Chapter 30: The new century

 

 

Fichte's expulsion

 

A few days only after his moving in in Weimar, as Schiller arrived in the council, he immediately noticed the unusual nervousness of the other members.

 

            - "What is happening here?", would he then ask after the usual formalities of politeness to his colleagues.

            - "What? You do not know it? Fichte has been expulsed from Jena University!" would a counselor notify him. "Everybody is nervous for himself now! No one knows who is going to be the next!"

 

Schiller could not really believe what he has just heard, und had to take a seat on a desk for a few minutes before he could recover his senses.

 

Hence, he learned the details a few minutes later: this sharp and progressive spirit, which Fichte was, was accused of propagating atheism and was, consequently, expulsed from his philosophy chair. Schiller, more than anyone in Weimar, knows was it means to face an expulsion from such a powerful regent as was the Duke of Saxony-Weimar. He felt as if he himself has been receiving the ban. He knew that Fichte just like other academics, has only professed what he thought was right. Schiller knows also, that Fichte considered Revolution as a means, an alternative to make Enlightenment into reality. Schiller has also never hidden his friendship with Fichte.

 

It was among these fearful voices of his other council members, that Schiller would hear a far more terrible news: Fichte, because of this accusation of atheism, had to leave Jena at once. He has become a fugitive.

 

These latest news would hit Schiller deadlier than a cannonball: his faithful and gentle friend has been so unfairly treated! Now his heart was sincerely bleeding for this good friend. “What should happen to him, now, that he is without the proper support of a Prince? Where did he flee? Could his family come with him?”

 

So many questions were pressing in his minds, and as soon as he was calm, then came again even more questions:

 

“What should happen to Fichte now? What should happen to me now?”

 

Then, Schiller thought that he should go at once to Jena and sort things out with people there. “What kind of punishment should await Fichte as he was left without any support? Who in particular has brought the accusation against him?”

 

The idea that an Italian counselor was behind this move would immediately come to him. And almost immediately, he would start to have stomachache. Small, diffuse but real aches would he feel gnawing his stomach.

 

            - "What should come next? How would Fichte react if he should be taken prisoner? Would he betray our secret planes if brought under torture?”

 

Schiller was still silently preoccupied with such questions as he was going towards the place of meeting.

 

            - "No! Going to Jena right now would be betraying myself!”, would he then say to himself  as he was taking place among the other members of the council.

 

            - "Are my other friends in Jena also in danger of being persecuted by the authorities there too? How about my other friends in other cities?"