In Italy, where he remained nearly two years, Goethe's mind and art
underwent another notable change. He himself called it a spiritual
rebirth. Freed from all oppressive engagements, he gave himself to the
study of ancient sculpture and architecture, reveled in the splendors
of Renaissance painting, and pursued his botanical studies in the
enticing plant-world of the Italian gardens. Venice, Naples, Vesuvius,
Sicily, the sea, fascinated him in their several ways and gave him the
sense of being richer for the rest of his life. Sharing in the
care-free existence of the German artist-colony in Rome made him very
happy. It not only disciplined his judgment in matters of art and
opened a vast new world of ideas and impressions, but it restored the
lost balance between the intellectual and duty-bound man on the one
hand and the esthetic and sensual man on the other. He resolved never
again to put on the harness of an administrative drudge, but to claim
the freedom of a poet, an artist, a man of science. To this desire the
Duke of Weimar generously assented.

On his return to Weimar, in June, 1788, Goethe made it his first task
to finish the remaining works that were called for by his contract
with Göschen. _Egmont_ and _Tasso_ were soon disposed of, but _Faust_
proved intractable. While in Rome he had taken out the old manuscript
and written a scene or two, and had then somehow lost touch with the
subject. So he decided to revise what he had on hand and to publish a
part of the scenes as a fragment. This fragmentary _Faust_ came out in
1790. It attracted little attention, nor was any other of the new
works received with much warmth by the public of that day. They
expected something like _Götz_ and _Werther_, and did not understand
the new Goethe, who showed in many ways that his heart was still in
Italy and that he found Weimar a little dull and provincial. Thus the
greatest of German poets had for the time being lost touch with the