S.
5 December 1912 Pension Dawes‑Rose 12 Via Gregoriana «FR»Roma
«FL»Dear Professor Freud,
«IP4,0»I trust you have completely recovered from your Munich adventure. It must have meant a considerable expenditure in affect, for you had a difficult task to perform.
«IP4,0»I am quite a convert to your feeling about Immortal Rome, "this divine city", as you called it. It surpasses even my expectations, and is arousing in me all kinds of extensive thoughts about mankind. As yet, of course, my impressions are still disordered, and will need some time to get clearer.
I try to picture what are your favourite spots here. One I am sure is the Pincian, the Villa Medici, and especially perhaps the terrace below Santa Trinita, above the Spanish Square. Another would be, I wonder if you know it, in a charming old‑world restaurant on the Aventine, the Castello dei Cesari by name.
My first pilgrimage the day after my arrival was to convey your greetings to Moses, and I think he unbent a little from his haughtiness. What a statue! Far finer than the copies would lead me to think. I have a strong fancy that the face bears resemblance to Michel Angelo himself, especially in the mouth and the breadth of cheek‑bones. He must have felt like that at times over his "stone", when he watched the people worshipping the golden calf of the pope. What an opportunity, to be asked to supply a tombstone for one's enemy ‑‑ one that falls to the lot of few. It would be rather entertaining to have to compose a suitable epitaph for Kraepelin, Ziehen, and a few others, wouldn't it.
I am hoping, after all that it may be possible to see most of the chief things here in my six weeks. At least one can see the main types, and leave the variations to future occasions. It is gloriously fine, and warm, here at present.
I enclose a curious letter from Jung which has been sent on from Wales; it was written before Munich. He gives now a new excuse for his behaviour, namely that he has had to neglect his duty towards himself (and therefore does towards his friends). There are some words I cannot read. Would you ask my wife, who has an aptitude for deciphering handwriting, to write them in, and to return the letter to me. (That is better than wasting your time). I have also had an excellently long account from Brill, which gave me many suggestions. The whole thing is fitting together like a Chinese puzzle, and it would not be hard to make a pretty full |×/ of Jung's attitude. Did Brill tell you that he maintains «MDUL»you«MDNM» have a severe neurosis? Another beautiful projection. Jung [makes much of]«FN1.××Crossed out in the original.» lays great stress on making |×/ more pleasant and acceptable, therefore more "workable" (Shades of William James; what an honest man to have his name invoked for the support of such an idea!). He will save |×/ in your despite«FN1.××i.e. Jung will save psychoanalysis in his contempt for Freud.
» (do you know this idiom?). A word of August Hoch's gives the key to the whole situation. He speaks of Jung's views as being a "deliverance". Jung is going to save the world, another Christ«FN1.××This is developed further in Jones (1913g), see Jones (1951, 2:263‑264).
» (with certainly Anti‑semitism combined). The world is trembling with fear because the «MDUL»böse Vater«MDNM» [evil father] has found out their secret thoughts, their incest wishes and infantile sexuality. But the gallant St. George steps forward and reassures the world. "Continue with your infantile sexuality, which is not sexual, and your incest wishes, which are not incestuous. Such things are quite innocent and harmless, and now that I have saved you you need no longer fear." Now I understand better the remark he made to me three years ago in Zurich, that you would destroy your own work by going to extremes but that he would save it (or words to that effect).
From which I would make the prognosis: that he will be willing to suffer at the father's hands, like Christ, and will be «MDUL»scheinbar unterwürfig«MDNM» [seemingly subservient]; that as |×/ is now his, being saved by him, he will not desert it or break with the movement.
What do you think of all this phantasy?
I have not had a letter from my wife since the one you brought to Munich, so perhaps she is working up towards another attack, as you expected.
Have you any news of the arrangement with Bergmann? I suppose you have enough work to do in arranging for the «MDUL»Zeitschrift«MDNM». By the way, I wonder if the following corollary of the Stekel affair has occurred to you, namely that it will necessitate your publishing a third series of the «MDUL»kleine Schriften«MDNM»,«FN1.××See «MDUL»Sammlung«MDNM», vol. 3 1913.» for you cannot leave those beautiful articles buried in a decaying journal. Together with the «MDUL»Jahrbuch«MDNM» ones they would make a big enough book. I hear you groan at the prospect, for you must find the preparing of new editions trying when you want to do something else.
Yours affectionately Jones.
«IP4,0»This was written last night. This morning I got Jung's circular letter about Bergmann,«FN1.××See McGuire (1974, pp. 527‑529).
» which looks satisfactory.
