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Marienbad, 7 August 1913
Vienna IX, Berggasse 19
93F
Prof. Dr. Freud
Dear Dr. Binswanger,
Before you reproach me as I usually reproach you, I must mention a touch of rheumatism in my right arm which has turned writing into a feat of gymnastics.
I am of course very pleased with the impression my work on totemism has made on you, and even more with the dwindling of the misgivings you mention. Soon we shall have been weaned from writing altogether.
I am naturally sorry that that lovely Whitsun evening in 1912 should have left such an unpleasant aftertaste with your aunt.1 But she had the choice, after all, of taking up my offer and made her own decision. That wretch, Friedländer will have told you a pack of lies; he cannot help himself for he is incapable of speaking the truth. Up to now he has [not] sued me; I m told I can safely expect him to; I don't think my informants have been deceiving me. One day before your letter arrived, he sent me a characteristic letter, impudent and hypocritical, to which I have replied. I drew attention to the fact that despite the opposing lawyer's request, I provided no evidence against him, only because, of course, it might be misinterpreted as resulting from our so-called scientific dispute. ‘The same reason,’ I continued, ‘ought also to have stopped me from making that comment at Binswanger's.’ I was being really hard on myself here! ‘For the rest neither your success in the official inquiry,2 nor the impertinent, threatening tone of your letter, has been able to change my opinion of you for the better.’
I hope he won't twist my words round. I am telling him frankly: I know that you are a swine, but since you are considered to be my ‘opponent’ I should not have ‘said’ so.
Incidentally, supposing he does sue, do you really think I'll be able to keep quiet about where and when I made my remark? Wouldn't that be too indulgent? True, I should not be able to avoid giving the facts, but that wouldn't do you much harm.
Kind regards and I look for