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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
er ats ASN i eee ak Sete wun es te samara oo
ae gg rere ten
880 LETTERS FROM ITALY.
both because it will be a treat to him, and because, in his
society, all my enjoyments are more than doubled. I purpose
to return hither before Easter, for the sake of the solemnities of
Passion week. But there Sicily lies—there below. A journey
thither requires more preparation, and ought to be taken too
inthe autumn: it must not be merely a ride round it and across
it, which is soon done, but from which one brings away with
us in return for our fatigue and money nothing but a simple—
I have seen tt. The best way is to take up one’s quarters, first
of all, in Palermo, and afterwards in Catania ; and then from
those points to make fixed and profitable excursions, having
previously, however, well studied Aedesel and others on the
locality. .
If, then, I spend the summer in Rome, I shall set to work to
study, and to prepare myself for visiting Sicily. As I cannot
well go there before November, and must stay there till over
December, it will be the spring of 1788 before I can hope to
get home again. Then, again, I have had before my mind a
medius terminus. Giving up the idea of visiting Sicily, I have
thought of spending a part of the summer at Rome, and then,
after paying a second visit to Florence, getting home by the
autumn. :
But.all these plans have been much perplexed by the news of
the Duke’s misfortune. Since the letters which informed me
of this event I have had no rest, and would most like to set off
at Easter, laden with the fragments of my conquests, and,
passing quickly through Upper Italy, be in Weimar again by
June.
Tam too much alone here to decide ; and I write you this long
story of my whole position, that you may be good enough to sum-
mon a council of those who love me, and who, being on the spot,
' know the circumstances better thanI do. Let them, therefore,
determine the proper course for me to take, on the supposition
of what, I assure you, is the fact, that I am myself more dis-
posed to return than to stay. The strongest tie that holds me
in Italy is Tischbein. I should never, even should it:be my
happy lot to return a second time to this beautiful land, learn
so much in so short a time as I have now done in the society
of this well-educated, highly refined, and most upright man,
' who is devoted to me both body and soul. I cannot now tell
you how thickly the scales are falling from off my eyes. He who