"A few days ago" (in the beginning of March, 1772), she writes to Herder, "I made the acquaintance of your friend Goethe and Herr Schlosser....

Goethe is such a good-hearted, lively creature, without any parade of learning, and has made such a to-do with Merck's children that my heart has quite gone out to him....

The second afternoon we spent in a pleasant stroll and over a bowl of punch in our house.

We were not sentimental, but very merry, and Goethe and I danced a minuette to the piano.

Thereafter he recited an excellent ballad of yours [the Scottish ballad _Edward_, translated by Herder]." On the occasion of a later visit (April) of Goethe to Darmstadt, she again writes to Herder: "Our Goethe has come on foot from Frankfort[110] on a visit to Merck.