  \"’Iwouldgladlyforgiveyouforthatandifthatwerethecaseyoucanbeassuredofmyforgivenessinadvance。Andnowfarewell,mydutycallsme,Imustleaveyou!’Heslowlylefttheharbor……fromthathouronGottfriedwasunhappy\"(p。124)。

  Theactorandself-styledloveristransformedintothehypocriticalpriestwhoextricateshimselffromtheaffairwithanunctuousblessing;Siegwart’sshamconflictsoflovehaveledtothehappyresultthatheisableinhisimaginationtothinkhimselfunhappy。

  ItfinallybecomesapparentthatallofthesearrangedlovestorieswerenothingbutGottfried’scoquettishinfatuationwithhimself。ThewholeaffairamountstonomorethanthatourpriestwithhisdreamsoffutureimmortalityhasproducedOldTestamentstoriesandmodernlending-libraryphantasiesafterthemannerofSpiess,ClaurenandCramer[13]sothathemayindulgehisvanitybyposingasaromantichero。

  \"RummagingamonghisbookshecameacrossNovalis’Ofterdingen[14]thebookthathadsoofteninspiredhimtowritepoetryayearbefore。WhilestillatschoolheandsomefriendshadfoundedasocietybythenameofTeutoniawiththeaimofincreasingtheirunderstandingofGermanhistoryandliterature。InthissocietyhehadassumedthenameofHeinrichvonOfterdingen……Nowthemeaningofthisnamebecamecleartohim。HesawhimselfasthatsameHeinrichinthecharminglittletownatthefootoftheWartburgandalongingforthe’BlueFlower’tookholdofhimwithoverwhelmingforce。Minnacouldnotbethegloriousfairy-talebloom,norcouldshebehisbride,howeveranxiouslyheprobedhisheart。Dreaming,hereadonandon,thephantasticworldofmagicenvelopedhimandheendedbyhurlinghimselfweepingintoachair,thinkingofthe’BlueFlower’。\"

  Gottfriedhereunveilsthewholeromanticliewhichhehadwovenaroundhimself;thecarnivalgiftofdisguisingoneselfasotherpeopleishisauthentic\"innerbeing\"。EarlieronhehadcalledhimselfGottfriedvonStrasbourg;nowheappearsasHeinrichvonOfterdingen[14]andheissearchingnotforthe\"BlueFlower\"butforawomanwhowillacknowledgehisclaimstobeHeinrichvonOfterdingen。Andintheendhereallydidfindthe\"BlueFlower\",alittlefadedandyellow,inawomanwhoplayedthemuchlonged-forcomedyinhisinterestandinherown。

  TheshamRomanticism,thetravestyandthecaricatureofancientstoriesandromanceswhichGottfriedre-livestomakeupforthelackofanyinnersubstanceofhisown,thewholeemotionalswindleofhisvacuousencounterswithMary,MinnaandEliseI&IIhavebroughthimtothepointwherehethinksthathisexperiencesareonaparwiththoseofGoethe。JustasGoethehadsuddenlyrushedofftoItaly,theretowritehisRomanElegiesafterundergoingthestormsoflove,sotooGottfriedthinksthathisday-dreamsoflovequalifyhimforatriptoRome。GoethemusthavehadapremonitionofGottfried:

  HatdochderWalfschseineLaus,Kannichauchmeinehaben。

  [AndifthewhalehashisliceIcanhavethemtoo][15]\"Italy,October1837——March1838\"

  ThetriptoRomeopensinGottfried’sdiarywithalengthyaccountofthejourneyfromBonntoCoblenz。Thisnewepochbeginsasthepreviousonehadconcluded,namelywithanarrativerichlyembellishedbyallusionstotheexperiencesofothers。WhileonthesteamerGottfriedrecallsthe\"splendidpassageinHoffmann\"wherehe\"madeMasterJohannesWachtproduceahighlyartisticworkimmediatelyafterenduringthemostoverwhelminggrief\"。Asaconfirmationofthe\"splendidpassage\"Gottfriedfollowsuphis\"overwhelminggrief\"aboutMinnaby\"meditating\"abouta\"tragedyhehadlongsinceintendedtowrite\"(p。140)。

  DuringKinkel’sjourneyfromCoblenztoRomethefollowingeventstakeplace:

  \"Thefriendlylettershefrequentlyreceivesfromhisfianceeandwhichheanswersforthemostpartonthespot,dispelhisgloomythoughts\"(p。

  144)。

  \"HisloveforthebeautifulEliseIIstruckrootdeeplyintheyouth’syearningbosom\"(p。146)。

  InRomewefind:

  \"OnhisarrivalinRomeKinkelhadfoundaletterfromhisfianceeawaitinghimwhichfurtherintensifiedhisloveforherandcausedtheimageofMinnatofadeevenmoreintothebackground。HisheartassuredhimthatElisecouldmakehimhappyandhegavehimselfuptothisfeelingwiththepurestpassion……Onlynowdidherealizewhatloveis\"(p。151)。

  WeseethatMinnawhomheonlylovedoutofpityhasre-enteredtheemotionalscene。InhisrelationshipwithElisehisdreamisthatshewillmakehimhappy,notheher。Andyetinhis\"BlueFlower\"fantasyhehadalreadysaidthatthefairy-taleblossomwhichhadgivenhimsuchapoeticitchcouldbeneitherElisenorMinna。Hisnewlyarousedfeelingsforthesetwogirlsnowserveaspartofthemis-en-scèneforanewconflict。

  \"Kinkel’spoetryseemedtobeslumberinginItaly\"(p。151)。

  Why?

  \"Becausehelackedform\"(p。152)。

  Welearnlaterthatasix-monthstayinItalyenabledhimtobringthe\"form\"backtoGermanywellwrappedup。AsGoethehadwrittenhisElegiesinRomesoKinkeltoomeditatedonanelegycalled\"TheAwakeningofRome\"(p。153)。

  Kinkel’smaidbringshimaletterfromhisfiancee。Heopensitjoyfully——\"andsankbackonhisbedwithacry。Eliseannouncedthatawealthyman,aDr。D。withanextensivepracticeandevenaridinghorsehadaskedforherhandinmarriage。Asitwouldprobablybealongtimebeforehe,Kinkel,anindigenttheologian,wouldhaveapermanentpositionsheaskedhimtoreleaseherfromthebondsthattiedhertohim\"。

  Ascenetakenoverlock,stockandbarrelfrom[Kotzebue’s]MisanthropyandRemorse。[16]

  Gottfried\"annihilated\",\"foulputrefaction\",\"dryeyed\",\"thirstforrevenge\",\"dagger\",\"thebosomofhisrival\",\"heart-bloodofhisenemy\",\"coldasice\",\"maddeningpain\",etc。(p。156and157)。

  Theelementinthese\"SorrowsendJoysofapoorTheologian\"thatgivesmostpaintoourunhappystudentisthethoughtthatshehad\"spurnedhimforthesakeoftheuncertainpossessionofearthlygoods\"(p。157)。

  Havingbeenmovedbytherelevanttheatricalfeelingshefinallyrisestothefollowingconsolation:

  \"Shewasunworthyofyou——andyoustillpossessthepinionsofgeniusthatwillbearyoualofthighabovethisdarkmisery!Andwhenonedayyourfameencirclestheglobethefalsewomanwillfindajudgeinherownheart!——Whoknows,perhapsonedayintheyearstocomeherchildrenwillseekmeouttoimploremyaidandIwouldnotwishtomissthat\"(p。157)。

  Having,inevitably,enjoyedinadvancetheexquisitepleasureof\"hisfuturefameencirclingtheglobe\"herevealshimselftobeacommonphilistiniccleric。HespeculatesthatlateronElise’schildrenwillcometobegalmsfromthegreatpoet——andthishewould\"notwishtomiss\"。Andwhy?BecauseEliseprefersahorsetothe\"futurefame\"ofwhichheconstantlydreams,becausesheprefers\"earthlygoods\"tothefarceheintendstoperformwithhimselfintheroleofHeinrichvonOfterdingen。OldHegelwasquiterightwhenhepointedoutthatanobleconsciousnessalwaystransposesintoabaseone。[17]

  \"Bonn。Summer1838——Summer1843\"(IntrigueandLove)HavingfurnishedacaricatureofGoetheinItaly,GottfriednowresolvesonhisreturntoproduceSchiller’sIntrigueandLove。[18]ThoughhisheartisrentwithWeltschmerzGottfriedfeels\"betterthanever\"physically(p。167)。Hisintentionis\"toestablishliteraryfameforhimselfthroughhisworks\"(p。169),whichdoesnotpreventhimfromacquiringacheaperfamewithoutworkslateronwhenhis\"works\"failedtodowhatwasexpectedofthem。

  The\"darklonging\"whichGottfriedalwaysexperienceswhenhepursuesawomanfindsexpressioninaremarkablyrapidsuccessionofengagementsandpromisesofmarriage。Thepromiseofmarriageistheclassicalmethodbywhichthestrongmanandthesuperiormind\"ofthefuture\"seekstoconquerhisbelovedandbindhertohiminreality。AssoonasthepoetcatchessightofalittleblueflowerthatmightassisthiminhiseffortstobecomeHeinrichvonOfterdingen,thegentlemistsofemotionassumethefirmshapeofthestudent’sdreamofperfectingtheidealaffinitybytheadditionofthebondof\"duty\"。NosoonerarethefirstgreetingsoverthanoffersofmarriageflyinalldirectionsàtortetàtraverstowardseveryDaisyandWaterLilyinsight。Thisbourgeoishuntputsinanevenmorerevoltinglighttheunprincipledtail-waggingcoquetrywithwhichGottfriedconstantlyopenshishearttorevealall\"thetormentsofthegreatpoet\"。

  ThusafterhisreturnfromItalyGottfriednaturallyhasto\"promise\"

  marriageyetagain。Theobjectofhispassiononthisoccasionwasdirectlychosenbyhissister,thepietisticJohannawhosefanaticismhasalreadybeenimmortalisedbytheexclamationsinGottfried’sdiary。

  \"BögeholdhadjustrecentlyannouncedhisengagementtoMissKinkelandJohannawhowasmoreimportunatethaneverinhermeddlinginherbrother’saffairsoftheheartnowconceivedthewish,foranumberofreasonsconcerningthefamily,thatGottfriedshouldreciprocateandmarryMissSophieBögehold,herfiance’ssister\"(p。172)。Itgoeswithoutsayingthat\"Kinkelcouldnotbutfeeldrawntoagentlegirl……Andshewasindeedadear,innocentmaiden\"(p。173)。\"Inthemosttenderfashion\"

  ——itgoeswithoutsaying——\"Kinkelaskedforherhandwhichwasjoyfullypromisedhimbyherparentsassoonas\"——itgoeswithoutsaying——\"hehadestablishedhimselfinajobandwasinapositiontoleadhisbridetothehomeof——itgoeswithoutsaying——aprofessororaparson。\"

  Onthisoccasionourpassionatestudentsetdowninelegantversesanaccountofthattendencytowardsmarriagethatformssuchaconstantingredientofhisadventures。

  \"Nachandersnichtstrag’ichVerlangenAlsnurnacheinerweissenHand!\"

  [NoughtelsecanstirmypassionSomuchasawhitehand]

  Everythingelse,eyes,lips,locksisdismissedasamere\"trifle\"。

  \"DasallesreiztnichtseinVerlangenAlleindiekleineweisseHandl\"(p。174)

  [AllthesefailtostirhispassionNoughtdoessobuthersmall,whitehand]

  HedescribestheflirtationthathebeginswithMissSophieBögeholdatthecommandof\"hismeddlingsisterJohanna\"andspurredonbytheunquenchablelongingforahand,as\"deep,firmandtranquil\"(p。175)。Aboveall\"itisthereligiouselementthatpredominatesinthisnewlove\"(p。

  176)。

  InGottfried’sromancesweoftenfindthereligiouselementalternatingwiththenovelisticandtheatricalelement。WherehecannotdevisedramaticeffectstoachievenewSiegwartsituationsheappliesreligiousfeelingstoadornthesebanalepisodeswiththepatinaofhighermeaning。SiegwartbecomesapiousJung-Stilling[19]whohadlikewisereceivedsuchmiraculousstrengthfromGodthateventhoughthreewomenperishedbeneathhismanlychesthewasstillablerepeatedlytoleadanewlovetohishome。

  *Wecomefinallytothefatefulcatastropheofthiseventfullife-history,toStilling’smeetingwithJohannaMockel,whohadformerlybornethemarriednameofMathieux。HereGottfrieddiscoveredafemaleKinkel,hisromanticalterego。Onlyshewasharder,smarter,lessconfusedandthankstohergreaterageshehadleftheryouthfulillusionsbehindher。

  WhatMockelhadincommonwithKinkelwasthefactthathertalentstoohadgoneunrecognisedbytheworld。Shewasrepulsiveandvulgar;

  herfirstmarriagehadbeenunhappy。Shepossessedmusicaltalentsbuttheywereinsufficienttoenablehertomakeanamewithhercompositionsortechnicalmastery。InBerlinherattempttoimitatethestalechildhoodanticsofBettina[vonArnim][20]hadledtoafiasco。Hercharacterhadbeensouredbyherexperiences。EventhoughshesharedwithKinkeltheaffectationofinflatingtheordinaryeventsofherlifesoastoinvestthemwitha\"moreexalted,sacredmeaning\",owingtohermoreadvancedagesheneverthelessfeltaneedforlove(accordingtoStrodtmann)thatwasmorepressingthanherneedforthe\"poetic\"drivelthataccompaniesit。WhereasKinkelwasfeminineinthisrespect,Mockelwasmasculine。HencenothingcouldbemorenaturalthanforsuchapersontoenterwithjoyintoKinkel’scomedyofthemisunderstoodtendersoulsandtoplayittoasatisfyingconclusion,i。e。toacknowledgeSiegwart’sfitnessfortheroleofHeinrichvonOfterdingenandtoarrangeforhimtodiscoverthatshewasthe\"BlueFlower\"。

  Kinkel,havingbeenledtohisthirdorfourthfianceebyhissisterwasnowintroducedintoanewlabyrinthoflovebyMockel。

  Gottfriednowfoundhimselfinthe\"socialswim\",i。e。inoneofthoselittlecirclesconsistingoftheprofessorsorotherworthiesofGermanuniversitytowns。OnlyinthelivesofTeutonic,christianstudentscansuchsocietiesformsuchaturningpoint。Mockelsangandwasapplauded。

  AttableitwasarrangedthatGottfriedshouldsitnexttoherandherethefollowingscenetookplace:

  \"’Itmustbeagloriousfeeling’,Gottfriedopined,’toflythroughthejoyousworldonthepinionsofgenius,admiredbyall’——’Ishouldsayso’,Mockelexclaimed。’Ihearthatyouhaveagreatgiftforpoetry。Perhapspeoplewillscatterincenseforyoualso……andIshallaskyouthenifyoucanbehappyifyouarenot……’——’IfIamnot?’Gottfriedasked,asshepaused\"(p。188)。

  ThebaithasbeenputoutforourclumsyIyricalstudent。

  Mockeltheninformedhimthatrecentlyshehadheard\"himpreachingabouttheyearningofChristianstoreturntotheirfaithandshehadthoughtabouthowresolutelythehandsomepreachermusthaveabandonedtheworldifhecouldarouseatimidlongingeveninherfortheharmlesschildhoodslumberwithwhichtheechooffaithnowlosthadoncesurroundedher\"(p。189)。

  Gottfriedwas\"enchanted\"(p。189)bysuchpoliteness。Hewastremendouslypleasedtodiscoverthat\"Mockerwasunhappy\"(loc。cit。)。Heimmediatelyresolved\"todevotehispassionateenthusiasmforthefaithofsalvationatthehandsofJesusChristtobringingbackthissorrowingsoultoointothefold\"(loc。cit。)。AsMockelwasaCatholicthefriendshipwasformedontheimaginarybasisofthetaskofrecoveringasoul\"intheserviceoftheAlmighty\",acomedyinwhichMockeltoowaswillingtoparticipate。

  \"In1840KinkelwasappointedasanassistantintheProtestantcommunityinColognewherehewenteverySundaytopreach\"(p。193)。

  ThisbiographicalcommentmayserveasanexcuseforabriefdiscussionofKinkel’spositionasatheologian。\"In1840\"thecriticalmovementhadalreadymadedevastatinginroadsintothecontentoftheChristianfaith;

  withBrunoBauer[21]sciencehadreachedthepointofopenconflictwiththestate。ItisatthisjuncturethatKinkelmakeshisdebutasapreacher。Butashelacksboththeenergyoftheorthodoxandtheunderstandingthatwouldenablehimtoseetheologyobjectively,hecomestotermswithChristianityonthelevelofIyricalanddeclamatorysentimentalityàlaKrummacher。Thatistosay,hepresentsaChristwhoisa\"friendandleader\",heseekstodoawaywithformalaspectsofChristianitythatheproclaimstobe\"ugly\",andforthecontenthesubstitutesahollowphraseology。ThedevicebymeansofwhichcontentisreplacedbyformandideasbyphraseshasproducedahostofdeclamatorypriestsinGermanywhosetendenciesnaturallyledthemfinallyinthedirectionof[liberal]democracy。Butwhereasintheologyatleastasuperficialknowledgeisstillessentialhereandthere,inthedemocraticmovementwhereanorotundbutvacuousrhetoric,nullitesonore,makesintellectandaninsightintorealitiescompletelysuperfluous,anemptyphraseologycameintoitsown。KinkelwhosetheologicalstudieshadledtonothingbeyondthemakingofsentimentalextractsofChristianityinthemannerofClauren’spopularnovels,wasinspeechandinhiswritingstheveryepitomeofthefakepulpitoratorythatissometimesdescribedas\"poeticprose\"andwhichhenowcomicallymadethebasisofhis\"poeticmission\"。

  Thislatter,moreover,didnotconsistinplantingtruelaurelsbutonlyredrowanberrieswithwhichhebeautifiedthehighwayoftrivia。Thissamefeeblenessofcharacterwhichattemptstoovercomeconflictsnotbyresolvingtheircontentbutbyclothingtheminanattractiveformisvisibletoointhewayhelecturesattheuniversity。Thestruggletoabolishtheoldscholasticpedantryissidesteppedbymeansofa\"hearty\"attitudewhichturnsthelecturerintoastudentandexaltsthestudentplacinghimonanequalfootingwiththelecturer。ThisschoolthenproducedawholegenerationofStrodtmanns,Schurzesandsuchlikewhowereabletomakeuseoftheirphraseology,theirknowledgeandtheireasilyacquired\"loftymission\"onlyinthedemocraticmovement。

  *Kinkel’snewlovedevelopsintothestoryofGockel,HinkelundGackeleia。[22]

  Theyear1840wasaturningpointinthehistoryofGermany。Ontheonehand,thecriticalapplicationofHegel’sphilosophytotheologyandpoliticshadbroughtaboutascientificrevolution。Ontheotherhand,thecoronationofFrederickWilliamIVsawtheemergenceofabourgeoismovementwhoseconstitutionalaspirationsstillpossessedawhollyradicalveneer,varyingfromthevague\"politicalpoetry\"oftheperiodtothenewphenomenonofadailypresswithrevolutionarypowers。

  WhatwasGottfrieddoingduringthisperiod?TogetherwithMockelhefoundedthe\"Maybug\"(Maikäfer)\"aJournalfornon-Philistines\"

  (p。209)andtheMaybugClub。Theaimofthispaperwasnothingmorethan\"toprovideacheerfulandenjoyableeveningforagroupoffriendsonceaweekandtogivetheparticipantstheopportunitytopresenttheirworksforcriticismbyabenevolent,artistically-mindedaudience\"(pp。209-1O)。

  TheactualpurposeoftheMaybugClubwastosolvetheriddleoftheBlueFlower。ThemeetingstookplaceinMockel’shouse,where,surroundedbyagroupofinsignificantstudentsMockelparadedas\"Queen\"(p。210)

  andKinkelas\"Minister\"(p。225)。Hereourtwomisunderstoodbeautifulsoulsfounditpossibletomakeupforthe\"injusticetheharshworldhaddonethem\"(p。296);eachcouldacknowledgetherightoftheothertotherespectiverolesofHeinrichvonOfterdingenandtheBlueFlower。Gottfriedtowhomtheapingofotherpeople’sroleshadbecomesecondnaturemusthavefelthappytohavecreatedsucha\"theatreforconnoisseurs\"(p。254)。

  Thefarceitselfactedasthepreludetopracticaldevelopments:

  \"TheseeveningsprovidedtheopportunitytoseeMockelalsointhehouseofherparents\"(p。212)。

  Moreover,theMaybugClubcopiedalsotheGöttingerHain[23]poets,onlywiththedifferencethatthelatterrepresentedastageinthedevelopmentofGermanliteraturewhiletheformerremainedonthelevelofaninsignificantlocalcaricature。The\"merryMaybugs\"SebastianLongard,LeoHasse,C。A。Schlönbach,etc。,were,asthebiographicalapologiaadmits,pale,insipid,indolent,unimportantyouths(pp。211and298)。

  Naturally,Gottfriedsoonbegantomake\"comparisons\"(p。221)

  betweenMockelandhisfiancee,buthehad\"hadnotimehitherto\"——muchagainsthisusualhabit——\"toreflectatallaboutweddingsandmarriage\"

  (p。219)。Inaword,hestoodlikeBuridan’sassbetweenthetwobundlesofhay,unabletodecidebetweenthem。WithhergreatermaturityandverypracticalbentMockel\"clearlydiscernedtheinvisiblebond\"(p。225);

  sheresolvedtogive\"chanceorthewillofGod\"(p。229)ahelpinghand。

  \"AtatimeofdaywhenKinkelwasusuallypreventedbyhisscientificlaboursfromseeingMockel,heonedaywenttovisitherandashequietlyapproachedherroomheheardthesoundofamournfulsong。Pausingtolistenheheardthissong:

  \"DunahstlUndwieMorgenröteBebt’süberdieWangenmein,usw。usw。

  VielnamenloseSchmerzen:

  WeheDufühlstesnicht!

  [Youdrawnigh!AndlikethedawnTheretremblesonmycheeks,etc。etc。

  Manyanamelesspain。

  Alas,youfeelthemnot!]

  Alongdrawn-out,melancholychordconcludedhersongandfadedgraduallyinthebreeze\"(pp。230and231)。

  Gottfriedcreptawayunobserved,asheimagined,andhavingarrivedhomeagainhefoundthesituationveryinteresting。HewrotealargenumberofdespairingsonnetsinwhichhecomparedMockeltotheLorelei(p。233)。

  InordertoescapefromtheLoreleiandtoremaintruetoMissSophieBögeholdhetriedtoobtainapostasateacherinWiesbaden,butwasrejected。

  ThisaccidentwascompoundedbyafurtherinterventionbyFatewhichprovedtobedecisive。Notonlywasthe\"sunstrivingtoleavethesignofVirgo\"

  (p。236),butalsoGottfriedandMockeltookatripdowntheRhineinaskiff;theirskiffwasoverturnedbyanapproachingsteam-boatandGottfriedswamashorebearingMockel。

  \"Ashedrewtowardstheshorehefeltherheartclosetohisandwassuddenlyoverwhelmedbythefeelingthatonlythiswomanwouldbeabletomakehimhappy\"(p。238)。

  OnthisoccasiontheexperiencethatGottfriedhasundergoneisfromarealnovelandnotmerelyanimaginaryone:itistobefoundin[Goethe’s]ElectiveAffinities。Thisdecidedthematter;hebrokeoffhisengagementtoSophieBögehold。

  *Firstlove,thentheintrigue。InthenameofthePresbyteryPastorEngelsprotestedtoGottfriedthatthemarriageofadivorcedCatholicwomantoaProtestantpreacherwasoffensive。Gottfriedrepliedbyappealingtotheeternalrightsofmanandmadethefollowingpointswithagooddealofunction。

  \"1。ItwasnocrimeforhimtohavedrunkcoffeewiththeladyinHirzekümpchen\"

  (p。249)。

  \"2。Thematterisambiguousashehadneitherannouncedinpublicthatheintendedtomarrythelady,northathedidnotintendtodoso\"

  (p。251)。

  \"3。Asfarasfaithisconcerned,no-onecanknowwhatthefutureholdsinstore\"(p。250)。

  \"Andwiththatoutoftheway,mayIaskyoutostepinsideandhaveacupofcoffee\"(p。251)。

  WiththissloganGottfriedandPastorEngels,whocouldnotresistsuchaninvitation,leftthestage。Inthisway,quietlyandyetforcefullyGottfriedwasabletoresolvetheconflictwiththepowersthatbe。

  ThefollowingextractservestoillustratetheeffectoftheMaybugClubonGottfried:

  \"ItwasJune29,1841。OnthisdaythefirstanniversaryoftheMaybugClubwastobecelebratedonagrandscale\"(p。253)。\"Ashoutasofonevoicearosetodecidewhoshouldcarryofftheprize。ModestlyGottfriedbenthiskneebeforetheQueenwhoplacedtheinevitablelaurelwreathonhisglowingbrow,whilethesettingsuncastitsbrightestraysoverthetransfiguredcountenanceofthepoet\"(p。285)。

  ThesolemndedicationoftheimaginedpoeticfameofHeinrichvonOfterdingenisfollowedbythefeelingsandthewishesoftheBlueFlower。ThateveningMockelsangaMaybuganthemshehadcomposedwhichendswiththefollowingstrophesymptomaticofthewholework:

  \"UndwaslerntmanausderGeschicht’?

  Maikäfer,flieg!

  WeraltistkrieytkeinWeibleinmehrDrumhör’,bedenk’dichnichtzusehr!

  Maikäfer,flieg!

  [Andwhat’sthemoralofthetale?

  Fly,Maybug,fly!

  Amanwho’soldwillne’erfindwife,Somakehaste,donotwasteyourlife,Fly,Maybug,fly!]

  Theingenuousbiographerremarksthat\"theinvitationtomarriagecontainedinthesongwaswhollyfreeofanyulteriormotives\"(p。255)。Gottfriedperceivedtheulteriormotivesbut\"wasanxiousnottomiss\"theopportunityofbeingcrownedfortwofurtheryearsbeforethewholeMaybugClubandofbeinganobjectofpassion。SohemarriedMockelonMay22,1843aftershehadbecomeamemberoftheProtestantChurchdespiteherlackoffaith。

  Thiswasdoneontheshabbypretextthat\"definitearticlesoffaitharelessimportantintheProtestantchurchthantheethicalspirit\"

  (p。315)。

  UnddaslerntmanausderGeschicht’,TrautkeinerblauenBlumenicht!

  [Sothat’sthemoralofthetale:

  TheBluestFlowerwillsoongrowstale。]

  GottfriedhadestablishedtherelationshipwithMockelonthepretextofleadingheroutofherunfaithintotheProtestantChurch。MockelnowdemandedtheLifeofJesusbyD。F。Straussandlapsedintopaganism,\"whilewithheavyhearthefollowedheronthepathofdoubtandintotheabyssesofnegation。Togetherwithherhetoiledthroughthelabyrinthinejungleofmodernphilosophy\"(p。308)。

  Heisdrivenintonegationnotbythedevelopmentofphilosophywhichevenatthattimebegantoimpingeonthemassesbutbytheinterventionofachanceemotionalrelationship。

  Whathebringswithhimoutofthelabyrinthisrevealedinhisdiaries:

  \"IshouldliketoseewhetherthemightyriverflowingfromKanttoFeuerbachwilldrivemeoutinto——Pantheism!\"(p。308)。

  Hewritesjustasifthisparticularriverdidnotflowbeyondpantheism,andasifFeuerbachwerethelastwordinGermanphilosophy!

  \"Thecorner-stoneofmylife\",thediarygoesontosay,\"isnothistoricalknowledge,butacoherentsystem,andtheheartoftheologyisnotecclesiasticalhistorybutdogma\"(ibid。)。

  HeisclearlyignorantofthefactthatthewholeachievementofGermanphilosophyliesinitsdissolutionofthecoherentsystemsintohistoricalknowledgeandtheheartofdogmaintoecclesiasticalhistory!——Intheseconfessionstheimageofthecounter-revolutionarydemocratstandsrevealedineverydetail。Forsuchapersonmovementisnothingmorethanameansbywhichtoarriveatafewirremovableeternaltruthsandthentosubsideintoaslothfultranquillity。

  However,Gottfried’sapologeticbook-keepingofhiswholedevelopmentwillenablethereadertojudgetheintensityoftherevolutionaryimpulsethatlayconcealedinthemelodramatichammingofthistheologian。

  IIThisbringstoaclosethefirstActofthedramaofKinkel’slifeandnothingworthyofmentionthenoccursbeforetheoutbreakoftheFebruaryRevolution。ThepublishinghouseofCottaacceptedhispoemsbutwithoutofferinghimaroyaltyandmostofthecopiesremainedunsolduntilthecelebratedstraybulletinBadengaveapoeticnimbustotheauthorandcreatedamarketforhisproducts。

  Incidentally,ourbiographeromitsmentionofonemomentousfact。

  Theself-confessedgoalofKinkel’sdesireswasthatheshoulddieasanoldtheatredirector:hisidealwasacertainoldEisenhutwhotogetherwithhistroupeusedtoroamupanddowntheRhineasatravellingPickelhäring[clown]andwhoafterwardswentmad。

  AlongsidehislectureswiththeirrhetoricofthepulpitGottfriedalsogaveanumberoftheologicalandaestheticperformancesinColognefromtimetotime。WhentheFebruaryRevolutionbrokeout,heconcludedthemwiththispropheticutterance:

  \"ThethunderofbattlereverberatesovertousfromParisandopensanewandgloriouseraforGermanyandthewholecontinentofEurope。TheragingstormwillbefollowedbyZephyr’sbreezeswiththeirmessageoffreedom。Onthisdayisbornthegreat,bountifulepochof——constitutionalmonarchy!\"

  TheconstitutionalmonarchyexpresseditsthankstoKinkelforthiscomplimentbyappointinghimtoaprofessorialchair。Suchrecognitioncouldhowevernotsufficeforourgrandhommeenherbe。Theconstitutionalmonarchyshowednoeagernesstocausehis\"fametoencircletheglobe\"。Moreover,thelaurelsFreiligrathhadcollectedforhisrecentpoliticalpoemspreventedourcrownedMaybugpoetfromsleeping。HeinrichvonOfterdingen,therefore,resolveduponaswingtotheleftandbecamefirstaconstitutionaldemocratandthenarepublicandemocrat(honnêteetmodéré)。HesetouttobecomeadeputybuttheMayelectionstookhimneithertoBerlinnortoFrankfurt。Despitethisinitialsetbackhepursuedhisobjectiveundismayedanditcantruthfullybesaidthathedidnotsparehimself。

  Hewiselylimitedhimselfatfirsttohisimmediateenvironment。HefoundedtheBonnerZeitung[BonnNews],amodestlocalproductdistinguishedonlybythepeculiarfeeblenessofitsdemocraticrhetoricandthenaivetewithwhichitaspiredtosavethenation。HeelevatedtheMaybugClubtotherankofademocraticStudents’ClubandfromthistheredulyflowedahostofdisciplesthatboretheMaster’srenownintoeverycornerofthedistrictofBonn,importuningeveryassemblywiththefameofProfessorKinkel。Hehimselfpolitickedwiththegrocersintheirclub,heextendedabrotherlyhandtotheworthymanufacturersandevenhawkedthewarmbreathoffreedomamongthepeasantryofKindenichandSeelscheid。Aboveallhereservedhissympathyforthehonourablecasteofmastercraftsmen。Hewepttogetherwiththemoverthedecayofhandicrafts,themonstrouseffectsoffreecompetition,themoderndominanceofcapitalandofmachines。Togetherwiththemhedevisedplanstorestoretheguildsandtopreventtheviolationofguildregulationsbythejourneymen。SoastodoeverythingofwhichhewascapablehesetdowntheresultsofhispubdeliberationswiththepettyguildmastersinthepamphletentitledHandicraft,saveyourself!

  LesttherebeanydoubtastoMr。Kinkel’spositionandtothesignificanceofhislittletractforFrankfurtandthenationhededicatedittothe\"thirtymembersoftheeconomiccommitteeoftheFrankfurtNationalAssembly\"。

  HeinrichvonOfterdingen’sresearchesintothe\"beauty\"oftheartisanclassledhimimmediatelytothediscoverythat\"thewholeartisanclassisatpresentdividedbyayawningchasm\"(p。5)。Thischasmconsistsinthefactthatsomeartisans\"frequenttheclubsofthegrocersandofficials\"

  (whatprogress!)andthatothersdonotdothisandalsointhefactthatsomeartisansareeducatedandothersarenot。Despitethischasmtheauthorregardstheartisans’clubs,theassembliesspringingupeverywhereinthebelovedfatherlandandtheagitationforimprovingthestateofhandicrafts(reminiscentofthecongressesàlaWinkelblech[24]of1848)astheportentofahappyfuture。Toensurethathisowngoodadviceshouldnotbemissingfromthisbeneficentmovementhedeviseshisownprogrammeofsalvation。

  Hebeginsbyaskinghowtoeradicatetheevileffectsoffreecompetitionbyrestrictingitbutwithouteliminatingitaltogether。

  Thesolutionsheproposesarethese:

  \"Ayouthwholackstherequisiteabilityandmaturityshouldbedebarredbylawfrombecomingamaster\"(p。20)。

  \"Nomastershallbepermittedtohavemorethanoneapprentice(p。29)

  \"Thecourseofinstructioninacraftshallbeconcludedbyanexamination\"(p。30)。

  \"Themasterofanapprenticemustunfailinglyattendtheexamination\"

  (p。31)。

  \"Onthequestionofmaturityitshouldbecomemandatorythathenceforthnoapprenticemaybecomeamasterbeforecompletionofhistwenty-fifthyear\"(p。42)。

  \"Asevidenceofabilityeverycandidateforthetitleofmastershouldberequiredtopassapublicexamination\"(p。43)。

  \"Inthiscontextitisofvitalimportancethattheexaminationshouldbefree\"(p。44)。\"Allprovincialmastersofthesameguildmustlikewisesubmitthemselvestothesameexamination\"(p。55)。

  FriendGottfriedwhoishimselfapoliticalhawkerdesirestoabolishthe\"travellingtradesmanorhawker\"inother,profanewaresonthegroundsofthedishonestyofsuchwork。(p。60。)

  \"Amanufacturerofcraftgoodsdesirestowithdrawhisassetsfromthebusinesstohisownadvantageand,dishonestly,tothedisadvantageofhiscreditors。Likeallambivalentthingsthisphenomenontooisdescribedbyaforeignword:itiscalledbankruptcy。Hethenquicklytakeshisfinishedproductstoaneighbouringtownandsellsthemtheretothehighestbidder\"

  (p。64)。Theseauctions——\"inactualfactlikeasortofgarbagethatourdearneighbour,Commerce,disposesofinthegardenofHandicraft\"

  ——mustbeabolished。(Woulditnotbemuchsimpler,FriendGottfried,togototherootofthematterandabolishbankruptcyitself?)。

  \"Ofcourse,theannualfairsareinaspecialposition\"(p。65)。

  \"Thelawwillhavetobeflexiblesoastoallowthevariousplacestocallanassemblyofallthecitizenstodecidebymajorityvote(!)whetherpermanentannualfairsshouldberetainedorabolished\"(p。68)。

  Gottfriednowcomestothe\"vexed\"questionoftherelationshipbetweenmanufactureandmachineindustryandproducesthefollowing:

  \"Leteveryonesellonlythosegoodsthathehimselfproduceswithhisownhands。\"(p。80。)\"Becausemachinesandmanufacturehavegonetheirownwaystheyhavestrayedfromtheirtruepathsandnowbothareinasorryplight。\"(p。84)。

  Hewishestounitethembygettingartisanssuchasthebookbinders,tobandtogetherandmaintainamachine。

  \"Astheyonlyusethemachineforthemselvesandwhenitisrequiredtheywillbeabletoproducemorecheaplythanthefactoryowner\"(p。85)。

  \"Capitalwillbebrokenbyassociation\"(p。84)。(Andassociationswillbebrokenbycapital。)

  Hethengeneraliseshisideasaboutthe\"purchaseofamachinetorulelines,andtocutpaperandcardboard\"(p。85)fortheunitedcertificatedbookbindersofBonnandconceivesthenotionofa\"Machine-Chamber\"。

  \"Confederationsofthevariousguildmastersmustsetupbusinesseseverywhere,similartothefactoriesofindividualbusinessmenthoughonasmallerscale。Thesewillworktoorder,exclusivelyforthebenefitoflocalmasters。Theywillnotacceptcommissionsfromotheremployers\"

  (p。86)。

  WhatdistinguishestheseMachineChambersisthefactthat\"acommercialmanagement\"willonly\"beneededinitially\"(ibid)。\"Everyideaasnovelasthisone\",Gottfriedexclaims\"ecstatically\",\"canonlybeputintopracticewhenallthedetailshavebeenthoughtoutinthemostsober,matteroffactway\"。Heurges\"eachandeverybranchofmanufacturetoperformthisanalysisforitself\"!(pp。87,88)。

  Therefollowsapolemicagainstcompetitionfromthestateintheshapeofthelabourperformedbytheinmatesofprisons,reminiscencesaboutacolonyofcriminals(\"ThecreationofahumanSiberia\"(p。102)),andfinallyanattackonthe\"so-calledhandicraftcompaniesandhandicraftcommissions\"inthearmedforces。Theaimhereistoeasetheburdensimposedbythearmyontheartisanclassesbyinducingthestatetocommissiongoodsfromtheguildmastersthatitcoulditselfproducemorecheaply。

  \"Thisdealssatisfactorilywiththeproblemsofcompetition\"(p。109)。

  Gottfried’ssecondimportantpointtouchesonthematerialaidduetothemanufacturingclassesfromthestate。GottfriedregardsthestatesolelyfromthepointofviewofanofficialandhencearrivesattheopinionthattheeasiestandsurestwaytohelptheartisanisbydirectsubsidyfromtheTreasurytoerecttradehallsandsetuploan-funds。HowthefundsreachtheTreasuryinthefirstplaceisthe\"ugly\"sideoftheproblemandnaturallyenough,cannotbeinvestigatedhere。

  Lastly,ourtheologianinevitablylapsesintotheroleofmoralpreacher。Hereadstheartisanclassamorallectureonself-help。Hefirstlycondemnsthe\"complaintsaboutlong-termborrowingandaboutdiscounts\"

  (p。136),andinvitestheartisantoinspecthisownconscience:\"Doyoualwaysfixthesame,unchangingprice,myfriend,foreveryjobofworkthatyouundertake?\"(p。132)。Onthisoccasionhealsowarnstheartisanagainstmakingextortionatedemandson\"wealthyEnglishmen\"。\"Thewholerootoftheevil\",accordingtothefantasiesthatinhabitGottfried’smind,\"isthesystemofannualaccounts\"(p。139)。ThisisfollowedbyJeremiadsaboutthewayinwhichtheartisanscarryoninthetavernsandtheirwivesindulgetheirloveoffinery(p。140ff。)。

  Themeansbywhichtheartisanclassistobetteritselfare\"thecorporation,thesicknessfundandtheartisans’court\"(p。146);andlastly,theworkers’educationalclubs(p。153)。Hereishisclosingstatementabouttheseeducationalclubs。

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