“It will weigh on your heart if you do not tell it,” said the king.
“I prophesy that this Goethe will one day belong to the classic authors, and therefore I would beg once more of your majesty to grant him a gracious look, and invite him to your presence. If you find no pleasure in ‘The Sorrows of Werther,’ Goethe has created other beautiful works. He is the author of the tragedy of ‘Stella.’”
“That sentimental, immoral piece, which we forbid the representation of in Berlin, because it portrays a fellow who made love to two women at once, playing the double role of lover to his wife and his paramour, while he had a grown-up daughter! It is an immoral piece, which excites the tear-glands, and ends as ‘Werther,’ by the hero blowing his brains out. It is directed against all morals, and against marriage; therefore it was forbidden.” [Footnote: The tragedy of “Stella” was represented in Berlin with great applause, and denounced by the king as immoral, in the year 1776, and the further representation forbidden.—See Plumke, “History of the Berlin Theatres.”]
“But, sire, Herr Goethe has not only written ‘Stella,’ but ‘Clavigo’ also, which—”
“Which he has copied exactly from the ‘Memoires de Beaumarchais,’” interrupted the king. “That is not a German, but a French production.”
“Allow me to cite a genuine German production, which Johann Wolfgang Goethe has written. I mean the drama ‘Gotz von Berlichingen.’”
“Stop!—it is sufficient. I do not wish to hear any thing more,” cried the king, indignant, and rising. “It is bad enough that such pieces should appear upon the German stage as this ‘Gotz von Berlichingen.’ They are nothing less than abominable imitations of the bad English pieces of Shakespeare! The pit applauds them, and demands with enthusiasm these very disgusting platitudes. [Footnote: The king’s own words.—See “Posthumous Works,” vol. iii.] Do not be angry again, you must have patience with the old boy! I shall rejoice heartily if this Herr Goethe becomes a classic writer one day, as you say. I shall not live to witness it. I only see the embryo where you see the full-grown author. We will talk further about it when we meet in the Elysian Fields; then we will see, when you present this Herr Johann Wolfgang Goethe, as a German classic writer, to Homer, Horace, Virgil, and Corneille, if they do not turn their backs upon him. Now adieu, Herzberg! So soon as circumstances permit, I shall send for you to go to Silesia, and then you can give me your German translation of Tacitus.”
The king nodded in a friendly manner to his minister, and slowly walked back and forth, while he took leave and withdrew. After a few moments he rang, and the summons was immediately answered by the footman Schultz.
The king fixed upon him one of those searching glances of his fiery eyes which confounded and confused the footman. He remained standing and embarrassed, with downcast look.
“What are you standing there for?” asked the king. “Did I not ring for you, and do you not know what you have to do?” Frederick continued to regard him, with flashing eyes, which increased the lackey’s confusion.