Thursday, August 26:
Very friendly letter from Professor Nietzsche, who sends us a lecture on Homer. Again children’s day, with inking in of score. R. orchestrating. Nothing from outside, thank God, except some articles by Judith Mendès about the exhibition and a letter from G. Herwegh, which astonishes R. particularly, since he had recently been thinking of giving a sign of life to this poor man who has fallen on hard times.
Herwegh is in Munich on account of Das Rheingold (R. says it is only the machinery they are all interested in), and R. had intended to invite him here, had not a word in H.’s letter made an unpleasant impression on him: the word drahtlich [“by wire”].
At the last flush of sunset R. tells me how well and happy he feels, how his health has been restored and his whole being given new strength, and he says it is all my doing. I feel like going down on my knees to the gods in gratitude, and, lest presumption corrupt my soul, I remember the being on whom I had to bring suffering, and in silence from afar I lament with him the grimness of our earthly lot.
The happier I am, the more deeply am I aware of the existence of one who is not happy; against this feeling no sensible reasoning, no explanations, not even the consciousness that I could not have done otherwise can help; or, rather, I do not seek such help, but suffer with him at all times.
Read J. Mendès’s article again; it is much better than I first thought in my excitement and annoyance at reading about R.’s personality in print. Nietzsche’s lecture, on the other hand, excellent.
The midwife came today, and R. said he could never set eyes on her without feeling moved; she was for him a sacred being, since she had stood by me. Wrote to Prof. Nietzsche.