O Kietz!!
You are crazy— What will become of you next? Come here in the spring; you can count on six portraits—for the rest we shall see later. We can find good use for a crazy fellow like you here.
I couldn't answer your letters from Rome: I really didn't know what to say. Should I give as further reasons for my silence the thousand worries and torments which have been consuming me all this time? Upon my word, things have been going very badly with me, and my only consolation is that it probably won't happen again, because I hope I shan't soon again be as crazy as I was last year, when some devil's urge made me want to live well for once. By this I got myself into incredible debts; however, I thought I could save myself if I could drag it out until this fall, when I expected considerable revenues from the German theaters. In my anguish and need (which, moreover, I had to hide from my wife) this longed-for time approached, and lo and behold! none of our expectations materialized. God knows what the reason may be: in short, orders dropped off almost entirely. Everything that was to materialize, like Berlin, Munich, etc., came to nothing, and I was completely bankrupt: now a friend helped me in extreme need: however, until the repayment of my very large debt I signed over all my current revenues to him and restricted myself to a very limited budget for my household which barely enables us to exist. You can imagine that all this would bring with it heavy and disgusting worries, troubles, and annoyances of all kinds. These conditions took away my desire to do anything, least of all to answer your puny letters.
But now all this must come to an end. Minna was in Germany for nine weeks visiting her parents and acquaintances, and also saw my operas. My situation there remains unchanged. The Presse of Nov. 30, which I read on your suggestion, knows more about it than I do: probably a false rumor! I won't go to the Prussian Court, don't worry about that: I can manage in Switzerland for the time being, and probably for always, even if one day I should be pardoned. So you will be sure to find me in Zürich in the Zeltweg.
Kindest regards and thanks to Lindemann: I am happy that he cured you from cholera, though not for your sake. We are now in pretty good shape: the trip did Minna a lot of good, and I am the dog that has become accustomed to beatings. The Wesendoncks also advise you to come. You are sure to find work; come the sooner the better, a rich family Jochmiss wants also to be painted by you. Farewell, keep loving me, and always think the best of your old friend
R. W.
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 141