Wednesday, November 24:
R. works in my room, I with the children. Friendly letter from Professor Nietzsche, replied to him. Letter from the lawyer, saying I shall have to appear before the clergyman after all.
In the afternoon some concern that R. cannot be persuaded to curb his inclinations. Recently he said apropos of births or procreations, "The time must be right, the position of the stars right, that's how it was with me; that it didn't all turn out brilliantly you can see in my restlessness and the fact that nothing much came of my brother Albert."
In the evening a melancholy letter from Hans Richter; he is conducting Lohengrin in Brussels, but is thoroughly despondent about French musical conditions, would like to be back in Germany, poor man.
Some pleasure in seeing the King of Bavaria behaving well; for instance, Döllinger, the cathedral provost, was not invited to the Vatican Council, now he is going after all as an embassy attaché.