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original form. The Chronik [p 191] says that Bräker's piece on "Poverty and riches", probably written earlier than 1780, was included.


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1st Jan. Bräker resumes his diary,

[but for once does not give any particular reason for doing so]
. [Chronik, p 174]

In the first few days of the month Bräker enjoys peace of mind and trust in God. In the night of the 2nd he dreams that he is walking through an avenue of roses, and interprets this as a sign of hope. [Chronik, p 174]

10th Jan. Business worries and annoying encounters at Lichtensteig market lower Bräker's spirits again. He also suffers from toothache, which recurs in later months. [Chronik, p 175]

12th Mar. Bräker reflects that if he were to be successful in hardening his feelings against temptation, he would lose his sensitivity to beauty and goodness also. [Chronik, p 177]

[Bräker has kept his earlier resolutions and stopped writing about spiritual matters in the form of homilies to his son and other people, and is now much more open about his own shortcomings].

23rd Apr. The unseasonable weather has caused much sickness in the region and there have been five deaths in Wattwil. On the 27th Bräker is himself ill with a putrid fever, toothache and a mouth abscess. [Chronik, p 179]

1st May Jakob is ill again, anxiety for him prevents Bräker from enjoying the spring weather. [Chronik, p 179]

6th May Ascension Day. Bräker discusses a local superstition that bad weather on this day is a warning of worse to come, this is also foretold in this year's astrological calendars, but Bräker prefers to put his trust in God. [Chronik, p 180]

18th May Bräker begins writing pen-portraits of his neighbours

[probably intending to use them in dialogues and other dramatic pieces]
. [Chronik, p 180]

23rd May Bräker goes to Glarus and finds the journey on bad roads and in bad weather worth while, as he is able to settle accounts satisfactorily with his employer Johannes Zwicky-Stäger. Next day he loses his way through looking at the view instead of the road. [Chronik, p 180]

11th-15th June Bräker criticises Lavater's "Physiognomik", saying that even the most dimwitted peasant "knows white and red firs, cherry and apple trees from their leaves and bark, he knows which are capable of growth and can say straight off (even when he has not had experience of it) which are good or stunted, which will and will not bear fruit. And how well he knows how to physiognomise horses, oxen, cows [...] many a farmer would not for any money change his manner of physiognomising with Herr Lavater's, because he does well out of it in trade and dealing, and every mistake makes him cleverer, just like the great scholars [...]" [Böning, p 139.]

[Bräker has set himself the difficult task of reconciling his respect for Lavater as a man with his inward conviction that Lavater's theories are largely nonsense, and his essay is full of tenderness and irony. He reproaches Lavater with setting too high a value on human nature and of judging too often by first impressions, both tendencies which he himself shared. He states firmly that he would prefer to judge people by their speech and behaviour, rather than by their features, and the study of character by the formation of the skull leaves him completely cold]:


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