Your hope of being able to finish the Achilleid by August, or, at least, your believing it to be possible to do so, is to me inconceivable, notwithstanding all the proofs I have myself had of the rapidity with which you get through things, especially as you do not even reckon upon having April for work.  I sincerely regret that you will lose this month; perhaps, however, you will be able to preserve your epic mood; if so, be sure not to allow theatrical cares to disturb you.  I will gladly relieve you of whatever trouble I can in connection with Wallenstein.

A few days ago Imhof sent me the last two cantos of her poem, which have given me very great pleasure.  The development is extremely refined and pure, and is accomplished by simple means and unusual elegance.  When you come we will talk it over together.

I herewith return The Piccolomini, and beg you to let me have Wallenstein’s Camp, which I wish likewise to have copied out, and shall then, at last, be able to send the three plays to Koerner.

The box of groats has been called for and delivered up in your name to a Herr Meyer.  You have, no doubt, already received it.  Farewell.  My wife sends kindest greetings.  Tomorrow I hope to hear that we may expect you on Thursday.

* * * * *

SCHILLER to GOETHE

Weimar, July 30, 1800.  The cheerful tone of your letter proves to me that things are going well with you in Jena, and I congratulate you that such is the case.  I cannot boast the same of myself; the state of the barometer, which is so favorable to you, brings on my spasms, and I do not sleep well.  Owing to this state of things, it was very welcome news to me to hear from Koerner that he could not undertake the journey.  I shall, therefore, not go to Lauchstedt, and shall thus have an unexpected gain in time and also in money; for, much as I should have liked to see him again, it would just at present have been a little inconvenient to me.

I congratulate you upon the progress you have made in your work.  The liberty which you appear to be taking with the French original, I look upon as a good sign of the productive state of your mind, and also augur from this that the work will bring us a step further forward than Mahomet did.  I am looking forward eagerly to seeing your work and to our discussions upon it.

If you carry out your idea respecting the choruses, we shall be making an important experiment on the stage.  My piece, too, will, I hope, be so far advanced by the time you return that I may lay the finished sketch of it before you, in order to assure myself that you approve of it before I set about working it out.  During the last few days I have likewise been engaged with the conclusion of my collection of poems.  The stanzas on Mahomet I have also had printed in it.  If you are curious to see them, Goepferdt could send you sheets R and S as soon as they have been printed off.