Page:The Works of J. W. von Goethe, Volume 13.djvu/84

62 His society is every day more intolerable to me, and he, too, tries to avoid me whenever he can. I am too plain a man for him to walk across the street with me. What would the 'king of Holland' say if he saw him in this guise? Do write again to him soon and tell him your opinion; else he and his lady-love will remain as silly as ever. Heaven only preserve me, as long as I am here, from any sweetheart, for the women here are the very devil. Goethe is not the first who has made a fool of himself to please his Dulcinea. I only wish you could see her just for once: she is the most absurd creature in the world. Her mine coquette avec un air hautain is all with which she has bewitched Goethe. Dear friend! how glad should I be if Goethe were still what he was in Frankfort! Good friends as we were formerly, we can now scarcely endure each other for a quarter of an hour. Yet with time I still hope to convert him, though it is a hard matter to make a coxcomb wise. But I will venture everything for the sake of it.

"'Ach! früchtete dies mein Bemühn!

Ach! könnt' ich meinen Zweck erreichen!

Ich wollt' nicht Luther, nicht Calvin,

Noch einem der Bekehrer weichen.

I cannot write to him again what I have here told you. I shall be delighted if you will do so. I care neither for his anger nor for that of his lady-love. For, after all, he is not easily offended with me; even when we have quarrelled he sends for me next day. So much of him; more another time. Live and forget not thy."

Moors followed Horn's advice, and expressed to Goethe, apparently in very plain terms, his astonish-