care but that which your troubles give me.

The letter to the King of Saxony I shall leave alone; I should
not know how to utter any truth in it that he would comprehend,
and to tell lies I do not care; it is the only sin I know. I
shall finish my "Nibelungen;" after that there will be time to
take a look round the world. For "Lohengrin" I am sorry; it will
probably go to the d-- in the meanwhile. Well, let it go; I have
other things in my bag. Well then, I have once more needlessly
troubled you.

Dingelstedt has not replied to me yet; he will have difficulties;
it is not the custom to pay decently for dramatic work. Neither
do I know how to oust X. from "Tannhauser." He is said to be a
complete ass and a blackguard to boot. Hartinger, the tenor, is
very good and full of his task; but it was just he who told me
that he did not see how X., even with the best intentions, could
execute such music. You of course I cannot expect to venture into
this wasp's nest of Philistines.

The Konigsberg manager has replied to me, saying that he has no
idea of producing "Tannhauser" at Berlin. What nonsense Herr H.
has been talking to you! Do you care to write to him about it?

Do not misunderstand me if now and then I leave something
concerning myself unmentioned to you. The cause generally is that
I attach no importance to it. The truth about the Valais Musical
Festival is as follows. The committee asked me some time ago to
conduct that festival, which I flatly declined, declaring,
however, my willingness to undertake a symphony by Beethoven