第59章

类别:其他 作者:William Dean Howells字数:5561更新时间:18/12/22 09:09:46
ItwasfallingnightwhentheyreachedWeimar,wheretheyfoundatthestationaprovisionofomnibusesfarbeyondthehotelaccommodations。 TheydrovefirsttotheCrown-Prince,whichwasinapromisingstateofreparation,butwhichforthepresentcouldonlywelcomethemtoanapartmentwhereacanvascurtaincutthemofffromafreshlyplasteredwall。Thelandlorddeploredthefact,andsenthospitablyouttotryandplacethemattheElephant。ButtheElephantwasfull,andtheRussianCourtwasfulltoo。ThenthelandlordoftheCrown-Princebethoughthimselfofanewhotel,ofthesecondclass,indeed,butverynice,wheretheymightgetrooms,andafterthedelayofanhour,theygotacarriageanddroveawayfromtheCrown-Prince,wherethelandlordcontinuedtothelastasbenevolentasiftheyhadbeenaprofitinsteadofalosstohim。 Thestreetsofthetownatnineo’clockwereemptyandquiet,andtheyinstantlyfelttheacademicqualityoftheplace。Throughthepalenighttheycouldseethatthearchitecturewasoftheclassicsentimentwhichtheyweredestinedtofeelmoreandmore;atonepointtheycaughtafleetingglimpseoftwofigureswithclaspedhandsandhalfembraced,whichtheyknewforthestatuesofGoetheandSchiller;andwhentheymountedtotheirroomsattheGrand-DukeofSaxe-Weimar,theypassedunderafrescorepresentingGoetheandfourotherworld-famouspoets,Shakspere,Milton,Tasso,andSchiller。ThepoetsalllookedlikeGermans,aswasjust,andGoethewasnaturallychiefamongthem;hemarshalledtheimmortalsontheirway,andSchillerbroughtuptherearandkeptthemfromgoingastrayinanElysiumwheretheydidnotspeakthelanguage。Fortherest,thehotelwasbrand-new,ofaquiteAmericanfreshness,andwaspervadedbyasweetsmellasofstrawmatting,andprovidedwithsteam-radiators。InthesenseofitshomelikenesstheMarchesboastedthattheywerenevergoingawayfromit。 Inthemorningtheydiscoveredthattheirwindowslookedoutonthegrand-ducalmuseum,withagardenedspacebeforeandbelowitsclassicisticbulk,where,inawhimoftheweather,thegayflowerswerefullofsun。Inapleasantillusionoftakingitunawares,Marchstrolledupthroughthetown;butWeimarwasasmuchawakeatthathourasatanyofthetwenty-four,andthetranquillityofitsstreets,whereheencounteredafewpassersseveralblocksapart,wastheirhabitualmood。Hecamepromptlyupontwoobjectswhichhewouldwillinglyhaveshunned:a’denkmal’oftheFranco-Germanwar,notsofuriouslybadasmostGermanmonuments,butantipatheticanduninteresting,asallpatrioticmonumentsare;andawoman-and-dogteam。Intheshockfromthishewassensiblethathehadnotseenanywoman-and-dogteamsforsometime,andhewonderedbywhatcivicorethnicinfluencestheirdistributionwassocontrolledthattheyshouldhaveaboundedinHamburg,Leipsic,andCarlsbad,andwhollyceasedinNuremberg,Ansbach,andWurzburg,toreappearagaininWeimar,thoughtheyseemedascharacteristicofallGermanyastheuglydenkmalstohervictoriesoverFrance。 TheGoetheandSchillermonumentwhichhehadglimpsedthenightbeforewascharacteristictoo,butlessoffensivelyso。Germanstatuesatthebestareconscious;andthepoet-pair,astheinscriptioncallsthem,havetheairofshowilyconfrontingposteritywiththeirclaspedhands,andofbeingonlypartiallyraptfromthespectators。ButtheyweremoreunconsciousthananyotherGermanstatuesthatMarchhadseen,andhequelledadesiretoaskGoethe,ashestoodwithhishandonSchiller’sshoulder,andlookedserenelyintospacefaraboveoneofthetypicalequipagesofhiscountry,whathethoughtofthatsortofthing。ButuponreflectionhedidnotknowwhyGoetheshouldbeheldpersonallyresponsiblefortheexistenceofthewoman-and-dogteam。HefeltthathemightmorereasonablyattributetohistastetheprevalenceofclassicprofileswhichhebegantonoteintheWeimarpopulace。ThiscouldbeasympatheticeffectofthatpassionfortheantiquewhichthepoetbroughtbackwithhimfromhissojourninItaly;thoughmanyofthepeople,especiallythechildren,werebow-legged。Perhapstheantiquehad:begunintheirfaces,andhadnotyetgotdowntotheirlegs;inanycasetheywerecharmingchildren,andasatestoftheirculture,hehadamindtoaskalittlegirlifshecouldtellhimwherethestatueofHerderwas,whichhethoughthemightaswelltakeinonhisramble,andsobedonewithasmanystatuesashecould。Sheansweredwithaprettyregretinhertendervoice,“ThatItrulycannot。”andhewasmoresatisfiedthanifshecould,forhethoughtitbettertobeachildandhonest,thantoknowwhereanyGermanstatuewas。 HeeasilyfounditforhimselfintheplacewhichiscalledtheHerderPlatzafterit。HewentintothePeterandPaulChurchthere;whereHerderusedtopreachsermons,sometimesnotatalllikedbythenobilityandgentryfortheirrevolutionarytendency;thesovereignwasshieldedfromtheworsteffectsofhisdoctrinebyworshippingapartfromothersinnersinaglazedgallery。Herderisburiedinthechurch,andwhenyouaskwhere,thesacristanliftsawoodentrap-doorinthepavement,andyouthinkyouaregoingdownintothecrypt,butyouareonlytoseeHerder’smonumentalstone,whichiskeptcoveredsotosaveitfrompassingfeet。HerealsoisthegreatestpictureofthatgreatsoulLukeKranach,whohadsincerityenoughinhispainingtoatoneforalltheswellingGermansculpturesintheworld。Itisacrucifixion,andthecrossisofawhitebirchlog,suchasmighthavebeencutoutoftheWeimarwoods,shavedsmoothonthesides,withthebarkshowingattheedges。Kranachhasputhimselfamongthespectators,andastreamofbloodfromthesideoftheSaviorfallsinbaptismuponthepainter’shead。HeisinthecompanyofJohntheBaptistandMartinLuther;LutherstandswithhisBibleopen,andhisfingerontheline,“ThebloodofJesuscleansethus。” Partlybecausehefeltguiltyatdoingallthesethingswithouthiswife,andpartlybecausehewasnowveryhungry,Marchturnedfromthemandgotbacktohishotel,whereshewaslookingoutforhimfromtheiropenwindow。Shehadtheairofbeinglongdomesticatedthere,asshelaugheddownatseeinghimcome;andthecontinuedbrilliancyoftheweatheraddedtotheillusionofhome。 ItwaslikeadayoflatespringinItalyorAmerica;thesuninthatgardenedhollowbeforethemuseumwasalreadyhotenoughtomakehimgladoftheshelterofthehotel。Thesummerseemedtohavecomebacktoobligethem,andwhentheylearnedthattheyweretoseeWeimarinafestivemoodbecausethiswasSedanDay,theircuriosity,ifnottheirsympathy,acceptedthechancegratefully。Buttheywerealmostmovedtowishthatthewarhadgoneotherwisewhentheylearnedthatallthepubliccarriageswereengaged,andtheymusthaveonefromastableiftheywishedtodriveafterbreakfast。Stillitwasofferedthemforsuchamodestnumberofmarks,andtheirdriverprovedsofriendlyandconversable,thattheyassentedtothecourseofhistory,andweremoreandmorereconciledastheybowledalongthroughthegrand-ducalparkbesidethewatersoftheclassicIlm。 ThewatersoftheclassicIlmaresluggishandslimyinplaces,andinplacesclearandbrooklike,butalwaysadulldarkgreenincolor。Theyflowintheshadowofpensivetrees,andbythebrinksofsunnymeadows,wheretheafter-mathwandersinheavywindrows,andthechildrensportjoyouslyoverthesmooth-mownsurfacesinallthefreedomthatthereisinGermany。Atlast,afterimmemorialappropriationtheownersoftheearthareeverywhereexpropriated,andthepeoplecomeintothepleasureifnottheprofitofit。Atlast,theprince,theknight,thenoblefinds,asinhisturntheplutocratwillfind,thathispropertyisnotforhim,butforall;andthatthenationistoenjoywhathetakesfromitandvainlythinkstokeepfromit。Parks,pleasaunces,gardens,setapartforkings,aretheplay-groundsofthelandlesspoorintheOldWorld,andperhapsyieldthesweetestjoyofprivilegetosomestate-sickruler,someworld-wearyprincess,somelonelychildborntothesolitudeofsovereignty,astheyeachlookdownfromtheirpalacewindowsupontheleisureofoverworktakingitslittleholidayamidstbeautyvainlycreatedfortheperpetualfestivaloftheiremptylives。 MarchsmiledtothinkthatinthisveryWeimar,wheresovereigntyhadgracedandennobleditselfasnowhereelseintheworldbythecompanionshipoflettersandthearts,theystillwerenothurryingfirsttoseethepalaceofaprince,butwereinvoluntarilymakingitsecondtothecottageofapoet。ButinfactitisGoethewhoisforevertheprinceinWeimar。Hisgreatnessblotsoutitshistory,hisnamefillsthecity;thethoughtofhimisitschiefestimitationandlargesthospitality。Thetravellersremembered,aboveallotherfactsofthegrand-ducalpark,thatitwastherehefirstmetChristianeVulpius,beautifulandyoung,whenhetoowasbeautifulandyoung,andtookherhometobehislove,tothejustandlastingdispleasureofFranvonStein,whowasevenlessreconciledwhen,aftereighteenyearsofduereflection,theloveofGoetheandChristianebecametheirmarriage。 They,wonderedjustwhereitwashesawtheyounggirlcomingtomeethimastheGrand-Duke’sministerwithanoffice-seekingpetitionfromherbrother,Goethe’sbrotherauthor,longfamedandlongforgottenforhisromantictaleof“RinaldoRinaldini。” Theyhadindeednogreatmind,intheirAmericanrespectability,forthatrathermatter-of-factanddeliberateliaison,andlittleastheirsympathywasforthepassionlessintellectualintriguewiththeFrauvonStein,itcastnohaloofsentimentabouttheGoethecottagetosupposethattherehislove-lifewithChristianebegan。Mrs。Marchevenresentedthefact,andwhenshelearnedlaterthatitwasnotthefactatall,sheremoveditfromherassociationswiththeprettyplacealmostindignantly。 InspiteofourfacileandmultipledivorcesweAmericansareworshipersofmarriage,andifagreatpoet,theministerofaprince,isgoingtomarryapoorgirl,wethinkhehadbetternotwaittilltheirsonisalmostofage。Mrs。MarchwouldnotacceptasextenuatingcircumstancestheGrand-Duke’sgodfatherhood,orGoethe’sopenconstancytoChristiane,orthetardyconsecrationoftheirunionaftertheFrenchsackof,Weimar,whenthegirl’sdevotionhadsavedhimfromtherudenessofthemaraudingsoldiers。ForherNewEnglandsoultherewerenodegreesinsuchguilt;and,perhapstherearereallynotsomanyaspeoplehavetriedtothink,intheirdeferencetoGoethe’sgreatness。Butcertainlytheaffairwasnotsosimpleforagrand-ducalministerofworld-widerenown,andhemightwellhavefeltitsdifficulties,forhecouldnothavebeenproofagainstthecensoriouspublicopinionofWeimar,ortheyetmorecensoriousprivateopinionofFranvonStein。 OnthatlovelyItalo-AmericanmorningnoghostoftheseolddeadembarrassmentslingeredwithinorwithouttheGoethegarden-house。 Thetreeswhichthepoethimselfplantedflungasun-shotshadowuponit,andaboutitsfeetbaskedagardenofsimpleflowers,fromwhichthesweetlamegirlwholimpedthroughtheroomsandshowedthem,gatheredapartingnosegayforhervisitors。Thefewsmalllivingroomswereabovetheground-floor,withkitchenandofficesbelowintheItalianfashion; inoneofthelittlechamberswasthecamp-bedwhichGoethecarriedwithhimonhisjourneysthroughItaly;andinthelargerroomatthefrontstoodthedeskwherehewrote,withthechairbeforeitfromwhichhemightjusthaverisen。 Allwasmuchmorelivinglyconsciousofthegreatmangonethantheproudlittlepalaceinthetown,whichsoaboundswithrelicsandmemorialsofhim。Hislibrary,hisstudy,hisstudytable,witheverythingonitjustasheleftitwhen“Caddelastancamana。” arethere,andthereisthedeath-chairfacingthewindow,fromwhichhegaspedfor“morelight“atlast。Thehandsome,well-arrangedroomsarefullofsouvenirsofhistravel,andofthatpassionforItalywhichhedidsomuchtoimparttoallGermanhearts,andwhosemodernwaningleavesitsrecordshereofaninterestpathetically,almostamusingly,faded。Theyintimatetheclassictempertowhichhismindtendedmoreandmore,andamidstthemultitudeofsculptures,pictures,prints,drawings,gems,medals,autographs,thereisthesenseofthemany- mindedness,theuniversaltaste,forwhichhefoundroominlittleWeimar,butnotinhiscontemporaneousGermany。Butitisalllesskeenlypersonal,lessintimatethanthesimplegarden-house,orelse,withthegreattroopofpeoplegoingthroughit,andthecustodianslecturinginvariousvoicesandlanguagestotheattendantgroups,theMarcheshaditlesstothemselves,andsoimaginedhimlessinit。