The reader need not go to the trouble of locating the village named above; it was considered necessary to change the real names found in the original. (Note by Goethes Editor.)

We feel obliged to suppress this passage in the letter to avoid giving anyone grounds for complaint. Although at bottom it can little matter to any author what one young woman and a fickle young man think of his work. (Note by Goethes Editor.)

Here too we have omitted the names of several German authors. Whoever shares Lotte’s approval will surely feel in his heart who they are if he should read this passage, and no one else really needs to know. (Note by Goethes Editor.)

We now have an excellent sermon on this topic from Lavater, one among those on the Book of Jonah. (Note by Goethes Editor.)

Out of respect for this excellent gentleman, this letter and another one mentioned below have been removed from this collection, because we do not feel that such an impropriety could be excused even by the warmest gratitude of the public. (Note by Goethes Editor.)