Translations from the German (Vol 3 of 3): Tales by Musæus, Tieck, RichterCarlyle, Thomas
General
Translations from the German (Vol 3 of 3): Tales by Musæus, Tieck, Richter
Carlyle, Thomas
German fiction -- Translations into English
I had now a glorious opportunity of following Lavater's counsel, to
apply the physiognomical ellwand specially to sleepers, since sleep,
like death, expresses the genuine form in coarser lines. Other sleepers
not in stage-coaches I think it less advisable to mete with this
ellwand; having always an apprehension lest some fellow, but pretending
to be asleep, may, the instant I am near enough, start up as in a dream,
and deceitfully plant such a knock on the physiognomical mensurator's
own facial structure, as to exclude it forever from appearing in any
Physiognomical Fragments (itself being reduced to one), either in the
stippled or line style. Nay, might not the most honest sleeper in the
world, just while you are in hand with his physiognomical dissection,
lay about him, spurred on by honour in some cudgelling-scene he may be
dreaming; and in a few instants of clapper-clawing, and kicking, and
trampling, lull you into a much more lasting sleep than that out of
which he was awakened?
In my _Adumbrating Magic-lantern_, as I have named the Work, the whole
physiognomical contents of this same sleeping stage-coach will be given
to the world: there I shall explain to you at large how the Poisoner,
with the murder-cupola, appeared to me devil-like; the Dwarf
old-childlike; the Harlot languidly shameless; my Brother-in-law
peacefully satisfied, with revenge or food; and the Legations-Rath,
_Jean Pierre_, Heaven only knows why, like a half angel,--though,
perhaps, it might be because only the fair body, not the other half, the
soul, which had passed away in sleep, was affecting me.
[Note 88: Hitherto I have always regarded the Polemical writings of
our present philosophic and aesthetic Idealist Logic-buffers,--in which,
certainly, a few contumelies, and misconceptions, and misconclusions do
make their appearance,--rather on the fair side; observing in it merely
an imitation of classical Antiquity, in particular of the ancient
Athletes, who (according to Schottgen) besmeared their bodies with
_mud_, that they might not be laid hold of; and filled their hands with
_sand_, that they might lay hold of their antagonists.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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