This time I absolutely devoured the book from beginning to end, and it also became a source of heated discussions between Herwegh and myself.  As Herwegh possessed an extensive knowledge of the characteristics of our great poetic literature, he felt it incumbent on him to defend the character of Charlotte against my attacks.  My vehemence on the subject showed what a strange creature I still was at over forty, and in my heart of hearts I had to admit that Herwegh judged Gothe’s poem objectively more correctly than I did, as I always felt depressed by a kind of moral bondage, to which Herwegh, if he had ever experienced it at all, submitted placidly, owing to his peculiar relations with his strong-minded wife.  When the time came to an end, and I realised that I had not much to hope for from the treatment, we returned to Zurich.  This was about the middle of August, and I now began to look forward impatiently to my tour in Italy.  At last, in the month of September, which I had been told was quite suitable for visiting Italy, I set off on the journey via Geneva, full of indescribable ideas of what was before me, and of what I might see as the outcome of my search.  Once again amid all sorts of strange adventures, I reached Turin by special mail-coach over Mont Cenis.  Finding nothing to detain me there more than a couple of days, I hurried on to Genoa.  There, at any rate, the longed-for marvels seemed to be within reach.  The grand impression produced on me by that, city overcomes, even to this day, any longing to visit the rest of Italy.  For a few days I was in a dream of delight; but my extreme loneliness amidst these impressions soon made me feel that I was a stranger in that world, and that I should never be at home in it.  Absolutely inexperienced as I was in searching out the treasures of art on a systematic plan, I gave myself up in this new world to a peculiar state of mind that might be described as a musical one, and my main idea was to find some turning-point that might induce me to remain there in quiet enjoyment.  My only object still was to find a refuge where I might enjoy the congenial peace suited to some new artistic creation.  In consequence, however, of thoughtlessly indulging in ices, I soon got an attack of dysentery, which produced the most depressing lassitude after my previous exaltation.  I wanted to flee from the tremendous noise of the harbour, near which I was staying, and seek for the most absolute calm; and thinking a trip to Spezia would benefit me, I went there by steamer a week later.  Even this excursion, which lasted only one night, was turned into a trying adventure, thanks to a violent head-wind.  The dysentery became worse, owing to sea-sickness, and in the most utterly exhausted condition, scarcely able to drag myself another step, I made for the best hotel in Spezia, which, to my horror, was situated in a noisy, narrow street.