Lucerne, Aug. 16, 59. So ! after the tension of work I have reached a point of recreation, at a glance to scrutinise the world that is to help me farther. It has a strange enough look to me, and appears to forbid me clean everything ; so that I ask myself seriously, what I still am to do in it ? — Lady-friend, I must be brief hereon ; and you yourself lately made it my bounden duty to be a little careful in my utterances* Will you take it as a sign of inner peace and harmony, if I tell you that I'm now resolved to yield myself quite passive to my destiny, lay my hands in my lap, and simply wait sans bestirring myself till people fash their heads about me ? — Enough ; I'm back in the Schweizerhof, as my last sanctuary, and mean to sit here till — they throw me out. My own free-will has nothing to do with it : there simply is nothing else left for me. I enjoy good repute here, and think of committing myself to its agreeable shelter. — When congratulating Myrrha the day before yesterday, I telegraphed also to Liszt, telling him that I should wait for him here. Instead of his answer, I received a letter yesterday from Princess Marie [Wittgenstein], in which she announced her betrothal to a young Prince Hohenlohe, and — in her grief at having to quit the Altenburg so soon — begged me to accord her Liszt's unbroken presence till October (her wedding). So I'm now even robbed of the pleasant excuse of waiting for my friend here. — Ed. Devrient tells me, in his last letter, that he has something else to do than make a rendezvous with me. — A peep into the Kaltbad on the Rigi convinced me that a stay there was not to be dreamt of ; bad weather made the Rigi revival complete. In endurable humour, though semi-despair — since I found as good as no room here at all — the day before yesterday I made up my mind to go up, Pilatus instead, at least to be able to give you exact information about this excursion in future. It is very beautiful, very handy, and Pilatus himself merits great propaganda. Returned here yesterday, I found letters that reduced me to a condition of abandoning every step towards self-help, and retiring for an unlimited period into a little chamber of the Schweizerhof. My piano remains nicely packed in the shed ; but they have unpacked the divan for me, and also the child's cushion. So I'll follow your advice for once, and wait to see what will turn up. — Will that content you? — It ought to delight you, to hear that I'm letting the halm lie around me so coolly ; my temper is quite 1 excellent amid it all. Tell me what the diplomats are doing. Accept a thousand thanks for your last indulgence and the Zwieback of to-day. Many kind wishes from Your R. W.
Richard Wagner
Source: Richard Wagner to Mathilde Wesendonck, translated by Ellis, No. 88