amusing.  Copies were now made of it, to which the reputation of Clodius’s “Medon” gave at once a rapid publicity.  Universal disapproval was the consequence, and the originators (it was soon found out that the poem had proceeded from our clique) were severely censured; for nothing of the sort had been seen since Cronegk’s and Rost’s attacks upon Gottsched.  We had besides already secluded ourselves, and now found ourselves quite in the case of the owl with respect to the other birds.  In Dresden, too, they did not like the affair; and it had for us serious, if not unpleasant, consequences.  For some time, already, Count Lindenau had not been quite satisfied with his son’s tutor.  For although the young man was by no means neglected, and Behrisch kept himself either in the chamber of the young count, or at least close to it, when the instructors gave their daily lessons, regularly frequented the lectures with him, never went out in the daytime without him, and accompanied him in all his walks, yet the rest of us were always to be found in Apel’s house, and joined them whenever they went on a pleasure ramble:  this already excited some attention.  Behrisch, too, accustomed himself to our society, and at last, towards nine o’clock in the evenings, generally transferred his pupil into the hands of the valet de chambre, and went in quest of us to the wine-house, whither, however, he never used to come but in shoes and stockings, with his sword by his side, and commonly his hat under his arm.  The jokes and fooleries, which he generally started, went on ad infinitum.  Thus, for instance, one of our friends had a habit of going away precisely at ten, because he had a connection with a pretty girl, with whom he could converse only at that hour.  We did not like to lose him; and one evening, when we sat very happily together, Behrisch secretly determined that he would not let him off this time.  At the stroke of ten, the other arose and took leave.  Behrisch called after him, and begged him to wait a moment, as he was just going with him.  He now began, in the most amusing manner, first to look after his sword, which stood just before his eyes, and in buckling it on behaved awkwardly, so that he could never accomplish it.  He did this, too, so naturally, that no one took offence at it.  But when, to vary the theme, he at last went farther, so that the sword came now on the right side, now between his legs, an universal laughter arose, in which the man in a hurry, who was like-wise a merry fellow, chimed in, and let Behrisch have his own way till the happy hour was past, when, for the first time, there followed general pleasure and agreeable conversation till deep into the night.