Beethoven Letters 1

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The Pr oj ect Gut enber g EBook of Beet hoven' s Let t er s 1790- 1826, Vol . 1 of2by Lady Wal l ace

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Ti t l e: Beet hoven' s Let t er s 1790- 1826, Vol ume 1 of 2

Aut hor : Lady Wal l ace

Rel ease Dat e: J ul y 31, 2004 [ EBook #13065]

Language: Engl i sh

Charact er set encodi ng: ASCI I

*** START OF THI S PROJ ECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEETHOVEN' S LETTERS 1790- 1826***

Produced by J ul i et Sut her l and, J ohn Wi l l i ams and t he Onl i neDi st r i but ed Proof r eadi ng Team.

BEETHOVEN' S LETTERS.

( 1790- 1826. )

FROM THE COLLECTI ON OF DR. LUDWI G NOHL.

ALSO HI S

LETTERS TO THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH, CARDI NAL- ARCHBI SHOP

OF OLMUeTZ, K. W. , FROM THE COLLECTI ON OF DR.LUDWI G RI TTER VON KOeCHEL.

TRANSLATED BYLADY WALLACE.

_WI TH A PORTRAI T AND FAC- SI MI LE. _



I N TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I .

BOSTON:

OLI VER DI TSON & CO. , 277 WASHI NGTON STREET.

NEW YORK: C. H. DI TSON & CO.

TRANSLATOR' S PREFACE.

Si nce under t aki ng t he t r ansl at i on of Dr . Ludwi g Nohl ' s val uabl e edi t i onof

"Beet hoven' s Let t er s, " an addi t i onal col l ect i on has been publ i shed byDr .Ludwi g Ri t t er von Koechel , consi st i ng of many i nt er est i ng l et t er saddressedby Beet hoven t o hi s i l l ust r i ous pupi l , H. R. H. t he Ar chduke Rudol ph,Car di nal - Ar chbi shop of Ol muet z. These I have i nser t ed i n chr onol ogi calor der , and mar ked wi t h t he l et t er K. , i n or der t o di st i ngui sh t hem f r omt hecor r espondence edi t ed by Dr . Nohl . I have onl y omi t t ed a f ew br i efnot es,consi st i ng mer el y of apol ogi es f or non- at t endance on t he Ar chduke.

The ar t i st i c val ue of t hese newl y di scovered t r easur es wi l l no doubt beashi ghl y appr eci at ed i n t hi s count r y as i n t he gr eat _maest r o' s_ Fat her -l and.

I must al so expr ess my gr at i t ude t o Dr . Th. G. v. Kar aj an, f orper mi t t i ng anengr avi ng t o be made expr essl y f or t hi s wor k, f r om an or i gi nalBeet hovenpor t r ai t i n hi s possessi on, now f or t he f i r st t i me gi ven t o t he publ i c. Thegr and and thought f ul count enance f or ms a f i t t i ng i nt r oduct i on tol et t er s sot r ul y depi cti ng t he br i l l i ant , f i t f ul geni us of t he subl i me mast er , aswel l

as t he touchi ng sadness and gl oom per vadi ng hi s l i f e, whi ch hi sdevot i on t oAr t al one br i ght ened, t hr ough many bi t t er t r i al s and har assi ng car es.

The l ove of Beet hoven' s musi c i s now become so uni ver sal i n Engl and,that Imake no doubt hi s Let t ers wi l l r ecei ve a hear t y wel come f r omal l t hosewhose spi r i t s have been el evated and soothed by t he geni us of t hi si l l ustr i ous man.



GRACE WALLACE.

AI NDERBY HALL, Mar ch 28, 1866.

PREFACE

BY DR. LUDWI G NOHL

TO THE

LETTERS OF LUDWI G VAN BEETHOVEN.

I n accompanyi ng the pr esent edi t i on of t he Let t er s of Ludwi g vanBeet hovenwi t h a f ew i nt r oduct ory r emarks, I at once acknowl edge that t hecompi l at i on

of t hese l et t er s has cost me no sl i ght sacr i f i ces. I must al so,however ,ment i on t hat an unexpect ed Chri st mas donat i on, gener ousl y best owed onmewi t h a vi ew t o f ur t her my ef f ort s t o pr omote t he sci ence of musi c,enabl edme to undert ake one of t he j our neys necessar y f or my purpose, and al sot ocompl et e t he r evi si on of t he Let t er s and of t he pr ess, i n t he mi l derai rand repose of a countr y r esi dence, l ong si nce r ecommended to me f or t her est orat i on of my heal t h, undermi ned by overwork.

That , i n spi t e of every ef f or t , I have not succeeded i n seei ng t heor i gi nalof each l et t er , or even di scover i ng t he pl ace wher e i t exi st s, may wel lbeexcused, t aki ng i nt o consi der at i on t he sl ender capabi l i t i es of ani ndi vi dual , and t he ast oni shi ng manner i n whi ch Beet hoven' s Let t er s aredi sper sed al l over t he worl d. At t he same t i me, I must st ate t hat notonl yhave t he hi t her t o i naccessi bl e t r easur es of Ant on Schi ndl er ' s"Beet hoven' sNachl ass" been pl aced at my di sposal , but al so ot her l et t er s f r ompr i vat esour ces, owi ng t o var i ous happy chances, and t he ki ndness andcompl ai sance

of col l ect or s of aut ogr aphs. I know bet t er , however , t han mostpeopl e- - bei ng i n a posi t i on t o do so- - t hat i n t he pr esent wor k ther ecan beno pr et ensi on t o any thi ng appr oachi ng t o a compl et e col l ect i on ofBeet hoven' s Let t er s. The mast er , so f ond of wr i t i ng, t hough he of t enratheramusi ngl y accuses hi msel f of bei ng a l azy cor r espondent , may ver ypr obabl yhave sent f ort h at l east doubl e t he amount of t he l et t er s her e gi ven,and



t her e i s no doubt whatever t hat a much l arger number are st i l l extanti nt he or i gi nal s. The onl y t hi ng that can be done at t hi s moment , however ,i st o make t he at t empt t o br i ng t o l i ght , at al l event s, t he l et t er s t hatcoul d be di scover ed i n Germany. The mass of t hose whi ch I gr adual l yaccumul at ed, and now of f er t o the publ i c ( wi t h t he except i on of somei nsi gni f i cant not es) , appear ed to me suf f i ci ent l y numer ous andi mport ant t oi nt er est t he wor l d, and al so t o f or m a subst ant i al nucl eus f or anyl et t erst hat may her eaf t er be di scovered. On t he ot her hand, as many ofBeet hoven' sLet t er s sl umber i n f or ei gn l ands, especi al l y i n t he unappr oachabl ecabi net sof cur i osi t i es bel ongi ng t o var i ous cl ose- f i st ed Engl i sh col l ectors, anent i r e edi t i on of t he cor r espondence coul d onl y be ef f ect ed by a mostdi sproport i onate out l ay of t i me and expense.

When r evi si ng t he t ext of t he Let t ers, i t seemed t o me needl ess

per pet ual l yt o i mpai r t he pl easur e of t he reader by ret ai ni ng t he mi st akes i nort hogr aphy; but enough of t he st yl e of wr i t i ng of t hat day i s adheredt o ,t o pr event i t s pecul i ar char m bei ng ent i r el y dest r oyed. Di st or t ed andi ncor r ect as Beet hoven' s mode of expr essi on somet i mes i s, I have notpr esumed t o al t er hi s grammar, or r ather synt ax, i n t he smal l estdegr ee:who woul d pr esume to do so wi t h an i ndi vi dual i t y whi ch, even ami ds tart l i ngcl umsi ness of st yl e, di spl ays those i nher ent i nt el l ect ual power s t hatof t endi d vi ol ence t o l anguage as wel l as t o hi s f el l ow- men? Cycl opean massesofr ock ar e here hur l ed wi t h Cycl opean f orce; but hard and massi ve as t heyare, t he man i s not t o be envi ed whose hear t i s not t ouched by t hesegl owi ng f r agment s, f l ung appar ent l y at r andom r i ght and l ef t , l i kemeteor s,by a mi ghty i ntel l ectual bei ng, however per ver se the t r eat ment l anguagemayhave r ecei ved f r om hi m.

The great pecul i ar i t y, however , i n t hi s st r ange mode of express i on i s,thateven such i ncongr uous l anguage f ai t hf ul l y r ef l ect s t he mi nd of t he manwhose nat ur e was of pr ophet i c depth and heroi c f orce; and who t hatknows

anyt hi ng of t he cr eat i ve geni us of a Beet hoven can deny hi m t heseat t r i but es?

The ant i que di gni t y pervadi ng t he whol e man, t he et hi cal cont empl at i onofl i f e f ormi ng t he basi s of hi s nat ur e, pr event ed even a moment ary wi shon mypar t t o ef f ace a si ngl e wor d of t he of t - r ecur r i ng expr essi ons sopai nf ul l y



harsh, border i ng on t he unaest het i c, and even on t he repul si ve,provoked byhi s wr ath agai nst t he meanness of men. I n the l ast part of t hesegenui nedocument s, we l earn wi t h a f eel i ng of sadness, and wi t h al most a t r agi csensat i on, how l ow was t he st andard of moral wor t h, or r at her how greatwast he posi t i ve unwor t hi ness, of t he i nt i mat e soci et y sur r oundi ng t hemast er ,and wi t h what di f f i cul t y he coul d mai nt ai n t he pur i t y of t he nobl erpar t ofhi s bei ng i n such an at mosphere. The manner , i ndeed, i n whi ch hestr i ves t odo so, f l uct uat i ng between expl osi ons of harshness and al most weakyi el di ngness, whi l e st r i vi ng t o master t he base t hought s and conduct oft hese men, t hough never ent i r el y succeedi ng i n doi ng so, i s of t en moreadi ver t i ng t han an of f ensi ve spect acl e. I n my opi ni on, never t hel ess,event hi s l ess pl easi ng aspect of t he Let t er s ought not t o be i n t he

s l i ght estdegr ee sof t ened ( whi ch i t has hi t her t o been, owi ng t o f al se vi ews ofpr opr i et y and mor al i t y) , f or i t i s no mor al def or mi t y her e di spl ayed.I ndeed, even when the i r r i t abl e master has r ecour se t o expr essi onsr epugnant t o our sense of convent i onal i t y, and whi ch may wel l be cal l edhar sh and r ough, st i l l t he wr at h t hat sei zes on our her o i s a j ust andr i ght eous wr ath, and we di sr egard i t , j ust as i n Natur e, whose gr andeurconst ant l y el evat es us above t he i nevi t abl e st ai ns of an ear t hl y soi l . Thecoar seness and i l l - br eedi ng, whi ch woul d cl ai m t ol er at i on because thi sgreat man now and t hen showed such f eel i ngs, must beware of doi ng so,bei ngcer t ai n t o make shi pwr eck when comi ng i n cont act wi t h t he massi ve r ockoft r ue mor al i t y on whi ch, wi t h al l hi s f aul t s and def i ci enci es,Beet hoven' sbei ng was surel y gr ounded. Of t en, i ndeed, when absor bed i n theunsophi st i cat ed and genui ne ut t er ances of t hi s great man, i t seems asi ft hese pecul i ar i t i es and st r ange asper i t i es wer e t he r esul t s of somemyst er i ous l aw of Natur e, so t hat we ar e i ncl i ned to adopt t he paradoxbywhi ch a wi t once descri bed t he si ngul ar gr oundwork of our natur e, - - "Thef aul t s of man ar e t he ni ght i n whi ch he r est s f r om hi s vi r t ues. "

I ndeed, I t hi nk that t he l of t y mor al i t y of such nat ur es i s not f ul l yevi dent unt i l we ar e obl i ged t o conf ess wi t h r egr et , t hat even t he

gr eatones of t he eart h must pay t hei r t r i but e t o humani t y, and r eal l y do payi t( whi ch i s t he di st i nct i on bet ween them and base and pet t y char act er s) ,wi t hout bei ng ever ent i r el y hur l ed f r om t hei r pedest al of di gni t y andvi r t ue. The soul of t hat man cannot f ai l t o be el evat ed, who can sei zet her eal spi r i t of t he scat t er ed pages t hat a happy chance has pr eser vedfor



us. I f not f et t er ed by pet t y f eel i ngs, he wi l l qui ckl y sur mount t hecasualobst acl es and st umbl i ng- bl ocks whi ch t he f i r st per usal of t hese Let t er smayseem t o pr esent , and qui ckl y f eel hi msel f t r anspor t ed at a si ngl estr i dei nt o a st r eam, wher e a st r ange roar i ng and rushi ng i s heard, but abovewhi ch l of t i er t ones r esound wi t h magi c and exci t i ng power . For apecul i arl i f e br eat hes i n t hese l i nes; an under - cur r ent r uns t hr ough t hei rapparent l y unconnect ed i mpor t , uni t i ng t hem as wi t h an el ect r i c chai n,andwi t h f i r mer l i nks t han any mere coherence of subj ect s coul d haveef f ected.I exper i enced t hi s mysel f , t o t he most r emarkabl e degr ee, when I f i r stmadet he at t empt t o ar r ange, i n accordance wi t h t hei r per i od and subst ance,t hehundr eds of i ndi vi dual pages bear i ng nei t her dat e nor addr ess, and Iwas

soon convi nced t hat a connect i ng t ext ( such as Mozar t ' s Let t er s have,andought t o have) woul d be her e ent i r el y super f l uous, as even the bestbi ogr aphi cal comment ary woul d be ver y dr y work, i nt err upt i ng t heel ect r i ccur r ent of t he whol e, and t hus dest r oyi ng i t s pecul i ar ef f ect .

And now, what i s t hi s spi r i t whi ch, f or an i nt el l i gent mi nd, bi ndst ogethert hese scat t er ed f r agment s i nt o a whol e, and what i s i t s actual power? Icannot t el l ; but I f eel t o t hi s day j ust as I f el t t o t he i nner mostdepthsof my hear t i n the days of my youth when I f i r st heard a symphony ofBeet hoven' s, - - t hat a spi r i t br eat hes f r om i t bear i ng us al of t wi t hgi antpower out of t he oppr essi ve at mospher e of sense, st i r r i ng to i t s i nmostr ecesses t he hear t of man, br i ngi ng hi m t o t he f ul l consci ousness ofhi sl of t i er bei ng, and of t he undyi ng wi t hi n hi m. And even more di st i nct l yt hanwhen a new wor l d was t hus di scl osed t o hi s yout hf ul f eel i ngs i s t he _man_f ul l y consci ous t hat not onl y was t hi s a new wor l d to hi m, but a newworl dof f eel i ng i n i t sel f , r eveal i ng t o t he spi r i t phases of i t s own, whi ch,t i l l Beet hoven appear ed, had never bef ore been f athomed. Cal l i t bywhat

name you wi l l , when one of t he gr eat works of t he subl i me mast er i shear d,whet her i ndi cat i ve of pr oud sel f - consci ousness, f r eedom, spr i ng, l ove,st or m, or bat t l e, i t gr asps t he soul wi t h si ngul ar f or ce, and enl ar gest hel abor i ng breast . Whet her a man under st ands musi c or not , every one whohasa hear t beat i ng wi t hi n hi s br east wi l l f eel wi t h enchant ment t hat her ei sconcent r at ed t he ut most pr omi sed t o us by t he most i magi nat i ve of our



poet s, i n br i ght vi si ons of happi ness and f r eedom. Even t he onl y gr eather oof act i on, who i n those memorabl e days i s wort hy t o st and besi de thegr eatmast er of har mony, havi ng di f f used among manki nd new and pr i cel essear t hl yt r easur es, si nks i n t he scal e when we compare t hese wi t h t he cel est i alt r easur es of a pur i f i ed and deeper f eel i ng, and a more f r ee, enl ar ged,andsubl i me vi ew of t he wor l d, st r uggl i ng gr adual l y and di st i nct l y upwardsoutof t he mer e f r i vol i t y of an ar t devoi d of wor ds t o expr ess i t sel f , andi mpr essi ng i t s st amp on the spi r i t of t he age. They convey, t oo, t heknowl edge of t hi s br i ght est vi ct ory of genui ne Ger man i nt el l ect t ot hosef or whom t he sweet Muse of Musi c i s as a book wi t h seven seal s, andr eveal ,l i kewi se, a more pr of ound sense of Beet hoven' s bei ng t o many whoal r eady,t hrough the sweet t ones t hey have i mbi bed, enj oy some dawni ng

convi cti on oft he mast er ' s gr andeur , and who now mor e and mor e eager l y l end al i s teni ngear t o t he i nt el l ectual cl ear l y wor ded st r ai ns so ski l f ul l y i nt er woven,t hus soon t o arr i ve at t he f ul l and bl i ssf ul compr ehensi on of t hosegrandout pour i ngs of t he spi r i t , and f i nal l y t o add anot her br i ght del i ght t ot heenj oyment of t hose who al r eady know and l ove Beethoven. Al l t hese mayber egarded as t he obj ect s I had i n vi ew when I under t ook t o edi t hi sLet t ers ,whi ch have al so best owed on mysel f t he best r ecompense of my l abors, i nt hehumbl e convi ct i on t hat by t hi s means I may have vi vi dl y r eawakened i nt her emembrance of many t he mi ght y mi ssi on whi ch our age i s cal l ed on t oper f or m f or t he devel opment of our r ace, even i n t he r eal m ofhar mony, - - mor e especi al l y i n our Fat her - l and.

LUDWI G NOHL.

LA TOUR DE PERLZ- - LAKE OF GENEVA,March, 1865.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME I .

FI RST PART.

LI FE' S J OYS AND SORROWS1783- 1816.



1. To t he El ect or of Col ogne, Freder i ck Maxi mi l i an.2. To Dr . Schade, Augsbur g3. To t he El ect or Maxi mi l i an Franci s4. To El eonor e von Br euni ng, Bonn5. To t he Same6. To Herr Schenk7. To Dr . Wegel er , Vi enna8. To t he Same9. Li nes wr i t t en i n t he Al bum of L. von Br euni ng

10. To Bar on Zmeskal l von Domanowecz11. Ukase to Zmeskal l , Schuppanzi gh, and Li chnowsky12. To Past or Amenda, Cour l and13. To t he Same14. To Wegel er15. To Count ess Gi ul i et t a Gui cci ar di16. To Mat t hi sson17. To Fr au Fr ank, Vi enna18. To Wegel er19. To Kapel l mei st er Hof mei st er , Lei pzi g20. To t he Same

21. To t he Same22. To t he Same23. Dedi cat i on t o Dr . Schmi dt24. To Fer di nand Ri es25. To Her r Hof mei st er , Lei pzi g26. To Car l and J ohann Beet hoven27. Not i ce28. To Fer di nand Ri es29. To Her r Hof mei st er , Lei pzi g30. Caut i on31. To Ri es32. To t he Same33. To t he Same34. To t he Same35. To the Composer Lei desdor f , Vi enna36. To Ri es37. To t he Same38. To t he Same39. To Messr s. Ar t ari a & Co.40. To Pri ncess Li echt enst ei n41. To Her r Meyer42. Test i moni al f or C. Czer ny43. To Herr Roeckel44. To Her r Col l i n, Cour t Secret ar y and Poet45. To Her r Gl ei chenst ei n46. To t he Di r ect ors of t he Cour t Theat r e47. To Count Fr anz von Oppersdor f

48. Not i ce of a Memori al t o t he Ar chduke Rudol ph, Pr i nce Ki nsky,and Pr i nce Lobkowi t z

49. Memor i al t o t he Same50. To Zmeskal l51. To Fer di nand Ri es52. To Zmeskal l53. To t he Same54. To t he Same55. To t he Same56. To t he Same



57. To t he Same58. To t he Same59. To Fr ei herr von Hammer- Pur gst al l60. To t he Same61. To Baroness von Dr ossdi ck62. To Mdl l e. de Ger ardi63. To Zmeskal l64. To Wegel er65. To Zmeskal l66. To Bet t i na Br ent ano67. To t he Same68. To Zmeskal l69. To t he Same70. To t he Ar chduke Rudol ph71. To a Dear Fr i end72. To t he Dr amat i c Poet Trei t schke73. To Zmeskal l74. To t he Same75. To t he Same76. To t he Same

77. To t he Same78. To t he Same79. To t he Same80. To Kammerprocur at or Varenna, Gr at z81. To Zmeskal l82. To t he Same83. To Varenna, Gr atz84. To Zmeskal l85. To Varenna86. To Ar chduke Rudol ph87. To t he Same88. To Varenna, Gr atz89. To J oseph Frei herr von Schwei ger90. To Varenna, Gr atz91. Li nes wr i t t en i n t he Al bum of Mdme. August e Sebal d92. To Ar chduke Rudol ph93. To Bet t i na von Ar ni m

94. To Pr i ncess Ki nsky95. To Ar chduke Rudol ph96. To t he Same97. To t he Same98. To Pr i ncess Ki nsky99. To t he Same

100. To Zmeskal l101. To Herr J oseph Varenna, Gr at z102. To t he Same103. To Zmeskal l

104. To t he Same105. To t he Same106. To t he Same107. To t he Same108. To t he Same109. To t he Same110. To Ar chduke Rudol ph111. To t he Same112. To t he Same113. To Frei herr J osef von Schwei ger



114. To Herr von Baumei st er115. To Zmeskal l116. Let t er of Thanks117. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph118. To t he Same119. To t he Same120. To Trei t schke121. To t he Same122. To t he Same123. To Count Li chnowsky.124. To t he Same125. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph126. To t he Same127. Deposi t i on128. To Dr . Kauka, Prague.129. Addr ess and Appeal t o London Ar t i st s130. To Dr . Kauka131. To Count Mor i t z Li chnowsky132. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph133. To t he Same

134. To t he Same135. To t he Same136. To t he Same137. To t he Same138. To t he Same139. To t he Same140. To Dr . Kauka141. To t he Same142. To t he Same143. To the Member s of t he Landr echt144. To Baron von Pasqual at i145. To Dr . Kauka146. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph

SECOND PART.

LI FE' S MI SSI ON.1815- 1822.

147. Musi c wr i t t en i n Spohr ' s Al bum148. To Dr . Kauka149. To t he Same150. To t he Same

151. To Mr . Sal omon, London152. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph153. To t he Same154. To t he Same155. To t he Same156. To t he Same157. To t he Same158. To Mr . Bi r chal l , Musi c Publ i sher , London159. To Zmeskal l160. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph



161. To Messr s. Bi r chal l , London162. To Herr Ri es163. To Zmeskal l164. To Mdl l e. Mi l der - Haupt mann165. To Ri es166. To Mr . Bi r chal l , London167. To Czer ny168. To t he Same169. To Ri es, London170. To Gi annatasi o del Ri o, Vi enna171. To t he Same172. To t he Same173. To t he Same174. To Fer di nand Ri es, London175. To t he Same176. Power of At t orney177. To Fer di nand Ri es178. To Gi annatasi o del Ri o179. To t he Same180. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph

181. To Mr . Bi r chal l London182. To t he Same183. To Gi annatasi o del Ri o184. To t he Same185. To Zmeskal l186. To Dr . Kauka187. Quer y188. To Gi annatasi o del Ri o189. To t he Same190. To Wegel er191. To Mr . Bi r chal l , London192. To Zmeskal l193. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph194. To Fr ei herr von Schwei ger195. To Gi annatasi o del Ri o196. To t he Same197. To t he Same198. To t he Same199. To Herr Tschi schka200. To Mr . Bi r chal l201. To Zmeskal l202. To Frau von St r ei cher203. To t he Same204. To t he Same205. To t he Same206. To t he Same207. To the Ar chduke Rudol ph

208. To Gi annatasi o del Ri o209. To t he Same210. To t he Same211. To Hof r at h von Mosel212. To S. A. St ei ner , Musi c Publ i sher , Vi enna213. To t he Same214. To t he Same215. To Zmeskal l



FI RST PART.

LI FE' S J OYS AND SORROWS.1783 TO 1815.

BEETHOVEN' S LETTERS.

PART I .

1.

TO THE ELECTOR OF COLOGNE, FREDERI CK MAXI MI LI AN. [ 1]

I LLUSTRI OUS PRI NCE, - -

Musi c f r om my f our t h year has ever been my f avor i t e pur sui t . Thus ear l yi nt r oduced to t he sweet Muse, who at t uned my soul t o pure harmony, Il ovedher, and somet i mes vent ur ed t o thi nk t hat I was bel oved by her i nreturn. Ihave now at t ai ned my el event h year , and my Muse of t en whi sper ed t o mei nhour s of i nspi r at i on, - - Tr y t o wr i t e down t he harmoni es i n your soul .Onl yel even years ol d! t hought I ; does t he charact er of an aut hor bef i t me?andwhat woul d more matur e ar t i st s say? I f el t some t r epi dat i on; but myMusewi l l ed i t - - so I obeyed, and wr ot e.

May I now, t her ef or e, I l l ust r i ous Pr i nce, pr esume t o l ay the f i r st -f r ui t sof my j uveni l e l abors at t he f oot of your t hr one? and may I hope thatyouwi l l condescend t o cast an encour agi ng and ki ndl y gl ance on t hem? Youwi l l ;f or Ar t and Sci ence have ever f ound i n you a j udi ci ous protect or and agenerous pat r on, and r i si ng t al ent has al ways pr ospered under yourf ost er i ng and f at her l y car e. Encour aged by t hi s cheer i ng convi ct i on, I

vent ur e t o appr oach you wi t h these my yout hf ul ef f or t s. Accept t hem ast hepur e of f er i ng of chi l dl i ke r ever ence, and gr aci ousl y vouchsaf e t or egardwi t h i ndul gence t hemand t hei r yout hf ul composer ,

LUDWI G VAN BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: The dedi cat i on af f i xed t o thi s wor k, "Thr ee Sonat as f ort he



Pi ano, dedi cat ed t o my i l l ust r i ous mast er , Maxi mi l i an Fri edr i ch,Ar chbi shopand El ector of Col ogne, by Ludwi g van Beet hoven i n hi s el event h year , "i spr obabl y not wr i t t en by t he boy hi msel f , but i s gi ven her e as anamusi ngcont r ast t o hi s subsequent i deas wi t h regard to t he homage due t or ank. ]

2.

TO DR. SCHADE, - - AUGSBURG.

Bonn, 1787. Aut umn.

MY MOST ESTEEMED FRI END, - -

I can easi l y i magi ne what you must t hi nk of me, and I cannot deny t hatyou

have t oo good gr ounds f or an unf avorabl e opi ni on. I shal l not , however ,at t empt t o j ust i f y mysel f , unt i l I have expl ai ned t o you t he r easonswhy myapol ogi es shoul d be accept ed. I must t el l you t hat f r om t he t i me I l ef tAugsbur g[ 1] my cheer f ul ness, as wel l as my heal t h, began t o decl i ne;t henearer I came t o my nat i ve ci t y, t he more f r equent wer e t he l et t er sf r om myf at her , ur gi ng me to t r avel wi t h al l possi bl e speed, as my mot her ' sheal t hwas i n a most pr ecar i ous condi t i on. I t her ef or e hur r i ed f or war ds asf ast asI coul d, al t hough mysel f f ar f r om wel l . My l ongi ng once more t o see mydyi ng mot her over came ever y obst acl e, and assi st ed me i n sur mount i ngt hegr eat est di f f i cul t i es. I f ound my mot her i ndeed st i l l al i ve, but i n t hemost depl orabl e st at e; her di sease was consumpt i on, and about sevenweeksago, af t er much pai n and suf f er i ng, she di ed [ J ul y 17] . She was i ndeedaki nd, l ovi ng mot her t o me, and my best f r i end. Ah! who was happi er t hanI ,when I coul d st i l l ut t er t he sweet name of mother , and i t was heard?But t owhom can I now say i t ? Onl y to t he si l ent f orm r esembl i ng her , evokedbyt he power of i magi nat i on. I have passed ver y f ew pl easant hour s si nce

myar r i val her e, havi ng dur i ng the whol e t i me been suf f er i ng f r om ast hma,whi ch may, I f ear , event ual l y t ur n t o consumpt i on; t o thi s i s addedmel anchol y, - - al most as gr eat an evi l as my mal ady i t sel f . I magi neyour sel fi n my pl ace, and t hen I shal l hope to recei ve your f orgi veness f or myl ongsi l ence. You showed me ext r eme ki ndness and f r i endshi p by l endi ng met hr eeCarol i ns i n Augsbur g, but I must ent r eat your i ndul gence f or a t i me. My



j ourney cost me a great deal , and I have not t he smal l est hopes ofearni nganyt hi ng here. Fat e i s not propi t i ous t o me i n Bonn. Par don myi nt r udi ng onyou so l ong wi t h my af f ai r s, but al l t hat I have sai d was necessar y f ormyown j usti f i cat i on.

I do ent r eat you not t o depr i ve me of your val uabl e f r i endshi p; nothi ngdoI wi sh so much as i n any degree t o become wor t hy of your r egard. I am,wi t hal l est eem, your obedi ent ser vant and f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN,

_Col ogne Court Or gani st . _

[ Footnote 1: On hi s r et ur n f r omVi enna, whi t her Max Franz had sent hi mfor

t he f ur t her cul t i vat i on of hi s t al ent s. ]

3.

TO THE ELECTOR MAXI MI LI AN FRANCI S. [ 1]

1793.

MOST I LLUSTRI OUS AND GRACI OUS PRI NCE, - -

Some year s ago your Hi ghness was pl eased t o grant a pensi on to myf at her,t he Cour t t enor Van Beethoven, and f ur t her gr aci ousl y t o decr ee t hat100 R. Thal er s of hi s sal ar y shoul d be al l ot t ed t o me, f or t he purpose ofmai nt ai ni ng, cl othi ng, and educat i ng my t wo younger br other s, and al sodef r ayi ng t he debt s i ncur r ed by our f ather . I t was my i nt ent i on t opr esentt hi s decr ee to your Hi ghness' s t r easur er , but my f at her ear nest l yi mpl oredme to desi st f r om doi ng so, t hat he mi ght not be thus publ i cl ypr ocl ai medi ncapabl e hi msel f of support i ng hi s f ami l y, addi ng t hat he woul d engaget opay me the 25 R. T. quar t er l y, whi ch he punct ual l y di d. Af t er hi s deat h,however ( i n December l ast ) , wi shi ng t o reap t he benef i t of your

Hi ghness' sgr aci ous boon, by pr esent i ng t he decr ee, I was start l ed t o f i nd t hat myf at her had dest r oyed i t .

I t her ef or e, wi t h al l dut i f ul r espect , ent r eat your Hi ghness t o r enewthi sdecr ee, and to or der t he paymaster of your Hi ghness' s t r easur y t o gr antmet he l ast quar t er of t hi s benevol ent addi t i on t o my sal ar y ( due thebegi nni ng of Febr uary) . I have t he honor t o remai n,



Your Hi ghness' s most obedi ent and f ai t hf ul ser vant ,

LUD. V. BEETHOVEN,

_Cour t Or gani st . _

[ Footnote 1: An el ect oral decr ee was i ssued i n compl i ance wi t h t hi sr equeston May 3, 1793. ]

4.

TO ELEONORE VON BREUNI NG, - - BONN.

Vi enna, Nov. 2, 1793.

MY HI GHLY ESTEEMED ELEONORE, MY DEAREST FRI END, - -

A year of my st ay i n t hi s capi t al has nearl y el apsed bef ore you r ecei veal et t er f r om me, and yet t he most vi vi d r emembr ance of you i s everpr esentwi t h me. I have of t en conver sed i n thought wi t h you and your dearf ami l y,t hough not al ways i n t he happy mood I coul d have wi shed, f or t hat f atalmi sunderst andi ng st i l l hovered bef ore me, and my conduct at t hat t i mei snow hatef ul i n my si ght . But so i t was, and how much woul d I gi ve t ohavet he power whol l y t o obl i t er ate f r om my l i f e a mode of act i ng sodegradi ngt o mysel f , and so cont r ary t o t he usual t enor of my charact er !

Many ci r cumst ances, i ndeed, cont r i but ed t o est r ange us, and I suspectthatt hose t al e- bear ers who repeat ed al t ernat el y t o you and t o me our mutualexpr essi ons were t he chi ef obst acl es t o any good under st andi ng betweenus.Each bel i eved t hat what was sai d pr oceeded f r om del i ber ate convi ct i on,whereas i t arose onl y f r om anger, f anned by ot her s; so we were bothmi st aken. Your good and nobl e di sposi t i on, my dear f r i end, i ssuf f i ci entsecur i t y t hat you have l ong si nce f orgi ven me. We ar e tol d t hat t hebestpr oof of si ncer e cont r i t i on i s t o acknowl edge our f aul t s; and t hi s i s

whatI wi sh t o do. Let us now dr aw a vei l over t he whol e af f ai r , l ear ni ngonel esson f r om i t , - - t hat when f r i ends ar e at var i ance, i t i s al ways bet t ert oempl oy no medi ator , but t o communi cate di r ect l y wi t h each other .

Wi t h t hi s you wi l l r ecei ve a dedi cat i on f r omme [ t he var i at i ons on "Sevuol



bal l are"] . My sol e wi sh i s t hat t he work were greater and more wort hyofyou. I was appl i ed t o her e t o publ i sh t hi s l i t t l e wor k, and I t akeadvant age of t he opport uni t y, my bel oved El eonore, t o gi ve you a pr oofofmy r egard and f r i endshi p f or your sel f , and al so a token of my endur i ngr emembr ance of your f ami l y. Pray then accept t hi s t r i f l e, and do notf or gett hat i t i s of f er ed by a devot ed f r i end. Oh! i f i t onl y gi ves youpl easur e,my wi shes wi l l be f ul f i l l ed. May i t i n some degr ee r ecal l t he t i me whenIpassed so many happy hours i n your house! Perhaps i t may serve tor emi ndyou of me t i l l I r et ur n, t hough t hi s i s i ndeed a di st ant pr ospect . Oh!howwe shal l t hen r ej oi ce t oget her , my dear El eonor e! You wi l l , I t r ust ,f i ndyour f r i end a happi er man, al l f ormer f or bi ddi ng, car ewor n f ur r owssmoot hed

away by t i me and bet t er f or t une.

When you see B. Koch [ subsequent l y Countess Bel der busch] , pray say t hati ti s unki nd i n her never once to have wr i t t en to me. I wr ote to hert wi ce,and thr ee t i mes t o Mal chus ( af t er wards West phal i an Mi ni st er ofFi nance) ,but no answer . Tel l her t hat i f she does not choose t o wr i t e her sel f , Ibegt hat she wi l l at l east ur ge Mal chus t o do so. At t he cl ose of my l et t erIvent ur e to make one more request - - I am anxi ous t o be so f or t unat e asagai nt o possess an Angol a wai st coat kni t t ed by your own hand, my dearf r i end.For gi ve my i ndi screet r equest ; i t pr oceeds f r om my gr eat l ove f or al lthatcomes f r om you; and I may pr i vat el y admi t t hat a l i t t l e vani t y i sconnect edwi t h i t , namel y, t hat I may say I possess somet hi ng f r om t he best andmostadmi r ed young l ady i n Bonn. I st i l l have the one you were so good as t ogi ve me i n Bonn; but change of f ashi on has made i t l ook so ant i quat ed,thatI can onl y tr easur e i t i n my war dr obe as your gi f t , and t hus st i l l ver ydear t o me. You woul d make me very happy by soon wr i t i ng me a ki nd

l et t er .I f mi ne cause you any pl easure, I pr omi se you to do as you wi sh, andwr i t eas of t en as i t l i es i n my power ; i ndeed ever ythi ng i s accept abl e t o methatcan ser ve t o show you how t r ul y I amyour admi r i ng and si ncer e f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.



P. S. The var i at i ons ar e r at her di f f i cul t t o pl ay, especi al l y t he shakei nt he _Coda_; but do not be al armed at t hi s, bei ng so cont r i ved that youonl yr equi r e t o pl ay t he shake, and l eave out t he other notes, whi ch al sooccuri n t he vi ol i n par t . I never woul d have wr i t t en i t i n t hi s way, had Inotoccasi onal l y obser ved t hat t her e was a cer t ai n i ndi vi dual i n Vi ennawho,when I ext empor i zed the pr evi ous eveni ng, not unf r equent l y wr ot e downnextday many of t he pecul i ar i t i es of my musi c, adopt i ng t hem as hi s own[ f o ri nst ance, t he Abbe Gel i nek] . Concl udi ng, t her ef ore, t hat some of t heset hi ngs woul d soon appear, I r esol ved t o ant i ci pat e t hi s. Anot her r easonal so was t o puzzl e some of t he pi anof or t e t eacher s her e, many of whomaremy mort al f oes; so I wi shed to revenge mysel f on t hemi n thi s way,knowi ng

t hat t hey woul d occasi onal l y be asked t o pl ay t he var i at i ons, whent hesegent l emen woul d not appear t o much advant age.

BEETHOVEN.

5.

TO ELEONORE VON BREUNI NG, - - BONN.

The beaut i f ul neckcl ot h, embroi dered by your own hand, was t he great estpossi bl e sur pr i se t o me; yet , wel come as t he gi f t was, i t awakenedwi t hi nme f eel i ngs of sadness. I t s ef f ect was t o r ecal l f or mer days, and t oput met o shame by your nobl e conduct t o me. I , i ndeed, l i t t l e t hought t hatyoust i l l consi dered me wor t hy of your r emembr ance.

Oh! i f you coul d have wi t nessed my emot i ons yest erday when thi si nci dentoccur r ed, you woul d not t hi nk t hat I exaggerat e i n sayi ng t hat such at okenof your r ecol l ect i on br ought t ear s t o my eyes, and made me f eel ver ysad.Li t t l e as I may deserve f avor i n your eyes, bel i eve me, my dear

_f r i end_,( l et me sti l l cal l you so, ) I have suf f er ed, and st i l l suf f er sever el yf romt he pr i vat i on of your f r i endshi p. Never can I f or get you and your dearmother . You were so ki nd t o me t hat your l oss nei t her can nor wi l l beeasi l y r epl aced. I know what I have f or f ei t ed, and what you were t o me,buti n or der t o f i l l up t hi s bl ank I must r ecur t o scenes equal l y pai nf ulforyou t o hear and f or me to detai l .



As a sl i ght r equi t al of your ki nd _souveni r _, I t ake t he l i ber t y t osendyou some var i at i ons, and a Rondo wi t h vi ol i n accompani ment . I have agr eatdeal t o do, or I woul d l ong si nce have t r anscr i bed t he Sonata Ipromi sedyou. I t i s as yet a mer e sketch i n manuscr i pt , and t o copy i t woul d beadi f f i cul t t ask even f or t he cl ever and pr act i sed Par aqui n [count er - bassi nt he El ect oral orchest r a] . You can have the Rondo copi ed, and r et ur n thescore. What I now send i s t he onl y one of my works at al l sui t abl e f oryou;besi des, as you are goi ng t o Kerpen [ where an uncl e of t he f ami l yl i ved] , It hought t hese t r i f l es mi ght cause you pl easur e.

Far ewel l , my f r i end; f or i t i s i mpossi bl e f or me t o gi ve you any ot hername. However i ndi f f er ent I may be to you, bel i eve me, I shal l ever

cont i nue to revere you and your mother as I have al ways done. I f I cani nany way cont r i but e to t he f ul f i l ment of a wi sh of your s, do not f ai l t ol etme know, f or I have no ot her means of t est i f yi ng my gr at i t ude f or pastf r i endshi p.

I wi sh you an agr eeabl e j our ney, and t hat your dear mother may returnent i r el y rest ored t o heal t h! Thi nk somet i mes of your af f ect i onat ef r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

6.

TO HERR SCHENK.

J une, 1794.

DEAR SCHENK, [ 1] - -

I di d not know t hat I was t o set of f t o- day t o Ei senst adt . I shoul dl i ke tohave tal ked t o you agai n. I n the mean t i me rest assured of my gr at i t udeforyour obl i gi ng ser vi ces. I shal l endeavor , so f ar as i t l i es i n my

power, t or equi t e them. I hope soon t o see you, and once more to enj oy t hepl easur eof your soci et y. Far ewel l , and do not ent i r el y f or get your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: Schenk, af t er wards cel ebr ated as t he composer of t he "DorfBarbi er , " was f or some t i me Beet hoven' s t eacher i n composi t i on. Thi snote



appear s t o have been wr i t t en i n J une, 1794, and f i r st pr i nt ed i n t he"Frei schuet z, " No. 183, about 1836, at t he t i me of Schenk' s death, whenhi sconnect i on wi t h Beet hoven was ment i oned. ]

7.

TO DR. WEGELER, - - VI ENNA. [ 1]

. . . I n what an odi ous l i ght have you exhi bi t ed me t o mysel f ! Oh! Iacknowl edge i t , I do not deser ve your f r i endshi p. I t was no i nt ent i onalordel i ber ate mal i ce t hat i nduced me to act t owards you as I di d, buti nexcusabl e t hought l essness al one.

I say no more. I am comi ng t o thr ow mysel f i nt o your arms, and t oent r eatyou t o rest ore me my l ost f r i end; and you wi l l gi ve hi m back t o me, t oyour

peni t ent , l ovi ng, and ever - gr at ef ul

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot not e 1: Dr . Wegel er , i n answer t o my r equest t hat he woul d send met heent i r e l et t er , r epl i ed t hat "t he passages omi t t ed i n t he l et t erconsi st edchi ef l y i n eul ogi ums of hi s f at her , and ent husi ast i c expr essi ons off r i endshi p, whi ch di d not seem t o hi m t o be of any val ue; but besi dest hi s,t he same reasons t hat i nduced hi s f ather t o gi ve onl y a port i on of t hel et t er wer e i mper at i ve wi t h hi m al so. " I do not wi sh t o cont est t hepoi ntwi t h t he possessor of t he l et t er ; st i l l I may r emar k that al l t heut t erances and l et t er s of a gr eat man bel ong t o the worl d at l arge, andt hat i n a case l i ke t he pr esent , t he consci ent i ous bi ogr apher , whostr i vesf ai t hf ul l y t o por t r ay such a man, i s al one ent i t l ed t o deci de whatpor t i onof t hese communi cat i ons i s f i t t ed f or publ i cat i on, and what i s not . Anyconsi der at i ons of a per sonal char act er seem t o me ver y tr i vi al . ]

8.

TO DR. WEGELER, - - VI ENNA.

Vi enna, May 1797.

God speed you, my dear f r i end! I owe you a l et t er whi ch you shal lshor t l yhave, and my newest musi c besi des, _I am goi ng on wel l ; i ndeed, I maysayever y day bet t er . _ Gr eet t hose t o whom i t wi l l gi ve pl easur e f r om me.Far ewel l , and do not f orget your



BEETHOVEN.

9.

WRI TTEN I N THE ALBUM OF LENZ VON BREUNI NG.

Vi enna, Oct . 1, 1797.

Tr ut h f or t he wi se,Beaut y f or a f eel i ng hear t ,And both f or each ot her .

MY DEAR, GOOD BREUNI NG, - -

Never can I f orget t he t i me I passed wi t h you, not onl y i n Bonn, buther e.Cont i nue your f r i endshi p towards me, f or you shal l al ways f i nd me t hesamet rue fr i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

10.

TO BARON ZMESKALL VON DOMANOWECZ.

1800. [ 1]

[ Musi c: Al t o, Tenor , Bass cl ef s, C Maj or , 4/ 4 t i me, Gr ave.ALTO. Ba- r on. TENORE. Ba- r on.BASSO. Ba- r on. Ba- r on. Ba- r on. ]

MY CHEAPEST ( NOT DEAREST) BARON, - -

Desi r e the gui t ar - pl ayer t o come to me to- day. Amenda ( i nst ead of an _amende_ [ f i ne] , whi ch he somet i mes deser ves f or not obser vi ng hi srestspr oper l y) must per suade thi s popul ar gui t ar i st t o vi si t me, and i fpossi bl et o come at f i ve o' cl ock t hi s eveni ng; i f not t hen, at f i ve or si xo' cl ockt o- morr ow morni ng; but he must not waken me i f I chance t o be st i l lasl eep. _Adi eu, mon ami a bon mar che. _ Perhaps we may meet at t he "Swan"?

[ Footnot e 1: As i t appear s f r om t he f ol l owi ng l et t er s t hat Amenda wasagai nat home i n 1800, t he date of t hi s not e i s t hus ascer t ai ned. I t i sundoubtedl y addressed t o Bar on Zmeskal l von Domanowecz, Royal Cour tSecr et ar y, a good vi ol oncel l o- pl ayer , and one of Beet hoven' s ear l i estf r i ends i n Vi enna. The "gui t ar i st " was pr obabl y the cel ebr at edGi ul i ani ,who l i ved i n Vi enna. ]



11.

The musi cal Count i s f r om t hi s day f or t h _cashi ered_ wi t h i nf amy. Thef i r s tvi ol i n [Schuppanzi gh] r ut hl essl y t r anspor t ed to _Si ber i a_. The Bar on[ seeNo. 10] f or a whol e mont h _st r i ct l y i nt er di ct ed f r om aski ng quest i ons_;nol onger t o be so hast y, and t o devot e hi msel f excl usi vel y t o hi s _i psemi serum_. [ 1]

B.

[ Footnot e 1: Wr i t t en i n gi gant i c char act er s i n penci l on a l ar ge sheetofpaper. The "musi cal Count " i s probabl y Count Mor i t z Li chnowsky, br otherofPr i nce Car l Li chnowsky, i n whose house were hel d those musi calper f ormances

i n whi ch Beet hoven' s works were f i r st pr oduced. Even at t hat t i me hebehaved i n a very di ct at or i al manner t o t hose gent l emen when hi scomposi t i ons were badl y execut ed. Thence t he name gi ven hi m by Haydn of"The Gr eat Mogul . " ]

12.

TO PASTOR AMENDA, - - COURLAND.

Does Amenda thi nk t hat I can ever f orget hi m, because I do not wr i t e?i nf act , never have wr i t t en t o hi m?- - as i f t he memor y of our f r i ends coul donl y t hus be preserved! The _best man I ever knew_ has a t housand t i mesr ecurr ed t o my t houghts! Two per sons al one once possessed my whol el ove,one of whomst i l l l i ves, and you are now t he thi r d. How can myr emembr anceof you ever f ade? You wi l l shor t l y recei ve a l ong l et t er about mypr esentci r cumst ances and al l t hat can i nt er est you. Far ewel l , bel oved, good,andnobl e f r i end! Ever cont i nue your l ove and f r i endshi p t owards me, j ustas Ishal l ever be your f ai t hf ul

BEETHOVEN.

13.

TO PASTOR AMENDA.

1800.

MY DEAR, MY GOOD AMENDA, MY WARM- HEARTED FRI END, - -



I r ecei ved and r ead your l ast l et t er wi t h deep emot i on, and wi t hmi ngl edpai n and pl easur e. To what can I compare your f i del i t y and devot i on t ome?Ah! i t i s i ndeed del i ght f ul t hat you st i l l cont i nue t o l ove me so wel l .Iknow how t o pr i ze you, and t o di st i ngui sh you f r om al l ot her s; you ar enotl i ke my Vi enna f r i ends. No! you are one of t hose whom t he soi l of myf at her l and i s wont t o br i ng f or t h; how of t en I wi sh that you wer e wi t hme,f or your Beet hoven i s ver y unhappy. You must know t hat one of my mostpr eci ous f acul t i es, t hat of hear i ng, i s become ver y def ect i ve; evenwhi l eyou wer e st i l l wi t h me I f el t i ndi cat i ons of t hi s, t hough I sai dnot hi ng;but i t i s now much worse. Whet her I shal l ever be cur ed r emai ns yet t obeseen; i t i s supposed t o pr oceed f r om t he stat e of my di gest i ve or gans,but

I am al most ent i r el y recover ed i n that r espect . I hope i ndeed that myhear i ng may i mpr ove, but I scar cel y t hi nk so, f or at t acks of t hi s ki ndaret he most i ncur abl e of al l . How sad my l i f e must now be!- - f orced t o shunal lt hat i s most dear and pr eci ous t o me, and to l i ve wi t h such mi serabl eegot i st s as - - - - , &c. I can wi t h t r ut h say t hat of al l my f r i endsLi chnowsky [ Pr i nce Carl ] i s t he most genui ne. He l ast year set t l ed 600f l or i ns on me, whi ch, t oget her wi t h the good sal e of my works, enabl esmet o l i ve f r ee f r om car e as t o my mai nt enance. Al l t hat I now wr i t e I candi spose of f i ve t i mes over , and be wel l pai d i nt o the bar gai n. I havebeenwr i t i ng a good deal l at t er l y, and as I hear t hat you have or dered somepi anos f r om - - - - , I wi l l send you some of my composi t i ons i n t hepacki ng- case of one of t hese i nst r ument s, by whi ch means t hey wi l l notcostyou so much.

To my great comf or t , a person has r et urned here wi t h whom I can enj oyt hepl easur es of soci et y and di si nt er est ed f r i endshi p, - - one of t he f r i endsofmy yout h [St ephan von Br euni ng] . I have of t en spoken to hi m of you, andt ol d hi m t hat si nce I l ef t my f at her l and, you are one of t hose t o whommyhear t speci al l y cl i ngs. Z. [ Zmeskal l ?] does not seem qui t e t o pl ease

hi m;he i s, and al ways wi l l be, t oo weak f or t r ue f r i endshi p, and I l ook onhi mand - - - - as mere i nst r ument s on whi ch I pl ay as I pl ease, but never cant hey bear nobl e t est i mony to my i nner and out ward energi es, or f eeltruesympat hy wi t h me; I val ue them onl y i n so f ar as t hei r ser vi cesdeserve.Oh! how happy shoul d I now be, had I my f ul l sense of hear i ng; I woul dt hen



hast en t o you; wher eas, as i t i s, I must wi t hdr aw f r om ever ythi ng. Mybestyears wi l l t hus pass away, wi t hout ef f ect i ng what my t al ent s and power smi ght have enabl ed me t o per f orm. How mel anchol y i s t he r esi gnat i on i nwhi ch I must t ake r ef uge! I had det er mi ned t o ri se super i or t o al lt hi s,but how i s i t possi bl e? I f i n the cour se of si x mont hs my mal ady bepr onounced i ncur abl e then, Amenda! I shal l appeal t o you t o l eave al lel seand come to me, when I i nt end t o t r avel ( my af f l i ct i on i s l essdi st r essi ngwhen pl ayi ng and composi ng, and most so i n i nt ercour se wi t h ot hers) ,andyou must be my compani on. I have a convi ct i on t hat good f or t une wi l lnotf orsake me, f or t o what may I not at present aspi r e? Si nce you wereher e Ihave wr i t t en ever yt hi ng except oper as and chur ch musi c. You wi l l not , Iknow, r ef use my pet i t i on; you wi l l hel p your f r i end to bear hi s bur denand

hi s cal ami t y. I have al so very much perf ect ed my pi anof ort e pl ayi ng,and Ihope that a j our ney of t hi s ki nd may possi bl y cont r i but e to your ownsuccess i n l i f e, and you woul d t hencef ort h al ways r emai n wi t h me. Idul yr ecei ved al l your l et t er s, and t hough I di d not r epl y t o t hem, you wer econst ant l y pr esent wi t h me, and my hear t beat s as t enderl y as ever f oryou.I beg you wi l l keep the f act of my deaf ness a prof ound secr et , and notconf i de i t t o any human bei ng. Wr i t e to me f r equent l y; your l et t er s,however short , consol e and cheer me; so I shal l soon hope to hear f r omyou.

Do not gi ve your quart et t o any one [ i n F, Op. 18, No. 1] , as I haveal t ered i t ver y much, havi ng onl y now succeeded i n wr i t i ng quart et spr oper l y; t hi s you wi l l at once per cei ve when you r ecei ve i t . Now,f ar ewel l , my dear ki nd f r i end! I f by any chance I can ser ve you her e, Ineed not say t hat you have onl y t o command me.

Your f ai t hf ul and t r ul y at t ached

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

14.

TO WEGELER.

Vi enna, J une 29, 1800.

MY DEAR AND VALUED WEGELER, - -

How much I t hank you f or your r emembrance of me, l i t t l e as I deser vei t , orhave sought t o deser ve i t ; and yet you are so ki nd t hat you al l ownot hi ng,



not even my unpardonabl e negl ect , t o di scourage you, al ways remai ni ngt hesame t r ue, good, and f ai t hf ul f r i end. That I can ever f or get you oryour s,once so dear and pr eci ous t o me, do not f or a moment bel i eve. There ar et i mes when I f i nd mysel f l ongi ng to see you agai n, and wi shi ng that Icoul dgo t o st ay wi t h you. My f at her - l and, t hat l ovel y regi on wher e I f i r stsawt he l i ght , i s st i l l as di st i nct and beaut eous i n my eyes as when Iqui t t edyou; i n shor t , I shal l est eemt he t i me when I once more see you, andagai ngr eet Fat her Rhi ne, as one of t he happi est per i ods of my l i f e. Whenthi smay be I cannot yet t el l ; but at al l event s I may say that you shal lnotsee me agai n t i l l I have become emi nent , not onl y as an ar t i st , butbet t erand more per f ect as a man; and i f t he condi t i on of our f ather - l and be

t henmore pr osper ous, my ar t shal l be ent i r el y devot ed t o the benef i t of t hepoor . Oh, bl i ssf ul moment ! - - how happy do I est eem mysel f t hat I canexpedi t e i t and br i ng i t t o pass!

You desi r e t o know somet hi ng of my posi t i on; wel l ! i t i s by no meansbad.However i ncr edi bl e i t may appear, I must t el l you that Li chnowsky hasbeen,and st i l l i s, my war mest f r i end ( sl i ght di ssensi ons occur r edoccasi onal l ybet ween us, and yet t hey onl y ser ved to st r engt hen our f r i endshi p) . Heset t l ed on me l ast year t he sum of 600 f l or i ns, f or whi ch I am t o dr awonhi m t i l l I can pr ocur e some sui t abl e si t uat i on. My composi t i ons ar ever ypr of i t abl e, and I may r eal l y say t hat I have al most more commi ssi onst hani t i s possi bl e f or me t o execut e. I can have si x or seven publ i sher s ormor e f or ever y pi ece, i f I choose; t hey no l onger bargai n wi t h me- - Idemand, and t hey pay- - so you see thi s i s a ver y good thi ng. Fori nstance, Ihave a f r i end i n di st r ess, and my pur se does not admi t of my assi st i nghi mat once; but I have onl y t o si t down and wr i t e, and i n a short t i me hei sr el i eved. I am al so become mor e economi cal t han f or mer l y. I f I f i nal l y

set t l e her e, I don' t doubt I shal l be abl e t o secur e a par t i cul ar dayeveryyear f or a concer t , of whi ch I have al r eady gi ven sever al . Thatmal i ci ousdemon, however , bad heal t h, has been a st umbl i ng- bl ock i n my pat h; myhear i ng dur i ng t he l ast t hr ee years has become gr adual l y worse. Thechi efcause of t hi s i nf i r mi t y pr oceeds f r om t he stat e of my di gest i ve or gans,whi ch, as you know, were f ormer l y bad enough, but have l at t er l y becomemuch



wor se, and bei ng const ant l y af f l i ct ed wi t h di ar r hoea, has brought onext r eme weakness. Frank [ Di r ect or of t he Gener al Hospi t al ] st r ove t or est ore t he t one of my di gest i on by toni cs, and my heari ng by oi l ofal monds; but al as! t hese di d me no good whatever ; my hear i ng becameworse,and my di gest i on cont i nued i n i t s f or mer pl i ght . Thi s went on t i l l t heaut umn of l ast year , when I was of t en r educed t o ut t er despai r . Thensomemedi cal _asi nus_ r ecommended me col d bat hs, but a more j udi ci ous doct ort het epi d ones of t he Danube, whi ch di d wonder s f or me; my di gest i oni mpr oved,but my hear i ng remai ned the same, or i n f act r ather got worse. I di di ndeedpass a mi serabl e wi nt er ; I suf f er ed f r ommost dr eadf ul spasms, and sankback i nt o my f ormer condi t i on. Thus i t went on t i l l about a mont h ago,whenI consul t ed Veri ng [ an army sur geon] , under t he bel i ef t hat my mal adi esr equi r ed sur gi cal advi ce; besi des, I had ever y conf i dence i n hi m. Hesucceeded i n al most ent i r el y checki ng t he vi ol ent di arr hoea, and

or dered met he tepi d baths of t he Danube, i nto whi ch I pour some st r engt heni ngmi xt ur e. He gave me no medi ci ne, except some di gest i ve pi l l s f our daysago,and a l ot i on f or my ear s. I cer t ai nl y do f eel bet t er and st r onger , butmyear s are buzzi ng and r i ngi ng per pet ual l y, day and ni ght . I can wi t htruthsay t hat my l i f e i s ver y wr et ched; f or near l y t wo year s past I haveavoi dedal l soci et y, because I f i nd i t i mpossi bl e t o say to peopl e, _I amdeaf ! _ I nany ot her pr of essi on t hi s mi ght be more tol er abl e, but i n mi ne such acondi t i on i s t r ul y f r i ght f ul . Besi des, what woul d my enemi es say t ot hi s?- - and t hey are not f ew i n number .

To gi ve you some i dea of my ext r aor di nary deaf ness, I must t el l yout hat i nt he t heat r e I am obl i ged t o l ean cl ose up agai nst t he or chest r a i nor der t ounders t and t he act ors, and when a l i t t l e way of f I hear none of t hehi ghnot es of i nst r ument s or si nger s. I t i s most ast oni shi ng t hat i nconver sat i on some peopl e never seem t o observe t hi s; bei ng subj ect t of i t sof absence, t hey at t r i but e i t t o that cause. I of t en can scar cel y heara

per son i f speaki ng l ow; I can di st i ngui sh t he t ones, but not t he words,andyet I f eel i t i nt ol er abl e i f any one shout s t o me. Heaven al one knowshowi t i s t o end! Ver i ng decl ar es t hat I shal l cer t ai nl y i mpr ove, even i f Ibenot ent i r el y rest ored. How of t en have I cur sed my exi st ence! Pl ut archl edme t o r esi gnat i on. I shal l st r i ve i f possi bl e t o set Fat e at def i ance,



al t hough t here must be moment s i n my l i f e when I cannot f ai l t o be t hemostunhappy of God' s cr eat ures. I ent r eat you t o say not hi ng of myaf f l i ct i ont o any one, not even to Lor chen [ see Nos. 4 and 5] . I conf i de t hesecret toyou al one, and ent r eat you some day t o corr espond wi t h Ver i ng on t hesubj ect . I f I cont i nue i n t he same st at e, I shal l come t o you i n t heensui ng spr i ng, when you must engage a house f or me somewhere i n thecount r y, ami d beaut i f ul scener y, and I shal l t hen become a r ust i c f or ayear , whi ch may perhaps ef f ect a change. Resi gnat i on! - - what a mi serabl er ef uge! and yet i t i s my sol e r emai ni ng one. You wi l l f orgi ve my thusappeal i ng t o your ki ndl y sympathi es at a t i me when your own posi t i on i ssadenough. Stephan Br euni ng i s her e, and we are t ogether al most ever y day;i tdoes me so much good t o r evi ve ol d f eel i ngs! He has r eal l y become acapi t algood f el l ow, not devoi d of t al ent , and hi s hear t , l i ke t hat of us al l ,pr et t y much i n t he ri ght pl ace. [ See No. 13. ]

I have very char mi ng r ooms at pr esent , adj oi ni ng t he Bast ei [ t her ampar t s] ,and pecul i ar l y val uabl e to me on account of my heal t h [ at BaronPasqual at i ' s] . I do r eal l y t hi nk I shal l be abl e t o ar r ange t hatBr euni ngshal l come to me. You shal l have your Ant i ochus [ a pi ct ur e] , and pl ent yofmy musi c besi des- - i f , i ndeed, i t wi l l not cost you t oo much. Your l oveofar t does honest l y rej oi ce me. Onl y say how i t i s t o be done, and I wi l lsend you al l my wor ks, whi ch now amount t o a consi der abl e number , andaredai l y i ncr easi ng. I beg you wi l l l et me have my gr andf at her ' s por t r ai tassoon as possi bl e by t he post , i n r et ur n f or whi ch I send you t hat ofhi sgr andson, your l ovi ng and at t ached Beet hoven. I t has been br ought outher eby Ar t ari a, who, as wel l as many ot her publ i shers , has of t en ur ged t hi sonme. I i nt end soon t o wr i t e t o St of f el n [ Chr i st oph von Br euni ng] , andpl ai nl y admoni sh hi m about hi s sur l y humor. I mean t o sound i n hi s ear sourol d f r i endshi p, and t o i nsi st on hi s pr omi si ng me not t o annoy youf ur t heri n your sad ci r cumst ances. I wi l l al so wr i t e t o t he ami abl e Lor chen.

Neverhave I f orgot t en one of you, my ki nd f r i ends, t hough you di d not hearf romme; but you know wel l t hat wr i t i ng never was my _f or t e_, even my bestf r i ends havi ng r ecei ved no l et t er s f r om me f or year s. I l i ve whol l y i nmymusi c, and scar cel y i s one work f i ni shed when another i s begun; i ndeed,Iam now of t en at work on t hr ee or f our t hi ngs at t he same t i me. Do wr i t et o



me f r equent l y, and I wi l l st r i ve t o f i nd t i me t o wr i t e t o you al so.Gi ve myr emembr ances t o al l , especi al l y t o t he ki nd Frau Hof r aet hi n [ vonBr euni ng] ,and say t o her t hat I am st i l l subj ect t o an occasi onal _r apt us_. AsforK- - - - , I am not at al l sur pr i sed at t he change i n her : For t une r ol l sl i ke abal l , and does not al ways st op bef ore t he best and nobl est . As t o Ri es[ Cour t musi ci an i n Bonn] , t o whom pr ay cordi al l y remember me, I mustsayone wor d. I wi l l wr i t e t o you mor e par t i cul ar l y about hi s son[ Fer di nand] ,al t hough I bel i eve t hat he woul d be more l i kel y to succeed i n Par i st han i nVi enna, whi ch i s al r eady overst ocked, and where even those of t hehi ghestmeri t f i nd i t a hard mat t er t o mai nt ai n t hemsel ves. By next aut umn orwi nt er, I shal l be abl e to see what can be done f or hi m, because t henal l

t he wor l d r et ur ns t o t own. Far ewel l , my ki nd, f ai t hf ul Wegel er ! Restassur ed of t he l ove and f r i endshi p of your

BEETHOVEN.

15.

TO COUNTESS GI ULI ETTA GUI CCI ARDI . [ 1]

Mor ni ng, J ul y 6, 1800.

MY ANGEL! MY ALL! MY SECOND SELF!

Onl y a f ew words t o- day, wr i t t en wi t h a penci l ( your own) . My resi dencecannot be set t l ed t i l l t o- morr ow. What a t i r esome l oss of t i me! Whythi sdeep gr i ef when necessi t y compel s?- - can our l ove exi st wi t houtsacr i f i ces ,and by r ef r ai ni ng f r om desi r i ng al l t hi ngs? Can you al t er t he f act t hatyouare not whol l y mi ne, nor I whol l y your s? Ah! cont empl ate t he beaut i esofNat ur e, and r econci l e your spi r i t t o t he i nevi t abl e. Love demands al l ,andhas a r i ght t o do so, and t hus i t i s _I f eel t owar ds you_ and _yout owards

me_; but you do not suf f i ci ent l y remember t hat I must l i ve both _f oryou_and _f or mysel f _. Wer e we whol l y uni t ed, you woul d f eel t hi s sor r ow asl i t t l e as I shoul d. My j our ney was ter r i bl e. I di d not ar r i ve her e t i l lf our o' cl ock yest erday morni ng, as no horses were to be had. Thedr i ver schose another r out e; but what a dr eadf ul one i t was! At t he l ast st ageIwas warned not t o t r avel t hr ough the ni ght , and to beware of a cer t ai n



wood, but t hi s onl y i nci t ed me t o go f orward, and I was wr ong. Thecar r i agebroke down, owi ng t o t he execrabl e roads, mere deep rough count r yl anes,and had i t not been f or t he post i l i ons I must have been l ef t by thewaysi de. Est er hazy, t r avel l i ng the usual r oad, had the same f ate wi t hei ghthor ses, wher eas I had onl y f our . St i l l I f el t a cer t ai n degr ee ofpl easur e,whi ch I i nvar i abl y do when I have happi l y sur mount ed any di f f i cul t y.But Imust now pass f r om t he out er t o t he i nner man. We shal l , I t r ust , soonmeetagai n; t o- day I cannot i mpar t t o you al l t he r ef l ect i ons I have made,dur i ng t he l ast f ew days, on my l i f e; wer e our hear t s cl osel y uni t edf orever , none of t hese woul d occur t o me. My hear t i s overf l owi ng wi t hal lI have to say to you. Ah! t her e ar e moment s when I f i nd that speech i sactual l y nothi ng. Take cour age! Cont i nue t o be ever my t r ue and onl yl ove,

my al l ! as I am your s. The gods must ordai n what i s f ur t her t o be andshal lbe!

Your f ai t hf ul

LUDWI G.

Monday Eveni ng, J ul y 6.

You gr i eve! dearest of al l bei ngs! I have j ust hear d t hat t he l et t er smustbe sent of f very ear l y. Mondays and Thursdays ar e the onl y days whent hepost goes t o K. f r om here. You gr i eve! Ah! wher e I am, t her e you areeverwi t h me; how ear nest l y shal l I st r i ve t o pass my l i f e wi t h you, andwhat al i f e wi l l i t be! ! ! Wher eas now! ! wi t hout you! ! and per secut ed by t heki ndness of other s, whi ch I nei t her deser ve nor t r y to deser ve! Theservi l i t y of man t owards hi s f el l ow- man pai ns me, and when I r egardmysel fas a component part of t he uni ver se, what am I , what i s he who i scal l edt he gr eat est ?- - and yet her ei n ar e di spl ayed t he godl i ke f eel i ngs ofhumani t y! - - I weep i n t hi nki ng t hat you wi l l r ecei ve no i nt el l i gencef r om me

t i l l pr obabl y Satur day. However dear l y you may l ove me, I l ove you moref ondl y sti l l . Never conceal your f eel i ngs f r om me. Good- ni ght ! As apat i entat t hese baths, I must now go t o rest [ a f ew words ar e here ef f aced byBeet hoven hi msel f ] . Oh, heavens! so near , and yet so f ar! I s not ourl ove at r ul y cel est i al mansi on, but f i r m as t he vaul t of heaven i t sel f ?

J ul y 7.



GOOD- MORNI NG!

Even bef ore I r i se, my t hought s t hr ong to you, my i mmort albel oved! - - somet i mes f ul l of j oy, and yet agai n sad, wai t i ng t o seewhet herFat e wi l l hear us. I must l i ve ei t her whol l y wi t h you, or not at al l .I ndeed I have r esol ved t o wander f ar f r om you [ see No. 13] t i l l t hemomentarr i ves when I can f l y i nt o your arms, and f eel t hat t hey are my home,andsend f or t h my soul i n uni son wi t h your s i nt o t he r eal m of spi r i t s.Al as ! i tmust be so! You wi l l t ake cour age, f or you know my f i del i t y. Never cananot her possess my hear t - - never, never! Oh, heavens! Why must I f l yf romher I so f ondl y l ove? and yet my exi st ence i n W. was as mi serabl e asher e. Your l ove made me t he most happy and yet t he most unhappy of men. At myage, l i f e r equi r es a uni f or m equal i t y; can t hi s be f ound i n our mut ualr el at i ons? My angel ! I have thi s moment hear d t hat t he post goes ever y

day,so I must concl ude, t hat you may get t hi s l et t er t he sooner . Be cal m!forwe can onl y at t ai n our obj ect of l i vi ng t oget her by the cal mcont empl at i onof our exi st ence. Cont i nue t o l ove me. Yest er day, t o- day, what l ongi ngsforyou, what t ear s f or you! f or you! f or you! my l i f e! my al l ! Far ewel l !Oh!l ove me f or ever , and never doubt t he f ai t hf ul hear t of your l over , L.

Ever t hi ne.Ever mi ne.Ever each ot her ' s.

[ Footnot e 1: These l et t er s t o hi s " i mmor t al bel oved, " t o whom t he Cshar pmi nor Sonat a i s dedi cat ed, appear her e f or t he f i r st t i me i n t hei ri nt egr i t y, i n accor dance wi t h t he or i gi nal s wr i t t en i n penci l on f i nenotepaper , and gi ven i n Schi ndl er ' s _Beet hoven' s Nachl ass_. Ther e hasbeenmuch di scussi on about t he dat e. I t i s cer t i f i ed, i n t he f i r st pl ace, i nt hechur ch r egi st er whi ch Al ex. Thayer saw i n Vi enna, t hat Gi ul i et t a wasmarr i ed t o Count Gal l enber g i n 1801; and i n the next pl ace, t he 6t h of J ul yf al l s on a Monday i n 1800. The ot her r easons whi ch i nduce me deci dedl y

t of i x t hi s l at t er year as t he dat e of t he l et t er , I mean t o gi ve at f ul ll ength i n the second vol ume of _Beethoven' s Bi ogr aphy_. I may al sost at et hat Beet hoven was at bat hs i n Hungary at t hat t i me. Whether t he K- - - -i nt he second l et t er means Komorn, I cannot t el l . ]

16.



TO MATTHI SSON.

Vi enna, August 4, 1800.

MOST ESTEEMED FRI END, - -

You wi l l r ecei ve wi t h t hi s one of my composi t i ons publ i shed some year ssi nce, and yet , t o my shame, you pr obabl y have never heard of i t . Icannotat t empt t o excuse mysel f , or t o expl ai n why I dedi cat ed a work t o youwhi chcame di r ect f r ommy heart , but never acquai nt ed you wi t h i t s exi st ence,unl ess i ndeed i n t hi s way, t hat at f i r st I di d not know wher e youl i ved,and par t l y al so f r omdi f f i dence, whi ch l ed me t o t hi nk I mi ght havebeenpr ematur e i n dedi cat i ng a work t o you bef ore ascert ai ni ng that youappr ovedof i t . I ndeed, even now I send you "Adel ai de" wi t h a f eel i ng of

t i mi di ty . You know your sel f what changes t he l apse of some year s br i ngs f or t h i nanar t i st who cont i nues t o make progr ess; t he great er t he advances we makei nar t , t he l ess ar e we sati sf i ed wi t h our wor ks of an ear l i er date. Mymostar dent wi sh wi l l be f ul f i l l ed i f you ar e not di ssat i sf i ed wi t h t hemanneri n whi ch I have set your heavenl y "Adel ai de" t o musi c, and are i nci t edbyi t soon t o compose a si mi l ar poem; and i f you do not consi der myr equestt oo i ndi scr eet , I woul d ask you t o send i t t o me f or t hwi t h, t hat I mayexer t al l my ener gi es t o appr oach your l ovel y poet r y i n mer i t . Pr ayr egardt he dedi cat i on as a t oken of t he pl easur e whi ch your "Adel ai de"conf er r edon me, as wel l as of t he appr eci at i on and i nt ense del i ght your poet r yal ways has i nspi r ed, and _al ways wi l l i nspi r e i n me_.

When pl ayi ng "Adel ai de, " somet i mes recal l

Your si ncer e admi r er ,

BEETHOVEN.

17.

TO FRAU FRANK, - - VI ENNA

Oct ober, 1800.

DEAR LADY, - -

At t he second announcement of our concert , you must r emi nd your husband



t hat t he publ i c shoul d be made acquai nted wi t h t he names of t hose whoset al ent s are t o cont r i but e t o thi s concer t . Such i s t he cust om her e; andi ndeed, wer e i t not so, what i s t her e t o at t r act a l ar ger audi ence?whi chi s af t er al l our chi ef obj ect. Punt o [ t he cel ebr at ed hor n- pl ayer , f orwhomBeet hoven wr ote Sonata 17] i s not a l i t t l e i ndi gnant about t heomi ssi on,and I must say he has r eason t o be so; but even bef ore seei ng hi m i twas myi nt ent i on t o have r emi nded you of t hi s, f or I can onl y expl ai n t hemi st akeby gr eat hast e or gr eat f or get f ul ness. Be so good, t hen, dear l ady, ast oat t end t o my hi nt ; ot her wi se you wi l l cer t ai nl y expose your sel f t o _manyannoyances_. Bei ng at l ast convi nced i n my own mi nd, and by ot her s,that Ishal l not be qui t e super f l uous i n t hi s concer t , I know t hat not onl y I ,but

al so Punt o, Si moni [ a t enor i st ] , and Gal vani wi l l demand that t hepubl i cshoul d be appr i sed of our zeal f or t hi s chari t abl e obj ect ; ot her wi se wemust al l concl ude t hat we ar e not want ed.

Yours,

BEETHOVEN.

18.

TO HERR VON WEGELER.

Vi enna, Nov. 16, 1800.

MY DEAR WEGELER, - -

I t hank you f or t hi s f r esh pr oof of your i nt er est i n me, especi al l y asI sol i t t l e deser ve i t . You wi sh t o know how I am, and what r emedi es I use.Unwi l l i ng as I al ways f eel t o di scuss t hi s subj ect, st i l l I f eel l essr el uctant t o do so wi t h you t han wi t h any other person. For some mont hspast Ver i ng has or der ed me t o appl y bl i st er s on both ar ms, of apart i cul arki nd of bark, wi t h whi ch you are pr obabl y acquai nt ed, - - a di sagr eeabl er emedy, i ndependent of t he pai n, as i t depr i ves me of t he f r ee use of

myar ms f or a coupl e of days at a t i me, t i l l t he bl i st er s have dr awnsuf f i ci ent l y. The r i ngi ng and buzzi ng i n my ear s have cer t ai nl y r at herdecreased, par t i cul ar l y i n t he l ef t ear , i n whi ch t he mal ady f i r stcommenced, but my heari ng i s not at al l i mpr oved; i n f act I f ear t hati t i sbecome r ather worse. My heal t h i s bet t er , and af t er usi ng t he tepi dbathsf or a t i me, I f eel pr et t y wel l f or ei ght or t en days. I sel dom t aket oni cs ,



but I have begun appl i cat i ons of her bs, accor di ng to your advi ce.Ver i ngwi l l not hear of pl unge bat hs, but I ammuch di ssat i sf i ed wi t h hi m; hei snei t her so at t ent i ve nor so i ndul gent as he ought t o be to such amal ady;i f I di d not go to hi m, whi ch i s no easy matt er , I shoul d never see hi matal l . What i s your opi ni on of Schmi dt [ an ar my sur geon] ? I am unwi l l i ngt omake any change, but i t seems t o me that Ver i ng i s t oo much of apr act i t i oner t o acqui r e new i deas by r eadi ng. On thi s poi nt Schmi dtappear st o be a ver y di f f er ent man, and woul d pr obabl y be l ess negl i gent wi t hr egard t o my case. I hear wonders of gal vani sm; what do you say to i t ?Aphysi ci an tol d me t hat he knew a deaf and dumb chi l d whose hear i ng wasr est ored by i t ( i n Ber l i n) , and l i kewi se a man who had been deaf f orsevenyear s, and r ecover ed hi s heari ng. I am t ol d t hat your f r i end Schmi dt i s

att hi s moment maki ng exper i ment s on t he subj ect .

I am now l eadi ng a somewhat more agr eeabl e l i f e, as of l at e I have beenassoci at i ng more wi t h other peopl e. You coul d scarcel y bel i eve what asadand dr eary l i f e mi ne has been f or t he l ast t wo years ; my def ect i vehear i ngeverywhere pur sui ng me l i ke a spect r e, maki ng me f l y f r om every one,andappear a mi sant hr ope; and yet no one i s i n r eal i t y l ess so! Thi s changehasbeen wr ought by a l ovel y f asci nat i ng gi r l [ undoubt edl y Gi ul i et t a] , whol oves me and whom I l ove. I have once more had some bl i ss f ul moment sdur i ngt he l ast t wo year s, and i t i s t he f i r st t i me I ever f el t t hat mar r i agecoul d make me happy. Unl ucki l y, she i s not i n my rank of l i f e, andi ndeedat t hi s moment I can marr y no one; I must f i r st best i r mysel f act i vel yi nt he worl d. Had i t not been f or my deaf ness, I woul d have t r avel l ed hal fr ound t he gl obe er e now, and t hi s I must st i l l do. For me t her e i s nopl easure so gr eat as t o pr omote and to pur sue my art .

Do not suppose t hat I coul d be happy wi t h you. What i ndeed coul d makemehappi er ? Your ver y sol i ci t ude woul d di st r ess me; I shoul d r ead your

compassi on every moment i n your count enance, whi ch woul d make me onl ys t i l lmore unhappy. What were my t hought s ami d t he gl or i ous scenery of myf ather - l and? The hope al one of a happi er f utur e, whi ch woul d have beenmi nebut f or t hi s af f l i ct i on! Oh! I coul d span t he wor l d wer e I onl y f r eef romt hi s! I f eel t hat my yout h i s onl y now commenci ng. Have I not al waysbeenan i nf i r m cr eatur e? For some t i me past my bodi l y st r engt h has been



i ncr easi ng, and i t i s t he same wi t h my ment al power s. I f eel , t hough Icannot descri be i t , t hat I dai l y appr oach t he obj ect I have i n vi ew, i nwhi ch al one can your Beet hoven l i ve. No rest f or hi m! - - I know of nonebuti n sl eep, and I do gr udge bei ng obl i ged t o sacr i f i ce mor e t i me t o i tt hanf ormerl y. [ 1] Were I onl y hal f cur ed of my mal ady, t hen I woul d come toyou,and, as a more perf ect and matur e man, r enew our ol d f r i endshi p.

You shoul d t hen see me as happy as I am ever dest i ned t o be here bel ow-- notunhappy. No! t hat I coul d not endur e; I wi l l bol dl y meet my f ate, nevershal l i t succeed i n crushi ng me. Oh! i t i s so gl or i ous t o l i ve one' sl i f e at housand t i mes over ! I f eel t hat I am no l onger made f or a qui etexi st ence. You wi l l wr i t e t o me as soon as possi bl e? Pr ay t r y t o prevai l onSt ef f en[ von Br euni ng] t o seek an appoi nt ment f r om t he Teut oni c Or der

somewhere.Li f e her e i s t oo har assi ng f or hi s heal t h; besi des, he i s so i sol at edthatI do not see how he i s ever t o get on. You know t he ki nd of exi st enceher e.I do not t ake i t upon mysel f t o say that soci et y woul d di spel hi sl assi t ude, but he cannot be persuaded t o go anywhere. A shor t t i mes i nce, Ihad some musi c i n my house, but our f r i end St ef f en st ayed away. Dor ecommend hi m t o be more cal m and sel f - possessed, whi ch I have i n vai nt r i ed t o ef f ect ; ot her wi se he can nei t her enj oy heal t h nor happi ness. Tel lme i n your next l et t er whet her you car e about my sendi ng you a l argesel ect i on of musi c; you can i ndeed di spose of what you do not want , andt hus r epay t he expense of t he car r i age, and have my port r ai t i nt o t hebar gai n. Say al l t hat i s ki nd and ami abl e f r om me to Lor chen, and al sot omamma and Chri st oph. You st i l l have some regard f or me? Al ways r el y ont hel ove as wel l as t he f r i endshi p of your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: "Too much sl eep i s hur t f ul " i s marked by a t hi ck scor e i nt heOdyssey (45, 393) by Beet hoven' s hand. See Schi ndl er ' s _Beet hoven' sNachl ass_. ]

19.

TO KAPELLMEI STER HOFMEI STER, - - LEI PZI G. [ 1]

Vi enna, Dec. 15, 1800.

MY DEAR BROTHER I N ART, - -



I have of t en i nt ended t o answer your pr oposal s, but am f r i ght f ul l y l azyabout al l cor r espondence; so i t i s usual l y a good whi l e bef or e I canmakeup my mi nd t o wr i t e dr y l et t er s i nst ead of musi c. I have, however , atl astf or ced mysel f t o answer your appl i cat i on. _Pro pr i mo_, I must t el l youhowmuch I r egr et t hat you, my much- l oved br other i n t he sci ence of musi c,di dnot gi ve me some hi nt , so t hat I mi ght have of f ered you my quar t ets, aswel l as many ot her t hi ngs t hat I have now di sposed of . But i f you ar easconsci ent i ous, my dear br other , as many ot her publ i sher s, who gr i nd todeat h us poor composer s, you wi l l know pr et t y wel l how t o der i ve ampl epr of i t when t he works appear . I now br i ef l y st at e what you can havef romme. 1st. A Sept et , _per i l vi ol i no, vi ol a, vi ol oncel l o, cont r a- basso,cl ar i net t o, cor no, f agot t o; - - t ut t i obbl i gat i _ ( I can wr i t e not hi ng t hati snot _obbl i gato_, havi ng come i nt o the worl d wi t h an _obbl i gato_

accompani ment ! ) Thi s Septet pl eases very much. For more gener al use i tmi ght be ar r anged f or one more _vi ol i no, vi ol a_, and _vi ol oncel l o_,i nst eadof t he t hr ee wi nd- i nst r ument s, _f agot t o, cl ar i net t o_, and _cor no_. [ 2]2d. AGr and Symphony wi t h f ul l or chest r a [ t he 1st ] . 3r d. A pi anof or t eConcer t o[ Op. 19] , whi ch I by no means asser t t o be one of my best , any moret hant he one Mol l o i s t o publ i sh her e [ Op. 15] , ( t hi s i s f or t he benef i t oft heLei pzi g cri t i cs! ) because _I r eser ve t he best f or mysel f _ t i l l I setof f onmy t r avel s; st i l l t he wor k wi l l not di sgr ace you t o publ i sh. 4t h. AGr andSol o Sonata [Op. 22] . These ar e al l I can part wi t h at t hi s moment ; al i t t l e l at er you can have a qui nt et f or st r i nged i nst r ument s, andpr obabl ysome quart et s al so, and ot her pi eces t hat I have not at pr esent besi deme.I n your answer you can your sel f f i x the pr i ces; and as you are nei t heran _I t al i an_ nor a _J ew_, nor am I ei t her , we shal l no doubt qui ckl yagr ee.Far ewel l , and r est assur ed,

My dear br ot her i n ar t , of t he est eem of your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: The l et t er s t o Hof mei st er , f or mer l y of Vi enna, whoconduct edt he cor r espondence wi t h Beet hoven i n t he name of t he f i r m of"Hof mei st er &Kuehnel , Bur eau de Musi que, " are gi ven here as t hey f i r st appear ed i n1837i n t he _Neue Zei t schr i f t f uer Musi k_. On appl yi ng t o the pr esent



r epr esent at i ve of t hat f i r m, I was tol d t hat t hose who now possesst hesel et t er s decl i ne gi vi ng t hem out of t hei r own hands, and t hat no copyi stcanbe f ound abl e t o deci pher or t r anscri be t hem cor r ect l y. ]

[ Footnot e 2: Thi s l ast phr ase i s not i n t he copy bef or e me, but i nMarx' s _Bi ography_, who appear s t o have seen t he or i gi nal . ]

20.

TO KAPELLMEI STER HOFMEI STER.

Vi enna, J an. 15 ( or t her eabout s) , 1801.

I r ead your l et t er , dear brot her and f r i end, wi t h much pl easur e, and It hank you f or your good opi ni on of me and of my works, and hope I maycont i nue to deser ve i t . I al so beg you t o pr esent al l due thanks t o

Her r K.[ Kuehnel ] f or hi s pol i t eness and f r i endshi p t owar ds me. I , on my part ,r ej oi ce i n your under t aki ngs, and amgl ad t hat when works of ar t doturnout pr of i t abl e, t hey f al l t o t he shar e of t r ue ar t i st s, r at her t han t othatof mere t r adesmen.

Your i nt ent i on t o publ i sh Sebast i an Bach' s wor ks r eal l y gl addens myhear t ,whi ch beats wi t h devot i on f or t he l of t y and gr and pr oduct i ons of t hi sourf at her of t he sci ence of har mony, and I t r ust I shal l soon see t hemappear .I hope when gol den peace i s procl ai med, and your subscr i pt i on l i stopened,t o procur e you many subscr i ber s here. [ 1]

Wi t h regard to our own t r ansact i ons, as you wi sh t o know my pr oposal s,t heyar e as f ol l ows. I of f er you at pr esent t he f ol l owi ng wor ks: - - The Sept et( whi ch I al r eady wr ote to you about ) , 20 ducat s; Symphony, 20 ducat s;Concer t o, 10 ducat s; Gr and Sol o Sonat a, _al l egr o, adagi o, mi nuet t o,r ondo_,20 ducats. Thi s Sonat a [Op. 22] i s wel l up t o the mark, my dearbr ot her !

Now f or expl anat i ons. You may perhaps be sur pr i sed t hat I make nodi f f er ence of pr i ce bet ween the sonata, sept et , and symphony. I do sobecause I f i nd that a sept et or a symphony has not so gr eat a sal e as asonat a, t hough a symphony ought unquest i onabl y t o be of t he most val ue.( N. B. The sept et consi st s of a shor t i nt r oduct ory _adagi o_, an _al l egro,adagi o, mi nuet t o, andant e_, wi t h var i ati ons, _mi nuet t o_, and anot hershort _adagi o_ precedi ng a _prest o_. ) I onl y ask t en ducat s f or t he concer t o,f or , as I al r eady wr ot e to you, I do not consi der i t one of my best . I



cannot t hi nk t hat , t aken as a whol e, you wi l l consi der t hese pr i cesexorbi t ant ; at l east , I have endeavor ed t o make t hem as moderat e aspossi bl e f or you.

Wi t h regard t o t he banker ' s draf t , as you gi ve me my choi ce, I beg youwi l lmake i t payabl e by Ger muel l er or Schuel l er . The ent i r e sumf or t he f ourworkswi l l amount t o 70 ducat s; I underst and no curr ency but Vi enna ducat s,sohow many dol l ars i n gol d they make i n your money i s no af f ai r of mi ne,forr eal l y I am a very bad man of busi ness and account ant . Now t hi s _t r oubl esome_ busi ness i s concl uded; - - I cal l i t so, hear t i l y wi shi ngthati t coul d be ot herwi se here bel ow! There ought t o be onl y one gr and _depot _of ar t i n t he wor l d, t o whi ch t he ar t i st mi ght r epai r wi t h hi s wor ks,andon pr esent i ng them r ecei ve what he requi r ed; but as i t now i s, one must

behal f a t r adesman besi des- - and how i s t hi s t o be endured? Good heavens!Imay wel l cal l i t _t r oubl esome_!

As f or t he Lei pzi g oxen, [ 2] l et t hem t al k!- - t hey cer t ai nl y wi l l make nomani mmor t al by thei r pr at i ng, and as l i t t l e can t hey depr i ve ofi mmort al i t yt hose whom Apol l o dest i nes t o at t ai n i t .

Now may Heaven preser ve you and your col l eagues! I have been unwel l f orsome t i me; so i t i s r at her di f f i cul t f or me at pr esent t o wr i t e evenmusi c,much mor e l et t er s. I t r ust we shal l have f r equent oppor t uni t i es t oassureeach ot her how t r ul y you are my f r i end, and I your s.

I hope f or a speedy answer. Adi eu!

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: I have at t hi s moment i n my hands t hi s edi t i on of Bach,boundi n one t hi ck vol ume, t oget her wi t h t he f i r st par t of Naegel i ' s edi t i onoft he _Wohl t emper i r t es Cl avi er _, al so t hr ee books of exer ci ses ( D, G, and

Cmi nor) , t he _Toccat a i n D Mi nor _, and _Twi ce Fi f t een I nvent i ons_. ]

[ Foot not e 2: I t i s t hus t hat Schi ndl er suppl i es t he gap. I t i s pr obabl yanal l usi on t o t he _Al l gemei ne Musi kal i sche Zei t ung_, f ounded about t hr eeyear s pr evi ousl y. ]

21.



TO HERR HOFMEI STER.

Vi enna, Apr i l 22, 1801.

You have i ndeed t oo good cause t o compl ai n not a l i t t l e of me. Myexcuse i st hat I have been i l l , and i n addi t i on had so much t o do, t hat I coul dscarcel y even thi nk of what I was t o send you. Moreover , t he onl y t hi ngi nme that r esembl es a geni us i s, t hat my papers ar e never i n ver y goodor der ,and yet no one but mysel f can succeed i n ar r angi ng them. For i nst ance,i nt he score of t he concer t o, t he pi ano part , accordi ng t o my usualcust om,was not yet wr i t t en down; so, owi ng t o my hur r y, you wi l l r ecei ve i t i nmyown ver y i l l egi bl e wr i t i ng. I n or der t hat t he wor ks may f ol l ow asnear l y as

possi bl e i n t hei r proper or der , I have marked t he numbers t o be pl acedoneach, as f ol l ows: - -

Sol o Sonata, Op. 22.Symphony, Op. 21.Sept et , Op. 20.Concer t o, Op. 19.

I wi l l send you t hei r var i ous t i t l es shor t l y.

Put me down as a subscr i ber t o Sebast i an Bach' s works [ see Let t er 20] ,andal so Pr i nce Li chnowsky. The arr angement of Mozart ' s Sonat as as quar t etswi l l do you much cr edi t , and no doubt be pr of i t abl e al so. I wi sh Icoul dcont r i but e more to t he pr omot i on of such an under t aki ng, but I amani r r egul ar man, and t oo apt , even wi t h t he best i nt ent i ons, t o f or getever ythi ng; I have, however , ment i oned the matt er t o vari ous peopl e,and Iever ywher e f i nd t hemwel l di sposed t owards i t . I t woul d be a good t hi ngi fyou woul d ar r ange t he sept et you ar e about t o publ i sh as a qui nt et ,wi t h af l ut e par t , f or i nst ance; t hi s woul d be an advant age to amat eur s of t hef l ute, who have al r eady i mpor t uned me on t he subj ect , and who woul dswar m

r ound i t l i ke i nsect s and banquet on i t .

Now t o tel l you somet hi ng of mysel f . I have wr i t t en a bal l et[ "Promet heus" ] , i n whi ch t he bal l et - mast er has not done hi s part sowel l asmi ght be. The F- - - - von L- - - - has al so best owed on us a pr oduct i onwhi ch byno means cor r esponds wi t h the i deas of hi s geni us conveyed by t henewspaper



r eport s. F- - - - seems t o have t aken Her r M- - - - ( Wenzel Muel l er ?) as hi si dealat t he Kusper l e, yet wi t hout even r i si ng t o hi s l evel . Such ar e t hef i nepr ospects bef ore us poor peopl e who st r i ve t o st r uggl e upwards! My dearf r i end, pr ay l ose no t i me i n br i ngi ng t he wor k bef or e t he not i ce of t hepubl i c, and wr i t e t o me soon, t hat I may know whet her by my del ay Ihaveent i r el y f or f ei t ed your conf i dence f or t he f ut ur e. Say al l t hat i sci vi land ki nd t o your part ner, Kuehnel . Ever ythi ng shal l hencef ort h be sentf i ni shed, and i n qui ck successi on. So now f arewel l , and cont i nue yourr egar ds f or

Your f r i end and brot her ,

BEETHOVEN.

22.

TO HERR HOFMEI STER.

Vi enna, J une, 1801.

I am r ather surpr i sed at t he communi cat i on you have desi r ed yourbusi nessagent her e t o make t o me; I may wel l f eel of f ended at your bel i evi ng mecapabl e of so mean a t r i ck. I t woul d have been a ver y di f f er ent t hi nghad Isol d my works t o rapaci ous shopkeeper s, and then secr et l y made anot hergoodspecul at i on; but , f r om _one ar t i st t o anot her _, i t i s rather a st r ongmeasure t o suspect me of such a pr oceedi ng! The whol e t hi ng seems t o beei t her a devi ce t o put me t o the t est , or a mer e suspi ci on. I n anyevent Imay t el l you t hat bef ore you r ecei ved t he sept et f r om me I had sent i tt oMr . Sal omon i n London ( t o be pl ayed at hi s own concert , whi ch I di dsol el yf r om f r i endshi p) , wi t h the expr ess i nj uncti on t o bewar e of i t s get t i ngi nt oother hands, as i t was my i ntent i on t o have i t engr aved i n Germany,and, i fyou choose, you can appl y to hi m f or t he conf i r mat i on of t hi s. But t ogi veyou a f ur t her pr oof of my i nt egr i t y, "I her ewi t h gi ve you t he f ai t hf ul

assur ance that I have nei t her sol d the sept et , t he symphony, t heconcer t o,nor t he sonata t o any one but t o Messr s. Hof mei st er and Kuehnel , andthatt hey may consi der t hem t o be thei r own excl usi ve pr oper t y. And t o thi sIpl edge my honor. " You may make what use you pl ease of t hi s guar ant ee.

Moreover , I bel i eve Sal omon t o be as i ncapabl e of t he baseness ofengr avi ng



t he sept et as I am of sel l i ng i t t o hi m. I was so scrupul ous i n t hemat t er ,t hat when appl i ed to by var i ous publ i sher s t o sanct i on a pi anof or t earr angement of t he sept et , I at once decl i ned, t hough I do not evenknowwhether you pr oposed maki ng use of i t i n t hi s way. Here f ol l ow t hel ong- pr omi sed t i t l es of t he works. There wi l l no doubt be a good dealt oal t er and t o amend i n t hem; but t hi s I l eave t o you. I shal l soonexpect al et t er f r om you, and, I hope, t he wor ks l i kewi se, whi ch I wi sh t o seeengr aved, as others have appeared, and ar e about t o appear , i nconnect i onwi t h these number s. I l ook on your st at ement as f ounded on mere rumors,whi ch you have bel i eved wi t h t oo much f aci l i t y, or based ent i r el y onsupposi t i on, i nduced by havi ng perchance hear d that I had sent t he workt oSal omon; I cannot , t her ef ore, but f eel some cool ness t owards such acredul ous f r i end, t hough I st i l l subscri be mysel f

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

23.

DEDI CATI ON TO DR. SCHMI DT. [ 1]

1801.

MONSI EUR, - -

J e sens par f ai t ement bi en, que l a Cel ebr i t e de Vot r e nom ai nsi quel ' ami t i edont Vous m' honorez, exi geroi ent de moi l a dedi cace d' un bi en pl usi mpor t ant ouvrage. La seul e chose qui a pu me determi ner a Vous of f r i rcel ui - ci de pr ef er ence, c' est qu' i l me par oi t d' une execut i on pl usf aci l eet par l a meme pl us propr e a cont r i buer a l a Sat i sf act i on dont Vous j oui ssez dans l ' ai mabl e Cercl e de Vot r e Fami l l e. - - C' est sur t out ,l or squel es heur eux t al ent s d' une f i l l e cher i e se ser ont devel oppes davant age,que j e me f l at t e de voi r ce but at t ei nt . Heureux si j ' y ai r eussi et sidanscet t e f ai bl e marque de ma haut e est i me et de ma grat i t ude Vous

r econnoi ssezt out e l a vi vaci t e et l a cor di al i t e de mes sent i ment s.

LOUI S VAN BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Gr and Tr i o, Op. 38. ]

24.



TO HI S SCHOLAR, FERDI NAND RI ES. [ 1]

1801.

DEAR RI ES, - -

I send you herewi t h the f our part s cor r ected by me; pl ease compare t heot her s al r eady wr i t t en out wi t h t hese. I al so encl ose a l et t er t o CountBr owne. I have tol d hi m t hat he must make an advance to you of f i f t yducat s, t o enabl e you t o get your out f i t . Thi s i s absol ut el y necessar y,soi t cannot of f end hi m; f or af t er bei ng equi pped, you ar e t o go wi t h hi mt oBaden on t he Monday of t he ensui ng week. I must , however , r epr oach youfornot havi ng had r ecour se t o me l ong ago. Am I not your t r ue f r i end? Whydi dyou conceal your necessi t i es f r om me? No f r i end of mi ne shal l ever bei nneed, so l ong as I have anyt hi ng mysel f . I woul d al r eady have sent you

asmal l sum, di d I not r el y on Br owne; i f he f ai l s us, t hen appl y at oncet oyour

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: Ri es names 1801 as t he date of t hi s l et t er , and i t was nodoubt dur i ng t hat summer t hat Count Br owne was i n Baden. Ri es' s f at herhadassi st ed t he Beet hoven f ami l y i n every way i n hi s power at t he t i me oft hemot her ' s deat h. ]

25.

TO HERR HOFMEI STER, - - LEI PZI G.


Do you mean to go post - hast e t o t he devi l , gent l emen, by pr oposi ng thatIshoul d wr i t e _such_ a _sonat a_? Dur i ng t he revol ut i onar y f ever , a thi ngoft he ki nd mi ght have been appropr i ate, but now, when everyt hi ng i sf al l i ng

agai n i nt o t he beat en t r ack, and Bonapart e has concl uded a _Concordat _wi t ht he Pope- - such a sonata as t hi s? I f i t wer e a _mi ssa pr o Sanct a Mar i a atrevoci _, or a _vesper _, &c. , t hen I woul d at once take up my pen andwr i t e a _Cr edo i n unum_, i n gi gant i c semi breves. But , good heavens! such asonata,i n t hi s f r esh dawni ng Chr i st i an epoch. No, no! - - i t won' t do, and I wi l lhave none of i t .



Now f or my answer i n qui ckest _t empo_. The l ady can have a sonat a f r omme,and I am wi l l i ng t o adopt t he gener al out l i nes of her pl an i n an _aest het i cal _ poi nt of vi ew, wi t hout adher i ng t o t he keys named. Thepr i cet o be f i ve ducats; f or t hi s sumshe can keep t he work a year f or herownamusement , wi t hout ei t her of us bei ng ent i t l ed t o publ i sh i t . Af t er t hel apse of a year , t he sonat a to r ever t t o me- - t hat i s, I can and wi l lt henpubl i sh i t , when, i f she consi der s i t any di st i nct i on, she may requestmet o dedi cat e i t t o her .

I now, gent l emen, commend you to t he grace of God. My Sonata [ Op. 22]i swel l engr aved, but you have been a f i ne t i me about i t ! I hope you wi l lusher my Sept et i nt o t he wor l d a l i t t l e qui cker , as t he P- - - - i swai t i ng

f or i t , and you know t he Empr ess has i t ; and when ther e ar e i n thi si mper i al ci t y peopl e l i ke - - - - , I cannot be answer abl e f or t he r esul t ;sol ose no t i me!

Her r - - - - [ Mol l o?] has l at el y publ i shed my Quar t et s [ Op. 18] f ul l off aul tsand _er r at a_, bot h l ar ge and smal l , whi ch swar m i n t hem l i ke f i sh i nt hesea; t hat i s, t hey ar e i nnumer abl e. _Quest o e un pi acer e per unaut or e_- - t hi s i s what I cal l engr avi ng [ _st echen_, st i ngi ng] wi t h avengeance. [ 1] I n t r ut h, my ski n i s a mass of punct ur es and scratchesf romt hi s f i ne edi t i on of my Quar t et s! Now f ar ewel l , and thi nk of me as I doofyou. Ti l l deat h, your f ai t hf ul

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: I n r ef er ence t o the musi cal pi r acy at t hat t i me ver ypr eval enti n Austr i a. ]

26. [ 1]

TO MY BROTHERS CARL AND J OHANN BEETHOVEN.

Hei l i genst adt , Oct . 6, 1802.

Oh! ye who t hi nk or decl are me t o be host i l e, morose, andmi sant hr opi cal ,how unj ust you ar e, and how l i t t l e you know t he secr et cause of whatappears t hus t o you! My hear t and mi nd were ever f r om chi l dhood pronet ot he most t ender f eel i ngs of af f ect i on, and I was al ways di sposed t o



accompl i sh somethi ng great . But you must r emember t hat si x year s ago Iwasat t acked by an i ncur abl e mal ady, aggr avated by unski l f ul physi ci ans,del uded f r om year t o year , t oo, by t he hope of r el i ef , and at l engt hf or cedt o the convi ct i on of a _l ast i ng af f l i ct i on_ ( t he cur e of whi ch may goonf or year s, and per haps af t er al l pr ove i mpr act i cabl e) .

Born wi t h a passi onate and exci t abl e t emperament , keenl y suscept i bl e t ot hepl easur es of soci et y, I was yet obl i ged ear l y i n l i f e t o i sol at emysel f ,and t o pass my exi st ence i n sol i t ude. I f I at any t i me r esol ved t osur mountal l t hi s, oh! how cr uel l y was I agai n r epel l ed by t he exper i ence,saddert han ever , of my def ect i ve hear i ng! - - and yet I f ound i t i mpossi bl e t osayt o ot her s: Speak l ouder ; shout ! f or I am deaf ! Al as! how coul d I

pr ocl ai mt he def i ci ency of a sense whi ch ought t o have been more per f ect wi t h met han wi t h other men, - - a sense whi ch I once possessed i n t he hi ghestper f ect i on, t o an extent , i ndeed, t hat f ew of my pr of essi on everenj oyed!Al as, I cannot do t hi s! For gi ve me t heref ore when you see me wi t hdr awfromyou wi t h whom I woul d so gl adl y mi ngl e. My mi sf or t une i s doubl y sever ef romcausi ng me t o be mi sunder st ood. No l onger can I enj oy r ecreat i on i nsoci ali nt er cour se, r ef i ned conver sati on, or mut ual out pour i ngs of t hought .Compl et el y i sol ated, I onl y ent er soci et y when compel l ed t o do so. Imustl i ve l i ke an exi l e. I n company I am assai l ed by t he most pai nf ulappr ehensi ons, f r om t he dr ead of bei ng exposed to t he r i sk of mycondi t i onbei ng observed. I t was t he same dur i ng the l ast si x mont hs I spent i nt hecount r y. My i ntel l i gent physi ci an r ecommended me to spar e my hear i ng asmuch as possi bl e, whi ch was qui t e i n accordance wi t h my pr esentdi sposi t i on, t hough somet i mes, t empt ed by my natur al i ncl i nat i on f orsoci et y, I al l owed mysel f t o be begui l ed i nt o i t . But what humi l i at i onwhenany one besi de me heard a f l ut e i n t he f ar di st ance, whi l e I heard _not hi ng_, or when ot hers heard _a shepher d si ngi ng_, and I st i l l heard _not hi ng_! Such t hi ngs brought me t o t he ver ge of desperat i on, and

wel l ni ghcaused me t o put an end to my l i f e. _Ar t ! ar t _ al one, det er r ed me. Ah!howcoul d I possi bl y qui t t he wor l d bef or e br i ngi ng f or t h al l t hat I f el ti twas my vocat i on t o pr oduce?[ 2] And t hus I spar ed t hi s mi serabl e l i f e- -sout t er l y mi ser abl e t hat any sudden change may r educe me at any momentf rommy best condi t i on i nt o t he wors t . I t i s decr eed that I must now choose



_Pat i ence_ f or my gui de! Thi s I have done. I hope t he r esol ve wi l l notf ai lme, st eadf ast l y t o per sever e t i l l i t may pl ease t he i nexor abl e Fat es t ocutt he thr ead of my l i f e. Per haps I may get bet t er , per haps not . I ampreparedf or ei t her. Const r ai ned to become a phi l osopher i n my t went y- ei ght hyear ! [ 3] Thi s i s no sl i ght t r i al , and mor e sever e on an ar t i st t han onanyone el se. God l ooks i nt o my hear t , He sear ches i t , and knows t hat l oveforman and f eel i ngs of benevol ence have thei r abode t her e! Oh! ye who mayoneday r ead t hi s, t hi nk t hat you have done me i nj ust i ce, and l et any onesi mi l ar l y af f l i cted be consol ed, by f i ndi ng one l i ke hi msel f , who, i ndef i ance of al l t he obst acl es of Nat ur e, has done al l i n hi s power t obei ncl uded i n t he r anks of est i mabl e art i st s and men. My br other s Car land J ohann, as soon as I am no mor e, i f Pr of essor Schmi dt [ see Nos. 18 and

23]be st i l l al i ve, beg hi m i n my name t o descr i be my mal ady, and t o addt hesepages t o the anal ysi s of my di sease, t hat at l east , so f ar as possi bl e,t hewor l d may be reconci l ed t o me af t er my deat h. I al so her eby decl are youbot h hei r s of my smal l f or t une ( i f so i t may be cal l ed) . Shar e i tf ai r l y,agr ee t ogether and assi st each ot her. You know t hat anyt hi ng you di d t ogi ve me pai n has been l ong f orgi ven. I t hank you, my br other Carl i npart i cul ar , f or t he at t achment you have shown me of l ate. My wi sh i sthatyou may enj oy a happi er l i f e, and one more f r ee f r om care, t han mi nehasbeen. Recommend _Vi r t ue_ t o your chi l dren; t hat al one, and not weal t h,canensur e happi ness. I speak f r om exper i ence. I t was _Vi r t ue_ al one whi chsust ai ned me i n my mi sery; I have t o t hank her and Ar t f or not havi ngendedmy l i f e by sui ci de. Far ewel l ! Love each ot her . I gr at ef ul l y t hank al lmyf r i ends, especi al l y Pr i nce Li chnowsky and Prof essor Schmi dt . I wi sh oneofyou t o keep Pr i nce L- - - - ' s i nst r ument s; but I t r ust t hi s wi l l gi ve r i set ono di ssensi on bet ween you. I f you thi nk i t mor e benef i ci al , however ,you

have onl y t o di spose of t hem. How much I shal l r ej oi ce i f I can serveyoueven i n t he gr ave! So be i t t hen! I j oyf ul l y hasten t o meet Deat h. I fhecomes bef ore I have had t he opport uni t y of devel opi ng al l my ar t i st i cpower s, t hen, not wi t hst andi ng my cruel f at e, he wi l l come t oo ear l y f orme,and I shoul d wi sh f or hi m at a more di st ant per i od; but even t hen Ishal lbe cont ent , f or hi s advent wi l l r el ease me f r om a st at e of endl ess



suf f er i ng. Come when he may, I shal l meet hi m wi t h cour age. Far ewel l !Donot qui t e f or get me, even i n deat h; I deser ve t hi s f r om you, becausedur i ngmy l i f e I so of t en t hought of you, and wi shed t o make you happy. Amen!


( _Wr i t t en on t he Out si de. _)

Thus, t hen, I t ake l eave of you, and wi t h sadness t oo. The f ond hope Ibr ought wi t h me her e, of bei ng to a cert ai n degr ee cur ed, now ut t er l yf orsakes me. As aut umn l eaves f al l and wi t her , so are my hopesbl i ght ed.Al most as I came, I depart . Even t he l of t y cour age t hat so of t enani mat edme i n the l ovel y days of summer i s gone f orever . O Provi dence!vouchsaf e meone day of pur e f el i ci t y! How l ong have I been est r anged f r om t he gl adecho

of t r ue j oy! When! O my God! when shal l I agai n f eel i t i n the t empl eofNat ure and of man?- - never? Ah! t hat woul d be t oo har d!

( _Out si de. _)

To be r ead and f ul f i l l ed af t er my deat h by my brot hers Car l and J ohann.

[ Foot not e 1: Thi s beaut i f ul l et t er I r egr et not t o have seen i n t heor i gi nal , i t bei ng i n t he possessi on of t he vi ol i n _vi r t uoso_ Er nst , i nLondon. I have adhered to t he ver si on gi ven i n the Lei pzi g _Al l gemei neMusi kal i sche Zei t ung_, Oct . 1827. ]

[ Footnot e 2: A l ar ge port i on of t he _Eroi ca_ was wr i t t en i n t he cour seoft hi s summer , but not compl et ed t i l l August , 1804. ]

[ Foot not e 3: Beet hoven di d not at t hat t i me know i n what year he wasbor n.See the subsequent l et t er of May 2, 1810. He was t hen f ar advanced i nhi sthi r t y- thi rd year . ]

27.

NOTI CE.

November, 1802.

I owe i t t o t he publ i c and t o mysel f t o st ate t hat t he t wo qui nt et s i nCand E f l at maj or - - one of t hese ( ar r anged f r om a symphony of mi ne)publ i shedby Her r Mol l o i n Vi enna, and the ot her ( t aken f r ommy Sept et , Op. 20)by



Her r Hof mei st er i n Lei pzi g- - ar e not or i gi nal qui nt et s, but onl yver si ons oft he af oresai d works gi ven by the publ i sher s. Ar r angement s i n t hese days(sof r ui t f ul i n- - ar r angement s) an aut hor wi l l f i nd i t vai n t o cont endagai nst ;but we may at l east j ust l y demand t hat t he f act shoul d be ment i oned i nt het i t l e- page, nei t her t o i nj ur e t he reput at i on of t he aut hor nor t odecei vet he publ i c. Thi s not i ce i s gi ven t o pr event anythi ng of t he ki nd i nf ut ure.I al so beg t o announce t hat short l y a new or i gi nal qui nt et of mycomposi t i on, i n C maj or , Op. 29, wi l l appear at Br ei t kopf & Haer t el ' si nLei pz i g.


28.

TO FERDI NAND RI ES.

Summer of 1803.

You no doubt ar e awar e t hat I am here. Go t o St ei n, and ask i f he cansendme an i nst r ument , on hi r e. I amaf r ai d of br i ngi ng mi ne her e. Come tomet hi s eveni ng about seven o' cl ock. I l odge i n Ober doebl i ng, on t he l ef tsi deof t he st r eet , No. 4, goi ng down t he hi l l t owar ds Hei l i genst adt .

29.

TO HERR HOFMEI STER, - - LEI PZI G.

Vi enna, Sept . 22, 1803.

I hereby decl are al l t he works you have or der ed to be your pr oper t y. Thel i st of t hese shal l be made out and sent t o you wi t h my si gnatur e, ast hepr oof of t hei r bei ng your own. I al so agr ee t o accept t he sum of f i f t yducat s f or t hem. Ar e you sat i sf i ed?

Per haps, i nst ead of t he var i at i ons wi t h vi ol oncel l o and vi ol i n, [ 1] Imaysend you var i at i ons f or t he pi ano, arr anged as a duet on a song ofmi ne;but Goet he' s poet r y must al so be engr aved, as I wr ote these var i at i onsi nan al bum, and consi der t hem bet t er t han t he other s. Ar e you sat i sf i ed?

The ar r angements ar e not by me, t hough I have r evi sed and much i mproved



var i ous passages; but I do not wi sh you t o say t hat I have ar r angedt hem,f or i t woul d be f al se, and I have nei t her t i me nor pat i ence t o do so.Ar eyou sat i sf i ed?

Now f ar ewel l ! I si ncer el y wi sh t hat al l may go wel l wi t h you. I woul dgl adl y make you a pr esent of al l my works, i f I coul d do so and st i l lgeton i n t he wor l d; but - - r emember most peopl e are pr ovi ded f or , and knowwhatt hey have t o l i ve on, whi l e, good heavens! wher e can an appoi ntment bef ound at t he I mper i al Cour t f or such a _par vum t al ent um com ego_?

Your f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: These ar e the si x vari at i ons i n D, on t he ai r _I ch denkeDei n_

wr i t t en i n 1800 i n t he al bum of t he Count esses J osephi ne Deym and Ther eseof Br unswi ck. ]

30.

CAUTI ON.

November, 1803.

Herr Car l Zul ehner, a pi r at i cal engr aver i n Mayence, has announced anedi t i on of my col l ect ed wor ks f or t he pi anof or t e and al so str i ngedi nst r ument s. I consi der i t my dut y publ i cl y t o i nf or m al l f r i ends ofmusi ct hat I have no shar e what ever i n t hi s edi t i on.

I woul d never have i n any way aut hor i zed any col l ect i on of my works( whi ch,moreover , I consi der prematur e) wi t hout pr evi ousl y consul t i ng t hepubl i sher s of si ngl e pi eces, and ensur i ng t hat cor r ect ness i n whi chedi t i ons of my i ndi vi dual works are so def i ci ent . I must al so obser vethatt hi s i l l egal edi t i on cannot be compl et e, as sever al new works of mi neareshort l y to appear i n Par i s, and t hese Her r Zul ehner , bei ng a Frenchsubj ect , dar e not pi r at e. I i nt end t o take anot her oppor t uni t y of

enumer at i ng t he det ai l s of t he col l ect i on of my works t o be br ought outunder my own auspi ces and caref ul r evi si on.


31.

TO HERR RI ES. [ 1]



1804.

Be so good as t o make out a l i st of t he mi st akes and send i t at once toSi mr ock, and say t hat t he work must appear as soon as possi bl e. I wi l lsendhi m t he Sonata [ Op. 47] and the Concer t o t he day af t er t o- morr ow.

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot not e 1: Ri es r el at es t hat t he t hr ee f ol l owi ng not es r ef er t o t hepi anof or t e Sonat a, Op. 31, No. 1, car ef ul l y engr aved by Naegel i i nZur i ch,whi ch Beet hoven consequent l y sent f or t hwi t h to Si mr ock i n Bonn,desi r i nghi m t o br i ng out "_ une edi t i on t r escor r ect e_" of t he wor k. He al sost at est hat Beet hoven was resi di ng i n Hei l i genst adt at t he t i me t he work wasf i r s tsent [ see No. 26] . I n Not t ebohm' s _ Ski zzenbuch von Beet hoven_, he says(p.

43) t hat t he f i r st not i ce of t he appearance of t hi s sonata was on May21st ,1803; but Si mr ock wr i t es t o me t hat t he dat e of t he document maki ngovert he sonat a t o hi m i s 1804. ]

32.

TO HERR RI ES.

I must agai n ask you t o undert ake t he di sagr eeabl e t ask of maki ng af ai rcopy of t he er r or s i n t he Zur i ch Sonat a. I have got your l i st of _er r at a_"_auf der Wi eden_. "

33.

TO HERR RI ES.

DEAR RI ES, - -

The si gns ar e wr ongl y mar ked, and many of t he not es mi spl aced; so becar ef ul ! or your l abor wi l l be vai n. _Ch' a det t o l ' amat o bene?_

34.

TO HERR RI ES.

DEAR RI ES, - -

May I beg you t o be so obl i gi ng as t o copy t hi s _andant e_ [ i n theKr euzer



Sonata] f or me, however i ndi f f er ent l y? I must send i t of f t o- mor r ow,and asHeaven al one knows what i t s f ate may t hen be, I wi sh t o get i tt r anscr i bed.But I must have i t back t o- mor r ow about one o' cl ock. The cause of myt r oubl i ng you i s t hat one of my copyi st s i s al r eady ver y much occupi edwi t hvar i ous t hi ngs of i mpor t ance, and t he ot her i s i l l .

35.

TO THE COMPOSER LEI DESDORF, - - VI ENNA. [ 1]

DORF DES LEI DES [VI LLAGE OF SORROW- - LEI DESDORF] , - -

Let t he bearer of t hi s, Her r Ri es, have some easy duet s, and, bet t ers t i l l ,l et hi m have t hem f or not hi ng. Conduct your sel f i n accor dance wi t h t her ef ormed doct r i nes. Far ewel l !

BEETHOVEN

_Mi ni mus. _

[ Footnote 1: Date unknown. Lei desdor f was al so a musi c- sel l er . ]

36.

TO HERR RI ES.

Baden, J ul y 14, 1804.

DEAR RI ES, - -

I f you can f i nd me bet t er l odgi ngs, I shal l be ver y gl ad. Tel l mybr ot her snot t o engage these at once; I have a gr eat desi r e t o get one i n aspaci ous, qui et squar e or on t he Bast ei . I t i t r eal l y i nexcusabl e i n mybr ot her not t o have pr ovi ded wi ne, as i t i s so benef i ci al and necessaryt ome. I shal l t ake car e t o be pr esent at t he rehear sal on Wednesday. I amnotpl eased t o hear t hat i t i s t o be at Schuppanzi gh' s. He may wel l begr at ef ult o me i f my i mpert i nences make hi m t hi nner! Far ewel l , dear Ri es! We

havebad weat her her e, and I am not saf e f r om vi si t ors; so I must t akef l i ght i nor der t o be al one.

Your t r ue f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.



37.

TO HERR RI ES.

Baden, J ul y, 1804.

DEAR RI ES, - -

As Br euni ng [ see Nos. 13, 14, and 18] by hi s conduct has not scr upl edt odi spl ay my character t o you and t he house- st eward as t hat of a mean,pet t y,base man, I beg you wi l l convey my repl y at once i n person t o Br euni ng.Ianswer onl y one poi nt , t he f i r st i n hi s l et t er , and I do so sol el ybecausei t i s t he onl y mode of j ust i f yi ng mysel f i n your eyes. Say al so to hi mthatI had no i nt ent i on of r epr oachi ng hi m on account of t he del ay of t henot i ce

t o qui t , and even i f Br euni ng wer e r eal l y t o bl ame f or t hi s, ourharmoni ousr el ati ons are so dear and pr eci ous i n my si ght , t hat , f or t he sake of af ewhundr eds more or l ess, I woul d never subj ect any f r i end of mi ne tovexat i on. You are aware, i ndeed, t hat I j est i ngl y accused you as t hecauseof t he noti ce ar r i vi ng too l at e. I am qui t e sur e that you must r emembert hi s. I had ent i r el y f orgot t en t he whol e matt er , but at di nner mybr ot herbegan t o say t hat he t hought Br euni ng was t o bl ame i n t he af f ai r , whi chIat once deni ed, sayi ng t hat you wer e i n f aul t . I t hi nk thi s showspl ai nl yenough t hat I at t r i but ed no bl ame to Br euni ng; but on t hi s he sprang upl i ke a madman, and i nsi st ed on sendi ng f or t he house- st eward. Suchbehavi or , i n t he pr esence of al l t hose wi t h whom I usual l y associ at e,andt o whi ch I am whol l y unaccust omed, caused me to l ose al l sel f - cont r ol ;so Ial so star t ed up, upset my chai r , l ef t t he r oom, and di d not r et ur n. Thi sconduct i nduced Br euni ng t o pl ace me i n a pr et t y l i ght t o you and t hehouse- st eward, and al so t o send me a l et t er whi ch I onl y answered bysi l ence. I have not another word t o say t o Br euni ng. Hi s mode oft hi nki ngand of act i ng, wi t h r egard t o me, pr oves that t here never ought t o have

been such f r i endl y i nt i macy between us, and assur edl y i t can never moreber est ored. I wi shed t o make you acquai nt ed wi t h t hi s, as your ver si on oft heoccurr ence degr aded bot h my words and act i ons. I know t hat , had youbeenaware of t he r eal st ate of t he af f ai r , you woul d not have sai d what youdi d, and wi t h t hi s I am sat i sf i ed.



I now beg of you, dear Ri es, t o go t o my br other, t he apothecary, assoonas you r ecei ve t hi s l et t er , and say t o hi m t hat I mean t o l eave Badeni nt he cour se of a f ew days, and that he i s t o engage t he l odgi ng i nDoebl i ngas soon as you have gi ven hi m t hi s message. I had near l y l ef t t hi s t o-day;I det est bei ng her e- - I am si ck of i t . For Heaven' s sake ur ge hi m t ocl oset he bargai n at once, f or I want t o t ake possessi on i mmedi atel y. Nei t hershow nor speak to any one of what i s wr i t t en i n the pr evi ous page ofthi sl et t er . I wi sh t o pr ove t o hi m i n ever y respect t hat I am not so meanl ydi sposed as he i s. I ndeed I have wr i t t en t o hi m, al t hough my resol ve ast ot he di ssol ut i on of our f r i endshi p r emai ns f i r m and unchangeabl e.

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

38.

TO HERR RI ES.

Ber l i n, J ul y 24, 1804.

. . . You wer e no doubt not a l i t t l e sur pr i sed about t he af f ai r wi t hBr euni ng; bel i eve me, my dear f r i end, t hat t he ebul l i t i on on my partwasonl y an out break caused by many pr evi ous scenes of a di sagreeabl enat ur e. Ihave t he gi f t of bei ng abl e to conceal and t o repr ess my suscept i bi l i t yonmany occasi ons; but i f at t acked at a t i me when I chance t o bepecul i ar l yi r r i t abl e, I bur st f or t h mor e vi ol ent l y t han any one. Br euni ngcer t ai nl ypossesses many admi r abl e qual i t i es, but he t hi nks hi msel f qui t ef aul t l ess;whereas t he ver y def ect s t hat he di scover s i n ot hers are t hose whi ch hepossesses hi msel f t o t he hi ghest degr ee. Frommy chi l dhood I haveal waysdespi sed hi s pet t y mi nd. My powers of di scr i mi nat i on enabl ed me tof oresee

t he r esul t wi t h Br euni ng, f or our modes of t hi nki ng, act i ng, andf eel i ngar e ent i r el y opposi t e; and yet I bel i eved t hat t hese di f f i cul t i es mi ghtbeover come, but exper i ence has di spr oved thi s. So now I want no more ofhi sf r i endshi p! I have onl y f ound t wo f r i ends i n t he wor l d wi t h whom Ineverhad a mi sunder st andi ng; but what men t hese were! One i s dead, t he ot herst i l l l i ves. Al t hough f or near l y si x year s past we have seen not hi ng of





[ Footnot e 1: The qui nt et i s pr obabl y not t hat i n C, Op. 29, dedi cat edt oCount v. Fri es, pr evi ousl y publ i shed i n 1803 by Br ei t kopf & Haer t el[ see No.27] . I t i s mor e l i kel y t hat he al l udes t o a new qui nt et whi ch t he Counthadno doubt order ed. ]

40.

TO MADAME LA PRI NCESSE LI ECHTENSTEI N, &C. [ 1]

November, 1805.

Pr ay par don me, i l l ust r i ous Pr i ncess, i f t he bear er of t hi s shoul dcauseyou an unpl easant sur pr i se. Poor Ri es, my schol ar , i s f or ced by thi sunhappy war t o shoul der a musket , and must moreover l eave t hi s i n a f ewdays, bei ng a f or ei gner . He has not hi ng, l i t er al l y not hi ng, and i s

obl i gedt o t ake a l ong j our ney. Al l chance of a concer t on hi s behal f i s t husent i r el y at an end, and he must have r ecour se t o t he benevol ence ofot her s.I r ecommend hi m t o you. I know you wi l l f orgi ve t he step I have t aken.Anobl e- mi nded man woul d onl y have recour se t o such measures i n t he mostut t er ext r emi t y. Conf i dent of t hi s, I send t he poor yout h t o you, i nt hehope of somewhat i mpr ovi ng hi s ci r cumst ances. He i s f orced t o appl y t oal lwho know hi m.

I am, wi t h the deepest r espect , your s,

L. VAN BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot not e 1: Communi cat ed by Ri es hi msel f , who, t o Beet hoven' s ext r emei ndi gnat i on, di d not del i ver t he not e. See Wegel er ' s wor k, p. 134. Thef ol l owi ng remark i s added: - - "Date unknown; wr i t t en a f ew days bef oret heent r ance of t he French i n 1805" ( whi ch t ook pl ace Nov. 13) . Ri es, anat i veof Bonn, was now a French subj ect , and recal l ed under t he l aws ofconscr i pt i on. The Sonat a, Op. 27, No. 1, i s dedi cat ed t o Pr i ncessLi echt enst ei n. ]

41.

TO HERR MEYER. [ 1]

1805.

DEAR MEYER, - -



Pray t r y t o persuade Herr v. Seyf r i ed t o di r ect my Oper a, as I wi sh onthi soccasi on t o see and hear i t mysel f _f r oma di st ance_; i n t hi s way mypat i ence wi l l at al l event s not be so sever el y tr i ed as when I am cl oseenough t o hear my musi c so bungl ed. I r eal l y do bel i eve t hat i t i s doneonpur pose t o annoy me! I wi l l say nothi ng of t he wi nd- i nst r ument s; butal l _pp. _' s, _cr esc. _, _di scr esc. _, and al l _f . _' s and _f f . _' s may as wel lbest r uck out of my Oper a, f or no at t ent i on whatever i s pai d t o t hem. Ishal ll ose al l pl easur e i n composi ng anyt hi ng i n f ut ur e, i f I am t o hear i tgi vent hus. To- mor r ow or t he day af t er I wi l l come to f et ch you to di nner . To- dayI am agai n unwel l .

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

I f t he Oper a i s t o be per f ormed t he day af t er t o- mor r ow, t here must beanot her pr i vat e r ehear sal t o- mor r ow, or _each t i me i t wi l l be gi venwor seand worse_.

[ Footnot e 1: Meyer , t he husband of Mozart ' s el dest si st er - i n- l aw, J osepha( Hof er ' s wi dow) , sang t he par t of Pi zar r o at t he f i r st per f or mance of _Fi del i o_, Nov. 20, 1805, and al so at a l at er per i od. Seyf r i ed was atthatt i me Kapel l mei st er at t he Theatr e "an der Wi en. " ]

42.

TESTI MONI AL FOR C. CZERNY.

Vi enna, Dec. 7, 1805.

I , t he under si gned, am gl ad t o bear t est i mony t o young Car l Czernyhavi ngmade t he most ext r aor di nary pr ogr ess on t he pi anof or t e, f ar beyond whatmi ght be expect ed at t he age of f our t een. I consi der hi m deservi ng ofal lpossi bl e assi st ance, not onl y f r om what I have al r eady ref er r ed t o, but

f r om hi s ast oni shi ng memor y, and mor e especi al l y f r omhi s par ent shavi ngspent al l t hei r means i n cul t i vat i ng t he t al ent of t hei r pr omi si ng son.


43.

TO HERR ROeCKEL. [ 1]



DEAR ROeCKEL, - -

Be sure t hat you arr ange mat t er s properl y wi t h Mdl l e. Mi l der , and sayt oher pr evi ousl y f r om me, t hat I hope she wi l l not si ng anywher e el se. Ii nt end t o cal l on her t o- morr ow, t o ki ss t he hemof her garment . Do notal so f orget Marconi , and f orgi ve me f or gi vi ng you so much t r oubl e.

Yours whol l y,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: Roeckel , i n 1806 tenor at t he Theat r e "an der Wi en, " sangt hepar t of Fl or est an i n t he spr i ng of t hat year, when _Fi del i o_ wasr evi ved.Mdl l e. Mi l der , af t erwards Mdme. Hauptmann, pl ayed Leonore; Mdme.Marconiwas al so pr i ma donna. ]

44.

TO HERR COLLI N, [ 1] COURT SECRETARY AND POET.

MY ESTEEMED COLLI N, - -

I hear t hat you are about t o f ul f i l my gr eatest wi sh and your ownpur pose.Much as I desi r e t o expr ess my del i ght t o you i n per son, I cannot f i ndt i met o do so, havi ng so much to occupy me. Pray do not t hen ascr i be t hi s t oanywant of proper at t ent i on t owards you. I send you t he "Ar mi da"; as soonasyou have ent i r el y done wi t h i t , pr ay r et ur n i t , as i t does not bel ongt ome. I am, wi t h si ncere est eem,

Yours,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot not e 1: Col l i n, Cour t Secret ar y, was t he aut hor of _Cor i ol anus_, at r agedy f or whi ch Beet hoven i n 1807 wr ote t he cel ebr ated Over t ur ededi cated

t o t hat poet . Accor di ng t o Rei char dt , Col l i n of f er ed t he l i br et t o of _Br adamant e_ t o Beet hoven i n 1808, whi ch Rei char dt subsequent l ycomposed. Thi s note evi dent l y r ef er s t o a _l i bret t o_. ]

45.

TO HERR GLEI CHENSTEI N. [ 1]



I shoul d l i ke ver y much, my good Gl ei chenst ei n, t o speak t o you t hi sf orenoon between one and two o' cl ock, or i n the af t ernoon, and whereyoupl ease. To- day I am t oo busy t o cal l ear l y enough t o f i nd you at home.Gi veme an answer, and don' t f orget t o appoi nt t he pl ace f or us to meet .Far ewel l , and cont i nue your r egard f or your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: Probabl y i n r ef er ence t o a conf er ence wi t h r egard t o acont r act f or t he publ i cat i on of hi s works, Op. 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62,thatBeet hoven had made on t he 20t h Apr i l , 1807, wi t h Muzi o Cl ement i , whohadest abl i shed a l ar ge musi c f i r m i n London; i t was al so si gned by Bar onGl ei chen.

Beet hoven' s f i r st i nt ent i on was t o dedi cat e Op. 58 t o hi m, whi ch i sevi dent

f r om a l ar ge page i n Schi ndl er ' s wor k, on whi ch i s wr i t t en i n bol dcharacters, by t he mast er ' s own hand, "_Quat r i eme Concert o pour l ePi ano,avec accompagnement , et c. , dedi e a son ami Gl ei chenst ei n_, " &c. Thename oft he Ar chduke Rudol ph had been pr evi ousl y wr i t t en, and was event ual l yadopt ed, and Gl ei chenst ei n af t er wards r ecei ved t he dedi cat i on of t heGr andSonat a wi t h vi ol oncel l o, Op. 69. ]

46.

TO THE DI RECTORS OF THE COURT THEATRE. [ 1]

Vi enna, December , 1807.

The undersi gned has cause t o f l at t er hi msel f t hat dur i ng t he per i od ofhi sst ay i n Vi enna he has gai ned some f avor and approbat i on f r om t hehi ghestnobi l i t y, as wel l as f r om t he publ i c at l ar ge, hi s wor ks havi ng metwi t h anhonorabl e r ecept i on both i n t hi s and other count r i es. Never t hel ess hehashad di f f i cul t i es of ever y ki nd t o cont end agai nst , and has not hi t her t obeen so f or t unat e as t o acqui r e a posi t i on that woul d enabl e hi m _t o

l i vesol el y f or ar t _, and t o devel op hi s t al ent s t o a st i l l hi gher degr ee ofper f ect i on, whi ch ought t o be t he ai m of ever y ar t i st , t hus ensur i ngf ut ur ei ndependence i nst ead of mer e casual pr of i t s.

The mere wi sh _t o gai n a l i vel i hood_ has never been t he l eadi ng cl ewthathas hi t hert o gui ded the unders i gned on hi s pat h. Hi s great ai m has beent he



_i nt erest of ar t _ and t he ennobl i ng of t ast e, whi l e hi s geni us, soar i ngt oa hi gher i deal and gr eater per f ect i on, f r equent l y compel l ed hi m t osacri f i ce hi s t al ent s and pr of i t s t o t he Muse. St i l l wor ks of t hi s ki ndwonf or hi m a r eput at i on i n di st ant l ands, secur i ng hi m t he most f avor abl er ecept i on i n var i ous pl aces of di st i ncti on, and a posi t i on bef i t t i nghi st al ent s and acqui r ement s.

The undersi gned does not , however , hesi t at e t o say t hat t hi s ci t y i saboveal l ot her s t he most pr eci ous and desi r abl e i n hi s eyes, owi ng to t henumberof years he has l i ved her e, t he f avor and appr oval he has enj oyed f r ombot hhi gh and l ow, and hi s wi sh f ul l y to r eal i ze t he expect at i ons he has hadt hegood f or t une t o exci t e, but most of al l , he may t r ul y say, f r om hi s _pat r i ot i sm as a Ger man_. Bef or e, t heref or e, maki ng up hi s mi nd t o

l eave apl ace so dear t o hi m, he begs t o ref er t o a hi nt whi ch t he r ei gni ngPr i nceLi chnowsky was so ki nd as t o gi ve hi m, t o t he ef f ect t hat t he di r ect or soft he t heat r e were di sposed t o engage the under si gned on r easonabl econdi t i ons i n t he ser vi ce of t hei r t heat r e, and t o ensur e hi s r emai ni ngi nVi enna by secur i ng t o hi m a per manent posi t i on, more pr opi t i ous t o thef ur t her exer ci se of hi s t al ent s. As t hi s assur ance i s ent i r el y i naccordance wi t h t he wi shes of t he unders i gned, he t akes t he l i ber t y,wi t hal l due r espect , t o pl ace bef or e the di r ect or s hi s r eadi ness t o ent eri nt osuch an engagement , and begs t o st ate t he f ol l owi ng condi t i ons f orthei rgr aci ous consi der at i on.

1. The undersi gned under t akes and pl edges hi msel f t o compose each yearatl east _one gr and oper a_, t o be sel ect ed by the di r ect ors and hi msel f ;i nr et ur n f or t hi s he demands a _f i xed sal ar y_ of 2400 f l or i ns a year , andal so a f r ee benef i t at t he t hi r d per f ormance of each such oper a.

2. He al so agr ees t o suppl y the di r ect or s annual l y wi t h a l i t t l e _operet t a_

or a _di ver t i ssement _, wi t h chor uses or occasi onal musi c of t he ki nd,asmay be r equi r ed, _grat i s_; he f eel s conf i dent t hat on t he other handt hedi r ectors wi l l not r ef use, i n r et ur n f or t hese var i ous l abor s, t o gr anthi m _a benef i t concer t _ at al l event s once a year i n one of t he t heat r es.Sur el y t he above condi t i ons cannot be t hought exorbi t ant orunr easonabl e,



when t he expendi t ur e of t i me and energy ent ai l ed by t he pr oduct i on ofan _opera_ i s t aken i nt o account , as i t ent i r el y excl udes t he possi bi l i t yofal l ot her ment al exer t i on; i n ot her pl aces, t oo, t he aut hor and hi sf ami l yhave a shar e i n t he pr of i t s of ever y i ndi vi dual per f or mance, so thateven _one_ successf ul wor k at once ensures t he f ut ure f or t unes of t hecomposer .I t must al so be consi dered how pr ej udi ci al t he pr esent r ate of exchangei st o ar t i st s her e, and l i kewi se t he hi gh pr i ce of t he necessar i es ofl i f e,whi l e a resi dence i n f orei gn count r i es i s open t o them.

But i n any event , whet her t he di r ect or s accede to or decl i ne thi spr esentpr oposal , t he undersi gned vent ur es t o r equest t hat he may be permi t t edt o

gi ve a concer t f or hi s own benef i t i n one of t he t heat r es. For i f hi scondi t i ons be accepted, t he undersi gned must devote al l hi s t i me andt al ent s t o the composi t i on of such an opera, and t hus be pr event edworki ngi n any ot her way f or pr of i t . I n case of t he non- accept ance of t hesepr oposal s, as the concer t he was aut hor i zed t o gi ve l ast year di d nott akepl ace owi ng t o vari ous obst acl es, he woul d ent r eat , as a part i ng t okenoft he f avor hi t her t o vouchsaf ed t o hi m, t hat t he pr omi se of l ast year maynowbe f ul f i l l ed. I n t he f ormer case, he woul d beg to suggest _Annunci ati onDay_ [ Mar ch 25. ] f or hi s concer t , and i n t he l att er a day dur i ng t heensui ng Chr i st mas vacat i on.

LUDWI G VAN BEETHOVEN, M. P.

[ _Manu pr opr i a. _]

[ Foot not e 1: Thi s appl i cat i on was f r ui t l ess. See Rei char dt ' s _Ver t r aut eBr i ef e_. "These t wo ( Lobkowi t z and Est er hazy) are the heads of t hegr eatt heat r i cal di r ecti on, whi ch consi st s ent i r el y of pr i nces and count s,whoconduct al l t he l arge theat r es on t hei r own account and at t hei r ownr i sk. " The cl ose of t hi s l et t er shows t hat i t was wr i t t en i n December . ]

47.

TO COUNT FRANZ VON OPPERSDORF. [ 1]

Vi enna, Nov. 1, 1808 [ _si c!_ ] .

MY DEAR COUNT, - -



I f ear you wi l l l ook on me wi t h di spl easur e when I t el l you t hatnecessi t ycompel l ed me not onl y t o di spose of t he symphony I wr ote f or you, butt ot r ansf er another al so t o some one el se. Be assured, however , t hat youshal lsoon recei ve t he one I i nt end f or you. I hope t hat both you and theCountess, t o whom I beg my ki nd regards, have been wel l si nce we met . Iamat t hi s moment st ayi ng wi t h Countess Erdoedy i n the apar t ment s bel owt hoseof Pr i nce Li chnowsky. I ment i on t hi s i n case you do me t he honor t ocal l onme when you are i n Vi enna. My ci r cumst ances are i mprovi ng, wi t houthavi ngr ecour se t o t he i nt er vent i on of peopl e _who t r eat t hei r f r i endsi nsul t i ngl y_. I have al so the of f er of bei ng made _Kapel l mei st er _ t ot heKi ng of West phal i a, and i t i s possi bl e t hat I may accept t he pr oposal .Far ewel l , and somet i mes t hi nk of your at t ached f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot note 1: The f our t h Symphony i s dedi cat ed t o Count Oppersdor f . ]

48. [ 1]

I f ear I am t oo l at e f or t o- day, but I have onl y now been abl e t o getbackyour memori al f r om C- - - - , because H- - - - wi shed to add var i ous i t emsher eand t her e. I do beg of you t o dwel l chi ef l y on t he gr eat i mport ance t omeof adequate opport uni t i es t o exer ci se my art ; by so doi ng you wi l lwr i t ewhat i s most i n accor dance wi t h my head and my hear t . The preambl e mustsetf ort h what I am t o have i n West phal i a- - 600 ducats i n gol d, 150 ducatsfort r avel l i ng expenses; al l I have t o do i n r et ur n f or t hi s sum bei ng t odi r ect t he Ki ng' s [ J er ome' s] concer t s, whi ch ar e short and f ew i nnumber . Iamnot even bound t o di r ect any oper a I may wr i t e. So, t hus f r eed f r omal lcar e, I shal l be abl e t o devot e mysel f ent i r el y t o the most i mpor t antobj ect of my art - - t o wr i t e gr eat wor ks. An or chest r a i s al so t o be

pl acedat my di sposi t i on.

N. B. As member of a t heat r i cal associ ati on, t he t i t l e need not bei nsi stedon, as i t can pr oduce not hi ng but annoyance. Wi t h r egard t o the _I mper i alser vi ce_, I t hi nk t hat poi nt r equi r es del i cat e handl i ng, and not l esssot he sol i c i t at i on f or t he t i t l e of _I mper i al Kapel l mei ster _. I t must,





so much pat r i ot i sm f or hi s adopt ed f at her - l and, t hat he wi l l nevercease t oconsi der hi msel f an Aust r i an ar t i st , nor t ake up hi s abode el sewher e,i fanyt hi ng appr oachi ng t o t he same advantages are conf err ed on hi m here.

As many persons of hi gh, i ndeed of t he very hi ghest r ank, haver equest edhi m t o name the condi t i ons on whi ch he woul d be di sposed t o remai nher e, i ncompl i ance wi t h t hei r wi sh he st at es as f ol l ows: - -

1. Beet hoven must r ecei ve f r omsome i nf l uent i al nobl eman secur i t y f or aper manent sal ary f or l i f e: var i ous per sons of consi der at i on mi ghtcont r i but e to make up t he amount of t hi s sal ary, whi ch, at t he pr esenti ncr eased pr i ce of al l commodi t i es, must not consi st of l ess t han 4000f l or i ns _per annum_. Beet hoven' s wi sh i s t hat t he donor s of t hi s sumshoul dbe consi der ed as cooper at i ng i n the pr oduct i on of hi s f ut ur e gr eatworks,

by t hus enabl i ng hi m t o devot e hi msel f ent i r el y t o these l abor s, and byr el i evi ng hi m f r om al l ot her occupat i ons.

2. Beet hoven must al ways ret ai n t he pr i vi l ege of t r avel l i ng i n t hei nt erest s of ar t , f or i n t hi s way al one can he make hi msel f known, andacqui r e some f ort une.

3. Hi s most ardent desi r e and eager wi sh i s t o be recei ved i nt o theI mperi al servi ce, when such an appoi nt ment woul d enabl e hi m part l y orwhol l y to renounce t he pr oposed sal ary. I n t he mean t i me the t i t l e of _I mper i al Kapel l mei st er _ woul d be very grat i f yi ng t o hi m; and i f t hi swi shcoul d be real i zed, t he val ue of hi s abode her e woul d be much enhancedi nhi s eyes.

I f hi s desi r e be f ul f i l l ed, and a sal ar y gr ant ed by Hi s Maj est y t oBeet hoven, he wi l l r enounce so much of t he sai d 4000 f l or i ns as t heI mper i al sal ar y shal l amount t o; or i f t hi s appoi nt ment be 4000f l or i ns , hewi l l gi ve up the whol e of t he f ormer sum.

4. As Beethoven wi shes f r om t i me t o t i me to pr oduce bef ore the publ i catl arge hi s new gr eat works, he desi r es an assur ance f r omt he pr esentdi r ect or s of t he t heat r e on t hei r par t , and t hat of t hei r successor s,that

t hey wi l l aut hor i ze hi m t o gi ve a concer t f or hi s own benef i t ever yyear onPal m Sunday, i n t he Theat r e "an der Wi en. " I n r et ur n f or whi chBeet hovenagr ees t o ar r ange and di r ect an annual concer t f or t he benef i t of t hepoor ,or, i f t hi s cannot be managed, at al l event s t o f ur ni sh a new work ofhi sown f or such a concert .



50.

TO ZMESKALL.

December, 1808.

MY EXCELLENT FRI END, - -

Al l woul d go wel l now i f we had onl y a cur t ai n, wi t hout i t t he _Ar i a_["Ah!Per f i do"] _wi l l be a f ai l ur e_. [ 1] I onl y hear d t hi s to-day f r om S.[ Seyf r i ed] , and i t vexes me much: a cur t ai n of any ki nd wi l l do, even abed- cur t ai n, or mer el y a _ki nd of gauze screen_, whi ch coul d bei nstant l yr emoved. There must be somethi ng; f or t he Ar i a i s i n t he _dr amat i cs tyl e_ ,and bet t er adapt ed f or t he stage than f or ef f ect i n a concer t - r oom. _Wi t hout a cur t ai n, or somet hi ng of t he sor t , t he Ar i a wi l l be devoi dof

al l meani ng, and r ui ned! r ui ned! r ui ned! ! Devi l t ake i t al l ! _ The Cour twi l l pr obabl y be pr esent . Baron Schwei t zer [ Chamber l ai n of t he Ar chdukeAnt on] r equest ed me earnest l y t o make t he appl i cat i on mysel f . Ar chdukeCar lgranted me an audi ence and promi sed t o come. The Empress _nei t herpromi sednor r ef used_.

A hangi ng cur t ai n! ! ! ! or t he Ar i a and I wi l l both be hanged t o- morr ow.Far ewel l ! I embr ace you as cor di al l y on t hi s new year as i n t he ol done. _Wi t h or wi t hout a cur t ai n! _ Your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Rei chardt , i n hi s _Ver t r aut e Br i ef e_ r el at es among ot hert hi ngs about t he concert gi ven by Beet hoven i n the Royal Theat r e "anderWi en, " Oct . 22, 1808, as f ol l ows: - - "Poor Beet hoven, who der i ved f r omthi sconcer t t he f i r st and onl y net pr of i t s whi ch accrued to hi m dur i ng thewhol e year , met wi t h gr eat opposi t i on and ver y sl ender support i narr angi ngand car r yi ng i t out . Fi r st came the _Past or al Symphony; or,Remi ni scencesof Rur al Li f e_; t hen f ol l owed, as t he si xt h pi ece, a l ong I t al i an _scena_,

sung by Demoi sel l e Ki l l i t zky, a l ovel y Bohemi an wi t h a l ovel y voi ce. " Theabove not e [ t o Zmeskal l ?] cer t ai nl y r ef er s t o t hi s concer t . ]

51.

TO FERDI NAND RI ES. [ 1]

1809.





53.

TO ZMESKALL.

My most excel l ent , hi gh, and wel l - born Her r v. Zmeskal l , Cour tSecr et aryand Member of t he Soci ety of t he Si ngl e Bl essed, - - I f I come to see yout o- day, ascr i be i t t o t he f act t hat a per son wi shes t o speak t o me atyourhouse whom I coul d not r ef use t o see. I come wi t hout any _card_ f r omyou,but I hope you wi l l not on t hat account _di scard_ me.

Yours t r ul y- - most t r ul y,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

54.

TO ZMESKALL.

I t seems t o me, dear Zmeskal l , i f war r eal l y does br eak out , when i tcomest o an end you wi l l be t he very man f or an appoi ntment i n the PeaceLegat i on. What a gl or i ous of f i ce! ! ! I l eave i t ent i r el y to you t o dot hebest you can about my ser vant , onl y hencef or t h Countess Er doedy mustnotat t empt t o exer ci se t he smal l est i nf l uence over hi m. She says she madehi ma pr esent of t went y- f i ve f l or i ns, and gave hi m f i ve f l or i ns a mont h,sol el yt o i nduce hi m t o st ay wi t h me. I cannot r ef use t o bel i eve t hi s t r ai t ofgener osi t y, but I do not choose t hat i t shoul d be r epeat ed. Far ewel l ! It hank you f or your f r i endshi p, and hope soon t o see you.

Yours ever ,

BEETHOVEN.

55.

TO ZMESKALL. [ 1]

Apr i l 16, 1809.

I f I cannot come t o- day, dear Zmeskal l whi ch i s ver y possi bl e, askBaronessvon - - - - [ name i l l egi bl e] t o gi ve you t he pi anof or t e par t of t he Tr i os,andbe so good as t o send themand the other par t s t o me t o- day.

I n hast e, your



BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot note 1: Apr i l 16, 1809. By t he Terzet t s he no doubt means t he Tr i os,Op. 70, dedi cat ed t o Count ess Er doedy. ]

56.

TO ZMESKALL.

Apr i l 17, 1809.

DEAR Z. , - -

A sui t abl e l odgi ng has j ust been f ound out f or me, but I need some onet ohel p me i n t he af f ai r . I cannot empl oy my br other , because he onl yr ecommends what cost s l east money. Let me know, t her ef ore, i f we can go

t oget her t o l ook at t he house. I t i s i n t he Kl epper st al l . [ 1]

[ Footnot e 1: An der Moel ker Bast ei . ]

57.

TO ZMESKALL.

Apr i l 25, 1809.

I shal l be gl ad, r i ght gl ad, t o pl ay. I send you t he vi ol oncel l o par t ;i fyou f i nd t hat you can manage i t , pl ay i t your sel f , or l et ol d Kr af t [ 1]doso. I wi l l t el l you about t he l odgi ng when we meet .

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Ant on Kr af t ( and l i kewi se hi s son, Ni col aus Kr af t ) was amostadmi r abl e vi ol oncel l o- pl ayer , wi t h whom Beet hoven f r om t he ear l i estdays ofhi s r esi dence i n Vi enna had pl ayed a gr eat deal at Pr i nce Li chnowsky' s.Kr af t was at t hat t i me i n Pr i nce Lobkowi t z' s band. ]

58.

TO ZMESKALL. [ 1]

May 14, 1809.

MY DEAR LI TTLE MUSI CAL OLD COUNT! - -



I t hi nk af t er al l i t woul d be advi sabl e t o l et ol d Kr af t pl ay, as t het r i osar e t o be hear d f or t he f i r st t i me ( i n soci et y) , and you can pl ay t hemaf t er war ds; but I l eave i t al l t o your own opt i on. I f you meet wi t h anydi f f i cul t i es, one of whi ch may possi bl y be that Kr af t and S.[ Schuppanzi gh]do not harmoni ze wel l t oget her , t hen Her r v. Zmeskal l must di st i ngui shhi msel f , not as a mer e musi cal Count , but as an ener get i c musi ci an.

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot note 1: Kr af t and Schuppanzi gh were t hen each gi vi ng quar t et _soi r ees_. ]

59.

TO FREI HERR V. HAMMER- PURGSTALL. [ 1]

1809.

I f eel al most ashamed of your compl ai sance and ki ndness i n permi t t i ngme t osee t he MS. of your as yet unknown l i t er ary t r easur es. Pray r ecei ve mysi ncer e t hanks. I al so beg t o ret ur n bot h your oper et t as. Whol l yengrossedby my pr of essi onal avocat i ons, i t i s i mpossi bl e f or me to gi ve anopi ni on,especi al l y wi t h r egar d to t he I ndi an Oper et t a; as soon as t i me per mi t s,Iwi l l cal l on you f or t he pur pose of di scussi ng t hi s subj ect , and al sot heOr at or i o of "The Del uge. " Pray al ways i ncl ude me among t he warmadmi r er s ofyour great t al ent s.

I am, si r , wi t h si ncer e est eem, your obedi ent

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: I see i n Schi ndl er ' s _Beethoven_, t hat he wi shed t o have"anI ndi an Chor us of a r el i gi ous char act er " f r om t hi s renowned Or i ent al i st ,who, i n sendi ng hi s _Per si an Oper et t a_, wr i t t en "r at her wi t h an i dealt han

a musi cal obj ect , " and l i kewi se an or ator i o, _The Del uge_,r emarks: - - "Shoul d you not f i nd t hese works i n al l r espect s execut edqui t et o your t ast e, st i l l I f eel convi nced t hat t hr ough t he geni us of aBeet hoven al one can musi c port r ay t he r i si ng of t he gr eat f l ood and thepaci f yi ng of t he sur gi ng wat er s. "]

60.



TO FREI HERR V. HAMMER- PURGSTALL. [ 1]

1809.

For gi ve me, my dear H- - - - , f or not havi ng br ought you t he l et t er f orPar i s .I have been, and st i l l am, so much occupi ed, t hat day af t er day I amobl i ged t o del ay wr i t i ng i t , but you shal l have i t t o- mor r ow, even i f Iamunabl e to come mysel f t o see you, whi ch I am most anxi ous t o do.

Ther e i s another mat t er t hat I woul d most earnest l y press on you;per hapsyou mi ght succeed i n doi ng somethi ng f or a _poor unf ort unat e man_. Ial l udet o Her r St ol l , son of t he cel ebr ated physi ci an. Wi t h many per sons t hequest i on i s whet her a man has been r ui ned by hi s own f aul t or by t hatofot her s, but t hi s i s not so wi t h ei t her you or me; i t i s suf f i ci ent t hatSt ol l i s unf or t unat e, and l ooks on a j our ney to Par i s as hi s sol e

r esour ce,havi ng l ast year made many i nf l uent i al acquai ntances, who, when he goest her e, ar e t o endeavor t o pr ocur e hi m a pr of essorshi p i n West phal i a.St ol lhas t her ef ore appl i ed t o Her r v. Neumann, i n t he St ate Chancer y Of f i ce,t osend hi m wi t h a gover nment cour i er t o Par i s, but t he l at t er r ef uses t ot akehi m f or l ess t han t went y- f i ve l oui s d' or . Now I r equest you, my dearf r i end, t o speak to Her r v. Neumann t o ar r ange, i f possi bl e, t hat t hecour i er shoul d ei t her t ake St ol l _gr at i s_, or f or a smal l sum. I amper suaded t hat i f t her e i s not hi ng par t i cul ar agai nst i t , you wi l l begl adt o i nt er est your sel f i n poor St ol l . I r et ur n t o t he count r y t o- day, buthope soon t o be so f ort unate as t o enj oy an hour of your soci ety. I nt hemean t i me I send you my best wi shes, and beg you wi l l bel i eve i n t hesi ncer e est eem of

Your obedi ent

LUDWI G v. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Rei chardt st at es t hat Stol l was i n Vi enna i n t he spr i ng of1809, whi ch f i xes t he date of t hi s l et t er . Napol eon best owed a pensi onont he young poet ( who appears t o have gone to Par i s) , mi st aki ng hi m f or

hi sf at her , t he cel ebr at ed physi ci an. ]

61.

TO BARONESS VON DROSSDI CK.

MY ESTEEMED THERESE, - -



You wi l l r ecei ve wi t h t hi s what I promi sed. Had not many ser i ousobst acl esi nt ervened, I woul d have sent you more, i n or der t o show you t hat wheremyf r i ends are concer ned _I al ways per f orm more t han I pr omi se_. I hope,anddo not doubt , t hat you ar e agr eeabl y occupi ed and enj oyi ng soci et y, butnott oo much, I t r ust , t o pr event your t hi nki ng of us. I t woul d show t oomuchconf i dence i n you, or t oo hi gh an est i mat i on of my own meri t s, wer e It oat t r i but e the sent i ment t o you, "That peopl e ar e not t ogether onl y whenpr esent , but t hat t he absent and the dead al so l i ve wi t h us. " Who coul dascr i be such a thought t o the vol at i l e Ther ese, who takes t he worl d sol i ght l y? Among your var i ous occupat i ons, do not f or get t he pi ano, orr at her , musi c i n gener al , f or whi ch you have so f i ne a t al ent : why nott henseri ousl y cul t i vat e i t ? You, who have so much f eel i ng f or t he good andt he

beaut i f ul , shoul d st r i ve t o r ecogni ze t he per f ect i ons of so char mi ng anar t , whi ch i n r et ur n al ways cast s so br i ght a r ef l ect i on on us.

I l i ve i n ent i r e qui et and sol i t ude, and even t hough occasi onal f l ashesofl i ght ar ouse me, st i l l si nce you al l l ef t t hi s I f eel a hopel ess voi dwhi cheven my ar t , usual l y so f ai t hf ul t o me, has not yet t r i umphed over . Yourpi anof or t e i s order ed, and you shal l soon have i t . What a di f f er enceyoumust have di scovered bet ween t he t r eat ment of t he t heme I ext empor i zedont he ot her eveni ng and the mode i n whi ch I have recent l y wr i t t en i t outforyou? You must expl ai n t hi s your sel f , onl y do not f i nd t he sol ut i on i nt hepunch! How happy you are t o get away so soon to t he count r y! I cannotenj oyt hi s l uxur y t i l l t he 8t h. I l ook forwar d t o i t wi t h t he del i ght of achi l d.What happi ness I shal l f eel i n wander i ng among gr oves and woods, andamongt r ees, and pl ant s, and r ocks! No man on ear t h can l ove t he count r y as Ido! Thi cket s, t r ees, and r ocks suppl y t he echo man l ongs f or !

You shal l soon r ecei ve some mor e of my composi t i ons, whi ch wi l l notcauseyou to compl ai n so much of di f f i cul t i es. Have you r ead Goet he' s"Wi l hel mMei st er , " and Schl egel ' s "Tr ansl at i ons of Shakspeare"? Peopl e have somuchl ei sure i n the count r y, t hat per haps you woul d l i ke me to send yout heseworks? I t happens t hat I have an acquai nt ance i n your nei ghborhood; so



per haps you may see me some morni ng ear l y f or hal f an hour , af t er whi chImust be of f agai n. You wi l l al so obser ve t hat I i nt end t o bor e you f orasshor t a t i me as possi bl e. [ 1]

Commend me t o t he r egar d of your f at her and mot her , t hough I have asyet nor i ght t o cl ai m i t . Remember me al so to your cousi n M. [ Mathi l de] .Far ewel l ,my est eemed Therese; I wi sh you al l t he good and charm t hat l i f e cano f f e r . Thi nk of me ki ndl y, and f or get my f ol l i es. Rest assured t hat no onewoul dmore rej oi ce t o hear of your happi ness, even were you t o f eel noi nt er esti n your devot ed servant and f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

N. B. I t woul d be ver y ami abl e i n you t o wr i t e me a f ew l i nes, t o say i fIcan be of any use t o you here.

[ Foot note 1: Herr v. Mal f at t i Rohr enbach, nephew of t he renownedphysi ci anwho was so pr omi nent i n Beet hoven' s l ast i l l ness, l atel y rel ated t o mei nVi enna as f ol l ows: - - Beethoven went t o pay a vi si t t o young Frau Ther ese,Baroness Dr ossdi ck, at Moedl i ng, but not f i ndi ng her at home, he tore asheet of musi c- paper out of a book, and wr ot e some musi c t o a ver se ofMat t hi sson' s, and on t he ot her si de, i nscr i bed, i n l ar ge l et t er s, "Tomydear Ther ese. " The "Mathi l de" ment i oned f ar t her on was, accordi ng t oBaer mann, a Baroness Gl ei chenst ei n. [ See No. 45. ] ]

62.

A MDLLE. MDLLE. DE GERARDI . [ 1]

DEAR MDLLE. G. , - -

I cannot wi t h t r ut h deny t hat t he ver ses you sent have consi derabl yembar r assed me. I t causes a st r ange sensat i on t o see and hear your sel fpr ai sed, and yet t o be consci ous of your own def ect s, as I am. I

consi dersuch occur r ences as mere i nci t ement s t o st r i ve t o dr aw near er t heunat t ai nabl e goal set bef or e us by Ar t and Nat ur e, di f f i cul t as i t maybe. These ver ses ar e t r ul y beaut i f ul , wi t h t he except i on of one f aul t t hatweof t en f i nd i n poet s, whi ch i s, t hei r bei ng mi sl ed by Fancy t o bel i evethatt hey real l y do see and hear _what t hey wi sh t o see and hear _, and yeteven



t hi s i s f ar bel ow t hei r i deal . You may wel l bel i eve t hat I wi sh t obecomeacquai nt ed wi t h t he poet or poet ess; pr ay r ecei ve al so your sel f myt hanksf or t he ki ndl y f eel i ng you show t owar ds your si ncer e f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Not hi ng has hi t her t o been ascer t ai ned respect i ng ei t hert hedat e of t hi s not e, or t he l ady t o whom i t i s addr essed. ]

63.

TO ZMESKALL. [ 1]

J anuar y 23, 1810.

What are you about? My gayet y yest erday, t hough onl y assumed, has not

onl yvexed but of f ended you. The _uni nvi t ed guest s_ seemed so l i t t l e todeser veyour i l l - humor , t hat I endeavor ed to use al l my f r i endl y i nf l uence t opr event your gi vi ng way to i t , by my pr et ended f l ow of spi r i t s. I ams t i l lsuf f er i ng f r om i ndi gest i on. Say whether you can meet me at t he "Swan"t o- day.


BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: The cause t hat gave r i se t o t hi s note i s not known. ]

64.

TO WEGELER.

Vi enna, May 2, 1810.

MY DEAR OLD FRI END, - -

These l i nes may ver y possi bl y cause you some sur pr i se, and yet , t houghyouhave no wr i t t en pr oof of i t , I al ways r et ai n t he most l i vel y

r emembrance ofyou. Among my MSS. i s one t hat has l ong been dest i ned f or you, andwhi chyou shal l cer t ai nl y recei ve t hi s summer. For t he l ast t wo years mysecl udedand qui et l i f e has been at an end, and I have been f orci bl y dr awn i nt ot hevor t ex of t he worl d; t hough as yet I have at t ai ned no good r esul t f r omt hi s, - - nay, per haps r at her t he r ever se, - - but who has not been af f ect edby



t he st orms around us? St i l l I shoul d not onl y be happy, but t hehappi est ofmen, i f a demon had not t aken up hi s set t l ed abode i n my ear s. Had Inotsomewhere read that man must not vol untar i l y put an end t o hi s l i f ewhi l ehe can st i l l per f orm even one good deed, I shoul d l ong si nce have beennomore, and by my own hand t oo! Ah! how f ai r i s l i f e; but f or me i t i sf or ever poi soned!

You wi l l not r ef use me one f r i endl y ser vi ce, whi ch i s t o procur e me mybapt i smal cer t i f i cate. As St ef f en Br euni ng has an account wi t h you, hecanpay any expenses you may i ncur , and I wi l l r epay hi m her e. I f you t hi nki twort h whi l e t o make t he i nqui r y i n person, and choose t o make a j our neyf r om Cobl enz t o Bonn, you have onl y t o char ge i t al l t o me. I must ,however , warn you t hat I had an _el der brot her _ whose name was al soLudwi g,

wi t h the second name of _Mar i a_, who di ed. I n order t o know my pr eci seage,t he dat e of my bi r t h must be f i r st ascer t ai ned, t hi s ci r cumst ancehavi ngal r eady l ed other s i nt o er r or , and caused me t o be t hought ol der t han Ir eal l y am. Unl ucki l y, I l i ved f or some t i me wi t hout mysel f knowi ng myage[ see Nos. 26 and 51] . I had a book cont ai ni ng al l f ami l y i nci dent s, buti thas been l ost , Heaven knows how! So pardon my urgent l y r equest i ng yout ot r y t o di scover _Ludwi g Mar i a' s_ bi r t h, as wel l as t hat of t he pr esentLudwi g. The sooner you can send me t he cer t i f i cat e of bapt i sm t he moreobl i ged shal l I be. [ 1] I am t ol d t hat you si ng one of my songs i n yourFr eemason Lodge, probabl y t he one i n E maj or , whi ch I have not mysel fgot ;send i t t o me, and I promi se t o compensate you t hreef ol d andf our f ol d. [2] Thi nk of me wi t h ki ndness, l i t t l e as I appar ent l y deser ve i t . Embraceyourdear wi f e and chi l dr en, and al l whomyou l ove, i n t he name of yourf r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Wegel er says: - - "I di scover ed the sol ut i on of t he eni gma( why

t he bapt i smal cer t i f i cat e was so eager l y sought ) f r om a l et t er wr i t t ent ome t hree mont hs af t erwards by my br ot her - i n- l aw, Stephan von Br euni ng,i nwhi ch he sai d: ' Beet hoven t el l s me at l east once a week t hat he meanst owr i t e t o you; but I bel i eve hi s _i nt ended mar r i age i s br oken of f _; het her ef or e f eel s no ar dent i ncl i nati on t o t hank you f or havi ng pr ocur edhi sbapt i smal cert i f i cat e. ' " ]



[ Foot note 2: Beet hoven was mi st aken; Wegel er had onl y suppl i ed othermusi ct o t he words of Mat t hi sson' s _Opf er Li ed_. ]

65.

TO ZMESKALL.

J ul y 9, 1810.

DEAR Z. , - -

You ar e about t o t r avel , and so am I on account of my heal t h. I n t hemeant i me al l goes t opsy- t ur vy wi t h me. The _Herr _[ 1] want s t o have me wi t hhi m,and Ar t i s not l ess ur gent i n her cl ai ms. I am par t l y i n Schoenbr unnand

part l y here; every day assai l ed by messages f r om st r angers and newacquai nt ances, and even as r egards ar t I am of t en dr i ven nearl ydi st r actedby my undeserved f ame. Fort une seeks me, and f or t hat ver y r eason Ial mostdr ead some new cal ami t y. As f or your " I phi geni e, " t he f acts are t hese.Ihave not seen i t f or t he l ast t wo year s and a hal f , and have no doubtl enti t t o some one; but t o whom?- - t hat i s t he quest i on. I have sent i n al ldi r ecti ons, and have not yet di scover ed i t , but hope st i l l t o f i nd i t .I fl ost , you shal l be i ndemni f i ed. Far ewel l , my dear Z. I t r ust t hat whenwemeet agai n you wi l l f i nd t hat my art has made some pr ogr ess i n thei nt er i m.

Ever r emai n my f r i end, as much as I am your s,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: The "Her r " i s hi s pupi l , t he Ar chduke Rudol ph. ]

66.

TO BETTI NA BRENTANO. [ 1]

Vi enna, August 11, 1810.

MY DEAREST FRI END, - -

Never was t her e a l ovel i er spr i ng t han t hi s year ; I say so, and f eel i tt oo, because i t was t hen I f i r st knew you. You have your sel f seen t hati nsoci et y I am l i ke a f i sh on t he sand, whi ch wr i t hes and wr i t hes, butcannot



get away t i l l some benevol ent Gal atea cast s i t back i nt o t he mi ght yocean.I was i ndeed f ai r l y st r anded, dearest f r i end, when sur pr i sed by you atamoment i n whi ch moroseness had ent i r el y mast ered me; but how qui ckl y i tvani shed at your aspect ! I was at once consci ous t hat you came f r omanot herspher e than t hi s absur d wor l d, wher e, wi t h the best i ncl i nat i ons, Icannotopen my ears . I am a wr et ched cr eat ur e, and yet I compl ai n of other s! ! Youwi l l f or gi ve t hi s f r om t he goodness of hear t t hat beams i n your eyes,andt he good sense mani f est ed by your ear s; at l east t hey under st and how t of l at t er , by t he mode i n whi ch t hey l i st en. My ear s ar e, al as! apar t i t i on- wal l , t hr ough whi ch I can wi t h di f f i cul t y hol d anyi nt er cour sewi t h my f el l ow- cr eatur es. Ot her wi se, per haps, I mi ght have f el t moreassur ed wi t h you; but I was onl y consci ous of t he f ul l , i nt el l i gentgl ance

f r om your eyes, whi ch af f ect ed me so deepl y t hat never can I f or get i t .Mydear f r i end! dear est gi r l ! - - Ar t ! who compr ehends i t ? wi t h whom can Idi scuss t hi s mi ght y goddess? How preci ous t o me were t he f ew days whenwet al ked t oget her , or , I shoul d r at her say, cor r esponded! I havecareful l ypr eserved t he l i t t l e notes wi t h your cl ever , charmi ng, most charmi nganswer s; so I have to t hank my def ect i ve hear i ng f or t he gr eater partofour f ugi t i ve i nt er cour se bei ng wr i t t en down. Si nce you l ef t t hi s I havehadsome unhappy hours, - - hours of t he deepest gl oom, when I coul d donot hi ng.I wander ed f or t hr ee hour s i n t he Schoenbr unn Al l ee af t er you l ef t us,butno _angel _ met me t her e t o t ake possessi on of me as you di d. Prayf orgi ve,my dear f r i end, t hi s devi at i on f r om t he or i gi nal key, but I must havesuchi nt erval s as a r el i ef t o my heart . You have no doubt wr i t t en t o Goet heabout me? I woul d gl adl y bur y my head i n a sack, so t hat I mi ghtnei t hersee nor hear what goes on i n the wor l d, because I shal l meet you ther enomor e; but I shal l get a l et t er f r om you? Hope sust ai ns me, as i t doeshal f

t he wor l d; t hrough l i f e she has been my cl ose compani on, or what woul dhavebecome of me? I send you "Kennst Du das Land, " wr i t t en wi t h my ownhand, asa remembrance of t he hour when I f i r st knew you; I send you al soanot hert hat I composed si nce I bade you f arewel l , my dearest , f ai r estsweetheart !

Herz, mei n Herz, was sol l das geben,



Was bedraenget di ch so sehr;Wel ch ei n neues f r emdes Leben,I ch er kenne di ch ni cht mehr .

Now answer me, my dearest f r i end, and say what i s t o become of me si ncemyhear t has t ur ned such a r ebel . Wr i t e t o your most f ai t hf ul f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: The cel ebr at ed l et t er s t o Bet t i na ar e gi ven her e exact l yaspubl i shed i n her book, _I l i us Pamphi l i us und di e Ambr osi a_ (Ber l i n,Ar ni m,1857) i n two vol umes. I never mysel f had any doubt s of t hei r bei nggenui ne( wi t h the except i on of per haps some words i n the mi ddl e of t he t hi r dl et t er ) , nor can any one now di st r ust t hem, especi al l y af t er t hepubl i cat i on of _Beet hoven' s Let t er s_. But f or t he sake of t hose f orwhom

t he wei ght of i nnat e convi ct i on i s not suf f i ci ent pr oof , I may her ement i ont hat i n December , 1864, Prof essor Mori t z Carr i ere, i n Muni ch, whenconver si ng wi t h me about _Beet hoven' s Let t ers_, expr essl y assur ed methatt hese thr ee l et t er s wer e genui ne, and t hat he had seen t hem i n Ber l i natBet t i na v. Ar ni m' s i n 1839, and r ead t hem most at t ent i vel y and wi t h t hedeepest i nt er est . From t hei r i mpor t ant cont ent s, he ur ged thei ri mmedi at epubl i cat i on; and when thi s shor t l y af t er ensued, no change whateverstruckhi m as havi ng been made i n t he or i gi nal t ext; on t he cont r ar y, he st i l lperf ect l y r emembered t hat t he muchdi sput ed phr aseol ogy ( and especi al l yt hei nci dent wi t h Goet he) was pr eci sel y the same as i n t he or i gi nal s. Thi st est i mony seems t o me t he more wei ght y, as M. Car r i ere must not i n suchmat t ers be l ooked on as a novi ce, but as a compet ent j udge, who hascar ef ul l y studi ed al l t hat concer ns our l i t er ar y her oes, and who woul dnotpermi t anyt hi ng t o be f al sel y i mput ed t o Beet hoven any more t han t oGoet he.Beet hoven' s bi ogr aphy i s, however , t he pr oper pl ace t o di scuss morecl osel ysuch t hi ngs, especi al l y hi s char act er and hi s conduct i n t hi spart i cul arcase. At pr esent we onl y r ef er i n gener al t er ms t o t he f i r st chapt er of

_Beet hoven' s J ugend_, whi ch gi ves al l t he f act s connect ed wi t h t hesel et t er s t o Bet t i na and t he f ol l owi ng ones- - a char acteri st i c l i keness ofBeet hoven t hus i mpr essed i t sel f on t he mi nd of t he bi ogr apher, and wasr epr oduced i n a f ew bol d out l i nes i n hi s _Bi ogr aphy_. These l et t er scoul dnot , however , possi bl y be gi ven _i n extenso_ i n a gener al i nt r oduct i ont o acomprehensi ve bi ogr aphy. ]



67.

TO BETTI NA BRENTANO.

Vi enna, Feb. 10, 1811.

DEAR AND BELOVED FRI END, - -

I have now r ecei ved t wo l et t er s f r omyou, whi l e those t o Toni e showthatyou st i l l r emember me, and even t oo ki ndl y. I carr i ed your l et t er aboutwi t h me t he whol e summer , and i t of t en made me f eel very happy; t houghI donot f r equent l y wr i t e t o you, and you never see me, st i l l I wr i t e youl et t er s by t housands i n my t hought s. I can easi l y i magi ne what you f eelatBer l i n i n wi t nessi ng al l t he noxi ous f r i vol i t y of t he wor l d' sr abbl e, [ 1]even had you not wr i t t en i t t o me your sel f . Such pr at i ng about art , andyet

no r esul t s!! ! The best descr i pt i on of t hi s i s t o be f ound i n Schi l l er ' spoem "Di e Fl uesse, " where t he r i ver Spr ee i s supposed to speak. You ar egoi ng to be marr i ed, my dear f r i end, or are al r eady so, and I have hadnochance of seei ng you even once pr evi ousl y. May al l t he f el i ci t y t hatmar r i age ever best owed on husband and wi f e at t end you bot h! What can Isayt o you of mysel f ? I can onl y excl ai m wi t h J ohanna, "Compassi onate myfate!"I f I am spar ed f or some year s t o come, I wi l l t hank t he Omni sci ent , t heOmni potent , f or t he boon, as I do f or al l other weal and woe. I f youment i on me when you wr i t e to Goet he, st r i ve t o f i nd words expr essi ve ofmydeep r ever ence and admi r at i on. I amabout t o wr i t e t o hi m mysel f wi t hr egard to "Egmont , " f or whi ch I have wr i t t en some musi c sol el y f r om myl ovef or hi s poet r y, whi ch al ways del i ght s me. Who can be suf f i ci ent l ygr at ef ult o a gr eat poet , - - t he most preci ous j ewel of a nat i on! Now no more, mydearsweet f r i end! I onl y came home t hi s morni ng at f our o' cl ock f r omanor gy,wher e I l aughed heart i l y, but t o- day I f eel as i f I coul d weep assadl y;t ur bul ent pl easur es al ways vi ol ent l y r ecoi l on my spi r i t s. As f orCl emens[ Br ent ano, her br ot her ] , pr ay t hank hi m f or hi s compl ai sance; wi t h

r egardt o t he Cant at a, t he subj ect i s not i mpor t ant enough f or us her e- - i t i sver ydi f f er ent i n Ber l i n; and as f or my af f ect i on, t he si st er engr osses sol ar gea shar e, t hat l i t t l e r emai ns f or t he br ot her . Wi l l he be cont ent wi t ht hi s?

Now f ar ewel l , my dear , dear f r i end; I i mpr i nt a sor r owf ul ki ss on yourf orehead, t hus i mpr essi ng my t hought s on i t as wi t h a seal . Wr i t e soon,





The Spr i ng of 1811.

YOUR ROYAL HI GHNESS, - -

As i n spi t e of ever y ef f or t I can f i nd no copyi st t o wr i t e i n my house,Isend you my own manuscr i pt ; al l you have to do i s t o desi r e Schl emmert oget you an ef f i ci ent copyi st , who must , however , wr i t e out t he Tr i o i nyourpal ace, other wi se t her e woul d be no secur i t y agai nst pi r acy. I ambet t er ,and hope to have t he honor of wai t i ng on you i n the cour se of a f ewdays,when we must st r i ve t o make up f or l ost t i me. I al ways f eel anxi ous anduneasy when I do not at t end your Royal Hi ghness as of t en or asassi duousl yas I wi sh. I t i s cer t ai nl y the t r ut h when I say that t he l oss i s mi ne,butI t r ust I shal l not soon agai n be so unwel l . Be gr aci ousl y pl eased t o

r emember me; t he t i me may yet come when I shal l be abl e t o show youdoubl yand t r ebl y t hat I deserve t hi s more t han ever .

I am your Royal Hi ghness' s devot ed servant ,

LUDWI G V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot note 1: Schl emmer was f or many years Beethoven' s copyi st . ]

71.

MY DEAR FRI END, - - [ 1]

I have t aken t hi s t r oubl e onl y that I mi ght f i gur e cor r ect l y, and t husbeabl e somet i mes t o l ead ot her s. As f or mi st akes, I scar cel y everr equi r ed t ohave t hem poi nted out t o me, havi ng had f r om my chi l dhood such a qui ckper cept i on, t hat I exer ci sed i t unconsci ous t hat i t ought t o be so, ori nf act coul d be ot her wi se.

[ Footnote 1: Wr i t t en on a sheet of musi c- paper ( obl ong f ol i o) numbered22,and evi dent l y t or n out of a l ar ge book. On t he ot her si de (21) i s

wri t t en,i n Beet hoven' s hand, i nst r uct i ons on t he use of t he f our t h i nr et ar dat i ons,wi t h f i ve musi cal exampl es. The l eaf i s no doubt t or n f r omone of t hebookst hat Beet hoven had compi l ed f r om var i ous t ext - books, f or t hei nstr ucti on oft he Ar chduke Rudol ph. I have theref ore pl aced Beet hoven' s r emark here. ]



72.

TO THE DRAMATI C POET TREI TSCHKE.

J une 6, 1811.

DEAR TREI TSCHKE, - -

Have you r ead the book, and may I venture t o hope that you wi l l beper suaded t o undert ake i t ? Be so good as t o gi ve me an answer , as I ampr event ed goi ng t o you mysel f . I f you have al r eady read i t , t hen sendi tback t o me, t hat I may al so l ook over i t agai n bef ore you begi n t o workati t . Above al l , i f i t be your good pl easur e t hat I shoul d soar t o t heski eson t he wi ngs of your poet r y, I ent r eat you t o ef f ect t hi s as soon aspossi bl e.

Your obedi ent ser vant ,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

73.

TO ZMESKALL.

Sept . 10, 1811.

DEAR ZMESKALL, - -

Let t he rehearsal st and over f or t he pr esent . I must see my doctoragai nt o- day, of whose bungl i ng I begi n to t i r e. Thanks f or your met r onome;l etus t r y whet her we can measur e Ti me i nt o Et er ni t y wi t h i t , f or i t i s so _si mpl e_ and _easi l y managed_ t hat t here seems t o be no i mpedi ment t othi s !I n t he mean t i me we wi l l have a conf erence on t he subj ect . Themat hemat i calpr eci si on of cl ockwor k i s of cour se gr eat er ; yet f or mer l y, i n wat chi ngt hel i t t l e experi ment s you made i n my pr esence, I t hought t here wassomet hi ngwort hy of not i ce i n your met r onome, and I hope we shal l soon succeed i n _set t i ng i t t horoughl y r i ght _. Ere l ong I hope t o see you.

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

74.

TO ZMESKALL.





I am now, as ever , your at t ached

BEETHOeVERL.

Ret ur n t he encl osur e, f or we wi sh to br i ng i t , and somet hi ng el se,pr et t yf or ci bl y under t he not i ce of t he Count .

[ Footnote 1: The date of t hi s and t he f ol l owi ng note i s deci ded by theal l usi on t o hi s composi t i ons wr i t t en f or Hungar y ( Pest h) . See t hesubsequent l et t er t o Varenna. ]

78.

TO ZMESKALL.

You ar e summoned t o appear t o- day at t he "Swan; " Br unswi ck al so comes.I fyou do not appear, you are hencef ort h excl uded f r om al l t hat concer ns

us.Excuses _per excel l ent i am_ cannot be accept ed. Obedi ence i s enj oi ned,knowi ng t hat we are act i ng f or your benef i t , and t hat our mot i ve i s t oguard you agai nst t empt at i ons and f ai t hl essness _per excel l ent i am- -di xi _ .

BEETHOVEN.

79.

TO ZMESKALL.

DEAR ZMESKALL, - -

The wel l - known wat chmaker who l i ves cl ose t o t he Fr ei ung i s t o cal l onyou.I want a f i r st - r at e repeat er , f or whi ch he asks f or t y ducat s. As youl i ket hat ki nd of t hi ng, I beg you wi l l exer t your sel f on my behal f , andsel ecta real l y good watch f or me.

Wi t h t he most ent husi ast i c admi r at i on f or a man l i ke your sel f , who i ssoont o gi ve me an oppor t uni t y of di spl ayi ng i n hi s f avor my par t i cul arknowl edge of hor n- pl ayi ng, I am your


80.

TO KAMMERPROCURATOR VARENNA, - - GRATZ. [ 1]

1812.



I f t he wi sh t o benef i t t he poor wer e not so evi dent i n your l et t er , Ishoul d have f el t not a l i t t l e of f ended by your accompanyi ng yourr equest t ome by t he of f er of payment . Fr om my chi l dhood, whenever my art coul d beservi ceabl e t o poor suf f er i ng humani t y, I have never al l owed any ot hermot i ve to i nf l uence me, and never r equi r ed anyt hi ng beyond t hehear t f el tgr at i f i cat i on t hat i t al ways caused me. Wi t h t hi s you wi l l r ecei ve anOr at or i o- - ( A) , t he per f or mance of whi ch occupi es hal f an eveni ng, al soanOver t ur e and a Fant asi a wi t h Chor us- - ( B) . I f i n your benevol enti ns t i tut i onyou possess a _depot_ f or such t hi ngs, I beg you wi l l deposi t t heset hr eeworks t here, as a mark of my sympat hy f or t he dest i t ut e; t o beconsi deredas t hei r pr oper t y, and t o be gi ven at any concer t s i nt ended f or t hei rsol ebenef i t . I n addi t i on t o t hese, you wi l l r ecei ve an I nt r oduct i on t o t he"Rui ns of At hens, " t he scor e of whi ch shal l be wr i t t en out f or you as

soonas possi bl e. Li kewi se a Gr and Over t ur e to "Ungarn' s erst e Wohl t haet er "[ Hungar y' s Fi r st Benef act or s] .

Bot h f or m par t of t wo wor ks t hat I wr ote f or t he Hungar i ans at t heopeni ngof t hei r new t heat r e [i n Pest h] . Pr ay gi ve me, however , your wr i t t enassurance that t hese works shal l not be per f ormed el sewhere, as t heyarenot publ i shed, nor l i kel y to be so f or some t i me t o come. You shal lr ecei vet he l at t er Gr and Over t ur e as soon as i t i s r et ur ned t o me f r om Hungary,whi ch i t wi l l be i n t he cour se of a f ew days.

The engr aved Fant asi a wi t h Chorus coul d no doubt be execut ed by a l ady,anamat eur , ment i oned t o me here by Prof essor Schnel l er . [ 2] The wordsaftert he Chorus No. 4, i n C maj or , wer e al t er ed by t he publ i sher s, and arenowqui t e cont r ar y t o the musi cal expr essi on; t hose wr i t t en i n _penci l _,t her ef ore, on t he musi c must be sung. I f you can make use of t heOr at or i o,I can send you _al l t he part s wr i t t en out _, so that t he out l ay may bel essf or t he poor . Wr i t e t o me about t hi s.

Your obedi ent


[ Footnote 1: The corr espondence wi t h Varenna, consi st i ng of f our t eenl et t er s and f our notes, was pur chased some years ago by a col l ect or ofaut ogr aphs i n Lei pzi g, and sol d agai n by publ i c auct i on, pr obabl y t odi f f er ent per sons. I t woul d be l i ke pur sui ng l eaves scat t er ed by t hewi nd



t o t r y t o r ecover t hese l et t er s. Those her e gi ven have f or t he mostpar tappear ed i n newspaper s; I cannot , t her ef or e, be responsi bl e f or t hetext ,f ar t her t han t hei r publ i cat i on goes, whi ch, however , has evi dent l y beenconduct ed by a cl ever hand. The dat e of t he f i r st l et t er i s t o begl eanedf r om t he second, and we al so l ear n f r omt hem t hat _The Rui ns of At hens_and _Ki ng St ephen_ ( or at al l event s t he Over t ure) were al r eady f i ni shed i n J anuar y, 1812. ]

[ Footnot e 2: Thi s _ di l et t ant e_ was Mdl l e. Mar i e Koschak, subsequent l yt hewi f e of Dr . Pachl er , an advocat e i n Gr at z, f r om whom t wo l et t er s ar egi venby Schi ndl er of t he dat es of August 15th, 1825, and November 5th, 1826,i nwhi ch she i nvi t es Beet hoven t o vi si t her i n Gr atz. Schi ndl er consi der sas

appl i cabl e t o thi s l ady the wor ds of a not e i n Beet hoven' s wr i t i ng ofwhi chhe has gi ven a f ac- si mi l e i n hi s _Bi ogr aphy_, I . 95; t he dat e 1817 or1818. They ar e as f ol l ows: - - " Love al one, yes! l ove al one can make your l i f ehappi er. O God! gr ant t hat I may at l ast f i nd her who can st r engt hen mei nvi r t ue, whomI can l egi t i matel y cal l my own. On J ul y 27t h, when shedrovepast me i n Baden, she seemed t o gaze at me. " Thi s l ady al so pl ays af r i endl y par t i n Franz Schuber t ' s _Li f e_. See her _Bi ogr aphy_ by Dr .Krei ssl e. ]

81.

TO ZMESKALL.

Feb. 2, 1812.

By no means _ext r aordi nar y_, but _ver y or di nar y_ mender of pens! whoset al ent has f ai l ed on t hi s occasi on ( f or t hose I send r equi r e t o bef r eshmended) , when do you i nt end at l ast t o cast of f your f et t er s?- - when? Younever f or a moment t hi nk of me; accur sed t o me i s l i f e ami d t hi sAust r i an

bar bar i sm. I shal l go now chi ef l y to t he "Swan, " as i n ot her t aver ns Icannot def end mysel f agai nst i nt r usi on. Far ewel l ! t hat i s, _f ar e aswel l _as I wi sh you t o do wi t hout

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.





publ i sher t hat no one i s i n possessi on of i t , you can your sel f per cei vet hat I must car ef ul l y guar d agai nst any possi bl e cont i ngency orcasual t y ast o t hese pi eces. I must , however , assur e you t hat I shal l al ways bedi sposed t o show t he warmest zeal i n ai d of your char i t y, and I her epl edgemysel f t o send you ever y year works t hat exi st sol el y i n manuscr i pt , orcomposi t i ons wr i t t en expr essl y f or t hi s chari t abl e pur pose. I beg youwi l lal so l et me know what your f ut ur e pl ans are wi t h r egard t o youri nst i t ut i on, t hat I may act accor di ngl y.

Far ewel l ! I r emai n, wi t h t he hi ghest consi der at i on,

Your obedi ent


84.

TO ZMESKALL. [ 1]

Feb. 19, 1812.

DEAR Z. , - -

I onl y yest er day r ecei ved t he wr i t t en i nf ormat i on t hat t he Ar chdukepayshi s shar e i n the new paper - money of t he f ul l val ue[ _Ei nl oesungsschei n_] . Ibeg you wi l l wr i t e out f or me, as near l y as you can, t he subst ance ofwhatyou sai d on Sunday, and whi ch we t hought i t advi sabl e t o send t o t heot hert wo. I am of f er ed a cer t i f i cat e t hat t he Ar chduke i s t o pay i n _Ei nl oesungsschei n_, but I t hi nk t hi s unnecessar y, mor e especi al l y ast hepeopl e about Cour t , i n spi t e of al l t hei r appar ent f r i endshi p f or me,decl are t hat my demands ar e _not j ust _! ! ! ! O Heaven! ai d me i n endur i ngt hi s! I am no Her cul es, t o hel p At l as i n car r yi ng t he wor l d, or t ostr i vet o do so i n hi s pl ace. I t was onl y yest er day t hat I hear d t hepar t i cul ar sof t he handsome manner i n whi ch Baron von Kr af t had j udged and spokenof met o Zi si us! But never mi nd, dear Z. ! My endurance of t hese shamef ul

at t ackscannot cont i nue much l onger ; per secut ed art wi l l ever ywhere f i nd anasyl um- - Daedal us, t hough i mpr i soned i n a l abyr i nt h, f ound wi ngs t ocarryhi m al of t . Oh! I t oo shal l f i nd wi ngs!

Yours ever ,

BEETHOVEN.



I f you have t i me, send me thi s morni ng the dr af t of t he memori al ; - -pr obabl yf or not hi ng, and t o recei ve not hi ng! so much t i me i s al r eady l ost , andonl yt o be kept i n suspense by ci vi l words!

[ Foot note 1: The Fi nance Pat ent appear ed i n Aust r i a i n 1811, by whi cht heval ue of money was depr eci ated by a f i f t h. Thi s al so af f ect ed t hesal ar yt hat Beet hoven dr ew f r om t he Ar chduke Rudol ph, Pr i nce Ki nsky, andPr i nceLobkowi t z. The f i r st of t hese gent l emen pai d hi s f ul l shar e i n _Ei nl oesungsschei n_. Lobkowi t z, at t he r equest of Beet hoven, soon af t erdi dt he same; wi t h Ki nsky' s shar e al one di f f i cul t i es ar ose subsequent l y,owi ngt o hi s deat h. ]

85.

TO VARENNA.

Lent , 1812.

I n spi t e of my anxi et y to serve t he cause of your chari t y, I have beenqui t e unabl e to do so. I have no copyi st of my own t o wr i t e f or me asf ormer l y, and t he l i mi t ed t i me r ender s i t i mpossi bl e f or me t o do somysel f ; t hus I am obl i ged t o have r ecour se t o st r anger s as copyi st s.One oft hese pr omi sed t o wr i t e out t he Over t ur es, &c. , &c. , f or you; butPassi onWeek i nterveni ng, when t her e ar e so many concer t s, prevent ed hi s bei ngabl et o keep hi s word, i n spi t e of ever y ef f or t on my par t . Even i f t heOver t ur es and the March wi t h Chorus were t r anscr i bed, i t woul d not bepossi bl e t o send t hem by t hi s post , and i f we wai t f or t he next , t hemusi cwi l l ar r i ve t oo l at e f or East er Sunday. Let me know i f t her e are anymeansyou coul d adopt t o gai n a l i t t l e more t i me, or any chance opport uni t yofsendi ng t hese wor ks t o you, and I wi l l do al l t hat l i es i n my power t oai dt he cause of your char i t y.

I am, wi t h est eem, your s obedi ent l y,


86.

TO THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH. [ 1]

1812.



YOUR I MPERI AL HI GHNESS, - -

I was much vexed not t o r ecei ve Y. I . H. ' s message to come t o you t i l lver yl ate yest er day eveni ng- - i ndeed near l y at el even o' cl ock. Cont r ary t o myusual cust om, I di d not go home at al l dur i ng t he af t er noon, t he f i neweat her havi ng t empted me t o spend t he whol e af t ernoon i n wal ki ng, andt heeveni ng at t he Banda, "auf der Wi eden, " and t hus I was not aware ofyourwi sh ti l l I r et ur ned home. I n t he mean ti me, whenever Y. I . H. desi r esi t , Iam r eady at any hour or moment t o pl ace mysel f at your di sposal . It heref ore awai t your gr aci ous commands.

I am your I mperi al Hi ghness' s most obedi ent


[ Foot not e 1: The dat e 1812 i s marked on t he sheet by anot her hand, andt hecl ose of t he second not e pr oves t hat i t was at t he commencement of t hi syear . ]

87.

TO THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH.

1812.

YOUR I MPERI AL HI GHNESS, - -

I was unabl e t i l l t o- day, when I l eave my bed f or t he f i r st t i me, t oansweryour gr aci ous l et t er . I t wi l l be i mpossi bl e f or me t o wai t on yout o- morr ow, but perhaps t he day af t er. I have suf f ered much dur i ng t hel astf ew days, and I may say t wo- f ol d f r om not bei ng i n a condi t i on t odevot e agr eat part of my t i me t o you, accordi ng t o my heart f el t wi sh. I hopenow,however, t o have cl ear ed of f al l scores f or spr i ng and summer ( I meanas t oheal t h) .

I am your I mper i al Hi ghness' s most obedi ent ser vant ,


88.

TO VARENNA, - - GRATZ.




SI R, - -

Bei ng st i l l f ar f r omwel l , and much occupi ed, I have been unabl e t or epl yt o your l et t ers. How i n t he wor l d di d such an unf ounded i dea ever occurt oyou as t hat I was di spl eased? I t woul d cer t ai nl y have been bet t er hadyour et ur ned the musi c as soon as i t had been per f ormed; f or at t hat peri odIcoul d have pr oduced i t her e, wher eas now, unl ucki l y, i t comes t oo l ate;butI onl y say _unl ucki l y_ because i t pr event s my bei ng abl e to spare t hewort hy l adi es t he expenses of copyi ng. At any ot her t i me I woul d on noaccount have al l owed t hem t o pay f or wr i t i ng out t he wor ks, but i t sohappens t hat at t hi s moment I am vi si t ed wi t h ever y ki nd of _cont r et emps_,so I cannot avoi d doi ng so. Possi bl y Her r O. , al t hough wi t h t he besti nt ent i ons, has del ayed i nf ormi ng you of t hi s, whi ch obl i ged me t o

appl y t ohi m f or r epayment of t he expenses of copyi ng; per haps, t oo, i n myhaste, Idi d not expr ess mysel f di st i nct l y. You can now, est eemed si r , have theOver t ur e and t he Chor us agai n i f you r equi r e t hem.

I f eel convi nced t hat i n any event you wi l l pr event my conf i dence bei ngabused; i n the mean t i me you may keep t he Over t ure on t he condi t i ons Ihavestated. I f I f i nd t hat I am abl e t o pay f or t he copyi ng, I wi l l r edeemi tf or my own use.

The scor e of t he Or at or i o i s a gi f t , and al so t he Over t ure t o "Egmont . "Keep t he par t s of t he Or at or i o besi de you t i l l you can have i tperf ormed.

Sel ect what ever you choose f or t he concert whi ch I hear you now i nt endt ogi ve, and i f you deci de on the Chorus and the Over t ur e, t hey shal l bef or war ded t o you at once. For t he f ut ur e concer t , f or t he benef i t oft hevenerabl e Ur sul i nes, I pr omi se you an ent i r el y new symphony at al levent s,and per haps al so a work of some i mpor t ance f or voi ces, and as I havenow af avor abl e opport uni t y, t he copyi ng shal l not cost you a f ar t hi ng. My

j oywoul d be beyond al l bounds i f t he concer t wer e t o be successf ul , and Icoul d spare you al l expense; - - at al l event s, t ake my good- wi l l f orgr ant ed.

Remember me to t he admi r abl e t eacher s of t he chi l dren, and say t o t hemthatI shed t ear s of j oy at t he happy resul t of my poor good- wi l l , and t hatso



f ar as my humbl e capabi l i t i es can serve them, t hey shal l al ways f i nd i nmet he war mest sympathy.

My cor di al t hanks f or your i nvi t ati on; I woul d f ai n become acquai nt edwi t ht he i nt er est i ng scener y of St yr i a, and possi bl y I may one day enj oythatpl easur e. Far ewel l ! I hear t i l y r ej oi ce i n havi ng f ound i n you a f r i endt ot he poor and needy, and am al ways yours t o command.

LUDWI G VAN BEETHOVEN, M. P.

89.

TO J OSEPH FREI HERR VON SCHWEI GER, CHAMBERLAI N OF THE ARCHDUKERUDOLPH. [ 1]

1812.

The most i nsi gni f i cant of mor t al s has j ust been t o wai t on hi s graci ousmast er , when he f ound ever yt hi ng cl osed; so he came here, wher e i ndeedal lwas _open_, but no one to be f ound except t he t r ust y servant . I had aheavypacket of musi c wi t h me, i n or der t o ensure a good musi cal eveni ngbef orewe par t ed; but i n vai n. Mal f at t i [ 2] i s r esol ved t hat I shal l go t o Toepl i t z,whi ch i s anyt hi ng but agr eeabl e to me. As, however, I must obey, I hopeatl east t hat my gr aci ous master wi l l not enj oy hi msel f qui t e so muchwi t houtme. _O vani t as! _ f or i t i s not hi ng el se. Bef or e I set of f f or Toepl i t zIwi l l ei t her go to Baden t o see you or wr i t e. Far ewel l ! Pray pr esent myhomage to my gr aci ous mast er , and cont i nue your r egard f or

Your f r i end,

[ K. ] BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: The j our ney t o Toepl i t z t ook pl ace i n t he year 1812. ]

[ Footnot e 2: A ver y cel ebr at ed physi ci an i n Vi enna at t hat t i me,

consul t edby Beet hoven. ]

90.

TO VARENNA, - - GRATZ.

Toepl i t z, J ul y 19, 1812.



My thanks have been t oo l ong del ayed f or al l t he dai nt i es whi ch t hewor t hyl adi es sent f or my enj oyment ; bei ng const ant l y i l l i n Vi enna, I was atl astf or ced t o take r ef uge her e.

However , bet t er l at e t han never ; so I beg you wi l l say al l sor t s ofki ndt hi ngs i n my name to the admi r abl e Ur sul i ne l adi es, t hough I di d notdeserve so much gr at i t ude; i ndeed i t i s r ather f or me to t hank Hi m whoenabl es me to r ender my art occasi onal l y usef ul t o ot hers. When younextwi sh t o make use of my poor abi l i t i es f or t he benef i t of t he vener abl el adi es, you have onl y t o wr i t e to me.

A new symphony i s now r eady f or you, and as t he Ar chduke Rudol ph hashad i tcopi ed out , i t wi l l cost you nothi ng. Per haps I may one of t hese daysbeabl e t o send you somet hi ng vocal . I onl y wi sh and hope that you wi l l

notascr i be my anxi et y t o ser ve t hese venerabl e l adi es t o a cer t ai n degr eeofvani t y or desi r e f or f ame, as thi s woul d gr i eve me exceedi ngl y. I ft hesegood l adi es wi sh t o do me any ser vi ce i n r etur n, I beg t hey wi l li ncl ude mewi t h t hei r pupi l s i n t hei r pi ous or i sons. I r emai n, wi t h est eem,

Your f r i end,


I shal l r emai n her e f or some weeks; so i f t her e i s any occasi on t owri t e,address t o me here.

91.

WRI TTEN I N THE ALBUM OF THE SI NGER, MDME. AUGUSTE SEBALD.

Toepl i t z, August 8, 1812.

LUDWI G VAN BEETHOVEN,

Who even i f you woul d,

Forget you never shoul d.

92.

TO H. R. HI GHNESS THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH.

Franzensbrunn, Aug. 12, 1812.

I t was my bounden dut y l ong ago to have r ecal l ed mysel f t o Y. R. H. ' s



r ecol l ect i on, but par t l y my occupat i ons and the st at e of my heal t h, aswel las my own i nsi gni f i cance, made me rel uctant t o do so. I mi ssed Y. R. H.byone ni ght onl y i n Pr ague; f or when pr oceedi ng t o pay my r espects t o youi nt he mor ni ng, I f ound you had set of f t he ver y ni ght bef or e. I n Toepl i t zIheard a mi l i t ary band f our t i mes a day, - - t he onl y musi cal r eport whi chIcan gi ve you. I was a great deal wi t h Goet he. [ 1] My physi ci anStaudenhei m,however , order ed me of f t o Carl sbad, [ 2] and f r om t hence her e, andpr obabl yI shal l have t o go back t o Toepl i t z f r om t hi s. What f l i ght s! And yet i tseems ver y doubt f ul whet her any i mprovement i n my condi t i on hashi t her t ot aken pl ace. I r ecei ve the best account s of Y. R. H. ' s heal t h, and al sooft he per si st ent devot i on you exhi bi t t owards t he musi cal Muse. Y. R. H.

has nodoubt heard of a concer t t hat I gave f or t he benef i t of t he suf f er er sbyf i r e i n t he St adt Baden, [ 3] assi st ed by Her r Pol l edr o. [ 4] The r ecei pt swer enear l y 1000 f l or i ns W. W. , and i f I had not been rest r i ct ed i n myar r angement s we mi ght easi l y have t aken 2000 f l or i ns. I t was l i t er al l ya _poor concer t f or t he poor_. I coul d onl y f i nd at t he publ i sher ' s heresomeof my ear l i er sonatas wi t h vi ol i n accompani ment s, and as Pol l edr o hadsethi s heart on t hese, I was obl i ged t o cont ent mysel f wi t h pl ayi ng an ol dSonat a. [ 5] The ent i r e concer t consi st ed of a t r i o, i n whi ch Pol l edr opl ayed, my Sonata wi t h vi ol i n, t hen agai n somethi ng was pl ayed byPol l edr o,and, l ast l y, I ext empor i zed. Meanwhi l e I do si ncer el y rej oi ce t hat bythi smeans somethi ng has f al l en t o t he share of t he poor _Badeners_ . Praydei gnt o accept my best wi shes f or your wel f are, and my entr eat y t hat youwi l lsomet i mes t hi nk of me.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: Beet hoven speaks ver y br i ef l y of hi s meet i ng wi t h Goet he.

Goet he i n hi s _Tag- und J ahr schr i f t en_ of 1812 makes no al l usi on t oBeet hoven dur i ng hi s st ay at Toepl i t z. I t does not , t her ef or e, appearthatei t her of t hese mast er - mi nds f ound any part i cul ar pl easur e i n eachot herwhen t hey met personal l y. Beet hoven, i ndeed, dedi cat ed t o "t he i mmort alGoet he" ( 1812) hi s composi t i on t he _Meer esst i l l e und gl ueckl i cheFahr t _, butonl y wr ot e once t o hi m i n 1823 t o obt ai n a subscr i pt i on f r om t he Gr andDuke



of Wei mar f or hi s Gr and Mass, and recei ved no answer f r om Goet he. I nt hecompl ete edi t i on of Goet he' s works Beet hoven' s name i s onl y oncement i onedby Goet he, when he ref ers t o hi s f uner al obsequi es. ]

[ Footnot e 2: Dr . St audenhei m was, l i ke Mal f at t i , one of t he mostcel ebr atedphysi ci ans i n Vi enna. Beet hoven, t oo, was wel l acquai nt ed wi t hStaudenhei m,but i n hi s r egi men he nei t her f ol l owed the pr escr i pt i ons of St audenhei mnorof Mal f at t i . ]

[ Footnote 3: The St adt Baden, near Vi enna, had been vi si t ed on J ul y16t h bya most dest r uct i ve conf l agr at i on. ]

[ Foot not e 4: Gi ov. Bat t . Pol l edr o, Kapel l mei st er i n Tur i n, bor n 1776,t r avel l ed thr ough Ger many as a vi ol i ni st f r om1809 to 1812. He gave a

concer t i n Vi enna i n March, 1812. ]

[ Footnote 5: The vi ol i n Sonata wi t h pi anof ort e was pr obabl y Op. 47( composed i n 1803 and publ i shed i n 1805, accor di ng to Thayer, No. 111) ,orone of hi s ear l i er composi t i ons, Op. 30, or 24, or 23. ]

93.

TO BETTI NA VON ARNI M.

Toepl i t z, August 15, 1812.

MY MOST DEAR KI ND FRI END, - -

Ki ngs and pr i nces can i ndeed create pr of essors and pr i vy- counci l l or s,andconf er t i t l es and decor at i ons, but t hey cannot make gr eat men, - - spi r i t st hat soar above t he base t ur moi l of t hi s wor l d. Ther e t hei r power sf ai l ,and t hi s i t i s t hat f or ces t hem t o r espect us. [ 1] When t wo per sons l i keGoet he and mysel f meet , t hese gr andees cannot f ai l t o percei ve whatsuch aswe consi der great . Yest erday, on our way home, we met t he whol eI mper i alf ami l y; we saw t hem comi ng some way of f , when Goet he wi t hdr ew hi s arm

frommi ne, i n or der t o st and asi de; and, say what I woul d, I coul d notpr evai lon hi m t o make anot her st ep i n advance. I pressed down my hat moref i rml yon my head, but t oned up my great - coat , and, cr ossi ng my arms behi nd me,Imade my way t hrough t he t hi ckest por t i on of t he cr owd. Pr i nces andcour t i er s f ormed a l ane f or me; Ar chduke Rudol ph took of f hi s hat , andt he



Empress bowed t o me f i r st . These gr eat ones of t he ear t h _know me_. Tomyi nf i ni t e amusement , I saw t he pr ocessi on def i l e past Goet he, who st oodasi de wi t h hi s hat of f , bowi ng pr of oundl y. I af t er war ds t ook hi mshar pl y t ot ask f or t hi s; I gave hi m no quar t er , and upbr ai ded hi m wi t h al l hi ss i ns ,especi al l y towards you, my dear f r i end, as we had j ust been speaki ng ofyou. Heavens! i f I coul d have l i ved wi t h you as _he_ di d, bel i eve me Ishoul d have pr oduced f ar gr eat er t hi ngs. A musi ci an i s al so a poet , het oocan f eel hi msel f t r anspor t ed i nt o a br i ght er wor l d by a pai r of f i neeyes,wher e l of t i er spi r i t s spor t wi t h hi m and i mpose heavy t asks on hi m.Whatt hought s r ushed i nt o my mi nd when I f i r st saw you i n t he Observat orydur i nga ref r eshi ng May shower , so f er t i l i zi ng t o me al so! [ 2] The mostbeaut i f ult hemes st ol e f r omyour eyes i nt o my hear t , whi ch shal l yet enchant t he

wor l d when Beet hoven no l onger _di r ect s_. I f God vouchsaf es t o gr ant meaf ew more years of l i f e, I must t hen see you once more, my dear , mostdearf r i end, f or t he voi ce wi t hi n, t o whi ch I al ways l i st en, demands t hi s.Spi r i t s may l ove one another , and I shal l ever woo your s. Your appr ovali sdearer t o me than al l el se i n t he worl d. I t ol d Goet he my sent i ment s ast ot he i nf l uence pr ai se has over men l i ke us, and that we desi r e ourequal s t ol i st en t o us wi t h t hei r unders t andi ng. Emot i on sui t s women onl y;( f or gi veme! ) musi c ought t o st r i ke f i r e f r omt he soul of a man. Ah! my deargi r l ,how l ong have our f eel i ngs been i dent i cal on al l poi nt s! ! ! The sol erealgood i s some br i ght ki ndl y spi r i t t o sympathi ze wi t h us, whom wet horoughl ycomprehend, and f r om whomwe need not hi de our t houghts. _He who wi shest oappear somethi ng, must i n real i t y be somethi ng. _ The wor l d mustacknowl edgeus, i t i s not al ways unj ust ; but f or t hi s I car e not , havi ng a hi gherpur pose i n vi ew. I hope to get a l et t er f r omyou i n Vi enna; wr i t e t o mesoon and f ul l y, f or a week hence I shal l be t here. The Cour t l eavesthi s

t o- mor r ow, and t o- day t hey have anot her per f ormance. The Empress hasst udi ed her par t t hor oughl y. The Emper or and the Duke wi shed me to pl aysome of my own musi c, but I r ef used, f or t hey ar e bot h i nf atuat ed wi t h _Chi nese porcel ai n_. A l i t t l e i ndul gence i s r equi r ed, f or r eason seemst ohave l ost i t s empi r e; but I do not choose t o mi ni st er t o such per ver sef ol l y- - I wi l l not be a par t y t o such absur d doi ngs t o pl ease t hosepr i nceswho ar e const ant l y gui l t y of eccent r i ci t i es of t hi s sor t . Adi eu! adi eu!dear one; your l et t er l ay al l ni ght next my heart , and cheer ed me.



Musi ci ans permi t t hemsel ves gr eat l i cense. _Heavens! how I l ove you!_ Yourmost f ai t hf ul f r i end and deaf br ot her ,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Fraeul ei n Gi annat asi o del Ri o, i n t he j our nal she sent t ot he _Gr enz Bot en_ i n 1857, st at es t hat Beet hoven once decl ar ed, " I t i s verypl easant t o associ ate wi t h t he gr eat of t he eart h, but one must possesssome qual i t y whi ch i nspi r es t hem wi t h r espect . " ]

[ Footnote 2: Accor di ng t o Bet t i na ( see _Goet he' s Corr espondence wi t h aChi l d_, I I . 193) , t hei r f i r st acquai nt ance was made i n Beet hoven' sapart ment s. ]

94.

TO PRI NCESS KI NSKY, - - PRAGUE

Vi enna, Dec. 30, 1812.

YOUR HI GHNESS, - -

The dreadf ul event whi ch depr i ved you of your husband, Pr i nce vonKi nsky,snat chi ng hi m f r om hi s f at her - l and and f r om al l t hose who l ove hi m, [ 1]aswel l as f r ommany whom he gener ousl y support ed, f i l l i ng ever y heartcapabl eof appr eci at i ng goodness and gr eat ness wi t h t he deepest sor r ow,af f ect ed meal so i n t he most pr of ound and pai nf ul degr ee. The st er n dut y ofsel f - i nt erest compel s me t o l ay bef ore your Hi ghness a humbl e pet i t i on,t her easonabl e pur port of whi ch may, I hope, pl ead my excuse f or i nt r udi ngonyour Hi ghness at a t i me when so many af f ai r s of i mpor t ance cl ai m yourat t ent i on. Per mi t me t o state t he matt er t o your Hi ghness.

Y. H. i s no doubt awar e t hat when I r ecei ved a summons t o West phal i a i nt heyear 1809, hi s Hi ghness Pr i nce von Ki nsky, your l ate husband, t oget herwi t hhi s I . H. Ar chduke Rudol ph and H. H. t he Pr i nce von Lobkowi t z, of f er ed t oset t l e on me f or l i f e an annual i ncome of 4000 gul den, pr ovi ded I

decl i nedt he pr oposal i n quest i on, and det er mi ned t o remai n i n Aust r i a. Al t hought hi s sum was by no means i n pr opor t i on t o t hat secur ed t o me i nWest phal i a,st i l l my pr edi l ect i on f or Aust r i a, as wel l as my sense of t hi s mostgenerous pr oposal , i nduced me t o accept i t wi t hout hesi t at i on. Theshar econt r i but ed by H. H. Pr i nce Ki nsky consi st ed of 1800 f l or i ns, whi ch Ihave





H. H. , who was t hen i n Vi enna, t hr ough one of my f r i ends her e, HerrOl i va, awr i t t en memori al , cl ai mi ng hi s promi se, when H. H. gr aci ousl y r epeatedt ot hi s f r i end t he assurance he had al r eady gi ven me, addi ng that i n t hecour se of a f ew days he woul d gi ve t he necessar y i nst r uct i ons on t hesubj ect t o hi s cashi er .

A shor t t i me af t er war ds he l ef t Vi enna. When I ar r i ved t her e, Ii nqui r edf r om t he Pri nce' s secr etary whet her H. H. had gi ven di r ect i ons about mysal ary bef or e l eavi ng Vi enna, when, t o my sur pr i se, I was t ol d t hatH. H.had done nothi ng i n the mat t er.

My t i t l e to t he l i qui dat i on of my cl ai m i s pr oved by t he testi mony oft heHerr en von Varnhagen and Ol i va, t o whom H. H. spoke on the subj ect ,r ei t er at i ng hi s consent . I f eel convi nced t hat t he i l l ust r i ous hei r sand

f ami l y of t hi s pr i nce wi l l i n t he same spi r i t of benevol ence andgener osi t ystr i ve t o f ul f i l hi s i nt ent i ons. I t heref or e conf i dent l y pl ace i n Y. H. ' shands my respect f ul pet i t i on, vi z. , "t o pay up t he arr ear s of my sal ar yi n _Ei nl oesung Schei n_, and t o i nst r uct your cashi er t o t r ansmi t me t heamounti n f ut ur e, i n t he same cur r ency. " Rel yi ng on your sense of j ust i ceaccor di ng me a f avor abl e deci si on, I r emai n Y. H. ' s

Most obedi ent servant ,


[ Footnote 1: Pr i nce J osef Fer di nand Ki nsky, born December , 1781, andki l l edby a f al l f r om hi s hor se, November 3, 1812. ]

95.


1813. [ 1]

I have been f ar f r om wel l si nce l ast Sunday, but have suf f er ed more i n

mi ndt han i n body. I beg your f orgi veness a t housand t i mes f or not havi ngsoonersent my apol ogi es; each day I had t he st r ongest i ncl i nat i on t o wai t onyou,but Heaven knows t hat i n spi t e of t he best wi l l t hat I al ways ent er t ai nfort he best of master s I was unabl e to do so, di st r essi ng as i t i s t o menott o have i t i n my power t o sacri f i ce al l t o hi m f or whom I cher i sh t he



hi ghest esteem, l ove, and vener at i on. Y. R. H. woul d per haps act wi sel yi nmaki ng a pause at present wi t h t he Lobkowi t z concer t s; even t he mostbr i l l i ant t al ent may l ose i t s ef f ect by t oo gr eat f ami l i ar i t y.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: Pr i nce Fr anz J osef Lobkowi t z di ed December 25t h, 1816. Hi smusi cal meet i ngs wer e cer t ai nl y cont i nued t i l l 1813, or l onger . ]

96.


1813. [ 1]

At ear l y dawn t o- mor r ow t he copyi st shal l begi n t he l ast movement . As Iami n t he mean t i me wr i t i ng sever al other works, I di d not hur r y mysel f

muchwi t h thi s l ast movement mer el y f or t he sake of punct ual i t y, especi al l yas Imust wr i t e thi s mor e del i ber at el y, wi t h a vi ew t o Rode' s[ 2] pl ayi ng; wel i ke qui ck, f ul l - t oned passages i n our _Fi nal es_, whi ch do not sui t R. ,andt hi s r at her cramps me. At al l event s, al l i s sur e t o go wel l next Tuesday.I ver y much doubt whet her I shal l be abl e t o pr esent mysel f at Y. R. H. ' sont hat eveni ng, i n spi t e of my zeal i n your ser vi ce; but t o make up f ort hi s,I mean to come t o you to- mor r ow f orenoon and to- mor r ow af t ernoon, t hatImay ent i r el y f ul f i l t he wi shes of my i l l ust r i ous pupi l .

[ K. ]

[ Footnot e 1: 1813. J anuar y- Febr uary. ]

[ Foot not e 2: Pi er r e Rode, t he vi ol i ni st , ar r i ved i n Vi enna i n J anuar y,1813, and gave a concert i n the Redout ensaal on Febr uary 6t h, but di dnotgi ve uni ver sal sat i sf act i on ( _A. M. Z. _, 1813, p. 114) , and a secondconcer tt hat he had pr oj ected does not appear t o have t aken pl ace. He pl ayed i nGr at z on Febr uar y 20t h and 27t h. I t seems t hat Rode was t o pl ay wi t h

Beet hoven at t he Ar chduke Rudol ph' s, f or whi ch occasi on Beet hovenprepareda composi t i on f or t hem both. Was thi s t he Sonata f or pi anof ort e andvi ol i n,Op. 36, whi ch he af t erwards dedi cat ed t o the Ar chduke? Thayer st atesthati t was wr i t t en by Beet hoven i n 1810, and sol d to t he musi c- publ i sherSt ei ner i n Vi enna i n Apr i l , 1815. No ot her composi t i on f or t he vi ol i nand



pi anof or t e i s so l i kel y to be t he one as t hi s. I t i s, however , ami st ake i nt he _Bi bl i ot heque Uni ver sel l e_, t ome xxxvi . p. 210, t o stat e thatBeet hovendur i ng Rode' s st ay i n Vi enna composed t he "del i ci euse Romance" whi chwaspl ayed wi t h so much expr essi on by De Bai l l ot on t he vi ol i n. Ther e ar eonl yt wo Romances known f or t he vi ol i n by Beet hoven, t he one i n G maj or , Op.40,i n t he year 1803, and t he second i n F maj or , Op. 50, publ i shed i n 1805.( Thayer , 102 and 104. ) ]

97.


1813.

I had j ust gone out yest erday when your gr aci ous l et t er r eached me. Asformy heal t h, i t i s pr et t y much t he same, part i cul arl y as moral causesaffecti t , whi ch do not seem l i kel y to be r emoved; par t i cul ar l y as I can haver ecour se t o no one but mysel f f or ai d, and can f i nd hel p i n my own headal one; and mor e par t i cul ar l y st i l l , because i n these days nei t herwords,nor honor , nor wr i t t en pl edges, seem bi ndi ng on any one. As f or myoccupat i ons, I have come t o an end wi t h some of t hem, and, even wi t houtyour gr aci ous i nvi t at i on, I i nt ended t o appear at t he usual hour t o-day.Wi t h regard t o Rode [ see No. 96] , I beg Y. R. H. t o be so good as t o l etmehave t he par t by t he bear er of t hi s, and I wi l l send i t t o hi m at once,wi t h a pol i t e not e f r om me. _He cer t ai nl y wi l l not t ake ami ss mysendi nghi m t he par t . Oh! cer t ai nl y not ! Woul d to Heaven t hat I wer e obl i ged t oaskhi s f or gi veness on t hi s account ! f or i n t hat case t hi ngs woul d r eal l ybe i na bet t er posi t i on. _ I s i t your pl easur e t hat I shoul d come t o you t hi seveni ng at f i ve o' cl ock as usual , or does Y. R. H. desi r e anot her hour ? Ishal l endeavor t o ar r ange accor di ngl y, and punct ual l y to f ul f i l yourwi shes.

[ K. ]

98.

TO PRI NCESS KI NSKY.

Vi enna, Feb. 12, 1813.

YOUR HI GHNESS! - -





agr eed t o be pai d i n Vi enna curr ency, so t hat t he amount must not bededuct ed f r om t he sum st i l l due t o me.

I f eel sur e t hat Y. H. ' s nobl e f eel i ngs wi l l do j ust i ce t o t he equi t y ofmypr oposal , and my wi sh t o ent er i nt o ever y det ai l of t hi s af f ai r , so f arasci r cumst ances per mi t , and al so my r eadi ness t o post pone my cl ai ms t osui tyour conveni ence. The same el evat ed sent i ment s whi ch pr ompted you t of ul f i lt he engagement ent ered i nt o by t he l ate Pr i nce, wi l l al so make Y. H.appr ehend t he absol ut e necessi t y ent ai l ed on me by my posi t i on agai n tosol i ci t i mmedi ate payment of t he ar r ears of my sal ary, whi ch arei ndi spensabl e f or my mai nt enance.

Anxi ousl y hopi ng f or a f avorabl e answer t o my pet i t i on, I have t hehonor t or emai n, wi t h pr of ound r espect ,

Y. R. H. ' s obedi ent servant ,


99.

TO PRI NCESS KI NSKY.

HI GHLY HONORED PRI NCESS! - -

As t he Pr i nce' s counsel decl ar ed t hat my cl ai m coul d not be hear d t i l lt hechoi ce of a guar di an had been made, and as I now hear t hat Y. H. hasbeengr aci ousl y pl eased your sel f t o assume t hat of f i ce, but decl i ner ecei vi ngany one, I pr esent my humbl e pet i t i on i n wr i t i ng, r equest i ng at t hesamet i me your ear l y consi der at i on; f or you can easi l y under st and t hat ,r el yi ngon a t hi ng as a cer t ai nt y, i t i s pai nf ul t o be so l ong depr i ved of i t ,especi al l y as I am obl i ged ent i r el y t o suppor t an unf or t unat e si ckl ybrot her and hi s whol e f ami l y, [ 1] whi ch (not comput i ng my own want s) hasent i r el y exhaust ed my r esour ces, havi ng expect ed t o pr ovi de f or mysel fbyt he payment of my sal ary. You may per cei ve t he j ust i ce of my cl ai ms

f romt he f act of my f ai t hf ul l y nami ng t he r ecei pt of t he si xt y ducat s,advancedt o me by t he l at e Pr i nce i n Pr ague, t he Pr i nce' s counsel hi msel fdecl ar i ngt hat I mi ght have sai d nothi ng about t hi s sum, t he l ate Pr i nce nothavi ngment i oned i t ei t her t o hi m or t o hi s cashi er .

For gi ve my bei ng obl i ged t o i nt r ude t hi s af f ai r on you, but necessi t y



compel s me t o do so. Some days hence I shal l t ake t he l i ber t y of maki ngi nqui r i es on t he subj ect f r om t he Pr i nce' s counsel , or f r om any one Y. H.may appoi nt .

I r emai n, most est eemed and i l l ust r i ous Pri ncess,

Your devoted servant ,


[ Footnote 1: See a l et t er t o Ri es, Nov. 22d, 1815: - - "He was consumpt i veforsome years, and, i n order t o make hi s l i f e easi er , I can saf el y comput ewhat I gave hi m at 10, 000 f l or i ns W. W. "]

100.

TO ZMESKALL.

DEAR Z. , - -

For war d the accompanyi ng l et t er t o- day wi t hout f ai l t o Br unswi ck, t hati tmay arr i ve as soon and as saf el y as possi bl e. Excuse the t r oubl e I gi veyou. I have been agai n appl i ed t o, t o send some of my works t o Gr at z,i nSt yri a, f or a concer t t o be gi ven i n ai d of t he Ur sul i ne convent andi t sschool s: l ast year t hey had ver y l ar ge recei pt s by t hi s means.I ncl udi ngt hi s concer t , and one I gave i n Car l sbad f or t he benef i t of t hesuf f er er sf r om f i r e at Baden, t hr ee concert s have been gi ven by me, and t hr oughme,f or benevol ent pur poses i n one year ; and yet i f I ask a f avor , peopl eareas deaf as a post . Your

BEETHOVEN.

I . Let t er t o Scl owonowi t sch ( Mai t r e des bur eaux des post es) i n Cassel .Ican no l onger do wi t hout t he books of Ti edge and Fr au von der Recke, asIam expect ed t o gi ve some opi ni on about t hem.

101.

TO HERR J OSEPH VARENNA, - - GRATZ.

MY GOOD SI R, - -

Rode was not qui t e corr ect i n al l t hat he sai d of me; my heal t h i s not



par t i cul arl y good, and f r om no f aul t of my own, - - my pr esent condi t i onbei ngt he most unf or t unat e of my l i f e. But nei t her t hi s nor anythi ng i n t heworl dshal l pr event me f r om assi st i ng, so f ar as i t l i es i n my power , t hei nnocent and di st r essed l adi es of your convent by my poor works. It her ef ore pl ace at your di sposal t wo new symphoni es, a bass ar i a wi t hchor us, and sever al mi nor chor uses; i f you desi r e agai n t o per f or m"Hungar i a' s Benef act or s, " whi ch you gave l ast year , i t i s al so at yourser vi ce. Among the chor uses you wi l l f i nd a "Der vi se Chor us, " a capi t albai t f or a mi xed publ i c.

I n my opi ni on, your best pl an woul d be t o sel ect a day when you coul dgi vet he "Mount of Ol i ves, " whi ch has been everywher e per f ormed. Thi s woul doccupy one hal f of t he concer t , and t he other hal f mi ght consi st of anewsymphony, t he over t ur es, and var i ous chor uses, and l i kewi se the above-namedbass ar i a and chorus; t hus t he eveni ng woul d not be devoi d of var i ety.

Butyou can set t l e al l t hi s mor e sat i sf act or i l y wi t h t he ai d of your ownmusi cal aut hor i t i es. I t hi nk I can guess what you mean about a gr atui t yforme f r om a _t hi r d per son_. Wer e I i n t he same posi t i on as f or mer l y, Iwoul dat once say, "Beet hoven never accept s anyt hi ng _where the benef i t ofhumani t y i s concer ned_; " but owi ng t o my own too gr eat benevol ence I amr educed to a l ow ebb, t he cause of whi ch, however , does not put me t oshame, bei ng combi ned wi t h ot her ci r cumst ances f or whi ch men devoi d ofhonor and pr i nci pl e are al one t o bl ame; so I do not hesi t ate t o saythat Iwoul d not r ef use t he cont r i but i on of t he r i ch man t o whom youal l ude. [ 1]But t her e i s no quest i on her e of any _cl ai m_. I f , however , t he af f ai rwi t ht he _t hi r d per son_ comes t o not hi ng, pr ay rest assur ed t hat I shal l beequal l y di sposed t o conf er t he same benef i t as l ast year on my f r i endst her espect ed Ur sul i ne l adi es, and shal l at al l t i mes be r eady t o succort hepoor and needy so l ong as I l i ve. And now f arewel l ! Wr i t e soon, and Iwi l lzeal ousl y st r i ve t o make al l necessary ar r angement s. My best wi shes f ort heconvent .

I am, wi t h est eem, your f r i end,


[ Footnot e 1: Rei chardt , on t he 1st Mar ch, 1809, wr i t es i n hi s _Ver t r aut eBr i ef e_, - - "Beet hoven, by ' a r i ch t hi r d per son, ' as t he f ol l owi ng l et t erpr oves, meant Loui s Bonapart e, who, af t er abdi cat i ng the Dut ch thr one,l i ved i n Gratz . "]



102.

TO VARENNA.

MY EXCELLENT V. [ VARENNA] , - -

I r ecei ved your l et t er wi t h much pl easur e, but wi t h much di spl easur et he100 f l ori ns al l ot t ed t o me by our poor convent l adi es; i n the mean t i meIwi l l appl y par t of t hi s sum t o pay the copyi st s- - t he sur pl us and t heaccount s f or copyi ng shal l be sent t o t hese good l adi es.

I never accept anyt hi ng f or such a pur pose. I t hought t hat per haps t he _t hi r d person_ t o whom you al l uded mi ght be t he Ex- Ki ng of Hol l and, i nwhi ch case I shoul d have had no scr upl es, under my pr esentci r cumst ances,i n accept i ng a gr at ui t y f r om hi m, who has no doubt t aken enough f r omt he

Dut ch i n a l ess l egi t i mat e way; but as i t i s, I must decl i ne ( t hough i nal lf r i endshi p) any r enewal of t hi s subj ect .

Let me know whet her , were I t o come mysel f t o Gr atz, I coul d gi ve aconcer t , and what t he r ecei pt s woul d pr obabl y be; f or Vi enna, al as! cannol onger cont i nue my pl ace of abode. Per haps i t i s now t oo l ate? but anyi nf ormat i on f r omyou on t he poi nt wi l l be ver y wel come.

The wor ks ar e bei ng copi ed, and you shal l have t hem as soon aspossi bl e. You may do j ust what you pl ease wi t h t he Or at or i o; where i t wi l l be ofmostuse i t wi l l best f ul f i l my i nt ent i ons.

I am, wi t h est eem, your obedi ent

BEETHOVEN.

P. S. Say al l t hat i s ki nd f r om me t o t he wor t hy Ur sul i ne l adi es. Ir ej oi cei n bei ng abl e to ser ve t hem.

103.

TO ZMESKALL.

Conf ounded, i nvi t ed guest ! _Domanowetz! _- - not musi cal Count , butgobbl i ngCount ! di nner Count ! supper Count ! &c. , &c. The Quart et i s t o be t r i edovert o- day at t en o' cl ock or hal f - past , at Lobkowi t z' s. [ 1] Hi s Hi ghness,whosewi t s ar e gener al l y ast r ay, i s not yet ar r i ved; so pr ay j oi n us, i f youcan



escape f r om your Chancer y j ai l er . Her zog i s t o see you to- day. Hei nt endst o t ake t he post of my man- servant ; you may agr ee t o gi ve hi m t hi r t yf l or i ns, wi t h hi s wi f e _obbl i gat a_. Fi r i ng, l i ght , and mor ni ng l i ver yf ound. I must have some one who knows how t o cook, f or i f my f oodcont i nuesas bad as i t now i s, I shal l al ways be i l l . I di ne at home t o- day,becauseI get bet t er wi ne. I f you wi l l onl y or der what you l i ke, I ver y muchwi shyou to come to me. You shal l have the wi ne _gr at i s_, and of f ar bet t erqual i t y t han what you get at t he scoundr el l y "Swan. "

Your very i nsi gni f i cant

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot not e 1: Rei char dt , i n hi s _Ver t r aut e Br i ef e_, wr i t es: "Thebeaut i f ulquart et s and eveni ng concer t s f or t he Ar chduke Rudol ph st i l l cont i nue

atPr i nce von Lobkowi t z' s, al t hough t he Pri nce hi msel f i s about t o j oi nhi sbat t al i on i n Bohemi a. " Rei char dt , Vol . I . p. 182, cal l s Lobkowi t z "ani ndef at i gabl e, i nsat i abl e, genui ne ent husi ast f or art . "]

104.

TO ZMESKALL.

Feb. 25, 1813.

I have been const ant l y i ndi sposed, dear Zmeskal l , si nce I l ast saw you;i nt he mean t i me the ser vant who l i ved wi t h you bef ore your present onehasappl i ed f or my si t uat i on. I do not r ecol l ect hi m, but he tol d me he hadbeen wi t h you, and that you had not hi ng t o say agai nst hi m, except t hathedi d not dr ess your hai r as you wi shed. I gave hi m earnest - money, t houghonl y a f l ori n. Supposi ng you have no other f aul t t o f i nd wi t h t he man( andi f so I beg you wi l l candi dl y ment i on i t ) , I i nt end t o engage hi m, f oryouknow t hat i t i s no obj ect wi t h me to have my hai r dr essed; i t woul d bemor e

t o t he pur pose i f my f i nances coul d be dr essed, or _ r e- dr essed_. I hopet oget an answer f r om you to day. I f t her e i s no one to open the door t oyourser vant , l et hi m l eave the not e i n t he ent r ance t o the l ef t , and shoul dhef i nd no one t her e ei t her , he must gi ve i t t o t he por t er ' s wi f e bel owst ai r s. May Heaven pr osper you i n your musi cal undert aki ngs! Your

BEETHOVEN,



_Mi serabi l i s. _

105.

TO ZMESKALL.

Feb. 28, 1813.

Let us l eave t hi ngs as they ar e f or t o- day, dear Z. , t i l l we meet [ andsoon about t he servant ] .

Far ewel l ! Car ef ul l y guard the f or t r esses of t he r eal m, whi ch, as youknow,are no l onger vi r gi ns, and have al r eady r ecei ved many a shot .

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

106.

TO ZMESKALL.

MOST WORTHY COUNSELLOR, OWNER OF MI NES AND LORD OF FASTNESSES I NBURGUNDYAND BUDA! - -

Be so good as t o l et me know how mat t ers st and, as t hi s af t ernoon atl at estI shal l t ake advant age of your r epl y t o my quest i on, by gi vi ng myservantwar ni ng f or t hi s day f or t ni ght . Hi s wages, &c. , &c. [ The r est r el at est ohi s ser vant . ]

107.

TO ZMESKALL.

Apr i l 19, 1813.

MY DEAR ZMESKALL, - -

I have been r ef used t he Uni ver si t y Hal l . I hear d t hi s t wo days si nce;butbei ng i ndi sposed yest er day I coul d not go to see you, nor can I t o- dayei t her . We have no resour ce now but t he Kaer nt hnert hor Theat r e, or t heone"an der Wi en. " I bel i eve t her e wi l l onl y be one concer t . I f both thesef ai l , we must t hen have recour se t o the Augar t en, i n whi ch case weought






Baden, May 27, 1813.

I have t he honor t o i nf orm you of my arr i val i n Baden, whi ch i s i ndeedst i l l ver y empt y of human bei ngs, but wi t h al l t he gr eat er l uxur i anceandf ul l l ust r e does Nature shi ne i n her enchant i ng l ovel i ness. Wher e If ai l ,or ever have f ai l ed, be gr aci ousl y i ndul gent t owards me, f or so manyt r yi ngoccur r ences, succeedi ng each other so cl osel y, have r eal l y al mostbewi l der ed me; st i l l I am convi nced t hat t he r espl endent beaut i es ofNat ureher e, and t he char mi ng envi r ons, wi l l gr adual l y rest or e my spi r i t s, andadoubl e shar e of t r anqui l l i t y be my port i on, as by my stay her e Il i kewi sef ul f i l t he wi shes of Y. R. H. Woul d t hat my desi r e soon t o hear t hat Y. R. H.

i s f ul l y restor ed wer e equal l y f ul f i l l ed! Thi s i s i ndeed my war mestwi sh,and how much I gr i eve t hat I cannot at t hi s moment cont r i but e t o yourr ecover y by means of _my_ ar t ! Thi s i s r eser ved f or t he goddess Hygei aal one, and I , al as! am onl y a poor mor t al , who commends hi msel f t o Y. R. H. ,and si ncerel y hopes soon t o be permi t t ed t o wai t on you.

[ K. ]

111.


Vi enna, J ul y 24, 1813.

From day to day I have been expect i ng t o r etur n t o Baden; i n t he meant i me,t he di scor ds t hat det ai n me here may possi bl y be resol ved by t he end oft heensui ng week. To me a r esi dence i n a t own duri ng t he summer i s mi ser y,andwhen I al so r emember t hat I amt hus pr event ed wai t i ng on Y. R. H. , i t i sst i l l mor e vexat i ous and annoyi ng. I t i s, i n f act , t he Lobkowi t z andKi nskyaf f ai r s t hat keep me here. I nst ead of ponderi ng over a number of bars,

I amobl i ged const ant l y to r ef l ect on t he number of per egr i nat i ons I amf or cedt o make; but f or t hi s, I coul d scar cel y endur e t o t he end. Y. R. H. hasnodoubt hear d of Lobkowi t z' s mi sf or t unes, [ 1] whi ch are much t o ber egr et t ed;but af t er al l , t o be r i ch i s no such gr eat happi ness! I t i s sai d t hatCount



Fr i es al one pai d 1900 gol d ducats t o Duport , f or whi ch he had t hesecur i t yof t he anci ent Lobkowi t z house. The det ai l s ar e beyond al l bel i ef . Iheart hat Count Rasumowsky[ 2] i ntends t o go t o Baden, and to t ake hi sQuart etwi t h hi m, whi ch i s r eal l y ver y pr et t y, and I have no doubt t hat Y. R. H.wi l lbe much pl eased wi t h i t . I know no more charmi ng enj oyment i n t hecount r yt han quar t et musi c. I beg Y. R. H. wi l l accept my hear t f el t wi shes f oryourheal t h, and al so compass i onat e me f or bei ng obl i ged t o pass my t i meher eunder such di sagr eeabl e ci r cumst ances. But I wi l l st r i ve t o compensat et wof ol d i n Baden f or what you have l ost .

[ K. ]

[ Footnot e 1: Pri nce Lobkowi t z' s "mi sf ort unes" probabl y r ef er t o t he

gr eatpecuni ar y di f f i cul t i es whi ch bef el l t hi s musi c and pomp l ovi ng Pr i ncesever al year s bef ore hi s deat h. Beet hoven seems t o have made var i ousat t empt s t o i nduce the Pr i nce to cont i nue t he payment of hi s shar e oft hesal ary agr eed on, t hough t hese ef f or t s wer e l ong f r ui t l ess. Thesubj ect,however , appear s t o have been agai n renewed i n 1816, f or on t he 8th ofMar ch i n thi s year Beet hoven wr i t es t o Ri es t o say t hat hi s sal ar yconsi st sof 3400 f l or i ns E. S. , and t hi s sum he r ecei ved t i l l hi s deat h. ]

[ Foot not e 2: Those who pl ayed i n Count Rasumowsky' s Quar t et s, t o whomBeet hoven dedi cat ed var i ous composi t i ons, wer e the _vi r t uosi _Schuppanzi gh( 1st) , Si na ( 2d vi ol i n) , Li nke ( vi ol oncel l o) , Wei ss ( vi ol i n) . ]

112.


1813. [ 1]

I beg t o i nqui r e whet her , bei ng i n some degr ee rest ored, I am t o wai tonyou t hi s eveni ng? I at t he same t i me t ake t he l i bert y t o make a humbl e

r equest . I was i n hopes t hat by thi s t i me, at al l event s, my mel anchol yci r cumst ances woul d have br i ght ened, but al l cont i nues i n i t s ol dst at e, soI must det er mi ne on gi vi ng t wo concer t s. [ 2] I f i nd t hat I am compel l edt ogi ve up my f ormer r esol ut i on never t o gi ve any except f or benevol entpur poses; as sel f - mai nt enance demands t hat I shoul d do so. The hal l oft heUni ver si t y woul d be t he most advant ageous and di st i ngui shed f or mypr esent



obj ect , and my humbl e request consi st s i n ent r eat i ng Y. R. H. t o be sogr aci ous as t o send a l i ne to the pr esent _Rect or Magni f i cus_ of t heUni ver si t y, t hrough Baron Schwei ger , whi ch woul d cert ai nl y ensure myget t i ng t he hal l . I n t he hope of a f avor abl e answer , I r emai n, &c. , &c.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: Late i n the aut umn of 1813. ]

[ Footnot e 2: The concer t s her e ref er r ed to wer e gi ven i n the Uni ver si t yHal l on t he 8t h and 12t h December , 1813, when t he _Bat t l e of Vi t t or i a_andt he A maj or Symphony were per f ormed f or t he f i r st t i me. Beet hovenhi msel fconduct ed. ]

113.

TO FREI HERR J OSEF VON SCHWEI GER.

Lat e i n the Autumn of 1813.

MY DEAR FRI END, - -

I have t o- day appl i ed ( by l et t er ) t o my gr aci ous mast er t o i nt er esthi msel fi n pr ocur i ng t he Uni ver si t y Hal l f or t wo concer t s whi ch I t hi nk ofgi vi ng,and i n f act must gi ve, f or al l r emai ns as i t was. Al ways consi der i ngyou,both i n good and evi l f ort une, my best f r i end, I suggest ed t o t he Dukethatyou shoul d appl y i n hi s name f or t hi s f avor t o the pr esent Rect or oft heUni ver si t y. Whatever may be the resul t , l et me know H. R. H. ' s deci si onassoon as possi bl e, t hat I may make f ur t her ef f or t s t o extr i cat e mysel ff roma posi t i on so det r i ment al t o me and t o my ar t . I am comi ng t hi s eveni ngt ot he Ar chduke.

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

[ K. ]

114.

TO HERR VON BAUMEI STER. [ 1]

DEAR SI R, - -



I r equest you wi l l send me t he par t s of t he Symphony i n A, and l i kewi semyscor e. Hi s I . H. can have t he MS. agai n, but I r equi r e i t at pr esent f ort hemusi c i n t he Augart en t o- morr ow. I have j ust r ecei ved t wo t i cket s,whi ch Isend t o you, and beg you wi l l make use of t hem.

I am, wi t h est eem, your s,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: Pr i vat e Secr et ary t o t he Ar chduke Rudol ph. ]

115.

TO ZMESKALL.

Oct . 9, 1813.

MY DEAR GOOD Z. , - -

Don' t be i ndi gnant wi t h me f or aski ng you t o addr ess t he encl osedl et t erpr oper l y; t he per son f or whomi t i s i nt ended i s const ant l y compl ai ni ngthathe get s no l et t er s f r om me. Yest erday I t ook one mysel f t o t he post -of f i ce,when I was asked wher e the l et t er was meant t o go. I see, t heref ore,thatmy wr i t i ng seems t o be as l i t t l e underst ood as mysel f . Thence myr equest t oyou. Your

BEETHOVEN.

116.

LETTER OF THANKS.

I est eem i t my dut y t o expr ess my gr at i t ude f or t he gr eat zeal shown byal lt hose ar t i st s who so ki ndl y cooeperat ed on t he 8th and 12t h December[ 1813]i n t he concer t s gi ven f or t he benef i t of t he Aust r i an and Bavar i an

sol di er swounded at t he bat t l e of Hanau. I t was a rare combi nat i on of emi nentar t i st s, wher e al l wer e i nspi r ed by the wi sh t o be of use t o thei rf at her - l and, and t o cont r i but e by the exer ci se of t hei r t al ent s t o t hef ul f i l ment of t he under t aki ng, whi l e, r egar dl ess of al l pr ecedence,t heygl adl y accept ed subor di nat e pl aces. [ 1] Whi l e an ar t i st l i ke Her rSchuppanzi gh was at t he head of t he f i r st vi ol i ns, and by hi s f i er y andexpr essi ve mode of conduct i ng ki ndl ed the zeal of t he whol e or chest r a,Her r



Kapel l mei st er Sal i er i di d not scr upl e t o gi ve t he t i me to t he dr ums andcannonades; Herr Spohr and Herr Mayseder, each wort hy f r om hi s t al ent st of i l l t he hi ghest post , pl ayed i n t he second and t hi r d r ank. Her r Si boniandHer r Gi ul i ani al so f i l l ed subor di nat e pl aces. The conduct i ng of t hewhol ewas onl y assi gned t o me f r om t he musi c bei ng my own composi t i on; had i tbeen t hat of any one el se, I woul d wi l l i ngl y, l i ke Her r Hummel , havet akenmy pl ace at t he bi g dr um, as t he onl y f eel i ng t hat per vaded al l ourhear t swas t r ue l ove f or our f at her - l and, and t he wi sh cheer f ul l y to devot eourpowers t o t hose who had sacr i f i ced so much f or us. Par t i cul ar t hanksaredue t o Herr Mael zel , i nasmuch as he f i r st suggested t he i dea of t hi sconcer t , and t he most t r oubl esome par t of t he ent er pr i se, t he requi si t ear r angement s, management , and regul at i ons, devol ved on hi m. I moreespeci al l y t hank hi m f or gi vi ng me an oppor t uni t y by thi s concer t of

f ul f i l l i ng a wi sh I have l ong cher i shed, t o compose f or such abenevol entobj ect ( excl usi ve of t he works al r eady made over t o hi m) acomprehensi vework more adapt ed t o the pr esent t i mes, t o be l ai d on t he al t ar of myf at her - l and. [ 2] As a not i ce i s t o be publ i shed of al l t hose whoassi st ed ont hi s occasi on, t he publ i c wi l l be enabl ed t o j udge of t he nobl e sel f -deni alexer ci sed by a mass of t he gr eat est ar t i st s, worki ng toget her wi t h thesamebenevol ent obj ect i n vi ew.


[ Foot note 1: The A maj or Symphony and _Wel l i ngt on' s Vi ct ory atVi t t or i a_were per f ormed. ]

[ Footnot e 2: "Obsol et e" i s wr i t t en i n penci l by Beet hoven. ]

117.

TO THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH. [ 1]

1814.

I beg you wi l l send me the scor e of t he "Fi nal Chor us"[ 2] f or hal f aday,as t he t heat r i cal scor e i s so badl y wr i t t en.

[ K. ]

[ Footnot e 1: The spr i ng of 1814. ]



[ Footnote 2: The _Schl usschor_, t he scor e of whi ch Beet hoven request st heAr chduke t o send hi m, i s i n al l pr obabi l i t y the Fi nal e _Ger mani a!Ger mani a! _ i nt ended f or Tr ei t schke' s Oper et t a _Di e gut e Nachr i cht _,whi chr ef er s t o the t aki ng of Par i s by the Al l i es, and was per f or med f or t hef i r st t i me at Vi enna i n t he Kaer nt hner t hor Theatr e on t he 11t h Apr i l ,1814. The same _Fi nal Chorus_ was subst i t ut ed f or another of Beet hoven' s ( _Esi s tvol l br acht _) i n Tr ei t schke' s Oper et t a _Di e Ehr enpf or t en_, f i r st gi venont he 15t h J ul y, 1815, i n t he Kaer nt hner t hor Theat r e. Both t hese chorusesarepr i nt ed i n scor e i n Br ei t kopf & Haer t el ' s edi t i on of Beet hoven' swor ks. ]

118.


1814.

Havi ng onl y so r ecent l y recei ved t he scor e of t he "Fi nal Chor us, " Imustask you t o excuse your get t i ng i t back so l ate. The best t hi ng H. R. H.cando i s to have i t t r anscri bed, f or i n i t s pr esent f or m t he scor e i s ofnouse. I woul d have br ought i t mysel f , but I have been l ai d up wi t h acol dsi nce l ast Sunday, whi ch i s most severe, and obl i ges me to be verycareful ,bei ng so much i ndi sposed. I never f eel gr eater sat i sf act i on t han when Y. R. H. der i ves any pl easur e t hrough me. I hope very soon t o be abl e t owai ton you mysel f , and i n t he mean t i me I pray that you wi l l keep me i nr emembrance.

[ K. ]

119.


1814.

The song "Germani a" bel ongs t o t he whol e wor l d who sympat hi ze wi t h t hesubj ect , and t o you beyond al l ot her s, j ust as I mysel f amwhol l yyour s. Iwi sh you a good j our ney t o Pal ermo.

[ K. ]



120.

TO TREI TSCHKE.

March, 1814.

MY DEAR, WORTHY T. , - -

I have r ead wi t h t he gr eat est sat i sf act i on your amendment s of t he Opera[ "Fi del i o" whi ch was about t o be agai n perf ormed] . I t has deci ded meoncemor e to r ebui l d t he desol at e rui ns of an anci ent f or t r ess.

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

121.

TO TREI TSCHKE.

The af f ai r of t he Opera i s t he most t r oubl esome i n t he wor l d, and t herei sscar cel y one par t of i t whi ch qui t e sat i sf i es me now, and that I havenotbeen obl i ged t o _amend by somethi ng more sat i sf act ory_. But what adi f f er ence bet ween t hi s, and gi vi ng one' s sel f up t o f r eel y f l owi ngt houghtand i nspi r at i on!

122.

TO TREI TSCHKE.

1814.

I r equest , my dear T. , t hat you wi l l send me t he score of t he song [ i n"Fi del i o, " _Gel d i st ei ne schoene Sache_] , t hat t he i nt er pol at ed not esmaybe t r anscri bed i n al l t he i nst r ument al par t s; t hough I shal l not t akei t atal l ami ss i f you pr ef er t hat Gi r owet z or any ot her per son, per hapsWei nmuel l er [ who sang t he par t of Rocco] , shoul d do so. Thi s I havenothi ngt o say agai nst , but I wi l l not suf f er my composi t i on t o be al t er ed by

anyone what ever , be he who he may.

I am, wi t h hi gh consi der at i on,

Your obedi ent

BEETHOVEN.



123.

TO COUNT MORI TZ LI CHNOWSKY. [ 1]

MY DEAR COUNT, - -

I f you wi sh t o at t end our counci l [ about t he al t er at i ons i n "Fi del i o"] ,Ibeg t o i nf or m you t hat i t assembl es t hi s af t er noon at hal f - past t hr eeo' cl ock, i n t he Spi el mann Haus, auf demGr aben, No. 188, 4t h Et age, atHer rWei nmuel l er ' s. I shal l be ver y gl ad i f you have l ei sur e t o be pr esent .

[ Footnote 1: The ment i on of Wei nmuel l er deci des t he date of t hi s not e,as i twas i n t he spr i ng of 1814 t hat he, t oget her wi t h t he si nger s Saal andVogl ,br ought about t he revi val of _Fi del i o_. ]

124.

TO COUNT MORI TZ LI CHNOWSKY. [ 1]

My dear , vi ct or i ous, and yet somet i mes nonpl ussed ( ?) Count ! I hopethatyou rest ed wel l , most preci ous and charmi ng of al l Count s! Oh! mostbel ovedand unparal l el ed Count ! most f asci nat i ng and pr odi gi ous Count !

[ Musi c: Tr ebl e cl ef , E- f l at Maj or , 2/ 2 t i me.Gr af Gr af Gr af Gr af ( i n 3- part harmony)Gr af ( i n 3- par t count er poi nt )Gr af Gr af Gr af , l i ebst er Gr af , l i ebst es Schaf ,best er Gr af , best es Schaf ! Schaf ! Schaf ! ]

( _To be repeat ed at pl easur e_. )

At what hour shal l we cal l on Wal t er t o- day? My goi ng or not dependsent i r el y on you. Your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: I n Schi ndl er ' s _Beet hoven' s Nachl ass_ t her e i s al so anaut ogr aph Canon of Beet hoven' s i n F maj or , 6/ 8, on Count Li chnowsky, ont hewor ds, _Best er Her r Gr af , Si e si nd ei n Schaf _, wr i t t en ( accor di ng t o

Schi ndl er ) Feb. 20t h, 1823, i n t he cof f ee- house "Di e Gol dne Bi r ne, " i nt heLandst r asse, wher e Beet hoven usual l y went ever y eveni ng, t hough hegener al l y sl i pped i n by the backdoor . ]

125.




1814.

I hope you f orgi ve me f or not havi ng come to you. Your di spl easurewoul d bet otal l y undeserved, and I wi l l ampl y compensate f or l ost t i me i n a f ewdays. My Oper a of "Fi del i o"[ 1] i s agai n to be per f ormed, whi ch gi ves meagr eat deal t o do; mor eover , t hough I l ook wel l , I am not so i n r eal i t y. Thearr angement s f or my second concert [ 2] are part l y compl eted. I mustwr i t esomethi ng new f or Mdl l e. Mi l der . [ 3] Meanwhi l e i t i s a consol at i on t o met ohear t hat Y. R. H. i s so much bet t er . I hope I am not t oo sangui ne i nt hi nki ng t hat I shal l soon be abl e t o cont r i but e t owar ds t hi s. I havet akent he l i ber t y t o appr i se my Lor d Fal st af f [ 4] t hat he i s er e l ong t o havet hehonor of appear i ng bef ore Y. R. H.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: Let t er s 125 and 126 r ef er t o t he r evi val of t he Oper a of _Fi del i o_, whi ch had not been gi ven si nce 1806, and was not agai nproducedon t he st age t i l l t he 23d May, 1814, i n t he Kaer nt hner t hor Theat r e.Beet hoven' s benef i t t ook pl ace on t he 8t h J ul y, t wo newl y composedpi ecesbei ng i nser t ed. ]

[ Foot not e 2: Beet hoven gave a concer t on t he 2d J anuar y, 1814, when _Wel l i ngt on' s Vi ct or y_ was per f or med, and on t he 26t h Mar ch another f ort hebenef i t of t he Theat r i cal Fund, at whi ch t he _Over t ur e to Egmont _ and _Wel l i ngt ons' s Vi ct or y_ were gi ven, di r ect ed by Beet hoven hi msel f . ]

[ Footnot e 3: Anna Mi l der , Royal Cour t oper a si nger , a pupi l of Vogl ' s,whof i r st sang t he par t of Leonor e i n _Fi del i o_. ]

[ Footnot e 4: By "my Lor d Fal st af f " he means t he cor pul ent vi ol i ni stSchuppanzi gh. ]

126.



Whenever I i nqui r e about you I hear not hi ng but good news. As f or myowni nsi gni f i cant sel f , I have been hi t her t o hopel essl y det ai ned i n Vi enna,andunabl e t o appr oach Y. R. H. ; I amal so thus depr i ved of t he enj oyment ofbeaut i f ul Nat ur e, so dear t o me. The di r ect or s of t he t heat r e ar e so



_consci ent i ous_, t hat , cont r ar y t o t hei r f ai t hf ul promi se, t hey haveagai ngi ven my Oper a of "Fi del i o, " wi t hout t hi nki ng of gi vi ng me any share i nt her ecei pts. They woul d have exhi bi t ed t he same commendabl e good f ai t h asecond t i me, had I not been on t he wat ch l i ke a Fr ench cust om- houseof f i cerof other days. At l ast , af t er a gr eat many tr oubl esome di scussi ons, i twasset t l ed that t he Oper a of "Fi del i o" shoul d be gi ven on Monday t he 18t hof J ul y, f or my benef i t . These _r ecei pt s_ at t hi s season of t he year maymor epr oper l y be cal l ed _decei t s_; but i f a wor k i s i n any degr ee successf uli tof t en becomes a l i t t l e f east f or t he aut hor . To t hi s f east t he mast eri nvi t es hi s i l l ustr i ous pupi l , and hopes- - yes! I hope t hat Y. R. H. wi l lgr aci ousl y consent t o come, and t hus add l ust r e t o ever yt hi ng by yourpr esence. I t woul d be a gr eat boon i f Y. R. H. woul d endeavor t o persuadet he

other members of t he I mperi al f ami l y t o be pr esent at t her epr esent at i on ofmy Oper a, and I on my part wi l l not f ai l t o t ake the pr oper st eps ont hesubj ect whi ch dut y commands. Vogl ' s i l l ness[ 1] enabl ed me t o sat i sf y mydesi r e t o gi ve t he par t of Pi zar r o t o For t i , [ 2] hi s voi ce bei ng bet t ersui t ed t o i t ; but owi ng t o t hi s t her e ar e dai l y rehear sal s, whi chcannotf ai l t o have a f avor abl e ef f ect on t he per f or mance, but whi ch r ender i ti mpossi bl e f or me t o wai t upon Y. R. H. bef ore my benef i t . Pray gi ve t hi sl et t er your f avor abl e consi der at i on, and t hi nk gr aci ousl y of me.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: J oh. Mi ch. Vogl , born August 10t h, 1768, was Cour t operasi nger ( t enor) i n Vi enna f r om 1794 t o 1822; he di ed November 19t h,1840. ]

[ Footnote 2: For t i , born J une 8t h, 1790, a member of t he Royal Cour t Theat r e ( a baryt one) , pensi oned of f i n 1834. ]

127.

DEPOSI TI ON.

1814.

I vol unt ari l y pr esent ed Mael zel _grat i s_ wi t h a "Bat t l e Symphony" f orhi spanhar moni ca. Af t er havi ng kept i t f or some t i me, he br ought me backt hescor e, whi ch he had al r eady begun to engr ave, sayi ng that he wi shed i tt obe har moni zed f or a f ul l or chest r a. The i dea of a batt l e had al r eadyoccur r ed t o me, whi ch, however, coul d not be per f ormed on hi spanharmoni ca.



We agr eed t o sel ect t hi s and some more of my wor ks [ see No. 116] t o begi ven at t he concer t f or t he benef i t of di sabl ed sol di er s. At t hat ver yt i me I became i nvol ved i n t he most f r i ght f ul pecuni ar y di f f i cul t i es.For saken by ever y one i n Vi enna, and i n dai l y expect at i on ofr emi t t ances,&c. , Mael zel of f er ed me f i f t y gol d ducat s, whi ch I accept ed, sayi ngthat Iwoul d ei t her r epay t hem, or al l ow hi m t o take the work t o London,( pr ovi dedI di d not go t her e mysel f wi t h hi m, ) r ef er r i ng hi m t o an Engl i shpubl i sherf or payment .

I got back f r omhi m t he scor e wr i t t en f or t he panhar moni ca. Theconcer t st hen took pl ace, and dur i ng that t i me Her r Mael zel ' s desi gns andchar act erwer e f i r st f ul l y r eveal ed. Wi t hout my consent , he st at ed on t he bi l l soft he concer t t hat t he wor k was _hi s pr oper t y_. I ndi gnant at t hi s, I

i nsi stedon hi s dest r oyi ng t hese bi l l s. He then st at ed t hat I had gi ven i t t ohi m asa f r i endl y act , because he was goi ng t o London. To t hi s I di d notobj ect,bel i evi ng t hat I had r eser ved t he r i ght t o st at e t he condi t i ons onwhi cht he work shoul d be hi s own. I r emember t hat when t he bi l l s were bei ngpr i nt ed, I vi ol ent l y opposed them, but t he t i me was t oo shor t , as I wassti l l wr i t i ng t he wor k. I n al l t he f i r e of i nspi r at i on, and absor bed i nmycomposi t i on, I scar cel y thought at al l on t he subj ect . I mmedi atel yaftert he f i r st concer t i n t he Uni ver si t y Hal l , I was t ol d on al l si des, andbypeopl e on whom I coul d r el y, t hat Mael zel had everywhere gi ven out hehadpai d me 400 gol d ducat s f or t he Symphony. I sent what f ol l ows t o anewspaper , but t he edi t or woul d not i nser t i t , as Mael zel st ands wel lwi t ht hem al l . As soon as t he f i r st concer t was over , I r epai d Mael zel hi sf i f t yducat s, decl ar i ng t hat havi ng di scover ed hi s r eal char act er , not hi ngshoul dever i nduce me t o t r avel wi t h hi m; j ust l y i ndi gnant t hat , wi t houtconsul t i ng me, he had st at ed i n t he bi l l s t hat al l t he ar r angement s f ort he

concer t wer e most def ect i ve. Hi s own despi cabl e want of pat r i ot i sm t ooi spr oved by t he f ol l owi ng expr essi ons: "I car e not hi ng at al l about L. ;i f i ti s onl y sai d i n London t hat peopl e have pai d ten gul den f or admi ssi onher e,t hat i s al l I car e about ; t he wounded are nothi ng t o me. " Moreover , It ol dhi m t hat he mi ght t ake the work t o London on cer t ai n condi t i ons, whi chI



woul d i nf or m hi m of . He t hen asser t ed t hat i t was a _f r i endl y gi f t _,andmade use of t hi s phr ase i n t he newspaper s af t er t he second concert ,wi t houtgi vi ng me t he most r emot e hi nt on t he subj ect . As Mael zel i s a rude,chur l i sh man, ent i r el y devoi d of educat i on or cul t i vat i on, i t i s easyt oconcei ve t he t enor of hi s conduct t o me dur i ng t hi s t i me, whi ch st i l lf ur t her i r r i t ated me. Who coul d bear t o be f or ced t o best ow a _f r i endl ygi f t _ on such a man? I was of f ered an oppor t uni t y t o send the work t ot hePr i nce Regent , [ af t er wards Geor ge I V. ] I t was t her ef or e qui t ei mpossi bl ef or me t o _gi ve away t he work uncondi t i onal l y_.

He t hen cal l ed on a mut ual f r i end t o make pr oposal s. He was t ol d onwhatday t o retur n f or an answer , but he never appeared, set of f on hi st r avel s ,and per f ormed t he work i n Muni ch. How di d he obt ai n i t ? He coul d not

possi bl y _st eal _ i t ; but Her r Mael zel had sever al of t he par t s f or somedays i n hi s house, and he caused the ent i r e work t o be harmoni zed bysomeobscure musi cal j our neyman, and i s now hawki ng i t about t he wor l d. HerrMael zel promi sed me ear - t r umpet s. I har moni zed t he "Bat t l e Symphony"forhi s panharmoni ca f r oma wi sh to keep hi m t o hi s word. The ear- t r umpet scameat l ast , but wer e not of t he ser vi ce t o me t hat I expect ed. For t hi ss l i ghtt r oubl e Herr Mael zel , af t er my havi ng arr anged t he "Bat t l e Symphony"f or af ul l or chest r a, and composed a batt l e- pi ece i n addi t i on, decl ared t hatIought t o have made over t hese works t o hi m as _hi s own excl usi vepr oper t y_.Even al l owi ng that I am i n some degr ee obl i ged to hi m f or t he ear -t r umpet s,t hi s i s ent i r el y bal anced by hi s havi ng made at l east 500 gul den i nMuni chby my mut i l ated or st ol en bat t l e- pi ece. He has t her ef ore pai d hi msel fi nf ul l . He had act ual l y t he audaci t y t o say her e that he was i npossessi on oft he bat t l e- pi ece; i n f act he showed i t , wr i t t en out , t o var i ousper sons. Idi d not bel i eve t hi s; and, i n f act , wi t h good r eason, as t he whol e i s

notby me, but compi l ed by some one el se. I ndeed the cr edi t he assumes f ort hework shoul d al one be suf f i ci ent compensat i on.

The secr et ar y at t he War Of f i ce made no al l usi on what ever t o me, andyetevery work per f ormed at bot h concer t s was of my composi t i on.



Her r Mael zel t hi nks f i t t o say t hat he has del ayed hi s vi si t t o Londononaccount of t he bat t l e- pi ece, whi ch i s a mer e subt er f uge. He st ayed t of i ni sh hi s pat chwor k, as t he f i r st at t empt di d not succeed.

BEETHOVEN.

128.

TO HERR J . KAUKA, DOCTOR OF LAWS I N PRAGUE, I N THE KI NGDOM OF BOHEMI A.

The Summer of 1814.

A t housand t hanks, my est eemed Kauka. At l ast I meet wi t h a _l egalr epr esent at i ve_ and a _man_, who can bot h wr i t e and thi nk wi t hout usi ngunmeani ng f ormul as. You can scarcel y i magi ne how I l ong f or t he end ofthi saf f ai r , as i t not onl y i nt er f er es wi t h my domest i c expendi t ur e, but i si nj ur i ous t o me i n var i ous ways. You know your sel f t hat a sensi t i ve

spi r i tought not t o be f et t ered by mi serabl e anxi et i es, and much t hat mi ghtr endermy l i f e happy i s t hus abst r act ed f r om i t . Even my i ncl i nati on and t hedut yI assi gned mysel f , t o ser ve suf f eri ng humani t y by means of my ar t , Ihavebeen obl i ged t o l i mi t , and must cont i nue t o do so. [ 1]

I wr i t e nothi ng about our monarchs and monarchi es, f or t he newspapersgi veyou ever y i nf or mat i on on t hese subj ect s. [ 2] The i nt el l ect ual r eal m i st hemost pr eci ous i n my eyes, and f ar above al l t emporal and spi r i t ualmonarchi es. Wr i t e t o me, however, what you wi sh _f or your sel f _ f r om mypoormusi cal capabi l i t i es, t hat I may, i n so f ar as i t l i es i n my power ,suppl ysomethi ng f or your own musi cal sense and f eel i ng. Do you not r equi r eal lt he paper s connect ed wi t h t he Ki nsky case? I f so I wi l l send t hem t oyou,as t hey cont ai n most i mport ant t est i mony, whi ch, i ndeed, I bel i eve your eadwhen wi t h me. Thi nk of me and do not f orget t hat you r epr esent adi si nt er est ed ar t i st i n opposi t i on t o a ni ggar dl y f ami l y. How gl adl y domen

wi t hhol d f r om t he poor ar t i st i n one r espect _what t hey pay hi m i nanother _, and t her e i s no l onger a Zeus wi t h whoman art i st can i nvi t ehi msel f t o f east on ambr osi a. St r i ve, my dear f r i end, t o accel er at e t het ar dy steps of j ust i ce. Whenever I f eel mysel f el evat ed hi gh, and i nhappymoment s r evel i n my ar t i st i c sphere, ci r cumst ances dr ag me down agai n,andnone more than t hese t wo l awsui t s. You t oo have your di sagreeabl emoment s,



t hough wi t h t he vi ews and capabi l i t i es I know you t o possess,especi al l y i nyour pr of essi on, I coul d scar cel y have bel i eved t hi s; st i l l I mustrecal lyour at t ent i on t o mysel f . I have dr unk t o the dr egs a cup of bi t t ersor r ow,and al r eady earned mart yrdom i n ar t t hr ough my bel oved art i st i cdi sci pl esand col l eagues. I beg you wi l l t hi nk of me ever y day, and i magi ne i t t obean _ent i r e wor l d_, f or i t i s r eal l y aski ng r at her t oo much of you t ot hi nkof so humbl e an _i ndi vi dual _ as mysel f .

I am, wi t h t he hi ghest est eem and f r i endshi p,

Your obedi ent


[ Foot note 1: He support ed a consumpt i ve br ot her and hi s wi f e andchi l d. ]

[ Foot not e 2: At t he Vi enna Congress Beethoven was r ecei ved wi t h muchdi st i nct i on by the pot ent at es pr esent . ]

129.

ADDRESS AND APPEAL TO LONDON ARTI STS BY L. VAN BEETHOVEN.


Herr Mael zel , now i n London, on hi s way t hi t her perf ormed my "Bat t l eSymphony" and "Wel l i ngt on' s Bat t l e of Vi t t or i a" i n Muni ch, and no doubthei nt ends t o pr oduce t hem at London concert s, as he wi shed t o do i nFrankf ort . Thi s i nduces me to decl are that I never i n any way made overort r ansf er r ed t he sai d works t o Her r Mael zel ; t hat no one possesses acopy oft hem, and t hat t he onl y one ver i f i ed by me I sent t o hi s Royal Hi ghnesst hePri nce Regent of Engl and. The per f ormance of t hese works, t her ef ore, byHer r Mael zel i s ei t her an i mposi t i on on t he publ i c, as t he abovedecl arat i on pr oves t hat he does not possess t hem, or i f he does, he hasbeen gui l t y of a br each of f ai t h towards me, i nasmuch as he must have

gott hem i n a sur r ept i t i ous manner .

But even i n t he l at t er case t he publ i c wi l l st i l l be del uded, f or t heworkst hat Her r Mael zel per f or ms under t he t i t l es of "Wel l i ngt on' s Bat t l e ofVi t t or i a" and "Bat t l e Symphony" are beyond al l doubt spur i ous andmut i l ated, as he never had any port i on of ei t her of t hese works ofmi ne,except some of t he part s f or a f ew days.





j ust as I narr at ed t hem, I am convi nced t hat he woul d at once haveadopt edt he words and deeds of hi s predecessor . Has Dr . Wol f [ t he pr evi ousadvocate] shown you t he papers, or shal l I make you acquai nt ed wi t ht hem?As I am by no means sur e t hat t hi s l et t er wi l l r each you saf el y, Idef ersendi ng you t he pi anof ort e ar r angement of my oper a "Fi del i o, " whi ch i sr eady t o be di spatched.

I hope, i n accor dance wi t h your usual f r i endl i ness, soon t o hear f r omyou.I am al so wr i t i ng t o Dr . Wol f ( who cer t ai nl y does not t r eat any one _wol f i shl y_) , i n or der not t o ar ouse hi s _passi on_, so t hat he may have _compassi on_ on me, and nei t her t ake my pur se nor my l i f e.

I am, wi t h est eem, your t r ue f r i end,


131.

TO COUNT MORI TZ LI CHNOWSKY.

Baden, Sept . 21, 1841. [ 1]

MOST ESTEEMED COUNT AND FRI END, - -

I unl ucki l y onl y got your l et t er yest er day. A t housand t hanks f or yourr emembrance of me. Pray express my grat i t ude al so t o your char mi ngPr i ncessChr i st i ane [ wi f e of Pr i nce Car l Li chnowsky] . I had a del i ght f ul wal kyest er day wi t h a f r i end i n t he Br uehl , and i n t he cour se of ourf r i endl ychat you were part i cul ar l y ment i oned, and l o! and behol d! on my retur nIf ound your ki nd l et t er . I see you are r esol ved t o cont i nue t o l oad mewi t hbenef i t s.

As I amunwi l l i ng you shoul d suppose t hat a st ep I have al r eady t akeni spr ompt ed by your r ecent f avors, or by any mot i ve of t he sor t , I mustt el lyou that a sonata of mi ne [Op. 90] i s about t o appear , _dedi cated toyou_.

I wi shed t o gi ve you a sur pr i se, as t hi s dedi cat i on has been l ongdesi gnedf or you, but your l et t er of yest erday i nduces me t o name t he f act . Ir equi r ed no new mot i ve t hus publ i cl y t o t est i f y my sense of yourf r i endshi pand ki ndness. But as f or anythi ng appr oachi ng t o a gi f t i n r et ur n, youwoul d onl y di st r ess me, by t hus t ot al l y mi si nt er pr et i ng my i nt ent i ons,andI shoul d at once deci dedl y r ef use such a t hi ng.



I beg t o ki ss t he hand of t he Pri ncess f or her ki nd message and al l hergoodness t o me. _Never have I f orgot t en what I owe to you al l _, t houghanunf ort unate combi nat i on of ci r cumst ances pr event ed my test i f yi ng t hi sas Icoul d have wi shed.

From what you t el l me about Lor d Cast l er eagh, I t hi nk the matt er i n t hebest possi bl e t r ai n. I f I wer e t o gi ve an opi ni on on t he subj ect , Ishoul dsay that Lord Cast l ereagh ought t o hear t he work gi ven here bef orewr i t i ngt o Wel l i ngt on. I shal l soon be i n Vi enna, when we can consul t t oget herabout a gr and concer t . Nothi ng i s t o be ef f ect ed at Cour t ; I made theappl i cat i on, but - - but - -

[ Musi c: Tr ebl e cl ef , C maj or , 4/ 4 t i me, Adagi o.al - l ei n al - l ei n al - l ei n]

_Si l ent i um! ! ! _

Far ewel l , my est eemed f r i end; pr ay cont i nue to est eem me wort hy of yourf r i endshi p. Your s,

BEETHOVEN.

A t housand compl i ment s t o t he i l l ust r i ous Pri ncess.

[ Footnote 1: The date rever sed, as wr i t t en by Beet hoven, i s her egi ven. ]

132.


1814.

I percei ve t hat Y. R. H. wi shes t o t r y t he ef f ect of my musi c even uponhor ses. [ 1] We shal l see whet her i t s i nf l uence wi l l cause the r i der s t ot hr ow some cl ever summerset s. Ha! ha! I can' t hel p l aughi ng at Y. R. H.t hi nki ng of me on such an occasi on; f or whi ch I shal l r emai n so l ong asIl i ve, &c. , &c. , &c. The hor se- musi c t hat Y. R. H. desi r es shal l set of ft oyou f ul l gal l op.

[ K. ]

[ Foot not e 1: A t our nament was hel d on t he 23d November , 1814, i n t heRoyalRi di ng School . Beet hoven was probabl y r equest ed by t he Ar chduke t ocomposesome musi c f or i t , whi ch, however , has not been t r aced. ]

133.




1814.

I t i s i mpossi bl e f or me t o- day t o wai t on you, much as I wi sh i t . I amdi spat chi ng t he work on Wel l i ngt on' s vi ct ory[1] t o London. Such mat t er shave thei r appoi nt ed and f i xed t i me, whi ch cannot be del ayed wi t houtf i nall oss. To- mor r ow I hope to be abl e to cal l on Y. R. H.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: The Cant ata _Der gl orr ei che Augenbl i ck_, t he poet r y by Dr .Al oi s Wei ssenbach, set t o musi c by Beet hoven f or chorus and orchest r a( Op.136) , was f i r st gi ven i n Vi enna on the 29t h November , 1814, andr epeated ont he 2d December . ]

134.


( I n a di f f er ent hand) Dec. 1814.

I r eal l y f eel t hat I can never deser ve your goodness t owards me. I begt oof f er my most r espect f ul t hanks f or Y. R. H. ' s gr aci ous i nt er vent i on i nmyaf f ai r s at Pr ague. I wi l l punctual l y at t end t o the scor e of t heCant at a. [ 1]I t r ust Y. R. H. wi l l f or gi ve my not havi ng yet been t o see you. Af t ert heconcer t f or t he poor, comes one i n t he t heatr e, equal l y f or t he benef i toft he _i mpr esar i o i n angust i a_, f or t hey have f el t some j ust shame, andhavel et me of f wi t h one thi r d and one hal f of t he usual charges. I have nowsome f r esh work on hand, and t hen t her e i s a new opera t o be begun, [ 2]t hesubj ect of whi ch I am about t o deci de on. Mor eover , I am agai n f ar f r omwel l , but a f ew days hence I wi l l wai t on Y. R. H. I f I coul d be of anyservi ce to Y. R. H. , t he most eager and anxi ous wi sh of my l i f e woul d bef ul f i l l ed.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: What concer t Beet hoven al l udes t o I cannot di scover , butnoment i on of i t bei ng made i n t he ver y exact _Al l gemei ne Lei pzi gerMusi kal i sche Zei t ung_, i t appear s not t o have taken pl ace. ]

[ Foot not e 2: The new opera, wi t h t he subj ect of whi ch Beet hoven wasoccupi ed, was no doubt Trei t schke' s _Romul us_. ]



135.


1814.

My warmest t hanks f or your pr esent . [ 1] I onl y regr et t hat you coul d notpart i ci pate i n the musi c. I have now t he honor t o send you t he scor e oft heCant ata [ see No. 134] . Y. R. H. can keep i t f or some days, and af t er wardsIshal l t ake car e t hat i t i s copi ed f or you as soon as possi bl e.

I f eel st i l l qui t e exhaust ed f r om f at i gue and wor r y, pl easur e anddel i ght ! - - al l combi ned! I shal l have t he honor of wai t i ng on you i n t hecour se of a f ew days. I hope to hear f avor abl e account s of Y. R. H. ' sheal t h.How gl adl y woul d I sacr i f i ce many ni ghts, were i t i n my power t or est or e

you ent i r el y!

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: The pr esent he r ef er s t o was pr obabl y f or t he concer t ofNovember 29t h, or December 2d, 1814. ]

136.


1814. [ 1]

I see wi t h r eal pl easur e t hat I may di smi ss al l f ear s f or your wel l -bei ng.As f or mysel f , I hope (al ways f eel i ng happy when abl e to gi ve you anypl easur e) t hat my heal t h i s al so rapi dl y recr ui t i ng, when I i nt endf ort hwi t h t o compensat e both you and mysel f f or t he _pauses_ t hat haveoccur r ed. As f or Pr i nce Lobkowi t z, hi s _pauses_ wi t h me sti l l cont i nue,andI f ear he wi l l never agai n come i n at t he ri ght pl ace; and i n Pr ague( goodheavens! wi t h r egar d t o Pr i nce Ki nsky' s af f ai r ) t hey scar cel y as yetknowwhat a f i gur ed bass i s, f or t hey si ng i n sl ow, l ong- dr awn chor al notes;some of t hese sust ai ned through si xt een bar s | ======| . As al l t hese

di scor ds seem l i kel y to be ver y sl owl y resol ved, i t i s best t o br i ngf orward onl y t hose whi ch we can our sel ves r esol ve, and t o gi ve up t herestt o i nevi t abl e f ate. Al l ow me once more t o expr ess my del i ght at t her ecover y of Y. R. H.

[ K. ]

[ Footnot e 1: 1814 or 1815. Pri nce Lobkowi t z was st i l l al i ve at t hatt i me



( di ed December 21st , 1816) . ]

137.


1814.

As you were so ki nd as t o l et me know t hrough Count Troyer [ 1] t hat youwoul d wr i t e a f ew l i nes on my af f ai r s i n Prague t o t he _Ober st bur ggr af _Count Kol owr at , I t ake t he l i ber t y to encl ose my l et t er t o Count K. ; Idonot bel i eve t hat i t cont ai ns anyt hi ng t o whi ch Y. R. H. wi l l t akeexcept i on. Ther e i s no chance of my bei ng al l owed payment i n _Ei nl oesung Schei n_,f o r ,i n spi t e of al l t he pr oof s, t he guar di ans cannot be per suaded t oconsent t ot hi s; st i l l i t i s t o be hoped t hat by t he f r i endl y st eps we have

meanwhi l ehad r ecour se t o, _ext r a- j udi ci al l y_, a mor e f avor abl e r esul t may beobt ai ned, - - as, f or i nst ance, t he r at e of t he scal e t o be hi gher . I f ,however , Y. R. H. wi l l ei t her wr i t e a f ew wor ds your sel f , or cause i t t obedone i n your name, t he af f ai r wi l l cer t ai nl y be _much accel er ated_,whi chi nduces me earnest l y t o ent r eat Y. R. H. t o per f orm your gr aci ous pr omi set ome. Thi s af f ai r has now gone on f or t hr ee year s, and i s st i l l - -undeci ded.

[ K. ]

[ Foot note 1: Count Fer di nand Tr oyer was one of t he Ar chduke' schamber l ai ns. ]

138.


1814.

I have agai n f or a f or t ni ght past been af f l i ct ed wi t h sever e headaches,t hough const ant l y hopi ng t o get bet t er , but i n vai n. Now, however , t hatt he

weather i s i mproved, my physi ci an promi ses me a speedy cure. Though aseachday I expect ed t o be t he l ast of my suf f er i ng, I di d not wr i t e t o youont he subj ect ; besi des, I t hought t hat Y. R. H. pr obabl y di d not r equi r eme, asi t i s so l ong si nce Y. R. H. sent f or me. Dur i ng t he f est i vi t i es i n honoroft he Pr i ncess of Baden, [ 1] and t he i nj ur y to Y. R. H. ' s f i nger , I began t owor k ver y assi duousl y, and as t he f r ui t of t hi s, among ot her s, i s a new



pi anof or t e t r i o. [ 2] Mysel f ver y much occupi ed, I had no i dea that I hadi ncur r ed the di spl easur e of Y. R. H. , t hough I now begi n al most t o thi nkthi st o be the case. I n the mean t i me I hope soon t o be abl e t o pr esentmysel fbef or e your t r i bunal .

[ K. ]

[ Footnot e 1: The f est i vi t i es i n honor of t he Pr i ncess of Baden wer epr obabl y dur i ng the Congr ess, 1814. ]

[ Foot not e 2: The new t r i o, i f t he one i n B f l at f or t he pi anof or t e,vi ol i n,and vi ol oncel l o, Op. 97, was f i r st per f or med on t he 11t h Apr i l , 1814,i nt he hal l of t he "Komi scher Kai ser . " Lett er 139 al so ment i ons t hi s t r i o,composed i n 1811 and publ i shed i n J ul y, 1816. ]

139.


1814.

I beg you wi l l be so good as t o l et me have t he Tr i o i n B f l at wi t h al lt hepar t s, and al so bot h part s of t he vi ol i n Sonat a i n G, [ 1] as I must havet hem wr i t t en out f or mysel f wi t h al l speed, not bei ng abl e t o hunt outmyown scores among so many ot her s. I hope t hat t hi s det est abl e weat herhashad no bad ef f ect on Y. R. H. ' s heal t h; I must own t hat i t r at herder angesme. I n t hr ee or f our days at l east I shal l have t he honor t o r est or ebot hwor ks to t hei r pr oper pl ace.

Do t he musi cal pauses st i l l cont i nue?

[ K. ]

[ Footnot e 1: The Sonat a f or pi anof or t e and vi ol i n i n G maj or , Op. 96,waspur chased by Hasl i nger , Apr i l 1st , 1815, and publ i shed t he end of J ul y,1816. I t was composed i n 1814- - perhaps i n 1813. Thayer t hi nks i n 1810. ]

140.

TO HERR KAUKA.

Vi enna, J an. 11, 1815.

MY GOOD, WORTHY K. , - -



I r ecei ved Bar on Pasqual at i ' s l et t er t o- day, by whi ch I per cei ve t hatyouwi sh me t o def er any f r esh measures. I n t he mean t i me al l t he necessar ypaper s are l odged wi t h Pasqual at i ; so be so good as t o i nf or m hi m t hathemust del ay t aki ng any f ur t her s t eps. To- morr ow a counci l i s t o be hel dher e, and you and P. shal l l earn t he r esul t pr obabl y to- morr ow eveni ng.Meanwhi l e I wi sh you t o l ook t hr ough t he paper I sent t o the Cour tt hroughPasqual at i , and r ead t he appendi x car ef ul l y. You wi l l t hen see t hatWol fand ot her s have not gi ven you cor r ect i nf ormat i on.

One t hi ng i s cer t ai n, t hat t her e ar e suf f i ci ent pr oof s _f or any one whowi shes t o be convi nced_. How coul d i t ever occur t o me _t o t hi nk ofwr i t t enl egal t est i mony_ wi t h such a man as Ki nsky, whose i ntegr i t y andgener osi t ywere ever ywher e acknowl edged? I r emai n, wi t h t he warmest af f ect i on andest eem,

I n hast e, your f r i end,

B.

141.

TO HERR KAUKA.

1815.

MY DEAR AND ESTEEMED K. , - -

What can I t hi nk, or say, or f eel ? As f or W. [ Wol f ] , i t seems t o met hat henot onl y showed _hi s weak poi nt s_, but gave hi msel f no t r oubl e t oconcealt hem. I t i s i mpossi bl e that he can have dr awn up hi s st at ement i naccor dance wi t h al l t he act ual evi dence he had. The or der on t het r easur yabout t he rate of exchange was gi ven by Ki nsky pr evi ous t o hi s consentt opay me my sal ary i n _Ei nl oesung Schei n_, as t he document s pr ove; i ndeedi ti s onl y necessary t o exami ne the dat e to show t hi s, so the f i r sti nst r uct i on i s of i mpor t ance. The _speci es f act i _ pr ove t hat I was mor e

t han si x mont hs absent f r om Vi enna. As I was not anxi ous t o get t hemoney,I al l owed t he af f ai r t o st and over ; so t he Pr i nce t hus f or got t o r ecal lhi sf or mer or der t o t he t r easur y, but t hat he nei t her f orgot hi s pr omi se t ome,nor t o Varnhagen [ an of f i cer ] i n my behal f , i s evi dent by the t est i monyofHer r von Ol i va, t o whom shor t l y bef or e hi s depart ur e f r om hence- - andi ndeed



i nt o anot her wor l d- - he repeat ed hi s promi se, maki ng an appoi nt ment t oseehi m when he shoul d ret ur n t o Vi enna, i n order t o ar r ange the matt erwi t ht he t r easury, whi ch of cour se was pr event ed by hi s unt i mel y deat h.

The t est i mony of t he of f i cer Var nhagen i s accompani ed by a document ( hebei ng at pr esent wi t h t he Russi an army) , i n whi ch he states t hat he i spr epar ed to _t ake hi s oat h_ on t he af f ai r . The evi dence of Her r Ol i vai sal so t o t he ef f ect t hat he i s wi l l i ng t o conf i r m hi s evi dence by oat hbef ore t he Cour t . As I have sent away t he t est i mony of Col . CountBent hei m,I am not sur e of i t s t enor , but I bel i eve t he Count al so says t hat hei spr epared at any t i me to make an af f i davi t on t he mat t er i n Cour t , and Iammysel f _r eady t o swear bef ore t he Cour t _ t hat Pr i nce Ki nsky sai d to mei nPrague, "he t hought i t onl y f ai r t o me t hat my sal ary shoul d be pai d i n

_Ei nl oesung Schei n_. " These were hi s own wor ds.

He gave me hi msel f si xt y gol d ducat s i n Pr ague, on account ( good f orabout600 f l or i ns) , as, owi ng t o my stat e of heal t h, I coul d r emai n nol onger ,and set of f f or Toepl i t z. The Pr i nce' s wor d was _sacr ed_ i n my eyes,neverhavi ng hear d anythi ng of hi m t o i nduce me ei t her t o br i ng two wi t nesseswi t h me or t o ask hi m f or any wr i t t en pl edge. I see f r om al l t hi s t hatDr .Wol f has mi ser abl y mi smanaged the busi ness , and has not made yousuf f i ci ent l y acquai nt ed wi t h t he paper s.

Now as t o t he st ep I have j ust t aken. The Ar chduke Rudol ph asked mesomet i me si nce whether t he Ki nsky af f ai r was yet t ermi nated, havi ngpr obabl yhear d somet hi ng of i t . I t ol d hi m t hat i t l ooked ver y bad, as I knewnot hi ng, absol ut el y not hi ng, of t he matt er . He of f er ed t o wr i t ehi msel f ,but desi r ed me t o add a memor andum, and al so t o make hi m acquai ntedwi t hal l t he paper s connect ed wi t h t he Ki nsky case. Af t er havi ng i nf ormedhi msel f on t he af f ai r , he wr ot e t o t he _Ober st bur ggr af _, and encl osedmyl et t er t o hi m.

The _Oberst bur ggr af _ answered bot h t he Duke and mysel f i mmedi at el y. I nt hel et t er t o me he sai d "t hat I was t o pr esent a pet i t i on t o thePr ovi nci alCour t of J ust i ce i n Pr ague, al ong wi t h al l t he pr oof s, whence i t woul dbef orwarded t o hi m, and that he woul d do hi s ut most t o f ur t her my cause. "He



al so wr ote i n the most pol i t e ter ms t o t he Ar chduke; i ndeed, heexpr essl ysai d "t hat he was t hor oughl y cogni zant of t he l at e Pri nce Ki nsky' si nt ent i ons wi t h r egar d t o me and t hi s af f ai r , and t hat I mi ght pr esentapet i t i on, " &c. The Ar chduke i nst ant l y sent f or me, and desi r ed me t opr epare the document and t o show i t t o hi m; he al so t hought t hat Iought t osol i ci t payment i n _Ei nl oesung Schei n_, as t her e was ampl e pr oof , i fnot i nst r i ct l y l egal f or m, of t he i nt ent i ons of t he Pr i nce, and no one coul ddoubt t hat i f he had survi ved he woul d have adher ed to hi s promi se. I fhe[ t he Ar chduke] were t hi s day t he hei r , _he woul d demand no ot her pr oof st han t hose al r eady f ur ni shed_. I sent t hi s paper t o Bar on Pasqual at i ,whoi s ki ndl y t o pr esent i t hi msel f t o t he Cour t . Not t i l l af t er t he af f ai rhadgone so f ar di d Dr . Adl er sbur g r ecei ve a l et t er f r om Dr . Wol f , i n whi chhe

ment i oned t hat he had made a cl ai m f or 1500 f l or i ns. As we have come sofaras 1500 f l ori ns wi t h t he _Ober st bur ggr af _, we may possi bl y get on t o1800f l or i ns. I do not est eem t hi s any _f avor _, f or t he l at e Pr i nce was oneoft hose who urged me most t o r ef use a sal ary of 600 gol d ducat s perannum,of f ered t o me f r om West phal i a; and he sai d at t he t i me "t hat he wasr esol ved I shoul d have no chance of eat i ng hams i n West phal i a. " Anot hersummons t o Napl es somewhat l ater I equal l y decl i ned, and I am ent i t l edt odemand a f ai r compensat i on f or t he l oss I i ncur r ed. I f t he sal ar y wer et obe pai d i n bank- not es, what shoul d I get ? Not 400 f l or i ns i n _Convent i onsgel d_! ! ! i n l i eu of such a sal ar y as 600 ducat s! There ar eampl e pr oof s f or t hose who wi sh to act j ust l y; and what does t he _Ei nl oesungSchei n_ now amount t o??! ! ! I t i s even at t hi s moment no equi val ent f orwhatI r ef used. Thi s af f ai r was pompousl y announced i n al l t he newspaper swhi l eI was near l y reduced t o beggary. The i nt ent i ons of t he Pr i nce areevi dent ,and i n my opi ni on t he f ami l y ar e bound to act i n accor dance wi t h t hemunl ess t hey wi sh to be di sgr aced. Besi des, t he revenues have r atheri ncr eased t han di mi ni shed by t he death of t he Pr i nce; so t her e i s no

suf f i ci ent gr ound f or cur t ai l i ng my sal ar y.

I r ecei ved your f r i endl y l et t er yest er day, but am t oo wear y at t hi smomentt o wr i t e al l t hat I f eel t owards you. I can onl y commend my case t oyoursagaci t y. I t appear s t hat t he _Ober st bur ggr af _ i s t he chi ef per son; sowhathe wr ote to the Ar chduke must be kept a pr of ound secret , f or i t mi ghtnot





have come to such a pass t hat everyt hi ng has r i sen t o the hi ghestpr i ce,and t hat pr i ce must be pai d. The l ast t wo concert s I gave cost me 1508f l or i ns, and had i t not been f or t he Empr ess' s muni f i cent pr esent Ishoul dscarcel y have der i ved any pr of i t whatever .

Your f ai t hf ul f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

143. [ 1]

TO THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE LANDRECHT.

Vi enna, 1815.

GENTLEMEN, - -

Qui t e i gnor ant of l aw pr oceedi ngs, and bel i evi ng t hat al l cl ai ms on ani nher i t ance coul d not f ai l t o be l i qui dat ed, I sent t o my l awyer i nPrague[ Dr . Kauka] t he cont r act si gned by t he Ar chduke Rudol ph, Pri nceLobkowi t z,and Pri nce von Ki nsky, i n whi ch t hese i l l ust r i ous personages agr eed t oset t l e on me an annual al l owance of 4000 f l ori ns. My const ant ef f or t st oobt ai n a set t l ement of my cl ai m, and al so, as I am bound t o admi t , myr epr oaches t o Dr . Kauka f or not conduct i ng t he af f ai r pr oper l y (hi sappl i cat i on t o t he guar di ans havi ng pr oved f r ui t l ess) , no doubtprompt edhi m t o have r ecour se t o l aw.

None but t hose who are f ul l y aware of my est eem f or t he deceased Pr i ncecant el l how r epugnant i t i s t o my f eel i ngs t o appear as a compl ai nantagai nstmy benef act or .

Under t hese ci r cumst ances I have recour se t o a short er path, i n t heconvi ct i on t hat t he guar di ans of t he Pr i nce' s est at e wi l l be di sposedt omar k t hei r appr eci at i on of ar t , and al so t hei r desi r e t o f ul f i l t heengagement s of t he l ate Pr i nce. Accor di ng t o the ter ms of t he cont r acti nquest i on, t he Ar chduke Rudol ph, Pr i nce Lobkowi t z, and Pri nce v. Ki nsky

gr ant ed me t hese 4000 f l or i ns unt i l I shoul d obt ai n a si t uat i on ofequalval ue; and f ur t her , i f by mi sf or t une or ol d age I was pr event edexer ci si ngmy ar t , t hese di st i ngui shed cont r act i ng par t i es secur ed t hi s pensi on t omef or l i f e, whi l e I , i n r et ur n, pl edged mysel f not t o l eave Vi enna.

Thi s promi se was generous, and equal l y gener ous was i t s f ul f i l ment , f orno



di f f i cul t y ever occur r ed, and I was i n t he peacef ul enj oyment of mypensi ont i l l t he I mper i al Fi nance Patent appeared. The consequent al t er at i on i nt hecurr ency made no di f f erence i n t he payment s of t he Ar chduke Rudol ph,f o r Ir ecei ved hi s shar e i n _Ei nl oesung Schei n_, as I had pr evi ousl y done i nbank- notes, wi t hout any ref erence to t he new scal e. The l atei l l ust r i ousPr i nce v. Ki nsky al so at once assur ed me that hi s shar e (1800 f l or i ns)shoul d al so be pai d i n _Ei nl oesung Schei n_. As however, he omi t t edgi vi ngt he or der t o hi s cashi er , di f f i cul t i es ar ose on t he subj ect. Al t houghmyci r cumst ances are not br i l l i ant , I woul d not have vent ur ed t o br i ngthi scl ai m bef or e t he not i ce of t he guar di ans of t he est at e, i f r espectabl e,upr i ght men had not r ecei ved the same pl edge f r om t he l at e Pr i nce' s ownl i ps, namel y, t hat he woul d pay my past as wel l as my f ut ur e cl ai ms i nVi enna cur r ency, whi ch i s proved by t he papers B, C, D, appended to t he

pl eas. Under t hese ci r cumst ances I l eave the guardi ans t o j udgewhether,af t er so i mpl i ci t l y rel yi ng on t he pr omi se of t he deceased Pr i nce, Ihavenot cause t o compl ai n of my del i cacy bei ng wounded by t he obj ect i onadvanced by the cur ators t o the wi t nesses, f r om t hei r not havi ng beenpresent t ogether at t he t i me the promi se was made, whi ch i s mostdi st r essi ng t o my f eel i ngs.

I n or der t o extr i cat e mysel f f r om t hi s most di sagr eeabl e l awsui t , It aket he l i ber t y to gi ve an assur ance t o t he guardi ans t hat I am pr epar ed,bot has t o t he past and t he f ut ur e, t o be sat i sf i ed wi t h t he 1800 f l or i ns,Vi enna cur r ency; and I f l at t er mysel f t hat t hese gent l emen wi l l admi tthatI on my part make t hus no smal l sacr i f i ce, as i t was sol el y f r ommyest eemf or t hose i l l ust r i ous Pr i nces t hat I sel ect ed Vi enna f or my set t l edabode,at a t i me when t he most advant ageous of f ers were made t o me el sewher e.

I t her ef ore r equest t he Cour t t o submi t t hi s pr oposal t o the guar di ansoft he Ki nsky est at es f or t hei r opi ni on, and t o be so good as t o i nf or m meoft he r esul t .

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: See No. 94. On the 18t h J anuary, 1815, t he Cour t of J ust i ce atPrague decr eed t hat t he t r ust ees of Pr i nce Ki nsky' s estate shoul d payto L.v. Beet hoven t he sum of 1200 f l or i ns W. W. f r om November 3d, 1812,i nst eadof t he or i gi nal wr i t t en agr eement of 1800 f l or i ns. Dr . Const ant , of



Wur zbach, i n hi s _Bi ogr aphi cal Aust r i an Lexi con_, st at es t hat Beet hovendedi cat ed hi s spl endi d song _An di e Hof f nung_, Op. 94, t o Pr i ncessKi nsky,wi f e of Pr i nce Fer di nand Ki nsky, who di ed i n 1812. ]

144.

TO BARON VON PASQUALATI .

J anuar y, 1815.

MY ESTEEMED FRI END, - -

I beg you wi l l ki ndl y send me by the bearer t he pr oper f orm f or t heKi nskyr ecei pt ( _but seal ed_) f or 600 f l or i ns hal f - year l y f r om t he mont h ofApr i l .I i nt end t o send t he r ecei pt f or t hwi t h t o Dr . Kauka i n Pr ague, [ 1] whoon a

f ormer occasi on pr ocur ed t he money f or me so qui ckl y. I wi l l deductyourdebt f r om t hi s, but i f i t be possi bl e t o get t he money her e bef or e t her emi t t ance ar r i ves f r om Pr ague, I wi l l br i ng i t at once t o you mysel f .

I r emai n, wi t h the most pr of ound est eem,

Your si ncer e f r i end,

BEETHOVEN

[ Footnote 1: Thi s man, now ni net y- f our years of age and qui t e bl i nd,was att hat t i me Beet hoven' s counsel i n Prague. Pasqual at i was t hat benef actorofBeet hoven' s who al ways kept r ooms f or hi m i n hi s house on t he Moel kerBast ei , and whose ki nd ai d never desert ed hi m t o t he cl ose of hi sl i f e. ]

145.

TO HERR KAUKA.

Vi enna, Feb. 24, 1815.

MY MUCH ESTEEMED K. , - -

I have r epeat edl y thanked you t hr ough Baron Pasqual at i f or yourf r i endl yexer t i ons on my behal f , and I now beg to expr ess one t housand thanksmysel f . The i nt er vent i on of t he Ar chduke coul d not be ver y pal atabl e t oyou, and perhaps has prej udi ced you agai nst me. You had al r eady doneal lt hat was possi bl e when the Ar chduke i nt er f ered. I f t hi s had been t hecasesooner , and we had not empl oyed t hat onesi ded, or many- si ded, or



weak- si ded Dr . Wol f , t hen, accordi ng t o t he assur ances of t he _Oberst burggr af _ hi msel f , t he af f ai r mi ght have had a st i l l mor ef avor abl er esul t . I shal l t her ef or e ever and al ways be gr at ef ul t o you f or yourser vi ces. The Cour t now deduct t he si xt y ducat s I ment i oned of my ownaccor d, and t o whi ch t he l at e Pr i nce never al l uded ei t her t o hi streasureror any one el se. Wher e t r ut h coul d i nj ur e me i t has been accepted, sowhyr ej ect i t when i t coul d have benef i t ed me? How unf ai r ! Baron Pasqual at ir equi r es i nf or mat i on f r om you on var i ous poi nt s.

I am agai n ver y t i r ed t o- day, havi ng been obl i ged t o di scuss manyt hi ngswi t h poor P. ; such matt er s exhaust me more t han t he gr eatest ef f ort s i ncomposi t i on. I t i s a new f i el d, t he soi l of whi ch I ought not t o ber equi r ed to t i l l . Thi s pai nf ul busi ness has cost me many t ears and muchsor r ow. The t i me dr aws near when Pr i ncess Ki nsky must be wr i t t en t o.Now Imust concl ude. How r ej oi ced shal l I be when I can wr i t e you t he pur e

ef f usi ons of my hear t once more; and thi s I mean to do as soon as I amext r i cat ed f r om al l t hese t r oubl es. Pr ay accept agai n my hear t f el tt hanksf or al l t hat you have done f or me, and cont i nue your r egard f or

Your at t ached f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

146.


1815.

I hear d yest erday, and i t was i ndeed conf i r med by meet i ng Count Troyer,t hat Y. R. H. i s now her e. I t her ef or e send t he dedi cat i on of t he Tr i o[ i n Bf l at ] t o Y. R. H. , whose name i s i nscr i bed on i t ; but al l my wor ks onwhi ch Ipl ace any val ue, t hough t he name does not appear , are equal l y desi gnedfor Y. R. H. I t r ust , however , t hat you wi l l not t hi nk I have a mot i ve i nsayi ngt hi s, - - men of hi gh r ank bei ng apt t o suspect sel f - i nt er est i n suchexpr essi ons, - - and I mean on t hi s occasi on t o ri sk t he i mput at i on so f ar

as _appearances_ go, by at once aski ng a f avor of Y. R. H. My wel l - groundedr easons f or so doi ng you wi l l no doubt at once per cei ve, and gr aci ousl yvouchsaf e to gr ant my request . I have been ver y much i ndi sposed i nBadensi nce t he begi nni ng of l ast Oct ober ; i ndeed, f r om t he 5t h of Oct ober Ihavebeen ent i r el y conf i ned t o my bed, or t o my room, t i l l about a week ago.Ihad a ver y ser i ous i nf l ammat or y col d, and amst i l l abl e t o go out ver y



l i t t l e, whi ch has al so been t he cause of my not wr i t i ng t o Y. R. H. i nKr emsi r . May al l t he bl essi ngs t hat Heaven can shower upon ear t h at t endyou.

[ K. ]

SECOND PART.

LI FE' S MI SSI ON.

1815 TO 1822.

PART I I .

147.

WRI TTEN I N SPOHR' S ALBUM. [ 1]

Vi enna, March 3, 1815.

[ Musi c: Tr ebl e cl ef , F Maj or , 3/ 4 t i me.Kur z, kur z, kur z, kur z i st der Schmer z, der Schmer z,e- wi g, e- wi g i st di e Fr eude, i st di e Fr eude, j a di e Fr eude, e- wi g i st di e Fr eude.Kur z, kur z, kur z, kur z i st der Schmer z, der Schmer z, der Schmerz ,e- wi g, e- wi g i st di e Fr eude, i st di e Fr eude,e- wi g i st di e Freude, e- wi g, e- wi g i st di e Freu- de.Kur z, kur z, kur z, kur z i st der Schmer z, der Schmer z, der Schmerz ,e- wi g, e- wi g i st di e Fr eude, e- wi g i st di e Fr eude. ]

Whenever , dear Spohr , you chance to f i nd t r ue ar t and t r ue ar t i st s, mayyouki ndl y r emember

Your f r i end,


[ Foot not e 1: From t he f ac- si mi l e i n Spohr ' s _Aut obi ogr aphy_, Vol . I . ]

148.

TO HERR KAUKA.


I t seems scarcel y admi ssi bl e to be on t he f r i endl y t er ms on whi ch Iconsi der mysel f wi t h you, and yet t o be on such unf r i endl y ones t hat we



shoul d l i ve cl ose t o each ot her and never meet ! ! ! ! ! [ 1] You wr i t e "_ t outavous_. " Oh! you humbug! sai d I . No! no! i t i s r eal l y too bad. I shoul dl i ket o thank you 9000 t i mes f or al l your ef f ort s on my behal f , and t or epr oachyou 20, 000 t hat you came and went as you di d. So al l i s a del usi on!f r i endshi p, ki ngdom, empi r e; al l i s onl y a vapor whi ch ever y br eezewaf t si nt o a di f f er ent f or m! ! Per haps I may go t o Toepl i t z, but i t i s notcert ai n.I mi ght t ake advant age of t hat opport uni t y t o l et t he peopl e of Praguehearsomet hi ng- - what t hi nk you? i f _i ndeed you st i l l t hi nk of me at al l _! Ast heaf f ai r wi t h Lobkowi t z i s now al so come t o a cl ose, we may wr i t e _Fi ni s_ ,t hough i t f ar f r om _f i ne i s_ f or me.

Baron Pasqual at i wi l l no doubt soon cal l on you agai n; he al so has

t akenmuch t r oubl e on my account . Yes, i ndeed! i t i s easy t o tal k of _j ust i ce_,but t o obt ai n i t f r om other s i s _no easy matt er _. I n what way can I beofservi ce t o you i n my own ar t ? Say whether you pr ef er my cel ebr at i ng t hemonol ogue of a f ugi t i ve ki ng, or t he per j ur y of a usur per - - or t he t r uef r i ends, who, t hough near nei ghbors, never saw each ot her? I n the hopeofsoon hear i ng f r om you- - f or bei ng now so f ar asunder i t i s easi er t ohol di nt ercour se t han when nearer ! - - I r emai n, wi t h hi ghest est eem,

Your ever - devoted f r i end,


[ Footnote 1: Kauka evi dent l y had been recent l y i n Vi enna wi t houtvi si t i ngBeet hoven. ]

149.

TO HERR KAUKA.

1815.

MY DEAR AND WORTHY K. , - -

I have j ust r ecei ved f r omt he Syndi c Bai er i n R. t he good news t hat yout ol d hi m your sel f about Pr i nce F. K. As f or t he r est , you shal l beper f ectl ysat i sf i ed.

I t ake t he l i ber t y to ask you agai n t o l ook af t er my i nt er est s wi t h t he



Ki nsky f ami l y, and I subj oi n t he necessary r ecei pt f or t hi s pur pose[ seeNo. 144] . Perhaps some ot her way may be f ound, t hough i t does not asyetoccur t o me, by means of whi ch I need not i mpor t une you i n f uture. Ont he15t h Oct ober [ 1815] I was at t acked by an i nf l ammatory col d, f r omt heconsequences of whi ch I st i l l suf f er , and my ar t l i kewi se; but i t i s t obehoped t hat I shal l now gr adual l y recover , and at al l event s be abl eoncemor e to di spl ay the r i ches of my l i t t l e r eal m of sweet sounds. Yet I amver y poor i n al l el se- - owi ng t o t he t i mes? t o pover t y of spi r i t ? orwhat???? Farewel l ! Ever ythi ng around di sposes us t o _prof ound si l ence_;butt hi s shal l not be t he case as to the bond of f r i endshi p and soul t hatuni t es us. I l oudl y pr ocl ai m mysel f , now as ever ,

Your l ovi ng f r i end and admi r er ,

BEETHOVEN.

150.

TO HERR KAUKA.

1815.

MY MOST WORTHY FRI END, - -

My second l et t er f ol l ows t hat of yest er day, May 2d. Pasqual at i t el l s met o- day, af t er t he l apse of a mont h and si x days, t hat t he house ofBal l abene i s t oo _hi gh and mi ght y_ t o assi st me i n t hi s matt er . I mustt her ef or e appeal t o your _i nsi gni f i cance_ ( as I mysel f do not hesi t at et obe so mean as t o ser ve ot her peopl e) . My house- r ent amounts t o 550f l or i ns,and must be pai d out of t he sum i n quest i on.

As soon as t he newl y engr aved pi anof or t e pi eces appear , you shal lr ecei vecopi es, and al so of t he "Bat t l e, " &c. , &c. For gi ve me, f orgi ve me, mygenerous f r i end; some ot her means must be f ound t o f orward t hi s af f ai rwi t hdue prompt i t ude.

I n hast e, your f r i end and admi r er ,

BEETHOVEN.

151.

TO MR. SALOMON, - - LONDON. [ 1]




MY GOOD FELLOW- COUNTRYMAN, - -

I al ways hoped t o meet you one day i n London, but many obst acl es havei nt er vened to prevent t he f ul f i l ment of t hi s wi sh, and as t her e seemsnowno chance of such a thi ng, I hope you wi l l not r ef use a r equest ofmi ne,whi ch i s t hat you wi l l be so obl i gi ng as t o appl y t o some Londonpubl i sher ,and of f er hi m t he f ol l owi ng wor ks of mi ne. Gr and Tr i o f or pi ano,vi ol i n,and vi ol oncel l o [ Op. 97] , 80 ducat s. Pi anof or t e Sonat a, wi t h vi ol i naccompani ment [ Op. 96] , 60 ducat s. Gr and Symphony i n A ( one of my verybest ) ; a shor t Symphony i n F [ t he 8t h] ; Quar t et f or t wo vi ol i ns, vi ol a,andvi ol oncel l o i n F mi nor [ Op. 95] ; Gr and Oper a i n scor e, 30 ducat s.Cant at awi t h Choruses and Sol os [ "The Gl or i ous Moment " ] , 30 ducat s. Score oft he

"Bat t l e of Vi t t or i a" and "Wel l i ngt on' s Vi ctory, " 80 ducat s; al so t hepi anof or t e ar r angement of t he same, i f not al r eady publ i shed, whi ch, Iamt ol d her e, i s t he case. I have named t he pr i ces of some of t hese works,ona scal e whi ch I hol d t o be sui t abl e f or Engl and, but I l eave i t t o yout osay what sum shoul d be asked both f or t hese and the ot her s. I hear,i ndeed,t hat Cr amer [ J ohn, whose pi anof ort e- pl ayi ng was hi ghl y est i mated byBeet hoven] i s al so a publ i sher , but my schol ar Ri es l atel y wr ote t o methatCr amer not l ong si nce _publ i cl y expr essed hi s di sappr oval of my works_:It r ust f r om no mot i ve but t hat of _bei ng of ser vi ce t o ar t _, and i f so Ihave no r i ght t o obj ect t o hi s doi ng t hi s. I f , however , Cr amer shoul dwi sht o possess any of my _per ni ci ous_ wor ks, I shal l be as wel l sati sf i edwi t hhi m as wi t h any ot her publ i sher ; but I r eser ve the r i ght t o gi ve t heseworks t o be publ i shed here, so t hat t hey may appear at t he same momenti nLondon and Vi enna.

Per haps you may al so be abl e t o poi nt out t o me i n what way I canr ecoverf r om t he Pri nce Regent [ af t erwards George I V. ] t he expenses of

t r anscr i bi ngt he "Bat t l e Symphony" on Wel l i ngt on' s vi ct ory at Vi t t or i a, t o bededi catedt o hi m, f or I have l ong ago gi ven up al l hope of r ecei vi ng anyt hi ngf romt hat quar t er . I have not even been deemed wor t hy of an answer , whet herI amt o be aut hor i zed t o dedi cate the work t o the Pr i nce Regent ; and when atl ast I pr opose t o publ i sh i t her e, I am i nf or med t hat i t has al r eady



appear ed i n London. What a f at al i t y f or an aut hor ! ! ! Whi l e the Engl i shandGer man paper s ar e f i l l ed wi t h account s of t he success of t he work, asper f ormed at Dr ur y Lane, and t hat t heat r e dr awi ng gr eat r ecei pt s f r omi t ,t he aut hor has not one f r i endl y l i ne t o show, not even payment f or t hecostof copyi ng t he wor k, and i s t hus depr i ved of al l pr of i t . [ 2] For i f i tbet r ue t hat t he pi anof ort e ar r angement i s soon t o be publ i shed by aGer manpubl i sher , copi ed f r om t he London one, t hen I l ose both my f ame and my _honor ar i um_. The wel l - known gener osi t y of your char act er l eads me t ohopet hat you wi l l t ake some i nt er est i n t he mat t er , and act i vel y exer tyour sel fon my behal f .

The i nf er i or paper - money of t hi s count r y i s now r educed t o one f i f t h ofi t s

val ue, and I ampai d accor di ng t o thi s scal e. Af t er many st r uggl es andconsi der abl e l oss, I at l engt h succeeded i n obt ai ni ng t he f ul l val ue;butat t hi s moment t he ol d paper- money has agai n r i sen f ar beyond t he f i f t hpart , so t hat i t i s evi dent my sal ary becomes f or t he second t i meal most _ni l _, and t here i s no hope of any compensat i on. My whol e i ncome i sder i vedf r om my wor ks. I f I coul d r el y on a good sal e i n Engl and, i t woul ddoubt l ess be very benef i ci al t o me. Pray be assur ed of my boundl essgr at i t ude. I hope soon, ver y soon, t o hear f r om you.

I am, wi t h est eem, your si ncer e f r i end,


[ Footnote 1: J . P. Sal omon was l i kewi se a nat i ve of Bonn, and one of t hemost di st i ngui shed vi ol i n- pl ayer s of hi s t i me. He had beenKapel l mei st er t oPr i nce Hei nr i ch of Prussi a, and t hen went t o London, where he was ver yact i ve i n the i nt r oduct i on of Ger man musi c. I t was t hr ough hi s agencythatBeet hoven' s connect i on wi t h Bi r chal l , t he musi c publ i sher , f i r stcommenced,t o whoma number of hi s l et t er s are addr essed. ]

[ Footnote 2: Undoubt edl y the t r ue r eadi ng of t hese l ast words, whi ch i n

t hecopy bef ore me ar e mar ked as " di f f i cul t t o deci pher . "]

152.


1815.



Pray f orgi ve my aski ng Y. R. H. t o send me t he t wo Sonatas wi t h vi ol i n _obbl i gat o_[ 1] whi ch I caused t o be t r anscr i bed f or Y. R. H. I r equi r et hemonl y f or a f ew days, when I wi l l i mmedi atel y retur n t hem.

[ K. ]

[ Foot not e 1: I f by t he two Sonat as f or t he pi anof or t e wi t h vi ol oncel l o _obbl i gat o_, Op. 102 i s meant , t hey wer e composed i n J ul y- August , 1815,andappear ed on J an. 13t h, 1819. The date of t he l et t er appears al so t o be1815. ]

153.


1815.

I beg you wi l l ki ndl y send me t he Sonata i n E mi nor, [ 1] as I wi sh t ocor r ect i t . On Monday I shal l i nqui r e f or Y. R. H. i n per son. _Recentoccur r ences_[ 2] r ender i t i ndi spensabl e to compl ete many works of mi neabout t o be engr aved as qui ckl y as possi bl e; besi des, my heal t h i s onl ypar t i al l y rest or ed. I ear nest l y ent r eat Y. R. H. t o desi r e _some one_ t owr i t e me a f ew l i nes as t o t he st at e of your own heal t h. I t r ust Ishal lhear a bet t er - - nay, t he best r epor t of i t .

[ K. ]

[ Foot note 1: The l et t ers 152 and 153 speak somet i mes expr essl y of t hepi anof ort e Sonata i n E mi nor , Op. 90, t hese bei ng engr aved or underr evi si on, and somet i mes onl y i ndi cat e them. Thi s Sonata, dedi cated t oCountLi chnowsky, was composed on August 14t h, 1814, and publ i shed i n J une,1815. ]

[ Footnote 2: What " r ecent occur r ences" Beet hoven al l udes t o, unl essi ndeedhi s wel l - known mi sf ort unes as t o hi s sal ary and guardi anshi p we cannotdi scover . ]

154.


1815.

You must al most t hi nk my i l l ness a mer e f i ct i on, but t hat i s assuredl ynott he case. I am obl i ged al ways t o come home ear l y i n the eveni ng. Thef i r s tt i me t hat Y. R. H. was graci ousl y pl eased t o send f or me, I came homei mmedi atel y af t erwards, but f eel i ng much bet t er s i nce t hen, I made an



at t empt t he eveni ng bef or e l ast t o st ay out a l i t t l e l at er . I f Y. R. H.doesnot count ermand me, I i nt end to have t he honor of wai t i ng on you t hi seveni ng at f i ve o' cl ock. I wi l l br i ng the new Sonat a wi t h me, mer el yfort o- day, f or i t i s so soon t o be engr aved t hat i t i s not wor t h whi l e t ohavei t wri t t en out .

[ K. ]

155.


1815.

I i nt ended t o have gi ven you t hi s l et t er mysel f , but my per sonalat t endance

mi ght possi bl y be an i nt r usi on; so I t ake t he l i ber t y once mor e to ur geon Y. R. H. t he r equest i t cont ai ns. I shoul d al so be gl ad i f Y. R. H. woul dsendme back my l ast MS. Sonata, f or as I _must _ publ i sh i t , i t woul d bel aborl ost t o have i t t r anscri bed, and I shal l soon have the pl easur e ofpr esent i ng i t t o you engr aved. I wi l l cal l agai n i n a f ew days. I t r ustt hese j oyous t i mes may have a happy i nf l uence on your pr eci ous heal t h.

[ K. ]

156.



When you were recent l y i n t own, t he encl osed Chor us[ 1] occurr ed t o me.Ihur r i ed home t o wr i t e i t down, but was detai ned l onger i n doi ng so t hanIat f i r st expect ed, and thus, t o my gr eat sorr ow, I mi ssed Y. R. H. Thebadcust om I have f ol l owed f r om chi l dhood, i nst ant l y to wr i t e down my f i r stt hought s, otherwi se they not unf r equent l y go ast r ay, has been an i nj ur y

t ome on t hi s occasi on. I t her ef ore send Y. R. H. my i mpeachment and my j ust i f i cat i on, and t r ust I may f i nd grace i n your eyes. I hope soon t opr esent mysel f bef ore Y. R. H. , and t o i nqui r e af t er a heal t h so pr eci oust ous al l .

[ K. ]

[ Foot note 1: I n 1815 t he Chorus of _Di e Meer esst i l l e_ was composed by



Beet hoven. Was t hi s t he chorus whi ch occur r ed t o hi m? The st yl e of t hel et t er l eaves hi s meani ng qui t e obscur e. ]

157.


1815.

I t i s nei t her pr esumpt i on, nor t he pr et ensi on of advocat i ng any one' scause, st i l l l ess f r om t he wi sh of ar r ogat i ng t o mysel f t he enj oymentofany especi al f avor wi t h Y. R. H. , t hat i nduces me t o make a suggest i onwhi chi s i n i t sel f ver y si mpl e. Ol d Kr af t [ 1] was wi t h me yest er day; he wi shedt oknow i f i t wer e possi bl e f or hi m t o be l odged i n your pal ace, i n r et ur nforwhi ch he woul d be at Y. R. H. ' s servi ce as of t en as you pl ease i t . He has

l i ved f or t went y years i n t he house of Pri nce Lobkowi t z, and dur i ng agr eatpart of t hat t i me he r ecei ved no sal ary; he i s now obl i ged t o vacatehi sr ooms wi t hout r ecei vi ng any compensat i on what ever. The posi t i on of t hepoordeser vi ng ol d man i s har d, and I shoul d have consi dered mysel f equal l yhar d, had I not vent ur ed t o l ay hi s case bef or e you. Count Tr oyer wi l lr equest an answer f r om Y. R. H. As t he obj ect i n vi ew i s t o br i ght en t hel otof a f el l ow- creat ur e, pr ay f or gi ve your , &c. , &c.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: Ol d Kr af t was a cl ever vi ol oncel l o- pl ayer who had anappoi nt ment i n Pr i nce Lobkowi t z' s band, but when t he f i nanci al cr i si soccur r ed i n t he Pr i nce' s af f ai r s he l ost hi s si t uat i on, and was obl i gedt ogi ve up hi s l odgi ng. ]

158.

WRI TTEN I N ENGLI SH TO MR. BI RCHALL, MUSI C PUBLI SHER, LONDON.

Mr . Beet hoven send wor d t o Mr . Bi r chal l t hat i t i s sever al l days pastthat

he has sent f or London Wel l i ngt on' s Bat t el Si nphoni e and t hat Mr .B[ i r chal l ] may send f or i t at Thomas Cout t s. Mr . Beethoven wi sh Mr . B.woul d make i ngr ave t he sayd Si nphoni e so soon as poss i bl e and send hi mwor di n t i me t he day i t wi l l be publ i shed that he may pr evend i n t i me thePubl i sher i n Vi enna.

I n r egar d t he 3. Sonat a whi ch Mr . Bi r chal l r ecei ve af t er wer t hs t her e i snot



want ed such a g' t hur r y and Mr . B. wi l l t ake t he l i ber t y to f i xe t hedaywhen t he ar e t o be publ i shed.

Mr . B[ i r chal l ] sayd t hat Mr . Sal omon has a good many t i ngs to sayconcerni ng t he Synphoni e i n G [ ? A] .

Mr . B[ eet hoven] wi sh f or a answer so soon as possi bl e concerni ng t hedaysof t he publ i cat i on.

159.

TO ZMESKALL.

Oct ober 16, 1815.

I onl y wi sh t o l et you know t hat I am _her e_, and not _el sewhere_, andwi sh

i n r et ur n t o hear i f you ar e _el sewher e_ or _her e_. I shoul d be gl ad t ospeak t o you f or a f ew mi nut es when I know t hat you ar e at home andal one. _Far ewel l _- - but not _t oo wel l _- - subl i me Commandant Pacha of var i ousmoul der i ng f or t r esses! ! !


BEETHOVEN.

160.


Nov. 16, 1815.

Si nce yest er day af t er noon I have been l yi ng i n a st ate of exhaust i on,owi ngt o my great di st r ess of mi nd caused by the sudden deat h of my unhappybr other . I t was i mpossi bl e f or me to send an answer t o Y. R. H.yest er day,and I t r ust you wi l l gr aci ousl y r ecei ve my pr esent expl anat i on. Iexpect ,however , cer t ai nl y t o wai t on Y. R. H. t o- mor r ow.

[ K. ]

161.

TO THE MESSRS. BI RCHALL, - - LONDON.

Vi enna, Nov. 22, 1815.

You wi l l herewi t h r ecei ve t he pi anof or t e ar r angement of t he Symphony i nA.



"Wel l i ngt on' s Bat t l e Symphony, " and "Vi ct or y at Vi t t or i a" wer e sent amont hsi nce, t hrough Herr Neumann, t o t he car e of Messr s. Cout t s; so you havenodoubt r ecei ved t hem l ong er e t hi s.

I n t he cour se of a f ort ni ght you shal l have the Tr i o and Sonata, whenyouare r equested to pay i nt o t he hands of Messr s. Cout t s t he sum of 130gol dducats. I beg you wi l l make no del ay i n br i ngi ng out t hese works, andl i kewi se l et me know on what day t he "Wel l i ngt on Symphony" i s t oappear , sot hat I may t ake my measur es here accor di ngl y. I am, wi t h est eem,

Your obedi ent


162.

TO RI ES.

Vi enna, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 1815.

MY DEAR RI ES, - -

I hast en to appr i se you t hat I have to- day f orwarded by post t hepi anof or t earr angement of t he Symphony i n A, t o t he car e of Messr s Cout t s. As t heCour t i s absent , f ew, i ndeed al most no cour i er s go f r omher e; moreover ,t hepost i s t he saf est way. The Symphony ought t o be br ought out aboutMarch;t he pr eci se day I wi l l f i x mysel f . So much t i me has al r eady been l ostont hi s occasi on t hat I coul d not gi ve an ear l i er not i ce of t he per i od ofpubl i cat i on. The Tr i o i n [ ??] and t he vi ol i n Sonata may be al l owed moret i me, and both wi l l be i n London a f ew weeks hence. I earnest l y ent r eatyou, dear Ri es, t o t ake char ge of t hese mat t er s, and al so t o see that Igett he money; I r equi r e i t , and i t cost s me a good deal bef ore al l i s sentof f .

I have l ost 600 f l or i ns of my year l y sal ar y; at t he ti me of t he _bank- not es_ t here was no l oss , but t hen came t he _Ei nl oesungsschei ne_

[ r educed paper - money] , whi ch depr i ves me of t hese 600 f l or i ns, af t erent ai l i ng on me sever al years of annoyance, and now t he t otal l oss ofmysal ary. We ar e at pr esent arr i ved at a poi nt when t he _Ei nl oesungsschei ne_are even l ower t han t he _bank- notes_ ever wer e. I pay 1000 f l or i ns f orhouse- r ent : you may t hus concei ve al l t he mi ser y caused by paper - money.

My poor unhappy br other [ Car l v. Beet hoven, a cashi er i n Vi enna] i s j ust





and per pl exi t i es, has caused t hi s del ay i n my answer . I n t he mean t i me,t hepoem of Her r van Seyf r i ed i s al r eady begun, and I pur pose short l y t oset i tt o musi c. I need not t el l you how ver y f l at t er i ng I consi der such acommi ssi on, f or how coul d I t hi nk ot herwi se? and I shal l endeavor t oacqui tmysel f as honorabl y as my poor t al ent s wi l l admi t of .

_Wi t h r egard t o our ar t i st i c r esour ces_, when t he t i me f or t heper f ormancear r i ves I shal l cer t ai nl y take i nt o consi der at i on t hose usual l y at ourdi sposal , wi t hout , however , st r i ct l y l i mi t i ng mysel f t o t hem. I hope Ihavemade mysel f cl earl y under st ood on thi s poi nt . As I am ur ged to say whatgr at ui t y I r equi r e i n r et ur n, I beg t o know whet her t he Soci et y wi l lconsi der 400 gol d ducat s a proper r emunerat i on f or such a work? I oncemor eent r eat t he f orgi veness of t he Soci et y f or t he del ay i n my answer , butI am

i n some degr ee r el i eved by knowi ng t hat , at al l event s, you, my dearf r i end, have al r eady ver bal l y appr i sed the Soci et y of my r eadi ness t owr i t ea work of t he ki nd. [ 1]

Ever , my wort hy Z. , your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot not e 1: I n t he _Fi schof ' sche Handschr i f t _ we ar e tol d: - - "Theal l usi ont o ' our ar t i st i c r esour ces' r equi r es some expl anat i on. Her r v. Zmeskal lhadat t hat t i me r ecei ved i nst r uct i ons t o gi ve a hi nt t o the gr eat composer( who pai d l i t t l e r egar d t o t he di f f i cul t y of execut i ng hi s wor ks) t hathemust absol ut el y t ake i nt o consi der at i on t he si ze of t he orchest r a,whi ch atgr and concert s amount ed t o 700 per f ormers. The Soci ety onl y st i pul at edfort he excl usi ve r i ght t o the work f or one year , and di d not pur chase t hecopyri ght ; t hey under t ook t he gr atui t y f or t he poem al so, so t hey wer eobl i ged t o consul t t hei r pecuni ary resour ces, and i nf ormed t he composert hat t hey wer e pr epared t o gi ve hi m 200 gol d ducat s f or t he use of t hewor kf or a year , as t hey had pr oposed. Beet hoven was qui t e sat i sf i ed, andmade

no obj ect i on whatever; he r ecei ved an advance on t hi s sum accor di ng t ohi sown wi sh, t he r ecei pt of whi ch he acknowl edged i n 1819. Beet hovenr ej ect edt he f i r st poem sel ect ed, and desi r ed t o have anot her . The Soci et y l ef thi schoi ce qui t e f r ee. Herr Bernhard undert ook t o suppl y a new one.Beet hovenand he consul t ed t oget her i n choosi ng the subj ect , but Herr Bernhard,over bur dened by ot her busi ness, coul d onl y send t he poem bi t by bi t .





1810, t r avel l ed i n 1812, and was engaged at Ber l i n i n 1816. ]

165.

TO RI ES

Vi enna, J an. 20, 1816.

DEAR RI ES, - -

The Symphony i s t o be dedi cat ed t o t he Empress of Russi a. Thepi anof or t escor e of t he Symphony i n A must not , however , appear bef ore J une, f ort hepubl i sher her e cannot be r eady sooner . Pr ay, dear Ri es, i nf or m Mr .Bi rchal lof t hi s at once. The Sonata wi t h vi ol i n accompani ment , whi ch wi l l besentf r om her e by t he next post , can l i kewi se be publ i shed i n London i n May,

butt he Tr i o at a l at er dat e ( i t f ol l ows by t he next post ) ; I wi l l mysel fnamet he t i me f or i t s publ i cat i on. And now, dear Ri es, pr ay recei ve myhear t f el tt hanks f or your ki ndness, and especi al l y f or t he cor r ect i ons of t hepr oof s.May Heaven bl ess you mor e and mor e, and promot e your progress, i n whi chIt ake the most si ncer e i nt er est . My ki nd r egards t o your wi f e. Now asever ,

Your si ncer e f r i end,


166.

TO MR. BI RCHALL, - - LONDON.

Vi enne, l e 3. Febr . den 1816

VOUS RECEUES CI J OI NT- -

Le gr and Tr i o p. Pf . V. et Vl l o. Sonat a pour Pf . et Vi ol i n- - qui f or m l er est e de ce qu' i l vous a pl us a me comet t r e. J e vous pr i e de voul oi r

payerl a some de 130 Ducat s d' Hol l and come l e post e l et t r e a Mr . Th. Cut t s etCo.de vot r e vi l l e e de me croi r e avec t out e l ' est i me et consi der ati on

Vot r e t r es humbl e Ser vi t eur ,




167.

TO CZERNY. [ 1]

MY DEAR CZERNY, - -

Pray gi ve t he encl osed to your parent s f or t he di nners t he boy hadr ecent l yat your house; I posi t i vel y wi l l not accept t hese _gr at i s_. Mor eover , Iamver y f ar f r om wi shi ng t hat your l essons shoul d remai n wi t houtr emunerat i on, - - even t hose al r eady gi ven must be r eckoned up and pai df o r ;onl y I beg you to have a l i t t l e pat i ence f or a t i me, as not hi ng can be _demanded_ f r om t he wi dow, and I had and st i l l have heavy expenses t odef r ay; - - but I _bor r ow_ f r om you f or t he moment onl y. The boy i s t o bewi t hyou t o- day, and I shal l come l at er .

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: Carl Czerny, t he cel ebr ated pi ani st and composer , f or whomBeet hoven wr ot e a t est i moni al i n 1805 (see No. 42) . He gave l essons t oBeet hoven' s nephew i n 1815, and nat ur al l y pr otest ed agai nst anypayment ,whi ch gave r i se t o t he expr essi ons on t he subj ect i n many of hi s not est oCzerny, of whi ch ther e appear t o be a gr eat number. ]

168.

TO CZERNY. [ 1]

Vi enna, Feb. 12, 1816.

DEAR CZERNY, - -

I cannot see you t o- day, but I wi l l cal l t o- mor r ow bei ng desi r ous t otal kt o you. I spoke out so bl unt l y yest er day that I much r egr et t ed i taf t erwards. But you must f orgi ve t hi s on t he part of an aut hor , whowoul dhave pr ef err ed hear i ng hi s work as he wr ote i t , however char mi ngl y youpl ayed i t . I wi l l , however , _ampl y_ at one f or t hi s by t he vi ol oncel l o

Sonat a. [ 2]

Rest assur ed t hat I cher i sh t he gr eat est r egar d f or you as an ar t i st ,and Ishal l al ways endeavor t o pr ove thi s.


BEETHOVEN.



[ Footnot e 1: Czer ny, i n t he _A. M. Zei t ung_, 1845, r el at es: - - "On oneoccasi on ( i n 1812) , at Schuppanzi gh' s concer t , when pl ayi ng Beet hoven' squi nt et wi t h wi nd- i nst r ument s, I t ook t he l i ber t y, i n my yout hf ull evi t y,t o make many al t er at i ons, - - such as i nt r oduci ng di f f i cul t i es i nt o t hepassages, maki ng use of t he upper octaves, &c. , &c. Beet hoven st ernl yanddeservedl y r epr oached me f or t hi s, i n t he pr esence of Schuppanzi gh,Li nke,and t he other per f ormer s. " ]

[ Foot note 2: Opera 69, whi ch Czerny (see _A. M. Zei t ung_) was t o per f ormwi t h Li nke t he f ol l owi ng week. ]

169.

TO RI ES, - - LONDON.

Vi enna, Feb. 28, 1816.

. . . For some t i me past I have been f ar f r om wel l ; t he l oss of mybr ot heraf f ect ed bot h my spi r i t s and my works. Sal omon' s deat h gr i eves me much,ashe was an excel l ent man whom I have known f r om my chi l dhood. You arehi sexecut or by wi l l , whi l e I am t he guar di an of my l at e poor br ot her ' schi l d. You can scar cel y have had as much vexat i on f r om Sal omon' s deat h as Ihavehad f r om t hat of my br other ! - - but I have t he sweet consol at i on ofhavi ngr escued a poor i nnocent chi l d f r om t he hands of an unwort hy mot her.Far ewel l , dear Ri es; i f I can i n any way serve you, l ook on me as


BEETHOVEN.

170.

TO GI ANNATASI O DEL RI O, - - VI ENNA.

Feb. 1816.

SI R, - -

I have gr eat pl easur e i n sayi ng t hat at l ast I i nt end t o- mor r ow t opl aceunder your care the dear pl edge i nt r ust ed t o me. But I must i mpr ess onyounot t o permi t any i nf l uence on the mot her' s par t t o deci de when andwher eshe i s t o see her son. We can, however , di scuss al l t hi s more mi nut el y



t o- morr ow. . . . You must keep a wat chf ul eye on your servant , f or mi newas _br i bed by her_ on one occas i on. Mor e as t o t hi s ver bal l y, t hough i t i sasubj ect on whi ch I woul d f ai n be si l ent ; but t he f ut ur e wel f ar e of t heyout h you are t o t r ai n renders t hi s unpl easant communi cat i on necessary.Ir emai n, wi t h est eem,

Your f ai t hf ul ser vant and f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

171.

TO G. DEL RI O.

1816.

Your est i mabl e l ady, Mdme. A. G. [ Gi annat asi o] i s pol i t el y r equest ed t ol ett he undersi gned know as soon as possi bl e ( t hat I may not be obl i ged t okeepi t al l i n my head) how many pai r s of st ocki ngs, t r ousers , shoes, anddrawers ar e requi r ed, and how many yards of ker seymere to make a pai rofbl ack t r ouser s f or my t al l nephew; and f or t he sake of t he "Castal i anSpr i ng" I beg, wi t hout any f ur t her r emi nder s on my part , t hat I mayr ecei vean answer t o t hi s.

As f or t he Lady Abbess [ a ni ckname f or t hei r onl y daught er] , t her eshal l bea conf er ence hel d on Car l ' s af f ai r t o- ni ght , vi z. , i f t hi ngs ar e t ocont i nue as t hey are.

Your wel l ( and i l l ) born

BEETHOVEN.

172.

TO G. DEL RI O.

1816.

I hear d yest er day eveni ng, unl ucki l y at t oo l at e an hour , t hat you hadsomethi ng to gi ve me; had i t not been f or t hi s, I woul d have cal l ed onyou.I beg, however , t hat you wi l l send i t , as I have no doubt i t i s al et t erf or me f r om t he "Queen of t he Ni ght . " [ 1] Al t hough you gave meper mi ssi on t of et ch Car l t wi ce al r eady, I must ask you t o l et hi m come t o me when Isend



f or hi m at el even o' cl ock to- mor r ow, as I wi sh t o t ake hi m wi t h me t ohearsome i nt erest i ng musi c. I t i s al so my i nt ent i on t o make hi m pl ay t o met o- morr ow, as i t i s now some t i me si nce I heard hi m. I hope you wi l lurgehi m t o st udy more cl osel y t han usual t o- day, t hat he may i n some degr eemake up f or hi s hol i day. I embr ace you cor di al l y, and r emai n,

Yours t r ul y,


[ Foot note 1: The "Queen of t he Ni ght " was t he name gi ven to Car l ' smot herby Beet hoven. She was a person of great l evi t y of conduct and badr eputat i on, and every ef f or t was made by Beet hoven t o wi t hdr aw her sonf romher i nf l uence, on whi ch account he at once removed hi m f r omher car e,andpl aced hi m i n t hi s i nst i t ut i on. She consequent l y appeal ed t o t he l aw

agai nst hi m, - - t he f i r st st ep i n a l ong cour se of l egal pr oceedi ngs oft hemost pai nf ul nat ur e. ]

173.

TO G. DEL RI O. [ 1]

1816.

I send you, dear si r , t he cl oak, and al so a school - book of my Car l ' s,andr equest you wi l l make out a l i st of hi s cl othes and ef f ect s, t hat I mayhave i t copi ed f or mysel f , bei ng obl i ged, as hi s guar di an, t o l ookcar ef ul l y af t er hi s pr oper t y. I i nt end t o cal l f or Car l t o- mor r ow abouthal f - past t wel ve o' cl ock, t o t ake hi m t o a l i t t l e concer t , and wi sh hi mt odi ne wi t h me af t er wards, and shal l br i ng hi m back mysel f . Wi t h r espectt ohi s mot her , I desi r e that _under t he pr et ext _ of t he boy bei ng _sobusy_,you wi l l not l et her see hi m; no man on ear t h can know or j udge of t hi smatt er bet t er t han mysel f , and by any ot her l i ne of conduct al l mywel l - mat ur ed pl ans f or t he wel f ar e of t he chi l d mi ght be mat er i al l yi nj ur ed. I wi l l mysel f di scuss wi t h you when t he mot her i s hencef or t ht o

have access t o Carl , f or I am anxi ous on ever y account t o pr event t heoccur r ence of yest er day ever bei ng repeat ed. I t ake al l t herespons i bi l i t yon mysel f ; i ndeed, so f ar as I am concer ned, t he Cour t conf er r ed on mef ul lpowers , and the aut hori t y at once to count eract anyt hi ng adver se t o t hewel f ar e of t he boy. I f t hey coul d have l ooked on her i n t he l i ght of anest i mabl e mother , t hey assur edl y woul d not have excl uded her f r om t heguar di anshi p of her chi l d. What ever she may thi nk f i t t o asser t ,nothi ng



has been done i n a cl andest i ne manner agai nst her . There was but onevoi cei n t he whol e counci l on the subj ect . I hope to have no f ur t her t r oubl ei nt hi s matt er , f or t he bur den i s al r eady heavy enough.

From a conver sati on I had yest er day wi t h Adl er sbur g [ hi s l awyer ] , i twoul dappear t hat a l ong t i me must yet el apse bef ore t he Cour t can deci dewhatr eal l y bel ongs t o t he chi l d. I n addi t i on t o al l t hese anxi et i es am Ial sot o endur e a persecut i on such as I have recent l y experi enced, and f r omwhi chI t hought I _was ent i r el y rescued by your I nst i t ut i on_? Far ewel l !

I am, wi t h est eem, your obedi ent

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Beet hoven' s arbi t r ar y aut hor i t y had been pr evi ousl ysanct i onedby a decree of t he Cour t , and t he mother depr i ved of al l power over herson. ]

174.

TO FERDI NAND RI ES, - - LONDON.

Vi enna, March 8, 1816.

My answer has been too l ong del ayed; but I was i l l , and had a gr eatpr essof busi ness. Not a si ngl e f art hi ng i s yet come of t he t en gol d ducat s,andI now al most begi n to t hi nk t hat t he Engl i sh ar e onl y l i ber al when i nf orei gn count r i es. I t i s t he same wi t h t he Pri nce Regent , who has notevensent me the cost of copyi ng my "Bat t l e Symphony, " nor one verbal orwr i t t enexpr essi on of t hanks. My whol e i ncome consi st s of 3400 f l ori ns i npaper - money. I pay 1100 f or house- r ent , and 900 t o my servant and hi swi f e;so you may r eckon f or your sel f what r emai ns. Besi des t hi s, t he ent i r emai nt enance of my young nephew devol ves on me. At present he i s atschool ,

whi ch cost s 1100 f l or i ns, and i s by no means a good one; so t hat I mustar r ange a pr oper househol d and have hi m wi t h me. How much money must bemade t o l i ve at al l here! and yet t here seems no end toi t - - because!- - because!- - because!- - but you know wel l what I mean.

Some commi ssi ons f r om t he Phi l har moni c woul d be ver y acceptabl e to me,besi des, t he concert . Now l et me say t hat my dear schol ar Ri es must sett owork and dedi cat e somet hi ng val uabl e t o me, t o whi ch hi s mast er may



r espond, and r epay hi m i n hi s own coi n. How can I send you my port r ai t ?Myki nd regards t o your wi f e. I , al as! have none. One al one I wi shed t opossess, but never shal l I cal l her mi ne! [ 1] Thi s, however , has notmade mea woman- hater .


BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnote 1: See t he st atement of Fraeul ei n del Ri o i n t he _Gr enzbot en_. Wer ead: - - "My f at her ' s i dea was that marr i age al one coul d r emedy the sadcondi t i on of Beet hoven' s househol d mat t ers; so he asked hi m whet her heknewany one, &c. , &c. Our l ong- exi st i ng pr esent i ment was t hen r eal i zed. "Hi sl ove was unf or t unat e. Fi ve year s ago he had become acquai nted wi t h aper son

wi t h whom he woul d have est eemed i t t he hi ghest f el i ci t y of hi s l i f e t ohave ent er ed i nt o cl oser t i es; but i t was vai n t o t hi nk of i t , bei ngal mostan i mpossi bi l i t y! a chi mer a! and yet hi s f eel i ngs r emai ned t he same ast hever y f i r st day he had seen her! He added, " t hat never bef ore had hef oundsuch harmony! but no decl arat i on had ever been made, not bei ng abl e t opr evai l on hi msel f t o do so. " Thi s conver sati on t ook pl ace i n Sept .1816,at Hel enent hal , i n Baden, and the person t o whom he al l uded wasundoubt edl yMar i e L. Pachl er - Koschak i n Gr at z. ( See No. 80. ) ]

175.

TO F. RI ES.


Neat e[1] i s no doubt i n London by t hi s t i me. He took several of myworkswi t h hi m, and promi sed t o do the best he coul d f or me.

The Ar chduke Rudol ph [ Beethoven' s pupi l , see No. 70] al so pl ays yourworks

wi t h me, my dear Ri es; of t hese " I l Sogno" especi al l y pl eased us.Far ewel l !Remember me to your char mi ng wi f e, and to any f ai r Engl i sh l adi es whocar et o r ecei ve my gr eet i ngs.


BEETHOVEN.



[ Foot not e 1: Char l es Neat e, a London ar t i st , as Schi ndl er st yl es hi m i nhi s _Bi ography_ ( I I . 254) , was on sever al di f f er ent occas i ons f or some t i mer esi dent i n Vi enna, and ver y i nt i mate wi t h Beet hoven, whom he t r i ed t oper suade to come t o London. He al so was of great ser vi ce i n promot i ngt hesal e of hi s works. A number of Neat e' s l et t er s, pr eser ved i n t he Ber l i nSt at e Li br ar y, t est i f y hi s f ai t hf ul and act i ve devot i on and at t achmentt ot he mast er . ]

176.

POWER OF ATTORNEY.


I aut hori ze Herr v. Kauka, Doct or of Laws i n t he ki ngdom of Bohemi a,r el yi ng on hi s f r i endshi p, t o obt ai n f or me t he r ecei pt of 600 f l or i ns

W. W. , payabl e at t he t r easur y of Pr i nce Ki nsky, f r om t he house ofBal l abenei n Prague, and af t er havi ng drawn t he money t o t r ansmi t t he same t o meassoon as possi bl e.

Wi t ness my hand and seal .


177.

TO F. RI ES.


MY DEAR RI ES, - -

I r egr et much t o put you t o t he expense of post age on my account ;gl adl y asI assi st and ser ve ever y one, I amal ways unwi l l i ng mysel f t o haver ecour set o ot her s. I have as yet seen nothi ng of t he ten ducats, whence I dr awt hei nf er ence t hat i n Engl and, j ust as wi t h us, t her e ar e i dl e t al ker s whopr ove f al se t o t hei r wor d. I do not at al l bl ame you i n t hi s mat t er . I

havenot heard a syl l abl e f r omNeat e; so I do wi sh you woul d ask hi m whetherhehas di sposed of t he F mi nor Concert o. I am al most ashamed t o al l ude tot heot her wor ks I i nt r ust ed t o hi m, and equal l y so of mysel f , f or havi nggi vent hem t o hi m so conf i di ngl y, devoi d of al l condi t i ons save t hosesuggest edby hi s own f r i endshi p and zeal f or my i nt er est s.



A t r ansl at i on has been sent t o me of an art i cl e i n t he "Morni ngChr oni cl e"on t he per f ormance of t he Symphony. Probabl y i t wi l l be t he same as t othi sand al l t he ot her wor ks Neat e took wi t h hi m as wi t h the "Bat t l eSymphony; "t he onl y pr of i t I shal l der i ve wi l l be r eadi ng a not i ce of t hei rper f ormance i n t he newspapers.

178.

TO G. DEL RI O.

1816.

MY WORTHY G. , - -

I beg you wi l l send Car l t o me wi t h t he bear er of t hi s l et t er ;

ot her wi se Ishal l not be abl e t o see hi m al l day, whi ch woul d be cont r ar y to hi sowni nt erest , as my i nf l uence seems t o be requi r ed; i n t he same vi ew, I begyouwi l l gi ve hi m a f ew l i nes wi t h a repor t of hi s conduct , so t hat I mayent erat once on any poi nt wher e i mprovement i s necessary.

I am goi ng t o t he count r y t o- day, and shal l not r et ur n t i l l r at her l at eatni ght ; bei ng al ways unwi l l i ng t o i nf r i nge your r ul es, I beg you wi l lsendsome ni ght - t hi ngs wi t h Car l , so t hat i f we r et ur n t oo l at e t o br i ng hi mt oyou t o- day, I can keep hi m al l ni ght , and t ake hi m back to you mysel fear l ynext morni ng.

I n hast e, al ways your s,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

179.

TO G. DEL RI O.

1816.

I must apol ogi ze t o you, my good f r i end, f or Car l havi ng come home atsol ate an hour . We were obl i ged t o wai t f or a per son who ar r i ved so l atethati t det ai ned us, but I wi l l not soon r epeat t hi s br each of your r ul es.As t o



Car l ' s mot her, I have now deci ded t hat your wi sh not t o see her agai ni nyour house shal l be acceded to. Thi s cour se i s f ar more saf e and j udi ci ousf or our dear Car l , exper i ence havi ng t aught me that ever y vi si t f r omhi smother l eaves a root of bi t t er ness i n t he boy' s heart , whi ch mayi nj ure,but never can benef i t hi m. I shal l st r i ve t o ar r ange occasi onalmeet i ngs atmy house, whi ch i s l i kel y t o r esul t i n ever ythi ng bei ng ent i r el y br okeno f fwi t h her . As we thoroughl y agr ee on the subj ect of Carl ' s mother , wecanmut ual l y deci de on t he mode of hi s educat i on.


BEETHOVEN.

180.



Your ki ndness t owar ds me i nduces me t o hope t hat you wi l l not at t r i but et oany _sel f i sh_ desi gn on my par t t he somewhat audaci ous ( t hough onl y ast ot he sur pr i se) dedi cat i on annexed. The wor k[ 1] was wr i t t en f or Y. R. H. ,orr at her , i t owes i t s exi st ence t o you, and t hi s t he wor l d ( t he musi calworl d) ought t o know. I shal l soon have t he honor of wai t i ng on Y. R. H.i nBaden. Notwi t hst andi ng al l t he ef f or t s of my physi ci an, who wi l l notal l owme t o l eave t hi s, t he weakness i n my chest i s no bet t er, t hough mygeneralheal t h i s i mpr oved. I hope t o hear al l t hat i s cheer i ng of your ownheal t h,about whi ch I am al ways so much i nt erest ed.

[ K. ]

[ Foot note 1: Does Beet hoven here al l ude t o the dedi cat i on of t he Sonata

forpi anof or t e and vi ol i n i n G maj or , Op. 96, whi ch, t hough sol d t o apubl i sheri n Apr i l , 1815, was desi gnated as qui t e new i n the _Al l gemei ne Zei t ung_on J ul y, 29, 1816?]

181.



WRI TTEN I N ENGLI SH TO MR. BI RCHALL.

1816.

Recei ved, Mar ch, 1816, of Mr . Rober t Bi r chal l , musi c- sel l er , 133 NewBondSt r eet , London, t he sum of one hundr ed and t hi r t y gol d Dut ch ducat s,val uei n Engl i sh cur r ency si xty- f i ve pounds, f or al l my copyri ght andi nteres t ,pr esent and f ut ur e, vest ed or cont i ngent , or ot her wi se wi t hi n t heUni t edki ngdom of Gr eat Br i t ai n and I r el and i n t he f our f ol l owi ng composi t i onsorpi eces of musi c composed or arr anged by me, vi z. : - -

1st . A Gr and Bat t l e Si nf oni a, descri pt i ve of t he bat t l e and vi ct or y atVi t t or i a, adapt ed f or t he pi anof ort e and dedi cat ed t o hi s RoyalHi ghnesst he Pri nce Regent - - 40 ducat s.

2d. A Gr and Symphony i n the key of A, adapt ed t o t he pi anof or t e anddedi cat ed t o- -

3d. A Gr and Tr i o f or t he pi anof or t e, vi ol i n, and vi ol oncel l o i n t he keyofB.

4t h. A Sonata f or t he pi anof ort e, wi t h an accompani ment f or t he vi ol i ni nt he key of G, dedi cat ed t o- -

And, i n consi der at i on of such payment I her eby, f or mysel f , myexecut or s,and admi ni st r at ors, promi se and engage t o execut e a proper ani gnmentt her eof t o hi m, hi s execut or s and admi ni st r at or s or ani gnees, at hi s ort hei r r equest and cost s, as he or t hey shal l di r ect . And I l i kewi sepromi seand engage as above, t hat none of t he above shal l be publ i shed i n anyf orei gn count r y, bef ore t he t i me and day f i xed and agr eed on f or suchpubl i cat i on bet ween R. Bi r chal l and mysel f shal l ar r i ve.

L. VAN BEETHOVEN.

182.

WRI TTEN I N FRENCH TO MR. BI RCHALL, - - LONDON.

Vi enne 22. J ui l l i et , 1816.

MONSI EUR, - -

J ' ai r ecu l a decl ar at i on de propr i et e de mes Oeuvres ent i erement cede aVous pour y adj oi ndr e ma Si gnat ur e. J e sui s t out a f ai t di sposer aseconder



vos voeux si t ot , que cet t e af f ai r e sera ent i er ement en ordr e, en egarddel a pet i t e somme de 10 # d' or l a quel l e me vi ent encore pour l e f i eux del aCopi et ur e de poste de l et t r e et c. comme j ' avoi s l ' honneur de vousexpl i qui er dans une not e det ai l l e sur ses obj ect es. J e vous i nvi t e doncMonsi eur de bi en voul oi r me remet t r e ces pet i t s obj ect s, pour me met t r edans l ' etat de pouvoi r vous envoyer l e Document susdi t . Agr ees Monsi eurl ' assur ance de l ' est i me l a pl us par f ai t avec l a quel l e j ' ai l ' honneurde medi r e


Copyi ng . . . . 1. 10. 0.Post age t o Amst er dam 1. 0. 0.

- - - - Tr i o . . . 2. 10. - -- - - - - - - - - - -L5. 0. 0.

183.

TO G. DEL RI O.

J ul y 28, 1816.

MY GOOD FRI END, - -

Var i ous ci r cumst ances compel me to take charge of Car l mysel f ; wi t hthi svi ew per mi t me t o encl ose you t he amount due at t he approachi ngquar t er , att he expi r y of whi ch Car l i s t o l eave you. Do not , I beg, ascri be t hi st oanythi ng der ogat or y ei t her t o your sel f or t o your r espect edi nst i tut i on,but t o ot her pr essi ng mot i ves connect ed wi t h Carl ' s wel f are. I t i s onl yanexper i ment , and when i t i s act ual l y carr i ed out I shal l beg you t of or t i f yme by your advi ce, and al so t o permi t Car l somet i mes to vi si t youri nst i t ut i on. I shal l al ways f eel t he most si ncer e gr at i t ude t o you, andnever can f or get your sol i ci t ude, and t he ki nd car e of your excel l entwi f e,whi ch has f ul l y equal l ed t hat of t he best of mother s. I woul d send youat

l east f our t i mes t he sum I now do, i f my posi t i on admi t t ed of i t ; butatal l event s I shal l avai l mysel f at a f ut ur e and, I hope, a br i ght erday, ofever y opport uni t y t o acknowl edge and to do j ust i ce to t he f oundat i on _you_have l ai d f or t he moral and physi cal good of my Carl . Wi t h r egard t ot he"Queen of t he Ni ght , " our syst em must cont i nue t he same; and as Car l i s



about t o under go an operat i on i n your house whi ch wi l l cause hi m t of eeli ndi sposed, and consequent l y make hi m i r r i t abl e and suscept i bl e, youmustbe more car ef ul t han ever t o pr event her havi ng access t o hi m;otherwi seshe mi ght easi l y cont r i ve t o revi ve al l t hose i mpr essi ons i n hi s mi ndwhi chwe ar e so anxi ous t o avoi d. What conf i dence can be pl aced i n anypr omi se t or ef or m on her par t , t he i mper t i nent scrawl I encl ose wi l l best pr ove[ i nr ef erence, no doubt , t o an encl osed note] . I send i t mer el y t o show youhowf ul l y I am j ust i f i ed i n t he pr ecaut i ons I have al r eady adopt ed wi t hr egardt o her . On t hi s occasi on, however , I di d not answer l i ke a Sar ast r o,butl i ke a Sul t an. I woul d gl adl y spare you t he anxi et y of t he oper at i on onCar l , but as i t must t ake pl ace i n your house, I beg you wi l l i nf or m me

oft he out l ay caused by t he af f ai r , and t he expenses consequent on i t ,whi ch Iwi l l t hankf ul l y r epay. Now f ar ewel l ! Say al l t hat i s ki nd f r om me t oyourdear chi l dr en and your excel l ent wi f e, t o whose cont i nued car e Icommend myCar l . I l eave Vi enna t o- mor r ow at f i ve o' cl ock A. M. , but shal lf r equent l ycome i n f r om Baden.

Ever , wi t h si ncer e est eem, your

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

184.

TO G. DEL RI O.

Mdme. A. G. i s r equested to or der sever al pai r s of good l i nen dr awer sforCar l . I i nt r ust Car l t o her ki ndness, and ent i r el y r el y on her mot her l ycar e.

185.

TO ZMESKALL.

Baden, September 5, 1816.

DEAR Z. , - -

I don' t know whet her you r ecei ved a note t hat I r ecent l y l ef t on t het hr eshol d of your door , f or t he t i me was t oo shor t t o enabl e me to seeyou.



I must t her ef ore r epeat my request about another servant , as t heconduct ofmy pr esent one i s such that I cannot possi bl y keep hi m. [ 1] He wasengagedon t he 25th of Apr i l , so on t he 25t h of Sept ember he wi l l have beenf i vemont hs wi t h me, and he recei ved 50 f l or i ns on account . The money f orhi sboot s wi l l be reckoned f r om t he t hi r d mont h ( i n my ser vi ce) , and f r omthatt i me at t he r at e of 40 f l or i ns per annum; hi s l i ver y al so f r om t het hi r dmont h. From t he ver y f i r st I r esol ved not t o keep hi m, but del ayeddi schar gi ng hi m, as I wi shed t o get back t he val ue of my f l or i ns. I nt hemean t i me i f I can pr ocur e anot her , I wi l l l et t hi s one l eave myservi ce ont he 15t h of t he mont h, and al so gi ve hi m 20 f l or i ns f or boot money, and5f l or i ns a mont h f or l i ver y (bot h r eckoned f r om t he t hi r d mont h) , maki ng

al t oget her 35 f l or i ns. I ought t her ef or e st i l l t o r ecei ve 15 f l or i ns,butt hese I am wi l l i ng t o gi ve up; i n t hi s way I shal l at al l event sr ecei vesome equi val ent f or my 50 f l or i ns. I f you can f i nd a sui t abl e per son, Iwi l l gi ve hi m 2 f l ori ns a day whi l e I am i n Baden, and i f he knows howt ocook he can use my f i r ewood i n the ki t chen. ( I have a ki t chen, t hough Idonot cook i n i t . ) I f not , I wi l l add a f ew kreut zer s t o hi s wages. Assoonas I am set t l ed i n Vi enna, he shal l have 40 f l ori ns a mont h, and boar dandl i ver y as usual , r eckoned f r om t he thi r d mont h i n my ser vi ce, l i keot herser vant s. I t woul d be a good t hi ng i f he under st ood a l i t t l e t ai l or i ng.Sonow you have my pr oposal s, and I beg f or an answer by t he 10t h of t hi smont h at t he l atest , t hat I may di schar ge my pr esent servant on t he 2d,wi t h t he usual f or t ni ght ' s war ni ng; ot her wi se I shal l be obl i ged t okeephi m f or another mont h, and every moment I wi sh t o get r i d of hi m. Asfort he new one, you know pr et t y wel l what I r equi r e, - - _good, st eadyconduct _,a _good char act er _, and _not t o be of a bl oodt hi r st y nat ur e_, t hat Imay

f eel my l i f e t o be saf e, as, f or t he sake of var i ous scamps i n t hi swor l d,I shoul d l i ke t o l i ve a l i t t l e l onger . By t he 10t h, t her ef or e, I shal lexpect t o hear f r om you on t hi s af f ai r . I f you don' t r un r est i ve, Iwi l lsoon send you my t r eat i se on t he f our vi ol oncel l o st r i ngs, ver ypr of oundl yhandl ed; t he f i r st chapt er devot ed excl usi vel y t o ent r ai l s i n gener al ,t hesecond t o cat gut i n par t i cul ar . I need scar cel y gi ve you any f ur t her



warni ngs, as you seem t o be qui t e on your guard agai nst woundsi nf l i ctedbef ore cert ai n f or t r esses. The most _pr of ound peace_ everywhereprevai l s ! ! !Farewel l , my good _Zmeskael l chen_! I am, as ever , _un povero musi co_andyour f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

N. B. I shal l pr obabl y onl y r equi r e my new servant f or some mont hs, as,fort he sake of my Car l , I must shor t l y engage a housekeeper.

[ Footnot e 1: Dur i ng a quar r el , t he ser vant scratched Beet hoven' s f ace. ]

186.

TO HERR KAUKA.

Baden, Sept . 6, 1816.

MY WORTHY K. , - -

I send you her ewi t h the recei pt , accor di ng to your r equest , and begthatyou wi l l ki ndl y ar r ange t hat I shoul d have t he money by the 1stOct ober ,and wi t hout any deduct i on, whi ch has hi t her t o been t he case; I al sopar t i cul ar l y beg _you wi l l not assi gn t he money t o Bar on P. _ ( I wi l lt el lyou why when we meet ; f or t he present l et t hi s r emai n bet weenour sel ves. )Send i t ei t her di r ect t o mysel f , or , i f i t must come t hr ough anot herper son, do not l et i t be Bar on P. I t woul d be best f or t he f ut ur e, ast hehouse- r ent i s pai d her e f or t he gr eat house bel ongi ng t o Ki nsky, t hatmymoney shoul d be pai d at t he same t i me. Thi s i s onl y my own i dea. The Terzetyou hear d of wi l l soon be engr aved, whi ch i s i nf i ni t el y pr ef er abl e t oal lwr i t t en musi c; you shal l t heref ore recei ve an engr aved copy, andl i kewi sesome more of my unr ul y of f spr i ng. I n t he mean t i me I beg t hat you wi l lsee

onl y what i s t r ul y good i n t hem, and l ook wi t h an i ndul gent eye on t hehuman f r ai l t i es of t hese poor i nnocent s. Besi des, I am f ul l of car es,bei ngi n r eal i t y f at her t o my l at e br ot her ' s chi l d; i ndeed I mi ght haveusher edi nt o the worl d a second part of t he "Fl aut o Magi co, " havi ng al so beenbr ought i nt o cont act wi t h a "Queen of t he Ni ght . " I embr ace you f r om myhear t , and hope soon i n so f ar t o succeed t hat you may owe some thankst omy Muse. My dear , wort hy Kauka, I ever amyour t r ul y at t ached f r i end,



BEETHOVEN.

187.

QUERY?

What woul d be the r esul t were I t o l eave t hi s, and i ndeed t he ki ngdomofAust r i a al t oget her ? Woul d t he l i f e- cer t i f i cat e, i f si gned by t heaut hor i t i es of a non- Aust r i an pl ace, st i l l be val i d?

_A t ergo. _

I beg you wi l l l et me know t he post age al l my l et t er s have cost you.

188.

TO G. DEL RI O.

Sunday, September 22, 1816.

Cer t ai n t hi ngs can never be f ul l y expr essed. Of t hi s nat ur e are myf eel i ngs, and especi al l y my gr at i t ude, on hear i ng t he det ai l s of t heoperat i on on Car l f r om you. You wi l l excuse my at t empt i ng even r emot el yt oshape t hese i nt o words. I f eel cer t ai n, however , t hat you wi l l notdecl i net he t r i but e I gl adl y pay you; but I say no more. You can easi l y i magi nemyanxi ety t o hear how my dear son i s goi ng on; do not omi t t o gi ve meyourexact addr ess, t hat I may wr i t e t o you di r ect . Af t er you l ef t t hi s Iwr ot et o Ber nhard [Ber nard] , t o make i nqui r i es at your house, but have notyetgot an answer; so possi bl y you may have t hought me a ki nd of hal f -r eckl essbarbar i an, as no doubt Her r B. has negl ect ed t o cal l on you, as wel l ast owr i t e to me. I can have no uneasi ness about Car l when your admi r abl ewi f ei s wi t h hi m: t hat i s qui t e out of t he quest i on. You can wel l under st andhowmuch i t gr i eves me not t o be abl e to t ake part i n t he suf f er i ngs of my

Car l , and t hat I at l east wi sh t o hear f r equent l y of hi s pr ogr ess. As Ihave renounced such an unf eel i ng, unsympathi zi ng f r i end as Herr B.[ Bernard] , I must have r ecourse t o your f r i endshi p and compl ai sance onthi spoi nt al so, and shal l hope soon t o r ecei ve a f ew l i nes f r om you. I begt osend my best r egards and a t housand t hanks t o your admi r abl e wi f e.

I n hast e, your



BEETHOVEN.

I wi sh you t o expr ess t o Smet ana [ t he surgeon] my est eem and hi ghconsi der at i on.

189.

TO G. DEL RI O.

I f you do not obj ect , I beg you wi l l al l ow Carl t o come t o me wi t h t hebear er of t hi s. I f or got , i n my hast e, t o say t hat al l t he l ove andgoodness whi ch Mdme. A. G. [ Gi annat asi o] showed my Car l dur i ng hi si l l nessar e i nscr i bed i n t he l i st of my obl i gati ons, and I hope one day t o showt hat t hey are ever present i n my mi nd. Per haps I may see you t o- daywi t hCar l .

I n hast e, your si ncer e f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

190.

TO WEGELER.

I t ake the oppor t uni t y t hr ough J . Si mr ock t o remi nd you of mysel f . Ihopeyou r ecei ved t he engr avi ng of me [ by Let r onne] , and l i kewi se theBohemi angl ass. When I next make a pi l gr i mage t hrough Bohemi a you shal l havesomet hi ng more of t he same ki nd. Farewel l ! You are a husband and af at her;so am I , but wi t hout a wi f e. My l ove t o your dear ones- - t o _our _ dearones.

Your f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

191.

WRI TTEN I N ENGLI SH TO MR. BI RCHALL, MUSI C SELLER, LONDON.

Vi enna, 1. Oct . 1816.

MY DEAR SI R, - -

I have dul y r ecei ved the L5 and t hought pr evi ousl y you woul d noni ncr easet he number of Engl i shmen negl ect i ng thei r word and honor , as I had t hemi sf or t une of meet i ng wi t h t wo of t hi s sor t . I n r epl i c t o the ot hert opi cs



of your f avor , I have no obj ect i on t o wr i t e var i at i ons accor di ng t oyourpl an, and I hope you wi l l not f i nd L30 too much, t he Accompani ment wi l lbea Fl ut e or Vi ol i n or a Vi ol oncel l o; you' l l ei t her deci de i t when yousendme t he appr obati on of t he pr i ce, or you' l l l eave i t t o me. I expect t or ecei ve t he songs or poet r y- - t he sooner t he bet t er , and you' l l f avor meal so wi t h the pr obabl e number of Works of Vari at i ons you ar e i ncl i nedt or ecei ve of me. The Sonata i n G wi t h t he accompan' t of a Vi ol i n to hi sI mper i al Hi ghnesse Ar chduke Rodol ph of Aust r i a- - i t i s Op' a 96. The Tr i oi nBb i s dedi cat ed t o t he same and i s Op. 97. The Pi ano ar r angement of t heSymphony i n A i s dedi cat ed t o the Empress of t he Russi ans- - meani ng t heWi f eof t he Emp' r Al exander - - Op. 98.

Concer ni ng t he expences of copyi ng and packi ng i t i s not possi bl e tof i x

hi m bef or e hand, t hey are at any rat e not consi der abl e, and you' l lpl easet o consi der t hat you have t o deal wi t h a man of honor , who wi l l notchar geone 6p. more t han he i s charged f or hi msel f . Messrs. Fr i es & Co. wi l laccount wi t h Messr s. Cout t s & Co. - - The post age may be l essened as Ihavebeen tol d. I of f er you of my Works t he f ol l owi ng new ones. A Gr andSonataf or t he Pi anof or t e al one L40. A Tri o f or t he Pi ano wi t h accomp' t ofVi ol i nand Vi ol oncel l o f or L50. I t i s possi bl e t hat somebody wi l l of f er youot herworks of mi ne t o purchase, f or ex. t he score of t he Gr and Symphony i nA. - - Wi t h r egard t o the ar r angement of t hi s Symphony f or t he Pi ano I begyounot t o f or get t hat you ar e not t o publ i sh i t unt i l I have appoi nt ed t hedayof i t s publ i cat i on her e i n Vi enna. Thi s cannot be ot her wi se wi t houtmaki ngmysel f gui l t y of a di shonor abl e act - - but t he Sonat a wi t h t he Vi ol i n andt he Tr i o i n B f l . may be publ i shed wi t hout any del ay.

Wi t h al l t he _new works_ , whi ch you wi l l have of me or whi ch I of f eryou,i t r est s wi t h you t o name t he day of t hei r publ i cat i on at your own

choi ce:I ent r eat you t o honor me as soon as possi bl e wi t h an answer havi ngmanyordres f or composi t i ons and t hat you may not be del ayed. My addr ess ordi rect i on i s

Monsi eur Loui s van Beet hoven

No. 1055 & 1056 Sai l er st et t e 3d. St ock. Vi enna.



You may send your l et t er , i f you pl ease, di r ect t o your most humbl eservant


192.

TO ZMESKALL.

Oct . 24, 1816.

WELL BORN, AND YET EVI L BORN! ( AS WE ALL ARE! )

We are i n Baden t o- day, and i nt end t o br i ng t he cel ebr ated natur al i stRi bi ni a col l ect i on of dead l eaves. To- morr ow we pur pose payi ng you notonl y a _vi s i t _ but a _vi s i t at i on_.

Your devoted


193.


November , 1816. [ 1]

I have been agai n much worse, so t hat I can onl y venture to go out al i t t l ei n t he dayt i me; I am, however , get t i ng bet t er, and hope now t o have thehonor of wai t i ng on Y. R. H. t hr ee t i mes a week. Meanwhi l e, I have manyandgr eat car es i n these t err i bl e t i mes ( whi ch sur pass anythi ng we haveeverexper i enced) , and whi ch are f urt her augment ed by havi ng become t hef at hersi nce l ast November of a poor orphan. Al l t hi s t ends t o ret ard myent i r er est or at i on t o heal t h. I wi sh Y. R. H. al l i magi nabl e good and happi ness,andbeg you wi l l gr aci ousl y recei ve and not mi si nt er pr et

Your , &c. , &c.

[ K. ]

[ Footnote 1: A year af t er Car l von Beethoven' s death ( Nov. 15, 1815) . ]

194.

TO FREI HERR VON SCHWEI GER.

BEST!



MOST AMI ABLE!

FI RST AND FOREMOST TURNER MEI STER OF EUROPE!

The bear er of t hi s i s a poor devi l ! ( l i ke many another! ! ! ) You coul dassi sthi m by aski ng your gr aci ous mast er whether he i s di sposed t o pur chaseoneof hi s smal l but neat pi anos. I al so beg you wi l l r ecommend hi m t o anyoft he Chamber l ai ns or Adj ut ant s of t he Ar chduke Carl , t o see whether i ti spossi bl e t hat H. R. H. woul d buy one of t hese i nst r ument s f or hi sDuchess. Wet her ef or e request an i nt r oducti on f r om t he i l l ust r i ous _Tur ner Mei st er _fort hi s poor devi l [ 1] t o t he Chamber l ai ns and Adj ut ant s of t he househol d.

Li kewi se

1

poor devi l ,

[ K. ] L. V. BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot note 1: A name cannot now be f ound f or t he "poor devi l . " ]

195.

TO G. DEL RI O.

Nov. 16, 1816.

MY DEAR FRI END, - -

My househol d seems about t o make shi pwr eck, or somet hi ng ver y l i ke i t . Youknow t hat I was duped i nt o taki ng t hi s house on f al se pr etexts;besi des, myheal t h does not seem l i kel y to i mpr ove i n a hur r y. To engage a tut orundersuch ci r cumst ances, whose charact er and whose ver y ext er i or even areunknown t o me, and t hus t o i nt r ust my Car l ' s educat i on t o hap- hazar d,i squi t e out of t he quest i on, no mat t er how gr eat t he sacr i f i ces whi ch I

shal lbe agai n cal l ed on t o make. I beg you, t her ef ore, t o keep Carl f or t heensui ng quart er, commenci ng on t he 9t h. I wi l l i n so f ar compl y wi t hyourpr oposal as t o the cul t i vat i on of t he sci ence of musi c, t hat Car l maycomet o me two or t hr ee t i mes a week, l eavi ng you at si x o' cl ock i n theeveni ngand st ayi ng wi t h me t i l l t he f ol l owi ng morni ng, when he can r etur n t oyou



by ei ght o' cl ock. I t woul d be t oo f at i gui ng f or Car l t o come ever y day,andi ndeed t oo gr eat an ef f ort and t i e f or me l i kewi se, as t he l essons mustbegi ven at t he same f i xed hour .

Dur i ng t hi s quar t er we can di scuss more mi nut el y the most sui t abl e pl anforCar l , t aki ng i nt o consi der at i on bot h hi s i nt er est s and my own. I must ,al as! ment i on my own al so i n these t i mes, whi ch ar e dai l y get t i ngwor se. I fyour gar den r esi dence had agr eed wi t h my heal t h, everyt hi ng mi ght havebeeneasi l y adj ust ed. Wi t h r egard t o my debt t o you f or t he pr esent quart er ,Ibeg you wi l l be so obl i gi ng as t o cal l on me, t hat I may di schar ge i t ;t hebear er of t hi s has t he good f or t une t o be endowed by Provi dence wi t h avastamount of st upi di t y, whi ch I by no means gr udge hi m t he benef i t of ,

pr ovi ded other s do not suf f er by i t . As t o the remai ni ng expensesi ncur r edf or Car l , ei t her dur i ng hi s i l l ness or connected wi t h i t , I must , f or af ewdays onl y, r equest your i ndul gence, havi ng gr eat cal l s on me at pr esentf r om al l quar t er s. I wi sh al so to know what f ee I ought t o gi ve Smet anafort he successf ul oper at i on he per f ormed; wer e I r i ch, or not i n t he samesadposi t i on i n whi ch al l ar e who have l i nked t hei r f at e to t hi s count r y( al ways except i ng _Aust r i an usur ers_) , I woul d make no i nqui r i es on t hesubj ect ; and I onl y wi sh you t o gi ve me a rough est i mate of t he pr operf ee.Far ewel l ! I cordi al l y embr ace you, and shal l al ways l ook on you as af r i endof mi ne and of Car l ' s.

I am, wi t h est eem, your

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

196.

TO G. DEL RI O.

Though I woul d gl adl y spare you al l needl ess di sagr eeabl e t r oubl e, I

cannot , unl ucki l y, do so on t hi s occasi on. Yest er day, i n sear chi ng f orsomepaper s, I f ound t hi s pi l e, whi ch has been sent t o me r espect i ng Car l . Idonot qui t e under st and t hem, and you woul d obl i ge me much by empl oyi ngsomeone to make out a regul ar st at ement of al l your out l ay f or Car l , sothat Imay send f or i t t o- mor r ow. I hope you di d not mi sunder st and me when I



yest erday al l uded t o _magnani mi t y_, whi ch cert ai nl y was not meant f oryou,but sol el y f or t he "Queen of t he Ni ght , " who i s never weary of hoi st i ngt hesai l s of her vi ndi ct i veness agai nst me; so on t hi s account I r equi r evoucher s, mor e f or t he sat i sf act i on of ot her s t han f or her sake ( as Ineverwi l l submi t t o r ender her any account of my act i ons) . No st amp i sr equi r ed,and t he sum al one f or each quar t er need be speci f i ed, f or I bel i evemost oft he account s are f or t hcomi ng; so al l you have t o do i s t o append t hemt oyour _pr ospectus_ [ t he concl usi on i l l egi bl e] .

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

197.

TO G. DEL RI O.

Nov. 14, 1816.


I beg you wi l l al l ow Car l t o come t o me t o- morr ow, as i t i s t heanni ver saryof hi s f at her ' s deat h [ Nov. 15t h] , and we wi sh t o vi si t hi s gr avet oget her .I shal l pr obabl y come t o f et ch hi m bet ween t wel ve and one o' cl ock. Iwi sht o know t he ef f ect of my t r eat ment of Carl , af t er your r ecentcompl ai nt s.I n t he mean t i me, i t t ouched me exceedi ngl y t o f i nd hi m so suscept i bl east o hi s honor. Bef ore we l ef t your house I gave hi m some hi nt s on hi swantof i ndust r y, and whi l e wal ki ng t oget her i n a gr aver mood than usual , hepressed my hand vehement l y, but met wi t h no r esponse f r om me. At di nnerhescarcel y eat anythi ng, and sai d t hat he f el t ver y mel anchol y, t he causeofwhi ch I coul d not ext r act f r om hi m. At l ast , i n t he cour se of our wal k,heowned that _he was vexed because he had not been so i ndust r i ous asusual _.

I sai d what I ought on t he subj ect , but i n a ki nder manner t han bef ore. Thi s, however , proves a cer t ai n del i cacy of f eel i ng, and such _t r ai t s_l eadme to augur al l t hat i s good. I f I cannot come to you t o- morr ow, I hopeyouwi l l l et me know by a f ew l i nes t he r esul t of my conf er ence wi t h Car l .

I once more beg you t o l et me have t he account due f or t he l astquar t er. I



t hought t hat you had mi sunderst ood my l et t er , or even worse t han t hat .Iwarml y commend my poor orphan t o your good heart , and, wi t h ki ndr egards t oal l , I r emai n

Your f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

198.

TO G. DEL RI O.


Pray f orgi ve me f or havi ng al l owed t he encl osed sum t o be ready f or youdur i ng t he l ast t wel ve days or more, and not havi ng sent i t . I havebeen

ver y much occupi ed, and am onl y begi nni ng to recover , t hough i ndeed theword _r ecovery_ has not yet been pronounced.

I n hast e, wi t h much est eem, ever your s,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

199.

TO HERR TSCHI SCHKA.

SI R, - -

I t i s cer t ai nl y of some moment t o me _not t o appear i n a f al se l i ght _,whi ch must account f or t he accompanyi ng st at ement bei ng so pr ol i x. Ast ot he f ut ur e syst em of educat i on, I can at al l event s congr at ul at e mysel fonhavi ng done al l t hat I coul d possi bl y ef f ect at pr esent _f or t he best _,andt r ust _t hat t he f ut ur e may be i n accor dance wi t h i t _. But i f t hewel f ar e ofmy nephew demands a _change_, I shal l be t he f i r st not onl y t o pr oposesucha st ep, but _t o car r y i t out _. I am no sel f - i nt er est ed guar di an, but Iwi sh

t o est abl i sh a new monument t o my name t hrough my nephew. I _have noneedof my nephew_, but he has need of me. I dl e t al k and cal umni es arebeneat ht he di gni t y of a man wi t h pr oper sel f - r espect , and what can be sai dwhent hese ext end even t o t he subj ect of l i nen! ! ! Thi s mi ght cause me gr eatannoyance, _but a j ust man ought t o be abl e to bear i nj ust i ce_ wi t houti nt he _most r emote degr ee_ devi at i ng f r omt he pat h of _r i ght _. I n t hi s



convi ct i on I wi l l st and f ast , and not hi ng shal l make me f l i nch. Todepr i veme of my nephew woul d i ndeed ent ai l a heavy responsi bi l i t y. As a mat t erof _pol i cy_ as wel l as of mor al i t y, such a st ep woul d be product i ve ofevi lr esul t s t o my nephew. _I ur gent l y recommend hi s i nt erest s t o you. _ Asforme, _my act i ons_ f or _hi s_ benef i t ( not f or my _own_) must speak f orme.

I r emai n, wi t h est eem,

Your obedi ent

BEETHOVEN.

Bei ng ver y busy, and r ather i ndi sposed, I must cl ai m your i ndul gencefort he wr i t i ng of t he memori al .

200.

WRI TTEN I N ENGLI SH TO MR. BI RCHALL, - - LONDON.

Vi enna 14. December 1816- - 1055 Sai l erst et t e.

DEAR SI R, - -

I gi ve you my word of honor t hat I have si gned and del i ver ed t her ecei pt t ot he home Fr i es and Co. some day l ast August , who as t hey say havet r ansmi t t ed i t t o Messr s. Cout t s and Co. wher e you' l l have the goodnesst oappl y. Some er r or mi ght have t aken pl ace t hat i nst ead of Messr s. C.sendi ngi t t o you t hey have been di r ect ed t o keep i t t i l l f et ched. Excuse t hi si r r egul ar i t y, but i t i s not my f aul t , nor had I ever t he i dea ofwi t hhol di ng i t f r om t he ci r cumst ance of t he L5 not bei ng i ncl uded.Shoul dt he r ecei pt not come f ort h as Messr s. C. , I am r eady to si gn any ot her ,andyou shal l have i t di r ectl y wi t h r et ur n of post .

I f you f i nd Var i at i ons- - i n my st yl e- - t oo dear at L30, I wi l l abat e f ort he

sake of your f r i endshi p one t hi r d- - and you have t he of f er of suchVar i at i ons as f i xed i n our f or mer l et t r es f or L20 each Ai r .

Pl ease t o publ i sh t he Symphony i n A i mmedi at el y- - as wel l as t he Sonata-- andt he Tr i o- - t hey bei ng ready her e. The Gr and Oper a Fi del i o i s my work. Thearr angement f or t he Pi anof or t e has been publ i shed here under my care,but



t he scor e of t he Oper a i t sel f i s not yet publ i shed. I have gi ven a copyoft he scor e to Mr . Neat e under t he seal of f r i endshi p and whom I shal ldi rectt o t r eat f or my account i n case an of f er shoul d pr esent .

I anxi ousl y hope your heal t h i s i mpr ovi ng, gi ve me l eave to subscr i vemysel f

Dear Si r

Your very obedi ent Serv.


201.

TO ZMESKALL.

Dec. 16, 1816.

Wi t h t hi s, dear Zmeskal l , you wi l l r ecei ve my f r i endl y dedi cat i on [ ast r i nged quart et , Op. 95] , whi ch may, I hope, serve as a pl easantmemor i alof our l ong- endur i ng f r i endshi p her e; pr ay accept i t as a pr oof of myest eem, and not merel y as t he ext r eme end of a t hread l ong si nce spunout( f or you ar e one of my ear l i est f r i ends i n Vi enna) .

Far ewel l ! Beware of moul der i ng f ort r esses! f or an at t ack on t hem wi l lbemor e t r yi ng t han on those i n a bet t er st at e of pr eser vat i on! As ever ,

Your f r i end,

BEETHOVEN.

N. B. When you have a moment ' s l ei sure, l et me know t he probabl e cost ofal i ver y, wi t hout l i nen, but i ncl udi ng hat and boot s. St r ange changeshavecome to pass i n my house. The man i s of f t o the devi l , I amt hankf ul t osay, whereas hi s wi f e seems t he more resol ved t o take r oot here.

202.

TO FRAU VON STREI CHER- - NEE STEI N.

Dec. 28, 1816.

N- - - - ought t o have gi ven you t he New Year ' s t i cket s yest er day, but i tseems she di d not do so. The day bef ore I was occupi ed wi t h Mael zel ,whosebusi ness was pr essi ng, as he l eaves t hi s so soon; ot herwi se you may besur e



t hat I woul d have hur r i ed up agai n t o see you. Your dear ki nd daughterwaswi t h me yest erday, but I scar cel y ever r emember bei ng so i l l ; my _preci ousser vant s_ wer e occupi ed f r om seven o' cl ock t i l l t en at ni ght i n t r yi ngt oheat t he st ove. The bi t t er col d, part i cul ar l y i n my room, caused me achi l l , and t he whol e of yest er day I coul d scar cel y move a l i mb. Al l dayIwas coughi ng, and had t he most sever e headache I ever had i n my l i f e;so bysi x o' cl ock i n t he eveni ng I was obl i ged t o go to bed, wher e I st i l lam,t hough f eel i ng somewhat bet t er. Your brother di ned wi t h me yest erday,andhas shown me gr eat ki ndness. You are aware t hat on t he same day, t he27t hof December , I di schar ged B. [ Baber l ] . I cannot endur e ei t her of t hesevi l ecreatures; I wonder i f Nany wi l l behave r at her bet t er f r omt he

depart ur e ofher col l eague? I doubt i t - - but i n t hat case I shal l send her _packi ng_wi t hout any ceremony. She i s t oo uneducat ed f or a housekeeper , i ndeedqui t ea _beast _; but t he ot her , i n spi t e of her pr et t y f ace, i s even _l owert hant he beast s_. As t he New Year dr aws near, I t hi nk f i ve f l ori ns wi l l beenough f or Nany; I have not pai d her t he charge f or _maki ng herspencer _,on account of her _bad behavi or t o you_. The ot her cer t ai nl y _deservesnoNew Year' s gi f t _; besi des, she has ni ne f l or i ns of mi ne on hand, andwhenshe l eaves I don' t expect t o r ecei ve mor e t han f our or f i ve f l or i ns ofthatsum. I wi sh t o have _your opi ni on about al l t hi s_. Pray accept my bestwi shes f or your wel f ar e, whi ch ar e of f er ed i n al l si ncer i t y. I am yourdebt or i n so many ways, t hat I r eal l y of t en f eel qui t e ashamed.Far ewel l ; It r ust I may al ways r et ai n your f r i endshi p.

Now, as ever , your f r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

203.

TO FRAU VON STREI CHER.

I t hank you f or t he i nt er est you t ake i n me. I am r ather bet t er , t hought o- day agai n I have been obl i ged to endur e a gr eat deal f r omNany; butIshi ed hal f a dozen books at her head by way of a New Year ' s gi f t . Wehavest r i pped of f t he l eaves ( by sendi ng of f Baber l ) and l opped of f t he



br anches, but we must ext i r pat e t he _r oot s_, t i l l not hi ng i s l ef t butt heactual soi l .

204.


Nany i s not st r i ct l y _honest _, and an odi ousl y stupi d _ani mal _ i nt o t hebar gai n. Such peopl e must be managed not by _l ove_ but by _f ear _. I nowseet hi s cl ear l y. Her account - book al one cannot show you ever ythi ngcl ear l y;you must of t en dr op i n unexpect edl y at di nner - t i me, l i ke an avengi ngangel ,t o see wi t h your own eyes _what _ we act ual l y have. I never di ne at homenow, _unl ess_ I have some f r i end as my guest , f or I have no wi sh t o payasmuch f or one person as woul d ser ve f or f our . I shal l _now soon_ have my

dear son Car l wi t h me, so economy i s more necessary t han ever . I cannotpr evai l on mysel f t o go to you; I know you wi l l f or gi ve t hi s. I am ver ysensi t i ve, and not used t o such t hi ngs, so the l ess ought I t o exposemysel f t o them. I n addi t i on t o twel ve kreut zers f or br ead, Nany has ar ol lof whi t e br ead ever y morni ng. I s t hi s usual ?- - and i t i s t he same wi t ht hecook. A dai l y rol l f or br eakf ast comes t o ei ght een f l or i ns a year . _Far ewel l _, and _wor k wel l _ f or me. Mdl l e. Nany i s wonder f ul l y changedfort he bet t er si nce I sent t he hal f - dozen books at her head. Probabl y theychanced t o come i n col l i si on wi t h her _dul l br ai n_ or her _bad hear t _;atal l event s, she now pl ays t he par t of a peni t ent swi ndl er ! ! !

I n hast e, your s,

BEETHOVEN.

205.


Nany yest erday t ook me to task i n the vul gar manner usual wi t h peopl eofher _l ow cl ass_, about my compl ai ni ng to you; so she evi dent l y knew

that Ihad wr i t t en t o you on t he subj ect . Al l t he devi l r y began agai nyest erdaymorni ng, but I made shor t work of i t by t hr owi ng t he heavy ar m- chai rbesi demy bed at B. ' s head, whi ch pr ocur ed me peace f or t he rest of t he day. Theyal ways t ake t hei r r evenge on me when I wr i t e to you, or when theydi scoverany communi cat i on between us.



I do t hank Heaven t hat I everywhere f i nd men who i nt erest t hemsel ves i nme;one of t he _most di st i ngui shed Pr of essors_ i n t hi s Uni ver si t y has i nt heki ndest manner under t aken _al l t hat concer ns Carl ' s educat i on_. I f youhappen to meet any of t he Gi annat asi os at Czerny' s, you had bet t er _knownot hi ng of what i s goi ng on about Car l _, and say t hat i t i s _cont r ary_t omy _usual habi t t o di scl ose my pl ans, as when a pr oj ect i s t ol d t oot her si t i s no l onger excl usi vel y your own_. They woul d l i ke t o i nt er f er e i nt hemat t er , and I do not choose t hat t hese _commonpl ace peopl e shoul d doso,bot h f or _ my _own sake and Car l ' s_. Over t hei r por t i co i s i nscr i bed, i ngol den l et t er s, "Educat i onal I nst i t ut i on, " wher eas "_ Non_- Educat i onalI nst i t ut i on" woul d be mor e appr opr i at e.

As f or t he ser vant s, t her e i s onl y _one voi ce_ about t hei r i mmor al i t y,t owhi ch _al l _ t he other annoyances here may be ascr i bed.

Pray recei ve my benedi ct i on i n pl ace of t hat of t heKl ost er neubur ger s. [ 1]


BEETHOVEN.

[ Footnot e 1: Frau von St r ei cher was at t hat t i me i n Kl ost er neubur g. ]

206.


J udgment was execut ed t o- day on t he not or i ous cr i mi nal ! She bore i tnear l yi n t he same spi r i t as Caesar di d Br ut us' s dagger , except t hat i n t hef ormercase t r ut h f ormed t he basi s, whi l e i n her s onl y wi cked mal i ce. Theki t chen- mai d seems more handy t han t he f ormer _i l l - conduct ed beaut y_;sheno l onger shows her sel f , - - a si gn that she does not expect a _goodcharact er _ f r om me, t hough I r eal l y had some t hought s of gi vi ng her

one. The ki t chen- mai d at f i r st made r at her a wr y f ace about car r yi ng wood,&c.

207.


Last day of December , 1816.



I have been agai n obl i ged t o keep my r oom ever si nce t he Bur gherconcert , [ 1] and some t i me must no doubt el apse bef ore I shal l be abl et odi smi ss al l pr ecaut i ons as t o my heal t h. The year i s about t o cl ose;andwi t h thi s new year my warmest wi shes are renewed f or t he wel f are of Y. R. H. ;but i ndeed these have nei t her begi nni ng nor end wi t h me, f or every dayIcher i sh t he same aspi r at i ons f or Y. R. H. I f I may vent ur e t o add a wi shformysel f t o the f or egoi ng, i t i s, t hat I may dai l y thri ve and pr ospermore i n Y. R. H. ' s good graces. The mast er wi l l al ways st r i ve not t o be unwor t hyoft he f avor of hi s i l l ust r i ous mast er and pupi l .

[ K. ]

[ Foot not e 1: Beet hoven di r ect ed hi s A maj or Symphony i n t he Burgherconcer ti n the Royal Redout ensaal on t he 25t h December , 1816. ]

208.

TO G. DEL RI O.

. . . As t o hi s mother, she ur gent l y request ed t o see Carl i n my house. Youhave somet i mes seen me t empt ed t o pl ace mor e conf i dence i n her , and myf eel i ngs woul d l ead me to guar d agai nst harshness t owards her ,especi al l yas i t i s not i n her power t o i nj ur e Carl . But you may wel l i magi ne thatt oone usual l y so i ndependent of other s, t he annoyances t o whi ch I amexposedt hr ough Car l are of t en ut t er l y i nsupport abl e, and above al l wi t h r egar dt ohi s mot her ; I am onl y too gl ad t o hear not hi ng of her , whi ch i s t hecauseof my avoi di ng her name. Wi t h r espect t o Car l , I beg you wi l l enf orcet hest r i ct est di sci pl i ne on hi m, and i f he ref uses t o obey your or der s ort o dohi s dut y, I t r ust you wi l l at once _puni sh_ hi m. Tr eat hi m as i f he

wer eyour own chi l d r at her t han a _mer e pupi l _, f or I al r eady t ol d you t hatdur i ng hi s f at her ' s l i f et i me he onl y submi t t ed t o t he di sci pl i ne ofbl ows,whi ch was a bad syst em; st i l l , such was t he f act , and we must notf or geti t .

I f you do not see much of me, pr ay ascri be i t sol el y t o the l i t t l ei ncl i nat i on I have f or soci ety, whi ch i s somet i mes more devel oped and



somet i mes l ess; and thi s you mi ght at t r i but e to a change i n myf eel i ngs,but i t i s not so. What i s good al one l i ves i n my memory, and not whati spai nf ul . Pray i mput e ther ef ore sol el y t o t hese hard t i mes my not morepr act i cal l y showi ng my gr at i t ude t o you on account of Car l . God,however ,di r ect s al l t hi ngs; so my posi t i on may undergo a f avorabl e change, whenIshal l hast en t o show you how t r ul y I am, wi t h si ncere est eem, yourgr at ef ulf r i end,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

I beg you wi l l r ead t hi s l et t er t o Car l .

209.

TO G. DEL RI O.

Car l must be at H. B. ' s t o- day bef or e f our o' cl ock; I must r equest yout her ef or e t o ask hi s pr of essor t o di smi ss hi m at hal f - past t hr eeo' cl ock;i f t hi s cannot be managed he must not go i nt o school at al l . I n t hel at t ercase, I wi l l come mysel f and f et ch hi m; i n t he f or mer , I wi l l meet hi mi nt he passage of t he Uni ver si t y. To avoi d al l conf usi on, I beg f or anexpl i ci t answer as t o what you set t l e. As you have been l oudl y accusedofshowi ng gr eat par t y f eel i ng, I wi l l t ake Car l mysel f . I f you do not seeme,at t r i but e i t t o my di st r ess of mi nd, f or I am now onl y begi nni ng t of eelt he f ul l f orce of t hi s terr i bl e i nci dent . [ 1]

I n hast e, your

BEETHOVEN.

[ Foot not e 1: Pr obabl y the r ever sal of t he f i r st decree i n t he l awsui twi t hCarl ' s mother , who i n order t o pr ocur e a ver di ct more f avorabl e t o hercl ai ms, poi nt ed out t o t he Aust r i an "Landr echt , " where t he l awsui t hadbeen

hi t her t o car r i ed on, an er r or i n t hei r pr oceedi ngs, t he "Van, " pref i xedt oBeet hoven' s name, havi ng been consi der ed by t hema si gn of nobi l i t y.Beet hoven was ci t ed t o appear , and on t he appoi nt ed day, poi nt i ng t ohi shead and hi s hear t , he sai d, "My nobi l i t y i s her e, and her e. " Thepr oceedi ngs were t hen t r ansf er r ed t o t he "magi st r ate, " who was i nuni ver salbad odor f r om hi s mode of conduct i ng hi s busi ness. ]



210.

TO G. DEL RI O.

The asser t i ons of t hi s wi cked woman have made such a pai nf ul i mpress i ononme, t hat I cannot possi bl y answer ever y poi nt t o- day; t o- morr ow youshal lhave a det ai l ed account of i t al l ; but on no pr et ext what ever al l ow hert ohave access t o Carl , and adher e t o your r ul e t hat she i s onl y t o seehi monce a month. As she has been once t hi s month al r eady, she cannot comeagai n t i l l t he next .

I n hast e, your

BEETHOVEN.

211.

TO HOFRATH VON MOSEL.

1817.

SI R, - -

I si ncer el y rej oi ce that we take the same vi ew as t o t he ter ms i n uset odenot e the proper t i me i n musi c whi ch have descended t o us f r ombarbar oust i mes. For exampl e, what can be more i r r at i onal t han t he gener al t erm _al l egro_, whi ch onl y means _l i vel y_; and how f ar we of t en ar e f r omcompr ehendi ng t he r eal t i me, so t hat t he pi ece i t sel f _cont r adi ct s t hedesi gnat i on_. As f or t he f our chi ef movement s, - - whi ch ar e, i ndeed, f arf rompossessi ng t he t r ut h or accur acy of t he f our car di nal poi nt s, - - wer eadi l yagr ee _t o di spense wi t h t hem_, but i t i s qui t e another mat t er as to thewords t hat i ndi cat e t he charact er of t he musi c; t hese we cannot consentt odo away wi t h, f or whi l e t he t i me i s, as i t wer e, par t and par cel of t hepi ece, t he _wor ds denot e t he spi r i t i n whi ch i t i s concei ved_.

So f ar as I am mysel f concer ned, I have l ong pur posed gi vi ng up those

i nconsi st ent t er ms _al l egr o_, _andant e_, _adagi o_, and _prest o_; andMael zel ' s met r onome f ur ni shes us wi t h the best opport uni t y of doi ng so.Iher e _pl edge_ mysel f _no l onger _ t o make use of t hem i n any of my newcomposi t i ons. I t i s anot her quest i on whether we can by thi s meansat t ai nt he necessar y uni ver sal use of t he met r onome. I scar cel y thi nk weshal l ! Imake no doubt t hat we shal l be l oudl y pr ocl ai med as _despot s_; but i ft he



cause i t sel f wer e t o der i ve benef i t f r om t hi s, i t woul d at l east bebet t ert han t o i ncur t he repr oach of Feudal i sm! I n our count r y, wher e musi chasbecome a nat i onal r equi r ement , and wher e t he use of t he met r onome mustbeenj oi ned on ever y vi l l age school master , t he best pl an woul d be f orMael zelt o endeavor t o sel l a cer t ai n number of met r onomes by subscr i pt i on, att hepr esent hi gher pr i ces, and as soon as t he number covers hi s expenses,hecan sel l t he met r onomes demanded by t he nat i onal r equi r ement s at socheap ar at e, t hat we may cer t ai nl y ant i ci pat e t hei r _uni ver sal use_ and _ci r cul at i on_. Of cour se some persons must t ake t he l ead i n gi vi ng ani mpetus t o t he undert aki ng. You may saf el y r el y on my doi ng what i s i nmypower , and I shal l be gl ad t o hear what post you mean to assi gn t o mei n

the af f ai r .

I am, si r , wi t h est eem, your obedi ent


212.

TO S. A. STEI NER, MUSI C PUBLI SHER, - - VI ENNA.

HI GHEST BORN! MOST ADMI RABLE! AND MARVELLOUS LI EUTENANT- GENERAL! [ 1]

We beg you t o gi ve us bank- not es f or t went y- f our gol d ducat s atyest er day' sr ate of exchange, and t o send t hemt o us t hi s eveni ng or t o- morr ow, i norder t hat we may f or t hwi t h _r emi t _ and _t r ansmi t _ t hem. I shoul d begl adand happy i f your t r ust wort hy Adj ut ant wer e t o br i ng me t hese, as Ihavesomethi ng part i cul ar t o say t o hi m. He must f orget al l hi s r esent ment ,l i kea good Chri st i an; we acknowl edge hi s meri t s and do not cont est hi sdemer i t s. I n shor t , and once f or al l , we wi sh t o see hi m. Thi s eveni ngwoul d sui t us best .

We have t he honor t o r emai n, most ast oundi ng Li eut enant - General ! your

devot ed

GENERALI SSI MUS.

[ Footnot e 1: Beet hoven styl ed hi msel f "Gener al i ssi mus, " Her r A. St ei ner"Li eut enant - Gener al , " and hi s par t ner , Tobi as Hasl i nger , "Adj ut ant " and"Adj ut ant - Gener al . "]

213.



TO LI EUTENANT- GENERAL VON STEI NER. - - PRI VATE.

PUBLI CANDUM, - -

Af t er due consi der at i on, and by t he advi ce of our Counci l , we havedetermi ned and decreed t hat hencef ort h on al l our works publ i shed wi t hGer man t i t l es, t he wor d _Pi anof or t e_ i s t o be r epl aced by t hat of _HammerCl avi er _, and our wor t hy Li eut enant - Gener al , hi s Adj ut ant , and al l whomi tmay concer n, are charged wi t h t he execut i on of t hi s order .

I nst ead of Pi anof or t e- - _Hammer Cl avi er _.

Such i s our wi l l and pl easur e.

Gi ven on t he 23d of J anuary, 1817, by t he _General i ssi mus_.

_Manu propr i a. _

214.

TO STEI NER.

The f ol l owi ng dedi cat i on occur r ed t o me of my new Sonat a: - -

"Sonat a f or t he Pi anof or t e,or

_Hammer Cl avi er _.Composed and dedi cat ed t o Fr au Bar oni n Dorot hea

Er t mann- - nee Gr aumann,by

Ludwi g van Beet hoven. "

I f t he t i t l e i s al r eady engr aved, I have t he t wo f ol l owi ng pr oposal s t omake; vi z. , t hat I pay f or one t i t l e- - I mean t hat i t shoul d be at myexpense, or r eser ved f or anot her new sonata of mi ne, f or whi ch pur poset hemi nes of t he Li eut enant - Gener al ( or _pl eno t i t ul o_, Li eut enant - Gener alandFi r st Counci l l or of St at e) must be opened t o usher i t i nt o t he l i ght ofday; t he t i t l e to be pr evi ousl y shown to a good l i ngui st . _HammerCl avi er _i s cert ai nl y Ger man, and so i s t he devi ce. Honor t o whom honor i s due!How

i s i t , t hen, t hat I have as yet r ecei ved no r epor t s of t he car r yi ng outofmy order s, whi ch, however , have no doubt been at t ended t o?

Ever and al ways your at t ached

_Ami cusad Ami cumde Ami co. _



[ Musi c: Tr ebl e cl ef .O Ad- j u- t ant ! ]

N. B. I beg you wi l l observe t he most pr of ound si l ence about t hededi cat i on,as I wi sh i t t o be a sur pr i se!

215.

TO ZMESKALL.

J an. 30, 1817.

DEAR Z. , - -

You seem t o pl ace me on a l evel wi t h Schuppanzi gh, &c. , and havedi st or t edt he pl ai n and si mpl e meani ng of my words. You are not my debt or , but Iam

your s, and now you make me so mor e t han ever . I cannot expr ess t o yout hepai n your gi f t has caused me, and I must candi dl y say that I cannotgi veyou one f r i endl y gl ance _i n r et ur n_. Al t hough you conf i ne your sel f t ot hepr act i ce of musi c, st i l l you have of t en r ecour se t o the power ofi magi nat i on, and i t seems t o me t hat t hi s not unf r equent l y l eads t ouncal l ed- f or capr i ce on your par t ; at l east , so i t appear ed t o me f r omyourl et t er af t er my dedi cat i on. Lovi ng as my sent i ment s are towards you,andmuch as I pr i ze al l your goodness, st i l l I f eel pr ovoked! - - muchpr ovoked! - - t er r i bl y pr ovoked!

Your debt or af r esh,

Who wi l l , however , cont r i ve t o have hi s r evenge,

L. VAN BEETHOVEN.



End of Proj ect Gut enber g' s Beet hoven' s Let t er s 1790- 1826, Vol . 1 of 2by Lady Wal l ace

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1. A. By r eadi ng or usi ng any par t of t hi s Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mel ect r oni c work, you i ndi cat e t hat you have r ead, under st and, agr ee t oand accept al l t he terms of t hi s l i cense and i nt el l ect ual pr oper t y( t r ademark/ copyr i ght ) agr eement . I f you do not agr ee t o abi de by al l



t he t erms of t hi s agr eement , you must cease usi ng and r etur n or dest r oyal l copi es of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks i n your possessi on.I f you pai d a f ee f or obt ai ni ng a copy of or access t o a Pr oj ectGutenber g- t m el ect r oni c work and you do not agr ee t o be bound by t het erms of t hi s agr eement , you may obt ai n a ref und f r om t he person orent i t y to whom you pai d t he f ee as set f or t h i n par agr aph 1. E. 8.

1. B. "Pr oj ect Gut enber g" i s a r egi st er ed t r ademar k. I t may onl y beused on or associ at ed i n any way wi t h an el ect r oni c work by peopl e whoagr ee t o be bound by t he t erms of t hi s agr eement . There are a f ewt hi ngs t hat you can do wi t h most Proj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c workseven wi t hout compl yi ng wi t h t he f ul l t er ms of t hi s agr eement . Seeparagr aph 1. C bel ow. Ther e are a l ot of t hi ngs you can do wi t h Proj ectGut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks i f you f ol l ow t he t er ms of t hi s agr eementand hel p pr eser ve f r ee f ut ur e access t o Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni cworks. See paragr aph 1. E bel ow.

1. C. The Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on ( "t heFoundat i on"or PGLAF) , owns a compi l at i on copyri ght i n t he col l ect i on of Proj ect

Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks. Near l y al l t he i ndi vi dual wor ks i n t hecol l ect i on ar e i n t he publ i c domai n i n t he Uni t ed St at es. I f ani ndi vi dual work i s i n t he publ i c domai n i n t he Uni t ed St ates and youarel ocat ed i n t he Uni t ed St at es, we do not cl ai m a ri ght t o pr event youf romcopyi ng, di st r i but i ng, per f or mi ng, di spl ayi ng or creat i ng der i vat i veworks based on t he work as l ong as al l r ef erences t o Pr oj ect Gut enber gare r emoved. Of cour se, we hope t hat you wi l l support t he Proj ectGut enber g- t m mi ssi on of pr omot i ng f r ee access t o el ect r oni c works byf r eel y shar i ng Proj ect Gut enber g- t m works i n compl i ance wi t h t he t ermsoft hi s agr eement f or keepi ng t he Proj ect Gut enberg- t m name associ atedwi t ht he work. You can easi l y compl y wi t h t he t erms of t hi s agr eement bykeepi ng t hi s wor k i n t he same f or mat wi t h i t s att ached f ul l Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m Li cense when you share i t wi t hout charge wi t h ot her s.

1. D. The copyr i ght l aws of t he pl ace where you are l ocat ed al so governwhat you can do wi t h t hi s work. Copyr i ght l aws i n most count r i es arei na const ant st ate of change. I f you ar e out si de t he Uni t ed St ates,checkt he l aws of your count r y i n addi t i on t o the ter ms of t hi s agr eementbef or e downl oadi ng, copyi ng, di spl ayi ng, per f or mi ng, di st r i but i ng orcr eat i ng der i vat i ve works based on t hi s work or any ot her Proj ectGut enberg- t m work. The Foundat i on makes no r epr esentat i ons concerni ng

t he copyr i ght st atus of any work i n any count r y out si de t he Uni t edSt at es.

1. E. Unl ess you have r emoved al l r ef erences t o Proj ect Gut enber g:

1. E. 1. The f ol l owi ng sent ence, wi t h act i ve l i nks t o, or otheri mmedi at eaccess t o, t he f ul l Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m Li cense must appearpr omi nent l ywhenever any copy of a Proj ect Gutenber g- t m work ( any work on whi ch t he



phr ase "Proj ect Gut enberg" appears, or wi t h whi ch t he phr ase "Proj ectGut enber g" i s associ at ed) i s accessed, di spl ayed, per f or med, vi ewed,copi ed or di st r i but ed:

Thi s eBook i s f or t he use of anyone anywhere at no cost and wi t hal most no r est r i ct i ons whatsoever . You may copy i t , gi ve i t away orr e- use i t under t he t er ms of t he Proj ect Gut enber g Li cense i ncl udedwi t h t hi s eBook or onl i ne at www. gut enberg. net

1. E. 2. I f an i ndi vi dual Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ectr oni c wor k i sder i vedf r om t he publ i c domai n ( does not cont ai n a not i ce i ndi cat i ng t hat i t i spost ed wi t h permi ssi on of t he copyr i ght hol der ) , t he work can be copi edand di st r i but ed t o anyone i n the Uni t ed St ates wi t hout payi ng any f eesor char ges. I f you ar e r edi st r i but i ng or provi di ng access to a wor kwi t h the phr ase "Proj ect Gut enber g" associ ated wi t h or appeari ng on thework, you must compl y ei t her wi t h the requi r ement s of paragr aphs 1. E. 1t hr ough 1. E. 7 or obt ai n per mi ssi on f or t he use of t he work and thePr oj ect Gut enber g- t m t r ademark as set f or t h i n par agr aphs 1. E. 8 or1. E. 9.

1. E. 3. I f an i ndi vi dual Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor k i s post edwi t h t he per mi ssi on of t he copyri ght hol der , your use and di st r i but i onmust compl y wi t h bot h par agr aphs 1. E. 1 thr ough 1. E. 7 and any addi t i onalt er ms i mposed by t he copyr i ght hol der . Addi t i onal t er ms wi l l be l i nkedt o t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m Li cense f or al l wor ks posted wi t h t heper mi ssi on of t he copyri ght hol der f ound at t he begi nni ng of t hi s wor k.

1. E. 4. Do not unl i nk or det ach or r emove t he f ul l Proj ect Gut enber g- t mLi cense t er ms f r om t hi s wor k, or any f i l es cont ai ni ng a par t of t hi swork or any ot her work associ ated wi t h Proj ect Gut enberg- t m.

1. E. 5. Do not copy, di spl ay, per f or m, di st r i but e or r edi st r i but e t hi sel ect r oni c wor k, or any par t of t hi s el ect r oni c wor k, wi t houtpr omi nent l y di spl ayi ng the sent ence set f or t h i n par agr aph 1. E. 1 wi t hact i ve l i nks or i mmedi ate access t o t he f ul l t er ms of t he Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m Li cense.

1. E. 6. You may conver t t o and di st r i but e t hi s wor k i n any bi nar y,compr essed, marked up, nonpr opr i etary or pr opr i et ary f orm, i ncl udi nganyword pr ocessi ng or hypert ext f orm. However , i f you pr ovi de access t oordi st r i but e copi es of a Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m wor k i n a f or mat other t han"Pl ai n Vani l l a ASCI I " or ot her f or mat used i n t he of f i ci al ver si onpost ed on the of f i ci al Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m web si t e( www. gut enberg. net ) ,

you must , at no addi t i onal cost , f ee or expense to t he user , pr ovi de acopy, a means of expor t i ng a copy, or a means of obt ai ni ng a copy uponr equest , of t he wor k i n i t s or i gi nal "Pl ai n Vani l l a ASCI I " or otherf or m. Any al t er nat e f ormat must i ncl ude t he f ul l Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mLi cense as speci f i ed i n par agr aph 1. E. 1.

1. E. 7. Do not char ge a f ee f or access t o, vi ewi ng, di spl ayi ng,per f or mi ng, copyi ng or di st r i but i ng any Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m wor ksunl ess you compl y wi t h paragr aph 1. E. 8 or 1. E. 9.



1. E. 8. You may charge a r easonabl e f ee f or copi es of or provi di ngaccess t o or di st r i but i ng Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor kspr ovi dedthat

- You pay a r oyal t y f ee of 20% of t he gr oss pr of i t s you der i ve f r om t he use of Proj ect Gut enber g- t m works cal cul ated usi ng t he met hod

you al r eady use t o cal cul at e your appl i cabl e t axes. The f ee i sowed t o t he owner of t he Proj ect Gut enberg- t m t r ademark, but hehas agr eed t o donate royal t i es under t hi s par agr aph to theProj ect Gut enber g Li t er ary Ar chi ve Foundat i on. Royal t y payment smust be pai d wi t hi n 60 days f ol l owi ng each dat e on whi ch youpr epar e (or ar e l egal l y r equi r ed to pr epar e) your per i odi c t axr eturns. Royal t y payment s shoul d be cl ear l y marked as such andsent t o t he Proj ect Gut enber g Li t er ary Ar chi ve Foundat i on at t headdr ess speci f i ed i n Sect i on 4, " I nf or mat i on about donat i ons t ot he Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t er ary Ar chi ve Foundat i on. "

- You pr ovi de a f ul l r ef und of any money pai d by a user who not i f i esyou i n wr i t i ng ( or by e- mai l ) wi t hi n 30 days of r ecei pt t hat s/ he

does not agr ee to t he ter ms of t he f ul l Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m Li cense. You must r equi r e such a user t o r et ur n or

dest r oy al l copi es of t he works possessed i n a physi cal medi um and di scont i nue al l use of and al l access t o ot her copi es of

Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m works.

- You pr ovi de, i n accor dance wi t h par agr aph 1. F. 3, a f ul l r ef und of anymoney pai d f or a work or a repl acement copy, i f a def ect i n t heel ect r oni c work i s di scover ed and report ed to you wi t hi n 90 daysof r ecei pt of t he wor k.

- You compl y wi t h al l other t er ms of t hi s agr eement f or f r eedi st r i but i on of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m wor ks.

1. E. 9. I f you wi sh t o char ge a f ee or di st r i but e a Pr oj ect Gut enber g-t mel ect r oni c work or gr oup of works on di f f er ent t er ms t han are setf or t h i n t hi s agr eement , you must obt ai n per mi ssi on i n wr i t i ng f r omboth the Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t er ary Ar chi ve Foundat i on and Mi chaelHart , t he owner of t he Proj ect Gut enberg- t m t r ademark. Cont act t heFoundat i on as set f or t h i n Sect i on 3 bel ow.

1. F.

1. F. 1. Proj ect Gut enberg vol unt eer s and empl oyees expend consi derabl eef f or t t o i dent i f y, do copyr i ght r esear ch on, t r anscri be and pr oof r eadpubl i c domai n works i n cr eat i ng t he Proj ect Gut enber g- t m

col l ecti on. Despi t e t hese ef f or t s, Proj ect Gut enber g- t m el ectr oni cworks, and t he medi um on whi ch they may be st or ed, may cont ai n"Def ect s, " such as, but not l i mi t ed t o, i ncompl et e, i naccur at e orcor r upt dat a, t r anscri pt i on er r or s, a copyr i ght or ot her i nt el l ectualpr opert y i nf r i ngement , a def ect i ve or damaged di sk or other medi um, acomput er vi r us, or comput er codes t hat damage or cannot be r ead byyour equi pment .

1. F. 2. LI MI TED WARRANTY, DI SCLAI MER OF DAMAGES - Except f or t he "Ri ghtof Repl acement or Ref und" descri bed i n paragr aph 1. F. 3, t he Pr oj ect



Gut enber g Li t erar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on, t he owner of t he Proj ectGut enber g- t m t r ademar k, and any ot her par t y di st r i but i ng a Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor k under t hi s agr eement , di scl ai m al ll i abi l i t y t o you f or damages, cost s and expenses, i ncl udi ng l egalf ees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDI ES FOR NEGLI GENCE, STRI CTLI ABI LI TY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSEPROVI DED I N PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATI ON, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DI STRI BUTOR UNDER THI S AGREEMENT WI LL NOT BELI ABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DI RECT, I NDI RECT, CONSEQUENTI AL, PUNI TI VE ORI NCI DENTAL DAMAGES EVEN I F YOU GI VE NOTI CE OF THE POSSI BI LI TY OF SUCHDAMAGE.

1. F. 3. LI MI TED RI GHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - I f you di scover adef ect i n t hi s el ect r oni c wor k wi t hi n 90 days of r ecei vi ng i t , you canr ecei ve a ref und of t he money ( i f any) you pai d f or i t by sendi ng awr i t t en expl anat i on t o t he per son you r ecei ved t he work f r om. I f your ecei ved the work on a physi cal medi um, you must r et urn the medi um wi t hyour wr i t t en expl anat i on. The per son or ent i t y that pr ovi ded you wi t ht he def ect i ve work may el ect t o pr ovi de a r epl acement copy i n l i eu of ar ef und. I f you r ecei ved t he wor k el ect r oni cal l y, t he per son or ent i t y

pr ovi di ng i t t o you may choose t o gi ve you a second oppor t uni t y t or ecei ve t he wor k el ect r oni cal l y i n l i eu of a r ef und. I f t he secondcopyi s al so def ect i ve, you may demand a ref und i n wr i t i ng wi t hout f ur t heroppor t uni t i es t o f i x the pr obl em.

1. F. 4. Except f or t he l i mi t ed r i ght of r epl acement or r ef und set f or t hi n par agr aph 1. F. 3, t hi s work i s provi ded t o you ' AS- I S' WI TH NO OTHERWARRANTI ES OF ANY KI ND, EXPRESS OR I MPLI ED, I NCLUDI NG BUT NOT LI MI TED TOWARRANTI ES OF MERCHANTI BI LI TY OR FI TNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1. F. 5. Some st at es do not al l ow di scl ai mer s of cer t ai n i mpl i edwar r ant i es or t he excl usi on or l i mi t at i on of cer t ai n t ypes of damages.I f any di scl ai mer or l i mi t at i on set f or t h i n t hi s agr eement vi ol at est hel aw of t he st ate appl i cabl e to thi s agr eement , t he agr eement shal l bei nt erpret ed t o make the maxi mum di scl ai mer or l i mi t at i on per mi t t ed byt he appl i cabl e st at e l aw. The i nval i di t y or unenf or ceabi l i t y of anypr ovi si on of t hi s agr eement shal l not voi d t he r emai ni ng pr ovi si ons.

1. F. 6. I NDEMNI TY - You agr ee t o i ndemni f y and hol d t he Foundat i on, t het r ademark owner , any agent or empl oyee of t he Foundat i on, anyonepr ovi di ng copi es of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks i n accor dancewi t h t hi s agr eement , and any vol unt eer s associ ated wi t h t he pr oduct i on,pr omot i on and di st r i but i on of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks,har ml ess f r om al l l i abi l i t y, cost s and expenses, i ncl udi ng l egal f ees,

t hat ar i se di r ectl y or i ndi r ectl y f r om any of t he f ol l owi ng whi ch youdoor cause t o occur : ( a) di st r i but i on of t hi s or any Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mwor k, ( b) al t er at i on, modi f i cat i on, or addi t i ons or del et i ons t o anyProj ect Gut enber g- t m work, and ( c) any Def ect you cause.

Sect i on 2. I nf or mat i on about t he Mi ssi on of Proj ect Gut enber g- t m Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m i s synonymous wi t h t he f r ee di st r i but i on of



el ect r oni c works i n f ormats r eadabl e by the wi dest var i et y of comput er si ncl udi ng obsol et e, ol d, mi ddl e- aged and new comput er s. I t exi st sbecause of t he ef f or t s of hundr eds of vol unt eer s and donat i ons f r ompeopl e i n al l wal ks of l i f e.

Vol unt eer s and f i nanci al suppor t t o pr ovi de vol unt eer s wi t h t heassi st ance t hey need, i s cr i t i cal t o reachi ng Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m' sgoal s and ensur i ng t hat t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m col l ect i on wi l lr emai n f r eel y avai l abl e f or gener at i ons to come. I n 2001, t he Pr oj ectGut enberg Li t erary Ar chi ve Foundat i on was creat ed t o pr ovi de a secureand per manent f ut ur e f or Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m and f ut ur e gener at i ons. To l earn mor e about t he Pr oj ect Gut enberg Li t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i onand how your ef f or t s and donat i ons can hel p, see Sect i ons 3 and 4and t he Foundat i on web page at ht t p: / / www. pgl af . org.

Sect i on 3. I nf or mati on about t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t er ar y Ar chi veFoundat i on

The Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t erar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on i s a non prof i t

501( c) ( 3) educat i onal corpor at i on organi zed under t he l aws of t hest at e of Mi ssi ssi ppi and gr ant ed tax exempt st atus by t he I nt er nalRevenue Ser vi ce. The Foundati on' s EI N or f eder al t ax i dent i f i cat i onnumber i s 64- 6221541. I t s 501( c) ( 3) l et t er i s post ed atht t p: / / pgl af . or g/ f undr ai si ng. Cont r i but i ons to t he Pr oj ect Gut enber gLi t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on ar e tax deduct i bl e to t he f ul l ext entper mi t t ed by U. S. f eder al l aws and your st ate' s l aws.

The Foundat i on' s pr i nci pal of f i ce i s l ocat ed at 4557 Mel an Dr . S.Fai r banks, AK, 99712. , but i t s vol unt eer s and empl oyees are scat t er edt hr oughout numer ous l ocat i ons. I t s busi ness of f i ce i s l ocat ed at809 Nort h 1500 West , Sal t Lake Ci t y, UT 84116, ( 801) 596- 1887, emai lbusi ness@pgl af . org. Emai l cont act l i nks and up t o date cont acti nf ormat i on can be f ound at t he Foundati on' s web si t e and of f i ci alpage at ht t p: / / pgl af . or g

For addi t i onal cont act i nf or mat i on:Dr . Gr egor y B. NewbyChi ef Execut i ve and Di r ect orgbnewby@pgl af . or g

Sect i on 4. I nf ormat i on about Donat i ons to t he Proj ect Gut enbergLi t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundati on

Proj ect Gut enber g- t m depends upon and cannot survi ve wi t hout wi despr ead publ i c support and donat i ons t o car r y out i t s mi ssi on of

i ncr easi ng t he number of publ i c domai n and l i censed works t hat can bef r eel y di st r i but ed i n machi ne r eadabl e f or m accessi bl e by the wi destarr ay of equi pment i ncl udi ng out dat ed equi pment . Many smal l donat i ons( $1 t o $5, 000) are part i cul ar l y i mport ant t o mai nt ai ni ng t ax exemptst at us wi t h t he I RS.

The Foundat i on i s commi t t ed t o compl yi ng wi t h t he l aws r egul at i ngchar i t i es and char i t abl e donat i ons i n al l 50 st at es of t he Uni t edSt ates. Compl i ance r equi r ement s ar e not uni f orm and i t t akes aconsi der abl e ef f or t , much paperwor k and many f ees t o meet and keep up



wi t h t hese r equi r ement s. We do not sol i ci t donat i ons i n l ocat i onswhere we have not r ecei ved wr i t t en conf i r mat i on of compl i ance. ToSEND DONATI ONS or det ermi ne t he st at us of compl i ance f or anypart i cul ar s tat e vi s i t ht t p: / / pgl af . or g

Whi l e we cannot and do not sol i ci t cont r i but i ons f r om st ates wher e wehave not met t he sol i ci t at i on r equi r ement s, we know of no pr ohi bi t i onagai nst accept i ng unsol i ci t ed donat i ons f r omdonor s i n such st at es whoappr oach us wi t h of f er s t o donate.

I nt ernat i onal donat i ons are gr atef ul l y accept ed, but we cannot makeany st atement s concer ni ng t ax t r eat ment of donat i ons r ecei ved f r omout si de t he Uni t ed St ates. U. S. l aws al one swamp our smal l st af f .

Pl ease check the Pr oj ect Gut enberg Web pages f or cur r ent donat i onmethods and addresses. Donat i ons are accept ed i n a number of ot herways i ncl udi ng i ncl udi ng checks, onl i ne payment s and cr edi t carddonat i ons. To donat e, pl ease vi si t : ht t p: / / pgl af . or g/ donat e

Sect i on 5. Gener al I nf or mat i on About Proj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni cworks.

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