Chapter 34: The beginning of the end

 

 

Joy and sorrow

 

Winter was everywhere, cold and dark as usual, hence, enticing the Weimarer and their legendary intense court life to seek calmer activities in their respective home. The festivities of New Year, however, were not yet completely finished, when Schiller would learn about a very sad news which will make him moody and thoughtful for a couple of days. The Duke of Meiningen, under which protection he has found refuge back then in Bauerbach has deceased. One of his protectors is now also gone, and now, he must complete his long and arduous journey, with even more hinders and even less friends and supporters.

 

In Weimar, Goethe has left town and Schiller must, according to the court ranking, represent him again during the very frequent visits that the Duchess von Stael-Holstein, whom people called voluntarily Madame de Stael, in order to stretch her French acquaintances, would make during her stay in Weimar.

 

At the banquets or during the concerts, Schiller must, sometimes accompanied with Lotte, despite the cold winter weather, go outside, and spend long hours in the Weimar Palace performing all sorts of courtly niceties. These occasions would, indeed, remove him from his beloved writings, and would turn him into a perfect court member, a role which he always disliked and dreaded, especially during the cold winter evenings.

 

His thoughts, however, were even more drawn to the sad destiny of the Duke of Meiningen. One of his staunchest supporter was dead, and he felt, among the festivities of the palace, like an orphan. No more could he turn to this man for advice and protection. No more could he find such a reliable man, whose advice and trust have never failed him throughout the years. A man of principles has left the world and Schiller was sure that his absence would cruelly miss him in the coming months. He would never forget the relief which the Duke has given him, with the help of Henriette von Wolzogen, during his time as a refugee under his jurisdiction. Indeed, things were not simple between the rebellious refugee Schiller and the domineering Duke of Meiningen, however, his stay in Bauerbach turned out to be his most fruitful and alas, also the happiest for him for a very long time, despite the long periods of loneliness.

 

With time, hopefully, their relationships have also evolved positively and reciprocally; and it was in a very honorable manner that the Duke of Meiningen has appointed Schiller as one of his counselor a few years later.

 

Now that he knows the world better, he had to admit that for a refugee as well as for the court member, cruelty reigns supreme in the gatherings of ambitious and powerful men and women. The refugee experiences cruelty with the eyes of a deprived and revolted person, the court member only with those of a rather wealthy and blasé insider. Only death sentence comes a little more often against the refugee. Schiller's heart was very sorrowful. It would be even more obvious to him now, how life can be so vain, so arbitrary; and at the same time, the pressure to accomplish his endeavored mission would also rise significantly in his mind. Now, he has only few time left to accomplish something, and what he has to accomplish, however, were of the most essential nature.