I had a bad night and in consequence have to stay in bed, hoarse and running a temperature; the children all have colds, too. —
In the morning R. reads the latest work by our friend Nietzsche and summarizes his opinion thus: “It is the work of a very significant person, and if he ever becomes famous, this work will one day also earn respect. But it is very immature. It lacks plasticity, because he never quotes examples from history, yet there are many repetitions and no real plan. This work has been brought out too quickly. I don’t know anybody to whom I could give it to read, because nobody could follow it.
The basic idea has already been stated by Schopenhauer, and N. would have done much better to throw light on it from a pedagogical point of view.” —
I am attaching telegrams from the King and the Prince to this page, since I find them very gratifying.
{Attached are newspaper clippings reporting that King Ludwig II of Bavaria sent a telegram to Bismarck congratulating him on his fifty-ninth birthday and wishing him a speedy recovery, and that Bismarck sent a cordial reply.