how Liszt sings your poems! We adored "Lohengrin" long before
Beck had studied it, and still listen and weep when he sings it.
Do finish your "Valkyrie" as soon as possible. What a work!

Write to us soon. You say that H. does not know what the matter
is. Who does when the matter is something beautiful and grand?
When a sculptor wants to make a beautiful statue, he takes
granite or marble and wearies his strength in cutting it, but
granite and marble are less hard than the heart of man. The
sculptor, unless he dies, finishes his statue; when a noble thing
has to be done, men are less pliable than granite and marble.

Liszt is indefatigable. He is wholly devoted to your courage and
hope. I cannot tell you sufficiently how your dear letter has
rejoiced me.

C.



164.

X.'s strong box resists a siege even more obstinately than does
Silistria; storming it will do no good, and I have consequently
nothing satisfactory to tell you. Returning here, I find a letter
from Hulsen, definitely declining the performance of "Tannhauser"
at Berlin, and winding up with the following flourish: "It is
obvious that, after two vain attempts to produce this work at the
Royal Theatre, the management will not undertake a third as long
as I have the honour of being at the head of it. I am sorry for