336 Kant: A BiographyBerlin in which Kant had a special interest. Kant said remarkably little in
this particular conversation. As we shall see, there were reasons for this.
Before dinner, the usual questions and answers about how one feels and doesn't feel,
which, because the heroine of this piece just came home from taking the baths, have
more parts and more emphasis than usual.
Countess ofKeyserlingk to me: You have to separate us, however inseparable we were
until now.
I: The more advantage for me.
Lady von Recke: It was extraordinarily pleasant to me to see you before I depart.
I: I could not count on this extra-ordinary pleasure, since My Lady wanted to de¬
part earlier.
Lady von Recke: The first letter of the alphabet that I mentioned to you shall now
come to word.
I: I have often asked myself what it could be that interested My Lady; yet, here as
elsewhere, I discovered that I do not belong among either the minor or the major
prophets and interpreters (Deuter).
Lady von Recke: After dinner you will be so good as to give me the honor of visit¬
ing me in my room.
I: When and where My Lady commands.
Lady von Recke: You were the first who told me about the promotion of Herr von
Wöllner to minister. -You have heard the story of the sword of faith, haven't you?
I: Yes, and one can see from it that the crown prince is not entirely satisfied with the
edict on religion.
Lady von Recke: In no way, and the prince as well as every thinking person will be
just as unhappy about the edict on censorship.
I: Young Carmer assured me of the correctness of this - only, I knew nothing of
its contents.
Lady von Recke: Its main content is that nothing against the Augsburg Confession,
nothing against the State -
I, falling in: And indeed nothing at all be written, or be written about nothing.
Lady von Recke: They want the Protestants to have a dead Pope, just as the Catholics
have a living Pope.
I: And yet, Luther was so little satisfied with His Popishness that he explicitly de¬
manded that one go on beyond him.
Lady von Recke: I assure you that I did not find a line against the edict on religion
in the bookstores of Berlin.
I: This means that My Lady does not know the Remarks by Würzer either?
Lady von Recke: No. You know his fate, don't you? He really was brought to Spandau.
I: I heard that, but I do not know who passed that judgment on him.
Lady von Recke: The Great Chancellor
I: But he did not pursue this investigation of him any further, as someone wrote to me.
Lady von Recke: Quite right. The king reserved his right to judge Würzer himself.
But you know what the best part is: he dedicated the book to the king, the king an¬
swered him quite favorably, and a few days letter he is thrown in jail.
I: That's entirely new to me.