My very best thanks, dear Minna, for your tidings; your efforts, of course, do not require my thanks. What I have to say in reply, is not so easy to make clear as it might seem. So much is certain, the time has arrived for taking a definitive step with regard to the future; from various sides I see myself driven to active and decisive intervention myself. From Devrient and Carlsruhe I have received no answer at all; the Frommann keeps dinning into me that I mustn't expect the smallest thing from princes, nor even build hopes upon Carlsruhe. True, Liszt made out that they firmly hoped to get me into Germany, for a moderate time at least, for the first performance of a new work; but beyond that I must entertain no hope of amnesty as yet. On the other hand, if Härtels are to engrave the Nibelungen (which is in negotiation again), I must give them the firm assurance of a first performance; even in the case of Tristan a definite engagement is now becoming indispensable. Lastly, the pair of us must soon be coming to a stand, know where we may set up our domicile from next year forward. — Consequently you doubtless will perceive the weight I attach to the negotiations initiated by yourself, and — so far as I'm concerned — I wish nothing more heartily than to see my repatriation finally arranged on this path, which to me seems the only one open. It is a calamity, however, that I haven't a single truly influential acquaintance in Dresden; a proof how isolated they left me there in days gone by. If you knew, for instance, the past career of this Herr M. (a fine name indeed!), you would be able to judge what I am bound to think of him. I made his acquaintance in Röckel's company at Hempel's; at that time he was a Red, came from Frankfort, where he had belonged to Blum's clique, and profited of the Democrat era in Dresden to get himself made a democratic public-advocate (Staats-Anwalt) by Oberländer. Thenceforth he became a reactionary, and when the Oberländer ministry fell, to retain his berth he offered the succeeding Reactionary ministry not only to change sides himself, but to set a sure trap for the Democrats, whom no one knew better. Such a man was welcome, and exactly so did Napoleon turn one of the most notorious thieves and swindlers, Vidocq, into his Minister of Police, because he knew that a man like that was the very best sleuth-hound for hunting down rogues. — You may readily imagine that Democrat and Reactionary are all one now in my eyes, but such a person is an arrant knave, with whom one should have no more dealings than extreme necessity requires. So I beg you not to get too intimate with him. —
On his fine talk I couldn't bring myself to run into the noose at Dresden, albeit I admit he isn't to be sneezed at, and what he says mayn't be without foundation. So hear what I intend to do. The new Minister of Justice, Behr, stands in fairly good repute; I don't think I shall prejudice my cause if I express myself to him at length about my situation. Consequently I shall write to him, saying I am now compelled to come to a decision affecting the whole of my life, and begging him to get the archives laid before him to judge from them the charges made against me; would he then inform me what I might have to expect, whereon I should determine whether to apply for a safe-conduct to place myself under examination? I shall represent to him that my health renders it impossible for me to undergo a long, or even a short arrest; because, if I couldn't take proper daily exercise in the open, my nervous agitation and sleeplessness might quickly ruin me and make me incapable of ever pursuing my art again. Wherefore, if he could not give me the assurance that in any event, providing I made submission to the King by the very act of presenting myself to the tribunal, His clemency would absolve me from detention whether for examination or as a punishment (were it only in view of my long exile), considering my age, and in particular your ailing health, I should have to make my mind up now for good and all to settle outside Germany, and never set foot in my fatherland again. — I shall see what he answers me, and all will depend on that answer. He is sure to propound the matter to the King; consequently, if his letter does not contain definite, or at least satisfactory assurances in the event of my voluntary surrender (just to fulfil the letter of the law), and if it is merely couched on the contrary in the well-known dry juristic tone, then I owe it to myself to say Valet to all hope of Germany. —
Reflect, since Johann has been king, not a single case has occurred in Saxony which could afford me the smallest hope of an exceptionally lenient treatment unless I obtained definite guarantees beforehand; on the other hand, what odious things have I to fear! In the first place, that two-month trial itself: after 10 years now, imagine how it must strike me to be confronted with this and that witness, set at certain variance with Röckel and the like; and then the cross-examinations and plaguy pedantry. — Aren't you afraid yourself lest my irritability might play me a trick in the end, and I might lose my patience in a manner to make me regret it the rest of my life? And then the penal detention: a room to myself and my piano; oh yes, it sounds very fine, but we'd better wait and see.
All this, I admit, is nothing to a man who hopes by means of sacrifices and transient hardships of the kind to re-enter, let us say, his old position, enjoyment of his property, his family, and so on; but what have I strictly to gain by it? Oh, do let us look at that closer! In the first place there still remains Lüttichau with his claim for that advance of 5,000 thlr. Good: I settle that by binding myself to supply my operas gratis for the future, and to rehearse them etc. myself. But what have I to seek in Germany at all? The hearing and conducting of performances of my works? Very pretty, if experience didn't so irrefutably teach me that I shall have more annoyance, worry and exertion every time, than profit and enjoyment! I know myself, alas, and how often I let myself be carried off against my own conviction; I shall embark on productions to which I'm invited, and they'll make me horribly repent my share in them. Please remember my folly with that Tannhäuser at Zurich! Enough, — with my continually augmented loathing of this whole ruck of theatres and singers, it positively makes me shudder to think of mingling in that stew again; I, more than any one else, feel what I sacrifice there. Even you, I know it, do not understand or comprehend that fully. — What do I gain, then, by exposing myself to all the chicanery of a legal prosecution? Nothing, for sure, save fresh occasion for self-sacrifice and over-exertion; whereas it is the world alone that strictly gains thereby. Comical notion, that I should first have to pay for it by letting myself be maltreated in Dresden! — There'd be a chance of my very soon and bitterly repenting it. Consider that yourself as well.
Then, where to settle really down? In Dresden under no conditions; for a hundred reasons not. — In a small city, à la Weimar? I've had my fill of these small cities. So nothing but a big city, where one at the same time can keep quietly to oneself, and yet find pleasant entertainment through the theatre and society as need arises. This chiefly for your own sake, too, as you cannot altogether share my penchant for retirement, in which I really am best off. Consequently — Berlin or Vienna. Good; but as first condition, no appointment there either, no obligation, but complete independence, merely lending a hand when I chose. What tells against Vienna, is its entire foreignness to us at bottom; which is a consideration, you see, with a definitive last place of sojourn. Berlin — well, we shall see; but neither does it truly offer me such attractions that I should care to be locked up for them first, and perhaps I could live much more agreeably in any other large town. — So — well considered, what should I strictly be winning? — By all means the chance of looking round the theatres, to make my choice for first productions of my works. Capital! but that also would be all. And even that might be made good if I did not return to Germany; it wouldn't be impossible. — For, if the Minister's answer proved of such a nature that I must renounce all future prospect, I should definitely choose Paris for my abiding domicile. There we would go to Passy, close to the Champs-Élysées, definitively install ourselves modestly but quite comfortably — and remain there even if I were allowed thereafter to return, which would only then be necessary for stray performances, accordingly on visit. Then I should make Strassburg the place where I should always give my operas first, beginning with Tristan at once this summer, when we two could meet again there. I know how to set about it with Strassburg now: on that another day! —
There, I've thrown together quite enough to let you form a notion of my frame of mind. It is needful you should know that precisely, and enter thus into my views. —
I beg you, as a beginning, to give me the exact address and titles of the present Minister of Justice. Then I will write to him forthwith; and rest assured I shall write very calmly, becomingly and temperately, but also very clearly and decidedly, so that he may learn in particular that my interest in the return to Germany is less great than must necessarily be that of those for whom I should then exert myself. — Perhaps I shall forward you the letter, for you to hand to him yourself; then he perhaps will also give yourself the answer for me. —
And now I must conclude for to-day; I am still below par. True, I'm out of bed again, but walking is still quite a misery. They've put my leg into a fearfully tight surgical stocking, meant to keep the rush of blood away from the inflamed and swollen veins. What things they are!
You don't mention whether you have received from Karl the score of Rheingold. — Anyhow you already have two pianoforte scores of Iphigenia, haven't you? You don't mention that either. One of them is for Tichatscheck; if you don't know what to do with the other, why, make it a present to the Devrient. — You will also receive 10 copies of the Tristan; you should distribute them as follows:
1 For the entirely good Minna.
1 For the Devrient
1 For Heine
1 For Fischer
1 For Tichatscheck
1 For Pusinelli
1 For Ritter
1 For Klare Wolfram
and put the others by to be disposed of later.
And now a thousand times the finest farewell! I can't write any more. I still have no news from Hanover or anywhere else. It's ebb again; but just have patience, we shall not want for money in future. And so farewell, you party-goer! Go on giving me joy through good news of yourself.
Thy R. W.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 2 (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909), No. 155