124
PARTISAN REVIEW
conversing with Eckermann and urged by him to comment on
the
role of "the mothers" in
Faust 2,
and explain just what meaning
he attributed to them, Goethe drew back, sheltering from
too
logical and rational a search those shadowy regions on which
his
personal wisdom fell back and from which his thought took soaring
flight.
If
"the shudder" is, as Goethe says, the best in man, is
it
not also the best in Goethe? In face of this wisdom, how Voltaire's
stops short! And how his mind impoverishes art, life, culture
by sweeping them clean of "the shudder!"
Hotel des Bains, Ginoles.
Under my window a huge plan&
tree--certainly one of the loveliest trees I have ever seen. I
admire at length its enormous
trunk,
its mighty ramification,
and
the balance in which it is maintained by the weight of its most
important branches. The contemplation of an immemorial tree
is as restful in effect as that of large pachyderms, so strongly
advocated by Butler.
My heart has been restored and re-inflated from another
source, too: the splendid D-major concerto of Mozart, masterfully
interpreted by Wanda Landowska, played just now on the radio,
from records.
Strength and warmth, grace, wit, tenderness-nothing
is
wanting in this work (which I recognize note by note) or in
the
perfect playing of the pianist, whom I reproach myself for not
having heard more often.
The only art that appeals to me starts from restlessness
and
tends toward serenity.
To love truth is to refuse to let oneself be depressed by it.
At my age it is doubtless rather silly to seek instruction,
and I suppose the whole effort is vain; but as soon as I stop being
intent on something I get bored, and cease to enjoy life. And
yet
I keep telling myself that the contemplative state, pure and simple,
is what it would be fitting to attain, and do one good to go
to
sleep in..• ., My spirit is not yet assuaged enough for that; still
too inquisitive, too
greedy.
