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said　Muller；　calmly。　〃I　shall　never　be　unfaithful　to　my　principles；
and　I　hope　never　to　have　a　stain　on　my　conscience。〃

〃Who　is　able　to　say　that？〃　exclaimed　Thugut；　laughing；　〃many　a　one
has　become　a　murderer；　who　was　unwilling　to　tread　on　a　worm；　and
many　a　one　has　become　a　perjurer；　who　protested　solemnly　that　he
would　never　utter　a　lie。　But　a　truce　to　philosophical　discussions。　I
like　to　go　directly　at　my　aim；　and　to　utter　my　thoughts　clearly　and
precisely。　Listen；　then；　to　me；　and　learn　what　I　want　you　to　do。　You
are　a　great　mind；　an　illustrious　historian；　a　very　learned　man；　and
you　are　pining　away　among　the　shelves　of　your　imperial　library。　The
greatest　historian　of　the　century　is　nothing　but　the　custodian　of　a
library；　and　is　subordinate　to　a　chief　whom　he　must　obey；　although
the　latter　is　mentally　a　pigmy　compared　with　him。　Such　a　position　is
unworthy　of　your　eminent　abilities；　or　tell　me；　do　you　feel
contented　with　it？〃

Johannes　Muller　smiled　sadly。　〃Who　is　able　to　say　that　he　feels
contented？〃　he　asked。　〃I　am；　perhaps；　a　bad　custodian；　and　that　may
be　the　reason　why　the　prefect　of　the　Imperial　Library；　Baron　Fenish；
is　not　on　good　terms　with　me；　and　profits　by　every　opportunity　to
mortify　me。　A　German　savant　never　was　an　independent　man；　for　he
generally　lacks　the　most　indispensable　requisite　for　an　independent
position：　he　generally　lacks　wealth。〃

〃Then　you　are　poor？〃　asked　Thugut；　with　flashing　eyes。

〃I　have　no　other　means　than　my　salary。　The　Muses　will　adorn　a　man；
but　they　will　not　feed　him。〃

〃I　will　deliver　you　from　your　subordinate　position；〃　said　Thugut；
hastily；　〃you　shall　be　independent；　free；　and　rich。　You　are　a　fool
to　bury　yourself；　with　your　glory　and　with　your　pen；　in　the　dust　of
old　books。　Life　and　history　are　calling；　and　offering　you　their
metal　tablets　to　write　thereon。　Write；　then；　write　the　history　of
our　times；　render　yourself　an　organ　of　the　age；　assist　us；　by　your
writings；　in　preserving　the　government　and　law　and　order。　Defend；
with　your　ringing　voice；　the　actions　of　the　government　against　the
aspersions　of　this　would…be　wise；　noisy；　and　miserable　people；　and
you　shall　have　a　brilliant　position　and　an　annual　salary　of　four
thousand　florins。　You　are　silent？　You　are　right；　consider　well　what
I　am　proposing　to　you。　I　offer　you　a　brilliant　position。　I　will　make
you　the　great　historian　of　our　times。　It　affords　you　always　so　much
pleasure　to　praise　and　commend；　well；　sir；　praise　and　commend　what
we　are　doing。　Assist　me；　at　least；　in　mystifying　our　contemporaries
and　posterity　a　little；　and　I　will　reward　you　in　the　most　liberal
manner。　A　good　title；　a　large　salary；　and　we　will；　moreover；　pay
your　debts。〃

〃Ah！　your　excellency　knows　that　I　have　debts；　and　you　believe　that
to　be　the　string　by　which　you　may　draw　me　to　you　like　an　insect？〃
asked　Muller；　smiling。　〃To　become　the　historian　of　our　times　is　an
honorable　and　welcome　offer；　and　I　confess　to　your　excellency　that　I
have　already　finished　many　a　chapter　of　it　in　my　head；　and　that　I
have　devoted　a　great　deal　of　attention　to　the　special　history　of
Austria。　It　would　be　agreeable　to　me　if　your　excellency　would　permit
me　to　recite　to　you　a　few　passages　from　the　history　of　Austria；　as　I
have　elaborated　it　in　my　head。　This　will　be　the　best　way　for　your
excellency　to　obtain　the　conviction　whether　I　am　really　able　to　fill
so　brilliant　a　position　as　your　excellency　has　offered　me；　and
whether　my　services　deserve　so　liberal　a　salary。〃

〃Well；　sir；　let　me　hear　a　few　passages　from　your　'History　of
Austria。'　I　am　very　anxious　to　listen　to　them。〃

〃And　your　excellency　remembers　the　promise　that　there　is　to　be
irresponsibility　and　impunity　for　whatever　will　be　said　during　this
interview？〃

〃I　do；　sir；　and　I　swear　that　your　words　shall　never　be　repeated　to
any　one；　and　that　I　shall　only　remember　them　when　I　have　to　reward
you　for　them。　I　swear；　besides；　that　I　will　quietly　and　patiently
listen　to　you　until　you　have　concluded。〃

〃I　thank　your　excellency；〃　said　Johannes　Muller；　bowing　gracefully。
〃I　should　like　to　recite　to　your　excellency　now　a　chapter　that　I
desire　to　write　on　the　literature　of　Austria。　I　turn　my　eyes　back　to
the　days　of　Maria　Theresa　and　Joseph　the　Second。　Both　of　them　were
lovers　of　literature；　art；　and　science；　which　both　of　them　promoted
and　fostered。　Joseph　expelled　darkness　from　his　states　and　uttered
the　great　words；　'The　mind　shall　be　free！'　And　the　mind　became　free。
It　became　active　and　exalted　in　every　art；　the　poets　raised　their
voices；　the　learned　sent　the　results　of　their　studies　into　the
world；　and　labored　powerfully　for　the　advancement　and　enlightenment
of　the　people。　The　mind　tore　down　the　barriers　that　stupid　fear　had
raised　between　Austria　and　the　other　German　states；　and　the　great
poets　who　had　lately　arisen　in　Germany　now　became；　also；　the　poets
and　property　of　Austria。　Austria　called　Lessing　and　Klopstock　HER
poets；　like　the　rest　of　Germany；　she　enthusiastically　admired
Schiller's　'Robbers；'　and　wept　over　'Werther's　Sorrows；'　she　was
delighted　with　the　poetry　of　Wieland；　she　learned　to　love　the　clear
and　noble　mind　of　Herder；　and　the　writings　of　Jean　Paul　admonished
her　to　learn　and　to　reflect。　It　was　a　glorious　period；　your
excellency；　for　a　young　nation　had　arisen　in　Austria；　and　it　was
drawing　its　nourishment　from　the　breasts　of　a　young　literature。〃

〃And　sucking　from　these　breasts　the　revolutionary　spirit；　and　the
arrogance　of　independent　thinkers；〃　interrupted　Thugut；　rudely。

Johannes　Muller　seemed　not　to　have　heard　him；　and　continued：　〃Joseph
the　Second　died；　scarcely　a　decade　has　passed；　and　what　has　this
decade　made　of　Austria？　The　mind　has　been　chained　again；　the　censor
with　his　scissors　has　taken　his　stand　again　by　the　side　of　the
Austrian　boundary…post；　and　the　wall　severing　Austria　from　Germany
has　been　recreated。　Every　thing　now　has　become　again　suspicious；
even　the　national　spirit　of　the　Austrian；　even　his　hatred　of　foreign
oppression；　and　his　hostility　to　foreign　encroachments。　In　this
hatred　itself　the　government　sees　the　possibility　of　a　rising；　and　a
spirit　of　opposition；　for　it　sees　that　the　people　are　no　longer
asleep；　but　awake　and　thinking；　and　thought　in　itself　is　even　now　an
opposition。　Every　manifestation　of　enthusiasm　for　a　man　who　has
spoken　of　the　freedom　and　independence　of　Germany　is　looked　upon
with　suspicion；　and　the　noblest　men　are　being　proscribed　and
banished；　merely　because　the　people　love　them；　and　hope　and　expect
great　things　from　them。　The　people；　according　to　the　wishes　of
government；　shall　do　nothing　but　sleep；　obey；　and　be　silent；　the
people　shall　manifest　no　enthusiasm　for　any　thing；　the　people　shall
love　nothing；　desire　nothing；　think　nothing；　the　people　shall　have
no　heroes；　to　whom　they　are　attached；　for　the　glory　of　the　heroes
might　eclipse　the　emperor；　and　the　shouts　of　love　sound　like　shouts
of　insurrection。〃

〃You　refer　to　the　Archdukes　Charles　and　John；〃　said　Thugut；　quietly。
〃It　is　true；　I　have　removed　Archduke　Charles　from　his　command；　for
his　popularity　with　the　army　and　people　is　very　great；　and　would
have　become　dangerous　to　the　emperor。　We　must　conquer　through　tools；
and　not　through　heroes；　the　latter　are　very　unpleasant　to　deal　with；
for　they　do　not　gratefully　receive　their　reward　as　a　favor；　but　they
impudently　claim　and　take　it　as　a　right。　The　imperial　throne　must　be
surrounded　by　heroes；　but　these　heroes　must　never　eclipse　the
imperial　throne。　Pardon　this　note　to　your　chapter；　and　proceed。〃
〃The　heroes　of　the　sword　are　cast　aside；〃　continued　Johannes　Muller；
〃but　neither　the　heroes　of　thought　nor　the　heroes　of　literature　are
spared。　The　government　tries　to　disgrace　and　insult　literature；
because　it　is　unable　to　assassinate　it　entirely；　it　drags　literature
into　the　caves　of　unworthy　censors；　and　mutilates　its　most　beautiful
limbs　and　destroys　the　most　magnificent　splendor　of　its　ideas。　The
government　is　AFRAID　of　the　mind；　hence　it　desires　to　kill　IT。　A
government；　however；　may　commit　many　mistakes；　but　it　never　ought　to
show　that　it　is　afraid；　fear　exposing　it　to　ridicule。　And　if　we
ought　not　to　weep　over　the　persecutions　which　the　apprehensions　of
the　government　have　caused　to　be　instituted　against　literature；　we
ought　to　laugh　at　them。　Whole　volumes　of　the　most　sublime　works　of
Gibbon；　Robertson；　Hume；　and　other　great　historians　have　been
prohibited；　and　there　is　not　one　of　our　German　poetsneither
Goethe；　nor　Schiller；　nor　Herder；　nor　Wieland；　nor　Lessing；　nor　Jean
Paulwhose　works　are　not　ostracized　in　German　Austria。　Fear　and　a
bad　conscience　scent　everywhere　allusions；　references；　and　hints。
Hence　history　is　banished　from　the　stage；　for　the　history　of　the
past　constantly　points　with　a　menacing　finger　at　the　sore　spots　of
the　present。　Shakespeare's　'King　Lear'　has　been　prohibited；　because
the　public　might　believe　princes　would　lose　their　heads　if　weighed
down　by　misfortunes。　'Hamlet；'　'Richard　the　Third；'　and　'Macbeth'
must　not　be　performed；　because　people　might　get　accustomed　to　the
dethronement　and　assassination　of　emperors　and　kings。　Schiller's
'Mary　Stuart'　is　looked　upon　as　an　allusion　to　Marie　Antoinette；
'Walle