Volume II Part 5 (1/2)

Your

R W

ZURICH, JUNE 7TH, 1854

158

Herewith, dearest Richard, I send you X's babble, together with the sketch of my very simple answer Probably the cart will stick in the ain Well, I have learned to understand people, although the real kernel of their phrases has not been, and cannot be, clearly expressed I have seen too much of this to be deceived The difficulty lies neither with Hulsen nor with other people whose names have been h we know the you as soon as I find it possible to get away frolad you take an interest in them

Let us be PATIENT, and remain in evil days faithful to eternity

Your

FRANZISCUS

June 8th, 1854

159

DEAR FRANZ,

Here you have the ”babble” back again, the possession of which I do not envy you Let us put this disgusting nonsense on one side; on hearing the jargon, devoid of honesty or character, which these stupid souls call ”prudence,” one feels as if a hundred thousand fools were gathered together Our fortune lies at bottom in the fact that we do not yield to such people, and our perseverance in this is sufficient gain To ”get” so by it is of course more than we can expect Thus in this instance I am quite satisfied to know that we shall not do what X wants; this is alone sufficient to put ood temper; what happens otherwise is a matter of indifference to us Berlin to us has been the occasion of celebrating a feast of friendshi+p What else have we to do with or to care about Berlin?

A thousand thanks for all you are doing and the way in which you do it

As regards ”success” in X's practical sense, I shall probably never have it It would indeed be a kind of satire onOn the other hand, I should at any ladly and with a smile on my face if only a really fine opportunity would offer itself What ardsmore than a beautiful death, for life is sos around me do not seem to tend in that direction Every one see life,” however narrow, thin, and poor it may be This is sad

Of all this ill talk when you co your sythen my thread of life a little

Do not look out for a copyist Madaold pen of indestructible pohich has once raphic pedant The scores will be raphy One cannot fly fro soThis act of ad as I live in this world

You will not be allowed to see the ”Rhinegold” till it has been completed in this worthy fashi+on, and that can only be done in certain idle hours of the long winter evenings At present I have no tiin the composition of the ”Valkyrie,”

which I feel joyfully in every limb

Greet the Princess and the Child with the full power of greeting

For today I must be satisfied with this request; I can write no ood deal , as once on the railway I have just been called out; an eagle was flying over our house A good ole;” he flew splendidly The sere very anxious

Farewell in the sign of the eagle