Be good and honest; you have here an instance how people rejoice when such men are properly estimated. Be my own dear precious son, and imitate my virtues, but not my faults; still, though man is frail, do not at least have worse defects than those of
Your sincere and fondly attached
FATHER.
Write to me about the conversation on Sunday--it is of the Court, courtly, so you must be on your guard. Holz did not come to-day; whether he is trustworthy I cannot say.
[Footnote 1: There is no doubt that he alludes to the severe castigation of Haslinger in No. 405 and the canonization of the two others. See also No. 440, which shows that there was something amiss with Haslinger.]
429.
TO HIS NEPHEW.
To-day is Friday, to-morrow Saturday.
Here comes Satanas. To-day her raging fury and madness have somewhat subsided, but if she applies to you, refer her to me the day after to-morrow. During the whole week I was forced to submit and to suffer like a saint. Avaunt! such dregs of the people! What a reproach to our civilization to stand in need of a class like this, and to have those whom we despise so constantly near us. Go with her to-morrow as formerly to the Carolin Thor about the Seltzer water; if the small bottles are as genuine as the larger ones, order some of them, but I think the larger size are more likely to be the safest; ce dépend de votre esprit, votre distinction, &c. Now farewell, my dear son; take care to get me the genuine, and not the artificial Seltzer water, and go yourself to see about it, or I might get Heaven knows what! Farewell again, my good fellow; we are well affected towards you, and shall expect you the day after to-morrow at eight o'clock. Breakfast shall be ready for you, if that early meal does not become as usual a late meal. Ah! au diable avec ces grands coquins de neveux, allez-vous en, soyez mon fils, mon fils bien aimé. Adieu; je vous baise, votre père sincère comme toujours.
430.
TO HIS NEPHEW.
The old goose is the bearer of this. She has given you the quills, and you have again told an untruth. Alas! farewell. I await your report about the book. She is going to-day to Katel, so she will have very little time for her stupid blundering. May the Lord one day deliver me from her! Libera me Domine de illis, &c.