1032.] Goethe s Visit to Beireis. 65 



who here found no entertainment for his tastes, and so the sooner and more 

 keenly was seized with his usual impatience, desired so impetuously 

 to be in Helmstadt again, that we had to resolve on setting forth ; yet 

 was there, at our parting, a mutual relation to spring up between us. The 

 kind host presented to my son a beautiful Encrinite from his fossil trea- 

 sures ; and we scarcely counted on being able to return aught equally 

 pleasing, when a certain Forest-problem came in course. In Ettersburg, 

 near Weimar, it was said, in a popular Journal, a species of Box-tree 

 grew, which, in figure and other qualities, visibly resembled the oak. 

 The Count, with inherited taste for forest culture, wanted some pre- 

 pared twigs, and what else might contribute to the knowledge of this 

 Tree ; especially, if possible, some living plants. In time we were so 

 happy as to procure him what he wished, and so fulfil our promise had 

 the pleasure of sending him living specimens of this ambiguous Tree, and 

 also, in after years, to hear good tidings of their growth. 



During our return from Harbke, as in our going thither, the old con- 

 juror, our guide, had much to tell us of his feats. We now learned from 

 his own lips, what had already been communicated by tradition ; yet, 

 strictly considered, there was in the legends of this saint a singular 

 monotony. As a boy, young courageous determination ; as a scholar, 

 quick self-defence, academic quarrels, mastery of the rapier, scientific 

 skill in riding, and other bodily attainments ; courage and dexterity, 

 force and endurance, stedfastness and love of action ; all this lay back- 

 wards in obscure times : three years of travel remained mysterious ; 

 and much else in the narrative, at all events in the examination, vague. 



Since, however, the visible result of his history seemed to be an 

 incalculable possession of precious things, an incalculable money wealth, 

 enough of believers, of admirers, could never be wanting to him. These 

 two, Money and Valuables, are a sort of household gods, towards which 

 the many looks with greedy and devout eyes. Is a possession of this 

 kind not inherited, and of plain acquirement, but gained in secrecy, then 

 are all other marvels dimly assented to ; the man is left to his fabulous 

 way ; for a mass of coined gold and silver lends, even to the untrue, 

 respect and importance ; people let the lie pass, while they envy the 

 ready cash. 



The possible or probable methods by which Beireis had attained to 

 this property were simply and unanimously pointed out. He was reckoned 

 to have found out a Colour which supplied the place of cochenille ; to 

 have communicated to master-brewers better processes of Fermentation 

 than those then in use. Whoever is acquainted with the history of chemis- 

 try, will judge whether, in the middle of the last century, recipes of this 

 sort might be gliding about; will know how far they have in recent years 

 become public and universal. Might not Beireis, for example, have 

 been among the first to come upon the improvement of Madder ? 



With all this, however, we are to consider the moral element in 

 which, and on which he worked : I mean the Time, the specific feeling, 

 the requirement thereof. Communication between the citizens of our 

 world went not on so quick as it now does ; as yet, any one dwelling in 

 remote places, like Swedenborg, or in a small university, like Beireis, 

 had still the freest opportunity to shroud himself in mysterious darkness, 

 to evoke spirits, and labour at the philosopher's stone. Have we not, 

 in still later days, seen Cagliostro ; how, hastily traversing large spaces, 

 alternately in the south, the north, the west, he could proceed with his 



M.M. New Series, VOL. XIII. No. 73. F 



