Your question about the Musical Festival has given me hopes that you might accompany me there.  Really, dear Franz, that would be a joy in this sad year.  If you could induce the Princess and the Child to make an expedition to Valais by way of the Oberland and the Gemmi, oh, then, then all would be well.  Only from the stupid festival itself you must expect nothing.  All my compositions I have withdrawn, and shall only produce the A major symphony; there will be many people, but not much music.  If you were there, and perhaps J. and B. as well, we might extemporise something purely for our own diversion.  May Heaven grant that you may be sufficiently recovered to do a foolish thing and tempt others to it as well.

The festival will be on July 10th, 11th, and 12th.  In the first days of the same month we should have to begin our exodus via the Oberland.  I have been trying for some time to vegetate; the copying of the score of “Rhinegold” will have to wait.  I must first of all have a go at the “Valkyrie.”

Farewell, dearest, unique Franz.  Give me some hope of seeing you and yours.

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 mud for some time, and then the transactions will begin again.  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 mentioned, but with those whom we will not name, although we know them a little.

My symphonic poems I will bring you as soon as I find it possible to get away from here for a fortnight.  I am very glad 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” something 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 me in a good temper; what happens otherwise is a matter of indifference to us.  Berlin to us has been the occasion of celebrating a feast of friendship.  What else have we to do with or to care about Berlin?