Wednesday, September 25:
R. slept well, without interruption, and went to his work; he is satisfied with what he has done, but says it was very little. He again brings up the subject of socialism — how everything hangs on the question of property, and that is precisely what is now needed, to interest the poor in property. During the late afternoon he gets very heated with Herr Lipiner about Schopenhauer, since Herr Lipiner claims to detect illogicalities in the great philosopher. But soon after he has gone away, R. repents of his violence and goes to Malwida to say a few friendly words to the bewildered man; however, he has already left.
In the evening we read the Bayr. Blätter, friend Wolzogen’s article on the festival theater excellent; Herr Löffler, on the other hand, very unsuccessful with the “world inheritance”; this lack of simplicity in grasping even the smallest things! Now the King is supposed to represent downfall through materialism! Herr Kulke the Wagnerian argues like Herr Lipiner the Schopenhauerian, accusing the poet of making a mistake! After that R. reads to us the discussion between Gregory of Tours, Priscus, and Chilperic in Thierry’s Récits mérovingiens — a delicious scene, charmingly told; R. is always saying how much he enjoys reading these French books, how grateful he is to Renan for making the subject of the Gospel so vivid to him.