• 46. Caroline to Lotte Michaelis in Göttingen: Clausthal 1784
[Clausthal 1784]
[Beginning of letter missing]
|99| . . . It is not that they are such lethargic sleepyheads, but merely that their spirits possess no refined spiritus, and yet even that would not be so bad were they not so wicked a race in the whole; [1] but Lotte will not say anything about this to anyone, will she?
Society here is divided into 4 sectors, with wooden partitions between each according to the 4 points of the compass: women, men, girls, and bachelors.
The first are west and north — the winds of storms and rain, the way the flag of marriage often blows for them; the latter south and east — where the sun burns hottest and where there are often thunderstorms — I myself know not whether it is the pure sun that burns, the heavenly fire that provides warmth and illumination and causes things to grow and flourish and which so many peoples have worshiped with such profound devotion, or a pseudo-sun that causes absolutely 000 to sprout instead of pineapples.
If only the winds of shipwreck might disrupt the Ballhorn marriage [2] — otherwise the girl will inevitably be unhappy, or at least never be granted the chance to be happy. But the mother, ah, the mother; she has been wearing black clothes since her husband’s death, and his daughter just squanders them — in all my born days, this thing with making clothes [3] has just never seemed to be of any use at all.
I can well imagine Weisschen’s [4] blissful happiness, 40 years of hoping finally crowned by princely hand kisses; but I certainly do not begrudge it the odd little fellow, good Lord, little folks like that always manage to excite such tender sympathy. But despite the corpulence, the Diezes have [letter breaks off]
Notes
[1] “Spirits” and “in the whole” in English in original. Back.
[2] It is difficult to follow Caroline’s train of thought here, viz., her transitions from one subject (Clausthal) to another (something Lotte mentioned in her letter?). Given what Caroline goes on to say about the husband being deceased, the reference may possibly be to a daughter of the family of Ludwig Wilhelm Ballhorn. Göttingen residents had considerable and varied ties to Hannover. Back.
[3] Uncertain reference; the vocation of the son-in-law? Back.
[4] Uncertain reference. The Ballhorns’ daughter? Back.
Translation © 2011 Doug Stott