MAY 26.

5月26日

You know of old my ways of settling anywhere, of selecting a little cottage in some cosy spot, and of putting up in it with every inconvenience. Here, too, I have discovered such a snug, comfortable place, which possesses peculiar charms for me.

你知道我的脾性，爱找一个安逸舒适的角落盖座小屋栖居，不管那儿的条件有多不便。我在这里又发现了一个非常吸引我的暖和又舒适的好去处。

About a league from the town is a place called Walheim. (The reader need not take the trouble to look for the place thus designated. We have found it necessary to change the names given in the original. ) It is delightfully situated on the side of a hill; and, by proceeding along one of the footpaths which lead out of the village, you can have a view of the whole valley. A good old woman lives there, who keeps a small inn. She sells wine, beer, and coffee, and is cheerful and pleasant notwithstanding her age. The chief charm of this spot consists in two linden—trees, spreading their enormous branches over the little green before the church, which is entirely surrounded by peasants' cottages, barns, and homesteads. I have seldom seen a place so retired and peaceable; and there often have my table and chair brought out from the little inn, and drink my coffee there, and read my Homer. Accident brought me to the spot one fine afternoon, and I found it perfectly deserted. Everybody was in the fields except a little boy about four years of age, who was sitting on the ground, and held between his knees a child about six months old: he pressed it to his bosom with both arms, which thus formed a sort of arm—chair; and, notwithstanding the liveliness which sparkled in its black eyes, it remained perfectly still. The sight charmed me. I sat down upon a plough opposite, and sketched with great delight this little picture of brotherly tenderness. I added the neighbouring hedge, the barn—door, and some broken cart—wheels, just as they happened to lie; and I found in about an hour that I had made a very correct and interesting drawing, without putting in the slightest thing of my own. This confirmed me in my resolution of adhering, for the future, entirely to nature. She alone is inexhaustible, and capable of forming the greatest masters. Much may be alleged in favour of rules, as much may be likewise advanced in favour of the laws of society: an artist formed upon them will never produce anything absolutely bad or disgusting; as a man who observes the laws, and obeys decorum, can never be an absolutely intolerable neighbour, nor a decided villain: but yet, say what you will of rules, they destroy the genuine feeling of nature, as well as its true expression. Do not tell me "that this is too hard, that they only restrain and prune superfluous branches, etc. " My good friend, I will illustrate this by an analogy. These things resemble love. A warmhearted youth becomes strongly attached to a maiden: he spends every hour of the day in her company, wears out his health, and lavishes his fortune, to afford continual proof that he is wholly devoted to her. Then comes a man of the world, a man of place and respectability, and addresses him thus: "My good young friend, love is natural; but you must love within bounds. Divide your time: devote a portion to business, and give the hours of recreation to your mistress. Calculate your fortune; and out of the superfluity you may make her a present, only not too often, —on her birthday, and such occasions. Pursuing this advice, he may become a useful member of society, and I should advise every prince to give him an appointment; but it is all up with his love, and with his genius if he be an artist. O my friend! why is it that the torrent of genius so seldom bursts forth, so seldom rolls in full—flowing stream, overwhelming your astounded soul? Because, on either side of this stream, cold and respectable persons have taken up their abodes, and, forsooth, their summer—houses and tulip—beds would suffer from the torrent; wherefore they dig trenches, and raise embankments betimes, in order to avert the impending danger.

离城大约一里格处有一个叫瓦尔海姆的地方。（读者不必去寻找以上所指之地。因为我发现有必要改变信中的真名。）它坐落在一处山坡上，风景宜人，走上直通村外的山路，整个山谷便尽收眼底。一位善良的老妇人住在那儿，开着一家小酒馆。那里卖葡萄酒、啤酒和咖啡。尽管主人年事已高，可是却殷勤豁达、和蔼可亲。此处最吸引人的是两棵菩提树，它们伸展的枝丫覆盖了教堂前的农舍、谷仓和场院围绕着的绿地。如此隐蔽又幽静的地方实在罕见，我常常从小酒馆里把桌椅搬到菩提树下，边喝着咖啡，边读着我的荷马诗歌。头一次，我是在一个晴朗的午后偶然来到此地的，发现这里异常冷清。人们都下地干活去了，唯有一个四岁左右的男孩坐在地上，两膝之间环抱着一个约六个月大的婴儿。他用双手将小婴儿贴在胸前，恰好成了个靠背椅。虽然那双活泼的黑眼睛左顾右盼，但他却一直静静地坐在那里。我被眼前的景象迷住了。我在对面的一张耕犁上坐了下来，兴致勃勃地画下了这相亲相爱的兄弟俩。我又添上了近处的篱笆、谷仓门，以及几个坏掉的车轱辘，这些静物显得错落有致，十分自然。一小时后，我便完成了一幅布局完美、趣味横生的作品，未掺入丝毫我自己的想象。这增强了我日后要完全遵循自然的决心。唯有大自然才是丰富无穷的，唯有大自然才能塑造出最伟大的艺术家。对于规章制度，大家可以齐声赞誉，就像对于市民，社会也可予以颂扬一样。一位墨守成规的艺术家绝不会画出低级庸俗的作品来，就像一个遵纪守法的人绝不会令邻居厌恶，也不会成为恶毒的歹徒。但是，不管人们怎么说，一切规则都会破坏我们对自然的真实感受以及自然的真正表现。不要告诉我说： “这说法太极端了，规则只起限制作用，只能裁剪掉多余的枝蔓等等。” 亲爱的朋友，我想给你打个比方。这跟恋爱很相似。一位热心肠的小伙子深爱着一位姑娘，成天陪伴在姑娘左右，耗尽了自己的全部精力，挥霍了自己的财产，为的是想时时刻刻向她表明自己对她一片痴心。后来，来了一位有身份、有地位、受人尊敬的世故之人对他说： “我的年轻朋友啊，恋爱是人之常情，但你爱得要有分寸才行。好好分配一下你的时间，把一部分时间用在工作上，休息的时间再留给你的心上人。算一算你的财产，除去必要的日常开销，你也可以送她礼物，但不要太频繁——在她生日和重要场合送份礼物就够了。” 年轻人要是听取了这个人的意见，就会成为一名社会上的有为青年，我愿意向任何一位侯爵推荐他，给他谋一个职位，但是他的爱情就完了，如果他是位艺术家，他的艺术也就完了。哦，我的朋友！为什么天才的河流很难冲破堤坝，汇成洪流，令你惊心动魄呢？这是因为两岸住着的是沉着稳重、深思熟虑的先生们，他们害怕洪水会淹没花园中的亭榭和郁金香花圃，所以及时地筑堤挖渠，以防患于未然。