▁book ▁soon ▁met ▁more ▁force ful ▁criticism ▁from ▁Wagner ' s ▁English ▁transl ator ▁W . ▁As ht on ▁Ell is ▁and ▁Wagner ' s ▁son - in - law ▁( and ▁major ▁prom oter ▁of ▁the ▁Wagner ▁cult ▁at ▁Bay re uth ) ▁Houston ▁Stewart ▁Chamber lain . ▁ ▁In ▁particular ▁they ▁object ed ▁to ▁Pra eg er ' s ▁detailed ▁account ▁of ▁Wagner ' s ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁May ▁U pr ising ▁in ▁Dresden , ▁which ▁to ▁Chamber lain ' s ▁far - right - wing ▁political ▁opinions ▁was ▁deeply ▁embar rass ing . ▁Ell is ▁wrote ▁a ▁pam ph let ▁( 1 8 4 9 : ▁A ▁Ref ut ation ) ▁den oun cing ▁the ▁book , ▁and ▁Chamber lain ▁was ▁successful ▁in ▁suppress ing ▁its ▁German ▁publication . ▁Pra eg er ' s ▁case ▁was ▁not ▁helped ▁when ▁Chamber lain ▁and ▁Ell is ▁revealed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁fabric ated ▁or ▁mis - re present ed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Wagner ' s ▁letters ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁book , ▁often ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁way ▁as ▁to ▁promote ▁Pra eg er ' s ▁own ▁profile . ▁Chamber lain ▁had ▁ins inu ated ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁household ▁of ▁the ▁Earl ▁of ▁D ys art ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁examine ▁the ▁original s ▁of ▁the ▁letters . ▁However , ▁as ▁ ▁the ▁music ▁historian ▁Stewart ▁Sp encer ▁points ▁out , ▁there ▁was ▁something ▁" dist inct ly ▁com ical " ▁about ▁Chamber lain ' s ▁compla