Cosmas and Damian! Anonymous letter from Berlin, speaking of Kinowsky’s misery [1], while the King [2], on the other hand, is said to be faring well! Thus punishment falls upon the better man. I write to nephew Jachmann, begging him to render the man assistance. R. has to receive the court photographer, Herr Albert [3], who in former days behaved most shamefully at Munich, and now does not scruple to come to him! R. receives him, since it concerns an order (text for pictures), which he intends to pass on to Herr Tappert. Herr Albert tells us of a Wagner Album, thirty-five thousand copies of which had been sold to a firm in Berlin!—and yet these people buy neither the Ring des Nibelungen nor the Collected Writings! A recollection: R. remembers from his second year in Leipzig, how he cut off the heads of the flowers in the side-garden, and spat everywhere into yellow-lacquered spittoons. In the evening, much talking!
[1] zweifelhafte Affäre in Wagners entfernterem Verwandtenkreis, s. auch die folgenden Tageseintragungen.
[2] Käthchen König, RWs entfernte Verwandte.
[3] Bild: Joseph Albert (1825 – 1886), Hofphotograph in München, portraitierte die königl. Familie und die zahlreichen Bauvorhaben; erfand den Farblichtdruck.
Revised English translation by Jo Cousins.