Karl Philipp Moritz > Quotes

“Wenn oft der Himmel umwölkt und der Horizont kleiner war, fühlte er eine Art von Bangigkeit, daß die ganze Welt wiederum mit ebenso einer Decke umschlossen sei wie die Stube, worin er wohnte, und wenn er dann mit seinen Gedanken über diese gewölbte Decke hinausging, so kam ihm diese Welt an sich viel zu klein vor, und es deuchte ihm, als müsse sie wiederum in einer andern eingeschlossen sein, und das immer so fort.”
― Karl Philipp Moritz, Anton Reiser

“If only he had felt the sure sign of the artist, and realized that he who does not forget himself for his art, is not born to be one, it would have spared him much vain effort and much wasted trouble.”
― Karl Phillip Moritz

“Littleness borders on passing away and annihilation. It is the idea of littleness which produces pain, a sense of void and sadness: the grave is the narrow house, the coffin is a dwelling, silent, cool, and small. Littleness gives a sense of void, and this causes sadness. Sadness is the beginning of annihilation, infinite emptiness is annihilation.”
― Karl Phillip Moritz

“My host at Richmond ... could not sufficiently express his surprise that I intended to venture to walk as far as Oxford, and still farther ... When I was on the other side of the water, I came to a house and asked a man who was standing at the door if I was on the right road to Oxford. "Yes," he said, "but you want a carriage to carry you tither". When I answered him that I intended walking it, he looked at me significantly, shook his head, and went into the house again. I was not on the road to Oxford. It was a charming fine broad road, and I met on it carriages without number ... The fine green hedges, which boarder roads in England, contribute greatly to render them pleasant. This was the case in the road I now travelled ... I sat down in the shade under one of these hedges and read Milton. But this relief was soon rendered disagreeable to me, for those who road or drove past me, stared at me with astonishment, and made many significant gestures as if they thought my head deranged ... When I again walked, many of the coachmen who drove by called out to me, ever and anon, and asked if I would not ride on the outside ... a farmer on horseback ... said, and seemingly with an air of pity for me, " 'Tis warm walking, sir;" and when I passed thorugh a village, every old woman testified her pity ... The short English miles are delightful for walking. You are always pleased to find, every now and then, in how short a time you have walked a mile, though, no doubt, a mile is everywhere a mile, I walk but a moderate pace, and can accomplish four English miles in an hour”
― Karl Philipp Moritz, Travels in England in 1782