Well, you dumb man, Devrient lent me 1,000 thaler. From this I'll pay as many debts as possible, and above all help you. I'm no longer sure how much I owe you; but I am forwarding 600 fr. herewith, through Avenarius: you will notify me if this is sufficient. I don't know what you plan to do with the money, nor will I undertake to advise you, first of all because I know that you don't want any advice and would take it as an order, and secondly, because I'm sure you wouldn't follow any advice. Besides, on account of your long silence I have no idea of your present position: all that I have learned is that you have made no progress in your art. This was the approximate opinion of those who saw the portrait sketches of Heinrich Brockhaus and his wife. You may answer: This is "work for money!" and I retort, it is "money for 'work'!" However, enough of that. It leads to nothing and is no help. You are as you are and so you wish to be! The only thing is that you deprive me of the chance to deserve well of you! For I would so much like to show myself thankful to you.
Your joy at my success brings me no pleasure; I would rather be rejoicing at your success. Enough of it!! As soon as you want to return to Germany, write to me. 200 fr.—that is, the absolutely essential traveling expense—will be kept always ready for you. If I can do more to this end, more will be done. But now tell me, how is Lehrs? I hear nothing, and the last lines I got from him depressed me so much that I can think of him only with keenest sorrow. What is the matter with him? Write me about this at once and in detail!
Our good Anders is hard at it, as I gather from his activity in the Gazette Musicale, where he is working with all his strength for my glory. I only wish I could reciprocate, and soon. Go together to my sister and get her to read from my letter to her what I report about myself and my affairs: may it give you enjoyment and hope for yourselves! If God will only give Anders the proper good health, I can doubtless procure him an agreeable old age at my side: but he will have to work. Give my affectionate greetings to the dear good friend, and tell him that my Dutchman is admired here as a genuine sea-wonder.
Is Glöckner still in Paris? If so, greet him heartily. How is friend Hanfstängl? I now often see his brother, the Hofrath—friendly greetings to him too.
Will you give your uncle M. Fechner as hearty regards as he will absorb? The 100 fr. I owe him you may also get from Avenarius. If you think he would accept a small compensation as interest, offer it to him and lay it out for me. Thank him in my name and tell him that what I did was wholehearted: all those things which happened between him and me are, after all, silly trifles, which annoyed me only so long as I was not able to get rid of my obligations; now that I am able to, I think only of his readiness to try to help me out of my trouble—I cannot and will never forget it! Give our shoemaker also the 40 fr. which he still has the right to claim from me. Avenarius will send that to you too. Farewell and write not only soon but promptly how matters stand with Lehrs! You have no idea how I pity him! Greet him most warmly from your
Richard Wagner
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 46