Paris, Nov. 13, 60. Dear precious Child, fair kindly soul, have thanks for all your messages ! You shall have a brief bulletin from me as often as possible. I am picking up — very slowly — but still picking up. — I have scarcely any recollection of the first week of my illness, but now my mind is gradually clearing.* For several days I was almost totally blind ; now I'm uncommonly weak, amazingly emaciated, with eyes deep-sunk. You know that I am never wholly free from pain, which nothing save nervous excitement could numb now that I have to avoid all excitement, you may guess what is left of me ! — Yet, too much is dangled in front of me still, and Life, I suppose, will soon have back the whole of me! Yesterday I was taken for a drive to the Champs Elysdes, with a little walk in the sun, which did me good. I'm coming round ; moreover, I've recovered patience. — In my humble new abode the three Roman prints hang framed above and round my couch ! — Adieu for to-day ; I can write no longer ! — Thanks, a thousand thanks, and deep fidelity of heart ! — R. W. instructive to compare the above with Minna's report to the Berlin friend next day (Nov. 14, 60) : " Richard has certainly been ill, but thank God ! is now so far recovered as to have been able to take a walk with me again, and consequently he thinks of attending the rehearsals of his Tannhäuser after another few days. His illness lasted quite a fortnight in all, and he brought it on himself through some over-exertion in teaching their parts to the two lady-singers who are employed in the Tannhäuser [also, be it said, through " a removal at which I was the only person, on my side, who could speak French " — R. W. to Otto, Oct. 20. — Tr.]. In addition he may have caught a slight cold, and as his nerves are always quite excitable enough, that made them worse ; he was also very feverish. But Richard was not actually confined to bed, as I have already heard that the newspapers somewhat strongly exaggerated ; which is disproved by the fact that Wagner is shewing himself to the Germans here, receiving them, etc. — Unfortunately Richard is a very impatient invalid, and at such times always vents his spleen on me. He will not obey, when one kindly entreats him to anything; for instance, he wouldn't keep warm, and so brought on an inflammation of the eyes through another chill. But that also is happily got over, with the help of our excellent doctor [Gasperini], so that he is . able to write and read again now " {Die Gegenwart, Oct. 1899). One could have wished for a word of sympathy with his present feebleness. — Tr.
Richard Wagner
Source: Richard Wagner to Mathilde Wesendonck, translated by Ellis, No. 109