16 Last Moments of Goethe. 



mind, to the last moment of his existence. On the evening of the 

 twenty-first he explained to his daughter the conditions of the peace of 

 Basle ; desired that the children should be taken to the theatre ; said that 

 he found himself much better, and that the medicines had taken effect, 

 as he already breathed more easily ; he requested Salvandy's Six- 

 teen Months to be brought him, although his physician had forbidden 

 all laborious occupation ; but the doctor having gone out for a few 

 moments, he ordered lights to be brought, and attempted to read. 

 Not being able to do so, he held the book for some moments before 

 him, and then said, " Well, let us do at least as the Mandarins :" he 

 fell asleep, and his slumbers appeared light and refreshing. On the 

 twenty-second he conversed gaily with his daughter, his grand-children, 

 and some friends. At seven o'clock he desired his daughter to bring 

 him a port-folio, in order to observe upon some drawings, some phe- 

 nomena of colouring, and he began with his right hand to trace some 

 characters in the air. Towards ten o'clock he ceased almost entirely to 

 speak, held firmly between his own, the hand of his daughter who was 

 by his side, and turned his eyes, already half-closed, towards her with 

 an expression of tenderness : with her other hand she supported his 

 pillowed head until he breathed his last. An aspiration stronger than 

 usual was the only struggle which his powerful nature had to undergo, 

 his dissolution was thus without suffering, his head and hands remain- 

 ing in the same situation, without the slightest convulsion. His daughter 

 closed the fine eyes of the poet, and summoning her children to behold 

 their great father for the last time, she rushed from the apartment of 

 death, and gave vent to her grief. 



The remains of the poet, attended by all that was noble and respect- 

 able, were carried to their last abode with the ceremonial used at the 

 funerals of the princes of the reigning family of Weimar, after being 

 exposed for five hours in the hall of the dead house. Before his burial 

 the crowd silently directed their steps thither, to impress upon their 

 memories by one last look the features of that physiognomy so calm and 

 impressive even in the embrace of death. 



The preceding grand Duke had erected in the new cemetery, which is 

 situated in the middle of the city, a chapel, the vaults of which were 

 destined for the remains of the reigning family. The Duke himself and 

 his Duchess Louisa repose there, there also rest the remains of Schiller, 

 and within its silent precincts has lately Goethe been united to his 

 friends. 



Doctor Rehr, the court preacher, pronounced the funeral oration. 

 The theatre at Weimar remained closed for four days. On the 27th of 

 March they represented one of his pieces, well fitted to recal the time 

 when the Court of Weimar resembled in so many respects that of Ferrara. 

 Two stanzas of the epilogue, composed for the occasion by Chancellor 

 Muller, the intimate friend of Goethe, recalled in the most touching 

 manner his friendship with Schiller j and how, after his premature death, 

 Goethe abandoned poetry to give himself up to science. This last stanza 

 produced upon the audience a profound impression. 



" The spot where great men have exercised their genius remains for 

 ever sacred. The waves of time silently efface the hours of life ; but not 

 the great works which they have seen produced. What the power of 

 genius has created, is purified like the air of the Heavens, its apparition 

 is fugitive, its works are eternal ! 



