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to go ， but had not power to move； and in this situation he remained
till eight o'clock， his uneasiness and discontent continually increasing。
At length the cloth was laid for supper ， and he took up his hat and
stick。 Albert invited him to remain ； but Werther， fancying that he
was merely paying a formal pliment ， thanked him coldly ， amd left
the house。
Werther returned home ， took the candle from his servant ， and retired
to his room alone。 He talked for some time with great earnestness to himself，
wept aloud， walked in a state of great excitement through his chamber
； till at length ， without undressing ， he threw himself on the bed，
where he was found by his servant at eleven o'clock ， when the latter
ventured to enter the room， and take off his boots。 Werther did not prevent
him ， but forbade him to e in the morning till he should ring。
On Monday morning ， the 21st of December ， he wrote to Charlotte
the following letter， which was found， sealed ， on his bureau after
his death ， and was given to her。 I shall insert it in fragments ； as
it appears， from several circumstances ， to have been written in that
manner。
〃It is all over ， Charlotte： I am resolved to die ！ I make this
declaration deliberately and coolly ， without any romantic passion ，
on this morning of the day when I am to see you for the last time。 At
the moment you read these lines ， O best of women， the cold grave will
hold the inanimate remains of that restless and unhappy being who ， in
the last moments of his existence ， knew no pleasure so great as that
of conversing with you！ I have passed a dreadful night or rather ， let
me say， a propitious one ； for it has given me resolution ， it has
fixed my purpose。 I am resolved to die。 When I tore myself from you yesterday，
my senses were in tumult and disorder ； my heart was oppressed ， hope
and pleasure had fled from me for ever， and a petrifying cold had seized
my wretched being。 I could scarcely reach my room。 I threw myself on my
knees ； and Heaven ， for the last time， granted me the consolation
of shedding tears。 A thousand ideas ， a thousand schemes ， arose within
my soul ； till at length one last， fixed， final thought took possession
of my heart。 It was to die。 I lay down to rest； and in the morning ，
in the quiet hour of awakening， the same determination was upon me。 To
die ！ It is not despair： it is conviction that I have filled up the
measure of my sufferings， that I have reached my appointed term， and
must sacrifice myself for thee。 Yes ， Charlotte， why should I not avow
it？ One of us three must die ： it shall be Werther。 O beloved Charlotte！
this heart， excited by rage and fury ， has often conceived the horrid
idea of murdering your husband—— you—— myself ！ The lot is cast at
length。 And in the bright ， quiet evenings of summer ， when you sometimes
wander toward the mountains ， let your thoughts then turn to me： recollect
how often you have watched me ing to meet you from the valley； then
bend your eyes upon the churchyard which contains my grave， and， by
the light of the setting sun， mark how the evening breeze waves the tall
grass which grows above my tomb。 I was calm when I began this letter，
but the recollection of these scenes makes me weep like a child。〃 About
ten in the morning， Werther called his servant ， and， whilst he was
dressing， told him that in a few days he intended to set out upon a journey，
and bade him therefore lay his clothes in order ， and prepare them for
packing up， call in all his accounts ， fetch home the books he had lent，
and give two months' pay to the poor dependants who were accustomed to
receive from him a weekly allowance。
He breakfasted in his room， and then mounted his horse ， and went
to visit the steward， who， however， was not at home。 He walked pensively
in the garden ， and seemed anxious to renew all the ideas that were most
painful to him。
The children did not suffer him to remain alone long。 They followed
him ， skipping and dancing before him， and told him ， that after to…morrow
and tomorrow and one day more ， they were to receive their Christmas
gift from Charlotte ； and they then recounted all the wonders of which
they had formed ideas in their child imaginations。 〃Tomorrow and tomorrow，
〃 said he ， 〃and one day more！〃 And he kissed them tenderly。 He was
going ； but the younger boy stopped him， to whisper something in his
ear。 He told him that his elder brothers had written splendid New…Year's
wishes so large ！ one for papa ， and another for Albert and Charlotte，
and one for Werther ； and they were to be presented early in the morning，
on New Year's Day。 This quite overcame him。 He made each of the children
a present ， mounted his horse， left his pliments for papa and mamma，
and ， with tears in his eyes ， rode away from the place。
He returned home about five o'clock ， ordered his servant to keep
up his fire ， desired him to pack his books and linen at the bottom of
the trunk ， and to place his coats at the top。 He then appears to have
made the following addition to the letter addressed to Charlotte：
〃You do not expect me。 You think I will obey you， and not visit you
again till Christmas Eve。 O Charlotte ， today or never ！ On Christmas
Eve you will hold this paper in your hand ； you will tremble ， and moisten
it with your tears。 I will—— I must ！ Oh ， how happy I feel to be
determined！〃
In the meantime ， Charlotte was in a pitiable state of mind。 After
her last conversation with Werther， she found how painful to herself
it would be to decline his visits ， and knew how severely he would suffer
from their separation。
She had ， in conversation with Albert， mentioned casually that Werther
would not return before Christmas Eve ； and soon afterward Albert went
on horseback to see a person in the neighbourhood ， with whom he had
to transact some business which would detain him all night。
Charlotte was sitting alone。 None of her family were near ， and she
gave herself up to the reflec