[6] Ludwig II. and Richard Wagner continually exchanged letters. They are written in an exceedingly warm and exalted tone, but turn chiefly on musical subjects. Only a very small number of them are accessible to the public. After the death of the King the Bavarian Government and Wagner's heirs agreed that Ludwig's letters should be given up to the Bavarian Government, which now preserves them under lock and key. Wagner's letters, on the other hand, were sent back to his relations. The periodical, Die Wage, published in its second year several interesting letters from Ludwig to his friend which are affirmed to be absolutely authentic, and which I have cited in part as above. [7] In a letter, dated 5th May, to Herr Uhl, the editor of the Wiener Botschafter. [8] Frau Herwegh in the Gegenwart, 1897. [9] In the Progrès de Lyon. [10] Frau Louise von Kobell says, in her reminiscences, that infatuation went so far that several ladies lost their reason, although the King had not given them the slightest ground to suppose that their feelings were reciprocated. [11] Elizabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. [12] Maria, Queen of Naples. [13] "Otto, Freiherr von Völderndorff: Vom Reichskanzler, Fürsten von Hohenlohe" (Munich 1902). [14] The grandson of King Louis Philippe of France, and eldest son of the Duc de Nemours and Victoria, née Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. [15] The present Queen-mother of Holland. [16] In the first rank of these was, as is well known, Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary. [17] The following may be mentioned as a characteristic example of this feeling:--The north German poet, Emanuel Geibel, was summoned by Maximilian I. to the Bavarian court. He had been appointed to the chair of literature, history, and poetry at the University of Munich, and the King had granted him a yearly pension. At the time here mentioned he was staying in his native town of Lubeck. King Wilhelm of Prussia came on a visit to the town, and Geibel welcomed him with the following verse:-- "Und sei's als letzter Wunsch gesprochen, Dass noch dereinst dein Auge sieht, Wie über's Reich ununterbrochen Vom Fels zum Meer dein Adler zieht." This lyrical outburst gave great offence to the "national" party in Bavaria, and was construed as expressing the poet's own opinion that Prussia ought to subjugate the former country, which, of course, was not his meaning. So strong was the feeling on this matter, that Ludwig felt himself constrained to withdraw the pension which his father had granted Geibel. But this withdrawal aroused displeasure in North Germany, and the King of Prussia granted him a similar pension in compensation. In annoyance at the insult offered his colleague and friend, Paul Heyse voluntarily gave up the pension which he had hitherto received from the King of Bavaria.