377a. Schelling to Wilhelm Schlegel in Berlin: Jena, 21 March 1803 [*]
Jena, 21 March 1803
From the enclosed missive you will learn that the matter before the Weimar High Consistory was settled on the 15th of this month.
As it turns out, neither the first nor the subsequent postponement of the hearing, both of which the attorneys themselves implemented quite at their own discretion, was prompted, as one suspected, by any genuine recalcitrance on the part of the consistory itself, but rather solely by the usual practice of attorneys simply to draw things out for sake of manipulating them to their own advantage. [1] And even this last postponement might not have been the end had not Herr Geheimrath Voigt, who has acted with enormous beneficence in this entire matter, not sternly ordered them finally to make their submissions this time. [2]
Nor, for this same reason, was it found necessary for anything more to be done with respect to the instructions given the attorneys than to repeat the more specifically emphasized reasons from the initial petition. [3] Regardless of the report the High Consistory itself actually issues, things are now arranged such that the desired resolution will follow within three weeks at most. [4] . . .
Notes
[*] Sources: Plitt 1:453; Fuhrmans 2:494. Back.
[1] Christian Gottlob Voigt had written to Goethe at the beginning of March (Goethes Briefwechsel mit Christian Gottlob Voigt, 4 vols. [Weimar 1949–62], 2:326): “Since Hofadvocat Hufeland left for Kassel yesterday, I assume that the Schlegel date must have been extended. He [Hufeland] doubtless did not miss it, and he had already been informed of my advice in the matter.” Back.
[2] Taschenbuch fur Häusliche und Gesellschaftliche Freuden auf das Jahr 1801; Inhaltsverzeichnis deutscher Almanache, Theodor Springmann Stiftung:
[3] Letter/document 371. Back.
[4] And yet the divorce was not finalized until 17 May 1803. Back.
Translation © 2016 Doug Stott