* * * * *
This ends the autobiographical part of the Krause letter. Here and
there in the footnotes the present editors, profound admirers of the
great master, have ventured to criticise frankly the inordinate belief
in himself which was at once Froebel's strength, and his weakness.
On the one hand, his noble and truly gigantic efforts were only made
possible by his almost fanatical conviction in his principles and in
his mission. On the other hand, this dogmatic attitude made it very
difficult to work with him, for persons of any independence of mind.
He could scarcely brook discussion, never contradiction. This is most
characteristically shown by a fragment of Froebel's dated 1st April,
1829, as follows:--
"I consider my own work and effort as _unique_ in all time, as
_necessary_ in itself, and as the _messenger of reformation_ for all
ages, working forwards and backwards, offering and giving to mankind all
that it needs, and all that it perpetually seeks on every side. I have
no complaint to make if others think otherwise about it; I can bear with
them;[122] I can even, if need be, live with them, and this I have
actually done; but I can share no life-aim with them, they and I have no
_unity_ of purpose in life.
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