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down at me in such a friendly manner. Seems to me they radiate life and joy deep into my bosom.[...] For a whole month I have been looking at thee, splendid sky, and yet thou hast not so worked upon me, never so stirred me, as in this blissful night. What delight to think upon thee, shining heaven, and feel what I feel now! To study, to philosophise, but never to find words to express myself.

And yet, my thoughts sink down again from the spheres above. I have done my day's work honestly, now I am so happy in my little room in this quiet night. Much happier than yonder wedding guests in the village, of that I am certain. And though now they fling themselves into tumultuous pleasures, they will not sleep as sweetly and tomorrow - O, I know the tricks of wine and the near relatives of such binges, the sickness, the foul mouth, the giddy head!

To be sure the young squires of Toggenburg and their fancy birds may peep at one another to their hearts' content. They may well dream afterwards of their fine plumage. But in the morning these images of Venus look like pea-soup sicked up. O, if our fathers of a few hundred years ago had thought that their descendants in these cold mountain valleys would have become such young squires and painted, coloured dolls, could they see what kind of showy, puffed-up households and marriages they make, and how today they swank about, play the fool and loiter about in the fields, ha, then by my faith they would open their eyes wide!

O Saviour of the world, who knowest Thy creatures so well, why hast Thou not said to them: "feast, booze, gamble, go with whores, dress yourselves so fine in silk and satin, make sledges for yourselves and paint cupids, Venus, Bacchus and all kinds of fine things on them", why then live this hateful moderate, sober, honest and quiet life!" [Voellmy, v 2 pp 167-168]

2nd-3rd Feb. "I have thought a great deal about it, and am yet not agreed with myself, whether it can be accounted to me for so great a sin, when I from time to time withdraw a little while from my work and the bustle of the house, and smoke a pipe with a good friend in peace and quiet. These are for me excellent and pleasant hours of recreation. I also gain a particular pleasure and honour from the fact that I as a coarse and awkward fellow am yet welcome in great houses, the homes of several respectable gentlemen. I well know that many people have imputed this to me as a crime, and attribute it to my shamelessness, to ambition and to I know not what other faults in me. Some of this rabble despise me, look at me sideways with glances of mistrust and turn their backsides towards me; others mock me with bitter smiles, using words like talebearer, sponger, would-be gentleman and the like epithets. Those who mean the best for me warn me sincerely and with a serious, sympathetic air, say they pity me, they would not like to let themselves be made fools of by the majority, they are false and behind my back they piss themselves laughing.

I care not, [...] where there is nothing but a wretched chattering of everyday matters and they babble of nothing that is not worthless, there I cannot bear to be. Eh, so stay at home, then, they say to me, you have plenty of society with your own folk at home. For heaven's sake, don't hammer me so quickly into my coffin! For I must for the whole week worry and struggle for bread for my children, often deep into the night. For the whole week long my head is stuffed over and over with their noise, and shall I not then be granted a little hour of recreation, that would indeed be very sad for me, were I convinced that I must forgo it.[...]" [Voellmy, v 2 pp 168-9]

Continuation on 3rd February:
     Away with you, noisy joys, where one paws the ground and bellows and fattens one's rump until it nearly splits, where one makes one's head stupid, ladling drink into one's belly until the steam comes out of one's eyes and gives a dry mouth that gapes like a magpie, where one rackets around the fields, pursuing birds and hares, and where one has to sit straight, tense as a harp-string, take care of one's clothes and compel oneself to appear neat and behave prettily. Away with you, you artificial pleasures, where one admires another's wig, silk hose and all kinds of fancy turn-outs!

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