January lst, 1857.
DEAREST RICHARD,
I am in bed once more, covered with the whole flora of my Zurich ills. Unfortunately I am no longer near you, and must be content to celebrate the New Year with you by letter. You could not meet with better luck than I wish you from the bottom of my heart. The hope of serving you and, perhaps, of living together with you soon for some time, keeps me active and cheerful, although the external aspects are not of the most favourable kind. At Carlsruhe, where I stayed a day three weeks ago, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess spoke with the warmest interest of your works. ("Lohengrin" was being studied for production at Christmas.) Our Grand Duke here did the same at my arrival, adding, however, his apprehension, that for the present nothing could be done for you, and that I must have patience. How sick I am of this patience you may easily imagine.
I wrote to the Prince of Prussia the day before yesterday explaining your business at some length to him. I shall probably have a reply, which I will communicate to you in due course. The warlike dangers in Switzerland do not appear to me of a very urgent kind, but I thought this a good opportunity for calling the attention of the Prince to your miserable fate, which is in such glaring contrast to your fame and artistic activity. The Prince is an honourable character, and it may be expected that his intercession will be of service to you later on. In the meantime, you ought, I think, to take no further step, nor waste a single word, because this would lead only to useless humiliation for you.
As soon as the favourable moment arrives which I expect, I shall write to you. On the occasion of the performance of "Lohengrin" for the wedding of the son of the Prince of Prussia, I advise you again to write to the young Prince in the sense previously discussed by us. Probably your affair will have entered a different stage by then.
"Tannhauser" was given here on Boxing-day with great success, and "Lohengrin" will follow soon. For the latter we shall have to get Frau Stager from Prague, because amongst our local artists there is none who could undertake Ortrud. Otherwise everything here is very much in the old groove, and there is little to please me.
I long very much for my work. As soon as I am quite recovered I shall shut myself up in it, and you will be always present to my mind, until we may at last live together in the body.
Your
F. L.
233.