Franks,
before Elise felt herself disposed to give him a new title, that of
Disputer-General, so great was the ability he discovered to dispute on
every subject, from human free-will to rules for cookery; nay, even for
the eating of eggs.

On this subject Elise wrote thus to her sister Cecilia:--"But however
polite and agreeable the Candidate may be generally, still he is just as
wearisome and obstinate in disputation; and as there is nobody in the
house that makes any pretension to rival him in certain subtleties of
argument, he is in great danger of considering himself a miracle of
metaphysical light, which he is not, I am persuaded, by any means, since
he has much more skill in rending down than in building up, in
perplexing than in making clear. Ernst is no friend of metaphysical
hair-splitting, and when Jacobi begins to doubt the most perceptible and
most certain things--'what is perceptible, what is certain?' the
Candidate will inquire--he grows impatient, shrugs his shoulders, goes
to his writing-table, and leaves me to combat it out, although, for my
part, I would gladly have nothing to do with it. Should I, however, for
awhile carry on the contest boldly, the scholar then will overwhelm me
with learned words and arguments, and then I too flee, and leave him
_maitre du champ de bataille_. He believes then that I am convinced, at
least of his power, which yet, however, is not the case; and if fortune
do not bestow upon me a powerful ally against him, he may imagine so.
Nevertheless, I am not without some curiosity to hear a system which he
has promised to explain to me this evening, and according to which
everything in the world ought to be so good and consistent. These
subjects have always an interest for me, and remind me of the time when
you and I, Cecilia, like two butterflies, went fluttering over the
earth, pausing about its flowers, and building up for ourselves pretty
theories on the origin of life and all things. Since then I had almost
forgotten them. Think only if the mythology of our youth should present
itself again in the system of the Candidate!"

Here Elise was interrupted by the entrance of the troop of children.

"Might we borrow Gabriele?" "Mother, lend us Gabriele!" besought several
coaxing little voices.

"Gabriele, wilt thou not come and play with us? Oh, yes, certainly thou
wilt!" and with these words Petrea held up a gingerbread heart, winch
so operated on the heart of the little one,