My Life, vol 1 | Page 6

have found
their way into various musical and oratorical associations, he paid a

visit to Schiller. With this object in view, he had come armed with a
request from the management of the Leipzig Theatre, who wanted to
secure the rights of Wallenstein, which was just finished. He told me
later of the magic impression made upon him by Schiller, with his tall
slight figure and irresistibly attractive blue eyes. His only complaint
was that, owing to a well-meant trick played on him by his friend, he
had been placed in a most trying position; for the latter had managed to
send Schiller a small volume of Adolph Wagner's poems in advance.
The young poet was much embarrassed. to hear Schiller address him in
flattering terms on the subject of his poetry, but was convinced that the
great man was merely encouraging him out of kindness. Afterwards he
devoted himself entirely to philological studios--one of his best-known
publications in that department being his Parnasso Italiano, which ho
dedicated to Goethe in an Italian poem. True, I have heard experts say
that the latter was written in unusually pompous Italian; but Goethe
sent him a letter full of praise, as well as a silver cup from his own
household plate. The impression that I, as a boy of eight, conceived of
Adolph Wagner, amid the surroundings of his own home, was that he
was a peculiarly puzzling character.
I soon had to leave the influence of this environment and was brought
back to my people at Dresden. Meanwhile my family, under the
guidance of my bereaved mother, had been obliged to settle down as
well as they could under the circumstances. My eldest brother Albert,
who originally intended to study medicine, had, upon the advice of
Weber, who had much admired his beautiful tenor voice, started his
theatrical career in Breslau. My second sister Louisa soon followed his
example, and became an actress. My eldest sister Rosalie had obtained
an excellent engagement at the Dresden Court Theatre, and the younger
members of the family all looked up to her; for she was now the main
support of our poor sorrowing mother. My family still occupied the
same comfortable home which my father had made for them. Some of
the spare rooms were occasionally let to strangers, and Spohr was
among those who at one time lodged with us. Thanks to her great
energy, and to help received from various sources (among which the
continued generosity of the Court, out of respect to the memory of my
late stepfather, must not be forgotten), my mother managed so well in
making both ends meet, that even my education did not suffer.

After it had been decided that my sister Clara, owing to her exceedingly
beautiful voice, should also go on the stage, my mother took the
greatest care to prevent me from developing any taste whatever for the
theatre. She never ceased to reproach herself for having consented to
the theatrical career of my eldest brother, and as my second brother
showed no greater talents than those which were useful to him as a
goldsmith, it was now her chief desire to see some progress made
towards the fulfilment of the hopes and wishes of my step-father, 'who
hoped to make something of me.' On the completion of my eighth year
I was sent to the Kreuz Grammar School in Dresden, where it was
hoped I would study! There I was placed at the bottom of the lowest
class, and started my education under the most unassuming auspices.
My mother noted with much interest the slightest signs I might show of
a growing love and ability for my work. She herself, though not highly
educated, always created a lasting impression on all who really learnt to
know her, and displayed a peculiar combination of practical domestic
efficiency and keen intellectual animation. She never gave one of her
children any definite information concerning her antecedents. She came
from Weissenfels, and admitted that her parents had been bakers
[FOOTNOTE: According to more recent information--mill owners]
there. Even in regard to her maiden name she always spoke with some
embarrassment, and intimated that it was 'Perthes,' though, as we
afterwards ascertained, it was in reality 'Bertz.' Strange to say, she had
been placed in a high-class boarding-school in Leipzig, where she had
enjoyed the advantage of the care and interest of one of 'her father's
influential friends,' to whom she afterwards referred as being a Weimar
prince who had been very kind to her family in Weissenfels. Her
education in that establishment seems to have been interrupted on
account of the sudden death of this 'friend.' She became acquainted
with my father at a very early age, and married him in the first bloom
of her youth, he