[...] Last Friday evening I had just climbed out of my hip-bath when the director of the posts from Hausen came rushing into my room, out of breath, to show me a copy of Friday’s newspaper, which carried the report:
“Richard Wagner, at present living in Zurich, has been granted a complete pardon by the King of Saxony. (He had been condemned to a long prison sentence for his part in the May uprising.)”
Much to the fellow’s amazement, I remained dreadfully indifferent to the news. Nor have I yet received confirmation of the report: I expect for that reason it is untrue. The first thing I would do if there were any truth in the matter would simply be to apply to the authorities in Saxony for my denaturalization, so that I could become a Swiss citizen: with a Swiss passport I could then travel wherever I wanted: I should probably not come to Germany, and even Weimar with its Lohengrin would not really encourage me to commit an act which might give the impression that I accepted the pardon. - However - it is all merely gossip at present, and I do not intend making a fool of myself by crowing in public. All I wish to say here is that my own pardon would be a flagrant demonstration of the most abject arbitrariness. —
Now something about my treatment. For the sake of my wife I have now agreed to return home on Sunday, 23 November: the 24th is our 15th wedding anniversary. My daily routine is now as follows, 1st, half-past-five in the morning wet pack until 7 o’clock; then a cold bath and a walk. 8 o’clock breakfast: dry bread and milk or water. 2nd, immediately afterwards a first and then a second clyster; another short walk; then a cold compress on my abdomen. 3rd, around 12 o’clock: wet rub-down; short walk; fresh compress. Then lunch in my room with Karl, to prevent insubordination. Then an hour spent in idleness: brisk two-hour walk - alone. 4th, around 5 o’clock: another wet rub-down, and a short walk. 5th, hip-bath for a quarter of an hour around 6 o’clock, followed by a walk to warm me up. Fresh compress. Around 7 o’clock dinner: dry bread and water. 6th immediately followed by a first and then a second clyster; then a game of whist until after nine o’clock, after which another compress, and then around 10 o’clock we all retire to bed. - I am now bearing up quite well under this regimen: I may even intensify it. For a month I sweated sulphur: after that my damp towel turned a bright reddish colour; they assure me this comes from mercury. Intense perspiration at high body temperatures. My skin came out in a rash again, which is now gradually going away again. - When I am back in Zurich, I shall continue with the treatment: I shall work very little: only the occasional drafts and sketches. If necessary, my wife will have to apply the packs herself. Very strict diet. - The devil himself must have a hand in it if I cannot then sit back and observe the ways of the world in sound health for a while: I shall - I think - again perform something soon; - but probably not in Weimar, where there is absolutely nothing that can be achieved - not even with the help of royal pardons. -
[...]
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 128