At times, indeed, the refulgence of
this Divine light has overflowed my entire soul. - I thank God for
this, and shall die with my soul fixed upon the Cross, our
redemption, our highest bliss; and, in acknowledgment of my
belief, I wish before my death to receive the holy sacraments of
the Catholic, Apostolic, and Romish Church, and thereby to attain
the forgiveness and remission of all my sins. Amen.
I thank my mother with reverence and tender love for her
continual proofs of goodness and love. In my youth people called
me a good son; it was certainly no special merit on my part, for
how would it have been possible not to be a good son with so
faithfully self-sacrificing a mother? - Should I die before her,
her blessing will follow me into the grave.
I owe it to my cousin Eduard Liszt (Dr. and Royal County
Councillor of Justice in Vienna) to repeat here my warm and
grateful affection for him, and to thank him for his faithfulness
and staunch friendship. By his worth, his talents, and his
character he does honor to the name I bear, and I pray God for
His blessings on him, his wife, and his children.
Among our Art-comrades of the day there is one name which has
already become glorious, and which will become so ever more and
more - Richard Wagner. His genius has been to me a light which I
have followed - and my friendship for Wagner has always been of
the character of a noble passion. At a certain period (about ten
years ago) I had visions of a new Art-period for Weymar, similar
to that of Carl August, in which Wagner and I should have been
the leading spirits, as Goethe and Schiller were formerly, - but
unfavorable circumstances have brought this dream to nothing.
To my daughter Cosima I bequeath the sketch of Steinle
representing St. Francois de Paul, my patron saint; he is walking
on the waves, his mantle spread beneath his feet, holding in one
hand a red-hot coal, the other raised, either to allay the
tempest or to bless the menaced boatmen, his look turned to
heaven, where, in a glory, shines the redeeming word "Caritas." -
This sketch has always stood on my writing-table. Near it there
is an ancient hour-glass in carved wood with four glasses, which
is also for my daughter Cosima. Two other things which have
belonged to me are to be given as a remembrance to my cousin
Eduard Liszt and to my much-loved and brave son-in-law Hans von
Bulow.
Some of the members of our Union of the "New German School" - to
whom I remain deeply attached - must also receive some remembrance
of me; Hans von Bronsart, Peter Cornelius (in Vienna), E. Lassen
(in Weymar), Dr. Franz Brendel (in Leipzig), Richard Pohl (in
Weymar), Alex. Ritter (in Dresden), Felix Draseke (in Dresden),
Professor Weitzmann (in Berlin), Carl Tausig (from Warsaw) -
either a ring with my sign-manual, a portrait, or coat-of-arms. -
May they continue the work that we have begun - the honor of Art
and the inner worth of the artist constrains them to do so. Our
cause cannot fail, though it have for the present but few
supporters. -
One of my jewels set as a ring is to be sent to Madame Caroline
d'Artigaux, nee Countess de St. Cricq (at Pau, France). To the
Princess Constantin Hohenlohe (nee Princess Marie Wittgenstein) I
bequeath the ivory crucifix (cinque-cento) which was given to me
by my kind patron the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen - also a
pair of studs with five different stones, which form the five
initials of my name.
And now I kneel down once more to pray "Thy kingdom come; Thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven; forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us; and
deliver us from evil. Amen."
F. Liszt
Written the 14th September, 1860, on the Festival of the raising
of the Holy Cross.
SUPPLEMENT:
To Herr Gross, a member of the Weymar Grand Ducal Royal Orchestra
(trombone and double-bass player), who has for a number of years
looked after the copying of my works and the arranging of the
orchestral and voice parts of them in the library of the
Altenburg, I bequeath a present of one hundred thalers for the
faithful, devoted service he has rendered me.
To the names of my friends of the New German School is to be
added one more, or rather I ought to have mentioned it first; it
is that of Mr. Gaetano Belloni (in Paris). - He was my Secretary
during the period of my concert tours in Europe, from 1841 to
1847, and was always my faithful and devoted servant and friend.
He must not be forgotten. Moreover, whether he will or no, he
belongs to the New German School, by his attachment to me, and
also by the part he took later on in the Berlioz and Wagner
concerts. I wish to be buried simply, without pomp, and if
possible at night. - May light everlasting illumine my soul!
241. To Dr. Franz Brendel
September 20th, 1860
Dear Friend,
I send you by my friend Lassen [Born 1830, became Court music-
director 1858, and Court conductor in Weimar after Liszt's
withdrawal (1861); celebrated as a composer of songs] a little
parcel of songs (eight numbers), which I beg you to give to
Kahnt. Of several of them I have kept no copy - and I therefore
beg Kahnt not to lose them. As regards the numbering of them (the
order of succession), they are to be kept as I noted down some
time ago (on a bit of paper which I gave Kahnt when he was here).
I also add a Quartet for men's voices.
