Dearest Friend!
Many thanks for all the solicitude expended upon me! I received everything, letter of credit, parcel 1, and to-day letters.
Unfortunately I spent yesterday in bed, and had so high a fever in the night that I am obliged to recover somewhat to-day, in order to go on to Venice to-morrow (Hotel Europa). The Mistress of Risby pleased me very much, and I beg for the continuation of the story. Of other newspapers such only as you consider important, but, on the other hand, send the two Leipzig music journals as regularly as possible. The good cousin Gross will look after my dogs once in a while.
Now I must take a thorough rest among the diversions offered by a new environment! I intend soon to devote myself to the affairs of next summer; at any moment I am ready to attend to any necessary matters, in order to participate to the best of my strength and ability in the worries left to you.
Greet your dear wife cordially from us both; our departure was beautiful and quite in keeping with our first meeting.
In sincere friendship,
Richard Wagner.
Fidi took the whip away from the coachman to-day because he always beat his horses.
Source: The Story of Bayreuth as Told in the Bayreuth Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Caroline V. Kerr (Small, Maynard and Company, 1912), No. 93