highest　house　in　the　Wahngasse；　and　might　truly　be　called　the　pinnacle　of　Weissnichtwo；　for　it　rose　sheer　up　above　the　contiguous　roofs；　themselves　rising　from　elevated　ground。　　Moreover；　with　its　windows　it　looked　towards　all　the　four　_Orte_　or　as　the　Scotch　say；　and　we　ought　to　say；　_Airts_：　　the　sitting　room　itself　commanded　three；　another　came　to　view　in　the　_Schlafgemach_　（bedroom）　at　the　opposite　end；　to　say　nothing　of　the　kitchen；　which　offered　two；　as　it　were；　_duplicates_；　showing　nothing　new。　　So　that　it　was　in　fact　the　speculum　or　watch…tower　of　Teufelsdrockh；　wherefrom；　sitting　at　ease　he　might　see　the　whole　life…circulation　of　that　considerable　City；　the　streets　and　lanes　of　which；　with　all　their　doing　and　driving　（_Thun　und　Treiben_）；　were　for　the　most　part　visible　there。
  〃I　look　down　into　all　that　wasp…nest　or　bee…hive；〃　we　have　heard　him　say；　〃and　witness　their　wax…laying　and　honey…making；　and　poison…brewing；　and　choking　by　sulphur。　　From　the　Palace　esplanade；　where　music　plays　while　Serene　Highness　is　pleased　to　eat　his　victuals；　down　to　the　low　lane；　where　in　her　door…sill　the　aged　widow；　knitting　for　a　thin　livelihood　sits　to　feel　the　afternoon　sun；　I　see　it　all；　for；　except　Schlosskirche　weather…cock；　no　biped　stands　so　high。　　Couriers　arrive　bestrapped　and　bebooted；　bearing　Joy　and　Sorrow　bagged　up　in　pouches　of　leather：　　there；　top…laden；　and　with　four　swift　horses；　rolls　in　the　country　Baron　and　his　household；　here；　on　timber…leg；　the　lamed　Soldier　hops　painfully　along；　begging　alms：　　a　thousand　carriages；　and　wains；　cars；　come　tumbling　in　with　Food；　with　young　Rusticity；　and　other　Raw　Produce；　inanimate　or　animate；　and　go　tumbling　out　again　with　produce　manufactured。　　That　living　flood；　pouring　through　these　streets；　of　all　qualities　and　ages；　knowest　thou　whence　it　is　coming；　whither　it　is　going？　　_Aus　der　Ewigkeit；　zu　der　Ewigkeit　hin_：　　From　Eternity；　onwards　to　Eternity！　　These　are　Apparitions：　what　else？　　Are　they　not　Souls　rendered　visible：　　in　Bodies；　that　took　shape　and　will　lose　it；　melting　into　air？　　Their　solid　Pavement　is　a　Picture　of　the　Sense；　they　walk　on　the　bosom　of　Nothing；　blank　Time　is　behind　them　and　before　them。　　Or　fanciest　thou；　the　red　and　yellow　Clothes…screen　yonder；　with　spurs　on　its　heels　and　feather　in　its　crown；　is　but　of　To…day；　without　a　Yesterday　or　a　To…morrow；　and　had　not　rather　its　Ancestor　alive　when　Hengst　and　Horsa　overran　thy　Island？　　Friend；　thou　seest　here　a　living　link　in　that　Tissue　of　History；　which　inweaves　all　Being：　　watch　well；　or　it　will　be　past　thee；　and　seen　no　more。〃
  〃_Ach；　mein　Lieber_！〃　said　he　once；　at　midnight；　when　we　had　returned　from　the　Coffee…house　in　rather　earnest　talk；　〃it　is　a　true　sublimity　to　dwell　here。　　These　fringes　of　lamplight；　struggling　up　through　smoke　and　thousand…fold　exhalation；　some　fathoms　into　the　ancient　reign　of　Night；　what　thinks　Bootes　of　them；　as　he　leads　his　Hunting…Dogs　over　the　Zenith　in　their　leash　of　sidereal　fire？　　That　stifled　hum　of　Midnight；　when　Traffic　has　lain　down　to　rest；　and　the　chariot…wheels　of　Vanity；　still　rolling　here　and　there　through　distant　streets；　are　bearing　her　to　Halls　roofed　in；　and　lighted　to　the　due　pitch　for　her；　and　only　Vice　and　Misery；　to　prowl　or　to　moan　like　nightbirds；　are　abroad：　　that　hum；　I　say；　like　the　stertorous；　unquiet　slumber　of　sick　Life；　is　heard　in　Heaven！　　Oh；　under　that　hideous　coverlet　of　vapors；　and　putrefactions；　and　unimaginable　gases；　what　a　Fermenting…vat　lies　simmering　and　hid！　　The　joyful　and　the　sorrowful　are　there；　men　are　dying　there；　men　are　being　born；　men　are　praying；on　the　other　side　of　a　brick　partition；　men　are　cursing；　and　around　them　all　is　the　vast；　void　Night。　　The　proud　Grandee　still　lingers　in　his　perfumed　saloons；　or　reposes　within　damask　curtains；　Wretchedness　cowers　into　buckle…beds；　or　shivers　hunger…stricken　into　its　lair　of　straw：　　in　obscure　cellars；　_Rouge…et…Noir_　languidly　emits　its　voice…of…destiny　to　haggard　hungry　Villains；　while　Councillors　of　State　sit　plotting；　and　playing　their　high　chess…game；　whereof　the　pawns　are　Men。　　The　Lover　whispers　his　mistress　that　the　coach　is　ready；　and　she；　full　of　hope　and　fear；　glides　down；　to　fly　with　him　over　the　borders：　　the　Thief；　still　more　silently；　sets　to　his　picklocks　and　crowbars；　or　lurks　in　wait　till　the　watchmen　first　snore　in　their　boxes。　　Gay　mansions；　with　supper…rooms　and　dancing…rooms；　are　full　of　light　and　music　and　high…swelling　hearts；　but；　in　the　Condemned　Cells；　the　pulse　of　life　beats　tremulous　and　faint；　and　bloodshot　eyes　look　out　through　the　darkness；　which　is　around　and　within；　for　the　light　of　a　stern　last　morning。　　Six　men　are　to　be　hanged　on　the　morrow：　　comes　no　hammering　from　the　_Rabenstein_？their　gallows　must　even　now　be　o'　building。　　Upwards　of　five　hundred　thousand　two…legged　animals　without　feathers　lie　round　us；　in　horizontal　position；　their　heads　all　in　nightcaps；　and　full　of　the　foolishest　dreams。　　Riot　cries　aloud；　and　staggers　and　swaggers　in　his　rank　dens　of　shame；　and　the　Mother；　with　streaming　hair；　kneels　over　her　pallid　dying　infant；　whose　cracked　lips　only　her　tears　now　moisten。　All　these　heaped　and　huddled　together；　with　nothing　but　a　little　carpentry　and　masonry　between　them；crammed　in；　like　salted　fish　in　their　barrel；or　weltering；　shall　I　say；　like　an　Egyptian　pitcher　of　tamed　vipers；　each　struggling　to　get　its　_head　above_　the　others：　　_such_　work　goes　on　under　that　smoke…counterpane！But　I；　_mein　Werther_；　sit　above　it　all；　I　am　alone　with　the　stars。〃
  We　looked　in　his　face　to　see　whether；　in　the　utterance　of　such　extraordinary　Night…thoughts；　no　feeling　might　be　traced　there；　but　with　the　light　we　had；　which　indeed　was　only　a　single　tallow…light；　and　far　enough　from　the　window；　nothing　save　that　old　calmness　and　fixedness　was　visible。
  These　were　the　Professor's　talking　seasons：　　most　commonly　he　spoke　in　mere　monosyllables；　or　sat　altogether　silent　and　smoked；　while　the　visitor　had　liberty　either　to　say　what　he　listed；　receiving　for　answer　an　occasional　grunt；　or　to　look　round　for　a　space；　and　then　take　himself　away。　　It　was　a　strange　apartment；　full　of　books　and　tattered　papers；　and　miscellaneous　shreds　of　all　conceivable　substances；　〃united　in　a　common　element　of　dust。〃　Books　lay　on　tables；　and　below　tables；　here　fluttered　a　sheet　of　manuscript；　there　a　torn　handkerchief；　or　nightcap　hastily　thrown　aside；　ink…bottles　alternated　with　bread…crusts；　coffee…pots；　tobacco…boxes；　Periodical　Literature；　and　Blucher　Boots。　　Old　Lieschen　（Lisekin；　'Liza）；　who　was　his　bed…maker　and　stove…lighter；　his　washer　and　wringer；　cook；　errand…maid；　and　general　lion's…provider；　and　for　the　rest　a　very　orderly　creature；　had　no　sovereign　authority　in　this　last　citadel　of　Teufelsdrockh；　only　some　once　in　the　month　she　half…forcibly　made　her　way　thither；　with　broom　and　duster；　and　（Teufelsdrockh　hastily　saving　his　manuscripts）　effected　a　partial　clearance；　a　jail…delivery　of　such　lumber　as　was　not　Literary。　　These　were　her　_Erdbeben_　（earthquakes）；　which　Teufelsdrockh　dreaded　worse　than　the　pestilence；　nevertheless；　to　such　length　he　had　been　forced　to　comply。　　Glad　would　he　have　been　to　sit　here　philosophizing　forever；　or　till　the　litter；　by　accumulation；　drove　him　out　of　doors：　　but　Lieschen　was　his　right…arm；　and　spoon；　and　necessary　of　life；　and　would　not　be　flatly　gainsayed。　　We　can　still　remember　the　ancient　woman；　so　silent　that　some　thought　her　dumb；　deaf　also　you　would　often　have　supposed　her；　for　Teufelsdrockh；　and　Teufelsdrockh　only；　would　she　serve　or　give　heed　to；　and　with　him　she　seemed　to　communicate　chiefly　by　signs；　if　it　were　not　rather　by　some　secret　divination　that　she　guessed　all　his　wants；　and　supplied　them。　　Assiduous　old　dame！　　she　scoured；　and　sorted；　and　swept；　in　her　kitchen；　with　the　least　possible　violence　to　the　ear；　yet　all　was　tight　and　right　there：　　hot　and　black　came　the　coffee　ever　at　the　due　moment；　and　the　speechless　Lieschen　herself　looked　out　on　you；　from　under　her　clean　white　coif　with　its　lappets；　through　her　clean　withered　face　and　wrinkles；　with　a　look　of　helpful　intelligence；　almost　of　benevolence。
  Few　strangers；　as　above　hinted；　had　admittance　hither：　　the　only　one　we　ever　saw　there；　ourselves　excepted；　was　the　Hofrath　Heuschrecke；　already　known；　by　name　and　expectation；　to　the　readers　of　these　pages。　　To　us；　at　that　period；　Herr　Heuschrecke　seemed　one　of　those　purse…mouthed；　crane…necked；　clean…brushed；　pacific　individuals；　perhaps　sufficiently　distinguished　in　society　by　this　fact；　that；　in　dry　weather　or　in　wet；　〃they　never　appear　without　their　umbrella。〃　　Had　we　not　known　with　what　〃little　wisdom〃　the　world　is　governed；　and　how；　in　Germany　as　elsewhere；　the　ninety…and…nine　Public　Men　can　for　most　part　be　but　mute　train…bearers　to　the　hundredth；　perhaps　but　stalking…horses　and　willing　or　unwilling　dupes；　it　might　have　seemed　wonderful　how　Herr　Heuschrecke　should　be　named　a　_Rath_；　or　Councillor；　and　Counsellor；　even　in　Weissnichtwo。　　What　counsel　to　any　man；　or　to　any　woman；　could　this　particular　Hofrath　give；　in　whose　loose；　zigzag　figure；　in　whose　thin　visage；　as　it　went　jerking　to　and　fro；　in　minute　incessant　fluctuation；you　traced　rather　confusion　worse　confounded；　at　most；　Timidity　and　physical　Cold？　　Some　i