About my journey to Zurich I can tell you nothing until I know when the consecration of the Gran cathedral is to take place.  Some papers state that this solemnity will come off in the course of September.  In that case I shall come to you before, at the beginning of August.  As soon as I have official news I shall write to you.  In the meantime I must stay here.  On April 8th, the birthday of the Grand Duchess, I have to conduct “I due Foscari” by Verdi, and at the end of April the performances of your niece Johanna.

Unfortunately I missed Carl Ritter when he called; I had gone to Gotha for that day to hear the Duke’s opera “Tony.”  Carl Formes sang the title part.  I hope I shall see Carl at Zurich.  Remember me kindly to him.  Through his sister Emilie you have probably had news of our last “Lohengrin” performance, which went off very well.  Caspari sang “Lohengrin” much better than it had been heard here before.  The Princess of Prussia had asked for the performance, and for want of a local Ortrud (Frau Knopp, who used to sing the part here, has given up her engagement and gone to Konigsberg) we had to write for Madame Marx, of Darmstadt, in all haste.  An overcrowded house and a most attentive public were foregone conclusions.  Berlioz was present.

Do you correspond with Counsellor Muller?  He is sincerely devoted to you, and well intentioned.

Dingelstedt, who was here lately, intends to give “Lohengrin” next winter, and not before.  Of the very decided success of the performance at Prague you have probably heard.  Fraulein Stoger, daughter of the manager there, sang Ortrud, and wrote me a letter full of enthusiasm about the enthusiasm of the public and the musicians.  She was engaged at Weymar until last season.

Farewell, and be patient, dearest friend, and write soon to

Your

F. L.

March 25th, 1856.

213.

Dearest Franz,

Your letter has grieved me very much.  Do you really think it necessary to explain to me by an exact description of your situation why you cannot comply with my request for new pecuniary assistance?  If you only knew how ashamed and humiliated I feel!

It is true that I applied elsewhere first, and then came back to you, because the feeling of having to accept benefits from less intimate friends frequently becomes absolutely unbearable to me.

This induced me to apply for assistance to you, who never allow me to feel the deepest obligations in a painful sense.  I thought, of course, more of your protection and intercession than of a sacrifice of your personal income, because I know sufficiently well how limited your resources are.  That I spoke in so determined a manner was owing to the eccentric nature of my whole situation, which makes everything concerning my most intimate feeling take a violent form.