Saturday, September 24:
The publisher Fritzsch in Leipzig is very eager to have Beethoven, and R. will give it to him. R. believes the Germans will be in Paris before October 2. Heaven bring it to an end! . . . Lovely day, the children play, and I work in the vegetable garden. We decide on and carry through an outing to Stanz; nice drive in the carriage and charming journey back on the steamer, after a ritual family coffee in Winkelried. The children’s great delight over the waves produced by our steamer and another sailing beside it; R. remarks on how the waves appear to be running along with us, whereas in reality they are constantly being produced by physical circumstances—the whole is a condition and a reflection of life.
In Lucerne we learn in the tobacconist’s of the capture of Toul, while the French newspapers are still publishing reports of exhausted Prussians, repulsed Germans, reinforcement of Toul, etc.! Renan has now replied to D. Strauss; his letter is very petty, he maintains that France does not share Germany’s illusions, and he represents France as the oldest cultured nation, consequently does not appear to know what a long history Germany possesses, and he expresses a very shortsighted criticism of the Prussian monarchy.
In the evening we read Bitter Glück with much enjoyment. Unfortunately R. is not very well.