Under Present Circumstances A Very
Pronounced Reserve Has Become My Rule.
My business is simply to
continue working unremittingly, and quietly to await the rest.
Accordingly I submit myself without difficulty to your experience
as editor in regard to my Munich letter [To Wilkoszewski] -
although I could maintain good grounds for publishing it.
Certainly it is always the gentlemanly thing entirely to ignore
certain things and people. You may therefore be quite right in
putting aside all other considerations; and as I am convinced of
your most sincere friendship I willingly leave you to decide
whether my coming forward in such matters is of use or not. In
case you had thought it advisable for my letter to be printed in
the "Neue Zeitschrift" (which I left to your judgment), it would
have had of necessity to be printed without the slightest
alteration, because I have purposely written it thus clearly to
Herr W., and any alteration in it might be taken as cowardice
(which is far from me). But probably it is better to abandon the
matter for a while, and to be somewhat more severe on another
occasion. The pack of ragamuffins has richly deserved to be
treated as ragamuffins!
This evening is Wagner's first concert in Paris. I expect little
good to him from it, and consider such a step on Wagner's part as
a mistake. In consequence of this opinion our correspondence is
for the time suspended. More about this viva voce - as well as
about "Tristan and Isolde." A performance of the Opera was
desired - that is to say, commanded for the 8th April (the
birthday of the Grand Duchess). But Frau von Milde cannot
undertake the chief part - and on that account the parts and score
sent to us from Carlsruhe will be sent back again at once!
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