Most Amiable Man! (Homo amabilissimus. Lin. II. 73.) This letter will not be up to much, as I write it lying down.
For the rest — water-cure: to be brief. Have read likewise Rausse on "Mistakes." Weather bad. October better. Not alone. Lieutenant Müller taking the waters with me. Still much excitement; busied myself with too much theory. Your letter great joy; best thanks. Härtels respectable: having sent ten louis d'or. Ought to engrave the score of Lohengrin at once. Härtels are right. Shall find a way for Siegfried; will first finish it. (Please make a fuss about Härtels' graciousness with regard to engraving a score of mine!!!) (Musik. Zeitung.) Want your exact, honest, individual opinion about Dresden: not caring a rap for my "friends"; why the Court and L.? If — well, only on one condition: Eduard Devrient getting it up for the stage, you authorized by L. If not — the devil take them. Härtels write, pianoforte score ready only to be corrected (?). Thousand thanks. You doing much for me! Another time!! Carl greeting. Grand letter: be satisfied. Soon write again. Hearty greeting.
Your
R. W.
Albisbrunn (not knowing the day).
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 33