behind the dogmas. Aeschylus’s ‘Oresteia’, he says, is undoubtedly more profound than all the Eleusinian mysteries. He also speaks of the godlike qualities manifest in Christ and says it is understandable that the birth of such a being should be presented as a miracle – the Immaculate Conception repulsive as dogma, but wonderful as legend and in art (painting).” [1014W-{5/9/80}CD Vol. II, p. 475]
[1015W-{6/18/80} CD Vol. II, p. 489]
[P. 489] “He is invited to sign a petition to the Reich Chancellor demanding emergency laws against the Jews. He does not sign it: he says (1) he has already done what he can; (2) he dislikes appealing to Bismarck, whom he now sees as irresponsible, just following his own caprices; (3) nothing more can be done in the matter.” [1015W-{6/18/80}CD Vol. II, p. 489]
[1016W-{6/24/80}CD Vol. II; P. 495]
[P. 495] “R. says, ‘I declare that [the Oresteia] to be the most perfect thing in every way, religious, philosophic, poetic, artistic.’ (…) {FEUER} If Thyestes had been a vegetarian,’ he adds jokingly, ‘none of it would have happened.’ Then, becoming serious, ‘It fits in with my work.’ “ [1016W-{6/24/80}CD Vol. II; P. 495]
[1017W-{6/25/80}CD Vol. II, p. 496]
[P. 496] {FEUER} “R. slept well, he walks in the garden with the children, again sees a lizard catching a glowworm, but the children rescue it. ‘If it were not for the assumption that the world was made by a good God, one would find it all easy to understand. But none of them, not even my good Gleizes, can free himself from the idea that once all was Paradise, and then they relapse into sophisms.’ “[1017W-{6/25/80}CD Vol. II, p. 496]
[1018W-{7/6/80}CD Vol. II, p. 506]
[P. 506] “A lampoon addressed to him – ‘To the pseudo-poet R. Wagner’ – he does not read, but he is annoyed by a renewed request to sign a petition against the Jews addressed to Prince Bismarck. He reads aloud the ridiculously servile phrases and the dubiously expressed concern: ‘And I am supposed to sign that!’ he exclaims. He writes to Dr. Foerster, saying that in view of what happened to the petition regarding vivisection he has resolved never again to sign a petition.” [1018W-{7/6/80}CD Vol. II, p. 506]
[1019W-{6-8/80}Religion and Art: PW Vol. VI, p. 213]
[P. 213] {FEUER} “One might say that where Religion becomes artificial, it is reserved for Art to save the spirit of religion by recognising the figurative value of the mythic symbols which the former would have us believe in their literal sense, and revealing their deep and hidden truth through an ideal presentation. Whilst the priest stakes everything on the religious allegories being accepted as matters of fact, the artist has no concern at all with such a thing, since he freely and openly gives out his work as his own invention. But Religion has sunk into an artificial life, when she finds herself compelled to keep on adding to the edifice of her dogmatic symbols, and thus
