The Life of Friedrich Schiller: Comprehending an Examination of His WorksCarlyle, Thomas
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The Life of Friedrich Schiller: Comprehending an Examination of His Works
Carlyle, Thomas
Authors, German -- 18th century -- Biography; Schiller, Friedrich, 1759-1805; Schubart, Christian Friedrich Daniel, 1739-1791
'During summer, his place of study was in a garden, which at length he
purchased, in the suburbs of Jena, not far from the Weselhöfts' house,
where at that time was the office of the _Allgemeine Litteratur-Zeitung_.
Reckoning from the market-place of Jena, it lies on the south-west
border of the town, between the Engelgatter and the Neuthor, in a
hollow defile, through which a part of the Leutrabach flows round the
city. On the top of the acclivity, from which there is a beautiful
prospect into the valley of the Saal, and the fir mountains of the
neighbouring forest, Schiller built himself a small house, with a
single chamber.[32] It was his favourite abode during hours of
composition; a great part of the works he then wrote were written
here. In winter he likewise dwelt apart from the noise of men; in the
Griesbachs' house, on the outside of the city-trench. * * * On sitting
down to his desk at night, he was wont to keep some strong coffee, or
wine-chocolate, but more frequently a flask of old Rhenish, or
Champagne, standing by him, that he might from time to time repair the
exhaustion of nature. Often the neighbours used to hear him earnestly
declaiming, in the silence of the night: and whoever had an
opportunity of watching him on such occasions, a thing very easy to be
done from the heights lying opposite his little garden-house, on the
other side of the dell, might see him now speaking aloud and walking
swiftly to and fro in his chamber, then suddenly throwing himself down
into his chair and writing; and drinking the while, sometimes more
than once, from the glass standing near him. In winter he was to be
found at his desk till four, or even five o'clock in the morning; in
summer, till towards three. He then went to bed, from which he seldom
rose till nine or ten.'[33]
[Footnote 32: 'The street leading from Schiller's
dwelling-house to this, was by some wags named the
_Xenien-gasse_; a name not yet entirely disused.']
[Footnote 33: Doering, pp. 118-131.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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