The fortunes of this singular production are probably unique in literary history.

In the year 1804 Schiller handed to Goethe the manuscript of a piece by Diderot, with the wish that he might find himself able to translate it into German.

"As I had long," says Goethe, "cherished a great regard for this author, I cheerfully undertook the task, after looking through the original.

People can see, I hope, that I threw my whole soul into it."[294] When he had done his work, he returned the manuscript to Schiller.

Schiller died almost immediately (May 1805), and the mysterious manuscript disappeared.