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THE JOURNAL OF A WANDERING ENTHUSIAST.

FROM THE GERMAN OF HOFFMAN.

Berlin, 18

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As I entered the anti-chamber, my friend, the counsellor, came out to meet me, preventing my entrance into the Sanctuary, whence there issued the steam of tea and delicate perfumes. He looked extremely pleased, and somewhat knowing; he smiled at me in a singular manner, and said: My dear friend, something delightful awaits you in the drawing-room,- -an incomparable surprise on our dear New Year's Eve,-but don't be frightened now.' His words struck to my heart; gloomy presentiments arose in my mind, and I felt timid and anxious. The doors were thrown open. I stepped rashly forward; from the midst of the ladies upon the sofa, HER figure alone beamed upon me; it was she-she herself, whom I had not seen for years! The happiest moments of my life shot in one powerful burning ray through my soul.

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By what wonderous chance she had come hither,what event had brought her into the counsellor's party, with whom I was not aware she was even acquainted? —on all this I reflected not a moment; I possessed her again! I stood motionless, like one transfixed by magic. The counsellor gently twitched my elbow. Come, my friend, recollect yourself.' Mechanically I moved onwards, but I saw only her; and from my labouring breast there escaped with difficulty the words Good heavens! Julia here!" I was close to the tea-table. Now, for the first time, Julia perceived me. Rising, she addressed me in a cold and distant tone: I am happy to see you, sir; you look extremely well;' then, resuming her seat, she inquired of the lady sitting next to her, 'Are we to expect anything interesting at the theatre this holiday time ?'

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You approach a lovely flower that entices you with its beauty and fragrance; but as you stoop to examine its charming face, a sleek, cold basilisk darts from out the shining leaves to kill you with its hateful glance: so was it with me. I bowed awkwardly to the ladies; and, that the disagreeable might be united to the silly, stepping back suddenly, I overturned the counsellor's scalding tea upon his sprucely-plaited frill. The company

smiled at the counsellor's mishap, and laughed outright at my confusion. Thus every thing was prepared in becoming folly; but I manned myself with resigned desperation. Julia had not laughed; my wandering looks met her's; anda ray of the past-of the life of love and poetry-shone upon me. At this moment some one began to play upon the piano-forte in the adjoining room; this put the whole company into commotion. It was whispered that it was a great foreign virtuoso, named Berger, who performed divinely, and that we must all listen with great attention. 'Don't make so much rattling with the tea-spoons, Maria,' said the counsellor, and invited the ladies with a soft Eh bien !' and a gentle movement of the hand, to approach nearer to the performer.

Julia had risen with the rest, and walked slowly towards the door. Her entire form had assumed a different appearance: she was taller than when I last saw her, and her charms had ripened into perfect luxuriance. The singular make of her white folding robe only half concealing her bosom and

shoulders, with wide puffed sleeves reaching to her elbows; her hair, parted in the centre of her snowy forehead, and oddly gathered up behind in many braids, gave her a resemblance to the antique, so that she was not unlike the maidens in the painting of Mieris. And yet, strange as she appeared to me, I thought I had somewhere seen, with waking senses, the being into which Julia was metamorphosed. She drew off her gloves, and even the bracelets which circled her slender wrists corresponded with the rest of her attire, and contributed to call forth that dim recollection in more lively colours.

Julia turned round to me before she entered the music-room, and I thought that her angelic countenance was distorted with mockery and ridicule. Something terrible and agonizing agitated me like a cramp in every muscle. 'O, he plays divinely!' lisped a demoiselle, inspired by sweet tea; and I know not how it happened that her arm hung in mine, and I led her, or rather she led me, into the adjacent saloon. Berger was just then giving the effect of the wildest hurricane; the mighty chords rose and fell like waves on the troubled ocean: it was delightful! Julia stood beside me, and said to me in sweeter and far more lovely accents than ever, ' I wish you were at the piano singing plaintively of past pleasures and lost hopes !' The foe had left me; and I fain would have expressed in the single name of Julia, all the heavenly joy that streamed upon me, but some persons passing between us had separated her from me.

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Berger had now suffered the storm to die away; and the heavens had become clear; and charming melodies came forth like the little golden clouds of morning, and floated in pianissimo. Deserved applause was bestowed upon the pianist. The company moved to and fro, and so it came to pass that, suddenly, I found myself close to Julia. The spirit grew more powerful within me; I was on the point of pressing her to my breast in the frenzied agony of love, when the cursed face of a footman popped between us, and the man presented a large waiter, crying, in an hateful tone, Do you please to take any thing?' In the midst of the glasses, filled with smoking punch, stood an elegantly cut goblet, brimming, as it appeared, with the same beverage. How that came among the ordinary glasses he best knows with whom I am yet but half acquainted. Like Clement, in Octavian, he makes an agreeable flourish with one foot, and is uncommonly fond of red mantles and red feathers. Julia took this, his favourite crystal cup, and presented it to me, saying, Do you receive this glass from my hand with the same pleasure that you used?" Julia, Julia!' sighed I, taking the goblet. I pressed the tips of her tender fingers; electric sparks flew through my veins and arteries; I drank and drank, It seemed as if little blue flames flickered up about my glass and lips. The goblet was empty; and it happened, I know not how, that I found myself seated upon the Ottoman, in a cabinet, illumined by a solitary alabaster lamp. Julia was beside me, regarding me with looks of pure and fervent love as she was wont. Berger had resumed his place at the piano; he was playing the andante of one of Mozart's sublime symphonies, and the graceful flow of sounds brought to my recollection all the sunny hours of my past existence. Yes, it was Julia; Julia herself, lovely and mild as an angel! Our discourse, the tender complaints of love, a dialogue of looks more eloquent than words; her hand rested in mine. Now, I will never quit thee; thy love is the spark that glows within my breast, the soul of my poetry, the spirit of my music. Without thee all is dead and drear; but art thou come to remain mine

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for ever?' At that moment an awkward spider-legged fellow, with projecting eyes like a frog, tottered into the room, simpering and screaming in disgustful tones, Where the devil is my wife all this while ?' Julia instantly rose, saying, in a distant manner, Shall we join the company? My husband is looking for me. You have been highly amusing, always in spirits as usual; but you must have a care when you are taking your wine,' and the spider-legged coxcomb took her hand. She followed him laughing, into the saloon. Lost for ever!' I exclaimed. Ay, certainly, codille, my friend,' cried a brute playing ombre. I rushed out-and into the stormy night.

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To walk to and fro under the lime kilns may be agreeable enough at other times, but not on a New Year's Eve, during a severe frost and a snowstorm. This I felt, at last, bareheaded and unmantled as I was, when an icy chill began to supplant the fever in my veins, I passed rapidly over the bridge of the opera, then turned and ran across the sluice-bridge, passed the mint, and found myself in Jaeger-street, close to Shiermame's coffeehouse. Friendly lights were burning in the public rooms. I was about to enter, for I was freezing with cold, and thirsted after a cup of some reviving cordial, when a party issued forth in high glee. They were loud in praise of the excellent oysters, and capital Eilfer wine. 'He was right,' said one of them, whom I perceived by the light of a lamp to be a dashing officer; he was right who abused the d-d rascals last year, because they would not come out with their Eilfer in 1794.' They all laughed aloud. Unconsciously I had passed on a few paces, and stopped before a cellar, from which a single solitary light faintly glimmered. Did not Shakspeare's Henry once feel himself so humbled and exhausted that he was fain to slake his thirst with wretched small-beer?' In fact, the same occurred to me, my tongue languished for a draught of English beverage, and I descended briskly into the cellar. 'What will you take, sir ?' said the host, advancing, and civilly moving his cap. I requested a flask of good English beer, and a large pipe of his best Virginia; over which I soon fell into a train of such sublime cogitations, that the demon left persecuting me for a time. Oh, counsellor! had you seen me descend from your luminous drawingroom into the gloomy beer cellar, with what a proud and contemptuous sneer would you have turned from me, muttering to yourself- No wonder that such a man should spoil one's clothes by his awkwardness!'

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I

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may have appeared strange to the people without either hat or cloak, and, in fact, a question seemed to quiver upon the man's lips, when there was a knocking at the window, and a voice cried Open, open, it is I.' Mine host sprang out, and presently returned, marching in with two lighted candles, held at arm's length in the air; a tall, slender figure followed him. He forgot to stoop on coming to the low door-way, and his head, consequently, came smartly in contact with it; but a thick, black cap, which he wore, preserved him from injury. He edged along the wall in a very peculiar manner, and seated himself directly opposite me, while the candles were placed on the table before him. One might venture to say of him, at the first glance, that he was distinguished and discontented. He ordered beer, and a pipe, in a peevish tone, and with half-a-dozen whiffs created such a smoke that we soon swam in a cloud. His countenance had something characteristic and attractive about it; so that in despite of his forbidding manner, I was instantly mightily taken with him. He wore his luxuriant jet black hair parted and falling down in numberless little ringlets on either

side, so that he resembled one of Rubens' portraits. As he threw back the large collar of his mantle, I perceived that he was dressed in a black kurtka, with many laces, and was much struck to see that he wore a pair of pretty pantofles over his boots. I observed this as he was knocking the ashes out of his pipe, which he had finished in five minutes time.

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Our conversation did not at all harmonize, for the stranger was busied with a variety of curious plants which he had taken out of a box, and which he seemed to examine with peculiar satisfaction. I expressed my admiration of the beautiful roots, and inquired, as they seemed to be fresh gathered, whether he had got them from the botanical gardens, or at Boucher's? He smiled somewhat oddly, and replied, Botany does not seem to be your forte, sir, or you would not have asked so.' He checked himself. 'Silly,' said I, half aloud; 'A question,' added he courageously. You would have recognised them,' he continued, at one glance, as Indian plants, and, moreover, that they grow upon Chimborazo.' The stranger uttered the last sentence in an under-tone, and you may suppose that I felt an extraordinary sensation. Every question that I framed died upon my lips; but the more vehemently did a presentiment glow within my breast, and I felt as if I had not so often seen the stranger, as often thought of him.

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There was another knock at the window, The host opened the door, and a voice called out, Have the goodness to cover your looking-glass.' Ha, ha! said mine host, there comes General Suwarrow; he's very late, too.' He drew a curtain over the glass, and a meagre, diminutive man, sprang in with awkward haste, (heavily nimble I might have said), enveloped in a long cloak of a singular brown colour, which, as he hopped along the room, waved about him in numerous folds, so that in the rays of the candles it looked like a variety of figures in motion, and reminded me of Euster's Phantasmagoria. The little man rubbed his hands, which were hidden beneath his capacious sleeves, exclaiming cold! cold! oh, how cold! In Italy it is different,-quite different.' After a deal of bustle he seated himself between the tall stranger and myself, saying, 'This is a dreadful smoke; tobacco against tobacco;-oh, had I but a pinch!' I had the polished-steel snuff-box that thou gavest me in my pocket, and, with a good intention, at least, I presented it to him. He no sooner saw it, however, than he thrust out both his hands to push it from him, and, turning his face away, exclaimed, Away with the detested mirror!' His voice was terrific; and, as I stared at him with astonishment, he had become totally metamorphosed. The little man had sprung into the room, with a gay, youthful countenance, but now he turned upon me the pale and wrinkled brow of an old man, with eyes deeply sunk. Filled with terror, I turned to the tall stranger. For heaven's sake only look!' I would have exclaimed, had I not seen that he took no notice at all of what was passing, but seemed absorbed in the contemplation of his Chimborazo plants; and at the same instant the pigmy man demanded some northern wine,' as he affectedly expressed himself. By degrees the conversation grew more connected. The little man was disagreeable and disgusting to me: the other possessed the secret of giving a deep and delightful interest to apparently trivial topics, notwithstanding, he seemed to combat with his delivery; nay, often introduced an irrelative word that gave a piquant originality to his discourse; and thus ingratiating himself more and more with me, he softened the disagreeable impression made by the dwarf. The latter seemed composed altogether of elastic springs, for he jumped about from one corner of his chair to the other, gesticulating

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a great deal with his hands; and a stream of ice ran down my back, when I perceived that he looked upon me with two distinct faces. He often, I observed, turned his old face upon the tall man, whose placid ease was singularly contrasted with the restless motion of the dwarf, though not so fearfully as upon me before.

In the masquerade of life, the spirit often looks with beaming eyes from out the mask, recognising a relative; and so it may have happened, that we three isolated beings in the cellar looked upon and recognised each other. Our conversation fell into that train which arises only between spirits deeply wounded or perverted. That has its hook, too,' said the tall stranger. Alas!' I exclaimed, how many hooks has the devil stuck up every where, on chamber walls, in arbors, and on hedges of roses, on which, in passing, we leave some portion of our dear self hanging! It appears that we all of us have already lost something in this manner; although, for my own part, it is only my hat and cloak that I miss this evening; both are hanging on a hook in the counsellor's anti-chamber, as you know.' The two strangers were visibly struck, as by some unexpected blow. The pigmy man gave me a frightful look with his old countenance, then sprang instantly upon a chair, and drew the curtain closer over the looking-glass, while the taller one carefully snuffed the candles.

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The conversation recovered but slowly, and turned upon a young painter named Philips, and the portrait of a princess, which he had painted with the enthusiasm of love and the earnest desire after excellence, with which his mistress's noble spirit had inspired him. 'It seems ready to speak,' said the tall stranger, and yet it is not a portrait, but an image. It is exactly so,' said I ; one might say that it was stolen from the looking-glass.' At these words the little man jumped up in a fury with his old face and glaring eyes, and screamed That is silly, that is ridiculous! Who can steal images from a looking-glass? Who can do that? The devil! you think, perhaps. Ho, ho, brother! he breaks the glass with his clumsy talons, and the delicate white hands of the lady's portrait are wounded and bloody! Ridiculous folly! Show me the mirror's reflection; show me the image' stolen from the looking-glass, and I will show you the grand leap of a thousand fathoms downwards, you sorry fellow!' The tall man now rose from his seat; and striding towards the infuriated dwarf, said, in a menacing tone, Don't make yourself so disagreeable, my friend, or you shall take the grand leap down the stairs, head foremost; no doubt it is miserable enough with your own reflection.' 'Ha, ha, ha!' rejoined the other laughing, and screaming in a tone of frenzied contempt-ha, ha, ha! say you so? say you so? But I have got my beautiful shadow. O you miserable fellow! I have yet my shadow!' With that he sprang out of the room; and we heard him from without laughing in derision, and howling I have still my shadow!'

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The tall stranger seemed struck with death: fallen back in his chair, with a ghastly paleness on his countenance, he supported his head on both hands, and heaved a long, deep sigh. 'What ails thee?' I inquired with sympathy. Oh, sir,' he replied, that wicked man who seemed so unfriendly to us, who has followed me every where, even into this dismal retreat, where I was wont to be alone,- for at most a spirit of earth popped up under the table to eat the fallen crumbs,-that wicked man has cast me back into my deepest misery. Alas! I have lost, irrecoverably lost, my shadow. Farewell!' He rose, and walked down the centre of the room to

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