philosophers；　to　note　down　with　accuracy　the　characteristic　circumstances　of　their　Education；　what　furthered；　what　hindered；　what　in　any　way　modified　it：　　to　which　duty；　nowadays　so　pressing　for　many　a　German　Autobiographer；　I　also　zealously　address　myself。〃Thou　rogue！　　Is　it　by　short　clothes　of　yellow　serge；　and　swineherd　horns；　that　an　infant　of　genius　is　educated？　　And　yet；　as　usual；　it　ever　remains　doubtful　whether　he　is　laughing　in　his　sleeve　at　these　Autobiographical　times　of　ours；　or　writing　from　the　abundance　of　his　own　fond　ineptitude。　For　he　continues：　　〃If　among　the　ever…streaming　currents　of　Sights；　Hearings；　Feelings　for　Pain　or　Pleasure；　whereby；　as　in　a　Magic　Hall；　young　Gneschen　went　about　environed；　I　might　venture　to　select　and　specify；　perhaps　these　following　were　also　of　the　number：
  〃Doubtless；　as　childish　sports　call　forth　Intellect；　Activity；　so　the　young　creature's　Imagination　was　stirred　up；　and　a　Historical　tendency　given　him　by　the　narrative　habits　of　Father　Andreas；　who；　with　his　battle…reminiscences；　and　gray　austere　yet　hearty　patriarchal　aspect；　could　not　but　appear　another　Ulysses　and　'much…enduring　Man。'　　Eagerly　I　hung　upon　his　tales；　when　listening　neighbors　enlivened　the　hearth；　from　these　perils　and　these　travels；　wild　and　far　almost　as　Hades　itself；　a　dim　world　of　Adventure　expanded　itself　within　me。　　Incalculable　also　was　the　knowledge　I　acquired　in　standing　by　the　Old　Men　under　the　Linden…tree：　　the　whole　of　Immensity　was　yet　new　to　me；　and　had　not　these　reverend　seniors；　talkative　enough；　been　employed　in　partial　surveys　thereof　for　nigh　fourscore　years？　　With　amazement　I　began　to　discover　that　Entepfuhl　stood　in　the　middle　of　a　Country；　of　a　World；　that　there　was　such　a　thing　as　History；　as　Biography　to　which　I　also；　one　day；　by　hand　and　tongue；　might　contribute。
  〃In　a　like　sense　worked　the　_Postwagen_　（Stage…coach）；　which；　slow…rolling　under　its　mountains　of　men　and　luggage；　wended　through　our　Village：　northwards；　truly；　in　the　dead　of　night；　yet　southwards　visibly　at　eventide。　　Not　till　my　eighth　year　did　I　reflect　that　this　Postwagen　could　be　other　than　some　terrestrial　Moon；　rising　and　setting　by　mere　Law　of　Nature；　like　the　heavenly　one；　that　it　came　on　made　highways；　from　far　cities　towards　far　cities；　weaving　them　like　a　monstrous　shuttle　into　closer　and　closer　union。　　It　was　then　that；　independently　of　Schiller's　_Wilhelm　Tell_；　I　made　this　not　quite　insignificant　reflection　（so　true　also　in　spiritual　things）：　　_Any　road；　this　simple　Entepfuhl　road；　will　lead　you　to　the　end　of　the　World_！
  〃Why　mention　our　Swallows；　which；　out　of　far　Africa；　as　I　learned；　threading　their　way　over　seas　and　mountains；　corporate　cities　and　belligerent　nations；　yearly　found　themselves　with　the　month　of　May；　snug…lodged　in　our　Cottage　Lobby？　　The　hospitable　Father　（for　cleanliness'　sake）　had　fixed　a　little　bracket　plumb　under　their　nest：　　there　they　built；　and　caught　flies；　and　twittered；　and　bred；　and　all；　I　chiefly；　from　the　heart　loved　them。　　Bright；　nimble　creatures；　who　taught　you　the　mason…craft；　nay；　stranger　still；　gave　you　a　masonic　incorporation；　almost　social　police？　　For　if；　by　ill　chance；　and　when　time　pressed；　your　House　fell；　have　I　not　seen　five　neighborly　Helpers　appear　next　day；　and　swashing　to　and　fro；　with　animated；　loud；　long…drawn　chirpings；　and　activity　almost　super…hirundine；　complete　it　again　before　nightfall？
  〃But　undoubtedly　the　grand　summary　of　Entepfuhl　child's　culture；　where　as　in　a　funnel　its　manifold　influences　were　concentrated　and　simultaneously　poured　down　on　us；　was　the　annual　Cattle…fair。　　Here；　assembling　from　all　the　four　winds；　came　the　elements　of　an　unspeakable　hurry…burly。　　Nut…brown　maids　and　nut…brown　men；　all　clear…washed；　loud…laughing；　bedizened　and　beribanded；　who　came　for　dancing；　for　treating；　and　if　possible；　for　happiness。　　Topbooted　Graziers　from　the　North；　Swiss　Brokers；　Italian　Drovers；　also　topbooted；　from　the　South；　these　with　their　subalterns　in　leather　jerkins；　leather　skull…caps；　and　long　ox…goads；　shouting　in　half…articulate　speech；　amid　the　inarticulate　barking　and　bellowing。　　Apart　stood　Potters　from　far　Saxony；　with　their　crockery　in　fair　rows；　Nurnberg　Pedlers；　in　booths　that　to　me　seemed　richer　than　Ormuz　bazaars；　Showmen　from　the　Lago　Maggiore；　detachments　of　the　_Wiener　Schub_　（Offscourings　of　Vienna）　vociferously　superintending　games　of　chance。　　Ballad…singers　brayed；　Auctioneers　grew　hoarse；　cheap　New　Wine　（_heuriger_）　flowed　like　water；　still　worse　confounding　the　confusion；　and　high　over　all；　vaulted；　in　ground…and…lofty　tumbling；　a　particolored　Merry…Andrew；　like　the　genius　of　the　place　and　of　Life　itself。
  〃Thus　encircled　by　the　mystery　of　Existence；　under　the　deep　heavenly　Firmament；　waited　on　by　the　four　golden　Seasons；　with　their　vicissitudes　of　contribution；　for　even　grim　Winter　brought　its　skating…matches　and　shooting…matches；　its　snow…storms　and　Christmas…carols；did　the　Child　sit　and　learn。　　These　things　were　the　Alphabet；　whereby　in　aftertime　he　was　to　syllable　and　partly　read　the　grand　Volume　of　the　World：　　what　matters　it　whether　such　Alphabet　be　in　large　gilt　letters　or　in　small　ungilt　ones；　so　you　have　an　eye　to　read　it？　　For　Gneschen；　eager　to　learn；　the　very　act　of　looking　thereon　was　a　blessedness　that　gilded　all：　　his　existence　was　a　bright；　soft　element　of　Joy；　out　of　which；　as　in　Prospero's　Island；　wonder　after　wonder　bodied　itself　forth；　to　teach　by　charming。
  〃Nevertheless；　I　were　but　a　vain　dreamer　to　say；　that　even　then　my　felicity　was　perfect。　　I　had；　once　for　all；　come　down　from　Heaven　into　the　Earth。　Among　the　rainbow　colors　that　glowed　on　my　horizon；　lay　even　in　childhood　a　dark　ring　of　Care；　as　yet　no　thicker　than　a　thread；　and　often　quite　overshone；　yet　always　it　reappeared；　nay　ever　waxing　broader　and　broader；　till　in　after…years　it　almost　overshadowed　my　whole　canopy；　and　threatened　to　engulf　me　in　final　night。　　It　was　the　ring　of　Necessity　whereby　we　are　all　begirt；　happy　he　for　whom　a　kind　heavenly　Sun　brightens　it　into　a　ring　of　Duty；　and　plays　round　it　with　beautiful　prismatic　diffractions；　yet　ever；　as　basis　and　as　bourn　for　our　whole　being；　it　is　there。
  〃For　the　first　few　years　of　our　terrestrial　Apprenticeship；　we　have　not　much　work　to　do；　but；　boarded　and　lodged　gratis；　are　set　down　mostly　to　look　about　us　over　the　workshop；　and　see　others　work；　till　we　have　understood　the　tools　a　little；　and　can　handle　this　and　that。　　If　good　Passivity　alone；　and　not　good　Passivity　and　good　Activity　together；　were　the　thing　wanted；　then　was　my　early　position　favorable　beyond　the　most。　　In　all　that　respects　openness　of　Sense；　affectionate　Temper；　ingenuous　Curiosity；　and　the　fostering　of　these；　what　more　could　I　have　wished？　　On　the　other　side；　however；　things　went　not　so　well。　　My　Active　Power　（_Thatkraft_）　was　unfavorably　hemmed　in；　of　which　misfortune　how　many　traces　yet　abide　with　me！　　In　an　orderly　house；　where　the　litter　of　children's　sports　is　hateful　enough；　your　training　is　too　stoical；　rather　to　bear　and　forbear　than　to　make　and　do。　I　was　forbid　much：　　wishes　in　any　measure　bold　I　had　to　renounce；　everywhere　a　strait　bond　of　Obedience　inflexibly　held　me　down。　　Thus　already　Freewill　often　came　in　painful　collision　with　Necessity；　so　that　my　tears　flowed；　and　at　seasons　the　Child　itself　might　taste　that　root　of　bitterness；　wherewith　the　whole　fruitage　of　our　life　is　mingled　and　tempered。
  〃In　which　habituation　to　Obedience；　truly；　it　was　beyond　measure　safer　to　err　by　excess　than　by　defect。　　Obedience　is　our　universal　duty　and　destiny；　wherein　whoso　will　not　bend　must　break：　　too　early　and　too　thoroughly　we　cannot　be　trained　to　know　that　Would；　in　this　world　of　ours；　is　as　mere　zero　to　Should；　and　for　most　part　as　the　smallest　of　fractions　even　to　Shall。　　Hereby　was　laid　for　me　the　basis　of　worldly　Discretion；　nay　of　Morality　itself。　　Let　me　not　quarrel　with　my　upbringing。　　It　was　rigorous；　too　frugal；　compressively　secluded；　every　way　unscientific：　　yet　in　that　very　strictness　and　domestic　solitude　might　there　not　lie　the　root　of　deeper　earnestness；　of　the　stem　from　which　all　noble　fruit　must　grow？　Above　all；　how　unskilful　soever；　it　was　loving；　it　was　well…meant；　honest；　whereby　every　deficiency　was　helped。　　My　kind　Mother；　for　as　such　I　must　ever　love　the　good　Gretchen；　did　me　one　altogether　invaluable　service：　　she　taught　me；　less　indeed　by　word　than　by　act　and　daily　reverent　look　and　habitude；　her　own　simple　version　of　the　Christian　Faith。　　Andreas　too　attended　Church；　yet　more　like　a　parade…duty；　for　which　he　in　the　other　world　expected　pay　with　arrears；as；　I　trust；　he　has　received；　but　my　Mother；　with　a　true　woman's　heart；　and　fine　though　uncultivated　sense；　was　in　the　strictest　acceptation　Religious。　　How　indestructibly　the　Good　grows；　and　propagates　itself；　even　among　the　weedy　entanglements　of　Evil！　　The　highest　whom　I　knew　on　Earth　I　here　saw　bowed　down；　with　awe　unspeakable；　before　a　Higher　in　Heaven：　　such　things；　especially　in　infancy；　reach　inwards　to　the　very　core　of　your　being；　mysteriously　does　a　Holy　of　Holies　build　itself　into　visibility　in　the　mysterious　deeps；　and　Reverence；　the　divinest　in　man；　springs　forth　undying　from　its　mean　envelopment　of　Fear。　Wouldst　thou　ra