A wild Berserker rage took possession of Beethoven on receipt of this letter which he appeased characteristically by writing all sorts of sarcastic comments over the sheet, and by inventing compound invectives to suit the case.  He heavily criss-crossed the whole letter, and across it in heavy lines wrote, “Dummer Kerl” (foolish fellow), “Eselhafter Kerl” (asinine fellow), “Schreibsudler” (slovenly writer).  On the edges at the right:  “Mozart and Haydn you will do the honor not to mention”; at the left:  “It was decided yesterday, and even before, that you were not to write for me any more.”  On another spot he writes:  “correct your blunders that occur through your fatuity, presumption, ignorance and foolishness.” (Unwissenheit, Uebermuth, Eigenduenkel, und Dummheit).  “That will become you better than to try to teach me.”

In better vein is a letter from Beethoven to the copyist Rampel, who had worked for him during a period of many years.  He had Beethoven’s favor more than any other copyist, on account of a peculiar faculty he possessed for deciphering the master’s handwriting.

     Bestes Ramperl,—­

     Komme um morgen frueh.  Gehe aber zum Teufel mit deinem Gnaediger
     Herr.  Gott allein kann nur gnaedig geheissen werden._

     BEST RAMPEL,—­

     You can come to-morrow morning, but go to the devil with your
     “Gracious Sir,” (Gnaediger Herr).  God alone should be addressed as
     “Gracious Lord.”

This letter was published in the Beethoven number of Die Musik, February, 1902.

CHAPTER XVII

LAST QUARTETS

Every extraordinary man has a certain mission, which he is called
upon to accomplish.  If he has fulfilled it he is no longer needed
on earth, in the same form, and Providence uses him for something
else.  But as everything here below happens in a natural way, the
daemons keep tripping him up until he falls at last.  Thus it was
with Napoleon, and many others.  Mozart died in his thirty-sixth
year.  Raphael at the same age.  Byron a little older.  But all these
had perfectly fulfilled their missions, and it was time for them to
depart that others might still have something to do in a world made
to last a long while. 

          
                                          —­GOETHE, Conversations with Eckermann.

In the midst of these ironies of fate, this satyr-play of the nether forces with the master, in which he occupies at times so undignified a position, it is gratifying to note that the artist-life goes on apace.  In the last quartets which now come up for consideration, the labors of the tone-poet are brought to a close.