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Full Title
The auto-biography of Goethe. Truth and poetry: from my own life. The concluding books. Also letters from Switzerland, and travels in Italy. Translated by the Rev. A. J. W. Morrison, M.A. [Volume II.]
Author
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832. Morrison, A. J. W. (Alexander James William), 1806-1865.
Date Added
8 January 2014
Language
English
Publish Date
1849
Publisher
London: Henry G. Bohn.
Source
Berkshire Athenaeum Books.
Topic
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832. Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 > Travel > Switzerland. Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 > Travel > Italy. Switzerland > Description and travel. Italy > Description and travel.
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OCR
328 LETYERS FROM ITALY,
to, had a standing on the firm soil of truth; diligently, not to
say anxiously, they had laid the foundation, and vied with
each other in raising, step by step, the pyramid aloft, until,
at last, profiting by all their labors, and enlightened by a
heavenly genius, Raphael sct the last stone on the summit,
above which, or even at which, no one else can ever stand.
Our interest in the history of art becomes peculialy lively |
wher. we consider the works of the old masters. Jrancesco
Francia is a very respectable artist. Pietro Perugino, so bold
a man that one might almost call him a noble German fellow.
Oh that fate had carried Albert Direr further into Italy. In
Munich I saw a couple of picces by him of inercdible gran-
deur. The poor man, how did he mistake his own worth in
Venice, and make an agreement with the priests, on which he
lost weeks and months! See him. in his journey through the
Netherlands exchanging his noble works of art for parrots,
and in order to save his “ douceur,”’ drawing the portraits of
the domestics, who bring him—a plate of fruit. To me thé
history of such a poor fool of an artist is infinitely touching.
Towards evening I got out of this ancient, venerable, and
learned city, and extricated myself from its crowds, who, pro-
‘tected from the sun and weather by the arched bowers which
are to be seen in almost every street, walk about, gape about,
or buy, and sell, and transact whatever business they ma
have. ‘I ascended the tower and enjoyed the pure air. The
view is glorious! To the north we see the hills of Padua;
beyond them the Swiss, Tyrolese, and Friulian Alps; in short,
the whole northern chain, which, at the time, was enveloped
in mist. Westward there stretched a boundless horizon,
above which the towers of Modena alone stood out. Towards
the east a similar plain reaching to the shores of the Adriatic,
whose waters might be discerned in the setting sun. Towards
«the south, the first hills of the Apennines, which, like the
Vicentine Hills, are planted up to their summits, or covered
with churches,, palaces, and summer-houses. ‘The sky was
perfectly clear, not a cloud to be seen, only on the horizon a
kind of haze. The keeper of the tower assured me that for
six years this mist had never left the distance. Otherwise,
by the help of a telescope, you might easily discern the hills
of Vicenza, with their houses and chapels, but now very
rarely, even on the brightest days. And this mist lay chiefly