death
of her former lover, she plans to kill him and while yet on the vessel
offers him the cup of poison in retaliation for the slain Morold. Here
Brangaene appears and secretly changes the draught so that these two
who imagine they had drunk a coming death in which all love should
pass away, in this fancied final moment became conscious of life, and
confess to each other that love with which they cannot part. It is
therefore not the drink in itself but the certainty that death will
ensue, which relieves them from constraint. The act of drinking
betokens only the moment of consciousness and confession. Nevertheless
they cannot live, now that King Marke has discovered their love.
Tristan raises himself from the couch where he lies suffering from the
wound inflicted by the King's "friend" and tearing open the wound with
his own hand, embraces the approaching Isolde, who is now in death
united with him forever.

While composing the work, which the prospect of speedy representation
hastened forward rapidly, and which he hoped would secure for him a
temporary return to his fatherland, an agreeable sensation of complete
unrestraint seized him. With utter abandon he could reach the very
depths of those soul-emotions which are the very essence of music, and
fearlessly shape from them the external form as well. Now he could
apply the strictest rules. He even felt, in the midst of his work,
that he surpassed his own system. The impressive second act was
projected in Venice, where he spent the winter of 1858-59, owing to
ill-health. Thence he removed to Lucerne.

From his native land new rays of hope meanwhile penetrated his
retirement. Not only Carlsruhe but Vienna and Weimar now grew
interested. He ardently longed to strengthen himself, by hearing his
own music. "I dread to remain much longer, perhaps, the only German
who has not heard my 'Lohengrin,'" he writes to Berlioz, in 1859. He
begged permission to return, and sought the intervention of the
grand-duke of Baden, as otherwise he would have to go to Paris.
The grand-duke took all possible steps to help him, but it was of
no avail. His efforts failed, he says, because of the obstinate
opposition of the King of Saxony, but it was probably due more to the
dislike the unhappy minister, von Beust, himself an amateur composer,
entertained for the author-composer. Wagner, therefore, in the autumn
of 1859, again went to hated Paris, where he could, at least
occasionally, hear