

GOETHE'S ' FAKBENLEHKE; 71 



which prizes above all things the freedom of individual 

 action. Newton was born in a storm-tossed time none 

 indeed more pregnant in the history of the world. He 

 was a year old when Charles I. was beheaded, and he 

 lived to see the first George upon the throne. The 

 shock of parties was in his ears ; changes of Ministries, 

 Parliaments, and armies were occurring before his eyes, 

 while the throne itself, instead of passing on by inherit- 

 ance, was taken possession of by a stranger. What, 

 a^ks Goethe, are we to think of a man who could put 

 aside the claims, seductions, and passions incident to 

 such a time, for the purpose of tranquilly following out 

 bis bias as an investigator ? 



So singular a character arrests the poet's attention. 

 Goethe had laid down his theory of colours, he must add 

 to it a theory of Newton. The great German is here 

 at home, and Newton could probably no more have gone 

 into these disquisitions regarding character, than Goethe 

 could have developed the physical theories of Newton. 

 He prefaces his sketch of his rival's character by reflec- 

 tions and considerations regarding character in general. 

 Every living thing, down to the worm that wriggles 

 when trod upon, has a character of its own. In this 

 sense even the weak and cowardly have characters, for 

 they will give up the honour and fame which most men 

 prize highest, so that they may vegetate in safety and 

 comfort. But the word character is usually applied to 

 the case of an individual with great qualities, who 

 pursues his object undeviatingly, and without permit- 

 ting either difficulty or danger to deflect him from his 

 course. 



'Although here, as in other cases,' says Goethe, * it is 

 the Exuberant (Ueberschivangliche) that impresses the 

 imagination, it must not be imagined that this attribute 

 has anything to do with moral feeling. The main 



