Pray excuse my delay in thanking you for your very kind letter that Mr. Bessel brought me with the piano score of your Opera William Ratcliff. It is the work of a master who deserves consideration, renown and success, as much for the wealth and originality of the ideas as for the skilful handling of the form. As I am persuaded that all intelligent and honest musicians will be of this opinion, I should like to add to it some assurance on the next performance of your Ratcliff in Germany. It should be done at once at Weimar were I in active function at the theater as in the preceding years (from 1848 to '59); but since my retirement I am not any longer in a position to take definite steps, and must confine myself to recommendations—more often counteracted than followed.
Accept, sir, my sincere thanks, and with every expression of high esteem I am, yours truly,
F. Liszt
Weimar, May, 1873
129. To Franz Servais.
Dear Monsieur Franz,
My best wishes accompany you "into your cage." [This usually means "in durance vile," but the word "cage" is preserved here on account of the context.—Trans.] You do well to put yourself there, and, if the flight of your genius should find itself somewhat trammelled, for the time being, before the tribunal of counterpoint and fugue, it will soar all the more proudly afterwards. I hope you will come out of your cage glorious and crowned; in case of bad luck do not be too much disappointed; more skilful and more valuable men than you and I, dear Franz, have had to have patience, and to have patience yet again. M. de Buffon, when he said "genius is patience," did but make the mistake of an incomplete definition; he took a part for the whole; but that part is absolutely necessary in the practice of Art, as in that of earthly life.
Please remember me very affectionately to your mother; give a shake of the hand to your brother from me,—and depend ever on my devoted and affectionate feelings.
F. Liszt
Weimar, June 5th, 1873