244a. Caroline to Wilhelm Gottlieb Becker in Dresden: Jena, 23 September 1799 [*]
Jena, 23 September 1799
. . . It is with nothing less, my dear Herr Professor, than a small novel that this missive is suddenly appearing on your doorstep. You should, however, not expect too much from it — and please especially do not think that this modest contention conceals that I might have written it. It simply occurred to me to commend it to your care and consideration, and I would like to explain its circumstances to you.
It comes from a feminine hand, that much is indeed true, but not from that of a woman, but a young girl. The arrangement is all the more peculiar; more intrigue than rationalizing feelings, a French touch, but all the characters still fine Germans, and you can depend . . . on it absolutely being a German original. I myself do not quite understand why the authoress did not transfer the setting to a German locale . . . .
You could perhaps divide it into two halves if you would rather not fill an entire volume of Erholungen with it. It becomes increasingly more charming and fetching toward the end before finally resolving with a comical turn of events, as Friedrich Schlegel tells me. . . .
The work has not yet been offered to any publisher. She had turned to my brother-in-law for advice, who is currently here, and since I am interested in this young girl, I took it upon myself to tell you about it immediately. [1] . . .
Notes
[*] Source: Attested in Autographen aus allen Gebieten. Katalog 647 (catalogue of J. A. Stargardt) (Marburg 1990), 143f., no. 409; transcribed in part in KFSA 25:374fn2.
Hermann Patch, KFSA 25:374, remarks that in this letter, whose complete manuscript is not accessible, Caroline does not mention the authoress’s name (Sophie Bernhardi), saying merely that she is a “young girl” who would like to marry and needs money (text unfortunately not included in KFSA 25).
At issue is Sophie Bernhardi’s two-volume epistolary novel Julie Saint Albain (not Wunderbilder und Träume [Königsberg 1802] as indicated in Krisenjahre 3:99), which was eventually published anonymously in two volumes by Heinrich Gerlach — rather than Becker — in Dresden in 1801. Becker’s periodical Erholungen was published in Leipzig 1796–1810. Although Becker did indeed buy the novel and pay an advance of 50 Reichtaler, no documentation explains how Gerlach ended up publishing it instead.
Friedrich Schlegel wrote from Jena to Sophie Bernhardi in Berlin in early October 1799 to alert her of Caroline’s attempted mediation with Becker (Krisenjahre 3:99; KFSA 25:7–8):
Madam Veit has probably already told you, my esteemed friend, that my attempt with Frommann was unsuccessful. My sister-in-law immediately undertook a second attempt, this time with Becker in Dresden, who publishes Erholungen. If he, too, fails to show interest, my brother will take the manuscript with him to the book fair to find the right publisher. In any event, be assured we will do everything we can to satisfy your wishes. My sister-in-law has also taken a very keen interest in it and sends her regards to you.
We would like to request that you give us the small essay to the unknown friend for inclusion in Athenaeum. I have thus sent it on to Schleiermacher, who is our Athenaeus [i.e., taking care of editorial duties in Berlin now that Friedrich had relocated to Jena]. Hence if there is still anything you might want to change, just have him give it to you. . . .
Please be so kind as to tell Schleiermacher how the essay is to be signed, whether he should use your own or a fictitious name or none at all.
The essay “to the unknown friend,” which Sophie Bernhardi did indeed publish in Athenaeum (1800) 205–15, was “Lebensansicht,” published there, moreover, under the pseudonym “Sophie B.,” i.e., only half-anonymously (see KFSA 25:373). It is worth noting that Friedrich asks her here whether she might want to publish it under her own name.
Caroline’s cordial interest in Sophie Bernhardi would change by August 1801, when Wilhelm’s romantic interest in her had become evident; see Caroline’s wry postscript to Wilhelm’s letter to Sophie Bernhardi from Jena on 24 August 1801 (letter 328). Back.
[1] For a synopsis and, unfortunately, less than flattering review of Sophie Bernhardi’s novel after its publication, and for an explanation and illustration of its intriguing relationship with and use of one of August von Kotzebue’s popular plays, see supplementary appendix 244a.1. Back.
Translation © 2013 Doug Stott