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Part 88

German Composition · Hermann Lange — chapter 88 of 240 · ~480 words · public domain

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+Es ist ~erst~ ein Uhr.+

when — boy = when I, a poor boy, came to (S. 72, N. 4) Ed.

Construe the clause ‘of — me’ according to S. 48, N. 6; intellect, +Geist+.

‘at night’, here +abends+, since +Nacht+ applies only to the hours between 11 P.M. and 5 A.M.

at = in, contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.

Supply here +thätig+ (engaged).

Say ‘and only during the later (+später+) hours, which I stole from sleep (+dem Schlafe ab´stehlen+), could I’, etc.

+Roman+, m.

+auf naturwissenschaftliche Studien ... gerichtet.+

+Gegenstand+, m.

‘During that period’ may be briefly rendered by +damals+; to teach oneself German, +ohne Lehrer Deutsch studieren+.

+zurück´blicken.+

to go through troubles, +Beschwerden durch´machen+; again, +noch einmal+. For the constr. see App. § 19.

Say ‘When (S. 4, N. 2) I had no sixpence (+Sechspfennigstück+, n.) in my pocket and studied in a garret in E., I felt (+sich fühlen+) happier than now, when (+da+) I sit in an elegant and comfortable (+behaglich+) parlour’.

Section 110.

GOETHE’S DEATH.

The following morning—it was the 22nd March 1832—he tried to walk a little up and down the room, but after a turn, he found himself too feeble to continue. Reseating himself in the easy chair, he chatted cheerfully with Ottilie [(S. 53, N. 9) his daughter-in-law] on the approaching spring, which would be sure to restore him. He had no idea of his end being so near. The name of Ottilie was frequently on his lips. She sat beside him, holding his hand in both of hers. It was now observed that his thoughts began to wander incoherently. “See,” he exclaimed, “the lovely woman’s head, with black curls, in splendid colours—a dark background!” Presently he saw a piece of paper on the floor, and asked them how they could leave Schiller’s letters so carelessly lying about. Then he slept softly, and, on awakening, asked for the sketches (S. 16, N. 10) he had just seen—the sketches of his dream.

+~Johann Wolfgang von Göthe~, geboren den 22. August 1749 zu Frankfurt a/M., gestorben den 22. März 1832 zu Weimar, kann wohl mit Recht der universalste Genius seiner Zeit genannt werden, deren Litteratur er unbestritten beherrschte. Er war Dichter, Biograph, Naturforscher, Altertumsforscher, Kritiker, Ästhetiker und Staatsmann. In fast allen poetischen Gattungen zeigte er sich als vollendeter Künstler, am bedeutendsten aber war er als Lyriker. Er hinterließ einen einzigen Sohn, dessen Frau (Ottilie) unten erwähnt wird.+

+Am nächsten Morgen.+

+im Zimmer auf- und ab´gehen.+

but — turn = but already after a few steps.

+sich fühlen+; ‘to continue’ may be briefly rendered by +dazu+.

After he had seated himself again, etc.

+über+.

would be sure = would surely (see App. §§ 28 and 30).

He — near = He had no idea of it (+davon+), that his end was so near.

+und hielt seine Hand mit beiden Händen umschlossen+.

+umher´irren+.

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