You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Illuminati? Altmann, in a footnote, says of <strong>the</strong> fragments of<br />
Mendelssohn's translation, "They are in <strong>the</strong> possession of<br />
Mr. Eric Warburg, who kindly placed pho<strong>to</strong>-copies of <strong>the</strong>m at<br />
my disposal." Eric Warburg is <strong>the</strong> surviving son of Max<br />
Warburg.<br />
Is it mere coincidence that Eric Warburg should be heir <strong>to</strong><br />
this translation, or is it a hand-me-down from <strong>the</strong> Illuminati? It<br />
is interesting <strong>to</strong> note that long before Mendelssohn ever<br />
conceived of translating <strong>the</strong> Torah in<strong>to</strong> German, <strong>the</strong> Republic<br />
was on his mind. Was it because Mendelssohn considered its<br />
Communist blueprint far more important than <strong>the</strong> Torah?<br />
How did <strong>the</strong> Mendelssohn-Nicolai relationship evolve? In a<br />
letter written in May of 1756 by Mendelssohn <strong>to</strong> Lessing, he<br />
states, "I have tried <strong>to</strong> rid myself of as many old acquaintances<br />
as possible, except for Prof. Sulzer and Herr Nicolai." The<br />
letter states as follows:<br />
"For <strong>the</strong> time being, I have become unfaithful <strong>to</strong> meditative<br />
[grubelnden] metaphysics. I visit <strong>the</strong> Herr Nicolai very often in<br />
his garden. (I truly love him, dearest friend, and I believe that<br />
our friendship will <strong>the</strong>reby gain, because in him I love your true<br />
friend.) We read poems, Herr Nicolai declaims <strong>to</strong> me his own<br />
work, I sit in judgment as a critic, admire, laugh, censure until<br />
nightfall. Then we once more remember you and part<br />
company, contented with our day's work. I am making a fairly<br />
good start <strong>to</strong>ward becoming a bel esprit. Who knows whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
one day I shall not write verse? Madam Metaphysics may<br />
forgive me. She asserts that friendship rests on <strong>the</strong> identity of<br />
[people's] inclinations, and I find that, on <strong>the</strong> contrary, identity<br />
of inclinations may, in reverse, rest on friendship. Your<br />
friendship and Nicolai's has tempted me <strong>to</strong> withdraw part of<br />
my love from that venerable matron and <strong>to</strong> give it <strong>to</strong> belles-<br />
lettres. Our friend has even elected me a contribu<strong>to</strong>r <strong>to</strong> his<br />
Biblio<strong>the</strong>k, but I am afraid that his choice will prove an<br />
unfortunate one."<br />
The garden of which Mendelssohn speaks is located at<br />
Spandauerstrasse 68. Nicolai occupied it from 1755 <strong>to</strong> 1757,<br />
73