ABSTRACT
Suchwastheseventy-four-year-oldGoethe'scommenton15February1824to hisbiographerJohannPeterEckermann,whohadmetthepoetforSunday breakfastandfoundhimtobein'excellentspirits'.Onewoulddowell,however, nottodismissthecommentsimplyasapassingwitticismorself-indulgent remark.TheolderGoetheisknownforoftenhavingmadecommentsofthissort. InaconversationrecordedbyhisfriendChancellorFriedrichvonMUllersix yearslateron24April1830,hereturnedtothetopicinaroundaboutbutemphatic way.Assooften,thesubjectwasGermany'suniquelyprecariousliterary situationincomparisonwiththatofitswesternneighbor:
210IMPERILEDHERITAGE
Then,reflectingontheliterarypastofhisowngeneration,Goetheremarked,
Therestofussimpleyouthsbackin1772hadaneasiertimeofit.Wehad nothingbehindusandcouldsimplywriteaway,beingcertainofapplause ifweweretocomeupwithsomethingthatwasevenhalf-waydecent.3
