Persian　silk；　saying　only：　_Ihr　lieben　Leute；　hier　bringe　ein　unschatzbares　Verleihen；　nehmt　es　in　aller　Acht；　sorgfaltigst　benutzt　es：　　mit　hohem　Lohn；　oder　wohl　mit　schweren　Zinsen；　wird's　einst　zuruckgefordert_。　　'Good　Christian　people；　here　lies　for　you　an　invaluable　Loan；　take　all　heed　thereof；　in　all　carefulness　employ　it：　　with　high　recompense；　or　else　with　heavy　penalty；　will　it　one　day　be　required　back。'　　Uttering　which　singular　words；　in　a　clear；　bell…like；　forever　memorable　tone；　the　Stranger　gracefully　withdrew；　and　before　Andreas　or　his　wife；　gazing　in　expectant　wonder；　had　time　to　fashion　either　question　or　answer；　was　clean　gone。　　Neither　out　of　doors　could　aught　of　him　be　seen　or　heard；　he　had　vanished　in　the　thickets；　in　the　dusk；　the　Orchard…gate　stood　quietly　closed：　　the　Stranger　was　gone　once　and　always。　　So　sudden　had　the　whole　transaction　been；　in　the　autumn　stillness　and　twilight；　so　gentle；　noiseless；　that　the　Futterals　could　have　fancied　it　all　a　trick　of　Imagination；　or　some　visit　from　an　authentic　Spirit。　　Only　that　the　green…silk　Basket；　such　as　neither　Imagination　nor　authentic　Spirits　are　wont　to　carry；　still　stood　visible　and　tangible　on　their　little　parlor…table。　　Towards　this　the　astonished　couple；　now　with　lit　candle；　hastily　turned　their　attention。　　Lifting　the　green　veil；　to　see　what　invaluable　it　hid；　they　descried　there；　amid　down　and　rich　white　wrappages；　no　Pitt　Diamond　or　Hapsburg　Regalia；　but；　in　the　softest　sleep；　a　little　red…colored　Infant！　　Beside　it；　lay　a　roll　of　gold　Friedrichs；　the　exact　amount　of　which　was　never　publicly　known；　also　a　_Taufschein_　（baptismal　certificate）；　wherein　unfortunately　nothing　but　the　Name　was　decipherable；　other　document　or　indication　none　whatever。
  〃To　wonder　and　conjecture　was　unavailing；　then　and　always　thenceforth。　Nowhere　in　Entepfuhl；　on　the　morrow　or　next　day；　did　tidings　transpire　of　any　such　figure　as　the　Stranger；　nor　could　the　Traveller；　who　had　passed　through　the　neighboring　Town　in　coach…and…four；　be　connected　with　this　Apparition；　except　in　the　way　of　gratuitous　surmise。　　Meanwhile；　for　Andreas　and　his　wife；　the　grand　practical　problem　was：　　What　to　do　with　this　little　sleeping　red…colored　Infant？　　Amid　amazements　and　curiosities；　which　had　to　die　away　without　external　satisfying；　they　resolved；　as　in　such　circumstances　charitable　prudent　people　needs　must；　on　nursing　it；　though　with　spoon…meat；　into　whiteness；　and　if　possible　into　manhood。　　The　Heavens　smiled　on　their　endeavor：　　thus　has　that　same　mysterious　Individual　ever　since　had　a　status　for　himself　in　this　visible　Universe；　some　modicum　of　victual　and　lodging　and　parade…ground；　and　now　expanded　in　bulk；　faculty　and　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　he；　as　HERR　DIOGENES　TEUFELSDROCKH；　professes　or　is　ready　to　profess；　perhaps　not　altogether　without　effect；　in　the　new　University　of　Weissnichtwo；　the　new　Science　of　Things　in　General。〃
  Our　Philosopher　declares　here；　as　indeed　we　should　think　he　well　might；　that　these　facts；　first　communicated；　by　the　good　Gretchen　Futteral；　In　his　twelfth　year；　〃produced　on　the　boyish　heart　and　fancy　a　quite　indelible　impression。　　Who　this　reverend　Personage；〃　he　says；　〃that　glided　into　the　Orchard　Cottage　when　the　Sun　was　in　Libra；　and　then；　as　on　spirit's　wings；　glided　out　again；　might　be？　　An　inexpressible　desire；　full　of　love　and　of　sadness；　has　often　since　struggled　within　me　to　shape　an　answer。　　Ever；　in　my　distresses　and　my　loneliness；　has　Fantasy　turned；　full　of　longing　（_sehnsuchtsvoll_）；　to　that　unknown　Father；　who　perhaps　far　from　me；　perhaps　near；　either　way　invisible；　might　have　taken　me　to　his　paternal　bosom；　there　to　lie　screened　from　many　a　woe。　　Thou　beloved　Father；　dost　thou　still；　shut　out　from　me　only　by　thin　penetrable　curtains　of　earthly　Space；　wend　to　and　fro　among　the　crowd　of　the　living？　　Or　art　thou　hidden　by　those　far　thicker　curtains　of　the　Everlasting　Night；　or　rather　of　the　Everlasting　Day；　through　which　my　mortal　eye　and　outstretched　arms　need　not　strive　to　reach？　　Alas；　I　know　not；　and　in　vain　vex　myself　to　know。　　More　than　once；　heart…deluded；　have　I　taken　for　thee　this　and　the　other　noble…looking　Stranger；　and　approached　him　wistfully；　with　infinite　regard；　but　he　too　had　to　repel　me；　he　too　was　not　thou。
  〃And　yet；　O　Man　born　of　Woman；〃　cries　the　Autobiographer；　with　one　of　his　sudden　whirls；　〃wherein　is　my　case　peculiar？　　Hadst　thou；　any　more　than　I；　a　Father　whom　thou　knowest？　　The　Andreas　and　Gretchen；　or　the　Adam　and　Eve；　who　led　thee　into　Life；　and　for　a　time　suckled　and　pap…fed　thee　there；　whom　thou　namest　Father　and　Mother；　these　were；　like　mine；　but　thy　nursing…father　and　nursing…mother：　　thy　true　Beginning　and　Father　is　in　Heaven；　whom　with　the　bodily　eye　thou　shalt　never　behold；　but　only　with　the　spiritual。。。。
  〃The　little　green　veil；〃　adds　he；　among　much　similar　moralizing；　and　embroiled　discoursing；　〃I　yet　keep；　still　more　inseparably　the　Name；　Diogenes　Teufelsdrockh。　　From　the　veil　can　nothing　be　inferred：　　a　piece　of　now　quite　faded　Persian　silk；　like　thousands　of　others。　　On　the　Name　I　have　many　times　meditated　and　conjectured；　but　neither　in　this　lay　there　any　clew。　　That　it　was　my　unknown　Father's　name　I　must　hesitate　to　believe。　　To　no　purpose　have　I　searched　through　all　the　Herald's　Books；　in　and　without　the　German　Empire；　and　through　all　manner　of　Subscriber…Lists　（_Pranumeranten_）；　Militia…Rolls；　and　other　Name…catalogues；　extraordinary　names　as　we　have　in　Germany；　the　name　Teufelsdrockh；　except　as　appended　to　my　own　person；　nowhere　occurs。　　Again；　what　may　the　unchristian　rather　than　Christian　'Diogenes'　mean？　　Did　that　reverend　Basket…bearer　intend；　by　such　designation；　to　shadow　forth　my　future　destiny；　or　his　own　present　malign　humor？　　Perhaps　the　latter；　perhaps　both。　　Thou　ill…starred　Parent；　who　like　an　Ostrich　hadst　to　leave　thy　ill…starred　offspring　to　be　hatched　into　self…support　by　the　mere　sky…influences　of　Chance；　can　thy　pilgrimage　have　been　a　smooth　one？　　Beset　by　Misfortune　thou　doubtless　hast　been；　or　indeed　by　the　worst　figure　of　Misfortune；　by　Misconduct。　　Often　have　I　fancied　how；　in　thy　hard　life…battle；　thou　wert　shot　at；　and　slung　at；　wounded；　hand…fettered；　hamstrung；　browbeaten　and　bedevilled　by　the　Time…Spirit　（_Zeitgeist_）　in　thyself　and　others；　till　the　good　soul　first　given　thee　was　seered　into　grim　rage；　and　thou　hadst　nothing　for　it　but　to　leave　in　me　an　indignant　appeal　to　the　Future；　and　living　speaking　Protest　against　the　Devil；　as　that　same　Spirit　not　of　the　Time　only；　but　of　Time　itself；　is　well　named！　　Which　Appeal　and　Protest；　may　I　now　modestly　add；　was　not　perhaps　quite　lost　in　air。
  〃For　indeed；　as　Walter　Shandy　often　insisted；　there　is　much；　nay　almost　all；　in　Names。　　The　Name　is　the　earliest　Garment　you　wrap　round　the　earth…visiting　ME；　to　which　it　thenceforth　cleaves；　more　tenaciously　（for　there　are　Names　that　have　lasted　nigh　thirty　centuries）　than　the　very　skin。　And　now　from　without；　what　mystic　influences　does　it　not　send　inwards；　even　to　the　centre；　especially　in　those　plastic　first…times；　when　the　whole　soul　is　yet　infantine；　soft；　and　the　invisible　seedgrain　will　grow　to　be　an　all　overshadowing　tree！　　Names？　　Could　I　unfold　the　influence　of　Names；　which　are　the　most　important　of　all　Clothings；　I　were　a　second　greater　Trismegistus。　　Not　only　all　common　Speech；　but　Science；　Poetry　itself　is　no　other；　if　thou　consider　it；　than　a　right　_Naming_。　　Adam's　first　task　was　giving　names　to　natural　Appearances：　　what　is　ours　still　but　a　continuation　of　the　same；　be　the　Appearances　exotic…vegetable；　organic；　mechanic；　stars；　or　starry　movements　（as　in　Science）；　or　（as　in　Poetry）　passions；　virtues；　calamities；　God…attributes；　Gods？In　a　very　plain　sense　the　Proverb　says；　_Call　one　a　thief；　and　he　will　steal_；　in　an　almost　similar　sense　may　we　not　perhaps　say；　_Call　one　Diogenes　Teufelsdrockh；　and　he　will　open　the　Philosophy　of　Clothes_？〃
  〃Meanwhile　the　incipient　Diogenes；　like　others；　all　ignorant　of　his　Why；　his　How　or　Whereabout；　was　opening　his　eyes　to　the　kind　Light；　sprawling　out　his　ten　fingers　and　toes；　listening；　tasting；　feeling；　in　a　word；　by　all　his　Five　Senses；　still　more　by　his　Sixth　Sense　of　Hunger；　and　a　whole　infinitude　of　inward；　spiritual；　half…awakened　Senses；　endeavoring　daily　to　acquire　for　himself　some　knowledge　of　this　strange　Universe　where　he　had　arrived；　be　his　task　therein　what　it　might。　　Infinite　was　his　progress；　thus　in　some　fifteen　months；　he　could　perform　the　miracle　ofSpeech！　　To　breed　a　fresh　Soul；　is　it　not　like　brooding　a　fresh　（celestial）　Egg；　wherein　as　yet　all　is　formless；　powerless；　yet　by　degrees　organic　elements　and　fibres　shoot　through　the　watery　albumen；　and　out　of　vague　Sensation　grows　Thought；　grows　Fantasy　and　Force；　and　we　have　Philosophies；　Dynasties；　nay　Poetries　and　Religions！
  〃Young　Diogenes；　or　rather　young　Gneschen；　for　by　such　diminutive　had　they　in　their　fondness　named　him；　travelled　forward　to　those　high　consummations；　by　quick　yet　easy　stages。　　The　Futterals；　to　avoid　vain　talk；　and　moreover　keep　the　roll　of　gold　Friedrichs　safe；　gave　out　that　he　was　a　grandnephew；　the　orphan　of　some　sister's　daughter；　suddenly　deceased；　in　Andreas's　distant　Prussian　birthland；　of　whom；　as　of　her　indigent　sorrowing　w