224d. Wilhelm Schlegel to Goethe in Weimar: Jena, 8 March 1799 [*]
Jena, 8 March 1799
Enclosed please find the 3rd issue of Athenaeum. Be so kind as to pardon the fact that it is not printed on vellum, as were the earlier issues; my brother forgot to remind the new publisher that several copies were to be printed thus, and afterward it was too late.
We are particularly eager to hear what you think of “Die Gemählde.” [1] Since you will in all likelihood discern the feminine hand in it, I am certainly permitted to reveal to you that my wife contributed to it. Most of the painting descriptions as well as the material concerning Raphael are by her; she thus requests your forbearance should you find those parts all too poetic and insufficiently artistic. I myself tried to set the perspective for the conversation. The rest of the dialogue, the descriptions from Waller, and the arch-Catholic poems must be ascribed to me. – Please be so kind as to pass this essay on the Herr Professor Meyer; we are grateful for his instruction in this regard. . . .
I have not yet heard anything further from Madam Unzelmann. [2] My letter, in which I straightaway wrote what you requested, [3] was held up for a full week because of the inundation. [4] I suspect, according to what my brother writes, that she probably departed Berlin at the beginning of March. She had no role in Die Piccolomini, since on the evening of the second performance she had company at her house, including my brother. [5] She told him that although she requested Romeo and Juliet for her benefit performance, Iffland (who, it seems to me, would make a splendid Mercutio) was unwilling. A shame that it did not come about; I do believe she would do justice to everything the role requires except perhaps the external appearance of the Italian girl.
My project with Walpole is proceeding well. I would be much obliged if on your return here I might receive the other two volumes; the three I still have I would like to keep until then. [6] . . .
I have received the initial page proofs of the new translation of Don Quixote, which seems quite successful to me. [7] My brother is diligently working on his Lucinde, and at the very least no one will be accusing him of imitating anyone else.
Our kindest regards to you; we hope to see you soon again in our circles here, from which you so suddenly disappeared. [8]
A. W. Schlegel
Notes
[*] Source: Körner-Wieneke 84–85. Back.
[1] “Die Gemählde. Ein Gespräch von W,” Athenaeum (1798) 39–151. Concerning this piece, see the introduction to Caroline’s literary reviews (volume 1), with note 10. Back.
[2] Friederike Unzelmann was to give six guest performances in Vienna. Concerning her anticipated guest performances in Weimar, see Friedrich’s letter to Caroline in February 1799 (letter 224) with note 7, and Caroline’s letter to Luise Gotter on 25 February 1799 (letter 222a), note 15. Back.
[3] Presumably an invitation to give a guest performance in Weimar. Back.
[4] See Caroline’s letter to Luise Gotter on 25 February 1799 (letter 222a) with the editorial note. Back.
[5] Schiller’s play Die Piccolomini premiered in Berlin on 18 February 1799; Friedrich missed not only the premiere, but the second performance as well because of his visit to Friederike Unzelmann that evening; see his letter to Caroline in February 1799 (letter 224), where he also mentions Iffland’s disinclination to stage Wilhelm and Caroline’s translation of Romeo and Juliet. Concerning Friedrich’s relationship with Friederike Unzelmann, see the anecdote from December 1801 in the supplementary appendix on Friederike Unzelmann.
Concerning the Berlin performance of the Piccolomini, see Wilhelm Schlegel’s letter to Goethe on 4 February 1799 (letter 219a), note 3.
Concerning the Piccolomini otherwise, see Caroline’s letter to Luise Gotter in early 1799 (letter 215) and esp. the second half of Auguste’s letter to Cäcilie Gotter on 18 February 1799 (letter 220). Back.
[6] Concerning this project, see Wilhelm’s letter to Goethe on 4 February 1799 (letter 219a) with note 4. Back.
[7] Ludwig Tieck, Don Quixote as Leben und Thaten des scharfsinnigen Edlen Don Quixote von la Mancha, 4 vols. (Unger: Berlin 1799–1801). See Friedrich’s letter to Caroline in early March 1799 (letter 224b) with note 2, and on 19 February 1799 (letter 221), where he mentions that he, too, was expecting page proofs of the translation. Back.
[8] Goethe was in Jena 7–28 February 1799 (Weimarer Ausgabe 3:2:232–36). Back.
Translation © 2013 Doug Stott