Page:The Works of J. W. von Goethe, Volume 12.djvu/347

Rh menacing, anxious,—all mental states follow rapidly, one after another. With wonderful taste she suits the folding of her veil to each expression, and with the same handkerchief makes every kind of head-dress. The old knight holds the light for her, and enters into the exhibition with his whole soul. He thinks he can discern in her a resemblance to all the most famous antiques, all the beautiful profiles on the Sicilian coins,—ay, of the Apollo Belvedere itself. This much at any rate is certain,—the entertainment is unique. We spent two evenings on it with thorough enjoyment. To-day Tischbein is engaged in painting her.

What I have seen and inferred of the personnel of the court requires to be further tested, before I set it down. To-day the king is gone hunting the wolves: they hope to kill at least five.

March 17, 1787.

When I would write words, images only start before my eyes,—the beautiful land, the free sea, the hazy islands, the roaring mountain! Powers to delineate all this fail me.

Here in this country one at last understands how man could ever take it into his head to till the ground,—here, where it produces everything, and where one may look for as many as from three to five crops in the year.

I have seen much, and reflected still more. The world opens itself to me more and more: all even that I have long known is at last becoming my own. How quick to know, but how slow to put in practice, is the human creature!

The only pity is, that I cannot at each moment communicate to others my observations. But, both as man