Page:The Works of J. W. von Goethe, Volume 9.djvu/292

258 For, kind and fair as she might be, He long had known her, fancied he.

"I have selected thee," she said, "From all who earth's wild mazes tread, That thou shouldst have clear-sighted sense, And nought that's wrong should e'er commence. When others run in strange confusion, Thy gaze shall see through each illusion; When others dolefully complain, Thy cause with jesting thou shalt gain, Honour and right shall value duly, In everything act simply, truly,— Virtue and godliness proclaim, And call all evil by its name, Nought soften down, attempt no quibble, Nought polish up, nought vainly scribble. The world shall stand before thee, then, As seen by Albert Durer's ken, In manliness and changeless life, In inward strength and firmness rife. Fair Nature's Genius by the hand Shall lead thee on through every land, Teach thee each different life to scan, Show thee the wondrous ways of man, His shifts, confusions, thrustings, drubbings, Pushings, tearings, pressings, and rubbings; The varying madness of the crew, The ant-hill's ravings bring to view; But thou shalt see all this expressed, As though 'twere in a magic chest. Write these things down for folks on earth, In hopes they may to wit give birth."— Then she a window opened wide, And showed a motley crowd outside, All kinds of beings 'neath the sky, As in his writings one may spy.