A Palingenesis and Its Consequences 159a letter authorizing it to fill the post of full professor of poetry, which had
been vacant since J. G. Bock's death. In the letter Kant's name was spe¬
cifically mentioned: "We know through some of his writings a certain
Magister there, whose name is Immanuel Kant. His writings reveal a very
thorough learning." The letter went on to ask, was he suitable for the po¬
sition, and would he be inclined to accept?^56 Kant's answer was: "No, but
he would be very interested in the position of logic and metaphysics, which
might soon open up." He was confident that a more appropriate position
was in reach, and he did not opt for what appeared to him second best. He
would soon reach what was one of his most important goals — at least as
far as his official career at the university was concerned. This was another
reason for reflecting on what he had accomplished so far, and what he
wanted to do with the rest of his life. As one reason for anxiety, other rea¬
sons may have surfaced.
Kant declined to take a position that would have meant a steady income,
certain that he would get a more suitable position sooner or later.^57 The
next opportunity of official support did not amount to much, though it
was better than nothing. It came when the sublibrarian of the Schloßbib¬
liothek retired. The Schloßbibliothek basically amounted to the university
library, though it was not heavily used. Kant applied for this position in
November 1765 and received it in February of 1766. He was paid the salary
of 62 Thalers per year.^58 The library was open twice a week, on Wednes¬
day and Saturday between 1 :oo and 4:00 P.M. The old sublibrarian had left
the library in disarray. Kant and his superior (Friedrich Samuel Bock) had
to reorder the books and compare the holdings with the catalogues. If this
was arduous and mind-numbing work, it was not made much better by the
fact that the rooms of the library were not heated during the winter. Sub¬
librarian Kant therefore sat much of the year - six hours a week - with
"stiff hands" and "frozen ink" in dark rooms, which did not allow him to
read or write at all. He had to be there, even if there were hardly any patrons
during the long Königsberg winters. On the other hand, the new regular
salary improved his "very deficient subsistence."^39
This salary allowed Kant to change his residence in 1766. He had never
liked the noise that came from the commercial vessels that used the river
Pregel, which was close to his quarters, and from the many carriages that
brought Polish wares into the city. Accordingly, he moved into the house
of his publisher Kanter.^60 His large house — sometimes described as the old
City Hall — contained apartments, lecture rooms for Kant and other profes¬
sors, as well as some rooms for students. It also was the location of Kanter's