Johann Heinrich Merck
A monologue about what happed so far
(1765)
Just shortly, before my life is running out, I would like to pass in review what made me to who I am now. The whole story started in the year of 1741, in the for me so well known city of Darmstadt. It was my year of birth. From now on, I had the chance to grow up in my family, with my mother and my siblings. In comparison to my friends a really easy ticket to have. But for sure, I also had to learn what it meant when the serious life was starting. In the early days my mother sent me to school. I should be able to stand on my own feet.
But is this something special? Probably not... After years of cramming, it was mastered. I got my A-Level. The effort paid off. It opened the doors for me to study in Gießen.
First of all I chose theology as the subject I wanted to learn. But as you all know, things are changing rapidly in life, and so I changed the university by crossing the border from Hesse to Bavaria (more in the south) to find my luck at the university of Erlangen. However, I didn‘t find my luck there. I was walking along the wrong road, and so I decided to escape on the way to find out more about God's word. Art was teasing me more and more, It became clear that this was what I really wanted to do. And so I went to the Academy of Art. But honestly the conflict of finding out what to study (wjhat to devotermy time and life to) was something I had to fight for a long time.
Meanwhile I worked around with the things I was interested in for sure. Due to the fact that I was quite good in the English language, I focused my time, by spending it in translating first of all Frances Hutchesons „Untersuchung unserer Begriffe von Schönheit und Tugend“, and then my so loved tragedy „Cato“ from Thomas Shaws.
Since then, the travel guide „Barbarey & Levante“ my third translation was completed. All of the three writings seemed precious enough for me to translate them into my mother language.
After I had finished them nothing halted me to stay there longer. At that time Heinrich Wilhelm von Bibras asked me, if I would follow him as his bearleader to Switzerland. And so it comes, I followed his offer, in hope to spend more joyful
days there ...
The monologue will be spoken by a single person, who is supported by a small group which will try to express the content of it in quick-motion
