372a. Schelling to Goethe in Weimar: Jena, ca. 17 October 1802 [*]
[Jena, ca. 17 October 1802]
. . . Enclosed please find, with your permission, the petition, which is composed exactly as you read it earlier, without any changes or additions.
One hopes that all external formalities have now been properly observed. It will now be left to your kind intercession to direct the matter toward a favorable turn and eventual success. Madame Schlegel is now once more placing the matter into your hands with the greatest confidence and gratitude. Let it not disturb you that Schlegel himself does not express his obligations toward you in this regard, since commensurate with the initial intent he has remained uninformed concerning this particular point. [1] . . .
Schelling
Notes
[*] Sources: Goethe und die Romantik 226–27; Fuhrmans 467.
Although Goethe und die Romantik dates this letter to “early October,” Fuhrmans 467fn1 suggests it can hardly be dated earlier than 17 October 1802, since Schelling had not sent the draft of Caroline and Wilhelm Schlegel’s divorce petition (letter/document 371) to the latter until 11 October (letter 371f). Back.
[1] Wilhelm was unaware that the entire divorce procedure was passing through Goethe’s hands.
In a related matter, on 1 November 1802 (excerpt see below), Schelling alerted Wilhelm that the petition had been sent to Weimar and also queried him about what Fuhrmans 2:469fn7 surmises might have been questions regarding the power of attorney Wilhelm had sent Caroline; Schelling writes to Wilhelm on 1 November 1802 (Plitt 1:429–31, here 431; Fuhrmans 2:467–69, here 469):
The petition to the duke was sent to Weimar at the first appropriate occasion.
Caroline asks that you acknowledge the demand in the enclosed letter directly to the man so that he will cease reminding her that this is already the second letter.
Concerning the power of attorney, see Goethe’s letter to Schelling on 7 January 1803 (letter 374a). Back.
Translation © 2016 Doug Stott