Most Esteemed Herr Heine!
You cannot believe how much you have rejoiced my hope-sick heart when, from time to time, in your letters to my brave friend Kietz, you made mention of me and of my affairs. They were hard times, and at moments there was need of some upward impulse; however vague and indeterminate your communications might be, yet they were of the greatest importance to me — firstly, because they came from a sympathetic man; and secondly, because they were the only ones. Since then I have certainly received a letter from Councillor W., but as he referred to an official answer which ought already to have been communicated to me — in reply to my writing; an answer, however, which I have never received — his letter contains nothing definite, and allows of little in the way of anticipation. Only lately have I become acquainted, through my friend Laube in Leipzig, with certain expressions of Mad. Devrient, which mainly confirmed what was already known to me through your last letter to Kietz, namely, that she was exerting herself with the most amiable sympathy in my behalf, but which showed me still more decidedly that the religious-catholic part of my libretto was a chief stumbling-block. On this hint, I lost no time in communicating to Councillor W. all the changes which I had already long prepared with regard to this point. First of all, I called his attention to the fact that this was more a question of the catholic costume than of the catholic idea: I pointed out to him that the Pope — who, moreover, stands at a distance from the scene of action — appears in my book, not as a spiritual power that sets up or casts down theses and dogmas, but simply as a temporal prince who is busied in protecting his earthly possessions against robbery and anarchy, and only as such at last makes use of his dreaded power in order to get rid of the too bold defender of his worldly interests. That Rome is, in reality, the seat of action of the drama, makes it of course historically impossible to substitute another sovereign for the Pope; but as he is only represented by his Legate, his interference is already somewhat toned down, and if I now leave it optional to change this Legate and a Cardinal into one plain temporal Envoy, then there would only remain the ban of excommunication to which exception could be taken. But was not the ban, though notably shortened in form, still preserved in its essence and significance in the performance of La Juive at Dresden? Then why not here also, where from the very first I considered it advisable to make its proclamation as short as possible? There are, indeed, excellent means of substantially allowing everything to be represented, if only certain éclatant externals and symbols be omitted. Les Huguenots has been given — what more would one have? — for in it, however much disguised the costume, the religious-dogmatic tendency could now and never be expunged. But if in my Rienzi the word Church is not allowed to stand, well, I suppose one must then have recourse to the German Emperor, and beseech him to let one thrust the whole affair into his satchel, and himself pronounce the excommunication as an Imperial ban. Surely priests and clerics have before now passed in solemn procession across the Dresden stage? I should be glad if you would confirm this for me. Moreover, there is no man fitter than you, most worthy sir, to give a certain medley to the costume, so that it will be impossible for the Censor, for instance, to definitely point out the Cardinal, although every one else will recognize him.
Well, I will not trouble you any further with my explanations; so I will only add that I have expressed myself fully on this matter to Councillor W. (and, indeed, with the request to bring my remarks to bear upon the right quarter). But of what avail is all this, if these gentlemen do not send me a single word of direct reply? If they will only challenge me, I both can and certainly will remove each stumbling-block. But why, in the name of fortune, is this not done? In order to come to this decision, do they require a period of three months? or is it true — as I almost fear — is it true that the man who alone can be deputed to pass judgment on my musical composition is a hindrance to my cause?
It is certainly of unmeasurable importance that Mad. Devrient is interested in my opera, for on this circumstance alone rests the most favourable chance for the success of my project. Should she persist, and yield herself with sympathy to my feeble inspirations, I shall have to thank this grand woman for my All. How the pygmies here disgust me, when I reflect on her creative genius!
I found an opportunity to respond to an invitation of Councillor W., and to write some Correspondence for his Abend-Zeitung. In it you will find, among other things, a notice — certainly only fugitive and superficial — on Vieuxtemps; but I promise you to send more elaborate accounts to the Brockhaus paper shortly. Vieuxtemps as well as friend Kietz greet you cordially, and will soon write to you. The latter has lately been so engrossed in a large oil-portrait, that he could not yet discharge his duty of writing to you. He had sent to the exhibition a charming crayon-drawing, the portrait of my wife, and has now the triumph of hearing that it is accepted.
In conclusion: a request for your kind forgiveness, if I presume herewith to send you such a hasty — almost slovenly — letter; I hope you will forgive me, in remembrance of the "amusement" which I afforded you in my youth, when in a certain "situation" I ran along by the side of a certain carriage. If you will manifest your forgiveness by a few lines, it only remains for me to beseech you to be assured of my most cordial thanks for your interest in me.
With sincere respect,
Your servant,
Richard Wagner.
25, Rue du Helder.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 152