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powerful, and talked well about the present state of the German theatre.
In consequence of some suggestion about America we got upon the sea-serpent, and I was, for a few moments, flooded with questions; but they were very willing to believe, when the state of the case was fairly explained, especially those who had any knowledge of natural history.
February 3.—We had a very agreeable visit to-day from Baron Lindenau and General Leyser, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, who talked English a part of the time with a success that quite surprised me. . . . He [Baron Lindenau] is, however, one of those uncommon men who have so much earnestness as well as power within them, that their ideas are forced out through almost any obstacles.
In debate in the Chamber of Deputies he is by far the first, as I hear from all sides.
We passed the evening at a small and very sociable supper-party at Countess Bose's,—Mr. Krause of Weisstropp, Count Baudissin with his pretty niece, and Mons.
and Mad. de Luttichau.1 Mad. de Luttichau is not only one of the prettiest ladies in Dresden, but she has more good sense and is more spirituelle; besides which her good and pleasant qualities are all brought out by natural manners and a sort of abandon which is very winning.
She speaks French, English, and Italian well, paints in oils beautifully, plays and sings well, talks well upon books, and yet lives chiefly at home in retirement, devoted to her children, the two that remain; for she has been deeply touched by sorrow, the traces of which are still plainly perceptible. . . . .
February 4.—This morning we spent with Retzsch.
He had promised to bring in his wife's album, and he was as good as his word. . . . . This album contains the most beautiful, graceful, and characteristic of his works; and when it is considered that his wife is a peasant with a lively and strong character,—as I am told,—with great sweetness and gentleness but little cultivation, it shows well for his own good qualities that he is so deeply attached to her, and dedicates and devotes to her the whole force of his peculiar talent.
There are now just forty sketches in the book, all done in pencil, with that exquisite finish which makes one of them so much more valuable than one of his oil-paintings.
The first is the four elements, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, bringing to his wife—who is represented
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1 M. de Luttichau was Court Director of the Theatre, Tieck being its literary supervisor, while the practical management was of course in inferior hands. It is by such arrangements that the German theatre is kept at such a high standard of intellectual and artistic merit.
Boston, J. R. Osgood and company, 1876.
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