Lucerne, July 24, evening. I've read the beautiful fairy-tale out to the Erard : * it assured me by a doubly fine tone that it had understood it well !— The same day you received my sketches \Tristari\ ; so it was a case of exchange-of-matter ! I am obsessed by my work now, and regard it as a moral victory over myself if I can pause and abandon one page for the day. How ever shall I feel when I've ended? I have still some 35 pages of the full score to do : in 12 days I expect to get through with them ; how ever shall I feel then ? I fancy, somewhat fagged at first ; even to-day my head's quite dizzy. And ah, how I depend on the weather ! If the air is light and free, you can do anything with me, the same as when one's fond of me ; contrariwise, if the atmosphere weighs on me, I can stoutly rebel, at utmost, but the beautiful comes hard. I lack elbow-room. God, how the world is closing ever tighter on me ! How much easier might everything be made for me. No matter, we'll console ourselves ; and after all, I know no one with whom I'd exchange. — My salutations to Cleobis and Biton ; those were the names, if I mistake not, of your two good mother's-sons in Argos? They're old acquaintances of mine. What a pity the Greeks were such a long way behind us ! There's absolutely nothing Abstract in their religion : 'tis nothing but a matchlessly luxuriant world of myths, and all of them so plastic and pregnant that one can never forget their shapes again : and whoso fathoms them aright, finds the deepest world-view sunk therein. But, they just made no dogmatic system of them ; they poesied and portrayed. Entire artists, profound and genial ! Glorious folk ! — Ah, how it revolts me when I look thence to our Europe ! And Paris ? — It will be a clear case of taking good care — to isolate oneself and keep alone ! — About the finished Tristan [July 16] another day. It would be fine if we still could combine a Pilatus ascent ; farther than that I suppose I shan't get, with my " recreation-trips." I'll write you two best children of man exactly when I think to put the last stroke of my pen to the partitur. If it's possible then, do come : alone I won't go up Pilatus. And then we'll also plan our farewell dinner at the Villa (Franca) Wesendonck. I expect to have finished — as said — the end of the first week in August. And now, good God protect you, and all your house, and the ddpendance [Asyl] into the bargain ! Best thanks for all kindness and love, and especially for the fir-tale [?]. Hearty greetings to the cousin, niece and nephew ! Your R. W.
Richard Wagner
Source: Richard Wagner to Mathilde Wesendonck, translated by Ellis, No. 84