Monday, October 28:
Visit from our good dean. Everything is in readiness for Thursday; if I understand my inner duty correctly, it is to keep my guilt and transgression constantly before my eyes and at the same time to retain all the serenity of love, to fulfill my joyful duties solely toward R.!
Talked to the dean about school homework. Daniella is required to write a letter about Hermann und Dorothea! “That is the way teachers make things easy for themselves,” says R. “Instead of talking to the children and bringing things to their knowledge in an entertaining way, they stuff them with tasks which the children cannot hope to understand.”
Shopping in the afternoon. In the evening R. reads me Gozzi’s King Stag, which we find utterly delightful. Letters from M. Maier and Baroness Meyendorff, who tells me about her sorrow in being parted from my father.
Herr Lenbach cables that he is going to Berlin to paint the Emperor, and he wants to exhibit there the two pictures of my father and of R. R. tells me how, while looking at Menzel’s picture of Frederick and Voltaire, the dean had declared himself to be on the side of Voltaire, whereas I have always been unconditionally for Frederick, since the strength to dispense justice in anger seems to be a very great virtue which few possess.
R. says, “Yes, people can no longer visualize a king, they no longer understand royal deeds; Frederick acted in a royal manner, saying not a word about the shady financial dealings, but when Voltaire took it upon himself to mock his servants, Frederick lost patience with him, since the magic spell was broken.”
Went for a walk with Fidi and the other children and did some shopping. Took care of Babett.