for, is now and then too powerful, especially for German eyes.  I think, therefore, you are right in withdrawing yourself from that illumination as much as possible, and in letting your works take their own course for a time without the least anxiety about them.  One thing you will gain, the avoidance of personal contact.  In that, everything is misery, and believe me that while we try to “do violence to the kingdom of heaven,” we only stir up the nether mud.  No, the kingdom of heaven comes to us in our sleep.  But enough of this vague talk!  Let us soon meet, when we shall see how we can ward off all sadness.  I shall soon make a long stay with you.

God bless you, my Franz!  Pardon this long talk to my desire of being near you once more.

A thousand greetings from

Your

R. W.

309.

Weymar, September 21st, 1860.

Your glorious letter, dearest Richard, made me breathe the pure atmosphere of high mountains once more.  You know what I require, and offer it to me in abundance.  I was almost afraid that you might have misunderstood my non-appearance at Soden or Baden, and I am cordially delighted at being set right by you as to this.  As I wrote to you before, it was impossible for me to get away from here before Thursday, August 16th.  Well, all is over now, and you have pardoned me.  Let us talk of something else.  How proud I should be of your visit here, and how beneficial and strengthening prolonged intercourse with you would be to me, I need not tell you.  I think it more probable, however, that I shall pay you a visit in Paris first.  The exact date I shall not be able to determine until the continued uncertainty and wavering of all my circumstances here have ceased, which must happen shortly.  As regards your visit here, I repeat what I have said to you and others.  Weymar owes you a special distinction, and it is necessary that an appropriate and adequate opportunity of presenting yourself here should be offered to you.  It is extremely amiable of you to mean principally me when you pronounce the name of Weymar.  I wish that this synonym (in an artistic sense) were a little more pronounced; that my advice were followed, and my reasonable wishes complied with a little more readily.  But this can scarcely be expected, and I must in this, as in other matters, show myself resigned, determined, and consistent.  I quite agree with what you say of the “Insufficient artistic doings” here; however, many things could and should be done, especially for you and your works.  You will understand that I cannot abandon this view, and that I shall do all in my power to realise it.  The impending performance of “Rienzi” may do something towards it.