My sweet betrothed!
I have now made up my mind to bear no grudge against you any longer. Otherwise would not many parts of your letter of yesterday justify such a grudge? One thing especially: You write: "I can't return to Magdeburg; I'll tell you why by word of mouth." So it becomes clear that you had already definitely resolved not to come back, and that you have other reasons, too, which you haven't yet confided to me and which probably induced you to take as a pretext that stage intrigue which would soon have been straightened out anyway. What a wrong you have done me! In any case, you have deceived and cheated me! When, as late as Tuesday noon, I got to know by accident that you were in for a complete break with the director, you had already made up your mind without taking me, your betrothed, into your confidence; when, in deep distress, I urged you to confess to me how matters stood, what your intentions were and what your reasons, you answered me with nothing more than an embarrassed smile. Oh, it is terrible! So you have still other reasons? You will tell them to me by word of mouth? I don't understand how you will manage that, if you continue as you intended. So I demand your reasons, with all severity, in writing. These reasons, too, can be disposed of, if it serves to bring us soon together.
You write that in your opinion by staying in Berlin you could hasten our union after all. Minna, do you wish to deceive yourself or are you really deceiving yourself? First of all: my last lines must have made clear to you that by your continued staying away, despite all that I offered you in those letters, you would reveal the entire insincerity of your love; in the second place, how would this hasten our union? I don't understand you. Berlin is not the place for us, for there is no chance for me there now. I can't imagine what position I could take there. I can't yet figure out at all what your goal may be in Berlin, and how that would lead to our marriage. Do tell me your opinion on this point. For I would like to know whether you still connect thoughts of your marriage with your Berlin engagement in any way. You write that you, too, would not be able to live without me, since you would have given me your life if I had wished it, but when your honor is concerned, etc. . . . My dear, how are these things in keeping with each other? You can't live without me and you flee from me risking uncertainty? You will sacrifice to me your life but not your theatrical career—which I would tread upon to keep it from separating us. I swear to you, Minna, I don't care for your stage life at all, and before sacrificing our love to it I would rather remove you instantly and entirely from the theater, marrying you on the spot, with 600 thaler salary, to which I can add 200 thaler for a few years, and will earn so much more by works of all kinds that I may reach the sum of 1,000 thaler. The rest God will give; I would rather support you myself by the sweat of my brow than part with you on account of that infamous theater mess. This I swear to you.
You write that I would have your fate on my conscience if I left you, and I tell you: "Well, lay your fate entirely in my hands, and I will faithfully take it on my own conscience." You write: "Only remain good and faithful to me, I don't care for the rest." But if you didn't care more for everything else than for me, would you desert me for such trifles? Look, dear Love, I could show all that you have planned and done to be senseless and pointless, but you yourself don't listen to the voice of reason. Oh, if you would recognize the unceasing strength and endurance of my love, your ice would melt and you would be compelled to throw yourself into my arms. I am becoming now quite frank and free-spoken toward your mother and she seems to feel herself how impossible it would be for me to bear being separated from you. Open your heart, Minna; if you don't I am going to compel you; by God, I shall come to Berlin and tear you away by force, and if that should pain you, tell me that you don't love me any longer, and so give me the death blow! My dear, my dear, no one was ever loved as much as you! I will prove my love to you by renewing now with unceasing strength my offers for our union; if you reject this union there will be other ways to convince you of the power of my love. This is sworn by your
Richard
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 8