Search -
The Works of J.w. Von Goethe (5); Life of J.w. Von Goethe | by George Henry Lewes
The Works of Jw Von Goethe Life of Jw Von Goethe by George Henry Lewes - 5 Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Volume: 5 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1902 Original Publisher: Wyman-Fogg Co. Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / German Poetry / Continental European Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the Ge... more »neral Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: SECOND BOOK. All that has been hitherto recorded indicates that happy and easy condition in which nations exist during a long peace. But nowhere probably is such a beautiful time enjoyed in greater comfort than in cities living under their own laws, and large enough to include a considerable number of citizens, and so situated as to enrich them by trade and commerca Strangers find it to their advantage to come and go, and are under a necessity of bringing profit in order to acquire profit. Even if such cities rule but a small territory, they are the better qualified to advance their internal prosperity; as their external relations expose them to no costly undertakings or alliances. Thus the Frankforters passed a series of prosperous years during my childhood; but scarcely, on the 28th of August, 1756, had I completed my seventh year, than that world-renowned war broke out which was also to exert great influence upon the next seven years of my life. Frederick the second, King of Prussia, had fallen upon Saxony with sixty thousand men; and, instead of announcing his invasion by a declaration of war, he followed it up with a manifesto, composed by himself as it was said, which explained the causes that had moved and justified him in so monstrous a step. The world, which saw itself appealed to, not merely as spectator, but as judge, immediately split into two parties; and our family was an image of the great whole. chapter{Section 4 TRUTH AND FICTION RELATING TO MY LIFE 43 My gra...« less