recognition. The rest of the company now arrived. There was the Baron
F ——， in an entire suit that dated from the coronation of Francis I.
； the Chancellor N ——， with his deaf wife ； the shabbily-dressed
I ——， whose old-fashioned coat bore evidence of modern repairs ： this
crowned the whole. I conversed with some of my acquaintances， but they
answered me laconically. I was engaged in observing Miss B——， and did
not notice that the women were whispering at the end of the room， that
the murmur extended by degrees to the men ， that Madame S—— addressed
the count with much warmth（this was all related to me subsequently by
Miss B——）； till at length the count came up to me ， and took me to
the window. "You know our ridiculous customs，" he said. "I perceive the
company is rather displeased at your being here. I would not on any account
——" "I beg your excellency's pardon ！" I exclaimed. "I ought to have
thought of this before， but I know you will forgive this little inattention.
I was going ，" I added ， "some time ago ， but my evil genius detained
me." And I smiled and bowed ， to take my leave. He shook me by the hand，
in a manner which expressed everything. I hastened at once from the illustrious
assembly， sprang into a carriage ， and drove to M ——。 I contemplated
the setting sun from the top of the hill， and read that beautiful passage
in Homer， where Ulysses is entertained by the hospitable herdsmen. This
was indeed delightful. I returned home to supper in the evening. But few
persons were assembled in the room. They had turned up a corner of the
table-cloth ， and were playing at dice. The good-natured A —— came
in. He laid down his hat when he saw me ， approached me， and said in
a low tone， "You have met with a disagreeable adventure." "I ！" I exclaimed.
"The count obliged you to withdraw from the assembly！" "Deuce take the
assembly！" said I. "I was very glad to be gone." "I am delighted ，"
he added， "that you take it so lightly. I am only sorry that it is already
so much spoken of." The circumstance then began to pain me. I fancied
that every one who sat down ， and even looked at me， was thinking of
this incident ； and my heart became embittered.
And now I could plunge a dagger into my bosom ， when I hear myself
everywhere pitied ， and observe the triumph of my enemies， who say that
this is always the case with vain persons ， whose heads are turned with
conceit ， who affect to despise forms and such petty ， idle nonsense.
Say what you will of fortitude， but show me the man who can patiently
endure the laughter of fools， when they have obtained an advantage over
him. 'Tis only when their nonsense is without foundation that one can
suffer it without complaint.
MARCH 16. Everything conspires against me. I met Miss B —— walking
to-day. I could not help joining her； and， when we were at a little
distance from her companions， I expressed my sense of her altered manner
toward me. "O Werther ！" she said， in a tone of emotion ， "you ， who
know my heart ， how could you so ill interpret my distress ？ What did
I not suffer for you， from the moment you entered the room ！ I foresaw
it all， a hundred times was I on the point of mentioning it to you. I
knew that the S ——s and T ——s ， with their husbands， would quit
the room， rather than remain in your company. I knew that the count would
not break with them ： and now so much is said about it." "How！" I exclaimed，
and endeavoured to conceal my emotion ； for all that Adelin had mentioned
to me yesterday recurred to me painfully at that moment. "Oh， how much
it has already cost me！" said this amiable girl， while her eyes filled
with tears. I could scarcely contain myself ， and was ready to throw
myself at her feet. "Explain yourself ！" I cried. Tears flowed down her
cheeks. I became quite frantic. She wiped them away ， without attempting
to conceal them. "You know my aunt，" she continued ； "she was present
： and in what light does she consider the affair ！ Last night ， and
this morning， Werther， I was compelled to listen to a lecture upon my，
acquaintance with you. I have been obliged to hear you condemned and depreciated
； and I could not—— I dared not—— say much in your defence."
Every word she uttered was a dagger to my heart. She did not feel
what a mercy it would have been to conceal everything from me. She told
me， in addition， all the impertinence that would be further circulated，
and how the malicious would triumph ； how they would rejoice over the
punishment of my pride， over my humiliation for that want of esteem for
others with which I had often been reproached. To hear all this ， Wilhelm，
uttered by her in a voice of the most sincere sympathy， awakened all
my passions ； and I am still in a state of extreme excitement. I wish
I could find a man to jeer me about this event. I would sacrifice him
to my resentment. The sight of his blood might possibly be a relief to
my fury. A hundred times have I seized a dagger ， to give ease to this
oppressed heart. Naturalists tell of a noble race of horses that instinctively
open a vein with their teeth， when heated and exhausted by a long course，
in order to breathe more freely. I am often tempted to open a vein， to
procure for myself everlasting liberty.
MARCH 24. I have tendered my resignation to the court. I hope it will
be accepted ， and you will forgive me for not having previously consulted
you. It is necessary I should leave this place. I know all you will urge
me to stay， and therefore I beg you will soften this news to my mother.
I am unable to do anything for myself ： how， then ， should I be competent
to assist others？ It will afflict her that I should have interrupted
that career which would have made me first a privy councillor ， and then
minister， and that I should look behind me ， in place of advancing.
Argue as you will ， combine all the reasons which should have induced
me to remain， I am going ： that is sufficient. But， that you may not
be ignorant of my destination ， I may mention that the Prince of ——
is here. He is much pleased with my company ； and， having heard of my
intention to resign ， he has invited me to his country house ， to pass
the spring months with him. I shall be left completely my own master；
and ， as we agree on all subjects but one， I shall try my fortune ，
and accompany him.
APRIL l9. Thanks for both your letters. I delayed my reply， and withheld
this letter ， till I should obtain an answer from the court. I feared
my mother might apply to the minister to defeat my purpose. But my request
is granted， my resignation is accepted. I shall not recount with what
reluctance it was accorded， nor relate what the minister has written
： you would only renew your lamentations. The crown prince has sent me
a present of five and twenty ducats ； and， indeed ， such goodness has
affected me to tears. For this reason I shall not require from my mother
the money for which I lately applied.
MAY 5. I leave this place to-morrow ； and， as my native place is
only six miles from the high road ， I intend to visit it once more ，
and recall the happy dreams of my childhood. I shall enter at the same
gate through which I came with my mother， when ， after my father's death，
she left that delightful retreat to immure herself in your melancholy
town. Adieu ， my dear friend ： you shall hear of my future career.
MAY 9. I have paid my visit to my native place with all the devotion
of a pilgrim， and have experienced many unexpected emotions. Near the
great elm tree， which is a quarter of a league from the village， I got
out of the carriage ， and sent it on before， that alone ， and on foot，
I might enjoy vividly and heartily all the pleasure of my recollections.
I stood there under that same elm which was formerly the term and object
of my walks. How things have since changed！ Then ， in happy ignorance，
I sighed for a world I did not know ， where I hoped to find every pleasure
and enjoyment which my heart could desire ； and now， on my return from
that wide world ， O my friend， how many disappointed hopes and unsuccessful
plans have I brought back ！
As I contemplated the mountains which lay stretched out before me ，
I thought how often they had been the object of my dearest desires. Here
used I to sit for hours together with my eyes bent upon them， ardently
longing to wander in the shade of those woods ， to lose myself in those
valleys ， which form so delightful an object in the distance. With what
reluctance did I leave this charming spot ； when my hour of recreation
was over， and my leave of absence expired！ I drew near to the village
： all the well-known old summerhouses and gardens were recognised again
； I disliked the new ones， and all other alterations which had taken
place. I entered the village， and all my former feelings returned. I
cannot， my dear friend ， enter into details ， charming as were my sensations
： they would be dull in the narration. I had intended to lodge in the
market-place， near our old house. As soon as I entered ， I perceived
that the schoolroom ， where our childhood had been taught by that good
old woman ， was converted into a shop. I called to mind the sorrow ，
the heaviness ， the tears， and oppression of heart， which I experienced
in that confinement. Every step produced some particular impression. A
pilgrim in the Holy Land does not meet so many spots pregnant with tender
recollections ， and his soul is hardly moved with greater devotion. One
incident will serve for illustration. I followed the course of a stream
to a farm ， formerly a delightful walk of mine ， and paused at the spot，
where ， when boys， we used to amuse ourselves making ducks and drakes
upon the water. I recollected so well how I used formerly to watch the
course of that same stream， following it with inquiring eagerness， forming
romantic ideas of the countries it was to pass through； but my imagination
was soon exhausted： while the water continued flowing farther and farther
on， till my fancy became bewildered by the contemplation of an invisible
distance. Exactly such， my dear friend ， so happy and so confined ，
were the thoughts of our good ancestors. Their feelings and their poetry
were fresh as childhood. And， when Ulysses talks of the immeasurable
sea and boundless earth ， his epithets are true， natural， deeply felt，
and mysterious. Of what importance is it that I have learned， with every
schoolboy ， that the world is round？ Man needs but little earth for
enjoyment ， and still less for his final repose.
I am at present with the prince at his hunting lodge. He is a man
with whom one can live happily. He is honest and unaffected. There are，
however ， some strange characters about him， whom I cannot at all understand.
They do not seem vicious， and yet they do not carry the appearance of
thoroughly honest men. Sometimes I am disposed to believe them honest ，
and yet I cannot persuade myself to confide in them. It grieves me to
hear the prince occasionally talk of things which he has only read or
heard of， and always with the same view in which they have been represented
by others.
He values my understanding and talents more highly than my heart，
but I am proud of the latter only. It is the sole source of everything
of our strength ， happiness， and misery. All the knowledge I possess
every one else can acquire， but my heart is exclusively my own.
MAY 25. I have had a plan in my head of which I did not intend to
speak to you until it was accomplished： now that it has failed ， I may
as well mention it. I wished to enter the army， and had long been desirous
of taking the step. This， indeed ， was the chief reason for my coming
here with the prince， as he is a general in the service. I communicated
my design to him during one of our walks together. He disapproved of it，
and it would have been actual madness not to have listened to his reasons.
JUNE 11. Say what you will， I can remain here no longer. Why should
I remain？ Time hangs heavy upon my hands. The prince is as gracious to
me as any one could be， and yet I am not at my ease. There is， indeed，
nothing in common between us. He is a man of understanding， but quite
of the ordinary kind. His conversation affords me no more amusement than
I should derive from the perusal of a well-written book. I shall remain
here a week Ionger， and then start again on my travels. My drawings are
the best things I have done since I came here. The prince has a taste
for the arts， and would improve if his mind were not fettered by cold
rules and mere technical ideas. I often lose patience ， when ， with
a glowing imagination ， I am giving expression to art and nature ， he
interferes with learned suggestions ， and uses at random the technical
phraseology of artists.
JULY 16. Once more I am a wanderer， a pilgrim， through the world.
But what else are you ！
JULY 18. Whither am I going ？ I will tell you in confidence. I am
obliged to continue a fortnight longer here ， and then I think it would
be better for me to visit the mines in——。 But I am only deluding myself
thus. The fact is ， I wish to be near Charlotte again， that is all.
I smile at the suggestions of my heart， and obey its dictates.
JULY 29. No ， no ！ it is yet well all is well ！ I her husband！
O God ， who gave me being， if thou hadst destined this happiness for
me， my whole life would have been one continual thanksgiving ！ But I
will not murmur —— forgive these tears， forgive these fruitless wishes.
She —— my wife！ Oh ， the very thought of folding that dearest of Heaven's
creatures in my arms！ Dear Wilhelm ， my whole frame feels convulsed
when I see Albert put his arms around her slender waist ！
And shall I avow it ？ Why should I not ， Wilhelm？ She would have
been happier with me than with him. Albert is not the man to satisfy the
wishes of such a heart. He wants a certain sensibility； he wants ——
in short， their hearts do not beat in unison. How often， my dear friend，
im reading a passage from some interesting book ， when my heart and Charlotte's
seemed to meet， and in a hundred other instances when our sentiments
were unfolded by the story of some fictitious character ， have I felt
that we were made for each other！ But， dear Wilhelm ， he loves her
with his whole soul ； and what does not such a love deserve？
I have been interrupted by an insufferable visit. I have dried my
tears ， and composed my thoughts. Adieu， my best friend ！
AUGUST 4. I am not alone unfortunate. All men are disappointed in
their hopes ， and deceived in their expectations. I have paid a visit
to my good old woman under the lime-trees. The eldest boy ran out to meet
me： his exclamation of joy brought out his mother， but she had a very
melancholy look. Her first word was ， "Alas！ dear sir ， my little John
is dead." He was the youngest of her children. I was silent. "And my husband
has returned from Switzerland without any money ； and， if some kind
people had not assisted him ， he must have begged his way home. He was
taken ill with fever on his journey." I could answer nothing， but made
the little one a present. She invited me to take some fruit ： I complied，
and left the place with a sorrowful heart.
AUGUST 21. My sensations are constantly changing. Sometimes a happy
prospect opens before me； but alas ！ it is only for a moment； and then，
when I am lost in reverie ， I cannot help saying to myself ， "If Albert
were to die ？—— Yes， she would become —— and I should be" —— and
so I pursue a chimera ， till it leads me to the edge of a precipice at
which I shudder.
When I pass through the same gate ， and walk along the same road
which first conducted me to Charlotte ， my heart sinks within me at the
change that has since taken place. All， all， is altered ！ No sentiment，
no pulsation of my heart， is the same. My sensations are such as would
occur to some departed prince whose spirit should return to visit the
superb palace which he had built in happy times ， adorned with costly
magnificence， and left to a beloved son， but whose glory he should find
departed， and its halls deserted and in ruins.
SEPTEMBER 3. I sometimes cannot understand how she can love another，
how she dares love another， when I love nothing in this world so completely，
so devotedly， as I love her， when I know only her ， and have no other
possession.
SEPTEMBER 4. It is even so！ As nature puts on her autumn tints it
becomes autumn with me and around me. My leaves are sere and yellow ，
and the neighbouring trees are divested of their foliage. Do you remember
my writing to you about a peasant boy shortly after my arrival here ？
I have just made inquiries about him in Walheim. They say he has been
dismissed from his service， and is now avoided by every one. I met him
yesterday on the road ， going to a neighbouring village. I spoke to him，
and he told me his story. It interested me exceedingly， as you will easily
understand when I repeat it to you. But why should I trouble you？ Why
should I not reserve all my sorrow for myself ？ Why should I continue
to give you occasion to pity and blame me ？ But no matter： this also
is part of my destiny.
At first the peasant lad answered my inquiries with a sort of subdued
melancholy， which seemed to me the mark of a timid disposition ； but，
as we grew to understand each other ， he spoke with less reserve ， and
openly confessed his faults ， and lamented his misfortune. I wish， my
dear friend ， I could give proper expression to his language. He told
me with a sort of pleasurable recollection， that ， after my departure，
his passion for his mistress increased daily， until at last he neither
knew what he did nor what he said ， nor what was to become of him. He
could neither eat nor drink nor sleep ： he felt a sense of suffocation
； he disobeyed all orders， and forgot all commands involuntarily； he
seemed as if pursued by an evil spirit， till one day ， knowing that
his mistress had gone to an upper chamber ， he had followed， or ， rather，
been drawn after her. As she proved deaf to his entreaties， he had recourse
to violence. He knows not what happened ； but he called God to witness
that his intentions to her were honourable， and that he desired nothing
more sincerely than that they should marry， and pass their lives together.
When he had come to this point， he began to hesitate ， as if there was
something which he had not courage to utter ， till at length he acknowledged
with some confusion certain little confidences she had encouraged ， and
liberties she had allowed. He broke off two or three times in his narration，
and assured me most earnestly that he had no wish to make her bad ， as
he termed it， for he loved her still as sincerely as ever； that the
tale had never before escaped his lips， and was only now told to convince
me that he was not utterly lost and abandoned. And here ， my dear friend，
I must commence the old song which you know I utter eternally. If I could
only represent the man as he stood， and stands now before me ， could
I only give his true expressions， you would feel compelled to sympathise
in his fate. But enough ： you， who know my misfortune and my disposition，
can easily comprehend the attraction which draws me toward every unfortunate
being ， but particularly toward him whose story I have recounted.
On perusing this letter a second time ， I find I have omitted the
conclusion of my tale ； but it is easily supplied. She became reserved
toward him， at the instigation of her brother who had long hated him ，
and desired his expulsion from the house， fearing that his sister's second
marriage might deprive his children of the handsome fortune they expected
from her； as she is childless. He was dismissed at length； and the whole
affair occasioned so much scandal ， that the mistress dared not take
him back， even if she had wished it. She has since hired another servant，
with whom ， they say ， her brother is equally displeased， and whom
she is likely to marry； but my informant assures me that he himself is
determined not to survive such a catastrophe.
This story is neither exaggerated nor embellished ： indeed ， I have
weakened and impaired it in the narration ， by the necessity of using
the more refined expressions of society.
This love ， then ， this constancy ， this passion ， is no poetical
fiction. It is actual ， and dwells in its greatest purity amongst that
class of mankind whom we term rude， uneducated. We are the educated，
not the perverted. But read this story with attention ， I implore you.
I am tranquil to-day， for I have been employed upon this narration ：
you see by my writing that I am not so agitated as usual. I read and re-read
this tale ， Wilhelm： it is the history of your friend ！ My fortune
has been and will be similar； and I am neither half so brave nor half
so determined as the poor wretch with whom I hesitate to compare myself.
SEPTEMBER 5. Charlotte had written a letter to her husband in the
country ， where he was detained by business. It commenced， "My dearest
love， return as soon as possible ： I await you with a thousand raptures."
A friend who arrived， brought word ， that ， for certain reasons， he
could not return immediately. Charlotte's letter was not forwarded， and
the same evening it fell into my hands. I read it ， and smiled. She asked
the reason. "What a heavenly treasure is imagination：" I exclaimed ；
"I fancied for a moment that this was written to me." She paused， and
seemed displeased. I was silent.
SEPTEMBER 6. It cost me much to part with the blue coat which I wore
the first time I danced with Charlotte. But I could not possibly wear
it any longer. But I have ordered a new one ， precisely similar， even
to the collar and sleeves ， as well as a new waistcoat and pantaloons.
But it does not produce the same effect upon me. I know not how it
is， but I hope in time I shall like it better.
SEPTEMBER 12. She has been absent for some days. She went to meet
Albert. To-day I visited her： she rose to receive me ， and I kissed
her hand most tenderly.
A canary at the moment flew from a mirror ， and settled upon her
shoulder. "Here is a new friend ，" she observed， while she made him
perch upon her hand ： "he is a present for the children. What a dear
he is ！ Look at him！ When I feed him， he flutters with his wings ，
and pecks so nicely. He kisses me ， too， only look！"
She held the bird to her mouth； and he pressed her sweet lips with
so much fervour that he seemed to feel the excess of bliss which he enjoyed.
"He shall kiss you too，" she added ； and then she held the bird
toward me. His little beak moved from her mouth to mine ， and the delightful
sensation seemed like the forerunner of the sweetest bliss.
"A kiss ，" I observed， "does not seem to satisfy him： he wishes
for food， and seems disappointed by these unsatisfactory endearments."
"But he eats out of my mouth，" she continued ， and extended her
lips to him containing seed ； and she smiled with all the charm of a
being who has allowed an innocent participation of her love.
I turned my face away. She should not act thus. She ought not to excite
my imagination with such displays of heavenly innocence and happiness ，
nor awaken my heart from its slumbers ， in which it dreams of the worthlessness
of life ！ And why not？ Because she knows how much I love her.
SEPTEMBER 15. It makes me wretched， Wilhelm， to think that there
should be men incapable of appreciating the few things which possess a
real value in life. You remember the walnut trees at S——， under which
I used to sit with Charlotte， during my visits to the worthy old vicar.
Those glorious trees， the very sight of which has so often filled my
heart with joy， how they adorned and refreshed the parsonage yard， with
their wide-extended branches！ and how pleasing was our remembrance of
the good old pastor ， by whose hands they were planted so many years
ago ： The schoolmaster has frequently mentioned his name. He had it from
his grandfather. He must have been a most excellent man ； and， under
the shade of those old trees， his memory was ever venerated by me. The
schoolmaster informed us yesterday， with tears in his eyes ， that those
trees had been felled. Yes， cut to the ground！ I could， in my wrath，
have slain the monster who struck the first stroke. And I must endure
this！—— I， who， if I had had two such trees in my own court， and
one had died from old age ， should have wept with real affliction. But
there is some comfort left， such a thing is sentiment， the whole village
murmurs at the misfortune ； and I hope the vicar's wife will soon find，
by the cessation of the villagers' presents ， how much she has wounded
the feelings of the neighborhhood. It was she who did it， the wife of
the present incumbent （our good old man is dead）， a tall ， sickly
creature who is so far right to disregard the world ， as the world totally
