Thursday, February 22:
Letter from Herr De Gubernatis, who sends all sorts of things. He says he has had my letter published in the newspaper and that it was much applauded, which amuses R. and me very much: “Where the French language is concerned, I can rely on my wife.”
R. works; I am with the children. I read Saint Paul; otherwise I rested, for I am very tired. Disturbances in the outside world; none of the musicians has understood R.!
In the evening we finish State and Religion. The third volume of the collected writings has arrived.
“When I was recently immersing myself in my writings, I thought: Cosima will no doubt be jealous that I am thinking so busily about other things besides her, and yet all I do is always together with her - it is because I have her that I feel free to do it.” “If things had gone better for us earlier, we should have felt the misery of separation even more painfully, but we had experienced so much unhappiness that we were conscious only of the joy of seeing each other again.”
He speaks about Gustavus Adolphus, how, when he left Sweden and exhorted his people, he concluded with the moving words, “As far as I am concerned, I know that I can hope for no more rest except the eternal one.”
Riehl and Hiller are put in their places, “and yet I can never forget,” says R., “that it was from Hiller that I first heard Beethoven’s
Variations.”
Friday, February 23:
R. is well and works; at lunch we talk about the Rhinemaidens’ scene. He shows me how the maidens come very close to Siegfried, then dive down again, consigning him amid laughter and rejoicing to his downfall with all the childlike cruelty of Nature, which only indicates motives and indifferently sacrifices the individual - thus, in fact, demonstrating a supreme wisdom which is only transcended by the wisdom of the saint.
We go for a drive; R. returns home on foot. I visit the parson, Herr Tschudi, who is very friendly. Returning home late, I hear that Voltz, our former wine merchant, who wants to help R. receive royalties from his operas, has announced his coming. He arrives with a lawyer as well, and business is discussed.
R. receives a telegram from Hellmesberger, promising him eleven players for the 9th. I receive letters from M. Meysenbug, Math. M., etc.